I do not own TVD or TO.
This chapter only has the one scene in it, but it's almost entirely Elejah content.
ElejahAlwaysNForever - I'm glad you like loopy Elena. I had a lot of fun writing that part in.
TVFan72 - I love the idea of Hope and Elena tag teaming Klaus and pointing out how whipped he is by Caroline at any opporutinity.
Kas Black Potter Winchester - it's gonna be a while before we get answers about Elena's pregnancy. Right now I've typed about half of the first notebook, and the answers about the baby start coming a quarter of the way through notebook number two, but they are coming :)
Elena dozed in her hospital bed, bathed in a shaft of sunlight, and appeared dead to the world. He would have chosen another word to describe her current state of consciousness, but Freya had chosen 'dozed'.
He gave a soft tap on the door frame, startling Caroline from her light doze.
Her hand curled tighter around the edge of the bassinet as she jerked out of dreams into awareness, straightening up and acknowledging his presence with a short nod.
"How is she?" His eyes traced the sharp angles of Elena's face. Without meaning to he stepped forward, hardly recognizing his own actions until his fingers skimmed the prominent curve of her cheek and the feathered lines around her eyes, smoothed in sleep.
Lines that hadn't been present when he left her in the hands of her friends.
"Exhausted," Caroline stretched. Her voice softened, lifting an octave. "Little baby no-name decided she was coming into the world feet first."
Elijah glanced over, finding her cooing into the open-top of the bassinet.
"They say children born feet first will have healing abilities," he offered a half smile.
"Don't they also say that babies born at night will never sleep at night?"
"I've known that one to be true," his smile widened. "Kol was born at night and would cry at all hours, only going to sleep when it was time for the rest of us to begin chores. I forgot what true rest felt like for the first three years of his life."
His fingers absently stroked Elena's hair from her face.
Caroline glanced at his hand, but he had eyes only for Elena.
"Aside from exhausted how is she?"
"I would imagine sore," she tilted her head in an attempt to block out the beep of the heart monitor. "She was still in a lot of pain with the epidural and needed to have stitches."
He nodded, eyes darting to a second visitor's chair, empty save for a sweater. "And Miss Bennett?"
"She started feeling the spell so I sent her home to sleep; she must have forgotten her jacket," her fingers reached for the dark grey wool. "She saw the baby and held her. We cooed, we awed, and two of the grown-ups crashed. One with the aid of heavy painkillers," she gestured to the bed.
His eyes rose to the bassinet. His feet itched, wanting to circle the hospital bed so he could peer into the tiny face he couldn't see.
Would Elena dominate the infant's features? Would there be a hint of the potential predator who altered her memory?
Would there be some information for him to utilize in a quest for answers?
Would there be a starting point, or would he be captivated by her tiny features as he was by her mother?
A different captivation to be sure, but captivation nonetheless.
"Hope wasn't born in the hospital," he twisted a lock of brown hair around his finger, "it is common practice to keep newborns in the same room as their mother?"
"No," Caroline shook her head. "After the labour and delivery she was a little dazed, but insisted the baby stay. She got really worked up about it. I was scared she would pop her stitches so I agreed to stay after compelling the staff."
"Worked up?" His frown etched into the lines around his mouth. "Why?"
"She seemed to think that if the baby was away from her then she would disappear." She busied her hands folding the wool neatly. "Bonnie and I tried to tell her it wasn't gonna happen, but she had that 'I'm gonna sacrifice myself to a sadistic hybrid' stubborn look, so this was just easier; I fully believe she would have tried to walk to the nursery."
Elena shifted in her sleep, leaning into his touch as she had all those years ago in the gazebo. With emotions the movement accompanied a soft hum.
"If you need to get back to work I don't mind staying," he touched her jaw. Elena turned, fitting her cheek into the palm of his hand.
"I'm sure you don't," Caroline smirked. "I do have a few things to do at work."
She schooled her features into indifference when he looked up sharply, but couldn't keep her eyebrow from raising slightly.
He withdrew his hand.
Elena's brow wrinkled, twisting her nose.
"I…"
Caroline held up a hand, waving away the halfhearted explanation.
It took Elena four hundred thirty-two days after waking up to mention the letter, one hundred ten to bring up his sign off, and a further three days to talk about what occurred in Willoughby before Idiot One and Idiot Two dragged her home.
