Always & Forever

The Mikaelsons approached the remote cabin slowly, each one of them finding it vaguely familiar. Nik could smell Octavia's blood in the air and Freya kept warning them that her connection with Octavia's brain was weakening by the second.

When they finally came up on the cabin, there wasn't much of a plan, especially because they really weren't sure what they were dealing with. Mostly they were just focused on their rescue mission.

Nik and Kol burst into the front door with Elijah and Freya hanging back as sort of a backup plan. Upon inspection, the cabin was empty. There had definitely been people there recently, and Nik could smell Octavia's blood stronger than ever, but she wasn't there.

"What? She has to be there."

Freya's words were concerned, and Nik shook his head.

"There isn't anyone in there."

"Maybe it's been cloaked. Hold on."

Freya closed her eyes and mumbled an incantation, and two seconds later, a man appeared in front of them. He wore a devious grin and watched them carefully.

"Jacob."

Nik and Elijah said the name in unison, Kol and Freya watching them curiously.

"Give her back. Now."

Nik growled the words, and the man standing across from them smiled again.

"C'mon lads. You know it's not going to be that easy."

The man, Jacob, took a step closer to them, and Kol bared his fangs.

"I wouldn't do that, mate."

Jacob tossed the words at Kol, and Elijah and Nik took a step closer to him. In the blink of an eye, Nik had him by the throat and was raising him into the air.

"Where is she?!"

Klaus demanded of him, watching as he struggled for breath.

"You're too late. She's already gone."

Jacob gasped the words, and Klaus shook his head.

"No."

"Oh, she's not dead, mate, but you're never going to get her back. Not really."

Jacob smiled over his shoulder just as a woman pushed Octavia towards them. Octavia was crying and mumbling about how she just wanted help. Elijah, Klaus, and Kol watched her closely.

"What did you do to her?"

Elijah stepped closer to where Nik was still holding Jacob off the ground and got right up in his face.

"Nothing that wasn't already happening. You see, when my dear sister met  up with her last year in Paris, it didn't take long at all for her to sense the Mikaelson influence on her. It was clear she hadn't seen you lot in a long time, but we knew that if we cursed her, she'd lead us to you. We wanted to make you suffer for years and now we've finally found the appropriate way. You all care about that little wretch so much, and now she's never again going to recognize any of your faces. Plus the fact that now that her curse is fully set in, she's got maybe a month to live."

Jacob smiled as he watched the reactions to what he'd just said. Shaking his head, Nik reached right into his chest and pulled out his heart in one swift movement. His sister screamed out from where she was still standing with Octavia. She ran towards them, but Elijah caught her by the shoulders and ripped her heart out as well.

Another scream rang out from near to them, and they looked up to see Octavia's eyes full of terror. Elijah released his grasp on the heart that was still in his hand and it plopped heavily on the ground.

"Octavia..."

Kol trailed off, making his way to her. She shook her head and backed away slowly.

"Don't... Don't come near me. Leave me alone!"

Octavia screamed and turned and used her supernatural speed to be gone in a flash. The brothers took off after her, and Elijah was the one that caught up to her first. He backed her up against a tree and caught her there by her shoulders. She shook with terror and wouldn't look him in the eye.

"Please don't hurt me."

She sobbed the words, and tears rose in Elijah's eyes.

"My love. I could never hurt you. I'm not going to hurt you, Octavia." He wiped his bloody hands on his suit pants and gently cupped her chin in one of them. She flinched at his touch and then seemed to fall into it. "Hey. Listen to me. I'm not going to hurt you. Not now, not ever."

"I'm afraid."

Her voice was small and quiet, and he nodded.

"I know, dear. I know you are right now. But we're going to get you fixed up, okay? You can trust me, but I need to be able to trust you as well, okay? Promise you won't run away from me again? You promise me that and I promise I'll do everything in my power to keep you safe and make sure you don't have to be afraid. Okay?"

He asked the question and she studied his deep brown eyes. She nodded slowly a moment later and he smiled a small smile.

"Good. Now, let's go home."