Chapter 10:
"You seriously asked Alaric for Elena's hand in marriage?" Kol snorted which gained the evil eye from his older brothers. "Oh, I suppose you find it noble Elijah." His sarcasm was not appreciated. Klaus was already on edge about this specific trip to the jewelers. He had an idea of what she liked when it came to her jewelry. They walked along the sidewalk to the small brown store. The family been using the jeweler for the better part of a two hundred years to fit all of their jewelry needs. Rebekah was their number one customer. She actually got invitations to the family's weddings, birthdays and anniversaries. Klaus tried multiple times to get Elena to visit the store but she'd rather go to church.
"I do." Elijah informed Kol, "It means Klaus has respect for Alaric and more importantly, Elena." Klaus was nervous and Kol wasn't helping the situation. He didn't want Elena to reject him. What if she said no? Elijah opened the door for his two younger brothers, rolling his eyes at Kol's smartass comments.
"Alaric appreciated the gesture." Klaus said, "He then threatened me, which seems obsolete but I assume it was for sentimental reasons." He paused, "I also talked to Jeremy, who demanded I buy the most expensive ring I could find for his sister or else."
"She would want a ring like her mothers." Kol told Klaus, "Rose gold." Klaus was surprised with Kol's knowledge of Elena's taste. "Round cut… halo setting… rose gold on the inside."
"Wow." Klaus said when he looked into the glass ring boxes while Kol went through his list of Elena's specifications. "Where are your expensive rings, Leopold?" Klaus asked, "This is a special occasion."
Leopold was an elderly man. He wore circular glasses at the tip of his nose and breathed heavily as he hobbled across the floor. Kol told Leopold what they were looking for, repeating this list again. Leopold waggled his finger and pulled out a Verraigo box. Klaus respected the designer name. "This one is beautiful."
"It is." Elijah nodded, "Breathtaking."
"Yeah, ring that one up Leo!" Kol commanded, "We're done. So, now can we go to GameStop?"
"Not so fast, do you have any other rings that I can compare this to?" Klaus asked, unsatisfied with the first option. Leopold brought out ten other rings that varied in shape, size, metal and price. He tried to picture each ring on her hand. "Come on, Leo- you're not holding out on me, are you?"
"Mr. Mikaelson, I have one other ring that you may like but it's below your price range!" He pulled out another Verraigo ring box, "Only five thousand dollars."
Klaus' eyes sparkled when he saw it and he immediately saw his future bride wearing it, "I want this one." It was exactly as Kol described but so much more. She would love it. He didn't even take into account what Kol and Elijah were saying about the ring.
He had a plan to propose to Elena- well, most of it came from Rebekah, who was making sure Elena had a manicure.
XXX
Elena breathed, "I did something stupid." She looked at her simple French manicure while Rebekah paid. She was wearing a pair of denim jean shorts and a plaid button-up shirt. Rebekah had pulled her out of her house that morning without proper time to get ready. Rebekah and Matt shared a few quick kisses before they left. Elena hadn't heard from Klaus all day. It was bothering her. Rebekah pulled her in and out of each store to get things like lingerie, makeup and new dresses all at Klaus' financial expense.
"What?" Rebekah giggled, "My brother? That's old news." Rebekah was extremely chipper these last few days and Elena had no idea why.
"I attacked Jason." She nearly whispered, "Beat his ass, really."
"Oh." Rebekah put Klaus' card in her wallet, "Well…" Rebekah's eyes widened a bit during her process of realizing what Elena was talking about.
"Yeah. I kept telling Elijah I wasn't mad and the more we talked…the more I discovered I was mad and the next thing you know I'm fangs deep in his neck." She flashbacked to the sensation his blood produce. "I liked it, Rebekah…and I know you're going to say that it's natural but not to me. I don't want to feel like that."
"Understandable." Rebekah lied- she didn't know one thing about swearing off blood straight from the vein. "I never see you drinking anyway? What's up with that?"
