Elena was not super surprised to see that Elijah had found her. She didn't expect to find him when she exited the Salvatore home, but she knew he'd be looking for her, or at least he'd be looking for the girl whose life she'd taken over. She was actually glad he'd found her. It saved her the trouble of having to find him.
Unlike the last time they met, Elena showed no fear as she walked closer to him. She had no reason to hide her identity this time. "Get in. We can't talk here."
Elijah raised an eyebrow, but other than that, he gave no indication of what he was thinking as he walked around to the passenger side of the car and got in.
Elena got into the driver's seat and drove away.
"I wondered if you'd even bother with the pretense," Elijah said.
"That would counterproductive, since I was planning to find you anyway. Just curious, when did you know it was me?" Elena asked.
"For certain? When you approached me moments ago. There was no longer any fear in you, although apparently there never was. Wonderful performance, by the way. I did suspect when I saw you last time though. There was something familiar about you, and it wasn't just your face. The vervain threw me off though," Elijah told her.
"Yes, it's not without its difficulties, but I've built up a tolerance," Elena said. Still, she didn't enjoy wearing vervain, but Stefan would be suspicious if she didn't.
"Why are you here, Eleanor?" Elijah asked curiously.
"I go by Elena now. I find I prefer my descendant's name. It suits me more. Before I answer that, answer this first. Do you intend to tell your brother that I'm here?" Elena asked. If Elijah gave any indication that he would, she'd have to neutralize him. She couldn't kill him, but her witch powers would allow her to incapacitate him. She would rather not though. She liked Elijah.
"What makes you sure I haven't already, at least about there being someone with your face?" Elijah asked.
"Because if you had, he'd be here, not you," Elena said.
Elijah gave her an impressed smile. "Fair enough. I don't even know where Niklaus is to tell him."
Elena chuckled. "We both know you could find him if you wanted."
"Yes, well, I have no desire to. Truthfully, if you had been another doppelganger, I planned to kill him," Elijah said.
Elena gave him a dangerous look. "You know I'd never let you do that."
"I know you'd try to stop me, and that you might very well succeed, which is why I wouldn't even be telling you this if it weren't immaterial. It would've only worked right after the curse was lifted," he said.
"Why do you want Niklaus dead anyway, Elijah? You have always been loyal to him," Elena said. They must have had quite the falling out for Elijah to turn on his brother.
"He put my siblings' bodies in the ocean," Elijah said with rage.
Elena scoffed. "Stupidity is unbecoming of you, Elijah."
"Excuse me?"
"Klaus is capable of a lot, but he wouldn't do that, if for no other reason than so he can continue to hold their fate in his hands. Although, I wouldn't complain if he wanted to put Kol in the ocean," Elena said. She couldn't stand Klaus' brother, Kol. Honestly, the only sibling she did like was Elijah. Kol and Rebekah were both psychopaths and Finn's depression could lead almost anyone to contemplate suicide. "Trust me, he's still carting them around in coffins. He told you that to piss you off."
"Well, if you're right, it's not much better," Elijah said.
"Your brother's a dick, Elijah. That shouldn't be news to you."
"Hmm. Well, in any event, I will keep your secret," Elijah said.
Elena nodded. She trusted Elijah to keep his word. Elijah had a reputation for being honorable for a reason. When he said he'd do something, he meant it. It was rare for him to go against his word.
"You never told me why you were here," Elijah said.
Elena quickly caught him up on how she came to Mystic Falls and what happened to the newest doppelganger.
"Niklaus will be very disappointed when he finds out. You must know that he will find out eventually, even without me telling him," Elijah said.
"I'm trying to avoid that."
Elijah frowned when he heard the nervousness in her voice. "I know you know that under no circumstances would Niklaus hurt you, so this must be about the two vampires that 'saved' you from me. You are involved with one of them, aren't you?"
Elena nodded. "Stefan. And don't even try to shame me for being with someone else. I left your brother. It's just that divorcing a vampire that's been alive for a thousand years is nearly impossible."
