One step back in time
Elijah
When you think you will never look back...
He simply left Mystic Falls as if nothing particular had happened there. Although, after merely one day of traveling, he had to admit that leaving was the easiest part - but what's next? He certainly shouldn't rush back for their first cries.
"Who knows?" he sighed silently.
There were moments in his thousand-year-long life when he felt unsure. He had a pretty strong self-control by nature, either talking about feeding or about every single activity of his. Still, it was another moment of insecurity - his plans were off, he had not been able to think further than reuniting his family. His emotions predicted that to be the happiest event of his life, but reality brought something else.
He had planned his future amongst his siblings, but that romantic picture got ruined and he felt himself lost for the first time in centuries.
He stopped in a small town and headed to the local bar. He needed to feed, so he flirted briefly with the bartender girl before he asked for her wrist. The girl did not hesitate to please him, only a little compulsion was necessary to make her silent. She even enjoyed it and sighed: "It's so sexy!" Then, he ordered a drink and another for a sad-looking woman sitting alone. She looked exactly like his dinner tonight.
He smirked when the woman got her drink and made his intentions obvious for her. She was unwilling at first, but also too lonely to reject a man like him. When she started her drink, he knew he'd won again. The thrill of the hunt was gone. He had always been too good to get defeated but times were long lost when he'd got some challenge at the least.
He shook his head. It was supposed to be Kol and Klaus, who hunted just for fun. He always found other pleasures in life than feeding - like hunting for his brother or looking for Katerina. That was what he did before he took that little outing to Mystic Falls, where everything happened to got solved. He'd built his life around these chases before - and now, since all was fine, he felt empty.
Sometimes it's so much better just longing for a brighter future... because when you reach all your purposes, for a moment, you feel delighted that you did it and you are the best, but in the next moment, when you should enjoy your dream-came-true life, you simply can't. Because while you've performed so greatly, you have got nothing left to fight for anymore.
He thought it should be a psychological syndrome. He would even give his name for it respectfully.
After finishing the woman, he left the body on the street. Usually, he was not this reckless, but it was only one, and when they find her, nothing would tie him to the case. Not to mention, with this investigation, he gave them something to live for.
Maybe he should take the road to New York. He had a running business there. He rarely visited his office but it worked well even without his presence. In the 1950s, he invested in real-estates and his company slowly grew to be one of the biggest rental offices in the USA. Later, he bought some hotels as well, and a few fancy bars in the biggest cities around the world. Of course, he did it all for one purpose. He developed his properties to be attractive for Klaus and Katerina. He supposed they would probably appear in his buildings, so he could track them easily. Klaus might have had many witches to clean his trace but he had no chance to hide from his brother's employees, who all knew his face and faithfully reported his presence to Elijah. Elijah was aware of that little body-switching trick too, but knowing his brother, he could also follow him from his bills that mirrored honestly his actions. This way, he kept a triumphant eye on him, and managed to collect some precious information that might help him in the fight against Klaus, when that moment arrives. Furthermore adding to his great delight, Klaus seemed to really enjoy his properties.
As of Katerina, it was a totally different story. His attention was first drawn when he noticed that his most expensive estates were rented but not paid. He ordered his employees to do some research, and they did find a greatly dissatisfying and undesired result. He was spot on suspecting vampires behind these actions, but it was a bunch of them, Katerina included, not herself alone. Of course, it was a trail, but not so sure as he wished for.
Well, even if his business lost its original purpose, he can still check it. Accidentally, he owned nothing in or around Mystic Falls, so he can also remain free from them (until they move again).
Yes, it was by far his best option, as long as he finds out something else.
-x-x-
Back in New York, Elijah threw himself into his business. Managerial duties and economy proved to be interesting enough to keep his mind busy; but his reappearance after more than a decade gave a splendid base for rumors, so to prevent gossiping, he also needed to be socially active.
He didn't really mind it. New York was designed for him from this point of view: the elite lived here and kept him in high respect. He only needed a minor compulsion to make them unaware of his ageing differences and keeping the paparazzi away from himself. With that swiftly taken care of, he could enjoy all the entertainments offered by his position.
He liked this way of life. He enjoyed it ages ago, but he turned out to love the modern era as well. He never had a moment for thinking about disturbing subjects; this was only the purest pleasure. He had so little occasions to completely focus on himself during the centuries that he couldn't help enjoying it now. In New York, he didn't have to play the role of the ruthless thousand-year-old vampire, nor the eldest sibling of his family. New York adored him just because of himself.
What he liked the most was the Broadway. He had never wasted a thought before for musicals, but the artists were impressive, especially the actresses. He shortly gained his own box, where he liked to arrive with guests. Women of the New York elite were enthusiastic to keep him company. Even if these rendez-vous always ended in blood, still, it was somehow exciting. Sometimes he seduced some backstage dancers to skip the performance and join him. They tasted wonderful and had beautiful bodies. Once, he shamelessly compelled the director to change the repertoire to his favorite.
Then, on a blood-steamy night, he decided to buy a whole theatre for himself and eventually announced it on public. Next morning, he felt quite embarrassed of his behavior, but since he got a complete and well detailed offer immediately, he chose to get through with this crazy idea. He was both surprised and amused that he was the owner by that night.
A couple of days later he was invited to a ball. Everybody was talking about him.
"What a rough player!" Knowing the man, he presumed it was the greatest regard by him.
"How brave to invest in arts!" a virgin-like-but-not-really woman praised her.
"He seems to extremely like his hobbies... or actresses..." Elijah decided to erase this man from these circles immediately.
"He's right, I will follow his path. He is always right," another man told. Weak-minded humans he thought tiredly.
He heard all the comments so let out a loud laugh. Literally every single person was talking about him at the moment. Not the fearful Original, but his human self.
"You shouldn't laugh, you have just made musicals more popular than ever," an elder guy stated sarcastically.
"I think I can laugh," he expressed his opinion. "I dare you to say it is not hilarious!" he smirked honestly.
The man laughed with him.
"You are so young and careless; you may not understand yet your effect on people. In old days, you'd surely been a king."
"Please do not underestimate me," he said in a teasingly polite way, "I'm older than you must reckon. But I very much like the idea of being a king. I think, now, I do miss those old days." He offered a nostalgic smile and earned an inciting hit on his shoulder.
"Old days or not, you need a queen to become really great," he advised him, looking pointedly away. Elijah followed his gaze settle on a young brunette. He only saw her back, yet, she looked familiar. She was listening to the guys around her carefully, but when she moved, he recognized her.
"It sounds like a clever idea. Thanks."
He left the man and approached the group.
"Do not believe anything they burden you ears with, my lady," he addressed her. "They must be lying."
"Oh. Thanks for your..." The woman turned and her words remained unsaid as she watched the man standing now right in front of her. "Elijah?"
"However, you lie better, Katerina. Take my sincerest apologies for interrupting this conversation, it surely was pleasant."
Hi everyone,
I've been wondering about why Elijah was absent during most of the 4th season and what could he do... and especially, how and why did he get together with Katherine? So, here is my version. I started this story in 2013, and on paper, I finished it - yet for different reasons, I've never managed to type, format and upload the last three chapters. For a while, I thought this story will remain unfinished, but here I am in 2017, making the final updates. English is still not my first language, but hopefully, I'm improving. Also, I still don't own The Vampire Diaries.
I hope you enjoy it, feel free to review!
SV