Chapter 3: "I've got reasons"

Elijah and Elena got to the Original's house. He went to her side of the car and opened the door for her, escorting her out. After closing the door, he held her face in between his hands and said:

"I want to pursue a relationship with you, Elena, if that's what you wish. I know you might have some unfinished business in Mystic Falls and..."

She interrupted him by pecking his lips.

"All I know is that you make me feel like I've never felt before. As if you were worshiping me, like I was the most important person in your life. Nobody has ever treated me like that before. I want this, but I want to take it slow." She said this, caressing his face. He kissed her palm.

"We'll go as slow or as fast as you want, my lovely Elena."

They got into the house, holding hands. Klaus was still not back, and Rebekah was in Hayley's room. The wolf was sound asleep, her body getting the rest it needed after what had happened throughout the day.

Elena took the direction to her room.

"Where are you going?" Asked Elijah.

"Well, you said we'd share your room. I was just grabbing my stuff." She replied, smiling. "Rebekah didn't grab all of my things from Mystic Falls, so I don't have much inside my bag anyway."

"It doesn't matter; we can go out in the city, and I'll get you anything you need," Elijah said.

Elena grabbed her bag, took it to Elijah's room, and started to unpack. At the same time, he started to make space for her in the closet. Elena couldn't help but notice how domestic that scene felt, as if it was always supposed to be like this. After making enough space and promising her once again that they would go out to buy more clothes for her because, according to Elijah, he would love to watch her model just for him, he went to check on Hayley.

Elena took this opportunity to call Caroline. Even though they were best friends, she did remember the things she told her when her humanity was off, and she also remembered how she told her to just sleep with Klaus since she was clearly into him. Elena was now biting her tongue because she was with one of the originals.

The phone didn't even ring twice before Caroline picked it up.

"Elena!" Said Caroline.

"Hey, Care."

"Please tell me you're okay."

"I'm more than okay."

"Where are you? All I remember is Rebekah breaking my neck. She did that to Damon and Stefan as well."

"She broke me out; I'm with her and her brothers."

"Wait what? What are you doing with the originals?"

"I can't say Caroline, but all you need to know is that I'm okay and my humanity is back."

"How? Stefan and Damon couldn't bring it back; who did it?"

Elena was about to answer when Elijah got into the room and said:

"Elena, I'm going to get us some food; I'll be right back." He walked to her and kissed her briefly. "I'll see you later."

"Bye," Elena said, smiling.

Elijah walked out, but Caroline was still in the line.

"Elena?"

"Elijah."

"Elijah? As in Klaus's brother? The one that betrayed us when we tried to kill his brother? The one that had his sister torturing you all day?"

"I know what he did, but he was just protecting his family. He'd do anything for them. I understand that. And he apologized for that. I did dagger him once anyway."

"Wait, don't tell me you are with him!"

"What's the matter if I am Caroline?"

"You do know he was with Katherine, right?"

"He already told me about her and assured me she was in the past. Also, Stefan and Damon were both with her."

"Yeah, but they are not part of the Mikaelsons!"

"Caroline I called you to apologize for being so rude towards you when my humanity was off. Not to be criticized for being with someone who's with me because he fell for me for being me, not because I'm Katherine's doppelganger, someone who finally treats me like a woman should be treated. Maybe one day you'll see that when you decide to give Klaus a chance."

Elena hung up. She didn't know exactly how to take her relationship with Elijah, but all she knew right now was that giving him a chance was the right thing to do.

Elijah came back shortly after, calling her to the dining room. The table was set for both of them, sitting next to each other. He had gotten her favorite food and poured wine for both of them. While they dined, he wanted to know everything about her. Her favorite movies, books, and TV shows He promised to take her to see the world. As soon as this whole situation was over, he'd take her on a vacation. But he did notice that something was bothering her.

"What's wrong, my love?" He asked, caressing her cheek.

"I called Caroline to apologize for the mean things I did when my humanity was off, and she made it clear she didn't like the fact we were together."

"I know you love your friends, and you'd do anything for them. That's how you became a vampire." He said smiling "But sometimes, you have to do things for yourself. Things that make you happy"

"You make me happy."

He smiled, taking a sip of his wine, but a droplet fell from his mouth.

Elena, with all the liquid courage she had, stood up and sat on top of his lap. Taking the initiative this time, she kissed his chin, where the droplet had fallen. Elijah put both of his hands on her hips to hold her firm against him. Both of them closed their eyes.

"I want to do something," Said Elena.

"What?" Asked Elijah.

"I want to taste your blood. May I?" She said, whispering in his ear and kissing just under that region, moving her hips against his, despite him holding her.

He had almost lost his voice. Breathing out, he said.

