Disclaimer: I still don't own the rights to TVD.

A/N: Welp, this isn't late at all. A bit of a transition- pun intended- ahead.

They arrived at the hotel a quarter past one. The rain hadn't slowed at all during the remainder of their drive; if anything it had gotten angrier, slapping violently against the side of the car, wind pushing and pulling at the vehicle as Elijah drove on, calm and steady despite the nature of the storm.

There was a considerate lack of conversation for the rest of the drive. Mostly due to the fact that Jeremy had fallen back to sleep after a few moments of staring out the window with a contemplative look on his face.

Elijah hadn't asked for the reason behind the look and Jeremy was oddly thankful for the Original's silence.

He was still feeling extremely lethargic when Elijah had woken him from his barely-there slumber. It was as if his nap had done nothing to quash the burning feel that came hand in hand with sleep depravation. Apparently Elijah's patience had worn out while waiting for Jeremy to untangle himself from his curled up position in the seat because the older vampire was unbuckling his seatbelt hastily, telling Jeremy to stay put until he returned.

Jeremy barely got a word out before Elijah had ducked out of the car, sharing quiet words with a bellhop before disappearing through a backdoor. Jeremy blinked a few times, righting himself before he took in the fact that he was now alone, surrounded by silence and the distant noise of the storm that could barely be heard from outside the car garage.

The bellhop stared forward, actively ignoring Jeremy's gaze and Jeremy chuckled loudly in amusement. He stared down the bellhop for a few moments longer, eyes flickering from the door back to the bellhop before he made a face and tossed his hands up in the air, hoping the sudden action would catch the bellhop off guard.

Unfortunately the bellhop was apparently well versed in keeping a straight face because he didn't even flinch at Jeremy's antics.

He wasn't sure if he was obeying Elijah's orders, or if he was just trying his best to be like those guards in London.

Stretching his legs, he glanced back to Elena, who was still lying completely comatose, chest rising and falling every so often.

Unbuckling his own seatbelt, he reached back, hand trailing across Elena's cold arm to grasp at her hand. He interlaced his fingers with hers, squeezing tightly in reassurance, as if she could receive his message somehow. "It's gonna be okay, Eleners." He murmured, pulling out the old name to comfort both himself and her still body.

He sat like that for a few moments, staring at his sister, trying his best not to break down just yet. Elijah would be coming back any moment and the last thing he wanted was for him to see Jeremy sniffling and sobbing in his seat, completely exposed and vulnerable like a small child.

Pulling his hand away, he tried his hardest to rub the cold tingle off of his skin and dropped his head into his hands, wishing for the strength he needed but didn't have anymore.

Elijah appeared at Jeremy's window, tapping once to signal his arrival. His sudden appearance caused Jeremy to whack his elbow against the console, arms flailing widely and the surprised shriek that escaped his lips had Elijah's eyebrows shooting upwards in amusement.

The door opened and the roar of the wind filled the vacuumed silence of the car. Instantly Jeremy felt the chill of the storm seep into his bones, causing him to hunch forward and wrap his arms around himself.

"Here," Elijah slipped off his thick coat and handed it to Jeremy, who muttered a brief thank you despite the fact that the jacket was just as cold on the outside as it was on the inside. "The room number is 409, the gentleman over there will lead you there. He'll also be bringing our bags, so if you would be so kind to tip him for me, please." He handed Jeremy a wad of money and a room key.

"Are we all just going to be bunking together?"

"No, I have the adjoining room. Elena will be in there-" Jeremy opened his mouth to protest but Elijah shook his head, cutting him off. "She'll be waking soon Jeremy, I can hear the increased beating of her heart. Her body has been slowly reparing itself, soon it'll be finished but I cannot tell you how soon. Because of this we have to take precautions." He shifted backwards, head titling to the side as if he was listening in on a far off converstaion, "When she wakes there is a very high possibility that she'll feel the thirst. It'll be instantaneous and all encompassing, something that you will stand no chance against. Your safety, along with Elena's, are my main priority right now. I cannot have you in the same room with her until she has fed and calmed herself enough to be trusted around you."

Jeremy stared straight ahead at the mouth of the garage. His Adam's apple bobbed, threatening to expose his burning eyes and tight chest. "I'm her brother."

Elijah turned his focus to Jeremy for a moment; the side of his eyes creased in concern and he opened his mouth to say something- anything- but was unable to come up with the precise words to ease Jeremy's pain. He shook his head slowly before squeezing the younger boy's shoulder. It was hard, he knew, to fight with the natural instinct to be with your sibling despite the fact that your judgement tells you otherwise. He didn't have the right emotions for Jeremy, he didn't have the comfort the boy needed or the warmth that his friends back in Mystic Falls could wrap him in.

All he had was a shoulder to offer and wise words that would never be enough.

