Elene didn't know how long she had been asleep when she woke up to an unknown noise. At first, she tried to fall back asleep but jolted out of bed when she heard a door slamming closed. She carefully walked across her room towards the door and opened it as quietly as possible as she walked out into the hallway.
As Elena approaches Jeremy's room, she looked around for anything suspicious, as she looked into Jeremy's room, she heard a noise behind her. Gasping Elena whirled around and crouched down into one of the fighting stances Damon had taught her.
Elena straightened out of the fighting stance when she saw a startled boxer clad Alaric looking back at her.
"Elena." Alaric mumbled embarrassed as he lowered the ice cream bowl he was carrying towards his nether region.
"I heard something." Elena told him in explanation with a smirk, trying her best not to laugh.
"That was us, I'm sorry." Jenna walked up the stairs wearing Alaric's shirt and running a hand through her hair.
"We didn't think anyone was up." Alaric said slowly.
"You mean except you?" Elena smirked and raised an eyebrow at where he was holding the ice cream bowl.
"Elena!" Alaric went bright red in the face.
"Don't be embarrassed, Alaric." Elena chuckled as she looked him up and down. "You have nothing to be ashamed of."
"And think about the silver lining." Jenna piped up, knowing Elena was just messing with Alaric. "Now you and Elena are even."
"Even?" Alaric looked between Jenna and Elena.
"You have seen her in her underwear and now she has seen you in yours." Jenna started to laugh. "That's only fair, right?"
"Absolutely." Elena smiled brightly.
"I'm just going to...go." Alaric walked past Elena into Jenna's bedroom.
"I'm sorry if we woke you." Jenna smiled at Elena.
"It's okay." Elena reassured with a giggle.
"See you tomorrow." Jenna said as they made their way to their respective bedrooms.
"Have fun." Elena smirked and closed her bedroom door.
She walked over to her bed and crawled under the warm blankets, turned on her side and curled up as she slowly fell asleep.
XOXOXOX
Elena was about to eat breakfast or rather lunch if you looked at the time, when there is a knock on the door. She sighed and looked sadly at her sandwich as she got up to open the door.
"Hey Elena." Stefan smiled at her as Damon nodded in greeting. "Can we talk?"
"Sure, but you'll have to come in because I'm very hungry and have a sandwich with my name on it in the kitchen." Elena walked back into the kitchen, not even looking if Damon and Stefan followed her. "There are blood bags in the fridge if you want some."
"Thanks." Damon smiled as he pulled out a glass to pour the blood in.
"So, what can I help you with this morning?" Elena took a bite for her sandwich as she looked at the Salvatore brothers.
"We went to see Kathrine." Damon told her as he sat down opposite her at the breakfast bar.
"Why?" Elena asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Well, we need the moonstone and Kathrine has it with her in the tomb." Stefan shrugged.
"You don't believe her, do you?" Elena asked as Stefan finished telling her what had happened when he and Damon talked to Kathrine.
"No, of course not." Damon shook his head. "We just want the moonstone."
"Didn't we already agree that the whole sun and moon curse is a lie?" Elena looked at them.
"We might now that but others don't and they'll try and use you as a sacrifice." Stefan told her.
"So how do we destroy it?" Elena wanted to know as she finished her sandwich.
"By releasing it from the moonstone." Stefan hummed.
"And how do we know that it will work?" Elena wondered.
"Our crafty hag has agreed to do anything she could to help." Damon smirked.
Elena sat quietly for a while. She had already decided to actually willingly be apart of the sacrifice to help Klaus become whole again but she couldn't just say that to them. And later when they found out what was really going on, she knew they wouldn't accept her choice.
"Kathrine won't just give up the moonstone." Elena pointed out.
"We'll just have to pry it from her cold dead hands if she refuses to give it up." Damon declared darkly.
"Sounds like you guys already have a plan." Elena hummed.
"Yup, we are awesome." Damon fist bumped a chuckling Stefan.
"Except for one thing." Elena sighed and got up, putting her glass in the dishwasher. "I don't want you to do it."
"What?" Damon and Stefan chorused.
"You seem to have forgotten all about Klaus." Elena looked at them.
"We'll find him right after we get the moonstone." Stefan promised.
"Is that before or after he kills everyone I care about, including the two of you?" Elena challenged them with a look.
"Elena, if we can de-spell the moonstone, we can save your life." Stefan said desperately.
"I don't want to be saved if it means endangering my family and our pack." Elena glared at them and walked away.
XOXOXOX
Around an hour later Elena walked into the boarding house and closed the door softly behind her. She had decided to go very casual today and wore blue jeans, dark blue top, a blue and black button up and blue converse. Yeah, she had a theme going on.
"It's not nice to leave a girl naked so early in the morning." Rose reprimanded as she walked down the stairs while tying a silk robe around her.
