VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV

Chapter 14

"I can't find Elena," Elijah worried a couple of nights later. It was late in the evening and he had checked every room in the house coming up empty-handed.

"She's out by the pool," Rebekah said. Elijah nodded and walked out back. The night sky was full of stars. The lights in the pool were on as well as the landscape lights. There was steam rising off the pool water and amidst the foggy landscape she was standing in one of the shallow parts of the large pool.

For a moment he just watched her stand there. Then he walked over and knelt by the edge of the pool. She noticed him and swam delicately over to the edge before him.

"I was wondering where you were," he said.

"You found me," she smiled and he smiled back. "Why don't you join me?"

"Let me go change."

"I hear it wouldn't be the first time you went in all dressed," Elena grinned.

"You weren't swimming."

"I just remember the water felt so good…" Elena was leaned against the edge. "Just stick your feet in…" The pleading look in her eyes would be his undoing. Removing his shoes and socks he pulled up his pants legs, settled on the edge of the pool and dangled his lower legs in. She smiled as she held onto them and he raised and lowered them moving her in the water.

The next time he lifted her she propped her elbows on his knees getting his pants wet. He looked at the water marks she was leaving. By that time she had his tie pulled loose and his eyes held with hers as she slipped the scrap of silk around his neck tossing it back onto the pool surround near his shoes and socks. He looked at her questioningly. Her gaze never left his as she looped her arms around his neck and leaned backwards for all she was worth pulling him into the pool with her.

When he got his footing his shirt and pants were soaked. Elena stood before him her hair in a chocolate waterfall down her back. She had on a bright yellow bikini. For a long, charged moment they just stared at one another. She closed the distance between them and he stood perfectly still as her hands reached forth and splayed on his chest through the translucent shirt.

"I own quite a few swimsuits," he said. She didn't remark. Instead her hands began to undo the buttons on his shirt. Once she had it open her hands slid up his sculpted chest to his shoulders where the pushed the shirt off. His arms closed around her in the process and his mouth came down hungrily on hers. It took her by surprise and as her lips parted his tongue slipped inside and she closed her eyes as the electricity of his kiss flooded her again. After a moment she remembered what she had been doing and she pulled his shirt free the rest of the way.

He tossed it out of the way and then watched her as she looked him over. He watched the bevy of emotions flittering through her eyes. Finally she reached out with one hand and laid it over his heart. Her eyes flicked up to his.

"Do you hear that Elena?" he asked his voice husky. "It beats for you now. Each beat is a constant reminder of my feelings for you." She heard the words but she still couldn't wrap her mind around them. How was it possible that Elijah Mikaelson – thousand year old vampire – loved her? This was the second time in a week he had made such a profession but she was still having a hard time believing it.

"Is it the rings?" she finally asked. He looked at her uncomprehendingly. "Are the rings making us feel this way?"

"Do you feel differently about anyone else?" he asked.

"No…" her other relationships seemed to be exactly the same despite her altered status. She had expected her whole world to be turned upside down but the reality was that everything was just stronger; more potent.

"When you turn everything that you felt, every emotion that you had just becomes so much stronger," Elijah explained. Anything else he would have said was cut off as she rose up and her lips gently pressed to his. His arms came around her and he lifted her. She wrapped her legs around his waist and as they kissed he slipped behind the pool's waterfall – behind a liquid curtain of privacy. They kissed for minutes at a time since oxygen was no longer such a commodity. His hands wove their way into her silky tresses and her arms wrapped around his neck.

Finally as they were both panting for unnecessary breath Elijah traced a finger gently down the column of her neck.

"Do not doubt the way I feel about you Elena. I want you…I want forever with you," he said.

"You have forever with me," Elena said as she looked at his ring on her finger against his chest.

VVVVVVVVVVVVVV

Damon was snarling mad as he marched his way inside Elena's house where he found Jeremy eating some cereal while Alaric was busy making the coffee.

"Ric," Damon said and the startled man jumped a foot into the air. "I need to talk to Jeremy alone." Ric wanted to voice an objection when his phone went off and as he looked at it, he let out a tired groan.

"Yeah-just make it quick, okay? I still need to take him to school after all." Ric said as he walked into the living room to talk to whoever called him. Damon turned to look at Jeremy who had a spoon halfway to his mouth. The teenage vampire hunter looked at him with his head cocked the same way Elena-

"It's Elena." He managed to get out before the snarling began. "She's made a deal with the Originals and apparently, she has to live with them."

"What kind of deal?" he asked nervously as he set the spoon in the bowl. "Did they compel her?" Damon wanted to play on his fear of that happening but had a better sense of decency and kept up this lie.