He hoped that whatever he could offer to the boy would be sufficient for the time being until his sister awoke. "Room 409, Jeremy."

Jeremy nodded and slipped wordlessly out of the car. He watched as the bellhop piled the luggage cart with their bags and a cooler Jeremy assumed to be for Elena and her blood bags. The walk towards the room was silent and gave Jeremy the time he needed to compose himself until Elijah returned with Elena.

He barely heard the words slip from the bellhop's lips over the sound of the buzzing in his head. He blinked, head jerking up to meet bright green eyes. "I'm sorry, what?"

"I said I'm sorry about your sister," the bellhop nodded solemnly and Jeremy wondered what story Elijah had fed him- or maybe Elijah had told him the truth. No need to lie if the bellhop was one of them too.

"Thanks."

The bellhop nodded, quietly stepping backwards, disappearing around the corner and out of sight.

Jeremy shut the door, sliding back against it, head thumping loudly against the wooden frame. Silent sobs escaped his body, frame shaking as he tried his hardest to let it all out before Elena awoke and needed him to be strong for the both of them. He raked his fingers through his hair, pressing the pads of them against his face, sniffling and shaking until he felt like his was breaking at the core.

He wasn't sure what pushed him up and towards the bed, but he found himself dialing a number and waiting as the sound of ringing pushed back his hysteria and the thundering fear that sounded an awful lot like his heartbeat.

"Hello?"

He didn't say anything- couldn't say anything. He was frozen, mute, completely paralyzed and all of the words he had wanted to share seemed to have just disappeared. Jeremy had promised Elijah not to disclose their location, he had promised not to put Elena had risk and that was just what he did. He was putting them at risk because he wasn't strong enough.

"Hey, hey, kiddo. It's okay. Calm down, okay? I'm not with them." Caroline exhaled lightly into the phone, "I won't tell them, Jer, and you don't have to tell me anything that could put you two at risk. Or you three, technically."

Jeremy nodded even though he knew she couldn't see him. Caroline was like the second older sister he hadn't wanted but got stuck with anyways. Sometimes she and Elena teamed up on him and sometimes she stood at his side, calm and reassuring. She was always there for him regardless of their differences- even when he just wanted to push her away and now, now when he didn't have Elena, he knew that Caroline would do her best to keep him functioning and sane.

"Is she awake yet?"

"No."

Caroline laughed; it didn't seem forced but there was a weight to it that Jeremy only slightly understood. "She would be the one that takes the longest. Sounds just like Elena. So sure of herself but so unsure of her own decisions."

Jeremy chuckled weakly, "Yeah. It does."

"How are you holding up, Jer?"

"I'm..."

"Yeah, I figured that's what you feeling like." There was the sound of rummaging, something clicking into place and then a soft buzz. "Listen, Stefan just texted me. He's coming by to run over a few theories we have going. I'll make sure to keep them off your trail, alright?"

Jeremy dropped his head in his hands, not even sure why he was crying or when he even started crying in the first place. "Thanks Care."

"So we should head north for a bit?" When Jeremy didn't say anything Caroline nodded, filing that bit of information away for later. "I totally heard the Mikaelsons have a nice house in Canada, somewhere lost in the woods. Sounds like a pretty good place to keep a newborn, huh?"

He hummed in response and Caroline chuckled.

"I love you, Jer. Elena's strong, she'll pull through this. Just remember that whatever she does, whatever mistakes she'll make- and she will make mistakes, Jeremy, we all do- it's because she's trying to control the urge inside of her. She's trying to control herself. She'll never stop trying. Don't lose faith in her. Because as soon as you do, she will too."

"I won't." He knew his sister was going to screw up, it terrified him but he wasn't going to act rash because of it. He loved Elena too much to let what she can't control ruin everything she'll work towards. "I promise."

"Alright well I'm going to go before questions are asked. I'll delete the number from my log, but try to at least keep in touch every week or so, okay? Just so I don't start to grow gray hairs."

"Is that even possible?"

Caroline laughed a true, full blown laugh that made Jeremy feel a bit more centered despite his state of emotional chaos. "In this town? I wouldn't doubt it." He heard her huff loudly before calling out that she'd be right there. "I've got to go. Love you."

"Bye Care. Love you too."

Jeremy sat on the bed, phone dangling from his fingers, dial tone echoing throughout the room until a brief knock came from the adjoining door. "Yeah?"

Elijah opened the door with a look that told Jeremy that he was only getting away with the 'yeah' this one time. "Until she wakes we can keep these doors open, if you'd like. But once she awakens I'm going to ask you to put vervain on the handle until I know she'll be able to control herself."

"When she wakes up though, she'll be in transition won't she? She'll be herself."

"Yes, but the thirst is different for everyone. She might be completely in control, or she might not know anything but the need to feed. The process is different for everyone and I must take every precaution I can in order to make sure nothing goes awry."

