On My Own | Hale - TVD/TO/TW [4]

12 | It Was Nice To Be Lexi Adams

"I hate this plan," Lexi says as she and Elijah step up to the Gilbert household. "I don't want to run—"

"It is the only way," Elijah replies with a sigh. "We do what we have always done. Only, this time we can see the light at the end of the tunnel. When Elena dies, so does Alaric."

Lexi throws her hands into the air. "It would be so much easier if you'd just let me snap her neck like a twig."

Elijah rolls his eyes. "Behave, please." He twists open the door, stepping into the house quietly. Lexi rests her hands against the doorframe as Elena appears in the long hallway. Sending the girl a cruel smirk, Lexi's grip on the wooden framing tightens.

"Stefan," Elena calls out wearily.

Stefan Salvatore rounds the corner. "Elijah. Lexi." He greets with his hands in his pockets.

"Hello, again," Elijah says with a small smile. "Why don't you let my sister in?"

Stefan shakes his head. "She wants to kill Elena."

"Fortunately for you," Lexi picks at the chipping paint. "Elijah wants to make a deal that ensures Elena's survival. As I want to protect a certain pack, I'm going along with that deal. No matter how much it breaks my heart to do so." She glances at Elena. "Your choice. You want to risk it?"

"Fine," Elena says. "You can come in."

Lexi steps into the house, closing the door behind her. "Why don't you sit, hmm?"

With a sigh, Elena, Stefan, and Matt Donovan settle at the dinner table with Elijah at the head; Lexi stands behind him with her hands on his chair. Sensing her anger, Elijah grips Lexi's hand tightly, a silent way to anchor herself.

"All we need is to take that stake away from him. Once he's been disarmed, the weapon's in my possession, my family will scatter to the ends of the Earth, and Alaric will follow us," Elijah says.

Stefan scoffs, looking between the two. "And you'll just run?"

"We've done it before," Lexi snaps. "Klaus, Rebekah, and I spent the better part of a thousand years evading Mikael. I like to think of it as Hell. To Elijah, another half-century while Elena is able to live out the rest of her natural life is not just continuing the vicious cycle of fear." Elijah sends her a look. "But yes. We'll run."

Elena shakes her head. "We've finally stopped him. After everything that he's done to us, I can't just let you bring him back."

"By 'stop', do you mean my spell?" Lexi sneers, her eyes flashing blue. "You used my weakness against my family, Elena. Again. And yet we still make this bloody deal—"

"Alexis, enough," Elijah says before he turns back to Elena. "I give you my word, Elena. I will not revive Klaus within yours nor even within your children's lifetimes. Perhaps that will finally teach him some manners."

"Why should she trust you?" Matt asks. "All you've done is screw her over."

Lexi clenches her jaw as Elijah replies, "And for that, I am deeply ashamed. But know this, she could have been dead the instant I walked through that door or the second my sister was invited in tonight. So, Elena, I leave it to you to make the decision whether to trust me or not."

"Not!" Damon's voice echoes from the phone on the table. "Hello? Did that concussion give you brain damage? His lunatic siblings will kill you the first chance they get!"

"Rebekah and Kol will honor the terms. If you return Klaus' body to us, Elena will come to no harm."

"And what about Lexi, huh? The only reason she came back was to kill Elena! Is she really going to let that go?"