"Is there any trace of Alaric? Yes, I understand-that doesn't make much sense -keep me posted." Elijah made a little sight as he put his phone back inside his jacket pocket. 

All that followed after he got Elena out of the water didn't make an ounce of sense. Then again what made sense in their world of magic. He remembered vividly that after he got Elena out of the water,  her heartbeat was very faint, but he could hear it. And although he fed her his blood immediately, she was not reacting, not opening her eyes. She seemed to get worse. That was yet another unusual occurance. His thoughts now got interrupted  by a call from Meredith Fell.

"Yes?" the Original said as he picked up the call. 

"I sent Elena's blood to be double checked. I got the results. There is a trace of an unexplained substance. Whatever it is it is not known in medicine." Meredith said.

"Thank you. I will be picking them up." He then  ended the call.

Although the  news were not good, still there was a lead of some kind. 

He dialled a number and as the woman on the other side."Sophie!? Good day"

*

At Matt's house, Caroline unwillingly left Elena and Matt by themselves and joined Stefan in the living room. Matt was lying on his bed and wasn't in any better state then Elena was. 

Trying to keep her tears at bay, the doppelganger now  took Matt's hand in hers, softly muttering, "I am so sorry." 

"No, Elena -don't be" Matt said gulping a bit. 

"Caroline said that you refuse to - drink?!" 

"I can't -I don't want to be like my sister" the quarterback replied between shallow breaths.

Elena nodded a little, drawing a bit of breath herself, feeling  faint and sickly and for a moment she felt like she thought she was going to faint, but then it passed."You can't die. Please! Not you! Not now!" 

"I am glad you are ok." Matt disregarded the doppelganger's words, trying to squeeze her hand.

"Yes - I just had some water in the lungs," she lied, "I need to sleep it off and I'll be fine. But it still takes time to get better" 

He knew so well when Elena was hiding the truth. 

"You are not good, right?" 

Her eyes teared up, swallowing hard. She put a nervous smile on. "Look at us - I am sick and I don't know what is going on- but you- please, don't leave me. I don't want someone else dead because of me." 

Matt closed his eyes and Elena shook her head, tears escaping her eyes.

Caroline then knocked at the door and went in. 

"I am sorry you guys_just can't help overhearing you.  Matt I will help you. Elena is right, we can't lose you." 

Matt now turned to both of the women, his eyes fluttering tiredly open,"be a vampire? No-"

But Caroline didn't want to hear it. In her huffed demeanour she now urged her ex to reconsider."Look at me. It is ok-I mean-you can drink from the blood bag-and I will help you with the transition. Stefan  is here too.' 

"You've been saying that" 

"Or I can force you and then you can hate me for the rest of your life." Caroline said and Elena turned to the blonde as the words were not really the most appropriate given the moment.

"I am glad you came"- Matt said to Elena ignoring the blonde vampire, "I wanted to see you one last time." 

Tears continued rolling down Elena's face, taking a deep breath. Overwhelmed with everything, the doppelganger slumped down and Caroline calle out for Stefan. 

"Elena!" Stefan said  picking the brunette up and felt her face. She was burning up. 

"Damn it. Something is not right. I have to get her to the hospital" 

Caroline nodded silently with a worried look to the vampire, who didn't wait a second longer and swished away with Elena in his arms. 

On the way to the hospital, he call the Original, who was already there  talking to Meredith. 

As he arrived with Elena, Meredith had her examined, asking the vampires to stay outside the examination room.

"This is crazy." Stefan sifted with worry and Elijah could see that the young vampire suffered greatly. It was no different for him  either. Elena wasn't just another doppleganger for him. Having left after the failed ritual a few months before burnt him still. 

He wished he had done things differently. Seeing her so sick made his heart clump up, and all the feeling he tried to ignore, now bubbled up more than ever before. 

"If it wasn't for her brother" Stefan shot but retreated as he knew that it wasn't wise taking on Elijah. The way he had restrained Damon a few days back, showed that he wasn't in a good and that something in him changed profoundly. Why were they still alive, was  another big question that hang in the air. 

