Connections - 17/24
Author's Note: This chapter is late! I'm so sorry! I think I'm barely making it in on the 20th! Sorry, guys!! But thank you so much for your comments! I read them at work to keep me cheerful. LOL! <3 Ready for the great comeback? ;)
What great comeback? What's going on? I should start at chapter one. I'm confused.
Elena hesitantly eyed the stake in front of her. She studied the once handsome, refined face in front of her, ashen and shriveled in his state of inanimation. All she had to do was pull the stake out, and he would burst back to life. She had done it before, and she could do it again. She just needed to gather her courage.
“Don’t do it,” Damon sing-songed warningly, his voice right in her ear. She jumped, looking up at him. His blue eyes were intense, strong and heated. “Remember he turned on us? He’s the whole reason Klaus was able to get away from Bonnie in the first place!”
“But Klaus turned on him,” Elena reminded, thinking back to what the others relayed Lucy had heard from Katherine. “So maybe he’ll want him dead. Again.”
“Or maybe he’ll want us dead,” Damon returned, impatient. She looked up through her lashes as he leaned an arm against the open edge of the crate, looming over her. “Come on, Elena,” he urged. “Don’t fall for this.” He sneered at the corpse-like figure in front of them. “He deserves this.”
She didn’t know why, but she suddenly thought of Damon, laying soaked with sweat, dying in her arms. “I deserve this,” he had said. “I deserve to die.”
But Damon didn’t deserve to die. He didn’t deserve to die anymore than Elijah deserved to be entombed in his own flesh for eternity, just for trying to find his family. She steeled her nerves, her mind made up, and yanked on the stake in his chest.
Damon was in front of her before she could blink, the stake no longer in her hand but his, pointed right where she had removed it. The body in front of them began to flush with color, a solid, milky white hue, filling out the withered flesh. The eyes flew open, the mouth gaping to gasp for breath.
“One wrong move and I’ll stake you,” Damon stated warningly. “I don’t care if it kills me, too.”
“Damon,” Elena pleaded, tugging on his arm to no avail. She watched Elijah’s eyes flit between them, then scan around the room, taking in his surroundings and his company. And then Elijah seemed to settle back, his breathing slowing.
His eyes fell to her, then to Damon. “You may remove that,” he told him, without looking down at the stake. “I mean you no harm.” He turned to Elena, his head cocked. “Though I must confess to feeling a bit perplexed… Why have you brought me back after I betrayed you?”
Elena swallowed hard. “I betrayed you once, and you gave me another chance,” she reminded him. “So now I’m offering you the same.” She narrowed her eyes at him. “But if you betray us again, we will shove this stake in you and put you right back where we found you. Do you understand?”
Elijah inclined his head at her, studying her closely. “I never fail to find the ability of the human heart’s capacity for forgiveness… astonishing.” He looked up at Damon. “Do you, Mr. Salvatore?”
Damon sneered at him, jamming the stake harder against the flesh. “I prefer simple answers,” he told Elijah angrily. “So just answer with yes or no-do you want to help us find and kill your brother?”
Elijah’s eyes dropped to Elena. “My family… You found them?”
Elena hesitantly looked back to the others, who were standing behind her and Damon in a semi-circle, as if protecting them.
“Was one of them about, this tall?” Alaric finally asked, gesturing to his eyes. “Light brown hair?”
Elijah’s expression brightened. “So he did put me with them.”
Elena frowned up at him. “You knew he would kill you?”
Elijah looked down at her. “I have known my brother for far longer than you can imagine, Miss Gilbert. I know full well what he is capable of.” His expression lifted into one of amusement. “I had the cloaking spell cast on me removed.” Elena’s heart skipped as one corner of his mouth quirked into a slight smile. “In case anyone ever came looking for me.”
Damon suddenly stepped forward, again ramming the stake against Elijah’s chest. Elena’s heart skipped, uttering sounds of protest as the stake began to pierce flesh. “That’s still not a yes or no,” he retorted. “Should I repeat the question for you?”
All amusement vanished from Elijah’s face as he leveled Damon with a stare. “Mr. Salvatore, I want my brother dead more than you can possibly comprehend in the tiny little speck of existence that has been your lifespan,” he returned, his voice clipped with anger. “I merely wanted my family returned to me. That is all.” He arched an eyebrow. “Something I trust you can understand?”
Damon flipped the stake in the air, catching it in his hand as it fell back down. He leaned back, allowing Elijah an exit from the crate. “Guess that’s close to a yes,” he offered, rolling his eyes.
Elena felt relief wash over her as Elijah stepped out, once again looking around the room. “And where is the younger brother?” he asked, turning to Elena.
“Klaus has him in some sort of indentured servitude,” Damon answered. “We want you to get him out.”
Elijah stared at him, seeming to pale. Elena’s heart skipped. “I’m sorry… I must have misheard you… Did you say my brother has… your brother… in his care?”
“You want the short version?” Damon snapped. “Wolf-boy over there bit me,” he jerked his thumb at Tyler, “Klaus’ blood was the cure. Stefan is paying for it for a few years by being his bitch.”
