As Elena came to, she slowly became aware of another presence in the room and found herself resisting the urge to flinch away when someone gently touched her brow, lightly calling her name as her eyelids fluttered.
"Wha' happened?" Elena mumbled, allowing herself to be helped into a sitting position by firm, yet soft, hands. Looking around, she found Elijah crouched next to her, one hand on her back and the other on her brow. "Elijah?"
He smiled back at her, but it didn't reach his eyes. "Do you remember what happened?"
Elena shook her head slowly, eyes glancing towards the floor as she thought, causing Elijah's hand to move from her forehead to her cheek. "I-I think I broke a glass, but I...Elijah I don't remember."
"It's okay," Elijah assured her quickly, offering a soft smile, "we'll figure it out."
Elena bobbed her head in agreement, her eyes flicking around the kitchen before settling back on Elijah. "You're pretty." She murmured, bringing her hand up to brush one of the longer pieces of hair out of his eyes. "I'm sorry I daggered you," she said suddenly, dropping her hand from Elijah's face, "you're a man of honour and I should've respected that. Please help us with the sacrifice, we can't do this without you."
Elijah frowned, tilting his head at Elena as he scanned her form, his mind racing as he catalogued how she was behaving.
"Elijah," she murmured, recapturing his attention, "I don't want to die." She breathed, her eyes welling with tears.
"You are not going to die." Elijah said firmly, softening his features when he saw a sense of apprehension flit across her drawn face at his harsh tone. "I give you my word."
The words seemed to relax Elena, and her body slouched against his for a few moments, a soft gasp signalling new thoughts in her mind. "Elijah, what are you doing here?"
"You called me," he explained softly, determined not to allow any of the concern he was feeling to show on his face, despite his confusion at her apparent weaving in and out of their present, "you didn't sound well, so I used my spare key to let myself in."
Elena nodded slowly, glad she could finally recall something with any sort of clarity. "How long have you been here?" She asked. "Did I just wake up?" Her face fell as Elijah's brow dropped into a frown. "What?"
"Do you not remember our conversation just now?" Elijah prompted softly, returning his hand to her brow, frowning when he felt the heat coming from her skin.
"No." Elena admitted in a whisper, shaking her head slightly. "What's happening, Elijah?"
Letting out a soft sigh, Elijah forced his frown away, smoothing his features over. "I'm not sure." He admitted, aware of Elena's need to know the truth. "We will figure this out, after we get you some blood." Elijah smiled at her softly, taking control of the situation with a smooth ease. "Let's get you up."
Elena allowed Elijah to help her to her feet, neither of them mentioning that Elijah may as well have picked her up for all the help Elena was.
Before Elena could topple over, Elijah wrapped a strong arm around her waist, keeping the woozy doppelganger on her feet. "I've got you, Elena." He murmured, holding her to him as he helped her to the couch in the lounge, gently sitting her down, and taking his arm from around her waist. "I will be right back." He assured her softly, disappearing into the kitchen for a bag of blood.
When he returned to the lounge, Elena had pulled herself up into a sitting position, her cheek resting against the back of the couch, and her knees pulled up to her chest. Her skin was chalky and clammy, and her eyes were shut as her breath came in soft wheezes.
"Elena." Elijah whispered, crouching on the floor in front of the couch, smiling when she opened her eyes to look at him. She tried to return his smile, but it came off as more of a grimace than anything else. "Drink this." He prompted, tilting the bag of blood to her lips as she began to sip at it, her complexion darkening as she drank.
"Thanks." Elena muttered, allowing Elijah to take the bag from her and bin it, quickly returning to her side. "Bet you didn't think you'd be using that spare key so soon." She quipped, grinning at Elijah as he let out a soft laugh, trying to help her ease the mood in the room.
"I'm not sure I ever expected to use it at all." He returned, smiling at Elena as she turned to sit on the sofa properly, patting the chair next to her in a signal for Elijah to sit beside her.
"I thought my parents were still alive." Elena muttered after a few moments of silence. "I really thought that they were okay."
Elijah chose to say nothing in reply, unsure of how to comfort her, and only squeezing her hand instead. "Where have you been today?" He asked softly. "Have you come into contact with anyone who could have done something to you?"
Elena shook her head. "I went to Café Mondeaux for a few hours this morning, then I met up with Bonnie and Caroline, and then I went to see Marcel and Davina, I haven't been closely involved with anyone I don't know, or any wolves who could've bitten me." She sighed, shrugging slightly when Elijah looked at her with furrowed eyebrows. "I looked after Rose and Damon when they were bitten, I remember what they were like."
"I'm sorry." Elijah murmured, squeezing her hand again. "It's not pleasant to see."
Elena let out a soft scoff. "That's an understatement."
"Were you well this morning?"
