The next morning, Elena awoke with a loud gasp and a need for air, her dreams had turned into nightmares and her sleep disturbed thoroughly; for a good portion of the night, Elijah had been there watching over her, trying to comfort her when her nightmares took over but she couldn't wake, her body not allowing her too until it got the rest it so desperately needed.

She practically jumped from the bed and took a few deep breathes to calm her nerves before partaking in her usual morning routine; she looked in the mirror and all of the bite wounds and bruises had vanished, she was completely healed and her strength returned to her, she was grateful to Elijah for that.

Once she had dressed for the day, sporting a pair of black leggings and a long sleeved top, she slowly crept through the house, peering her head around every corner and listening out for any sign of another person within the plantation; she made it to the kitchen without being made and fetched herself a cup of coffee.

This time, she decided to have her morning hot beverage in the garden, taking a seat on the deck and watching the clouds swoop by; nature was peaceful, the sun shining on her skin, the light breeze caressing at her body bringing an edge of comfort to her and the flowers surrounding her gave her the colour she needed to see amongst her dark and twisted feelings.

"Elena," she heard a quiet voice emerge from behind her and she instantly shot up, the mug of coffee thrashing to the floor and she took a few steps back, "no, please don't do that, don't be scared of me."

"How can you say that?" Her voice was filled with shock at how he can pretend as if none of yesterday's events meant nothing, "where's Elijah?"

"You don't have to worry, he's inside the house, I'm embarrassed to admit that I had to beg him to let me talk to you."

"What do you want?" She folded her arms across her chest, giving off a false sense of strength and confidence but it meant nothing really, he could snap her like a twig in a heartbeat.

"To apologise, to beg your forgiveness and ask we move past this," he stepped outside of the doorway and closed the door behind him, ensuring Elijah wouldn't be able to hear what he had to say, some things would always be between just them.

"Can I ask you something?" She responded, her eyes locked onto his as she searched for the truth within him.

"Anything."

"Why did you do it?" Her voice cracked, a hint of emotion and hurt seeping through uncontrollably, "why would you let that happen to me? You let them feed from me, encouraged it even, you knew I was in pain but you still allowed it."

"Because I'm a monster, Elena," he looked to the floor, avoiding eye contact at all costs.

"No, I won't accept that answer, that's always your excuse but this time is different, you weren't a monster to me, you haven't been since we got here and you opened up to me, I saw and felt sides of you I didn't know existed, so I'll ask again, why did you do it?" She fought back, trying to force him to feel everything they had felt together since that first night they connected and to understand his true reasoning behind the attack, "there's no going back now anyway so you might as well be honest with me for once, Klaus, tell me!"

"I can't," he yelled back, inhaling a small breath and clamping his lips together for a long moment, shaking the emotion from himself, "if I do, you'll never look at me the same again."

"Too late for that, Klaus," she scoffed, her voice still raised as she continued to push him, he had to feel it, everything they had, "don't be a coward, just say it."

Within a second, he flashed in front of her and placed his hands on her face; a small gasp escaped her lips at his sudden touch and he crashed his lips onto hers, giving every ounce of emotion and feelings he had into it.

And she felt it, every bit of it.

"Klaus," she broke there kiss and placed her hands over his, sliding them down from her face and holding them between their bodies.

"Don't say anything," he pressed his forehead onto hers, her eyes closing in response and breathing him in for the last time, "but before I go, there is something I need you to know."

"What is it?" She spoke quietly, feeling herself nearing him as if she was out of control of her body again, there was still something there that drew her in but she couldn't give into it anymore, she had to let it go.

"You have changed me, little warrior, you have awakened things within me that I thought long dead and I know I have a long way to go to prove myself to you but one day, I will," he placed a soft kiss on her forehead but he didn't break there contact, not yet, he wanted to soak up as much of Elena as he could, "and I know what happened between us came from a dark and lonely place but not all of those feelings were empty from me and I am deeply apologetic for letting the monster and demons take over me last night, I never meant to hurt you."

He lifted her head slightly, their eyes still closed as he grazed his lips against hers in a final kiss before disappearing from her embrace; she stood there as confused and as hurt as she ever had done before, her fingers touching her lips and the tears starting to form in her eyes once more.

She didn't think she'd ever truly understand her bond with Klaus, why they had come together or what her true feelings were towards him but she knew she had them and they would probably stay within the dark corners of her existence for a long time, unprocessed and raw.

A short while had passed and she finally returned to the kitchen, pouring herself a mug of coffee and leaning her back against the kitchen counter.

"I see my brother done right by you," Elijah spoke as he appeared in the doorway to the kitchen, she didn't even startle anymore when vampires just appeared out of nowhere, it was funny to her how easily you can become used to fright.

"I think so," she smiled softly on her mug, the rim sitting between her lips before she took a swig, "I need to let go, not just Klaus but a long list of things, I'm tired of having these problems and this emptiness that seems to be so welcoming to evil and manipulation."

"I'm here to help with anything you should require," he smiled kindly towards her.

"I need a therapist," she mused, finding some kind of amusement in her turmoil, "a good one."

