Disclaimer: I do not own the Vampire Diaries.
A/N: Many thanks for the reviews! I love love love them. (-: (I always have to take a short break from Heart at War because the renewal of this story simply demands my attention. What can I say? I'll forever be an Elijah fan.) Enjoy!
Three
The night air could liven things in a way in which was no other thing could. In the dark, all seemed to have an everlasting sense to it, a certain spark, as if nothing and no one could disenchant the way the stars, spilled like glitter in the night sky, shimmered with vitality. The air was thick, yet in a way that filled her lungs with the purest oxygen she could breathe. With the sliver of a crescent moon high above her, gleaming through a canopy of leaf-laden trees, AJ almost felt weightless. The night, which was her damning infirmity, was also her only true solace. It was when she felt most alive.
It was a little sardonic, considering she was only a ways away from a cemetery.
Ms. Flowers had returned home not long after Elijah had left. AJ had helped her old friend deposit the groceries, listened to a short lecture on the dangers of the unknown (her nighttime habits), and darted back upstairs to the safety of her room. Once all the lights had gone out, AJ had followed suit. It wasn't a terribly far drop to the ground from her window.
A sense of nocturnal wanderlust had captured her within the first few weeks she'd been a resident of Mystic Falls, years ago. It wasn't until recent such activities had been uncovered; however, not in their true light. AJ had the sense that Ms. Flowers assumed she was trysting with a boy or something of the sort. Ms. Flowers was a hopeless romantic, she supposed. She never noticed the grey half-moons that seemed almost chalk-like under AJ's eyes. Where Ms. Flowers was a hopeless romantic, AJ was a hopeless insomniac.
She supposed it was the dreams that kept her mind in fear of sleep. Nightmares of unfeasible things that felt so real and true, she'd have to reassure herself time after time that they weren't. Eventually, she'd given up on forcing herself to distinguish the real versus the not real, and had in turn, sacrificed her sleep. It seemed that only for the last hour or so of the night could she capture any amount of dreamless relief.
Yet she didn't care to dwell on such things.
Instead, she studied the stars. It helped to detach her mind from current issues and simply be; to exist without needing any purpose for such. To ignore that side of her that slithered within and wanted to break out, that dark side she didn't quite understand.
With her arms folded behind her head as she lay on the cool earth, she allowed herself to close her eyes in a rare moment of peace.
Rare, and short-lived.
"I see it's only been a few short hours and already you're breaking the terms of our agreement."
AJ's eyes opened slowly, and she tilted her head back. Her unwanted visitor was standing just a few feet away, immaculately dressed even as it was nearing two a.m. She narrowed her eyes at him, upside-down, then returned to her resting position.
"I see it's only been a few short hours and already it feels like I have a babysitter," she countered lazily. "Maybe we should rethink these terms to something more fitting. You do realize I'm eighteen, don't you? That means I have free reign."
Elijah gave her a reproachful look; one she couldn't see. "Not to wander off in the night. I told you this must stop. What exactly are you doing out here?"
"What does it look like? Stargazing. I plan to become an astronomer someday, what with my extensive knowledge. You see that over there?" She pointed upwards. "That's the little dipper." A smirk tugged up her lips.
"Get up," he directed with a sigh. "You're going back to the boarding house."
"You aren't my chaperone," she pointed out. "So no, I'm not. Besides, it's much better for me out here. Trust me."
"Is it? And why might that be?" The cynical tone to his voice wasn't just a figment of her imagination.
AJ turned her gaze back up to him. "What is your problem? You don't have to be so uptight. There's no one around, really."
"Which is precisely the point. If there's no one around, who might be there to prevent Klaus from taking you?"
Studying his expression, she found he was serious. "Better me than Elena." She shrugged.
He became silent at this, his eyes perusing her face. In the light reflected from the moon, he could see gold flecks in her eyes as she gazed up at him, her expression level and frank. "Better neither of you, if I can help it," he said finally.
"And if you can't? Help it, I mean. What if this deal we made was for nothing? What then?"
Grim amusement crossed his features. He raised an eyebrow. "You already doubt my ability to protect you and your friends?"
