Chapter 55: Dangerous Liaisons

October 22, 2010

Caroline and Ellie had spent the night curled up on the couch in the Forbes living room. For hours after Caroline's tears had dried they watched movies that they'd seen a thousand times, but never failed to make them laugh. It was the same thing they'd done when Ellie's parents had died and Ellie had practically lived at the Forbes house. Elena had been there sometimes too, but even after she had gone either home or to Bonnie's, Ellie remained. Caroline had been an absolute lifeline when Ellie was struggling with the aftermath of losing both her parents. Ellie intended to do the exact same for Caroline when she needed her now.

Sheriff Forbes had watched the girls for a while, incredibly grateful to the young brunette on the couch with her daughter. Caroline had sometimes struggled with friends growing up, specifically with Bonnie and Elena. The two other girls had seemed more satisfied with each other than including her. She could remember going to the elementary school for parent's day and watched as Caroline tried to join Bonnie and Elena, but the two simply giggled and left her. Sheriff Forbes had been more than a little upset as she watched her daughter try not to cry. But it didn't last long because Ellie appeared and asked Caroline to go with her. Caroline had been outright ecstatic.

Ever since then Ellie and Caroline had been practically joined at the hip. Sheriff Forbes wasn't oblivious to miss the way it was always Ellie that Caroline would want to come over. She also didn't miss the way it was always Ellie to invite Caroline over to the Gilbert residence for a sleepover. That wasn't to say that Bonnie and Elena completely excluded Caroline growing up, or that it was even intentional, but they were still just friends as opposed to best friends, even if Caroline called them otherwise.

Something had changed within the last year or so. Caroline seemed much closer with Bonnie and Elena now. She suspected it had something to do with their involvement in the supernatural. She'd seen the panic in Ellie's eyes when she opened the door. She knew the younger girl was terrified that she'd left Caroline alone when she needed her most. Miranda would have been so incredibly proud to see how loyal and loving her daughter was.

When the morning came, the girls had gotten up to find a text from Elena asking Caroline to meet at The Grill. They'd just gotten dressed and were about to leave when Caroline's phone beeped. "Who was it?" Ellie asked as Caroline put the phone down.

"It was a message from Tyler." Caroline told her. "He heard about my dad. He said he freaked out and ran when he hurt him." She sniffed slightly. "He said he's going to do what my dad said and then he's going to come home to me."

"He's gonna be ok." Ellie told her confidently. A knock on the door surprised them both. They frowned as they headed over and opened the front door. No one was there, but there were two boxes with pretty bows placed carefully just outside the door. "What is that?" One box had a card with Caroline's name on it while the other had Ellie's. "Who even knew I was here?" She asked in confusion as they took the boxes to Caroline's room.

Caroline opened her card first and read aloud, "'Please join the Mikaelson Family this evening at seven o'clock for dancing, cocktails, and celebrations'. What the..." She flipped the card over and Ellie spotted the handwritten note on the back.

Save me a dance, Fondly, Klaus.

Ellie's eyes widened. "'Fondly'? Since when is he fond of you?" She asked in interest.

"Seriously?" Caroline asked in disbelief. "How the hell should I know?"

"Open it!" Ellie encouraged.

Caroline looked skeptical, but gave in and pulled the lid off the box. Both their jaws dropped at the sight of the stunning blue dress with gems decorating it. "Ohh." Caroline breathed in surprise. It was beautiful. She abruptly slammed the lid back down on the box. "Well what about your box? Did he give you a dress too?"

The young witch shrugged, but set her card aside and opened the box. Inside was an absolutely breathtaking red dress. It was the perfect shade, not too bright or dark, and definitely not too orangey. "Oh my god." She said softly as she reached out to feel the material. It was impossibly soft and undoubtedly more expensive than anything Ellie had ever owned. "It's beautiful." Ellie admitted. "Klaus has exceptional taste."

"I don't think it's from Klaus." Caroline said and even before Ellie turned to look at her, she could hear the smugness in Caroline's voice. The smirk on her face only matched it. Caroline had opened the invitation and was reading the back. Ellie snatched the card and instead of Klaus' scratchy handwriting was one more much elegant.

Please do me the honor of saving me a dance, Sincerely, Elijah

"Oh." Ellie said softly as she looked at the card.

Caroline looked like the cat that caught the canary. "Why does it sound so much better when Elijah says it?" Caroline asked as she too felt the material of the dress. "And what's going on between you and Elijah?"

"What are you talking about? Nothing is going on between me and Elijah."