Elena shrugged, "It's not something I like doing so I drink as little as possible." Her head was contemplating going on a feeding frenzy versus being the good girl Klaus loved. "I know Klaus drinks every chance he gets like blood is water or oxygen."
Rebekah laughed, "He'd much rather be drinking your blood."
"What?" Elena was highly shocked with her comment, "My blood? Why would he want to drink my blood?"
"It's intimate." Rebekah tried to explain, "Like foreplay without all the work."
"Really? I've been bitten before and it didn't feel so well." Elena was extremely confused, "By your brother."
"That's probably because he was trying to kill you."
"He did kill me."
Rebekah rolled her eyes, leading Elena into another lingerie store. "No! No! Rebekah, we have enough! Why are you stocking up?" Elena knew this store was expensive by the name, Journelle. Plus, it was a lot classier than the other stores they'd been in.
"Fact: A girl can never have too much lingerie, Elena." Rebekah pointed to the back of the little store and then to Elena, "You. Go there."
"Yes master." Elena mumbled, walking to the back of the store to the more intimate apparel. "I have something like this, and this, and this… really Rebekah." She turned around, "Oh my god that's gorgeous." It was a simple, black mesh slip but she knew she had to have it instantly. "It's $845." She paled, "That's too much."
"Have you learned nothing?" Rebekah said, "Cost doesn't matter. If you want it, get it. Wear it. Rip it to pieces if you feel like it!" Rebekah took Elena's size and threw it up on the counter for the woman to ring up. She slid Klaus' card like a pro. "See? No problem." They began to walk to Rebekah's convertible.
"I need a job." Elena announced while they got into Rebekah's car.
"Really? Your boyfriend has all the money in the world, and you need a job?"
"Exactly, my boyfriend. It'd be different if we were in a higher stage than that but at this point, I'm his gold-digging girlfriend." She complained, "It makes me uncomfortable."
Rebekah let out a long breath, "I'm sure Klaus doesn't view it that way."
"If Klaus isn't ready to commit to a higher title than why should I be spending his money like crazy?" Rebekah smiled inwardly at Elena's question.
"What if he were to commit, then what? We'd shop more?"
Elena shifted in her seat, "Possibly? I don't know. I think I'd be planning the wedding of a century even if he wanted to be engaged for seventy years."
"Really? Hmm. That's an interesting fact." Rebekah nodded as Elena talked. "And who would be your assistant planner?"
"You, of course." Elena answered, "If we ever get married… I want the wedding to be simple. You know? White dress, red roses, me, him and the priest. Beautiful." She snapped out of her little day dream, "And then the reception would be the after party of the century. I'm talking thousands of people, open bar, lights!"
"You've been thinking about this."
Elena tried to play it off, "Meredith emails me a lot of ideas for her wedding… she wants me to be a bridesmaid."
"How do you feel about that?" Rebekah's question sent Elena into deep thought. Rebekah seemed to read her mind, "You're thinking about your Aunt again, aren't you?"
Elena looked at her, "I forgave Klaus… but that doesn't mean that I don't think about Alaric's wedding and wish Jenna could have gotten married. She was so young, she had her whole life ahead of her." A small glisten fell from her eye. "I don't think it was fair of Meredith to ask me but I accepted because of Alaric." Rebekah and Elena arrived to Elena's house. Rebekah and she grabbed most of the shopping bags from Rebekah's trunk, "I think I'm going to give Klaus the night of his life."
"I didn't need to know- Stefan." Rebekah stopped dead in her tracks.
"Stefan?" Elena laughed while she picked up a bag from the trunk, "Why would you ask about-" She looked up, meeting his tearful eyes.
"I called Alaric and he said you went to New Orleans…he didn't tell me why, not that I gave him the chance, and I come here today to find out you're with Klaus?" Stefan cried, "How could you do that to me?"
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