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Chapter 29
Once they got to the mansion, it was pandemonium as Caroline was throwing vases at Klaus who was dodging.
"Do I even want to know?" Elijah asked as he felt a headache appear.
"He's teaching me aim." Caroline explained.
"Hey!" Bonnie yelped as one of those vases were coming her direction and with a swipe of her hand she split it in two.
"Okay that's enough," Klaus said as he stopped. Caroline decided to throw one last vase and it shattered against the side of Klaus' head. Kol found that hilarious but then so did everyone else.
Rebekah sighed and shot a look at Bonnie. "Use whatever spell you have to clean this mess up."
Bonnie nodded and as she saw Rebekah leave, she knew that it'll be a while before Rebekah accepts her.
Bonnie closed her eyes and as she began to chant all the pieces from the broken vases levitated into the air. It obviously took some concentration to keep thousands of pieces levitating like that. As Bonnie moved her hands the pieces all came together into a group. Anticipating her needs Caroline hurried off and returned with a trashcan. Bonnie carefully relocated all of the pieces into the trashcan and the spell was finished. She smiled thankful that her powers seemed to be coming back into focus. She was embracing both of her sides and finding balance.
"Bonnie that still amazes me and even more now that you're a vampire and a witch," Elena smiled. Elijah had his arms wrapped around her waist and she smiled up at him.
"Why are you all wet?" Caroline just noticed that they were, indeed, wet.
The two girls who were soaked grinned before smiling at her.
"Training." They said.
"I need that kind of training," Caroline smiled.
"How did your training go?" Elena asked Caroline.
Klaus groaned as did Caroline.
"Horrible. He tried teaching me to feed from the vein but he nearly killed the person and then he has me do the speed test which ends up with me on my back and him being pushed into a tree because Tyler stopped us."
"Location. location, location," Kol chanted to Klaus then he smirked at him, "do I need to teach your lover how to be a proper vampire, brother?"
Klaus tackled him and the two volatile brothers began to beat the other up while everyone-minus Rebekah-watched.
"Should we stop this?" Elena asked worriedly to Elijah who was shaking his head at them.
"No-let them get it out of their system." He looked at the three vampires and smiled. "Would you all like something to drink?"
"Yes please!" Caroline and Bonnie said happily and he ushered all three girls into the kitchen where he got glasses and filled them up with blood and cranberry juice.
"Oh this is fantastic," Bonnie closed her eyes as she savored the drink. "I think we should take Caroline and Klaus training with us."
"Especially speed training," Elena grinned and Bonnie nodded.
"Why speed training?" Caroline frowned.
"Well the starting isn't bad but the stopping is great!" Bonnie replied cryptically.
Caroline looked like she was going to ask more when the sounds of more vases breaking made Elijah sigh.
"Twenty more vases are gone. Rebekah will slaughter them." He groaned. Bonnie winced and wouldn't wish Rebekah's wrath upon anyone.
"Do you think we should get some more? Just to appease her?" Bonnie asked. Elena stiffened at the thought of going out into the public. What if she had another breakdown and Elijah wasn't there?
Caroline and Elijah saw Elena stiffen and nodded.
"I'll get the car ready with Elena." Elijah got out. "Would you two inform Rebekah of what has been happening to her vases and that we are going to buy her more to replace the ones that have been breaking due to Niklaus and Kol?"
"Sure," Caroline replied and she brought Bonnie along with her.
"Klaus and Kol are responsible for all the vases being broken but we're going with Elijah to replace them for you," Caroline said when they found Rebekah in the library.
"Oh joy," Rebekah snorted out. "They're ruining my collection and Elijah's going to buy more." She looked at them and nodded. "Have fun on your little outing with Elijah you two." Returning to her book-surprisingly, it wasn't Twilight as it was by some new author. Caroline and Bonnie left the room at human speed and made it out to the car where Elena was in the passenger seat with a paper bag crumbled in her hands.
"Just breathe, relax," Elijah soothed. "Nothing is going to happen to you while I'm here. I promise."
"What if I had another incident like I did with Jeremy?"
He shook his head. "You did well with Matt earlier. I'll be with you the entire way, okay?"
She nodded.
"I won't let you do anything Elena," Caroline tried to comfort her. "I can tell if you're getting like that before it happens."
