When You Were Young

Chapter 4

CHAPTER IV

They continued to walk until they reached a small house. Thanking the previous owner one more time, they entered and found an open space with a wooden table, two long benches at each side of the table, what it seemed to be a counter for cooking, and a back door that led to what seemed to be that time's backyard, where the meals were apparently cooked, since there was a cauldron hanging by a sort of hook attached to a wooden structure.

- It's good he said it was already furnished... - the blonde stated ironically.

- This IS what they call furniture. - explained Stefan.

- Okay, but where are the beds? - the brunette asked.

- Please, don't tell those are the beds... - Caroline pleaded pointing to a bunch of cloths and furs pilled in a corner.

- Sorry, sister. - said the boy in a mocking tone.

- Great, sleeping on the floor will do wonders to my now human back... - the girl complained annoyed.

- Okay, enough about the beds. We need a plan. We won't kill Klaus, since that would change the future, so I think we should try to find a witch. Except we can't talk to Esther, 'cause she can't know anything of the future, she might not turn her children if she does. But I remembered Rebekah mentioned a Bennett witch in this time, her name was... - the brunette tried to remember, but her memory was failing her.

- Ayanna. - Stefan said - You told me the story, Elena.

- Okay, guys, we'll talk to her first thing in the morning. But now, we have to establish what we are to each other.

The couple looked puzzled at their blonde friend.

- Seriously, you guys! Three friends living together during Stone Age? We need to be related, and it's gotta be good. You have to be somewhat responsible for us, Stef, or there might be trouble for Elena and I, I mean, unprotected women in Stone Age? Men took advantage of them, unless they had a father, a husband, or a big brother...

- Care is right. Alaric said men were barbaric!

- Okay, we're all gonna be siblings! I'll be your big brother and you'll be my little sisters, fine?

Elena didn't seem to like this arrangement very much.

- Why aren't we a married couple? We wouldn't be considered too young to be married here...

Stefan looked from the brunette to the blonde feeling awkward. It's just... Elena and him weren't in a good place, and still there was Damon, right in the middle, to make things even more screwed...

- If you want, we can be married. - he replied embarrassed.

She seemed a little offended and spat:

- If I want? Don't worry! It's better that we're siblings anyway! I've seem there's a lot of Mikaelson boys, most of them handsome and charming, it's better that I'm available for marriage! Who knows? I might even have a good time... - she then walked out of the house, furious.

- Elena, where are you going?

- Out!

- Give her some time, Stef. She'll cool down, and you guys can talk.

- You understand, right, Care?

- Of course, Stef. You're apart, Damon is, unadvisedly, in the mix, and Elena doesn't seem to be here or there, caught in the middle of you two. - she displayed the complicated situation in the most simple way possible.

The boy shook his head, smiling sadly.

🌿🌿🌿🌿

Elena was fuming. How dare he? She wasn't even seeing which way she was going when she stumbled on something hard. A chest, a muscled hard chest.

- My apologies, miss. Did I hurt you? - she looked up to see a beautiful pair of familiar brown eyes.

- I'm fine. I'm sorry, too.

The man frowned.

- Tatia?

The brunette was officially puzzled. Why was Elijah Mikaelson calling her Tatia? Unless Tatia was the Original...

- Petrova?

- Yes, my love. That's your name, isn't it? And shall I ask where did you acquire such odd clothes? - he said in a playful tone.

"Elijah in a light sense of humor?"

- Oh, no, I mean, I'm new in the village, my siblings and I were robbed on our way here, but they didn't rob everything, so we had enough to buy ourselves a place nearby from an old lady that passed away.

- Place?

- I mean, hut. Things in our old village were SO different from here, and clothes too... - the girl explained utterly embarrassed for forgetting to change into "normal" clothes before leaving the house - By the way, I'm Elena Gil... Salvatore. - if Stefan was her big brother, then she'd be a Salvatore, right?

The man seemed embarrassed as hell, blushing furiously. "Elijah, blushing?"

- Oh, my apologies, Miss Salvatore, I've mistaken you for my suitor, Tatia Petrova, I hope you didn't get offended for being called such intimate name by me.

"My love, intimate? Klaus calls everyone this on a daily basis and doesn't give a damn about intimacy...".

- It's fine.

He noticed the weird way in which she talked. And her hair was way shorter than usual, if compared to the women he knew. But then, she was from a far away village. The man realized how rude he was by not introducing himself as well.

- My apologies again, miss. It seems all I do since we've met is apologize... - he said blushing... again, and she found that adorable, for her horror - I'm Elijah Mikaelson. Since you're new here, how about you and your siblings have supper at our hut tomorrow night? I could introduce you to my parents and siblings. You would then get acquainted with some more people around here.

She didn't know what to say, so she just said 'yes'. They were bidding their goodbyes when Elena remembered to ask something important to Elijah.

- Do you happen to know where witch Ayanna's hut is? We were told to look for her by some people in our old village...

- Yes, it's the house with the purple cloth hanging on the door, and the amulets and charms by the window.

She thanked him and went on her way. When the brunette arrived at her new place, she just said emotionlessly:

- I know where the witch lives. Oh, and by the way, we're all Salvatores now. I've met Elijah, introduced myself with that name, and told him our fake sad sob story. And, oh, we're having dinner with the Originals tomorrow night. - and then Elena left, leaving both Caroline and Stefan stunned.