Into The Woods

Chapter Five: Adventures In Babysitting

Elijah's eyes spark with amusement as he shakes my hand. "Yes, it's been most enlightening." He smirks as he releases my hand, stepping back once more.

Elena just says a weak greeting with nerves lining her tone. "Hi."

Jenna sets down a box of her own and turns to Elijah. "So, you're welcome to stay here and rummage through this stuff or Elena, Reyna, and I could help you load it into your car."

Elijah shrugs his shoulders, hands in his pocket. "Or I could get someone to pick it up tomorrow."

Jenna points to him, smiling. "Also a good plan."

Elijah turns and shakes Jenna's hand in parting. "Thank you so much for inviting me into your home, Jenna... Elena." He turns to me, his smile becoming slightly more genuine as he nods. "Reyna, a pleasure."

I smile again as he brushes past me to get to the door. "Nice meeting you." I give a small wave as he exits the house and disappears out of sight. Turning back to Jenna, I let out a breath. "Well, history has never been my strong suit, so you're on your own if you have to do any presentations for Mrs Lockwood or anything like that, Jen."

"No worries. I think I can handle it." Jenna turns to her niece. "Could you get Jeremy to help me with the rest of these boxes?"

Elena nods and grabs my hand, pulling me towards and up the stairs faster than she'd normally go, taking the steps two at a time. I struggle to keep pace while holding hands with her since she doesn't release me until we reach Jeremy's door.

Elena knocks on Jeremy's door, but right before he opens it Elijah appears beside us, grabbing Elena's wrist and holding a finger to his lips to keep her quiet that he's here as he hides beside the door and Jeremy opens it. Jeremy gives Elena a bored look as he stands in the doorway, oblivious to the Original standing beside him. "What is it?"

Elena takes a breath to calm her nerves. "Jenna asked me to get you to help her with the rest of the boxes downstairs."

"Sure." Jeremy brushes past us and goes down the stairs, never noticing Elijah's presence.

Elena and I turn back to Elijah as he releases Elena's wrist. "A wise choice."

Elena frowns at him, rubbing at her wrist with her other hand. "What do you want?" I nudged her for the rude tone since he could kill us at any moment. I also try focusing on the "danger sense" that I seem to have, monitoring any shifts in Elijah's current mood.

"I think it's time we had a little chat."

Elena nods and leads us into her room, closing the door behind her. Once the door is firmly shut, Elijah clears his throat. "Forgive the intrusion. I mean your family no harm."

Elena jumps right to the point of the matter. "Why did you kill those vampires when they tried to take me?"

Elijah sighs. "Because I didn't want you to be taken. Klaus is the most feared and hated of the Originals, but those that fear him are desperate for his approval. If word gets out that the doppelganger exists, there would be a line of vampires eager to take you to him and I can't have that."

Elena frowns, crossing her arms over her chest as she moves closer to the bed to sit down on the edge of it. "Isn't that exactly what you're trying to do?"

I shake my head as I kick off the wall I was leaning against, walking over to sit in the chair at her vanity. "No, it's not. He doesn't have any ill intent towards us at the moment."

Elijah sends me a proud smile. "You've improved."

I return the smile with a grin of my own, happy with my accomplishments. "I've been practicing..." My grin drops a little. "Although I didn't know you were in the house, so maybe I haven't improved that much."