I Gotta Get Me Back
I Can't Be Beat,
And That's A Fact.
It's Okay, I'll Find A Way,
You Ain't Gonna Take Me Down,
No Way..

"Wake up." Elena yawned, stretching her leg out, pressing her bare foot against Elijah's cheek. His eyelids crinkled before revealing dark irises, and he pushed her foot away with a look of mock disgust. "How can you fall asleep at a time like this?" She protested, flipping to the next page in the book that sat cradled in her lap.

"I'm tired?" He smirked, though leafed through the address book he kept in his suit pocket. It was filled with the name's of witches and wizards, but it was difficult to find one of which whom would be willing to help. Elijah rarely made enemies with the supernatural (excluding foolish, young vampires), it always seemed more beneficial to be on their good side, but Klaus was not so impartial to hatred. Sometimes the elder Mikaelson believed his brother to relish in the hatred of others, as he seemed to always be deemed an unfavourable acquaintance, one to never be trusted.

Elena sighed, slamming the book shut and tossing it over the couch. "Elijah... Have you ever killed anyone?" She questioned after awhile. Her own problems and guilt had been at bay as she worried of Elijah, of losing him, but after hours of reading they had surfaced again, gripping and suffocating her.

Elijah smirked, lifting himself from the floor to the couch, opposite end of Elena. "Of course. Every vampire has killed at least one human in their lives, it is inevitable."

"Do you ever still feel guilty about it?" She looked up at him, pulling her knees to her chest, wrapping her arms around them. She had ditched her earlier clothing for a white tank top and pink, silk pajama bottoms which she buried her face into.

He shrugged, tilting his head against the back of the couch. "Yes, I suppose I do. I do not think of it often." Perhaps he should. He hadn't taken a life in years now, no longer felt as he had when he first turned, at least about humans... The supernatural, however, that was a different story...

"Who'd you kill?" She wondered, flipping herself so she sat on the cushion closest to him. "I killed this young girl. She had bright red hair and she was wearing a pink dress and black boots, she was probably fifteen years old. And I killed her." She shook her head, the bun on top of her head falling with the movements. "And I killed her brother too. He had black hair and blue eyes, and he was the quarter back on his college football team." Elijah didn't interrupt as tears surfaced in his friends' eyes. "I killed a Mother too..." She was crying now, trying to wipe the tears as they fell, though she was unsuccessful at keeping them all at bay. "She had a baby." She sobbed, her head rocking, her eyes closing. "She was taking her for a walk in the stroller, with her husband. I acted like I hurt my ankle running, and she came over to help me and I killed her. In front of her husband and baby and I... I was ready to kill the baby too." She finished, tears streaming freely down her face now, she no longer bothered trying to wipe them away. She was rocking back and forth, sniffling and shaking. "And I killed a volunteer fireman. He was running into a burning building to save someone, and I caught him just inside the doorway. Drained him dry and tossed his body to the flames." She sobbed, burrowing her head into his shoulder as his arm wrapped around her. "I killed them all. And I didn't even care."

"You care now, Elena." He whispered, her tears staining his jacket as she shook gently against his arm, trying to calm herself but unable to.

"They're still dead. They will always be dead. I killed good people." She shook her head, squeezing her eyes shut, wishing she was about to wake up from a horrible dream. She'd be in her bedroom, Caroline would be spending the night, her parents would be laughing in the living room, Jeremy snoring away a few doors down... But none of that was going to happen. This was reality now.

Elijah let his dark eyes stare ahead, recalling memories from ages in the past. "Yes, you did. You are a murderer." He stated flatly, feeling her shake in his arms. "All this guilt and self-pity is not going to fix that. You want to attempt to right your wrongs? We volunteer, cure the sick. We do not sit and cry and wish it away."

She sniffled, using the bottom of her tank top to wipe the salty tears from her face. "Can we do that today? Help someone? Then go to your house and look for something to fix this."

