#swbl

With the chaos and busyness that seemed to stitch itself into every aspect of the Mikaelsons' life, it was no surprise that Christmas came a day late this year.

Confusion amidst the littlest Mikaelson and regret festering in the heart of Elijah Mikaelson easily came to light as [Your name] couldn't figure out what was bothering her father so much.

Yes, of course, the rest of them knew what dangers rested before them, but yet, they had each wanted to give the child a sense of normalcy before things got too out of hand — and now, it seems like even that was off of the table.

"What's wrong?" [Your name] asked, her big eyes staring up at Elijah. She was worried for her father, not understanding why missing yesterday was such a big deal. She knew he was busy — that was enough for her.

"I had wanted to give you a good Christmas," he smiled faintly, pressing a soft kiss to her forehead. "I couldn't even make it back in time to do so, my love."

[Your name] giggled up at him, a toothy grin spreading across her features.

"Daddy," she began, reaching up to grab the sleeve of his jacket. "I asked Santa to bring you home to me. He did!"

Elijah tilted his head. "He did? Santa brought me home to you?"

"Yes!" she scrambled in her seat to stand up on the chair, trying to be as tall as her father. She smiled up at him. "Yes, I did. I... asked for you. Nothing else."

He let out a sigh, squeezing his eyes shut. "Well... well, now I am here. What would you like to do for Christmas this year?"

"It doesn't matter," she said, reaching up and throwing her little arms around his neck. "I have you back!"

A curt laugh escaped him as he quickly hugged his daughter.

Normal didn't run in this family — that much was obvious. But the love Elijah had for his daughter was unparalleled to any normal thing out there. The same could be said for this little girl, who took back everything on her list to Santa just to get her father back.

Elijah pressed a soft kiss to the top of her head. "Well, then," he began. "How about we start with opening some presents?"

[Your name] giggled. "Yes!"

Anxiety was something that Elijah became very familiar with, ever since he found [Your name]. Every move she made, he watched with fixed eyes. Every breath her little lungs took, he made sure that nothing sounded wrong.

So when it came time to send her to preschool, the anxiety he felt was more than anything he had ever felt before.

[Your name] would be four, going into preschool, and five when she would leave for the summer to get ready for kindergarten. Klaus had been the one to convince Elijah it would be good for her to be around other children her age, especially since she was always around them.

“I don’t like it,” Elijah said.

Klaus rolled his eyes. “There’s nothing to like about it, but it’s what’s best for her. You are going to be nervous no matter what, brother. Might as well get over it now so she won’t be nervous as well.”

And then, the dreaded day came. Rebekah had woken her at seven, so she would have time to get ready and eat her breakfast as slow as she normally did. Her class wouldn’t start until nine, but the time for the Mikaelson family only seemed to move by in a flash.

Rebekah dressed her cutely, in her favorite colors. [Your name] was a giggly mess, smiling up at her aunt. She was excited - she knew that she was about to make so many friends, and get to do so many fun things with these new friends. It warmed Rebekah’s nervous heart.

“[Your name], are you sure?” Rebekah asked, gently fixing the girl’s hair. “You want to go to school?”

Asking a child that might not have been her best decision. However, the toothy smile her niece showed her was answer enough.

“Yes!”

Rebekah sadly smiled, leaning forward to give her a gentle hug.  “You will do amazing, sweet thing.  I just know it.”

[Your name] curiously tilted her head, giggling.  “You’re silly, Bekah,” she said, turning around to hug her back.  

Her dead heart thumped nervously in her chest.  There were so many things that could go wrong with [Your name] attending school... but she knew that it was for the best.  She also knew that [Your name] would not be little, forever.  This little human child would grow up, faster than any of them were expecting. 

The next one to go to try and “talk” her out of it would be Kol. But he would be the last sibling to actually ask this of her. He had stolen her from Rebekah, and taken her to the kitchen. To ease his nerves, he had made the child her favorite breakfast - something he would have killed someone over if they made fun of him for doing so. But [Your name] didn’t have to know that.

“Do you really want to go to school?” he asked, sitting her down at the table. “You could stay here.”

She giggled softly, reaching forward and grabbing a piece of the food off of her plate. “I want to go! I’ll be back!”

[Your name] smiled up at her uncle.

Kol sighed and rolled his eyes before he leaned forward, kissing her forehead. “Right, right.”

As [Your name] excitedly took off out of the room after eating, Kol cleaned up the mess.  Rebekah stood by the doorway, her arms crossed over her chest.  

