I don't own anything, the characters belong to CW.


CHAPTER 3: Better Days


And you ask me what I want this year
And I try to make this kind and clear
Just a chance that maybe we'll find better days
Cause I don't need boxes wrapped in strings
And designer love and empty things
Just a chance that maybe we'll find better days

So take these words
And sing out loud
Cause everyone is forgiven now
Cause tonight's the night the world begins again


EPOV

"I brought you coffee and breakfast. Are you hungry?" I smiled while pushing myself past him.

"Elena?" Elijah asked, rubbing his eyes with his fists as he leaned against the doorframe of his apartment, looking straight at me. "How- how late is it?"

"7 AM," I said as I placed the bag of bread rolls and the coffee on the table.

"7AM?" he stammered, closing the door and making his way over to me. "And what the hell are you doing here at 7 in the morning, if you don't mind me asking?"

I shrugged, running through his kitchen. "I just... You texted me yesterday telling me I should come over... so here I am."

"Yeah, I know what I said, but," he mumbled, "…But I thought more about... like, I don't know, 11am?"

"7am, 11am – what does it matter?" I asked all the while avoiding his gaze.

For a few seconds, he didn't say anything. Hesitantly, I looked at him, noticing that he was now standing only millimetres behind me, eying me suspiciously. I quickly turned around again; I ignored the thoughts that entered my mind and concentrated on the plates before me.

"Elena?"

Elijah gripped my hands in his and turned me around to him, forcing me to look into his eyes. I tried to avoid his gaze as best as possible, no success. He took my chin in his other hand and shot me a worried smile.

"Elena? What happened?" He asked.

"Nothing, okay?" I rolled my eyes. "I just thought I should tell you how it went with my birthfather yesterday, nothing more."

His grip loosened but his gaze never left mine. "Don't lie to me. I know you, Elena, better than anyone."

I sighed. He was right, of course he was. He knew me better than anyone one else ever did, maybe even too well. I didn't only come over because I wanted to tell him about the day before, I just needed to get out of that house. To get away from Frank. To get away from everything and everyone. Just for a day, just for a few hours to forget about the hell that I called my life.

Elijah was the only one I could trust with things like this. I knew he'd understand me. He'd support me in every decision I decided to make even if he didn't like it. He'd call me out on my shit but he'd never, not even once, question my decisions or me. And the best part was that he'd never, not ever, judge me.

I looked to the ground. "Can't we just have breakfast and let it be for now? Elijah, please?"

He nodded. "Sure, let's have breakfast."

I smiled gratefully at him and squeezed his hand lightly before turning back around, taking the dishes and placing them on the kitchen table. Both, Elijah and I, sat down on a chair and started eating in a comfortable silence.

My thoughts wandered around - one minute they were with my dad and everything he had told me about him, about me, and about my mom. Then they wandered off to Frank and my foster family, to all the foster families with whom I lived with in the last 17 years of my life, with the things that had happened within all those years. To Elijah, the only constant I ever had in my life, the only person I ever trusted.

And then, without me even realizing it, they ended up on a certain blue-eyed stranger. The dark-haired man who had somehow aroused magical feelings in me, feelings that I didn't even know existed. New un-experienced feelings. Good feelings. The few hours I had spent with him had made me feel alive, probably more alive than I had ever felt in my entire life. And I couldn't help but hope that someday I'd see him again and he would make me feel alive one more time. Yeah…

"'Lena?" Elijah's voice threw me back into reality.

"Huh, what?"

"What were you thinking about? You're sure you don't want to talk... at all?" Elijah asked hesitantly.

I shook my head at him and focused my gaze on my sweaty hands. "I'm.. I'm not sure about anything these days, Eli. This whole birthparents thing… I don't really know what to think of it. You know, all these years, I wished for nothing more but to know that they were out there, maybe even waiting for me… but now that I know the truth, I just… I don't know if I can handle it, Elijah."

He smiled reassuringly, taking my right hand in his and squeezing it lightly. "I understand that, 'Lena. It's new, it's different. But don't let your fear of something new come between your chance of having a better life, maybe even a real family."

I stayed silent, small tears threatening to fall down my cheeks. I thought about the words that had just left his mouth, capturing every single one of them in my heart. He always knew how to encourage me, to summarize my fears and worries in words and tell me that I shouldn't let it bring me down.

Seconds passed before I threw my arms around him, burying my head in the crook of his neck. His strong arms embraced my upper body, holding me close as silent tears streamed down my face.

