There are a few days they spend almost completely in the apartment. The show they started on the plane picks up in pace and they marathon it. Elena has lost track of how many cups of coffee she's sipped at to stay awake. He wouldn't have looked at it had it not been for Elena. He's glad she found the show anyway, and when they've watched the entire thing, Elena falls asleep a minute after the credits of the last episode begin to roll. He moves, and puts a pillow under her head. He disappears for a second to get a blanket to cover her. She needs the sleep and he needs to figure out what time it is.
She sleeps, for a long time as he thinks of a plan. He thinks of places she would want to see, the things he wants to show her. He wonders if he's the impartial sounding board Rebekah had mentioned weeks ago.
It's odd, because Elena hasn't tried to explore career fields or talk about anything related to the supernatural. She may have already made up her mind, he thinks. She doesn't tell him everything and she doesn't have to, but it always leaves him wondering.
A text from Rebekah declares that she and Caroline want to see Elena once they're done traveling, the two blondes want to take their favorite human shopping. That's amusing. He wonders how long Elena will go along with their plan.
Speaking of which, Elena is waking up. His focus narrows for a few moments.
She figures out their plans as she dries her wet hair. They eat and he tells her he'll drive.
There are a few more days of just looking at everything. Elijah takes her to beautiful buildings and historic sites, to lost places and abandoned places, places that shouldn't exist and barely known places.
They're all beautiful and she wonders if eyes can become sore. She has done so much looking since she left with Elijah.
Everything takes her breath away and she stills, and instead of looking at the building or whatever he wants to look at, he finds his eyes focusing on her instead. She's always so amazed, it's one of his favorite things. He wonders how many countries she wants to travel to, how many places she'll let him show her.
The party feels like it snuck up on them but they still follow their routine that morning, and Elena decides to wear her hair down.
She slips into the shoes and earrings that go with the dress, and zips it up as far as she can.
Her lipstick matches the fabric roses near her spine, he notices as she turns slightly. He tells her he'll zip up her dress and she thanks him, her voice miraculously steady.
He slides the zipper up her back, his fingers brushing against a few of the flowers on her dress. When she turns around to thank him, her hands move before she can speak. He's annoyed at the little irrational thought that rises up, that says she's going to try and strangle him or attempt to, no. Elena would never do that. He reconsiders for a second. If she was, he's not entirely sure if he would stop her or not. She's human and her hands would get tired before she could really do any damage. It wouldn't kill him, he snaps back to reality when he feels one of her fingers touch his throat for a moment. She's adjusting his bowtie.
"It was crooked." She says in explanation and he nods.
"Thank you. Shall we?" He asks and offers his arm. She takes it.
He tells her that the house Klaus built in Mystic Falls won't even hold a candle to the house they're going to. She accepts that mentally, but she doesn't expect the sprawling estate and mass of cars parked. She's a little overwhelmed. He opens her door for her, and she takes a deep breath. She takes his arm as they walk to the open front doors.
"I think you'll like Isabel." He tells her and she's about to ask for more detail, but then they're announced. Someone says who they are, like at the last party. She adjusts her arm in his, and realizes that she's most likely one of the only humans, if not the only human at the party.
She sees one or two familiar faces from the ball they went to in England, but she can't match names to them so she doesn't say anything.
The music is more upbeat than Elena expected, she was expecting music to waltz to. They talk to people, and she notices the looks she receives from the other people in attendance. For the first half hour, Elijah's arm in hers the only thing that grounds her. She feels like she needs fangs to really be accepted at this party, but then Elijah's taken away. Not too far, just a few feet.
One of the most beautiful people Elena's ever seen wraps her arms around Elijah and she forces herself to breathe. Her lungs don't rely on Elijah to work or not work, after all.
"Elijah! How have you been?" The gorgeous woman asks, moving away.
He has a real smile on his face, and responds to the question. He's doing well. Then they turn their attention to her and Elena distantly wonders if her heart is beating.
