I know, I suck. I'm sorry! I was struck with a major case of writers block :'(
Please enjoy a nice, longish chapter to try and make up for my sucky updating.
- Iz xx
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
My tears refused to subside as I wept into Elijah's chest. My hands fisted in the lapels of his suit jacket, now dampened from the amount of tears I had already shed. Between my sobs I found myself pleading for his forgiveness, telling him I was sorry. Each and every time he cut me off, telling me he'd already forgiven me, that he didn't want my apologies.
Each time, I tried to apologise again.
Eventually I felt Elijah take my legs out from under me and cradle me against his chest. I felt him move and he sank down to the bed. He pulled me into his lap and wrapped both arms around me. One hand moved up and started combing through my hair distractedly and rocking me slowly, side-to-side. Sobs continued to wrack my body and I crushed myself to Elijah, he continued rocking me and making quiet soothing noises, occasionally going as far as to talk, "Shhh, you'll be okay Elena. It'll be okay." An incredulous snort escaped me and I shook my head vehmently, "Okay? How can this possibly be okay? I killed people, I don't even know how many! Your brother is dead because of me! How can you possibly say that this will be okay? You should hate me! " My voice rose in pitch as hysteria took over and I moved away from Elijah's chest, turning my face away.
He sighed and gently turned my face towards his harsh gaze again, when he saw the tears still streaming down my face his gaze softened and he pulled me back against his chest. I felt his chin rest on the top of my head, he shook his head and sighed again, "I could never hate you, Elena."
"Why?" Elijah chuckled and shook his head, "I don't know. There is just something about you that stops me being able to hate you." I snorted and rolled my eyes, "Because I look like them." Elijah remained silent before he pulled back and tilted my face to look at him, his brow was furrowed and his face was a mask of disbelief, "Elena, I despise both Katerina and Tatia for what they were, for what they did to me and my brother. If anything, your resemblance to them should make me want to hate you, not keep me from hating you." Elijah brushed a stray piece of hair behind my ear with a slight curve of his lips. My face turned towards his hand and my eyes drifted closed.
Elijah's other hand moved from under my chin and cupped the other side of my face, I re-opened my eyes and looked round at him. My tears had finally stopped flowing, and the last one trickled from my eyes. Elijah lowered his face to mine and kissed the tear away before resting his forehead on mine. I tilted my face up towards his, just as my lips brushed Elijah's, we heard the door open and jumped apart, as though we had been electrocuted.
Klaus and Rebekah laughed and we slowly turned to face them. Klaus raised an eyebrow and smirked, "You got through to her then." I felt Elijah nod and realised that I was still on his lap, I flushed. As if he had read my mind, Elijah's arm, that had dropped from my face when his siblings had walked in, tightened around my waist and he held me to him. I kept my gaze focused on the bed spread and heard the Originals - Elijah included - laugh again.
"I'm sorry," The Originals' laughter cut off and, although my gaze was still firmly on the bedspread, I felt their stares fix on me. I swallowed and closed my eyes before taking a deep breath and continuing, "About Kol. I'm so, so, sorry." I felt Elijah stiffen briefly before he forced himself to relax and his hand rubbed between my shoulder-blades. Rebekah scoffed and started a retort, before one of her siblings' glares stopped her. I heard someone walk close and clear their throat, "I have one question for you, Elena."
I nodded slightly and kept my gaze down, a low growl emanated from Klaus and I flinched against Elijah, "Look at me!" I flinched yet again at Klaus's yell and felt a growl rumble in Elijah's chest, I shook my head as he started to admonish his brother and looked up, "No. He's right, Elijah." I looked round at Klaus and raised an eyebrow slightly. His eyes and expression were hard, but there was a sheen of unshed tears visible.
He took a few steps closer and glared at me, "Tell me, Elena, did you kill my brother out of spite, for his actions against you and the elder Salvatore in Denver?" I shook my head vehemently and shot to my feet, ignoring Elijah's attempts to grab my arm and keep me seated in his lap, "No! I would never kill someone out of spite! I didn't want to kill Kol, but he threatened Jeremy! He had Damon compelled to kill him, you would have done the exact same!"
"And completing Jeremy's mark? That was just... A convenient side-effect?" I sighed in exasperation and shook my head, "No! Yes! I don't- We didn't even think about the possibility of killing one of you to complete the mark until Kol went after Jeremy, even then we didn't think about what killing Kol would mean, if it would even work! So no! We didn't have him killed for the mark to be completed." The Hybrid sighed and ran a hand through his hair, "I believe you." Rebekah's mouth actually fell open and, although I didn't look, I was sure a similar look of incredulity was displayed by Elijah.
Klaus was stood in front of me in the next second, "Don't think I forgive you, for that is a long way off, if ever. But I believe that you didn't want to kill my brother." I nodded jerkily, "I never expected your forgiveness, even this is more than I expected from you, any of you." I was rewarded with a slight smirk from Klaus, "Well from the looks of things, Elijah wants you around so, we're going to have to put up with each other." I smiled slightly. Klaus inclined his head before turning and leaving. Rebekah shook her head and shot a withering glare at me as she turned on her heel and followed her brother away.
I felt, more than heard, Elijah stand behind me and turned to see a slight grimace marring his features, "That went a lot better than I expected." I scoffed, "I'm surprised Rebekah didn't say anything." Elijah nodded in agreement, "As am I." He stepped forward and brushed a lock of hair behind my ear, I let my eyes drift shut and took a shuddery breath, "Are you okay, lovely Elena." I smiled slightly when I noticed Elijah had reverted to his term of endearment for me, "Of course I am."
"No, you're not." A tear rolled from under my closed eyelid and I shook my head slightly, "No. I'm not." Elijah's arms encircled me and he pulled me against his chest.
