A/N: Another random one-shot from me. I wanted to read some Alaric/Elena father figure stuff, and I couldn't find any, actually. So, I thought of something that I had been sitting on for a while and just let it flow. Anyway, enjoy!

Summary: "She often forgets that she's human. But, she's never felt more human with her head in the toilet and Alaric's hand rubbing comforting circles on her back." Sick!Elena, Fatherly!Alaric.

She Forgets, Sometimes.

Elena has forgotten the last time where she hadn't been worrying. It's always there under the surface, Elena always on her toes for the next vampire/hybrid/witch/doppelganger problem will come up.

She's forgotten what it's like to just let everything go and to just have fun. She's forgotten what it's like to have fun just for the hell of it, not because one of her friends needs comfort or that she needs to distract someone.

But, her life is different now. The Elena that was in the car crash died with her parents when they went off Wickery Bridge. Her sense of normalcy was swept away when she met Stefan and Damon, when her best friend turned out to be a witch, when she learned that she was doppelganger of a vampire. When her other best friend became a vampire, and she became an item in a sacrifice.

Still, she's forgotten a lot of things. One of them being sickness.

Sure, she's felt the headache of vampire blood leaving her system, but she hadn't been sick in a long while.

So, she didn't know what to make of things when her blankets were too hot.

With a groan, she threw them off herself and curled onto her side, shaking slightly. She closed her eyes, ready for more sleep. Then, it got too cold. Shivering, she pulled the blankets up over herself and tried to sleep. Then, it got too hot.

It was a cycle. Hot, cold, hot, cold.

The red letters on her alarm read about two in the morning when the pain started. It wasn't the type of pain she was used to. It wasn't the sting of a cut, or the screaming agony of fangs ripping into her flesh. It was just a dull ache right in the pit of her stomach that grew and grew. It wasn't as much pain as it was discomfort. Her hands rubbed slow circles on her stomach, her legs curled under her. The blankets half on, half off.

Elena groaned, curling into herself for a few moments before she felt something coming up. She could taste the bitterness of the vile threatening to spill out of her mouth and onto the floor. With shaking legs and not so graceful movements she made it to the bathroom and proceeded to puke into the toilet. She emptied her stomach two more times, her head pounding from pressure and her limbs shaking with exhaustion.

Her head rested against the wall beside the toilet, a hand wiping across her mouth. She could feel the burn in her throat and the bitterness in her mouth.

She had forgotten what this felt like. To feel her stomach fluttering with weakness, threatening to empty itself again if she got too excited. To feel her eyelids closing and having to force them open again. She was sweating, brown strands of hair sticking to her forehead. She sighed, her legs slipping out from under her, hand resting on her aching belly.

She slipped for a bit; she must have, because she was suddenly jolted awake when a hand was placed against her shoulder. She groaned again, her stomach flipping as she pushed herself up enough to fall against the toilet and puked her guts up again.

"It's alright," his voice is calm, his firm hand resting against her shoulder blades as she shook. "Just let it all out."

"S-Sorry." Elena apologized, realizing how she must have looked, her and Alaric in the cramped bathroom, Elena puking into the toilet. She had always wanted to be strong in front of him, because he needed that. After Jenna...

She needed to be the strong woman in the household.

"Don't apologize," Alaric said, "you're sick."

Elena gave him a small smile, and she noticed something. She hadn't felt human in a long while, she thought of herself as supernatural. The doppelganger.

She often forgets that she's human. Yet, she's never felt more human with her head in the toilet and Alaric's hand rubbing comforting circles on her back. The taste of vomit in her mouth and the darkness threatening to take her back into sleep.

"Elena?" she's being shaken again, Elena had fallen asleep. She was just so tired.

"Gonna go back to bed," she ground out, trying to push herself up from the floor of the bathroom, but her legs shook and gave out again. However, Alaric's hands were already around her waist, one pulling her arm over his shoulder as he pulled her upright again.

Elena wanted to blush, telling him that she was strong enough to get back in bed by herself. But, her body wasn't listening and she allowed herself to be dragged back into the bedroom. She was sat down on the bed, Alaric moving over to pull the comforter back over her body. Elena slowly lowered herself onto her side, a hand resting loosely on her weak and fluttering stomach.

"Do you need anything?" Alaric asked her, Elena looking up at him. She couldn't see him very well in the darkness of her room, but he sounded tired, yet caring. "Water?"

Elena could feel the burning in her throat again and the bitter taste. She nodded her head sleepily. Alaric nodded his head, a hand pressing against her shoulder gently for a few moments before he walked out of her room and down to the kitchen. Elena placed her head on the pillow, letting her eyes close.

She felt really warm still, and her body wanted sleep, but her mind wouldn't let her. Her eyes popped open when Alaric returned moments later, a glass of water in his hands. Elena pushed herself up into sitting position, taking the cup from him. She took down the cool water like she hadn't drunk in days, her stomach twisting from the sudden intake of liquid. For a few moments, she worried that she would puke the water up, too.

"Easy," Alaric commented, taking the half full cup from her and placed it down on the nightstand beside her alarm clock. "Don't make yourself sicker."

"Right," Elena muttered, laying back down again. "I'm really warm, Rick. Can't sleep."

She felt the bed sink with added weight as Alaric sat down, Elena's eyes closing when she felt his hand press against her forehead. There was a great amount of comfort in the touch, though she wondered if she was just too tired to feel things correctly.

"You're really warm," Alaric commented, pulling his hand away, "probably a fever."

Elena sighed, her eyes still closed. She wanted to yell or cry in frustration. She just wanted sleep.

"I'm going to get you some antibiotics, hold on." Alaric said, standing. Elena heard him exit the room again, and she had drifted off. It was like a switch went off for a few moments, images and bits of scattered conversations floated through her head.

When the switch was flicked back on, she was scared. Her eyes popping open, tears in her eyes. Her room was still dark, she guess that she must have only slept a few minutes. But, that didn't matter. She was convinced that she wasn't alone in her room.

"Alaric!" she called out, her voice shaking. There was a shuffle from on the other side of the bed, Elena whipping around. Her tears were threatening to spill over, but Alaric was there in the bed with her. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her close.

"I'm right here." he said, Elena grabbing at the fabric of his t-shirt.

"He's here," she whispered to him, her eyes heavy again. But, her heart was racing, her tears hot on the skin of her cheeks. "He's in the room."

"Who's in the room?" she heard Alaric ask, Elena still shaking slightly.

"K-" Elena swallowed, "Klaus," she muttered, "he's gonna hurt me."

"No, Elena, there's nobody in here except me and you," he said, Elena opening her eyes and looked up at him. "It's the fever."

Elena relaxed, taking his word for it. She allowed herself to take a few pills, downed with a glass of stale water. She must have slept longer than she thought.

Elena allowed herself to fall asleep again, her hand still wrapped around Alaric's torso. She felt comfort with his arm around her shoulders, and just relaxed. She waited as the pills started to affect her enough that she could sleep.

Yes, she had forgotten what being truly sick was like, and it was very unpleasant. But, she remembered that she was still human, and that too much stress can make you sick.

As she drifted off into a deep sleep, one thought, memory, crossing her mind.

It was of Caroline and her at the blonde vampire's house, Caroline pulling out some left over pizza. She had told Elena that it was a little old, but should still be good.

Caroline, being a vampire, didn't get sick. But, Elena did.

She would have to have a word with her once she got her strength back.