Elijah walked up to the table at Deveraux's where his sister was already sitting, enjoying her morning coffee and a beignet.

"What was so urgent?" Elijah said as he sat down.

"Nothing much. Just wanted to see you face to face. It's actually hard to catch up with you these days. You've become a recluse of a different kind." Rebekah said.

"I'm working." Elijah said.

"And that's about all you do." Rebekah frowned, but mellowed down quickly seeing Elijah give her a somewhat vexed look. "I absolutely understand your need to be nearly all human. And your love for detective work - and it's all fine. But why are you blocking us?"

"Rebekah, what is going on? You haven't called me here just to read me the riot act?"

Rebekah inhaled inwardly before she told him that Hope has moved in with Andrea, and that they were preparing the baby naming ceremony.

"When is it?" Elijah asked.

"Next weekend. It's the pink moon." Rebekah said.

"All right. I'll be there." Elijah said as he looked at the messages from Elena.

"I guess you got to go." Rebekah said as he saw Elijah reply to his partners messages.

"I'm really sorry. I'm in a middle of a murder investigation. I promise I will call and we'll have dinner. And talk. I have to go." Elijah stood up and before he rashed he gave his sister a little poignant look.

Rebekah nodded lightly and waved him off. Part of her was happy for him as he found a vocation and some kind of peace after the tragedy that befell them.

*

Meanwhile, Elena strolled in the Captain's office and was surprised to see an FBI Agent standing there discussing the Estelle Claire case. Bold as she was, she shot out without a greeting, "What is this, Captain?"

"Good morning to you, Seargent Gilbert," Leonore said, "this is Agent Stefan Salvatore. The FBI was alerted as this murder case as the CSI had a match with a similar case in Massacussets two years ago."

"There were two similar cases. Five years apart. The Jane Doe in Tennessee had same markings. The other, Viola Green, in Massachusetts was bound in the same way as Estelle Claire." Stefan said.

"Right. Can I have the reports - or is the FBI taking over and we are demoted?"

"You'll be working alongside Agent Salvatore." the Captain said.

Elena nodded, and took her phone as it rang. The display said Elijah. "I need to take this, Captain. It's Mikaelson."

"Sure" Leonore gestured to the brunette to take it out of the office and turned to Stefan."She might appear indifferent. But she will cooperate."

"I just want to solve this cold case. I will carry my own investigation." Stefan said cooly.

"Good luck. This is New Orleans. The whole spooky and haunted thing is real. Just so you know." Leonore said.

"I'll take that on board. I'm also very aware that what I'm dealing with here isn't an ordinary 'files of unexplained phenomena'" Stefan said.

As he left the Captain's office, he looked for Elena.

"The incident room, with Mikaelson and Kenner" Thierry Vanchure said, directing him to the place.

There, the trio was discussing the obscure life of Estelle Claire and the Coven she belonged to.

Stefan listened closely without adding anything nor asking any questions.

Both Elena and Elijah were not phased by his presence in the slightest, but couldn't ignore the fact that they were somewhat bothered.

Eversince, Elena was partnered with Elijah, after his partner Sabine, they had quickly established a unique raport when it came to investigating and working in their specialized unit.

There was another aspect of their unique bond. Elijah knew who Elena was and didn't beat around the bush revealing that he once knew another doppelgänger. Katherine Pierce.

General flashback

Elijah's loft apartment
Two years ago

"Where did you meet her?" Elena was curious.

'In England. 1922."

Elena gulped, nearly spilling her beer. "What?"

"I'm not human." Elijah said openly. "I trust you - and since we're going to work together, I will tell you about my family and myself."

Elena breathed in and nodded. She knew about the occult, about witches, vampires, demons as her parents were leaders of a Secret Society and Secret Council of Mystic Falls. "What are you?"

"A vampire. My family is the Originals." Elijah said.

Her eyes opened even wider. She had heard of the Original family, but noone had ever produced a real account about them.

"I can see OMG written in your eyes" Elijah then said.

"I'm sorry - but I thought that you - I mean your family is a myth."

"Then doppelgängers are, too. But you know that it isn't so." Elijah said.

"What is this all about?" Elena's eyes narrowed at the vampire.

"This" Elijah produced a Journal from a case and gave it to Elena.

"Is this yours? It's personal" Elena said.

"Just open the page number eight." Elijah said.

Elena opened the page and encountered a name writhen in elder futhark - ᛖᛚᛖᚾᚨ. There was nothing else on the page.

"Ok - I don't understand." she looked at him puzzled.

"That's your name written in futhark. In 1998, my aunt Dahlia, who is a witch did a reading. I wanted to find out something regarding my family and this name was shown to me. She also could read from Katherine's blood that another doppelgänger existed. But your location was shielded." Elijah explained.