On top of that, she had seen every look as they rose from tolerance to a grudging respect, admiration and finally adoration. She knew that for once the captivation didn't begin and end with her friend's face.
Elijah may not have been as vocal about his affection. There had never been a sweeping declaration of 'your last love', or promises to see the world, but 'Always and Forever' had a quieter ring to it.
The vow would echo through the ages.
It already had.
"I'm not blind," she said simply. "I'm gonna go, but I'll come back later with afternoon with a car seat."
"Will they release them so soon?" He pushed his hands into his pockets.
"Today or tomorrow, and if not today then I'll leave the car seat for whoever ends up taking them home."
He nodded as she took one last look in the bassinet and left. He managed to wait a few minutes, a true testament to his thousand years of patience, before he moved a human speed around the bed.
Between a pink hat and striped hospital blanket peeked a tiny face. She had the makings of her mother's nose and jaw. He thought he might get away without being taken in, but then her large eyes opened: unfocused and deepest blue.
With a grunt she worked a tiny fist free and waved it at him.
He glanced towards a soundly sleeping Elena and then back to the baby.
Her mouth opened, ready to bawl.
He scooped her up before she could cry and swayed, cradling her in the crook of his arm as her stomach gurgled.
"You're hungry," he cooed; something he would deny if either of his brothers asked. "Your mommy is sleeping, though. Do you think you can be patient? Hmm?"
He reached for the call button, pressing it while the infant studied his face.
"Can you hold on for the nurse?"
She puckered her lips, searching for food he didn't have.
"Is it feeding time already?" A man's head poked in the room, kind eyes crinkling in a smile.
"Am I going to have to wake her?" He nodded to Elena.
"We've got formula on hand, and she had a hard delivery. I'll get it."
Elijah nodded, rationalizing that he had to be one of the compelled staff to not mention the baby and strange man in the room; he returned before she could fuss.
Elijah settled into the visitor's chair.
Her nose crinkled familiarly and she suckled. A little formula dribbled from her mouth into the roll of her neck. He gently wiped it away when she was done.
"That's better, isn't it sweetheart?" He placed her on his shoulder, rubbing her back until she released a small burp.
"'Lijah?" Elena's sleepy voice rose from the bed.
Bleary eyes struggled to focus on him.
"Elena," he shifted the baby back to his arms. She blinked up at him with more focus than her mother, but Elena managed a lazy version of her half smile. "I'm right here. I'm watching her. You can rest."
"I wa' ho'," she frowned, bringing a deeper pucker between her brows. The age had taken her overnight; it was jarring but no less beautiful. She opened her mouth and tried again.
"I want to hold her."
"I thought it was something like that." He stood, arranging her neatly in the curve of Elena's arm that remained wire free.
She lacked the physical strength and energy to lift the infant so he slayed her on the mattress with Elena's arm acting as a bumper.
Her fingers carefully traced the arm outside the blanket.
"Hi," she breathed.
The tiny fist jerked, bumping her arm.
"I've been interpreting that as hello," he chuckled. "I'm certain it will seem less violent when she can uncurl her fingers."
Elena managed a half smile, different then 'his smile', and kissed the top of her daughter's head.
"How are you feeling?" He helped her tuck the child's arm back under the blanket.
"Tired," she mumbled, lashes fluttering against her cheek.
"Then sleep, Elena," he settled into a chair, "I'll be right here."
"For how long?" She mumbled.
"As long as you need," he watched mother and child drift off, "until you say go."
He stayed there until they were both asleep and on the path to recovering from the trauma of birth. Then he stood and moved the baby back to the bassinet.
By the time Elena woke up again he had shed his jacket, tie and rolled up his sleeves; her baby wiggled in his arms.
She remained awake long enough to question Caroline and Bonnie's absence.
The third time she tried to sit up, so he moved and raised the bed into a sitting position.
"Still tired?" His watch read 12:43.
"A little," she shifted with a wince and a hiss.
"Are you okay?" He filled a cup with water.
She sipped while blinking the sleep from her eyes.
"I had stitches," she pursed her lips and bit her cheek. The line between her brows deepened. "Was Kol here?"
