It takes Elena a moment before she's scrambling out of bed. She has to warn him about his mother, she thinks as pulls on her discarded top, and then freezes in front of the mirror.
Her neck is covered in bruises. There's fingerprints on the sides of it where he had dug into her neck. His fingerprints are all over thighs too, and there's an ache within her core she hasn't felt since a long time.
She blushes deep as she remembers exactly what they did last night, what she let him do. She wasn't exactly an experimental person in bed, preferring things to be light, but he'd brought out a different side in her.
It doesn't matter though, she needs to talk to him now. Her phone is by the flowers, she thinks it odd that they've already wilted - the lady who had handed them to her had been very insistent and odd, but her attention is seized by Elijah as soon as he answers his phone.
"Elena." There's a hidden mirth in his voice, and she doesn't understand how she could've ever been okay with him being collateral damage.
As if he could ever be just that to her.
"Elijah, hey, can we talk?"
"Of course. I'll be by your house in half an hour." And then he hung up.
She lets out a frustrated groan, they didn't really have a lot of time, she wasn't sure when the next full moon was.
Then her phone chimes and the group chat is full of exclamations about said plan. She wonders how they even know about it but Caroline wants to throw a party, and she's been tagged in several messages.
They're the good guys, she thinks absurdly.
Maybe it was Klaus, or maybe it was just life, but she doesn't feel like any of them are particularly good.
Especially not her.
She takes a shower, she can't help but rub at her skin, can't help but try and wash the stench of betrayal that clings to her skin. He'll know in a while, she thinks. He'll know what she's done and then-
But she can't think like that or she'll lose her nerve. She dries her hair and dresses up quickly. She's picking out a scarf, although how she's going to explain wearing it in her house, she has no idea, when the bell rings. Her hands are clammy as she runs down the stairs, and opens the door.
She's not prepared for the way her stomach flips at the sight of him. The way her heart races and her lungs squeeze, like she can't seem to get enough air in her chest.
"Elena, I was hoping we could talk."
"Yeah, me too. Do you wanna come it?"
"Actually, I'd like to show you something." She frowns, something's wrong, off and different, but he stealing the scarf from between her fingers and then wrapping it around her neck. She inhales softly when his fingers brush against her skin and he meets her eyes. Heat fans across her face, and she longs to touch him again. Even though he's already touching her, feather light and gentle.
"Show me something?"
"Yes."
She tries several time in the car, an explanation ready at the tip of her tongue, ordering her thoughts, but in the confined space, she finds her throat dry.
(He'll never forgive her.)
When they reach the woods, she's confused. He makes small talk about his village from a thousand years ago, but there's something off about it.
"Elijah," she interrupts him finally, guilt blossoming within her belly like a lily flowering in the swamp. "I want to tell you something."
"Yes, I thought you might." He looks at her as he leans against a tree. And she knows that look in his eyes now. "Is it finally the truth?"
"Finally?" She echoes, more out of surprise than anything else.
"Yes, you've been lying to me since yesterday evening." He says it like it's a simple fact, and something decays inside her. His eyes are sharp now, the edge he's been hiding plain for her to see. "I waited for you to divulge the truth, and it seems as if the opportunity is here now."
"It's about Esther."
His jaw ticks and he walks towards her. She's frozen in place as he advances on her, the softness from last night is mostly gone now.
"She means to kill Niklaus, does she not?"
She swallows against the lump in her throat. Decides to say it all before she loses her nerve. "She does, but that's not all. She asked for my blood last night, it was in the champagne you drank. She wants to link you all and-" she breaks off as she looks up at him, and his eyes are cold now.
She knows that look, she'd never thought it would be directed at her.
She only has herself to blame.
"Kill us all."
"Yes." Her lips are trembling, she realises absurdly.
"And you've known this," even his voice is hard now, "all night."
"Elijah-"
"So what exactly was last night Elena?" The full force of his glare is on her face and tears sting her eyes. "A distraction tactic? Are we taking lessons in deception from our predecessor now?"
She wishes he'd shout, or rage at her. For one cursed moment, she thinks she won't even mind it if he loses his control and hits her like Klaus did.
Anything but the coldness in his voice.
The distaste and betrayal in his eyes.
Anything but comparisons to Katherine.
"No, it wasn't, I just-"
"How was it not?" Something presses within her chest and she really can't breathe now, "I have never known you to be so….deceitful." The worst part, the worst of it all is that he doesn't sound angry.
Just hurt.
And cold.
"I had no idea she wanted to kill you all before she took my blood. She just said she would help us with Klaus and…."
"But you knew when we all drank that champagne. You knew when you reassured me that my mother wasn't up to anything nefarious."
This, she can't deny. "Yes, but, I wanted to tell you."
"Did you?" He sounds condescending, the way he used to before they got to know each other.
"I don't want you to…." She trails off but she hopes he gets it.
He ignores it instead.
"When does she plan to do this?"
"The next full moon."
"So tonight."
"What?" He looks down at her sharply and she bites her lip, "I didn't realise- I wanna help. I'm sure there's some way to stop this."
"Yes, I'm certain of it as well." He says as he looks at her, and then his hand slips up to her waist.
For a moment, she thinks he might forgive her yet. She has pleas ready at her tongue if he doesn't.
Then, a resounding crash and the ground under her feet gives.
When she can see through the cloud of dust that had surrounded her, she realises she's in an underground cave. There's no cell reception and there's no original wearing a suit.
He's gone.
The scarf around her neck is like a noose, and she recalls how softly he'd wrapped it there.
Like he was concerned she'd be cold.
She makes it ten steps before she's breaking down against a wall. Her throat is tight as hot tears slide down her face, her shoulders heave as sobs wrack through her body.
She's done this to herself, she thinks.
If she'd just said something last night.
It had meant so much to her.
She feels as if it's all tainted now.
He thinks she was trying to distract him from the truth. That she'd given into her longing for him easily. That any of this has been easy for her.
He doesn't understand how deeply his brother terrorises her, even when he's not doing anything.
He doesn't understand how much he means to her if she's willing to put everyone at risk by wanting to save him, and Klaus by extension.
Eventually, she dries her tears when she hears footsteps.
Turns around thinking he's back, but he isn't.
It's Rebekah instead.
(She might just scare Elena more than Klaus.
Elijah knows this.
It's the reason she's here.)
The day only gets worse.
Rebekah is quick to taunt, words hitting exactly where they hurt. On any other day, they wouldn't have cut so deep, or at all, but it isn't any other day. And Rebekah's torment is almost unbearable.
She finds some solace when she enters the part of the cave that vampires can't access.
Rebekah's angry enough to throw lighter fluid on her.
Rebekah groans after what feels like hours. "You can go now." Elena wants to ask her how exactly she's supposed to leave, but the gets the answer when Damon comes to take her.
Tells her what's been happening all day.
Her night actually gets worse somehow when Bonnie refuses to see her. Caroline turns her away like they're still nemesis and not best friends.
Stefan's so angry at her, he won't even look at her, and Damon rants at her the whole way to her house. About trusting originals. About losing their last good opportunity.
By the time she gets home, she wants to sleep and never wake up.
When she gets to her bedroom, there's a single note on her bed, and the flowers on the bedside table have disappeared.
It takes three days of unanswered calls, but on the fourth day, Rebekah finds Elena before history. Tells her Elijah's left town and forgotten his phone at home.
Tells her to stop calling him.
AN - So, I know this all looks pretty bleak, but it'll get better soon. Do let me know what you think!