I do not own…just this story

Sorry it's been SO long since the last update. Hope you enjoy!

Chapter 22

Alexander had listened intently to Elijah and Elena's conversation from the woods. He had arrived in Mystic Falls the night before last with Anna. He had to admit she was a force to be reckoned with and he could help the smirk that graced his lips at the night they spent together. Alexander snapped his thoughts back to the moment like an over stretched rubber band. He knew Elijah had every intent of protecting Elena but he still was unsure of where he had planned on taking her. Suddenly it hit him like a flash of lightning. He smiled as he pulled his cellphone out and hit the last number called. He stood and moved with fast speed away from the Salvatore boarding house.

"Hello lover" a silky voice responded.

"Indeed love, I have information on where our doppelganger is" Alexander said as he moved closer to his car.

"And?" She asked.

"She will be returning home" he purred.

"Wonderful, I've already spelled the house, and there isn't a witch strong enough to break that spell" Anna laughed.

"Just want I want to hear" he grinned climbing into his car and starting it up.

"I'll meet you there" Anna answered and hung up.

"I will finally get what I want" alexander purred as he hit the gas and made his way into town.

Elijah had pulled up to the home Elena hadn't been to in a week. Elena looked at him a little confused when he placed the car in park and turned to her.

"What are we doing here?" Elena asked him.

"Well, I know you have been a little out of sorts being at the Boarding house and I asked Miss Bennett if she could cast a protecting spell around the home so that you could stay here" Elijah motioned to the house.

"Really?" Elena said meeting his eyes.

"Yes, I want you happy and I saw very clearly you were not with the Salvatore's" Elijah smiled at her.

"I don't know what to say" Elena said meeting his eyes.

"There is nothing to say Elena. I love you and I want you happy" Elijah said taking her hand into his.

Elena smiled at the contact. She was upset with Elijah after his comment earlier in the day but it had said so much that he had asked Bonnie to come to her aide yet again. Elena hoped that someday she could pay it back to everyone who had done so much for her. She lifted her eyes to his and smiled. Elijah grinned and climbed from the car moving to open Elena's door for her. Elena climbed out and moved with Elijah to the back of the car to grab their bags. Elijah had retrieved there bags with ease and closed the trunk of the car moving with Elena tucked beside him to the entrance of the Gilbert home. They had just reached the door when Elijah froze dropping the bags and placed Elena behind him as he prepared for an attack. Elena grew anxious as she looked around finally settling on the man walking across the street from a black sports car. He wasn't alone as Elena looked to the left and saw a beautiful woman walking up from the side of the house.

"Hello Elena" he purred with an unwaving desire.

"I assumed you had taken my warning" Elijah said to him not moving away from Elena as he pressed her closer to his back.

"Of course I wouldn't consider your warning. You have something I want and I always get what I want" Alexander said freezing a few feet from Elijah and Elena.

"Well, I hate to disappoint but you will not have her" Elijah growled pulling his lips back to show his now long fangs that ached with the need to rip Alexander's throat out.

Alexander laughed as he turned his head to the woman who had now taken her position next to Alexander. She smirked and met Elijah's eyes.

"Do you know who I am?" She purred to Elijah.

"I do not" Elijah told her firmly meaning his words.

"Let me refresh your memory" she grinned raising her hand to Elijah.

Elena felt Elijah stumble and she gripped his close trying to steady him. Elena looked up at him and saw his eyes were far away. Elena snapped her head to the woman.

"What are you doing to him" Elena cried as she held strongly to Elijah.

"Just a memory" Anna purred.

Elena looked back at Elijah and waited hoping he would come out of it. Suddenly Elena felt a wave of electricity creep up her spine. She didn't know if it was her connection to Elijah or if Bonnie's spell was working to keep the protection strong. She suddenly felt a ghost of a presence near her and felt at ease immediately. Elena held fast to Elijah as she eased herself closer to the door handle. With a soft turn Elena opened it and began to move Elijah inside. Suddenly before she could move him any further Elijah came back to his senses. He snapped his attention back to the woman.

"Anna" he said softly.

"So you remember" she smiled.

"I do, you know I had no part in any of it, so why attack me?" he accused her.

"Obviously Klaus is dead but you chose to protect him and hide what he did. I have lived with the pain and death all my life. It's time for justice and what better way then to take what you love so dearly the same way your brother took what I loved" she said her voice leaking the acid of hate she had for the originals and the hate she had been holding on to for years.

"You have no place to protect you from me" Alexander grinned.

Elena took the moment to step beside Elijah taking his hand into hers.

"That is where you are wrong" Elena said firmly.

"I do love your determination" Alexander grinned before he so quickly moved and pulled a stake from his pocket sending it right to Elijah's heart.

Elena didn't know where the movement came from but she flung herself in front of Elijah as the stake pierced her chest sending her into Elijah's arms. Elijah moved with speed yanking Elena into the house safe away from Alexander and Anna. Alexander growled and moved with speed to the front steps of the home before suddenly finding himself flying backwards with a blast of power into yard. He groaned as he stood meeting Anna's eyes.

"I thought you said the house was spelled by you" he growled at her.