Jeremy stared down at his hands, thoughts racing inside of his mind, pushing at their barrers causing a dull headache to echo inside of his head. He knew, somehow, someway, that Elena would be herself when she woke up. Even though he was certain about that, he still didn't know how long that would last, or how long she was going to stay asleep in the next room. "When she turns, like fully turns into one of you...Is there a way-" He stopped, doubting his own thoughts. He was running on little sleep and heightened emotions, any stupid sort of hope he had was feeble and useless in the long run.

"Is there a way for what?" When Jeremy looked up, Elijah was leaning up the doorjamb between the two rooms, looking at him intently, as if Jeremy was about to discover the secrets of the universe.

"Is there a way you could compel her? I know Originals can compel other vampires. You did it to Katherine, Klaus has done it to a lot of people, including Stefan. Is there a way for you to compel her not to hurt me?"

Elijah paused, lips pursing in thought. He hadn't entertained that idea before. He hadn't wanted to violate the trust Elena was putting into him, but the idea was an option. It would be a way for Elena to be able to be near her brother without hurting him; a way for her to help control herself and hold on to her humanity while she was fitted into her new, uncomfortable supernatural skin. "Perhaps. I hadn't considered such an option for reasons I assume you will understand," the tips of Jeremy's ears tinted in embarrassment but his features remained steady. "I will consider the option, however I will warn you not to put stock into it. It is just an option and compulsion is never something that should be treated lightly."

The look Jeremy sent him had Elijah awkwardly clearing his throat; shamefully aware of his past compulsions. His actions were never without purpose and though he regretted many of them, he could not find time to dwell on his past indiscretions. He could only learn from them and move on. Perhaps one day, when Elena has been a vampire long enough, Jeremy will look at his sister and understand that nothing is done without cause.

"You should rest, Jeremy." Elijah stared out the window, watching as the storm raged on around them.

"What if she wakes up?" He knew that Elijah wouldn't be able to tell him how much longer Elena was going to spend in her vampiric coma, but ever since Elijah's comment about her heartbeat, he had hope it would be shorter than he had orignally guessed.

There was no response from Elijah and Jeremy looked up only to be met with an empty room. The adjoining door was cracked, still open so that if Jeremy chose not to rest, he would be able to come and go as he pleased.

Comforted slightly by that fact and the calm that came from talking to Caroline, Jeremy laid down on top of the covers and curled up on his side, willing sleep to come easily and dreamlessly.

xx

Elijah heard the sound of Jeremy's breathing fall into a steady rhythm and a part of him relaxed in response. He knew the boy was worried about his sister, upset over the circumstances and was still questioning whether or not he should make a run for it or trust Elijah with Elena's safety.

It would be a long while until Jeremy's emotions calmed and he would be able to see the reasoning behind all of his sister's decisions. Thankfully, Elijah was a patient man and he didn't mind waiting- especially when he knew the outcome was more than likely to be favorable.

Booting up his laptop, he started running over a few figures, making necessary calls for both Jeremy and Elena so that they would have access to their own source of money without having to worry about it being linked back to their inheritance or Mystic Falls.

This alternative was done mostly for the sake of Jeremy, who Elijah knew was going to feel the effects of being chained to the indoors quicker than his sister. Jeremy would want to go out, perhaps just for a walk or maybe to the movie and it had been a long while since Jeremy had to ask others for money. Giving him his own card would keep him from climbing the walls and biting off Elijah's head in annoyance.

He finished up the transfer quickly, barely even noticing the change in his bank status. With a roll of his neck, he made a few more calls, checking in on his investments and a few projects he currently had running. Everything was running smoothy despite the few setbacks he experienced in the past week, and a part of Elijah reveled in the calm.

His phone buzzed a few minutes later, alerting him that Rebekah was checking in, as he had so asked of her. They had made a simple agreement before he had left Beacon Hills: she was to check in twice a week with updates on the town, the Salvatores and any sort of questionable activity. She was also to stay away from the Donovan boy until she was able to think rationally without the thought revenge haunting her every thought.

She sent off a few texts detailing the events around Beacon Hills (the Mystic Grill had caught fire once again but the damage was minimum), what she had picked up from the Salvatores (Damon was brooding constantly and Stefan looked constipated), and the update on a property they were looking into buying in northern Canada (the offer was being processed and the house should be move-in ready in three days time). Her texts were accompanied along with a picture of their Beacon Hills home being rid of Niklaus' various illegally acquired items followed by a solemn looking picture of Elena's fresh tombstone.

Elijah stared at the latter picture for quite some time. A part of him mourned the death of Elena's past, of all that she had to accomplish in her human life, of the family she would never be able to have, of the many hopes and dreams that filled her empty grave.

