The next couple of chapters will be exploring Elena's relationships, taking a break from the battles and growing her character within the AU storyline. Also, building up the next big threat. :)

Rated M!

The three of them had decided to spend the night at the mansion, they where safe so there was no reason to return to the motel; Klaus had opened a fine bottle of bourbon and they all had a glass, marking the day that Mikael left there lives forever.

"Thanks to the lovely Elena, we no longer have to run," he raised his glass, smiling kindly, "and now, it's time to reunite our family."

"Yes, brother, we shall be whole again," Elijah spoke, tapping his glass against Klaus'. Elena was happy that everything had worked out but it still left the question of what now?"Congratulations on being rid of your father for good; she smiled kindly and tapped her glass against there's, they stayed up for a little while, engaging in casual conversation before Elena retired for the night, she was exhausted.

She'd gone to one of the guest rooms and got ready for bed; she had no clothes with her so she had to rummage through Rebekah's, she picked out the first pair of shorts and t-shirt she could find. She just sat on the bed, her legs crossed beneath her and tried to make sense of her thoughts, she hadn't really processed anything that had happened since she first went with Klaus and now that Mikael was dead, she had nowhere to be and no-one to run from, all that was left was her loud and messy head.

Her thoughts often revolved around her loved ones and whether she was right in leaving them all behind, her only dilemma was that they where obviously safer without her; she lay back on the bed, bending her arms at the elbow and resting her head on her hand, she looked up the ceiling and thought momentarily of Damon and how she probably hurt him a lot.

Knock, knock.

Elena shot up, slightly startled by the knocking at the door, "come in,"

The door opened and Klaus stepped into the room, his gaze instantly locked on Elena, he found her irresistible, "I just came to see how you are?"

"I'm fine, just trying to relax," and failing, her thoughts preventing her from sleeping, "how are you doing with everything?"

Klaus was mildly shocked by her concern, he still wasn't used to being around someone who actually cared and asked about him, "well, I finally feel free of Mikael and the constant running, so I'll say I'm just fine, love."

"I'm glad, you deserve to be happy," she truly meant it, she couldn't even imagine how she could survive for a thousand years like he and his family had, especially when it's your own father trying to hunt you down.

"May I?" He nodded his head towards the edge of the bed.

"Of course," she watched as he sat down just opposite her, her heart beating just that little touch more.

"I've been doing some thinking and I want to break you free from our deal, Elena," he turned his line of sight to the ground for a long minute, he didn't want her to leave but he didn't want her to stay either, for her own sake, "I won't put you in harms way any longer, me and my family are forever indebted to you for what you have done for us, I won't keep you from your life here anymore."

Elena was speechless, she wasn't expecting this at all, not in the slightest; she nervously tucked her hair behind her ears, contemplating what he was saying to her. If his had been a week ago, she would have ran out the door so fast, there would be an Elena shaped hole in the wall but so much has happened and she's connected with the two brothers now.

"Klaus-" he held his hand up, encouraging her to stop.

"You don't have to say anything," he reluctantly reached for her hand and held it within his, "I'm sorry for what I've put you through, Elena but most of all, you reached a side of me that I thought long dead, so thank you."

She didn't speak once again, words where eluding her; it must have been hard for Klaus to admit that, she felt ridiculous not being able to speak but since the day they met, everything has been hard for her and her loved ones, to be able to talk to him like this meant a lot to her.

Klaus released her hand and stood from the bed, turning to face her for the last time before leaving the room, "goodnight, sweetheart."

"Klaus, wait," her heart was pounding and she had never felt so nervous before but she had to do it, even if it was for the last time; she jumped out of the bed and towards him, her arms catching around his neck and her lips meeting his in a passionate kiss, his arms instantly wrapped around her waist and he spun her slightly.

She didn't know what it was about him that made her want more.

Klaus placed his hand on the back of her head, her hair entangling in his fingers as he brought her closer, everything about her enticed him and he couldn't resist her.

Using his speed, he kicked the door closed and moved her against the wall, her back pushed up against it; a small moan escaped her lips as he trailed his lips along her neck, his hands smoothing down her body and gripping onto her hips.