Elijah’s eyes locked onto Damon’s endlessly. After another few moments of uncomfortable silence, Elena spoke up. “What?” she asked, frowning. “What is it?”
Elijah’s eyes fell closed, and then reopened, settling on her. She thought there was some fondness there, but mostly, it appeared to be sadness.
Her heart began to beat in pronounced thuds against her ribs.
“Klaus can only want Stefan for one thing,” he said, his voice heavy.
“A conscience?” Damon offered, with a derisive snort. Elena felt a chill go through her. “I doubt he’s the type.”
Elijah’s eyes pierced Damon’s. “No,” he returned flatly. He let out a soft sigh. “To aid him in his quest to destroy the original.” He looked down at Elena again. “The original woman.”
Elena felt a chill go down her spine. “Destroy the original woman?” she repeated. “The one who created the doppelganger?”
Elijah’s face turned to stone, his eyes darkening in anger. In his vehemence, he seemed to grow larger, his presence more massive and intimidating than his slender size. “Created her?” he repeated. “She did not create her. She was stolen by the doppelganger. Cursed by her.”
Quickly, hoping to placate him, Elena hurried on. “We found Damon and Stefan’s mother’s journal,” she told Elijah. “She was visited by a woman who told her about the original woman, and the curse of the doppelganger. And she said her sons would look after Damon and Stefan because they were their…” she trailed off, slowly looking between Elijah and Damon.
She didn’t know how she had missed it before. How she hadn’t realized what the statement meant. But somehow, amongst everything else that had happened, she hadn’t put it together. She hadn’t understood what the words were really saying.
“Great to the power of a hundredth grandchildren,” Damon finished, rolling his eyes. He turned back to Elijah. “So then someone got it in their head that she needed to go to the original woman and take her place, even though it doesn’t say that in the journal. It just says that Stefan and I needed to find you and your brother.”
Elijah’s head lowered, then rose. When he addressed them, it seemed as if his mind had been made up. “It sounds like my mother,” he announced. “She was always trying to lift the curse of the doppelganger.”
“Whatever,” Damon declared, sounding irritated. “Now that you know what we know, why don’t you tell us what you know?”
Elijah studied him, then Elena. To her surprise, there was a look of tenderness and sorrow there. “Very well,” he agreed. “May I have something to drink, first?”
Elena turned back to the others. Alaric was already holding a glass filled with red liquid, which he extended to Damon. Damon took it, turning back to Elijah. The ancient vampire tipped it in acknowledgment, then polished it off in seconds.
Then he let out a deep breath. “Perhaps it is best if you sit,” he suggested, gesturing to the couch. He met Elena’s eyes. “You will not like what I am about to tell you.”
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What great comeback? What's going on? I should start at chapter one. I'm confused.
Elena hesitantly eyed the stake in front of her. She studied the once handsome, refined face in front of her, ashen and shriveled in his state of inanimation. All she had to do was pull the stake out, and he would burst back to life. She had done it before, and she could do it again. She just needed to gather her courage.
“Don’t do it,” Damon sing-songed warningly, his voice right in her ear. She jumped, looking up at him. His blue eyes were intense, strong and heated. “Remember he turned on us? He’s the whole reason Klaus was able to get away from Bonnie in the first place!”
“But Klaus turned on him,” Elena reminded, thinking back to what the others relayed Lucy had heard from Katherine. “So maybe he’ll want him dead. Again.”
“Or maybe he’ll want us dead,” Damon returned, impatient. She looked up through her lashes as he leaned an arm against the open edge of the crate, looming over her. “Come on, Elena,” he urged. “Don’t fall for this.” He sneered at the corpse-like figure in front of them. “He deserves this.”
She didn’t know why, but she suddenly thought of Damon, laying soaked with sweat, dying in her arms. “I deserve this,” he had said. “I deserve to die.”
But Damon didn’t deserve to die. He didn’t deserve to die anymore than Elijah deserved to be entombed in his own flesh for eternity, just for trying to find his family. She steeled her nerves, her mind made up, and yanked on the stake in his chest.
Damon was in front of her before she could blink, the stake no longer in her hand but his, pointed right where she had removed it. The body in front of them began to flush with color, a solid, milky white hue, filling out the withered flesh. The eyes flew open, the mouth gaping to gasp for breath.
“One wrong move and I’ll stake you,” Damon stated warningly. “I don’t care if it kills me, too.”
“Damon,” Elena pleaded, tugging on his arm to no avail. She watched Elijah’s eyes flit between them, then scan around the room, taking in his surroundings and his company. And then Elijah seemed to settle back, his breathing slowing.
His eyes fell to her, then to Damon. “You may remove that,” he told him, without looking down at the stake. “I mean you no harm.” He turned to Elena, his head cocked. “Though I must confess to feeling a bit perplexed… Why have you brought me back after I betrayed you?”
Elena swallowed hard. “I betrayed you once, and you gave me another chance,” she reminded him. “So now I’m offering you the same.” She narrowed her eyes at him. “But if you betray us again, we will shove this stake in you and put you right back where we found you. Do you understand?”