His finger hovered over the save key before he clicked 'delete' and closed the phone, putting off responding Rebekah until tomorrow. He knew she would want to know what he was up to, whether or not he had found Kol and when he planned to come back.

He hated lying to his sister; she was one of the most important people in his life and hurting her was never something he enjoyed doing. But he had made his promises and he knew that Rebekah would rather see Elena dead then help her survive her transition. So, keeping his sister away until Elena was in control of herself and her new abilities was for the best- at least that was what he told himself when his sister's name flashed against his phone's screen and the subsequent pang of guilt that pierced his chest like a dagger.

He was halfway thorough an article posted by a small town right outside of the Georgia border when Jeremy woke with a start. Elijah continued to read through it, highlighting a few key points before writing them down in his journal along with the date and location. He kept an ear on Jeremy's actions, only vaguely listening to the sounds of him shuffling around and starting up the shower before he tuned him out completely.

By the time Jeremy appeared through their adjoined doorway, Elijah had poured himself a drink, worked through five of the major newspaper sources he used to follow a lead he had going, and briefly talked to Kol about lying low and deflecting all of Rebekah's inquires until Elijah gave him the go-ahead to resume contact.

"How is she?"

Elijah looked up over his tablet, eyebrows raising. They both turned to look at where Elena was sleeping on the bed, "The same."

Jeremy nodded, eyes flickering over to where the window was streaked from rain and took note that the sky was still dark from the storm and the frame still shook from the thunder. His stomached rumbled loudly, breaking the quiet atmosphere and the tips of his ears burned in embarrassment. He glanced awkwardly over to Elijah, who was holding back a wry grin, and offered up a feeble smile in response.

"I was unsure on what you wanted, Jeremy, so I chose a bit of everything from the room service menu."

Jeremy startled for a moment, shocked that Elijah had already thought that far in advance, but when the Original simply tapped at the curve of his ear, it all made sense. "Thanks."

"You're welcome."

The guilt ridden part of Jeremy twisted and turned inside of him, eating away at his calm exterior. "Did you...?"

Putting the laptop off to the side, Elijah folded his hands into his lap and nodded. "Yes." Jeremy opened his mouth, possibly to explain himself or to apologize, however Elijah didn't want to have to hear either. "Caroline is trustworthy. I believe she'll keep our secret to the best her abilities and though I would rather you not keep in constant contact with her, I do understand why you will."

Just when Jeremy thought he had Elijah pegged, the older vampire went off and did something to completely throw him off. Leaving the matter of whether or not he liked Elijah still up for debate."Alright."

The knock by room service saved the day, easing the tension out of the room, replacing it with the sound of Jeremy's rumbling stomach and Elijah's quiet laughter. Elijah ate along with Jeremy, offering up idle conversation about the town they were staying in and how he had found it years back on a trip with his brother.

The story was simple: while Niklaus had found the town insufficient for his needs, Elijah had taken a liking to it- not that he had told his brother this. He had enjoyed the scenery, the charm of the town and how there were just far enough out to keep his presence in the area completely under the radar.

Jeremy had asked a few questions, some of which Elijah had expected (no the bellhop was not a vampire, but unfortunately his older brother had been bitten during Niklaus' rampage through the town) and some that caught him momentarily off guard (was there a cure for vampirism and if Elena didn't complete the transition would she die or just stay in limbo because she was already a child of the supernatural?)

Elijah was halfway through his explanation on why there wasn't a cure and even if there were rumors about a cure- most of them were lies told by hunters and those out to rid the world of vampires in the first place. A cure for vampirism was nothing more than a fable, told to give those in transition hope until they either succumbed to the bloodlust or suffered through death- when he stilled, mouth open, caught in mid-sentence.

Jeremy's hands shook and his plate clattered to the floor, shock and relief shot through his system like twin sparks.

A pair of dark, blurred eyes blinked in the harsh lighting of the room. A hand, pale and weak, accepted the glass of water Elijah offered her and, for a moment, her eyes fluttered closed, leaving the two men in the room to stare at her with baited breaths until she opened them again and smiled. "Hi."

"You're awake." Elijah took the glass from her before it could slip out of her weak grip and offered her an arm, gently pulling her up into a sitting position.

Jeremy was at her side instantly, handing her pillows to stack behind her back so that she could sit against the headboard comfortably. "Hey sis."

She squeezed his hand to the best of her ability and chuckled at the difference between his skin and her almost transparent coloring. Her eyes met Elijah's as she gave the room a quick once over, lips quirking into a grin. "So, I guess my plan worked after all."

A/N: This Elena is probably my favorite Elena to write. I think mostly because she's not near the Salvatores so there's less stress and no expectations of her.

Anyways, we'll get to see more of her in transition next time and more Elena/Elijah/Jeremy interactions.

Thanks for bearing with me you guys! I owe you all a plate full of cookies, tbh.

3