Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters in this story, they all belong to the writers and creators of The Vampire Diaries.

Love Unavailable

Chapter 12 – Am I Dreaming?

Elena was waiting to hear from Elijah, it was the middle of the week and he would be at work, but it didn't explain why he hadn't texted or called her. Maybe he had a hard time breaking up with her. After all he was with her for over a year and a half. So instead of pestering him, she sent him one text after Rebekah had left asking to meet him tonight, the only reply she received was one agreeing and stating a time.

In effort to prepare for the evening and hopefully the first one of being an official couple, Elena decided to give her apartment a good clean. She washed her bed sheets and replaced them with fresh clean ones and then she decided to vacuum the apartment. Elena needed to pass the time because her gut told her something was wrong. She didn't know what it was but Elena was having a hard to time shaking the bad feeling.

Her hangover had long gone after she'd filled her stomach with food and drink, and some fresh air would hopefully do her some good, give her perspective. Elena decided to go jogging, it would pass the time until Elijah finished work and it would help to clear her mind of all the things Elena kept picturing in her mind.

They had never spent a day without contact, her phone bill had taken a major hit because of the amount of calls and texts to Elijah. To go from always hearing from him to absolute silence spoke more than words. Even when she did message him his reply seemed forced, their was no enthusiasm to his reply, no effort to ask her about how she was. It was almost like she messaged a stranger.

Elena looked at the clock and she watched the hand strike 7pm. It was the time Elijah wanted to come to her apartment. She had told Rebekah and was assured by the blonde that she would stay out of the way, and as normal friend etiquette the 'call me if you need anything' was said. Elena was wearing a red silk dress with tiny straps holding the fabric up by her shoulders, she wore some black high heels. Finally her hair was pinned in a clip, with only a few stray hairs falling to the sides of her face.

The door bell rang and Elena opened the door to find a less than enthusiastic Elijah. He didn't wear the happy smile that she normally saw. He looked tired and upset and

Elena had no idea what she could do for him. The lights had been turned off and the whole apartment was looking like a fire hazard because of all the candles that filled the room. Elena reached her hand out to grab his and pull him inside, but he moved out of her grasp by taking a step back.

"Elijah?...What's wrong?..." Elena wore a worried look on her face. He reacted to her as though she had an infectious disease. The way he moved away from her touch was instantaneous.

"I was a fool Elena…I am a fool. I believed that we could make what we have between us work, but we can't. Seeing Hayley made me realise that I love her." Elijah paused for a moment, his insides were tearing apart at his vicious lie but out of all the scenarios that played in his head…this seemed the best way, it was the only way that Elena would let him go, even if it meant she had to hate him.

He watched as Elena's eyes filled with wetness. Elijah could tell that she was trying to be strong and ignore his hurtful words. He sighed when he looked at the scenery behind her, Elena had made an effort and he had to ruin it by ending things. He knew Klaus was really his half brother he'd over heard the conversation between his parents and they had stayed together regardless of his parentage. Elijah didn't want to lose his child, he had always wanted a family and it was finally in his reach. He wouldn't let it slip through his fingers.

Elijah was a man of honour, he would take responsibility for his family and that meant staying with Hayley. Marrying her and learning to love the woman that gave him a child.

"Your lying!...you said you loved me! Did something happen to change your mind?!" Elena was rambling and hoping that Elijah wasn't really saying these words. He couldn't of played her all this time. Getting his jollies off while his girlfriend was away. Was he really that type of man?.

"Nothing happened! I just realised the truth…I love Hayley. I'm sorry if this hurts you..but I was confused and now I'm sure, I made a mistake. Just forget about me, move on. Find a man that will love you without conditions. A man who doesn't have a woman at home. A man who will always put you first. Be happy Elena." At those last words Elijah turned around and walked away, he closed his eyes and tried to ignore the loud cries coming from Elena. He quickly wiped his wet eyes and walked briskly out of the building.

