Title: Subverted Roles
Author: Alysia
Couple: Elejah
Summary: Set immediately after the episode American Gothic. I wasn't ready for the Elejah to end, so a little more Elejah is involved.
Author's Note: So, I thought that the first episode that Elejah was reunited was a beautiful mess. The kiss was a bittersweet moment for me, because of the emotion that Elijah poured into it…for Katherine. Honestly, I felt robbed a little robbed in the way that Elejah was so overshadowed this episode. This is my attempt to give a little more Elejah. Also, I will be ignoring all spoilers and episodes after this episode.
Disclaimer: I don't own any characters familiar to TVD. Also thank you to Andy for help on the last part.

Without one last look at the Salvatore brothers, Elena exited the small diner. Tossing her head back, she expelled a deep breath. She had long since grown tired of the town around her. It was so small and reminiscent of Mystic Falls, another place she was finding too cramped. As far as she was concerned, she was out of that little town of nothing the day of Graduation.

Walking across the street, she considered her next step. She couldn't use the car that she and Rebekah stole to get back to Mystic Falls. She didn't want to chance it, though she knew she could compel herself out of any trouble that may befall her; stops would be nothing more than a hassle. Pulling out her phone, she dialed the number she was becoming familiar with.

"Hello?"

Elena closed her eyes, unable to believe she was about to ask Rebekah for a favor. "Hey, where are you? I assume you'll be riding with Elijah back to Mystic Falls…"

"Yeah, we're filling up the car and then we'll be on our way. Why? Has something happened?"

"No, everything's just peachy," Elena denied in an even tone. "I was just wondering if I could hitch a ride with you."

"Elena…" Rebekah sighed. While she was enjoying this new side of Elena, or rather, not hating her so much; it was still Elena.

"Look, I get it…now that Katherine's a lost cause, the partnerships off," the young vampire broke in then. "I don't expect the two of us to be the best of friends, but I cannot ride with Stefan and Damon." She wouldn't say she was desperate, but she couldn't spend hours confined to the same car as them She couldn't! "If I have to listen to them and their ideas on how to fix me, I will kill more people."

At the gas station, Elijah got back into the car in time to hear Elena's last words. He cast a frown to his sister, his arched eyebrows signaling that he wanted to know more about it.

Rebekah sighed. She just didn't understand it. She didn't understand her brother's tie to all of the Petrova women. More than that, she didn't understand what it was about Elena that Elijah just couldn't stay away from. "What did you do now?" Having to pick up after Elena was getting exhausting. That was another reason why she was looking forward to getting away from the young vampire.

"Nothing, I simply explained to our lovers that I had no wish for the cure," the brunette denied easily. "I told them that there would be consequences for such talk and attempting to force it, they didn't believe me…so I called their bluff," Elena finished with an annoyed sigh, tired of having to explain her decisions. She listened to Rebekah's side of the connection, detecting a muffled conversation.

"Fine," Rebekah said shortly. "Where are you?"

Elena smirked in triumph. "I'm across the street from the diner." There was no need for her to discern which one she spoke of, they'd only been to the one together. "Though I think I might have to duck into one of the alleys, Damon and Stefan were left with the body. I really don't want to listen to another lecture."

"Ugh, fine. Just keep an eye out for us." The distaste in the blonde's voice was obvious. "I swear, Elena, if you aren't there, we'll leave you."

Elena was willing to call bullshit. Elijah wouldn't leave her, not if he overheard her confession as to killing someone. Despite his obvious stupidity for falling for Katherine's manipulation, he was still the same moral man. He would blame himself if she acted against another innocent being when he had a chance to stop it from occurring. Though she wouldn't press her luck, she certainly didn't want to be stuck in a car with the Salvatores for hours. "I'll be ready." She disconnected the call before stepping a few feet away and peered down an alleyway. What she heard then, piqued her interest.

There was no denying the fact that whoever the couple was, they were close to sex, the moans and the groans quietly echoes through the small area. Without much worry for herself, she walked further into the space, stopping when she had full view of the occupied couple. She had no idea who the man was, the poor bastard was being used both as a toy and a blood source. There was no denying the female, whose mouth was buried against the man's neck. The scent, the smell of blood… Elena shook her head and let out a loud laugh, gathering the attention of the rutting pair.

