Small Town, Big Secrets (A Vampire Diaries Seasons 1 and 2 Fanfiction)

Chapter 10: Awakening

Elena sat at the wall, and I was watching Elijah, sitting next to him, the both of us waiting for him to wake up. Suddenly his eyes shot open and he let out a loud gasp. Elena scrambled over to him. He took one look at her and spoke one name. 

'Katerina.' He seemed to be drifting between the real world and the dream world. When he finally arrived to the present again, Elena spoke to him in order to soothe him. 

'Elijah, it's me, it's Elena.' 

'Oh, my God,' he whispered. Then his head slumped to the side again, and he was unconscious. She moved her hands around frantically, attempting to find a pulse, or something, but then he jerked awake, writhing around on the ground. She jumped back in panic as he got up from the ground, gasping. 

'I can't - I can't breathe! What's happening to me?' She stuttered, attempting to find words, but utterly failed for them as the Original staggered, speeding to the entrance of the cell, but slamming against it. I rushed forward and grabbed him around his waist, also beginning to feel the effects of not being invited into a house, but having no care or concern for myself, only for Elijah. 

'Elijah, please. Calm. Calm down.' 

'I can't... I can't be in this house,' he gasped. 

'You're not invited in,' Elena said, her eyes widening in realisation. 

'I can't be in here.' He sped out with me, him slamming against the wall shortly after, and then he and I sped off. Elena ran through the halls to see the front door open, and Lilliana and Elijah giving gasping breaths as they knelt on the doorstep together. Elijah got up and tried to go back into the house, but then he slammed against the invisible barrier. He stood back, having now regained some semblance of strength. 

'What happened?' I growled, standing up next to Elijah. Elena shushed us, then pointed to the ceiling above, then to her ears. I nodded, getting the gist of what she meant. 

'I'll tell you,' she whispered. 'Not here. Can you two trust me?' Elijah and I looked at each other and then at the human on the other side of the barrier to the door. 

'Can we trust you?' Elijah asked, his tone near threatening. She looked up, then held the dagger out to the Original, hilt first. He looked down at it, seemingly evaluating it. Then he took it. 

Several hours later... 

The vehicle pulled up alongside the curb. Elijah was sitting in the passenger seat, and Elena was driving the vehicle, with Lilliana sitting in the backseat. He polished off half of the blood bag in his hands, then passed the remainder of it to Lilliana. She took it and drank it greedily, then took Elijah's hand over the seat. He brought to his lips and kissed it gently. 

'You two look better,' Elena remarked to the two vampires. 

'Where did you get the dagger?' Elijah asked, distrust still clear in his voice. 

'I'll tell you two everything. But we have to work together, Elijah. I need your word.' She looked back at Lilliana. 'And yours.' 

'Your ability to make demands of us has long passed,' Elijah replied sharply. 

'No demands. I'm offering you my help. And in return, I want yours.' 

'And why should I even consider this?' he asked, meeting her eyes. 

'The same reason that you haven't killed me. You need my help to kill Klaus. And I need you. I need the both of you.' Just then Elena's phone rang and she picked it up, then answered it. 

'Where are you? Are you okay?' Stefan's voice came through the phone. 

'Yes, I'm fine,' she answered. 

'Where's Elijah? And Lilliana?' 

'They're right here.' 

'Where? I'm on my way.' 

'No, Stefan, Elijah, Lilliana and I need some time alone.' 

'Listen to me. They can't be trusted. They'll use you to get to Klaus.' 

'Elijah is a noble man, Stefan,' she answered. 'And Lilliana wouldn't hurt me. They live by a code of honour. I can trust them. He knows I'd be incredibly stupid to betray him again. By removing the dagger, I have proven myself.' 

'It's my decision, Stefan. Please respect it. And make sure that Damon doesn't do anything stupid. I'll be in touch.' She hung up the phone and looked to see Elijah holding out his hand for it. She sighed softly and placed it in his hand. Taking it, he tucked it into his burned and tattered suit jacket. 

Stefan peeled the phone away from his ear. 

'Did she just hang up on you?' Damon asked sharply, sitting across from his brother. 

'She did,' the younger Salvatore said blankly, sounding surprised. 

'She's lost it.' 

'If anyone can get him, let alone his girlfriend, to help us kill Klaus, it's her.' 

'Bonnie's the way to kill Klaus, Stefan. He thinks she's dead. We have a chance with her.' 

'She'll kill herself in the process. Elena's looking for another way.' 

'Her way's going to get her killed,' Damon snapped. 'So we need to find her and stop her.' The two brothers got up abruptly, Stefan attempting to stop Damon somehow. 

'No, you need to back off.' 

'What?!' 

'Look, I don't like this any more than you do. But we need to trust her. We just gotta let her do her thing.' 

'That might be your plan. Mine's better.' Damon tried to leave, but Stefan caught his arm. The older Salvatore wrenched his arm out of his brother's grip, glaring murderously at him. 

'I said, back off.' 

The three still sat in the car on the side of the road. 

'He's here,' Elena said to Elijah. The two vampires looked at her keenly. 

'Klaus is here?' Lilliana asked. 

'He's taken over Alaric's body.' 

'Of course he has,' the Original said, letting out a huff. 'One of his favorite tricks.' 

'Well, what are his other tricks? What is he going to do next? You're the only one that knows him.' Elijah looked away from Elena. 

'Yes, I do.'