Troryrogan: Thank you for taking the time to read it.
Julie: I'm glad you liked it. I have much more coming up.
Eva: This chapter is full of talking and kiss…and Trevor. Yes, I tried to do something different with him. I guess that's the up side to doing an all human story, there's no canon to follow.
Bulldozed: Yes, I hadn't originally planned for it to work out like that. Then again, I didn't intend to make Elena's past so tragic either. It was the one reunion scenario that wouldn't leave me alone.
Elena Mikaelson: Yes, Trevor is a few cards short of a full deck, there will be more kissing.
MKurosaki: There will be more kissing in this chapter, so I hope it makes up for the first six that didn't have any kissing.
Sarah: I'm glad to hear that. It's almost finished.
Aria: They'll get together in this one, though no smut…yet. I don't think I'll be introducing Finn or Kol in this one. I can see the ending coming and I haven't thought to include them.
Guest: Thank you for reading
Dreamsliveonforever: I thought I ended it on an okay note. Just wait til you read the end of this one.
Heather: And that is always a plus, I just hope you don't miss this one. Klaus' role in the situation will come out, but not in this chapter.
Barbossas Wench: I'm usually hesitant on AH stories too, but I'm glad you gave this a chance. I see an ending in sight. I'd say…3 maybe 4 more chapters.
AN: Thank you all for the kind words. I hope I don't disappoint with this chapter. There's a little angst and a little romance, a somewhat okay mix. Also, I don't know anything about martial arts or chokeholds except what I see on Monday Night Raw, so the move I included in this, I found on the internet. I have no idea if it would render anyone unconscious, so I apologize in advance if I was wrong on that.
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters familiar to TVD or TO.
Chapter 8
"I'll take the front."
Stefan nodded at his partner as they exited the car. Reaching for his gun, he crept through the side yard. As he approached a window, he checked to make sure it was safe to walk past. Assessing the situation, he realized that there was no sign of forced entry.
"Front door was a bust," Enzo said in a soft voice as he approached Stefan.
Nodding once, Stefan came to a stop in front of the sliding glass door. Bringing a hand up, he moved to pull it open.
"We can't go in, Stefan." If they didn't play their cards right, whatever they found could be dismissed.
Stefan's eyes squinted. "Did you hear that?" He asked, "We really should investigate it."
Enzo rolled his eyes, not hearing anything, but followed Stefan's lead anyway. They took turns covering each other's backs as they passed doors and archways.
Crossing an archway that lead towards a formal living room, he noticed a foot, as if someone was lying on the ground. His heart dropped into his stomach. Knowing that Enzo had his back, he moved into the room, gun poised in hand. "I've got a body," he said. Given the information he knew about Bob, Stefan easily deduced that it was him. Kneeling by the old man, he brought two fingers to the man's wrist. "He's dead," he sighed. He'd been cold to the touch, and though he knew it wasn't proper protocol, he knew that Bob had been there for a few days. Pulling out his phone, he called for back-up.
Enzo continued to case the house, keeping an ear out for Stefan should he need help.
Moving on from the body, Stefan sighed. He had a bad feeling about this. A very bad feeling… Making his way towards the kitchen, he stopped over the pool of blood. Obviously, this was where he'd been killed. He looked at the food in the pan on the stove, knowing that whoever killed the old man stayed around.
"There's a gray car in the garage," Enzo said, joining his partner in the kitchen.
"Damage to the passenger side?"
"Yup." His attention immediately fell to the blood. "So…theory?"
There'd been no signs of forced entry. "It's a nice day, and Bob leaves his back door open to feel the fresh breeze."
"Bad guy walks right in, easily overpowering him," Enzo continued.
"Or he doesn't hear him approach and has no chance to defend himself." If there was a struggle, no matter how small, there were no remaining signs of it. Other than the blood on the ground, there would have been no reason for them to suspect that something was amiss.