She moved her hand up to his hair, tugging slightly the more she became aroused; each kiss on her neck sent a shockwave of pleasure through her entire body; she pulled herself up on him and wrapped her legs around his waist, her body grinding against his as they kissed harder. She ripped his shirt open, each button popping off as she pushed it from him.

He sped to the bed and lay her down, his body towering over hers; he was completely enamoured with him, he'd go as far as obsessed. He ripped her shirt in two and it fell from her body, he tossed the rags to the floor and began placing soft kisses down her entire stomach, his lips moving lower and lower until he was at the beginning of her shorts.

He slowly pulled them down, his lips still grazing across her skin as he moved them lower; her heart was racing and her body felt like it could explode from heat. He removed her shorts and raised her thigh to his lips, kissing her teasingly.

She gripped onto the bed sheets, her head throwing back onto the pillow; his lips where moving further up to her most sensitive area, his breath alone sending her into a frenzy. He pushed his lips against her, his tongue massaging her clit, a loud moan elicited from her lips as he grabbed her hips, bringing her more into him.

Her body writhed beneath him as he brought her pleasure she'd never known before; she placed her hands on either side of his head and brought his face back to hers. She sat up, pushing her lips against his; she unbuttoned his jeans and pulled them down, he kicked them off his ankles and she removed his boxers, revealing him completely.

She slowly moved towards him, sitting on his lap and wrapping her legs around his back; he could feel her on his erection, she but her lip as she moved against him, her smooth body causing friction between them as she teased him with her entrance, there kiss never breaking. His hands where smoothing over her back, holding onto her waist, practically begging for more.

She obliged, lifting her hips and crashing down on him; he entered her completely, a small groan escaping his lips as she moved up and down on him. Her nails clung to the bare skin on his back as she rocked her hips on him, feeling his entire length moving in and out of her.

She became more and more wet the harder he began to move, his hips thrusting into her harder with each movement; she moaned on his lips repeatedly as he met every move and matched it, the speed increasing and the heat unbearable, her body glistened in the light with a thin layer of moisture encasing her skin.

He used his speed to lay her back down on the bed, there bodies unseparated as he towered over her; she wrapped her legs around his back and pulled him further into her. His hands smoothed over her body until he reached her boobs, his palm rubbing against her already hard nipples. She friended her hips against him and dug her nails into him again, barely able to contain her moans of ecstasy.

Her entire body was tingling the more they moved in sync with each other, he was moving faster and faster with each thrust; she bit down on her lip in attempt to contain her moans but when he slammed into her, her back arched and she was practically screaming. She kissed and nibbled at his neck to stop herself but she couldn't.

She pushed him back, his back falling onto the bed as she climbed on top of him; her perfectly tanned and smooth body now controlling his. She placed her hands on his chest and began to slowly rock her hips, grinding against his manhood; he squeezed her hips and she moved on him completely and fully, his tip just at her entrance before she slammed back down again.

He sat up slightly, his arm wrapping around her back as he lay her down on her side, entering her once again from behind; his hand was tracing the skin along her waist and hips before holding her on the side of her butt, sliding in and out of her so hard, that they both couldn't contain there noises anymore.

Her walls closed around him as her entire body tingled, she was so close to her climax and he wanted to take her to highest level of pleasure; he felt her sensitive area throbbing around him, his arm wrapped around her as he entered her completely and fully, rocking his hips harder and harder and hitting the right spot every time, she screamed out as she reached her climax, her now sensitive and wet area throbbing for more. He obliged and slowly but forcefully buried his erection in her and spilled inside, a loud groan escaping his lips.

They lay in complete silence for a few long minutes whilst there breathing steadied and there bodies came down from there climax; she slowly turned around to face him, there bodies once again entangled. In his eyes, she still looked perfect.

"Wow," she exclaimed, finally able to manage words again, "that was-"

"Unexpected?" They both chuckled as she nodded her head in agreement.

"Finishing my sentences already? Well, I'd say that's progress," she pouted her lips out playfully as they lay in bed for a while, laughing and talking; she never wanted this to end, she felt like they where really connecting on a deeper level but a part of her was scared that it wouldn't last, that anything could trigger him into his old self.

She chose to push those thoughts to the back of her mind and continued to enjoy his company; she eventually nestled against him and fell asleep, she never took him as much of a cuddler but he stayed by her side as she drifted off, his fingers playing with her hair as he soaked up as much of her as he could.

