Mismatched // Elijah Mikaelson

XVI

In the middle of the crossroad
I stare at the sun
Don't know where I am going
Guess I just have to run.

***

Elijah woke up in the morning, trying to recall what happened when he saw he had slept on the couch. And out of sudden it hit him, they'd fallen asleep in each other's arms. 'Za'Rijah?'

'Had a nice night, brother?' Rebekah giggled.

'Where's Za'Rijah?'

Rebekah frowned, 'I don't know, maybe she just went for a walk...'

Elijah sighed, 'No, she didn't. She's gone.'

'What do you mean she's gone? Why would she leave now?'

Elijah's chest felt heavy and empty, 'Let's check the Gilbert house, maybe she just wanted to talk to Elena and Jeremy.'

Rebekah nodded and within a minute they stood on the front porch of the Gilbert home, Elijah knocked on the door. They waited until a tired Elena with a big mug of coffee, wearing a bathrobe, opened the door. 'Elijah? Rebekah? What are you doing here?'

'We're wondering were Zari is,' Rebekah told her kindly.

Elena frowned, 'Wasn't she at your house yesterday? She did sleep over there, didn't she? I just assumed...'

'Yes, Elena, she slept at our place. But in the morning she was suddenly gone.'

'Maybe, she just went to her apartment to get a change of clothes... wait... where did she sleep?'

Rebekah grinned, 'On the couch.'

'But you have plenty of guest-'

'She fell asleep on the couch,' Rebekah cut her off, 'with Elijah.'

Elena's eyes widened as she looked at Elijah, making him slightly uncomfortable, 'Elena, I assure you that nothing happened. We fell asleep at the end of the movie.'

'Okay... well, why don't I get dressed, call Jeremy and we check her apartment?'

***

'This is where she lives,' Elena said as they stood in front of the apartment door, 'Anatoly is still here, I hope.'

She knocked on the wooden door and it was opened by a tired looking Anatoly, wearing a bathrobe and a glass of whiskey in his hand. 'Can I help you?'

'We're looking for Zari,' Rebekah told him.

Anatoly sighed and stepped aside, 'Za'Rijah is not here, but come in.'

They stepped inside the decent looking apartment, watching as Anatoly poured all of them a glass of whiskey. 'If she's not here, then where is she?' Jeremy asked him.

'She's gone and she's not coming back.'

'What?' Elena whispered.

Elijah froze and he felt a pang in his chest, 'Do you know where she is?'

'She left letter. You can read it,' Anatoly old him as he grabbed a piece of paper and shoved it into Elena's hands.

She glanced down and took a deep breath,

'Dear Anatoly,

when the sun graces us with it's presence, you'll find that I've disappeared. I'm sorry to tell you that I won't be coming back, I however would never leave you without protection. Ricardo Diaz may be dead, but his friends are not. Therefore I hope you'll enjoy your next stay, in three days you have to get in touch with Oliver. He will put you in touch with someone dear to me, who will put you in touch with some of my connections in the mob.

You may be asking yourself why I've left, I'm afraid I barely know the answer myself. I had it good, Anatoly, I was happy here. And maybe that was exactly what scared me. You and I both know, that for people like us, a small town life just won't work out. We've been running for so long, standing still has become... unnatural.

Please tell Elena and Jeremy, that I care for them and that I will look after them, even from a distance. Tell Rebekah that she was the most amazing friend I ever had. And as for Elijah, you can't tell him the truth. Please, I beg of you, don't tell him how I love him. Tell him that my heart is cold, tell him I never cared, tell him he deserves someone else.

Maybe that's why I left, Anatoly, the fear of proving destiny right. Or maybe it's just because I don't want to doom Elijah, he could have someone so much better, I don't want him to feel the obligation of sharing his fate with me.

Much love,

Za'Rijah Al Ghul. Light of the Demon.'

Rebekah snatched the letter out of Elena's hands, 'Connections to the mob? Light of the Demon? What kind of bullshit is this?!'

Elijah felt tears welling up in his eyes and he sat down, not knowing if he had the strength to keep standing straight. He glanced at Anatoly, 'Why... why didn't she just ask? Why did she just... vanish?'

Anatoly looked at the man with pity, 'Za'Rijah is not normal. Za'Rijah is different. She does not believe she deserves happy. She is powerful and dangerous, but when comes to this... she is afraid.'

'What do we do now?' Jeremy asked his sister, tears streaming down his face.

'I don't know,' Elena sniffled, tears pricking in her eyes as well.

'I'm not giving up,' Elijah concluded, his voice hoarse, 'I promised her, I wouldn't let go. I'm not going to.'

'I can give you home address, think she's there,' Anatoly offered as he scribbled something on a piece of paper.

'Nanda Parbat? What's that?'

Anatoly looked sternly at Rebekah, 'It's in Himalayas, be careful, is very dangerous. You will not survive if don't know how to defend yourself.'

'That's where Za'Rijah lives? In a place so dangerous that if you don't know how to fight, you won't survive?' Elena asked him, panic slipping into her voice.

'That's where she was born, yes.'