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"Why didn't you help me, Scott?" Stiles.
"You could've saved her if you had been stronger, but you weren't, Scott! You were weak, you're still weak, and it's your fault she's gone." Isaac.
"She's really gone, isn't she? My best friend, killed by another friend. Funny how those who stab you in the back never seem to be the enemy." Lydia.
Scott played the words of his friends over and over again in his head as he sat on the edge of the bridge, looking out over the glistening water. The unshed tears in his eyes and the trails along his cheeks were illuminated by the softly glowing moon above him, twinkling with the rest of the stars in an ever present happiness. Scott wished he could be like the moon. He desperately wanted to only need to worry about brightening the night skies, but the wish was absurd even to his own mind. He knew that nothing would get him out of the misery he'd unwillingly fallen into.
Sometimes, Scott found himself wishing that Peter had just killed him that night in the woods so long ago. He found his thoughts traveling down a dark path full of pain, no, agony and grief. He was in a constant state of anxiety because of all of the threats against his friends, his family, his pack. Scott didn't know how to be an alpha. He was, after all, still in high school and he didn't have anyone there to help him along the way, not in the way that he needed. His friends were there for him, he knew, but they couldn't understand the true weight of the pressure on his shoulders. They didn't have the responsibility that came with being a leader, the person who the pack looked to for guidance in times of desperation.
He shouldn't be the alpha.
A soft sob escaped the tan skinned teen whose shoulders were hunched from the weight he struggled to hold. He lowered his head into his hands, burying his face into his palms and then hiding himself in his knees as he brought his legs closer to his chest in an attempt to hide himself away. Logically, he knew that no one was around the woods at this late hour. He also knew that no one ever utilized the old bridge that he was currently seated on, but neither of those facts stopped him from slipping down onto the ledge closest to the water, his back pressing against the stone wall that lined the sides of the bridge in an effort to hide himself from view. He sunk into himself, breaths coming in short gasps as endless tears finally broke free from the dam that he'd put in place to deal with everything.
If one listened close enough, they'd be able to hear the quiet pleas for guidance, for help, and the even more inaudible echoes of, "I'm sorry."
~~~
"Family doesn't matter to you, Nik. You claim to be so caring towards your loved ones, yet you toss us aside like yesterdays garbage as soon as we disagree with you in any way." Elijah.
"What would you know of love?! You would know nothing of love if it fell into your lap because monstrous abominations such as yourself do not deserve to be loved!" Rebekah.
Niklaus Mikaelson had never been good at expressing his love for others. He had always perceived love as a weakness simply because love had never done him any good. Any time he tried to show another he cared for them, he was betrayed or heartbroken, sometimes both at the same time. After so many attempts at love, Nik gave up. He morphed into the "monster" that everyone else saw him as. He needed to keep up appearances, after all, and no one bothered to get to know who he really was, so why should he show them what they did not care to see?
So, Klaus hid his caring side. He buried it so far under all of his ruthlessness that even he forgot it was there. Until one day, that is, when he was able to meet a descendant of his that shouldn't have existed. Contrary to popular belief, Klaus hadn't been a virgin when they'd been turned into the creatures they were now. He had had a fiancée, a beautiful girl that he was betrothed to before the murder of their youngest brother Henrik. He could still remember her long, blonde hair that she kept pulled back in intricate braids intertwined with purple and pink flowers that her younger sister had picked for her. She always wore a simple red gown that reached her feet and flowed around her in a seamless manner. Her beauty was effortless and it matched her outstanding personality. She was well mannered, but fun loving; kind, but independent for a girl in her time; adorable, yet fierce in her own way.
She had completely captured Klaus's heart.
Then she was taken from him, brutally and much too soon. Just days before their wedding, her body was found mangled and bloody along the outskirts of their small village. Claw marks wound their way up her once flawless, pale skin, now tainted and stained a vivid crimson. Her lower half was uncovered and in a state much worse than the rest of her, but Klaus had turned away before he could see anything else. He hadn't wanted to look at his beloved in such a state. He couldn't. So his mother and his sister, along with his beloved's mother and sister prepared her body after his father had carried her back to the tiny cottage that her family resided in.
