Mistakes I've Made
Alex's mind seemed to relax. Less than twelve hours ago, she had told Elijah how she felt, and they had shared many head-spinning kisses. The whole situation was new and exciting, but also scary. James had been the first person who Alex had ever really loved, and for things to have changed so quickly and for her to have feelings that seemed to overwhelm everything she had felt for James had shaken her.
But after Elijah and Alex's admissions to one another, they sat down on her bed and Elijah talked all about Nadia. She heard all about how Nadia had saved countless witches, vampires, werewolves and humans, all whom no one had ever believed deserved a second chance. Elijah had even gone into details about his own experience with her.
Alex felt touched that he had opened up to her about a point in his life that he was completely vulnerable and alone. It seemed from everything she had told him though that Klaus was the cause of all his problems. He had run into Nadia after a particularly awful altercation with Klaus which had left him wounded and in need of assistance. Alex had wanted to ask him why he stayed by Klaus' side for so long but managed to keep her mouth shut; instead, she had moved their conversation onto something happier.
Elijah stayed with her for the remainder of the day. It had been one of the most relaxing days that Alex had enjoyed in a long time. There was no stress or concerns, only her and Elijah. He had only left when Elena had called her down for dinner. They had shared one gentle kiss before he disappeared with a flash. The rest of the night, Alex had struggled to not think back to their kisses.
Alex had woken up the next morning with a plan. It was the first day of the Founder's day celebrations. Apparently, this year was a big one and so the mayor, Carol Lockwood, had decided that the celebration would go throughout three days, starting Friday. Alex had decided to focus on enjoying the next few days with Elena, Bonnie and Elijah. She would enjoy some lousy street food and try to forget about the upcoming troubles that Klaus would no doubt cause.
She had come downstairs with a small kick in her step and Elena smirked at her. "You spent all day yesterday in your room with Elijah, and now you are skipping around the house. Something clearly happened, why won't you tell me?"
Alex grinned, she couldn't help it. "I will tell you when I'm well and ready. For now, keep your nose out of my business." She said it with a teasing manner and poured herself a cup of coffee.
"Fine, but promise I will be the first to know." Elena fluttered her eyelashes at her.
Alex snorted in amusement. "Sure. But not a word to anyone. I don't need Damon's sarcastic commentary or it getting back to James. I want to tell him when I'm certain."
Elena nodded. "Promise."
"So, what is the plan for today?" Alex asked, taking a sip of her coffee.
"Caroline has Bonnie and me helping at the opening ceremony in an hour." Elena looked down at her phone to double-check the time. "We have to set up some confetti cannons and make sure the school band is prepared. Once the speeches are over, there isn't much fun to do today until tonight when they light the bonfires."
"So what you're telling me is that the one time I decide to join in these towns ridiculous traditions, there is nothing for me to do?"
Elena shrugged. "Don't look at me, I just did as I was told."
Alex frowned. There went her plan. She considered her next option and thought about reading more of Nadia's grimoire.
"Why don't you call Elijah and spend the day with him?" said Elena.
Alex bit her lip to keep her grin subdued. It was clear that Elena already knew exactly what was going on, and Alex liked her suggestion, but she wasn't going to acknowledge that. Alex nodded her head slowly before turning around and heading upstairs.
Once in her room, she called Elijah, and her heart jumped as he answered before the phone really had a chance to ring.
"Good morning," he said. His voice woke up the butterflies in her stomach.
"Morning, are you busy today?" she asked.
Elijah hummed for a moment, then said, "It looks like my schedule is all clear. What did you have in mind?"
Alex said, "I was thinking we could spend the day together and then tonight go to the bonfires in the town square."
"Well, that sounds like your asking me out on a date Miss Gilbert."
His teasing tone pushed Alex's smile into a wide grin, and her cheeks flushed. "And if I am?"
Elijah chuckled softly. "I would be delighted. I can be at your house in twenty minutes."
"Great, see you soon."
"Absolutely."
