Chapter 9: Conversations
*****A Few Days Later*****
Elijah was on the second-floor balcony looking down into their courtyard watching Buffy teach Freya her morning meditation ritual. That was basically what he'd been doing since their kiss a few nights ago. For the first time in a very long time, he found himself unsure. Buffy Summers was completely unexpected and utterly enchanting in every way. He wasn't sure that her kiss meant more than a drunken flirtation, though. Nor was he sure how much it mattered. He wasn't free to be involved with her, and he knew better than to toy with a woman like her. Elijah hadn't received much of her confidence yet, but he'd sensed enough to know that she'd been deeply hurt more than once by failed relationships. And Elijah was a bad bet in that department.
"So what's got you so morose?" Klaus asked as he approached. He'd noticed his elder brother's preoccupation. He also knew that their house guest was probably the source of his distraction.
"I'm not morose," Elijah denied.
"Has something happened between you and our new friend?" Klaus probed.
Elijah was silent, debating on the wisdom of confiding in his brother. "I'm not sure," he admitted.
Klaus raised his eyebrow in surprise. Elijah was never unsure. "I think she fancies you, brother," Klaus said.
Elijah turned fully toward his brother, no longer facing the courtyard. "Do you?" he asked.
Klaus was silent a moment as he faced his brother. Then he said, "I do."
"What else do you think?" Elijah asked.
"I like her. I think she's an amazing woman. She would challenge you and keep you on your toes for centuries," Klaus said.
"Why don't you pursue her yourself?" Elijah asked. They'd fancied the same woman more than once over their long lives. The poor woman always ended up hurt or dead in the end. Elijah didn't want that for Buffy. Nor did he want that for their family. Buffy would be a very dangerous enemy.
Klaus laughed. "She would drive me batty with her moralizing!" he said. "Not to mention, when I inevitably pissed her off, she'd probably spend all her energies making me suffer. She strikes me as being very single-minded."
Elijah smiled. "You're probably right about that. She is a determined woman," he said.
"Are you worried about what Hayley might say?" Klaus asked, knowing his hybrid was always a factor in everything Elijah did.
"Hayley is married. She made her choice," Elijah said dismissively.
"Yet a part of you is waiting for that to fall apart and her to run into your arms, aren't you?" Klaus asked.
Elijah didn't answer.
"My advice, brother, would be to grab a hold of what's right in front of you and not waste time on the mother of my child," Klaus said, knowing that reminder would convey everything that needed said.
"You would stay out of it?" Elijah asked pointedly.
"I may sometimes be rash, but I'm not stupid. That's one woman you don't toy with!" Klaus said with a grin.
Elijah smiled and watched his brother go downstairs and tease the women. The slayer brought out a side of Niklaus that he'd not seen in a long time. With her, he was carefree like he had been when they were still human.
Feeling nostalgic, he realized that he missed his sister and decided that he should call her. He walked into his room and dialed her cell.
"Hello, Elijah. Is everything okay?" Rebekah asked. Elijah wasn't sure he'd ever get used to her new human voice. It was a bit disconcerting. It was his sister's tone and inflection but not her voice.
"Does something have to be wrong in order for me to call my baby sister?" he replied.
"No, of course not," she said. "But I do worry with about you and Niklaus after the disaster the last time I was in town."
"Yes, well, things have improved," he said.
"Yes, Freya told me that you had a new friend. Is she the reason things have improved?" Rebekah probed.
"For the most part, yes," Elijah acknowledged. "She isn't afraid of our brother and mocks him for his childish displays of temper."
"I love her already," Rebekah said in amusement. Freya had prattled on and on about the new human house guest. It made Rebekah more than a little jealous as she and Freya were just getting to know one another. However, her desire to restore their brother Kol was too strong for her to abandon her quest to return home.
"I think you'd like her eventually," Elijah said. He knew his sister well. He wouldn't initially like Buffy because of her beauty, skills, and natural charm. She'd feel her place in the family was threatened. In many ways, his baby sister was still the insecure little girl she'd been as a human.
Rebekah chuckled. "You know me too well," she said in amusement. "She seems to be bringing our sister out of her shell."
"She has managed to make an impression on everyone. Cami likes her. Not even Davina or Josh were immune to her charm," Elijah shared.
"It sounds like you like her quite a bit yourself," Rebekah said.
"She is quite extraordinary," he admitted.
Rebekah could sense her brother was being pushed out of his comfort zone. "Have you and she became close?" she inquired.
"I'm not sure how to answer that," Elijah admitted.
"You know, Elijah, you deserve to be loved. You deserve to take something for yourself, so don't be afraid to be happy," Rebekah said. "It's what I've always wanted for you."
"And I, you," Elijah said.
"Well, once I get our brother restored to us, I'll focus on my own life," she said.
"Make sure you call us if you have need of any assistance," Elijah said.
"I will. I love you, Elijah. Don't be afraid to love someone that is in a position to love you back," Rebekah said without actually mentioning Hayley. Rebekah had grown to care for her niece's mother and understood and even admired the woman sacrificing her own happiness for the good of her pack. However, she didn't want her brother to be lonely and sad if he had a chance to be happy.
