Ten years ago

Elena ran her forefinger around Elijah's face as if she wanted to capture his features exactly right so to put on a canvas later, to remember his features precisely. Slowly she neared his lips and brushing over them he placed a peck on her finger.

"You have nearly the perfect Michaelanglian features~ " Elena said gazing into his eyes.
"Nearly? Ah, you're hurting my feelings. I thought I was perfection ~ at least that's what I saw in your eyes" Elijah teased.

"Your heart is perfection" Elena said smiling a little.

"I think you've mistaken. It is yours that is unique. There is no one like you"- he now played with a wisp of her hair.

Elena rubbed his cheek with her thumb looking at him for a second seriously. For a moment he thought she was now going to slip away and call it a day and a strange feeling like cold wind walked all over his heart. Her look was the one seeing as if she was seeing a stranger in front of her.

"Elijah? Are you all right?" she asked.

He neared her and kissed her."I am fine - I just- for a second- I had this crazy premonition- stupid"

"What was it?" she wanted to know.

"It's stupid," he said, "nothing really- I don't know why I said it. The champagne probably hasn't worn off yet."

"Ok, you don't have to tell me. But you can kiss me!"

"That I can do, but there is something I need to tell you-"

"What?" Elena said chuckling a bit.

"I love you!" he looked at her enchantingly.

Her lips streched in a sweet smile as she pulled him over to her, kissing him.
*

Flashforward to the present

Elena watched Elijah sleep. He was so very relaxed and at peace. After a year of fragmented sleep, he could finally let float away. This man was her husband, she passed the thought and they had this amazing history as she was told, but nothing was coming back to her. And she wondered if everything was really so perfect. Could things really be so divine. Doubt was worming inside of her. She shook her head to toss the bad thoughts away. The way he kisses her, the way he makes love to her tell her of his genuine affection for her. All of their photos taken on their trips away show happiness, so why is this creeping feeling coming to her. To break away from it, she now got up and took her sketchbook. She sized him up with the pencil and started drawing.

Half way through she stretched her leg touching his and he moved opening his eyes now.

"Don't move," Elena said, "I am not done yet"

"Done?" he rubbed his eyes.

"Nevermind" she put the sketchbook aside, "morning- the way you slept hugging that pillow- just got the urge to draw you"

"Show me" he sat up.

Elena passed the sketchbook and Elijah complimented her. "Wow - it's like you took a photograph-the way drawing comes so natural to you- Once you said you would want to sculpt me."

"Why didn't I do it?" she asked.

"There were so many other projects- and you just love the post-modern sculpture. Just never came round it," Elijah yawned a little,"you let me sleep long again."

"It's obvious that you need it." Elena said.

"I guess." he moved to her and caressed her face taking her hand kissing it. Elena moved forward and kissed him. It had been a few days after they made love for the first time after she woke up from her accident. And it felt like they connected fully. There was intimacy between them like nothing ever happened and their life was back on track. But deep down he remained unsettled.

Flashback to Elijah's session with his therapist

"We get along. And making love to her was amazing, like it has always been. We talk about things like we have always done. Elena had always spoke her mind. Directly, and that was one of so many things about her that made me fall in love with her. So, why do I have this stupid feeling like she is not Elena at times, but -"

"What?"- Camille asked.

"I shouldn't feel this way and I don't know why I do- after everything we have been through-" Elijah paused and Camille let him take as long as he needed to voice out what had troubled him. Elijah sighed,"like she is - another woman-"

"A doppelganger?" Camille suggested.

"Yes. Everything is the same, but yet it is not. And it is so stupid of me to feel this way. I love her." Elijah said.

"You feel disconnection because she cannot remember?!"

Elijah nodded slightly- "I guess - yes. I think so."

Elijah now kissed his wife back as she crouched above him mentally cursing himself for even had these strange feelings crop up. And she kissed him back, now removing her pajama T-shirt leaning back onto him pressing her lips onto his. All of him disappeared in her caresses, her fire that completely made him dive into her.

****

A few days later-
Elena walked into the Salvatore clinic, and there Bonnie stood with a warm smile greeting her.

"How are you?" Bonnie asked.

"Good." Elena replied. "Even though I have not made much progress with remembering anything, but I can speak and write perfectly, even draw."

"I am glad to hear it." Bonnie smiled.

"And- since you are not my therapist anymore, I would like to ask you if you and your husband would like to have dinner with us, whenever it suits you?"Elena said.

"I would like that" Bonnie nodded.

"Great. I will call you then." Elena was happy.

Stefan's assistant now got out telling Elena that she could come in, as the other session had finished. Elena walked in and forty minutes of mnemonic memory methods.

After the session Rebekah picked Elena up, calling Sophie on the way to meet for lunch.

"Can't wait to meet Caroline Forbes tomorrow, finally." Rebekah said.

"So, she said yes to the invitation?!" Elena tilted her head surprised.

"This is one of the few most important events of the year, and it's a plus being there and as a news anchor that had just started work- this is a jump for her that she is not even aware of" Rebekah said.

"Seriously?"

Rebekah widened her eyes at Elena like - you're pulling my leg "Well, I forget that you never really cared for the Ball thing, but the charity part of it"

"Elijah doesn't really want to go" Elena said.

"Ahm- did he say so? The other day he was fine with it?! He told mother he will be there." Rebekah said.

"He didn't really say it, but I can feel it that he wasn't really into going. Probably because of me" Elena twiched her lips curiously.