Elena bobbed her head slightly, leaning on Elijah's shoulder as she felt her energy begin to sap from her. "I was fine; I thought I was just exhausted from getting my emotions back, I don't know. I mean, Elijah I really thought my parents were alive, I could've been talking crap all day for all I know."
"Perhaps we should visit Marcellus and Davina," Elijah mused out loud, his hand absently running through Elena's hair, "if you saw them last, they may have the best insight as to whether you were acting strangely."
Elena let out a soft sigh, nodding slowly. "Can we just…sit here for a moment?"
"Of course," Elijah whispered, "whatever you need."
"Elena…" Marcel frowned, opening the door to the abattoir. "Elijah? What are you guys doing here? And why do I think I'm not going to like the answer?"
"Something's wrong with Elena." Elijah said shortly, raising an eyebrow at Marcel when he frowned, scanning over Elena's form. "We were hoping you and Davina may have noticed something earlier."
"Come on in." Marcel nodded, gesturing for the pair to come in. "D's still here, she might've picked up on something I missed."
Elena smiled at Davina, her arm linked firmly with Elijah's; the irony not escaping her as it became his turn to keep her on her feet. "Hey, D."
"What's wrong?" Davina asked, quickly moving to Elena's side, her eyes flitting between Elijah's hold on Elena.
"We don't know." Elena sighed, letting Elijah guide her into a chair. "But I'm sick."
"Did you notice anything unusual while Elena was here?" Elijah asked, turning to Davina for potential answers. "Anything at all that didn't seem quite right?"
"She mentioned something about needing to focus on Jeremy, I thought it was an odd way of phrasing it." She shrugged slightly. "I thought it was just stemming from your tiredness," Davina said softly, turning to Elena, "I can feel your exhaustion in the air; your struggle, it feels different today, harsher."
"Harsher how?" Elijah probed, intrigued by Davina's insight.
"You can feel my emotions?" Elena asked, frowning at her.
"It's like an aura, I guess." Davina shrugged. "I think it's the extra magic I carry from the Harvest, it lets me get an extra read on people, I try not to use it, but I can't always ignore it. Normally it's quite quiet, just a soft hum in the background, but it's loud and harsh today, like something has aggravated your emotions."
"I can't decide if that's cool or weird." Elena muttered, letting out a soft laugh when Davina smiled back at her. "Any other witchy feelings about me?"
"Just…something dark…it's like it's spreading." Davina sighed, shaking her head softly. "I'm sorry, I can't be much more help."
Elijah let out a frustrated sigh, turning to Elena when she took hold of his hand, smiling softly at him. "It's alright, 'lijah," Elena mumbled, "I'll be alright, we have time." She reassured him quietly, squeezing his hand in a return on the soothing gesture he'd shown her earlier.
Marcel and Davina exchanged glances as Elijah immediately relaxed under her soft touch, lightly quirking his lips back at Elena with a soft nod of agreement.
"What's wrong with you?" Marcel asked softly, tilting his head at Elena. "Symptom wise?"
"Delirium, delusions, fever, disorientation…lost time, reliving the past…" Elijah listed, his voice soft as he glanced at Elena.
"That sure sounds familiar…" Marcel said, looking at Elijah pointedly.
"I haven't been bitten." Elena muttered. "And the only wolf I know in this city is Hayley." She grimaced, rolling her eyes slightly.
"A spell, maybe? Or a curse? Is there even something that can mimic symptoms of a wolf bite like this?"
Elijah shook his head. "I've never come across anything like that; and I have never heard of anything akin either."
"Neither have I." Marcel admitted, rubbing his brow in frustration. "Is it possible to be infected by a wolf without being bitten?"
"I don't know." Elijah let out a long sigh, brushing a piece of sweat plastered hair from Elena's forehead. "Even if it is possible, this is developing extraordinarily fast for werewolf venom, Elena was fine this morning."
"Hallucinations don't normally develop until later." Marcel pointed out softly, sharing a glance with Davina as Elijah gently dabbed sweat from Elena's face.
Elijah shook his head slightly. "There is normally a fever and delirium, Elena had none of that until a few hours ago."
"Elijah…" Marcel sighed. "I don't like it, but everyone knows there's no cure for a werewolf bite."
Head shooting around to look at Marcel, Elijah levelled him with a glare. "There is; Elena will be fine."
Any protest Marcel had died on his lips when Elijah's eyes narrowed further at him; a silent, but effective, motion for him to shut up.
"Elena." Elijah murmured softly, gently prompting her to reopen the eyes that had drooped shut. "We need to go somewhere else now."
Elena nodded groggily, letting out a soft noise of agreement. Using the arms of the chair she pushed herself up and took a step, grossly overestimating her abilities as she stumbled, falling into the safe arms of Elijah, who quickly swept her into his arms.
