Elijah showed up at Mila's door the very next night, flowers in hand. He wore his usual suit, but this one was all black; shirt, tie, jacket and all. Something about it was more attractive than usual, and Mila was glad she was already dressed in a flowy blouse and skinny jeans. He gave her a small smile, offering the flowers.
"You look lovely, Mila." She murmured her thanks as she took the flowers, giving a sniff as she invited him in. He stood in the living room as she put the flowers in water and grabbed her shoes.
"So, what did you have planned for tonight?" She asked as he led her out the door, offering his arm like the gentleman he'd been for ages. She slipped her own through it easily.
"I was thinking dinner and dancing." He glanced towards her and she chuckled.
"Classic." As he led her towards a sleek black town car, she nodded. "Sounds fun." They climbed in and soon they were off, a comfortable silence between them. Instead of taking her to any of the restaurants in town, he headed for the town limits, and she looked at him curiously. He pulled up to a small diner just outside of town and moved to open her door for her.
"I hope you enjoy burgers." It made her laugh quietly as she took his arm again. Elijah was full of surprises, it seemed. He led her to a booth and waited until she was seated to take his own across from her.
"So, a diner for dinner…can't wait to see where you take me dancing." Mila winked as the waitress came to get their drink orders. The entire meal passed quite amicably, with Elijah asking about her life the last hundred years. It was relaxing and fun, and Elijah couldn't remember the last time he'd enjoyed himself so thoroughly. His only regret was that it had taken one hundred years for him to find her. As they left to go dancing, he broached the subject of her fleeing.
"Mila, tell me something." She turned to him with a smile, happy after the events of dinner. He kept his gaze focused on the road. "What happened between you and my brother?" And just like that, any happiness she felt was gone, replaced with the same fear and anger she'd felt for a century. She turned away towards the window. There was silence for the longest time, and she realized he was waiting for her.
"I killed a friend of his. Needless to say, he wasn't happy." It was an understatement, and she knew even Elijah would know that. She glanced over to see his jaw clenched, and his gaze flicked to hers questioningly. She sighed. "My sister volunteered to be a feeder. Most of the vampires she was with treated her alright, healed her when they were done. Oh, but his friend…she was vicious." Mila gave a humorless laugh, shaking her head. "Ripping my sister's throat out was a particularly brutal way to feed." Her jaw clenched, and she ducked her head, squeezing her eyes shut against the images she would never be able to erase.
"Mila…" Elijah reached for her hand, but she pulled away sharply.
"Klaus dumped my sister on my doorstep for my family and I to find. It's the only time in my life that I truly wanted someone dead. So, I found a witch…who helped me find a vampire. I used the strength I was given to surprise his friend and rip her head from her shoulders." Her voice was shaking, but there was a fire behind it she hadn't felt in ages, and it felt good. "I tore her apart piece by piece and dropped them on his doorstep. He tried to kill me that night, but my sire saved me. Helped me run." With a shaky breath, Mila picked her head back up and wiped at a tear that escaped. "Now, if you don't mind, I'd like to go home. It's been a long night." She knew he wanted to comfort her, to take her somewhere they could talk; she was surprised when he turned and started for her apartment. In no time they'd arrived, and she didn't wait for him to open her door.
"Mila, wait." Elijah hurried to catch up with her as she headed for her door. She ignored him, not wanting to face him with the swirl of pain and anger crowding her thoughts. He let her go, watching as she slipped into her building, feeling more defeated than he could remember.