"Most probably because of all those people there- they will gossip about us anyway. And we have always been the case with us. It has never bothered you. You were always strong minded, Elena and so was he." Rebekah said.

They arrived to the restaurant where Sophie was waiting for them and they now continued talking about the dresses and the masks as the Ball had the Phantom of the Opera theme.

***

In Caroline's wardrobe

"You had a package delivered"- her assistant informed Caroline.

"Thanks" Caroline replied trailing off to her wardrobe. She was not expecting anything particular and now took the card. It was soon clear that it was from Klaus.

Save me a dance. Fondly, Klaus- the card said.

She opened it and then closed it. She had never seen such exquisite dress. She opened it again and gently took it out of the box. These were real jewels on the dress. She felt it was too much. She had barely known him and him sending such an extravagant present was out of order. She picked up her phone and dialed his number.

"And how are you today, Ms Forbes?" Klaus chuckled.

"I am afraid I cannot accept your gift. What do you think that I can't buy a designer dress?!" Caroline pouted sternly.

"I am sure you can, but this one was custom made for you." Klaus pointed out.

"What?"

"You treated for a great night out the other day showing me the best of NOLA- so it is only right for me to return the gesture," Klaus said,"pick you up at, shall we say around eight"

"You never take a no for an answer, do you?" Caroline said.

"Very seldom." Klaus said confidently. "I will see you tomorrow"

"Yes, I guess" Caroline said hanging up in the process.

She took the dress and went to see what it would look like on her. It looked gorgeous. Her assistant had the same to say as she walked in letting her know she should be getting ready for the interview she was doing.

****

And so everything was set for the Masked Ball. Rebekah had come to see how Elena and Elijah were doing before she had to whiz away as she was in the organizing committee.

"It will be good," Rebekah said,"and don't forget your masks. This will be a great night."

Elena was buzzing telling Rebekah that she would make sure Elijah got in a better mood.

"He has always hated these things," Rebekah said,"but this is an important cause"

"I have a feeling of a deja-vu" Elena said and now both Rebekah and Elijah jumped astonishingly thinking she had remembered something.

"No. It's just a saying, isn't it?" Elena said.

"Yes" Rebekah muttered and then gave them a few more instructions and left.

Elena got a call from Vicky and she went out of the living room to talk to her. Elijah left to shower and get dressed.

"Oh, I am excited about the Ball. It will be like watching a theater performance, I am sure." Elena told Vicky.

"Just dance and have fun." Vicky said."Tell me it was Rebekah's idea to choose Phantom of the Opera?"

"Yeah. Watched the film. And, you know, I wish Christine actually chose the monster." Elena cocked her eyebrow poignantly."Strangely in the night I had a dream it was me and Elijah, but he was a vampire. I don't get where that came from."

"You two went on a masked Ball before. He went as a vampire." Vicky said.

"And me?" Elena asked.

"Just a girl. Not much different from Christine from the Phantom," Vicky said,"but- hey, if you had that dream- maybe something is kicking in? You said you had no dreams?"

"I have- but- nothing makes sense." Elena replied.

"Do dreams got to make sense" Vicky muttered to herself.

Elijah walked in the bedroom letting Elena know that soon they'd need to leave for the Ball.

"Have fun." Vicky said before the women finished the video call.

Elena went to her walking closet to put on her shoes.

Elijah checked up his

By the time they arrived, everyone was already there. It was extraordinary as it looked like a special multimedia event.

Rebekah went to all of her family to greet them as they were now all complete, looking at Caroline sizing her up.

"My sister, Rebekah- but since she made a special entrance, I guess she doesn't need special introduction."- Klaus said to Caroline.

"Love the dress" Rebekah remarked before she strolled away.

"Arrogant much" Caroline muttered, her eyes throwing darts at the blonde, who was now already busy mingling.

Sophie, who heard Caroline, turned to the woman. "That was a compliment. Trust me, that meant she likes you- a lot."

"I don't need her approval" Caroline spat annoyed. And before she could decide she had enough of the Mikaelson bunch, Elena and Elijah joined the two women.

"I watch your show every day," Elena said, "you really are sharp."

"Thank you." Caroline uttered. "You're Elena, right?-Sorry- way too many people to remember at once. It feels a bit too much"

"Tell me about it. Once I used to know everyone here- well, nearly everyone- but now have to learn who is who myself" Elena joked a little.

Caroline was told about Elena and her memory loss, and now seeing the way she was free spirited, she immediately took to her.

"Great. Doesn't make me feel like I have come from a galaxy far away and look like an alien" Caroline said.

Klaus now apologized for interrupting, but he had to whisk Caroline away.

They were now all asked to participated in the first dance. Elijah now put his hand out and Elena followed him to the center of the vast room.

My eyes adored you
Though I never laid a hand on you
My eyes adored you
Like a million miles away
From me you couldn't see
How I adored you
So close, so close
And yet so far away

In the background they played the videos made from the Phantom of the Opera.

Elena looked at Elijah as if she was seeing a ghost. He noticed it and immediately asked her if she was fine.

"This song" she muttered, trying to pick the memory card out.

"What about it?"

"I don't know- but- it is so familiar." Elena closed her eyes for a moment.

"Are you ok?" Elijah asked and stopped, gently laying his hands on her face.

"Yes. I guess I must have heard it the other day when Rebekah played different songs" Elena replied beaming up at him.

Flashback - ten years ago

Elena walked in her apartment and put her favourite playlist with mixed songs on.

"My eyes adored you," she sang along, thinking of Elijah and the night they spent together smiling.

_to be continued