You and Me

Alive again

Rebekah was happy with the next issue of the magazine. Work was fine. Love life non-existent.

"If someone told me that you would become a workaholic and turn into your father, I would tell them to take a hike."

Rebekah now jumped from the her desk and hugged the guy she hadn't seen for ages

"Jackson!- wow-what are you doing here?"

'Business - long story- maybe not that long-I took over from my father."-he explained.

"Really? Ok, I am done here. Drinks?!"-she said and now took her bag.

"Drinks!"-he agreed smiling and they walked out of the office.

*******

Elijah and Elena ordered their wine and eased into the conversation after a few sips. 

"I don't know how much Rebekah has told you about me-"

"Not much really. Just some stuff."

"Just some stuff-"-he repeated.

"It's not that bad. She is really happy you guys are back. Especially Charly-"

"Yes. Charly has really welcomed the move. I thought she would oppose."-Elijah said and was surprised with what ease he could share something personal with the woman he had met just a few times.

"And you?"-Elena asked.

"Same. Strangely- I mean- you probably know everything about my family. We are pretty disfunctional."

"You did a good job with Charly. She is great."

"Thank you. I have to give a lot of credit to her nanny. See- I did the same as my mother. We were also raised by other people."

"Miss Lawrence..."-Elena said.

"Rebekah told you."

"She speaks about her all the time."

"She was a great mother figure. Do you have any siblings?"-Elijah now asked.

Elena now told him about Jeremy and Jenna. as well as her parent's tragic accident.

"Jeremy was in his senior year, I was just finishing college.  Our aunt Jenna came to live with us for a year.  Well, she lived with Jeremy. I was in the city. I miss them. Haven't been to my parent's house since Jeremy left to college."

"Memories."-Elijah then said.

"Yeah- and Stefan being stabbed- just made me think how crazy life is. Everything can just end in a minute."-Elena said.

Then they both got quiet and Elena felt that the conversation went into a dead end street.

The waitress came up to them asking if they wanted anything more. Elijah declined as he was very conscious as to how much he drank. Elena declined as well. It seemed it was the end of the evening that wasn't going all too well. He offered to drive her home. Elena accepted.  She gave him the directions and he found it interesting that she lived in an area that once was very industrial.

"It's up and coming area. I plan on selling it and buying something closer to the Park."

As they arrived, he got out to see her to the door of her building.

"Thanks."-she said-"this is me- fifth floor-ahm- thanks for the drink."

"Thank you."-he said -"it was a nice evening."

Strange awkwardness arose. Elena didn't know how but she moved towards him and kissed him.  

********
Klaus finished his phone call with his associates about a project he wanted to undertake while he was taking a year off.  Esther came up to him to find out what he had thought of her offer to renovate their beach house.
"I will do it!"-he told her.
"You will?!-she wasn't expecting a positive answer.
"But I have free hands. Do it my way."
"May I only ask one thing? Can I make just a few suggestions?"
"Put them on the table and I will look at it. "-Klaus said.
"Thank you." she said and walked out of the living room. He now picked up the phone and dialed Caroline's number.
"How about a weekend outside the city- beach, good food, fresh air?"
Caroline said yes in a heartbeat.
*******
Damon played with little Giuseppe. Katherine watched them.
She carried a dark secret in her heart and that was that Giuseppe actually was Stefan's son.  She had fallen for Damon and he was who she always wanted. One crazy drunken night while Damon was on an assignement away, she and Stefan ended up together. She had made the DNA test just to be sure once the boy was born, but she kept it a secret and passed the boy as Damon's. 

**************

Elena got to her apartment, tossed her bag on the chair. She went to the fridge and took some cheese out and some apples from the basket from the worktop. She cut them with the precision as she was taught, and put them neatly on the plate. Took it to the sitting room and put the TV on. Her mind reverted to the kiss earlier and how good it felt, as well as her words, that came out of her as they broke of from the kiss-

"I -don't know why I did this? I just got out of a relationship... Oh... "

And the look on Elijah's face like someone had stuck a dagger in his heart. 

"Stupid-stupid" Elena now cursed herself for being so ridiculous. Somehow she always does something wrong. 

Elijah walked into his house, and Miss Arnold met him greeting him, reporting that Charly was going to stay the night over at his mother's.

"Yes, thank you"- he said. She had offered to bring him the supper to the study to which he agreed.

As he got into his study, he put the computer on. While he waited for it to complete its start up, he took now the photograph of his late wife in his hands. 

"You told me not to stay alone- but-I couldn't. I never thought I would be able to feel something for someone- huh- but I do... I feel alive again!"