"How are you feeling?" Elijah asked when Elena's gaze focused on him.
"Tired," Elena croaked.
Elijah helped her sit up and then held a glass of water to her lips.
"Thanks." Elena situated herself so that she was sitting against her headboard.
"Any idea what triggered the attack?"
"Talking about what I know and the spirits of nature seemed to do something to make it worse."
"Perhaps you were too close to revealing something someone didn't need to know."
"So, the spirits want me to keep things from Caroline for now?"
"That and it's possible you were being spied on."
"We can all guess who was spying on me." Elena leaned her head back and sighed.
"Yes, we can. It's just too bad that you had to go through what you did to keep them from hearing more than what they should."
"Seeing Enzo was nice though. He deserved better than what he got."
"And he seems attracted to Bonnie already."
"It feels like the beats that are meant to be from the first time around click right away," Elena mused.
"Shall I leave?"
"I do need to shower and get ready for bed. I'm tired." Elena climbed out of bed and stumbled once.
Elijah caught her arm and steadied her, as he said, "I think I'll wait until you're back in bed."
Once she'd showered and climbed into bed, Elijah turned out the light and Elena drifted into sleep.
###
When Elena woke up the next morning, she lay there in her bed, unable to get up.
"Elena?" Jenna knocked on her door, then cracked it open. "Are you going to school?"
"I can't," Elena whispered.
"Caroline and Bonnie dropped your books off while you were sleeping, so you can do your homework when you can get up."
"Thank you." Elena curled up.
She slept until after noon and when she checked her phone, she found a few messages from her friends to check on her.
Still up for the dance? Caroline asked.
I'll try. I'm feeling bit better now.
Good. Bonnie and I will be over after school.
Sounds good.
###
"So, what did I miss during my two days out of school?" Elena asked her friends. She and Caroline were seated on her bed, ready to go to the decade dance, while Bonnie spun slowly in front of them, studying her reflection in the mirror.
"Yesterday, Stefan and Damon were both looking for you. So you needing to be home was a good thing," Bonnie replied. "They got pretty insistent."
"Like crazy insistent that they be allowed to talk to you."
"Anything else going on, besides the Salvatores trying to find me?"
"I think Matt is trying to get a job at The Grill," Caroline said as she stretched out on the bed.
So it was just the spirits keeping Damon and Stefan from hearing what she'd been about to say without meaning to, aside from her being overwhelmed with what she'd endured.
"He's all alone, with rent and bills, what with his mom off with whoever, and Vickie in rehab. He needs the income to make sure Vickie's got a place to come home to," Elena commented, running her fingers through her perfectly coiffed fifties hair.
"Oh, my god, you're right. I'm such a sucky friend." Caroline hung her head, her curls hanging around her face.
"You're not a sucky friend!" Elena protested. "You're a friend who's dealing with enough on her own, so the slots in your head regulated for handling difficult things are already filled up with your own issues and you can't help others if you're stretched so thin."
"Still, that means I can't be there for people I care about."
"Not being able to be there for the people you care about, that doesn't mean you suck," Elena said. "That just means you've run out of space in your 'everything I can possibly care about' box, and you need to recover before other things can take the space of those slots."
"That sounds like the health bar in a video game," Caroline protested.
"They weren't wrong though. We only have so much we can take before we need to recharge, and no matter how much we care about the person, unless we're able to take whatever it is they've got going on, we can't help them."
"Damn it, why are you always right?"
Elena shrugged.
"It sucks that I don't know what's happening to him, but having a real 'Mom Friend' around helps a lot."
"I'll do whatever it takes to keep the people I love safe." Having her own children returned to her seemed to becoming more and more unlikely, so she would give that love to the people around her, in effort to keep herself from whithering away from her loss.
After a moment's consideration, she pulled out her phone and texted Elijah.
Is there anything we can do to lessen Matt's financial burden? Like pay the past due bills so he just has to focus on upkeep, rather than catching up?
I'll handle it.
Thank you so much.
The true meaning of Elena's words might have gone over Caroline's head a little but Bonnie caught them and she wondered. Just what had Elena gone through to keep the people she loved alive and happy? Considering whatever it was between her and Elijah, it had to be big, especially no one knew.
She'd been so desperate, she'd even asked Enzo, but he didn't know anything.
"What happened to you?" Caroline asked, the way Elena said the words registering suddenly.
"Don't ask, Caroline, because the answer isn't one that you'll really want to answer."
"So, what happened to you, it doesn't directly affect me?"
"\What happens to me, it affects everyone close to me," Elena admitted, her voice low and ashamed. Caroline's word from her other life rang in her head, 'It's all about you.' She shook off the memory and continued,, "No matter how hard I try to keep everything contained."
"Elena?" Caroline's worried whisper nearly broke her.
"Please, trust me when I say that it's better if you don't know everything. You can't know what I know, or what's happening, in order to keep certain things from happening.. And I know that probably made no sense.""
