Hello, my lovely readers. Thank you for coming back. Sorry about the wait. Without further ado…

Chapter 23: Company Calls

After the events of the night all Elena Gilbert had wanted was to clean up and go to sleep. Of course that would be why someone had to ring the doorbell. Forcing herself to trudge to the door, Elena opened it expecting it to be Damon but an unfamiliar man in a suit was standing at the doorway. That was a little odd because usually salespeople weren't this well dressed and they came earlier in the day. "Hello?" Elena said uncertainly.

"Hello, Miss Gilbert. I would like nothing more than to spend time on pleasantries but it seems we are at a point in which good etiquette is not that important. You need to leave your home. It is necessary that we leave at once." The stranger held out his hand as if he believed that Elena would just take it and leave with him.

Crossing her arms over her chest, Elena stared into his dark eyes. "I have no idea who you are and if you don't leave right now I will call the police."

The man's expression changed as his eyes darkened. "Elena, you must trust me. You have idea what will happen if you do not leave immediately. Stefan is waiting for you. We must hurry. God knows where Niklaus is right now," the man continued, his words slow and calm not matching the anxiety which his tone betrayed.

"Klaus is dead," Elena told him shortly. "And I have no idea how you know my name or why you think that I would believe anything you say but you need to leave. I'm going to bed." Going to close the door in the vampire's face, Elena stopped when he hissed at her.

"What do you mean, Niklaus is dead?" the vampire hissed between gritted teeth. His entire body was now tense. Elena would have feared for her life if there were not an invisible barrier between the two, due his not being welcome inside her home.

Rolling her eyes, Elena held back a yawn. "Klaus was killed a little while ago. He tried to attack me and one of my friends killed him."

"That is impossible," the vampire said, gripping the sides of the doorway like someone had hit him. "Niklaus is too powerful for any regular vampire to kill him. And there is only one weapon that can kill an Original."

Elena's heart began to pound. "He was beheaded," she informed the vampire slowly. "That would kill almost anything, right? And how would you know what would kill an Original?" Elena was trying to ask questions that would give her the most information from this encounter.

The vampire was struggling to control his temper as he stared at Elena. "I am Elijah Mikaelson, Klaus's older brother." He took in Elena's look of horror and confusion not really caring what the girl thought given what she had had told him.

"Oh," Elena swallowed with difficulty. "I'm sorry for your loss," she murmured, feeling like someone had knocked the air out of her because she was now terrified.

"Niklaus is not dead, Elena, you must come with me," Elijah told her. His patience was slipping. "I do not know what you believe you saw but my brother is not one that would allow himself to be killed that easily."

Feeling her head humming, Elena didn't know what to say to this ancient vampire. "You said you talked to Stefan?" She didn't believe him.

"Yes, I have been in contact with your boyfriend, Mr. Salvatore. He came looking for me to try to keep you safe," Elijah informed her, watching her carefully.

Elena felt a pang of guilt. That was why Stefan had disappeared and she betrayed him by having sex with a man, who had his brother's face but was not Damon. It seemed like the betrayal was being multiplied.

"Is he with you?" Elena asked, still not trusting Elijah. He was Klaus' brother and she had no reason to trust him.

"No. Stefan is not with me. He is staying somewhere safe. But if you come with me I will bring you to him," Elijah told Elena, who frowned. This was not the way that Elijah had expected this encounter to go. It was taking far too long to persuade the girl to leave with him. He ought to just compel her.

"I can't just pick up and leave. My family is here. My friends are here. If you're right and I run then Klaus will come after my family," Elena told him, feeling her heart pounding in her chest. She couldn't leave Damon if Klaus was on the loose. Damon Gilbert had no idea how to fight like Damon Salvatore but he would try to protect her. And Caroline. And Mike. Oh God, Mike was in serious danger if Klaus was still alive. And how did Elena know that Elijah was not working with Klaus.

"I need to make a phone call," Elena told Elijah, backing away from the doorway and dialing Caroline's number. "Pick up, Caroline. Come on, pick up."

"Hey, you've reached the phone of Caroline Forbes. Leave me a message after the beep. And make it speedy because I'm a busy girl." The sound of Caroline's giggling trailed off as the beep sounded.

Sucking in a deep, calming breath, Elena pulled her phone away from her ear. If Caroline wasn't answering her phone then she would have to wait to talk to her in person. Walking back to the door, she stared at Elijah. "If what you said is true and Klaus is still alive then I can't just disappear or he will become suspicious. I need a plan and I need more time to figure out what to tell everyone. I can't just disappear."

