AN: I'm thinking thirty chapters at longest because I have 4 hours to write this before I leave my computer, sorry! If I do well with this I'll update colors too! Song for this chapter: Dakota by Rocket to the Moon. Also, I want to do Bonnie's funeral, talking to Jeremy, seeing Caroline and a few other things.
"Can we get breakfast when it's breakfast time?" She asks suddenly.
"Of course." He says, and his phone rings. His fingers stop tracing patterns and he picks up his phone.
"Yes, Niklaus?" Elijah asks, and she can hear it-she can hear what Klaus is saying.
"Is she awake yet?" Klaus asks.
"Yes, she is." Elijah says, and Klaus sounds surprised.
"Hello doppelganger." They hear Kol say, and then there's a bit of an odd scuffle over the phone.
"So when are you coming back, Elijah?" Klaus asks carefully.
"When Elena wants to." Elijah says, looking at her.
"How soon?"
"A few weeks, perhaps." He says and Elena nods.
"Okay." Klaus says, and he hangs up.
"It's just about to be seven am." He tells her. She asks where the bathroom is, it's been almost five decades since she's washed her own hair and it's starting to get to her. She lets go of his hand, and it's fine ,she tells herself because she wouldn't have dreamed this. Her other dreams never made this much sense, and so she turns on the water-it's been so long since she's felt something that wasn't room temperature. She sets the water to scalding, getting a washcloth and taking a moment to enjoy feeling. While she's in the shower, he calls Caroline and asks her what products Elena used to use. Caroline sends him a list and he tells Elena he'll be back in a few minutes, she can hear through the door.
She's sure she's removed a layer of skin by scrubbing too hard, but she feels almost like herself. She smells like Elijah, and she finds that she doesn't mind. She turns off the water, feeling better. She remembers something she once read. Getting better isn't always a straight line, sometimes has steps, and other times it has leaps and detours and stops. So she'll take the steps she can. She exits the bathroom, her hair in a towel and in another matching towel.
"I feel so much better." She tells him.
"I have a few things that might improve that." He tells her, and she looks surprised. She sees her old perfume, they still make it-the closest things to her hair care routine and a new brush. She hugs him again, noting his suit jacket. She moves back after a few seconds, realizing she's probably making his suit wet. She smiles and takes a deep breath. Steps, she reminds herself.