Author's Babble: Hello all! Thank you again for your fabulous support. :D.

Enjoy!

CHAP 17:

Elijah drove throughout the day. We stopped two times at remote roadhouses so I could use the bathroom, fill the car and for me to get something to eat. Or rather, so Elijah could get me something to eat. Neither roadhouses were particularly busy. So I didn't attract any attention walking from the car to the outside toilets wearing the robe with Elijah's jacket over the top. But Elijah was adamant that I wasn't to go into the shop with him. I knew I'd attract attention with the bruising that must be on my neck. But his insistence also had something to do with his shame. While he'd seemed to relax throughout the day and didn't seem so agitated. He had begun having difficulty communicating with me. It wasn't in his language. It was his inattentive eyes when he looked at me. Like I brought him shame. Only I knew it was because the state of me made him ashamed of himself. We'd spoken a few times during the day. Elijah was trying to talk to me with as much normalcy as possible. Something I was grateful for. I couldn't stand mollycoddling. Nor did I want to be looked at like a victim. Something I'm sure he found difficult if the bruising I suspected on my neck, challenged him each time he looked at me.

I could have looked at my neck. The side mirror would have been all too easy to glance in for confirmation. But I had no interest in being reminded. The feeling of being sick to my stomach had dulled during the day. Seeing the remaining damage would only torment me more. I couldn't avoid it forever, nor did I want to. But I didn't need to exacerbate anything about this situation. It was bad enough that Klaus' words about me being his mate echoed in my mind on a loop. Not to mention how betrayed I felt from my reaction to drinking his blood. Now that I wouldn't mind avoiding.

I was dozing when the car stopped again and Elijah turned off the ignition. I opened my eyes wondering if we'd reached our destination. We'd halted on a driveway in front of a breathtakingly beautiful, large Victorian style house. I sat up to attention, eagerly drinking in the sight. I hadn't even realised Elijah had got out of the driver's seat until he opened my door. I accepted the hand he offered to me and he helped me get out of the car. I grimaced as my stiff and tender body became reacquainted with movement.

"Where are we?" I asked out of habit as I gazed at the house. It was historic and grand, without appearing old. Despite having the appearance of standing the test of time. The immaculate condition and general appearance of the structure was awing. Assuming that it had been restored at some point, it was clear that a great amount of care had been taken in doing so. It was so authentic that despite being an inanimate object it has a charismatic feel that reeled me in. I just stood and stared at it while Elijah gathered something from the back seat.

"I would tell you. But a continuation of your lack of information provides another element to your safety. Which I would prefer." He replied coming to stand next to me with a bag in hand.

"Oh. Of course." Feeling a little stupid. It was exactly the same as not being told where I was at our previous residence. I should have known that. "Is this yours or someone else's'?"

"It is mine. However the deeds for the house are in the name of someone else. Otherwise anyone can be granted access."

"And by anyone, you mean vampires."

"Exactly."

"It's absolutely beautiful." I said softly. Still gazing at the house as Elijah walked from the driveway and up the few steps that lead onto a landing at the front door. I stayed standing by the car as Elijah imposed upon my view of the house. Standing on the landing and turning to me I couldn't help but feel that he complimented it. The authenticity of Elijah was just as grand as the house. As he stood watching me curiously from the landing I was convinced there was some sort of connection between him and the structure behind him. It was a bizarre notion. But as he stood there in his perfectly tailored suit. The value and quality both Elijah and the house emitted gave every indication of humbled supremacy.

"Elena. Are you coming inside?" Came Elijah's soft voice, breaking the mesmerising hold the sight before me had instilled.

"Yeah. This place just demands my attention. I don't think I've ever seen anything like this place before. It's so regal. The Lockwood mansion in Mystic Falls is impressive in it's size, sure. But it's character has no depth. But there's something about this house. It just oozes such a great vibe." Elijah chuckled softly and I started a little. With how tense he'd been all day I didn't expect him to so easily succumb to anything joyful.

"It seems you don't find the surprise of our new residence overrated at all." I smiled at him.

"It would seem that way." I agreed. "How does Black Victoria form the code for this place?"

