"We are definitely gonna get murdered out here." Damon says as he drives deeper into the middle of nowhere.

"They're in hiding and don't have daylight rings. They also wanted to meet on a neutral ground. This is the only place they would meet with us." Elena explains while Stefan leans between the front seats.

"Didn't that Slater guy explain we didn't want to hurt them?" Stefan asks.

"They've managed to survive 500 years on the run from Klaus and Elijah, no way in hell they're trusting us, even if Slater says we're cool." Elena says changing radio stations.

"This is it?" Damon asks in a judgemental voice as they pull up to an abandoned house.

"It's better than the place they would have held me last time." Elena shrugs getting out of the car and the brothers look at her confused.

"I'm sorry, what?" Stefan asks climbing over the seat.

"Oh you know, kidnapping and whatnot." Elena waves him off as they make their way up the steps of the abandoned building.

"We will talk about that later." Damon says sternly making Elena snort.

"You got it, boss." She says before knocking the rusted door knocker.

"Yo, open up. It's hella creepy out here." Elena shouts making the brothers smile at each other.

The door opens with an ominous creak making the trio walk inside.

Before they can say anything Elena is slammed into the wall by a snarling Rose.

"Oi, hands off the merchandise, Rosie." Elena scolds as Stefan and Damon pull the vampire off her.

"Rose, stop. It's not Katerina." Trevor says noticing the still visible marks on Elena's neck.

"Yeah, listen to Trev." Elena says as Rose calms down as the brothers release her.

"Doppelganger. I thought you were a myth." Rose shortly with an apologetic nod.

"You were myth-taken." Elena quotes with a smile making Damon groan.

"Ellie, I should not have to tell you not to quote Buffy the vampire slayer, in a room full of vampires." Damon says with a head shake.

"And yet." She responds simply with a teasing smile, turning to the older vampires.

"It's nice to meet you, I'm Elena, but you can call me Ellie or El." Elena says holding out her hand for them to shake.

"I'm Rose and this is Trevor, but you knew that." Rose responds after they shake her hand.

"Indeed. My bodyguards over there are Stefan and Damon Salvatore."

"Stefan. Lexi's friend?" Rose asks surprised as Stefan nods.

"Yeah. How do you know Lexi?" He asks.

"Old friend. She tried to set us up once." Rose replies with a small smile as Stefan chuckled.

"Sounds like Lexi." He says with a smile.

"As riveting as this is, can we get on with it?" Damon asks impatient as always.

"Fine. Why did you have Slater contact us?" Rose asks suspiciously.

"You're probably not gonna believe me, but whatever, can we sit?" Elena asks already taking a seat on the stairs.

"Alright, to make a long story short, I wanna get your freedom from the originals." Elena says as the brother take a seat next to her.

"What?" Rose and Trevor asks with the same amount of shock.

"Yep, don't pretend like you haven't been thinking of a ways to take out the Salvatores so you can give me to Elijah, from the moment you saw me." Elena says with a smirk as the two avoid eye contact.

"No worries. I get it. I'd do the same." She shrugs.

"But here's the thing, it's not necessarily because I'm handing myself over to him anyway. Like today." Elena says making the oldest vampires look to her with disbelief.

"You're kidding." Trevor says.

"Nope. And here's the kicker, he's already on his way here." She smirks as the two visibly start to freak.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Rose shouts walking towards her making the brothers stand up infront of her.

"No offense guys, but she's like really old and could totally kick your asses. Rose, please chill. I got this." Elena says pulling the brothers back down.

"You've got this? You've got this? Seriously. You do understand he wants to sacrifice you right? Not to mention the second he sees me and Trevor we're dead." Rose says walking towards the door only to remember it's daytime.

"And we stuck here. We're dead." She says turning back around.

"If you'd stop your bitching for a moment, I'd explain to you my plan to earn your freedom. Unless that doesn't interest you. By all means, if i were you I'd walk into the sun. No doubt less painful then what Klaus has planned for you traitors." Elena says pointing towards the door with a smirk.

"Or I guess just traitor, singular. After all, Rosie here was just remaining loyal to her friend." Elena mock muses.

"Fine." Rose states with a huff.

"You're gonna use me as a bargaining chip." Elena says simply.

"What?" Trevor asks confused.

"That's it? Just hand you over?" He continues.

"Yep. Eli's gonna be here in a few hours. Meet him at the door, tell him you've found the doppelganger, and in exchange you want you and Trevor's freedom. And really specify Trevor. Elijah's very particular about his wording." Elena explains to the still very confused vampires.

"Wait. If you already contacted Elijah why did you involve us at all?" Trevor asks.

"Good question, one I'm not gonna answer until you agree. So, you in?" Elena asks.

"I can't believe I'm saying this, but yes. We're in." Rose says, Elena jumps up with a clap.

"Yes! Awesome! Okay. Have a seat folks, I've got a story for you."

Elena then explains how she knows what will happen and what would have happened.

"And your all 'I beg your forgiveness' and Eli's all like 'So granted' and just fucking beheads you." Elena says with a laugh then sighs.

"It was really hot." She says making the vampires stare at her like she's crazy.

