A/N So this fic is the one that spanned my other unconventional pairing story Clean Break (Elena/Marcel)

Disclaimer: I don't own TVD or any of its charcaters, nor the lines from the show I used, I'm just taking them out for a spin so enjoy

Chapter 1

"So it's true then, she's forgiven Klaus?" asks Elijah.

"It's true" replies Elena knowing Finn was listening to their conversation due to the way his gaze rested on her.

Suddenly the clinking of glasses distracted everyone, and Ester began speaking.

"Don't drink the wine" hisses Elena quietly.

Elijah looks at her with a strange expression, and she shakes her head slightly enough that he would catch it, but no one else would as Finn's gaze was resting on Ester now.

He inclines his head towards her to show he understands as he lifts his glass.

"Cheers" he smiles pretending to drink the wine.

As the room breaks into various conversations Elena turns and walks to the edge of the ballroom and casts a quick glance at Ester and Finn, seeing them no longer regarding her she turns to Elijah and tilts her head as she turns and walks out into the garden.

Elijah waits a few moments ensuring no one notices as he slips out after her.

She stands on the grass a slight walk from the house.

He opens his mouth to speak but she presses a finger to his lips.

"Can we be overheard?" she mouthed tapping her ear and pointing at the house.

Elijah takes her arm and leads her over to the fountain.

"Why did you tell me not to drink the wine, after saying I could trust my mother?" he asks.

"Because I knew your brother Finn was listening to us, Ester really wanted to see me to propose a plan to kill Klaus" explains Elena.

"And why would that effect me drinking a glass of wine?" he asks.

"Because she put my blood in it, apparently doppelganger blood is a power binder, if you'd drunk that wine then you and all of your sibling would be linked, Klaus can't be killed, so by linking you, what happened to one, happened to the other, her plan was to link you, and then using a white oak stake to kill one of you, then you'd all go" replies Elena.

Elijah regards her, he'd been right, his mother had not come back to reunite them, but to destroy them.

"Why are you telling me this, I'd have thought after everything my family has done to you and those you love, why would you spare us, with us gone you and all those you love would be safe" asks Elijah curiously.

"Because despite how much I'd dearly love to kill Klaus, and be assured the safety of those I love and myself, it isn't right for the rest of you to suffer for it, Rebekah despite what she's done, I stabbed her in the back, literally, she has every right to hate me, but I know she is just a girl who wants to be loved, I don't know your brother Kol well enough to pass judgement but he reminds me off how Damon was when we first met so we'll see there, and then you, I know what you did, betraying our deal, it was out of love for your family, I'd have done the same, I'd die for those I love, I have died for them, to be perfectly honest the only member of your family I really want gone is Klaus, he took so much from me, he killed the only remaining family my brother and I had, he stole the man I loved and turned him into a monster I don't recognise, he used my friends and my family and he is still controlling and effecting us, and I know its only a matter of time before he decides to make an example and kill someone I love, or just give it up and drain me of my blood before killing me, but we don't choose our family, and just because your brother is a sociopath it doesn't mean you should all suffer for it, it would make me not better than Klaus if I let this happen" replies Elena turning and walking a little away from him as she feels tears well in her eyes as she thinks of Jenna and of John, a man she never really knew or liked but who was her father and always strived to protect her, even giving his own life for hers.

Elijah looks at her and his heart clenches, no one so young should go through all she had, and yet here she was listing all the reasons she shouldn't have told him, and yet she had.

This doppelganger was not like the last, Elena may look like Tatia and Katerina, but that was where the resemblance ended, her heart was pure, she gave and loved without reservation, and she understood the bond of family better than his own siblings did.

He reaches forwards and placing a hand on her shoulder he turns her back to face him, her eyes still downcast.

He tilts her chin up so she's looking at him and he can see the tears in them, the pain Niklaus had caused her etched into her eyes and probably her very soul.

"You had no reason to warn me, in fact you have several not to, and yet you did despite everything, truly Elena I have never met anyone like you, someone who is so willing to trust and to forgive, who always looks for the best in people and refuses to give up, you are so wholly unselfish and honourable it is remarkable. I've always considered myself an honourable man, but you, you put me to shame lovely Elena, I wondered if there were hints of Katerina or Tatia in you, but now I truly see there is none, and you have shamed me beyond belief for all I have done and allowed to be done to you and those you love. And for that I realise I have never truly apologised, you knew you would have to die in the ritual yet you agreed to my terms anyway, for everything I have done I am truly sorry, and Elena I swear to you, and this time I do intend to keep this promise, upon my honour I will not allow harm to befall you or those you love due to my family, what little honour I have left, I give you my word, that this time lovely Elena, I will keep it, I cannot return those taken from you, and I may never be able to make up for what has been done, but I will endeavour to try" promises Elijah imploring her to believe him.

Elena looks up at him, and she can see the truth in his eyes, she had saved his life and that of his family despite all it may well cost her, and he understood how much pain it was causing.

"I believe you Elijah, but I need to warn you, your brother Finn is in league with your mother, she intends to kill him, and he will offer himself up willingly, be careful Elijah, I don't know what your mother will do when she discovers that you are not linked" warns Elena quietly.

"She will most likely try again, and she will in all likeliness want revenge or at the very least require your blood again, I will speak to my siblings tonight, excluding Finn, and I then I will keep my promise and ensure neither my mother nor my siblings seek retribution against you, now perhaps we should return or else the others may grow suspicious" he says.

She nods and they begin to walk back to the house.

"I believe the Salvatore's are most likely searching for you, and I know they will not be pleased when they discover what you have done here tonight, Stefan has made his vendetta quite clear and I cannot fault him, and the elder Salvatore wishes to protect you, despite his impulsive and apparently Neanderthal ways of going about it, I am sorry for the pain Nicklaus has caused to you and to them" he says.