"Agreed." Elena chuckled. "Especially a gorgeous one like you."
"Whoa, sorry." Rose stuttered out. "I thought you were Damon."
"No, really?" Elena asked sarcastically with a laugh. "I did tell you two to have a pleasant evening when I left yesterday and from the looks of it, you did."
"Oh, we did," Rose smirked back. "We really did."
"You go girl!" Elena held up her hand for a high five, which Rose granted with a laugh.
"So, what did you come here for?" Rose asked. "If you are looking for Damon or Stefan they're not here."
"I actually came to talk to you." Elena smiled.
"In that case I should probably get dressed." Rose laughed and looked down on herself.
"Only if you want." Elena winked. "I'll wait in the parlor where the bourbon is."
Elena walked in to the parlor and poured herself a glass of bourbon as she waited for Rose to come back. She had had a lot of time to think as she walked to pick up Rose's daylight jewelry at Bonnies and then on her way to the boarding house and she felt calm in her decisions.
"So, what can I help you with?" Rose asked as she walked into the parlor.
"First of," Elena pulled out a beautiful silver necklace that looked like a lotus flower with the lapis lazuli in the middle. "I hope you are okay with being a necklace instead of a ring."
"Oh, it's beautiful." Rose slowly took the necklace and put it on. "Thank you."
"I'll send your thanks to Bonnie later." Elena smiled.
"She wouldn't have done it if it weren't for you, so I'm thanking you to." Rose pulled Elena into a hug. "What was the second thing?"
"I wanted to ask if you and me could go back and talk to Slater?" Elena asked softly.
"It's a bad idea." Rose said. "He doesn't have any more information."
"Maybe not, but I was thinking that he would want this." Elena showed her a ring with a blue stone. It was made in an antique design where it looked like the lapis lazuli was being held between the teeth of some predator.
"You've already talked to your witch friend about this?" Rose asked shocked at how fast everything went.
"I talked to her this morning before breakfast and she agreed that spelling some daylight jewelry for money and creating our own business wasn't such as bad idea." Elena chuckled as she put the ring back in her pocket. "The reason I wanted to go today was because I just need to get away for awhile and what better way than a road trip with a new friend?"
"Okay, but on one condition." Rose smirked. "We do some shopping while we are in Richmond."
"Deal!" Elena laughed brightly.
XOXOXOX
When they arrived in Richmond Rose decided to park in the sunniest spot she could find. As she stepped out of the car, she closed her eyes and just tilted her head up towards the sun.
"500 years of being stuck in darkness and thanks to you I can finally feel the sun on my face again." Rose breathed out in awe as she turned to Elena. "You have no idea how much this means to me."
"What are friends for." Elena smiled linked her arm with Rose's as they walked slowly towards Slater's apartment.
"Slater?" Rose banged on the door to Slater's apartment a few minutes later. "Slater it's Rose and Elena, open up!"
"I guess he's not home." Rose looked a bit uncertain.
"I have a bad feeling about this." Elena told her friend.
Rose nodded in agreement and forced the door open while using her vampire strength. She walked in to the apartment slowly. "Come on."
"Slater?" Elena called out as they made their way further into the apartment. "You home?"
"I don't think he's going to need that ring." Rose said sadly as she looked into a room.
Elena quickly made her way to Rose and looked into the same room. On the floor with a stake through his chest was Slater, grey and desiccated in the final death.
"Patris morte, aeterna custodiet animam commodo sislunt frofectus." Elena whispered as she placed a hand over Slater's eyes. She didn't know where the words came from or how she knew that they meant 'Father Death, please watch over his eternal soul and guard him on his journey.'
"You know Latin?" Rose asked shocked.
"A little." Elena shrugged. "I'm sorry for your loss."
"Thank you." Rose smiled slightly, then she picked up Slater's desiccated body. "I will place him somewhere else; I'll be right back."
Elena walked over to Slater's computer set up and started to look through a bunch of papers she saw lying there. When she heard Rose walk back in, she spoke up, "Looks like whoever blew up the coffee shop found him and killed him for the information he had."
"Yeah, probably to stop him from helping people like us." Rose came closer. "Slater was like a vampire almanac and knowing too much information just came back to bite him on the ass."
"Did you know that for years I used to come here just to watch the day." Rose walked over to the window. "Tempered glass here to, so the sun couldn't hurt me."
"I'm sorry you had to lose another friend." Elena said sadly.
"Any luck?" Rose asked indicating that she didn't want to talk about it.
"The computer is password protected." Elena shrugged. "If Jeremy was with us, he could probably hack it but..."
Suddenly they heard a doorknob rattle from inside of the apartment. Rose was on high alert is seconds, "Stay here."
Elena waited with baited breath as she put on her knuckle duster until Rose walked back in with a crying woman.