Elijah said goodbye, feeling more hopeful.
Downstairs Buffy was laughing at Klaus' attempt to do one of her poses. She didn't know if he honestly couldn't do it or if he was just trying to entertain them. Either way, she was enjoying herself with the two siblings. She looked up at Elijah, but he was no longer on the balcony watching them. Frowning, she broke her pose and began to stretch, touching her toes.
Klaus noticed everything, so he saw her look up and see his brother gone. "So, what's going on between you and my brother?" he asked.
Buffy shrugged. "Not much," she said.
Freya had been wanting to ask the same thing, but she had been hoping that Buffy would tell her on her own. She remained silent, waiting to see what Klaus would get out of their new friend.
"Something did," Klaus said knowingly. "He's been mopey, and there's a tension between you that wasn't there. Did you sleep together?"
Buffy looked shock at the suggestion. "No, of course not!" she exclaimed.
"Why do you say it like that?" Freya asked. "You like him. Sex isn't beyond the realm of possibilities."
Buffy threw herself down on the nearby chair. "It is when the guy is clearly not into you," she mumbled. Ever since she'd kissed him a few days ago, he seemed to be avoiding her. He obviously didn't like her like that and didn't know how to tell her.
"He told you that?" Freya asked, frowning. That couldn't be right. She'd seen for herself how her brother responded to Buffy.
"Not in so many words, but I can take a hint," she said with a sigh.
"So, something did happen?" Klaus probed.
"When I came back from the club, I sort of kissed him," she shared.
"Sort of? You did or you didn't?" Klaus asked, grinning.
"I did, okay?" she replied, getting annoyed. "I kissed him big time, and he's been hiding ever since."
"Oh," Freya said. She looked at Klaus pointedly. He knew their brother better than anyone.
"My brother is an idiot," Klaus said with a smirk. "He's runnin' scared is all. You've rattled him. I think you should try again. Let him know you won't be ignored."
"I don't want to make things more awkward between us," Buffy said doubtfully.
"Well, this town's been entirely too quiet this summer. I'm growing bored," Klaus said. "Watching you tie my brother in knots is a high form of entertainment!"
"Yeah, well, I'm not going to humiliate myself just for your amusement," Buffy said darkly.
"My brother isn't indifferent to you," Freya said. "Even I can tell that."
"She's right," Klaus agreed. "I know that for sure."
Buffy considered what they were saying. "I'll think about it," she said.
She thought about it all evening. When Elijah left the house, she decided to follow him. Partly, she was curious, and partly, she wanted to find an opportunity to talk to him without his siblings eavesdropping.
When he went into an old church, she was more than a little surprised. She stopped and read the church sign. It sounded familiar. Then she recalled Cami's sad tale of her priest uncle. Buffy would bet that this was his church, which meant it was probably abandoned or closed. What could Elijah be doing in a closed church?
Buffy wouldn't have predicted that she'd find a vampire fight club hidden within the church. A large type of cage or ring was in the middle. It didn't have the normal church pews that she'd expected. She paused a few minutes in the doorway, not wanting to draw any attention. It was strange discovering a side of Elijah that was unexpected. However, when she watched him take off his shirt and get into the ring with another dark-skinned vampire, she moved slowly closer. Buffy had never seen him without his shirt, and she couldn't say she was disappointed.
Both men were insanely attractive. Faith would be so excited to watch a non-evil vampire fight club. Of course, she'd insist on participating, taking advantage of their undressed state. Buffy wondered if she was bold enough to do the same.
She spent a few minutes watching the vampires fight. It was obvious that the dark-skinned man, who she assumed was Marcel, wasn't in the same league as Elijah. Then again, only his siblings would be in his league. Between the siblings, she had heard all about Marcel Gerard, but their paths hadn't yet crossed. Like everyone else Klaus knew, Marcel was still angry about forcing him to kill Rebekah's human body. He'd also sired Gia, so Buffy figured that he was upset about that, too. Klaus really knew how to piss people off.
After Elijah had knocked Marcel on his ass, she clapped, making her presence known. Both men looked down at her in surprise.
"Buffy? What are you doing here?" Elijah asked.
"I followed you," she admitted with a rueful smile.
"Are you going to introduce me to your hot stalker?" Marcel asked, flashing a perfect set of white teeth. That smile was potent.
"This is Buffy Summers, the vampire slayer," Elijah said, unsure what prompted him to tell her skill set to the other vampire. Was he trying to keep the vampire from being interested in her?
"Really? You kill vampires professionally?" Marcel asked with interest.
"Not your kind. The demon-filled kind," Buffy said. "But, yes, I've been doing it for over a decade."
"She's the one you called in to help handle Klaus?" Marcel asked with a knowing grin.
"It's a hard job, but someone's got to do it," Buffy quipped. She indicated the cage. "What's with the vampire fight club?"
"I'm working with Marcel and his guys to improve their fighting skill," Elijah said.
