Elijah Mikaelson & The Dragon's Legacy

PART IV: Elijah and Angelica Mikaelson/Chapter 26

It was a beautiful Spring Day and Angelica, Rafe and Albee had gone into the office for the afternoon to handle some paperwork while Elijah remained behind at the penthouse with the rest of The Seven. The Dragonetti custom tailor was coming that afternoon to fit Elijah for some new suits and he wanted to complete some research on a company that AEM Enterprises was looking to acquire before the tailor arrived. Elijah was sitting at the desk in the study reviewing the company's annual reports when he heard someone walk into the room. He assumed it was one of The Seven and looked up to see who it was but found himself facing none other than Mason Dragonetti, who he recognized from Angelica's thoughts when he had entered her mind for what now seemed a lifetime ago. Elijah looked at him and leaned back in the chair, "May I help you," Elijah asked. Mason was in his fifties and stood around 5 feet nine inches tall. He was wearing a slightly disheveled suit and a driving cap, and held an ornate cane in his left hand.

Conrad and Mick appeared quickly behind Mason but it was Mason who spoke first, barely turning toward the two vampires, before saying to Elijah, "Elijah, you and I are long overdue for a very serious conversation." Elijah raised an eyebrow at the personal address from this man whom he had never met. "Mason," said Conrad, "we weren't expecting you. Angelica would want to be here." Mason responded, still peering directly at Elijah, and said, "No doubt Charlie called her already the moment he saw me on the surveillance cameras so I expect that I have about thirty minutes at most to have a private conversation with my daughter's ... wayward husband." Mason waved his right hand in the air and Mick and Conrad were pushed out of the study and with another flick of Mason's hand the study doors slammed shut. Conrad and Mick pushed on the door from the outside but it was magically locked. Elijah told them it was fine and the hallway went silent.

Elijah had watched the show from his chair as he and Mason's eyes remained locked. After a few moments, Elijah stood up and said, "Mason, I've heard a great deal about you. It is a pleasure to finally make your acquaintance." Elijah stretched out his hand toward Mason. Mason sized Elijah up for a moment, smiled, and then shook Elijah's hand. "May I make you a drink," asked Elijah and Mason nodded, "Bourbon, please, neat." Elijah fixed Mason and himself a drink and the two men sat down.

Mason leaned back in his seat and looked at Elijah, "Well, young man, you're back in Angelica's life I see." Elijah was amused by the reference as he knew that Mason knew of Elijah's history from Angelica and no one has called Elijah 'young' for centuries. Yet Mason's use of it was intriguing. Mason continued, "So, Elijah, what exactly are your intentions toward my daughter?" Elijah looked at Mason and said to him, "Mason, I know that Angelica has told you of me and I knew her father, and you, Sir, are not her father." Mason responded, "True, but she is like a daughter to me and has been for nearly two hundred and fifty years. Your eighty years with her is but a blip in time, and one that ended with you abandoning her to eighty year's in hell.

Elijah looked at Mason, assessing how to respond to Mason's verbal barbs that were obviously designed to get a reaction out of Elijah. Elijah smirked and responded simply, "Yes, I am back." Mason asked him pointedly, "For how long?" Elijah replied, "Mason, I don't see how that is any of your business." Elijah's cell phone began to vibrate on the desk and he could see from the chair that it was Angelica calling and Mason knew it as well.

"Angelica chose her inner circle well. The Seven are loyal to a fault to Angelica. They protect me because of her, and they protect you because of her, but make no mistake Elijah, they are Angelica's personal band of brothers." He waved his hand again and the cell phone went silent. "There was a time when I had thought one of The Seven would cause her to finally move on from you, any one of them is a suitable mate for her, but alas her dedication to you seems unbreakable."

Mason continued, "We may have less time than I thought so we should get right to it. Angelica is the strongest most fearless person that I have ever met in my many years on this earth. She is loyal, steadfast, determined, brilliant, and unshakeable except when it comes to you. She is a fearless warrior, a virtual shield maiden hardened by battle, yet you, or the thought of you, are able to bring her crumpling to her knees. You have such power over her heart and this concerns me deeply. So I ask you again, what are your intentions towards Angelica, are you here to stay or will you be abandoning your wife yet again for some selfish cause?"