As Elijah wanted to say something, Meredith got out of the examination room informing them that Elena has regained consciousness. She wanted to see Elijah. 

Stefan couldn't believe that she asked for the Original. He cringed, but remained calm.

Elijah entered the room, where he found Elena sitting up.  

"Hey" she said and explained,"too much exertion"

"We will take you home. My sources led me to a witch thatis arriving today. She should examine your blood. This  could be a case of - some kind of poisoning"  

"Uhm - Matt put a very strong sleeping pill in the tea - Meredith thinks it could be that -"

Elena tried to put her vest on, but as she was week, her arms slumped down, and Elijah now swished to her, assisting her with it.

"Thank you"- Elena said, beaming up at the Original.

Her, though so worn out, glittered like sunshine at the vampire, making his heart gulp dearly. He cleared his throat a bit, "You had something though that was contaminated, nevertheless. It could be the blood that was given to you before ." 

Elena sighed and nodded a little. The look she shot at him said that she hopes he would find the answers. She trusted in him to resolve a problem. Like she once trusted him to resolve the problem with Klaus.

"Meredith said to take you home. You have to rest and not do any more trips anywhere, till we get to the bottom of this." 

She nodded and reached with her hand for him to help her get up. Without too much thought he simply swooped her up and carried her out of the room. 

Stefan looked at the Original, wanting to protest, but Elena's tired eyes indicated to the vampire that he should let it be. In the parking lot he slid her gently in the car. She thanked him politely to which he replied curtiously- 

"You're welcome. I will be with you shortly." 

Stefan then got in the car and they drove off leaving Elijah with his thoughts  of her, now pledging silently to himself that he would not leave her. Not again.

Elena wished to see Damon after all, but Stefan drove her back to her house. 

"You fainted talking to Matt -we can't get the same if you see Damon." 

He helped her get out of the car and then into the house. She didn't disobey.  

"I hate being so helpless" the doppelganger protested. 

"I know, but- now- the most important thing is getting you well again." 

"So, noone really knows what went wrong- and why you all are still here!" 

"Damon said that he left Bonnie with Klaus' body." Stefan explained.

"I don't get it -Bonnie would never betray us!" 

Stefan went to the kitchen to get some water as she got comfortable on the sofa, as she refused to go to her room. 

As he returned he knew that she would want answers he couldn't give her. 

"This is why Elijah is still here. Alaric vanished too. You need to rest and not worry about anything right now." Stefan said.

"What will happen to Damon?" 

"I thought he needed time to cool it. It is chaotic enough, without him adding to - you know" 

"You are keeping him away because of Elijah, right?"Elena concluded as she took a sip of water.

"It's fo the best!" Stefan replied.

The doppelganger could see that he was almost the same caring vampire she had got to know and love  some time ago. At least something was right in the world again. Her thoughts were now with Matt again, but she felt like she needed to sleep although she struggled against it. Stefan sat down on the chair and continued to keep vigil. 

*

Elsewhere

Elijah went to the Mikaelson mansion. Once again, he had to get to the bottom of the mess that was caused by the members of his family. Although he stopped thinking of Esther as his mother, the fact remained that she was exactly that. He knew that  his mother could not be killed, not really, unless her burial site was sealed with the same black magic she used. During his stay  in Europe after the failed ritual his mother orchestrated, he had looked for ways to stop his mother once and for all. But alas he came to a dead end. Having heard that she was in Mystic Falls once again he abandoned his pursuit for the time being. Now it looked like he had to take it up again. The suspicion that Elena was poisoned by a third party made it even more important.  

"Everything always leads to the doppleganger!" he muttered to himself. 

Then he received the message that the witch that he had asked to come arrived at the airport.  

"Good!" he said.  

The web that the witches have been weaving for centuries was getting very thick and the person who was at the receiving end was none other than Elena Gilbert. 

*

In Donovan house

Caroline held Matt's hand as he was slowly fading away.  

"I can't let you go- I just can't-Elena lost too much"

She then bit her wrist veins open and fed him his blood. He was too weak to resist her, but now he gulped as the metalic potent liquid poured into his mouth.

"I'm sorry Matt" the blonde vampire uttered.