He kept replaying the same mantra in his head 'I did the right thing' 'I did the right thing'. Elijah took a deep breath when he reached the sidewalk and then he headed to get a drink. He would need a lot of it to face Hayley. He only hoped that Elena would mend and follow his advice to moving on.

Elena couldn't move, she had heard Elijah loud and clear. He was staying with Hayley, regardless of the feelings they shared. Elena knew he was lying, her gut was telling her he was. Even asking her to move on and find someone wasn't what you'd do when you end things with someone. He gave her permission to move on as if it was his to give.

The brunette was numb, she couldn't believe she had let him in. How stupid was she to fall for a taken man. Of course she was going to get hurt but it seemed like them meeting was fate, like it was written in the stars. For once Elena wanted to follow her instincts, because she had ignored the signs when she was with Jackson and the others. The signs told her that it wouldn't end well but she never listened and now the one time she did listen when it told her that he was the one, it bites her in the ass.

Elena was sat against the front door. She had slowly slid down the wooden frame and let all the tears fall and the loud sobs left her mouth in a painful cry. All the emotions were brought to the surface. She wanted to hate Elijah, but she loved him. Unable to move she sat in the same place for hours. The candles had melted away and soon the room turned to darkness as the last flame burnt itself dry.

Elena had her knees against her chest with her arms wrapped around them tightly. She kept wondering if it was all a dream. After a few hours she finally picked herself up, she didn't look around the room, she needed to go somewhere Elijah hadn't imprinted himself on everything in the apartment. Everything she looked at reminded Elena of things Elijah and her did together. So instead she grabbed her keys and purse from the side table and quickly put her brown leather biker jacket on and headed to her girlfriends place.

It was getting late…Bonnie had made herself a hot chocolate before bed and Caroline and Rebekah were in the sitting room watching Sex in the City on DVD. They were laughing at the show when they heard a rapid knock on the door. The two blondes looked at each other briefly having a silent conversation on who it could be, until finally Bonnie stepped into the room and opened the door and gasping in surprise.

"Elena! What happened?!" She immediately asked, pulling the drenched woman inside.

Elena was shivering from the cold. While Elena walked to her friends apartment which was only five blocks away, Mother Nature decided to torture the broken woman some more by raining. Elena was soaked and she even left footprints and mini puddles as she stepped foot in the apartment.

"H-h-hhheee does…doesn't…l-love…m-mme" Elena stammered, her speech was impaired from being frozen and also because it hurt her to say those words and hear them come from her own mouth.

"No!" Caroline suddenly shouted from the side, Rebekah came to Elena soon after and wrapped a towel around the brunette. Bonnie left to get some clothes for her to change into, it was looking like another sleepover was in order.

"What did my brother do to you?...he's an idiot and I will make him pay for hurting you!" Rebekah said through gritted teeth. She loved her brother but that didn't mean she didn't hate him for hurting her best friend. Rebekah had been rooting for them, she couldn't understand why Elijah would do this, his feelings were evident when she watched the two of them together.

"Change into these" Bonnie handed a black V-neck T-shirt and some sweatpants. She watched as Elena traipsed into the bathroom with the dry clean clothes. Minutes later Elena exited the bathroom looking in a better state, except for the black smudges on her face. A blanket was given to her and Elena wrapped it around her for warmth, she made herself comfortable on the couch with her best friends following.

"What happened 'Lena?" Bonnie asked gently, she grabbed Elena's hand in a friendly gesture.

"He…He wouldn't come in, he was so cold towards me. I…I asked him what was wrong and he said that he loved Hayley. He said we were a mistake and for me to move on" Elena laughed angrily at how he had the gall to ask her to move on and be happy. How could she be happy after losing the one person who made her smile.

"Forget about him! He doesn't deserve you, I've seen Hayley and she's just a fat bitch. He's an idiot Elena" Caroline went on one of her rants, whether it helped Elena or not. Elena tried to smile but it came out as more of a grimace.

