A/N: I was watching last week's The Originals episode and it inspired this. Long live Bonlijah! (I'm also working on something for Klonnie week!) Reviews would be stellar.

Lots of love,
Anneryn

Background info: Bonnie and Damon made it back from wherever they were. Bonnie and Jeremy never got back together after they broke up the first time. The magic ban on Mystic Falls went down, after Bonnie and Damon came back. Tripp is elsewhere raising havoc in some other corner of the world. The rest should be explained in story.

I DO NOT OWN THE VAMPIRE DIARIES OR THE CHARACTERS.

"Elijah?" I asked, hesitantly. He's just kneeling on the ground in the woods. He looked up at me and I noticed the veins surrounding his eyes. Elijah is a lot of things, but frightening isn't one of them. Even as an Original vampire, he's still a man of integrity. He looks like he's in shock. I was walking towards him, before I realized what I was doing. I dropped to my knees in front of him. He looks so lost. I tentatively touched my hand to his face. "What are you doing back in Mystic Falls?" I asked, softly. I can't tell if he's actually hearing me or not.

As far as I knew, the Mikaelsons had permanently moved on from Mystic Falls. We haven't seen any of them back since Klaus came back and slept with Caroline. I don't know if that changed while Damon and I were gone or not. It's still a miracle that we made it back.

All I know is that I've never seen Elijah look so broken before and it's absolutely terrifying. He looks injured.

"Elijah, can you walk?" I asked him, softly. He nodded. He got to his feet slowly and my arm went around his waist, instinctively. I know he's a vampire, but he looks like he's about to collapse. "Who did this to you?" I couldn't stop asking him questions.

"It does not matter. I have not received anything that I did not deserve. Do not presume that you know me." He glowered. I kept my mouth shut as I helped him to my car.

Thank goddess, I decided to drive. I almost walked, but something told me to take my car and I'm glad I did. I tried to open the door for him, but he gave me a look that made me stop in my tracks. I let him get into the car by himself and it took all of my willpower not to help him. I buckled myself into the driver's seat and drove home. I didn't know where else to take him. Whatever happened to him, I don't want to involve the Salvatores, until I need to. They can never decide if they're on good terms with the Mikaelsons or not. I may have issues with Klaus and most of his family, but I don't have any problems with Elijah.

The drive didn't take very long. He looked over at me like he thought this would be the very last pace that I'd ever bring him. I just looked at him, until he got out of the car. He followed me to the door and I unlocked it and walked inside. He hovered outside on the porch.

"Come in, Elijah." I invited him inside, softly. He looked hesitant and waited a full minute, before stepping foot inside.

"Inviting a vampire inside your home is hardly a wise decision." He smirked wryly. I repressed the urge to roll my eyes. At least he shut and locked the front door, before following me upstairs. I led him into my bedroom and into the adjoining bathroom.

"Take off your shirt." I told him. He stared at me, quizzically, before doing as I asked. He folded it and put it on the counter. I looked at his torso and focused on the nasty wound on his side. "Are you still bleeding?" I asked him. He nodded. He's filthy. "Are you hurt anywhere else?"

"I am more than capable of tending to my own wounds." He argued. He tried to first aid kit out of my hands, but I slapped his hands away. "Nothing else that requires immediate attention," he finally answered my question.

"Take off your clothes." I breathed. He stared at me and focused more on me, than whatever trauma he had just been through. "Take a shower. I'll be waiting for you in my room. I'll get you some of my dad's clothes…" My voice trailed off, as I tried not to think about my father. "And I'll patch you up, after you're clean. I'll see if I can find you some blood." I finished, lamely. He didn't move, so I set out some towels, before leaving him to it. I closed the door and gave him some privacy.

I took a deep breath and walked into my dad's room. I walked into his closet and tried not to think about the last time that I was in here. It's still hard seeing all of his things and knowing that he's not here… I still can't believe that he's actually gone. I shook my head and grabbed two sets of clothes for Elijah. I grabbed him one of my dad's suits and some lounge-wear. I've never seen him out of a suit and I'm honestly now sure what he'll prefer.

I bolted out of his room and set the clean clothes onto my bed. I strained my ears and heard the water running and Elijah moving around. At least he's actually listening to me. I wasn't entirely sure that he would.