"A dress this beautiful and this expensive says otherwise." Caroline told her with confidence.

"So something is going on with you and Klaus?" Ellie shot back.

The blonde gave her an unimpressed look. "Deflection isn't cute on you." Caroline sassed. "You're lucky we have to go meet Elena, but we will be discussing this later."

Ellie rolled her eyes, but she knew that Caroline had no intention of letting this go. But to her own credit, she had no idea why Elijah had sent her that dress or why she was invited to some ball. Why was there even a ball going on? When they met Elena, they sat down and ordered. Ellie had zoned out slightly and when she snapped back into the conversation Elena was saying, "But Bonnie and her mom managed to open the fourth coffin. Apparently their mother was the one inside it."

"Wait, Bonnie found her mom?" Ellie asked in shock. "Wait, the person inside the coffin was Elijah's mom?"

Elena nodded. "Bonnie was having dreams that were trying to get her to find her mom, like the ones she had of Emily a while back. And then they spent all yesterday trying to get it open. Bonnie left and came back and the coffin was open and empty. But Esther sent me an invitation to the ball and asked me to meet with her, but at the same time she says she wants her family to be together again. Damon and Stefan both practically threw a fit about it until I said I wouldn't go."

"That doesn't even make any sense." Ellie commented. "That's weird, like really weird."

"It's all so weird. The Originals are throwing a ball, like an actual ball." Elena replied.

"It's some twisted Cinderella fetish is what it is." Caroline snapped.

Ellie grinned. "And I wonder who the pretty blonde in the pretty blue dress could be." She added and Caroline glared darkly at her.

"Shut up." Caroline told her with a glare. Elena looked confused but didn't say anything. "And anyways, why does the evil witch want an audience with you?"

"I have no idea." Elena confessed. "There's only one way to find out."

Caroline made a face at her. "I thought you told Damon and Stefan that you weren't going?"

"I did. Which is all the more reason why I need a drama-free bodyguard." Elena said, clearly implying that she wanted Caroline to go with her.

"Well, I think a Salvatore would look a lot better in a tux, and by that I mean Stefan." Caroline said honestly.

Elena sighed heavily at that. "I can't deal with either of the Salvatores right now. Whatever Stefan's feeling, he's channeling it all against Klaus. And Damon… it's just not a good idea."

"Why? Cause you two made out?" Caroline asked bluntly. Elena looked up in surprise as Ellie stiffened. "Bonnie spilled the beans."

"Wait, when?" Ellie asked.

"While you were in the shower."

They both turned to look at Elena. "I was going to tell you guys." She tried to defend herself. "It's just after everything that happened with your dad…"

Caroline cut her off. "Elena, when you and Matt kissed for the first time freshman year, you called me the second it happened. And I don't hear about this till now? And from somebody else?"

"I'm sorry." Elena said though it didn't sound sincere. "It's just… I don't even know how I feel about it yet. All I do know is that it just used to be so much easier."

Ellie was surprised by the rage she felt. "Was this before or after you and Stefan broke up?" She snapped.

Elena looked at her in shock. "What?"

"Was it before or after you and Stefan broke up?" She repeated.

"Why are you so angry?" Elena asked in confusion. Even Caroline looked confused by Ellie's rage.

The witch scoffed in disbelief. "Maybe because after everything Stefan did to protect you somehow you still thought it was ok to go make out with his brother while you two were still together."

"That's not fair!" Elena frowned.

"You didn't watch Stefan go through hell to keep his humanity all summer. You didn't watch him fight to keep himself from being the Ripper. I did! He deserved better than his girlfriend to cheat on him and with his brother no less." Ellie said angrily. Stefan had been the one that kept her sane when she was struggling. He deserved so much better.

"And then Stefan went and nearly drove me off the bridge our parents died on Ellie! Excuse me if I wasn't sure if I still wanted to be in a relationship with him."

"Oh please Elena. We both know that if you made out with Damon, you were more than likely flirting with him long before the bridge incident happened. If you made out with him you had already developed feelings for him before that. Tell me Elena, did those feelings develop while Stefan and I were with Klaus all summer because we were trying to keep everyone alive?" Ellie hissed, trying to keep her voice quiet as to not attract the attention of the other patrons of The Grill. When Elena went quiet, Ellie knew she was right. "I can't believe you." She scoffed.

Caroline, for once in the position where she needed to be the peacemaker, held up her hands placatingly. "Alright, let's take a breath. We have bigger issues to worry about than that right now. Right, Elena?" She tried.