"Everything is going to be okay, little one," he whispered while kissing my temple. "One day, everything will be just like you imagine... I know it."

I nodded lightly against his shoulder, letting his words sink in as I mumbled. "You promise?"

"I promise."

For the rest of the morning, we lay on the couch, talking and laughing. Sometimes we just sat in silence and enjoyed the time we had together. We talked about old times, memories, and about the things that were happening in our lives in that very moment, things that may even happen in the future, and of the unknown. That was life with Elijah. It was simple, and sometimes, it was all I needed. All I'd ever need.

We'd always know that the other person was there for us – it's not that we never had a fight before, but when it came down to the point that one of us needed the other, we were there for each other. No questions asked.

The day that we first met was engraved in my head like it had just been yesterday. I thought a lot about that one special memory these past days – an eight year old Elijah taking my six year old self into his arms and telling me that one day, someone would come for me and make my life better, someone who'd love me. And till this day, he had kept his promise. He came for me that day, when nobody else cared about my desperate cries. He had made my life better and he loved me. He still did.

And as I walked home that night, I thought about the promise he had made that morning in his apartment and something inside of me told me that, just like the first time, he'd keep his promise. One day, everything would play out the way I wanted it to; my life would be like I always imagined it to be… I'd just have to wait a little bit more.


A week, in which I had tried to avoid Frank the best I could, had passed since that morning in Elijah's apartment. I quickly returned back to the routine of my daily life after the events of that night. I went to school every morning, spent my afternoons with Eli and I passed most of my evenings at the house, sitting in my bedroom while waiting for the night to come so I could go to sleep. Almost as if that one magic night never existed… but I knew it had. And I knew I'd never forget it. His ice-blue eyes still haunted me in my dreams, the taste of his soft lips and the touch of his hands plaguing my mind every single day.

And if my thoughts weren't with the blue-eyed stranger, they wandered over to my birth dad. His words repeated themselves in my head over and over again. Everything we ever wanted for you was to have a better life than you could've had with us. A better life? Was this what they called a better life? Being pushed around between foster families, being in a new 'home' every six months and the feeling that you could never be enough for anybody? That nobody had ever wanted you? Yeah, right…

I shook my head, pushing every thought of that day as far away as possible as I watched Amelia run to the back garden of the house. Her childish and joyful laughter echoed through the gardens, her blonde hair waved through the fresh air of Sunday afternoon, her blue eyes shining with happiness. It seemed as if no one could ever harm her, as if this moment of freedom would always be hers.

Amelia had been through a lot in the younger years of her life, but she still found pleasure in the simplest of things, like running through the garden and discovering new things every day. In moments like that, she was just a six year old girl… no problems, no concerns. Sometimes, I really envied that little girl for the joy she had in life.

"'Lena?"

I looked over to her small figure. She had positioned herself in front of the little swing, smiling. "What is it, sweetie?"

"Will you push me?"

"Of course," I stood up from the chair I was sitting on and moved over to her. "Come on, let's get you up on that swing."

Amelia giggled lightly as I swung my arms around her tiny body, lifted her up and sat her down on the blue swing in the middle of the garden. I placed her hands on the ropes that held the swing and took a step back, smiling at her.

"Put your hands there, okay, sweetie?" She nodded. "Good girl."

I ruffled up her hair with my hand, making her chuckle in response, before I came to a halt behind her and started to push her lightly.

Her laughter filled the air. "Higher, 'Lena, higher!"

Pushing her higher, I shook my head in amusement. I had only known Amelia for 6 months exactly now, but I had loved her from the second I met her… I mean who couldn't love this adorable little girl?

My body stiffened as his voice suddenly rang through the garden. "Elena!"

I closed my eyes tightly and took a deep breath, telling myself that everything was okay. Frank didn't scare me, he never did. I carefully stopped the swing with Amelia on it. Lifting her up in my arms, I shot her an apologetic smile. She smiled back at me, snuggling her head against my chest.

His voice rang out again. "Elena! Come in, now!"

I sighed and then turned around to face him. With his hands on his hips, he was staring at me with his dark eyes and a slightly angry expression on his face as he waited for me to climb up the stairs to the house.

"I'm coming," I mumbled, more to myself than to him.

I started walking towards him and came to a halt at the door, ignoring his intense glare, I put Amelia down and smiled at her.

"Hey sweetie, how about you go to your room and I'll come to you in a few minutes?"

"But you will come?" she asked in a sweet voice. "Right, 'Lena?"

