I do not own TVD or TO.

I know I said Shades of Blue would be next, but I opened the WIP and I'm drawing a complete blank. I know where I want the story to end, and I've got one scene where Elijah finds them roughly planned out, but everything else is just blank...

Same thing with Different Places, Same Faces.

As for Wonderland... I actually had pages of notes for it and the direction I wanted it to go in, but I can't find them. The notebook set up for it seems to have vanished from my shelf of books.

Those three stories can be considered on the back burner for the foreseeable future. That leaves me with six stories in progress which are clearly mapped out so if I manage to get back on a schedule updates should be coming weekly for everything. It might be a few days before I update anything else though because I'm working, and I've got more planning to do than I usually do for my days.

Look for more updates on the weekend; plans for SAF and TR.

Her eyes fluttered open slowly, heavy from their lengthy rest. As heavy as her eyelids were her limbs were heavier still; it took a long time of staring at the ceiling before she was able to roll over, even longer to sit up.

The room swayed in her vision. Nothing was familiar.

Out of habit her hand rose to her throat, slim fingers curling around the chain shifting the necklace between her breasts. Running her thumb and forefinger over the chain was how she focused, tracing the edges of the pendent was how she calmed down; in that moment she needed to focus because nothing was familiar.

For a moment she thought that maybe she had dreamt the mad man covered in blood. She'd always had an overactive imagination, but she was certain that she hadn't been wearing the soft white cotton now adorning her shivering frame, and her mouth was dry.

The sound of the door opening drew her eyes from the neat desktop to the creaking wood. Without thinking she jumped to her feet and grabbed the first thing she could find.

She didn't know where she was, or how she got there, but she knew if whoever was coming in that door had malicious intentions she would go down fighting; even if fear was trickling down her spine.

The man froze when he stepped into the room; she saw clear amusement flickering in his dark eyes.

His eyes flickered over the slip of a woman brandishing a bronze candlestick and swaying under the weight of it. There was something defiant in her gaze, daring him to come closer.

"Where are my clothes?" She swallowed, proud that her voice had come out stronger than she felt. The possibilities of why she was wearing a nightgown in a strange cabin on an unknown ship raced through her clearing mind, and none of them put her at ease.

"They were covered in blood," he inhaled slowly, "your friend, Miss Forbes, changed your clothes."

"Where am I?"

Elena took a step back when he moved forward and instantly recognized the mistake when pain bloomed through her leg.

The bronze clattered to the floor as she cried out and fell backwards, knees buckling beneath her body.

He rushed forward and caught her hips before she could hit the floor. He sighed internally when she instantly began struggling against him, but before he could right her she sent them both tumbling backwards.

His body landed on top of hers knocking the breath from her lungs in a rush of air. He shifted quickly so he was no longer crushing her, but remained in a hovering position to stare down into her eyes with a cocked brow.

"Are you quite through?"

"Get off me," Elena squirmed trying to get free.

"After all that trouble to get me on top of you?" His voice took on a teasing quality; he was surprised when she suddenly stopped fighting him, her body stilled completely.

"Just do it," she squeezed her eyes shut.

"As you wish," he said.

Elena braced herself, holding her breath for what she was certain was coming as his weight rose from her body. She jerked up with a gasp when his strong fingers made contact with her skin.

"What are you doing?" She pressed her lips together, opening her eyes.

His fingers gently prodded the swollen flesh of her ankle, sending warmth through her tingling skin, after placing her leg over his lap. Glancing up to meet her eyes he tilted his head.

"What I came in here to do," he frowned, wrapping his fingers around the back of her leg.

"You came in here to break my ankle?" She hissed in pain, grunting when he pulled and she felt the movement up her calve.

"No…" he paused to meet her eyes. "I came in to check your injury."

"You'll break it like that," she pushed up on her elbows. The little voice in the back of her head said to stop talking, but it was being overpowered by the one that wanted to avoid being laid up for months on end. "Put your palm under my heel and slowly rotate."