"Careful coming to her defense, Caroline. It's all well and good till she stabs you in the back." Rebekah warned the younger blonde as she stepped up to their table.

"What are you doing here?" Elena asked. "I know your mom's rules. No hurting the locals."

Ellie was quickly realizing she really didn't like the way Elena talked to Rebekah. It was smug, like Elena was somehow better than Rebekah. "Get over yourself, Elena. It's not all about you." Rebekah replied before walking away without another word.

They turned a second later to see Rebekah and Matt talking. She passed a familiar looking invitation to him and Ellie wanted to smile when she saw Matt smile at Rebekah. "Oh my god. She's inviting him to the ball. Why is she inviting him?" Caroline demanded.

"Probably to get this reaction from us." Elena replied.

Rolling her eyes, Ellie offered. "Or maybe because Matt was supposed to be her homecoming date before you literally stabbed her in the back?"

Elena made a face, but Caroline ignored them both, before she huffed and asked, "What time is this stupid dance?"

"Seven, but I'll be back." Ellie supplied before standing from the table. She followed Rebekah outside before calling the other girl's name. "Rebekah! Wait!"

Rebekah turned on her heel and waited for Ellie to catch up. "What is it?"

"I just wanted to check on you." Ellie confessed.

Frowning, Rebekah asked, "Why would you do that?"

"Because you just woke up from my sister daggering you." Ellie replied before adding, "Plus, you were really upset when you found out what happened to your mom, and now she's back and I couldn't imagine what I would do if I got my mom back all of a sudden. I just wanted to check and see how you were holding up."

Rebekah's stiff posture softened. Ellie's heartbeat was steady. She was really just worried about her. "Mother says she wants to be a family again. It's so strange. I've gone a thousand years without her, but I've missed her so much." Rebekah confessed. "She's throwing a ball tonight to celebrate our family's reunion."

"How on earth has she managed to plan a whole ball in less than a day?" Ellie asked in disbelief.

"Never doubt her ability to throw something magnificent together." Rebekah laughed. Ellie observed her for a long moment. Somehow, Rebekah seemed impossibly lighter as if the weight of the world was off her shoulders. "What is it?"

"Are we ok?" Ellie inquired. "After what Elena did… I am your friend Rebekah. I just hope you're still mine."

Once again, Rebekah was unable to detect a lie. "Yes, of course we're still friends. If we blamed each other for the faults of our siblings, you would hate me for everything Nik has done." Rebekah smiled reassuringly at her. "Will I see you at the ball tonight?"

"I'm planning on going. I'm probably going to get ready at Caroline's, but yeah. I'll be there." Ellie told her.

"See you then!" Rebekah said brightly before walking off.


She had ended up back at Caroline's to get ready for the ball. It had been with great amusement that she watched as Caroline tried to find a dress even in the ballpark of something that could compare to the stunning blue dress Klaus had gifted her. Watching Caroline give in had been equally entertaining.

Caroline had gotten her revenge by making suggestive comments about why on earth Elijah would give Ellie such a clearly expensive dress. Ellie refused to let the comments faze her. She didn't have the time to let her thoughts linger on the absolutely ridiculous statements Caroline was making.

By the time they arrived at the Mikaelson mansion, the ball was in full swing. The place was packed and music and chatter filled the room. Ellie spotted Klaus before he spotted them. The moment he saw them, he did a double take on Caroline and Ellie watched as his expression changed. He schooled it carefully when Caroline caught his gaze and the two girls made their way over to him. "Good evening." He greeted them, though he only had eyes for Caroline.

Instead of really talking to him, Caroline ended up saying, "I need a drink." She walked away before Klaus could stop her.

He watched her go, and Ellie filed it away for later. "Hey, Klaus." Ellie said as she caught his attention. "Whatever your plans might be with her tonight, go easy on her. Her dad died last night."

Immediately something in his eyes softened and he nodded in understanding. "Thank you for letting me know. I assume you've been with her then?"

"Of course. She's my best friend." Ellie replied.

Klaus nodded before he tilted his head to the side, obviously hearing something she could. "I've been summoned, but I must say you look absolutely ravishing in that dress." He said it with an overdramatic wink that caused her to laugh as he walked away.

She didn't have to wait long to find out where Klaus had disappeared too. "Uh, if everyone could gather please." Elijah said as the music stopped. Ellie followed the sound of his voice and found the Mikaelson family standing on the stairs so that everyone could see them. "Welcome. Thank you for joining us." A woman descended the stairs to join them. She couldn't be anyone other than Esther. "You know, whenever my mother brings our family together like this, it's tradition for us to commence the evening with a dance. Tonight's pick is a century old waltz. So if all of you could please find yourselves a partner, please join us in the ballroom."

