Sorry this is late! My birthday was on Thursday and I didn't get a chance to update. Hope you all enjoy!

Chapter 14

Elijah lay with a sleeping Elena cuddled peacefully in his arms. He hadn't been able to sleep; his focus entirely on how beautiful she looked when she was sleeping.

Morning had come and he was patiently waiting for the beauty to awake. He had thought about making her breakfast, but he knew that if he moved, she would wake up anyway.

Her eyes fluttered as she looked up at him with a lazy smile on her face, "Mm, good morning."

"Good morning, princess," he murmured against her forehead while placing a soft kiss, "I trust you slept well?"

Elena nodded against his chest as she blushed, "I did, thank you." She rolled out of his arms and stretched, emitting a feral noise as her bones popped. Propping herself up on her elbow, she looked over at Elijah, "You didn't have to stay, you know. You could've left if you wanted."

"Believe it or not, I believe leaving swiftly is your expertise," he teased as he mentioned the morning after they had sex.

Her eyebrows pulled together as she frowned, "I'm sorry about that."

He waved off her concerns as he got out of bed, "It's fine. It was quite amusing watching you attempt to dress yourself, however." Smirking, he went to the closet and pulled out a fresh suit before he headed to the bathroom.

"Oh shut up," she called after him as she buried her face in the pillow and groaned. She really had made a mess of herself that morning. Yet, none of it mattered in the end. All of the rushing to return to her perfect boyfriend had turned out to be a worthless illusion.

"Elena?" He asked, peeking his head out of the bathroom, "You're more than welcome to join me if you'd like."

"I'm sure you'd like that," she quipped back as she hopped out of bed, "But I'm actually starving. Save some hot water for me!" She padded downstairs and into the kitchen, hoping that it was still somewhat stocked from the last time she was here.

After warming up a mug of blood and making a heaping plate of bacon, she brought her food into the living room and sat on the fluffy couch, hoping to enjoy the quiet a little longer.

And no such luck, she thought bitterly as a knock sounded against the front door. She got up gracefully and made her way to the door, opening in swiftly.

"Finn?" Elena was confused. How did he know she was here?

Suddenly, she was wrapped in a hug, her face pressed against Finn's chest. He placed a kiss on the top of her head as he pulled back and looked her over, "I heard about what happened. I've been looking for you since yesterday. No one knew where you were."

"That was kind of the point," she said with a small smile. Sighing, she opened the door further and stepped aside, "Come on, this is your home, not mine."

Finn stepped inside and cocked his head slightly when the door closed, "Who else is here?"

"Elijah," she answered quickly, "I-I left my daylight ring in my hotel room and he was kind enough to bring it to me."

He nodded in understanding and followed her into the living room and sat opposite her. He couldn't help the twinge of jealousy he felt when he learned his brother was aware of her whereabouts before he was.

"How did you find out what happened?" She asked, pulling him from his thoughts of insecurity.

He shuffled uncomfortably, "I overheard your friends talking about it in a bakery in the French Quarter."

"But how did they know?"

"Your friend Bonnie came clean, I suppose," he sighed.

Elena huffed, her eyes nearly turning black, "She's not my friend. Not anymore." Truth be told, if she saw Bonnie or Damon anytime soon, she'd probably end up killing them both. She couldn't be held accountable for her actions right now.

Finn hurriedly tried to diffuse the situation by changing the subject, "Has Caroline gotten a hold of you?"

"No," she shook her head, "I haven't heard from her in awhile. I'll probably call her though."

"You should," he encouraged her as he turned to the stairs, watching his brother step onto the landing, "Hello, Elijah."

Elijah's eyes narrowed predatorily at seeing his brother, but smiled slightly nonetheless, "Good morning, Finn. To what do we owe this pleasure? I assume you aren't just stopping in for breakfast."

"News has spread of what happened to Elena and naturally I was curious to see if she was alright," Finn said pointedly as Elijah took a seat next to Elena, "Next time, perhaps you could answer your phone when I call seeing as you were the only one who knew where she was while everyone else was going crazy."

Elena groaned, "I didn't mean to make anyone worry. I just needed time to myself."

The elder man's eyes softened at her admission, "No one is blaming you, lovely Elena. We were merely concerned seeing as your track record isn't the greatest in this city."

"I assure you, she was completely safe all night," Elijah said, a cocky smirk playing on the edge of his lips.

"Elijah!" Elena chastised quietly, smacking his arm in embarrassment.

"Ah, well," Finn coughed uncomfortably, "I'm sure Caroline and Stefan will be pleased to hear from you."

She nodded. She knew she had to call Caroline and, truth be told, she really needed a girl's night.

"What are your intentions with Elena, brother?" Finn asked as he heard the shower turn on upstairs, signaling that Elena couldn't hear their conversation.

Elijah pursed his lips, "I could ask you the same thing. You seem…most smitten by her."

"It's not a secret that I care about her," Finn shrugged indifferently, "I just don't want you to hurt you. You don't have the best history with women."

"Excuse me?" The younger brother's jaw ticked in annoyance, "You've been in a coffin for the last few centuries. What would you know of my history?"