"He's been dead…days," Enzo sighed. "Who hangs around the scene after they committed a murder?"
"A sociopath."
"You think it's your guy…" There was no need to question it.
"I do. Friends of mine live across the street. Elena was staying with them. I don't think this is a coincidence."
The kiss was tentative, as if Elijah was scared that he'd frighten her. And Elena found herself both wanting more and denying the urge. Pushing away the fluttering in her belly, she was still very aware of the fact that he'd had sex with someone just days earlier. With one last bitter reminder, she pulled away from him.
His heart dropped in the pit of his stomach and his shoulders sagged. She'd rejected him… What was he thinking just going in like that? But he knew what he'd been thinking. The moment he'd called Klaus back, his thoughts had been full of nothing but Elena. The thought that she could have been taken from him…and though he knew that they weren't together, it didn't stop him from feeling that way.
How could he think that a kiss would make everything better? "What about the woman you slept with?" Just because there wasn't an understanding between them didn't mean that the knowledge didn't hurt or that she hadn't been jealous.
He staggered back as if she'd physically assaulted him. "I didn't have sex with anyone."
How stupid did he think she was? Arching an eyebrow at him, she pursed her lips. "The woman that answered your phone," she supplied, her voice terse.
When he recognized that she was speaking about Rebekah, he bit his cheek to keep from smiling. Something told him that if he dared show that, Elena would be none too pleased. His hopes instantly raised because of the jealousy she showed for him. "The woman that answered my phone was my sister."
"What?" His sister? "But she said you were in the shower… She let me think that…" Nothing expressly had been said, it was easy to come to the conclusion that she had, and his sister knew that. "Why would she…?"
"My sister finds amusement where she can. It isn't the first time that she's messed with one of our girlfriends." It wasn't the first time, and it certainly wouldn't be the last. And though he and his brothers had talked to her about it, it didn't deter her.
"But I'm not-"
He cut her off before she could finish. "The jealousy in your voice a moment ago says otherwise," Elijah surmised easily.
"You smug-"
"Enough talking, Elena," he interrupted. "In about thirty seconds, I'm going to kiss you again. If there are any other issues, now is the time to speak up," he cautioned.
Her heart began to pound and she licked her lips. He looked at her as though he wanted to devour her; and she knew in that moment, she'd let him do anything he wanted with her.
Whether Elena realized it or not, she'd just given him the green light. Crossing the distance between them, his hand once again fell to her waist. However, instead of resting his hand against it as he had before, he wrapped it around her and secured her to his body. His mouth plundered hers.
There was no hesitance behind this kiss. When he cupped the back of her head as if afraid she'd pull away from him, it spurred her into action. The flowers that she'd been holding had been forgotten. Dropping them, she wrapped one arm around his shoulder, and cradled the other against his chest. Her tongue tangled with his and the world around her faded away.
"Well, it looks like I'll be taking my leave," Damon spoke, standing at the edge of the room.
The two were forced to break the kiss, but Elijah refused to break physical contact with her. He grabbed her hand and laced their fingers together.
"That really isn't necessary," Elena denied.
A frown creased Elijah's mouth. He certainly had no expectations as to what would take place that night, but he didn't anticipate having another man around.
From the corner of his eye, Damon was clearly able to detect the expression Elijah's face, though he made sure that his gaze never wavered from Elena's. He had not been oblivious to the increased familiarity that had grown between then couple before him, and he had no intention of getting in the way of that. "Given the scene I walked in on, you don't need a third wheel, Elena." He relished in the violent blush that stained her cheeks. Leaning down, he picked up the bouquet that she'd dropped. "You should really put these in water."
She snatched the flowers from his hand. "If you wanted to talk about me, all you had to do was ask me to leave the room," Elena huffed, marching away from the men.
