Just a sidenote, this chapter, and the last one were supposed to be one big chapter, but in order to avoid my wrists from falling off (and my fingers from typing it all out) I broke it into two as appropriately as I could :)
Please review! (Usual disclaimer applies)

Chapter Six
…This Way Comes

Caroline paced back and forth practically digging a hole through the floorboards of the once extravagant Mikaelson home.
Klaus' home.
She remembered the ball with a strange forlorn feeling. The Original hybrid had made a powerful attempt to court her that night, seemingly taking advantage of Tyler's absence.
It was wrong, so she denied each advance, yet now…she was in his haven.

Now this home, once filled with beauty, was a desolate waste. Where the townspeople once danced together in unity (in many ways more than one) was now empty, as barren as a desert land.
Caroline never imagined she would end up here, with a witch tied up in the basement.
Moving over to the stairs leading down, the blonde sat at the top leaning her head into her hands. She never asked for this, none of her friends did. In fact, it seemed that was what they were fighting for, for the ability to ask once again. Maybe they wanted normalcy, maybe they only wanted to survive, or maybe they believed there was something better on the other side of this…blockade that the witches have formed.
Maybe.
Elena had left hours before, leaving Caroline alone, unable to talk about what happened, what they had done. She wouldn't get over it anytime soon, but from the look in her friend's eyes when she knocked the warlock out, she had shut out her emotions just as Elena always done since this started. The thought was disturbing, "Elena Gilbert the compassionate one" had turned to ice, and in line, Caroline couldn't figure out what to think. She was the one who committed the act, she was the one who killed Amelia.
In a way, the blonde envied her friend for being able to shut everything out, but on the same note, Caroline could only imagine the inner turmoil she was going through-yet deep down she wondered if she was going through it at all, or if it was just her own hopeful thinking.

With her cooler still next to her, the vampire pulled out a blood bag, instantly piercing the plastic to drain it in moments before heading down the stairs.

The basement was dank, and like most, had a musty smell emanating from the walls and cement floor. She wondered what the Mikaelson family had used it for before they took it over. It was unfinished and dirty with a hint of loneliness added to it only making the scenario that much more threatening.

"What do you plan on doing to me?" the bald warlock, Elena's captive, was chained to a chair in the far corner. The vampire approached carefully as she grabbed a cup of water from the small sink to the side.

"Nothing." Caroline replied glumly, as if trying to pretend she would regret the decision not to tear him limb from limb (even though she very much would) "We aren't here to hurt you." She sat down on the chair close by, making sure to look him straight in the eye as she spoke, the catty attitude was beginning to surface in tempo with the niceties she was trying to show.
The warlock scoffed and turned his head, avoiding the offer of water. "Right, says the girl whose friend knocked me unconscious and tied me to a chair. "

"We are just protecting ourselves," she murmured, mostly to herself as if trying to be reassuring for her own ideals. "Why don't you see that?"

The warlock chuckled and in the darkness, the vampire could see a grin cross his lips, "Protect yourselves? Yeah, I'll believe that in hell. Do you remember that we are in this war because of you vampires?"

The blonde shot to her feet at the words, she refused to believe them. "How can you say that? It's not our fault we got roped into this with no intention on killing anyone!" her eyes moved to the ground to stare at her feet, her pink sneakers contrasting against the dull grey cement, "Not most of us anyway…"

She wasn't lying. Elena, Caroline, even Damon and Stefan, had nothing to do with the full out attack at the death of the two Originals. They were just defending themselves, it had been other vampires (some they may have been protecting even now, as it seemed they were all on the same side).

"Yeah well, most of the witches stopped caring at this point. It is clear the vampires are out of control, and siding with the wolves makes the balance unstable, it's either destroy the bond, or destroy you, and from the looks of it, they have decided to destroy the vampires." He pretended to give an apologetic look, but failed as instead it was clouded in deviousness and adoration for the witches decision. "They have lost too many, and there is no way to fix that."

"Oh really? So you are all innocent, is that why you broke into a house in an attempt to take out vampires and end up kidnapping Stefan?" the blonde snapped, grabbing him by the chin to force him to look at her. "It sure does sound like you are trying to be peaceful." She was becoming increasingly irritated with the warlock, while she was well aware the witches were not entirely at fault, they were just as at fault as the vampires.
Pulling his head out of her grasp, the man smiled to her sweetly, still attempting to push every button he could before he pushed her over the edge.
"Besides using the Original to stop this stupid war? I don't think so. Majority of the witches believe this is the only way to end everything. They want to purge the vampires from the world once and for all. Just like Esther tried to just over one hundred years ago."

"But the balance…" Caroline murmured to herself, she knew (as she had learned from Bonnie) how important the balance of nature was to the witches. She had always believed that witches valued all life, but that value did not seem to stretch out to the vampires, as they were not alive.
"A balance? The vampires are why the witches are unable to withhold the balance in the first place! There will be no need for a balance if we purge you all, so therefore that is what needs to be done. One Original at a time, and your friends are going straight for it."

A moment of clarity hit Caroline like a ton of bricks. It could have only been a passing thought at first, but instead it remained to fester like a disease. They didn't want just the Original of course, they wanted to follow, so they could wipe out the vampire race, in turn Damon and Elena would lead the witches straight to Tyler…which could lead them to Klaus.

It was only her, Damon and Tyler left of her friends. Elena left with Stefan and while Caroline wanted to follow, she couldn't leave Tyler. They were hiding out in the old Lockwood mansion, avoiding the terror of what was happening around them. Everyone was getting out of control, from the vampires to the witches setting fires trying to draw the others out, fighting randomly. There was no order.
They only wanted to survive, her and her friends, at this point but it didn't seem to be allowed. Some of the vampires panicked, stopping the witches that they thought were killing the Original family, in turn their bloodlines . Naturally, the witches began to retaliate, even though their powers were weakened it didn't stop them. Now they were all being caught in the crossfire, each "side" sheltering the straggling humans (the few that were left, as many of them fled due to the "gas leak" that occurred throughout the town).
It hadn't taken long for them to get pulled even deeper into the middle as well.

It started when a vampire bolted through the white double doors of the Lockwood home unseen until he crashed into an unsuspecting Damon, who instantly turned him down to the ground.

"Run!" The fleeing vampire had attempted to choke, but it was too late.
The witches were quickly on them, and in the rush of everything neither the vampires nor hybrid noticed the fleer's blood drenched hands.
Witch's blood.
There was no turning back now, in guilt by association, they were shoved into the middle of a fight they never intended on jumping into, and before anyone could react, so much as have the time to give a warning, the Lockwood mansion began to burn just had Mystic Fall's past regime had done so when Carol had passed.

The fire was spreading quickly, and soon the flames danced a deadly path between Caroline, who was closest to the door, and Tyler, who was trapped by the kitchen with Damon.

"Tyler!" She cried out, attempting to rush the flames, but her skin singed at the touch. She could hear him on the other side, muffled by the cracking of the sparks, but through the thick smoke, she couldn't see him. Ashes filled her lungs as the flames engulfed the mansion, she could no longer smell the witches, however her senses were skewed. All that the blonde could smell and feel was the fire, and she was sure a scent of burning hair, as the tips were singed to black. Even though both Tyler and Damon were lost among the flames, she knew they were okay. She would know deep down in her un-beating heart that if something happened to Tyler she would feel it.
Choking his name out again, coughing up smoke rings as the rafters began to crash to the floor, each piece of the roof weakening by the fire, she attempted to force her way through again.
"No!" Caroline screamed again as she moved to step through, but a hot pair of hands pulled her away, a familiar scent of blood greeting her senses again. The force was powerful enough to yank the hysterical vampire out of the house, still screaming Tyler's name.

She couldn't leave him.

"Stop fighting me!" the smooth voice demanded as the blonde's back hit the grass and she found herself in the front yard, staring at the stars.

"No!" she cried out once again, the words from constant use, were beginning to feel foreign on her tongue. "I need to get Tyler!" She didn't even think to look at who she was talking to, until she saw the blood on his hands.

"You need to get out of here before they come after you too." He advised in all seriousness, grabbing her arm, the dried witches blood flaking onto her own skin. "Please! Tyler is safe, trust me!"

"This is all your fault!" she shook his arm away while jumping to her feet, "You led them straight to us! We only wanted to be left alone!" her voice felt like gravel moving through her throat.

"I am sorry about that, really I am. But that doesn't change the fact that you need to run. They will kill you and what good will that do for Tyler?"

The vampire stranger lifted the blonde off of her feet, and tossed her away, out of the path of a rush of faulty magic backed by the team of witches that had set fire to the nearby trees and Caroline took one last look to the home as it burned, the smoke rising like it's own personal chimney into the sky.

Tyler was safe-so the stranger had told her- so she had to run before the witches turned their attention on her.

A bang from the upstairs diverted Caroline from her distant memory and the warlock only laughed.
"Did you think they wouldn't come for me?"

Elena and Damon were forced to flee the tomb of their friend's body. The full moon had begun approaching much more rapidly than they had anticipated , leaving the two vampires vulnerable to the werewolf's shifting.
Luckily for them, (as lucky as it would seem) the ritual had been cast, giving the vampires just the time they needed to run as the young girl screamed in agony.

The candles had burned out the moment Olivia's ritual was complete and soon enough the vampires could feel the magic crawling over their skin as it released.
"Olivia, are you all right?" Elena went to approach the wolf girl who was on her knees, panting heavily. Both her and Damon could hear the witch's heart racing- the unnatural tone rumbling through as Elena's dark haired friend grabbed her tight by the arm, pulling her back protectively .

"We have to get out of here."

Elena turned back to him, ready to argue (in all of her one hundred years, she had never seen a werewolf shift before) until she heard a low snarl erupt from the girl. She was beginning to shift into a wolf, becoming more deadly than ever.

"Get…out! You don't have much time!" Olivia cried as she began to change and Elena watched in horror while in a matter of seconds, the girl's pale skin shifted to rush colored fur.

"Elena! I am not asking you again!" Damon had her out of the tomb just in time to shut the large cement door, the wolf's growls rumbling from the other side as she crashed against it.

"We can't just leave her in there with Bonnie…" The brunette began to panic, looking back longingly as they began to walk away, but Damon shook his head.

"Bonnie is protected by her magic, she cannot do any harm so try not to worry, and we will let wolfie out in the morning." He followed her gaze back to the tomb and placed a hand on her shoulder, "Right now we have an Original to retrieve."

Elena wasn't about to pretend her friend neglected to say "rescue" or "revive" , but she went along with him. She had hoped that Damon wouldn't betray her, she always believed she could trust him, but with Stefan on the line there was no telling what he would do. Damon Salvatore could easily become a loose cannon. Elena needed to come up with a plan and she had to do it fast.
She nodded in agreement and disappeared down the road, the wolf's howls echoing amongst the property as Damon followed close behind.

According to Tyler, Elijah was hidden near the ashes of the Lockwood property, somewhere among the trees and when Elena heard this, she became concerned then, but more so once they arrived. Both vampires knew the same information, but they both had different intentions, it was only a matter of who would find Elijah first.
In short order, the vampires separated, Elena, heading closest to the trees partially destroyed by the fire and Damon closer to the house to search the ashes. They both searched relentlessly for the coffin, which Elena hoped had at least been hidden well and she wished that Tyler had given better details as to where he was located, but it didn't matter. She aimlessly walked through the trees, using each sense to find him that she could spread out. While she searched, she came close to giving up, until she felt a brush against her shoulder. At first, she shrugged it off as a branch, until a breeze wisped through her hair, almost as if a ghostly whisper.
In that moment, everything turned into a dream, a strange eerie dream as if a spirit went through her, leading the vampire to turn her gaze just deep enough into the forest where she saw what she was looking for.
A rock formation, that looked nearly statuesque, surrounded by the ruins, stood tall before her and when she approached, an opening became visible from the other side just large enough to squeeze a coffin through. Smart move Tyler, the vampire mused with a grin.