"It doesn't. I've had to forego my last text to Jonas, since he's compromised his position in this." Elijah explained as I walked over to him and up onto the landing. He turned the handle and revealed an intimately decorated hallway entrance. "After you." Despite Elijah's loathsome behaviour throughout the day, there was a hint of proud possession as he showed me into and around the house. The interior or the house was resplendent. It was like a whole different world. As if I was in a different time. Each and every room had an intimate feel all of it's own. Just walking in between rooms felt like a cultured experience, as I walked beneath heavily moulded doorways and bold textured ceilings. The furniture was exquisite and the dining table made me just want to touch everything. From the detailed carvings and exaggerated curves to the lush upholstery, it was an overwhelming splendour to the senses.

Finally Elijah showed me into the spacious bathroom. The bathtub was ridiculously huge, with enough room for two people. Yet it's brass claw feet somehow downplayed it's extravagance. The mirror was extensive and while I loved the carvings around it's border, I almost resented what it would reveal of my body. As it was I had merely glanced at my reflection before looking elsewhere. Out of sight, out of mind.

"I'll organise you a towel and some products for you to get cleaned up." Elijah said stiffly, now that the tour was over and reality broke through the almost therapeutic atmosphere of the architecture. With that he left to do so and I turned to look, really look, in the the mirror.

Standing in front of it I could see exactly why Elijah had stared at my neck. I couldn't stop the audible gasp that I let out. My human expectations of bruising from how forceful Klaus had been were within reason. But because I'd drank vampire blood I had assumed I wouldn't be badly hurt at all. The obvious hand prints around my neck was a shock to the system. Elijah was behind me in an instant with a towel and bottles of bathing products in his arms. Before he began speaking softly. His voice raw.

"I, healed you. In addition to the healing from Klaus' blood in your system. However, with the extent of your, injuries. You will still be tender, and you'll go through the different stages of bruising. It won't take nearly as long though. The extent of your injuries meant that vampire blood would heal the more crucial damage to your body." Came his soft explanation. "Unfortunately this means you'll have quite an vulgar reminder for at least a few days." I nodded by head, acknowledging him in the mirror before swallowing hard.

"I think I prefer to see the evidence. Of-. Of what happened. Sometimes reminders are a good thing." I said softly. Keeping the robe gathered around in front of my breasts I slipped it off my shoulders to fall down my back and catch in the crook of my elbow. My eyes met met with more severe bruising on both my upper arms. I saw Elijah look down at the floor stone-faced. Turning around I looked back at the mirror to see my shoulder blades also covered. It was amazing that my shoulders didn't hurt more as I remembered being smacked against the car. Clearing his throat gently Elijah kept his eyes on the floor.

"I'll leave you to it." He said and with that he closed the door behind him.

Dropping the robe from my body it landed in a pile at my feet. Leaving the scraps of my nightdress still hanging around my waist. Assessing myself I noted quite a lot of blood smeared over my body. Not to mention the dry clumps of it in my hair. I hoped that by cleaning it off I wouldn't feel so dirty. But I wasn't getting my hopes up. My torso was mostly blotched with bruises, while my hips had hand marks on them. A band of bruising ran around my waist and each side of my rib cage. My breasts were all that appeared unbruised. Except for matching singular splotches near each nipple which would have been where Klaus had bit me. Down further, the junction between my thighs was only lightly bruised, but where Klaus had bit the inside of one of my thighs was very purple. Down my legs were the circles I'd seen when getting into the car. I knew they were where Klaus had pinned me down with his knees. Instantly it was like I could feel Klaus' weight on me again. It was suffocating and I felt increasingly nauseous. I felt so incredibly disgusting, deep within me, not just on the surface as if it could be easily washed away. I was marked, physically and emotionally. It was like Klaus was still touching me.

I didn't want to see anything. Didn't want to feel how I was. It was inescapable. Would I feel like this the rest of my life? Quickly I picked the robe up off the floor and covered myself again. I walked over to the spacious shower set into the corner. Turning on the taps I stood underneath the stream as soon as it was warm enough. I tried to shut my mind off as I just stood there. Feeling the warm heat of the water spraying onto my skin, yet not feeling even the slightest hint of refreshment. I leaned back against a wall still keeping beneath the stream of water, before sliding down to sit on the floor. Water covered me, but it did nothing to smother the feel of Klaus. I leaned to my left into the adjacent wall, slumping into the corner beneath the running water and tuned out.

