Elijah paused outside of the door and took a deep breath before knocking. He heard her coming, and closed his eyes for a second to reflect.
She opened the door, and paused to look at him. Her soft brown eyes lit up with excitement as she looked at him.
"Hello, Elena." He replied, with a gentlemanly smile.
"Elijah" She whispered, with a warm smile.
"I'm sorry to come before calling, but I needed to have a word with you. Would you mind accompanying me? There is something I wish for you to see." He asked, hoping within his heart she would not refuse.
Elena smiled and felt a warm feeling go through her heart at his offer.
"Sure, just let me grab my jacket and I'll be right out." She replied, gently, trying to hide her excitement.
Elijah nodded, and headed to his car. He waited for a minute before he saw her coming out in a black jacked with a purple scarf wrapped around her neck. He smiled at the thought of her wearing that scarf for protection. He turned and opened the door on the passenger side and helped her in the car.
"Thank you" She replied.
Elijah nodded, as he closed the door, and walked to the other side. He climbed in the driver's side and started the car.
"Where are we going?" Elena asked, trying to feign excitement.
Elijah smiled, as he listened to her heart beat faster. "Some place very special to me." He replied quietly.
Elena smiled and turned her attention to the scenery passing by her window.
They drove for an hour before Elijah stopped the car just inside of a wooded area outside of Mystic Falls. He got out and went around the car to open the door for Elena. She smiled at the action, and graciously accepted his hand as she stepped out of the car.
Elijah led the way and Elena followed close behind.
"Where are we?" She asked, looking around her.
Elijah stopped where some gigantic boulders rested. "A thousand years ago, this was where we lived." He replied, sadly.
Elena listened with her heart catching the sadness in his voice.
"You have to understand something, Elena. When we became vampires, our world changed drastically. I'm sure you have been told everything is amplified a thousand times."
Elena nodded.
Elijah stepped toward the stones and placed his hands on the boulder. "Everything we felt as humans became overwhelming when we turned. Our home changed. It was no longer a home to us. This place held some painful memories, especially for me and Niklaus."
Elena felt a twinge, but was unsure if it was sympathy or anger at the mention of Klaus.
"I know how you must hate Klaus for everything he has done to you and your family, and you must hate me for going back on my word, but when we were human, all we had was each other. We never depended or trusted anyone else. Elena, my family came first in my life, and they still do. We never asked to become what we are." He paused and turned to gage her expressions. He stepped forward.
Elena stood there frozen. She had heard the story of how they became vampires, but Elijah had never explained how they felt.
"I know of the part you played in my mother's plan, and how you were the one who stabbed Rebekah in the back after she trusted you. I just want you to know, that no matter what my feelings are for you, my family is the most important thing in my life."
Elena felt her heart stand still. She instantly regretted coming out here with him, without calling anyone.
"You don't have anything to be afraid of, Elena. I'm not going to hurt you. I'm just explaining something. My family is all I have. I will do whatever it takes to protect them. As I said, no matter what my feelings for may be, if you hurt my family again, I won't hesitate to hurt you." He finished with a hint of pain in his voice.
Elena swallowed, hard. "Elijah, I hated playing a part in Esther's plan. I just wanted to kill Klaus. I didn't want you to be caught up in it, and I deeply regret it. As for Rebekah," She paused, looking down at the ground, suddenly nervous. "I didn't want stab her, but I did it for protection."
Elijah lifted her head with his hand, his eyes brimming with tears. "I trusted you, Elena. Rebekah would never hurt you unless you threatened our family. We protect each other. I notice how protective you are of Jeremy." He paused, waiting for an answer before he continued.
Elena nodded.
"Would you kill someone to protect him?" Elijah asked, gazing in her eyes.
Elena gulped. "I would." She replied with certainty.
Elijah nodded. "That is how we are. We would go to great lengths to make sure our family is protected."
Elena nodded in understanding. She never actually took the time to think about the Mikaelson relationship. She just assumed they were being menacing, and keeping the vampire line intact.
"Elijah, I don't know what to say. All I can and hope is that you will forgive me for what I've done." She replied, tears forming in her eyes.
Elijah stepped back, and took a deep breath. "I forgave you a long time ago. I just wanted to let you know my place."
Elena closed the distance between them. "I understand now, why you do what you do. I understand to a degree why Klaus does what he does, but that doesn't mean I agree with it."
"Klaus has changed over the past few days, Elena. I know you haven't seen it, but he has. You can thank your blond friend." Elijah remarked with a smile.
"Caroline?" Elena asked, shock displaying on her features.
Elijah nodded before speaking again. "Caroline brings out a piece of Klaus I have thought was gone, but she is slowly bringing it out of him. In fact, for the past few days, Klaus has shown no other interest except in her, and believe me, I have known him for over a thousand years, and he genuinely cares for her, and she for him."
"Why are you telling me this? Klaus has no feelings. If he had he wouldn't have killed my aunt, or taken Stefan and turned him into a ripper." Elena ranted.
Elijah smiled at her words. "I'm telling you because you need to understand. Klaus has never had anyone care for him, except family. Now Caroline shows up and shows him what he has been missing in his life. If he had met her before he came to Mystic Falls, maybe things would have been different. You need to understand, Elena, Klaus has finally found someone to care enough to bring him out of the darkness. I know this is hard for you to except, but Caroline is his light, just like you are the light for Stefan, Damon, and others." Elijah replied, conveniently leaving himself out of the mix.
Elena let his words sink in. Maybe he was right, maybe Klaus was changing. She had noticed the way he was with Caroline the night of the ball, and the way she lit up when she was dancing with him. Caroline Forbes was falling for Niklaus Mikaelson.
Elena smiled. She walked passed Elijah toward the boulders, and she leaned against them. She looked up to see Elijah waiting for her speak.
"When we were kids, Caroline, Bonnie, and I pretended that we were princesses and we imagined one day our princes would come and save us. We would dance around imagining what they would look like, and how they would act." Elena stated, dreamily.
"Caroline wanted someone who would treat her like a lady, someone who would need her to help him. She always imagined herself as either Cinderella or Belle. Bonnie wanted someone who would tease her, compliment her, and talk to. She imagined herself as Belle too. I wanted someone who would protect me. Someone, I could connect with on so many levels." Elena remembered, simultaneously forgetting who her company was.
Elena smiled, and then let out a sigh. "I guess Caroline found her Beast and her Prince Charming all rolled into one." She replied, finally looking at Elijah with tears in her eyes.
Elijah walked forward and leaned beside Elena on the boulder. "What about you? Have you found your prince?" He asked softly.
Elena leaned her head back and looked at the sky. Tears fell from her eyes as she thought about it.
"I thought I did in Stefan, but after everything that has happened, I don't think he is." She paused, as she wiped the tears away. "Then there is Damon. He thinks of himself as prince charming, which has to rescue the damsel in distress, and I'll admit he does consume me. I do care about him, but I'm starting to think of him as a friend, a brother." She paused again, this time to look down at her hands.
She wasn't sure about how to finish. She stood up and began to walk towards the car when she felt the ground giving way. She turned to scream, and then felt arms around her waist as the ground gave way.
Suddenly, she and Elijah fell down into the newly formed hole in the ground, and her world went black.