She looked annoyed more than anything, but Kol knew that expression.  He frowned over at his sister, sitting a plate in the sink.  

“Are you alright?” he asked, turning to face her.  

As soon as she shook her head, Kol was by her side.  He hugged her tightly, knowing that his sister was upset, all for good reason.

Klaus stood by the door, his arms crossed over his chest as he stared Elijah down.  

“How do you think she will do?” he asked, watching his brother closely.  

Elijah raised an eyebrow at his brother, slipping his car keys into his jacket pocket.  “I think she will be fine,” Elijah said.  “You are the one who talked me into sending her, after all.  Having second thoughts, brother?”

Klaus rolled his eyes.  He went to speak, but [Your name] came running into the hallway, all smiles.  

“Nik!” she excitedly giggled, reaching up to her uncle.  He bent down, lifting the small girl.  He shared a confused look with Elijah - she had never called him ‘Nik’ before, but she had also gotten into the habit of shortening everyone’s names.  Kol was the only one she had yet to try it out on, but she would... eventually. Once she found a good nickname for him.

Klaus hugged her close, a smile forming on his lips.  “How are you feeling, little one?  Are you excited?” he asked.  

[Your name] nodded, wrapping her arms around his neck.  She smiled, looking over at her father as she hugged her uncle.  

Elijah watched, unable to fight the growing smile on his own lips, despite the ever-growing need to cry.  His daughter was growing up.  In a matter of minutes, he would be dropping her off for her first day of school.  

“Daddy?” [Your name] questioned, reaching out for the man.  Klaus carefully handed the child off to Elijah.  Elijah hugged his daughter, kissing the top of her head.  

“You look so ready for school,” he chuckled softly.  “Are you ready?  Did you grab your bag?” 

“I’m wearing it!” she pointed to the straps on her shoulders, leading up to the backpack she just had to have for school.

“Yes, of course,” he grinned.  “I should have paid attention.”

“Are you okay?” the little girl whispered, taking his face in between her small hands.  Her eyebrows furrowed as she tried to understand what he was thinking about.  Her eyes widened once she saw the tears forming in her father’s eyes.  “You’re crying!  Why are you crying?” she quickly exclaimed, squishing his face between her hands.  “Don’t cry!”

Elijah let out a laugh, kissing her little nose despite his face being squished.  

“Are you sad?” she quickly asked, her own tears quickly forming.  

“No, no, I promise I’m not sad,” he said, leaning against her hands.  “Don’t cry, [Your name].  I’m sorry.”

“Why are you sorry?” she asked, her bottom lip quivering with every word.  

He just smiled.  “You should not be worried,” he kissed the palms of her hands.  “You have to get your shoes on, now, okay?  You said you were all ready for school, yes?”

She hesitantly nodded, wiping her tears away.  “Uh-huh.”

“Do you remember how I taught you?” he asked, sitting her down on the floor.  He grabbed her shoes, handing one of them to her.  

[Your name] quickly nodded and she pulled her shoe on, hurriedly tying it.  Through narrowed eyes and immense concentration, she tied it tight on her third try.  Elijah chuckled softly and tied her other shoe for her.  

“Alright, little thing,” he took ahold of her hands.  “Let’s get you to school, alright?”

[Your name] smiled up at him, her tears just moments before all but forgotten by the child.  She nodded and scrambled to her feet with his help, before glancing back at the doorway to the kitchen.  

Rebekah, Kol, and Klaus all stood there, watching the child with mixed expressions.  

[Your name] just giggled, smiling even more.  “I’ll be back later!” she excitedly waved.  

Elijah lifted his daughter up, looking back at his siblings.  “I’ll be back momentarily.  I imagine this will not take very long.”

“I was hoping you would know of someone who could help us.  We need a witch.  One that deals with visions.”

Hayley closed her eyes, sighing softly.  “Why?”

Klaus blinked slowly, his jaw clenching in frustration.

“Klaus, I’m not going to help you unless you give me a reason.”

“I shouldn’t have to give you a reason,” he sneered, anger slithering up his spine as if a snake had replaced what nerves he had left.

“Alright, then,” Hayley rolled her eyes.  “Have fun finding a witch.”

Hayley pulled the phone away from her ear, prepared to hang up when she heard Klaus yell her name through the receiver. 

“Wait,” he said, his voice constrained for the time being.  “There is… a problem we’ve been having.  A child,” he said.

