@fableehaa made my awesome cover :)

A/N- This isn't edited but it will be. Also this is my first long story on this account

Italy- 1114

Elijah’s POV

My whole body ached as I opened my eyes. All I could remember was that wretched dagger piercing my chest and everything going black. I don’t know how long ago that was but I certainly had different settings.

Niklaus was sat aimless on a crate watching our younger brother Kol rub his chest as it healed from the sharp weapon that had once pierced it. Our sister slowly woke up just after I had.

“What happened?” I questioned stretching my limbs.

“Our lovely naïve sister fell in ‘love’ with a vampire hunter. Not only a vampire hunter, one of the strongest vampire hunters known to man. They call themselves ‘The Five’. Well they’re dead now anyway. They decided to stab us all with these daggers covered in the ash from the tree that created us. It didn’t affect me seen as I’m technically from a werewolf decent but you all were dead for a short period of time. Once I pulled the daggers out you slowly came back to life,” Niklaus shrugged twirling one of the daggers between his fingers.

“So you just killed these hunters? You didn’t consider questioning them as to how they knew about us or anything along those lines.” I asked.

Sometimes my brother could be quite stupid (mainly because he got caught up in the moment), we had only been like this for about one hundred years but he was already letting the power of being a vampire go to his head. He just killed humans and didn’t think through the consequences or alternatives to murder.

He was a blood thirsty monster.

“I’m going to go get something to eat, anyone going to join me?” Kol smiled standing up from his resting position on the floor.

“I will,” Niklaus and Rebekah said together before frowning at each other.

Out of my siblings they probably argued the most, but they were also the closest to each other. It was rather confusing how their relationship worked but it worked for them. At least he wasn’t out killing us- yet.

All eyes were now on me but I couldn’t really bring myself to feed with my siblings. Niklaus would be blaming Rebekah for the mishap of today for the whole experience. I would rather feed on my own away from my younger siblings.

“I’ll catch up to you all,” I stated with a sigh allowing them all to speed of in one direction towards the town.

I didn’t really like it here in Italy, my family found too many controversial arguments throughout the days we had been here. To be honest since we moved here it had only progressed from a few arguments a day to continuously. We needed something to settle these problems between us all, but what? I didn’t know.

Slowly I began to stand up and walk away from the area we had all once occupied. It didn’t take me overly long until I reached people. There were crowds everywhere in these small towns and villages. Everyone was always busy but for some reason no one ever noticed if we accidently drained one of their blood.

I noticed a lone girl maybe aged twenty standing near the shadows. Slowly I walked over to her before covering her mouth and turning her to face me so I could look into her eyes.

“You will not scream, you will follow me,” I stated attempting to compel her.

She repeated my words before following my steps away from the crowds and into the shadows where I smirked. My thirst was growing and I couldn’t contain it any more. My fangs retracted as I bit down onto her neck. I drank her blood quickly before letting her limp body fall to the ground in a heap.

Turning and wiping my mouth I went to join the crowd of civilization again but a young girl stood in my way. She looked like she was only four or five and she had deep blue eyes. Her long blond hair hung loosely down her back as she smiled weakly at me.

As she began to speak I knew she’d only know Italian.

“I can’t find my Father. I’m lost,” She whispered as tears built up in her eyes.

“Where’s your Mother?” I questioned crouching down to her height.

“My Father said she ran away when I was a baby. I only have him,” She pouted as more tears built up and a couple began to fall.

“What’s your name?” I asked with a soothing voice.

“Elisabetta Valentino,” She whispered.

“Did you check your home?” I questioned.

I know it seemed like a simple question but she was young and if she was scared she may not have thought of it.

“Yes, but I can’t find him. Please help me,” She sobbed.

I stood up straight and she quickly latched onto my leg. I didn’t know what to do; I wasn’t the most paternal person. Being a vampire meant I didn’t have a chance to be a Father so the closest I got to a child was my brother Henrik before he died.

How was I supposed to find her Father in this crowd?

Prying her from my leg, I cradled her in my arms instead. I began to walk around the crowd and I looked for any men that looked like they had lost a child. I also asked her if she could see him and once again she had no luck in finding him.

We moved on to another crowd in another part of town trying again but her sobs were turning into hysterics. Again and again I went to different areas in the town to ask people and see if she could see anyone but I had no luck. I now had two choices.

I could either leave her here and she could end up dead or taken in by someone else but that was an overly dangerous option for such a young child. Or the other option was for me to take her in. Niklaus wouldn’t be too amused but she needed to grow up with someone to care for her and I couldn’t trust the kindness of a stranger, although I was a stranger.

“Elisabetta I can’t find your Father so either I can carry on looking but I don’t think we’ll find him or you can come and stay with me?” I smiled softly trying not to make her uncomfortable with my offer of taking her in.

