Jeremy opened his front door to let Bonnie and Caroline in. They were likely coming by to see if there was any update on Elena. Unfortunately, there currently was not. Elijah had been gone a day now, which meant Elena had been gone almost two days. Jeremy had spoken to Elijah the night before, but he had no update for him.

"Hey, Jer. Is Jenna home?" Bonnie asked.

"No, she's spending the day at the library. She has a test coming up," Jeremy said. He was actually glad his aunt was out of the house for the day. She was starting to pick up on his anxiety. He was glad that Elijah had agreed to tell her the truth when he got back. He worried about her reaction a little, but he didn't want to lie anymore.

"Any word from Elijah?" Caroline asked.

"I talked to him last night, but he didn't have any news," Jeremy said as he led them into the kitchen. They all then sat down at the table.

"It's been almost two days since she disappeared. The full moon is in four days," Bonnie said worriedly.

"Elijah has the moonstone. If Klaus thinks he can still break the spell, he can't act without that," Jeremy said. That was what Elijah had told him, and Jeremy was holding onto that.

Both girls nodded. That was the only hope they had at the moment.

Bonnie felt her phone buzz. She took it out and saw that it was Stefan. "It's Stefan. He's starting to ask questions, with Elena not being in school today. Plus, I'm sure he's tried to call her. Why can't he know about this again?"

"Because Elijah doesn't want him to, and it's his call," Caroline said.

"But he might be able to help," Bonnie said.

"How? By going off without thinking and possibly making things worse. He and Damon are loose cannons. Elijah acts with precision. He thinks about every move he makes before he makes it. That's how he'll bring Elena home," Jeremy said. He supposed he wasn't one to judge in that department. He was pretty impulsive himself, but he could recognize that that wasn't what his sister needed while she was at the mercy of a dangerous vampire.

"Okay, fine. I just wish there was more we could do," Bonnie said. She felt useless. Even her spell to locate Elena had failed. She was a witch. She should be able to help her friend.

"I know it's difficult for you, Bonnie, but we have to trust Elijah. He'd do anything to bring Elena home," Caroline said.

Just then, there was a knock at the door. Jeremy got up and went to answer it. He was shocked when he opened it to find Alaric there.

"Hey, Jeremy," Alaric said before stepping inside.

"Ric?" Jeremy asked carefully. He didn't think Klaus would be able to get in even if he was possessing Ric without an invitation, but he didn't know for sure. "Is it really you?"

Alaric frowned at the boy. "Who else would it be? Listen, I need to get ahold of Elijah. I think Elena's in a lot of trouble."

At that moment, Bonnie and Caroline came into the room. "Jeremy, get away from him!" Bonnie exclaimed.

"Guys, I think it's Ric," Jeremy said.

"Of course, it's me. What's going on? I know I disappeared for a couple days, which I have absolutely no memory of until I woke up yesterday with Elena, Klaus, and some other woman," Alaric told them.

"You saw Elena? Is she okay?" Jeremy asked frantically.

"She was when I saw her," Alaric told him.

"Where is she? Where did you come from?" Caroline asked.

"I don't know. I was compelled to remember nothing about my location. I don't even remember what routes I took to get back to Virgina. I got back last night and went straight to Elijah's, but he wasn't home. I tried again this morning, but he still wasn't there," Alaric explained.

"Elijah left to go find Elena. He won't be back until he has her," Jeremy said.

"Ric, we think you were possessed by Klaus. That's how he got Elena," Bonnie said.

"What?" Alaric asked in disbelief. That had not been explained to him when he woke up. He didn't know what had happened. All he knew was that he'd woken up in a strange house. Later, he'd learned he'd lost days of his memory.

"Yeah, he took over your body to trick Elena," Caroline said.

"That's a thing?! Oh my God! I'm going to die. Elijah's going to kill me," Alaric said. He wasn't one to fear vampires. He was, after all, a vampire hunter. However, Elijah was an Original, who was fiercely protective of his daughter, and possessed or not, he'd taken Elena.

"No, he's not. Elijah knows what happened, Ric. He knows it wasn't your fault. I have to call him," Jeremy said before taking out his phone.

