((Hey, Sorry, guys. To those of you who have already recieved email notification that this chapter had already been posted, I was fiddling around on the site today and accidentally deleted Chapter 10 after I posted it last night. I haven't had a lot of sleep lately and have been a little out of it, so I may have gotten a little punchy on the computer keys. So, forgive me if you get two notices in your email inbox and go "WTF?". BUT, I did take this mess up as an opportunity to add a few things that I forgot to in Elijah and Elena's conversation ;) Now, for those of you who haven't read the story yet...In the words of the great Samuel L. Jackson..."HOLD ON TO YOUR BUTTS!"))
Elena smirked, taking in the atmosphere as Elijah held the door open for her and she walked into the dark and slightly crowded club.
It resembled a lounge in a 1960's movie—people dining and mingling at small circular tables, with white table cloths and candles, arranged in the center of the yacht club-style decorated room.
All the tables were facing a large wooden dance floor and stage, where a middle-aged band was playing Frank Sinatra's Fly Me to The Moon.
"What?" Elijah asked with a chuckle, coming to her side and surveying the scene
"Nothing," Elena replied with a chuckle of her own
"You told me to choose somewhere for us to celebrate…so, I chose," Elijah said, pointing toward the bar counter, "Looks like there is room at the bar. Would you like to sit down?"
Elena nodded and Elijah led the way through the crowd.
When they reached the bar, Elijah pulled out Elena's chair for her and watched her take a seat in her dark blue cocktail dress, folding the tool at the bottom under her, before he removed his suit jacket and draped it over the back of his own chair.
"Good Evening," the bartender greeted, from the far end, "I'll be right with you."
He was a tall, college-aged, blonde and Elijah nodded to him in acknowledgement before taking a seat next to Elena and leaning in to her.
"This is the perfect time for a lesson in compulsion," he said in a low voice next to ear
"What?" Elena asked, turning to him and finding herself dangerously close to his face.
He pulled back and studied her with soft eyes, then continued, swallowing back his emotions as he shifted his eyes back to the young bartender, "You are technically under age. Compel that bartender into giving you a drink."
"Are you serious?" Elena asked, stunned
"Why not?" Elijah smirked, "You still want to learn to be a vampire, right?"
"Yes, but-what if I mess it up and fry his brain or something?" Elena countered with a nervous laugh
"You won't. Just look him directly in the eye and state your demand in a steady and confident tone," Elijah instructed
"But—" Elena protested, but at that moment, Elijah turned and pointed over her shoulder to the bartender who was now coming their way.
"Don't worry," he whispered quickly, "I've got your back and if you get desperate, remember that flirting might work, too."
Elena narrowed her eyes at him playfully and smirked at him, "Thanks for that."
Elijah's face softened, his eyes drifting to her dress then back to her face, "Well, it's the truth. You look beautiful…as always."
Elena opened her mouth to speak, but just then, the bartender arrived
"Hi, Folks," the blonde Abercrombie and Finch ad smiled broadly, tossing cocktail napkins in front of them and leaning on the counter "My name is Gabe. What can I get you to drink this evening?"
"I would like a bourbon, straight up, please," Elijah said, straightening the napkin in front of him
The bartender nodded then turned to Elena, "And for you?"
"I'll have the same," Elena replied
"Sure. I'll just have to see some I.D.", the bartender said, straightening and throwing the bar towel over his shoulder
Elena turned to Elijah and he smirked
Elena took in a breath then turned back to face the bartender, focusing her eyes and bringing her brown irises to meet his blue head on while speaking in a low, steady voice, "You checked my identification. I am twenty-two."
When Elena felt a strange sensation between her and the bartender, like a clicking sensation in her head, she knew something had happened.
But, it was as she forced herself to break eye contact with him that she saw that it had worked.
The bartender looked blankly at her for a moment as if someone had hit his 'pause' button, then he shook himself out of the trance and smiled, "Thanks. I'll be right back with your drinks."
