Elena tapped her pen against her journal for a long moment.
"I have to trust Elijah. I know he can't save everyone in town, but I know he'll try, for me. Just because he can't save everyone doesn't mean he won't be there to pick up the pieces afterwards. I still miss the peace I felt before I was brought back, but as long as I have hope, and Elijah by my side, this will work. He's there to keep me from shattering when I fall apart, and he's strong enough to carry on the fight for me when I'm too weak to crawl out of bed. For the first time since waking up, I feel like there's a chance for this to work."
As she left her room, she ran into Jenna.
"Do I look adult?" Jenna asked. "As in, respectfully parental?"
"Depends on what you're doing."
"Jeremy's parent/teacher conference."
"You might want to put your hair up, unless you wanna look like a boozy housewife."
"You're in a feisty mood."
"It's a good day and I'm just going with it. Oh, don't let Mr. Tanner push you around. He's a total ass."
"Noted."
In history that day, Mr. Tanner droned on and on about the comet and Elena struggled to pay attention. But her mind was spinning with a hundred different things they needed to do, to stop, to fight, that she found it hard to focus.
"Are we bothering you, Mr. Salvatore, Miss Gilbert," Mr. Tanner's use of her name brought her out of the fog of her thoughts and she jerked.
"I'm sorry?" Elena blinked in confusion.
"I know teenage hormones can get the best of us, but we have class."
"Since I was either looking at you or at the blackboard, I'd say my hormones are firmly in check and I find such an uncalled for observation to be unprofessional and unbecoming of a teacher."
"So, what did I say?"
"That the comet was discovered five hundred years ago and it hasn't been seen over Mystic Falls in a hundred and fifty years. Now, can we go on, before you start asking questions that might make me want to take a walk to the principal's office to report you? And if you want to try to get me into trouble for insubordination or whatever, I've got a room full of witnesses who will attest to the fact that I was in fact, paying attention to you. Now, if someone else wasn't, that's not my fault."
Screw anyone who talked to her like that. She didn't deserve it.
"Woah," someone whispered.
Mr. Tanner's mouth worked for a few seconds, then he said, "Now the comet will be making its appearance over Mystic Falls once more."
I did something stupid. She sent the message to Elijah.
What happened?
I snapped at a teacher, acting like the #metoo movement was in full swing.
If worse comes to worse, I'll compel him.
I think I'll be okay, but I just lost it. He made me so angry.
Like I said, if you need it, I'll do it.
Thanks.
On her way to Bonnie's car that afternoon, Elena saw Matt walking towards the parking lot and she ran towards him.
"How's Vickie?"
"They're keeping her in the hospital overnight."
"To observe and make sure she's healing?" She remembered that, her rotations in the emergency ward during her residency. Damn. If she was going to become a doctor again, she'd have to repeat that, all over again.
"Yeah."
"Does she remember what happened?"
"A wild animal of some kind."
"I hope she got treatment for that. If it was rabid, they only have about twenty-four hours to treat her before she's a goner."
"They told me a bunch of stuff that they did, but I can't remember all of it. But I'll double check as soon as I get there."
"What about your mom? Did you get a hold of her?"
"I called and left a message, but she's in Virginia Beach with her new boyfriend. We'll see how long it takes for her to come rushing home."
"If you need any help, just let me know. My dad was a doctor, so I know a few things."
Matt stopped and looked over to where Stefan was seated on a picnic table.
"So, what's up with you and the new guy?"
"Don't, Matt. You're my friend, but this is one conversation I don't want to have with you."
"Right." Matt winced a little. "Well, I'm gonna head back to the hospital, see how Vickie's doing."
"Okay." With a small wave over her shoulder, Elena walked over to Bonnie's car.
"We're meeting Caroline at The Grill," Bonnie said as Elena closed the car door behind her.
"Sounds good to me."
"I can't believe you went off on Mr. Tanner like that."
"He deserved it, the know-it-all who actually doesn't know very much."
"You seem like you're doing better." Bonnie cringed. "Please don't take that the wrong way."
"I'm having a good day and no offense taken. I can't promise I'll always be so perky, but as of right now, I'm feeling okay." Letting go of Damon had hurt, but now, she didn't feel bound to him any more and could focus her attention on what the spirits of nature expected of her.
"So, how are things with the hottie?"
"Kindly remember that he is older and Jenna would flip if we did do anything, and he's being a good friend."
"Don't close yourself off just because he might not factor into your plans right now." Bonnie laughed and shook her head. "Now, I sound like a fortune cookie."
"It's your witch side. Don't shut it off. You might surprise yourself with how powerful you are."
"You don't actually believe that, do you?"
"What did you see that made you question things when I woke up?" Elena asked.
"It wasn't something I saw, so much as something I felt. Pain. So much pain. Death, then peace, and finally, more pain, even worse than before. I could feel it, deep in my bones. Crazy, right?" Bonnie laughed, but Elena couldn't join in.
Once Bonnie finds out about her powers, I want to tell her. Elena sent the message to Elijah.
Do you think that wise?
She's sensed what happened to me, she just doesn't know it yet. We won't tell her everything, just that I lived, died, and was brought back to change things.
