Elena made her way into her house and walked to the kitchen. She found Alaric, Bonnie, and Matt there waiting. She didn't have to be a genius to figure out they were all waiting for her.
"Elena, we need to talk," Alaric said.
Elena rolled her eyes. "Let me guess. Intervention take two. Well, Caroline isn't here. I guess she opted out. Good for her. I also see you've left that Salvatores out of it. Smart move, Bonnie. I'm assuming this is all your doing. I'm a little surprised at you, Matt. I mean, you went to the ball with Rebekah, but you have a problem with my association with Klaus?
Matt raised his hands in surrender. "Hey, I'm only here because Bonnie bullied me into it."
"Matt!" Bonnie admonished.
"What? She's right. I may not understand it, but I have no right to question her relationship with Klaus. None of us do," Matt said.
"Let's get this over with so that I can get on with my day," Elena said in a slightly bored tone.
"Elena, we're concerned about you. How can you date Klaus after everything he's done?" Alaric asked. Damon had told him about this a few days ago, but he hadn't believed it. In fact, he'd laughed his friend off as being paranoid. Then Bonnie told him the same thing. Now, he was concerned.
"First of all, we're not dating. We're having sex. Second of all, it's no one's business who I date or have sex with," Elena said firmly.
"Elena, I'm worried about you. I'm worried your self-destructing," Alaric said.
Elena laughed. "Self-destructing? You sound like a shrink, Ric. And I am not self-destructing. It's the opposite actually. I am finally living for myself. I am done trying to save people who can't be saved. I am done letting people walk all over me."
"Elena, this is obviously about Stefan. You're sleeping with Klaus because you're mad at Stefan," Bonnie said.
"No, I slept with Klaus the first time because I was mad at Stefan. I continue to sleep with him because I feel like it. I don't care about Stefan anymore. He can drive off a bridge for all I care, this time without me in it," Elena said.
"Elena, you're mad at Stefan for the things he did, but Klaus has done worse to you," Alaric pointed out. He understood her anger at Stefan. He'd heard what Stefan had done. She should be angry, but that didn't mean she should be with Klaus. That was the last thing she should be doing.
"I wasn't dating Klaus," Elena said. True, she technically hadn't been dating Stefan at the time either, but they had dated. He'd claimed to love her. The fact that he could do that after claiming that was unforgivable, even more so because as for as she was concerned, he didn't really love her. He couldn't have done that if he ever had.
"And you shouldn't be dating him now! Elena, he's a monster," Alaric said.
"So is your BFF, Damon. This town is filled with monsters," Elena said.
"None bigger than Klaus. He killed you, Elena. He killed Jenna," Alaric said.
Elena narrowed her eyes at him. "Don't bring Jenna up to me."
"Why not? Elena, Klaus killed Jenna. He didn't care about her life as long as he got what he wanted," Bonnie said.
"Guys, you should stop," Matt warned. He saw the look on Elena's face. She was getting angry. He couldn't blame her. Bringing up her dead aunt was a low blow.
"She gave her life for you, Elena," Alaric said. This was the only way he knew to get through to her, to make her feel guilty. "Being with her murderer is an insult to her memory. She'd be ashamed of you right now."
Elena took a couple of strides forward and slapped Alaric across the face. "Who the hell do you think you are?! Don't you tell my how my aunt would feel about me! You knew her for a few months! You may have been in a relationship with her, but you only knew her for a fraction of the time I did! You know nothing about my relationship with her or how she would feel right now. You will not use her to manipulate me! Get out!"
"Elena," Alaric started in disbelief.
"You're not welcome here anymore. Be gone by the time I get back," Elena said before turning to the others. "You too, Bonnie. Matt, thank you for respecting my choice. You're a good friend."
"Elena, we're trying to help you. We're your friends," Bonnie said.
"No, you're not. I don't need a friend who will manipulate me into living my life the way she wants. I'll be back in the morning. Neither of you should be here when I get here or I'll call the sheriff," Elena said before heading out the back door. She slammed the door on her way out.
Xxxxxxxxxxx
Elena arrived at the Mikaelson's and knocked on the door. She wasn't entirely sure why she was there. Klaus wasn't exactly who she should be going to when she was emotional. They didn't have that kind of relationship. She supposed a distraction wouldn't hurt though.