There were few instances where a woman's words were taken seriously in the world, but the set of her jaw and the look in her eyes brokered no argument, so rather than push from side to side as he had planned to do he followed her instructions, watching her pale features all the while; her eyes remained trained on her slim foot held in his calloused hands.

Elena blinked back the pained tears in her eyes and examined the slightly swollen flesh. There was no discoloration and only a mild pain when he rolled the joint. She quickly discerned it was a sprain at worst, but that walking long distances on it was out of the question for a few days at least.

"It should be elevated," she murmured, not realizing her voice was loud enough to be heard until he positioned her foot atop a soft cushion.

He stood to pour her a glass of water and returned, watching her down the liquid and regard him with wary eyes.

"Where am I?" She lowered the cup, gripping it tight in her hand.

Her head still spun, but the water was helping to alleviate some of the pressure in her mind, clearing a bit of the lingering fog. And with the lifting of the haze she came to the decided conclusion that she had never seen this man before in her life, and she wasn't sure if she could trust him.

She had expected a more forceful encounter from a man she didn't know, but she had not been expecting him to act as a doctor, a poor excuse for a physician, but a doctor none the less.

"On board my ship," he took the empty glass, setting it on the desk with a hollow thump, "in my cabin." He inhaled slowly and met her eyes, explaining before she could bring a voice to the question shining in her eyes. "You fell from the rigging onto the deck, and likely have more injuries. Your fever was the most concerning thing to me."

"My fever?" She folded her arms over her chest. Her empty stomach clenched.

"You've been asleep for three days," he blinked.

"No wonder I'm so hungry," she exhaled.

"I'll have some food brought down after," he chuckled.

"After what?" Her eyes narrowed, flickering over his features quickly.

"After I have ascertained that you're uninjured," he nodded to the remainder of her body.

She backed up, shaking her head with a wince.

"I'll wait for a doctor."

"Unfortunately we don't have one," he sat perfectly still; "I'm the best you've got at the moment."

"I don't need an exam," she shook her head. "I feel fine. I've got no problem breathing so my ribs are alright, and my head doesn't hurt."

"You're qualified to know that?" He couldn't stop his mouth from lifting in an amused half smile.

"I'm qualified to know that I don't want to be examined by a complete stranger…" she smirked, cocking an eyebrow.

"Elijah," he supplied with a smirk.

"Elena," she pushed her hair behind her ears.

"Well, Elena," his smirk turned to a soft smile, "it appears that we are no longer strangers."

"I'm still not letting you examine me," Her eyes sparkled with something akin to amusement, but her expression was hard; in spite of the tightness around her mouth there was something in her smile that made him want to scoot closer.

Elijah glanced over his shoulder when he heard the delicate clearing of a throat.

Lexa stood in the door of his cabin allowing her eyes to roam over Elena; she scrutinized the brunette's face that was defiant. She took an immediate like to the woman, and under other circumstances might have seen them being friends, but there was something she needed to figure out first. As it was, she didn't know what to think of the young woman who was responsible for the deaths of every living soul on board the Calla Lily.

"I can take it from here, Elijah."

"Alright," he rose from the bed, pausing at the door. "Let me know if we should be stopping at a port for her doctor. I'd hate for her to die after going to the trouble of saving her," he flashed Elena a smile before leaving the room.

Kol leaned back against the table, swivelling to watch the approach of the women entering the galley, already anticipating the entertainment about to unfold. He waited until Klaus had taken a sip from his cup to alert his brother to the newest additions to the room.

He had the great pleasure of watching his older brother's eyes widen marginally, a flush rose on his neck. Now if only he were the type to act flustered.

"Join us for a drink, love?" Klaus smirked playfully, raising his glass in the direction of his sister and Caroline.

Caroline's eyes flickered over him as she scoffed, crossing her arms.

"I'd rather die of thirst."

"A very real possibility on a pirate ship, darling," Kol lowered his glass, rolling his eyes when Rebekah stole it.

Rebekah perched in Klaus' vacated seat when he stood to follow Caroline.

"Five pounds says she slaps him," Rebekah leaned over to whisper.