"What can I do to help?"
"Just help keep me focused on what's going on around me, instead of what's rattling around in my skull."
"What will help?"
"Talk about what you've got planned for this evening. Help me stay out of my own head."
"I managed to wrangle Elijah into being a chaperon."
"How did you accomplish that?" Elena couldn't imagine Elijah willingly spending time around teenagers if her life wasn't in danger.
"I may have sweet talked Mrs. Lockwood," Caroline grinned, her blue eyes twinkling.
"Not that Elijah would need any convincing to be near you," Bonnie added.
"I didn't get all dressed up for nothing, in case you're worried I'd bail. I just won't dance with anyone."
"What?" Bonnie scoffed. "You honestly think a guy who's been around like Elijah's been won't know how to dance?"
"What if he doesn't want to dance with me?" Elena whispered.
"She's crazy. You're crazy. Please, tell me she's crazy!" Caroline looked from one to the other frantically.
"She's going through some things you've said you aren't ready to hear about," Bonnie said, "and she's trying to protect you from that, which is why she hasn't told you yet."
"What happened?" Caroline whispered.
"Only when you're truly ready," Bonnie replied, trying to keep her voice kind so Caroline wouldn't feel left out.
"You promise you'll tell me when you know I can handle it?" Caroline's desperation leaked into every word.
"Promise." Elena hunched over, trying to catch her breath.
"But, you know too, Don't you, Bonnie?" Caroline slumped over.
"Not much. Elena knows so many things that she can't tell me much of anything. When you're ready, after you've healed from what Damon did to you, she'll tell you what she can without destroying everything."
"What Elena knows can ruin things?" Caroline scoffed.
"What I know can destroy this entire town, and so much more, if the wrong person found out."
"You're not serious, are you?" Caroline searched Elena's features, but even her human eyes could find no lie.
"I'm absolutely serious."
A thump caught Elena's attention and she called, "Jer, I don't know who you've got in the house, but could you please keep the hank panky to your bedroom?"
Did Anna have an invitation inside already? She didn't know for sure.
Whatever it was thumped louder and Elena pulled out her phone. She had a feeling she knew what what causing the thumping noises and there was no way an untrained witch, a human, and a human doppelganger could deal with that.
Something weird's going on. Come over?
Be there as soon as I can.
Putting her phone away, Elena decided to look around a little bit. If it was a vampire trying to roust them, it was better to provide it with an easy target instead of making it go looking for one chancing upon Jeremy. She knew the score. He didn't.
"Stay here, I'll be back in a minute."
No sooner had her foot touched the bottom floor that she found herself launched into the air at top speed, with a vampire holding onto her. Her back hit the couch hard, knocking the wind out of her. Before she had a chance to respond, he was ripped off, his chest free of his heart, and Elijah held his clean hand out to her.
"You might want to get rid of both the heart and the body before Caroline comes down stairs wondering what the ruckus is."
Elijah nodded and slung the corpse over one shoulder.
"Thank you, Elijah." Elena chewed on her cheek, then asked, "You'll be at the dance right?"
"I did agree to chaperon it and far be it from me to break my word." Elijah vanished after that, leaving Elena alone in the living room.
"What happened?" Bonnie asked.
"Nothing you want to know about, trust me. Now, let's finish getting ready. We've got a dance to go to."
###
At the school that night, Elena walked into the building, flanked by her best friends.
"So, where's your boy toy?" Caroline did a little shimmy as she spoke
"He's not my boy toy. He's my friend and I care about him and his happiness."
"Denial is only cute until it's stupid," Caroline commented. "And don't judge me for that remark, Bonnie, because you know that Elena feels more for Elijah, Sexier than Anything, Mikaelson than she lets on."
"For future reference, Caroline, you might want to be careful what you say when," Elena whispered. "You never know who can hear you, especially Elijah."
"He can't can he?" Horror flooded Elena's face.
"Don't worry. He's used to a lot worse than anything you've said by now."
"Why is Damon here?" Caroline demanded as she brought the trio to a complete stop.
"I have no idea," Elena sighed
So, Damon being here was a part of the spirits of nature's plan, was it? Or was he just trying to get close to her again?"
"Elena."
She turned to face Elijah, smiling widely.
"May I have this dance?"
"Isn't that a little formal for a '50s teen party? You know how they talked, so why not give it a shot?"
"I think I may have a little smog in the noggin, but I think you're right."
Elena giggled.
"What's a good looking girl like you doing without a partner with all these flatter bums around?"
That really made Elena laugh.
"While this isn't my sort of bash, it's one of the few places where almost no one is circled." Elijah grinned as he spoke. "And yes, that is actual 1950s talk, in case you were wondering, and circled means 'married,'"
"So, how would a guy in the '50s ask a girl to dance?" Elena looked up at him from under lashes.