The door was opened moments later by Rebekah. "What do you want?"
Elena sighed. Rebekah was the last Original she wanted to see right now. "I would think that would be obvious. Where's Klaus?"
"Not here. You'll have to find someone else's bed to warm tonight," Rebekah said before going to shut the door in her face.
"Rebekah, that's enough," a voice said before the door was pushed open again, revealing Elijah. He smiled at Elena. "Hello, Elena. Please come in."
Elena smiled before walking inside. "Thank you, Elijah."
"Please, come with me," Elijah said before leading the way to the living room.
"Is Klaus really not home? I wouldn't put it past your sister to lie," Elena said.
"I'm afraid not. He shouldn't be long though. You're welcome to wait," Elijah said.
"Thanks. I can't go home right now. I kicked Alaric out," Elena said.
Elijah motioned for her to take a seat on the couch before he sat in a chair across from her. "Would you like to talk about it?"
Elena sat down and explained what happened when she got home and found Ric and her friends waiting for her. It actually felt good to tell someone about it. She was still so angry. It helped.
"You did the right thing, Elena. Don't allow anyone to tell you how to live your life. They'll never stop once you do," Elijah said.
"And that's where I'm at now. I've let other people make decisions for me for too long. They think they have that right now," Elena said.
"Just remember that they do not," Elijah said.
"I was so angry that they would use Jenna against me like that, but I can't help but wonder if they're right. Do you think being with Klaus is an insult to Jenna's memory?" Elena asked.
Elijah was quiet for a moment as he contemplated the best way to answer her question. "I think that you honor the living when they're alive. You honored your aunt every day. You loved her and tried to protect her. You treated her with the respect she deserved. That was how you honored her. You can't live for the dead. You can only live for yourself. That is the way you honor the dead. You live your life in a way that makes you happy, whatever that is. If Jenna loved you, and I believe that she did, that is what she would want for you. She would want your happiness."
"I keep thinking about what she would say if she were here, meaning if she hadn't died. She would be scared. She would probably even express her concerns and distrust for Klaus, but I think she would accept it," Elena said.
Elijah nodded. "That's what a true loved one would do. Elena, I need to be honest with you. This arrangement you have with Niklaus. I don't think it is what it started out as. I think deep down you know that too, or you wouldn't be so concerned about this."
Elena sighed. She wanted to deny it, but it was hard to do so when he was right about why she was concerned. She had been worried about how Jenna would feel about her relationship with Klaus. If she didn't care about Klaus, it was an easy fix. She'd just stop sleeping with him. But she didn't want to. She liked being with him, and that was what was so conflicting. "It wasn't supposed to happen. That was why he was the perfect person."
"This kind of thing can sneak up on you sometimes, especially when it's someone you never particularly liked," Elijah said.
"I still don't like him, Elijah. I still hate him," Elena said.
"But that isn't all you feel," he said.
"No," Elena admitted for the first time.
Xxxxxxxxxxx
Klaus entered his bedroom and was unsurprised to find his doppelganger waiting for him in his bed. Elijah told him that she was here, and that she was upset. Annoyingly, he wouldn't' say any more than that. He supposed he'd have to find out for himself.
Klaus stripped down to his boxers and got into bed next to her. He put an arm around her and held her. This visit was not about sex. That much he knew. She needed him to hold her.
"I don't want sex," Elena confirmed without even looking at him. She did place a hand over the one holding her waist though.
"That's fine, love. I'm here for whatever you need. Elijah said you had a rough day," Klaus told her.
"Are you in love with me, Klaus?" Elena asked.
"I don't know that I'd call it that," Klaus said after a moment. He was certainly on his way, but he wasn't quite there yet.
"But it's not just sex anymore, is it?" she asked.
"No," Klaus admitted.
"What happened to no love stories?" Elena asked. That was what they both said. That was the agreement they made. They weren't looking for love. It was supposed to be casual. It was supposed to be fun.
"You happened, my dear," Klaus said before placing a kiss on her neck.
"I hate you," Elena told him, repeating what she said to Elijah.
"I know," Klaus said. He'd done a lot of damage to her. Of course, she hated him.
"But there's something else there too, something that isn't hate. Whatever it is that we're not calling love yet," Elena said.
"I know," he repeated.
Elena didn't say anything else. She just kept a firm grip on the hand holding her and shut her eyes.