CHAP 1:

Jenna was rummaging through the cupboard under the stairs as I headed towards the kitchen.

"Hey. What are you doing?"

"Hey, great timing." She stood, lifting up a box stuffed full of books and papers which she offloaded into my arms. I was surprised at the weight of it.

"Whoa, what is this stuff?"

"Files from the historical society that Jeremy's mother compiled. I got roped into helping Mrs Lockwood." I knew how Jenna felt about that from her tone. "And by roped- " Jenna lifted her voice as if speaking to a group and gathered another box in her arms. "I mean, very excited, to participate." She finished. Closing the cupboard door with a soft click as it closed neatly onto it's fittings. A man was revealed standing in the hallway. Startled I couldn't help but jump out of my skin. I thought I knew the majority of people in Mystic Falls, at least by sight. Having never seen him before I assumed he was from out of town. The way he looked at me immediately made me uncomfortable. His gaze was intense, as if he found me extremely interesting. It was silly, but his eyes looked almost aggressive, like he was honing in on a target. Focused and resolute. The effect made his appearance look cold and detached.

"Hey. I'm Elijah-." Came his smooth voice as he introduced himself. Jenna took the box from me then, clearing the space between me and Elijah. Who walked towards me while extending his hand in search of my own. I couldn't help but notice he was handsome. As he moved toward me the coldness in his eyes grew warm and I found myself instantly taken with him. His deep brown eyes alone drew me in as if under a spell. I could never trust myself with guys who's eyes were deep brown. But Elijah's had a whole different depth about them and it had nothing to do with their colour. If I let myself, I was sure I'd drown in them. Although he was the one closing the distance between us. It felt like I was gravitating toward him as we regarded each other. I didn't want to look away. His focus didn't waiver, and I felt at ease beneath it. I needed to look away, but I felt obligated to keep eye contact. Though he was the one regarding a total stranger so directly, I didn't want to do the same thing and appear creepy. I tried to focus with my peripheral vision on his hair, something else to draw me away from his eyes so I could break the connection that I found myself desperately wanting to stay melded. His short dark brown hair gave him a clean cut and dignified appearance. The few strands of hair that fell down into the corners of his eyes weren't helping my focus at all, and I casually moved on to surveying the strong outline of his face.

Mentally I screwed my eyes shut. This wasn't helping. Elijah broke our eye contact then and looked down at his hand as it reached the appropriate proximity from me. Thank goodness! I thought. The trance broken I was fully operational again. I've had my look, he's very nice - I schooled myself-, but I don't do relationships. So now is the time to stop looking with interest, and look at him for functional purposes only. Like directing my hand to shake with his.

"Elijah's in town doing research on Mystic Falls." Jenna explained. As she set the box down on top of two others.

"Elena." I stated, accepting his hand and shaking it. I looked up at his face again. This time not getting lost in his features and smiled at my win, which I directed at him, just to be polite. The movement of our connected hands was laboured, as if drawing out the moment. That had to be all in my head though.

"It's a pleasure," Elijah continued. His voice clear, and crisp yet exuding a great deal of warmth. His eyes showing interest. As if anything I did was to be analysed. As our hands parted Elijah's fingers trailed a brief path on the underside of my own. To which I looked down at my hand momentarily with masked confusion. Was that? No. I thought. It's just something that happened. No meaning, no intention. When I looked up at Elijah and Jenna again I could have sworn Elijah's face looked softer, lost almost. As if he'd have preferred to keep my hand in his. But that was crazy thinking. So I ignored the notion and tried to shut out Elijah's attractiveness. Quickly his expression was as before as he broadened his gaze to both Jenna and I.

"Excuse me. Nice to meet you Elijah." I gave a small smile to ward off any thoughts that I was being rude. I just didn't have anything to say, and was on my way to the kitchen in any case.

I stepped between Jenna and Elijah, and passed around him. I could feel both their gazes on me as I left. Jenna's one of concern. Elijah's of interest. I was used to Jenna's worry about me. I wasn't particularly social, and didn't really have any friends. I wasn't a normal teenager.