"I wasn't going to say anything of that nature. Although, I will say, isn't he a little young for you?" Elijah asked with a slight smirk.
Elena merely rolled her eyes in response.
"Well, I know why you're concerned now. If Niklaus finds out, the boy is as good as dead. Did you truly not consider that this would happen when you got involved with him?" Elijah asked.
"It wasn't like that. I never intended to fall for Stefan. In the beginning, I was merely curious about him," Elena said.
"Because of his relationship with Katerina?" Elijah asked. He knew all about Katerina's relationship with both Salvatore brothers. He'd been tracking her with Niklaus for hundreds of years, so of course, he would come across the information.
"Partly," she said. There was more to it than that. There was also the fact that Stefan was a doppelganger himself. She'd made it her mission long ago to learn all about doppelgangers she could. She'd traced both her line and Stefan's back to the legend of Silas. "It's not important. By the time I realized I'd fallen for Stefan, it was too late."
"And you've found yourself in an impossible position," Elijah finished for her.
"All because of a couple of idiotic vampires," Elena grumbled.
"Are you talking about the Salvatore bothers or Rose and Trevor?"
"Take your pick. They were all idiots. Now Stefan and Damon think it's going to be super easy to track down and kill an original vampire, and that's after I explained to them that it won't be that easy!" Elena fumed.
"Yes, well, vampires under the age of three hundred all seem to think they're invincible. You certainly weren't frightened when you met us," Elijah pointed out.
"That had nothing to do with thinking I was invincible, and you know it. I didn't care what happened to me," Elena said. Back then, she didn't like what she was. She was a witch that was turned into a vampire, something she'd believed back then to be an aberration. She was content with what she was now, but things were different then. While she wasn't suicidal at the time, death wouldn't have been unwelcomed then.
"You know that your best option is to return to Niklaus, right?" Elijah asked after a few minutes of silence. It was hardly a question. His sister-in-law had to know that that was the best way of achieving her goals. It was the best chance she had of keeping Niklaus from ever finding out about the Salvatore boy.
Elena glared at him. "Best option for who? I left him for a reason. I was sick of his damned hybrid crap!"
"I know how you feel, believe me. It is the only chance you have of protecting Stefan Salvatore," Elijah said. He refrained from telling her that she was only delaying the inevitable. She would return to Niklaus eventually. He was a part of her by now. She would always go back. But he didn't dare say that out loud. He had no interest in literally being thrown from the car.
"You're wrong, Elijah. Believe me, I've considered it. Niklaus will find out about the doppelganger even if I go, and he will come to Mystic Falls. He'll find out I was here. That's if Stefan and Damon don't find him first, which they're trying to do now. They will only get more stupid if I disappear," she said.
Elijah waved off her last concern. "That's not even a real problem. I can easily compel them to drop the matter, and to forget you exist."
Elena shook her head. "It's not that easy. They are not the only ones who know. There are humans, another vampire, and a witch who also know about the situation. You can't compel the humans or the witch. They're on vervain. They'll just tell Stefan and Damon what happened as soon as they realize they've been compelled. Plus, even if it would work, it still doesn't solve the problem of Klaus coming here."
"Then I can compel the Salvatore's to leave town. I'm sure you can handle others, make excuses for your absence. You can tell them you are running away with the younger Salvatore. Then, when and if Niklaus finds out, there will be no one to take his anger out on, and you'll be there to downplay the situation," Elijah explained.
Elena mulled the idea over for a few minutes. She didn't like the idea for many reasons, most of all because she'd have to deceive everyone, but to save Stefan and Damon, she'd do it. "Alright, give me a few days to try to find another solution. If I can't, we'll do it your way."
"Eleanor, this solves everything," Elijah argued.
"And I said I'd do it if I have to," Elena said before pulling over to the side of the road to let him out. "But I want to at least try to think of a better way. Either way, I'm going to need a few days before we do this."
Elijah nodded before pulling a card from his suit coat. "Call me when you're ready
Elena took the card and watched him get out before driving away.