"Of course." He smiled, pleased to see that she tried to smile as well. "Elena... I do not think it wise for you to be getting your hopes so high." He rose to his feet, clasping hands behind his back, walking towards the fire place. A small fire still wavered inside, a creation of their boredom and frustration a few hours earlier. He sighed, letting his head bow. "I do not think there is a spell strong enough to fix the one currently running it's course. The one we used that evening was not with enough power, and that took place almost immediately after my Mother casted the spell." He lifted his head again, letting her hands fall to his sides.

She sped over to him, hugging him from behind. "Nothing going to happen to you. Stop making me reassure you, have a little hope."

"Pardon my lack thereof, but in my experiences, hope has only led to bitter disappointment." He sneered, rolling his eyes, though he placed a hand over hers. "Right then, I know a place in need of volunteer's that you may like. Wear sensible shoes, no open toes or heels." He instructed, patting the back of her hand before she raced up the stairs and into her room. She had offered her brother's or Father's clothing to Elijah the day before, so he made his way to their assigned rooms, digging for something a bit more sensible to wear. A suit wasn't going to cut it, not with what he had planned.

"It's beautiful." Elena breathed, stepping out of the car after Elijah opened the door for her, starring at the area in front of her. It wasn't beautiful in that it was made of marble and gold (because it certainly wasn't), it was beautiful... For what it was, for what it taught. There were two horses in the ring, each with a child on it's back. They laughed and smiled, tossing rings and clapping their hands. They had impediments, Elijah had explained the organization on the drive here. Some had down syndrome, other's had no use of their legs, all different sorrows that brought them here. But neither of the children looked sad, nor did the little girl standing with a small pony, working her butt of brushing the dirt from his fur.

Elijah smiled at Elena's enthusiasm, closing the door behind her. He had found jeans that fit well enough and a v-neck shirt in one of the drawers of the home, though no one had the same shoe size as him, so he was forced to wear his dress shoes. "I'm glad you like it. I donate money to this cause, I find it's gratifying to come and watch them smile, such simple things make them happy." He drawled, hands tucked into the pocket of his jeans, a serious look on his face. Elena looked up at him, a smile spreading across her face.

"How do we help?" She asked.

"Follow me." He smiled, walking towards the young girl who stood with an instructor, the child was still trying vehemently to clean the pony.

"Elijah? Elijah Mikaelson? Well I'll be... What's it been? Two years?" The blonde smiled, immediately wrapping the Original in a hug, slapping his back.

"Far too long." He smiled, not bothering to hug the woman back. "Previous and newfound engagements have kept my hands tied."

"Always with the articulation." The blonde rolled her green eyes, and they came to a halt on Elena. "And who's this? Your girlfriend? She sure is pretty! Hi, I'm Ginger." She smiled, out-stretching her hand.

Elena blushed (or the vampire equivalent of doing so), taking the woman's hand, nearly groaning in her vice-like grip. "We're just friends." She explained quickly, "I'm Elena."

"Well is good to meet ya, Elena." She smiled, so genuinely that Elena couldn't help but smile as well. "If y'all wouldn't mind helping Lily with Rain here, Imma go 'nd help Emily with the others." She smiled, shoving the curry comb into Elijah's hand, slapping his shoulder and rushing over to the other woman, whom was leading around a grey horse and dark-skinned child. She hadn't bothered to ask if they were here to help, and Elena suspected she didn't care. They were helping now.

The young girl looked to her new instructor's with wide eyes, smiling sheepishly. "H-hello. I am Li-ly. This is... My horse. ...Rain. Like the wea-ther." She smiled, her hand slowly stroking the pony's fur.

"Hi, Lily! I'm Elena, and this is my friend Elijah." Elena smiled, following Lily's instructions and grabbing a curry comb. She wasn't sure on what to do, and felt all of her worries melting away as Lily explained to her what she needed to do, and helped her. A half an hour or so later, Lily sat proudly atop Rain. Elena walked by her side, and Elijah led the pony around the large ring.