"It was. My father and mother knew of Katherine. And they made sure she never found me. The ring I wear protects me from witches and other supernatural beings. But it obviously doesn't work with you."

"Even though I don't have my vampiric powers anymore, I could feel you were supernatural. The magic of the ring doesn't mask you from an Original." Elijah said.

Elena gulped. She was aware that there were far superior beings out there and that the Bennett protective magic couldn't keep her completely safe.

"I want you to know that I'll always have your back." Elijah said.

"Is this about Sabine? I heard Thierry talking the other day with Marcel. They blame you for her being shot."

"The second bullet would have killed her. I made it just in time to shield her from the other perpetraitor." Elijah said.

"You took the other bullet for her, right?"

"I did. I can't be killed. That's one thing my mother couldn't take away. She would have if she had Katherine's blood." Elijah said and set off retelling what had happened to him and his siblings.

Leaving the incident room, they took Stefan to the tomb of Celeste Dubois.

'This is your lead?" Stefan looked at both of Elena and Elijah disparagingly.

"This is not True detective where you catch a killer that is a cult lunatic. This is real evil spirits doing the awful deeds. She is the only one that could perform the ritual. Through her we will get to those who took the life of Estelle Claire. Agent Salvatore." Elijah said.

"Nothing is what it seems. And that is why your other cases were not resolved. You won't find any digital footprint in this case. No phones. No nothing." Elena stepped in. Her body language was suddenly agitated and Elijah could sense anger building inside her and he just tilted his head slightly at her indicating that she overstepped the mark.

"All right. I will give you two a shadow of the doubt." Stefan said, his calm demeanour rattling Elena further and she therefore dismissed him. She turned to Elijah and just gave him a nod.

"I will see you afterwards in Rousseau's" Elijah said before she walked away.

"As of us cooperating in this investigation - I think it's best if it's on paper only." Stefan said.

"No problem," Elijah uttered under his breath, "if you'd excuse me."

Stefan nodded and turned away putting his sunglasses on.

Elijah left in another direction, walking a few lanes further out.

"What are you doing here?" he said to the woman standing beside Gia's tomb.

"Just paying my respects" Francesca Correa said.

"I've seen your goons checking our every move. The FBI presence is quite unnerving. Your wolves had something to do with Estelle's murder." Elijah said.

"No. This was entirely witch business. I will give you one name. Genevieve Levesque." Francesca turned her look to the tomb next to Gia's.

"You know that I don't do a trade for any information." Elijah warned the werewolf.

"It's not a trade off. I have my reasons for giving you this. I will see you around." Francesca said before she walked away, leaving Elijah pensively looking at the tomb. Her name was not familiar to him. Having taken the photo of the tomb for further research, he took off.

Meanwhile, in the magic shop, Elena sought help from Jane-Anne Deveraux.

"Can you translate this? It's in Creole. It might be a spell. Can you please translate it." Elena produced a paper note in a plastic sealed bag found in Estelle's apartment.

The witch took the paper and read out in english."Beasts can take any form, yet they chose to become so with choices for coldness and callous deeds. As such the deed to their soul is mortgaged to the evil force. They become the leasehold property of Satan, never owned outright, but those leases can be a very long time."

Elena sighed inwardly and thanked the witch.

"No spell is hidden." Jane-Anne said. "I hope it helps."

"It does." Elena muttered taking the evidence, placing it securely in her bag.

"I want you to take this amulet ring. Whatever you are dealing with this time, I sense that a prime evil is in the mix." Jane-Anne took out a ring from a box that was under the counter.

Elena took the ring and placed it on her small finger as it was unusually tiny. "What do you know?"

"All witches felt dark magic on the rise" Jane-Anne replied. There was nothing else she could give her. And Elena understood.

She left the shop and walked to the bar, where Elijah was already waiting for her.

"Let's not talk shop now." he said as she sat down next to him.

"Ok. I need to unwind, too. It was a heavy day even though nothing really happened. Who's the band?" Elena saw the musicians taking to the stage.

"A tribute band." Elijah replied as the Declan, the bartender handed him a glass of Bourbon.

"Beer" Elena said to Declan.

Soon Keelin and Jackson joined them. And for a few hours they let their minds drift away from the daily going ons, letting the music soothe their weary souls.

Five months after
Mystic Falls

"The magic I managed to channel from her tells me that her soul is somewhere on another plane." Bonnie said."I can't tell you what is keeping her there. We will continue to search, I promise you that."

I lay you down right here in the shadows
I watched over you
I prayed for your breath right here in the shallows
I watched over you

Like a thousand knives

"I would like to take her home" Elijah turned to Dr Fell.

"Sure." Meredith nodded. "I'll take care of the paperwork."

Elijah excused himself and exited the room to phone his sister.

*

_to be continued