Elijah was the first to descend the stairs and Ellie lost track of him only for a moment, and then he stood before her. He always wore suits, but something about the tuxedo he was wearing just made him look even better than normal. "Elijah." She greeted. "You look nice."

He gave her a once over before he replied, "Thank you, but I must admit that I don't hold a candle to you. You look…" He paused, like he couldn't find a good enough description. "You look absolutely stunning." He told her and she felt heat rise to her cheeks. "Would you do me the honor of dancing with me?"

She couldn't help but smile as he offered her his arm. "I would love to." She agreed. He led her to the ballroom and they fell in line with the other couples. Ellie was only vaguely aware that Caroline was dancing with Klaus. All of her focus was drawn to the fact that she was dancing with Elijah. They spun in time with the others and then turned to face one another.

Elijah had a look on his face that she couldn't place as he led her across the dance floor with ease. "I'm glad you came." He confessed.

"How could I resist the chance to wear such a stunning dress?" Ellie replied. "This is the most beautiful dress I've ever seen."

"You deserve nothing less than the best." He told her. "I'm glad you liked it." Her heart was pounding in her chest, though she wasn't certain why. Maybe it was because of the way his hand was warm against the bare skin of her back. Or maybe it was just because she was scared of messing up their dance. Either way she just hoped that he couldn't hear it.

It was almost time for the partner switch, and secretly Ellie didn't want to. She was comfortable in his hold, and he didn't seem to mind it either. It was inevitable though, and when he took hold of her hand to spin her, her mind might have been playing tricks on her, but she thought that his hand lingered in hers just a touch moment longer than it normally would have. Her eyes widened at the sight of who had replaced Elijah as her partner. Kol took a hold of her as they started to move, a sly grin on his face. "Hello, darling. You look smashing."

She rolled her eyes at his flirtatious attitude, but couldn't help a small smile. He might have looked the most like Elijah, but his personality was far more similar to Klaus. "Thank you. Kol, right?"

"The one and only." He confirmed. "You looked rather cozy with my dear older brother." The statement had the heat rushing back to her cheeks, and from his wicked grin, she knew he caught it. "The never ending Petrova allure I suppose. It never seems to fail. Though I must say, I am surprised that Bekah seems to like you. She's always hated the doppelgängers."

Kol seemed to be the talkative type, but Ellie felt a rush of happiness at the thought that Rebekah liked her when she hadn't liked the others. "Rebekah's nice. She's a good friend." Ellie replied. Kol gave her a look as he moved them with ease through the crowd.

"Have you met Bekah? She's got an awful temper." He asked and Ellie snorted softly.

"Don't let her hear you say that. She'll have your head." Ellie joked. He grinned brilliantly in response, clearly pleased with her response. The dance ended not long after the duo had fallen into an easy silence. "Where is Rebekah? I haven't gotten the chance to talk to her yet."

He offered her his arm. "Allow me, darling. I'll lead the way."

His flirtatious nature didn't seem to be dangerous, so she looped her arm through his and allowed him to pull her through the crowd. She noticed Rebekah in her brilliant green dress and rushed over. "Rebekah!" Ellie said excitedly as she pulled the other girl into a hug. "You look gorgeous!"

Rebekah was grinning as they pulled apart. "Ellie, you look beautiful. I'm glad you came." Rebekah, like Kol, had noticed the way Elijah and Ellie danced together. It was her first time really watching the two of them interact and all it took was that one dance to see her brother was entirely smitten with the girl before her. Elijah looked at Ellie with a fondness that Rebekah had not seen from him in such a long time.

"I'm glad I did too." Ellie agreed.

"I like this one Bekah. She has a sense of humor." Kol announced as he picked up glasses from a tray one of the waiters was carrying. He passed the glasses to the girls before taking one for himself. "She doesn't seem as dull as the others."

"She's the one with all the personality. Her sister is as dull as dishwater." Rebekah sassed as she took a sip of her drink. Ellie gave her a look of disapproval. Rebekah ignored it; instead she said, "Oh, yes, you two haven't been properly introduced. Kol, Ellie. Ellie, Kol. This is my annoying older brother."

Kol scoffed. "Come now, we both know I'm the most dashing brother."

"I told you before Kol. You can't compel me to tell you you're pretty. I see no need to lie to you." Rebekah replied. Ellie snorted at the other girl's sass.