I walked downstairs in a haze. I don't know what happened with Elijah, or why he's back on Mystic Falls, but I can't stop thinking about my dad. It's bringing up a flood of memories that I'm just not ready to deal with.

I found a stash of blood bags that Caroline left in the fridge. I poured one into a mug and heated it up for him. I'm still not sure why I'm being nice or trying to take care of him, but it feels like the right thing to do. I grabbed the mug and the rest of the blood bags and went back upstairs.

He was sitting on my bed, clad only in one of the towels that I set out for him. I handed him the heated blood wordlessly. He took it and started drinking it, silently. I set the extra blood bags on the bed next to him. I eyed the first aid kit that he set on the bed and I started cleaning up his side and various other scratches that covered his top half.

"Why aren't you healing?" I asked him. He let out a short huff of humorless laughter.

"My mother wanted me to feed off of someone that I cared for. I refused, so I cannot heal until I have had blood. Niklaus and I slaughtered her and the rest of our family, save for Rebekah and his daughter. They are finally gone and she has still won. She got what she came for. She has broken me." He breathed, tightly. I didn't know what to say. "I cannot tell the difference between my memories and the distortions my mother has woven into my head. I am a monster and she made it clear that I will never atone for my sins or be capable of becoming anything else." I looked at him, really looked at him. He genuinely believes whatever shit she fed him. I finished patching him up and made sure that he finished his blood, before I said anything.

"I don't know you well. I don't know what she did or what you went through, but I do know that I've never met anyone who has ever tried to be as honorable as you are. Yeah, we've had problems in the past, but anyone actually expecting you to kill your own brother is crazy. You would do anything to protect your family and the people that you care about. I respect that. You're a good man, Elijah. If you believe nothing else, then I hope you believe that." I told him, quietly. He didn't say anything. "I brought you these." I gestured to the clothes. "They might a little big… They were my dad's. I'll, um, go. I'll go, so you can change." I excused myself and practically ran out of the room.

I sat on the counter in the kitchen. I stared out the window at my garden and wished that Grams was here to see it. I wish that Dad was here, just so I could see him one more time. I don't know why I'm trying to help Elijah, when I can't even really help myself. What a mess.

I thought about texting Caroline or doing literally anything but just sitting here, but I stayed put and didn't move. I kept staring out the window and couldn't help but think about how different things would have been, if my family was still alive.

"I appreciate your help, Bonnie." Elijah mused as he strolled into the kitchen. My attention snapped over to him. He had taken his sweet time changing.

"Yeah, sure thing, you're welcome." I replied, barely paying attention. He brought his mug to his lips and sipped. I caught myself staring at him, but didn't look away. The clothes are a little big on him. He put on the sweatpants and nothing else. I'm pretty sure that I've seen anything hotter in my life.

"What happened to your father?" He asked me, completely catching me off guard. I blinked and tried to figure out if he actually asked me that or if I had imagined it. "You said that the clothes were your father's." He reminded me. I mentally kicked myself. Me and my big mouth…

"He died. Silas killed him for kicks." I told him, coolly. "I was dead and I saw it happen, but I couldn't do anything to save him. He had everyone around him under his mind control. He died before I came back, the first time." I added, not wanting to talk about it later.

"You have my deepest condolences. I would not wish losing a family member on anyone." He apologized. I knew that he meant it, because I could hear the sincerity in his voice. I cleared my throat and pushed back the tears burning my eyes and the sudden lump in my throat.

"What about you?" I asked, trying desperately to change the subject. Despite all the time that has past, everything still feels so raw. He gave me a wry smile.

"My mother found a way back and she resumed her mission to rid the world of the evil that she instilled in my siblings and I. She found a way to convert Kol and Finn from their vampirism. My brothers followed after her and sought witchcraft, instead."

"You said that she distorted your memories? Is that why you're so…?" I didn't know how to ask what I was trying to ask him. It seems so personal and we really don't know each other.

"She was convinced that if she succeeded in breaking me, that I would renounce my vampire status and let her cure me." He explained. I nodded, but didn't ask him anything else.

"You didn't, though. You got away from her and it's finished now." I said, trying not to press him for information.

"I should take my leave." Elijah announced, suddenly. What?

"Where will you go?" I asked him. "Why did you leave New Orleans?"

"Am I not allowed to leave Louisiana?" He asked, bitterly. I tried not to take it personally. "I have not given where I will travel much thought." He admitted. I nodded, mutely.