Her burial service was short and sweet, just like she had been. No one ever spoke of what could've happened to her before she was killed. No one even mentioned her around Niklaus because, while their wedding had been right around the corner, she had also planned to announce their rather unconventional and unplanned blessing. She had been with child.
Klaus was not allowed access to that fact until years later when a young witch proved it's legitimacy to him with a spell. A daughter, one who did not carry the Mikaelson name, had lived her life and birthed many children until her death by old age. Klaus' bloodline had been carried on throughout generations leading up to the current time he was living in, and he had made sure to watch over every one of his descendants. He even stepped in to protect them occasionally, but he always remained a hidden figure in the distance. He couldn't risk someone discovering his family.
~~~
Scott, after nearly two hours of crying, managed to get to his feet. He stood on shaky legs as he stared out over the water that ran under the medium sized bridge he was currently standing on. He was already on the wrong side of the railing, so nothing was stopping him from taking the plunge into the icy water below. Sad thoughts continued to brew in his mind and it was evident to anyone who looked into his broken, brown eyes. Scott McCall had been completely torn down by all of the horrible things that attacked him endlessly.
Because of his intense yearning to lose himself in the moon beams that glimmered against the river, he didn't hear the footsteps that came up behind him. Scott probably wouldn't have been able to hear the other approach if he had been paying attention, though, because vampires were creatures of stealth.
"Those thoughts will never go away."
Scott, to his credit, didn't even flinch at the unexpected voice behind him. He didn't react in any way unless one was looking closely. They would've been able to see the slightest tightening of his grip against the stone railing separating him from the stable portion of the bridge and the unknown person.
What the alpha hadn't noticed earlier, was the presence of another wolf lurking in the woods just off to the side of the bridge. Now that Scott was aware of the other person, he tilted his head into the wind in hopes of catching a scent. He was curious as to what kind of creature he was dealing with was, but he didn't expect the subtle scent of death that captured his senses. He could also clearly make out the smell of a fellow wolf, although this wolf had an odd twang to his scent.
Curiosity eventually caused Scott to respond, "I know."
Two simple words that conveyed so much pain.
"All alphas have moments of darkness, Scott, just like you. It's what you do to survive this moment of depression that makes you an alpha."
Scott could clearly hear the heavy accent behind the words now. He didn't bother turning to face the other wolf, though, when he responded: "Who are you?"
"Some would tell you that I am a relative, I suppose, but for now I am simply a reassurance. You can call me Nik, if you'd like." Nik, as Scott now knew, was very obviously closer to Scott now than he had been, but the true alpha found himself at ease around the other.
"What has happened to cause you so much misery?" Nik asked, his voice now right next to Scott.
Scott still kept his gaze on the languidly moving waves that lapped against the supportive beams holding up the bridge. He so desperately wished to let them incase him in their cold, comforting hands, but something about Nik made him feel as if he could trust the obviously older wolf. While he wasn't sure what made him want to express all of his feelings to a complete stranger, Scott found himself opening up about all of the horrible things that had happened to he and his pack throughout the years. He was even more surprised when Nik didn't interrupt or run away, which Scott knew would be the reaction of a human. Scott went into detail about the Nogitsune that had taken his best friend from him (Stiles would never be the same), the spirit that had murdered his love (Allison) and a friend (Aiden) along with countless other innocents.
When he finished, Scott could barely speak through his tears. He had started to cry again around the time he was explaining their first encounter with an openly void Stiles and hadn't stopped even after he managed to finish his story. Nik had stood and listened to every word until the tale was done. Only then did he speak once more, "As their alpha, you feel as if all of the things you just shared with me were your fault, but I can assure you that the Nogitsune would've found your friend even if you had been a mortal. Fate is a fickle thing and it always gets what it wants."