Elijah inclined his head at her, studying her closely. “I never fail to find the ability of the human heart’s capacity for forgiveness… astonishing.” He looked up at Damon. “Do you, Mr. Salvatore?”
Damon sneered at him, jamming the stake harder against the flesh. “I prefer simple answers,” he told Elijah angrily. “So just answer with yes or no-do you want to help us find and kill your brother?”
Elijah’s eyes dropped to Elena. “My family… You found them?”
Elena hesitantly looked back to the others, who were standing behind her and Damon in a semi-circle, as if protecting them.
“Was one of them about, this tall?” Alaric finally asked, gesturing to his eyes. “Light brown hair?”
Elijah’s expression brightened. “So he did put me with them.”
Elena frowned up at him. “You knew he would kill you?”
Elijah looked down at her. “I have known my brother for far longer than you can imagine, Miss Gilbert. I know full well what he is capable of.” His expression lifted into one of amusement. “I had the cloaking spell cast on me removed.” Elena’s heart skipped as one corner of his mouth quirked into a slight smile. “In case anyone ever came looking for me.”
Damon suddenly stepped forward, again ramming the stake against Elijah’s chest. Elena’s heart skipped, uttering sounds of protest as the stake began to pierce flesh. “That’s still not a yes or no,” he retorted. “Should I repeat the question for you?”
All amusement vanished from Elijah’s face as he leveled Damon with a stare. “Mr. Salvatore, I want my brother dead more than you can possibly comprehend in the tiny little speck of existence that has been your lifespan,” he returned, his voice clipped with anger. “I merely wanted my family returned to me. That is all.” He arched an eyebrow. “Something I trust you can understand?”
Damon flipped the stake in the air, catching it in his hand as it fell back down. He leaned back, allowing Elijah an exit from the crate. “Guess that’s close to a yes,” he offered, rolling his eyes.
Elena felt relief wash over her as Elijah stepped out, once again looking around the room. “And where is the younger brother?” he asked, turning to Elena.
“Klaus has him in some sort of indentured servitude,” Damon answered. “We want you to get him out.”
Elijah stared at him, seeming to pale. Elena’s heart skipped. “I’m sorry… I must have misheard you… Did you say my brother has… your brother… in his care?”
“You want the short version?” Damon snapped. “Wolf-boy over there bit me,” he jerked his thumb at Tyler, “Klaus’ blood was the cure. Stefan is paying for it for a few years by being his bitch.”
Elijah’s eyes locked onto Damon’s endlessly. After another few moments of uncomfortable silence, Elena spoke up. “What?” she asked, frowning. “What is it?”
Elijah’s eyes fell closed, and then reopened, settling on her. She thought there was some fondness there, but mostly, it appeared to be sadness.
Her heart began to beat in pronounced thuds against her ribs.
“Klaus can only want Stefan for one thing,” he said, his voice heavy.
“A conscience?” Damon offered, with a derisive snort. Elena felt a chill go through her. “I doubt he’s the type.”
Elijah’s eyes pierced Damon’s. “No,” he returned flatly. He let out a soft sigh. “To aid him in his quest to destroy the original.” He looked down at Elena again. “The original woman.”
Elena felt a chill go down her spine. “Destroy the original woman?” she repeated. “The one who created the doppelganger?”
Elijah’s face turned to stone, his eyes darkening in anger. In his vehemence, he seemed to grow larger, his presence more massive and intimidating than his slender size. “Created her?” he repeated. “She did not create her. She was stolen by the doppelganger. Cursed by her.”
Quickly, hoping to placate him, Elena hurried on. “We found Damon and Stefan’s mother’s journal,” she told Elijah. “She was visited by a woman who told her about the original woman, and the curse of the doppelganger. And she said her sons would look after Damon and Stefan because they were their…” she trailed off, slowly looking between Elijah and Damon.
She didn’t know how she had missed it before. How she hadn’t realized what the statement meant. But somehow, amongst everything else that had happened, she hadn’t put it together. She hadn’t understood what the words were really saying.
“Great to the power of a hundredth grandchildren,” Damon finished, rolling his eyes. He turned back to Elijah. “So then someone got it in their head that she needed to go to the original woman and take her place, even though it doesn’t say that in the journal. It just says that Stefan and I needed to find you and your brother.”
Elijah’s head lowered, then rose. When he addressed them, it seemed as if his mind had been made up. “It sounds like my mother,” he announced. “She was always trying to lift the curse of the doppelganger.”
“Whatever,” Damon declared, sounding irritated. “Now that you know what we know, why don’t you tell us what you know?”
Elijah studied him, then Elena. To her surprise, there was a look of tenderness and sorrow there. “Very well,” he agreed. “May I have something to drink, first?”
Elena turned back to the others. Alaric was already holding a glass filled with red liquid, which he extended to Damon. Damon took it, turning back to Elijah. The ancient vampire tipped it in acknowledgment, then polished it off in seconds.
Then he let out a deep breath. “Perhaps it is best if you sit,” he suggested, gesturing to the couch. He met Elena’s eyes. “You will not like what I am about to tell you.”
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