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New Orleans was amazing.
The food, the music, the dancing, the people; Elena Gilbert fell in love with the city the second she stepped into it's bounds. It was so vibrant and so much brighter than the grey and pale blues and greens of Mystic Falls. A fact she probably should factor to her vampire senses but one she wasn't willing to admit. Her emotions were back and for the first time in the two months she spent hiding in Alaric's apartment grieving her brother and everything that went down while her humanity was off, for the first time Elena Gilbert as a vampire was feeling things that weren't shitty.
Her bag wore a bit heavy on her shoulder packed with some clothes and a hidden blood bag, but she didn't even care. Elena was out of Mystic Falls. Elena had her humanity on. And the best thing? The most wonderful, amazing, coolest thing ever? Elena Marie Gilbert was free from her sire bond and the last and final cord that tied her to the dying stars that were the Salvatores. She was free. She was free, happy, her hair was pinkish red again, and the world was beautiful.
Elena had spent so much time around vampires but no one said how beautiful the world was through vampire lenses. It was like colors danced brighter, sounds were prettier, heartbeats like a song, and laughter like a candy she couldn't get enough of. Sure there was the never ending hunger for blood, which was a bummer duh, but the world was wonderful. Caroline may have seen herself getting turned as her death, but Elena had died before and it hadn't felt like this.
She wove easily through the crowd, her sun ring gleaming on her hand along with another sun ring necklace; A tip she learned from the asshole Katherine herself, if you're going somewhere where vampires roam free honey, you learn to wear double protection, a bitchy comment. But Katherine was a bitchy woman. The advice, unlike much of her other unwarrented comments, was actually helpful. Elena reached the large compound, flicking her sunglasses up on her head as she grinned. Finally.
The front door was unguarded, which Elena thought so didn't fit the vibe for a place Klaus Mikaelson lived at, and clearly no humans lived there as she entered without even needing an invitation. Jesus the door wasn't even locked, did the Original's go soft in the three months since she had seen one of them? The compound was absolutely stunning and with just one look Elena knew it was Elijah who had the place kept in such good condition. At the thought of him, her slowed heartbeat fluttered.
A woman walked out of one of the rooms, freezing at the sight of Elena.
Elena, ever the compassion one as Elijah would say, smiled and waved, "Hi! I'm Elena. Is Rebekah here? Or Elijah?"
The blonde continued to stare and Elena frowned, worried if she was okay. Well Elena did technically break in. But Rebekah had sworn she could drop by whenever. But also that was when Elena was no humanity evil bitchy Elena. Oh maybe this woman knew Katherine? Oh god Elena is so not in the head space to explain doppleganger drama to someone. It was too complicated.
A telltale sound of high heels clicked down one of the stairs, "Freya, aren't you supposed to be out at-"
At the sound of her almost friend not friend's voice, Elena grinned. Today was a good day. Today was a great day. Elena was free of Damon. Free of Stefan. Free of Mystic Falls. And she was vampire, and she was okay with that. Now she got to tell all of this to Rebekah. Who would probably stake her for not calling. But Elena has survived worse.
"Dopplebitch," Rebekah said freezing at the sight of Elena, much like the blonde next to her
Wait. Was it just Elena did they totally look alike- Elena pushed it away. Future Elena problem. Today was a great day.
"Rebekah," Elena mocked seriously, scowling in way her humanity-less self always did
Rebekah sped forward, shoulders squeezing Elena's so tight they hurt as her blue eyes narrowed on her.
Elena grinned brightly.
Rebekah groaned, shoving Elena away with enough force to throw her back a few feet harmlessly, "Oh bloody hell you're you again aren't you?"
Elena landed swiftly on her feet, glad to be wearing her converses again and not the heels her humanity-less side liked to strut around in. She threw her head back and let out a loud laugh that echoed around them.
"Sorry to dissapoint Rebekah," Elena said, picking up her bag, "I do in fact have the switch firmly on."
Rebekah scowled, crossing her arms. The other blonde who seemed older than Rebekah, but wow did they look so similiar, looked at them confused as if trying to figure out if they were friends or not. Elena pitied her. Elena had spent months trying to figure out of Rebekah was an enemy or an ally before just deciding that she was just Rebekah. A bitch who could kill Elena or a bitch who could help her fix her life. A bitch said totally lovingly. Like when Caroline said it.