"No, but I doubt this is going to go over very well. Things always get screwed up even worse than what they originally are. That's life."
"I'm not very surprised to find you have such a cynical outlook," he commented. "What with the sarcasm."
A grin broke out on her face, sudden and bright. "What's wrong with sarcasm? I find it puts particularly tragic ordeals in an entirely different light. You wouldn't agree?"
His gaze traveled up to the moon, his hands in his pockets. "You will return to the boardinghouse, now. I retrieved Stefan, as you asked, and you'll find that I fulfilled your other request as well. My end of the bargain has been carried out. Time for yours."
"Technically I'm not breaking any rules. You said my death tendencies had to stop. Does it really look like I'm doing anything that might lead to my premature death anytime soon?" Her hands were spread out in a really? gesture.
"Yes," he said in a clipped tone. "It looks like you have no concern whatsoever for your wellbeing. If you did, you would not be here."
She stared at him a long moment. "Except you're missing one thing. A very important thing"
"Which is?" His inquiry didn't sound entirely invested.
"Where better to find me? At the boarding house, where anyone with a phonebook or a laptop could figure out I live at, or some random place under the stars? I have a valid point. You can't deny it."
"I can, actually. And I can also force you to return, but I'd prefer you go peacefully. I keep my word when I give it. Do you?"
Looking into his eyes, she could tell this was a test: would she comply with his rules or not? She could count on one hand the number of times she followed anyone's rules but her own. Frowning at him, she crossed her arms.
"I do," she said frankly. "But I also need my space. I think we can work that into our terms of agreement. It's reasonable enough."
"It would be reasonable if your life wasn't at risk," he said with slight exasperation.
AJ folded her arms behind her head again, her lips pursed. She completely ignored his comment. "Elijah, what am I, exactly? I mean, I know we discussed the whole masculine sounding 'Warrior' thing, but what does that mean?" Her eyes widened risibly, and she sat up to face him like childlike grin. "Do I have superpowers?"
Elijah simply stared at her for several long moments. "I hope you aren't being serious."
She frowned. "So I don't have superpowers. That sucks. Then what do I have? What am I?"
Lacing his fingers in front of him, he seemed thoughtful yet hesitant. AJ sat up more keenly.
"You're very clever," he admitted slowly. "So I had assumed you would ask at some point. Being the Warrior entails two things, really. Over the past several centuries, there have been… shall we say 'good' Warriors and 'bad' ones. More often than not, it's quite easy to distinguish the two. Your devotion to the doppelganger makes it obvious that you are good. But it's your decisions that matter most. Your fortitude." He paused. "Klaus will want to get to you—not to kill you, but to persuade you to be on his side. To manipulate you. It's extremely imperative that that doesn't happen."
AJ rolled her eyes, but on the inside, she grew very nervous. Instead, she focused on her heartbeat and spoke as she usually did. "Can you see me betraying my friends like that? I mean, really? 'Gee, Klaus, I'm totally on your team. Yeah, let's kill everyone. And while we're at it, let's maybe overthrow the government and make everyone into vampires.' Sounds like a good idea, right? I mean, the details are a little hazy, but I'm sure I'll figure it out."
His mouth was set into a hard line. "I don't think you truly understand the threat he imposes. As I've said before, he is not something to make light of."
"Or maybe you just need to loosen up," she suggested. She rested a hand on her chin contemplatively. "If—when I resist whatever manipulation he tries, can't he just, you know, compel me to do what he wants? I don't see how you can stop that."
"An advantage you have," Elijah said with the tiniest hint of triumph, "is that you are the only being on this planet that cannot be compelled by him."
"But you compelled me," she said with loathing. "I haven't forgotten that by the way."
He did the most human thing she had yet to see him do: he rolled his eyes. "There was the fact that, if Trevor and Rose had discovered you, I figured others had as well. I wanted to leave very quickly. Anyhow, I can compel you, yes. But intentions can affect compellation. My intentions were good. Klaus's won't be."