"I mean, horrible. Absolutely horrible. What kind of person would be turned on by that? Certainly not I." Elena says with a nod as the older vampires continue to stare.

"Correct me if I'm wrong, doppelicious, but are you saying he would have killed me no matter what?" Trevor asks trying to process the information.

"Yep. And that right there, is why I chose to save your life." Elena says.

"What? You saved me because of that lame joke?" Trevor asks horrified as Elena nods her head enthusiastically.

"Rose, this girl is insane. She is gonna get us killed." He says turning to his friend, panic stricken.

"Calm down and take comfort in the fact that I know more than you. I want you alive for a reason, that's what you should really be worrying about." Elena says with a wink before walking deeper into the house with the Salvatore's behind her.


Elena is laying upside down on the couch clicking her tongue when she groans.

"Ugh, this is taking forever!" She says rolling off the couch on to the floor.

"I forgot what a drama queen he is. Probably wants to make an entrance." Elena says with an eye roll as the vampires shush her.

"Shh. Ellie, I think he's here." Damon says as the older vampires start pacing.

"Oh my god! He's gonna kill me." Trevor starts to hyperventilate.

"It's too late now. I've got this." Rose says placing her hands on his shoulders as Elena smiles at their relationship.

Across the abandoned house Rose opens the door, hiding from the sun.

"Rose-Marie." Elijah greets formally.

"Elijah. Please come in." Rose says trying to get control of her fear.

"Thank you. So tell me, what gives you the courage to contact me?" Elijah asks walking through the house like he owns it.

"I have something that I would like to trade for mine and Trevor's freedom. We don't want to run anymore." Rose recites the words Elena told her to.

"And I'm in a position to grant you that. What is it you believe is worth your freedom?" Elijah asks with as much condescension as ever.

"Katerina Petrova." Rose states.

"Go on." The Original demands.

"Her bloodline didn't die with her. She gave birth to a child before she arrived in England. She has a doppelganger." Rose tells a now intrigued Elijah.

"Do you have her?" Elijah asks urgently most likely already thinking of ways to lure out his brother.

"Elijah, you're a man of your word. I need you to guarentee that once I hand over the doppelganger, me and Trevor are both free to leave with our lives and that you will never come for either of us again." Rose specifies causing Elijah to smirk.

"You have my word that I will pardon both you and Trevor." Elijah assures.

"Follow me." Rose says walking through the house, entering a room with Trevor cowarded in the corner while the Salvatores stand on either side of Elena in a protective manner.

Elijah eyes meet Elena's before he speeds to her leaning down to her neck causing the brothers to growl, Elena subtlety raise her hand to stop them from getting themselves killed.

Elijah pulls away and leans back. "Human. Hello there." Elijah greets with a small smile.

"So, have they earned their freedom?" Elena asks gesturing to Rose and Trevor, confusing the original.

"It would seem so." He replies smoothly making Elena smirk.

"Fantastic. Before you two go, might I suggest using your new found freedom to visit the Salvatore boarding house in Mystic Falls? There may be some really cool jewelry in it for you." Elena says surprising the three vampires least acquainted with her.

Trevor let's out a breathless laugh as Elijah stares at her intently.

"I owe you my life, Doppelicious! We'll be there." He calls out as him and Rose wrap themselves in scarves before leaving the house.

"Now that that's settled, Hello Elijah, it's nice to meet you. I'm Elena, but you can call me anytime." Elena flirts lamely making the older brother snort and the younger shake his head with a smile.

"Pleasure." Elijah kisses her hand after collecting his bearings.

"You seem a tad confused. Have a seat, I'll clear some things up for you." Elena says dropping down on the couch with all the grace of a toddler and patting the seat next to her.

"Ellie." Damon says in a warning tone.

"Oh my god! I'm sorry, Eli meet Stefan and Damon Salvatore. Salvatores meet Elijah, the noble original." Elena introduces surprising the original with the use of one of his many monikers while Damon rolls his eyes at her blatant disregard of his warning.

"Salvatores. The last vampires Katherine Pierce turned, if I'm correct." Elijah muses and nods in greeting.

"You aren't." Elena says with a smile not elaborating as Elijah raises a brow.

"I'm assuming you were compelled or are letting the information Rose-Marie may of shared with you go to your head." Elijah says in a pitying tone as Elena just smiles at his attempt to get under her skin.

"Speaking of Rose, you lied." Elena says as Elijah's smile drops.

"I can assure you, I did not break my word. I let them leave and as I have no attention of pursuing them, I've kept my word haven't I?" He asks.

"That may but true, but you don't exactly have the power to pardon them from Klaus, you haven't spoken to him years. You freed them from your vengeance, not his. But that don't know that. Nice little loophole, isn't it?" Elena asks as Elijah's eyes narrow slightly.

"Man of your word? Technically. But they could die because you've withheld a rather important piece of information." Elena says without the accusatory tone he was expecting.

"I wouldn't worry to much about your friends, seeing as how they handed you over to me to do with you whatever I please." He says changing the topic of his nobility.

"Are you taking suggestions?" Elena slips back into her playful flirty tone.