I never heard Elijah calling me through the bathroom door, nor when he wrapped his knuckles gently on the door. Didn't notice when he opened the shower door and stepped inside fully clothed to sit on the floor next to me. Once settled Elijah had grasped my shoulders and leant me to the right, so that I leaned on him with my head and neck in his lap. He set to work on my hair first, repeatedly shampooing a few times and massaging it in until the dried clumps of blood no longer coloured the lather. After conditioning my hair he peeled the top of the robe down so that he could wash my neck and shoulders with a wash cloth. Gradually he moved the robe down, took off my nightdress and cleaned my lower back, my chest, abdomen, arms and down my legs. Finally, after rinsing my hair of conditioner he eased off the flow of water and turned my head up to face him and he washed my face. His soapy fingers drew soft circles across my cheeks and saw the man looking down at me. At my face. Not my naked body. Dare I say it?

The man I loved despite not knowing him long, had managed to draw me out of my stationary mind as he did his best to rid me of Klaus, in possibly the only way he knew how. My resistance to how I felt about him had ebbed away. I wanted to tell him. To say it. But I wasn't that freely feeling my emotions right now. I continued to look up at him, taking refuge in his eyes. Elijah wrapped me in the towel he'd brought in and raised me up off the floor. I wasn't functioning so he ended up carrying me to a room and placing me on a bed before dressing me in a clean fluffy bath robe. He then drew back the bed covers and slipped me beneath them. One of his hands slid beneath the back of my head and lifted it from the pillow, before lying the towel across it and resting my head down again. As he began to draw away to bring the covers up over me, one of my hands found the bottom of his soaked suit jacket and wouldn't let go. I looked at him pleadingly.

"Stay?" I murmured and gradually brought my eyes to meet his. Elijah leaned back in and stroked my cheek as he looked down at me. His expression sombre and looking generally troubled. He looked so let down, a broken man. His eyes looked pained and I couldn't possibly miss the sadness that lurked in them. Concerned for him I parted my lips to say something but he must have noticed my worry and cast something down over his eyes like a shield, leaving them blank.

"I wont leave." He whispered in promise. "But I need to get out of these clothes first." Elijah removed my hand from his jacket, pulled the covers over me and left the room. I watched him leave and my eyes glued to the doorway once he was out of sight. I'd heard him say he'd stay. But tears leaked from my eyes anyway. Elijah returned in a t-shirt and slacks, making his way around to the other side of the bed. As soon as he sat I moved closer. Wrapping my arms around his middle I curled up to him desperately. I felt him tense up slightly but didn't care. One of his arms came around me and he brought his legs up on the bed. I didn't pay any attention to the adjustments Elijah made to my position. I was too caught up in how safe I felt. How free I was of Klaus. Elijah began gently massaging my head again and I turned my head up to look at him. A section of towel fell over my face and he quickly moved it away. I realised that while my head was resting on his chest, there was a towel in between. Elijah was drying my hair. He was conducting himself with an amount of strictness. His movements methodical, but caring. While the impression was cold. It didn't bother me right now. I was simply glad of his physical presence. But I knew he was beating himself up inside.

Elijah had left me at some point when I'd settled into a teary slumber. Waking alone I took stock in how peaceful I seemed to feel. It was a fantastic improvement and I didn't know how long it would last. And there it is. My breath hitched in my chest for a moment as reality seemed to crash in on me. Weighing intensely on my ribcage. But it passed as soon as it had come. I felt slightly nauseous, but far better than previously. Sitting up in bed I reluctantly pushed the right sleeve of my robe up to reveal my upper arm. My movements were sluggish, drawing out the torture. Upon seeing the marks I smiled and the feeling was incredulous. They were now mostly green, tinged yellow. I checked my other arm, my legs and elsewhere to see the other bruises had run the same course. Getting up off the bed and rushing out into the hallway from the room, I recognised where I was and made my way to the bathroom. I stood in front of the mirror and turned before shrugging the robe off my shoulders to fall down to my lower back. The horrific spread of colour on my shoulders mimicked the rest. I didn't like the look of them. But I did like the fact that I bore them as a survivor and that what had happened was real. That I had gotten through it. It made me feel strong, in that if I had survived that. I could do the same regarding anything that was yet to come.

