"Good morning," Bonnie greeted when she spied Elijah standing in the doorway to her room.

"Hello," he answered quietly.

He crossed his arms, watching her in the mirror as she fiddled another bobby pin into the messy bun at the back of her head. She was getting ready to leave for her "day job," as she called it. She taught a curriculum on mythology and folklore at a local college, an homage to her grandmother's legacy as a college professor in a similar field. And as much as witchcraft consumed the rest of her time, Elena had always commented on how much satisfaction her friend gleaned from imparting her wisdom to her students - usually with a wistful tone. One that left Elijah with a dull ache of worry that maybe she regretted her choice. He rarely ever felt vulnerable, but just the thought of Elena leaving him was enough to throw him into a despondent state.

And today, he felt more defeated than ever. He knew what he'd promised Elena - that somehow they would be leaving without Klaus - but he didn't feel overly confident about that proclamation now. His mind was swimming with visions of his brother's hands on his wife, and the flashbacks of Tatia in Klaus's arms slammed Into his mind. The fire rose in his chest as he realized this would be the perfect situation for his brother to exact revenge for the millennium-old sleight, to turn Elena against him, as Elijah had done with Tatia. And Klaus would be working double time to weaken Elena's resolve now that the extent of his hold had been discovered.

They needed to act fast. But he also knew he couldn't expect Bonnie to drop everything. This wasn't like her life in Mystic Falls as a teenager. She had real-life responsibilities that stood separate from the dark undercurrent of the vampire world. And truthfully, they all knew she didn't love getting involved in the quandaries of the undead. She did it only because Elena was like her sister, and she couldn't leave her mired in a mess like this.

Bonnie set her bag on top of the bright mosaic quilt that laid over her bed, and she pulled a few worn leatherbound grimoires from her nightstand. "I know it would be better if I had time to take from work," she offered with an apologetic glance. "But this could take weeks to figure out. I haven't seen anything of this magnitude documented anywhere. It's more than a standard possession."

"I understand."

She slung the strap over her shoulder, stopping to stand in front of him. "I have a few pop quizzes to fall back on for today, and I promise I'll do my best to look through these."

He sighed. "I appreciate any help, Bonnie. I hope you know that, and I don't mean to pressure you. But I worry that the longer this goes on, the more he will pull her away. And will we ever get her back?"

"I don't like this any more than you do." She faltered for a moment, her mouth opening and then closing again. She closed her eyes, letting out a deep breath before continuing. "Look, I know how adamant she's always been against it, but... do you think you could compel her to tune him out somehow?"

Her request caught him off guard, as it was something he'd never considered. But Elijah slowly shook his head, and Bonnie appeared discouraged. "An Original can't compel another Original, and in essence that's what she is," he tried to explain before his expression turned more weary. "And... I promised her I would never do that to her."

"So you've never tried."

"No, but I'm nearly certain it wouldn't work."

They stared at each other, deadlocked, each as unwaveringly stubborn as the other. He knew the situation was dire, but still - this was his wife, the one to whom he'd made his vows. And he was a man who (mostly) stood by his word. At least until he could no longer stand by and watch their relationship wither. If we haven't made it to that point already, he thought.

Bonnie was the first to throw up her hands. "I hate to ask you to betray her, but... it would buy us time. A sort of last resort."

He sighed, pursing his mouth as he bit the inner corner of his cheek. His eyes dropped to the floor, avoiding the persistently pleading look on her face. There was honor, and there was stubborn stupidity. Which was he clinging to now? Of course he didn't want to take away her free will, to wield this power over her if it were even an option. But what could be worse than what they endured now, besides losing her completely? Despite anything she said to the contrary, he could see her loyalties were torn. Klaus had turned her mind into the next battleground. And Elijah knew it was worth breaking the promise if it meant saving her.

"I suppose, only because the situation is so grave. But if you find another way-"

His gaze met Bonnie's again, and he watched the relief flood through her. "I promise, I will let you know the second I find something. And maybe you can test the waters with something small first, so she doesn't know? I hate to say it, Elijah, but I don't trust her right now. And if she gets the sense of what you're trying to do..."

"I know." His jaw tightened. "Klaus will use any angle to escape this. I can't afford to tip him off yet."

"Exactly." She glanced down at her watch. "I'm running late, but I promise I'll be back by 5. Normalcy is the word. Let Elena know she needs to pick the restaurant for our dinner tonight. And... wish me luck."