"I'll take that bet," Kol reclaimed his cup.

They watched Klaus follow the young woman toward the counter, their voices easily carrying back across the quarter full galley.

"Come on, love," he leaned against the wall as she poured a drink, opening his hands, "give me a chance. Get to know me," he smirked when she met his eyes.

Caroline tilted her head. There was something about his smirk that got under her skin, something that made her skin warm and her heart pound.

"I've no desire to know a pirate," she looked him over slowly.

"That's only because you haven't had the pleasure," he teased.

Caroline shivered when he leaned a little closer.

"Don't do it, love," Rebekah could see the blonde's resolve weakening in the face of her brother's charm. "They're terrible really; you should avoid pirates at all costs."

Caroline was startled by the laughing voice and looked to see Rebekah pointing between her brothers.

"Bekah," Kol gasped dramatically, "must you besmirch my name as well?"

"Sorry," she shrugged, "force of habit." Rebekah turned to Klaus. "If it helps Nik, nothing I ever said was enough to dissuade Lexa."

Kol's eyes widened when he turned to stare at his little sister.

"You tried to talk my lover out of loving me?"

"Yup," Rebekah snickered.

They all turned their attention to the clearing throat of their eldest brother. Caroline, who had been growing a little uncomfortable with the bickering siblings, smiled gratefully; they always tried not to squabble in the presence of Elijah.

"Miss Forbes," he turned to her, "your friend is awake."

Lexa ran her fingers gently over Elena's scalp searching for any bumps or cuts that had been missed while the brunette was too delirious for a proper examination. She bit her lip as her bracelet snagged on a chain around Elena's neck.

"Sorry," she apologized as the locket came free and tugged at Elena's neck. "That's a lovely necklace."

Lexa's eyes locked on the silver as Elena reached to replace it beneath her collar.

"It was my mothers," Elena shivered.

Lexa was going to ask when she saw the light in Elena's eyes; fear, exhaustion, and defiance flashed in her dark gaze.

"Perhaps you could enlighten me," she sat back on the edge of the bed.

"On what?" Elena frowned.

Lexa tilted her head and blinked slowly. She had returned to the captain's cabins after everyone had left and seen the bloody name under its cloth covering.

"Why was that man after you?"

"I…" Elena bit her bottom lip. "I don't… I don't know," she swallowed. "He said he was… was going to… to kill me."

"You're safe here, Elena," Lexa placed a gentle hand on the shaking woman's arm. "Nobody else saw your name, alright?" She waited until Elena nodded before trying again. "All I want to know is who you are, and why an assassin would be sent after you."

"I'm nobody," Elena shook her head. It was true; she was just an average woman from a middle class family. She had done a few things to disgrace her family name, according to her father anyway, but nothing to warrant a death sentence. "I'm just a girl being shipped off for marriage," her lips twisted around the last word.

"You don't sound terribly excited," Lexa murmured. She smiled when Elena said nothing. "It's okay. I get it. I'm intimately familiar with arranged marriages."

Elena's eyes snapped up to the blonde's face; curiosity warred with propriety in her mind, but asking wasn't necessary.

"I was fifteen years old when my father decided to marry me off to a brute of a man."

Elena could see she was lost in her memories, so she coaxed her back with a gentle prompting.

"What happened?"

Lexa cleared her throat and pulled herself from her head.

"I ran," she exhaled. "Two days after my wedding I ran and stowed away on a ship. It was the best choice I ever made." Lexa met Elena's eyes. "I've been here ever since. Don't let the colours fool you, Elena," she smirked, "they're not all bad."

"Colours?" Elena frowned, but before Lexa could answer they were joined by Caroline.

"I'll leave you to it," Lexa stood with a smile. "Stay off that ankle for the rest of the day," she pointed sternly to Elena, eyes flickering to the chain around her throat.

"Are you my doctor now?" Elena cocked an eyebrow.

"We don't have a doctor on board," Lexa smirked, "physicians tend to start up practices that don't involve ships." With one last glance at the concealed locket she stepped out into the hall.

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