Scott turned his head to finally look at the person beside of him. The man was neither tall nor short with a head of barely tamed, blonde curls that fell into his dark blue eyes. He was dressed in a simple pair of black jeans that hugged his legs and a long-sleeved, red blazer. Scott didn't think Nik looked like a fighter, but the calm composure screamed stealth. Nik reminded him a bit of a cat ready to pounce at any moment.
"You sound like you know from experience." Scott stated blandly, voice still dripping with sadness once Nik listened passed the faux indifference.
Niklaus allowed a small, sad smile to form on his face as he stared out at the horizon. "Perhaps I do." He was quiet for awhile, letting Scott have a moment to calm himself again. "I was an alpha once, too, Scott, and my pack members were brutally slaughtered by hunters because of their affiliation with me. When I found them there, bleeding out and unable to heal because of the toxins in their bloodstream, the youngest child comforted me. Do you want to know what she said, Scott?"
Scott nodded his head curiously, the glimpse into Nik's life intriguing him. He did get the alpha vibe from the other man, but he couldn't catch an actual alpha scent. Only death, pain, and a bit of blood mixed with his werewolf scent and his natural, human musk.
"The little girl, who was literally bleeding out in my arms, looked up at me and smiled. She smiled because she was in happy to die in the arms of her alpha. She told me that the hunters would've found them wether I was their alpha or not simply because of their DNA. They were wolves and fate wanted them gone, so fate rid the world of them. I was just a pawn, but I pulled myself out of the horrible slump I fell into afterwards because I knew what my pack would want of me. They would have wanted their alpha to grieve and then continue on in their memory. I can guarantee that your fallen pack members wish the same from you." Nik had turned his head to meet Scott's young, brown eyes. He needed his youngest family member to understand what it was that he was saying.
When Scott's face finally lightened up the slightest bit, Nik knew that he'd gotten his message across, but still, he continued: "An alpha must bare the weight of the hard decisions and the pain of the losses, but they must also live on in memory of those lost. You will grieve, Scott, and then you will come back from this darkness in a new light. You are a True Alpha, but you are also human, and that is what makes you so strong. You need to continue on for your pack, your fallen members, and the future of the town you call home." Niklaus ended his speech there, offering his descendant a very small, very meaningful smile.
Scott allowed himself to take a moment as he absorbed all of the inspirational words that Nik had just hurled at him. He didn't understand why a complete stranger felt the need to comfort him in the middle of the night, nor did he question the strangers original intentions because he felt safe with Nik, despite how odd the situation was. It was as if a wave of realization had washed over the True Alpha when his mind processed just what Nik had been trying to say to him. Scott was finally able to see the light at the end of the tunnel that had been pitch black since he had been bitten by Peter.
When he looked back up from his hands to thank the stranger, Nik was gone. He had vanished without a trace, only leaving behind a small piece of jewelry. It was a family heirloom: an ancient, protective pendant that Nik had looped onto a more modern chain. Scott gently picked up the necklace and examined the fine details and intricate webbing that seemed to wrap around the entire M shaped pendant. Once he took another glance around, he slid the necklace over his head, shivering slightly when the cool metal touched the skin underneath of his warm shirt.
Scott carefully climbed back over the railing of the bridge so that he was standing on the solid stone work once again. His eyes drifted up to the half moon before moving along the edges of the dark woods near where he was. He couldn't see Nik anymore, but Scott could feel that the other was close. He could feel that Nik would be there for him whenever he needed a shoulder to lean on no matter the consequences.
So, with one final look up at the moon, Scott turned his back on the glistening water below the bridge and began his journey home in the cool darkness of the night.
~~~
If Scott clutched the pendant like a lifeline whenever he needed to feel some of the comfort that Nik brought, no one ever had to know; and no one had to know of Nik's short trip to Beacon Hills on a mission to save his family.