"Thank... you. For help-ing Rain. And... And me." Lily smiled a few hours later, holding her foot against Elijah's jeans as he tied the laces. "It's fun... Here." She giggled, swinging her feet as Elijah finished the knot. "I... Love Rain." She sing-songed, her eyes lighting up when she saw her parent appear in the doorway. "Mommy, mommy!" She cooed, running towards the middle-age blonde haired woman. She stopped half-way there, turned and ran back to Elena and Elijah, hugging them both and kissing their cheeks. "It was. Fun to meet you." She smiled.

"It was fun to meet you too." Elena smiled, waving to the girl as she ran to her Mother. The blonde woman smiled, waving before scooping her daughter into her arms and going to her car.

Elena sat on the tack trunk the little girl had just been perched upon. "Their parents don't have to stay?" She questioned, watching as the van the two had gotten into pulled down the drive.

"No. Lily is around ten, and she's been here for years. She knows how to behave." He offered, eyes locking on the horse in the stall behind them. "Would you care to go for a ride?" He asked, leaning against a wooden post, pushing his hair from his face.

"I don't know how." She admitted, looking to her feet. "I've never been around horses, really."

"Well I was raised when they were the only form of transportation. We can double up." He smiled, grabbing a halter from the wall.

"Okay!" Elena perked up, following him as they walked to the paddock, catching a horse named Tango.

"Are you sure you know what you're doing?" Elena asked, nerves fluttering around in her stomach as she grabbed his hand, letting him pull her up behind him.

"Elena, I know how to ride a horse. Just hold tight, and enjoy the ride." He smiled, his head turned so that he could look at her. "Nothing is going to happen, even should you fall off. You are a vampire, nearly invincible."

She nodded, smiling nervously. She pet the chestnut coloured gelding they were riding, then wrapped her arms tightly around Elijah's waist, tucking her head against his back. "Okay, I'm ready." She squeaked, letting out a gasp as Elijah's heels lightly tapped the sides of the horse, setting it forward in motion.

"Ready to go a bit faster?" He asked, after they had been trotting along a trail for some time. She had managed to lift her head up and offer a few words of conversation, but her arms were still locked around his waist.

"O-Okay." She smiled and nodded, letting out another gasp as Tango began galloping over the hillside. She felt the wind whip against her, felt the uneven motions beneath her, and felt Elijah's relaxed muscles against the palm of her hands. She lifted her head again, watching as the world went by in a blur. It was surreal, really, how nothing seemed to matter once they passed it. There was always something new and exciting to replace it. She smiled, it wasn't as easy in reality, to move on, but the small lesson felt nice. She was sure she was the only one to create such fallacious ideals, but she couldn't bring herself to care. "Thank you." She whispered into the Original's ear, laughing as they whipped past trees and animals skittering in the forest.

More books, more dust, more long sighs. They hadn't gone to the Mikaleson Manor, as had been the original idea presented, but instead to a bank a few miles from Mystic Falls. There they had opened an age old safe and retrieved age old books, that smelled as though they had been rotting since they day they were bound. "What if we open Purgatory? You'd come back then. So would everyone." Elena suggested, her feet over the top of the couch, her head hanging over the bottom, a book held in front of her face.

"That isn't an option." Elijah said flatly, brining a blood bag over to her, sitting on the chair opposite her.

"You never told me who you killed." Elena piped in after awhile, fixing her position on the couch.

He smirked, taking a long sip of his AB negative blood bag. "I killed a few innocent people when I first turned, but after a few years, I changed direction. I would follow crime stories, and hunt the serial killers I found buried in the wanted pages of the papers. It was never difficult to find them, and killing them almost did not seem inhumane. They were monsters, as was I."

"That's really smart." Elena admitted, draining the plastic blood bag in her hands. "I'm sorry, that I'm making you deal with all this, when you have your own problems."

"You must stop fretting, it is my choice to help you." He smiled, draining his own plastic bag. "I am not as concerned about dying as perhaps I should be. I do not want to die, but I am not afraid to." He spoke, starring at the carpet.

"Well, you're not going to."

Author's Note: Flufffff and poniessss. Woooo. :D Thanks for reading! Reviews/follows literally make my day!