"You didn't tell me you had a twin," the man murmured in a daze; either by lust or the loss of blood.

"Oh, this is just…" Elena's laugh died off with a small shake of her head. "How you managed to get three vampires to fall in love with you, I'll never know. At least Stefan managed to realize the error in his ways…"

Katherine narrowed her eyes at her look alike as she dismounted from her partner. Fidgeting, she attempted to smooth out the wrinkles in her clothes.

Elena watched Katherine with a smirk on her lips, despite how much she groomed herself, there was no denying what she was previously doing or rather, what she had been close to doing; she wouldn't even mention the mess of blood that gathered around Katherine's lips.

"Ah, but he's not the one that you're interested in," Katherine countered as she once again narrowed her eyes; easily able to gather her wits about her. "Hmmm, it couldn't be Damon…" She paused to see if there was reaction to the older brother's name, when there wasn't, she continued on. "Oh, I guess it must be Elijah then." The older vampire noticed the way that Elena pursed her lips. It was brief, a flash really, but she didn't miss it.

Elena shook her head. "I have no interest in him what-so-ever. I merely pity the man for falling for you again." She removed the heels she'd forced from Katherine before tossing them in her direction and removing the jacket and carelessly dropping it into a puddle at her feet. "I just wanted to return your clothes," she explained, removing the jewelry as well before dropping it on the jacket. "I wish I could say it was fun, but when you're involved, it never is," she finished in an air of boredom.

Spinning around, she moved back to the street, content in knowing that Katherine would follow her. If she knew her look alike as well as she did, she knew that the older vampire had to have the last word. Claiming a seat on a nearby bench, she waited for the confrontation. She was not disappointed.

"Poor little Elena. Tell me, how does it feel to have all of my leftovers?" Katherine taunted her as she followed Elena onto the main street.

Elena shook her head. "Honestly, I'm done over that whole 'falling for guys who have loved you' thing. It's quite exhausting, and I'm tired of people believing me to be you." Or in Damon's case, desiring her to actually be Katherine; though she left that part unsaid, not wanting to garner any more taunts from the woman before her.

Katherine took a threatening step forward, towering over Elena. "And how does it feel to know that Elijah fucked my brains out? Sometimes two or three times a day! Don't bother trying to pretend you don't care, because I can see straight through you. It bothers you to know that we were together."

"No," Elena denied quickly. "I have no interest in what he plows. I just find it amazing that he let 'little Elijah' do the thinking for him." She paused to peer up at the threatening figure before her. Katherine had already snapped her neck once that day, she doubted there was much else she could do to her. "I suppose if you were what he stupidly hoped you were, it would be one thing, but…" she gestured to the woman's form. "You smell of that man's arousal and blood, and I don't think Elijah would be happy to know just how close you were with someone else, when hours ago you claimed to love him." She'd still been coming back after having her neck snapped, but she'd heard enough.

Katherine's hand shot out and she grabbed Elena by her hair, forcing her head back. "You know nothing about my feelings, don't make assumptions."

Elena smiled at Katherine, not at all afraid of the woman. "Oh, I wouldn't dare try to get in your mind. No, actions speak louder than words. If it was me, and I'm glad it's not," she quickly added. "I would think that if I claimed to love someone so much, I wouldn't be messing with someone else hours later. It kind of negates the purpose of confessing love, or at least that's how I see it," the cocky youngling said. "Hmm, it was a comfort fuck, then? Or, it would have been…should I go and let you get back to it?"

"Again, don't pretend to understand anything about the way I feel for Elijah or anyone! He was the only one willing to give me a second chance."

"And whose fault is that?" Elena shot back in anger. "Maybe if you didn't lie to everyone, more people would extend an olive branch? But you didn't just warm up to him because he gave you a chance…you exploited his feelings for you. You used him just like you use everyone else."

"Excuse me for wanting to live my life uninterrupted," Katherine said, yanking her doppelganger's head further backwards. "When you spend five hundred years running for your life, then perhaps you can judge me, until then, shut your mouth."

Elena's smile grew as Katherine's actions continued on. She knew that if she had been human, she would have been dead in that moment. However, she found herself unable to care. She hadn't planned on running into Katherine, but it was not a complete unfortunate chance. She would use it to her advantage, and if she was lucky, not only would she be able to prove her point to Elijah; but she'd be able to get the best of Katherine. She had not missed the pair of headlights that slowed up as it approached them.

