A week had gone by.

Life had settled back into its usual routine, and her uncle's trips into town waned.

Elena had finished reading Dracula... for the first time around, anyway. Now she was doing the second pass through and focusing on the finer details, looking for hints and clues. Something more that maybe Elijah had been alluding to during his last visit.

Searching "Katerina Petrova" late at night on the internet led to a rabbit hole that passed through bits and pieces of Katherine Pierce's life and landed in a tomb under a church in Mystic Falls. Supposedly she died in a fire there in 1864, though no remains or bones were ever found. Did vampires even leave behind a skeleton? Katherine was over 300 years old then... she could have gone up like a bonfire and just disintegrated. Or... she could have faked her death to escape Klaus once again. Elena peered more closely at the grainy photograph of the white Protestant church. She could picture clearly it in her mind's eye - the eeriness of the structure ablaze at night, the flames lapping higher at the sky and the screams of the other 29 unfortunate souls trapped inside. She could see it just as Katherine would have before she stole away into the dark. Something deep inside of her told her that her doppelgänger had not perished. Whether it was a connection or sense shared between them, she wasn't sure. Maybe just gut instinct, or the fact that Elijah himself didn't seem to consider her dead. But if Elena was being honest with herself, it felt too complex to just be his influence.

She stumbled across Duke University's paranormal department website, which housed the only known photo of Katherine Pierce. Finding it was enough to raise goosebumps all over her arms. It was absolutely as if she were staring at herself. And while Elijah had told her they were identical, witnessing it herself still left her unsettled. She had thought there would be some minor difference - a dimple, a beauty mark. But there wasn't. She was looking at herself, at Katerina... at Tatia. The realization of what Elijah must have felt when he first saw her... she cleared her throat and crossed her legs, her olive skin burning to a deep pink. Through some twist of nature or the universe, he knew her intimately with barely ever having touched her. It filled her with a strange sense of deja vu and she knew she'd be working hard to keep those thoughts pushed far, far away.

Once she forced herself to stop staring at the black and white photograph of her twin, she scrolled down through the information about Katherine and some myth about a "sun and moon" curse tied to a precious stone. Vampires bound by the sun, werewolves bound by the moon... both supernatural species seeking this magical moonstone to be the one to break the curse and be deemed the superior race. She devoured all of the details and compared them against what Elijah had glossed over, but it still wasn't enough. She needed to know more. More about Klaus... more about herself. More about what exactly breaking this curse required and where she fit into the puzzle, more about where Klaus might be. Her mouse hovered over the "contact" button on the page as she stared at the photo of the department head. Dr. Isobel Saltzman. She also had long dark brown hair, and her youthful demeanor was calm, approachable... trustworthy. Elena felt her heartbeat quicken in anticipation. Maybe she could fill in some of these nagging blanks. Elena wouldn't say who she was - she could make up a fake email address. Be anonymous. A fellow student of the supernatural. But then the doubts settled in. She didn't want to open Pandora's box and start a destructive domino effect that she couldn't stop. Could they trace the IP address back to this cabin in the woods? Would she be risking everything her uncle had tried to save her from in the last fourteen years? She wavered for a second. Reluctantly, she clicked the "x" in the top right corner of the screen.

Outside contact was too dangerous. She couldn't risk it, even if she felt like she was going stir crazy. But she'd had a taste of the outside world when she spoke to Elijah and now she was at war with herself. In the midst of all of the history surrounding her, it seemed insane to just sit here waiting for something to change. If Klaus was going to be her fate, then she wanted to face him head on. And she wanted to experience the world in the moments in between. She didn't want to say she wasted her life hiding if he ever finally tracked her down.

Her chin set as she cleared out her browsing history. She gently closed her laptop and took a deep breath. The next time Elijah came he and Mikael would meet, she decided. And she would come clean about all that she knew. And then... she would leave if she had to. She was only two days away from turning eighteen. If she had to leave... she could. Ultimately, her uncle couldn't make her stay, even if the thought of leaving under those terms left her heartbroken. But it was time, she told herself as she heard footsteps on the creaky stairs. Almost.

Her uncle lightly rapped at the door and she smiled as she met his gaze. Just in the nick of time, she thought, resting her hand casually across the laptop. If he'd found her researching Katherine, she would have been coming clean sooner than she anticipated. Strangely, she felt better about doing it with Elijah around rather than completely alone. And she imagined that moment would come sooner than later, too. Elijah wouldn't stay away forever.


"Birth records for 1992. Starting in June."

Elijah's pupils dilated, and the young woman in the Mystic Falls town clerk's office looked sufficiently dazed for a moment as his compulsion took hold. Caroline, her name tag read. Then she smiled to reveal nearly perfect white teeth. Her crown of long highlighted blonde waves bounced as she tilted her head to the side. "Of course! Be right back."