"That would have been rude!" He called after her. "We're doing what we can to not leave her alone right now," Damon said in a soft voice. "Bonnie stayed with her last night, and I was here this morning before seven. If you're going to stay with her, you'll get no arguments from me." Elena hadn't said anything, but he'd known she was feeling bother annoyed and smothered by the attentions that her friends were giving her. And something told him that she'd much prefer Elijah's presence over his. "All I ask is that if you need to leave, please call someone."
Elijah nodded in agreement. At first, he'd been waiting for Damon to give him a lecture, a sort of 'despite having different blood, she's my sister and I'll kill you if you hurt her,' conversation. "I don't anticipate leaving her."
"Good." The blue eyed man made his way to the front door. "I'll see you later, Elena!" He waited for her indignant reply before turning back to Elijah. "Oh, and Elijah? Do I need to play the big brother card?" He asked, his voice once again quiet.
Elijah chuckled. "Got it," he anticipated, not needing to hear his spiel. He locked the door behind Damon and turned back to the kitchen, expelling a deep breath. For a brief instant he felt as awkward and unsure as he had the first time he'd been left alone with a girl. Thoughts of what he wanted to happen warred with his conscience. He entered the kitchen, noticing that Elena had already taken care of the cellophane wrap and trash as she set an arrangement out of the bouquet.
"I'm not goi…there won't," she licked her lips and turned around to face him. "I'm not ready for…sex." She wasn't sure if she meant 'sex' to entail all forms of it or just the ultimate act itself, but she wasn't ready for it.
"Fair enough," he easily agreed. "However, would I be completely out of line if I suggested that we continue to kiss?" Elijah inquired in a tenderly hopefully voice.
"I think I'd like that," she admitted, smiling at him.
Taking notice of her demur countenance, he stepped forward, reaching for her hand. "Nothing will happen that you don't want to. If kissing is all that you're willing to extend to me, I'll respect that and you."
She stared at their joined hands, humbled by his compliment. "I haven't been with anyone for a very long time, and I've never been in an adult relationship. I don't know how to distinguish what I'm feeling now…what I'm wanting now, to what I know from experience," she admitted with difficulty and ineptitude. She felt his free hand settle on her chin before tilting it up so she was forced to meet his gaze.
"You don't have to apologize for that, Elena. I am honored that you feel I'm worthy enough to share this new experience with. I do have one question for you though." He waited for her to signal for him to continue before he spoke again. "If your plan to capture Klaus' attention had come to fruition, what would you have done then?"
She considered his probe and giggled. "I don't know," she confessed. "I…never got that far in my thoughts." As attractive as she'd found Klaus, aside from the fact that he made her want something more from men, she'd never pictured herself having sex with him. She took notice of the pleased expression on his face. "And there's no need to preen like a peacock, Elijah Mikaelson. I never considered you in such a position either," she denied hotly.
His smirk deepened. "I know that's a lie," he contradicted. "You forget that we've shared a few moments these last few weeks that sparked such reflection in me. And I know that if I had those thoughts, you must have as well. It's okay, Elena. I'm hot, of course you're attracted to me."
She was thankful that he'd ended the conversation on a playful note. She wasn't quite ready to address such feelings, and she certainly wasn't ready to speak on them when she hadn't had a chance to think on them first. Letting go of his hand, she moved the vase to her small kitchen table before rejoining him at the counter. She hopped up on it before starting a new conversation with him.
"If I asked you to do something for me, would you do it?"
"That depends," he paused dramatically. "What would you give me in return?"
She pretended to think about it. "A kiss?"
"What did you have in mind?" He asked then, his interest piqued.
"Nothing as salacious as you're probably thinking," Elena excused. "It's just…my confession a minute ago was candid and…something that I've never shared with anyone else." She felt as if she was at a disadvantage compared to him, several, actually. "I was wondering if you would be willing to…share something with me, something that you've never told anyone before."
Her favor caused him to pause. "Wow, you're really pulling punches. I usually wait until the fifth date before I start baring my soul," he tried to laugh. However, it quickly died when he took a closer look at her. For whatever reason, it was really important to her. "Rose was pregnant when she died."
