❝a man of my word❞

"FORGIVE THE INTRUSION, I MEAN YOUR FAMILY NO HARM." Elijah takes his seat in the window nook of Elena's room, moving a decorative pillow out of his way.

Elena shuts her door quietly, looking back at the Original anxiously. "Why did you kill those vampires when they tried to take me?"

"Because I didn't want you to be taken." At Elena's confused look, Elijah elaborates with a sigh. "Klaus is the most feared and hated of the Originals, but those that fear him are desperate for his approval. If word gets out that a doppelgänger exists, there'll be a line of vampires eager to take you to him, and I can't have that."

"Isn't that exactly what you're trying to do?" The lack of knowledge she seems to have for her own livelihood is entirely frustrating, an emotion she pushes forward with no hesitation. 

Elijah shrugs softly. "Let's just say that my goal is not to break the curse just yet,"

"So what is your goal?"

"Klaus's obsessions have made him paranoid, he's a recluse. He trusts only those in his immediate circle."

Elena furrows her eyebrows. "Like you?"

Elijah shakes his head. "Not anymore, but someone you know."

His cryptic answer makes a hundred questions pop into her head, but she focuses on half of his answer for the time being. "You don't know where he is, do you? So you're trying to use me to draw him out,"

"Well, to do that, I need you to stay put and stop trying to get yourself killed," He smirks at her, but the bitterness in his voice doesn't go unmissed. 

"How do I know you're telling the truth?"

Elijah narrows his eyes at the human. None before had had nearly as many questions as she did. "Well, if I wasn't being truthful, your family would be dead and I'd be taking you to Klaus right now. Instead I'm here, and I'm prepared to offer you a deal."

Elena is fearful of his words, at how nonchalant he is about killing her whole family and taking her straight to her own demise at the hands of some Original maniac. She doesn't know what it takes for someone to adapt to that sort of threat with ease, and she isn't sure she wants to find out. Steeling herself, she takes a deep breath and meets his gaze. "What kind of deal?"

Elijah stands, putting a hand in the pocket of his suit pants. "Do nothing. Do nothing, live your life, stop fighting." He walks over to her dresser, looking at all of the deliciously human things on top of it. "And then, when the time is right, you and I shall draw Klaus out together and I shall make certain your friends remain unharmed."

"And then what?"

Elijah turns around, ever so slightly smiling at her. "Then I take care of him,"

"Just like that?" She questions in disbelief.

"Just like that." He confirms, shrugging through his nonchalance. "I'm a man of my word, Elena. I make a deal, I keep a deal."

She swallows roughly, considering his words. "How are you gonna be able to keep everybody safe?"

"You know, I notice you have a friend, Bonnie, is it? She seems to possess the gift of magic. I have friends with similar gifts."

She nods, looking bitter. Any witch willingly working with an Original would probably do anything to survive, even if it meant killing innocent people. "You know witches."

"Together, we can protect your friends." He reiterates his words from earlier, and steps towards Elena with a cocky-looking smirk. "So do we have a deal?"

Elena inhales deeply, looking Elijah over. "I need you to do one more thing for me."

"We're negotiating now?"

Elena just raises her eyebrow challengingly.

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Damon steps into the room, his eyes immediately meeting Rose's. He huffs, leaning against the doorway and crossing his arms over his chest. "You just can't stay away, can you?"

"Well, you don't answer your phone." She stands, looking at him frustratedly. 

"What do you want?"

"I wanted to apologize,"

He scoffs, rolling his eyes at her. "Just admit it. You don't have anywhere else to go."

She walks towards him, a frown on her face. "I'm sorry about Elena, I wasn't thinking straight. I didn't know she had a death wish. B–But I called you. I tried to make it right, okay? I'm sorry, Damon,"

Damon raises a brow, and she sighs, her shoulders slumping pitifully. "And I– I have nowhere else to go."

He walks past her, heading for the bourbon near his desk as he takes in everything she'd said. "There's nothing here for you, Rose."

Glass shatters from the other room, cutting off any other response from either of them and they both rush towards the sound. Damon eyes the broken window and grabs a sword off his wall mantle, a faint growling echoing in front of them. 

Rose looks around fearfully as Damon creeps towards the werewolf growling threateningly at them both.

"Damon!" She runs in front of him and shoves him out of the way right as the werewolf lunges, screaming out in pain as its sharp canines dig into her skin. 

Damon slices the sword through the werewolf's fur, making the animal run back through the broken window and disappear in a flurry of yellow eyes. He kneels down, looking at the gash on Rose's shoulder. "How bad is it?"

"It hurts," She pants, voice hoarse as she struggles for air. 

He watches as the skin heals over, the wound disappearing like it had never been there in the first place. He looks at Rose, shaking his head softly. "It's healing."

Rose looks up at him with tears in her eyes. "I thought a werewolf bite was fatal. I thought–" She breaks off into sobs and Damon quiets her, letting her rest her head against his shoulder as the true shock of what had happened sets in. 

Damon sighs softly, staring blankly at the wall as he comforts the vampire uselessly. He figured there wasn't much point in telling her the whole truth. She wouldn't last much longer anyways. 

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"You want to find Klaus, kill him so that you can protect your precious Elena?" Katherine's jaw clenches in anger, the jealousy of her own face rearing its ugly head in the form of an annoying teenage girl.

Stefan eyes her warily. "Let me guess, you know where he is," 

"No, I don't. But I could help you find him," 

"For a price, I'm sure,"

She shrugs, indifferent to his attempted insult. "Let's start with Isobel, Elena's mother. She was a research expert. She found me, just ask your brother."

Stefan's eyebrows furrow and he goes to question her, but they both stop at the sound of the tomb door being opened again. They share a confused look, and Stefan grabs the lantern to lead them through the dark tunnels. 

Stefan rounds the corner just as Katherine takes a staggering step backwards, gasping in fear at the sight of the man standing outside the tomb with a smirk on his face.

"Elijah," She pants out fearfully, making Stefan's confused look shift to her from Elijah, the man he'd thought dead. 

"Good evening, Katerina," He mutters, that slight smirk still cemented on his face. "Thank you for having the good sense to be frightened."

Elijah shifts his attention from the fearful doppelgänger to Stefan. "Your release has been requested,"

Stefan and Katherine share a strange look. "What? By who?"

"The lovely Elena drives a hard bargain. However, we reached a peaceful agreement, she and I. Please," He gestures to the concrete steps out from the underground prison. "Come."

"I can't,"

"Yes, you can. I've had the spell lifted." His eyes go to Katherine, who perks up at his words.

Stefan steps out hesitantly, his eyes going wide once he's successfully out of the tomb. Katherine sees her window of opportunity and tries to escape, but before Stefan can even lunge for her, Elijah has shoved her back inside the tomb with a hardened glare on his face as she staggered away from him. 

"As for you, however," His pupils dilate and Katherine swallows nervously. "You shall not exit until I say so. When Klaus comes, he'll want to know exactly where you are."

Katherine stutters a shaky breath as his compulsion sets in on her brain, weaving itself right into the fear that comes along with the Originals.

Elijah walks away swiftly, his attention back on Stefan. "Elena will explain the arrangement to you. If she keeps her word, I'll keep mine."

It's threat in itself and the two vampires can see that just from the way Elijah leaves.

"Stefan, no," Katherine whimpers, her voice hoarse. "Please don't let him leave me in here,"

Stefan shakes his head, ignoring the strike of pity in him. "Goodbye, Katherine,"

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author's note: i love making elijah evil, he's very fun to write because no one in the show ever thinks he's capable of it 

edited and published; 11.11.21.

- liz