"Thank you, Caroline."

Her blue eyes twinkled flirtatiously before she headed into the file room. He chuckled to himself as he sat down. She looked to be the same age as Elena. They would probably be classmates if it wasn't for the fact that Elena had been stolen away at such a young age. And because of that, no teenager in town would have any recollection of her. He didn't dare broach the subject with the older population. Not yet, anyway. He didn't know if her family had truly died or if they'd simply been compelled to let her go. He didn't even know her last name.

Caroline returned a few minutes later, arms full with large files. She blew a stray lock of hair out of her eyes as she set them down. He placed the tabloid magazine he'd been thumbing through back on the wood coffee table. Then he stood and opened the records.

"June through December. They're divided into six month increments. I guess there were a lot of us born that year." She squinted before smiling again. "Who are you looking for, anyway? I might be able to help. I was homecoming queen, Miss Mystic Falls, and on alllll the committees... I know everyone in our class."

He smirked as she tried to impress him with her accolades. "A friend of mine... she was adopted. She's wary of her parents finding out that she's trying to locate her birth records. So... I'm working on her behalf to keep things quiet. You understand, I'm sure." His gaze trapped hers again. "You won't discuss this with anyone but me."

She nodded. "No, of course not." She quirked her eyebrow in a manner meant to ensure he knew she was hardly innocent. "Our little secret."

"Our little secret," he echoed, satisfied at the way he made her blankly agree when she responded with a hollow, "Mmmhmmm."

Maybe if she'd been a couple of years older and he wasn't on a mission, he would have allowed himself to be momentarily distracted by this young woman practically throwing herself at him. He was sure it woild be fun, for a few seconds anyway. But he couldn't focus on her when it was a pair bottomless brown doe eyes that preoccupied him. If he even allowed his mind a second to wander... something he was fighting against.

A losing battle, if he was honest with himself.

He started to flip through the days of June and noticed Caroline was still watching him. He cleared his throat, and she looked straight at him as he compelled her again. "You have some filing to do in the back."

She straightened. "Well, I'll be in the back finishing up some filing. Let me know if you need anything else."

He smiled. "You've been more than helpful."

He flipped through more quickly, knowing that it was only a matter of time before another local showed up in the office. And then the story of the impeccably dressed young man with a foreign accent looking at birth records would spread through town like wildfire. The more people he had to compel, the more dangerous it became. He scanned the names with a precision that only a vampire possessed, stopping at June 18th.

Gilbert, Elena Marie. Single live birth, 9:58pm. 7lbs 2oz.

Born to Miranda Gilbert, age 25 and Dr. Grayson Gilbert, age 26 of 126 Oakwood Street, Mystic Falls.

Elijah glanced around, finally spying the copy machine. At first he thought of taking the original birth certificate itself, eliminating any evidence of her existence should Klaus happen into town. But if Elena ever needed to prove herself in any fashion... he finally decided that it would be better it stayed here. The copy would serve as proof of her history, something tangible he could give her. An anchor for a young woman who had no ties to anything.

He pushed the files back further on the counter once he replaced the record. Then he headed out the door to his next destination. 126 Oakwood Street.


Elena's birthday passed without much fanfare. A cake, a few presents in the form of some books and clothes and random keepsakes. No journey into the world. Just another day spent in this isolated cabin.

She wasn't sure what she expected. Maybe dinner at an actual restaurant? Or a chance to go shopping in a real store? Anything, really, outside the perimeter of this section of forest that she knew like the back of her hand. But none of that came to pass. Eighteen came without any signal of change in her life as a recluse. Generally, she tried to count her blessings but her mood had turned decidedly dour in the two days since.

And today, it was hot. She laid in bed, sweat making her feel sticky. The ceiling fan overhead wasn't helping. She turned her head to glance out the window. An overcast and muggy Sunday. Not that the day of the week made much difference to her - she couldn't tell, anyway. The days blended together here. She laid in her bed listening to the birds call out to each other. She wondered where Elijah was. Maybe he knew her uncle was nearby. She sighed, reluctantly acknowledging that not seeing him wasn't helping her mood at all. It had been over ten days since she saw him last.

The clock told her it was nearing 11am. She dragged herself out of bed and forced herself into the shower. As much as she could have laid there and sulked all day, it wouldn't have been productive. And afterward, rather than fighting the humidity, she let her hair air dry into its natural wavy state. She sat down at her vanity next, staring at her face. That face that had been around for centuries. She could have been Katherine or Tatia instead, gentle waves curving around her face and down her back. Makeup from Mrs. H rested in the periphery. She rarely bothered with the stuff, only because she never went anywhere. Sometimes she would see a fun look in a magazine or a website and she'd try to replicate it, but that wasn't often. Today, though... she didn't have anything else to do.