AJ was doubtful. "How can you know that for sure? What if his intentions are good? I do read, you know. You could be the one manipulating me and he could be the good guy."
"His intentions are far from good," Elijah said with annoyance. "I assure you, I am not manipulating you."
She watched him scrupulously. He seemed utterly composed at all times, even when she knew she was pressing some buttons. Anyone else would have lost their patience with her by now and probably yelled.
"Fine," she said. "As much as I hate to admit this… I trust you. I think."
Elijah was silent, his eyes hard to read, his shoulders taut. She didn't know what to make of it.
"And I have another question," she added quickly, discomfited at the silence. "Am I the only Warrior? Or is there a whole clan hidden somewhere, just waiting to bestow me with their worldly knowledge?"
"You are the only one," he stated. "One doppelganger," he held out one hand, "one Warrior," he held out the other. "Nature must be balanced."
"Wonderful," she said sarcastically, rubbing at her eyes. "Really, that's just great."
A small crease formed between his dark eyebrows, so small she barely saw it. "What's wrong?"
"Oh nothing," she said sardonically. "Well, other than the fact that I'm going solo on this. With no clue what to expect, what I really am, how things are going to turn out. But, hey, that's just life, right?" She winked at him, and she could tell it bothered him in some way. It was doubtful that many people, if any, spoke to him so freely.
"I think you should return home, now," he said, giving her a pointed look.
AJ sighed heavily, looking back up at the crescent moon. She knew it'd be another sleepless night, but stood anyway. Glancing back at Elijah one last time, she headed back to the boarding house. Dread welled in her stomach when she realized what she'd have to do at some point during the week: explain to her friends this agreement between her and Elijah. It helped that Stefan already knew how beneficial it was, though.
Elijah watched her go. He wasn't sure what to think of the girl—her obvious lack of concern for herself, but fierce devotion to her friends, which, besides the doppelganger, aren't of much use. She was puzzling, and that irked him. But it also intrigued him. Much more than he cared to admit.
AJ pushed open the door to the Salvatore house without knocking. There were already several cars parked out front, so she suspected she was late as usual. Though this time was different, considering it was a meeting she'd called herself. Crossing her fingers, she hoped Damon had some patience today.
He didn't. Glancing down at his watch, he scowled as she walked into the parlor. "Really, AJ? You're a half hour late. You couldn't have, oh I don't know, called?"
"I was… preoccupied," she said, ducking around him and his heavy stare to cross to the other side of the room, near the windows. Just in case she needed an escape.
"With what?" he asked incredulously. "Your text said it was urgent. 'The life and death, but really, more like death kind of urgent,'" he quoted from his phone, then waved it in the air at her with a wary look. "You don't look like you're dying to me."
"Give her a break, Damon," Stefan said from his place, arms folded over his chest by Elena. His stare was heavy, too, but less hostile. "I'm sure she has a good reason."
"Is there a specific reason I'm here?" Alaric asked. He was nursing a scotch, his eyes on the ground. He looked like hell, if hell had purple-grey circles under its eyes, disheveled hair, and a tight frown. AJ thought that he looked worse than she did.
"Yes," AJ said matter-of-factly. She looked at everyone; Damon, Stefan, Elena, Bonnie, Jeremy, Caroline, and Alaric. Rose was standing off to the side, either too good to join the assemblage or too guarded. "There's a reason you're all here." Her eyes returned to Stefan, but she couldn't read the abstruse look he was giving her.
"Well you can get to it any day now," Damon said, pouring himself a drink.
AJ crossed her arms. "Just give me a second. Now, I'm sure we've all noticed the presence of our favorite reformed vampire, right?" There were mutters around the room as everyone looked at Stefan. He seemed unfazed by it as he continued to stare at AJ.
Elena looked between the two, baffled. "Stefan, you still haven't told me anything. What's going on?"
"I would have told you, but I thought it'd be better to wait for AJ. She knows more than I do."
AJ frowned at him. So he wasn't particularly happy with what had happened. "I wouldn't say I know more than you do… I'm just more informed, I guess…"
"About what?" Elena asked, growing more confused. "Guys, what's going on?"