"Morning." Elijah greeted emotionless from the doorway. I gave him a small smile.

"Morning." I replied and covered my shoulders with the robe again. Catching sight of Elijah's drenched suit in a heap on the floor I walked to it and picked up the jacket. "Oh. Your suit." My tone sad. He always looked impeccable in his suits and he cared for his clothing in a way that seemed to treasure their quality. Yet he'd just left this one on the floor.

"I have others." Elijah stated. It was an odd thing for him to say. He could get anything and everything he wanted, either by compulsion or simply taking. Yet he seemed to treasure what he did have, rather than continually collect more and more items on whims.

"But-."

"I have others." He cast aside carelessly. Would you like breakfast?" Elijah stepped away inviting me to follow. Sensing the topic of his suit was not for discussion I dropped it figuratively and literally before following Elijah to the kitchen. When I dropped the garment to the ground I'd watched Elijah carefully to see any sign that it bothered him. When he showed no tell I knew he was still in a withdrawn mood. The times he'd worn a jacket. He'd always hung them over something and often assessed them for anything out of place. They were an extension of him and Elijah was not one to debase his character by dressing to any other standard than the kind of man that he was. It was like his own personal hierarchy.

I found that it was the following day since meeting Klaus. I was hardly sore and my fading bruises had put me in good spirits, but I didn't really enjoy breakfast. Mainly picking through the scrambled eggs Elijah cooked me. He wasn't eating this morning. Instead he held his paper up in front of him like a physical barrier between him and me while he read at the table. When I'd decided I wasn't going to finish the remaining food on my plate I leaned back in my chair and sighed loudly. A few minutes passed and a usually perceptive, or at least inquisitive Elijah continued to read. I started to find it a bit offensive as it seemed like he was ignoring me.

"Are you ignoring me?" I asked straight out. "And if so, why?" Slowly, Elijah lowered his paper to lie on the table and gave me the courtesy of eye contact.

"I'm not ignoring you." He said causally, but I could detect the forced indifference in his reply. "Why would you think I was?"

"Because you've been detached toward me since-." I left the rest of that sentence unspoken. There was no need to keep brining Klaus up, especially when that would most likely continue to aggravate Elijah more.

"I'm giving you space. One would assume that you would prefer not to be smothered after what you went through."

"No. You're not just giving me space. You're shutting me out. Aside from when Jonas visited that day and you were cold and collected in your mannerisms, you've always looked at me with loads of feeling. Now you're continually trying to shut it off. All I can assume is that I'm making you uncomfortable. I understand that you might feel to blame for what happened, but you don't control Klaus' actions." Damn, I wasn't going to say his name. "So, surely you must realise that no blame rests on your shoulders." Something flashed behind Elijah's eyes but I didn't catch it. It wasn't anger, exactly. It was almost a combination of guilt and admiration. But like I'd just told him, he shut it down.

"I'll be outside." He stood up from the table, gathered the newspaper and walked away. It was unlike him to be this blunt, practically rude.

"Elijah." I said softly as a gentle request of his attention. When he continued to walk towards what I assumed was the back of the house I became a bit impatient. "Shall I add your physical avoidance of me as well?" I called after him. He didn't answer me back until he'd opened an outside door and had exited the house.

"There are some clothes for you in the top draw in the bedroom." Was all he said and I heard the ruffling of paper as he went back to reading. This is going to interesting.

After finding a long sleeved top and long pants in the draw as well as some underwear I changed and went to confront Elijah. It was so strange feeling so covered, almost restrictive as I walked through the house. I had an urge to just take the clothes off to be more comfortable. But I wasn't negligent in knowing why the clothes covered me so well. The bruises weren't visible. They were out of sight and further, out of mind. Tracing Elijah's earlier path I found myself on a patio flooded in sunlight. Elijah was sat in a chair with his back to the house as he gazed out onto the land behind the house. The grass was lush and green down the gradual slope to a little creek, before changing to a drier harsher looking grass on the opposite side that climbed up a moderately sloped hill. Much of the view was hilly and I knew we were in another quite secluded location.