Elijah swirled his bourbon and looked down into the glass. He stood up and walked toward the window. Mason watched him as he stood in front of the window. "I don't know," was Elijah's hesitant answer. Mason became irate, "You don't know? You have lived here for over six months, you have maneuvered your way back into her bed, and you don't know!" Elijah turned toward Mason, "No, I don't and not that it is any of your business. Angelica and I are taking it a day at a time."

Elijah's vampire hearing heard Angelica's voice in the hallway speaking with Conrad and Mick. He heard her tell them it was alright then she approached the door, turning the handle. It still would not open. "Mason," her voice came from the other side of the door, "unlock the door, please." Mason looked at Elijah for a moment, grinned then waved his hand. Angelica opened the door and entered the study. She walked up to Mason, smiling, "When did you get in? The boys would have picked you up." She hugged Mason warmly and he embraced her back. "How are you, my dear?" "Everything is fine, Mason," she responded, specifically being broader in her answer than to just address herself. Elijah watched as the two of them spoke and he understood; they were as father and daughter. Elijah pictured Angelica with the old Duke and it was the same scene now with Mason except there was something about Mason that Elijah did not trust, but he could not figure out why he felt that way. When he entered Angelica's thoughts there was not a single feeling of ill will or uncertainty in Angelica's feelings toward Mason, and they had been together for nearly two and a half centuries. But something was off about Mason Dragonetti.

Angelica picked up the phone in the study and called the penthouse staff for them to prepare Mason's room and to let the kitchen know there would be one additional for dinner. She hung up the phone and returned to the couch. "So tell me, Mason, was your latest excavation a success?" Mason motioned toward the hallway, "It was indeed and I have some items for Charlie to put into the vault for me." "Not to worry, Charlie will take care of it, can I see," she asked, looking somewhat like an excited child waiting to see what her father had brought her back from a long trip. "Well, alright, and he rose up from the sofa and went into the hallway returning moments later with a long case. He set the case on the desk and opened it. Angelica looked in and her mouth dropped, "It is exquisite," she said, as she ran her hands down the hilt of the long sword contained inside. Even Elijah came to view the artifact. The long sword was about five feet in length and Elijah tried to imagine the size of the wielder of this magnificent sword. "Where did you find it," she asked. Mason told her he recovered it, and other items, from a tomb at the Norwegian archaeological site. As she touched the long sword, Angelica was mesmerized by the detail of the sword and the glint of the blade. Mason eventually took her hand and closed the lid of the case.

Charlie appeared at the doorway to the study, "Hey Mason," he said, and Mason acknowledged Charlie with a nod. "Charlie, I have some items for the vault. Would you be so kind as to secure them for me," he asked. "No problem, Mason," Charlie replied. Mason took the case and went into the hallway with Charlie, and Charlie then headed toward the back stairwell with the case, a small box, and other items. A household staffer appeared and picked up Mason's bags and took them to his room at the opposite end of the penthouse from Angelica and Elijah's rooms.

While Mason was in the hallway, Angelica spoke to Elijah in the study. "I am sorry, Elijah, I did not know he was coming in town this afternoon. I think he wanted to surprise you," she said. Elijah grinned and nodded, "Definitely he did, but he seems to love you very much and just does not want to see you hurt." He kissed her on the forehead and embraced her. Mason returned to the study and asked Elijah if he could speak with Angelica alone. Elijah acknowledged the request and left the study, checking his watch for the impending arrival of the tailor. Once they were alone, Angelica's tone changed, "Mason, you ambushed him, what were you thinking?" Mason looked at her, "I am sorry, my dear, but yes. What you have asked of me is life-changing for you. I have to be sure he is worthy of such a sacrifice on your part. Are you sure you want to give him such a gift?" Angelica shook her head in agreement as tears welled up in her eyes. "Please tell me you have found a way." Mason held her cheek in his hand and told her, "I believe I have, my dear, I believe I have."