"Because mine would be turning me over to your brother in exchange for your siblings. You know, the ones not at the bottom of the sea." Elena says as Elijah stiffens while his eyes turn cold.

"I'm giving you five seconds before I remove the hearts of your friends here. What is it you think you know about my family." Elijah threatens making the brothers stand closer to her.

"Chill, man. Jesus, you really went form 0 to 100. I'm not trying to hurt you or anyone you care about. To be honest, I was counting on my looks to carry this conversation, but whatever. Look, I know things, alright? Things nobody outside of a witchy bloodline should, but here I am. I'm aware of the part I play in your brother ritual and I also know you want him dead for killing your siblings. But you're wrong. He didn't drop them in the ocean, he carts them around in those coffins. He only told you that to get you to stop bothering him." Elena takes a deep breath after information dump while Elijah sits there, stunned.

"How do you know these things?" He asks.

"When I was a baby I saw an entire future timeline, you and your sibling had a staring roll in my life. Let's just says I could do without the constant death of loved ones." Elena tells him thinking of her aunt.

"Prove it. Tell me something nobody could have possibly informed you of." Elijah demands.

"Celeste Dubois. Your lover from the eighteen hundreds that your brother inadvertently got killed." Elijah's eyes widen subtlety.

"She's not actually dead. Since her death she has been inhabiting other witches bodies and killing herself before moving on. I'm not sure who she's in now but I know she will jump in to a French Quarter witch named Sabine Laurent in September of next year." Elena tells him.

"That's not enough. You could be in contact with another witch who knows her. Something only I would know." He says making her roll her eyes.

"Fine. Who killed your mother?" Elena asks him.

"Mikael." He answers instantly.

"Who really killed your mother, Elijah?" Elena leans in.

"Mikael. What are you-" Elena interrupts.

"Really? No one else? Nobody else had a reason to want your mother dead?" Elena asks as his eyes narrow.

"Why are you asking me this?" Elijah stands.

"Because you know the truth. You know it and your hiding it from yourself. Who killed your mother?" Elena asks walking closer to him.

"Niklaus." Elijah says with realization.

"Believe me now?" Elena asks lacking humor.

"I believe so." He says reigning in his emotions.

"Fantastic!" Elena says cheerfully before turning back to the couch.

"Now we can get back to how you're gonna save my life." Elena says making Elijah raise a brow.

"Resurrection potion. Made for a certain brown eyed beauty." Elena says as the corner of Elijah's mouth lifts when she compliments herself.

"I can get it, what else would you like in exchange for your cooperation?" Elijah asks.

"I'd accept sexual favors, but your not being very receptive to my flirting." Elena pouts making the brothers look to her with wide eyes as Elijah's lip twitches.

"You're a better man that I, Eli. I wouldn't tried to collect the whole set." Elena tells him as he breathes out a sigh.

"El, can we talk to you a moment?" Stefan asks suddenly standing.

"We'll be just one sec." Damon tells Elijah holding up a finger as he pulls Elena away.

"The hell are you doing, Ellie? This guy could kill us all in a second. Stop flirting with him." Damon demands.

"Do you think if I push him far enough he'll choke me against a wall?" Elena asks distractedly licking her lips.

"You have issues." Damon whispers back to her making her snort.

"You don't say?" She replies with a laugh.

"El, why are you intrested in him?" Stefan asks thinking about the guys outdated hair. Hypocrite.

"You know what they say, Stef. Gentlemen in the streets, absolute beast in the sheets." Elena says wagging her eyebrows playfully making Stefan smile at her.

"Ellie, I love you, but you can't flirt with people who are trying to sacrifice you." Damon says sternly.

"Awe. You love me?" Elena asks completely ignoring the second half of his sentence.

"Oh my god. I can't do this. You deal with her." Damon says turning to Stefan as Elena smirks in victory.

"You guys know he can hear us, right. Even if we whisper." Elena whispers the last part as the brothers look to each other.

"Shit." They says at the same time as Elena walks back to the room with Elijah.

"Sorry about them, they're really protective of me. I think it's because they have mommy issues." Elena tells him as he nods.

"Hey, I have an idea. Why don't you join us for dinner? We aren't that far from Mystic Falls and we skipped lunch because you wanted to make and entrance." Elena says as the brothers join her on the couch.

"I've see you try to cook. I'll pass." Stefan says teasingly making Elena huff.

"Yes, I admit, I'm a shit cook. But i can place and order like a mother fucker." She says turning back the original, doe eyes on display.

"Of course. We have plenty to discuss." Elijah agrees making Elena pump her fist.

"Awesome! Alright, just follow us back to Mystic Falls." She says walking towards the door as Elijah stands and clears his throat.

"I think it's best if you join me." He says as Elena nods understanding his mistrust.

As they reach Elena's SUV Elena throws the keys to Stefan only for Damon to reach for them first.

"You sure about this?" Stefan asks looking at Elijah wearily.

"Totally. Love you guys. See you at home." She tells them kissing their cheeks before they get in her car.

"I parked quite a ways away." Elijah says as Elena turns to him with a smirk.

"Are you trying to sweep off my feet?" Elena asks playfully earning a half smile in return.


continued in pt.2...