"Of course, I will," I pressed a kiss to her forehead. "Now go, okay?"

She nodded silently, giving me a small smile before she turned and walked, with small steps, into the house, leaving me alone with Frank. I took a deep breath, gathering up all my courage. I turned around to face Frank, only to be met with his strict face.

I gulped. "You wanted to talk to me."

Frank crossed his arms before his chest, his intense gaze never leaving mine. "Your social worker Dolly, Polly or whatever her name is, is here. She wants to talk to you – care to explain?"

"Her name is Mollie," I murmured.

"I don't care what this 'holier than thou' social worker of yours is called," he snorted. "I wanna know what the hell she's doing here, in my house?"

I rolled my eyes. "How am I supposed to know? Can I read minds now or something? Because if so, I must have truly missed that."

"This is not the time to joke, little Miss 'I Have a Perfect Answer to Everything'," he spat, grabbing my arm. "What did you do again?"

"I didn't do anything, okay?" I whispered harshly, not wanting someone else to hear us.

"And why is she here then?"

"I don't have any idea, Frank, I swear."

He huffed. "Of course you don't."

I shut my eyes tight before tearing myself away from him and shooting him a last disgusted glance as I entered the house. Standing in the hallway, I could hear loud voices coming from the living room, one of them clearly belonged to Mollie. I took a deep breath, pushing all my thoughts out of my mind, and entered the room. Ashley and Mollie were sitting on the couch, both enjoying a cup of coffee and cookies.

"Elena," Mollie smiled as she got up from the couch to greet me with a hug." How have you been?"

"I've been… pretty fine. What about you, Mollie?"

She let out a small chuckle. "Oh well, you know me… always busy, but I'm good. Thanks."

I nodded, smiling slightly at her. My gaze wandered back and forth between her and Ashley, who eyed me awkwardly, as I waited for one of them to speak up.

Ashley motioned over to the couch as Frank entered the room again. "How about we all sit down now and then we can discuss why you're here, Ms. Parker?"

Mollie nodded. "Sure."

After we all had settled down on one of the couches in the living room, silence immediately filled the air between us. I looked at Mollie, a strange but also curious feeling spreading through my chest. To be honest, I had no idea what she wanted from me – had something happened? Or had people from foster care found out about my visit to my birth father's house?

"So Ms. Parker," Frank began in a fake polite voice. "To what do we owe the honour of your visit?"

Mollie laughed awkwardly, clearly having noticed the sarcasm in his voice. "Well, there have come up new… issues, circumstances, in Elena's case."

Ashley furrowed her eyebrows. "New circumstances?"

I gulped – what was that supposed to mean? New circumstances? Did they actually find out? Did my dad run to them and asked why his child, whom he gave away seventeen years ago, had found him when he didn't want her to? Was I in trouble now? Did they decide that I no longer deserved to live in this family and wanted to send me right back into the orphanage? So many questions, so many answers that could possibly be true. And I didn't know any of them.

Mollie fumbled for something in her purse before taking out a big folder, a folder that I had seen so many times before in my seventeen years. I even had an exact copy which was lying in my room, under my bed. My heartbeat fastened. My breathing stopped, nerves flowing through my veins.

"Well, according to Elena's papers… you both, as her foster parents, have the right to decide about everything that is happening in her life until the day that either you or Elena herself want to change this agreement or if I, as her social worker, decide that she isn't treated well here…," Mollie paused, taking a deep breath before continuing. "None of this is the case here, as I see, but something new came up. Something that might change this whole agreement."

"What… we don't understand," Ashley interjected.

"Yesterday, Grayson Gilbert, Elena's biological father, contacted the orphanage. One which Elena was living before she came to your family," she locked eyes with mine. "He asked where she was living now and if it was possible for him to take her home with him, for her to live with him, to take care of her like he was supposed to for the last seventeen years of his life."

My heart stopped in my chest. My mind went completely blank, thousands of thoughts whirling around, none of them really making sense. He couldn't… why would he do that? Just because I talked to him once, yelled at him for leaving me? Did he think that this was the way to make up for all these lost years? Why, why now? I didn't want to live with him. Yeah, I may have wanted to get to know him, to know the reasons for why he and Miranda gave me away, but… I never wanted this.

My life here wasn't perfect, it wasn't enjoyable at all, to be honest. But at least I knew what to expect – to expect nothing. At least by expecting nothing, I couldn't get disappointed. But this was something entirely different, something I never had to think about before. Living with my dad…maybe even having a real family.