Her mouth fell open and instantly, he heart ached for him. She pressed her hand against her chest, as if it would relieve the pain she felt. "I am so sorry." For him to lose a wife and child? How utterly heart wrenching!
"It wasn't mine," he whispered. "I lied to you when we first spoke of her. I lied to everyone." He allowed them to think that they'd have a good marriage, or as good as most were. He didn't want her name to be smeared through the mud. "We had separated two months before her death and we'd stopped having sex two months before that."
"So babies and children…that was a big issue…between the two of you," she surmised. She remembered him telling her that it was.
"My stance on children still hasn't changed," he admitted. "I don't know if it ever will." He needed to tell her now, before things progressed too far between them. And given the disappointment that was his marriage, he couldn't imagine doing it again. "And I don't know if marriage is something I'm willing to try again."
She thought through his words. "I appreciate the disclaimers. But maybe we should work on my apprehension about sex before we discuss marriage and children…" she volunteered after a pause.
"Agreed. So…do I get to collect my kiss now or are you going to make me wait?"
"I see how it is," she began. "You just want me for my body."
"Well, with a body such as yours, why wouldn't I?" He stepped closer to her, squeezing himself between her legs and rested his hands on her hips. He thought about resting them on her thighs, but he didn't want to be too presumptuous.
She felt fluttering in her stomach as soon as he settled closer to her. Bringing her arms up around his shoulders, she locked them at the base of his neck. "Forgive me for coming off as sounding naïve, but…is this normal?"
"What?"
"The butterflies in my stomach when I think about getting close to you," she whispered.
Arousal shot through him upon hearing her faint confession. With a low groan in the back of his throat his hands moved to cradle her face before plundering her mouth. If she knew just how much her words affected him…
She responded eagerly, fighting him for dominance.
He lost track of time, but when oxygen became an issue he tore his lips from her mouth. Taking a deep breath he trailed kissing along her cheek and down her neck where he began to nip and suck the delicate skin.
Her eyes rolled in the back of her head and she tilted it to the side to allow him more access. "'Lijah…" she meant to gather his attention, but her breathless voice did little to distract him. "Wait…stop."
As soon as he heard the last word he stopped all movement. He attempted to take a deep breath and looked at her. Her lips were red and puffy, her cheeks flushed and her eyes were a shade darker than normal. Her reaction to his ministrations delighted him and teased his male pride. He was unable to curb the desirable thoughts that taunted his mind. If she looked so affected by kissing him and being kissed by him, he couldn't help but wonder how she'd look when they had sex. "You're trembling," he whispered huskily.
"When you kiss me like that…I haven't been so tempted in such a long time…" She rested her forehead against his. "It makes me second guess my earlier thoughts."
"I would never do something to make you feel uncomfortable."
"I know," she instantly agreed. "It's myself that I'm having trouble trusting."
"Well, what did you do when you were with Bonnie and Damon?"
"Not this."
He chuckled. "I should hope not, or our first fight is going to be a doozy."
She rolled her eyes at him.
"Maybe we could do whatever you did with them…" He didn't want her to feel pressured for anything.
"Bonnie and I watched movies and did the whole girl thing. If you'd like, I can paint your nails."
"As completely off-handed as that offer is, regrettably, I'll have to pass," he made an effort to sound apologetic. "And Damon?"
She shrugged. "We just hung out. He cooked for me tonight. No one has ever cooked for me."
"A situation that I'll have to rectify…"
"You cook?" She asked.
He shrugged. "I may not have done the whole culinary thing like Damon, but I can hold my own in the kitchen." His mother refused to send her children out into the world without knowing the basics of cooking. He just didn't have the opportunity to cook very often.
"Something isn't right," Stefan frowned looking around the garage.
Enzo snorted. "Yeah, I think the body inside the house points to that."
