BIG SHOUTOUT to my cowriter Keke because I adore this fic and her okay okay enjoy yall o yeah also maybe review

Chapter Five

[Down The Rabbit Hole.]

The next week and a half consisted of Elijah conducting business he refused to share and Ximena learning about what he had in mind for their 'escapades' as he'd put it. Ximena did in fact convince him to, as he wiped Mildred and Mildred's family of their memories of the stay, leave them double the amount of cash he'd been prepared to.

Riding on their horses and on the way to Cape Town, South Africa. Almost 9000 miles away from their Bed & Breakfast outside of Mystic falls- Ximena stared at the beautiful trees in wonderment.

"We'll be riding past Richmond and into Virginia Beach- where an acquaintance of mine will be meeting us with her boat. From there we sail the rest of the way. I've purchased land on the shores so we don't have to look for another Mildred. There we'll prepare for what you've seen."

As her butt grew sore and time dragged on, the two discussed what was to come.

"I'll be going shopping as soon as I can. I bet the clothing coming out of South Africa right now will never be the same again."

And she'd be right- Cape Town would (sometime after the 1900s hit) would begin their own descent into dressing more provocatively just like the rest of the world. Something Ximena both loved and questioned. Sometimes she felt like being sexual but most of the time she wondered what people were thinking when they went out into the world wearing less than a napkin. She didn't mind because she never settled down with a partner of her own. Had she found a wife or husband- she probably would've. Mostly she just wondered about the psychology behind it all.

Elijah hummed in agreement.

"Yes, our partying has shown me that there is an occasion in which one dressing nice could put a damper on the evening."

They both chuckled as they remembered the labrador one guest brought which threw up all over Elijah while Elijah's drunken ass laid cuddling with him on the sofa in Mildred's lobby.

"And for the record if my vision about me joining your family comes true" Ximena said in all seriousness, including the 'if' for his benefit "Nik isn't to hear a word of our night with the farm girl from you. I'd like to be the one who tells him, even though it would be better if we both just forgot it."

Elijah studied her then as their horses began to pick up the pace.

He shouted over the now heady gusts of wind.

"Do you always tell the truth?"

Ximena's poker face cracked and she laughed.

"No! Just mostly! It depends on the situation!"

She wondered about her Salvatore boys for the rest of the trip to the shores. She was passing Richmond's exiting town sign when she had the idea to pull on her seals she'd placed. She could use that to let them know she wasn't dead- since they probably assumed as such.

I miss you guys. I'm ok.' She thought with feverish passion over and over again until it felt like her brain was about to burst, and then Ximena released the band of power within her and let the message fly with their faces and home address in mind.

Hopefully it got to them.

Virginia Beach is huge and just as much of a tourist population- only all the swimwear is very very covered up. Except for the men. The men with their swim trunks looked exactly the damn same. Everything looking a little better with the lack of pollution in the air and water. They stopped at a restaurant on the pier where they'd be met by their ship captain.

And the best part- with Elijah on her arm, nobody could treat her differently. All those terrifying stares of hate had ceased. Their choice of eatery was greatly enthused by Elijah. He boasted of how clean their kitchen is, and how they only carry the freshest ingredients.

"Ximena Akkerman" Elijah startled her as she dug into a bread appetizer "I have rather enjoyed myself these past days. I appreciate you not using your foreknowledge to trick me away- and instead knowing me."

"I" She swallowed down the last humongous piece "love you. You, Stefan, and Damon are like family now that I'm trapped here in this universe."

Something sparkled in Elijah's eyes just like when he'd first met her.

"Am I interrupting?"

Ximena turned to look at the approaching female- the friend and the captain of their ride.

"Don't be silly," Elijah replied for them. "Ximena, this is Captain Phoebe Prince. You two have something in common."

Her hair layered and platinum blonde, with tan skin, and almond shaped monolid brown eyes. She emanates confidence and sex appeal and Ximena can't place how or why she feels as if she somehow knows her. "Ah! This is the Elemental you spoke of. I thought this was your human snack for later or some socialization of some sort. Meaningless. I kind of expected her to be...older. With how you spoke of her power, it's odd this one just screams 'human.' "

Elijah had an answer for that while Ximena just stared blankly.