"Elena this is Alice, Alice Elena." Rose introduced.
A few minutes later Elena is poring hot water into a teacup as Rose walked in from another room. "Is she done crying yet?"
"What, you don't think she's distraught about losing 'the love of her life'?" Rose raised an eyebrow.
"She's over playing it a bit." Elena looked bored.
"Yeah, you're right and the tears aren't even for Slater." Rose informed her. "She was only dating him long enough to see if he'd turn her."
"Really?" Elena looked thoughtful. "In that case I might have an idea."
"Oh?" Rose hummed intrigued.
"Just play along, okay?" Elena smirked and walked over to Alice with the tea.
"Thank you." Alice sniffled as she looked at Elena with an air of familiarity. "You look really familiar, did you know Slater?"
"I met him, yes." Elena said. "We we're about to become business partners and in that deal, he was supposed to, hopefully, point me towards Klaus."
"Doubtful." Alice told her. "Klaus doesn't want to be pointed at."
"Do you know Slater's computer password?" Elena asked.
"Are you seriously asking me that right now?" Alice glared. "I just saw my boyfriend with a stake through his heart."
"Oh please, just drop the act. You didn't love him, you just wanted him to turn you." Elena sneered at her. "And if you are really helpful, I might be able to convince Rose to turn you."
"Really?" Alice asked hopefully.
Elena nodded seriously. "But you'll have to show us Slater's files first."
Alice quickly got up and logged into Slater's computer, but the files had been deleted. "Someone's been here, the hard drive's been completely wiped."
"Probably by whoever killed him." Elena muttered.
"Lucky for you, Slater was paranoid." Alice informed them. "Everything's backed up on a remote server."
"You do know that she's not going anywhere near my blood, right?" Rose asked Elena quietly enough not to be heard by Alice.
"I know." Elena smirked. "But she doesn't."
Elena leaned back down next to Alice to look at the computer screen as Rose smiled at her.
"Kristen Stewart." Alice groaned. "God, was he obvious."
"These are all leads to vampires?" Elena hummed.
"Slater was obsessed." Alice told them as she scrolled through the files. "Almost as much as me."
"What about that one? Cody Webber." Rose pointed at the screen. "They exchanged dozens of emails about Elijah."
"I could call him." Alice offered.
"Tell him we're trying to send a message to Klaus." Elena instructed as she held out her phone. "The doppelgänger is alive and she's ready to surrender."
"What?!" Rose called out in shock.
"Oh, my God, I knew I recognized you." Alice looked at her.
"Get him the message, please." Elena said, then she made her way out of the room.
Elena placed her hands on a table and exhaled heavily as Rose entered the room.
"What are you doing?" Rose demanded to know.
"I'm getting Klaus attention." Elena said simply.
"If Klaus knows that you are alive, he'll find you and he'll kill you." Rose objected and then her face fell. "Which is what you want."
"I have never feared death, Rose." Elena smiled gently at her. "You should always greet him as an old friend. And if my death protects my family and our pack then I will gladly walk towards it with open arms.
"I don't want you to die." Rose whispered. "I've already lost to many friends in the last few days."
"Oh Rose," Elena placed a hand softly against Rose's cheek. "Death is just another grand adventure."
Before Rose could answer, Alice walked into the room and looked at Elena. "Cody is on his way and he really wants to meet you."
Elena smiled at her in thanks and walked over to the window. She feels calm about what she's doing; she's not just protecting her family and pack but also helping a man that has been forced to be half of himself for a millennium. The feeling of not being whole must be slowly driving Klaus insane and if she could help him, she would.
As she gazed out of the window, she suddenly saw Elijah's reflection walk towards her and she quickly turned around. Elena frowned in confusion when she doesn't see anyone in the room with her. She shook her head and turned back to the window.
Around forty minutes later Elena walked back into the main room while sipping a glass of water. She looked over at Alice, who was playing on her phone, then she turned around and gasped in shock.
"What are you doing here?" Damon, who had snuck up on her, asked as he looked her in the eye.
"What are you doing here?" Elena shot back, then she turned and glared at Rose who walked back into the room. "You called him?"
"I'm sorry, Elena." Rose looked at her. "But I don't want you to die."
"Damon Salvatore." A starstruck Alice walked up to them.
"Get rid of her." Damon told Rose.
"No...Way!" Alice still looked starstruck even as Rose dragged her away.
"Come one." Damon said. "We're leaving."
"No." Elena denied.
"I said we're leaving." Damon glared at her.
"Damon, you are one of my best friends and you are part of my family but I am not going with you." Elena maintained seriously.
"You do not get to make decisions anymore." Damon declared.
"The only person who has any right to make a decision about this is me." Elena glared slightly at him.
"Who's gonna save your life while you're out making decisions?" Damon mocked.