"Well done," Elijah said, leaning into her with a smile
"Thanks," Elena said, a small smile crossing her own face, "I feel cool…powerful."
Elijah laughed, "Well, don't let that power go to your head. Compulsion is a useful tool, but it should only be used when absolutely necessary."
"Point taken," Elena conceded as Gabe returned with their drinks
"Thank you," Elijah said to the young man, pulling a twenty out of his pocket and handing it to him.
"So," Elena said, turning on her stool to face the original, "October 28th, a thousand and…."
Elijah smirked, sensing where she was going with her inquisition, "I'm still not telling you how old I am."
"Okay," Elena replied playfully, "a thousand and…dot…dot…dot…years ago, you were born in what is now the charming town of Mystic Falls…"
"Yes." Elijah answered, taking a drink from his tumbler, "But, technically in what is now Harper's Woods."
"And?" Elena prompted
"And what?" Elijah asked
"Come on," Elena smiled, "Everyone has a story about when they were born. What's yours?"
"There isn't much of a story," Elijah replied, "It was cold night during the fall harvest. I was born. That's it. End of story."
Elena rolled her eyes, then raised her glass to him, "Fine. Well, here is to a thousand and dot...dot...dot...dot...more years,"
"I'll drink to that," Elijah smiled as he raised his own glass and their tumblers clinked
Just then, the band started playing Beyond the Sea and Elijah closed his eyes with a smile.
"Ahh…Bobby Darin…a classic," he said, taking a drink, then lowering his glass, "I love this place."
"Been coming here awhile?" Elena joked
"Longer than these people," Elijah replied, opening his eyes
Elena started laughing,
"What?" Elijah asked, amused
"Nothing," Elena replied twirling her tumbler, "It's just that..." She trailed off as she leaned into him and lowered her voice, "Do you know where we are?"
"Of course. I told you, I've been coming her since the place opened in '59. The name is on the sign outside—"
"I don't mean the name of the place, Elijah," Elena smirked, nodding back toward the crowd around them, "I mean what's going on here."
"What's going on here?" he inquired
"Elijah, it's a sixty/forty bar," Elena explained, "We're the youngest people here. Well, me…and hypothetically, you. "
"What is a 'sixty/forty' bar?" Elijah asked, genuinely intrigued
Suddenly, the bartender appeared before them again, "You know, Dude… sixty year-old men hitting on and trying to pick up forty year-old women."
Elijah followed the bartender's gaze to the end of the bar and the couple sitting there.
An older man, who looked strangely like Jack Nicholson with graying hair and Ray Ban sunglasses and dressed in a dark blue suit, bought a drink for a perky, young blonde in a red dress, who cast him flirtatious looks out of the corner of her eye.
"Oh…" Elijah said, raising an eyebrow as he turned back to Elena
"I rest my case," Elena smiled, before taking another drink
"Can I get you anything else?" Gabe, the bartender asked with a way-too-charming smile
"Some cheese fries for me," Elena piped up, then looked to Elijah
"Birthday boy?" she prompted
"I'm good," Elijah smiled, holding up a hand
Gabe nodded, then left
"Hungry?" Elijah asked, his eyes looking worried
"I fed about four hours ago, but, let's just say that I can start to smell the blood," Elena said in a low voice, "particularly if they walk by too close."
"You're right to suppress your hunger with human food," Elijah commended, then nodded toward the drink in her hand, "and alcohol always helps, too. That's why we're all alcoholics."
He pulled back with a wink and Elena chuckled.
"Here we go," Gabe said as he sat Elena's fries in front of her
"Thanks," she said, then pointed over to Elijah, "Put it on 'Birthday Boy's' tab,"
Elijah rolled his eyes and pulled his money clip from his pocket again and tossed a hundred at the bartender, "Go ahead and open a tab and keep the bourbons coming."
Gabe nodded with a smile and left again
"Want some?" Elena asked, taking a bite of a fry before pushing the basket toward Elijah
"Sure," Elijah said, pulling a couple of napkins in front of him and reaching for the salt and pepper shakers nearby.
