Original Sin

Chapter 2

"I hope you are comfortable Caroline," as Elijah looked on from his seat in the private plane to Caroline noticing she was ill at ease.

Caroline managed a small smile at Elijah, "I'm just not used to flying yet. This is actually my first time to ride a plane, I've never been anywhere."

It was at that point that Elijah realized that indeed, Caroline Forbes, in all here spunk and bursts of confidence in dealing with the supernatural and most particularly Originals like him was really just a very young woman, vampire or not, she was just a year over her teenage stage. It was surprising that this baby vampire and very young woman had successfully ensnared his brother, the Original Hybrid. Niklaus Mikaelson, whose name alone inspired whole armies to shake in fear, afraid of his wrath. The same one who two weeks ago had cried a tear while retelling his tale of lost love.

Elijah was not a man who was easily swayed. He always found something to nitpick about when words were said to him, he expected insincerity in uttered statements. His family had used words as weapons in the past, to broker a deal, to build an alliance. His brother himself was a master of deceit of words, his method of seduction. Countless times, they themselves have tiptoed upon one another saying much and nothing at the same time. The very rare times they had both let their guards done enough for a genuine conversation he could count in his one hand, and most of them were when they where human.

So on that day exactly two weeks ago, during one of his brothers' lowest points after once again at the receiving end of betrayal, he had screamed his threats to his siblings, yelled his regret at trusting them, destroying furniture and paintings in the mansion before retreating to his study to drown himself in his sorrows. Elijah knowing he was partly at fault for this latest debacle, had humbled himself to incur the wrath of his brother by entering the study in the hopes of patching things up. He recalled the conversation in his mind.

"What do you want now brother," Klaus bellowed, "you've successfully rendered me worthless by going behind my back and attempting an alliance with the witches against my expressed wishes." Pointing at Elijah, "you talk about family above all, but really what you espouse is what suits you best. You hide behind fancy words and tailored suits, leaving me to be the monster they all perceive, but really you are the real monster lurking in the shadows. You've got what you wanted, you don't get to be king maker, you get to be King. And I am once again thrust aside, after my usefulness has outlived itself."

"Brother that was never my intent. I always strive to put family first. Have I not stayed by your side when in counted the most, with Katerina, with father?" Elijah countered.

Klaus scoffed at his brother, "you fought beside me against father because your life was also threatened, you needed strength in numbers. As for Katerina, she turned out to be useless in the end, she continues to roam alive, so it was not really a sacrifice for you."

Elijah brushed off an imaginary dust of his shoulder, "but I am here now, when it matters the most. What I have done, to hear the witches out, to listen to what they had to say, it was to ensure that we have all our bases covered, it is best to have open communication lines with other supernaturals outside of vampires in the quarter. It wasn't going against what you wanted. It was consistent with the harmony we had envisioned."

"Do not twist around my words. I have been deceived by you too many times to count. You've used Family many times to defend yourself, but everytime you are single-handedly responsible for destroying it, not me. All I have wanted, all I have every wanted was to protect you all, keep you safe, keep you close. I fear the time for that has pass, maybe it's finally time for me to accept that I am alone," Klaus ended solemnly.

Elijah feared the path his brothers thoughts were taking, "do not even think those thoughts brother."

Klaus shook his head, "what you think is of no matter to me anymore. I taken all the betrayal I can take from you," Klaus mocked, "I've had much practice being on my own, without my supposed 'family' by my side, not even the twisted loyalty of my hybrids, nor the hollow allegiance of the vampires, I can count on." Very quietly, almost whispered he added, "the one person I wanted to stay by my side, I left alone for the sake of the family you so craved for."