"Yeah, do that. I need to talk to him," Alaric said before watching Jeremy make the call.

Xxxxxxxxxxx

Elijah was in the motel room Jonas had booked with his son a couple of states away from Virgina. Finding Jonas had not been terribly difficult. The witch had been stupid enough to book a hotel room under his own name. He probably didn't think Elijah would use human means to find him. It was a miscalculation that would cost him his life, that and the monumental mistake he made when he double crossed him. Right now, Elijah was only waiting for Jonas to return. He'd already compelled the neighboring occupants to ignore any screams they might hear.

Elijah soon heard his phone ring. He took it out to see that it was Jeremy. He immediately answered it. "Jeremy, is everything alright?"

"Hey, Elijah. Ric is here. It's really him. It seems that Klaus let him go," Jeremy said.

"Put him on the phone please," Elijah said. He needed to hear what the man had to say, though he wasn't sure he would know much. Niklaus would've compelled him to forget anything useful. Honestly, he was surprised his brother even let him live.

"You're on speaker," Jeremy said.

Alaric's voice could be heard next. "Elijah, I'm so sorry. I don't even know what to say to tell you how sorry I am."

"This isn't your doing, Alaric. I hold no ill will towards you. I am curious to why my brother let you live though," Elijah said.

"I think Elena convinced him to."

"So, you saw my daughter. Is she alright?" Elijah asked. Finding out the condition of his child was his first priority. Then he would see if Alaric could give him anything that would help him find her.

"Yes. She wanted me to assure you that she was. Elijah, something wasn't right. Elena didn't seem like a hostage," Alaric said.

"How do you mean?" Elijah said.

"I mean she wasn't afraid or even worried. She seemed certain that Klaus wouldn't hurt her. She wasn't even afraid of him after he insinuated that he might hurt her," he said.

Elijah's first thought was that his daughter was putting up a brave front for Alaric's sake, or that she believed that she could protect herself from Niklaus. She did have the power to incapacitate him for a small amount of time. Perhaps she was waiting for Alaric to be free to use that power. He needed more information though. "What exactly did Elena say to you, Alaric?"

"She said that she and Klaus had an understanding. Elijah, he knows she's not a doppelganger. He knows what she is, but I don't think he knows that she's your daughter."

Elijah frowned. There was no reason for Elena to hide that information if Niklaus knew he couldn't use her in the ritual. And what understanding could they possibly have come to? Elena couldn't be used in the sacrifice. There was nothing she could do for his brother. "Did she say anything else?"

"She said that everything had been figured out. I don't know what she meant by that, but it didn't sound good. It sounded like she had some sort of plan with him. Then she instructed Klaus to compel me to forget my location," Alaric told him.

Elijah didn't like the way that sounded either. His daughter was definitely up to something, and he was certain that he would not like it. No, he knew he wouldn't like it, otherwise she would've contacted him by now. Of course, that was assuming Alaric was right. It sounded like he was, but Elijah wanted to give his daughter the benefit of the doubt. "Alright, thank you, Alaric. I apologize for the position my brother has put you. Jeremy, I'm going to call tomorrow, or as soon as I learn something."

"Okay, bye, Elijah," came Jeremy's voice.

Elijah ended the call before making another. He called his daughter's phone. It rang and went to voicemail. "Elena, this is your father. I just had a disturbing conversation with Alaric Saltzman. Now, I am going to assume for the moment that he is mistaken in his assumptions regarding your last conversation. However, on the off chance that he is not, I suggest you abandon whatever you are planning and call me immediately! Should I find out that you are anything other than my brother's hostage, the consequences will be severe! Niklaus, if you are the one to listen to this, yes, she is my daughter! If any harm comes to her, I will make sure your fear of our father seems trivial in comparison to me! Someone had best call me immediately!"

Elijah hung up the phone and went back to waiting for Jonas. This had changed nothing. He was almost certain that Jonas had sold his daughter out with the soul purpose of having her killed. He wouldn't live to see the morning.

Xxxxxxxxxxx

Elijah ended up waiting several hours for Jonas and his son to return. He was sitting relaxed in chair when they returned.