"I know this comes as a real surprise to all of you, but right now all that counts is what's best for Elena and what she wants," Mollie said, breaking the awkward silence in the room. "Elena, what do you think?"

I looked at her, tears forming in my eyes. I opened my mouth to say something, but nothing ever left it. How could I explain my feelings to her if I didn't even understand them myself? Everything was just so confusing. On the one side, I was angry – angry that just after I contacted him, he wanted to see me yet he didn't before. Not the time when I needed a real dad in my life. The weeks that I spent crying and hurting. The moments in which I felt completely numb, all emotions drained out of my body. He hadn't been there, not a single time.

On the other side, I was thrilled. Now after seventeen years of wishing, dreaming and imagining having my own family, someone actually wanted me. My dad wanted me. Silent tears ran down my cheeks, my eyes staring into a big nothing. My heart bumped loudly against my chest, a sudden headache taking over me.

My hand flew immediately to my head, holding it and trying desperately to ease the pain. The sound of Mollie's voice calling out my name over and over again entered my ears, with every second that passed, her voice faded and faded. The pain slowly took control of me. Tired of fighting against the instant and unbearable hurt, I closed my eyes… welcoming the darkness that came over me in that very moment.


When I woke up again, I could hear familiar voices in the distance, hushed voices talking about me, about what had happened only a few minutes or even hours ago. Honestly, I had no idea what time it was or for how long I had been unconscious. All I knew was that the pain in my head had disappeared, like it never had been there in the first place. Just like it always did. It hurt for seconds, minutes, and then it was gone in a flash, leaving me behind, unknowing about what had just happened minutes before.

My eyes fluttered open as the voices became louder. I found myself recognizing one of them as Mollie's while the other ones probably, I figured, belonged to Ashley and Frank.

I groaned, trying to open my eyes to the outside world. The voices were now clear and loud, only a few inches away from me. I shut my eyes tight, rubbing them with my fists while a small noise escaped me, turning all their attention back on me.

Mollie crouched down beside me, true concern resonating in her voice. "Elena, you're awake! How are you? You're... you're okay?"

I tried to get up and leaned on to my elbows to steady myself. My gaze wandered over the few people in the room, including: Mollie, Ashley, Jensen – another teenager who had been put into the care of Frank and Ashley, and Amelia who was hiding behind him, snuggling her head into his back. I forced myself to smile lightly at her before turning my look back to Mollie.

"I'm okay," I said in a hoarse voice. "What happened? I mean… the one minute I was-was listening to what you said and then... nothing. I can't remember… "

"You fainted, dear," she smiled reassuringly. "But the most important thing right now is that you're okay. You're sure that you're doing better? You want me to get something for you?"

I slowly got up, putting my feet onto the ground, supporting myself with my hands on the couch. The second my eyes locked with Amelia's, she came out behind Jensen's back and ran towards me, her arms curling around my neck while she hugged me tightly. I smiled down at her, pulling her onto my lap as I held her.

My gaze wandered back and forth between Mollie and the little girl in my arms. "I'm okay, really. You don't need to worry."

She had just opened her mouth to reply with something, clearly not believing me, as Amelia looked up at me, her deep blue eyes filled with tears. "You no hurt anymore now, 'Lena?"

I shook my head lightly, kissing her temple. "I'm okay, sweetie. Everything is okay."

"Will you plway with me now?" she asked innocently.

"Sure, but," I looked over at Jensen who nodded at me, slowly making his way over to us. "But later okay? I have to talk to Mollie about something for a few minutes. How about you go upstairs and play with Jensen. I will follow you both in a few minutes, sweetie. Could you do that for me?"

"Okay," she nodded. "But you really come this time?"

"I promise, Amelia."

She jumped off of my lap to stand beside Jensen and took his hand in her tiny one, holding it close to her. He smiled down at her, giving her hand a light squeeze before his eyes shot back to mine.

"You're sure you'll be fine alone here?" he mouthed.

I nodded, whispering. "I'll be okay, Jensen."

"If you want, I could stay here and-," he tried to say, but I immediately cut him off.

"Go and play with her, she adores you," I gave him a reassuring smile. "Go!"

He nodded silently before he disappeared with Amelia through the door of the living room, leaving me alone with the three adults in the room. I sighed, turning my gaze back to Mollie who had settled down on a chair by now.

"Elena…"

"Don't, okay?" I said. "I'm fine Mollie, everything is just fine."

Mollie shot me a worried look before she turned to Ashley and Frank. "Would it be okay if you left Elena and me alone for a minute? I have to talk to her about some stuff."