She patted the bag for emphasis, and he distractedly replied, "Good luck." He watched her descend the stairs, but his mind was already down the hall, on the task at hand.

oOo

He didn't think it was possible to drift off when he'd laid next to Elena, as he was so consumed by the thought of trying to compel her. But waking to the weight of her sitting astride his waist and the series of open-mouthed kisses trailing along his chest proved otherwise. Her dark hair waved around her clean scrubbed face, making her look like the eternal eighteen year old they knew she was, at least physically. But there was a mischievous gleam in her eye that held the truth of her years, her experience, as she slid upward to join her mouth with his.

Elijah was surprised by this show of brazen desire, especially after how things had been left between them last night. But he allowed her to occupy his senses with a languid kiss, her center below rocking against his with each nip of his lip, twist of her tongue. His hands ran from her waist upwards, stopping to cup her covered breasts, his thumbs rhythmically flicking over her nipples. She arched her back, pushing her flesh harder against his hands. Her mouth separated from his, and he looked up to see her hands to either side of his head, her mouth contorting with a silent moan. Her eyes were staring into his, the friction below increasing, and he could hear the damp fabric rubbing against him.

She was on the edge, and this was his moment to test everything. His eyes dilated, capturing her mind.

"You won't come until I tell you to, Elena."

The familiar blank dazed look passed through her eyes, and he sensed her passion was stretched tight like a rubber band ready to snap. His own eyes darkened, his arousal unexpectedly increasing with this power over her. He knew it could grow insatiable if he wasn't careful, but for the moment he was solely turned on. He leaned up, assaulting her neck, a move that usually pushed her over the brink. She whimpered, frustrated, simultaneously pushing him away and drawing him closer. It was tempting to drive her mad with unrelieved lust, but he allowed her to pull his mouth from her bloodied flesh.

"What has gotten into you, my love?" he whispered as he maneuvered them so he was above her. "Last night you couldn't wait to escape me and my overtures. I hardly anticipated this wake up call."

"I miss this," she answered, but he could tell what laid unsaid beneath her nostalgic tone. He didn't want to hear it, but he had to know.

"Do you think of my brother? Do you find yourself attracted to him? Have you dreamed of him, where you used to dream of me?"

"No, Elijah - never -"

But her protests sounded feeble to his ears, and his eyes dilated again. "Answer me honestly," he demanded, in a falsely calm tone.

"Yes," she answered reluctantly, now aware of how he was manipulating her. "I don't want to, but I can't help it." The tears started to fall down her cheeks, and her eyes were panicked as she awaited his reaction.

He drew in a deep breath as he sat back, trying to calm the murderous rage that pulsed through him. He wanted to destroy his brother but he had no way to get to him. And the betrayal he felt yesterday was a mere glimmer compared to the incapacitating ache he felt now. Elijah knew she wasn't completely in control of her mind now, but if she'd come to him sooner...

"But I love you, not him. And I can't lose you," she insisted, on her knees in front of him now, trying to duck into his line of vision.

"Then you need to do what I ask," he said quietly. His eyebrow raised, a signal that if she refused, it might be the death blow to their marriage.

She licked at her lips, visibly trembling. "A-anything."

He paused, wanting to give her the benefit of the doubt, the moment to tell him she was willing to go along with what he knew was right, that she would trust him and stand by his side. "You need to forget him, until we can destroy him. Clear your mind of him."

Her mouth dropped open, but then she squeezed her eyes shut, her face contorting into a grimace. "I can't let you do that, Elijah. It's not the right order of things - it will make everything worse-*please*-"

"Listen to me, Elena," he growled, grabbing her by the arms. Her eyes shot open, and he was ready. "You will forget Klaus. You will no longer see him in your mind, and you will no longer dream of him. He will no longer exist to you."

She blinked a few times, but he didn't release his grip on her until he saw the retaliation in her fade. They sat silently for a few moments, her in a daze, him in some sort of suspended adrenaline rush. His nerves were frayed, and he willed his breathing to calm. It was fixed, and yet everything was broken, shattered more than before. He could see an emptiness in her where his brother had been. This was anything but normal, and he wasn't sure he could keep up the charade if they stayed here. He stood up from the bed.

"Where are you going?" she asked naively, and all Elijah could think was that he'd had to compel her to keep her as his.

"To shower," he said dully. "You should start packing - we need to return home."

She watched him, clearly confused by his demeanor, but she nodded and set about to pulling out an outfit for today. She didn't remember anything. It had worked, and that should have filled him with relief. Instead, he felt as though he was about to lose it all.

As he closed the door behind him, he vowed never to compel her again.