Please tell Elijah that Alexia Branson is in town. She's not here to cause trouble, just to visit me.
I'll let him know.
Lexi. Another person she had to try to save.
When she told Elijah what Stefan had told her, he replied with
Shall I try to save her too?
If you could, but not at the expense of exposing yourself.
I'll be fine.
So, why hasn't Damon come after you, I mean you did torture him.
Perhaps it's because I can walk in the sun
And to reveal you would make the Council look at everyone, including those they previously cleared, which would mean him
Exactly.
When Elena came down the stairs, she found Jenna lying across the couch and she came around to sit beside her.
"You're wallowing," Elena said.
"My wallowing is legitimate."
"Did Logan dump you?"
"Yep. I got a brush off email saying, 'I'm leaving town. See ya."
"What a jerk!" Elena wished she could tell Jenna that Logan was a vampire now, but she didn't think Jenna would appreciate finding that out, at least not right now. "Want me to hunt him down and barbecue him?"
"Don't tempt me. I might take you up on it."
"You wanna keep it down over there?" Jeremy called from the kitchen.
"Why? What are you doing?" Jenna asked.
"Homework. I'm way behind and I've got a quiz tomorrow."
"What do you think?" Jenna whispered, "Alien?"
"He can hear you," Jeremy snapped.
"If you need any help with catching up, let me know," Elena said.
Her phone buzzed and she checked the message to see Elijah's name on the screen.
Sheriff Forbes suggested that vampires can move in the day.
So Damon's going to have to produce a vampire. And since Lexi is unable to come out in the day time, she'd be the obvious sacrifice.
I've got an idea about that. Rose is unaware, so please don't breathe a word, but I got a message to Trevor using the Martin witches while Rose was otherwise occupied.
You're going to let them kill him instead.
He'll been compelled, so he won't know that it's not him or that I was involved.
I knew you'd find a way to kill him. Elena shook her head and exhaled through her nose.
He betrayed my family and caused my brother another five hundred years of feeling like he is less than he is.
Instead of backhanding his head off his shoulders, you're going to let the Council think they took care of the vampire problem. As much as she hated the idea of someone dying, if it meant saving Lexi, who hadn't tried taking a bite out of her, and who fought to keep Stefan on the straight and narrow, she'd have to be okay with it.
"So, how goes Jedi training?" Elena asked Bonnie as she pushed the front swing slowly.
"It's going good. I wanna tell Caroline, but I don't know if I'm ready for her to know just yet."
"It's your secret, Bonnie. You tell who you want to tell when you're ready for them to know."
"How goes your plan to save the world?"
"We've managed to divert one death, Vickie. Damon turned her, like a jackass, and she was supposed to die the night of the Halloween party. Instead, she's now with another vampire, who's trying to earn her way back into Elijah's good graces, and is learning to control herself."
"So the whole 'rehab' story?"
"Is technically true. It's just the vampire version of it."
"The others who've been killed?" Bonnie asked.
"If something is meant to be, no matter how hard we fight it, it happens anyway."
Bonnie's phone buzzed and she tapped out a reply.
"I hope you don't mind, I told Caroline where I was."
"Caroline is a nice break from the supernatural, now that she's got vervain on her. So no, I don't mind at all if she comes around here."
"Vervain?"
"The necklace," Elena explained. "Yours didn't have any since you're a witch, and therefore safe from compulsion, but hers did. Elijah got you both one so it didn't seem like I was favoring one friend over the other when I gave her the necklace."
"How much are you going to tell Caroline about everything?"
"For now, I'd like her to remain in the dark about certain things, since she's still reeling from the whole 'Damon compelled and raped her'."
"He raped her?"
"He's the one who attacked me. But since Stefan saved my life the night the car went off the bridge, I can't pay him back by letting his brother be killed. Elijah tortured him and warned him away from us, so we're safe from that. But Damon is still Damon, and we're trying to save lives without devastating the one who saved me."
"How badly was he tortured."
"Pretty badly."
"And he's left Caroline alone since then?"
"He has."
"If he steps out of line though, I will do whatever I can to hurt him."