"I believe it's because she is so powerful, the lack of presence is more than likely a defense response. Her body is helping her to blend in."

Well that was cool. Wouldn't wanna end up kidnapped by the Gemini coven or some shit. If nothing else at least she could always pretend to be human.

"Are you…an Elemental too?"

She rolled her eyes which annoyed Ximena.

"No, I'm a vampire. I have just been trying to track down the last of your kind. You're the first spotting since 1601."

Well damn.

She had known her kind was a rare gem amongst the supernatural, but it was somewhat disheartening to think she wouldn't meet any of her people.

"That's a lot of dedication," Ximena said, curious as to why the woman was so dedicated.

She trusted Elijah to not put her in harm's way and introduce her to someone who wanted to fuck with her or her people.

She still eyed the blonde warily.

"I'm sure you're wondering and the answer is simple. Before Elijah turned me- I had just been abandoned by my family. They were Elementals"

Ximena's mouth popped open in shock.

"When Niklaus decided he wanted them to help with his breaking of the curse- they all went into hiding. Anyone human was left behind. I want to know why. Not only that but I want them to come out of hiding. Elijah thinks you might be the answer."

Suddenly that feeling of anticipation and hot chills in her tummy, her power- made itself known and before Ximena could warn her current companions; a vision overtook her senses.

She was in the rainforest, everything around wet and green with tree tops that covered any source of light. She found that she wasn't alone, looking down into a lit up gorge and somehow knowing Damon had just entered it and soon she would too.

Vividly aware- she wondered how she'd manage it only to realize that a small gust of wind was being manipulated and sent her way.

"Ah, my ride?"

She descended down into the cavern with the waves of someone's magic carrying her and the threat of thousands of feet clear. Ximena knew Damon had to be at the bottom complaining about such a risky elevator. It was when she reached it that she saw the beautiful balloon-like houses littering the ravine. From all the colorful lights to the shops, from the women and children to dogs and cats. They had established an entire civilization while managing to hide it right underneath a tourist hotspot.

"Ximena Akkerman" her head snapped to the side and she made eye contact with a small monk standing beside Damon in an orange shawl "you are here to ask for help with Silas, are you not?"

A strange but delicious scent snagged Ximena and she came back to reality- a double bacon cheeseburger had been plated and presented to her. Phoebe had also pulled up a chair, and as the waiter disappeared- she wondered how long such a short vision could've taken.

Her mouth watered and she decided to just dig in.

In between bites she said- "I just saw where they're hiding but...it's not exactly an address- and I'm gonna be with my old friend Damon once he's turned when I discover them. All we gotta do is wait and fate will put me on that path."

She knew that the Captain Phoebe lady might not've approved but as she looked for a reaction in the woman's harsh gaze- she found no judgement, only muted surprise and admiration.

"You really are somethin' else, Sugar" Phoebe said in a false western accent while eating her own meal of onion rings and an actually bloody mary to drink.

"So I guess that works out. I've been waiting a millennium- I don't care about waiting one single century more. I've got a family of my own to look after anyway."

Ximena did a double take.

Elijah explained, proud to boast about his friend.

"Phoebe is a wonderful mother. She takes in the orphaned children that litter South Africa and cares for them out of her home with the help of her last living descendant, her great-great-great grandniece."

"Wow" Ximena said in awe, wiping the secretions of her burger off of her chin "I love that for you. You're a rad person Phoebe Prince."

Phoebe blushed looking like a beautiful model, and offered the young Elemental a toothy grin- while Elijah simply bristled at the word choice. He kept a small notebook full of the random phrases she used, now. Just because they were delightful and hadn't been invented yet. He wanted to remember them all as well as how to use them correctly.

"Well thank you, I believe. You're rad too!"

With the girls getting along swimmingly, pun intended, the supernatural paid for their meal and left- the sun quickly dropping. Night time began.

Phoebe's boat was parked just off of the docks and Elijah showed Ximena how to load their horses up onto it. She'd been worried about abandoning them so Elijah simply suggested they tag-along. It was odd and hilarious and made Phoebe shout about how if they shat, it would be Elijah's job to clean it up and Ximena's responsibility to get rid of whatever enzymes the creatures left behind.