"Expecting trouble?" she wondered.
"This is New Orleans. There's always trouble," Marcel said. "Ever since my foster family returned, we've had nothing but trouble."
"Well, things have been quiet since I've been here," Buffy said. "It's been a while since I've had to kill anything. I'm growing antsy."
Marcel looked at her in surprise while Elijah smiled. "I hope you're not planning on killing any of my guys," Marcel said carefully.
"Of course not. I could use a good demon fight, though," she said. "But so far I've not found any in this town."
Marcel looked at Elijah. "Is she for real?" he asked.
"Hey! I'm a slayer. Built to keep the forces of darkness at bay. Slaying evil is what I do. When I don't, I grow restless. Normally, I'd kill a few vampires every night," she said. "I've been here a month and not one."
"Sorry, I don't have any demons for you to kill," Marcel said slowly. He glanced at Elijah for guidance. All he got from his mentor was an unusually warm smile directed at Buffy. He blinked in surprise. Normally, he didn't display much emotion.
"I've explained that the ancestral magic works as a repellent for the kind of vampires and creature she fights," Elijah said.
"Maybe we can go to Baton Rouge or something! Surely, there's got to be some demons around somewhere," she suggested with a grin.
"Or you can work off some of that excess energy here," Elijah suggested.
Marcel smiled. "As long as you don't plan on killing any of my guys, sure," he said. "Why don't you start now? I'd like to see what you got."
Elijah nodded. "That's a good idea," he said, a smile playing around his lips. He gestured for her to take his place, and he jumped down. He put back on his shirt, leaving off the tie.
Buffy decided she could use a work out, so she gladly went into the ring.
Marcel grinned. "Don't worry. I'll take it easy on you," he said. He'd learn how to fight as a human from all of the Mikaelsons except Finn. Then as a vampire, his lessons with Klaus had only intensified. Of course, he knew that he could never take any of them—not if they were seriously trying to hurt him. The past year had proven that.
Buffy tried not to laugh. Since she'd fought both Elijah and Klaus, she had some idea how strong Marcel would be. Back when she was in high school, he would've beat her. No way he could take her now. But since she needed a good work out, she kept the fight going for twenty minutes.
Marcel was impressed with the woman's skill. She had a deadly right kick. He hadn't used his superspeed on her because he wanted to assess her real skill. She seemed to fight him off pretty effortlessly, so he began to suspect that she was just toying with him.
"So, are you even trying?" he asked her.
"The point is for me to get a work out," she said with a grin. "Not end the fight in a few minutes."
"You think you could take me that easily?" he said as he traded a blow that she deflected.
She shrugged. "I'm not mortal anymore. My fighting abilities and strength only increase every year—kind of like yours. The difference being I've used mine to save the world dozens of time and fought nightly for survival for the seven years I lived on a hellmouth," she shared. Then she used more of her full strength to hit him hard in the jaw, swinging his head back.
Marcel winced. It seemed she was holding back, so he decided to kick things up a notch.
Elijah watched as Marcel began using his superior speed against Buffy. Neither he nor Klaus had done that. He was more than impressed when she simply sped up, too. He saw that Marcel was starting to become rattled. Then Buffy kicked his leg a bit too hard, and it snapped. He went down.
"Oh, I'm so sorry!' Buffy gasped, kneeling next to him.
Marcel winced as he popped his leg back into place. "Well, I guess I know why Elijah thinks you can keep Klaus in line," Marcel said.
Elijah stepped in to lend Marcel a hand up while Buffy kept apologizing. "It's okay, Buffy. I'm fine," Marcel said.
"I wasn't trying to break your leg," Buffy said. "Sometimes I still don't know my own strength. It seems to increase all the time. Every time a new slayer dies and another is called, my power expands."
"Really?" Marcel asked. "So, you really can keep Klaus in line?"
"Yes," Buffy said with a nod.
"But she actually likes my brother," Elijah said, giving her a fond smile.
"Seriously?" Marcel asked in surprise.
"He's charming, protective, and funny," Buffy said with a shrug. "And he's an artist with dimples!"
Marcel laughed. "Okay," he said, not wanting to address that. "Glad everyone's getting along."
Another vampire came in. "Marcel. You're needed to settle a dispute," he said.
Marcel nodded. "I'll be right out," he said to guy. "Well, it was a pleasure, Buffy. I hope you stay in town a long time."
Buffy and Elijah followed Marcel out of the church at a slower pace. Buffy felt energized after her fight. Now she was craving food. She cast a side glance at Elijah—maybe some of him, too!
"Are you going to tell me why you were following to begin with?" Elijah asked her.
"You've been avoiding me," Buffy said, stopping and facing him. They were in front of the church.
"Not really," he said. "I've had every meal with you."
"You barely look at me," she said. "I'm sorry that kissing me made you this uncomfortable. I won't do it again." She turned and began walking.
Elijah didn't think; he reacted. He grabbed her hand and pulled her toward him. Not caring who may be watching, he kissed her with all the pent-up hunger that had been growing since the day he met her.
******To Be Continued******
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