"Ask your Grams to teach you the aneurysm spell. It works wonders on vampires and werewolves who don't want to go away."
Caroline's car pulled into the driveway and she hopped out with a wave.
Taking the seat on the other side of Elena, she asked, "So, what's on the agenda?"
"We'll see what happens today. Right now, I'm all for just sitting and chilling with my best friends." Elena leaned her head back.
"So, no sexy older men are waiting for you to join them?" Caroline waggled her eyebrows.
"Right now, Elijah's busy. Dealing with some something or other that I can't help with, so I'm just taking a moment to spend time with friends."
"The fact that you knew right away who I was talking about tells me you think about it sometimes."
"He is the only sexy, older man in my life."
"True, but still."
Caroline's phone buzzed.
"Tiki!" she groaned.
"What's going on?" Bonnie asked.
"She's hosting a party at The Grill tonight. Hosting parties is my thing, not hers!"
Party at The Grill, with Lexi in town? The same thing was going down.
It's happening, same as last time, with Lexi.
Thank you for the warning. I've got Trevor waiting in the wings.
"So, if you're annoyed by Tiki throwing a party, show up looking sexier than she does." Elena stood up.
"Good plan!"
"Elena, I'd like you to meet Lexi," Stefan said with a smile.
"Elena." Lexi looked from Stefan to Elena and back again.
"Yeah, I know I look like Katherine," Elena said with a smile.
"Who's Katherine?" Caroline asked as she joined them.
"Distant relative that I look like and she's a raging bitch. Trust me, you do not want to meet her."
"Worse than Damon raging bitch?"
"Damon pales in comparison to Katherine."
"You sound like you've met her," Lexi commented.
"I know Elijah Mikaelson."
"Seriously?" Lexi turned to Stefan. "Elijah's here and you didn't tell me?"
"I told you."
"No, all you said was, 'There's an older vampire around, older than anyone I've ever met, so we've got to be careful."
"Elijah's around. But he's got something he's doing tonight." Gesturing to the pool table, Elena asked, "Care for a game?"
"You guys have fun. I'm gonna find Tiki and show her how much she sucks at dressing for a party." Caroline giggled and flounced away.
"Does your friend know about everything?" Lexi asked as she broke.
"After what Damon did to her, it's best she doesn't know until she's dealt with what she does remember."
"What did Damon do?" Lexi asked.
"Fed on her, raped her, abused her," Elena held up her hand when Stefan opened his mouth, "and before you say he was just feeding on her, kindly remember that I sported bruises from him for a while when he tried to rape me thinking I was her."
"And Elijah let him live?" Lexi raised an eyebrow.
"Stefan saved my life, it felt wrong to repay him by killing his brother."
"Though, Elijah did torture him for a few days and then warned him away from you."
"So, why's Elijah here? What do you know or have that could bring an Original to small town Virginia?"
"Nothing you need to worry about." Elena smiled.
"What the hell is up with Tiki?" Bonnie demanded as she joined them.
"What happened?" Elena asked.
"She just tried to take my necklace and said some stupid things about it belonging to Damon. Fortunately, it burned her when she tried to take it from me."
"Just make sure he doesn't get it. The last thing we need is Damon getting what he wants, because it usually means trouble for everyone else."
"So, Elena, any boyfriends?" Lexi asked.
"I'm not really into dating right now. I've got some things I need to work through before I put myself out there."
"Fair enough. I'm gonna go get some shots," Lexi said.
Just then, the sheriff came in, her face serious as she examined the crowd, and Elena knew what was happening.
"Stefan, you go get the shots. Bonnie, don't let them take Lexi."
Pulling out her phone, she called Elijah.
"Whatever the plan is, put it into motion now. The sheriff is here and I'm watching some scared looking girl pointing at Lexi. If something happened, it's being pinned on her."
"I'm on it. Keep them busy and get ready to become an actress."
"What's going on?" Lexi demanded when Elena put her phone back into her pocket.
"Stay behind me. Don't let them get close." Elena put herself between Lexi and Liz.
"Elena, I need you to move out of the way."
"No." Elena stared the sheriff straight in the eye.
