Elena had been locked in her room for a week.

Davina and Marcel hadn't returned, content to leave Elena in the peace she wanted until she reached out to them. Caroline, Bonnie and the Salvatore's had all made appearances most days, the former two were less content with leaving Elena alone, but they were able to listen to Elijah's reasoning. The Salvatore's, on the other hand, had been prevented from tearing Elena's door down on two separate occasions.

They were adamant that they knew what was best for Elena, and that consisted of dragging her back to Mystic Falls now that she was 'back in her right mind'. The thought had Elijah furious. He had to remind himself that Elena was not his; he could not get involved where he was unsure if she wanted him to.

Elijah paused in his movements to put the customary glass of blood on the floor outside Elena's door, confused when his senses noticed a change before he could put his finger on what it was. It took him a few moments to realise the difference, some tension falling from his shoulders when he recognised it.

Elena wasn't crying.

Instead of the sound he'd reluctantly become accustomed to, he could hear a rhythmic brushing sound, making him smile and lean his forehead against the door in relief. She was brushing her hair. Aside from the crying, Elijah had heard very few noises come from her room, mostly the shower running, or the occasional walking around; the sound of her brush was like music to his ears.

He knocked softly, straightening away from the door, prepared to place the blood down and leave, as was usual. Instead, further surprising him, he heard Elena's voice croak for him to come in. She cleared her throat immediately after, not used to talking after a week of silence.

Elijah opened the door softly, smiling at the sight of Elena dressed in the outfit she could find closest to what she would wear before she'd abandoned her emotions. Her hair was back to being perfectly straight, and she was lightly running her brush through it.

"I brought you something to drink." Elijah broached, not sure what else to say, awkwardly offering the glass to her.

Elena smiled gratefully, standing from the bed and placing her brush on the bedside table before taking the glass from Elijah. "Thank you." She whispered, smiling at him again as she drank the blood quickly, closing her eyes as the fluid refreshed her.

"How are you feeling?" Elijah asked, slipping his hands into the pockets of his slacks now that he was relieved of the blood.

"Lost." Elena said eventually, fiddling with the glass in her hand. "Honesty, right?" She said with a quirked eyebrow at Elijah's startled look.

"Of course." Elijah smiled, brushing aside his confusion.

"I think I can make it out of this bedroom, at least, so that's a win in my book." Elena shrugged, taking a deep breath to steel her nerves.

Elijah smiled, nodding slightly. "Then I shall keep you no longer." He said quietly, gesturing to the doorframe.

Elena paused as she reached the doorway, turning back to Elijah. "Are the others here?"

Elijah shook his head. "No, they're out dealing with some witch business or another, they have all tried to keep out of the plantation to give you some space."

Elena swallowed thickly, bobbing her head. "Remind me to thank them for that."

Elijah let out a soft laugh, amazed by how much he'd missed Elena's voice. "I will endeavour to remind you." He said solemnly, relishing in the answering, genuine, smile he received.

Suddenly, Elena took a deep breath, closing her eyes for a few moments before opening them again. "Is that coffee I smell?"

Elijah let out a soft scoff, amused at the sudden turn of Elena's attitude. "It is, I haven't long put on a pot."

"I could kill for a cup." Elena breathed, her body stiffening when she realised the implications of what she'd said.

"I often feel the same." Elijah said softly, smiling at the brunette to try and reassure her.

Thankfully, Elena let out a soft laugh, grateful for him trying to lighten the mood. "I can't imagine you in a caffeine withdrawal."

"You don't want to." Elijah quipped, joining Elena's side as she continued her journey downstairs. "It's not a very pretty sight."

Elena laughed again, the two lapsing into a not uncomfortable silence, neither of them really sure what to say next.

Despite protests from Elena, she sat at the kitchen island while Elijah fixed her a mug of coffee, and another bag of blood at Elena's hesitant request. He'd told her never to be afraid of asking him for anything and had swiftly warmed the bag slightly for her.

Elena sipped at the blood leisurely, controlling her thirst as Elijah continued to prepare their drinks.

After a few short minutes, Elijah placed two mugs of coffee down on the island, slipping into a seat beside Elena as she finished her blood.

"You can ask." Elena said eventually, staring at the mug she now held between her hands. "Whatever you want to know, I'll probably be able to answer easier if you just ask."

"You don't have to tell me anything you don't want to." Elijah assured her quickly.

"I want to." Elena whispered, continuing to stare at the slowly swirling coffee in front of her. "I don't know where to start."

"Why did you turn it on?" Elijah asked hesitantly, not sure where else to start.

Elena smiled slightly, closing her eyes. "You started it," she muttered, amusing herself with the childish petulance that bled into her voice, "chipping away at my walls." Elijah smiled at her, taking a sip from his coffee. "I went to one of Marcel's parties; I was going to sleep with him," she admitted in a whisper, not able to make herself look up and see the pain on his face that she was sure would be there, hidden or not, "he stopped me…us." She sighed, shaking her head. "Asked why I was there instead of with you, because of the lig-" Elena stopped herself, frowning, what the hell had Davina called it?

