A/N (Also known as a long-winded back-story as to how I came up with the idea for this fic): I was recently re-watching Season 2 for the umpteenth time because, you know, summer hiatus, and I always start with 2x08 because that's the first episode Daniel Gillies is in, and I may or may not have a raging obsession with him and a certain Elijah Mikaelson, but I digress. Anyway, I continues watching from then on until I got to whatever episode where Elena and Stefan are at the lakehouse and Elijah comes there.

"I'm a very patient man. I'll wait you out."

So Elena proceeds to come to the doorway and asks Elijah to renew the terms of their agreement, those little negotiators :')

"I'm afraid I'm going to have to call your bluff."

And she gets all stabby on herself and then on Elijah! What a bi- It's times like these that I have to remind myself that Elijah is not one of the characters on the show and my love for him is slightly irrational/verging on creepy-stalker-girl.

Anyhooters, while watching this, my twitchy little mind decided to think, "Gee, self, what if Elena allowed Elijah to heal her and take her away like he'd threatened?" Elijah had previously threatened Damon, saying that if he and Stefan got all up in his bidness anymore, he'd take Elena away, protect her himself, and they'd never see her again. Well, Mr. Mikaelson, have I got a fic for you!

Also, I've been focusing on writing a lot of Klaroline – between "It Was Never A Choice", "Barbie and the Beast", and drabbles, I feel like I've been neglecting my OTP (always and forever).

So, without further ado, here's . . . whatever the hell I'm calling this thing!

Stefan and Elena came down the hallway, knowing Elijah was bound to show up sooner rather than later. Suddenly, Stefan heard a faint noise, just loud enough for his vampire senses to pick up. As they rounded the corner, Stefan heard it again, this time even louder.

"He's here." As he said it, Elena looked up at him and he had just enough time to pull her out from in front of the door as the rocks Elijah had thrown broke it off its hinges, sending it flying backwards, right where Elena had been not a second earlier.

They heard nothing from Elijah, but Elena knew he was just waiting, always waiting. "You have to go. I need to talk to him alone."

Stefan looked appalled at her request, and he was damned if he was going deliver her into the clutches of Original Number One. "Elena –"

"Stefan," Elena pleaded, "I'm okay. He can't come in the house." Elena and Stefan both knew full well Elijah could hear their entire exchange, but Stefan didn't know that Elena was changing the plan.

"You know," Elijah's voice came floating through the doorway, "I may not be able to enter this house, but I am a very patient man. I'll wait you out."

Elena touched Stefan's cheek lightly, her way of not only reassuring him, but saying goodbye. She stepped around the corner and beheld Elijah, still wearing the suit he'd been stabbed in, droplets of blood staining his shirt. She walked to the doorway until she was almost outside. She swallowed nervously, scarcely able to believe she was doing this. "They shouldn't have done what they did."

Elijah almost cut her off, but his gentlemanly qualities broke through his anger. "The deal is off."

Elena fired back. "I'm renegotiating."

Elijah bit back a laugh. "You have nothing left to negotiate with."

It was after he said that, that Elena produced a knife she'd been hiding behind her crossed arms. She raised an eyebrow at him as if to show him she wasn't the useless human he thought her to be. "I'd like to see you lure Klaus into Mystic Falls after the doppelgänger bleeds to death."

Again, Elijah had to keep himself from laughing. After all, the situation was comical. Timid Elena, threatening to kill herself. "Stefan won't let you die."

Elena nodded her head warningly. "No, he won't," she affirmed. "He'll feed me his blood to heal me and then I'll kill myself and become a vampire, just like Katherine did." That stung, and Elijah felt certain Elena knew that. "So," she continued, "unless you want that to happen again, promise me the same as before. Promise me you won't harm anyone that I love – even if they've harmed you."

Elijah shook his head. He wasn't going to fall victim to a teenager's poorly thought out plan. "I'm sorry, Elena. I'm going to have call your bluff," he said as he took a step up on the porch.

Elena looked at him for a moment before plunging the knife into her abdomen. She gasped in pain, her hand still wrapped around the handle of the knife, her knuckles wife.

"No!" screamed Elijah, trying to force his way into the house.

Elena gasped for breath, her eyes imploring Elijah.

Elijah contemplated for a fraction of a second. "Yes!" he cried. "Yes, you can have your deal. Let me heal you!"

"Give me your word," Elena uttered through gritted teeth.

Elijah smacked the trim on the doorway. "I give you my word."

Elena stumbled into his arms and he bit his wrist and held it to her mouth. It was then that Damon and Stefan came to stand in the doorway, their brows furrowed.

"What the hell are you doing?" cried Damon, his confusion turning to fury in a second flat. Stefan looked like he couldn't even process Elena's actions.

As Elena drank, Elijah gently pulled the knife from her stomach. She grunted, but continued drinking until she felt herself completely healed. She did not turn to look at the Salvatores. Instead, she produced the silver dagger, complete with white oak ash, and handed it to Elijah.

Damon emitted a feral snarl. "You said you'd take her away only if I did something to . . ." He trailed off, realizing that he had, in fact, stabbed Elijah earlier that night.

"I did not, however, say anything about Elena making her own choice to come with me," Elijah replied, gripping Elena's upper arm.

"This is my choice," said Elena, standing straighter. "I need you both to respect that. I love you, Stefan, but I'm not going to lure Klaus here just so he can torture everyone I care about. That's why I'm going with Elijah. He knows Klaus better than anyone, his habits, his way of thinking, his methods of operation. I'll miss both of you, but this is for the best. Don't come looking for me. Just promise you'll keep everyone safe." She looked to Damon first and came away disappointed. He refused to look at her, even acknowledge her presence. She then turned to Stefan, who was barely able to process her lecture, pleadingly. Finally, he nodded. "Thank you," she said breathlessly, and Elijah knew she was on the verge of tears. She turned to him. "We can go."

Elijah pulled Elena up onto his back and took off into the night, hearing Elena's sobs all along the way. She buried her head in the crook of Elijah's neck and he couldn't help but feel something stirring inside himself – something he hadn't felt in centuries. Elijah ran all the way to the Salvatore home, where he set Elena down and opened the passenger door of his car for her. She got in without a word. Elijah was certain that Stefan and Damon had already called Alaric, and possibly John, and told them what happened, but he also knew that none of them would dare try anything. He was an Original after all. Despite being daggered, he still had his pride. He got in the car and drove them out of Mystic Falls.

After several hours, Elena spoke up. "Where are we going?" she asked.

Elijah just looked at her, communicating with his eyes. Elena took his stare to mean, Why would I tell you? You're just a silly, human girl that cannot be trusted. What's to stop you from giving away our location the next time you spot a payphone? How do I know this isn't all a trick devised by your precious Salvatores?

She cleared her throat. "I know you think I can't be trusted, Elijah, and I've done nothing to show you the opposite. My decision to go with you was a betrayal in itself. I was supposed to dagger you, but I didn't."

"I figured just as much from the looks on the Salvatore brothers' faces," Elijah said simply.

Elena sighed. "Well, are we stopping soon? The human needs food and rest."

"Soon."