"She's coming with us." Liz nodded towards Lexi.
"For what?"
"Someone got hurt and Lexi was ID'd as the attacker."
"That's not possible. She's been here, talking to me, all night. Bonnie and Caroline can confirm that. As can Stefan Salvatore."
"You don't know what she did."
"Or, your witness was tampered with before you got to her. Her memories could have been altered and you'd never know it, meaning you got the version of events that the real one wanted you to have."
"You know?"
"Yes, I do know, and your witness couldn't have seen someone who wasn't there and before you say someone did something to me, I wear vervain, every day. Now, get out there and find your killer and stop harassing innocent people."
Liz looked from Elena to Bonnie and finally to Lexi before relaxing.
All at once, a shaggy haired man stormed through the door, bearing down on them, his gaze fixated on Elena.
"Oh, my god!" Elena stepped back into Lexi.
"You know him?" Liz asked, looking at Elena.
"I remember him. I remember his face," Elena whispered, heart pounding. Seeing him, all over again, after so many years, the memories of being kidnapped and powerless while he tried to feed from her played through her mind, making it easy to put on the sort of act Elijah needed from her.
"Are you sure that's him?"
"I'm positive!"
Trevor continued walking towards them, veins appearing under his eyes. Just before he reached them, Liz injected him with vervain and Trevor buckled. Before he hit the ground, two deputies appeared and carried him away.
Turning to Lexi, Elena said, "Now, you'd better get out of town before Damon needs another scapegoat. Play drunk. Bonnie and I will help you out."
"Elena?" Bonnie asked.
"Lexi doesn't need to be brought into this. She might be a vampire and you're a witch, but she's a good one and doesn't deserve to die like this."
"Okay. I'm trusting you on this."
Together, the two girls got under Lexi's arms and helped drag her to the door.
"No one gets out this way," the deputy said.
"Do you really want her puking again? It might be on your shoes this time. Her mom will kill her if she ends up on the news." Elena raised an eyebrow.
"Fine." The deputy got on his radio. "Bartender served another underage girl. Her friends want to take her home."
"I'll handle it, just as soon as I've dealt with this. And let the girls out."
They carried Lexi until they rounded the corner of The Grill, away from prying eyes.
"Okay, I think we're good," Elena said as she let go of Lexi's arm.
"Why do I get the feeling you saved my life?" Lexi asked.
"Elijah and I knew Damon was going to try to throw people off his trail, so he came up with a plan to get payback on one person while saving another."
"See you 'round, Elena. And thank you, Bonnie. If you ever need anything, I think Bonnie, you can get the message to me."
"She'll have to learn the spells, but thank you."
"Alright, see ya around."
"Lexi!" Stefan ran up to her and hugged her tight.
"I'm okay." Lexi wrapped her arms around him.
"Miss Branson," Elijah greeted them as he joined them, "far be it from me to be a rude host, but circumstances being what they are, I suggest you leave town for a while. At least until this business has quieted down."
"Right. Like I told Elena and Bonnie, if you need anything at all, I'm your girl."
"Of course."
"I always wanted to meet an Original. Never thought I'd get saved by one." Lexi smirked, then flashed away.
"An Original?" Stefan asked.
"Just something to ponder while I escort the ladies home." Offering an arm to each of them, he led them away.
Once Elena was safely in her room, she wrapped her arms around Elijah, drawing shuddering breaths, inhaling his scent.
"I know it's selfish to need you near, but I don't feel safe when you're out of town, especially after what happened."
"Breathe, Elena. Breathe. I'm here. You're safe. You're safe."
Burying her face in his neck, Elena finally allowed herself to relax as he ran his fingers through her hair.
After a moment, Elijah guided her back to the bed and toed off his shoes, then helped her out of her shoes, before lying them both down on the covers. Elena wrapped herself into his arms, holding him as close as she could.
Elijah was here, her safe harbor returned to her. Here, in his arms, she didn't have to pretend that she was strong, that she wasn't falling apart, that she was normal. Here, she was Elena, the woman yanked out of heaven to right the wrongs her actions had triggered, and he was the one place where the storm in her mind went quiet.