"Well, you're welcome to stay here and rummage through this stuff. Or, Elena and I could help you load it into your car." Jenna offered.

"If you're sure it's alright I'd appreciate sorting through any useful information here so I don't cart the whole lot with me. I don't want to keep you from your evening though." I heard Elijah accepting Jenna's offer behind me as I made my way into the kitchen, turned on the kettle and began clearing some space in the fridge. The whistle of the heating kettle nearly drowning out the conversation in the hall.

"No, not at all. I have work to do this evening anyway, so you're not interrupting anything. The dining table might be the best place to sort through everything. Would you like a tea or coffee?" Jenna's voice increased in volume as they approached the kitchen.

"A coffee would be great, thank you. If it's no trouble."

"No trouble. Follow me, and I'll show you to the table."

As Jenna and Elijah approached I stowed the left overs from dinner into the fridge.

"Just in here." Between them Jenna and Elijah placed the boxes on the table. Jenna picked up the folder that Jeremy had left on the table. "I'll go give this to Jeremy. Elena? Could you please make Elijah a cup of coffee while you're using the jug?" She asked from behind me.

"Sure." I replied, still bent over, looking into the fridge. I'd had to rearrange a few things so the door would close properly. Jenna's footfalls died away and, finished with the fridge, I straightened and turned towards the jug. Jumped again as I saw that Elijah had come to stand a few metres away looking at me. My right hand flew up to my chest.

"You startled me." I said smiling gently.

"My apologies." We stood for a moment hitched on each others gazes. Finally I managed to gently clear my throat.

"So, how do you take your coffee?"

"White, no sugar. Thank you"

Moving over to the counter where the jug sat I reached up and grabbed two mugs and added a little hot water from the jug into each and set them down on the counter top to warm. Taking out a plate I set some biscuits on it to go with Elijah's coffee. Without looking directly at Elijah I noticed he was still standing, still watching me. I felt self concious. Especially since he would have had a pretty good view of my arse when he was watching me in the fridge.

"Are you and Jeremy Jenna's children?" I looked up, he was still standing where he was last time I looked. Not awkwardly though. He seemed happy to stand, his hands behind his back. I frowned slightly wondering why my relation to Jenna was important. Perhaps he likes her and wants to know about her home life, I thought. Perhaps I shouldn't be so critical. It's only chit chat.

"No. Jeremy is her nephew. His parents died just over a year ago, so Jenna's become his gaurdian. I just board here, we're all friends. A family of sorts, but not by blood."

"Right. No I just assumed you were family from the pictures around the house." Something plucked at my heart strings, knowing that when those pictures had been taken we were family. Just that no one recognised that any more. I moved over to the jug again, tipped out the hot water in the mugs into the sink and started making the coffees.

"Yeah, well. Jenna loves photography. Not the technical aspects. But how photos capture moments and such. So she's always getting the camera out to catch her victims." I poured the boiled water into each mug and watched the colours as the coffee milk and water mingled. I accidentally sloshed the water a bit and it splashed up on my free hand. The quick sting of the hot water on my skin made me gasp silently. And I pulled my hand away quickly, shaking it. It really wasn't anything. And the slight pain was over as soon as it began.

"Are you alright?" Elijah enquired. His voice right behind me, deep with concern. I couldn't help but jump as I turned and saw how close he suddenly was. He was very quick and silent to get from where he was to where he now stood. I warily considered him for a moment. It didn't seem possible. His concern seemed over the top for someone he didn't know.

"Yeah, fine. Some water just splashed up on my arm, that's all. Bit of a sting, but it didn't burn. It's fine."

"Let me see," he gently insisted, taking charge. His hands claimed my wrist and he looked my hand over. A little longer than was really necessary.

