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Elena hissed, jerking away from the alcohol wipe.
"Stay still," Elijah admonishes with a gentle voice
Elena rolled her eyes, swing her feet slighting from atop her bathroom counter top as she only wore her blood soaked sports bra and old jeans. Her shoulder hurt like hell. It wasn't even her fault, it was some asshole hunter trying to stake a newly turned baby vampire who Elena had stumbled across. Hunter had a stake sure, but Elena had years of training with Alaric in her arsenal. She managed to kick his ass but not before having to take a stake to the shoulder.
Which was total bullshit because she was human damn it.
"What were you thinking going out this late?" The Original asks, rummaging through a too large first aid kid for a vampire, "At night. In New Orleans?"
The argument she had with Klaus a few hours ago played in her mind, him screaming and her screaming right back, matching his tone and fury with every step he took. At least now he wouldn't kill her because she tracked him down the second she woke up from her coma human to crack a deal. Well. Actually she was trying to find Elijah, Klaus just happened to be there too. She had been living with the Original's since. It actually had been going great.
Until a fucking vampire hunter decided to lodge a stake in her shoulder.
Elena scowls at him, "I was thinking that I needed a god damn break from your brother."
Elijah looks up at the celieing of her bathroom as if begging for strength.
"What has Niklaus done now?" He sighs before pulling a thread and needle from the first aid kit that was more like a mini hospital
Elena's shoulder throbbed as she shrugged, "He doesn't want me going back to college."
Elijah hums, threading the needle with swiftness Elena was jealous of.
"Do you wish to attend medical school as you once did?" He asks sounding geniunely curious for her answer
She feels the needle poke through the wound and her hands clench around the sink under her in pain as she forces herself not to flinch. Elena tries to ignore the pushing and pulling of the needle, and focuses on his question. Does she want to go back to medical school? Sure she would just to spite Klaus who didn't want her too, but did she actually want to?
"No," Elena whispers, "But I don't know what else to do, my family always wanted me to keep the family buisness going."
He looks up at her from standing in between her legs, hands still stitching up her skin because she hadn't wanted to drink his or Klaus's blood.
"What do you mean?" He asks, chin tilting slightly as his eyes focus back on her gaping wound
Elena sighs heavily still distancing herself from the pain pounding from the stake. Medical school was expected of her. Grayson had wanted her to take on the practice for as long as she could remember. Her mom loved the idea of Elena being a doctor, and even John smiled when Grayson had boasted about a future Elena hadn't even chosen yet. It had always been her or Jeremy who would be in the medical field, and she refused to let the cold sterile walls of hospitals dampen her brother's love for art. So...like everything else with the Gilbert Heir duties, it fell to her.
"You know, when I was a vampire, I had no clue what to do with my life," Elena admits, "When my parents died everything changed and I started surviving by making every day a new day, and I couldn't even think about my future without everything coming crashing down. Then came the supernatural and become about just surviving to the next day, and then was a vampire, and- I don't know- I just, I didn't even know who I was after everything, the idea of eternity, well I couldn't even think about it then. I didn't have the luxury to think about my future much less eternity."
Elijah nods, pulling the thread tightly as makes a noise of pain and he looks at her apologetically before grabbing the scissors and sniping it off quickly and placing guaze over the direct wound. He pulls out a large wrapping bandage, tapping her arm softly signaling her to lift it.
She winces, feeling tears in her eyes from the pain as she lifted her arm and he began to wrap her shoulder.
"And now," Elena continues, "Now for the first time in a long time, I'm safe."
He raises an eyebrow as his hands move around her injured arm easily.
"Okay whatever, duh, you know what I mean," She scowls before voice quieting, "For the first time, it's not me who's the center of everything going wrong. I can finally look more than a day in the future without fear of my death."
Elijah nods, "And now you're falling back into the last solid plan you had."
Elena goes to nod but her shoulder protests.
"I don't want to be in med school," She says exhaling tiredly, "I know that. You know that. Klaus knows it."
His steady hands slowly lower her arm, and he runs a thumb over the bandage softly.
"Is it weird to say now that I'm human, the idea of having a human life span doesn't feel right?" Elena whispers guilt clogging her chest as she looks up at him
Elijah's lips dance with a barely there smile she knows all too well.
"When you were a vampire, you were dealing with far too many tragedies and battles for your emotions being so heightened, even when they were off thay still effect your mind," He says, "You were in a survival mode for so long before turning, your mind could no comprehend everything, especially under a sire bond. But your mind as it is now, even if you did not understand it then, had accoustumed itself to you having less vunerabilities than you do as you are now. It is no surprise to me that you would wish to return to being a vampire without the horrendous side effects that were forced upon you."
The heavy weight that had been resting on her chest since waking up human lessens at his words. When she awoke she was told that they had to give her the cure as she slept because she would've desicated to death if not, but if they gave her the cure Bonnie was able to put her in a magical stasis similiar to whatever magic was on Esther way back when. Elena had struggled with being a vampire for so long, there was so much bad, and so much hurt, but now she's human and there is still bad and still hurt, she misses being a vampire.
"I would be glad to help you transition should you ever wish it so," Elijah promises before tilting his head as if considering something, "Although Niklaus may throw a tantrum."
Elena laughs brightly, brushing away tears with her uninjured arm.
"He'd totally let me turn though if I let him drain me before hand," She decides, "He'd miss me too much. No one else has the guts to yell at him like I do."
Elijah grins, "And what of Miss Forbes? I have heard the strength of her lungs."
Elena scoffs, "I'm the only he can yell back at without getting put in the dog house."
He chuckles, packing up the supplies he used. The silence stretches comfortably between them as she watches him methodically reorganize the mini hospital, his suit never looking a wrinkle out of place. Warmth bleeds through her chest. He didn't have to do this, he could've just shoved his blood down her throat, but he didn't. He respected her choice. While Elena knew she wanted to turn again, she'd like to get a little older before frozen again, maybe twenty one so she won't have to compel bartenders.
"Elijah?"
He looks at her, box in hand, "Yes lovely Elena?"
She smiles, "I'm glad you showed up to that mansion Rose and Trevor were at that day."
Elijah smiles a bit of a boyish smile, joy dancing in his eyes.
"I'm glad you attempted to pose as Katerina that day. Even though your heart gave you away before you even turned around," He admits a soft look on his face that makes her heart pound in her chest
The world bleeds away around them as her air is stolen from her chest.
Her eyes flick down to his lips and he watches her do so.
Downstairs there is an ear shattering crash and the distinct sound of Klaus screaming and Rebekah barking orders.
Klaus roars "THE WITCHES GO TO FAR!"
Elijah turned back to Elena as if her entire world was not shifted on it's axis.
"It seems the incessant drama my brother attracts is never ending," He says holding out a hand, "Shall we?"
Elena slides her hand into his and jumps down.
"Let's go."