The next morning, when Elijah knocks on the front door, Elena greets him with a hug and a thank you. The way she throws her arms around him might bowl over a normal man; Elijah catches her without stumbling. She enjoys the warmth of his arms around her, and how solid he is, under her hands.

"You like your gift, then," he murmurs softly into her ear, clearly pleased. Elena pulls back to look up into his dark eyes.

"Very much," she confirms, smiling up at him. For a moment, he just stares at her, as if mesmerized. Then he reaches up and gently brushes her hair back from her face.

"Elena," he says her name like a prayer. Elena wonders if this is it; if this is the moment that Elijah puts words to the emotions in his dark eyes that have so far remained unspoken.

And then Bonnie opens the front door behind them. Elena startles, putting space between her body and Elijah's. "Don't mind me," Bonnie says, slipping past them to her car. She looks apologetic when she catches Elena's eye as she passes. She clearly didn't mean to interrupt.

But the moment is gone nonetheless. (There's a part of Elena that doesn't entirely mind. The anticipation is sweet, in its own way.)

Elijah walks Elena to his car, and then it is just another day. For the most part. That evening, Elijah gets a call as he walks Elena to Bonnie's front door. He murmurs an apology, turning his back to her as he speaks briefly to the person on the other end. When he hangs up and turns back to face her, his smile is all satisfaction.

"Good news?" Elena asks curiously.

"Very," Elijah responds, but says nothing else. Before Elena can ask for more information, Bonnie pulls into the driveway. Elijah greets Bonnie politely and then excuses himself.

"Sorry," Bonnie apologizes as they enter the house together. "That's the second time I interrupted you two today."

Elena just shrugs. She's confident that she and Elijah will talk – about his feelings, and hers, and their future - when the time is right. (The vial of Elijah's blood in her pocket reminds Elena of his letter, of "Always and forever.")

Nothing much notable happens the rest of the week. During the day, Elena and Elijah spend time together at the Lockwood Mansion, and Bonnie trains with Dr. Martin. Most nights, Elena and Bonnie just relax together at the house – except when Bonnie is hanging out with Luka.

Elena's routine is disrupted on Saturday, when Elijah catches Isobel skulking outside the Lockwood Mansion. Elena watches out the window, from the safety of the study, as Elijah stares down into Isobel's eyes. The two of them are too far away for Elena to see their faces clearly, but Elena imagines that Isobel's expression goes vacant as Elijah compels her.

Elena closes her book, not even bothering to pretend that she's not waiting for them, as Elijah re-enters the study, this time with Isobel trailing obediently behind him. "It appears we must cut our time short today," Elijah tells Elena, a hint of regret in his expression.

Elena stands up, glancing at Isobel. "Are you going to kill her?" she asks curiously.

Elijah smiles down at her, something amused in his gaze. "Are you asking me not to?" he queries.

Elena shrugs, ambivalent. She knows that Isobel is a killer, and a schemer. She knows that Isobel doesn't care about Elena at all. But despite all that, Elena isn't sure that she wants Isobel dead. Isobel is an utter disappointment as a mother (Miranda Gilbert is her ireal/i mother), but she is still the woman who gave birth to her.

Elijah seems to understand her uncertainty. "I need to question her, but I won't kill her until you've had the chance to speak with her as well," he promises. With one last look at Isobel, Elena lets Elijah lead her out of the study and drive her to Bonnie's house.

Bonnie isn't back yet, so Elena is alone when she walks into Bonnie's room. She's alone when she notices the present that Isobel gave her, left untouched since Elena's birthday.

She's alone when she opens it – to find a silver dagger, and a little jar of ash, and an unsigned letter explaining just what that silver dagger can do, if it's dipped in the ash and plunged into the heart of an Original.

If it's plunged into iElijah's/i heart. (But not if into Klaus's, according to the little post-script that reminds her that werewolves heal if injured by silver.)

Elena stares down at Isobel's gift, and wonders from where – from iwho/i - Isobel obtained it. A terrible suspicion forms. She's seen Isobel's handwriting before – many times, when pouring over her old research.

Whoever wrote that letter, it wasn't Isobel.

And Elijah has repeatedly warned her that Klaus would send a spy.

Elena closes the box – dagger and ash and letter inside – and puts it in her bag. She'll give it to Elijah tomorrow, to deal with as he sees fit.

Then she goes into the living room, writing in her diary while she waits for Bonnie to get home. It's late – the full moon high in the night sky – when her friend finally walks through the door. Elena takes one look at Bonnie, and she immediately knows that she's hiding something by the way she doesn't meet Elena's eyes when she says hello.

"Spill," Elena tells her, putting aside her diary.

"Spill what?" Bonnie asks, with that fake smile that she gets when she's nervous.

"Whatever it is that happened during full moon witchy training that you don't want me to know about," Elena guesses. She knows she's right, because Bonnie looks down and to the left; her friend has had the same tell since they were eight.

Bonnie sighs. "You can't freak out," she says, her expression pleading.

Elena freaks out.

"Dr. Martin wants you to channel the spirits of 100 dead witches to kill Klaus?" she asks, knowing that she's raising her voice but unable to stop herself.

