Long shadows flickered over the old Mikaelson house, dancing in the firelight from the hearth like Tunde's followers. When night fell, the place felt very haunted, an air of life, death, and creepiness completely unique to New Orleans. It made Elijah feel at home. Leaning in the doorway of the sitting room, he examined the original hardwood in the floor, the same pieces that had been there over one hundred years. It gave him strange comfort-despite everything, perhaps they would all always end up back here. An unbidden anxiety knotted in his chest. He couldn't remember that last time he'd felt this way. Antsy. Childish.

"Rebekah," he bid, finally drawing the attention of his sister on the ornate velvet sofa. She closed her book, eyes rising to meet his. Her gaze still held a sharpness from their earlier conversation.

"What is it, brother?" she asked. She carefully folded her book closed. "Come to lecture me about my feminine selfishness?"

"Well, no." Elijah straightened himself, stepping fully into the dimly lit room, crowded with artifacts from previous lives. "What was it you called me again, a hypocrite?" He buried his hands in the pockets of his tailored dress pants, holding her gaze. She turned and looked to the fire.
"Yes I believe it was."

A long silence stretched out between them as Elijah searched for the right words. He knew Rebekah thought he was here to lecture her. He settled on the simplest approach. "You were right."

Rebekah's gaze shot up sharply. Her eyes narrowed at first, waiting for the inevitable but, for all the reasons why Elijah chose Klaus over her, over even himself, every time. Instead, for the first time that evening, she really saw him. He bounced almost imperceptibly on the balls of his feet, his hands hidden in his pockets. It was a nervous habit she hadn't seen him do in decades-maybe even centuries. Though he held eye contact, every so often his attention would dart around the room, not really seeing anything, just finding an excuse to wander. His mind was somewhere else.

His stance settled into a steadier pose as he prepared to speak again, the rocking melting away into an excited stillness. His right hand lifted out of his pocket and in front of him, gesturing the way he always did when he was passionate about something. It was very Italian of him. "I've denied what has been happening in front of me-to me. And in that denial, I've also allowed myself to be blind to what this whole situation has been doing to you. You should go, Rebekah. Or stay. Whichever it is you want. But don't worry about Klaus. Your life isn't his to control. If he can't handle that, we'll deal with it as it comes."

She cocked her head, then stood, smiling secretively. "And what-or who-has you in such a generous mood, brother?" She had been occupying her hands with the book, running her fingers over the misaligned pages, but now she set it down on the aged coffee table and stood before sauntering toward him. He lowered his head, centering his balance and peering up at her below raised eyebrows. That signature smile of his-one corner just barely tugging upward-hinted at its own presence, almost there but not quite.

"I simply came to a realization. How can we ever expect Klaus to find even a semblance of happiness when no one around him can? We should lead by example. We should show him that, even for us, it is possible. He needs to see that even an original can be at peace. Then perhaps he can find his own." He stepped toward the hearth, straightening out one of the fading picture frames.

"Oh, of course," Rebekah nodded, suddenly finding her manicured fingernails very interesting. "It is all about Klaus, isn't it?" She glanced toward him, unconvinced of his change of heart. He looked at the floor, hiding the fact that the smile that had moments ago only been hinted at now revealed its rare presence. His eyes found hers then darted down to the floor again.

"Perhaps I'm just selfish."

Rebekah grinned. "She has you wrapped around her wolfish little pinky finger, doesn't she? My goodness, Elijah, look at you!"

Elijah cleared his throat. His hands were both back to his pockets, and he resumed the subtle balancing act on the balls of his feet. Rebekah wondered if anyone without vampire senses could even see the slight shift in his stance.

"Actually," he admitted, "I haven't spoken to her. I've been… avoiding her. I thought it best, with Klaus so fragile right now. But…" He raised his face back toward his sister, his nervous smile now completely revealed. It suited him, this boyish expression, trapped between hope and anxiety. It was such a far cry from the elder brother who normally took charge with a stony, stoic authority. "I can't stay away, Rebekah. I have to at least try. Regardless of how she feels about me, how it turns out, I'll regret it forever if I don't tell her."

"You'd risk your entire relationship with Klaus just for a chance with her?"

"I guess I would." His gaze trailed off out the doorway, no doubt toward the subject of their conversation.

Rebekah wondered if her emotional recklessness was beginning to rub off on Elijah. His excitement was contagious, leaving butterflies fluttering around in her own stomach. "You don't need my approval brother. Go!"

His face lit up fully, as if her approval really was all that held him back. Then Elijah was gone, not even a slight breeze to indicate he had even moved. She couldn't believe it-sensible Elijah, falling to her level. Unable to wipe the incessant smile off her face, she seized her own newfound freedom, grabbed her pocketbook, and disappeared out the door.

It was hours later when Rebekah pranced back into the Mikaelson house, floating on a pleasant buzz. She hadn't been to see Marcellus. He had made his priorities very clear when he chose Klaus' friendship-if it could even be called that-over her affections. He would not be the man she risked everything for. But that didn't mean she couldn't celebrate Elijah's change of heart with a night out drinking, dancing, and breaking the hearts of oblivious human men who didn't know any better.

Curiosity got the better of her. She'd been gone for hours-Elijah had to have talked to the she-wolf by now. If he hadn't, she'd drag him up there by his ears herself. After the heart-to-heart they'd had earlier, there was no way she would let him wimp out of this.

As she slinked down the hall toward Hayley's chambers, she quickly realized any ear-dragging would be unnecessary. Giggles echoed through the open doorway, and she rounded the corner to see what might have been two teenagers nuzzling in the schoolyard.

Hayley sat up on the dresser, her pregnancy still not noticeably showing through her billowy chiffon tank top. She was completely engrossed in whatever Elijah was murmuring in her ear. Elijah leaned onto the dresser, hands on either side of Hayley's hips. He had to lean down slightly for his face to be even with hers. It gave him an eager, vulnerable look so unlike what she'd come to expect from the eldest original. Hayley bit her lip in response to something he said, draping her arms over his neck and whispering something back in his ear. He took the opportunity to kiss her bare shoulder, prompting another quiet round of giggles.

"Barf," Rebekah commented, barely bothering to hide her grin. "You know you two could at least close the door. Disgusting." Both of them jumped at her sudden presence, Elijah leaning back to face his sister, sucking in his lips slightly to hide a boyish smile.

"Sister." He said.

Hayley grabbed his hand and leaned up to his ear. "I have a better idea," Rebekah heard her whisper. Elijah listened for a moment, his lips parting and eyebrows raising. Then he let the smile from before show itself. He scooped Hayley up into his arms, and she squealed in response.

"Cover for me with Klaus, will you?" And then they were both gone. Rebekah rolled her eyes.

"Nauseating," she responded to the air. Willing to let Elijah boss her around without argument just this once, she sauntered off to make sure her least favorite brother was occupied with anything that didn't require the attention of the moonstruck couple.