Chapter Text
at all costs, keep your good name
part one: chess pieces
elena’s pov
If there was anything that Elijah had perfected over the centuries was how to play the long game. He knew how to move the pieces around on the board. The silver lining of our enemies going public was that they had to make all their moves public. They had seized a position that the humans could understand. Francesca didn’t see that it was best to sit the throne that was in the shadows. Now they had to go through official channels to get the things they wanted done. They might be able to bribe officials, but they still had to make their way around the system that was in place. We decided to use the system to our advantage so that we could stop their bigger plans.
It had been two weeks since we had to send Hope away. Bonnie and Kol had come down after the Other Side had fallen apart. Apparently, it was just gone and she survived by some miracle. She faked a miscarriage in front of the entire French Quarter. We had grieved in front of all those people. They believed it so much that Francesca had smirked when she saw us. She was cruel and I wanted to claw her face off. Hayley had been rage killing on more than one occasion and Bonnie had been tracking down resources for us. She and Kol were trying to look into our enemies from the perspective of magic. Klaus was hiding away with his paintings. Elijah had taken the reins in ways he knew how.
I was drowning in my grief. I hadn’t left my room in the time since Bonnie came down to New Orleans and we finished our performance. We made our grief real. It was real. Our children might not be dead, but they were gone. Hayley and I couldn’t hold our daughters because there were people after them. Elijah was putting restrictions on the Guerrera pack. He had compelled himself a position on the Historical Preservation Society so that they couldn’t just buy territory for themselves. Of course, it helped that, on least on paper, they wanted to these places for things as gauche as casinos. I stayed in my room and helped him with research. I had the skills required to go through all of it.
“What could they possibly want with an old soap factory?” I asked.
“They don’t want the factory. They want the land” Elijah said.
“They wouldn’t need to go through all this for what they want if they chose somewhere else” I said. I pulled out a file.
“There isn’t much new space in the French Quarter” he said.
“True” I said.
“And they don’t care about that kind of thing. They just see the city as theirs already and what’s convenient for them” he said.
“They don’t actually want casinos” I said.
“Control” he said.
“No, I mean, I’ve seen the blue prints” I said. He looked at me.
“You have?” he asked.
“I have” I said.
“How?” he asked.
“The Gilbert name” I said.
“Really?” he asked.
“Turns out, it’s not just impressive in Virginia. Took more work here, but someone here knew my mother by name. Just emails. I pulled a favor” I said.
“And?” he asked.
“It’s disguised enough that it looks like a casino at first sight. Someone who doesn’t know what they might want will see a casino” I said.
“But?” he asked.
“The way rooms were structured are odd and there are stairs in wrong places. They had to put them on the plans so that inspection after would go smoothly” I said.
“Bribes can only do so much work and now that they’re public, they can’t just kill people” he said. They had limited themselves.
“Exactly” I said.
“And these entrances go nowhere?” he asked.
“Seem that way” I said.
“Alright” he said.
“I think they’re building tunnels” I said.
“Tunnels?” he asked.
“Under the city” I said.
“I see” he said.
“I think it’s supposed to be a nerve center” I said.
“For further illegal activity” he said.
“I heard some rumors” I said.
“What kind or rumors?” he asked.
“There are girls missing all over Louisiana” I said. I had seen the reports and there seemed to be a link between them.
“Human trafficking” he said.
“Sounds like it” I said.
“Yes” he said.
“And girls mean—” I said.
“Sex trafficking” he said.
“Yes” I said.
“Would they go that low?” he asked.
“I wouldn’t put it past them” I said.
“Right” he said.
“I’m looking for a way” I said.
“Alright” he said.
“But that factory is pretty new” I said.
“Yes” he said.
“Perhaps too new” I said.
“You don’t think we can stop them” he said.
“I don’t know. I’m looking into a lead” I said.
“A lead?” he asked.
“Don’t want to jink it. I have to make a call” I said.
“Alright” he said.
“To a couple of museums” I said.
“I see” he said.
“And a possible conservationist society” I said.
“Oh” he said.
“Be ready with the paperwork” I said.
“I’ll get you the forms” he said.
“Good” I said.
“You’re good at this” he said.
“I don’t exactly have a degree in this” I said.
“You have experience” he said.
“Yes” I said.
“I know that you put off a lot coming here” he said. I had thought that I would start on my way to become a doctor.
“I have a few credits” I said.
“AP classes and a semester” he said.
“Yes” I said.
“Alright” he said.
“I’m going to start again in August” I said. I had everything ready to start a few online classes next semester.
“Really?” he asked.
“Yes” I said.
“I think that’s wonderful” he said.
“I want her to be proud of me” I said.
“Alright” he said.
“Work slowly” I said.
“There’s time” he said.
“Yes” I said.
“Alright” he said.
“Did Jeremy call?” I asked.
“You know he didn’t” he said.
“Right” I said.
“They can’t call” he said.
“I know” I said.
“Francesca is looking for him though” he said.
“Really?” I asked.
“She ran a search with her contacts” he said. I felt fear.
“No” I said.
“Breathe. She knows nothing. She was looking for leverage and essentially he’s disappeared with the exception of a few false leads” he said.
“Alright” I said.
“Yes” he said.
“They’re fine” I said.
“They are” he said.
“Alright” I said.
“I know you miss her” he said.
“Yes” I said.