He laughed fakely before asking, "Well if I'm the annoying one, what are the others?"

"Nik is the angry one, Elijah the noble, and Finn is the dull one." Rebekah said without hesitation. "Speaking of the noble one, hello Elijah."

Elijah approached them and gave his siblings a skeptical look. "I hope you two are behaving yourselves?" It sounded more like a warning rather than a question.

"Of course. Quite honestly I'm offended you think so little of us, brother." Kol responded as he held a hand up to emphasize his point.

Neither of his siblings seemed impressed. "What can we do for you?" Rebekah questioned.

Had it been anyone else, Ellie would have said he seemed a bit uncertain, but Elijah's posture turned more confident as he held out a hand for Ellie. "I was wondering if you could spare me another dance?" He asked.

Rebekah and Kol were watching the interaction with extreme interest. "I'd love to." She agreed as she took his hand.

As he led her back out onto the dancefloor, the siblings shared a look. "Are they together?" Kol asked. "No one mentioned it."

"No one has said anything to me about it. So, no, I don't think that they are." She informed him.

"Odd that they aren't, with the way he looks at her."

She nodded. "Did you see the way she was looking at him? It was the stuff of those mushy romance novels."

"You would know, I'm sure."

"Oh shut up."

Elijah and Ellie were entirely unaware of the conversation between the two siblings as they danced. "What's wrong?" Ellie asked as she studied his expression. Something was bothering him.

"I don't know what you mean." Elijah denied.

She gave him a flat look. "Come on."

He gave a suspicious look around before pulling her in close. Their faces were inches apart as he kept his voice low. "My mother has requested an audience with your sister, which I'm sure you already know but…"

"You're suspicious of her?"

"Her ability to forgive Klaus after everything he's done to destroy this family strikes me as a little strange to say the least."

"Do you think she's lying?"

He looked frustrated as he confessed, "It has me asking questions I never thought that I'd ask."

"Is there anything I can do to help?"

"I've asked Elena to tell me what she says." Elijah told her. When she frowned, he assured her, "I'll know if she lies. But even her lying can tell me more than nothing else."

Ellie nodded, realizing only then that they were so close that she could feel his breath on her cheek. "You're good at this." Ellie said, her voice a little breathier than she would have liked.

"I've had a thousand years to practice. You however are a phenomenal dancer. I'm quite impressed." Elijah praised and she flushed a rather pretty shade of pink. When he'd seen her walk in with Caroline, he'd been amazed at how stunning she looked. Rebekah had been the one to suggest that Ellie would look good in red, and she'd been more than correct.

Even though he hadn't made a comment about it, he'd overheard his siblings talking as he'd led Ellie back out to the dance floor. He'd made a promise to himself over five hundred years ago that he would not let himself fall for another doppelgänger. But Ellie was nothing like Tatia nor Katerina. Ellie was warm and kind and so incredibly loyal.

Dancing with her now, they pressed closer than they needed to be for it. But he had no desire to push her away. The songs were slow and they stayed close as they danced. Her skin felt hot against his hand. He could feel her pulse racing, but she kept a neutral expression on her face. He wasn't sure how long they had danced before she straightened. "There's Elena." She said softly.

He turned to see the other Gilbert girl had made her reappearance. They walked over to her and Elijah asked, "So how was my mother?"

"Intense." Elena confessed.

"And for what reason did she need to speak with you in private?" Elijah asked as he took two drinks off the waiter's tray, first passing one to Ellie before Elena and then got one for himself. "Elena." He said when she didn't respond. "Should I be concerned about my mother's intentions?"

"She just wanted to apologize for trying to have me killed." Elena told him.

"So, it's true then? She's forgiven Klaus?"

"It's true." Ellie's stomach dropped at the tightness in Elena's voice. She was lying.

The clinking of something against glass caught their attention and they turned to see Esther standing up on the stairs. "Good evening ladies and gentlemen. Waiters are coming round with champagne. I invite you all to join me in raising a glass." Ellie wasn't sure why they had to switch out their drinks for the new ones the waiters were bringing, but she took the glass Elijah offered her anyways. "It provides me with no greater joy than to see my family back together as one. I'd like to thank you all for being part of this spectacular evening. Cheers."

After everyone started to drink, Elijah turned to Ellie and held his glass up. "Cheers." He said as he smiled at her.

She returned it, clinking her glass gently to his before drinking. "Cheers." After they drank, Ellie noticed that something was off about Elena's expression and her sister quickly excused herself.

