Since Elijah had business to attend to in New York, they both flew there.

All the way, in the car, then the plane and later, Elijah was very civil to Elena, but there were no emotions of any kind shown.

At the dinner with the business partners, he played his role as a loving husband to perfection. She did her bit, as well. But as soon as they walked inside the penthouse apartment, he would turn away from her, closing himself in the study, that was adjecent to a room, where he slept. They didn't share any meals. Didn't speak, unless, he was informing her about the 'itenary'.

Before it was like they were king and queen of the Mikaelson kingdom. At the time, when she had no memory. Now it was a broken kingdom. All was shattered, and they were both like two lost creatures wandering through a devastated land.

Elena, let it everything be. She had one focus now. And it was the baby. It gave her great comfort and something positive to look forward too.

Days after, as they returned in New Orleans, she finally told Matt everything about herand Elijah, and Katherine's blackmail. And her arrangement with Elijah.

"I knew it. The moment I saw her in the Grill, I knew that there was something twisted. The way you just left." Matt was fuming.

"Matt, you have to promise me you will not tell anyone about this."

"Ok. And when she finally gets back - you will come back here?"

"I can't." Elena then said.

"Why the Hell not. Sure he understands that she - did all this." Matt carried on outraged.

"Ahm- well, I am pregnant. And it's Elijah's." Elena now said.

'What?" Matt exclaimed astound.

"It happened - when I had no memory of anything about me. I - we - were together - I thought I was his wife. Please, Matt. You can' t tell anybody about this?"

"Why? This is crazy, Elena-"

"I know. It's all messed up. But I agreed to stay in New Orleans. It is his baby, too. And - I am doing all this for the baby. We signed a contract today. This baby needs his/her father. Elijah is not bad man.

"He was shafted by Katherine, like all of us" Matt resumed.

"Yes," Elena said,"anyway, I have this clothing line I am doing and it keeps me busy."

"Under her name?" Matt said.

"For now. Later, it will be like in both our names. Elijah's lawyer suggested I appear as Elena in a couple of months, concerned about my sister and her disappearance. I know this sounds all so crazy."

"It does. And how will you explain the baby? And him being the father?"

"We will both admit having a drunken one night."

"No. This is bad. And you say that he is a good guy?"

"Matt, we - both me and Katherine played him. And it was so wrong. I could have ended up in prison."

"I can't believe all this is happening." Matt sifted.

"I could let Stefan stay in prison, for something he didn't do. And Elijah - he is really innocent in all this. He fell for her, and she has - huh" Elena teared up.

"Can I come and see you? You can't go on through all this on your own."

"I - don't know, Matt. Not just yet. I am - I will be fine." Elena reasurred her friend.

"You're in love with him, aren't you!?" Matt said, which suprised Elena that he would say this Though, it shouldn't have. He has been her friend since pre-school. Elena's silence confirmed it.

Matt sighed.

"I can't help it. It's - just there. I try not to feel anything- for him. And I tell myself to stop it. But I can't."

"He is still Katherine's husband." Matt kind of reminded her.

"I know. And I know that - he doesn't feel anything for me - me, Elena. You should have seen how he was in love with - Katherine. Yeah, it was not me he loved and kissed. He loved her. Katherine." Elena, laid on the bed and tears hust came rynbing down now. Uncontrollably. Fueld by hormones, by the realization that Elijah was not in love with her. She heard Matt's voice calling her, but she pressed the end call on the phone and buried her head in the pillow, crying her soul out.

As for Elijah, his numbness passed, transforming into a web of chaotic feelings he didn't know how to deal with. So, he just shoved them aside.

In his office now, he dialled the P. I. and asked him to look deep in the case of Stefan Salvatore and the murder of Damon Salvatore.

"Also, I would like to know all there id to know about Elena Gilbert. Everything. I want to know what her teachers had to say about her, acquaintances."

"Shall I build a profile?" Powell asked.

"Yes." Elijah replied and hung up.

His phone rang and strangely, he saw Caroline's number on display, which was very rare.