"Is this Elena?" She asks Elijah but Elena answers.
"I'm Elena." She's not expecting to get wrapped in a hug similar to the one she saw Elijah in.
"Elijah speaks so highly of you. We have a lot to talk about." She tells Elena in her slightly accented voice before letting go of her.
"Elijah, my husband is in his study at the moment. Tell him I'm with Elena, please." The woman says.
"I will, is there anything else you want me to do Isabel?" Elijah asks and the beautiful woman shakes her head. Elijah asks if she's okay, in their code. She tells him she'll be fine. If that's Isabel and he trusts her, Elena will go with it. Since Elena's okay with it, he disappears.
Isabel leads her out onto a balcony for a semblance of privacy.
They talk, and Isabel looks at her like she's fascinating. They continue their conversation but when there's nothing more to say on the topic, she asks the question that's been on her mind for a while.
"Are you staring at me because I'm a doppelganger?"
The vampire's face is still for a few seconds before she lets out a burst of of laughter.
"I stare at you for a few of the reasons Elijah does. You're fascinating. I stare at you for many reasons. Your resemblance to your ancestors is not one of them." The older woman says simply and Elena lets that sink in for a moment.
They talk about a few more things, Elena asks her what life as a vampire is like. The vampire doesn't sugarcoat it, but tells her she likes it better than being a human. She and her husband have Elijah to thank for their existence as vampires. Elijah turned her husband and then her husband turned her. It was a rough adjustment at first, but it grew easier. Several things, Isabel tells Elena, get easier with age and immortality.
A waiter offers champagne and Elena accepts one as Isabel does.
The conversation turns to Elijah and the music inside increases in volume.
Isabel wants Elijah to be happy and so does Elena. She wonders if the human is aware of the looks Elijah sends her way, or if he's aware of the way she looks at him. Finally, the music is something people can dance to, and her husband is finishing his conversation with Elijah.
It's the perfect time to meddle just a smidge. She leads Elena back inside where they're offered some kind of cake.
Isabel has fun with Elena's reaction, Elena closes her eyes and savors it.
"That is one of the best things I've ever tasted in my life." Elena says and the hostess just smiles and introduces her husband as he and ELijah appear in their view.
Elijah's hand is on her back as he moves to stand closer. She pretends like there aren't butterflies in her stomach causing a riot.
"Have you tried the cake?" She asks him, her head turning to look at him.
"I have not." He says and Isabel and her husband grin and signal to the waiter to come over.
Isabel hands it to Elijah. He takes a careful bite and Elena speaks to their hosts as he does. She wonders if Elijah can feel her ribs under his hand, and Elena tells him it's beautiful. Elijah is inclined to agree, and Isabel tells her husband she wants to dance. They disappear into the other dancers in the room. Elijah removes his hand from her back.
"May I have this dance?" He asks, and she just nods.
One dance blends into another because the music all sounds the same to Elena. His hand is on her back and they talk in code. She doesn't really feel comfortable, but the party has been amazing. Elijah tells her that the people judging her are not worth wasting her time over.
She sighs and she knows, but she's spent a good part of her life caring what people think. It's a hard habit to let go of.
They say goodbye to their hosts and they both smile warmly and tell her they hope to see her again.
When she's in the passenger seat she immediately takes off her heels and her earrings. She looks at her reflection and she's genuinely surprised her lipstick looks as perfect as it does.
Elijah asks her questions and she answers them, and she asks a few in return.
She almost falls asleep on the way back to the apartment. The car is warm and Elijah is talking in a calm, quiet voice.
She manages to stay awake until they get to the apartment. Elijah unzips the dress to the point where she can do the rest, and leaves her alone in her room.
She warns him when she comes back out without makeup and in pajamas, that she'll probably fall asleep during the movie. It's almost 4AM.
He tells her that it's fine, and he doesn't mean to, but his eyes close a few minutes after hers do, before the resolution.