"Not to my knowledge," he eyed her pale features, drawn tight in pain. "Would you like some help in healing? I hate to see you hurt."
"That's sweet," she leaned against the pillows, situating her hips in the most comfortable position she could manage, "but vampire blood lost all effect on me when I took the cure. You might want to warn Rebekah about that in case she gets any ideas about going skiing or something and breaks a leg."
"Speaking from experience?" He untangled the wires, gently brushing her hand.
"I've never broken a leg skiing, but I did break my arm after a fall down the stairs," her eyes glazed over, lost in memory, "a couple of ribs too."
"Carrying too many things?" Elijah guessed.
"Ex-boyfriend," her fingers twitched, reaching for the ghost of a wound. She saw him stiffen from the corner of her eye; redhot fury flashed across his features. She enunciated each word carefully so he would be sure to hear and calm down.
"It was the first and last time he hit me; I think Caroline made a midnight snack of him, but six years later I still don't have verbal confirmation. He disappeared after that and the only thing Caroline would say was that she took care of it and that nobody would find him since the spot had been chosen by Klaus years earlier."
"Good," some of the tension left his shoulders, but his jaw remained locked. "Niklaus is proficient in covering his missteps."
"Why do I get the feeling if he were still alive his fate would be a lot more… grisly?" She tilted her head, not thinking before reaching for his hand.
He looked down, watching her cool fingers curl around his palm. His gaze strayed to her arm, sharp eyes picking up the faint lines of an old surgery. He hadn't given much through to the punishments of old in a long time, but he would not have been opposed to enacting a little Viking Justine on her behalf. In his opinion any man who would beat a woman, or a child, deserved a violent death.
Had he not lacked the courage he would have stricken Mikael down the first time he raised a hand to Niklaus. He should have done so, but he had been a boy of nine.
Still.
There would be hell to pay when he found the bastard(s) responsible for her memory loss and subsequent pregnancy. He knew of several fitting punishments for rapists should that prove the case.
"Grisly…" he began, tracing the veins in her hand, "… feels too mild a term." His muscles twitched with the desire to raise her hand to his lips and smooth the furrow between her brows with a soft kiss.
He settled for rubbing circles into her palm with his thumb. "I'm sorry that happened to you, and I apologize for making you relive it now."
"Forgiveness is kind of our thing, so I suppose I can let it go," her eyes crinkled slightly when she smiled.
"Isn't betrayal out thing too?" He chuckled.
"And trust," she added, shrugging, "we go round and round. The carousel never stops."
"I think I saw an emergency break," he teased.
"Oh, good," she sank into her pillows. "I'm starting to get a little dizzy."
"That will be the after effects of your painkillers."
"What did they give me?" She struggled to sit and immediately regretted it.
Elijah passed her the chart hung over the foot of the bed, flipping it open. She took it after pulling off the heart monitor clip.
A long beep filled the silence as she read. He half expected a nurse to race in their direction, but before one could the cord pulled itself from the wall.
"It was annoying," she whispered into the silence.
"What else can you do?" He eyed the blank monitor.
"Mostly fire and moving things with magic," she licked her dry lips. "I don't practice a lot so I'm not very good, but I wouldn't have minded the telekinesis as a kid."
"Kol used it for all kinds of mischief as a child."
"No trouble," she smiled, "I just wanted the good cookies off the top shelf."
"I'm sure you still found a way to get them."
"I climbed," she nodded, shoulders rising in a silent laugh. "I fell. I cried?" She tilted her head. "My mom thought my wrist was broken, but dad wrapped it up, gave me some just and one of the cookies; I was fine a few minutes later."
"So your mother over-reacted."
"It's possible," she licked her bottom lip, "but dad was also experimenting with vampire blood for the town council, so…"
"The paediatric ward would probably frown on that." His smile softened when a gentle gurgle reached his ears. "Are you certain blood has no effect on you? The cure is gone, and has left you, presumably, human."
She laid the chart on her legs, watching as he refilled her glass from the sink.
"I don't know," she admitted.
"Would you like to try?" He shut off the tap. "The worst that can happen is nothing."
"Isn't the worst that can happen having it work, and then something unexpected comes along and I wake in transition?" She countered.
"Elena, I give you my word that I will not let that happen unless it's your choice."
That was what it truly came down to with Elena after all. The only thing she truly wanted for herself was the freedom to make her own decisions.