"I don't want to be saved, Damon." Elena told him gently but firmly. "This way I'm the only one who dies."
"Get your ass out of the door before I throw you over my shoulder and carry you out myself." Damon growled at her.
"I said NO." Elena tried to punch him but because he was the one to teach her, he easily caught her hand.
"Don't ever do that again." Damon glared and stormed off.
"Are you okay?" Rose walked over to Elena.
"Yeah, it's just..." Elena trailed off.
"Just what?" Rose coaxed.
"I don't want to hurt him or anyone else but I rather they hate me and be safe then me being alive and you all dead." Elena murmured sadly.
"I'm not sorry that I called him." Rose admitted. "You are my friend and pack," Rose hesitated a little when she said 'pack'. "and I don't want to lose someone who I could come to see as a sister in the future."
"Time to go!" Damon walked out of the bedroom. "Alice is sleeping soundly and won't remember a moment of this horribly stupid day."
Elena opened her mouth to say something but before she could the door flew open and three men walked into the apartment. Damon turned his head towards them as Elena pushed Rose behind her.
"We're here to meet the doppelgänger." One of the men, who Elena assumed was Cody, said.
"Thank you for coming." Elena started to walk towards him but was stopped by Damon who grabbed ger arm as she walked past him.
"I will break your arm." Damon hissed at Elena and then he turned towards Cody. "There is nothing for you here."
The man who had stayed by the door suddenly dropped to the floor with Elijah standing behind him. When Cody and the other man turned towards him, he vamp-sped in front of them. Elijah then turned to look over at Elena and Damon. Elena felt Rose grasp her hand tightly in fear but she refused to leave.
"I killed you." Damon gasped in surprise. "You were dead."
"For centuries now." Elijah informed him.
Elena snorted and started to giggle earning a smiled from Elijah.
"Who are you?" Elijah looked at the one Elena presumed to be Cody.
"Who are you?" Cody demanded to know.
"I'm Elijah." Elijah said simply.
"We were gonna bring her to you. For Klaus." Cody's attitude changed quickly from cocky to subservient. "She's the doppelgänger. I don't know how she exists, but she does. Klaus will want to see her."
"Does anyone know else know that you're here?" Elijah asked slowly.
"No." Cody denied.
"Well, then, you have been incredibly helpful." Elijah smiled and plunged his arms into the two vampires' chests and with a grunt he ripped their hearts out.
As the two vampires fell dead to the floor and Elijah lets their hearts drop from his hands, Damon prepared to fight Elijah to protect Elena. Elijah shocked him by turning around and vamp-speeding out of the apartment.
"That was kinda hot." Elena piped up, not knowing Elijah could still hear them and smirked.
"What?" Damon looked at her incredulously.
"It was." Elena defended herself. "He didn't even break a sweat! It made me go a little tingly."
"You are the weirdest person I've ever met." Rose said as she laughed in relief.
"Thank you." Elena beamed back.
XOXOXOX
A few hours later Damon and Elena walked up the front steps of the Gilbert house. Rose was back at the boarding house, having driven her own car back while Damon took Elena in his.
"Thanks for the ride." Elena sighed as she looked at Damon.
"It was only to make sure you wouldn't do something stupid again." Damon glared slightly at her.
"It wasn't stupid." Elena grumbled quietly, then louder she said, "I can't believe Elijah's alive."
"If I had a dollar for every time some evil vampire surprised me." Damon shrugged.
Elena walked towards the front door but Damon caught her arm before she can open it and turned her around to face him.
"What you did today was incredibly stupid." Damon told her seriously.
"Actually, the only stupid thing was that you and Rose stopped me." Elena glared at him as she pulled her arm back. "You and Stefan and Jeremy and everyone else tries so hard to save me. You really shouldn't question why I would try to save all of you."
Jeremy opened the front door and looked at them seriously.
"Jeremy?" Elena asked softly. "What is it?"
"It's Stefan." Jeremy said as he looked at Damon.
Elena and Damon quickly made their way to the tomb under Fell's church. Elena cautiously approached the cave opening, "Stefan?"
Stefan slowly walked up to the entrance. "Damon, Elena."
"Of all the idiot plans, Stefan." Damon looked at him. "This one is almost as bad as Elenas."
"My plan wasn't bad!" Elena protested.
"You're right, your kamikaze plan wasn't bad." Damon glared at her. "It was fucking horrible."
"Oh, get fucked, you troglodyte." Elena huffed.
"Troglodyte?" Kathrine asked as she walked up.
"Don't know where I've heard it but it sounded good." Elena shrugged then she turned to Stefan. "Keep strong, we'll find away to get you out and if she annoys you to much, break her neck."
With those parting words Elena walked out of the tomb and made her way home. She needed a shower and then she needed sleep and maybe even a sandwich. Not necessarily in that order though.