"Are you ready to talk?" I pressed insistently. Elijah leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees, pressing his index fingers to each of his temples and moving them in small circles. When he sighed softly I assumed he was going to continue ignoring me. "No-?"

"There is nothing to currently discuss, Elena." I crossed my arms over my chest. "I'm afraid there is. We can start with the facts."

"The facts?"

"Klaus is your brother."

"In a manner of speaking. Yes."

"You told me that you had no family."

"I do not."

"But Klaus-" Elijah cut me off.

"Has not acted like my brother for a very long time. Therefore I've renounced any familial association with him. Blood does not mean anything." Elijah nearly growled out. I decided I knew enough and moved on.

"Do you know that he intends to turn me?"

"Turn you?"

"Into a hybrid." Elijah turned his head and looked at me.

"He told you this?"

"Among-. Other things."

"He must be in need a of a new toy." Elijah pondered aloud grimly.

"Perhaps. But I think it has more to do with the fact that my blood is needed if he is to turn others. Something about it being a side-affect of the curse placed on him?" I offered. "Apparently I'm his mate." I finished bitterly. Noticing how Elijah sat more rigidly. His facial features were deadly serious when he began speaking with great deliberation to his slow and articulate pronunciation.

"Are you certain?"

"Quite. I don't make a habit of mistaking these things."

"Hmm. I wasn't aware of any of this." Elijah looked away from me and fell silent.

"Well?" He looked back and raised an eyebrow. "Are we going to discuss this? Because. I don't intend on submitting to a long and suffering non-death."

"Not at the moment Elena." His tone conveyed this development was proving to be mentally straining.

"Okay. Then would you care to tell me why you're behaving oddly?"

"My behaviour hasn't altered."

"Oh so you've always been withdrawn toward me?" He sighed. "Now who's locking themselves away?" I quoted him. "Perhaps you should practice what you preach? You've been wanting me to open up to you, but apparently it doesn't work both ways I see."

"I have always been open with you Elena." He looked up at me.

"Not true. At breakfast you weren't. Yesterday you weren't."

"We didn't talk much yesterday. So I don't know how you can judge what little we did converse."

"We don't have to talk to be open with each other. You know that. We haven't talked openly much at all, if you'll remember. It's a sensed aspect of what we are. Evident in how we act, in our eyes. God, it's in the ghostly movements you make with your mouth. Barely evident, yet I continually understand you loud and clear. You gave me a speech about my heart beat detailing how I feel. So don't act like it's solely a conversational thing." I said bitterly.

"Well, non-verbal communication is open to interpretation. Have you considered that you might be seeing me a certain way because of your recent trauma?" His tone was almost bored.

"Well, excuse me! Was that a possibility when you kept telling me how I supposedly felt about you in the last month? No, it wasn't. How dare you make this out to be something that I'm imagining."

"It would be understandable." Elijah encouraged.

"Stop. Stop talking. Listen." I instructed. "You are not to blame for what happened. I know you're beating yourself up for it and you're entitled to feel however you're feeling. But I don't understand why you're shutting me out from what's going through your mind. I don't want to turn the focus, but it makes me feel like you don't want me around, like I'm the burden. It's a slap in face after you got me to acknowledge something between us, for you to just ignore my concern for you now. You can tell me what's wrong. I want to be here for you but you won't let me. Not to mention I feel like I'm some diseased or faulty object since you don't seem to want to be near me. For over the last month you've managed to coax me closer and become comfortable with you being close to me. Hell I started sleeping in the same bed as you! Now I'm defective and you don't want anything to do with me? Way to make a girl feel special Elijah." I forced myself to voice spitefully. Elijah looked at me long after I'd finished, stone-faced.

"I don't expect you to understand-."

"What? I can't understand, because I haven't had the life experience you have? I don't have the understanding another vampire would? Explain it to me Elijah. It seemed to me like you regarded me as an equal in this. But if I don't make the cut because I'm alive. Well, why bother coming into my life in the first place?" My anger was starting to get a little bit out of hand and I took a few moments to just breathe.