"You will release her, Katherine," Elijah hissed out the woman's name.

Staring at her doppelganger, Katherine's eyes widened as she noticed the suddenly happy smile on Elena's face. She removed her hand from the young vampire's head and took a step back. "You bitch," she cursed. "You set me up. You knew he was coming…"

Elena smoothed out her dress and stood up. "I simply manipulated the situation, you willingly went along with it," she denied in an even tone. "What do you know? It is fun to be you." Turning her back to Katherine, she walked towards the car. Behind her there was a flurry of action, she turned around in time to see Elijah standing in front her, squaring off against Katherine.

Never removing his eyes from his lover, Elijah spoke to the young vampire. "Get in the car, Elena."

Elena stepped from behind him and stared at Katherine. "You killed my brother, Katherine. Now, you've killed your relationship. Now, Elijah is able to see you for the monster you really are." She couldn't deny the vindication she felt. It was small, but it was a triumph for her. "Oh, and by the way, you have a little blood around your mouth." She watched as Katherine tried to brush away the drying life source. "Such a messy eater, maybe you should try feeding from someone when you aren't teasing them. What with all the bumping and grinding…"

With his jaw set, Elijah shook his head. "Car, now, Elena!"

Turning to face him, she placed a genuine regretful look on her face. "I'm sorry that your girlfriend is such a whore, Elijah."

Without a backwards glance at the pair, she claimed a spot in the back seat.

"Was that really necessary, Elena?" Elijah asked, breaking the silence in the car. From the moment that he joined his sister and the young vampire they settled into an awkward silence. He appreciated the fact that his sister had the consideration not to run her mouth. Even Elena remained strangely silent. Which given her newly acquired attitude he could only assume was something she never really did.

Elena pulled her attention from the window and met the man's gaze in the rearview mirror. "Was what necessary?" She asked, arching her eyebrows in question; though she knew what he spoke of.

"Katherine," he ground out through clenched teeth. "You deliberately lead her to the street where you knew we would be approaching." As if the revelations of Katherine's actions weren't enough that afternoon, to see her in such a way…to smell her with her scent still entwined with a man's lust; it had torn a hole through his heart. A swift fury had taken over him then. The slow burn that he felt when discovering the duplicity of Katherine's actions had morphed into fierce conniption; and he was angry with his lover for deceiving him, with Elena for bringing it to his attention, but mostly, he was angry with himself for behaving so naïve.

"I didn't lead her anywhere," Elena denied with a shrug of her shoulders. "It's not my fault that she has to have the last word…" Had she used that to her advantage? Abso-fucking-lutely! "It's not like I went out of my way locate her, and it isn't my fault that she doesn't keep that shit to her residence." She understood Elijah's anger, but she would not sit back and let him place that anger on her.

Looking over at her brother, whose knuckles were white because of the strong grip that he had on the steering wheel, the female sibling decided to speak up. "She has a point you know," Rebekah observed softly. "Katherine doesn't know when to leave well enough alone, she never has," she added the last part with a dark mutter. "All Elena did was use that knowledge to her advantage. We would have done the same thing…you, would have done the same thing if it was anyone else."

"Look, if you ask me, you're better off without her," Elena spoke up then, leaning between the seats. "She's a manipulative little skank."

Rebekah snorted there. "Be careful, Elena. The apple doesn't fall far from the Petrova tree…"

The young vampire ignored the woman. "Elijah, you are so much better than her, you always were, and you always will be." It was then that she looked at Rebekah. "There is a difference between Katherine's actions and my own," she denied in a stiff voice. "Despite what you may think, Rebekah, I don't go out of my way to manipulate Stefan or Damon. Looking back, were my actions sometimes manipulative? Sure." She would honestly admit to that. "However, Katherine approaches a situation with a cold calculation as she tries to figure out what or how much she can get from a person. I have never done that," she denied with a fierce countenance.