There wasn't an opportunity to tell Elijah, because Rebekah appeared, smiling brightly. "Having fun? I saw you spending quite some time dancing." She told them. Elijah gave her a look of warning, though Ellie didn't see it. That look, however, told Rebekah far more than he likely thought it did and she felt a rush of childish delight at the opportunity before her to mess with her brother. "You too looked to be having a grand time on the dance floor."

"It's not hard to have fun when you're with someone who knows what they're doing." Ellie said easily.

Rebekah nodded, "Ah of course, surely that's all."

Elijah's look darkened, and it only added to her delight. "Actually, you've given me an idea." Ellie said.

The two siblings looked at her in confusion as she passed her now empty glass to Elijah. "What are you doing?" Rebekah asked curiously.

Ellie took the blonde girl by the hand and pulled her onto the dance floor. "Why dancing with one of my favorite Mikaelsons of course." Ellie said with a grin. "Come on, if we're lucky, we'll cause outrage with some of the old folks. Besides, we didn't get to dance at homecoming so we have to make up for it."

Rebekah smiled brightly as she allowed herself to be led around the dance floor. It wasn't one of the songs with a specific dance to it, so the two girls made their own. Rebekah twirled Ellie around, causing her red dress to flare out beautifully before Ellie dropped Rebekah into a low dip. The freedom of their dancing had the two of them giggling happily. It made it easy for Rebekah to forget about her original plan with Kol. In fact, it made her even more glad that she hadn't done it.

Elijah watched them from the side as they twirled around one another with a fond smile on his face. Rebekah had gone so long with no one. Klaus had a nasty habit of killing those that Rebekah had fallen in love with, claiming they weren't good enough for her. Sometimes Elijah agreed with him, though he wouldn't have killed them. But oftentimes when it came to women, Rebekah didn't often have many close friends.

Back when they'd been human, Rebekah had been more interested in being able to do what the boys could do as opposed to what the girls normally did. It left her with little in common with the girls of their village. That was often how it was even after they had been turned. Rebekah was strong and determined and she had never been satisfied with the meek, quiet woman image that men through the ages had often preferred.

When they'd been human, she'd hated Tatia for causing a rift between Elijah and Klaus. She'd even told Elijah so. He knew that family meant everything to Rebekah. It was why she stayed with Klaus even after he hurt her. When they'd met Katerina, she'd immediately disliked her solely for her looking like Tatia. He would have never expected to see her and Ellie giggling and dancing together like no one was watching them.

He supposed Ellie was more different than he'd realized, especially since she'd clearly managed to worm her way into Rebekah's good graces. The song had changed. It was one with a dance set to it, and the girls didn't hesitate to fall into position with Rebekah taking the spot of the man. He watched as the two of them managed to keep a straight face for all of thirty seconds before they dissolved into giggles again.

They hadn't been dancing for very long before Rebekah stilled. "What is it?" Ellie asked.

"My annoying brother and Damon Salvatore seem to be getting into it." Rebekah said as she pulled Ellie off the dance floor. "Let's go see how this goes."

Elijah fell into step on the other side of Ellie as they headed outside. Stefan was slinging the doors open as they came headed towards him. "Damon!" He called. "Are you crazy?"

Kol was lying motionless on the ground. Damon must have snapped his neck. Ellie turned at the sound of heels clicking quickly as Elena ran outside. "Maybe a little." Damon confessed. "Far be it from me to cause a problem." Clearly, he was implying something because Elena reacted the moment he said it.

As Damon walked away, Rebekah tilted her head up. "What is it now?"

Rebekah sighed heavily. "I think Kol hurt Matt. He's up on the balcony above us." She explained.

There was a touch to her back and she turned to see Elijah staring at her. "Go help him. I'll deal with this down here."

Ellie nodded and rushed back inside, though she tried to go slow enough that she didn't attract attention to herself. "Ellie, where are you going?" Jenna's voice caught her by surprise, and Ellie whipped around to look at her.

"Jenna! I didn't know you were here." Ellie confessed. "I haven't seen you!"

Jenna has a smug look so similar to Caroline's that Ellie could have screamed. "Now why would you have seen me when you've spent practically the whole time wrapped up with Elijah on the dance floor?"

"Jesus Christ not you too." She huffed. "You didn't even give me a chance to tell you how pretty you look before you started in with that."

"As if I'd let you deflect." Jenna replied. She did look really beautiful. She was also in a blue dress, though a much darker shade than Caroline's. "Why do you look so panicked?"