Elijah seemed to be considering her request. "Very well, Miss Gilbert. We will be in touch." Before Elena could blink the mysterious Elijah Mikaelson had vanished.

Dialing Stefan's number quickly, Elena waited for an answer but his phone went straight to voicemail. Groaning, Elena went upstairs and took a quick shower before going to bed to be plagued by thoughts of Klaus and Damon. 'Why couldn't she have her life before vampires?' Rolling over onto her side, Elena remembered the feeling of being with Damon. It was wrong. She loved Stefan. But being with Damon was like nothing she had ever experienced in her entire life.

Flipping onto her back, Elena fell asleep and dreamed of Damon. Not Damon Gilbert but Damon Salvatore. Or maybe he was both Damons. The best of both worlds. He was kissing her and pulling her closer. She was kissing him back like he was the only person she needed or wanted on the planet. "I love you, Elena," Damon was whispering into her ear. "I will always love you."

"I love you, too," Elena was whispering back as they rolled around on her bed and she felt his warmth encircling her. Hearing his heart beating as their bodies moved to an old rhythm, older than they were, far older than anyone of the planet. "I love you. I've always loved you. It's not the spell. I always loved you."

Waking up with sweat on her brow, Elena felt that her mouth was open as she looked around. She had to talk to Damon. There was something she had to tell him. She had to tell him that she loved him. She had to break up with Stefan. She had to talk to Caroline. There were too many things that Elena needed to do as she got up and then fell down.

Laying on the floor, it felt like that world was spinning around her, infinitely whirling. It was too much of a strain to push herself to her feet. She felt like she was going to vomit but she couldn't force herself to her feet to get to the bathroom.

Rolling over, Elena dry heaved, staring at the floor as her brain swirled. "I have to go talk to Damon," she whispered as she crawled to the bathroom and forced herself to sit beside the bath tub. She was just so very tired.

Sitting with her back against the cool tiles of the wall, Elena tried to pull herself onto the tub's edge but couldn't. "Lena," Caroline called from somewhere close by. Elena peered blurrily outward but couldn't see her friend.

"Care," Elena called weakly and then she saw a shape moving toward her. Then Caroline's face appeared. Elena found herself blinking, trying to focus on her friend's features which were blurring together.

Feeling something cool touch her forehead, Elena leaned into the comfort of it. "Lena, you're burning up," Caroline whispered in concern as she picked Elena up and carried her over to Elena's bed. "I'm going to get you a thermometer,"

Moaning when the feel of Caroline's cool skin left her in this oasis, Elena tried to call her friend back when Caroline walked in and placed something in her mouth. She had to stop herself from spiting the thing back out. It was uncomfortable and she was thirsty. "Yup, you're sick. And I was going to plan a girl's night," Caroline was saying unhappily. "My boyfriend, Damon and Alaric are off for the weekend and now you're sick. This weekend is going to suck."

Elena opened her mouth to say something when Caroline began to talk again. "I'm going to go make you some soup. Maybe it will make you feel better. Unless you can't hold anything down. Well, I'll bring crackers, too. And we'll see what you can hold down. Be back soon."

With that Caroline was gone and Elena was left to have feverish thoughts of Klaus finding Damon and killing him. She needed to warn Caroline about the danger that Mike was in. This was all so horrible. And all she wanted to do was sleep. But she couldn't sleep. She had to help them.

Attempting to force herself out of bed, Elena found herself on the floor again. "Lena, what are you doing?" Caroline called as she walked into the room to find Elena on the floor, trying to get up. Sitting the bowl of soup on the nightstand, she scooped her friend up and placed her back into bed.

Shaking her head, Caroline was happy she had added an extra ingredient to the soup. Elena would feel better in no time. Smiling to herself, Caroline dipped the spoon into the bowl and held it out to Elena, who moaned, wrinkling her nose. "Come on, Lena, it'll make you feel so much better. Just drink a little for me," Caroline pleaded.

Opening her mouth, Elena sipped the soup and then allowed Caroline to give her five more spoonfulls before she held up a hand. Yawning, she laid back. "Sleepy," she moaned.

Caroline nodded. "Okay. Get some sleep. I'm going to call Mike and see how things are going." She left Elena to her slumber, knowing that Elena would be up and moving around in less than an hour. Then they could go out and have some fun of their own.