"We've got to practice," Bonnie said, "this is our life now. You can't stay at home with Elijah forever as much as you might like to. Who would shoot down my bad fashion choices?"
She laughed. "I've done it only twice-shooting down bad fashion choices is all Caroline!"
Caroline nodded. "Those pants were horrible and that shirt! I had to burn it as it was a crime against everything!"
"It was lime green and a workout shirt." Bonnie pointed out. "You didn't burn Elena's workout clothes."
Elena groaned. "Jeremy gave them to her and she lit them on fire."
They all entered the mall and Bonnie closed her eyes a moment wishing she didn't have to breathe at the moment. She tried to remember everything Kol had taught her. She was fine as they walked along until they reached a crowd of excited shoppers; all of that wonderful blood in a symphony of different aromas. It was like entering a coffee shop or a Godiva store. She reached over and gripped Caroline's hand nervously.
"You're doing great Bonnie." Caroline encouraged. Elena, on the other hand, never left Elijah's side and he had one hand on her lower back.
"Just breathe." He soothed to both Bonnie and Elena. Elena nodded as did Bonnie but her breathing technique was quick.
She wanted to leave quickly.
As they began looking at the vases Elijah asked them plenty of questions. Bonnie was amazed when she realized half an hour had passed while both she and Elena were shopping like the old times. They picked out plenty of vases in crystal and china to replace the ones that had been broken. They loaded a multitude of boxes into the car and Bonnie smiled feeling accomplished.
"See Elena, we made it and we didn't hurt anyone. Once I got distracted the rest of my mind took over and I didn't think about it really," Bonnie enthused.
Elena smiled as she realized the same thing about herself though her distraction was right next to her. She felt him slip into her mind a little bit and she nearly moaned out loud while they were shopping. He must have known as he kept giving her little smirks.
As soon as they arrived home Kol looked to Elijah in silent question. Elijah gave him a curt nod and a quick smile and Kol relaxed. He greeted Bonnie with a kiss and Klaus pulled Caroline into his arms.
"Okay since you three broke the vases I think it's only fair that you put them back up," Elena dictated to Klaus, Caroline and Kol.
"Come on I'll help," Bonnie smiled at Kol and began opening one of the boxes.
"What are you going to do?" Klaus asked. Elena smiled sadly.
"More family time and hopefully, I won't nearly eat them." Elijah winced and as they left, Klaus and Kol looked at each other.
"What do you think is going to happen this time?" Kol asked.
Klaus shrugged. "Maybe her brother's calmed down enough to talk to her?"
As they arrived at the Gilbert residence Alaric answered the door. He was surprised for half a second and then he smiled at Elena and welcomed her in with a hug which Elena made brief. As she stepped inside Alaric welcomed Elijah in.
"Can I get you something to drink?" Alaric offered. "Jeremy, Elena's here," he called upstairs.
"He's probably got his headphones on again," Alaric muttered, "I yelled for ten minutes yesterday and he didn't hear a damn thing."
Elena walked upstairs and found Jeremy plugged in to his headphones. At first he was surprised to see her but his surprise quickly turned to anger. He took his headphones off.
"Get out Elena," he growled.
"Not going to happen," Elena said bravely.
"What are you going to do bite me?" Jeremy yelled loudly. In the kitchen Elijah headed towards the entry and the stairs when Alaric stopped him with a tentative hand.
"Nope," Elena said as she leaned against the far wall. She wasn't closing the distance but she wasn't leaving either.
"If he provokes her she could bite him again," Elijah pointed out.
"Then he'll learn his lesson hopefully about provoking vampires and maybe even siblings," Alaric said taking a sip of his drink. "She's not an original Elijah. Jeremy could restrain her if he truly had to. They need to learn to exist with one another..."
"I'm just worried about her." Elijah sighed and Alaric rubbed his hand to his forehead.
"Elena, just get out!" Jeremy was angry at her as well as furious. She allowed herself to become the one thing that he hated more than he thought possible.
"Not happening little brother so suck it up." She bit back at him with a tone that he remembered her using on him when he would throw a tantrum about his English homework and she forced him to do it.
"Why become like this?" He asked in a demanding voice.
"Because I'm in love with Elijah and I want dozens of lifetimes with him," Elena said gently as she moved over to his desk chair and sat down. "If Anna had offered it to you what would you have said?"