"Kol, one of Klaus and Elijah's other brothers, hurt Matt. He's upstairs on the balcony and I need to get to him. I don't know how badly he was hurt." Ellie said in a rush as she pulled her aunt along. They made it to the balcony quickly and found Matt with his back pressed up against the railing as he held his hand carefully. "Matt! Are you ok?"

"My hand!" Matt nearly cried as he moved it slightly. "He crushed it."

Ellie shushed him gently as she reached out for him. He flinched out of reflex, but it didn't surprise her. "I can fix it, Matty. I can help." If she had to guess, he more than likely didn't have any insurance. The last thing he needed was a ridiculously expensive hospital bill when he was already drowning in bills to begin with. "Please, Matty. It's just me. Let me help you."

She wouldn't force him to let her help. It didn't seem fair to take away his choices. She'd never liked taking people's choices away before, but after what Elena and Damon had done to Jeremy, she had absolutely no tolerance for it. "It hurts a lot." Matt confessed. "You can fix it?" The whole thing reminded her of when his arm had gotten trapped under the trailer last year. She hadn't been able to help him then, but she could now.

"I can try, if you'll let me." Ellie replied. When Matt finally nodded in agreement, Ellie started chanting softly as she carefully placed her hand on top of Matt's. She could hear him reacting to the magic, but what was even more fascinating was the way she could feel her magic affecting him. She could feel it healing him and the knowledge that it was working made it even stronger. It wasn't long before his breathing slowed back to a normal level and pain no longer colored his expression.

"Oh my god." He said shakily. He very slowly moved his fingers around. When he found he could close it in a fist with ease, he stretched them out and then sagged with relief when he realized nothing was hurting anymore. "Holy crap, Ellie…"

His hand, which had already started to bruise by the time they got up there, looked brand new again. "How did you know how to do that?" Jenna asked in amazement as she tentatively touched Matt's healed hand.

"Emily, you remember… Bonnie's ancestor and Katherine's handmaid, she was really good at healing spells. She taught them to me." Ellie explained as she helped Matt stand up.

He leaned over and hugged her tightly. "Thank you."

"Any time." Ellie assured him. "Let's get you out of here before someone else does something stupid."

She led the three of them back to the front entrance. "I think I'm just going to go to The Grill for a bit." Matt confessed. "I don't really want to go home right now."

"Do you want me to come with you?" Ellie asked.

He shook his head gently. "No, I just need a minute to myself. No offense."

"None taken." Ellie assured him. She knew what it was like to be entirely overwhelmed by what was happening around her. "Just text me when you get home so that I know you're safe."

"I will." Matt promised before walking out.

"I think that's probably enough for us tonight. Did you drive?" Jenna asked.

"No, I came with Caroline. I need to find her and let her know." Ellie said.

"I'll wait here."

Ellie nodded and headed back inside the party. She searched through the rooms, and frowned when she was unable to find the other girl. "Eleanor." Elijah called as he reached out to catch her attention. "Is Matt alright?"

"I think his hand might have been broken, but I was able to fix it. It was still a dick move though." Ellie told him.

Elijah chuckled slightly. "Well, Kol can be a dick sometimes." She grinned at his response. "You look like you're looking for someone."

"I am, actually. I was looking for Caroline. I was going to leave with Jenna but since I came with Caroline I didn't want to leave without saying anything." Ellie informed him.

"I believe she actually left a little while ago." Elijah replied. "I haven't seen her in some time."

She lowered her voice slightly and told him, "I'm probably going to stay at Caroline's again."

No one else knew that they'd shared the apartment, but he nodded in understanding. "I will likely be staying here for the night. Be sure to stay safe." He told her.

"I will." Ellie confirmed with a gentle smile. She'd started to walk away before she turned back abruptly and moved close to speak softly in his ear. "She was lying." She knew she didn't need to give context on what she was talking about.

"I know." He assured her. "Goodnight, Eleanor."

"Goodnight, Elijah." When she walked away from him, she noticed the way Esther was watching her and felt a coldness rush over her. There was something dark about the older woman and suddenly Caroline calling her the evil witch felt much more accurate. Something bad was coming and it was coming fast.


Author's Note:

Oh my god Happy One Year Anniversary you guys! I can't believe it's been a year since I first posted this! I hope you guys are still loving this story. A bit of fluff in the midst of all the bad stuff this chapter! As always please leave a review and let me know your thoughts! Also don't forget you're getting a double update this weekend since it's Valentine's Day tomorrow!