Elijah dipped his head slightly, a small smirk appearing on his lips at her words, "after the meeting with Marcel, I'm taking you for a drink, there's someone I'd like you to meet."

"How have you had time to meet other people, Elijah? You've just been in a coffin for over a week," she questioned, a small grin flashing on her lips.

"Before I was daggered, I went to the bar looking for information on the whereabouts of you and my brother and happened to meet a lovely young woman whom I think you will get along with spectacularly," he walked towards Elena and the coffee machine and poured himself a mug, "besides, I think you could use a night away from us and our vampire problems."

She laughed at his tone of voice, the sarcasm and playful nature behind his use of the term vampire problems, it was so unsophisticated coming from a man with such nobility, that she couldn't help but laugh; she nudged his arm playfully as they continued to bond all over again, finding the friendship that she needed so much from him.

"I better go," he brought there laughter to a sudden stop when he looked at his watch, "I'm meeting with Marcel and Niklaus at St. Anne's church, hopefully to gain some more information regarding the witches."

"I'm coming too," Elena stated before finishing her coffee and placing the empty mug in the sink.

"No, you're to stay here and remain safe, I still don't want anyone else learning about your true identity, I have swore to protect you, Elena, and I won't put you in harms way," he argued to no avail, he knew the Petrova fire very well and when her mind was made up, there was no changing it.

"Can we just skip past the part where we argue and you eventually give in and take me anyway?" She smirked as she watched the original vampire exhale forcefully from his nose, "Elijah, all of this is partly my fault, I need to fix it and plus, I need to feel like I'm doing something, if you leave me here alone, I'll fall apart."

"Fine," he reluctantly agreed after a long pause, "but you are to stay beside me at all times and if anything should happen, your safety will be my number one priority."

"Deal," she smiled softly towards him before pulling him into an unexpected embrace, "thank you, Elijah."

He slipped his arms around her waist and held onto her for a few long moments before she let him go and darted through the house and straight out of the front door; he could only watch in awe as she continued on her journey of self discovery, battling through her demons and overcoming all of her fears by joining his family in this fight. Her strength was unmatched.

Arriving at the church, Elena and Elijah had met up with Klaus and Marcel, who were already inside the church and awaiting their arrival; once the doppelgänger and the hybrid were together again, you could cut the tension between them with a knife and it could be felt by everyone.

"Marcellus, it is good to see you again," Elijah smirked as he approached the vampire king of New Orleans, slipping his hands into his pockets and standing on a slant.

"Elijah, it's been a long time," he responded before changing his line of sight to Elena, a wide grin forming on his lips at her presence, "and it is good to see you again, sweetheart."

He found amusement in the discomfort and annoyance between the two original brothers whenever he spoke to her, especially with a flirtatious side to it but it was only to get under their skin, oh how he loved to do that.

"Enough, Marcel," Klaus spoke through clenched teeth, "why are we here?"

"So, skipping the pleasantries, then?" He looked at both brothers, shrugging his shoulders, "fine by me, I brought you here to meet someone but listen to me, she's special, okay? She's under my protection and no harm will come to her, do we understand each other?"

Elijah nodded his head instantaneously, he had no desire to bring harm to anyone unless they truly deserved it, "I give you my word no harm will come to her."

"Follow me," Marcel lead them to the back of the church and towards a staircase tucked away to the side; Elena glanced at Elijah and Klaus, worried about what could be waiting for them behind the door at the top of the stairs.

"You're safe, Elena," Elijah said in a hushed tone before climbing the rest of the stairs; Elena remained behind the two original vampires as Marcel opened the door.

"Hey, D, it's just me, I have some friends I'd like you to meet," she heard him talk so kindly and casually with someone; once she had reached the top and emerged from behind Elijah, she saw a young girl standing before her, grasping a paintbrush and finishing a painting, "this is Davina, the last harvest girl."

"What a pleasure it is to meet you," Klaus smirked, radiating his darkness and evil within it.

"Who are they, Marcel?" she asked him, standing strongly and firmly.

Elena was in shock, she couldn't believe how young this girl was and Marcel had her locked up in an attic by herself, it seemed cruel to her.

"This is Klaus and Elijah, the original hybrid and the original vampire," he introduced.

"And you," Davina said, walking towards Elena and inspecting her features, "I've seen you in my visions."

"What visions?" Elena said kindly but she couldn't help but be concerned, it was never good being involved in witch problems; Davina grabbed Elena's hand and lead her towards the other end of the room where she had several dark paintings of her lay flat on the floor, "oh my god."

Elena's lips parted slightly as she bent down to look at them more closely, she could see subtle differences between each one of them; she picked up the first one, it was painted in a shade of light grey and her eyes where closed, the second was painted with an air of innocence to it, she was smiling, hope in her eyes and her hair was curly; the third was dark and sadistic, a cruel smile was painted on her face and her eyes had a hint of evil and terror to them and the fourth and final one, looked exactly like Elena, straight hair, a troubled edge to it and a air of love and compassion in each stroke.