"You may, my lovely Elena. But I want to see you." Elena stopped kissing his neck and grabbed his right arm. Making sure he was looking, she let her eyes turn black and the veins pop up under them, and she felt her fangs coming down. Her hair was now back to normal. It was Elena. His lovely Elena

She bit down on the inside of his wrist and started to drink his blood. It was the best and sweetest drink she'd ever drunk. And she had drunk vampire blood before, but nothing compared to his. Elijah was mesmerized by the sight. It was the most intense, and probably the hottest, vision he had ever seen. Drinking another vampire's blood was the most intimate thing in the vampire world. If the blood belonged to their partner, it means that the drinker has chosen to change their life. They chose to be with them, and it made their bond so much stronger that not even a witch was able to break it. It meant that Elena was choosing Elijah as hers.

Elijah smiled and brought her right hand to his mouth, letting her watch his eyes turn black, his veins pop out, and his fangs come down, then bit the inside of her wrist. Her blood was the most exquisite he had ever tasted. Elijah had drunk vampire blood before, but never had he felt like this. Elena chose him, and Elijah chose her.

Elena finished drinking and kissed his wrist. He drank until the vein was empty and kissed her wrist when he was done.

They looked at each other intensely. Elijah was the one who made the first move. He attacked her mouth with everything he had, tasting his blood in her mouth just like she could taste her blood on his. Elena's hip was moving on its own accord against Elijah's. He trailed kisses down her neck to her shoulder, lowering one of the straps of her shirt to continue to worship her body. Elena started to run her nails down his neck, which made his body start to move in sync with hers.

He went back to kiss her mouth and put his hands under her shirt. He was about to touch her body when they were interrupted.

"Elena! Elijah! Somebody took Hayley!" Rebekah screamed from the stairs.

They stopped kissing, immediately worried now. Elijah gave Elena his suit jacket to at least hide the marks he left on her body. She smiled at him and got up from his lap, putting on the jacket.

"What do you mean, Rebekah? Weren't you watching over her?" Asked Elena.

"No, I was out in town with Marcel."

Elijah and Elena looked at each other. Someone took Hayley right under their noses.

Needless to say, Klaus was more than angry at his brother and the doppelganger.

"You two had one job!" He shouted at the two in the living room the next morning. "But instead of watching over Hayley, you two were shagging like two teenagers!"

"Niklaus, if you speak to Elena like this again, I assure you, brother, it will be the last thing you do," Said Elijah in a threatening tone, looking at his brother.

"Hayley didn't make this baby on her own; where were you, Klaus?" Asked Elena.

"What I was doing or not is none of your concern, doppelganger."

"I'm here," Said Sophie. After Rebekah politely asked, Marcel allowed the Mikaelsons to bring in Sophie to do a locator spell. Rebekah had gone to town to get her. "I'm going to need something to locate her."

"She is caring my baby; use my blood." Said Klaus. That impressed Elena. She knew Klaus had a bad relationship with his father. Perhaps he didn't want history to repeat itself.

Sophie grabbed a map of New Orleans and opened it up on the kitchen table. Klaus cut his hand with a kitchen knife. After reciting the incantation, the blood drops started to move and ended up on the bayou.

"Who would take her there?" Asked Sophie. "That's where the wolves used to live before Marcel had them cursed."

"I know someone desperate enough to do this. Elijah, Katerina, come with me."

Elijah, Elena, and Klaus went to the Bayou. That's where Hayley's family used to live before they died. She had come to New Orleans because Klaus had tipped her off about her family. It was also here that the witches caught her first.

"You two stay here and look for her. I'll look for Tyler Lockwood."

"Wait, Tyler?" Said Elena.

"I allowed him to live because Caroline asked me. But if he does anything to my heir, I will kill him, Elena, even if he is your friend."

"Niklaus," Said Elijah.

"I don't care what you say, Elijah; if harm comes to my child, he will die." Klaus said, following Tyler's scent into the woods.

Elijah takes Elena's hand, and they start to look for Hayley. The curse Marcel had put on the wolves made them stay in their animal form until the full moon, but their bite was still lethal, and Elijah wanted to protect her if a wolf came their way.

The vampires were near a small cabin in the woods when they saw a disheveled Hayley running to them.

"Elena, Elijah!" She said this, breathing out in relief and hugging both of them.

"What did Tyler do to you, Hayley?" Asked Elena after they stepped back.

"He kidnapped me with another wolf last night. He had heard something from other packs about my baby, and he wanted to see if it was true."

"What? We know everyone is afraid that your baby is going to be really powerful; that's what Agnes said." Said Elena.

"He heard from other packs that Klaus could use my baby's blood to make more hybrids, but I'm not going to let him!" Said Hayley.

Elena and Elijah looked at each other. Even though Elena suspected as much, she didn't believe Klaus would do this. As it is, Elena thought Klaus wanted to be better than Mikael.

