Elena was sitting on the floor in one of the hallways in the mansion. Esther had shown her around and then told her she could go where she pleased, with the stipulation that she wasn't allowed to leave the house. Elena simply didn't know what to do with herself right now. Her life had completely fallen apart. No, that wasn't exactly accurate. It had been taken from her.
Elena thought things were bad before with Klaus running around town terrorizing her and her friends. Klaus was the least of her problems now. That would almost be funny if it weren't so horrifying. Klaus' mother, who was supposed to be some sort of weapon to protect them from Klaus, was actually much worse for Elena's world than Klaus was. Elena wished with everything in her that her friends had just left well enough alone instead of opening that damned coffin.
"Elena?" a voice called out.
Elena looked over to see Elijah standing several feet away. "Hi, Elijah."
Elijah walked over and knelt down in front of his sister. "Why are you sitting out here like this?"
Elena shrugged. "I don't know. I don't know what else to do."
Elijah could tell she was still in shock and traumatized by everything she'd learned. He gently took her by the arm and helped her to her feet as he got up himself. "Come with me. Let's talk for a little while."
Elena wordlessly followed him down the hall and into a room. It looked to be an office. There was a large desk on one side of the room. There was also a small couch on the other side, as well as a small bookshelf against the wall by the window.
Elijah led her to the couch. "This is my study. You're welcome in here anytime you need me."
"I wouldn't want to bother you if you're busy," Elena said.
"If I am busy, I will tell you so, though I doubt I could ever be too busy for you. Sit, please," Elijah said before taking a seat himself.
Elena sat down next to him. "I guess I should apologize. I was supposed to come talk to you last night. I would've if I could've."
"Oh, I'm so sorry, Elena. I should've been with you last night. I should've insisted you not be alone," Elijah said.
"You didn't know. You didn't, right?" Elena asked. She didn't think he knew anything about them being related until last night, but she couldn't be entirely sure.
"No, I didn't. None of us found out until after the ball. I would never have allowed you to find out in that manner if I did. I was very angry when I found out how Mother handled the situation. We all were," Elijah said.
"I feel like I'm in a nightmare, Elijah. And I don't even know what the worst part is because it's all so horrible. I shouldn't exist. I should be dead," Elena said.
"So should I," Elijah pointed out.
"It's different. I'm trespassing in another person's body. I killed another child the moment my soul entered her body," Elena cried as she looked towards the window.
Elijah gently took her arm and turned her to face him. He needed her to pay very close attention to what he was about to say. "No! You do not put that on yourself! None of this is your doing. It is Mikael's fault, and Mother's fault. It is not yours! Do you understand me?
"It's hard to see it that way when it was physically me who caused the damage," Elena said.
"You were a defenseless child! You had no control over what happened to you or that child. This is not your fault, Elena. I will not have you blaming yourself," Elijah said firmly.
"I'm scared, Elijah. This whole thing is terrifying to me," Elena said.
Elijah pulled her into his arms. "I know you're scared, sweetheart. It doesn't help that Mother hasn't handled this right in the least."
"I should've listened to Damon. He didn't want me to come here last night. He said it wouldn't end well. He was right," Elena said. Deep down, she knew it probably wouldn't have mattered. It wasn't as if Esther was going to forget about her if she hadn't gone to the ball.
"I'm afraid it wouldn't have made a difference. In fact, I fear it may have been worse. And I refuse to agree that Damon Salvatore is ever right about anything," Elijah said, only partially joking.
Elena managed a small smile at his words. "What's going to happen, Elijah. My life has completely fallen apart. I'm not allowed to go home. I can't even call and tell my friends what's going on. Esther took my phone. She says I have to earn the privilege of having it back."
Elijah sighed. His mother continued to show little regard for what this situation was doing to Elena. He would need to speak to her soon. He hoped that he could get her to see reason and make her understand the damage she was doing. If he couldn't, he would have to take action. He understood of some of what his mother was doing to an extent. After thinking about it, he could understand why she wanted her at the mansion. She was safer there with them than on her own in her home. However, she was trying to control every aspect of Elena's life. Forcing her to call her 'Mother' really bothered Elijah. It was too much. The way their mother was treating Elena bordered on abuse, and Elijah would not allow another sibling to be abused. "I doubt it will be much comfort to you, but I asked Rebekah to speak to your friends. I even requested that she be nice about it."
Elena chuckled a little. "Is Rebekah capable of being nice."
"With family, yes, as you will see soon enough," Elijah said.
"She hates me. I don't blame her. I daggered her," Elena said.
"She does not hate you, not anymore. Everything changed last night," Elijah told her.
"I daggered you too. I'm sorry, Elijah," Elena said. She'd already apologized to him, but she felt like she should do it again now that she knew they were related.
"Elena, I believe we've already been over that," Elijah said.
"I know, but now you're my…" Elena trailed off. She couldn't bring herself to say the words out loud, not because she didn't want Elijah as a brother, but because the whole thing was still so overwhelming, and she felt like saying it out loud would make it worse.
"I'm your big brother, which means I'll always forgive you. Always and forever," Elijah told her as he held her close.
Elijah's words actually offered Elena more comfort than she expected. "I've never had older siblings before. I've always been the oldest. I was the one who had to look out for Jeremy. I always wondered what it would be like to have older siblings."
"If Rebekah is to be believed, It's annoying," Elijah said.
Elena chuckled slightly. "Jeremy says the same thing. Am I ever going to see him again, Elijah?" Elena asked.
"I promise that you will. I do my utmost not to break my word. You know this. You will see Jeremy again," Elijah swore.
"I wanna go home," Elena cried.
"I know you do. I'll be honest with you. I believe it's best that you live here. I believe you're safer here, but if it was up to me, the entire thing would've been handled much better," Elijah said.
"I wouldn't have been locked in a room all night at least," Elena said bitterly. She knew Elijah would never have done that to her. She wasn't even sure Klaus would've. He'd defended her when Esther threatened it again this morning.
"You would not have. As I said, I don't like the way Mother handled this," Elijah said.
"I hate her, Elijah," Elena said with anguish in her voice.
"I can't blame you for that. I would like to believe that Mother has good intentions, but she has wronged you," Elijah said.
Elena yawned and rubbed her eyes. She was really tired. She could fall asleep right in Elijah's arms right now.
"You are exhausted. You didn't sleep much last night, did you?" Elijah asked.
"No. I'm afraid to sleep in that room. I'm afraid I'll wake up in the door will be locked."
Elijah sighed, once again cursing his mother. "How about you sleep here for a while? No one will disturb you, and the door will not be locked."
"Are you sure? I don't want to bother you," she said.
"You are no bother to me, little one," Elijah said, reverting to a nickname he used for her when she was a baby.
"Little one?" Elena asked in surprise.
"Uh huh. It's what I called you when you were a baby. Mother had not yet chosen a name for you. I think it's a fitting nickname," Elijah said.
"I'm not a baby," Elena said, protesting only slightly.
"No, but you're my baby sister," Elijah said before getting up and laying her head down on the couch.
Elena curled up on her side and closed her eyes.
"Sleep now. Your big brother will watch over you," Elijah promised gently. He then grabbed a blanket that had been hanging off the couch and draped it over her.
"I'm really glad you're here, Elijah," Elena said.
"I will always be here for you, little one," Elijah said before watching his sister drift off to sleep.