Hayley stayed quiet, her hand hovering over her own stomach.

“She’s been having visions.  Prophetic visions.  We… are hoping to find someone who can help her.”

Hayley cleared her throat, pursing her lips soon after.  “Okay,” she said.  “You’re still in Mystic Falls, right?  I’ll… see what I can do.”

“Come too,” Klaus said.  “We do not need a witch on our grounds when we’ve no idea who they are.”

“I’ll be there,” she said, before hanging up the phone.  She knew exactly who to call.

—

Time went by slower that week than it had in some time.  The witch Elijah had called had no idea how to help little [Your name].  She left almost as soon as she had arrived, claiming that some other forces were in control of the child.  

Elijah was tempted to find her and rip her a new one—how dare she give up when she hadn’t even begun to help?

It was on a night that Elijah had just laid [Your name] to sleep when a knock came from the front door.  No one else had been home.  Klaus and Kol were out at the Grill, and Rebekah was at the high school with the prom committee.  It was just him and his little girl.  He sighed softly and left his daughter’s room, promptly answering the front door.  

“Hello?” he greeted as he opened it, his eyes growing wide at the sight of a pregnant Hayley Marshall.  Beside of her stood a fiery redhead, who he could only assume was a witch—he could practically smell the magic drifting off of her.  

Elijah looked down at her belly before looking back up at Hayley in shock.  “Hayley…”

The brunette gave him a soft smile.  “Hi, Elijah.  Is Klaus here?  He was asking for a witch.  I brought him one.  I need to talk to him, too.”

“No,” Elijah frowned.  “But, I’m sure he’ll be back soon.  Who are you?” he turned to look at the redhead.  

She smiled, revealing a set of almost perfect teeth.  “Penelope.”

“And what are you here for?” Elijah raised an eyebrow.  

“Uh,” Penelope looked over at Hayley for help.

“Again,” Hayley rolled her eyes.  “Klaus asked for my help.  I brought him a witch that knows about visions and stuff like that.”

Elijah’s eyes widened.  “Oh,” he breathlessly said, looking between Hayley and Penelope.  A part of him wondered if he should wait for his siblings to return… but he knew that whatever he could do for his daughter would be beneficial in the long run.  

“Come in,” Elijah said, moving out of the doorway.  

Hayley and Penelope came inside.  The former kept a hand over her belly while the latter looked around the house in utter amazement. 

“This is gonna sound stupid, but I don’t think I’ve ever been in a place this big,” Penelope whisper-yelled to the woman standing beside her. 

Hayley rolled her eyes, but it was a playful gesture.  She just smiled at her friend.  

“So,” Penelope soon said, turning to face Elijah.  “What can I do to help?”

Elijah led the women up to his daughter’s bedroom.  However, he did not go inside, opting to instead explain what was going on, first.

“I adopted her about… well, nearly a year and a half now,” he said.  “She has always been susceptible to dreams of all sorts.  Lands filled with candies, snow during the summer, her favorite characters becoming her friends.  But she has also had… visions.  What we now know to be precognition,” Elijah frowned, crossing his arms over his chest as he spoke.  

Penelope clung to his every word.

“She is terrified.  She has seen my brother die.  She witnessed a girl with something that my brother and sister have been searching everywhere for.  [Your name] has never once heard them talking about it.”

Penelope tilted her head.  “What is it you are wanting me to do?” she asked.

“Can you get rid of it?  Take her power away?  Allow her to be a normal child, with normal dreams?” Elijah asked, staring her down.

Penelope looked from Elijah to Hayley, frowning.  “I’m not sure.  But I will see what I can do,” Penelope said, patting the satchel at her side.  “My mother’s grimoire has a lot of info about visions,” she said.  “I’m sure I’ll be able to do something to help.”

Elijah gave a small not, uncertainty getting the best of him.  Would she be able to help?  What if there was nothing they could do for his little girl?

The original vampire would have led them somewhere else, a guest room perhaps, had it not been for the little girl now standing at her opened door.  

“Daddy?” [Your name] quickly spoke, tears springing in her big eyes.  

Elijah wasn’t human, but his non-beating heart sprung to his throat in an instant.  He bent down to her height and held out his arms to the child.  [Your name] ran to them, hugging onto the man.  

“What’s the matter?” Elijah softly asked, pressing a kiss to her temple.  

“I had another dream,” she said, trembling in his arms. 

“About what, my love?”