Ashley looked over at Frank and gave him a warning look as she spoke. "Sure, we will be in the kitchen if you need anything. And Elena? Don't overexert yourself."

I nodded hesitantly; well knowing that all this sudden care, the nice and polite words that had left her mouth since Mollie had arrived this afternoon weren't real. Whenever someone else was in the room, they were nice and caring, pretending to love me but as soon as they were alone with me again, they didn't give a crap about me. I was nothing but another source of money for them.

After they had left the room, Mollie turned her attention back to me. "Elena, I hate to ask you this now but… what happened a week ago in Mystic Falls?"

I opened my mouth to say something, to lie to her about my visit at Grayson Gilbert's garage, but she immediately cut me off. "And don't you lie to me, young lady. I know that you were there, he told me when he called to ask about your wellbeing."

My shoulders slumped down as I buried my head into my hands. Of course he had to tell her about it and of course she would know that I was about to lie to her, in the past 5 years as my social worker, she had picked up on some of my habits. One of them was the stupid quirk I did with my hands when I was lying –she discovered it every single time, pretty much to my aggravation.

I sighed. "Nothing happened. We just talked, and…"

"And?" she probed. "What happened then, Elena?"

I shut my eyes tight, remembering the events of that day back into my mind. "I don't know. It just got too much, I guess, so I ran out on him. I-I didn't want to hear any of it anymore… I couldn't take it."

Mollie took my hand in hers, squeezing it lightly. "Whatever you said to him, Elena, it changed something in him. He wants you to live with him… in Mystic Falls."

"But-but what if I'm not ready-y for it? What if I'm-I'm not what he expects me to-to be?" I stammered.

"Elena, just be the person you always are. Be yourself, and he'll-," Mollie's little speech got interrupted by the doorbell.

I shot her an apologetic glance, freeing my hand out of hers. "I have to take this, it's probably just the mailman. I'm sure it won't take long."

"Sure," she nodded. "You can't let the mailman wait now."

"Of course not, he's from real importance," I laughed.

She shook her head in amusement. "You go, I'll wait. We can continue this conversation in a few."

I flashed a lasting smile at her before I got up and made my way over to the door. I opened it, expecting everything – everyone - but the person that was facing me now, an insecure smile on his lips. My mouth fell open in shock, thousands of thoughts whirling around in my head.

"Elena," he nearly whispered my name.

So many questions were forming themselves in my mind, so many words wanting to get out but I just stood there, paralyzed, and stared at the man before me. I couldn't believe he was here… The one minute I was talking about him with Mollie and the other he was standing on my doorstep in Richmond, saying my name. How did he get my address anyway?

I gulped, tears forming in my eyes as I held on to the door for dear life. My breathing became irregular, my heartbeat stopped for a minute in my chest. The man before me – my dad – looked at me with these brown doe eyes, so similar to mine, which were filled with hope as he waited for me to say something. Anything.

"Grayson," I choked out. "What-What are you doing here?"


I need someplace simple where we could live
And something only you can give
And thats faith and trust and peace while we're alive
And the one poor child who saved this world
And there's 10 million more who probably could
If we all just stopped and said a prayer for them

So take these words
And sing out loud
Cause everyone is forgiven now
Cause tonight's the night the world begins again

I wish everyone was loved tonight
And somehow stop this endless fight
Just a chance that maybe we'll find better days


A/N: Here it is, Chapter 3 - what do you guys think? This was more of a filler chapter that needed to be written for the next things that are going to happen, though I loved writing the Elijah/Elena parts. Their friendship is just great and easily to write. And who of you guys thought that Damon was on the door instead of her dad? I know my BETA did.

So, first of all, I want to thank you all for reviewing, favoring and alerting this story, you can't even imagine how much this means to me. I always jump round my room when I get a new one. SO THANK YOU! And like always, a huge thanks goes to Molly - yes, I recently found out that her name is written with 'y' instead of 'ie', confusing girl she is - (EveryBasedOnLove on FF). Without her I would be totally lost with all the mistakes I write. So thanks Molly! :)

I hope you liked the new chapter, I really do. I don't know exactly when I'm going to upload the next chapter since my tests are starting this week and I have like 12 of them and only 4 more weeks of school to come.. It's gonna be pretty hectic and I probably won't find that much time to write. Hope you'll stick with the story though. Anyway, thanks for reading and I hoped you enjoyed it.


Twitter: PureHeart151


Reviews are love!