"Ligatus Animarum." Elijah supplied softly, a soft clearing of his throat the only thing giving him away at all.

Elena nodded, letting out a soft breath. "Right, that." She found her eyes shutting again as she took in another breath, searching for the right words, the one good thing about not having her emotions was that she hadn't worried how her words would come off, so she'd had no problem finding the right ones. "I didn't really realise what it meant." She whispered, finally picking up her mug to take a mouthful of coffee. "I thought it was just a spell, put on us by some…I don't even know who I thought was responsible, but I thought it was just something that was created. Marcel, he told me it's basically like soulmates."

She paused, waiting for Elijah to confirm or deny her words.

"Again, I find Marcellus is correct." He said quietly, Elena just about recognising the tension in his voice. "That is the best way to surmise Davina and Bonnie's findings."

"I didn't know that was what it meant until he told me." She repeated, her head bowed. "It made me realise how much I must have hurt you that night, when I left." She took a longer breath this time, holding it for a moment as she fought back tears. "When I realised what it meant, all I could think was that I needed-" she hiccupped slightly, releasing her coffee cup and angrily brushing away tears, "was that I needed to call Jeremy, and tell him what was going on." She managed to croak around the fire in her throat, dropping her head into her hands as her shoulders trembled.

Somehow, Elena managed to make Elijah jump when she sent her coffee cup flying across the room, the coffee pot following shortly after.

"I'm so sick of crying." She screamed, the only thing keeping her from wreaking more havoc on the kitchen being Elijah's arms wrapping around her like a steel cage as she reached for her chair.

He held her against him tightly, forcing away the pain he felt at seeing her so distraught, now was not the time.

"Let go of me!" Elena shouted, determined to break anything she could get her hands on, and frustrated when Elijah wouldn't let her. "Let me go! Let go of me!" She cried over and over again, no longer screaming as her knees buckled under her and she fell against Elijah completely, overcome by her weeping.

It had taken Elena the better part of an hour to calm back down.

The minimal makeup she'd managed to apply was ruined, and her carefully brushed hair was tangled and tousled again. Her eyes were red and puffy, and dried blood marred her right hand where she'd tried to clean up the mess she'd made with the mug and coffee pot.

Elijah had eventually convinced her to take a seat on the couch and stop trying to clean up the shards of glass and china, her tear-laden eyes making her barely able to see what she was trying to do, and leading to more cuts and mess than actual cleaning.

He'd passed her a box of tissues and disappeared, reappearing a moment later with a blanket and a glass of water. Perplexingly, his wrapping the blanket around her shoulder had only served to increase her crying, leading to Elijah freezing, worried that he'd upset her further. His fear lasted only a few moments before she leant her head on his shoulder, keeping him effectively rooted to the spot. He'd awkwardly wrapped an arm around her shoulders, not sure at all what else to do to comfort her.

Eventually, Elena had pulled away from him, pulling tissues from the box Elijah had presented her with and wiping her eyes.

"I'm sorry." She murmured eventually, her voice hoarse. "I've hurt you so much, I don't deserve to be here, selfishly seeking comfort from you."

"Elena," Elijah breathed, forever stunned by the woman in front of him, "I could never see you as selfish, even with your emotions abandoned, you are not a selfish person." He gently smoothed her knotted and wayward hair back, out of her face, and behind her shoulders. "As for any hurt you may have caused me, you were not yourself, Elena, even after we learned of our bond, clearly there were things that you did not understand, I find myself at fault for not explaining it to you better."

Elena shook her head at him, determined to argue with him, but backing down when she saw the resolute look on his face.

"Your actions without your humanity, have changed nothing, Elena, not for me." He said, smiling at her startled expression. "Honesty, right?" He parroted her words from earlier, making her smile and let out a soft breath of laughter.

"Right."

They hadn't had much more of a chance to talk before the rest of the household had returned home, sending Elena scurrying away to her room, lacking any such strength required to face them. Elijah mourned the loss of her presence, he'd spent a week without her around, and despite the sickness dissolving, it seemed like there was less light in the room when she wasn't there.

He sounded foolish, even in his own thoughts.

The hours had passed by seamlessly, Elijah only half noticing his siblings and Hayley attempting to talk to him briefly before giving up and moving on. Before he knew it, it was dark outside, and he could hear the sounds of Elena hesitantly wandering from her room.

After another brief moment, the sound of water splashing pierced his ears, he assumed Elena had dived into the pool, beginning laps quickly thereafter.

Elijah wandered out to the pool, settling in one of the chairs by the poolside, as had become a casual custom for Elena and himself with her emotions off. He undid the button on his jacket, relaxing into the chair and tilting his head up slightly to admire the stars.

"I'm sorry." Elena said softly, breaking through the silence in the air. "I didn't mean to disturb your peace."