Her complexion barely required more than some powder and undereye concealer, though she added a touch of highlighter and some contour below her cheekbones. Next, a swipe of blush. Her eyes were where she focused most of her efforts. She used natural shades - the Naked name of the palette was fitting - but by the time she completed the eyeliner and mascara, they were the smokily outlined focus of her face. She finished with some rose tinted lipgloss and sat back to assess the look. She looked - older. Even beautiful, though she was hardly vain. But there was something about the way the makeup enhanced what was already there. She felt it was a shame she had nowhere to go.

She sighed again, her chair scraping against the floor as she went to stand up. She didn't bother making her bed before she headed downstairs. She was suffocating in here, both with the humidity in the air and with the walls that felt like they were closing in. All she made sure she grabbed was her phone.

"Where are you going?" her uncle asked as Elena quietly stalked past him to the door. He was sitting at the table, newspaper in hand. His blue eyes were noticeably concerned when she stopped and looked at him. She very nearly asked him if he saw Tatia or Katherine too, but she bit the question back.

"Out," she answered simply.

"Be careful," he called to her back, and she could tell he wanted to say more but he could also sense the shift in her mood, the one that had been brewing over the last two weeks.

She didn't answer as she let the screen door slam shut behind her.


Elijah sensed a shift in the air from where he stood. He was on the other side of the waterfall, having passed the cabin and still recognizing that Elena was not alone. Every day he passed through, and every day her uncle was there. He had briefly entertained the thought of showing up anyway. He didn't intend to go this long without seeing her. But once he heard Mikael speak, his blood ran cold. Elijah knew him. And he wasn't about to risk Elena's safety.

There was a charge of electricity, crackling energy that yanked him out of his thoughts. There she was, near the pools below. Her appearance made his breath catch in his throat. She looked almost wild, her wavy dark hair spilling halfway down her back, her face made up in an appealing manner. She was wearing a loose flowery tank top, but her shorts left little to the imagination. Eighteen certainly agreed with her, and he swallowed as he realized how much more difficult it would be to be around her.

She kicked off her flipflops and waded into the water to her knees. The heat barely registered with him after all of this time, but he could see the perspiration glistening over her skin. She closed her eyes and exhaled as the cool water soothed her. It could have been a magazine shoot the way she tilted her head back to the sky, the tips of her long wavy hair almost dipping into the water. His resolve wore down and he found himself standing on the bank behind her.

"Elena," he called quietly, knowing he would startle her. But it felt wrong to act as a voyeur any longer.

He watched a blush crawl over her cheeks at being interrupted in a free moment. But she started to approach him.

"Elijah," she replied. She didn't smile but her eyes seemed to light up at his presence. She glanced at his suit. "Aren't you hot?"

He smirked. "Vampires don't notice temperature, really."

"Oh. I was going to tell you to come in."

"It is a tempting thought, what with the scenery..." He eyed her flirtatiously before he could stop himself, and that earned a half-smile and more blushing from her. "I'm sorry I didn't return sooner, but you haven't been alone."

"I know," she said apologetically. "It was my birthday, and I feel like my uncle has been around more than ever. Makes me wonder..." She reached into her pocket. "I should text you my phone number. I thought about that after last time. At least we'd have a way to contact each other with everything that could be going on."

He nodded, knowing she meant Klaus. "Here," he said, reaching out for her phone, and she handed it over. He put his number in and texted himself. His hand lingered on hers as he handed it back, and her fingers grazed over his palm before she tucked it back away.

"So," she said awkwardly.

"I have something for you," he said, reaching inside his jacket and pulling out an envelope.

She glanced at him curiously before pulling out the carefully folded piece of paper inside. Her lips parted as she made a small gasp. When her eyes met his again, he could see they were shining with tears.

"You got this for me?"

"Yes. Happy birthday."

"Thank you," she breathed. "I always figured I was tied to Mystic Falls somehow. My parents...?"

He shook his head. "I checked the house and they no longer live there. No death records, either."

Her jaw set and anger flashed through her eyes. "So my uncle lied. But why haven't they come looking for me?"

"I imagine he compelled them, Elena. And I have a feeling your uncle is not related to you at all. In fact," he continued quietly, " I know he's not. I'm quite familiar with him."

The realization dawned upon her. "He's the Mikael you knew." He nodded and she started to look panicked. "Oh my God. Am I in danger? How do I know that he hasn't been holding me for Klaus all this time?"

"Trust me, he's not. He may be using you as a lure, but I can't imagine he has ill-intentions for you."