"If you'll let me finish." He began coolly. "I don't expect you to understand my troubles. You have no obligation to do so. So there is no need." I stared at him a moment.

"What do you mean I have no obligation to do so? I don't feel obligated."

"You must, because we are not at the same stage in such a relationship that would freely request your attention to my needs."

"Such a relationship? Regardless of where we are in this relationship. I care about you. Therefore it is perfectly acceptable and not an obligation at all."

"Regardless, don't worry yourself about me. Look after yourself Elena. You should be more troubled than I. You've been through an ordeal and yet your concern is for another. The one that put you in harm's way in the first place." Uh-huh. Beating himself up.

"That's better." I said softly.

"Excuse me?"

"You are blaming yourself. It wasn't your fault." I resolved.

"How can you possibly look at what happened to you as being anyone else's fault apart from mine? I promised you, that I would not hurt you. That was one of the things I said to you when I brought you to live with me. While we were discussing emotional pain. I mean what I say, and you've been hurt emotionally and physically. Which ever way you look at it. My actions have brought you harm. I know what Klaus is like and yet I've allowed for him to harm you." Elijah's eyes filled with shame and he didn't shield it from me. I looked at him sympathetically.

"I'm fine." I stated and walked over to Elijah, putting a hand on his shoulder. "You kept me safe as best you possibly could. I don't doubt that." Elijah's voice was cold and sinister when he next spoke.

"If I had kept you as safe as possible. You would be dead." My eyes widened in recognition.

"You-. You're considering that option, aren't you? Killing me?" I whispered. He didn't answer and looked out away from the house again.

Tears welled up in my eyes and leaked down my face. When they fell from my jaw Elijah's head jerked back toward me. A flicker of surprise registered across his face for a moment before being drowned out by his concern.

"Elena." His gentle voice trailed off. I sighed and managed a soft laugh.

"I know I'll be dead. But I'll miss you." I said graciously.

"I haven't decided if that's to be the case." Elijah comforted.

"The rest of the world is bigger than us. It's how it should be. You will make the logical decision. If our roles were reversed. I'd choose the same, though it would break my heart." I said sadly. I sat down across Elijah's lap and held his head in my hands with my thumbs just in front of his ears , framing his features. Closing the space between us I connected our lips. My right hand slid around to the back of his neck and I allowed my left to run my fingers up through his hair. Elijah took a moment to respond and slowly began to part his lips. I slid my tongue along the widening gap in anticipation of the warm depths within. I hadn't been able to get the vivid memory of when he'd kissed me the other times out of my head, so I knew exactly what lay ahead. Elijah responded against my mouth and our tongues slid against each others. Our kiss was slow and delicate, as if our mouths were something to be studied. While kissing Elijah again was as amazing as I'd remembered, this one was crushingly depressing. As opposed to fiery passion. It took many long moments before I felt Elijah's arms trail his hands up my sides, before pulling our bodies closer as they settled across my lower back.

Sighing I broke the kiss and blushed furiously. Biting down on my bottom lip and hugged myself to Elijah, resting my head on one of his shoulders. I didn't know if I could look at him again after that. My cheeks continued to burn.

"When did that happen?" Elijah asked huskily.

"The first time I thought I was going to die." I admitted.

"So you're not just trying to sway me into keeping you alive then?" He mused humorously, making me giggle.

"Nope. I just didn't want to miss my chance." Elijah cleared his throat and pushed us apart from our embrace. I automatically turned my head away from him, feeling self conscious. Of how I felt, him, the sad and longing kiss we'd just shared. The one I'd instigated. His arms remained circled around my waist.

"Look at me." He directed softly. I shook my head gently and my hair fell to cover the side of my face closest to him. With a hand he drew it clear of my face and moved it to curve over the top of my ear. Biting my bottom lip again I closed my eyes and turned my head to face him again. His eyes were cleared of their pain and replaced by love. The gentlest smile played on his lips. My heart swelled in my chest and my eyes became slightly moist again. I freed my lower lip from beneath my teeth and smiled shyly.