No that wasn't it. "I meant here, in the garage," Stefan clarified.
Trailing his eyes around the room, Enzo shook his head. "Everything looks in order." The car was neatly parked on one side while a workman's bench had been built on the other side. Various tools and gadgets lined the wall above it. And whatever didn't fit there was neatly tucked away in the cabinet next to it.
"It feels small. Matt and Caroline live right across the street. And I know it isn't the exact same model, there's something…" He began inspecting the walls. Running his hands across the surface, he began knocking.
"Stefan, it's a wall," his partner sighed. "There's nothing…" Before he could continue on, Stefan knocked on another part of the wall, the knock becoming hollow.
Encouraged by the sound, Stefan continued to knock across the wall. When he found the end of the hollowness, he once again began running his hand across the wall that would lead him to a latch or door of some sort. Under closer attention, he noticed that the seam was slightly different from the other ones across the wall. "Here."
Enzo pulled his gun out as Stefan moved to open the door. But before he even had a chance to process what he was seeing, a gun was fired and he was struck with a bullet. His chest immediately began to burn and he fell to the ground, unaware of the events going on around him.
Stefan immediately moved to reach for his gun, but before he could, the trigger happy suspect had his trained on him. "I wouldn't do that if I were you."
Holding his hands out before him, he immediately began trying to plan out scenarios that would give him an edge.
"Take your gun out of the holster, slowly."
"I knew it was you," Stefan spat, though he followed the instructions.
When he had his gun in his hand, Trevor instructed him to set it down and kick it over to him.
"Do you really think that Elena is going to want anything to do with you after she learns about what you've done?" Stefan asked. "Because I don't think she will."
"I don't give a shit what you think. She's mine. She's always been mine and she'll always be mine. She'll forgive me."
"You're delusional."
"And I've grown tired of this conversation," Trevor added. Raising his arm, he trained the gun on the detective before him before pulling the trigger.
Stefan did his best to prepare himself or the blow of a bullet tearing through his body, but nothing happened. Not hesitating for a moment, he threw himself at Trevor, using all of his force, forcing him to drop his gun. Trevor met the attack, giving him an upper-cut.
Not deterred by the hit, Stefan fought back. The two were evenly matched against one another. Where Stefan's blows were more direct and more often than not, hit their intended marks; Trevor was the stronger of the two. All it took was one misstep and Stefan found himself on the receiving end of a harsh blow to his temple. He fell to the ground and Trevor didn't waste any time.
Looming over him, Trevor's hands immediately moved to his neck and he began strangling him. "I'm going to kill you. Don't think I don't remember you. You tried to move in on Elena when she ended our relationship. But my girl…she was too smart for you and your attempts."
Stefan tried to wrestle out of the grip, but he was too strong. Trevor had the advantage over him and he was beginning to realize that he was fighting a losing battle. Another shot rang in the air and the grip around his neck slackened just a bit, affording him much needed oxygen.
Doing his best to ignore the pain in his shoulder, Trevor grabbed the hair on the top of Stefan's head, pulling it up before forcefully shoving it on the ground and knocking him unconscious. He spun around to the injured officer. With adrenaline pumping through his body, he rushed at him, easily overpowering him and neutralizing him.
Standing back up, he considered his options. He thought that he would have had more time to plan his reunion with Elena. Obviously that was a mistake on his part. Reaching for the nearest gun, he steadied it on Stefan, but the sound of the steadily approaching sirens stopped him. Instead, he stepped over the fallen officers. Fishing the car keys out of his pocket, he rushed to the gray car; his destination, Elena's apartment.
Opening the bathroom door, Elena peered into the dark apartment. What the hell was going on? When she'd excused herself to take a shower, the lights had been on and the television going. Elijah promised that he'd be waiting for her to finish and rejoin him. Had he changed his mind and left?
"Hello, Elena."