“I don’t know,” she let out a soft sob, roughly wiping her eyes to try and stop her tears.  

Elijah quickly grabbed her hands, stopping her.  He couldn’t bear the thought of her getting hurt by her own hands.  

“[Your name], look at me,” he frowned.  “You’re alright.  You are safe,” he said.  “Nothing can get to you here.  I will always protect you.”

“Always?” she looked up at him with wide eyes.  Her bottom lip quivered as she spoke.

“Always,” he nodded.

She sniffled softly, looking at his hands that were now holding hers.  [Your name] took in a deep breath, her eyes soon wandering up to his.  “I saw you, daddy,” she said. 

Elijah frowned.  “What did you see?”

“I saw you…”

He furrowed his brows, confused.  

Elijah carried his little girl over to the table, sitting down with her in his lap. [Your name] leaned back into his chest, looking up at him in the process. She sniffled softly, a small hand reaching out to grab onto his. He welcomed the gesture, gently holding her hand in return.

“Alright, [Your name],” he softly spoke, pressing a soft kiss to her temple. “What do you have to tell us?”

[Your name] swallowed thickly before she looked at the table. “My dreams,” she began, taking in a deep breath. “They are bad,” she said.

Elijah nodded, hoping she would continue.

“I… I keep having a dream… where Kol,” she stopped herself, tears quickly beginning to form in her eyes. “Kol dies at the end.”

The silence was thick in the dining room. Not one of them had ever talked to [Your name] about death. Perhaps it was something she had picked up on before Elijah adopted her, or it was something she heard about on the programs she watched. But the surprise was evident across the table.

“What do you mean?” Elijah asked, his free hand gently rubbing the child’s back, encouraging her to continue.

“There’s a fire,” [Your name] said. “And a black-haired girl.”

Kol pursed his lips, leaning back in his seat.

“Kol is angry,” she said. “I don’t know what he’s angry about, but in my dream, he’s so… so upset, daddy,” [Your name] said, looking up at him in disbelief.

Klaus exchanged a brief look with Elijah. He cleared his throat and leaned against his hand for a moment. They all knew what this was—she was having visions. Of what, was the question. Was this something that would most definitely happen? Was this something she was terrified of, and it rooted itself deep within her mind? Could this be a warning, some type of omen, that presented itself in the version of a vision?

“My love,” Elijah said, turning the little girl to face him in his lap. “That will never happen,” he said. “I promise you everything within me. Kol is safe. So are you.”

While they couldn’t be sure whether or not Elijah was being truthful with the child, each of them knew that they needed to keep an eye out for Kol in general. If her vision turned out to be true, that would mean it was only a matter of time before Kol died.

“Have you ever had any other dreams like that?” he asked, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

[Your name] quickly nodded.

“What were they? Do you remember them?”

[Your name] thought for a moment, trying to recall what her old dreams had been about. And then, one hit her.

She grew silent and still, her body becoming rigid in Elijah’s grasp.

A panicked feeling flooded through Elijah’s veins. He placed a hand against her little cheek, frowning deeply. She was having a vision at that very moment.

Rebekah placed a hand over her mouth, fighting back the tears that threatened to spill. This child was suffering, not at the hands of vampires, but at the hands of fate. Fate had frowned upon [Your name] and chose her to be the deliverer of disastrous news, regardless of the fact that she was barely five years old.

[Your name]’s eyes soon refocused on her father, but this time, she wasn’t crying.

“A black-haired girl,” she began, looking over at Klaus with wide eyes. “She has something.”

“What?” Klaus furrowed his eyebrows. “What does she have?”

“A…” she tried to think of the word she was looking for. Her little eyebrows furrowed as well, in frustration. “A heal?”

“What?” Klaus repeated. Had he the ability, the color would have drained from his face. “A cure?”

[Your name] gasped and she looked up at Klaus with a big smile. “Yes!”

“Dear God,” Klaus groaned and allowed his body to slump back in his chair.

Rebekah sat there with wide eyes as she stared at the little girl.

Kol was quiet, still mulling over the fact that her vision told him he was going to die.

Perhaps her dreams were subjective. In the manner that it could change depending on the actions of those around her.

“What was this girl wearing?” Rebekah asked. She was sure Elena didn’t have the cure—the new vampire was deadset on destroying it if she found it. The only other person who could possibly have it would have been Katherine, and she truly didn’t want to have to deal with that.

“Black,” [Your name] simply said.