Her boat was more of a ship with how large it sat, resembling a mini yacht, with a deck underneath that went two stories- and a cabin up top. A house on wheels- Ximena thought, petting the ass of her pony and watching Elijah reminisce with Phoebe who sat behind the wheel.

What an odd situation to find herself in. Having known that she'd end up with the Mikaelson family somehow- she never would have suspected that Elijah would discover her and then agree to party with her to kill time. She wondered what kind of training she'd be doing once they'd set up and got comfortable, her companion having mentioned it vaguely in the earlier day of riding horseback.

The horses laid down on the front, whatever it was called Ximena didn't know, and Elijah stayed up to entertain Phoebe who was determined to drive all night.

Ximena being an actual fuckin' sloth- dragged herself downstairs the minute she heard such a plan and knocked out on a random bed eyeing her luggage she actually owned courtesy of the Mikaelson's unlimited budget. Though she'd been drinking Phoebe's bourbon stash while waiting to hear how long the boat ride over would be- so she was semi drunk in such attempts.

She thought of her new shoes, her new dresses, and smiled warmly.

"LOVE YOU, LIJAH!" Ximena hollered one last time for the night.

Almost as if the wind was carrying his voice, she knew he'd said it back. Leaving Phoebe to do what she'd been chomping at the bit to figure out, interrogate the powerful man on his relationship with the young girl. It looked like he was courting her to someone who knew him.

Elijah chuckled at the suggestion.

"I know she's beautiful, and strong- but if what she says is true...which we know it to be- then I would be mangling a beautiful future she has with my brother. Way I see it is- I was fortunate enough to meet my would-be sister early. Though we did have sexual relations with the same girl one night at a party."

Phoebe gasped and the boat lurched a little as her grip on the wheel faltered momentarily.

"So that's how she's going to do it. She'll bed the monster that scares her kind and out they shall come."

Elijah hummed, taking his own drag from the discarded bourbon bottle.

"I don't believe it's planned" he said,

Phoebe laughed behind the wheel.

"You must be drunk already- to suggest such a thing. Excuse me if I don't believe Niklaus to be a lovable man. I did live to see him wipe out a village, mind you" She replied.

When Ximena awoke- she found herself no longer on a boat. It was disorienting as hell considering she'd been drinking the night prior.

She slid out of comfortable sheets and into an outfit tucked away for convenience in the smallest pocket of her luggage, a pink dress. Sleeveless and sewn by commission of Elijah, ending at mid thigh. Most of her clothes had to be created individually and were rather expensive. She felt like dressing like she always had, and his funds allowed it. The pink dress was the perfect cover up for fun in the sun on the beaches of Cape Town.

She couldn't believe they'd made it and it'd only been two days. Ximena recalled back to her sore ass from riding the horses for so fuckin' long, and the sloshing waters making sleep next to impossible on the boat ride. It was a miracle she hadn't puked. If she'd been human, she knew the time would've been doubled. But thanks to exercise and the usage of her powers- it made the trip relatively pleasant.

"Man! I swear, I've slept more in this life than the entirety of my previous one and it's not even been a year. It's so weird" she gushed as she exited the bedroom- sensing the magical force that is Elijah's existence.

The kitchen was just outside of the room he'd left her in, and he was cooking away at a beautiful stainless steel stove with a pan and some good ole' fashioned pancakes. Her stomach growled.

"Phoebe said to say she was delighted to have met you. She also wants you to contact her whenever your vision is about to come to fruition, whenever you find your people."

Ximena yawned and stretched.

"It was cool meeting her too. If not for her, I don't know If I'd have had that vision specifically when I did."

Elijah flipped one of the pancakes- expertly.

"I wanted to ask you and there is no better time like the present, about Mikael. As well as the locations of my siblings' daggers. I wish for Mikael to die and for us all to live happily ever after, you do know."

Ximena snorted at the way he worded things- sliding up behind him and giving him a slight hug.

"Morning by the way! Thank you for taking such good care of me, you're the best brother a girl could ever dream to have. Rebekah is definitely blind to how lucky she is with the number of siblings she has."

He returned the hug- if somewhat slowly from muted surprise. He was getting more and more use to her affections as they spent time together.