"Why did you come back here?"

"I did not know where else to go. Much like New Orleans, I found myself drawn here. I arrived shortly before you found me." He looked crushed and my hand was on his bare shoulder, before I stop myself, or talk myself out of it. He leaned into my touch and his eyes met mine. He closed his eyes for a second, before letting them bore into mine, intensely. "You, I was drawn to you." He breathed, like he just realized it as he said it. My eyes shot up, but I couldn't deny the fact that I felt drawn to him, too. Why else would I invite him into my home?

"You don't even know me. You're delusional." I said, moving my hand off of his.

"When you have been around as long as I have, you become very perceptive." He refuted, as he crept closer to me. I took a step back and hit the kitchen sink. He placed his hands on the counter on either side of me, pinning me there. "Is the notion that I was drawn to you, really that absurd?" He asked me in a quiet voice.

"Yes," I whispered. He brought a hand to the side of my face and my breath hitched. He's warmer than I thought he would be.

"In all of my years, my family and I have always been drawn to power, Bonnie. You are powerful."

"You want my power?" I asked, stupidly. The corner of his mouth curled.

"My mother's power has always been dark and disturbed. I do not have to be close with you to see that you use your powers to help people – save people. Perhaps I needed to be healed and I knew that you were the woman who could help heal me." He told me, seriously. I blinked. Did he really just say that? Because I seriously feel like I must be dreaming.

"I don't know how to heal you and even if I did, how could I heal you, if I can't even heal myself?"

"Perhaps we could help heal each other." He proposed.

"I thought you were leaving."

"Come with me."

"You're really just walking away from your brother?" I asked him the question that I wasn't sure I wanted the answer to.

"I could never completely leave my family. Niklaus is my brother. Family is forever. With that being said, he understands that I need some time away. He has worked things out in New Orleans and he has Hayley, Rebekah, Marcel and Hope with him. There is no doubt in my mind that Niklaus can take care of himself for the time being. I believe that my niece has done what I've been unable to do in all my years. She has given my brother back his humanity. I am finally able to focus on myself and my happiness."

"You really how crazy this sounds, right?"

"Would you like me to leave?"

"No," I told him, honestly.

"Would you like me to stay?"

"Here?"

"With you," he replied. "Or you could come away with me. Give me a chance to try and prove my mother wrong. Help me prove that I can still be the man that I used to know myself to be." He offered. I was officially floored. Why me? Why does he want me? I know what he said, but he could have chosen anyone. This is crazy. Leaving town with an Original vampire on a whim? What? "What do you have holding you here?" He asked me, changing tactics.

"Memories, an empty house and friends that I barely see unless they want something," I answered him. My response hit a little too close to come and hurt more than it should. I guess I don't have much holding me here. Why should I stay? What has Mystic Falls done for me, except give me constant heartache? Nothing. "I can't believe I'm actually considering this…"

"Come away with me." He proposed, again. He inched closer and I could feel his breath against my face. "You will not be alone. You will have me."

"I don't need you." My argument sounded weak to my ears. It was half-hearted and I wanted it to be true. I'm used to being alone and self-sufficient. I don't want to need anyone, but I can't keep ignoring the fact that I'm tired of being lonely and I'm tired of only being able to count on myself.

"Have you ever considered that I need you?" As soon as the words left his mouth, my heart stopped.

"I just pack and we just leave? Just like that?"

"If you so wish," he replied.

"Just two people on a trip?"

"I am open to the possibility of more."

"More?"

"A relationship of a more romantic nature," he breathed.

"Elijah," I gasped. I can't think with him so close. I'm not sure if I'm going to regret what I'm about to say. "I'll go. We can go."

"You will not regret this."

"And if I do?"

"Then I will see that you are safely returned home. I will not pressure you into anything." He promised. "Perhaps we need this."

"Need each other?"

"Need to be saved." His words hung heavily in the air, as he pressed his lips against mine. He wasn't wrong. This feels electric – sinful – perfect. I couldn't think of anything else.

"Where are we going?" I asked him, pulling back just a hair.

"Wherever you like," he replied, leaning in for another kiss. I melted against him. I pulled away again.

"Surprise me." I don't know if I'll regret this tomorrow or if it's the right decision to make, but who knows? I'm ready for a change. Who better to take an adventure with, than Elijah?

"I intend to and I am going to show you that you are not broken, either."