AJ sighed heavily. "Now I know what you're going to say, so I'm just going to tell you right now not to freak out. Let me talk first before you guys go crazy, okay?" Elena nodded. "All right. Well… It's Elijah. He's not exactly dead anymore, and he—"
"I'm sorry," Damon cut in, "did you say Elijah? As in the vampire that wanted to kidnap you, Elijah? That he isn't dead? Honey, I don't know what you're smoking, but I he is dead. He's beyond dead."
"If you would let me speak, I'll tell you how he isn't dead. He's actually very much alive. Well, as alive as you guys can be," she gestured between Damon and Stefan thoughtfully. "Anyway, I kind of get the impression that Originals are a little bit indestructible. And very stoic. Definitely very stoic."
Damon's gaze was icy. "So where exactly did you see Elijah, if you know he isn't dead?"
"Uh… Well, at the boardinghouse, because—"
"At the boardinghouse? He was there? Where you live? How the hell did he get inside? When?"
AJ held a hand to her forehead. This had been the reaction she'd predicted. "It was a couple days ago… And I'm pretty sure Ms. Flowers let him in. Damon, if you'll calm down for two seconds—"
"I am not going to calm down!" he shouted, zooming into her face. She could feel his anger rolling off of him in waves, but she didn't flinch. "I told you that living there was a stupid idea! Anyone can get in! And if this happened a couple days ago, why didn't you tell us sooner?"
She paused. "I, uh, forgot."
Damon snorted. "You forgot? Really?" He looked at her like she grew two heads. "Only you could forget to mention an Original—who wanted to take you to Klaus, by the way—came to your house. How can you even sleep at night?"
She considered this. "A little better, actually. You'd be surprised. This is the part I wanted to tell you, anyway."
He scowled. "Oh, well considering what you've said so far, I'm sure this is going to be great. Freaking great."
"You know something Damon? It is a little freaking great, considering it got Stefan out of that tomb. So shut up and listen, will you? Elijah wasn't planning to take me to Klaus. He wants to kill Klaus. He wanted to make a deal."
"A—"Damon started, but AJ gave him a threatening look. The room fell into silence until Stefan spoke.
"A deal?" He seemed thoughtful. "What kind of deal?"
"He will protect you guys—and me—as long as I help him. He just needs help killing Klaus, and while we plan to do that, he'll make sure no one gets hurt. Simple as that." She shrugged.
"AJ—are you forgetting that Klaus wants you dead, too?" Elena asked with a frown. "If you're going to help, you could get killed in the process. It's not that simple."
"Klaus doesn't want me dead," AJ said. "It has to do with what I am—the 'Warrior'." She made a face at the name. "He just wants me on his side."
"Oh, and who told you that?" Damon asked venomously. "Elijah?"
"As a matter of fact, he did," AJ countered bitterly. "And you can stop being pissed off that he isn't dead anymore, okay?"
"What else did he say?" Bonnie asked.
"He's on our side. He's going to make sure you guys are all safe, and we're going to figure out how to lure Klaus here and kill him. He's not a threat. I promise."
"So you trust him then," Stefan noted warily. AJ could tell there was still something on his mind that he wasn't voicing.
"Yes," AJ said frankly, but was surprised with herself. "I do. I trust him."
"Foolish," Damon spat as he glared at her and invaded her personal space at the same time. "That's completely stupid of you."
"Oh, whatever," she groaned. "You'll get over it when he has to save you at some point. Then who'll be foolish?"
"Sorry to interrupt," Alaric said sheepishly. "But really, why am I here? I think you could have had this chat without me."
AJ gave him an incredulous look. "Did I forget to mention that Jenna was there? Your girlfriend? I thought that maybe you'd want to know she's now on his radar. Oh, and now to pull out a crossbow anytime you see him. Which reminds me, do you think maybe I could—"
"You aren't borrowing any sort of weapon," he deadpanned wearily, but she could see the interest in his eyes. "Jenna was there? Did he do anything to her? Is she fine?"
"She's fine. Remember the whole bit about protecting my friends? She's perfectly safe. I just wanted you to know, since, you know, she doesn't."