Ximena sat down on the counter beside where he cooked, resting her head on the fridge.

"My sister once shaved all of my hair off while I was asleep and wrote a slur in permanent ink across the back of my newly bald head right before school picture day. She was upset that our parents would pay for my pictures and not hers. Yet the only reason they made that decision was because she'd wasted their money and ditched school the last time they held school pictures."

Realizing she hadn't answered Elijah's original question, she jumped to it before he could remark on her memory.

"So at some point, probably once we're down frollocking through Cape Town, your big bad daddy-o comes after you guys in New Orleans. Except Klaus doesn't run away. I forget what happens but basically it's really scary and then we all escape, you, me, your siblings- and while Niklaus, myself, and my old pal Stefan are in Chicago…"

It was messy- her memories of the show and she could only bless the fact that she had visions to also guide her in the absence of foreknowledge.

"That's when a Bennett witch from Mystic Falls desiccates your dear old dad at the request of Klaus. Well it's not much of a request, he forces her. I have ideas on how to deal with him and your mother but I need to make sure I'm capable before I get your hopes up so I'll tell you more details another time. As for the caskets and daggers- Klaus keeps them on him at all times."

Ximena sat there sipping on Elijah's own cup of coffee, still feeling the tug of power inside of her. She could suck the water molecules out of anything. She controlled the very most basic form of existence. Everything comes from the core of the Earth- and she draws her power from that. From everything. Leaving nothing to chance. It was generally overpowered and even feeling it flow through her veins- Ximena thanked whatever god gave her the power to be an Elemental in such a fucked up universe.

She would need all the help she could get, she thought.

Elijah seemed to be thinking on her words as he carefully finished up their breakfast, and it wasn't until they had sat down at the table and she had soaked her pancakes in syrup, when he finally replied to her. "I shall eagerly wait for the moment when me and my family can rest easy knowing that our parents will no longer be chasing after us, biting on our heels for our destruction."

She had a hard time not laughing at the sight they must've made, and instead nodded in agreement. They were as good as blood by now, and she was nothing if not determined to protect her family.

"For now though," Ximena started, an excited look on her face that made Elijah start looking a little nervous. "We enjoy ourselves! It's the main reason we're here."

And enjoy themselves they did, maybe a little too much, she later thought. Which was beginning to appear to be a theme in their relationship. Once you taught the old dog the new trick, then the fucker does this and parties harder? Not on her watch.

Ximena grinned with another sip of his steaming coffee.

Where they were was lush and green and secluded enough for her to use her powers without worry someone was going to see.

Training with Elijah was.. interesting, and a little different than the few things Emily had managed to show her before shit had gone down. There was still the shit with focusing on her inner self and looking within and channeling it outwards, but there were also little differences she noticed.

For one, he was insistent that she try focusing on one element at a time- her mind had replayed the opening scene of ALTA when he had told her, and that had made her laugh so much it broke her concentration. She had decided to focus on the element that came easiest to her. Earth. It wasn't something she used as much but when she did it felt easy as breathing, and soon with some major practice, it became even easier for her to call upon.

And she could admit to herself that she was somewhat wary to start on something else like fire, her vision of the burning building still played on repeat behind her eyelids whenever her mind wandered too far. Or water. Doing just one and one element only made her feel like drowning could be a serious issue.

"I want you to build a house" Elijah instructed, from the top of a sand pit at the edge of the greenery.

Ximena snorted.

"Not a snowman?" She joked, knowing he wouldn't get the reference but enjoying it nonetheless.

Elijah just penned it down with a question mark beneath it. He'd ask her what it meant later.

"Yes. I've contacted a family and they'll be here by sundown to move in."

What?

You, fuckin, wot mate?

Ximena blinked. Somehow the damn universe always kept her on her toes. Although she was pretty excited- despite the amount of pressure that put on her.

"Uh, okay…." She thought about plumbing.

How would they shit? Currently, she and Elijah had it installed. But...did he expect her to handle that….or….? And electricity?

So many questions.

Ximena decided her best and only bet at coming up with something liveable was thanks to the random episodes of HGTV Miles would occasionally show her. And yes, the kid who wanted to be President of the Moon watches HGTV. It's a thing. Anyways-

She worked tirelessly.