-w-

When she awoke the next morning, she was blissfully happy; the sun was shining and much to her surprise, her and Klaus had spent an amazing night together. He wasn't in the bed beside her when she woke but she enjoyed the space. She partook in her usual morning routine, once again having to borrow clothes from Rebekah. She had to go shopping, soon!

She wore a cute pair of black denim shorts and a black, strappy vest top with her usual pair of black converse to match. She went downstairs and found Klaus sitting in the kitchen alone, he smiled at her presence and instantly met his lips with hers, indulging in a long and soft kiss.

"Good morning," she spoke on his lips, her hands wrapped up in his hair.

"Good morning, sweetheart," every time he called her 'sweetheart', she swooned.

"You're in a good mood," she commented as she watched him walk towards the coffee pot and pour her a cup, handing it to her.

"There isn't a reason in the world why I shouldn't be," his smile still hadn't left his face, "you look beautiful today, love."

"You think?" She shrugged as she looked down at her current outfit, taking a large sip of coffee after, "I'm still wearing Rebekah's clothes, I really need to go shopping or something."

"Would you like me to swing by your house and grab you a few things?" He offered.

"I don't think that's a good idea, I don't want anyone to know I'm here, I'll just drive by the motel and grab my case, it has most of my things in it,"

"I'll take you when you're ready," he smiled kindly.

"That'd be great," they both sat down at the table, they sat beside each other but angled there chairs so they could be facing, there legs touching, "erm, can we talk for a minute?"

"Of course," he seemed slightly nervous by her words, in his past experiences, nothing good ever came from those 5 words.

"So, I don't want to ruin anything or be more serious than I should be but I'm just a little confused by what's going on between us," she swallowed a lump in her throat, once again tucking her hair behind her ears; Klaus had become quite intrigued by her nervousness and wondered why she felt the need too, "I mean, last night was amazi-"

"It was incredible," he interrupted before she could finish her sentence, trying to ease the tension between them; he moved his face closer to hers, placing soft kisses on her neck, nibbling playfully at her skin, "you're incredible,"

He brought her in closer and buried his face in her neck, causing her too laugh as he playfully grazed and nibbled at her skin.

"I hope not interrupting anything," Elijah had appeared in the doorway, bringing a sudden stop to there morning bliss, Klaus had placed his forehead on her shoulder in disbelief at his presence.

"Maybe just a bit," Klaus rolled his eyes and pulled away from Elena; she felt quite embarrassed, like she had been caught out by the older sibling. Guilt was also mixed in there too, she felt close to Elijah and she didn't want this to seem like a betrayal.

"I'm just gonna grab a fresh coffee and sit... somewhere else," she smiled awkwardly at them both before standing from her chair, rushing over to the coffee machine and pouring herself a cup.

"No, Elena, please stay," Klaus walked over to where she stood and whispered into her ear, "how about we have dinner this evening? We can talk."

She knew Elijah could hear them anyway but she liked how he tried to conceal it, at least, "yeah, I'd like that."

They both took there seats back at the table and Elijah had joined them, his facial expressions serious and troubling; he had avoided looking at Elena, making her feel worse than she already did.

"I spent most of the night ensuring the coffins be returned to us safely," Elijah began to speak.

"I'm aware, Elijah, I called them last night to arrange there safe delivery via private jet, my hybrids oversaw the arrangements and travel, they should have landed this morning," All Klaus wanted to do was spend the morning in peace with Elena, yet here he was, "everything should have went smoothly."

"For the most part, it did; forgive me for not putting much faith in your obscene hybrids, I waited at the airport and drove them back myself, they're out front," he stood from the chair and went to exit the room, stopping at the doorway, "you gave me your word, Niklaus."

"As I promised, we will all be reunited tonight," he stood from his chair once again and stood in front of Elijah, his hand placed on his shoulder, "we will be a family again."

Elijah believed his brother, confirmed by the nod of his head; before he left the room, he short a quick glance at Elena, her eyes returning his gaze, she felt so guilty that they flickered away momentarily, her guilt apparent. Elijah left the room and Klaus joined her again.

"So, dinner tonight? Where would you like to go? I'll take you anywhere you desire."