That was all Rebekah needed to hear. She looked over at Klaus, frowning. Klaus wanted to destroy it as well—his main concern, however, wasn’t becoming human. Rebekah wanted that more than anything; she wanted a child of her own. She wanted to connect with someone in a human manner; she wanted to grow old with the love of her life. But of course, Klaus wanted to destroy it. He believed that someone named Silas was going to be the end of vampire kind as they knew it. But if Rebekah took it… he wouldn’t have to be concerned.

Klaus glared over at his sister. “Don’t you even think about it,” he said.

She sighed and rolled her eyes, returning her gaze to the child in Elijah’s lap.

[Your name] had made herself comfortable in his arms, but as far as Elijah could tell, she was done.

“I’m gonna go play,” [Your name] said, wiggling down from his lap.

Elijah allowed her to leave, waiting until she was out of the room to acknowledge his siblings.

“She has precognition,” Klaus said, rubbing his forehead with the back of his hand. “This doesn’t mean she has the ability to tell the future. It’s… always changing. The future can always be altered.”

“Yes, but how would she know about Katherine? We’ve been searching for the cure for months, and all of a sudden, a child knows where it is before we do?” Rebekah interjected.

Kol cleared his throat, glaring at his siblings. “Um, hello? I’m supposed to die soon.”

“Again, the future is unclear,” Klaus rolled his eyes. “The future—”

“—is unpredictable, got it,” Kol huffed softly, crossing his arms over his chest.

Elijah stood up, walking over to the side table that held a tray of glasses and well-aged whiskey. He picked up a glass and poured it halfway, downing it soon after. He closed his eyes, knowing that he would need to find someone to help them. Perhaps they could take [Your name]’s ability away… or find a way to help her from having visions as debilitating as Kol’s death.

“How did we, of all people, end up with a child who could see the future?” Elijah spoke, opening his eyes once more to look at his siblings.

They were all silent. Not one of them had an answer for their elder brother. Not even Elijah had an answer to his own question.

Elijah sat his glass on the table and walked out of the room, pulling out his cellphone. He hurriedly clicked on a contact, deciding that he would need to call them if he were to start anywhere with finding a witch.

Klaus stayed in the dining room, pulling out his own phone. He pursed his lips before dialing a number as well, standing up as soon as the person answered.

“Hello? Hayley?”

Klaus cleared his throat, knowing it was her on the other line. But she didn’t say a word.

“I was hoping you would know of someone who could help us. We need a witch. One that deals with visions.”

[Your name] was born to a single mother who wholeheartedly hated children.  All she ever wanted to do was put an end to her child.  She tried her hardest to keep her and to treat her well, but her overwhelming hatred towards children tended to get the best of her. 

Her mother would put her in time outs that would last several hours at a time, and would yell at her for the smallest of things.  

She basically did the bare minimum to keep herself from getting in trouble with CPS and the people around her.  Her mother kept up a good image in public.  However, at home was anything but perfect.

At the age of three, the visions began.  Her mother was undoubtedly freaked out by this.  Being so young, [Your name] had a difficult time trying to decipher what she was seeing.  She didn’t know how to tell her mother.  But one day, she saw the neighbor’s dog dying.  So she expressed her concern to her mother.  Low and behold, her mother witnessed the dog getting run over.  

She was appalled.  

The second time [Your name] was able to express to her mother what she was seeing, she had told her there was going to be an accident.

Her mother didn’t believe her, but she was wary, especially since [Your name] was right about the dog.  

So, she went to work like normal.

An accident would send her to the hospital with minor injuries.

She was livid.  She was over this child.

Unfamiliar with the world of the supernatural, her mother wanted nothing to do with her.  Her mother was boring, and human.  There was nothing remotely spectacular or special about the snotty woman.

She promptly decided to get rid of her, but she could not bring herself to kill the child.  So, instead, she left her in an alley with nothing but the clothes on her back.

[Your name] would sit there for nearly two hours before Elijah Mikaelson came along.  Had it not been for his excellent timing, she would have developed hypothermia.  The child was cold, and although it might not have been freezing out, most cases of hypothermia occur just within the thirty to fifty degree range.  The poor child was freezing to the touch, even by Elijah’s standards.  

In her short two hours in the alley, she had fallen into a restless sleep.  There, she was greeted with a dream that a kind man would find her.  

She knew from this that she could trust him, no matter what.

She just didn’t realize that it would happen so soon.

-

It would be a couple months before Elijah decided to adopt her.  He easily accomplished this with compulsion.