And it was nearly sundown by the time she figured out what the fuck she was doing. Not for lack of a plan but because the chemistry beneath each little pellet of sand just didn't work for her. She felt dry in her soul while she manipulated it. Gritting her teeth and planting her bare feet (hey! Whatever helped her work) firmly- our girl forged a large arch for the front door- before sending out pillars and building a circular home in the middle of them where the arch sat. She then spent another half an hour hardening all of the sand that made up the place in case of natural disasters since it is an island home.

It was nice but it didn't have tiled floors, a fridge, and a sink. How the fuck did he expect her to do that? It was then that she figured it out. The same way she simply imagined the mark she put on Stefan and Damon- she simply had to imagine something and put her magic into it. Normal witches can't do that, but maybe she could because she's drawing straight from energy itself. That was the theory. The energy at the beginning of the world. Some call it core but it's not just the burning earth at the lowest layer. It's exactly what it feels like…so much more.

"Can I manifest a whole ass fridge? Then I gotta put food in it?" She asked mostly herself.

It's all fun and games until the original fucker says you have to build a house from scratch.

Another two hours went by and as she noticed the sun was setting, she heard voices.

Ximena rushed to finish- successfully manifested a couch and a bed and an old school tv thanks to Giuseppe having had one she knew what to picture. She imagined drains and she imagined them all connecting to pipes placed out away from the ocean, inland where their shit and piss would ruin the foliage and not the sealife. She imagined a toilet and a sink, and tried to decorate as much as she could.

By the time she gave up- her nose was bleeding and it felt like her head fuckin' was too.

She ignored it knowing it would heal.

"Ximena!" Elijah called.

She swallowed hard. Four bedrooms, two bathrooms, with a kitchen, and a den- it had better be enough. The tiled floors and the fridge and all. If she was a lesser person, with the universe being what it is, she might've just threatened the family and kept it for herself.

Ximena dripped sweat and had just done things she never thought herself capable of- exiting on wooden floors out a sand archway feeling like a goddess. A shitty, exhausted, always-napping goddess, but a goddess nevertheless.

"You're welcome," she muttered to the couple and their children who just waltzed right past her and into the house she had put her whole ass soul into.

She decided to ignore the slight to stand back and take another look at her hard work in all of its glory, and damn was it beautiful.

"I did that," she whispered, in awe of herself and powers.

"Yes, I believe that you did. A job beautifully done might I say so myself." Elijah complimented, admiring her work beside her. "I heard stories of your people being incredible creators, and it seems as though the stories were true. They built entire towns in a few matter of weeks without the help of modern technology."

Ximena listened, enraptured by every little thing she heard about her people, though the crumbs that they were - they were crumbs of precious gold to her. She smiled at him, thanking him silently and he received the message if the little head tilt was anything to go on.

This meant so much for Ximena. It meant that there really were no limits when it came to core magic. She could manifest things. Something that, according to Elijah, only the monks of her people were capable of.

She relished in her own imagination, picturing all the ways in which she could've truly fucked Katherine over had she known. It was nice to daydream since in reality she could only do good.

One step at a time- a happy ending was sounding less and less unrealistic.

The couple's manners soon showed back up as they made their way out the house to greet her politely, and thank both her and Elijah for the home. She decided to forgive their behavior from moments ago, if only because they gushed about how the house was a sight to behold.. and them being fucking beautiful helped.

The wife, Bola, was around her height but stood as though she was three feet taller with beautiful bronze legs and a wicked look in her brown eyes that made Ximena shiver pleasantly. Her husband, the definition of tall, dark and handsome, was quiet as he let his wife talk after expressing his approval of the house. It was obvious from the way that they held themselves that they probably weren't human, but she couldn't put her finger on exactly what they were just that they were able to procreate if their kids who looked too much like them both were an indicator.

"I need a drink." Ximena said the moment the couple had said their goodbyes, turning to look at her companion in debauchery with a grin.

"Shall we?" Elijah offered her his arm, thankfully agreeing with her instead of putting her to do more training like she had half-feared. As much as she loved her powers, and as much power that she had, she didn't think that she could stand another minute of undivided training at the moment.

