I miss Elijah, so I have brought him back in a new story. He is returning from the dead to Mystic Falls where his niece is attending school. Why is he there? He doesn't know. Who will he meet? I haven't decided yet.
Disclaimer: The Vampire Diaries/The Originals does not belong to me. Original characters, such as Gayle, are mine.
EXISTING AGAIN
He stood there, Elijah Mikaelson, facing a plain metal door. Not a regular door, but one he recognized as that of a toilet stall in a restroom. Why? He had no idea. Where? He didn't know that either. How did he get there? He couldn't guess. It was confusing and even stressful.
One thing he knew was that he was supposed to be dead. Not just vampire dead, but dead dead. Gone. He definitely recalled that he and Niklaus had agreed to kill each other and that they had done it with white oak to the heart. The very long saga of their complicated lives had finally ended.
He was aware that sometimes the dead could come back from the Other Side. Almost all members of his family had done that through the magic of witches. But why him? And by what person? And why was he standing in a stall in a restroom? He glanced behind him to confirm that there was a toilet. It sat there in white porcelain as if inviting him to make use of it. He felt no need.
He slipped his left hand into a pants pocket out of habit. Then he looked down the front of his body and noted with relief that he was fully dressed. In his usual attire – a dark suit. With no blood on the white shirt. That was good. And dark, polished shoes. Also good.
Curious, he raised his right hand to his jaw and felt for stubble. None. He was clean-shaven. He felt his hair. A bit longer than when he and Niklaus had said goodbye. They had died in New Orleans. Was that where he was? He heard two men talking briefly, one saying he was heading for Boston, the other saying he was going to San Francisco to visit his son. The accompanying sound with this conversation was that of urine splashing into urinals. This was definitely a men's restroom.
When the men left and he heard no other sounds, Elijah opened the metal door and stepped out into the long narrow room that was brightly lit. Then there was some sort of general announcement coming from a sound system. The words were garbled, but Elijah figured that he was in a train station or an airport. He took the time to look into a mirror over one of the sinks. Yes, it was his usual face, perhaps a bit thinner. And his usual dark eyes looking back at him. His hair was still very dark brown. Elijah Mikaelson in his own body and was back among the living.
The men who had been talking had been speaking English with American accents, so it was likely that Elijah was in the United States. He had been so many places on Earth that he would not have been surprised to find himself in Moscow. Patting the side of his suit, he felt that he had a wallet. He pulled it out and looked through it. He had a driver's license with his picture on it and the old New Orleans address. He had automobile insurance, so he must have a car. And he had a wad of cash, some of it in large denominations. No credit card, but it likely didn't make any difference. He patted different pockets and concluded that he did not have a cell phone or car keys. He finally noticed that he was not wearing his watch, either.
Stepping out of the restroom, he found many people going this way and that, most of them carrying small suitcases or dragging ones with wheels. Even a little three-year-old hurried along pulling a pink one on wheels. In a moment he knew he was in an airport and wondered if he had checked any luggage. He certainly had no bag as a carry-on. Being undecided whether he should walk left or right, he scanned the many signs and saw one that indicated a place to get a snack. He was suddenly hungry - not for blood, but for regular food.
As he walked toward the place, he noted various tourist posters here and there and realized they were advertising Virginia. He was in Virginia and definitely in the U.S. The place looked somewhat familiar, although airports tended to look alike. He had been there before. Spotting one of the arrival/departure signs, he realized he was in Charlottesville, home to the original campus of the University of Virginia. Knowing his location made him feel less stress, even if he had no idea how or why he was there.
What was he supposed to do? Someone had brought him back from the dead and put him in Charlottesville. C-ville, as it was often called. Some miles to the south was Mystic Falls, the small town that was, or had been, important in his life. Was he supposed to go there? He had the money to rent a car and drive there, but what was the point? He knew that his niece Hope was attending school there, or at least she was supposed to be doing that. Hope was a complicated person and headstrong. She could be anywhere and doing anything.
The smell of food was very tempting and in no time he was sitting at a small table eating a greasy hamburger with all the trimmings on it. He also had a cold can of Coca Cola to wash it down. It was delicious.
A woman sitting at the table nearest him muttered something and sighed. "Do you have the time?" she asked, looking at Elijah.
"No, I do not. I have misplaced my watch. However, there's a clock over there and the time is twelve thirty. Does you phone not have the time?"
"Usually, but there's something wrong with it. It won't hold a charge. Stupid phone!
I'm going to rent a car and drive to Mystic Falls. I've never been there. Do you know the area?"
"I do."
"Is it difficult to find?"
"No. It's right off the highway that goes south from here."
"I was relying on the map on my phone. Which has quit."
"I must rent a car also. If you wish, we can go to the rental place together and I can lead you to Mystic Falls." He assumed she would need a car of her own and he was reluctant to offer her a ride. The last time he had done that, the car he and the lady had been in had skidded off the road in a snow storm.
"I don't want to take you out of your way. Where are you going?" this woman asked.
Since Elijah didn't know where he was supposed to go, he said, "Mystic Falls."
"Oh. It's not out of your way. Thank you for offering."
"I am pleased to be able to offer assistance." He took another bite of his food, savoring the grease and the various flavors. He noticed that he had no desire for the woman's blood, and he was relieved about that.
"My name is Gayle, by the way."
"Call me Elijah."
"That's biblical."
"Yes, it is. My mother also chose the name Rebekah for my younger sister. My father was Norwegian and chose Scandinavian names for my other siblings."
"That's interesting. Do you live locally?" she asked.
"I used to do so, yes. I have been residing in New Orleans lately."
"I've been there! Fascinating place."
"Yes, it is."
"I'm going to teach in Mystic Falls. Ancient history." Her tone of voice showed her enthusiasm and she smiled.
Good luck with that, he thought. A small smile touched is lips. "I do not think today's youth have much interest in ancient history."
"You're right, but I try different ways to get them interested. The school I'm going to is for bright, special students. The Salvatore school. Do you know of it?"
Elijah raised an eyebrow. "My niece attends that school. Do you know why the students are special?" He wondered if she was unaware of what she was walking into. Was she a witch?
"I assume they are ahead of students in normal schools. Perhaps they are difficult to handle. Very bright kids can be, you know. They get bored easily."
"Yes, I certainly know that. My niece can be very headstrong. Did the school tell you anything else?"
"I looked it up on the internet. It's co-ed. I understand it is a former private home. A large one. I will have a room there myself, which will be convenient."
"You will find teaching there challenging." After a pause, he asked, "Have you ever heard of the energy lines in the earth? The ones called ley lines?"
"Yes. I have. Why?"
"Mystic Falls sits on a bluff by a river. Two ley lines cross under the town."
"Really? Does that make a difference? Do you believe it does?"
"Possibly. I will let you be the judge of that."
After finishing his food, Elijah and Gayle each carried their trays to the proper place. He then walked with the woman to the baggage area because she had two suitcases there. She also had a carry-on bag and a purse. He had none that he could recognize, so he handled one of her suitcases. Soon, he and the woman headed for the car rental place.
A/N So here is Elijah once again finding himself unexpectedly in an unintended destination. Of course, thinking he was dead, he had not planned on any destinations. What was he supposed to do?