He waited patiently for her choice.
The gurgle acquired accompaniment from a waking heart and a tiny hitch in breathing. The same kind Elena made when she was surprised. He suspected waking outside the warmth and safety of the womb must have come as quite the shock.
Elena nodded once.
He bit into his wrist and a let a small stream of blood dribble into the cup. A turn of the plastic diluted most of it.
She drank with a grimace as he cleaned his wrist, tipping her head back and downing the water like a shot.
He lifted her wriggling baby into his arms and cradled her close to his chest.
Elena's face twisted up. After a decade she had thought she forgot, but the feeling of skin knitting together appeared to be stuck in her body.
She yanked the IV from her hand as it began, starting as always with a tickle. Then the tickle exploded into a full-blown itch between her legs and up into her abdomen.
The moment it began to feel unbearable it stopped, leaving her with a niggling discomfort caused by the remnants of her stitches.
Showering was bound to be fun.
"It worked," he nodded to her hand. "Was it enough?"
Elena took stock of her body while he transferred the baby into her arms. The deep ache and tearing were gone; she could tell that by feel. The only physical reminders of her pregnancy seemed to be the extra layer of softness around her belly, the heaviness in her breasts and the newborn in her arms.
"I think so," she murmured. Her eyes dropped, catching the deepest blue. She had lacked awareness before and was only half-convinced she had held her baby, but now, free of painkillers and somewhat rested she knew what was happening.
Her heart swelled, accepting what her mind had pushed back for months.
Mine, she thought, precious and mine. A tear fell on the blanket.
"Elena?" He didn't try to stop himself from gently tucking her hair behind her ear as he perched on the bed by her thighs.
"Hi," she breathed, allowing her finger to trace a pudgy cheek. "Hi, baby girl. I'm your mommy," her eyes shimmered as she choked on a sob. "I'll try not to screw up, I promise."
"You won't."
Blue eyes swivelled. He leaned a little closer so she could focus on his face.
"Elijah," she glanced up, "thank you for helping me last night, and for being here."
"You're welcome," he lifted his gaze from the baby. "I meant to return, but your darling daughter made her appearance first. I still don't know her name."
"Neither do I," she huffed a small laugh. "I thought I'd have a little more time, plus, as you know, I was putting everything baby related off."
"I do know," he nodded, lifting a finger to smooth out the blanket.
"What about now? Do you have any ideas? She'll need a name before she goes home."
"No pressure," Elena sighed. Her daughter wiggled and grunted, looking towards Elijah with a pucker in her lips.
"I think she's hungry."
"How can you tell?" Her brows lowered.
"I've been diligent in keeping her satisfied so you might rest," he pointed to his ear.
"Oh," a faint flush stained her cheeks, "right. Um…" she turned her head, eyeing the snap of the hospital gown. "Could you hold her a second?"
"Of course," he nodded, taking her.
He spoke softly in a language Elena didn't know, cooing to distract while she pulled on the buttons.
Before that moment she would have called anyone who labelled Elijah Mikaelson as soft a complete and utter moron with an obvious death wish, but his entire continence changed. She had seen kind eyes and gentle smiles, felt tender touches and heard sweet words, from him directed at her, but this was different. The way he cradled and spoke to the baby suggested he would slaughter anyone who wished her harm; much as Elena had felt when she looked into her baby's eyes.
"Okay," she blushed, baring one breast, "I'm ready." She wasn't sure whether to be embarrassed or pleased when he placed the baby back in her arms without looking at her chest.
Her tiny mouth rooted, searching. Elena guided her nipped into the hunting mouth. It took her a few tries to latch, but then she felt the tingling trickle. She hardly glanced up as Elijah placed a blanket over her front to preserve her modesty, draping it so she could still see the baby's face.
"This feels weird," she admitted on a breath of air. She also felt closer with the skin on skin contact. Her heart felt ready to burst.
Was it safe to feel the amount of love she did?
She needed a distraction before she broke down in tears.
"Can I ask you something?" She lifted her head in time to see him nod. "What did you mean last night when you said you forgot? How was that possible?"