"Caroline?" he said as he picked up the call.

"Elijah" Caroline's voice was very distressed,"Klaus is -"

"What, Caroline? What's with Klaus?"

"He is - missing."

"What are you saying?"

"He left for Mexico yesterday. And I've been calling him. Like I usually do. But he was not answering. I thought that - ok- he went somewhere to paint. But then - I tried to call him again. Millions of times. There was no answer. So, I called Guadalupe. And she said that he went out last night and didn't come back."

Altough very much alarmed, Elijah told Caroline to calm down and that he would take care of things. As he hung up, he now went on to make some calls.

Next person, Caroline called was Elena.

Elena, who had fallen asleep was now awaken by the phone ringing. She saw it was Caroline on the display."Hey"

Caroline shot out all that was happening in between sobs.
Elena shook her head in disbelief. She could not believe her ears.

"Ok. I am getting over to your house, right now. Ok?"

"Thank you, Kat." Caroline said before she hung up.

Elena rushed to Klaus and Caroline's house, which was in the Algiers Point, a quiet suburb on the Mississippi River's West Bank, an area of homey pubs, small art galleries and quaint Creole cottages.

Elena found Caroline still distresed and she now tried her best to calm her down.

"I don't get it. Whete could he have gone? Why would he not call me?"

"Maybe he just had something wrong with the car. It's not exactly a great truck he bought there. Remember, he wanted to blend in. And then, he might not have good reception. Or forgot his phone. I am sure tgings will get cleared up soon."

"I don't know, I don't know. I have this feeling. I can feel when he is in trouble. Maybe it is because of the pregnancy. It's like we are closer than ever. You will see -"

"There is one more reason you should not think bad tgoughts. Because of the baby." Elena said.

"Huh - I know. I'll try. Can you call Elijah? Maybe he has some information already?"Caroline asked her friend.

"Ok. Yes." Elena took her phone and went out to the balcony. She dialled Elijah's number.

"I am at Klaus and Caroline's. Do you have any news? She is a total wreck. She asked me to call you."

Elijah took a deep breath, which indicated that things were not good.

"What is it?"Elena asked.

"I will be there in a little while. I will explain."- Elijah replied.

"Ok" - Elena slipped and now went back into the house, hanging up.

Caroline looked at her questioningly.

"He doesn't have anything yet. He is on his way."

"Somethings not right. I can just feel it. There is always something with this family. We can't be happy. Not five minutes."

"Don't think like that."- Elena now said. But in the deepest core of her being she knew that she was giving her false hope. Still, she had to be strong. Suddenly, she felt she could pull the last bit of strength left in her and now showed to be a rock.

Elijah arrived an hour or so later. The news was not good.

'Kidnapped? "- Caroline couldn' t believe it what Elijah had said.

"Yes. I am afraid, it is so."- Elijah now explained further what the police had told him.

Caroline was out of her mind. It took Elena a long while to calm her down. As Caroline fell asleep, she walked into the lounge finding Elijah deep in his thoughts staring into the night.

Elena's Flashback
Mexico

Elena sat down next to Elijah on the steps of the porch

Sharing a little peck, she took his hand in hers and said-

"You and your brother are like more than brothers. You seem to be like best friends"

"Where did this come from?" - Elijah asked.

"I just watched the way you do things, talk to one another. It's great. Have you always been like that?"

"Yes. Well, not really always. But when we started school, we got closer even though he is two years younger."

"Tell me about it. Tell me about your family. Maybe - this will help me remember."

"Ok. Where shall I start?" - Elijah said.

"What are you two love birds whispering about?" - Klaus now crashed on them.

"Elijah was going to tell me about you and him when you were kids."- Elena replied.

Caroline then joined them, and they talked deep into the night evoking great momemylts from childhood, some very silly, some very poignant. Talking about Rebekah as well, no matter how painful it was, as both missed their sister very much.

Elijah, who had now heard Elena come closer, turned to her, and without a word, to his immense surprise, she simply hugged him.

💕