Disclaimer: Don't own, so don't sue. And Happy Halloween!

Bonding Time

It was the night Elena tried to negotiate her deal with Elijah after Damon's assassination attempt.

The night Elena stabbed herself.

The night Elena killed Elijah.

Early morning now, actually.

Elijah's body was deposited in the basement of the boarding house, the white ash dagger piercing his body through and through.

Stefan was exhausted after the fight, something his regular fix of animal blood wouldn't compensate for, and he fell asleep immediately after Elena kissed him goodnight.

Damon left for a bar to compel fresh blood out of someone.

The minute she was alone, Elena rushed to the basement.

It may have happened only a couple of hours ago, but Elijah's face was ashen and his suit was all burnt up from Damon's new flamethrower hobby.

She took a good look at the dead Original. If she tested his patience before, now she was straight out asking to get killed. She wondered if she'd even get to say one word before he snapped her neck or did something worse.

But she knew she had to do this. Sooner or later, they'd need his help – or the dagger – anyway.

Breath shaking, Elena pulled the dagger out of Elijah's chest.

(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)

Twelve minutes.

Elena was waiting by the closed metal door, wondering over and over is she should leave it open, risking eventual noise waking up Stefan but having a slightly better chance at running in case Elijah went homicidal.

At last, his body twitched and Elijah took in a wheezing breath.

Elena shot up and hovered over him, wishing to help with his obviously painful and uncontrolable spasms yet afraid to touch him.

His eyes went from dead grey to his typical color of almost black and they focused on her, going wide.

„My God," he gasped and for the first time ever, Elena saw his vulnerable side. He was breathing harshly and she wondered why go through so much pain if he didn't need to breathe at all.

But then, before she could blink, he grabbed her and pulled her beneath him, his grasp promising bruises as he barely had enough control to move.

„Katarina," he breathed the wrong name, a million emotions battling in his voice.

„No, it's me, Elena, it's Elena, Elena..." she whispered.

The name dawned on him and he tried to move again (to get off her or kill her?), but something seemed to weigh his body down.

„I can't - - move, I can't - - be here," he rasped, looking around in panic.

Elena's mouth shaped into an O as she realized why.

„Elijah," she dared touch his cheek an bring his attention back to her, „I'm inviting you in. You're welcome in my house, you hear me?" she whispered urgently.

His muscles relaxed and he slumped on top of her. Elena couldn't imagine how tired he must've been from dying twice in a day.

„I need blood-" he spoke up but Elena shushed him with a finger to her lips. She looked up, signifying she didn't want anyone in the house to overhear them.

Elijah found himself quite hypnotized by the sight. Before she could register the veins under his eyes darkenig, he bit at her index finger, rubbing their lips together in the process.

Elena jumped at the contact and moved her head away (shame, really) yet she didn't do much to pry the fingertip out of his mouth. On the contrary, she covered her mouth with the hand holding the dagger. A few wimpers still escaped her cute little nose, though.

Elena was obviously not used to being fed on. A simple bite on a finger wouldn't make his usual donors flinch. Elijah wondered if maybe he was her first in that department. The probability was low considering the company she kept. Nevertheless, he had to admit her blood was delicious. He sucked on her forefinger with a low hum of satisfaction. He caught her watching him out of the corner of her eye.

When finally done, he left the fingertip in his mouth, tongue teasing and soothing at the same time, until his saliva shut down the bleeding and closed the wound.

„Forgive me, I required a few drops to be able to move around," Elijah remembered his manners.

His low voice made the situation even more intimate.

Elena gulped and nodded, a gentle blush adorning her face.

Elijah got up and offered her a hand which she took, fixing her T-shirt needlessly.

„I'm sorry I killed you," she whispered, looking anywhere but at him, „I had to because of Stefan and Damon. I really do want the new deal with you."

„Your ability to make demands is long past," Elijah decided quietly, intimidatingly. „You deceived me into giving you my word, then you killed me with your own hand, then waited God knows how long and now that you're in need of me again, you dare bring up said deal?"

„It's not like that," Elena defended herself, „I never planned to leave you for dead. I made you promise not to hurt us even if we hurt you exactly because I was gonna stab you afterwards. I needed them to stop trying to kill you. And I didn't wait – it's still today, I killed you two hours ago, Elijah."

The Original's eyes narrowed as he processed the information. He seemed hesitant to believe her, so Elena continued.

„We only have one of these daggers and I never believed you were the one who deserved it, not for a second. Not someone who has the same enemy, common goals, and the will to cooperate with us. Not someone living by the code of honor. I apologize for attacking you and I hope you can still trust me."

„Trust you?" Elijah repeated.

Pleading never leaving Elena's eyes, she slowly raised the white ash dagger and offered it to the Original. He took it, touching her hand in the process. The connection he felt was exquisite.

„Do you have any idea what you did, Miss Elena?" He carried on in that shiver-enticing low tone, pocketing the dagger in his half-burnt-up suit. „You created a bond between us."

„I...I did?" The girl was rightfully confused.

„Anything connected to Life and Death means a whole lot to the Originals," Elijah explained. „Blood, sex, murder, all those things create more or less of a bond for us. So far, my dear Elena, you have killed me, brought me back to life, and let me taste you."

Elijah let the fact hang in the air. When her only answer was a doe-eyed look, he approached her, slowly backing her into the metal door. He saw her fear, of course; but there was also a hint of curiosity about her.

„Just a little more to strengthen the bond and I believe I'll be able to feel whenever you're in trouble. Digesting a drop of my blood could do the job," Elijah offered.

„Our deal's on, then?"

„Yes, Elena."

„Alright," she released a breath, nodding absent-mindedly. „Alright," she repeated, looking him straight in the eye and accepting his offer.

He wouldn't want her beautiful lips to touch his sooty skin, so he bit at his palm and let the blood drop into her mouth. She squeezed her eyes shut when she realized what she was going to do, but she talked herself into it and licked her lips clean like the brave little girl that she was.

Except she wasn't a little girl anymore, was she.

She managed to deceive Elijah. Kill him even. As much as his ego was hurt, it got her his respect. This teenage girl from Mystic Falls stabbed herself in the stomach with the fearlessness of a samurai warrior. She wanted to save herself, of course, but more importantly, she wanted to protect her loved ones and she knew that in order to do that, she needed someone of Klaus's caliber, namely Elijah. As far as he knew, Miss Gilbert was the only other smart person in the war against Klaus.

„I'll see you around, my dear Elena," Elijah kissed her hand and disappeared.