Elena doesn't bother to deny that she loves his 'gentleman' act. It's what drew her to him all those years ago. He was so oldworld to her back then, in such a different way than the Salvatores and yet, there was something similar but so far removed…it confused her.
He had such control back then, such poise and command. Strong.
It took her breath away.
She wondered what it would be like to see him lose it all.
She brought him back because he promised to help her kill Klaus. She asked him to trust her and he asked the same.
He lied.
She remembers lying in bed awake at night, thinking on it. He wanted his family back—she understands that—but sometimes she feels he surely got exactly what he deserved.
Part of Katherine's plan involves his coming back to life.
Elena hesitates.
Her heart clenches as she remembers the betrayal. That they're in this situation now is because of him. Stefan wouldn't have lost his way if Elijah had done as he promised.
Then she remembers that Damon would be dead if Klaus had died as he was supposed to.
She gives the go ahead.
She waits on top of a different coffin, Elijah's open, the dagger in her hand.
When his eyes open, he looks angry. She doesn't say that it's his own fault; she doesn't say he deserved what he got. It's on the tip of her tongue, but she's better than that.
Instead, she tells him of Stefan, of Katherine, of Rebekah and Mikael and Tyler and the other hybrids. He paces the room as she talks, sipping delicately from a blood bag.
When she finishes talking, she looks into his eyes and there's a hunger there.
He represses it; she wishes he wouldn't.
She reaches for his hand, and he lets her take it. She feels him relax.
She leads him out of the room—past the other coffins ("Not yet," she whispers when she sees his eyes linger), past Stefan—all the way to the car where Damon's ready to drive him to the boarding house.
She tells him he has to stay out of sight for now, that him being alive again is an advantage Klaus can't know about until it's necessary.
"Not to mention," Damon interjects flippantly, "we don't quite trust you yet."
Elena sees the anger and betrayal in his eyes at Damon's words.
"I trust you," she insists.
"You're too trusting, Elena," Damon says. She ignores him.
Damon and Stefan are away a lot, in constant contact with Katherine; formulating the specifics of the plan, gathering the troops. Elena spends most of her time with Elijah.
She helps him deal with his anger, is there when he snaps and throws a table at a wall. She doesn't flinch. There's something magnificent about his power, uncontrolled and fighting to be unleashed.
She yells back, revealing her anger at his initial betrayal, provoking him on purpose.
He pins her to the wall—she feels a jagged piece of the table push into her back. She doesn't care. She glares defiantly into his eyes, daring him.
He moves closer, her breathing is calm and steady, if a little shallow.
She closes the distance when his hold listens just slightly. He doesn't respond right away, but when he does, it's powerful, commanding, uncontrolled, animalistic. His lips move from hers, trailing a fiery path down her neck. She feels his fangs grazing her skin.
She half wants to tell him to do it. She's been bitten before—died before—she could handle it.
She pulls back instead, stares defiantly at him; doesn't bother to hide the desire in her eyes.
"I could have hurt you," he says angrily.
She notices he doesn't say kill, like it's not even in the realm of possibility.
"I think I wanted you to," she whispers, her breathing finally in tune with her rapidly beating heart.
Not another word is said, they're unnecessary at this point.
She has proven her point—even to herself.