"Stefan isn't who I thought he was and I am seeing this whole other side to him, and it scares me, whether he is compelled or not I now know this side of him exists, he wants revenge above all else, and I don't know if I rank higher than that right now, and Damon, oh Damon I care about him, he means so much to me and he was there, he stopped me falling to pieces while Stefan was gone, and even in the early time of our relationship he never hurt me directly, he always ensured I had his blood so should he decide to blackmail or convince Stefan, he knew I'd come back, the only vampire in my life who has never harmed or wronged me in some massive way is Caroline, despite her apparent tactlessness, and her shallowness, and the way Katherine used her, she is my best friend and I love her, she and Bonnie are like my sisters, and I know that without them I would not have been able to deal with everything" smiles Elena.

"What of your friend Matt?" he asks.

"Matt, Matt he's this constant beacon to me, that even in all the supernatural he is wonderfully human, and he'll always be important to me and he reminds me of time when things were simpler, when I didn't know about vampires, when I was just a happy normal high school girl, not a doppelganger that everyone seeks to use or exploit in some way. Matt is the only person who I know when he looks at me, he doesn't see Katherine or Tatia, he sees me, Elena, because I wonder whenever Stefan and Damon look at me if they see me or if they see Katherine, I know that was why they were drawn to me initially, and I know they can't look at me without seeing her, in fact I think Klaus sees his torture of me and my life as his way of getting revenge on Katherine, because he cannot do it to her, he does it to me instead, because he knows unlike Katherine I will do anything to protect everyone around me, she once told me, everything she did was because she was looking out for herself, and if I was smart then I would do the same, sometimes I wonder if maybe she was right" sighs Elena.

Elijah stops them and steps in front of her taking her hands in his.

"Listen to me Elena, you are nothing like Katerina, unlike her you are pure in every aspect, you do not use or abuse others for your own gain and you do not run and allow those who are left behind to suffer, you died for those you loved, she would never have done that" says Elijah fiercely.

"Do you see her when you look at me? Is that why you offered to help me, because you couldn't help her?" asks Elena.

"No Elena, I see you, just as you are, strong, fierce, brave, true, with a heart that never ceases to stop loving and you are as beautiful as she was of course, but you use it so differently, she was always sensual and sexual with it, she used it to influence those around her, to control and dominate that was how she drew people in, but you lovely Elena, you draw people in with your warmth, you love and your light, you are the polar opposite of Katerina, and when I look at you I promise you Elena, I see only you, and if the Salvatore's do not, or are seeking some semblance of the Katherine they loved, then they are not worthy of you, because you are perfect exactly how you are" smiles Elijah.

Elena looks up at him and she can just tell he means it, it wasn't like Stefan or Damon, it was purer somehow and it also meant more to her, she couldn't tell why, but hearing those words made her heavy heart lighten a little.

"Thank you Elijah, I didn't realise how much I needed to hear that, its just if I'm honest I blame her, if she'd died in the ritual Klaus wouldn't need me, if she'd never returned then Caroline wouldn't be a vampire and my family wouldn't have suffered so at her hand, and Klaus would never even know I existed, because Rose and Trevor wouldn't have had a reason to need me to try and secure their freedom, it all stems back to Katherine, and I hate her for it, I hate that so much has happened because of her" admits Elena.

"And you have every right to do so Elena, I have no doubt your uncanny resemblance of her has brought you many problems and difficulties, do not allow you to lose yourself though, not as she did, if I am honest I believe both Salvatore's to be idiots, they look for the Katherine, and not for Elena, your unwavering loyalty is not a weakness Elena, it is what makes you strong" smiles Elijah as he reaches up and brushes a stray curl from her face.

"Care to tell Damon that? It's just despite his well meaning intentions, I'm not a doll, and I can't just sit by, I know Damon would sacrifice everyone and anyone for me, but I can't, and sometimes I just can't deal with it" admits Elena with a sad sigh.

"While it is noble of him to protect you so, he should not take your decisions from you, nor attempt to exert power over you, it is your life Elena" says Elijah as he looks at the beautiful woman in front of him, she was an old soul, someone who had seen and endured so much more than she deserved, yet she remained strong and resolute, she did not back away in the face of danger, instead she allowed it to strengthen her.

"You have a way with words Elijah" smiles Elena.

"I speak only the truth Elena, I will not lie to you" he promises.

"I know, I don't know how, but I know, so thank you Elijah" says Elena, she suddenly realises how close they were stood, his hands holding hers, and she just couldn't look away, she was simply lost in Elijah's eyes, their dark depths pulling her in, she had always thought him good looking, anyone who said he wasn't was a liar, and despite everything between them, he respected her and he understood her better than the two men who claimed to love her.

The tension between them was almost palpable as they stood spellbound staring into each others eyes, without his conscious thought Elijah's eyes flicked down to Elena's lips.

She caught his movement and knew in that moment if he kissed her, she wouldn't push him away, she felt like he was looking at her, not the doppelganger, not the Salvatore's girl, not a means to an end, but simply her, just plain old Elena Gilbert.

Neither was sure who moved first, but suddenly their lips were mere centimetres apart and as Elena closed her eyes waiting for his lips to meet hers, she ignored every part of her head that told her this was wrong, and surrendered to the rightness.

Elijah couldn't help himself; there was no denying the allure of the Petrova doppelganger, but she had a beauty all her own, and he wanted her, he may have sworn not repeat the past but he couldn't help it, he had to know what it felt like to kiss her as he leans down to do so the door flew open.

"Elena" calls a voice.

A/N Mwhaha you didn't think it would be that easy did you :)

Anywho my first foray into Elejah, I friggin love this ship, so follow, fav and review :)