"Hmm." Elijah pursed his lips, his dark eyes twinkling.
"What?"
"You'll laugh."
"Let's hear it."
"Yeah, Elijah, how did a guy in the fifties ask a pretty girl to dance?" Caroline asked, smirking.
"Come on, baby, let's rattle."
"Oh, my god, that is so bad!" Elena giggiled.
"I told you you would laugh."
As Elijah led her away, Elena called over her shoulder, "Oh, Caroline, Bonnie, be careful, some not nice people who seem like they're nice at first might be around, so look out for anyone who only comes out after dark."
Elijah found a spot on the dance floor and guided her movements as a fast song played.
"How much does Caroline know?" Elijah spun her around.
"She knows that the supernatural is real, but not what exactly."
Elijah flipped her over his back and Elena shrieked.
"Elijah Mikaelson, you can cut a rug!"
"What can I say? I've always been fond of dancing. For centuries, it was a way of getting close to a woman I wanted to get to know better, without ruining her reputation."
The DJ selected a slower tune for his next song and Elijah pulled Elena close. As they swayed, Elena found herself looking up into his eyes, electricity pulsing through the air between them and she tilted her head towards him almost automatically. In response, Elijah lowered his head until his lips were less than an inch from hers, then, he stopped.
"We shouldn't," he whispered.
"Why not?"
"Because you're not ready."
"You think my feelings for you are because I'm trying to replace someone else?"
"No. But I don't want you to regret getting involved with me or feel like you moved on too fast."
"Okay."
"Elena." He cupped her cheek, brushing his thumb along her lower lip. "I want to pursue this with you, but not before you're ready."
"You think I've still got things to work through in regards to him?" Elena asked, confused. There was no chance of her ever wanting Damon, so why was he worried?
"I think you need to know for sure what you want. I don't want to just be the one you turned to just because you needed someone and I was there for you." Leaning down, he kissed her cheek. "I just want you to think things through and not regret me. I couldn't bear it if you did."
"Promise?"
"I swear it."
A sudden movement over Elijah's shoulder caught her attention and she focused on it without meaning to.
"Anna!" Elena whispered.
"She knows I'm here, so she'll behave herself."
"That doesn't make Jeremy safe though, does it?"
Elijah stared at Anna until she looked at him.
"Jeremy Gilbert is Elena's brother. You hurt him, you'll have me to deal with. I know how to open the tomb, but we have to wait until the right moment."
Anna walked up to them, her expression uncertain.
"We know how to find the grimore that will free your mother, on the condition that all but a few in the tomb die and we can get the witches necessary to do it." Elena shrank closer to Elijah in the presence of this older vampire who looked so young.
"Bonnie and her grandmother are witches. They can open it," Anna said.
"Bonnie is just learning to harness her power and such a spell could kill Sheila," Elijah retorted. "Give us some time to get things lined up. Once everything is in place, then and only then, will we open the tomb. I've got other witches who might be willing to help, for a price."
"Anything!" Anna shouted, then looked around when people glanced their way. "I'll do whatever they ask, owe them whatever favor they want from me. As long as they help me free my mother."
"Don't hurt Jeremy," Elena begged. "When he cares about someone, he gives them everything he has and he doesn't deserve to be punished for what our ancestors did to you."
"Elena is quite the ally for vampires in her own right and once Jeremy gets things together and he can be trusted to know the truth, so will he."
"We're not our ancestors. So please, don't hurt my brother."
"You're different from her, from Katherine," Anna commented. "You're kinder, fiercer."
"Having the same face doesn't make us the same person."
"Alright." Anna crossed her arms and studied the pair, then turned to Elijah. "Talk to your witch allies, tell them I'll owe them any favor they ask of me, short of killing myself and my mother, for their help, and we'll be cool."
"I'll get them the message as soon as I leave here."
"Okay. And for the record, I actually think your brother is cute, so now that I know you two will help me, I'll rethink things where he's concerned."
"You hurt my brother in any way, and I swear to God, it won't be Elijah you'll have to watch out for. I'll kill you myself."
Anna took a step back, startled by Elena's vehemence, then inclined her head and walked away, leaving the pair alone.
The music changed into another slow song and Elijah held out his hand to her. Elena took it and allowed him to guide her into a dance.
"I want this, with you," Elena murmured. "But you're right, I don't think I'm quite ready to kiss you just yet. I mean, I want to. But yes, I think taking it slower is best for now."
"As slow as you need, I'll be here, with you every step of the way."
Elena rested her head against his chest and they swayed together.
"I do want this, with you, but you're right. I do need to take some times before taking this step."
It pained her to admit this, but if they were going this route, they needed to be honest with each other. Building a relationship on half truths and pushing herself before she was ready, it would doom it before it began.
"Just being with you, like this, it's enough," Elijah murmured.
"For now."
"For as long as you need."