"Oh no-she wasn't compelled," he answered and it was the first honest thing he said after 'it's Elena' to get Jeremy to listen to him. "Seems that she has some…unwanted feelings for Elijah and she decided to deal with him and Kol about your protection."

"My protection?" Jeremy's voice was softer as he was trying to run through scenarios in which both Elijah and Kol could kill him and not one could pop up.

"Your protection from anyone who thinks you have ties to the Originals." He lied.

"She didn't need to." He said instantly. "I could have staked them or-"

"She said that she'd live with them until this whole Esther mess is dealt with as long as they protect you." Damon was again, snarling mad. Jeremy groaned, partially believing his story and agreed before Damon flashed out of the house.

VVVVVVVVVVVVV

As entrances go bursting through the front doors of the Mikaelson mansion was definitely attention getting. Jeremy just made the entry hall when Elijah and Kol appeared.

"What the hell mate? Forget how to use the bell?" Kol asked a mixture of anger and disbelief.

"Where's Elena?" Jeremy demanded.

"What was – Jeremy what are you doing here?" Bonnie asked and she had to remember to hurry down the stairs at a human pace.

"I've come for Elena. You had no right to force her into that kind of deal! I am perfectly capable of taking care of any vampire that gets in my way!" Elijah was frowning. This didn't make sense. Kol had gone straight for defense.

"You think because you've been training with Alaric Saltzman that you can take on a vampire on your own?" Kol challenged. He was behind Jeremy in an instant. When Jeremy spun around Kol grabbed him by the shoulders. "I could have killed you twice now – granted I am a master."

"Kol knock it off. Jeremy what's this about a deal?" Bonnie asked.

"They didn't tell you? They're forcing Elena to live here and holding my safety over her head."

"We're not doing anything of the sort!" Kol protested. Bonnie shook her head in agreement.

"Jeremy I don't currently have a deal with your sister," Elijah replied evenly.

"You're not exploiting her feelings for you by making her stay here so that you'll protect me from Esther?"

"I already seek to protect you anyhow Jeremy," Elijah replied. "Elena owes me nothing for that. Who told you this?"

"Damon," Bonnie hypothesized. Jeremy's expression confirmed it. A moment later the brunette at the center of all the fuss appeared at the top of the stairs.

"Jeremy," she smiled and came down the stairs. Elijah and Kol watched but didn't make a move to interfere as Elena very quickly hugged her brother and then stepped back a good distance.

"Come home Elena. I can protect myself and I can protect you." Elena frowned in confusion.

"Jeremy I don't think coming home right now is necessarily a good idea."

"You compelled her!" Jeremy turned his anger towards Elijah. "I shouldn't be surprised. That's what you originals are good at – you find a weakness like my sister's tender heart and you exploit it to get what you want!"

"Jeremy!" Elena beat Elijah to anything he might have said. "Where is all of this coming from? Who even told you I was here?"

"Damon came to see me because he wanted me to know what you had done thinking you needed to protect me."

"Protect you from what?"

"He told me about the deal you made where Elijah and Kol promised not to let Esther or any of their siblings harm me if you would live here with them," Jeremy said. He stopped as he saw silent tears falling down his sister's cheeks.

"Jeremy the only person in this room that you need protection from is me. Remember when we thought I had the flu after the pool party? Well I came in contact with a spelled ring and once it was on my finger it could not be removed. It was what was making me sick Jeremy. It was designed to be worn by an original's mate. Elijah turned me Jeremy because I asked him to. Damon lied to you because he can't accept my decisions. I hope that you can because as much as I won't let them hurt you I won't let you hurt them either." Jeremy had been slowly advancing on Elena as she spoke and now before she could protest he enveloped her in a fierce hug. She hugged him back hesitantly.

"You're okay?" Elena asked hopefully.

"I'm just thankful you're still here," Jeremy smiled. "I'll have to work on the rest." Elena nodded.

"Bonnie are you here with Elena?" Jeremy asked.

"Actually I live here now too," Bonnie smiled.

"Don't tell me you're -"

"Not yet," Kol teased jumping in and lying before Bonnie was put on the spot. "Right now she just likes my company. I haven't convinced her to say yes to my other attributes yet." He wrapped his arms around Bonnie.

"Anymore of that I don't know about?" Jeremy motioned to Kol and Bonnie.

"The only part Damon got right and the reason he is so upset is because I don't want to come between him and Stefan anymore. Katherine tore them apart and I won't do the same. I owe it to myself to see where my feelings truly lie." As she said this her gaze met Elijah's and no one else in the room existed.

"Jeremy if you can't beat us you might as well join us – switch teams mate," Kol suggested with a grin.

"Maybe as a back-up plan," Jeremy shrugged with an easy smile.

VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV