She sees him before he sees her.

The room is crowded, most of Mystic Falls is in attendance, beyond just the ones who are in good relations with the council and she spies more than one person getting drunk. Somewhere in a corner, Klaus is talking to Caroline (she's not sure how she feels about it) and Bonnie's being harangued by what looks like a younger Elijah, and then there's Elijah.

Her breathe catches in her throat when she sees him. He's wearing a tuxedo, and he looks like an actor from one of those old black and white movies her mom used to prefer.

He's as sharp as ever, and his gaze lands on her after few moments. His eyes are still a warm brown though, and he raises his drink in acknowledgment.

Her feet lead her to him as if on instinct.

Elijah's probably the most dangerous original (she's been around Klaus enough to know that his bark is worse than his bite). Elijah never really threatens the way Klaus does though, he just does it. Whether that includes slapping someone's head off after a carefully worded deal or ripping people's hearts out within a single moment.

His hand has never been anywhere near her chest (she tries not to pay attention to the part of her that's a bit disappointed about it) yet, he has ripped her heart out too.

Jenna's cold eyes fill her vision, and she has the urge to leave the Mikaelson manor.

"Elijah," she greets him when she reaches him and he plucks a glass of champagne from a passing server for her.

"Elena, I must say that you look lovely." His voice sounds pleasant, but she's sure that just for a moment, his eyes held a hidden intensity as they had landed on the scar marring the skin of her neck.

"You clean up well yourself."

They'd caught up a week ago, when Elijah had woken his siblings and his sister had tried to kill her.

(Rebekah's certainly the one who'll play with Elena the most. And not even in the nice way.)

"I understand my mother wishes to speak to you."

"Yes." She doesn't like where this is going, why can't wear a nice dress and look pretty and enjoy it for once? But there's no time for thinking about that, she needs to figure out what's going on here, needs to make sure her loved ones will stay safe.

She can tell he has the same need.

It's always like that with them, they'll go to unspeakable lengths to protect their families, so similar they're almost kindred spirits, but their interests aren't usually aligned. Even when it might look like they are.

(His shocked eyes swim within her vision as she had daggered him all those months ago.)

"Can I depend upon you to tell me what she says?" She frowns as she turns to look at him.

"You don't trust her."

"She says she's forgiven Klaus, but my mother has never really been one to forgive." The gears in her mind are turning, not the least of which is the thought that he can't even trust his own mother.

She can't think like that right now, Klaus keeps trying to kill her loved ones, and if his mother really hasn't forgiven him, if there is even a chance-

"I'll find you after I've spoken to her."

"Of course." His hand is warm at her elbow, where he touches her before he leaves and she has no idea what to do.

In the end, the choice is taken from her. Esther asks for blood, but Elena's been around enough Mikaelsons to know that asking is really demanding. And that threats will follow if she refuses. So she gives her blood and then goes back down.

Elijah finds her right as she reaches the foot of the stairs.

"Elena," she's always liked the way her name has rolled off his tongue, but there's something different in it tonight.

She has just helped his mother in trying to kill him.

No, she tells herself, in killing Klaus.

Elijah is just -

Collateral damage. Like she was last spring.

Like her aunt Jenna was.

(Like Jeremy can be.)

"How was my mother?" He asks as he falls into step with her.

"Intense." That much is true, "she wanted to apologise, for trying to kill me."

"So, it's true then," his eyes are sharp, and he's looking for something, anything that might help him find out the truth. She relaxes her shoulders and acts as though nothing is out of the ordinary. "She's forgiven Klaus?"

She stares into his eyes, she can remember the first time she met him, in that abandoned farmhouse. He was the one who had been too much then, leaning into her space so that she wasn't sure whether he was going to kill her or kiss her. Looking at her like, like he was pleased to see her.

Then Slater's house and then, her bedroom. His hand had been warm over hers as he almost trapped her against the door. She could've sworn her heart had leapt out of her chest.

