He notes her carefully braided hair, it's still damp. He carefully murmurs, that it's him, and to have her walls down as his focus narrows to her. He opens the door and hears something unexpected. His voice, though he's not speaking.
"Elena?" He calls. He walks closer towards the noise, wondering if Elena is dreaming. He walks to the hallway that seems to be the source of the noise, and he sees Elena close the door that has his name on it.
"Elijah." She says, a wide smile on her face.
"I was just doing some reorganizing. Memories." She explains as she leads the way back to her room.
He's intrigued, the memory had been of them getting ice cream. He remembered saying the words he had heard. He tells Elena that Caroline and Bonnie had called him, he had assured them she was fine. She asks him if it's night, and he nods. She marks the day off. She sits on her bed and he joins her. She tells him that she'd like it if he stayed the night in her head, but he doesn't have to. She knows he'll come back, and she could just let her dreams come to the surface and float in them. He asks if he can try something, when he returns. She agrees, curious.
Kol doesn't say anything when he sees his older brother return to Elena's room in pajamas. Elijah is thankful.
It takes longer to slip back into her mind than it did to do his nightly routine. She's waiting by the door when he returns, and he lets a grin appear on his face at that.
"I know you must be lonely, with only me for company." He begins, and she almost interrupts, Caroline will be in her head soon as well. At least, she hopes.
"But if you let me, I can show you something." He finishes. He had carefully spent a few hours on it, he hopes she likes it. She closes her eyes, and they're on the porch of the house, and she's guiding him through a door and then they're behind a wall.
"If I do anything that involves leaving my mind palace, I have to keep it frozen. It'll stay there, no matter what we do." She explains. She can bring the wall to wherever she wants, allowing them a shortcut back. It's a good idea, and she slips her elbow into his as they stare into the dark. It's just inky darkness, and he can't see anything other than the wall, even with his excellent eyesight.
"Give me some power here." He says, and she understands. She's too tenacious on her control. She carefully gives it up, little pieces at a time. She closes her eyes and he focuses on bringing his mind into hers. It can't blend in, it has to carefully rest against hers. They're not sharing one mind, he just wants to pull something out of his memories. She keeps her eyes closed, even though she feels something she thought she wouldn't feel for a long time. A warm breeze. She can feel heat against her skin, there's light that makes her open her eyes. Her arm is still in Elijah's. She looks at the bustling street of New Orleans. She can hear jazz and smell food and people and so many things it's almost an overload. She closes her eyes to try to focus at all of her senses. Elijah notes this, and asks if it's too much, concern is blatant in his voice.
"No, it's perfect. Thank you." She says. She's content to stand and watch this memory a few minutes, it's a beautiful gift.
"Are you going to let me take you on a tour of the city we live in?" He inquires and her eyes open with excitement. Her smile is worth the hours it took, and he's glad for it.
They spend a long time walking around, he carefully narrates their tour with history and his own experiences. He shows her the house they're currently living in. He tells her of his brother's desire to live where Marcel is, and they could take it, but it's a matter of planning. When they reach her room, her hands go to her hair.
It's so odd to see herself like that, tucked in and her hair in a braid. Her arm is taped to a board to keep the IV from moving or hurting her.
She moves out of the room after a few seconds and he has to console her.
"I look so dead. And lifeless. I don't look like myself." She says, and her voice is close to shaking. It's hard not to compare them, the Elena with closed eyes and a needle in her arm and the lively one who has her arms around him. Elena takes back the control, she can't stand it anymore, they find themselves landing on a dirt floor.
It reminds him of the time she undaggered him, the first time.
"We're in the basement. I'm sorry." Seeing herself was surreal. The girl in that bed didn't even smell like her, she hopes Caroline will fix that soon. Caroline knows where the perfume in her bag is. She apologizes and he tells her that he would have acted similarly. She doubts it, Elijah was never as obvious with her emotions as she was. But she leads him upstairs again, and they hear sound. A ringing noise and Klaus. Elena stiffens against him, and focuses on his voice.
"Caroline just informed me that she will be coming today. She has just left Mystic Falls." His brother says and then wonders aloud if either of them can hear him, and Elena looks at him, she can't risk it. He nods and he's thrown out of her mind before he can comprehend it, his eyes open to look at Klaus. Elena might not mind living somewhat near his brother, but she won't have him in her mind. He doesn't blame her.