Chapter 16: Painful thoughts

It had worked; Bonnie had located all people wearing pendants that contained vervain across all states. There was six in Virginia, amongst others, but there was only one in Tennessee. Bonnie tapped that state with her manicured finger. "I can find all the others, but not that one. I'm gonna guess he has her here based on that. She would be close enough for him to pick her up on his way back here, but not close enough to us if we discovered her without him getting there first from wherever he is right now. I'm also going to wager an educated guess and say he probably has someone guarding her. If he cares for her the way Rebekah says he does, he wouldn't leave her unattended so close to Mystic Falls." She pointed out.

Damon groaned under his breath. "I don't fancy being wolf munchies again, Bon-Bon." He stated and she rolled her eyes. "I don't care what you'd rather be or not be. You want to get her, then you need to get her yourself. I'm not gonna let you drag Elena into it and endanger her life." She retorted fiercely, and the Salvatore vampire rolled his eyes. "Bonnie, I really don't care what you think either."

He walked out of the room, passing Alaric on the way. "Hey Ric, up for a road trip?"

MvM

The world around her felt strange, as though it wasn't the one she was used to. There was a dull throbbing pain in her left arm, as though there was something sharp in it. Something was irritating her nose as well, and she wrinkled it to try and stop the itching. It didn't work, and there was that annoying beeping noise again, only this time, she could open her eyes to see what it was.

It hadn't been what she'd been expecting, and although it was blurred, the sight scared her. And that irritation was becoming far too much for her to cope with as well.

Elle lifted her right hand and made to tear the irritating thing from under her nose, but a hand caught her own before she could. "I wouldn't, sweetheart. It'll cause a rather nasty sting." An unfortunately familiar voice warned, its owner gently guiding her hand down so it was flat against something soft. She gave a few blinks, frowning as the blurring of her eyes didn't clear. But she knew the voice and swallowed thickly, a task that wasn't the easiest thing to do with a throat drier than sand. "Niklaus." She croaked out.

Klaus smirked. "I thought you hated me, love." He said quietly and as her vision cleared a little more, she blinked a few more times. "I do." She muttered.

His smirk fell slightly and she glanced around the room, brows furrowed. "What is this witchcraft?" She whispered, trying to sit up. He pressed a hand to her abdomen, lightly pushing her backwards. "This witchcraft is the 21st century, sweetheart. You were dead for a considerable time, and then all of a sudden, your heart started to beat again without any interference from myself or anyone else. How is that?"

Her dazed eyes narrowed slightly. "You're the monster, you tell me." She grumbled, becoming to speak starting to turn painful with no moisture in her throat. He sighed. "Don't be difficult, Elle. You revived yourself a few weeks ago and you haven't woken up since. I've had Tony watching you since the nurse called to say you showed signs of waking up. I aim to return after this little visit, leaving him to watch you once again." He scolded.

Elle coughed slightly and he raised a brow. "Feeling a little dry, love? Here. I had a nurse fetch it for you before I compelled her to bring you out of the coma she placed you in." When she eyed the plastic cup as though it were a dangerous weapon, he sighed. "Its only a cup, Elle. No need to eye it as though its poison."

"Ironic choice of words." She muttered, taking it with her shaking right hand, frowning at the long plastic thing that was in it. "What is this thing?" She inquired, taking it out to look at it and he rolled his eyes at her. "Its a straw. You sip liquids through it. Just take the damn thing out and drink it normally. You've been dead for over five centuries, sweetheart, a lot has changed since then."

Elle glared irritably at him. "Don't call me that. I don't want you to call me anything, I don't even want to talk to you. You ruined my life, and then you go about as though I should be grateful to you for something. I owe you absolutely nothing, and I never want to. I hate you, and your wretched family." She spat and he narrowed his eyes a little. "I'd keep your voice down. I may have compelled the nurses, but not the other residents on this floor. How did being dead feel like, Elle?"

That made her go ridged and he raised a brow. "Oh. Touchy subject, or just too soon? You know, I didn't have to keep you preserved and in a coffin like you were one of my family. I could have buried you in the dirt and let trees grow from your bones and let the bugs feast upon your flesh. But I didn't, and if I hadn't of done that, you would be dead still. You do owe me, and I will collect. The nurse will keep you sedated so you can recuperate your strength, and then, once I'm due to return to a town called Mystic Falls, I'll swing by and pick you up."

She remained silent until he made to leave, and then she spoke. "Being dead...It was like I was in an eternal darkness." She whispered, and he paused, looking at her from the doorway. A breath shuddered from her newly functioning lungs. "I could feel all this hate, and I was so, so cold." Tears burned in her eyes before she looked at her hands, the room becoming too much for her to bear in its terrifying strangeness.

After a moment, he walked back in and took a seat beside her once more. "I offered to strip your memories away, sweetheart, to give you a blank slate, and I offered to make you like me. You chose to drink that poison, and you refused my blood. You died because you chose to do so, so I don't have any sympathy for you in regards to that. But, perhaps, once you've had a little time to reconsider, we can talk once more. I have to leave, but Tony will keep you company. He'll make sure no one bothers you, and you'll do exactly as he says. I'd hate to have to be disrupted during my hunt for more werewolves to come and sort you out as it'll be infinitely more painful for you if I have to." He warned in a low voice, the named hybrid coming into the room from outside with the compelled nurse following blindly behind him.

Elle eyed the syringe in her hand as though it were a poisonous creature, ironically enough. She attempted to move away. "I don't want to go to sleep!" She cried loudly, not needing to be a genius to figure out what it was for. The named hybrid whose name she couldn't remember, even after he'd mentioned it a few times sighed, glancing back at his sire. The original hybrid gave a short nod, smirking a little at the protesting cries that soon muffled out as he walked away and out of the ward.

Authors note: Yes, Elle is back, and she isn't exactly acting like a normal person whose just discovered they've been dead fro five centuries. I'm gonna explain it real quick.

Elle is in a state of shock and lets face it, wouldn't you be traumatised after going through what she's gone and is still currently going through? She was in torment for all those years she was "dead" and it isn't pleasant, as I described it as such above. Hope that helps a little.