Thank you for all the feedback. Reply to the guest reviewers, yes, Eva is a woman mentally, but she has also been in the body of a child for over 500 years. And yes, she got carried away, mostly because she wanted so desperately to finally experience everything she had missed during the last 500 years. Being suppressed by the people she hoped to share all her new experiences with didn't really help. Also the spell will have some unpleasant side effects, some of the emotional ones she has already experienced, her emotions are heightened like she would be a newborn vampire.

The fact is that she's in a completely new world now and she has to deal with things she never had before, what she would have needed was understanding guidance. Yes, I agree that she wasn't acting like herself and she made stupid choices, but she certainly learned from her mistakes. I'm sorry you didn't like the previous chapter, but I don't really want to write flawless characters.

Everyone makes mistakes and everyone needs some help for every now and then. She won't stay as "a damsel in distress", she will be her old self again, but considering the circumstances, she was very drunk and drugged, I think she had the right to be upset. As I mentioned before, I never meant for things to be perfect for her from now on.

I'm not a child anymore
I'm tall enough
To reach for the stars

Fleetwood Mac – Beautiful Child

Chapter 68

Mistakes

Elijah sat on Eva's bed and stared in front of him. This was his fault. She had left because of him. What kind of a father was he? Slowly he stood up and walked over to her closet. All the clothes in there would have probably looked cute on a little girl. A little girl who was hoping to become a nun. None of the clothes were the clothes of a young woman. After all these years Eva had finally found a way to get what she had wanted the most and he had tried to deny that from her. No wonder she had left.

She was somewhere all alone now. Because of him. When he had first discovered that she had run away, his first thought had been very simple. She would be grounded when he would find her. Grounded? She was over 500-years-old. During those 500 years she had probably looked after him much more than he had looked after her. That wasn't right, he was her father, he should have been the one who took care of her. Yet he couldn't deny that she had been his rock. His strong, determined little rock. His little Eva. His child.

Seeing her suddenly as an adult had shocked him, he couldn't deny that. Some part of him had immediately thought that he would lose her. Everything would change. Someone would take her from him. She wouldn't be his child anymore. That had been something he hadn't been willing to accept. Of course he had managed to justify his own selfishness; he was just "protecting" his little girl. How, by trying to hide her from the world? Locking her up and throwing away the key? Making her feel like a prisoner?

Looking like an adult after so many years must had been more than overwhelming to her already, she would have no doubt needed her father's support. Had he given her that, no. He had completely let her down. And now she was lord knew where, trying to figure everything out all by herself. Elijah buried his face in his hands and struggled to pull himself together.

There was nothing he could do at the moment; Niklaus, Kol and Rebekah were already looking for her. He wasn't sure if that was a good thing, he doubted that Eva wanted to be found. Elijah was hoping that she would contact him so he could tell her that things would be different, all he wanted was her to come back home. He would support her, advice her, not to advice her, what ever she needed.

"Elijah?" Finn's voice suddenly said.

Elijah cleared his throat before turning to the door.

"Yes?"

Finn was looking at him calmly, but there was some compassion in his eyes.

"I am sure the little one is fine," he stated.

Elijah nodded.

"Yes, I'm sure she is."

They were both quiet for a while before Finn spoke again.

"Alright. Let me know if I can do something."

"Finn," Elijah said before his brother turned around. "Thank you. I'm aware you have every right to hate me for…"

"For leaving me daggered for 900 years," Finn finished dryly. "Yes, I can't say that I would have enjoyed that experience. However, you can count on my help for finding the little one. If you recall, I was a father myself once."

Elijah was too embarrassed to admit that he had actually forgotten that. Finn has had a wife and a daughter when they had still been humans.

"Finn, I…"

"I saw how deeply you love the little one," Finn cut in calmly. "So do Rebekah, Kol and even Niklaus. That is quite an achievement for anyone."

"She's my daughter," Elijah murmured. "I just… I haven't been much of a father to her lately."

"Neither was I," Finn replied, his tone of voice held no emotion. "There is nothing I regret more. Unfortunately it is too late for me to ever correct my mistakes, but it is not too late for you. Just because the little one is not so little anymore, doesn't mean she would not still need you."

Elijah nodded.

"Yes… I will try my hardest to be the father she deserves."

So hungry… That was really all I could think about when I opened my eyes. I was too hungry to be embarrassed, although I was very much aware of where I was. In some strange guy's guestroom. Wearing nothing except a pair of panties. First I had acted like an idiot and got myself in trouble, then I had cried like a little girl. Great. I would have kicked myself, but right now all I cared about was finding some blood, I was starving.