Rebekah peered at her companion with pursed lips. She had to admit that Elena had a point in that. "Fair enough…"

Turning back to the eldest Mikaelson, Elena studied his profile. She had to admit that their first meeting had taken her breath away; and it'd had nothing to do with the reason of why she'd been at that abandoned house in the first place. There was an old world charm about him, and he just exuded power and sex appeal. Vampires were always an attractive lot, but Elijah had far surpassed it in her opinion. Yet, that was as far as it went for her. She never once thought of acting on that attraction, and aside from the few dreams she'd had, she managed to keep him out of her thoughts…mostly.

"Look, when we get back to Mystic Falls, you can compel some poor, unsuspecting woman into your bed and get out that frustration. And then after that, you can go back to being the man I thought you were," she finished in a bored tone.

Elijah's eyes widened as he repeated her words in his thoughts. That was not something he ever thought he'd hear come out of her mouth. With look behind them to make sure that there were no other cars following them, he pulled off onto the shoulder. He turned on the caution lights before zipping out of the car. He moved to the door nearest to her, and ignoring her cries of protestation, he yanked her out of the car and into the rain with him.

"What is the matter with you?" Elena demanded after she tried to get back in the car, refusing to let her. "I'm getting soaked!"

"You cannot possibly be so jaded," Elijah said, ignoring her comment about the rain. "From the moment I've met you, you have had Damon and Stefan Salvatore wrapped around your pretty little fingers. They would do anything for you."

Elena shook her head. "I'm not jaded, Elijah," the brunette answered in an even tone. "I'm free for the first time since meeting Stefan," she smiled at that revelation.

He studied the expression on her face, and discovered that the smile on her face was perhaps the most genuine expression he'd seen from her since their run in earlier that day. There was no hint of malice or sarcasm behind her words.

"Damon doesn't love me for me. When I was human, he constantly berated my decisions. When I turned, it wasn't enough for him, he ordered me to hunt like him…like Katherine. I slowly found myself morphing into a sad, pathetic version of her, and I still wasn't enough." She noticed the confused look on his face. "Oh, yeah, I'm sired to Damon." If it hadn't been such a serious conversation, she would have laughed at the look on his face upon hearing the revelation.

Elijah blinked at the news. He opened his mouth to say something, but shook his head. He had never seen eye to eye with either Salvatore, but his dislike of Damon was much more prominent than it was for Stefan. Aside from his personal feelings, both brothers were eager to protect Elena. He was so sure that when he left, she would be taken care of. He should have known better.

Unaware of her companion's inward thoughts, Elena continued on. "So whatever he said went." She shook her head. "And then there's Stefan… and Stefan doesn't want me a vampire, he thinks I'm broken," she pursed her lips. "I still wasn't able to make decisions for myself." From the moment she'd been reborn, Stefan and Damon were at odds over how she should be, who she should be. Both tried to persuade her over their line of thinking. "Neither one could deal with my emotions regarding Jeremy, so Damon turned off my emotions and Stefan went along with it…the cowards. The one good thing that came out of that cowardice is that I no longer feel that pull of the sire bond. For the first time in months…maybe even years, I'm my own person." She wasn't the meek little teenager anymore. She didn't need anyone else making decisions for her; and for the first time in a long time, she was putting herself first. She didn't have to worry about Jeremy, about her family and friends.

"I never thought I'd see the day…" Elijah said with a shake of his head. "After everything you three have been through."

"It's long overdue if you ask me…" Elena said with a sigh. "Look, it's getting late, and I'm more wet than I prefer to be," she spoke again. "Can we get back in the car and continue on our merry way?" She moved to open the door, but Elijah moved right up behind her and closed it. Elena spun around to find herself trapped in between Elijah's body and the car door. "If you wanted to get close…" When she noticed the cold expression on his face, Elena wisely closed her mouth.

"You sound so resolved about that, almost as though it doesn't bother you," Elijah mused quietly, trapping her body against the car. He noticed the way that she swallowed thickly. He vaguely wondered if it was reaction to his words or his near presence; though it was not the time think on such, he would ponder on it later.

"That's because it doesn't," she denied. "I have nothing holding me back anymore. There's no remorse, no trust, no sadness…they are all bullshit. Trust, it's right there at the top."