"I was compelled by the joint efforts of Marcel and a witch," he spoke after a beat. "We had just divided the Hollow, and I feared my devotion to Niklaus would cause everything to unravel. He compelled away 'always and forever', and my memory went with it since without it I'm nothing. I did eventually learn who and what I was, but without my memory the knowledge of my family meant nothing, so I fought against remembering."
She gaped, feeling different tears threaten. "I'm…"
"Not the distraction you were hoping for," he gave a wry smile.
"I'm so sorry that happened." She swallowed, spotting the guilt in his eyes. He had done something, or neglected to do something, and someone must have been hurt.
"I'm sorry for whatever you're blaming yourself for," she adjusted the baby over her shoulder and reached for his hand before burping her, "but I feel pretty confident in saying it wasn't your fault."
"Perhaps not, but I'll likely blame myself for a while yet." He raised his hand to the baby's back. "Names?"
"Is that the answer to 'what's the first thing I can screw up as a mother'?" She cupped the baby's head, smiling when she released a tiny burp under Elijah's ministrations. She cradled her in both arms, lowering her head to press a tender kiss on the downy cheek. "I should probably come up with something before Caroline comes back with the big book of children's names."
"You don't think that would help?"
"I think Care would try to help, but the sheer volume of names will be overwhelming," she peered down into the littlest face he had seen since Hope. "You wanna tell mommy your name, baby girl? Huh?"
She looked up, tilting her head in thought. The last cry she had heard came after the first gulp of air, and she knew that was down to Elijah's care.
"I don't think she's going to be any help," the corner of her mouth quirked up.
"They don't talk much during the first year," he nodded, "after that they never stop. Did you consider any names at all?"
"A few," she admitted, lowering her gaze to bright eyes. "I liked Brooke and Harper and Ava, but I don't think they fit. I liked Lily too."
"For Lillian or Lilith?" He tilted his head.
"I wasn't about to name my baby after a demon," she rolled her eyes.
"That all depends on interpretation," he smiled, motioning with one hand. "Lilith was Adam's first wife, made from the same clay, but she refused to be subservient so she left the garden of Eden. So she has been interpreted as a dangerous demon, but she also represents female empowerment, autonomy and individuality."
"All good things," she agreed with a nod, "but the first thought is demon, and the next thing you know my sweet little girl is growing into a hellion and turning my hair grey."
"That would be quite the change from the serene child in your arms," he smiled, meeting the blue eyes.
"She is very serene," one tiny arm got free. "If I call you Serena are you going to immediately rebel and act like a Lilith?"
She blinked up, slow and tranquil, watching her mother. Her fist waved as Elena said the name again.
"I think she likes it," her hand closed around the fist.
"She likes you," he nodded, "and your voice. And I think the name suits…" He looked over his shoulder, finding the source of the knock that interrupted him.
Bonnie leaned in the open door.
He stood up.
"Hey," she greeted, "auntie Bonnie's here; should she come back later?"
"Of course not," Elena smiled, "get in here."
"I didn't know you had company," Bonnie stood at the side of the bed. "I was hoping to cuddle a cute little baby."
"That can be arranged," she moved, carefully transferring the girl.
"Hello, sweetie," Bonnie cooed, "do you have a name yet?"
"Serena," Elena snapped her gown closed.
"That's beautiful." Her eyes lifted to Elijah questioningly.
"Are you recovered from the spell?" He pushed his hands into his pockets.
"I'm better," she nodded. "I was hoping to talk to Elena… alone."
"Then I shall take my leave for the time being," he reached for his jacket. "I'll see you soon Elena."
He moved towards the door, pausing at the sound of her voice.
"Elijah…" he caught a slight flush on her cheeks. She chewed her bottom lip for a second and exhaled. "You could probably get away with it again."
His heart fluttered as he turned giving her a hint of a smile and showing Bonnie the start of his own flush.
He left them in the room and moved towards the elevator with no intention to eavesdrop but their voices carried before he made the conscious decision to ignore them.
"Get away with what?"
"Murder," came Elena's dry reply. He chuckled. "What did you want to talk about?"
"Last night's spell."
Elijah froze with his finger over the button.
"It's not a permanent solution, but with your help we can make it one."
The doors glided open.
I simply cannot believe how productive I've been today. I edited and reposted chapters 1-4 and typed out chapter five. :D
I might even get chapter six typed out today so it'll be ready to go soon.