"Marcellus, Davina, if this is not a wolf bite-"
"I'll find everything I can," Davina interrupted, nodding sagely, "we will meet you there."
Elijah nodded, offering Davina a brief smile before he disappeared, cradling Elena in his arms.
"Niklaus!" Elijah bellowed, unceremoniously throwing the door open as he entered the plantation house. He shouted his brother's name again when he didn't appear, moving towards the lounge to lay Elena no the couch.
"What in the blazes is going on?" Rebekah appeared in the doorway, her face dropping into a frown when she saw Elijah crouched by Elena. "She looks bloody awful."
"Where is Niklaus?" Elijah bit, turning to look at Rebekah. "We think Elena was somehow infected with werewolf venom."
Rebekah shook her head slightly, the gravity of the situation dawning on her. "I don't know, he's out dealing with some witch business or another."
"Find him, sister," Elijah implored her, turning to look back at Elena just as Hayley emerged behind Rebekah, "please."
She was gone before Elijah could finish talking, leaving Hayley unnoticed in the doorway. "Is she okay?" Hayley asked softly, twirling her fingers absently.
Elijah let out a low sigh, using his handkerchief to brush the sweat from, the now unconscious, Elena's face. "We think she's been infected with werewolf venom, but we don't know how."
"Is there anything I can do?"
Hayley wanted to say that the surprise scrawled on Elijah's face shocked her, but she really should have expected it.
After a moment to process Hayley's sudden helpfulness, Elijah nodded slowly. "I need a basin of cold water, and some blood."
Hayley nodded, glancing at the unconscious girl on the couch before scurrying away to the kitchen in search of what Elijah asked for, ignoring the clenching in her heart as Elijah instantly turned back to Elena, whispering to her softly.
"I can't find him."
"What do you mean you can't find him?"
"I mean, I can't bloody well find him!" Rebekah snapped in return, rolling her eyes slightly even though Elijah couldn't see her through the phone. "He's not answering my calls, and I can't track him anymore, something's going on, Elijah!"
"We have to find him, Rebekah, Elena's sickness is progressing faster than usual, she might not have long."
"Elijah, I don't know-" Rebekah paused, spinning around as a familiar scent crossed her path, her eyes narrowing as she placed it. "I'll call you back." She muttered, hanging up the call before her brother could reply and beginning to track the scent she'd caught.
"What the hell have you done to my brother?" She hissed, throwing the offender up against a tree."
"Shit." Hayley hissed, dropping the knife she was holding on the side and putting the tip of her finger in her mouth to wash away the blood that was welling there as she waited for the cut to heal.
"Are you alright?"
Hayley jumped, spinning to face Elijah quickly, letting out a soft huff of laughter when she realised how easily startled she'd been. "I'm fine," she smiled, waving her healed finger slightly, "nothing a little werewolf healing can't handle."
Elijah nodded slowly, his eyes flitting around the room as his hands found their way into the pockets of his slacks. "I smelt the blood," he explained softly, "I wanted to make sure everything was alright."
Nodding, Hayley pursed her lips. "I didn't think you cared."
"I don't understand your hatred for Elena," Elijah sighed, leaning against the doorframe beside him, "but you are still a member of this family, Hayley, and I protect my family."
Hayley nodded again, letting out a soft breath and opening her mouth to speak, confused when Elijah spun around. "What is it?" She asked softly, forgetting what she'd been about to say.
"The door." He frowned, shaking his head slightly as he walked back to the living room, Hayley trailing behind him; nearly bumping in Elijah when he froze.
"Elijah?" Hayley edged around him, confused about what had startled him.
"Elena's gone."
HisSecretLover18: Thank you so much! I hope this lived up to expectations!
midnight-writer97: That's so crazy! I'm so, so thrilled that you like my writing that much! Thank you so much! Surprise, surprise, they're still not sure! Oh my god, Elijah would never! He would definitely give up everything for his family, and Elena is looking more and more like that everyday! Damon is very much not a good person in this story, there will be no redemption, and I think that's more true to the character they initially created than what they did with him. They're Elena's people in this story at the moment, and I love it! I'm glad, I wouldn't want to let anything slip ;)
Guest: Who else would it be?! Perhaps...I'm not sure who was involved yet!
brattneyforever93: Thank you so much! I hope you enjoyed!
wazman: We're getting there, don't worry! Werewolf venom is looking more and more likely...but could it be that simple? I hope you enjoyed!
You all were so, so lovely and excited in your reviews, I just had to update for you all! But, what's this? Another cliffhanger? How evil am I? I'm about halfway through the next chapter, and let me just say, you do not want to miss it!
Let me know what you all thought! I'm so excited to hear from all of you!
Until next time
~ I x