Jonas stopped dead in his tracks when he stepped inside and pushed his son behind him.

"Hello, Jonas, Luka. I've been waiting for you. I hope you don't mind me making myself comfortable,"

"How'd you find us?" Jonas asked. He knew that Elijah likely would find him eventually, but he didn't think it would be this quickly.

"Well, you didn't make it very difficult. I would find it disappointing if I weren't in a hurry," Elijah said before standing up. "I was actually looking for your help the first several times I called you. See, my daughter has been kidnapped. You knew that though, didn't you? That became very apparent when you disappeared around the same time as she did."

"Let Luka go," Jonas pleaded.

"And why should I do that? Why should I spare your child when you sold mine out," Elijah asked coldly. He had every intention of letting the boy go, but he was going to make Jonas suffer for a bit first.

"He didn't do anything!" Jonas exclaimed.

"Neither did Elena. She did nothing to you or anyone else, yet you essentially handed her over to be executed!" Elijah said in lethal tone. It didn't matter if Elena was a hostage at this point or not. Jonas did what he did to ensure her death.

"I was only trying to save my daughter," Jonas lied. That was his main goal, but it wasn't his only one. He wanted that abomination dead. She shouldn't belong in the world.

"Oh, don't take me for a fool, Jonas. That wasn't the only reason. You wanted my daughter dead, and you will suffer for that. However, I don't punish children for the actions of their parents. Luka, you may leave, and I don't suggest coming back here," Elijah told the boy.

"No!" Luka exclaimed.

"Luka, go," Jonas ordered.

"Dad, I'm not…"

"Leave now and forget about me! Do not come back here. Do not seek revenge for what happens to me. Just move on," Jonas said. He knew what would happen if Luka tried to avenge him. It would only end in his death.

"That's good advice," Elijah said. He wouldn't hurt the boy now, but if he came after him or his children, that was another matter entirely. He would do what he had to do to protect Elena and Jeremy.

"Go, Luka," Jonas said again.

Luka was extremely hesitant, but he eventually ran out of the room.

Jonas closed the door behind his son and turned back to face Elijah.

Elijah began removing his tie. Once he was done, he placed it neatly on the chair he'd been sitting on and unbuttoned the top two buttons on his shirt\. "I should've killed you that first night. I saw the look in your eyes when you realized what she was. I heard the bigotry in your voice as you spoke to her. It was a mistake to let you live."

"She's a violation against nature, even worse than vampirism! She shouldn't exist. I was correcting a mistake," Jonas said.

Elijah regarded him coldly, but spoke calmly. "My child is not a mistake. My child is one of the kindest people I have ever met in the one thousand years that I have existed in this world. If anything, she is a miracle. And your treachery will be in vain. I will find my daughter, and you will help me do it. You will tell me where you met with my brother." He doubted Niklaus would still be there. He wasn't stupid enough to take Elena somewhere that could be tracked so easily, but it was a place to start.

"I won't tell you anything. You'll kill me either way," Jonas said. The least he could do is not let his death be for nothing. Elijah might kill him tonight, but he could try to make sure the girl died too.

Elijah removed his blazer and put it on the chair, all the while giving Jonas an amused look. "Oh, don't be absurd. Of course, you're going to tell me. And, yes, you will die tonight. However, your death can be as fast or as slow as you choose. Well, not entirely, I suppose. You tried to have my daughter killed, and I have had quite enough of people thinking they can kill my child for what she is. So, there will definitely be a slow aspect to your death. However, what could take an hour or two could also be stretched to the rest of the night. Either way, you will die in the end, and I will know everything about your meeting with my brother."

Jonas flinched at calculated and cold, yet calm voice Elijah spoke in. The fact that Elijah was so calm as he spoke of what he was going to do to him only made him more afraid. People always said that Klaus was the one to fear the most, but he no longer believed that to be true. Elijah was the more lethal brother. He just wished he'd realized that before working with him and then betraying him.

"Shall we get started?" Elijah asked before rolling up his sleeves to his elbows. After all, there was no need to stain a perfectly good shirt with blood if he didn't have to.