"Right," he said, running a hand through his hair. He seemed lost in his thoughts.
The conversation wrapped up quickly after that. AJ could see the suspicion in Elena's eyes as she insisted on staying just a moment longer, but assured her friend there was nothing to worry about. After everyone filed out, AJ was left in an uncomfortable silence with Stefan and Damon both staring at her.
"So…" she began but trailed off, lowering her gaze to the floor. She tapped her fingers on the back of a chair absently, looking anywhere but their eyes. "Obviously, you guys aren't… excited about this change in events. And I can understand why, it's just—"
"What I don't understand," Stefan began gently, "is why you trust him. I mean, how can you be sure he's not playing you?"
Damon through his hands in the air. "Finally someone sees my point."
"And I see it too," AJ said defensively, crossing her arms. "Do I look stupid to you two? Do you really think I'd chance anything happening to Elena? She's my best friend."
Stefan sighed. "We know you wouldn't and you aren't stupid. It's just… he's an Original. How could any of us know what he's really up to?"
"Stefan," AJ said firmly. "You know I don't trust people easily. If ever. But I trust him. Doesn't that count for something?"
Damon's eyes narrowed. "And you've known him for how long? Not counting time we thought he was deceased."
"Long enough," she said. "Besides, I've seen him more than—"she stopped short, realizing this was this wrong thing to say.
Damon was clenching the glass in his hand to the point where spider-web fissures began to crack in it. "You've seen him more than what? More than once? That's what you were going to say, right?"
AJ bit her lip. Things with Damon were… touchy. They had been for quite some time. "I have seen him more than once. And I'll probably see him again soon—he's like an annoying babysitter that just won't stop checking up on me," she muttered.
"Or maybe he's checking to see that you're still around for when Klaus arrives, since he probably called the guy, and wants to make sure you're good and ready for the psychopath. Ever think about that?"
"Did Elijah give you his word?" It was Rose, emerging from the shadows of the hallway. AJ had completely forgotten her presence.
"Yes," AJ said slowly. "He did. He gave me his word."
Rose nodded grimly. "He never goes back on his word. He takes it very seriously."
"And how would you know this?" Damon asked skeptically. "Trevor was the one who knew him. Not you."
"Trevor spoke of him often," Rose said sadly. "As much as he feared Elijah, he grieved over their lost friendship."
"So we can trust him," AJ said confidently. "We can. Although, I do suggest… not really seeing him, Rose. After Trevor and all…"
Rose said nothing but stared at the floor stoically.
"Right," AJ said after a few awkward moments. "I'll just be going, then. Got things to do, places to be. See you guys later." She made it out the front door and down the steps before she heard Stefan call her name. Turning around with dreadful anticipation, she watched as he closed the door behind him.
"AJ… I just want to make sure everything's okay. I mean, we're all worried about Elena—I can't seem to take my mind off it. But you're playing a pretty big role in this, too. And I appreciate what you're doing to help."
AJ waved a hand in the air. "It's no big deal—it's really the least I can do. You have no idea what she's done for me. When I first came here… I was a wreck. I really was. But she never cared. She helped me get better. So don't worry about it, okay? I'm going to make sure this all turns out just fine."
Stefan gave her a small smile. "I know you will. I'd also like to thank you for getting me out of the tomb—I really think I was losing my mind in there. I wouldn't be out if it werent for you."
AJ laughed lightly. "I think Katherine could make anyone go crazy. No need to thank me."
"Well… take care of yourself. I'll see you around."
AJ watched him walk back inside. She wondered if anyone ever saw it—the shift in her eyes, the darkness pooled within her. The desire for terrible things to happen that the other half of her decried. Maybe they didn't see it yet. But she feared they might soon.
So I know you guys have been reading about AJ for some time (or maybe some of you haven't juuust yet), but I'm curious of what you think of her personality. Do you think it's a little too much, too overbearing? Or can you tell she just has a lot of issues? Really, I'd just love to hear your take on it. I know the way I perceive her, but I don't know the way my audience does.