I got her answer when she hugged me closer to her putting her face into the crook of my neck. Within moments she was asleep. I had to admit she looked adorable from my view above her.

Slowly I walked back towards the house my family and I had been staying in to break the news to them that we were going to be parents to this young girl.

They’re reactions would be twisted and I don’t know how they’d really react.

Niklaus would probably be outraged as he’d see her as a danger to his power or that she was a weakness to us. Rebekah would probably see her as a play thing as she grew up, seen as she was the only female member of our family left. Then Kol would be pleased he didn’t have the youngest mental age although it would be a tight competition.

The walk wasn’t too far- luckily. The poor little girl (who I presumed to be an orphan) was now asleep on my shoulder letting out soft whimper like snores. It was cute and sweet. I was surprised how easily she could sleep after losing her father here. She probably didn’t understand how drastic this predicament could be. She probably didn’t understand that her Father may just be a distant memory as she could possibly never see him again.

As I got to my family’s home I took a deep breath in the hopes it would give me a slight piece of hope and I wouldn’t wake her up. Slowly I leaned forward opening the front door.

“Niklaus, Rebekah, Kol?” I called out in hopes they wouldn’t be home so I could put her in a bed to sleep.

“What brother?” Rebekah called in return.

“I have someone you need to meet,” I stated.

I had no other choice. There was no way I would be capable of getting her to a bedroom without getting caught with a human child. It would be terrible if I was found out with her. They would probably kill her without an explanation from me if they found me sneaking her in. But I guess that’s how my family was.

Slightly shaking her shoulder she groggily woke up and smiled at me with her toothy grin.

“Do you have a blood bag with you?” Kol chuckled.

Within seconds the rest of my family began to chuckle as well. Taking another deep breath I walked through the door into the view of my family.

“What’s that?” Rebekah hissed pointing to Elisabetta.  

She had always been the heartless one. Niklaus was the one who would kill everyone and Kol would cause you torture but what Rebekah did was a lot more heartless. I guess she just ignored you and ripped your heart out and not always literally.

“This is a little girl, you and Kol were once one,” Niklaus chuckled.

“I meant what is she doing here?” She growled whilst I could see Kol’s anger brewing at Niklaus’ joke.

“She is an orphan. I couldn’t leave her in the streets to die; un-like you three I still have some humanity. So I will take care of her and if any of you want to be helpful you could help too,” I frowned.

“Why don’t you just put her out of her misery?” Kol shrugged.

“Look at her, she has barely lived. She is only a child how could you kill her?” I questioned.

Sometimes my family could sicken me. They would heartlessly kill a poor innocent child? Why? Did they really have no heart? Where did their humanity all go?

“So what’s her name?” Niklaus questioned.

“Elisabetta Valentino,” I stated.

“That’s a mouthful, what are we going to call her if she’s staying with us?” Kol asked.

“How about, Liza?” I questioned looking at the little girl, “Do you like the name Liza?” I asked her in Italian.

“Yes,” She beamed.

“Liza, this is my two brothers Niklaus and Kol and my sister Rebekah. You’ll be living with us,” I smiled trying give her an encouraging feel about my family.

“Hello,” She smiled shyly hiding her face in my shoulder.

“She’s actually cute,” Kol stated stepping forward, “Where will she be staying?”

“Probably in one of the spare rooms, but none of you can touch or feed from her. Her Mother died or left her when she was young and her Father is nowhere to be found. So now we are her only family,” I stated.

“As long as she doesn’t get in my way, I won’t hurt her,” Niklaus stated with a frown prominent on his face.

“Same, I don’t want a little brat hanging around me all the time,” She frowned turning her nose up at the thought of the concept of having another girl to care about.

Rebekah was rather self-centred and didn’t really want anyone to take the limelight away from her especially from her brothers. She loved us for sure but mainly needed us to give her attention.

“I’m going to take her to a bedroom and put her to bed,” I sighed turning away from my siblings.

I slowly walked to one of the bedrooms that weren’t occupied with one of my siblings or I. Lying her on the bed she was asleep within moments seen as she was almost asleep prior to entering the bedroom.

 I lent on the edge of her bed and stroked her hair lightly. Leaning down I kissed her forehead. I don’t know why but seeing her so peaceful made me feel happy. Smiling slightly I could tell I wouldn’t mind the concept of being a parent to Liza. She needed someone to care for her and I knew I had the capability of being that person.

Standing up I turned about to leave the room but I had to turn back around to check whether she was still comfy and asleep. By the looks of it she was. Once again I smiled but this time I left the bedroom and began to head back to my siblings in the main room. How this girl’s life was going to end here, I don’t know but hopefully I could do the best for her.