Dread filled every part of her body and the lamp by her couch was switched on. "Trevor…"
"You're ready for me…"
She may have taken extra time getting ready after her shower. While she knew she hadn't been ready for sex, she didn't want to discount everything. And if Elijah's hands happened to find themselves trailing down her body, she wanted to make sure that her legs were nice and smooth. She selected a matching bra and panty set and wore a cotton robe over it. While she hadn't intended to prance around her apartment in it, she wanted to give him a glimpse as she made her way to her bedroom.
"What are you doing here?"
"You ask that as if you aren't happy to see me."
Coming from anyone else, it could have been construed as sarcastic, but the tone of his voice held nothing more than confusion. She noticed the gun in his hand and her heart began pounding. Oh God, what had he done to Elijah? "Where's Elijah?"
"Your lawyer friend?" He frowned. "I knocked him unconscious. I was contemplating killing him, but I thought it would upset you."
"Are you going to kill me? Is that why you have a gun?"
"God no! I would never hurt you, I love you!" Was his emphatic reply. As he set the gun down in front of him.
She shook her head. "Because of you, I spent the night in the hospital," she recalled.
"I never meant to hurt you, but that man was touching what wasn't his to touch. I had to stop him."
In her peripheral, she noticed movement behind Trevor and her she was filled with relief. Elijah was okay! And though she desperately wanted to look at him to make sure, she didn't want to alert his presence to her unstable ex-boyfriend.
"I know I have a lot to make up for, but we have the rest of our lives for that," Trevor began. "I have plans for us. And as much as I want to reacquaint myself with your body, the police aren't far off. We need to go."
She shook her head. "I'm not going anywhere with you."
"But…I love you…" he said brokenly. "I promise I will spend the rest of my life making it up to you. I'll buy you anything you want."
"You can't just…make this go away," she whispered. "You can't buy me. I'm not the same, stupid little girl I was when I met you."
"Elena, you're really beginning to piss me off," he warned. However, before he could finish his next statement, he was approached from behind.
His movement was swift and methodical. Getting into place, Elijah's arm settled around Trevor's neck. Applying a lateral vascular neck restraint on him, he moved with him to keep a tight hold on the flailing man in his arms. It wasn't the first time he'd used the move, and he knew that if holding his position right, it wouldn't take much to render Trevor unconscious…at least long enough for emergency services to arrive.
Trevor's arms fell to his sides and Elijah cautiously let go, watching as his body limply fell to the ground. He'd seen enough scary movies to know that the bad guy almost always came back or rejuvenated. With that thought in mind, he grabbed the gun and rushed to Elena's side. Tucking the gun into his pants, he framed her face in his hands.
"Are you okay?" He asked. Her body trembled beneath his touch, though the cause was nowhere near as pleasant as it had been earlier on in the evening.
"How did you do that?"
"When I was a teenager, I studied various forms of martial arts. All I needed was an opening." He pulled her against his body, hoping that the embrace would sooth her, even the tiniest bit. "Where's your phone?"
"Kitchen," she whispered.
"Fu-" The expletive faded into a sigh. "Mine too." He pulled away from her, hating that he'd have to separate from her so he could grab it. "I need to go get it."
Her head jerked in understanding.
Grabbing the gun, he handed it to her. Remembering that Stefan had been taking her to the shooting range for practice, he hoped it would provide the slightest bit of comfort. He didn't intend to be apart from her any longer than necessary, but if Trevor were to wake up, he wanted to make sure she was able to protect herself.
As soon as she grabbed it, Elena held it in her hands. Cocking it, she trained it on Trevor's still form. She didn't dare remove her gaze from him, not even to see if Elijah had reached his destination. It was only a matter of seconds, but time felt like it was stretching on.
Like a scene out of a bad, scary movie, Trevor jumped up. His demented eyes fell on Elena and he rushed at her.
There was no hesitance on her end. She fired the gun and watched him fall into her glass coffee table, shattering it on his way down.