"Really, it's fine. And I shrugged his hold off. Excuse me. I need to clean that up." I moved past him to the draw where the paper towels were kept so I could clean up the spilt water. I moved back past him with some paper towels, as I soaked up the water and dried the base of each mug I felt Elijah move away and sit at the table. When I looked over he was still looking at me. I was feeling uncomfortable, I didn't like to be the centre of attention. And if he was thinking of anything romantic involving me, well. I wasn't interested. I'm not blind of course. I certainly found him attractive. But it's just not happening.

I was placing the used paper towels in the bin when Jenna came in, she saw the mugs and went straight to them.

"Which is Elijah's?"

"They're both the same, so take your pick." With that she took a mug over to Elijah. I went about rinsing the plates from dinner.

"Thank you." He said both to Jenna for having brought it over and to me for making it.

"You're welcome." Said Jenna. Elijah looked at me and I nodded in acknowledgement. Jenna looked down at the table, spread with books and notes on papers. "Wow. You're certainly efficient! Though I suppose when you know what you're looking for you can easily sort through the relevant and irrelevant." Elijah smiled up at her.

"Yes. I tend to be rather focused. My determination has always been a quality well recognised by others. Perseverance certainly has it's rewards." I looked up then. More so to see what Jenna was talking about. Last I saw, Elijah hadn't touched the files and books that Jenna had brought out. He was looking directly at me as Jenna looked over the information spread across the table. How had he set everything out so quickly? I wondered.

"Well, I'll get out of your way. I've my own research to do. Let me or Elena know if you need anything. Another cup of coffee. A hand with understanding some of the handwriting." With that, Jenna left. I noticed that Jenna hadn't taken over the plate of biscuits so I took them over to Elijah. I felt really awkward, his excessive surveillance was so obvious. Yet confusing. He made me nervous. It didn't help that each time I caught him looking at me that he had this magnetic pull on me. Was he intending to be obvious? I wondered. Am I supposed to comment in some way? Whatever the case, I wouldn't be around him for much longer I'd just finish loading the dishwasher and go up to my room.

"Are you particularly good at deciphering handwriting?"

"I have my moments," I walked over with the plate and set them down on the table. Trying to keep relaxed and not show my nerves. "Here."

"Thank you. Would you mind having a look at this journal entry then? It's blotched by water, so is a little harder to read, though the writing alone is quite difficult." Asked Elijah as he moved the journal slightly to the left of him.

"Okay." I went and stood to his left and bent over to look at the entry. The simple movements took an age. My hair still drying after my shower fell down in sections to veil the sides of my face, so I drew the length of it over my left shoulder. "This section here?" I asked, now that there was no veil of hair filtering our conversation.

"Yes."

'Their blood thirst seems uncontrollable. They live from feed to feed. I fear that this town will be non-existent if they continue their onslaught. The horrors I've seen these nights when out on guard. One in particular takes no care in his kills. The whole affair is messy. Throats visibly ripped out. It is a task keeping the severity of these attacks from the community. The council does not wish to announce panic. But I fear for the lives of the naive, and the unknowing. I fear that I will never pass on to another g' – the smudging claimed it's first word. Making the writing -that looked as if it had been written by an unsteady hand-, nearly unreadable. But having read my mother's very similar handwriting on many occasions, could make out the word generation, I pieced together the remaining sentences.

"Hmm. I fear that I will never pass on to another, generation," I read steadily, pausing at times to be sure of my translations. I could feel Elijah looking at me as opposed to the page. It was distractingly awkward. And I was far to aware of our close proximity. I found it hard to concentrate, but managed to continue. "The information I've gathered. That it will all be in vain. The death of my children, my wife. All that drives me to record these supernatural occurrences will be in vain. I cannot deny that I am a broken man. For, to fight for anything, against the army of the Devil. Brings with it one's own demise."

"Impressive."

"My- uh." Remembering myself. "Jeremy's mother's handwriting was very similar to Jonathen Gilbert's. So I've seen this sort of penmanship a lot."

"So you've spent a lot of time with the Gilberts then?" I turned my head to look at him as I answered. His gaze intense, it felt like it could knock me backwards. Almost daring me to relay my story to him.