Elena watched curiously as he shook a mixture of salt and pepper on each napkin then smirked as he pushed one across the bar in front of her.
"Is this salt and pepper dip?" Elena asked in amazement, looking down at the napkin
"I only just discovered it," Elijah said, reaching into the basket and removing a fry, "It's quite delicious. According to a reliable source it's 'fast food gospel'."
Elena smiled as she watched Elijah dip his fry into the dip and pop it into his mouth.
"You are just full of surprises, aren't you?" Elena smirked, dipping the rest of her fry in her own dip and taking another bite.
"You have no idea…" Elijah said, studying her with soft eyes—eyes that suddenly brought back that fire in her stomach, only he didn't need to touch her skin to make her feel it.
Suddenly, the lights dimmed and Elena broke eye contact, curiously looking over her shoulder at the stage across the room.
The other musicians on stage now faded into the background as the leader of the band—a middle aged man with dark blonde hair got up from his seat at the Steinway piano and walked up to front of the stage to one of the two microphones there, taking a seat on a stool in front of one and tossing the strap of an acoustic guitar over his shoulder as he watched his female counterpart walk up to the second.
After a few moments, with the murmuring sound of the crowd in the background, she adjusted the microphone as she spoke into it.
"This is next song is a favorite of mine—a more modern tune than what we've been playing tonight—and it's for all of you lovers out there. We hope your love lasts for 'A Thousand Years.'"
As the opening chords began playing on the acoustic guitar, Elena smiled as she turned around back toward the bar.
"I love this song," Elena said softly, catching Elijah's attention and causing him to give a quick look over his own shoulder at the people in the bar who started choosing their partners and moving to the dance floor.
"Uh…Elena…" he said out of the corner of his mouth as he turned back around and took his bourbon in hand and brought it to his lips, "Either you're passing for a forty-year old woman or this guy is really ambitious."
"What?" Elena asked, shocked
"Silver fox at eight o'clock," Elijah said in a low voice before taking a sip from his tumbler and using it to disguise his lip movement, "Totally checking you out."
Elena narrowed her eyes then slowly turned her head to discreetly glance over her shoulder in the direction Elijah mentioned.
And there he was-in a dress shirt and blue sport coat with salt and pepper hair and Ralph Lauren glasses…and heading her way.
"Oh, my God…" she whispered as she quickly turned back and nervously popped a French fry in her mouth, "He is…and he's coming over here!"
"Told you," Elijah smirked as he reached into the basket and plucked out another French fry.
"What am I going to do? I can't dance with him," Elena said, her face falling with worry, "I can't be close to a human right now, I haven't fed in—"
"Don't worry," Elijah suddenly countered as he swallowed his French fry and leaned closer to her, "I'll protect you. I won't let you get sixty/fortied…"
Elena took in a staggered breath as she watched him turn in his chair to face her and extend his right hand to her.
"As long as you don't mind being a thousand/twenty-two'd..." Elijah said
They shared an intense look for a moment, both seemingly bracing themselves for contact and all the feelings that it would bring flooding forward.
"Would you like to dance?" he asked sweetly, raising an eyebrow as the woman behind the microphone began singing.
"The day we met,
Frozen, I held my breath…
Right from the start,
I knew that I'd found a home for my heart…"
"What?" Elena asked, swallowing nervously
"Well, rumor has it, you 'love this song'," Elijah quipped and Elena couldn't help but smile a little, biting her lip in consideration.
"Please?" Elijah asked, his eyes softening, "It's my birthday, remember?"
"My heart beats fast,
Colors and promises...
How to be brave?
How can I love when I'm afraid to fall?"
Finally, Elena turned on the stool took his hand, sighing instantly when she felt the connection between them and by the look on his face, she knew Elijah felt it, too. But, he pulled himself together quickly and helped her up from her seat.
