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Mystic Falls

"Seriously brother," Damon groaned when he and Stefan were at the boardinghouse. "You believe that they are in Paris?"

"Caroline's always wanted to go," Stefan said as he packed a few weeks of clothes into his suitcase. "Though Elena might be in Denver with Jeremy and Bonnie so I'll go there while you go to Paris."

"Let me know if you find anything?" Damon asked.

"Of course and you do the same. We'll find them Damon." Damon gave him a mock salute before flashing to the Richmond airport bound for Paris and Stefan ostensibly turned his car for 'Denver'.

He was really going to New Orleans to be with Rebekah and the girls.

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New Orleans

Elena walked into Cafe du Monde for a vanilla cappuccino and a few beignets. They had become a delicious weakness of hers as soon as she had tasted them. Smiling, she sat outside enjoying her beignets when a shadow stood over her. Looking up, she smiled at Elijah who smirked at her.

"I would have thought you would ignore me after last night." She said lightly with a sad smile. "I did lie to you yesterday when we met." He nodded but instead of being angry at the girl in front of him, he was more surprised that she had done so.

"I knew you did," he admitted. "You know that I hate being deceived by people." Now his eyes darkened. "Hayley tried saying that Klaus impregnated her only for a witch friend of mine to tell me that it was a lie. Klaus was devastated by the wolf and I had her punished by having her cursed to be a wolf until she dies." Elena whistled.

"Wouldn't want to be on your bad side."

"Why lie to me about the fact that you now live here?" His question fell from his lips before he could stop it.

"The truth is that I did want a new beginning and to pull a 'Katherine' but I couldn't even do that." She let out before taking a sip of her coffee. The actual truth was that she was protecting Rebekah and Stefan. Her resolve in that was strong and the brothers could try anything they want, she wouldn't break. They could torture her to the brink of insanity and starve her until she desiccates but she won't give away their location or their secret.

"How does Damon feel about this?" She shrugged her shoulders.

"The last time we actually talked, it turned into an argument about my feelings for...an old male friend who came to visit me and Damon accused me of being a 'scarlet woman'." She took a bite of her beignet with a smile. "Stefan overheard everything and sided with me. He's been helping me with getting my life on a better path than if I had stayed with Damon."

He knew to whom she alluded. Elijah remembered visiting her and seeing how she was adjusting to living for eternity after she had killed Katherine the day of her graduation ceremony inside the high school. It did pain him that Elena's life was like this but he would rather have her like this than have to deal with her passing.

"I'm sorry for your break up with him." He told her softly but the words felt forced and hollow.

"I haven't blamed you for how things ended between Damon and I."

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Rebekah was nervous as Elena should have been home by now but she wasn't. She wasn't even answering her phone! The blonde checked her phone again to see if an emergency code had been issued. Perhaps she needed to call Bonnie or Caroline. On the other hand maybe she just needed to grab her emergency bag and disappear. Her gut clenched at the thought. She didn't want to leave the girls after all they had done for her – all they were sacrificing for her.

The door finally opened and Elena stood there with a smile on her face.

"Where have you been? I've been worried sick about you!" Rebekah was about to lay into Elena when she was stopped by the sight of the brunette before her - though always positive Rebekah had come to realize that Elena sometimes faked her happiness for the well-being of her friends. It was an art Rebekah had never mastered. This time however what stopped Rebekah was the glow about Elena. She genuinely seemed happier.

"I spent the day with Elijah and it was... amazing." The brunette gushed.

"You do remember the plan was to avoid my brothers right?" Rebekah smirked though she poured two wine glasses – straight blood for herself and half blood half wine for Elena.

"Well they already know we're here now…" Elena said as she sat and began sipping her beverage. "It would probably make them even more suspicious if we just avoided them."

"Okay lecture over. What did you do?" Rebekah asked.

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"Do you have any plans for today?" Elijah asked.

"No not really. Some days I just like to laze around the French Quarters," Elena smiled.

"Mind if I join you?"

"You don't strike me as the lazy type," Elena smirked.

"I'm trying something new." As the jazz band started a new song they left the café and wandered down the street towards the Farmer's Market. There she wandered from stall to stall taking in the edibles as well as the gifts. She admired a couple of pieces of silver jewelry and a wax seal set for sealing correspondence.

"That seems so elegant," she said.

"Today perhaps but it used to be everyone did that. Although actually it was usually the family crest," Elijah said.

"Yes well the Mikaelson crest is rather impressive." She said very softly. She was well aware that it was not a good idea to speak the Mikaelson name too loudly anywhere.

"Thank you," he smiled. She looked at the set a moment longer and moved on. Finally she found a stall with cheap designer sunglasses and she fell in love with a Burberry pair that was translucent blush plastic on the front and translucent Burberry plaid on the arms. She tried them on three times and each time it took her longer to put them back. Finally Elijah picked them up.

"You must allow me," he smiled and as they left the stand she was sporting the sunglasses. Afterwards they went to lunch at The Acme Oyster Company where Elijah taught Elena how to 'slurp' oysters in the greatest of New Orleans traditions. After lunch they wandered down Royal Street browsing antique stores and Elijah could tell her about many of the pieces. She tried on a beautiful ruby drop necklace.

"I feel like a princess," she marveled as she admired the ruby and diamond confection.

"It looks beautiful on you," Elijah said. She helped him decide on a painting for his townhouse and she even bought him a set of silk handkerchiefs. Finally they had parted company in Jackson Square and she had made sure she wasn't being followed before she returned to her townhouse.

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"Sounds like you had a really good time," Rebekah smiled. She rubbed the small of her back again. "Oh, I swear I'm getting fat."

"I'm pretty sure that's supposed to happen," Elena smiled.

"Yeah well wait until it happens to you." Elena froze.

"Fat chance," she said.

"Elena I didn't mean…" Rebekah trailed off but Elena had already retreated for her room.

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