Fortunately my body felt normal again, I wasn't weak or dizzy anymore. Just very, very hungry. I got up and wrapped the sheet tighter around me. Quickly I zoomed to the door and looked for a kitchen. First I found a living room and noticed a shirt lying on the sofa. It was a navy-blue dress shirt; I picked it up and got dressed. Definitely better than the sheet. Where was the kitchen…?

My "host" didn't seem to be at home; hopefully he had some blood in the fridge. Most vampires did. He most certainly had a very nice apartment. I found the kitchen and quickly yanked the fridge open. Champagne, orange juice, more champagne… And a very decorative glass bottle with some red liquid inside. Blood. Thank goodness. I grabbed the bottle and opened it. The blood was absolutely delicious; I drank so greedily that it coursed down my cheeks. I was really making a terrible mess…

"Hey! What do you think you're doing?" an angry voice asked.

I finished the bottle before turning to look at my host.

"I'm sorry, I was really hungry. I'll get you a new bottle…"

"A new bottle? Do you have any idea how rare and expensive that blood was and…"

He paused and looked at the shirt I was wearing. There was blood all over it. His eyes narrowed.

"Is that my shirt? My $2000 shirt?"

I frowned.

"You paid $2000 for a shirt?"

"It was custom-made!" he snapped. "From the highest quality materials and… why am I explaining this to you? You just ruined my shirt and drank a $10 000 bottle of blood!"

"Oh… I'm sorry; I'll pay you back…"

"How?" he snapped. "Are you planning to give me a lap dance?"

I tensed and glared at him icily. Yes, I had probably deserved that, but still…

"You'll have your money," I stated coolly. "No need to worry."

"Wait," he sighed before I headed to the door. "Look, I apologize, that was uncalled for."

"Why?" I huffed. "I acted like an idiot, so…"

"Come on, you're still young, there's no need…"

"That's the thing," I muttered. "I'm not young. I'm just stupid."

He raised an eyebrow.

"What? How old are you then?"

"You wouldn't believe me."

"Try me."

I sighed. Why not, I had already embarrassed myself in front of him more than once.

"I'm over 500-years-old."

His eyes widened, he was clearly surprised.

"But I just got this body few days ago," I continued, feeling the need to somehow explain myself.

"What do you mean you got this body?" he asked.

"It's a long story," I murmured.

"Well, I have time. And I've been told that I'm a great listener."

I rolled my eyes.

"Really?"

He smirked.

"No, but I'm listening now."

"Fine. I was turned when I was 8, I spent 500 years in a child's body and now I have an adult's body." I paused and shrugged. "Hmm, I guess it wasn't so long story after all."

He stared at me for a long while before speaking.

"500 years in a child's body?"

"Yeah."

"Well… That's quite… something. I've never heard of anything like it."

"How old are you then?" I asked.

"Older than you, sweetheart," he replied.

We were both quiet for a while, I bit my bottom lip.

"Listen…Lucien, right?"

"Yes."

"I want to thank you for what you did last night. It wasn't exactly my proudest moment and as hard as it probably is to believe, I'm not usually so…foolish. I just… I don't know what I was thinking; I guess I wanted to…"

"I think I understand what you mean," he responded. "Hell, anyone would want to have some fun after 500 years."

"Yeah, fun," I murmured. "Anyway, thank you. And sorry about your shirt."

"No need to worry about that, I have plenty of shirts."

"I'll pay what I owe you," I stated firmly.

He grinned.

"Well, if you insist. I'm willing to settle for that lap dance."

"Sorry, but that would cost you much more than $12 000," I snorted. "You couldn't afford it."

He seemed amused.

"Such a shame. Oh well…"

He walked over to the fridge and picked up the apple juice.

"Juice?"

"I think I should be going…"

"You have someone waiting for you?"

"No, I'm staying at a hotel…"

"You're welcome to stay here," he cut in. "I have plenty of room."

"Thanks, but I don't think so," I huffed.

He looked up.

"You know I was kidding about the whole lap dance thing?"

"Yeah, but I think I need to go back to my hotel."

I really felt that I needed a bath.

"Alright. Can I at least take you out tonight?"

"I don't think that I'm going out," I murmured.

"Hmm, how about if I tell you that I know where you can find the douche who drugged you?"

I was quiet for a moment, clenching my fists. Last night had no doubt been one of the most humiliating ones in my life, just the thought of being touched by some filthy…

"What time can you pick me up?"