"But watching you stand alone,
All of my doubt suddenly goes away somehow…"
Elena then watched Elijah turn his attention to the silver fox, who had just now made it to the bar, and give him a friendly nod.
The silver fox nodded back, relinquishing his potential prize to the original as Elijah led her past him to the dance floor.
"One step closer…"
Elena took a deep breath and closed her eyes, trying to will the smell of the blood away as she glanced around her at the small group of people swaying in each other's arms to the song.
"Elena…"
Elijah's voice caused her open her eyes and she realized that they had stopped and he was standing before her on the dance floor, his eyes soft and a small smile crossing his lips as he gently took her left hand in his right as if it was made of glass.
"I have died everyday waiting for you…"
He snaked the other arm around her waist, drawing her to him.
"Darling don't be afraid,
I have loved you for a thousand years,
I'll love you for a thousand more…"
Elena felt the room and all the people melt away as Elijah lead the way around the dance floor, their skin humming against each other.
And in that moment, it was her and him.
When he looked at her like that it was always her and him.
"Time stands still,
Beauty in all she is…"
Elena felt her heart swell as he brought his head to rest next to hers
"I will be brave,
I will not let anything take away,
What's standing in front of me…
Every breath,
Every hour has come to this…"
Elena suddenly felt Elijah pull back to face her, his eyes locked with hers again.
"One step closer…"
And in an instant, he spun her gently out from him.
"I have died everyday waiting for you…"
He then brought her back in before turning her back out and twirling her under his arm.
"Darling don't be afraid,
I have loved you for a thousand years,
I'll love you for a thousand more..."
They shared a smile when he finally pulled her back to his chest once more and took up their standard dance frame, holding their gaze with each other.
"And all along I believed I would find you,
Time has brought your heart to me,
I have loved you for a thousand years,
I'll love you for a thousand more…"
"You know, after you left, that second piece of pie got me thinking…" Elijah said, in a low voice as they continued to move
"Really?" Elena smirked, "About what?"
"That I still owe you an explanation for what happened with you and me out in the yard today," Elijah replied
Elena swallowed, feeling the fire in her stomach rise higher in anticipation of his next words
Elijah took in a deep breath, then spoke, "First of all, I want you to know that I meant exactly what I said to you Elena…That when I touch you—our connection—it feels like home…"
A slow smile crossed Elena's face
"What I didn't tell you—what I couldn't tell you— is that I'm…terrified of that feeling..."
Elena's smiled faded as she watched Elijah close his eyes in pain.
"Because it also made me realize something and it's something I haven't really been able to admit to myself until now..."
"What?" Elena asked in a soft voice
"One step closer…"
"That from the very first moment I saw you—when Rose brought me to you in that abandoned mansion—I fell in love with you, Elena."
Elena opened her mouth to speak, but Elijah continued, opening his eyes and looking directly at her, before she could get anything out.
"In the beginning, I fought it, believing that the feelings I was experiencing were rooted only in the fact that you looked like Liliya and that you had so many of her personality traits—traits Katerina never had. But, it wasn't long before it wasn't her I was seeing when I looked into your eyes…it was you."
"Elijah…" Elena whispered, her mind reeling and her heart warming
"One step closer…"
"It was always you, Elena. Every touch, every look, every time you kissed me…I didn't see her, I saw you and I see you right now," he continued, "And when I touch you, when I feel that connection between us, it only makes my feelings for you intensify and grow beyond belief..."
"I have died everyday waiting for you,
Darling don't be afraid,
I have loved you, for a thousand years,
I'll love you for a thousand more…
Elena immediately found herself speechless as she watched Elijah kiss her hand in his and pull it to his chest over his heart, as they continued to dance.
"But, it terrifies you..." she whispered, coming back to what he said earlier
Elijah nodded, "Yes. Because I haven't loved someone in a very long time, Elena...at least, not in the way that I love you."
"And all along I believed I would find you,
Time has brought your heart to me,
I have loved you for a thousand years,
I'll love you for a thousand more…"