Willow ↠ Elijah Mikaelson

79

Willow's fingers trailed over the edge of the open coffin. Yet, her gaze was directed away, somehow she couldn't bring herself to look at him.

"Willow" Rebekah touched her shoulder, looking at her with red, post crying eyes "we need to put him to rest"

Freya and Niklaus stood in the corner, having already said their goodbyes. It was now time for Willow before they slotted their loved one into the hole in the wall of the tomb.

With one quick movement, all Willow could see was water, tears among tears. Her lip quivered as she gasped, seeing Elijah so lifeless, it was nothing like she ever had imagined. "I tried to tell myself I'm ready for this but I don't think I am" she rubbed her eye with one hand as another hand moved closer and held Elijah's cold hand. "I'm not ready to live my life without you"

Why wasn't he squeezing her hand back, he always did, it was like his reflex. "Even when we fought, which was sadly a lot these last few months, I knew that at the end of the day, if I needed to, I could always come back to you. You were the first person I wanted to talk to if anything had happened"

Rebekah felt like she had ran out of tears. Her brother had been murdered, something completely unexpected for all of them. But watching how Willow tried to keep everything in, it only made it worse. Rebekah rested her head on Nik's shoulder and began to sob.

"It shouldn't be you in there, it shouldn't be you. That was meant for me, I deserve this, I deserved to die, not you" Willow sobbed "you should be here with your family, not me"

Freya thought it unfair to leave her be during this time, she walked up to Willow "it's okay" she consoled her.

"Oh God, how am I gonna do this? How am I gonna do this?" Willow let go and shook her head. How is she going to live the rest of her life without him? Apart from the five years she lived completely oblivious, Elijah has been the one and only person she wanted to be with, every minute of every day. And suddenly, for all of that to be taken away from her, she was left sore.

Willow was surrounded by people going through the same thing, she tried to understand, to tell herself that she isn't alone. But she felt isolated, even when Freya held her hand tightly.

Willow shut her eyes and took Freya's most recent piece of advice. To calm down. She took a deep breath in, holding it for a few seconds and then exhaled. And repeat. Until some of the pain had numbed, and when it did, it was then she opened her eyes.

But again came the sharp realisation of the love of her life lying there in a coffin, never to sit up, never to speak or move again. His peach skin tone replaced with a dull grey.

"Elijah" Willow let go of Freya's hand and started to nudge the man "Elijah, wake up" for some reason, she thought it was possible for him to open his eyes, that he was just asleep, that everything was a cruel joke on her. He'd crack a smile in a minute, he'd start to chuckle, the same chuckle that she loved. "Elijah wake up! Wake up" she began to scream, her tears burning down her face as her hands clutched his tie and pulled him up, shaking him.

This is when Klaus jumped in, grasping her shoulders and forcefully prying her off his brother's corpse and away. "Willow, Willow it's okay"

After a few seconds of wriggling, trying to break through the barrier and get back to Elijah, she stopped. She just stayed still and looked at each and every one of the Mikaelson's.

"I'm sorry, I can't do this" she wiped the tear from under her eyes before pushing past them and running out.

As soon as she hit the cool air, she felt as if she could breathe for the first time in forever. She took a few seconds after hearing Klaus stop Freya and Rebekah from following her.

She needs to be Alone.

Willow walked around the corner of the row of tombs; obviously not the cemetery belonging to the witches. Before she started collapsing, she pressed her back against the wall of a random tomb and just sat with her head in her hands. Her cries barely audible; but someone heard it.

Elijah's heart broke as he approached her, she couldn't see him, she couldn't hear him or even feel his presence. He was like a ghost.

For what Willow didn't know, Freya created a world for him inside their world. He couldn't interact with anyone, but he could watch as everyone lives their lives. But nobody would tell Willow as there was no known method of getting him out. Nobody wanted to get Willow's hopes up right now, it was best to let her move on.

He could see her. Elijah crouched down and lowered himself to her height as he just kept looking at her. He wanted to hold her, tell her he was here. He would always be watching over her like a guardian angel.

Everything seemed so real, everything apart from the touch and the smell. But he could remember vividly her strong aroma of perfume mixed with her natural smell, it was actually gorgeous.

"I'm here"

He tried telling her that but he couldn't get through the thick barrier to her. They were in two different worlds and Elijah was completely alone. But then again, so was Willow.

So close together yet worlds apart. Too tragic for words.

Willow tucked her hair behind her ear, imagining that would be what Elijah would do. "You probably aren't going to hear this" she looked down, imagining Elijah was there.

"You'd be surprised"

"Im sorry, for everything I put you through, I'm sorry for breaking your heart and making you watch me with someone else. You were never that cruel, you were just looking out for me" she sobbed "I'm sorry for shouting at you, for hurting you, for punching you. If I could do it all over again, I would change it"

"Willow, I wouldn't change it for the world"

Elijah tried to put his hand in her leg, but he couldn't feel a thing.

Well, it's all up to Freya now.

Willow stood up, saying her piece. Thinking it fell on deafened ears. And she walked away.

Like I'm gonna lose you - Jasmine Thompson