"He was going to do it," Bonnie insists. "But the spirits won't let him."

"What about Luka?" Elena asks. But Bonnie just shakes her head, explaining that the spirits were Bennett witches, and will only let a Bennett witch channel them. "Lucy, then," Elena tries, her mind whirling desperately. She isn't sure that Lucy will want to get involved.

Klaus is dangerous; that much power is dangerous.

If Bonnie channels that much power… what are the chances that she survives? And what if she tries to kill Klaus, and she fails? What if Klaus ifinds out/i that Bonnie is going to try to kill him, and he kills her first?

This isn't happening.

Elena won't let it happen.

"I'm going to call Elijah," she tells Bonnie, pulling out her phone. "He promised to protect you. This is the iopposite/i of protecting you."

"What about protecting iyou/i?" Bonnie asks, as Elena unlocks her phone.

"Bonnie… I can't lose you," Elena tells her, stopping before she presses the call button so she can stare into her friend's eyes, trying to impress upon her just how serious Elena is about this.

"You think I can lose you?" Bonnie retorts. "Especially if I could have done something to stop it, and didn't?"

"I'll take the elixir, and I'll come back," Elena replies, trying to stay calm. Yelling at Bonnie isn't going to change her mind. "It doesn't matter if Klaus is alive or dead – once the ritual is over, Klaus won't care about me anymore."

"But Elijah told you that Klaus refused to let him give Katherine the elixir," Bonnie points out. "What if he does care? We can't take that risk."

"Then Elijah will protect me. You risking your life isn't the answer," Elena tells her.

"It's my decision!" Bonnie responds. "You're my best friend, my isister/i. If I did nothing, and Klaus survived to hurt you again, I'd never forgive myself."

"Caroline wasn't your fault," Elena says. She knows she shouldn't have said it the moment it leaves her lips. Bonnie stares at her, tears welling up in her eyes. "Bonnie…"

Bonnie turns away from her. "Call Elijah. Maybe he can talk some sense into you," she mutters, stomping back outside. Elena watches as Bonnie gets back in her car and drives away – probably to go vent to Luka.

Once Bonnie's taillights disappear, Elena turns back to her phone, finally pressing the call button and bringing her phone to her ear. "Elena," Elijah greets her, picking up on the first ring. "Are you alright?"

"No, I'm not alright," Elena tells him. "Dr. Martin took Bonnie to some weird house where the spirits of one hundred dead witches apparently chose her to channel them."

He's silent on the other end of the line. Elena doesn't want to think it – doesn't want to question him. She iwants/i to trust him, but…

"Did you know?" she asks quietly. She knows he can hear her.

"Klaus can only be killed at the hands of the servants of nature," Elijah reminds her. It isn't an answer – but then again, it is.

Elena feels as if he has reached into her chest and pulled out her heart.

Elijah promised to protect Bonnie. He gave his word that if Elena helped him lure Klaus to Mystic Falls, and walked willingly to her death, that he'd protect Bonnie. (She would have never let herself feel this way about him, if he hadn't agreed to protect Bonnie.)

And yet, Bonnie told her that Dr. Martin had been searching for this place for imonths/i. That he finally found it on Wednesday night – the day after Elena's birthday, when Elijah got that "good news" that he didn't want to tell her about. The pieces are starting to come together, and Elena doesn't like the puzzle that's forming.

"Find another witch," Elena tells him, not even bothering to hide the desperation in her voice. "Any other witch."

"It has to be a Bennett witch," Elijah responds. "But I will keep your Bonnie safe. I gave you my word, Elena, and I keep my word."

"No," Elena replies, because that isn't good enough. Not when it comes to Bonnie. Not even close. "Bonnie has only been training for a few months; channeling all that power could ikill/i her. If she tries and fails, Klaus will kill her. If he thinks she's a threat, Klaus will kill her. Find. Another. Witch!" she's practically yelling into the phone by the end.

"I'll be there in a few minutes," Elijah tells her. He hangs up without so much as a goodbye.

Elena paces the living room while she waits. (She ineeds/i to protect Bonnie.)

Elena opens the door when she sees his headlights. A blink, and he's standing in front of her, separated only by the threshold and his lack of invitation.

Elena picks up where their phone call left off: "There are other Bennett witches. Bonnie's cousin Lucy. Or Bonnie's mother – I'm sure we can find her, if we look. And there's probably others."

"Klaus knows that you're here. We don't have time," Elijah tells her.

"Isobel," Elena curses. Elijah nods. "But the ritual requires a full moon – we have another month to figure something out."

"I will look for another Bennett witch," Elijah tells her. Elena knows him well enough by now to read between the lines.

"But there's no guarantee that you'll find another one, especially not one willing to risk her life to kill Klaus," she says. (It isn't a question.)

"No," he confirms.

"Dr. Martin and Luka aren't strong enough to kill Klaus without channeling the spirits of the dead witches?" Elena asks, though she already knows the answer. Elijah and the Martins spent months looking for the witch burial ground for a reason.