"I'd have said no!" Jeremy yelled. "I wouldn't have died to love someone. I would have thought of my family!"
"I'm right here Jeremy! I haven't left you!" Elena sprang to her feet again.
"You're dead Elena! You're a freakin' vampire and if I pull that ring off your finger you'd be ash in seconds!" Jeremy yelled and Elijah was at the doorway in a second.
"It's okay Elijah," Elena sighed as she tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear. "You were okay with my being with Stefan Jere. What changed? Is it because it's Elijah?"
"He betrayed you and got Aunt Jenna killed for his brother's sacrifice that you did twice already!"
Elena glared at him.
"Jenna wasn't even his first choice! Did you know that Klaus would have used Katherine or even Caroline for that damn curse his own mother placed him under?" She turned on her heel and left her brother's room, Elijah right behind her.
She walked defiantly down the stairs and made it as far as the living room where she took one good look at the picture over the mantle of her family taken her sophomore year and she began to sink as anguished sobs escaped her body. Elijah swept her into his arms and settled on the couch with her. Alaric went to the kitchen for some brandy to calm someone's nerves.
In his room Jeremy felt his sister's sobs. She cried just like the same Elena only this time she was crying because of him. She had come to him and he was pushing her away again. He felt pretty wretched. He opened the door and came cautiously down the stairs. When he reached the living room he was met by Elijah's cold stare where the original cradled Elena in his arms as she sobbed uncontrollably.
"This was at your hands Jeremy. Do you feel better now?" the original asked.
"Why do you even care?" Jeremy snarled at him, angry at the original for everything that's transpired because of his family. "You allowed her to die twice already!"
Alaric came back in with a bottle of brandy and two glasses. Jeremy glared at Elijah and left the house for a walk, not wanting to be around them at the moment.
"I am sorry," Alaric sighed.
"It's not your fault," Elena sniffled as she righted herself and scooted to sit beside Elijah on the couch, "it's mine. He was counting on me and even though I didn't intend to I guess I did die and leave him. I just don't understand why he can't see that I'm the same Elena right here in front of him. This was my choice! I did one selfish thing and everyone is going to make sure I pay for it!" Alaric passed Elijah a glass of brandy but Elena intercepted it and downed it in one gulp making a face as it burned on the way down.
"No one else has made you pay for it," Elijah told her. "Rebekah, Caroline, my brothers Niklaus and Kol, Bonnie...none of them have made you pay for this."
"Stefan has and I know that Damon is." She buried her face in his chest, her tears ruining his shirt. "I wanted to do this and now..."
"They're idiots but they also love you." Alaric said, trying to speak in a sympathetic tone which was working.
"I know," Elena sighed, "but it's not like I could take it back...and I don't want to. I just hate this feeling; this guilt."
"Ric, whose-" the words died on Damon Salvatore's lips as he walked through the door and saw Elena sitting next to Elijah all teary-eyed.
"Elena," Damon greeted. His face was surprisingly full of concern and he covered half the room but he didn't dare come any closer considering whose arms she was in. "What's wrong?" Elijah couldn't believe it. It appeared that perhaps Damon Salvatore really did love Elena enough to put his desires aside for her happiness.
"I transitioned." She replied softly, not wanting to leave Elijah's arms. Damon took one good look and glared at Elijah.
"She had your blood in her when she died, huh?" At Elijah's nod, Damon growled.
"Why not Caroline's blood? That would have been better. Not yours."
"I wanted it to be Elijah's blood." Elena said in that same soft voice but this time, there was a hint of defiance to it.
"Then why are you so upset?" Damon asked gently.
"Jeremy is furious at me," Elena explained.
"Jeremy's a punk," Damon scoffed. "He's not quite seventeen Elena. He doesn't get it yet. You're a little more seasoned; I call it all that vampire blood you've had - Stefan's, mine, Klaus', Caroline's and of course Elijah's. You see the world a little differently. Would you like me to change his mind?"
She shook her head. "No, he'll come around one day."
Elijah nodded. He knew that the stubborn boy would come around-he just hoped that it was soon.
"Why don't we go out drinking tonight Damon?" Alaric suggested, subtly pushing said vampire out the door.
"Sure-I'm in need of a drink and I do need to talk to you." He added and the two left Elena and Elijah all alone in her house.
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