"I did spell it, it makes no sense" Anna snapped back when suddenly they turned their attention to the porch where Bonnie and Natasha stood.

"You" Alexander snapped.

"Hello Alexander" Natasha smiled.

"I should have known" he cursed standing and wiping his pants.

"Yes, you should have known but then again you never were too smart as a vampire" Natasha laughed.

"I'll kill you" Alexander snapped at her.

"Maybe, but I'm on the right side this time around sweetheart" she grinned and took one step towards the edge of the porch.

Anna noticed this as well as Alexander did and moved closer to her.

"I see you found another witch to help you in a lost cause. Pity she won't live to the end of it" Natasha said turning her eyes to her.

"I am a lot stronger than your average witch" Anna grinned.

"I have no doubt about that Anna. You magic is tied to your hate and the darkness that surrounds you. I do wonder if you realize you are putting your magic against two lines of Bennett witches" Natasha smiled at her with victory.

"There is no way" Anna said stunned.

"It's amazing isn't it" Natasha said turning to Alexander who was stunned at the news he heard.

"A battle is what you want, and lucky for you I am in a giving mood. But take my warning to heart this will end badly for both of you. You cannot have Elena or anyone she loves" Natasha said meeting their eyes.

Alexander stood straighter and looked passed Natasha at Bonnie who was surrounding Elena as Elijah held her in his arms as she tried to remove the stake currently protruding from her back. Alexander smiled and turned his attention to Natasha.

"I will say I do have my work cut out for me but I would tend to the doppelganger if I were you. I will be seeing her soon enough" he smiled as he turned and left with Anna walking beside him.

Natasha watched him and his witch climb into the car and speed out. Once they were gone Natasha moved with speed and shut the door as she rushed to Elena's side.

"You are a Bennett?" Bonnie and Elijah asked.

"Yes, it's a long story and I would love to tell you but right now we need to remove that stake from Elena and get the poison under control" Natasha said moving to the stake.

Natasha examined it closely and quickly ripped Elena's shirt open to see the black veins that etched themselves across her back making a march to her still beating heart. She quickly grabbed a scrap piece of Elena's shirt and wrapped it around the stake gripping it and pulling. The stake broke free of Elena's skin and the now large hole began to leak a black ooze of poison. Natasha quickly wrapped the stake and tossed it into the fireplace before moving back to Elena. Elijah held Elena softly in his arms as he looked at the large hole that now was looking worse than he had imagined.

"Will my blood heal her?" Elijah asked Natasha as she pulled out her grimore.

"No unfortunately it will not. This is a magic poison. The only way to help her is to undo the magic done" Natasha told him as she flipped through the pages.

Elijah looked down at Elena touching her cheek softly. Suddenly Elena began to shake and twitch in his arms.

"What's happening to her" Elijah said panicked.

"The poison is getting closer to her heart, she doesn't have much time" Natasha told him finally finding what she needed.

Natasha sat the book down beside her and looked to Bonnie. She held her hand to her and bonnie immediately took it.

"Bonnie this is strong magic I'm summing and it will drain you for a short time but I cannot do this on my own" Natasha told her seriously.

"Of course" Bonnie told her and Natasha closed her eyes as she let her magic surround her and Bonnie.

Elijah watched as Bonnie and Natasha worked their magic. He watched silently before there came a glow of green. It wrapped around Bonnie, Natasha, and Elena. Elijah held fast to Elena as he watched the black snake like veins retreat to the starting point. They moved amazingly fast as he watched. Suddenly the veins moved to the entry point and from the whole a black spider emerged moving with a drunken haze. The spider was jet back with a symbol of evil on its back as it writhed in obvious pain at the magic that surrounded it. He could hear the hissing and snapping of his fangs wanting to bite itself back into Elena's skin but began to burn as the magic grew stronger. Suddenly the spider exploded in an attempt to run and became nothing more than black dust that seemed to float above him into the green magic. He looked once more at Elena's back and saw the hole was gone and her skin looked as if nothing had happened at all. Her heart beat slowly returned to normal and she was sleeping soundly. He turned his attention back to Natasha and Bonnie and saw that there magic had begun to fade slowly as they held fast to each other's hand. Natasha and Bonnie opened their eyes and saw their magic had indeed saved Elena but left them both weak. They lifted their eyes to Elijah's waiting ones.

"I am forever in your debt" he told them.

"It was our pleasure" Natasha said smiling at Elijah and looking at Bonnie.

"When we are rested I will tell you all you want to know" Natasha said smiling and lifting herself up off the floor.

Bonnie watched Natasha moved to the kitchen and then turned her attention back to Elijah.

"I'm going to take Elena upstairs to her room, I'll be back down shortly" Elijah said to bonnie as he lifted Elena into his arms carefully. Bonnie nodded and stood as well moving to the kitchen for a cup of tea. She had so many questions for Natasha but yet she couldn't help smile too. She had family again. Elijah carefully placed Elena on her bed and covered her up. He glanced down at her and felt his knees give way. He fell to his knees at the edge of her bed as he looked at the love of his life. For the first time in his long existence he let a tears fall and fell into the consuming fear of the loss he almost faced with Elena.