"I thought he was the one. I know he was with Hayley but I know what I felt…I felt the same in Italy and when we met again it was like fate was bringing us together. How could I be so stupid?..." When Elena asked the rhetorical question she chuckled at the absurdity of the situation.

Hours later Elena had crashed on the couch and the others had retreated to the bedrooms. Rebekah and Caroline sharing one room while Bonnie was in the other. Tomorrow was a new day, they just hoped Elena would be okay.

Elijah had returned back to his shared apartment and found Hayley waiting for him in the bedroom. Although it wasn't in a sexual way, she was stood fuming and holding panties between her index finger and thumb. She had a look of 'you have some explaining to do'.

"I was doing some cleaning today and I found these under your side of the bed….care to explain WHY THESE ARE IN HERE! Because they sure as hell aren't mine!" Hayley screamed.

"Hayley… I'm sorry" Elijah pleaded.

"Who was she?!" Hayley burst into tears from the hormone overload that pregnancy produced.

"You have to understand…I thought I was falling for her. I didn't mean to hurt you, but I want you and I want this baby. I swear it will never happen again." Elijah said in a soft voice. He truly didn't want to hurt her, he wanted to be truthful with Hayley and that meant revealing everything about Elena.

"Did…did you love her?!"

"I thought I did. But when I saw you the day you returned, I realised it was just a fantasy. And now we're having this baby and I couldn't be happier." Elijah held onto Hayley's hand and then knelt down to kiss her stomach. He heard a soft whisper of 'I forgive you'. Elijah was relieved that Hayley hadn't noticed the redness in his eyes or the pathetic lie he'd just told. He wasn't prepared to lose this child, Hayley could take the baby away and he'd never see them again, he couldn't risk that.

Elijah's family were high up the social ladder, all his siblings had done well and none had done anything to put a hit on their families reputation. Maybe being caught in nightclubs late at night but never anything serious like a night in jail. Elijah having a child and then leaving the mother for another woman was definitely not what he wanted in tomorrow's newspapers.

Hayley didn't know what to think but the easiest thing to do was to forgive Elijah. She believed him when he said he wanted her and the baby. She was lucky to have a man like him and she should have known that being away from a man for long periods of time on a regular basis would make him vulnerable to being unfaithful. But if he did it again she wouldn't be as forgiving.

The Next Evening...

Elijah and Hayley had dressed up as they were preparing to tell Mikael and Esther of the news. They had simply given a call to them the night before and his mother had said it was fine, that dinner would be at 7.

It was 6:30pm and Elijah had made a point to be early. His father expected his children to punctual and Elijah always made it his job to always be early.

"Mother" Elijah called as the door opened and the older woman embraced her son in a tight hug.

"Elijah it's so good too see you! Come in…come in" Esther ushered both Elijah and Hayley in to the big mansion.

"Ah Elijah my son, how's work?" Mikaelson loud, strong voice filled the room. Elijah replied with the normal it was fine and found his seat in the sitting room, Hayley sat next to him and he grabbed her hand. They didn't know how his parents here going to react to the news of a baby as they were only just living together.

Dinner was soon called and everyone walked to the dinging room table. No one spoke. Only the movements of knives and forks could be heard, Elijah had finished his glass of wine and Hayley had made a point to only drink her water. Although the actions didn't go unnoticed by Esther.

"Out with it Elijah…You've been nervous all night and Hayley has refused to drink the wine that complimented the meal." Esther waited with a raised eyebrow and leaned into Mikael's waiting arms.

"Hayley's pregnant" Elijah revealed happily although still showing hesitation.

"Oh that's wonderful news!" Before anyone else could say anything Mikael asked Hayley to leave the room.

A few minutes later…

"What happened?.." Hayley asked confused as she walked back in the room after seeing Elijah's parents leave.

"Nothing. Let's get out of here…" Elijah opened the door and left his family home. It seemed like the right thing to do, get married and have the baby be born with his last name. He just wasn't sure if he wanted to be committed to Hayley for the rest of his life, but it was too late to change anything. The couple walked off into the night and headed bak to their apartment.