"Yeah, you could say that." I straightened, and made to go back to finishing with the dishwasher. Just putting a couple of strides between Elijah and myself cleared my head.

"Right through your childhood it seems." I turned quickly to look back at him. "There are photos of you at many different ages around the house. Anyone would think you grew up with Jeremy."

"Oh, those pictures are of some young girl. That isn't me." I stated bluntly.

"I see." Came his condescending reply.

"Yeah. I don't know who she is or was. But she isn't around any more." Elijah was very interested in me. It was starting to freak me out. It's almost like he knows that I'm Jeremy's sister, that I lost my parents and Jenna's my aunt. Like he knows something went down here. I moved away from him, back around the counter top and started on my own coffee.

Neither of us spoke again for a few minutes and I stacked the dishwasher in blessed silence. Elijah still kept watching me from time to time, but he at last settled into searching through the files and journals. Once done I drained the remainder of my coffee and walked over to the table. I'd noticed Elijah hadn't eaten all of the biscuits so I grabbed one for myself.

"Did you want another coffee?"

"Mmm," He considered me a moment. "No, thank you. I should really be off." Which was weird because he hadn't been looking through the files for that long really.

"Right. I'll go let Jenna know." I moved off to go find Jenna. But Elijah stepped in my way. It confused me because I'd completely turned away from him, yet here he was in front of me. And he'd been sitting down. Not Possible.

"No need. If you'll let her know that I've left and that I appreciate her help, that'd be great."

"Okay. I'll show you out."

At the front door Elijah's goodbye was laboured from how he looked at me to how he bid fairwell. The whole time it looked like he was deciding something.

"I hope to see you again sometime soon." I didn't feel like agreeing that it was something I also hoped for. The more I stayed away from Elijah the better I would be. So I gave him a soft smile and closed the door as he left. Leaning my back against the closed door I couldn't help the rush of relief that I felt now that Elijah had left. He was very curious for a complete stranger. I knew he didn't believe for a second that I wasn't the young girl in the photos. My skin crawled. I felt like he was still watching me. It was silly, he'd left. I went back to the kitchen to put the remaining biscuits in a container, and Elijah's and my mug in the dishwasher before turning it on. When I saw the table I stopped abruptly. All the books and pieces of paper that had been scattered everywhere was now tidily back in the boxes. Even Jenna wouldn't have tidied it up that quickly. But it certainly wasn't Elijah, he'd been impossibly quick just to stand in front of me, let alone tidy the table. Maybe I was just tired, and the table really wasn't that laden with historical data in the first place.

I went looking for Jenna. But when I passed Jeremy he said she was having a shower, so I told him Elijah had left in case I was asleep before Jenna was finished. More than ready for bed I took off my cardigan. Thankful that I'd worn it down stairs. I would've felt even more uncomfortable if I'd just worn the low cut, barely there, singlet top with my short shorts. Elijah's excessive attention matched with my minimal body hugging clothing would have made me run and hide. Sure, it wouldn't be like I was naked. But the combination would have made me feel like he was seeing me naked. Regardless of the fact that he didn't seem overly interested in my body. Just me in general. I had to admit; I thought, as I ran a brush through my nearly dry hair. If he is interested in me romantically. It's refreshing for a male to not keep glancing down all the time at my body. Sure it's normal for guys. But it gets tiring. I set my brush down and moved over to my bed.

I drew the covers up over me as I sat with my back against the headboard. Keeping my legs warm as I braided my hair into a plait that trailed over my left shoulder, again I felt like I was being watched. But I couldn't be. I had a decent span of windows across one wall that could be looked through. But it's a hard thing to do from the outside on a second story building. I cast off the thought easier than the feeling, and tied my hair. Once done I shimmied my bottom down the bed and got cosy between the covers. With a touch of my bedside lamp my room was bathed in darkness. My fatigue suddenly hit me and my eyes closed as I drifted off to sleep.