"Every woman you have loved ends up dead or running. You killed Tatia, the woman you claimed to love above all else. Katerina ended up running because of her fear of you and Niklaus. Celeste killed herself to be rid of the pain that came with being associated with the Original family. Hayley gave her love to you when Niklaus rejected her, yet you couldn't give it back to her-"

"Finn, that's enough-"

"Oh! And shall I recall Gia? Niklaus killed her just to prove a point," Finn seethed, "Now, with such a lovely history of women, how shall Elena end up? Will you kill her? Will Niklaus kill her because you'll be loyal to her instead? Or will she end up running away because she can't handle being around us?"

Elijah's fists balled in his lap as he attempted to restrain himself from lunging at his brother, "She will come to no harm by my hand nor anyone else's. If she chooses to leave, I will not pursue her."

"You've already hurt her once, why should I believe anything you say?"

"Because I love her!" Elijah yelled as he stood and looked down at Finn, "I love her more than I've loved anyone else. I won't do anything to hurt her because I can't stand to see her in pain."

Elena sat alone in the living room waiting for Caroline to arrive. Elijah had left a few hours before needing to take care of business or something and Finn sat upstairs in the study. Neither brother wanted to leave her alone in case Damon found out where she was.

"I brought alcohol!" Caroline announced as she strode through the door, "Oh! And cupcakes!"

Elena laughed as she got up from the couch and helped the blonde bring in the bags that were weighing her down.

"How much alcohol do we need?" Elena asked, staring wide eyed at the multiple bottles, "I know it takes a lot to get drunk, but still."

The blonde threw her hands up in exasperation, "Oh come on, Elena! We're celebrating! No more reckless, annoying, impulsive Damon! You're single and ready to mingle!"

"What if I'm not?"

"What if you're not what?" Caroline asked, setting down the bottles of alcohol on the coffee table, "Single? Uh, yeah. You are. Ready to mingle? In a few drinks you will be!"

"Care, I don't think that I'm actually single," she murmured, looking down, "I kind of slept with Elijah." She left out the part about not waiting until she and Damon had broken up; she didn't need that judgment just yet.

"Oh my God, Elena!" Caroline screeched, smacking Elena's arm hard, "How was it?"

"Caroline!" The brunette blushed deeply, "I'm so not talking to you about this."

Caroline smiled knowingly, "It was great, wasn't it? Whenever I sleep with Klaus it feels like I've died and gone to heaven. I mean, a millennium of experience comes in handy, huh?"

"Care, it was amazing," Elena gushed, "I'm just not sure where to go from here. I don't want him to think I'm using him as a rebound guy."

Caroline snorted, "He's been around for a long time, 'Lena. I'm sure he doesn't think you're using him. Just have fun and see where it takes you. That's what I'm doing with Klaus," she passed Elena a bottle of Vodka and smiled, "Stop looking for Mr. Right and start enjoying Mr. Right-Now."

"So, did you finally get the girl?" Cami asked as she poured Elijah a drink.

Elijah looked at the blonde thoughtfully and smiled, "I suppose I have in a way. She's staying with us temporarily as she figures out what she wants."

"But you slept with her, right?" She inquired, gazing at him intently, "Before her and what's his face broke up?"

He looked ashamed momentarily, "Yes. But I didn't intend for it to happen."

"Is she regretting it? Has she said anything to you?"

"Well, no. I'm just trying to give her space," he muttered.

Cami smiled softly, "She doesn't need space; she needs someone who loves her regardless of what she's been through. Obviously her ex didn't wait for her and, yeah, that would hurt anyone. But I've met her and she's strong, Elijah. She's stronger than anyone I've ever met. Now it's your turn to sweep her off her feet and make her realize what she's been missing."

Caroline had decided to go home to Klaus, leaving Elena to her own devices as she sat in the living room. She hadn't felt like drinking alone and quickly straightened up the bottles littering the floor.

Thinking back on Caroline's words, Elena realized that she was right. She needed to enjoy life and herself. She couldn't let Damon's infidelity cause her to crumple and become a recluse. Elijah made her feel alive and that's what she so desperately needed right now.

When the front door swung open, she jumped about a mile high. Turning to see who it was, her heart fluttered as Elijah hurried inside, closing the door behind him.

He saw her and walked graciously towards her, "Is Caroline still here?"

Elena shook her head, "She left a little while ago. I just haven't made it upstairs yet."

"Why not?" Elijah asked softly, hoping the answer was what he wanted to hear.

She bit her lip before looking up at him, "I was waiting for you."

Before he could process what was happening, her lips were on his in a passionate frenzy. She had pushed him up against the wall with her arms around his neck, holding him close to her fragile body.

Her hands flew to his pants, unbuckling his belt before sliding her hand inside. As she stroked his manhood, he moaned into her mouth, wanting to please her as much as she was pleasing him.

"Bedroom. Now," she whispered breathlessly.

He scooped her up bridal style and whooshed them to his room, closing the door behind him as he set her on the bed. He hovered above her, kissing down her jaw.

"Now, where were we, princess?"

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~Grace