Elena started to realise what they were and she had a sudden sense of dread wash over her, "oh no."

"What is it, Elena?" Elijah asked, appearing knelt down next to her as he picked up one of the paintings; they both shot a look of concern at each other before he helped her to her feet, his gaze shifting to Davina and Marcel, "what do you know?"

"I know a lot," Davina spoke proudly, walking back towards the easel and picking her paintbrush up once again, "I'm connected to the ancestors of the French Quarter, I have the power of all of them and the other harvest girls inside me."

"The night of the harvest, when I saved Davina from being sacrificed, I brought her here to protect her, the other witches want to finish the harvest and murder her so they can have access to all the power from the ancestors but I don't mess around when kids are involved, so Davina helps me track magic in the Quarter, anytime it's being used, she tells me and I handle it," A look of concern etched onto Marcels facial features, Elena could see it was more than that for him, he truly cared about her, "but lately, something changed and she started getting these visions and surges of dark energy, Elena's face always being at the centre of them."

"And I didn't know why until last night," Davina continued to paint, smoothing the brush along the canvas and starting to make the shape of a large oval, "the ancestors spoke to me, they told me of an ancient power in the city and it bore the same face for over 2000 years, popping up in history a few centuries apart, your blood being used in spells and rituals so powerful, it created immortal beings and vampires, and when Marcel told me about you, I knew I had to see for myself if it was you."

"So, you know then," Elena summarised, taking a few steps closer to her and watching her as she studied the paint before her, "who I am."

Davina stopped painting for a brief second to look at her and then Marcel, before returning her focus to the painting, "you're the doppelgänger."

Elijah leaned towards Elena, grasping her arm and gently pulling her back towards him, taking the space between him and Klaus in order to protect her, "why are you having visions about her?" Klaus asked, confused.

"The imbalance in nature is very real but once it happens, it can be a nexus for dark power to tap into and something has, something big has returned to the land of the living and it's coming for us all," Davina spoke, her knowledge being very limited into what it could be, the ancestors hadn't shared that information, "there's magic within you, Elena and not just because you're the doppelgänger but because your bloodline stretches as far back as 2000 years, when the first doppelgänger was created, she was made an immortal being, the first of its kind, now that's a long story I won't tell you now except the fact that she betrayed a very powerful witch, there's a reason why Esther chose Tatia's blood all those centuries ago to create vampires, why your bloodline has traveller magic within it and when you chose darkness over light, when Marcel stopped the harvest and took over the witches, shunning the werewolves and causing chaos in the city, nature had to fight back."

"Oh my god," she muttered under her breath, trying to process all of the information she had just received, even Klaus and Elijah were completely taken aback, "so you know everything about my family history?"

"Most of it," she admitted, before breaking her concentration on the painting and turning to face her, "the ancestors want the balance restored and this great evil defeated but they want me to complete the harvest as well."

"Well, that's not happening," Elena said, her protective nature revealing itself, "you're only a kid, no-one should have to go through that."

"So, who is this great evil that means to harm us and my family?" Klaus spoke, that dark and evil tone returning to his voice.

"No-one knows, not yet, it's hiding away in the shadows, waiting for the right time to strike," Davina responded.

"We need to get you out of here, Elena," Elijah turned to face her, his eyes locking onto hers, "back to Mystic Falls and safe with your family, you can't be protected here."

"She can't leave," Davina interjected, folding her arms across her chest, "if she does, the evil will only follow her, destroying the city on its way through."

"I wouldn't leave anyway, Elijah, how could I?" She looked at both brothers, realising she had a duty to both of them, a fight as old as time was coming for her and they were dragged into because of her.

"We need a plan," Marcel interrupted, much to Elena's delight at the change of subject, she couldn't be told to leave again and she was tired of arguing about it.

"Agreed," Elijah responded, before walking to his brother and standing beside him, "I do detest the thought of leaving you alone with Elena so soon after the incident but you must take her back to the plantation, keep her protected until I return, I will stay with Marcel and get to the bottom of all this."

"Why me?" Klaus questioned his intentions, curious as to why he would entrust her safety to him after everything, "why now?"

"Because Niklaus, this great evil is targeting you both, if you remain out in the open, it will only attack, you both need to be laying low whilst Marcel and I stir up the witches and figure out what to do to end all this," Elijah turned his attention to Elena, standing in front of her and placing his hands on her cheeks, "please, do this for me, Elena, I won't be able to focus if you're with me, I need to know your safe."

Elena just nodded her head, she could see the stress on his facial features and didn't want to cause him any further annoyances; she stood beside Klaus, feeling his hand grasp onto her elbow before they sped out of the attic, through the church and out into the street.

They where brought to a sudden stop, when they felt there heads ignite with pain; Elena instantly went to her knees, clutching at her head and screaming out; Klaus fought through it for a fraction longer than her and tried to get to her but it was too late, the pain became to strong, they couldn't handle it and everything started to fade to black.

Elijah and Marcel had heard the screams but they were too late, once they had reached the outside of the street, they were gone, causing a panic to quickly rise within them.