CHAPTER THREE | HAUNTER OF RUINS

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THE MIKAELSONS HAD DECIDED THAT THEY WOULD HAVE ONE DAY TO RECUPERATE. Klaus was desperate for one single day to spend with Hope and to get to know her as the child she was now. Whilst Elijah wanted to get to know Avery, the little girl that had wormed her way into the love of his life's heart. Hayley had introduced Hope to her family on the front porch, whilst Riley remained seated in the bedroom that Avery shared with Hope.

"What if they don't like me?" The young witch pouted up to Riley. "Hope is family. I'm not." 

"Sweetheart, listen to me." Riley kneeled down to Avery's height with a slight smile on her face as she gripped her hand. "Family isn't always about the people you share blood with. It's about the people you love and that love you back. Like me."

Avery fiddled nervously with her fingers as there was a sudden knock on the wooden door of the bedroom. Both Riley and the little witch lifted their attention upwards to see Elijah stood in the doorway, appearing almost nervous to approach. 

"Hi. I—I'm Avery." The little girl tucked her brown hair behind her ear as Elijah slowly made his way into the bedroom. "Are you Elijah?"

"I am." The Original vampire nodded with a slight smile. "And, it's a pleasure to finally meet you, Avery. It appears we have a friend in common." His eyes shifted to Riley, and then back to Avery. "I think that makes us friends, too, wouldn't you agree?" 

With a bright smile immediately sweeping across her face, Avery nodded her head vigorously. "Well, I think I'll leave you guys to it, hm?" Riley got up to her feet. "Thank you." She softly spoke, knowing that Elijah would hear it no matter what. 

Once Riley had left the room, Elijah turned back to Avery. "So, what would you like to do? The choice is yours." 

"You know how you're a vampire?" Avery asked with an inquisitive tone that caught the Original off-guard. "That makes you real strong.

"I am somewhat familiar what that factor, yes." 

"There's a swing right at the bottom of the garden. Do you think you could push me? I like to go super high!" 

"Close your eyes." Elijah instructed as the little brunette witch clamped her eyes shut with a smile on her face. Within seconds, Elijah had speed them right to the bottom of the garden. "Jump on, then."

Avery giggled loudly at the use of vampire speed, given Riley rarely shared that with her. She jumped onto the swing and Elijah took his place behind as he started to gently push. "Higher!" Avery commanded loudly, only resulting in Elijah's pushes to be a little more forceful. "I can see the whole of the Earth from up here!"

Elijah felt a warmth inside him that the had never truly experienced before. As he heard the excited squeals that left the seven year old as she swung higher up into the air, he realised this is what he had always wanted. A child. 

Eventually, Avery had grown bored with the swing in the garden and the two slowly made their way back up to the house. "You're cool, you know."

"It's been mentioned once or twice, yes." Elijah chuckled. "You're rather cool, too."

"Hope told me so much about you and your family about being the oldest vampires ever. Riley said it was a bit too much, but I said I wasn't afraid of you." Avery simply shrugged, noticing Elijah's brows knit together. "You're lucky. You all have each other."

"And now, so do you. I'm sure Riley has shared that factor with you. Come what may, Riley will never leave your side... and neither will I." Elijah told the girl with a smile. "I give you my word."

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After the had set and darkness had fallen, Elijah had asked Riley to meet him on the front porch of the large house. As she strolled up, she had noticed he had completely decorated the area with fairy lights and candles, paired with a bottle of champagne that he began to pour into two glasses the moment he saw her.

"Wow." Riley breathed in amazement as a smile swept across her face. "This is— gorgeous."

"For you." Elijah handed a glass of champagne toward the woman he loved with a smile. "Did Avery get to sleep okay?"

"Mmhm." Riley nodded once she had taken a large sip of her glass. "I think she quite likes you, you know?"

"Well, what is there simply not to like?" The Original vampire chuckled. He strode over to Riley and placed a delicate, yet passionate kiss against her lips before they parted. "I assume you have heard both Rebekah and Kol are intent on finding adventures of their own."

"Understandable. Five years confined together in a chambre, can't blame them for wanting a little excitement." 

"Five years and somehow it still does not seem enough." Elijah heavily sighed at the thought of being without his sister once more. "I do wonder where they'll go."

"What about you?" The strawberry-blonde finally asked, earning a confused gaze from Elijah. "If you could leave and call somewhere else home. Where would you settle?"

"I do not see home as a place— more a person." He stated simply as his hand grazed against her cheek. "Five years without you were simply too long to endure. A mere moment without you is too much. And, if—" His breath hitched in his throat as he moved over to his jacket. "—If fate has proved anything to either of us, Riley Evans, it's that we are not destined to part." Riley blinked as she saw him holding a velvet box. It all happened so quickly. The moment he slowly opened the box, Elijah dropped to his knee. "Riley Evans, will you marry me so that you and I may endure this eternity at each others side for all time?"

Everything that Riley had ever wanted was all falling into place at once. Her hands gently pressed against each of Elijah's cheeks as she smiled proudly. "How could I ever say no to you." 

The Original lept back up to his feet and crashed his lips against Riley's once more. They kissed passionately— like they were both dying of thirst and the only salvation was within the lips of the other. And with every single touch, the pair found themselves ushering each other back inside the house and into the bedroom. 

Elijah pressed Riley's back up against the door, hearing a soft moan escape her lips as soon as her back collided with the wood. Her hands roamed his shirt, ripping it from his chest within a second as Elijah discarded all of Riley's clothes until she was left in black underwear.

The strawberry-blonde used her vampire strength to push Elijah backward onto the bed before she climbed on top, straddling him whilst she pushed her hair out of her face. She kissed against his neck, sucking it gently until Elijah flipped them over to take control and push himself inside her.

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Klaus remained in the study, looking through Hope's sketchbook. After the day that he had spent with his daughter, he marvelled at her work and carefully flicked through every one of her creations as he sat in front of the fire.

"Dad?" Hope's soft voice called out from behind him. He jolted upright, turning his attention to her. "I think something's wrong. I had a dream about a bad man." 

"He was hurting these little kids." Avery added from the doorway. Horror befell Klaus' face as he noticed she had wandered into the room and moved beside Hope. "I think he hurt us, too."

Hope nodded in agreement with Avery, unaware that both their noses had started to trickle with blood. "I feel dizzy and my head hurts."

"Hayley! Riley!" Klaus called out toward the bedroom. "Okay, girls. Let's get you sat down, okay?" The Hybrid carefully moved Hope and Avery over to the couch as Riley, Elijah and Hayley hurried in, along with Freya. 

"What is it?" Riley panicked. She pressed her hand against Avery's head and scanned the blood on her face whilst Hayley held Hope close. "What's happening?"

Freya used her magic to try and get a better understanding of what was happening to the two girls that shivered on the couch. "This is a magical affliction. It feels— I don't know, it's hard to explain. Almost cold."

As Riley pressed a kiss against a sleepy Avery's head, something took her attention. A handwritten note had appeared within her pocket. "Uh— It's from Vincent. He knows what's wrong with them. He can cure them. But, we have to go back to New Orleans."

"Then, we go. Now." Hayley lifted herself from the couch as she looked around. "We're all going. The girls need us, and we need the both of you."

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