-w-

The day passed pretty smoothly, they had drove by the motel, collected her things and had a quick lunch at a cafe not far from the motel; they couldn't dine in Mystic Falls, the risk on her being seen was to high. They spent the rest of the afternoon lazing about the mansion, they cleaned up what was broken during the battle with Mikael and salvaged what they could of the furniture. They laughed and made fun of a tedious chore.

The evening had arrived and Elena was in her room, she didn't pack any dresses or formalwear when she originally agreed to leave with Klaus and packed, she didn't think she was going to need anything like that, so once again, she was Rebekah's closet, trying to find something that would at least suit her. Rebekah seemed to like vibrant colours and flashy outfits, there was even a flapper dress from the 20's hung up in there.

At times like these, she would text Caroline and Bonnie with a fashion emergency and they would take her shopping within the hour but sadly, she was left with very few options, none of which she was overly happy about.

She eventually picked a dress out and decided to settle, it still had tags on it and liked that it was brand new, at least Klaus hadn't seen his sister in it too, that was a bit too weird for her. It was a just a black dress with lace detailing along the chest area, it fell just above her knees and had a bit of an open back. She straightened her hair and put a touch of make-up on, some mascara and eyeliner and a bit of foundation and powder, nothing too overly bold.

When she was finally ready, she exited her bedroom and descended the stairs case; she walked into the living room and saw him, his face lighting up at the sight of her, "Elena, you look beautiful."

She could feel her cheeks turn a different shade of red at his words; he was dressed in a pair of suit paints and white shirt with the top button left open and black jacket, "you look handsome, too."

He grinned slightly at her words before offering her his arm, she took it on and he lead her outside to the car; he opened the door for her and helped her in, he closed the door and used his speed to appear in the drivers seat next to her.

They drove away from Mystic Falls, not far out but just enough so there still hidden; he drove her to a small restaurant just a few miles away. It was pretty secluded and there was only a few houses and shops surrounding it, it was a cute village, Elena had no idea it was there.

He parked up the car and lead her inside, his hand placed on the small of her back as the waiter took them to there table; he pulled out her chair and waited for her to be seated before sitting down himself. He really was acting like a true gentleman.

The waiter had brought over two menus, placing them down in front of them both, "can I start you with drinks, sir?"

"Your Finest bottle of red," he spoke, his eyes still locked on Elena.

"Good choice," the waiter scurried off to fulfil the order.

"I'm happy we can do this," Elena said as she picked up her menu, her eyes scanning over the items the restaurant had to offer.

"As am I," Klaus was still staring at her, taking in every inch of her, she was mesmerising, "so, shall we talk?"

The waiter returned with the wine, placing two glasses in front of them and filling them with the wine before placing the bottle on the table, "are you ready to order?"

"I'll have the steak, rare," Klaus handed the menu to the waiter.

"I'll have the roast chicken, thank you," she too passed the menu to the waiter and returned her focus to Klaus.

"So, you're resurrecting your family tonight? She asked, picking up her glass and having a small sip.

"Yes, I'm looking forward to seeing my brothers again, Rebekah is in Mystic Falls and joining us at the mansion later," Klaus smiled, "my family will be whole again and we can live out the rest of our existence in peace."

"I'm really happy for you," she truly meant it.

"Thank you," he raised his glass towards her, "and it's all thanks to you, Elena."

She tapped his glass and they both took a sip, "aren't you worried they'll be mad at you?"

"They'll go over it eventually when they hear my side of things," Klaus took a large sip of wine before returning the glass to the table, "anyway, enough talk of my family, we're here to enjoy ourselves."

"You're right, no business talk," her gaze flickered around the room, it was dimly lit with candles being the main source of light, there was only a few other couples dining as well, it was very romantic.

"Is everything alright, love?" Klaus noticed she wasn't quite acting like herself; she shook her head and returned her gaze to him.

"I think I'm just a little nervous," she admitted, sipping at her wine once again, attempting to snap out of her awkwardness.

"Why are you nervous?" His lip curled up into a small smile, although he wouldn't admit it, he quite liked how nervous she was.

"Everything that's happened between us took me by surprise and now we're on a date, I just don't want to seem silly or childish," she admitted coyly.