"Elena?"
"I'm okay."
"You really are different," Bonnie mused.
"Maybe one day, I'll tell you about it."
Bonnie glanced at Elena from the corner of her eye as she said, "Okay."
When they arrived at The Grill, they found Caroline had already found a table.
"Hey!" she waved them over and the two girls sat down with her.
"So, you were telling me about the comet earlier," Caroline said.
"Well, I was talking to Grams and she said that the comet is a sign of impending doom and the last time it passed over Mystic Falls, it was lots of death, so much blood and carnage, it created a bed of paranormal activity."
"And then you poured Grams another shot and she told you about the aliens."
"No, Elijah told me that Mystic Falls has been a rumored to be a place that's drawn the supernatural for centuries." Not exactly a lie, but not a stretching of the truth he'd contradict since he'd told her stories in her other life.
"Really?" Bonnie asked.
"Yeah, he's really big into folklore and local legends of wherever he visits. I guess it rounds out his experience when he's researching a place." Not to mention, he was usually behind some of the legends and folklore.
"So, what happened with you and Stefan?" Caroline asked.
"Nothing."
"You talked, all night."
"He started talking to me and I didn't really want to talk to Matt since he was drunk and sad and wanting to talk about getting back together."
"There was no sloppy first kiss or touchy feelly of any kind."
"No. We didn't touch, at all."
"Seriously? What is with the blockage? Just jump his bones already."
"There will be no bone jumping."
"Not with Stefan at least," Bonnie snickered.
"Bonnie."
"Who?" Caroline leaned forward, eager.
"Elijah Mikaelson."
"Bonnie, wow." A dull heat seeped into her neck and she hoped that he wasn't around to hear this conversation.
"He is older, and the way he moves, he just oozes sex appeal and wow. Those cheekbones." Caroline's eyes glazed over. "I need an older man."
"No bone jumping there either. He's just a guy who knows what I'm going through, at least to a certain extent and I'm helping him with his project. Nothing more." Elena flipped the menu over in her hands and opened it, but couldn't decide if she even wanted anything. What was her favorite thing to eat right now? She couldn't remember.
"She's in denial, Caroline." Bonnie grinned when Elena opened her mouth to protest. "You're in denial."
"You know what, if all you're going to do is tease me about guys, especially Elijah, I'm going to go."
"And text him," Bonnie added.
Elena drew a deep breath, exhaling slowly.
"Oh, my god, you totally were!"
"Fine. Yes, I was going to talk to him, and I still will."
"You have got it bad, girl."
"Please, stop. He's the only one I can really talk to about what I'm going through without having to be nice about it and not feel like I've got to gloss things over or try to hide behind a smile when all I want to do is let myself fall apart."
"Because he understands losing someone you love." Bonnie's face softened. "Okay, I won't tease you about him anymore."
"Thanks." Elena stood up and hooked her bag over her shoulder.
"Are we really that bad?" Caroline tried to sound indifferent, but Elena could see that she was hurt.
"No. It's not you guys, it's me. Just some days, I get worn out, even when I'm having a good time and with people I care about. So, I'm gonna go home, talk to him a little bit, and recharge. See you guys later." She waved once.
"Text us when you can," Bonnie said.
"I will." Wrapping her arms around her middle, she walked away quickly.
When she got home, she collapsed onto her bed and toed her shoes off. With her last bit of energy, she pulled out her phone and brought up Elijah's name.
I'm having a hard time of it.
Do you need me to come over?
No. I just needed you to know.
Let me know if you need anything at all.
Okay.
After she set her phone on her nightstand, she didn't even have the will to pull the blanket over her body. She just lay there, the faint chill of the room seeping into her skin and she shivered a little, but she couldn't move. Eventually, her exhaustion won over the cold and she slept.
When she woke up in the middle of the night, she found that someone had covered her up and set a glass of water on her nightstand. Next to the cup there was a note written in Elijah's hand.
I hope you don't mind that I took the liberty of checking on you. I was worried.
A faint smile played around her lips as she took a sip of water, then pulled off her jeans and lay back down again, this time, falling asleep more easily, safe in the knowledge that he saw her as more than just a piece to his brother's curse or a tool to secure his future. He actually cared about her as a person.
"You plan to help your brother break his curse. What changed?" Jonas Martin asked as he sat down across from Elijah.
"I've been shown the future and if we continue down this path, everyone, including your entire family, dies."
"How were you shown?"
"I've been sworn to secrecy and I honor my vows. Suffice it to say, I believe this person."
"How do my children die?"
"Your son will be burned to death and Greta will die at a vampire's hand."
Jonas steepled his fingers in front of him.
"If you do not wish to continue our alliance, I ask only that you not retaliate against us or try to find the one who showed me the future."
"If what you say is true, I have no reason to break faith with you. Do what you can to help me get my daughter from under his influence and away from vampire business is all I ask."
"I can't make any promises since everything is changing, except that I will try."
"That is all I can ask. Any word from him?"
"None yet, though I have no doubt he is now aware of Elena's existence."
"So, now we wait."
"Now we wait."