In order to get into the cavern, Elena had to squeeze over the coffin, crawling on the top to get inside. Her hands shook as she gripped the lock, she wasn't afraid but she hadn't seen the Original in twenty years and she wasn't sure if she was ready to face him…

It was one week later, after drifting throughout the state of Pennsylvania, that Elena found the folded up business card on the dashboard with Elijah's address and phone number written neatly on it. She bit her lip, unsure if she should see him, but her indecision turned quickly. Elijah was a friend and there was really no reason not to at least see him. She didn't want to admit it out loud of course, but she had missed his calming presence and dry humor. So without thinking twice (or three times in this case) the vampire turned on her car engine, checked her phone for any missed calls from her friends back home (she hadn't expected any, but she had one text from Caroline, telling her that Damon had gone down to Florida to find her) and began to drive. She considered calling the Original first, but decided against it. She didn't want to give him the chance to say no to her. It was going to be a brief visit anyway.
Elena's GPS brought her down a long winding road surrounded by trees, there were no lights to guide her way, but she didn't need them. A vampire could see well enough and once she reached the end of the street to see only one house set in the darkness, she recognized the ploy to keep any unsuspecting humans at bay.
Elijah always did enjoy his privacy, and she felt at times, she was the only one he would open up to.

After killing the engine, she stepped out of the vehicle to walk up the cobble stone path. He had to have known she arrived, and even though it was late, Elena figured he would be awake. The Original was never one for sleeping, she recalled him spending his nights writing or reading, and every once in a while, he would join her for a light stroll through the town.
They were friends, regardless of what everyone else considered of their relationship.
He had saved her life in her worst moment of weakness, she wasn't going to just let him go. And who were they to judge who she had coffee with maybe once a week until he left? Who were they to tell her she couldn't go for walks in search of the common serenity he gave, she never found it anywhere else, so who was she to turn it down?

Quietly, the brunette walked up each step with care, she was afraid to make any noise in such a serene setting, as disturbing it seemed like a crime.
Her knuckles were white from gripping her hand into a fist before knocking once, then twice following, and stepped back to eye each bright star in the sky. Elena's eyes twitched to the distraction of a light flickering on upstairs and she soon heard a rustling in front of the door as the lock clicked open.

Looking back down as the door opened, Elena found herself locked in a gaze with Elijah, who had clearly just gotten out of bed.
"Hi…Elijah…" she smiled, staring directly into his eyes, forcing herself to avoid taking in his surprisingly perfect physique. He stood before her in a pair of dark green sweatpants and shirtless as she struggled not to notice each curve of his muscles and the way his veins popped while he gripped the door.
"Elena…" his tone was questioning, "What a…pleasant surprise. I had assumed you would have gone by now."
The girl shook her head, and shifted to the side as a breeze passed through the air, rustling the surrounding trees.

"I am enjoying the fall here, it's relaxing." She smiled to him, "I'm sorry, I know it's late, I just-"
The Original held up his hand and waved for her to enter.
"Please come in, and it is no matter, but you knew that already." With a stout nod, she moved past him, not taking her eyes off of his.

"To be honest, I am not sure where to go next…" She followed Elijah into the den, which was mostly a large cleared room with only a couch, an old English style coffee table and a bookshelf yet somehow it had a homey feeling to it.

"Well, clearly I am not going to rescind my offer." He stated plainly, "Would you like a cup of coffee?"
Moving her eyes to the ground, Elena nodded, trying not to smirk. Even at two in the morning, the oldest vampire to walk the Earth was a gentleman, forever and always.
"How long have you owned this house?" she questioned, he had never mentioned it before, although he had brought up a few of his properties around the world in conversation. She was beginning to feel intrusive as she examined the room thoughtlessly.

"I have owned this home since the early 1900s," he replied from the kitchen, "with some minor updates this place has become my own personal escape."
There was a hint of intimacy in his voice which could have made the younger vampire feel uncomfortable, but the warmness of Elijah's smile as he emerged nearly made her forget.

"I am sorry it's so late again. I didn't expect you to be sleeping." She quickly apologized with a wistful glaze,
The Original set his eyes on her as he handed her a mug filled with hot coffee, the smell alone managed to perk Elena up.

