My re-writing of the Elena/Elijah scenes in 4x18 American Gothic.

She kept checking her; well Katherine's to be exact, watch. Whoever was 'em' they were late and Elena started to get nervous. She did not know who she's supposed to be expecting. Katherine said that they were a friend of hers. It was weird thinking that she had any friends but she managed to compel the whole town so maybe 'em' was one of the citizens. Elena looked at the time again.

"Katerina," a familiar voice said behind her. She turned around and her eyes made clear what her mind already knew. It was him.

"Elijah?" she said and she could hear a surprise in her voice. Remember, you're Katherine. He stepped closer to her."You're a little late, aren't you?" she tried to hide it. She knew that he knew Katherine very well and he also knew her. Her only advantage was that now without her humanity, she's more like her doppelgänger than she used to be. Whether as a human or as a vampire.

"You colored your hair," he was now very close to her. Close enough to touch. "I like it," he said and he pushed the hair on the side of her head behind her ear; doing so, he slightly touched her face. She smiled to ease the air between them because it seemed like it had been full of weird energy. It wasn't uncomfortable but she didn't know what it was and that made her feel different.

"Thank you," he looked at her lips and back into her chocolate brown eyes. "It's actually gonna –" he pulled her to him. His lips were now on hers, closing in a passionate kiss. Of all the scenarios, she never expected it to go this way. She closed her eyes and gave in. His hand was still on her face and he lightly brushed her chin with his thumb. He let go just a little bit and then put one more kiss on her lower lip. Her eyes were still closed until he pulled away far enough for her to look him in the eyes. He was looking on her lips.

"I've missed you," he whispered and looked up. She knew that if she wanted to continue her cover as Katherine she had to pull herself together and pretend that she's used to this.

"And I've missed you," he put his hand on her waist. "Interesting little town you've chosen to settle down. So, do you have it with you?"

She wasn't sure what he was talking about. What he could possible need from Katherine.

"Do I have what?"

"The cure," he said. Of course he knew about the cure, they've been working together this entire time. She lightly shook her head and noticed the change in his expression. She was supposed to bring it to him. But why? It was her only hope to get her freedom back from Klaus.

"It's in a safe place," she needed more time and she needed to get to Rebekah to plan their next move. "Why don't I go and get it," she placed her right hand on his chest and slightly pouted. "And then I'll bring it back."

She moved pass him and was about to leave when he grabbed her arm and pulled her to him. "Where is Katherine, Elena?"

"You're both idiots," she said moving away from him with a snore.

"Excuse me?"

"Arr, what happened to you, Elijah? I mean, I thought you were supposed to be a man of honor, and yet you've hooking up with Katherine this entire time?" she didn't want to believe that whatsoever. She thought she knew him and that he learned from his own mistakes to be doing this and yet, there he stood working with the devil.

"I suppose this man of honor has always shared a connection to Katherine," he said and she knew what was doing on. He still loved her. Even after everything she's done he still felt the same way about her. But she wasn't the Katerina he once knew. She was a monster. Elena felt sorry for him.

"She contacted me when she learned about the cure. We thought it could be a mutual used to one another."

"A mutual use," now it was clearer than ever. He was under her spell again. Just like the Salvatore bothers or even Mason once were. And they weren't the only once. "Please, you fell for her trap just like every other one of those idiots."

"You underestimate me, Elena," he moved pass her and she turned around that she could face him. "I know who she is, I know what she's done."

"And you think she's changed," he was blinded by love. His emotions were his burden. Another reason why she turned them off. "She's playing you. She lied to you, Elijah."

"She didn't lie to me about your transformation," he said and then looked deeper into her eyes. He felt that something wasn't right. What happened to the girl he once knew? "You're not just a vampire, though, are you? There's something else, you –" he couldn't figure out what it was about her that wasn't right. "You're not yourself," it was in her eyes. They were empty. They used to be full of life, compassion, love. It was all gone. "You've abounded your emotions. Why?"

"My brother's dead," she said like it was nothing and his face changed in a split of a second. "Your girlfriend killed him," she knew this look. They all had it once they learned the truth. "You didn't know? Of course you didn't."

"She lied," he said with a tone of realizing. She lied to him about that which means she could lie about everything.

"I hate to say I told you so but – Duh," she said.

"I know what it feels like to lose a brother," he said with compassion. "And I'm sorry for your pain, I – I only hope that you can find a way back to yourself one day."

She didn't want to listen to this. She thought that Elijah was one of the people who didn't compare her to her murderess ancestor. "Just like you hope Katherine will find her way back? You still think that the innocent girl you save from Klaus ages ago is in there somewhere."

"I like to think so, yes," he was so naïve. She needed to make him see how wrong he was.

"She's not. She's a monster now, Elijah. Sweet peasant girl you fell in love with way back then is dead," Elena turned away from the Original standing in front of her. "And she's not coming back."

"I'm not a fool, Elena. Of course this's occurred to me. But what kind of man would I be if I didn't try to find my Katerina beneath this Katherine façade."

"You boys are all the same," she knew what he was talking about. "Damon and Stefan still think that the girl they loved is still in here somewhere too."

"You can't blame them for having hope, Elena," he said and she could hear in his voice a taste of something. Something more than just understanding. "It would be a shame if a world lost a soul as compassionate as yours. "

She remembered.

"Your compassion is a gift, Elena," and so did he. "Carry it with you always and forever." And he also remembered why he wrote that letter in the first place. He did something terrible to the girl who was now standing in front of him. But this girl wasn't the compassionate soul he once knew. This was a shell of a girl who was capable of a big sacrifice to save the ones she loved. Her own life. For the life of her family.

"I remember reading that in a letter once," she said, teasing him.

"The writer sound positively gifted. I'm sure he meant what he wrote."

"I'm sure he did," she said and meant it. She remembered what it was like reading his letter on her window. In her bedroom that is now just a pile of ash. She remembered but the feelings meant nothing to her now. They were just empty shells of what they used to be.

"And it felt good to watch that letter burn," his eyes changed in shock. What had she done? "Along with my old life and along with Jeremy's body."