-1A/N: Alternate ending to Price of Happiness. Elijah's PoV.

"Burn them?" I repeated, incredulously "How do we know it'll kill him? He might just escape! I mean, we can't barricade all exits against every vampire in here"

"We don't need to" said Damon "Gabrielle can cast one of those vamp trapping spells. Then we set the house on fire" I nodded slowly, piecing it together in my mind. It could work.

"Can you do it?" I asked Gabrielle. She considered carefully.

"With Bonnie's help…probably" I nodded.

"Good. But how do we get Elena out without her drawing attention to us?" I glanced at Elena, who had fallen silent and was now glaring stonily at us instead.

"You said you can't compel her against Klaus's compulsion but surely you can compel her to walk out silently?" suggested Gabrielle. I nodded and moved towards Elena again. She immediately resumed her struggling. I hated that she was afraid of me, but I forced myself to harden my heart. This was for her own good.

"Elena. You are going to walk beside me. You will be silent and you will not attempt to escape from us" she didn't reply, her eyes falling to the ground. I nodded to Damon who reluctantly released her. She didn't run, she just stood there, waiting. I held out my hand and she moved forward robotically to take it.

"Okay, Damon, Gabrielle. Find Stefan, Bonnie and Rose"

"What about Katherine?" asked Damon. I shook my head. Katherine wasn't a priority. She would have happily betrayed us. The other two both nodded, understandingly and left. I led Elena downstairs and back into the party. I brushed past Rose and touched her hand. Her head jerked up and silently she followed, grabbing Slater on the way.

When we got outside, I pushed Elena towards Rose.

"Get out of here" I told her, firmly. I turned back to the house. The Salvatores had emerged and were watching the girls cast their spell. I joined the brothers. A fierce wind seemed to have sprung up around the witches. Bonnie's' nose was bleeding slightly. Strange words slipped from their lips in a language I didn't understand. Dark clouds gathered above our heads.

Suddenly, they both let out a tired sigh and turned to us.

"It's done" said Gabrielle. She raised her hand, pointing towards the house. In the upstairs window, the curtains caught fire. I watched dispassionately as Gabrielle and Bonnie set fire to the rest of the house. Shouts rose up from house, screams of pain. Figures appeared at the door, pounding against an invisible barrier.

"No!" screamed Elena, pulling away from Rose and dashing towards the house "Klaus! No!"

"Stop her!" shouted Rose. I went to grab her but it was too late. She rushed past me.

"DAMON!" I yelled. Damon looked up in time, and seized Elena's arm as she came careening towards him.

"Let go of me!" she yelled. She hit him in the face, punching and kicking wildly. Her anger seemed to have lent her strength. She broke free of Damon's grasp and ran into the house before any of us could stop her.

"NO! ELENA!" I started after her but Rose grabbed my arm. I snarled and went to knock her away.

"Elijah, if you go in there you won't get out again!" she told me "You are not going to die tonight" I didn't try and pull away again. I just stood there. I felt tears sting my eyes. Yes I, one of the most feared vampires in all the world, cried into Rose's arms, no better then a child.

When the fire had burnt itself out, Gabrielle and Bonnie searched the wreckage in search of survivors. There were none. They managed to find Elena's body though. It was badly burnt and any hopes I had of her returning to me were dashed in that second. She was clinging to another charred body, still recognizable as that of Klaus. This was my fault. I'd done this. I didn't deserve her. But she didn't deserve to end this way.

Stefan called the police. Elena's family collected her body. She was buried next to her parents. The way it should be.