The Doppelganger Clause

Mikaelson Mansion

Mystic Falls

Elijah

As I joined Elena looking radiant in her ball gown this evening I noticed that her heart rate jumped more than usual.

"How did you find my mother?"

"Intense" she answered and I could tell she was being genuine. Anyone who knew what my mother truly was would not fail to find her so.

"Should I be concerned about my mother's intentions?" Her heart rate sped up even further and her eyes dilated. Outwardly she appeared to remain calm but her other signals were betraying her.

"She just wants her family back together." She lied right to my face. I let her do so.

"Then she's forgiven Klaus?"

"Yes" She lied to me again. Obviously my mother was up to something and she was leveraging Elena to get what she wanted. We were interrupted by a waiter offering champagne. I took two flutes and handed one to Elena as my mother began to propose a toast. As everyone began to drink Elena's heartbeat began to race. I noticed her gaze focused on the flute of champagne I was holding. I could see the worry in her eyes. Something was incredibly wrong and I believe Elena was trying to tell me. She raised her glass in a half-hearted attempt to continue the ruse and took a sip. Her eyes were still pleading. I glanced up to notice my mother's eyes focused on Elena.

In a resolute move I set the champagne flute onto a passing waiter's tray and Elena released a small sigh of tension.

"Shall we dance?" I asked. She smiled and I returned it as her heart rate escalated for quite another reason. As I led her to the dance floor I could smell the pleasant wave of pheromones that were infusing her blood. There was an electric excitement as I brought her into my arms to begin the waltz. Out of the corner of my eye I caught Klaus smiling at me. He was dancing with Caroline Forbes and I could tell that he was genuinely happy for once. I wished the moment would last much longer than the music.

As the song ended I could tell Klaus wanted to speak with me.

"Did you find out what dear ol' mum is up to?" Klaus asked.

"Not exactly," I replied, "but her motives aren't altruistic. Elena has lied to me twice already tonight."

"Speaking of the lovely Elena where did she get off to?"Klaus raised a brow. I scanned the room. She was probably with one of the Salvatores – Damon if I had to guess. I spotted Stefan quickly and then a minute later I saw Damon. If Elena wasn't with either of them where was she? I went to check the gardens. Perhaps she had just gone out for some fresh air. I was about to return inside when I heard something amiss. It was a heartbeat but it was diminishing. Then I began to smell all of the blood. I thought the siblings had all agreed to be on their best behavior with a house full of guests. I followed the sound until I found her. Elena was lying in the garden in a pool of her own blood. It seemed to be coming from everywhere.

"Elena," I gasped. She barely managed to open her eyes but I could tell she wasn't completely focused. The sweet smell of her blood and the overwhelming smell of fear would have undone a younger vampire but I was used to clamping down my baser urges.

"Elena who did this?" I asked planning retribution at that very moment.

"Your mother" she barely got the words out and as she did blood trickled past her lips. It was coming from everywhere. Her eyes closed then and I noticed her heartbeat was getting even more erratic. She had lost too much blood. She was past the point of healing and it was still flowing. She did not deserve this. She had selflessly placed herself in harm's way to protect my family despite all that they had cost her and now my mother would take her life just as she had stolen Tatia's. I did not save Tatia – could not – but I could save Elena.

I unfastened my cufflink and rolled up my shirt sleeve before letting my fangs spring forth. I split open my wrist and as the blood began to flow I held open her mouth and then forced her to swallow. I could only hope that it was enough.

Suddenly my senses told me that we were no longer alone in the garden. There I was cradling an unconscious Elena Gilbert in my arms.

"Elijah, did you find her?" Klaus asked nonchalantly as he approached. "Elijah what have you done?" Klaus asked in a more serious tone as he reached us fully and took in the scene.

"Mother did this to her," I said with barely veiled anger. "She lied to us. She was intending to bind us all together tonight with the champagne and then she would have only needed to rid herself of one of us to be rid of all of her abominations."

"No"

"Elena warned me not to drink the champagne. Esther wanted her to pay for that betrayal with her life."

"She's lost too much blood," Klaus pointed out. "Even if the Salvatores reached her now I don't think they'd be able to save her. Wait – " I could feel Klaus' eyes upon me – studying me, "Did you give her your blood?"

"Yes"

"If she dies with your blood in her system-"

"I am well aware Klaus," I sighed. I would have preferred any other alternative-except her death.

"You know how this goes. You've only ever tried twice in all this time," Klaus gasped actually seeming to grasp the seriousness of the occasion.

"Well there you are," Caroline Forbes spoke. She had completely caught me off guard. She reached Klaus' side in the blink of an eye and then gasped, dropping to her knees despite her gown. "Elena! Oh no Elena!" she began to cry and tremble. "Elijah she's dying! Do something!"

Before I could answer her we all paused as Elena's heart stuttered and then stopped completely. Caroline reached up and opened her wrist despite her escaping tears. Klaus – in a side of him I had not seen in centuries grabbed her wrist and drew her back to him despite her struggles.

"Everything that can be done has been done," he said in a soothing tone.

"We should get her away before someone else-" I said. As I rose with her cradled in my arms Damon Salvatore ran into the garden.

"Elena?" I watch the tortured look spread across his features as he took in the sight of her in my arms with blood all over her. Torture turned to anger in an instant and he growled savagely as he sprang towards us. Klaus and Caroline stepped in front of me.

"Damon! Damon stop!" Caroline urged, "He didn't do this!"

"The hell he didn't! It's his families' damn party! Is she? Is dead? Oh God is she dead?" Damon said running a hand through his hair and disheveling it as anger turned to guilt and grief. I had no doubt that he loved Elena. Caroline wordlessly tried to embrace him. He took the comfort for a moment before he pushed her away.

The group of us hurried up the back steps to my room where I settled her on the bed. Stefan Salvatore joined us a moment later.

"What happened?"

"My mother cast a spell on Elena causing her to bleed out," I explained.

"I told her to stay home," Damon groaned.

"Did anyone try to heal her?" Stefan asked.

"She died with vampire blood in her system," Caroline replied quietly. "I hope it was enough."

"She never wanted this," Damon said pointedly. "You should have been watching her!" He looked to Stefan who seemed mostly unconcerned with the turn of events.

"Not my job anymore, remember?" the younger Salvatore replied. With a shrug of his shoulders and one parting glance at Elena he left the room.

"You need to return to the party before our absence is noticed," I spoke calmly.

"I'm going to stay. We wouldn't want Elena to wake up in this dress," Caroline offered. "Do you have a robe?" Klaus and Damon returned to the party while Caroline changed Elena as I stood in the hall.

When Caroline emerged I thanked her and then took up vigil in my bedroom. I watched as she carefully and gracefully descended the stairs. Caroline Forbes had come a long way as a vampire and it was early yet but I could see things in my brother that I had not seen in a long time. It gave me a glimmer of hope – however small.