"I definitely don't view you as silly or childish, Elena,"

"How do you view me?" Her heart stopped when she asked that question, scared of the answer; he reached for hand and placed his on top, his touch sending shockwaves of emotion through her body.

"Elena-,"

He was interrupted by the waiter returning to there table with there meals, he placed them down in front of them and stood with a straight back, "is there anything else I can get for you?"

Klaus exhaled through his nose, waving his free hand towards the waiter, "that will be all, thanks."

"If you need anything, give me a shout. Enjoy your meals," he walked away once again, an awkward silence filling the air for a long minute, Elena wasn't too happy with the interruption, she was finally going to get an answer and she feared the moment had passed.

They ate there meals, talking casually and laughing away, Elena had been pleasantly surprised by the evening and his overall company; he treated her to a lovely meal and a bottle of wine, she was happy, "I've had a really nice time tonight, thank you."

"It was my pleasure, darlin'," he took her hand once more and brought it upwards towards his face, placing a soft kiss on her skin, "I like seeing you happy."

She blushed, his words making her heart beat faster; she was sure it was the wine getting to her head or at the very least, the romantic evening and closeness they've been experiencing making her say things she couldn't and feel strongly towards him but she couldn't pass up the opportunity to really reach him, "you do make me happy, Klaus."

He wasn't sure what to say, he'd never been in a situation like this before; sure, there had been other women before but none that compared to the lovely Elena, he couldn't make sense of it, "I can't deny that you do the same to me."

"But?" Her throat closed over with nerves, feeling an empty pit within her stomach.

"But I don't know if I'll always be able to make you happy," he sighed deeply, his gaze flickering from her to the table, "I've never met anyone like you, Elena and if I'm honest, I think about you all the time and hate it when you're away from me, even for a minute."

"Then what's wrong?"

"Me, I'm what's wrong, Elena, at some point, I will hurt you because that's what I do, without even meaning too," he believed that about himself, his best intentions always end in heartache and he couldn't allow it with Elena, as much as he didn't want to say all this, he had too, "I have a long list of enemies and a thousand years worth of misery constantly chasing me, you don't want to be involved with that, it changes you."

"I don't believe that,' she pursed her lips, her head shaking slightly, "the time we've spent together has been amazing, I don't want it all to end, not like this."

"I don't want anything to end either but I won't be able to give you everything you deserve and want from life," she refused to believe all this, she wasn't letting him go so easy.

"That's okay," she smiled, bringing the wine glass to her lips and taking a large sip, finishing the rest of the glass, a playful smirk curling up on her lip, "I know how I feel and I'm not giving up, I'm going to be by your side for whatever you need, just like I agreed to in our original arrangement, you're stuck with me."

He grinned coyly, her words causing him to chuckle lightly, "I'm lucky to have met you, I don't know how you can care so much for me, you know the person I am and the things I've done and still very capable of doing, my temper is uncontrollable and I may be slightly deranged-"

She cut his sentence short by interrupting him, her hand on his, "because I know the person you are and I like him."

"I still don't want you to get hurt, I don't know how I would live with myself if something happened to you, especially if it was from my doing."

"That's okay," she smiled, shrugging her shoulders, "I can wait."

"You're not going to make this easy, are you?"

"Definitely not," a teasing smirk appearing on her lips, "and I plan on wearing very little around the mansion."

"Oh Miss. Gilbert, I'm starting to think you're the evil one,"

in the past, she had only really been with one other man and that was Stefan, there relationship was mostly emotional, it relied on there ability to open up with one and other but with Klaus, she decided to exploit there physical relationship; she wasn't the same girl she was when she was with Stefan, she felt more confident and sure about herself.

"Maybe I am," she stood from her chair and walked towards him, placing soft kisses along his neck, "maybe we should go?"

"I think you're right," he grabbed onto her waist and pulled her into him, landing a passionate kiss on her lips, she sunk into him.

She broke there kiss quite quickly, her arms remaining wrapped around his neck for a long minute, her body still pushed up against him; he was already desperate to take her most of the time but for her to entice him so much, it drove him crazy.

"Come on, we have to go wake up your family," she pouted her lips out playfully before spinning on her heel and exiting the restaurant.

Klaus growled slightly as he watched her walk away, he had no idea what he was getting himself into with this one, "she's going to be the death of me."