“I miss her” he said.
“I know” I said.
“Not being able to hold her is killing me” he said.
“I know” I said.
“Don’t push me away” he said.
“I’m trying not to” I said.
“I know” he said.
“I’ll keep looking” I said.
“Of course” he said.
“Yes” I said.
“There’s something” he said.
“I feel like we’re playing hide and seek” I said.
“We must for now” he said.
“I know” I said.
“Until they make their move” he said.
“Something seems off” I said.
“How?” he asked.
“Shouldn’t they have made their move?” I asked. I had expected them to hit us while we were still weak. They hadn’t.
“They have the upper hand” I said.
“Yes” he said.
“And yet, she’s acting paranoid” I said.
“For now” he said.
“Yes” I said.
“I’ll look into it” he said.
“Right” I said.
“You’ll be here” he said.
“Have I been anywhere else?” I asked.
“Ah” he said.
“I can’t” I said.
“I know” he said.
“Yes” I said.
“I’ll have someone check in on you” he said.
“No need” I said.
“There is” he said.
“Where are you going?” I asked.
“To make sure they can’t make any moves” he said. We were blocking them in all the ways that we could at the moment.
“Alright” I said.
“They might have made a mistake” he said.
“That we can use?” I asked.
“Not right now” he said.
“Alright” I said.
“You haven’t practiced magic in two weeks” he said.
“I think I scared myself” I said.
“Monique deserved what she got” he said.
“Did she?” I asked.
“She came for our family in the name of monstrous ideals. At least, Genevieve didn’t feel proud of herself” he said.
“Yes” I said.
“She was a psychopath” he said.
“I know” I said.
“You made sure that she could never hurt our family again” he said.
“I hate that I had to do this” I said.
“I know” he said.
“Yes” I said.
“You do not have to fear your magic” he said.
“Right” I said.
“You’re thinking about Katherine” he said.
“Yes” I said.
“She was dragged to hell” he said.
“She earned it” I said.
“So did Monique” he said.
“Alright” I said.
“Do you need anything before I go?” he asked.
“No” I said.
“Call me if you have anything” he said.
“I will” I said.
“I’ll bring lunch” he said.
“That Italian place?” I asked.
“Rosé” he said.
“Yes” I said.
“Perfect” he said.
“You’re the best” I said.
“If you insist” he said.
“I do” I said.
“Lovely” he said. He came over and kissed me gently. I let him deepen the kiss and I felt good for that moment. He pulled away.
“I love you” he said.
“And I love you” I said.
“Yes” he said. He kissed me and left.
“Alright” I said. My phone rang. I checked it. Alaric.
“Hey” I said, answering the call.
“Hey, kid” Alaric said.
“Shouldn’t you be spending time with your girlfriend?” I asked. He should be focusing on his own life right now.
“I care” he said.
“I know” I said.
“So does she” he said.
“Yes” I said.
“She cares for you” he said.
“I know” I said.
“We worry” he said.
“Yeah” I said.
“How are you?” he asked.
“Not good” I said.
“Haven’t left your room” he said.
“No” I said.
“We can go down—” he said.
“No” I said.
“Jo is scheduling time off” he said.
“Tell her not to” I said.
“But—” he said.
“I can handle it” I said.
“Alright” he said.
“You can’t be here” I said.
“Oh” he said.
“I can’t let you be another father I lose” I said. I hadn’t used that word for him before. I had held that inside.
“I know” he said.
“I never said that before” I said.
“I have been honored” he said.
“Yes” I said.
“But I get it” he said.
“Jo can’t risk her life here” I said.
“I just hate that you’re like this” he said.
“I know” I said.
“Yes” he said.
“I’ll manage” I said.
“I know” he said.
“I need you take care of Mystic Falls” I said.
“I know” he said.
“Now that the travelers have it” I said.
“Just a sect” he said.
“Yes” I said.
“Trouble” he said.
“You’re teaching at Whitmore?” I asked.
“Yes” he said.
“Fun?” I asked.
“A little” he said.
“Yes” I said.
“It’s work” he said.
“At the same place your girlfriend works” I said. I knew that he liked that he had a stable relationship for once.
“Yes” he said.
“You love it” I said.
“Maybe” he said.
“You do” I said.
“Yes” he said.
“I’m happy for you” I said.
“I know” he said.
“My heart is broken” I said.
“I know that too” he said.
“Yeah” I said.
“You will get her back” he said.
“What if I don’t?” I asked.
“You will” he said.
“What if I’m Isobel?” I asked.
“No” he said.
“Alaric” I said.
“You’re not” he said.
“Alright” I said.
“You’ll see her again” he said.
“Right” I said.
“I know that this will work out because you always find a way through” he said. I didn’t know anymore. I sighed.
“I hope so” I said.
“What are you working on?” he asked.
“Helping Elijah with all this building stuff” I said.
“Historical society” he said.
“I never thought that I would be doing what my mother used to do” I said. I hadn’t wanted to make it my job.
“You’re good at it” he said.
“Unfortunately” I said.
“No” he said.
“Turns out I’m better than him” I said.
“I had no doubt” he said.
“Right” I said.
“You need help?” he asked.
“Not yet” I said.
“Good” he said.
“I should go” I said.
“We can talk” he said.
“I’m fine” I said.
“Alright” he said.
“Bye” I said. I hung up.