Ximena eventually got her drink, a nice big glass of wine, better than any cheap shit she had bought in her old universe. They were throwing another party, this time not at the place they were residing but in a newly built villa that Elijah had prepared for this occasion. It was his way of introducing them to the town as not tourists but new locals.

She sat back in a red chair that she thought almost resembled a throne, overlooking the party and relaxing from all the dancing she had done with Elijah and various guests.

Most of them weren't human, she had noticed quickly when Elijah had politely shared his snack with another beautiful woman, a vampire.

Smoothing down the velvet fabric clinging to her hips she smiled, forever pleased by her new wardrobe. The floor length dress resembled the red one she wore before, but it was a dark emerald green, matching the green and gold leaf design of her mask that sat on her nose and covered all but her eyes and lips.

"Aren't you the one who told me we should be enjoying ourselves before the end of days?" Elijah came over to say, speaking over the live band playing music she had never heard of before - all she knew was that it had an amazing beat.

"I have created a monster," she teased him, eventually getting up and following him because like hell was she gonna let him out party her, 21st century girl.

Ximena soon became lost in the haze of alcohol, sweaty bodies crowding around her on the chaotically organized dance floor.

"You're beautiful, might I have your name?" An equally as attractive man said, pressing his lips to her ear in order for her to hear him over the music.

She shivered at the feeling of his breath on her neck.

"Ximena," she replied, returning the favor of whispering in his ear even though she had to get on her fuxking top toes to do so.

She quickly grew bored of dancing and pulled the attractive vampire - in a fucked up way he reminded her of Klaus - into a dark alcove to hopefully eventually get fucked by him against the wall. His grip on her waist promised her he would be more than capable, her back hit the wall and -

A vision took hold of her and she wanted to be angry, but instead she held on tight to the man now between her slick thighs.

Ximena was falling.

She was falling in love with Klaus, she could feel it as she looked at the hybrid and the smile she had brought onto his beautiful face. And then she was literally falling, down, down, down a building so high she could hardly see if it ended but instead of fear all she felt was a smile on her face.

Ximena let out a choked moan when she came out of her vision, her body shaking from the orgasm that had shook her entire body. That was some fucking wild shit, she thought, before giving her full attention to the nameless man's thick cock in her hand. Ximena thanked him for the orgasm with a chaste peck on the cheek before leaving him in the dust to find Elijah. She found herself downing alcohol she didn't know the name of when she found him.

And last she remembered was laughing as she tried to explain Frozen to a confused Elijah, but the rest of what had happened was up in the air.

Ximena opened her eyes the next morning, taking note of her discarded mask and clothes. She was naked as the day she was born, and that in itself wasn't unusual, but she had fallen asleep on a hay bale out in a field and there was something tugging on her hair.

She looked up and blinked.

What the hell?

Was that a fucking goat chewing on her goddamn hair?

Yep. That's a goddamn goat.

It's eyes freaked her out, as she stared up at it.

Standing up gave her a right spell of dizziness and Ximena made a mental promise to go at least three days before drinking again. Her mouth watered at the thought of a cold beverage and with her and Elijah's house far away on the horizon- she began her trek back. Still butt ass naked but now upright- with the goat following her clearly intent on getting some more tasty curls for brunch.

Of course when she made it within walking distance- that's when she saw a form on the back deck looking out at where she stood. Ximena kept walking assuming it was Elijah.

Only all of that changed when eye contact finally was made and details came into play.

Rebekah Mikaelson stared back at her.

Ximena's cheeks flushed red.

"Elijah!" Rebekah called, sounding elegant "your honorable pet, or whatever shall you call her, is approaching as bare as the day she was born!"

If tomatoes could walk- she was a tomato.

To make matters worse, the second that Rebekah called out the shame of a sentence- Kol appeared by her side excited to catch a glimpse of their big brother's naked friend. Ximena wanted to lay down and bury herself in the sand forever. She swallowed and had to remind herself that Elijah was probably in an equal state of disarray when they arrived with how the previous night had gone.

Last time she saw her companion- the suited individual was out of his suit and chasing a goose at human speed just to see if he could catch it like that.

"Did you ever catch that goose?" Ximena asked in the open air as she entered through the front of the house.