"It's just a drop of milk, unless you have changed your preference since last we saw one another?" he questioned, avoiding her second apology. Elijah never said anything he didn't have to, and a second time telling her it was all right, was pointless.

Elena shook her head, allowing the hot liquid to pour down her throat. Her and the Original's coffee get togethers had clearly come in handy (that and him assisting her in her studies was an extra bonus) since he knew exactly what she preferred in her coffee.

"So then Elena, what made you change your mind and decide to enjoy Pennsylvania even longer?"

The truth was, she would have left the state the very night of the bar incident but subconsciously she knew she stayed with the hopes of seeing him again.
She had missed him, and probably more than she should.

"I didn't want to leave without at least saying goodbye." There was no point in lying to the Original, even without being able to hear her heart beating as it used to, the closer they had turned overtime the more obvious her emotions had become to him.

"Well, I appreciate your thought, even if it did occur at two in the morning." He teased, joining her on the couch. "But tell me, what is the real reason you came?"
Elena couldn't prevent the dejected look that crossed her face, she didn't want her lost friend to believe that she was using him…even if she did have ulterior motives.

"I-" she stammered, searching for the words to explain exactly what she came for. Did she come for him? In retrospect she had. Elijah had what she needed, he always did. "I came because I…I want to be myself again. I am tired of feeling so weak, out of control and defenseless. " Elena didn't finish with "how I feel when I am around you", instead she continued, "I don't want to have to be protected anymore." She shook her head sullenly, "I just want to be me again, and I am afraid that I have lost who I am."

Elijah chuckled lightly to himself and reached across the couch to place his hand over hers. "The fact that you are worried you are no longer as compassionate as you were when you were human, shows me that you have not changed Elena"
He even knew what she was saying in her undertone, the concern she lost her compassion, her care for her friends, family and loved ones. She didn't need to say it, he knew how many layers she was speaking in. It was why she opened up to him in the first place.

For a moment, she froze under his contact, but there was something in his eyes that comforted her. Elijah always knew her, even before she knew herself. That was why she had come here, she wanted to be herself with a friend who she was comfortable with.

"I just hope you are right." She sighed, gripping his palm for comfort, and smiled back to him feeling a strange…power surge through her, something she was not as familiar with as she would prefer.
They were friends, she told herself and he was there when she needed someone she could trust.

"Now that we have established that…" Elijah started, standing to his feet and releasing her hand, the power she felt withering away with it, making her want to grab it for more, "Your own self protection is something I can help you with…in the morning, or afternoon at this rate. If you would like to get some rest, I can show you to your room."

So expecting, never surprised.
Your room, he had said.

She had come to the right place after all.

Elena took a deep breath, still staring at the coffin which like Bonnie's, was covered in a decent layer of dust, which she swirled her finger over lazily before gripping the lock again.

With a quick tug, the lock snapped and she tossed it to the side while examining her surroundings before sliding the cover off, tasting the dust as it blew out. Waving her hand in front of her face to get the dust away, Elena looked down now lost for words.

Elijah-his skin cracked and brittle was taut to the bone. His body was an ashen grey as his suit was covered in dust, his arms folded across his chest. There was something…beautifully morbid about him and until she saw the dagger sticking from his heart, he looked like he was finally at peace.
Pulling out the dagger (in fear that another seconds wait would make her change her mind) with only a hint of remorse, Elena placed a hand over his, ignoring it's dry texture. She didn't know how long this would take, and a few moments later, when a shuffle came from behind her, she instantly came into defensive mode.

"Elena we have to get out of here." Damon's voice came as he climbed into the small cavern. "The witches followed us, I think they are close." He paused when he saw her distraught expression and dagger in hand. "You removed the dagger!?"

The blue eyed vampire was before her in a second, looking expectantly vivid.

"What did you think I was going to do?" she crossed her arms over her chest and arched her brow, "It wouldn't do us any good carrying him now would it?"

Damon stepped back in his usual stance of defiance and eyed her incredulously.

"You have got to be kidding me Elena." He rolled his eyes, "Well, we don't have the time to be waiting for him to wake so…"
Before Elena could say anything, or react, the Salvatore grabbed for the dagger, with his only intent to get his way. She held onto it tight and was quick enough to twist his arm around and toss him to the side.