They'd hashed out their deal there, him sitting in the window seat she favoured, and she had felt something that night, something she hadn't felt since her parents had died. Since her life had turned upside down.

She felt alive.

She had believed, before, that Stefan was the only who could make her feel like that. But there was something about Elijah that was challenging and sharp, forcing her to stay on her toes with every word she spoke.

It was like walking a tightrope.

At first.

Then he saved her loved ones, kept his end of the deal, and she'd daggered him.

At the time, she had to. Their deal hadn't involved keeping her safe. And she'd suddenly been convinced to not be a martyr.

But then it had evolved. And she had started to trust him, against all her better judgement, against everyone's advice. She had really thought he'd protect her and her family.

Sometimes, she still felt like that.

But then, Jenna had died, and he hadn't finished his part, hadn't completed his end of the deal. He'd let Klaus get away with it. Klaus who has been terrorising her for months. And she knew, from what Rebekah had told her, that he'd let Klaus get away with anything.

But she can't. She doesn't want anyone dead, but it feels like someone always wants her dead.

(Wants Jeremy dead. The Gilbert plot is full, there's no place to bury him if she can't protect him.)

"Yeah, it's true."

She hears the speeches and something inside her chest aches as she watches him drink the tainted champagne.

She almost stops him, but-

Jenna's dead, she reminds herself, and Jeremy's in Denver. She's doing the right thing.

It doesn't feel right when he gives her a small smile.

The coldness in his eyes that she'd gotten accustomed to all those months ago is gone as he watches his entire family gather together.

For the last time.

She's made sure of that.

(She doesn't know what to do with the guilt that's beginning to crawl up her skin.)

Damon finds her, and makes a scene. Confesses that he loves her in a house full of their enemies.

She's not sure what he expects her to say, but it isn't what he wants to hear.

She almost at her car a few minutes later, when she feels a familiar presence near her.

"Elijah", she turns around to see just how close he is standing, "is everything okay?"

Her heart flutters about and she inhales, his scent reaching her along with the cold air of the night.

"Everything's fine. Are you alright? I couldn't help but overhear the conversation between you and the older Salvatore."

She sucks in her teeth, it's been so long since anyone's been concerned about how she feels. She can't exactly blame them, everyone has their own thing going on, and they have bigger threats to worry about, bigger than Damon not respecting her boundaries. That's just how he is.

"I'm fine, he's just drunk."

Elijah makes a sound in the back of his throat, like he's disappointed, and she tries not to focus on how that feels.

"If you're sure." She nods and opens her door, fumbling with her dress and her keys, dropping them. "Are you certain you can drive?"

"Yeah!" She feels a flush crawl up her neck, and swears that his eyes linger over her exposed skin. "I'm fine Elijah."

"Perhaps, I should drop you off. You did have a lot to drink."

"I didn't."

"I'm certain I counted five glasses of whiskey along with the champagne." She purses her lips, feeling disappointed, she was in house with someone who had killed her, but also-

Has he watched her all night?

Has she held his attention?

(She's helping his mother kill him, she reminds herself.

It's not as though she likes it. She's just tired of waking up in a cold sweat every night, wondering who's dead.)

"Alright, fine."

The drive to her house is smooth, and she has no idea how she'll be able to use her car after this, with his scent so prominent in the small space.

Music floats between them, the radio stations are already anticipating Christmas.

(Especially if he's gone.)

When they reach her house, the porch light is turned off.

Elijah notices.

"You're alone."

He says it with such sadness that something twists in her stomach.

"Alaric thinks it's safer if he stays at his own apartment."

"And your brother?"

"Klaus tried to kill him. I had to-" her voice shakes a little, "send him away."

He scrutinises her through narrowed eyes and she should tell him to leave. It's safer, more careful, better for Esther's plan and yet-

"Do you wanna come in for a drink?"

She's lonely. And, as she remembers how aloof he'd looked when he told her about his siblings, she thinks he might get it.

"Of course."