"No," Elijah confirms again. His gaze is sympathetic. Elena ignores it.

"Is there anything I can say to convince you to reconcile with your brother?" Elena asks, but doesn't wait for him to respond before continuing. "You have me, and the moonstone. You have a vampire, and you can easily get a werewolf. You don't have to kill him. If you give him what he wants, you won't have to be alone anymore."

Elijah doesn't respond – he just looks at her with those dark eyes, expression stubborn. Elena swallows, closing her eyes against the tears that threaten to fall.

"If you do this… you're choosing revenge over me, other what we can be," she whispers the words, unable to look at him.

"Klaus killed my entire family," Elijah tells her. "He has to die. If it were Katherine, could you let her live?"

Of course she could, if killing Katherine meant putting Bonnie in danger. It wasn't even a choice.

There isn't a choice.

Elena turns away from Elijah, and walks into the kitchen, grabbing the largest knife in the butcher's block. "Elena," Elijah almost looks amused. Does he think she's stupid enough to try to use the knife to attack him?

His amusement disappears when Elena turns the knife around, pointing it at her stomach. "If I die, then you can't do the ritual, and Bonnie will be safe," Elena reasons.

"Elena," his voice is unsure. iWorried./i

"Promise me that you'll find another way. That you'll stop trying to kill Klaus, if it puts Bonnie in danger," Elena demands, staring into those dark eyes. She can tell that he's trying to read her – trying to figure out if she's serious. If she'll actually do it.

Elijah hesitates.

Elena doesn't.

She stabs herself in the stomach, unable to hold in her scream of pain as she drops the knife and falls to her knees. (It's the worst physical pain Elena has ever experienced; and still, she would rather stab herself a thousand times, than take the risk of losing Bonnie.)

"No!" Elijah screams with her. Elena grabs her stomach, watching her red, red blood spill out, all over her hand, and onto the floor. Elijah pounds on the threshold, unable to get to her without an invitation. "Anything. Anything! Just let me heal you!"

Elena somehow pushes herself back to her feet with one arm, still clutching her stomach with her other. "Please," Elijah is practically begging. "Please, Elena. Let me heal you. Anything!"

"Your word?" Elena asks, her words starting to slur. She may have stabbed herself more severely than she had planned; her vision is starting to go spotty.

"You have my word," Elijah swears. Somehow, Elena gathers the strength to stumble to the threshold, and then over it. Elijah immediately pulls her into his arms, biting into his wrist and bringing it to her mouth. Elena drinks – until the stab wound closes over, and it stops hurting, and the world stops spinning.

Elijah heaves a sigh of relief as he brings his hand to her stomach, gently ghosting over where she stabbed herself. She's covered in blood – but not even a scar remains.

"If I lost you…" Elijah murmurs, looking down at her with dark eyes full of affection. (iLove/i, Elena finally admits to herself. Elijah iloves/i her.)

She leans up, and presses her lips to his. Elijah kisses her back desperately, his arms going around her to cradle her tenderly.

Elena stabs him in the heart.

(He loves her, but not more than he hates Klaus. And however much Elena may care for Elijah – she loves Bonnie more.)

Elijah jerks back, looking down at his chest, the hilt of the dagger sticking out. He reaches for it, as if to pull it out, but Elena knocks his hand away. As the skin of his neck and face turns grey with death, Elijah stares at her – dark eyes incredulous, like he can't comprehend what just happened.

Elena stares back, unflinching at the sight of what she's done – at what she had to do, to protect Bonnie – until he falls to the ground at her feet, still.

Dead, so long as that dagger remains in his chest, if Klaus's letter is true. (Elena acknowledges that there's a chance that Klaus lied and Elijah won't wake up, even if she removes the dagger; it is a chance she had to take.)

Elena texts Bonnie, asking when she's coming back to the house. Bonnie texts back that she's going to stay with Luka, and they can talk again in the morning.

Good. That makes things easier.

Elena is trying to pull Elijah's body into the house (and out of sight of the neighbors), when Isobel shows up. Her eyes widen, and Elena wonders what Isobel sees when she looks at her: Elena is covered in blood, Elijah's daggered body at her feet. Whatever it is, Isobel doesn't comment.

And it doesn't matter what Isobel thinks, anyway. (She's just a pawn, sent ahead as a scout, and to test their defenses.)

"I surrender," Elena tells her, takes two steps towards Isobel – until she's outside the safety of the threshold. "Take me to Klaus."

Isobel doesn't respond; she just lifts Elijah's body and carries him to his car, laying him across the back seat. Elena gets in the passenger seat (it may be the only time she has ever opened the passenger door of Elijah's car herself), and tosses the keys to Isobel, who drives them to a foreclosed mansion on the outskirts of town.

After Isobel pulls the car into the driveway and puts it in park, she shakes her head, as if emerging from a fog. "I'm sorry, Elena," she whispers – and then disappears with a gust of wind.

Elena sighs, walking up to the front door. It creaks open when she knocks.

"Hello, love," a man emerges from the shadows, stepping into the light of the full moon spilling into the foyer through the large windows.

Death follows Elena, wherever she goes.