She stared at him for a moment, and he couldn't even begin to guess what she was thinking. He'd thrown her two curveballs of epic proportions. "I can't stay there," she finally said. "I need to confront him, and then I'm leaving. You have to come with me."

"Elena, that's not a good idea-"

"I'm done hiding things. And - I need you to take me away from here."

That pleading look in her eyes... answering that call had never kept him out of trouble. It was his Achilles heel. And facing Mikael again would likely prove to be disastrous. But she had no one else to count on. Literally no one else but him, or Mikael. He and Elena were standing at the edge of a slippery slope, and he knew he was sliding down.

Elijah silently prayed this wasn't the moment he'd pinpoint as the defining mistake in the fate of this latest Petrova. But he could see no other choice. Elena already had one foot out of the door of that cabin, with or without Elijah. If he didn't help her, he wasn't sure he would ever see her again. And while that was enough to stop him in his tracks, there was the other detail of Klaus and his cohorts. She could easily walk right into his hands.

He sighed before conceding. "Fine. I will help you."

"Thank you," she whispered, throwing her arms around Elijah.

He wasn't expecting that, though he allowed himself to relax against her. He had to admit that it felt completely natural, and he closed his eyes to memorize the curve of her hips fitting comfortably within his hands. Her chin rested gently upon his shoulder and the faint smell of rosewater on her skin etched this memory in his mind. It was... nice. He realized how much he had missed her. Actually her, not the idea of a physical carbon copy of her predecessors. It was silly considering they'd only really met once before, but attraction was a funny thing. It hit when least expected. Of course her physical appearance was enough to reel him in, but something that was uniquely Elena kept him there. She let out a contented sigh which was nearly his unraveling. A simple, perfect moment. He didn't have many of those to recall, especially not in his life as a vampire.

She settled back a bit after a minute or so, keeping her hands on his shoulders to brace herself. He still gently rested his hands along her waist as she didn't seem eager to pull away completely. He actually felt slightly nervous, and her expression had turned shy. Still, it wasn't awkward... just anticipatory. He had no idea what was going through her mind which left him even more unnerved. But he was letting her take the lead. As much as he was attracted to her, he realized how strange their circumstances were and he was not about to bend her will in his favor.

Elena bit at her lower lip as she brought her hands up to cradle his jaw. He couldn't break her gaze, but soon she was flooding his vision and his undead heart almost beat out of his chest as he felt her lips press against his tentatively. He closed his eyes again, not wanting to overwhelm her with longing or the relief that - apparently - this attraction was mutual. She tasted sweet, her lipgloss raspberry-flavored, and he began to move his lips against hers, catching her lower lip gently between his teeth. Her hands were clasped behind his neck now, and he held the small of her back to support her. She pushed her chest against his as she attempted to get closer, the kisses turning more fervent. He didn't need to breathe but his head was starting to spin. When she came up for air, her skin had turned a rosy pink across her cheeks and chest. She let go completely, her lips swollen and her expression embarrassed.

"Sorry... I didn't mean..."

He smiled dazedly. "Don't apologize. I certainly didn't mind."

"So it was okay?" she asked sheepishly, and somehow it was the most adorable thing he'd ever heard or seen.

"More than okay," he replied, catching her hand. He could practically see the sparks of electricity when their skin touched, and his eyes met hers. "I'm honored to be your first kiss, Elena."

She grinned, and she didn't stop him when he ducked down to steal another kiss. "Or my second," she murmured afterward. She drew in a deep breath, her eyes sparkling. "Or more?"

"I wouldn't object to more," he said softly, and he gently ran his fingers in the hair along her crown. "Though there is a lot facing us. We have Mikael to contend with yet. And as much as I can see that there is an attraction between us..." He silently cursed himself for what was about to come out of his mouth. But it needed to be said, lest he kick himself later. "At the end of the day, I'm a vampire and you remain a human. Someone who has been sheltered for nearly your whole life. I'm loathe to keep you from experiencing the world and life and everything you've missed out on."

Some of the light in her eyes dimmed, but she stuck her chin out with determination and he could see the world of trouble he was in. It was almost made him smile despite himself. "I'm not saying this would be forever, Elijah, but I really like you... and I'm not exactly normal either. I probably never will be. But you understand me, and all of this. You've seen the entire story from the beginning. You don't think that counts for something?"

"I suppose it does," he agreed, his voice low. They stared at each other and he could see they would be at an impasse if he didn't give in. But his conscience refused to remain quiet. There had to be some sort of compromise. "Let's just... we will take it one moment at a time. We need to get you out of here first. You may change your mind once you're out in the world."

She shrugged. "Fine... but I don't think it will matter." She raised her eyebrow. "You'll see."

She brushed past him in the direction of the cabin, and he looked to the sky quizzically before walking to catch up with her. This girl. Heaven help him.