To xenocanaan: To be fair, Stefan's going through a lot and it makes him a bit more human to not always be the best friend. People get caught up in their own drama and forget about others sometimes. I hope you enjoyed the Kol and Ellie moments this chapter!

To lolistarkiller: I'd agree that Elena is worse than Kat. She's definitely the bad guy of TVD so much bad stuff happens because of her and her selfishness. Don't worry, we won't be in Mystic Falls forever. We just have to reach the point of going to New Orleans. Did you enjoy Kol and Ellie this chapter?

To brigitm28: Yes they're together again! There was some Ellie and Bekah fluff this chapter and I hope you loved it. They really are incredibly close. Someone else pointed out the Aurora thing but I'm gonna be real honest I didn't finish TO and didn't know, but it'll just be a minor detail change. Besides, it was an important scene for Ellie and Elijah's development so it is what it is lol. No, in the show no one comforted her in a scene.

To flawsome4ever: I hope you enjoyed this chapter and Ellie and Kol meeting.

To Secundum Fortunam: That's a really fair point, but a large part of that is that stuff has to go pretty similarly to how it went originally to get them to New Orleans. When we get to TO there will be some big things that get changed and I'm working out original plots for that. It's really just trying to get Ellie and Elijah's relationship developed and to get them there.

To Guest: Lol, I didn't know that because I didn't finish watching TO before I started writing this, but that scene was important for Ellie and Elijah's relationship so I won't be changing it. But when we get to the point of Aurora and it coming up I'll probably address it.

To PondRiverWilliams: Right? Kol would have done anything to keep Silas from coming back, but no one ever wants to listen to him.

To Oz: Yes fluffiness! We are so so close to the romance starting it's not much longer now. I'm not sure if Elijah and Care have had a lot of interaction, but she's definitely a better sister than Elena. Damon really needs to learn to shut up.

To avid1980: I'm glad you're loving it! And I'm glad you agree with how manipulative Elena really is. I loved her too when it originally came out, but I was much younger then. I think it's when you re-watch it that you have a clearer perspective of who she really is. I would have much rather watched a show where Katherine was the main character.

To skyellebaby: Well, yes, Klaus has issues, but he intentionally threatens them with being daggered so that they do as he wants, which isn't fair. He did deserve it, I mean he took 900 years of Finn's life. The others have issues as well but they don't lock him in a box. At the very least, I intend for Stefan to switch to Ellie's side. Did you enjoy Ellie and Elijah's moments this chapter? I also want Kat, Bekah, and Ellie to be a trio but it's going to be a while before we can do that because currently Klaus still has it out for Kat. Kol and Ellie are fun to write. I do intend for Davina and Ellie to be close, Davina needs a positive female witch looking out for her.

To vivi. wie: She's fighting it so hard! Yes, two chapters this weekend! That's a fair point on Finn they never let him do much. Hopefully I can work something out for Finn. Yes, Finn is in TO at least for a bit.

To ItzIzziieMonsta: I literally can't stand Elena. I'd move out too, but to be fair, she basically has. She definitely acts like she's perfect when she isn't. Kat will most likely throw it in her face at some point.

To sumaiyahc06: I'm glad you like the contrast between the two of them. I'm so glad you're enjoying the story.

To AdiraBraelynn: He was so mad! Them bonding over their struggles is so sweet. Yes, we're in denial. She's definitely flustered! Lol a one shot about him finding out would be so fun. All I wanted was for Ellie and Elijah to genuinely be friends before they got together. Her telling them that Elena isn't a saint is definitely something they needed to hear. Ellie isn't going to like Esther one bit. Did you enjoy her and Kol together this chapter? Yes more flustered feelings, Ellie doesn't know how to act! They aren't going to know that Elena helped Esther to try and kill the Originals until the act is done, but she's not gonna be happy. Ellie will help Jeremy, but some stuff she can't protect him from. Damon really is a volatile vampire. I wish I had a best friend like Ellie too. Ellie absolutely misses her, but she just kind of gets wrapped up in Mikaelson drama and it doesn't give her much time to be with Care. We really haven't gotten much with Ellie and Bonnie, I never realized it until looking back at it. But I guess that's because Ellie was Care's best friend and Elena was Bonnie's. She's definitely starting to get pulled in multiple directions. Kat is going to find out about things, lol. But I'm not sure if Ellie admitted that they basically live together. Stefan is a beautiful soul and I love him. Also never apologize for long reviews I love them!

To Guest(2): You do get some Callie scenes this chapter, though not a lot of Klaroline.

- Madame Magic

Posted: 2/13/21