They got inside the small cabin. There was the body of another wolf that Tyler had successfully turned into a hybrid with Hayley's blood but that Tyler had killed.

A few moments later, Klaus arrived at the location, having dealt with Tyler.

"Come on, little wolf, let's get you home," Klaus said.

"Did you know?" Hayley said. "Did you know that our daughters' blood could make more hybrids?"

Klaus looked down and at Hayley again.

"I'd suspected as much, but I don't want to know."

"Why not Niklaus? You always loved your hybrids." Said Elijah.

"Did it ever cross your mind that I want to do right by my child?" Said Klaus, turning to Elijah, "You always assume the worst of me, but the one time I want to do the right thing, you think I'd dry my child to make more hybrids? You think I am anything like Mikael?" And with that, Klaus bit Elijah's neck.

"Elijah!" Elena shouted, carrying the original vampire.

"You're coming with me, little wolf; it won't take long until Marcel discovers your pregnancy."

Hayley looked at Elena, who was holding Elijah. Elena nodded her head, and Hayley went with Klaus. It was not Elena's first experience with this type of situation, but this time, the bite wouldn't kill Elijah; it only incapacitated him for a while.

Elena laid Elijah on the old bed of the cabin.

She sat on the floor and waited for the symptoms to start.

It didn't take long, really. His fever started to spike, and Elena did what she could to keep his temperature down. She was applying a cold rag to his forehead when he started to hallucinate. He started to hallucinate about his life with his siblings in New Orleans in the past, including the time when Klaus killed one of Rebekah's boyfriends at a party.

Elena thought it made sense since they were in the town where he was one of the founders. But she was not prepared for the hallucination that came after.

It appeared to still be the same period, but they were not in the Original's mansion; it was someone else's house.

A beautiful black woman was taking a bath in a bathtub when Elijah showed up.

"Your brother is up to no good again," The woman said.

"Surely you could cast a spell and put him in his place," He said.

"It would take a hundred witches to put him in his place. Besides, he only ever listens to you."

"Yes, he certainly needs a little discipline." He kissed her foot. "Perhaps a spanking of some sort is in order. I think I will need some rehearsal. Come"

Elijah blacked out after that.

Elena went outside. Of course, she knew he had had other women before—countless. He was an original, after all. Elena didn't like her. It appeared there was something familiar about her, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it.

At least it wasn't a vision involving Katherine. It would be worse. Elijah had assured her that he wanted her, and what happened in the hallucination had happened a long time ago. She shouldn't worry, right?

After a few hours, as the sun was setting, Elijah finally woke up. He knew Elena had seen his hallucinations. Their bond was stronger than ever after sharing blood.

"Elena," He said, after getting out of the cabin and sitting down next to her on the floor, "I'm sorry you had to see that."

"She was beautiful."

"She is in the past. I assure you, my lovely Elena, that being with you is the most remarkable thing that has ever happened to me. I love you, and only you."

"I know." She said it smiling. She pecked his lips, and they stood up.

They got back to Elijah's car, and Elena drove back to the Originals Mansion. They walked into the house and saw Klaus with a dagger on Rebekah's throat.

"Niklaus stop!" interjects Elijah, slapping the dagger from Klaus's hand.

Rebecca was crying.

"While you two were out, you know what Rebekah did? She conspired with Marcel to have me killed! My sister!" Shouted Klaus.

"Brother, out of respect to the mother of your child, I don't think this has anything to do with what Tyler Lockwood found out." Said, Elijah

"Marcel and his lackeys tried to have me killed, with the help of Rebekah. How would my child grow up without her father? All of you assume me to be the bastard child, the big bad hybrid, but the one time that I need my family, you presume me to use my child to make more hybrids? I'm not Mikael." Klaus said, with tears on his face. "Now you can stay here or come with me to the compound. I'm going to protect my daughter, whatever it takes, always and forever. Little wolf, come." He said this, calling out Hayley. Hayley stopped in the hallway, looking at Elijah and Elena, then followed Klaus to his car.

As soon as they heard Klaus's car leaving, Rebekah said:

"Don't go, Elijah; he doesn't deserve any of us. He is too blinded by power."

"I have to, Bekah," Elijah said softly. "Hayley is carrying one of us; I can't leave her behind."

"Then you go." Said Rebekah. "I'll see you when Hayley gives birth." Elijah smiled and hugged his sister, kissing her cheek. "You take care of Elena, okay?"

"I will, sister."

After they separated, Rebekah went to Elena.

"Thank you for helping us, Elena," She said, touching the brunette's shoulder.

"Thank you for saving me, Rebekah."

Rebekah said her goodbyes, and Elena went packing. Now she'd have to pretend to be Katherine 24/7.