Disclaimer: I do not own the Vampire Diaries.

Chapter 52

The look on Klaus's face—the unreadable emotion AJ had seen in his eyes as he'd held her pinned up to the tree—haunted her as Elijah drove them back to his estate. She stared ahead, her eyes unfocused as she played the whole encounter over and over again in her head. She couldn't understand what it'd meant—why he'd simply left her there without harming her like she thought he intended to do.

Elijah kept glancing over at AJ, seeing the blank look on her face. He didn't want to disturb her thoughts, but he wanted to know what was wrong. He needed to know what was wrong, and how he could make it better.

He pulled onto the drive that would take them up to the house and stopped a few minutes later in the garage. He used his vampire speed to quickly get out of the car and go over to AJ's side, opening the door for her. He held out his hand and watched as she slowly took it, grasping onto it as she got out. She tried shaking the thoughts off but it was hard. She decided she'd focus on Elijah's warm coat around her and his hand in hers. That was all that mattered. It was all she needed in that moment. Wasn't it?

Elijah chose to pick her up and take her to the living room, setting her down on the couch so she could sit. That was when he noticed the deep scratches on her back where the dress left her skin bare. They weren't very serious looking, but it made him angry anyway. He refrained from growling—he didn't want to upset her further. What had happened to her? He was afraid of the answer.

"AJ, love," Elijah said as he sat down next to her, once again taking her hand in his. "Please tell me what's wrong," he said softly.

She was looking at the floor but she nodded. "It was Klaus," she whispered, still a little stuck in her thoughts.

"Klaus?" Elijah asked with distress, trying to get her eyes to meet his. He should have figured that his brother had been at the party. "What did he do to you, AJ? Did he hurt you?" If he had, then Elijah wouldn't hesitate to try and kill him. He didn't care if he had witches and what not to guard him, he didn't even care that he could very well die himself by trying to attempt it—if Klaus had harmed his precious AJ, he would do anything he could to make his brother suffer.

AJ shook her head slowly. "That's just it, Elijah. He didn't hurt me," she said softly, finally meeting Elijah's anxious eyes.

He searched her eyes, "I don't understand. Then what happened?"

She rubbed at her temples but still looked at him, the words coming out fast, "I was stupid, Elijah. I thought that going for a walk would be fine—there were so many people outside, I didn't see the harm in it. But when I passed a tree—he was there. He was waiting for me. He—he wasn't even mad. Everything with Lucas had all been a test! He'd wanted to see which Warrior I was—good or bad. And he'd seen that I had the characteristics of both of them! At the time, he didn't put it together—he didn't realize that I am both. But I think he will, Elijah. He's smart. I think he will." She shook her head fiercely now and buried her face in her hands. That hadn't even been the worst of it.

Elijah put a hand on her back and began rubbing circles; trying anything he could to comfort her. But he could see that wasn't all that was bugging her. "AJ, we don't know if he'll figure it out or not. And we don't know what he'll do if he does. But what I know, now, is that you're safe, love. Everything's fine now."

She didn't say anything. Everything was not fine. She wasn't fine. The part of herself that she'd kept locked up for so long was tearing off its shackles as she sat there, and there was nothing she could do about it.

"AJ," Elijah said softly, putting his fingers under her chin and bringing her head back up to look at her, "There's something else, isn't there? You can tell me. It's okay," he told her soothingly. He wasn't sure what else could have happened, especially since Klaus hadn't hurt her, but he knew it couldn't be good. Not if her eyes looked as if she were in shock and pain.

"Elijah… he—"she stopped. How could she tell him that? She couldn't tell him that he'd unlocked that side of her. No. She'd have to face that on her own. But she could be truthful about other things. "He tried to kiss me. I don't know why—I don't know, Elijah. But he did."

Elijah let the growl escape from his mouth this time. "Is that how you got the scratches on your back?" he asked, barely containing his anger.