"You've done nothing of the sort." Elijah reassured easily, turning his head down to smile at the brunette, she was leaning on the poolside, her elbows resting there and her chin in her hands. "I would not be out here otherwise."

"I guess that makes sense." Elena murmured, quirking her lips at him slightly. "I've always found swimming calming, I guess I was hoping it might help me think."

Elijah tilted his head at her. "Is that why you spent so much time out here while your emotions were abandoned?"

Elena smiled again, letting out a soft scoff. "Some days, you would just tear through my walls like they weren't even there, she…I couldn't understand it, didn't like it, didn't want it, take your pick."

"It was your way of running away." Elijah surmised, filling in what Elena wouldn't quite say. "What are you running from now?"

Elena laughed but it lacked any mirth, only coming off empty and hollow. "What aren't I running from?" She broke the gaze they shared, looking down at the poolside pensively. "I'm not sure there's anything on that list at the moment."

"I don't wish for you to feel like you must run from me, Elena." Elijah sat beside Elena's arms, dangling his then bare feet into the pool. "If you ever want space, you need only ask."

"I really don't know where to go from here." Elena admitted, dropping her chin from her hands to rest in the crook of one of her elbows. "There's so much to juggle right now, I don't know where to start, or how to deal with any of it."

"You could not plan it." Elijah offered with a soft smile. "Have you considered that, perhaps, your adamance to plan for how to deal with everything is leaving your hands tied to avenues of possible solutions?"

Elena let out a soft laugh, shaking her head. "How do you always do that?"

"What?" Elijah asked, his brow furrowed with innocent confusion.

"Make me feel like a foolish child who can barely see in front of herself."

"You're anything but, Elena. You carry a wisdom and grace beyond your years; you may be slightly…misplaced at the current time, but I have no doubt you will find your way back to yourself soon enough."

"You think way too much of me." Elena scoffed slightly, aware of her skin flushing; hoping that the cover of darkness would hide it from Elijah's sharp eyes. "After everything I've done." She shook her head slightly, not lifting it from her hands, feeling no need to say anything more.

"We have all done bad things, I fear it is the very nature of our kind, but you reacted perfectly naturally to something that was forced upon you, no-one can blame you for that."

Elena only managed to hold his gaze for a moment before she drew away from the conversation, blinking away tears as she lifted her head from her hands. "Do you swim?"

Elijah only blinked at the change of topic, Elena finding herself immensely grateful that he knew when to leave something alone. "Not for a long time." He denied softly, looking away at the water. "That was always Kol's hobby more than any of us."

Elena closed her eyes, letting out a huff of breath. "I'm so sorry about Kol, Elijah, he tried to kill Jeremy, I couldn't let that happen."

Startled, Elijah turned back to Elena, his eyes wide. "You killed Kol?"

"I thought you knew." Elena murmured, genuinely surprised at the shock in Elijah's tone. "Jeremy, he delivered the final blow, but we were both involved, I had to stop him, Klaus was there, I thought-"

"He didn't tell me." Elijah muttered darkly, withdrawing his feet from the pool and standing up in a swift movement.

Elena flew from the pool after him, her eyes wide. "Elijah."

"Elena," Elijah said firmly, shaking his head as she reached out to him, "I believe you do not hold such malicious intent in your heart, and I am sure there were extenuating circumstances, but I cannot talk about this now." Elijah watched as she withdrew her hand, looking down at the floor, the only sound for a few moments being the water dripping from her body. "We will discuss this, but I need some time, Elena."

"I understand." She whispered, finding herself blinking back tears again as Elijah disappeared.

HisSecretLover18: Yay! I'm glad I managed to change your opinion on it! Thank you so much! It's not going to be an easy road for Elena, but luckily, she has plenty of people there for her!

Guest: Thank you so, so much! There's definitely a lot to talk out, as this chapter has shown! I'm also super excited for them to start dating and really allow them to get to know each other! Yes, I'm so glad you feel that way! I definitely see Davina and Marcel as a bit of an escape for Elena, there's no drama there and they're just genuinely interested and care for Elena's well-being! Aha I'm also interested to find out what the Salvatores do next, because I'm not sure yet!

Guest: It's about time right?! Yay, god I'm so happy you liked it! I wanted it to happen more naturally in this story rather than it being provoked out of her like it is in other fics, not that there's anything wrong with that, but I've written my Elena as really struggling with being manipulated, so the last thing I wanted was for her to be manipulated into it! I think Marcel is going to be a lot calmer in this fic than he was in the show, between Elena and Davina looking out for him, he's definitely going a bit soft! Thank you! Ahhh, I'm so excited to be getting to writing them together! I wish she could, but Hayley has a pesky situation that keeps her rather protected at the moment... Thank you!

There always seems to be something stopping Elena and Elijah from being able to be completely open and accepting of each other, *sigh*, Hopefully we're getting near the end of that now! But there's a lot of history to work through here!

As always, please review and let me know what you all think, I look forward to it!

Until next time

~ I x