Elena yawned after ten minutes and felt remarkably better. Getting up, she walked into the bathroom and turned the water on for a bath. All she wanted was a nice bath to get the sweat off her body. When the tub was full, she found herself yawning again. She didn't hear Caroline in the house so she supposed she was outside talking to Mike.

Elena needed to tell Caroline something about Mike. But she couldn't remember what it was as she slipped into the soothing water. Laying back, she shut her eyes. Yawning again, she forced herself to sit up and begin to soap off the sweat and then to shampoo her hair.

When Elena was done, she didn't really want to get out of the tub. It just felt too good in here. It was nice and warm still and she closed her eyes, leaning back. Feeling her thoughts drift to Damon and Klaus. Klaus and Damon. They were both evil. Maybe Klaus should kill her and then everyone would be safe. Or no one would be safe. Damon would be angry. But which Damon? Where in the world is Damon Salvatore? I need you, Damon. But which Damon? Damon S. or Damon G.?

Elena's thoughts continued to drift as her breathing evened out. This water felt like a little bit of heaven. Elena wondered if there was a heaven. Would she go there if Klaus killed her? Would she want to go there? No. Because of Damon. Her Damon. Damon Salvatore would not be there. She couldn't be without him. She needed him and he wasn't there. He was somewhere else. Maybe he was with another version of her. This made Elena smile for some reason.

Sliding slowly in the tub, Elena yawned again. Just a little bit of sleep. When was the last time she slept really well? Before she knew about Klaus Mikaelson? Before Stefan? Before her parents died? She missed her parents. She'd like to see them again. She didn't want to die. She had to. She couldn't risk the lives of her friends.

Caroline sure does like to talk. She had been gone so long. And why was Mike with Damon? Who was Mike? Klaus isn't dead. The Original brother said that his brother is not dead. Dead. Not dead. Ding dong, the vampire's alive. Who is Mike? Mike Nikolson. Klaus Mikaelson. Funny names.

Rolling on to her side as she began to drift further into sleep. Elena thought about Mike, his face swimming into her mind. Mikey. Mikey. What are you hiding? You knew that you couldn't kill an Original, didn't you? Nikolson. Mikalson. Nikaelson. Miklaus. Elena felt like she was getting closer and she could almost touch the truth.

He's still alive. The thought pounded through Elena's subconscious as her body submerged itself father into the water. Nik. Mike. Son of a bitch. 'Mike is Klaus,' Elena thought before her body surrendered to its exhaustion and her head suck under the water and she was surrounded by blackness.

Downstairs Caroline was finishing her call with Mike and walked back inside the house. The hour was up and Elena should be feeling pretty good right now after Caroline slipped her vampire blood. Walking up the stairs at human speed, Caroline smiled to herself. She had to admit she was a genius at times.

Entering Elena's bedroom, Caroline found her friend wasn't in bed. 'She must be feeling better already,' Caroline thought cheerfully before turning toward the bathroom and seeing her friend's limp wrist hanging from the edge of the bathtub.

Racing over, Caroline screamed when she saw Elena's head laying under the water. Reaching into the tub, Caroline pulled Elena into sitting position. "Lena? Lena, wake up. Please! Lena, open your eyes!" Forcing the human's mouth open, Caroline moved Elena so that she would begin to spit the water up. "I can't do CPR." Caroline moaned, hearing no movement coming from Elena's chest and she wasn't breathing.

"What did I do?" Caroline moaned, rocking the body of her dead friend in her arms. "What did I do?" She could only hope that the vampire blood in Elena's system was enough to bring her back. All she could do was sit and wait.

I hope you didn't hate that this is ended on a cliffhanger after being interrupted for a couple of weeks without warning.

Jeremy Shane: I really, really wish I could update of Friday afternoons but then I will have people going where in the heck did the story go. Ugh. I'm sorry.

xLinneax: There will be adjust issues and not just for Damon G. or Elena G. in this story and the sequel.

Miss Pretty Girl: I know but they thought they were doing the right thing. Unfortunately the right thing is not always what should happen. I hope that makes sense.

Thank you for reading, faving, following and reviewing: Ghostwriter, MysticGirl200, Jeremy Shane, Ninaandianforever, xElinneax, tablekorner, Anna the Vampire Princess, , redbudrose, and Miss Pretty Girl.

Love,

LL