"Pathetic," She hissed, "Just when I was starting to like you. Don't tell me you expected to stay here?"
The Original's words were harsh and cruel but her voice was her version of nice. It warmed in Elena's chest like whenever Bonnie hugged her or Caroline waved at her. Friendship love. It was a feeling. A feeling, blooming in her chest that she had missed. It was perfect.
"Don't worry," Elena said, "I'm gonna get a room just out of the French Quarter in a hotel called Mount Wen-"
At the same time Rebekah and the other girl, Freya Rebekah had called her, winced. Elena frowned, sure it wasn't the nicest of hotels that the fancy Original's were used to, but it was a solid four point five star hotel. Probably. Maybe. Elena was sure it was at least a four.
"I think not," Rebekah states, grabbing Elena's arm with the strength to bruise, "You are staying here. Obviously. I've been waiting for you to come and visit me since that horrid town the other dopplebitch fancied."
Elena laughs again, letting the feeling roll over and over in her chest with the joy. God she had missed feeling. It was like holding your breath underwater for fun as a kid, at first it's fun, it's easy, and as time passes frozen underwater you wonder why people don't just stay there. And then you feel the burn and you surface, heaving for air and for the first time in a long time you're thankful and happy to be breathing, something you don't even realize you do. That was what flipping the switch was like. Except once you switched it, a chain was attached to your foot pulling you to the bottom of the pool.
She lets herself be drug through the compound, half listening, half not, as Rebekah raves about how awful her time in New Orleans has been and how Elena's Petrova survival instincts had to have known the dramatic war in New Orleans supernatural factions had just ended. Elena doesn't mention how Damon and Stefan captured her and took her ring and forced the sunlight on her, or how they killed Matt without telling her he was wearing the Gilbert Ring, or how the only reason she ended up coming to New Orleans is to get away from the ghosts that haunt her every step in Mystic Falls and the only place in the fucking world that had someone she could trust was in New Orleans.
"Elena?"
Elena freezes, and Rebekah pauses with her, letting her.
That voice.
Oh she knows that voice. That was the voice that she had heard for the first time in hours that hadn't been Rose or Trevors that day. That was the voice who promised her deal after deal, the voice that gave her his word, the voice that betrayed her. The voice Elena betrayed in return, the voice that Elena had wanted to flip the switch back in the gazebo when he had called her the wrong name.
Elijah Mikaelson.
Elena turns and sees Elijah standing in one of the elaborate hallways, wearing one of his damned suits that always looked too good on him to be fair. His hair has grown out a bit since Willoughby, slowly growing back to the long hair she had seen when they first met. His eyes, oh those eyes, are alight.
"Elijah," She greets
A bare smile traces his lips as something akin to recognition flits across his face. She really really hopes he couldn't read her vampire heart as good as he was able to read her human heart because she knows it's pounding louder than anything she's ever heard in her own ears.
"You've regained your humanity," The older Mikaelson stated, voice happy if Elena would dare say
Elena smiles, "Someone once told me it would be a shame if the world lost a soul as compassionate as mine."
Elijah tilts his head, and Elena swears she can see red blush creep up under his neck hidden swiftly by the collar of his tux that probably costs more than her entire Gilbert ancestry money. The sight of him, just him, lets the feelings she hadn't let herself feel in so long burst. There is hope. Compassion. Anticipation. Happiness. Joy. Amusement. And one she isn't quite ready to name, but she knows it's there, and she knows it's there for him.
"The adviser sound positively gifted," Elijah echoes amused
Elena laughs again, the sound and feeling ripped from her chest.
Rebekah scoffs, "You two are pathetic. Really. Truly. Elena's staying here for a bit. She'll see you soon. Now come on."
The blonde vampire starts tugging her away again and Elena throws a look over her shoulder as she tries to walk slower to keep looking at the vampire she had kissed not three months ago. She wondered just how long it took for him to realize it was her not Katherine. Before the kiss or after the kiss? She wonders if she already knew the answer before she even got on a plane to New Orleans, that she knew he could pick apart the differences between the dopplegangers with his eyes closed. She wonders if he knows that she knew very well that Elijah had kissed her.
"It's good to see you again Elena," Elijah calls out
Elena grins, hair flipping over her shoulder, the curls now dropping to the familiar straight locks, "You too."
Rebekah rolls her eyes and drags her along faster.
New Orleans was going to be amazing.