Alex hung up and couldn't help but do a little dance on the stop. She was going to spend the day with Elijah, their first date. Tossing her phone on the bed, she downed the rest of her coffee and pulled opened her closet. Her clothing choices wasn't something she ever really put a lot of thought into. Skinny jeans, tank tops, leather jackets and flat leather ankle boots were her idea of comfortable yet ass kickable. Looking at her options, she bit her lip and realised she had no idea what to wear.
She ran out onto the upstairs landing and yelled out, "Elena! I need your help."
Elena appeared on the stairs. "With what?"
"I don't know what to wear?"
Elena smiled and ran up the stairs. "Let me see."
Twenty minutes later, a knock at the door sent Elena skipping out the room to answer it while Alex looked at herself in the mirror. Elena had pulled out a dress that she hadn't worn since she was a teenager, but it still fit. It was a pastel pink colour and covered in small red roses. The dress wrapped around her waist and was secured by a thin thread that was tied up on her hip. The neckline dipped down low enough that it showed a small amount of cleavage, but it was tasteful. Elena had given her a cropped denim jacket to borrow, and she had kept her regular black leather ankle boots.
Alex did a quick twirl in the mirror and couldn't help but laugh at herself. She really felt like her teenage self going out on her first date.
Alex tore herself away from the mirror, grabbed her phone and bag and headed downstairs. Elijah stood in the doorway talking to Elena. The stopped as she joined them, and she offered Elijah a smile.
"You look beautiful," he said.
Alex blushed. "Thanks." She stood there awkwardly; she wanted to kiss him, but Elena stood right there with a cheeky smile on her lips. Alex frowned at her.
Elena giggled. "Have fun, stay safe, and I'll see you later." She turned and walked back into the kitchen.
"Sorry about that," said Alex.
Elijah smiled. "That's okay. She knows, doesn't she?"
Alex nodded. "Yeah. I didn't even have to tell her."
Elijah stepped towards her. "In that case…" Elijah cupped her cheeks with his hands and kissed her. His lips moved slowly against hers, and he managed to pull a small moan from Alex. She brought her hands up to hold his wrists in place, not wanting to lose his touch.
When Elijah did pull back, Alex had to stop herself from whining. Instead, she laced their fingers together.
He said, "I don't think I could get sick of kissing you." His smile was sweet, and his eyes seemed to bare into hers.
"You make me feel like a teenager," said Alex.
"I hope that is a good thing?" he asked.
She nodded.
From the kitchen, Elena yelled out to them. "Stop making out and flirting in the doorway. Just go already."
Alex and Elijah both chuckled and turned to leave. Out the front sat a black SUV with dark tinted windows. They walked down the path, and like a gentleman, Elijah opened the door for her. "So where are we going?" he asked.
"I took you to the field the other day, but I didn't show you my favourite part about that place. Let's start there," said Alex.
Elijah nodded. "Okay, then. Next time I'll ask you where you want to go before I let the house. I don't think a suit is the most appropriate outfit for wandering through a field."
"Do you own anything other than suits?" Alex asked.
Elijah scoffed and looked a little offended, but his smile didn't leave his face. "I do. I just enjoy wearing a suit."
Alex smirked and reached over to squeeze his hand as he turned the car on. "I was only teasing," she said. "I like you in a suit. I will admit, though, I am curious what you would look like in a pair of jeans and a white shirt."
Elijah nodded. "Next time."
"I look forward to it."
The pair arrived at the empty field not too long later. It was quiet, and the warm sun allowed Alex to take off the denim jacket she had on and leave it in the car; Elijah followed suit and removed his jacket before rolling up the sleeves of his button-up shirt. They walked through the grass and Alex would be lying if she said that when Elijah took her hand and laced their fingers together that her heart didn't jump. It fluttered and did a little rumba inside her chest. Something as simple as hand-holding was sending her into a craze.
Alex led Elijah through the grass towards the far back of the field. The long grasses gave way to shorter weeds that led into the tall pine trees that surrounded the whole field. Just through the trees sat a narrow stream; it was shallow enough that the water would only reach up to someone's ankles if they stood in it, but the stream was surrounded by hundred's of wildflowers. It was a beautiful sight; the bold pops of red, orange, pink and white, all mixed together created a magical space.