She nodded. "He—well he held me up against a tree. But he didn't Elijah. He didn't kiss me." But she did want him to, and Klaus somehow knew that. Elijah didn't, and she wasn't planning on telling him. It wasn't the right part of her that had wanted to kiss him, it was the wrong part. The part that she never let around Elijah. The part that was telling her she wanted Klaus, right then and there. She was terrified of that part of herself.

Elijah nodded shortly at the information, breathing in and out of his nose to try and control his rage. No one would dare to even touch his AJ if they knew she was truly his. But he knew that Klaus would not respect the same thing. He would probably be appalled by the fact Elijah loved this girl—this beautiful and wonderful girl. But Elijah didn't care about that. He didn't want Klaus to play his seduction games with her. Elijah suddenly was eager for the sacrifice so he could rip Klaus's throat out. He wouldn't think twice about it.

"Elijah," AJ now said softly, seeing that Elijah was the one who needed comforting, "Elijah, he didn't kiss me. He didn't. That's good. All right?" she asked, stroking her thumb over his hand as she held it, watching him.

"I know he didn't AJ, but he would have. What stopped him? How could you have stopped him?" he asked suddenly, his eyebrows furrowing together. Klaus wouldn't hesitate to do it, so why hadn't he? Why had he left her unharmed like she'd said?

AJ sighed. "That's just it Elijah. I asked him why he wasn't… hurting me. And he said that he could if he wanted to—then suddenly his fangs were out like he was going to, so I shut my eyes and waited for it. But when I looked at him… he looked… I don't know how to even describe it. There was some kind of emotion on his face… and then he let me go and just left. He simply left. I don't get why he'd do that."

Elijah stared at her with confusion still. He didn't understand it either. If she'd made Klaus mad enough, normally he wouldn't have thought twice about hurting her—Warrior or not. Elijah had seen Klaus kill Warriors for simply talking back to him or speaking without permission. So why hadn't he hurt AJ?

"I don't know either," Elijah said quietly, "Are you sure he was intent on hurting you? It wasn't just a bluff?"

"I'm positive," AJ said, sounding certain.

Elijah nodded, but then studied AJ better than he had earlier. She had dark circles under her eyes, showing signs of her exhaustion. It appeared that the dance truly had tired her out too much to continue what they'd been doing earlier. Not that he had thought to continue it in the first place—the timing was entirely inappropriate now. No, he would let her rest. She needed it.

"Love, you need to get some rest," he said softly, caressing the side of her face. He wished she didn't have to go through the things she did. It looked like it was weighing down on her. He wanted to take the stress of it all away.

She nodded. "I'll be upstairs in a minute."

"AJ—"

She smiled sweetly, "Only a minute, Elijah. I just need to think."

He nodded. "Okay." He stood and kissed her on the forehead, closing his eyes and relishing the contact. Before, when he'd been in the Mayor's office, he'd been afraid that he would never be able to do that again. But she was safe. She was with him, and she would sleep in his arms another night. That was all that mattered to him in that very moment. He let the rest of his worries go for a while and just focused on the fact that he still had her, and that was all he needed. He left the living room and made his way up the stairs to their room, preparing to sleep. He, too, was very tired.

She sat on the couch a moment after he'd left her, but then stood and made her way to the back porch off the kitchen. She opened the glass door and stepped out onto the patio, the silence of the night bringing peace to her. Closing the door behind her, she shut her eyes and breathed in the cool night air. She looked up and studied the stars, something she did when she needed to clear her mind. But her mind wouldn't lay to rest and accept the peace she was offering it. She was thinking of Klaus and how electric—how good—it had felt to have his lips so close to hers, his hands on her. She was thinking that she was so screwed.

After a few minutes, she went back into the house and to her and Elijah's room. She changed into a tank and shorts, and then climbed in to his waiting arms. Resting her head and her hand upon his bare chest, she thought that this was all she needed. Elijah. She didn't need the mysterious, dangerous, thrilling Klaus and his hot touch. Her darker side wanted it, but she didn't need it. She was happy with the soft, gentle touch that was Elijah as he wrapped his arms around her, just a little bit under her shirt. She smiled at the safety he surrounded her with.

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