"It's ironic that the one you are trying to re-dagger is the one who taught me to fight you off." She growled before checking back to the Original. Elijah's skin had regained it's color and he was already beginning to look alive again. Once he woke, he would need to feed, but in the rush of leaving, they had forgotten to bring any blood.
They would, as usual, need to act fast. The young vampire turned back to Damon with the dagger still in their hands and stepped forward just in time for her to be confronted by him again, a more threatening push coming her way when in an instant, a harsh wind blew past her, tossing Damon's body into the rock.

Elijah.

Even after being dead, the Original vampire's eyes, while darkened a shade in anger and shadow, did not shift as a vampire's usually would. That didn't mean, however, that while he stood before her, holding Damon tight by the throat, that he looked any less animalistic. He looked as if, for a moment, his usual grace was broken and he belonged out in the wild. This is what a vampire should look like, but if they did, they would never be able to pull in their prey.

"Elijah." Elena ran to him and placed a hand over his arm and the Original turned to her with a look the devil would shy from, but almost instantly, his features softened. He opened his mouth to speak, but words couldn't form, he was still too weak and it must have been only in pure adrenaline that he was able to push Damon back.
His chest was heaving as he released the Salvatore, like a bull preparing to charge and confusion clouded his eyes as he stepped back favoring his right leg, and looked to Elena for an answer. Their eyes met for a moment, and the brunette tried to smile but instead gave a soft nod.

Everything was going to work in their favor now. They just needed to get him back first.

"Come on, we don't have a lot of time, the witches are close." Damon reaffirmed, touching Elena's arm, but she didn't pull her gaze from the Original who was using the wall to balance himself.

"You should go ahead. Elijah is too weak and I am not risking it. We will follow a decent way behind." She decided, taking control over the situation and she wondered if Elijah was able to hear what they were saying, or if he thought she was talking to him since her eyes couldn't separate from his. "We will meet back at my-" she paused, realizing one of the true owners of the household stood before her, and turned back to Damon, "At the Mikaelsons. We will make our plan once we get back. Will you be all right?" Elena didn't like the idea of leaving Damon to his own, but someone had t make sure Elijah didn't get killed in the process.

"I'll be fine." The Salvatore grunted, seeming offended, "You just make sure you get him" he pointed to Elijah, who was piercing daggers into his direction, "back in one piece. This was their plan all along it seems."

Rolling her eyes, Elena looked back to the Original and nodded, for once he would need her to protect him…for now.

She watched Damon toss the now empty coffin aside and disappear. They would only have to wait a couple of minutes before heading out themselves, as long as everything went smoothly.
Leaning against the cool rocks, she peered out the opening to make sure the coast was clear and behind her, she could hear Elijah shift, following her movements just slight enough to remind her that the Original still had no idea what was happening.

"I will explain everything later, I promise." She reassured. She remembered how much he struggled to speak the first time she un-daggered him over one hundred years ago, it would take some time, and he would need to feed.

"How…long?" he choked out, giving a cough between each word. Elena wasn't sure what he was asking, how long until she explained? Or how long has it been? She went with the latter.

"About twenty years," she replied, now avoiding his gaze, "Now don't say anything else. We have blood once we get back to your house."

Elena didn't want to see his expression at this time jump as looking back on it herself, made her stomach turn.

"Let's go. Can you run?" she pulled her own personal dagger out of her boot again, just in case, and saw a spark of remembrance in Elijah's eyes as he nodded.
Motioning for him to stay close, Elena slid out of the open space into the night, as she led him along by his wrist, avoiding his hand.

They had to hurry.

So...I suck at updating this apparently (in reality, I suck at updating all of my fics as of late) BUT I started a new fic (I know. How? Why? What are you thinking?) called Of Monsters and Men, it's an AUAH Elijah/Elena fic soo go check it out...self promotion over now
I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, and as a whole...this story. Finally things are beginning to (slowly) fall into place as to how they ended up in that position in the first place (only took six chapters) and now Elijah has officially joined the team, and will he have a few things to say about this!

As always, please please review you all know I appreciate nothing more :)