Elijah smiled and stopped just through the trees. "This is amazing."
"I love coming here. Elena and I would come here after school on hot days and play in the stream. We also used to collect flowers and take them back to our mum. Her face would always light up when we'd come home with them." Alex felt a tear prick at her eye as she thought about her mum. It always surprised her how it was still the simple things that she missed.
"Did your parents know that you are a witch?" he asked.
Alex shook her head. "Not at first. My birth mum died before my magic had even developed. It was actually thanks to Bonnie's grandmother that we knew what was happening to me."
"Well, I believe that both you adoptive parents and your biological parents would be proud of the woman you have grown up to be." Elijah brought their joint hands up to his mouth and placed a firm kiss to the back of her hand. He smiled and moved to walk along the stream.
Alex wanted to disagree with him. Her life had turned out completely different from what she had always imagined. She had always thought that she would have gone to college, got a degree in something, and then moved to a city like New York. Alex had always planned to leave Mystic Falls, growing up in a small town had only made her want to avoid them as much as possible. Instead, she had met Renee, been pulled into a world where she had been taught one view of the world.
The Council were firm in their belief that vampires went against nature; therefore, they were the enemy and needed to be eradicated. Alex had believed that. Everything that Renee had said, the other Council members, even James, they had all made complete sense to her. Vampires were evil. But now, she wasn't so sure.
It made more sense than just like anyone, human, witch, vampires, etc., they all had good ones and bad ones. Some would make mistakes, fuck up; some will try to make amends, and other's will try and avoid their regrets.
Meeting Stefan, Caroline, and Elijah had allowed her to see that. Stefan was trying to survive off of animal blood since he couldn't control himself around human blood, and while Alex thought it wasn't ideal for the long run, he was trying. Caroline had fucked up big time and killed an innocent guy the first night she had transitioned. Elena and Bonnie had both explained that she didn't even know what she was; Damon had healed her with his blood, Katherine had killed her, and she had woken up alone believing that it had been Elena. Since then, Caroline hadn't hurt another innocent person. And Elijah, he wasn't innocent, she knew that. He didn't have to go through his past and tell her everything he has done, no one could live a thousand years and be a saint. But he didn't spend his days thinking of ways to torture innocent humans, drain them of their blood because he could. Elijah had fears and desires, all that effected how he reacted to everything. He was no different from her.
After all of it, Alex was starting to feel regret over what she had done. The past five years, the number of vampires she had disposed of were uncountable. After her second year, she had stopped counting. But the doubt of, what if she was wrong and they had done nothing but be a vampire, was growing and it didn't seem to be leaving.
"What's going on up there?" Elijah asked.
Alex came back to reality and smiled up at him. His eyes concerned. She squeezed his hand. "Just thinking about what has changed."
"Do you mean your view of vampires?"
She nodded. "I have spent the past five years killing them." Alex stopped in her tracks and brought their clasped hands up to her chest. "And I enjoyed it." She placed her chin on top of their knuckles. "It was like a sport. But now, after you, Stefan, Caroline…I can't help but think that I was the monster, not those vampires."
Elijah said, "Most of those vampires probably deserved what you gave them."
"But what if they didn't? What does that make me?"
"Human." He smiled and pulled his hands free of hers so he could cup her cheeks. "You were taught to view the world one way without anyone else there to tell you otherwise. The people who you have spent your life with all believed the same thing so why would you think any different."
"Still doesn't make up for everything I've done."
"Maybe not, but like everyone who makes a mistake, you can work towards making it right."
Alex smiled as his point flooded her with an idea. "You're right," she said. "I could talk to Renee and maybe convince the Council to change things up. Convince them that their way isn't working anymore."
Elijah frowned but didn't respond.
Alex tilted her head and studied him. His frown wasn't the reaction she was expecting. "What's with the frown?"
Elijah let out a soft groan. "I don't think the Council will change its mind. They keep things the way they are for a reason."
Alex returned the frown. "What do you mean?" Alex was worried, what didn't she know?