"Trust?" Elena had always been the one to extend her trust first. "You always took chances with your trust. I trusted you…"

"And where did that take us?" She scoffed. "I don't know if you're aware of the part I played in Kol's death, but I had a significant role in it." She watched a shadow cross his face. "He had compelled Damon to kill my brother…and then there was the mark too. It would have taken him years to complete the hunters mark…" Elena frowned at the foreign sense of guilt that welled within her. "I won't apologize for it, Elijah," she told him in a near whisper. "Aside from the map, I was attempting to help my brother. You've already proved that you would do anything for family as well." She peered up at him, ready for the disgust or judgment she thought she would find in his expression, but there was none. He wore neutral expression on his face.

Elijah bit his cheek to keep from speaking out. He knew that he wouldn't get much from Elena in her current state. If there was a morsel of regret, which he sure there was, it buried deep down inside of her. "You're right," he agreed softly. He stepped away from her, away from the door.

As soon as Elijah moved back, Elena moved to grab the handle; turning back to face him as she did so. She paused momentarily. "I'm not looking for redemption, Elijah. I just want to pass the next few months in Mystic Falls so that I can leave and never look back." She wanted nothing more than to move to a big city and get lost in it. Perhaps, New York City or Los Angeles? "That girl I once was, she's dead, she burned along with her brother," she said in a soft tone. She was tired of people thinking she could be fixed, she didn't want to be fixed. She rather liked herself the way she was.

"Are you going to stand there all night?" Elijah asked, as he pulled up in front of what was once the Gilbert residence. Turning off his car, he exited it and leaned against the side of it.

Upon their arrival to Mystic Falls, Elena asked him to drop her off at Caroline's place. He did as requested, not bothering to make sure she got in okay before he pulled away. He dropped Rebekah off at her own residence before he decided to drive around. He wasn't anxious to face Klaus again, he wasn't anxious to share Katherine's presence in his life with his brother. He never intended to fall for Katherine's whiles again. Despite Elena's thoughts, he wasn't totally naïve. He knew that Katherine wasn't the woman she once was, but he honestly meant his words to her earlier that day. How could he not at least attempt to find that girl underneath the cool exterior? He knew that Katherine wasn't the woman she once was, but she'd been forced to change and evolve after everything she'd been through.

He'd been content before Katherine approached him that day. He'd planned to make good on his promise to Elena that he would leave her alone so that she could live her life out in peace. He didn't anticipate Katherine, or the news she delivered. In the beginning, he'd been skeptical by the revelation of Elena's transition or that the group hunted down a cure. He'd assumed that Elena had enough support around her, she didn't need him rushing to Mystic Falls. Instead, he stayed put and plotted with Katherine to get the cure into his possession.

The first time that he and Katherine had fallen into bed, it had been easy. They'd spent the entire day attempting to track down the location of the cure before the Mystic Falls group could. They were both tired and wine flowed freely between them. With him, she acted more like the young woman she was before Klaus destroyed it all. When she made the first move and kissed him, he didn't bother to stop her. There was hesitation of course, but he forced it back. After that first time, his feelings grew; and he thought hers had as well. He fell into bed with her more times than he knew he should have, but she would always say it was to make up for all the time they lost.

It didn't matter that doubts still plagued the thoughts in the back of his mind; he thought he was just overreacting. Katherine had not turned into the nicest person through the years, she constantly lied and manipulated; but he forced those thoughts away. He convinced himself that she was different with him, and it had been so easy to believe…until Elena had to open her mouth. Elena, whom he'd always held a certain regard for; voiced the same words and doubts that plagued him. Her words had hit closer to him than he was prepared to admit to anyone.

"I have nowhere to go," Elena voiced then, pulling Elijah from his thoughts.

Elijah cautiously stepped closer to her. "Yes, well…I suppose that is what happens when one burns down their own house…" One side of his mouth twisted up in a smirk. He approached the lone vampire and the squatted down next to her. "Were you aware that there is no true way of turning off your human emotions?" He looked at the wreckage before them, but he was keenly aware of her attention on him. "It's still there, bubbling underneath the surface. Yes, you may not experience all of them like you used to, but they're there. Such as, when I approached you, you wore a lost expression on your face," he observed in a pointed manner.

Elena shook her head. "I don't want them, and I don't need an intervention, Elijah. I am not Katherine," she hissed at him, upset that he thought he could help her. She was not a charity case! Just because it didn't work with Katherine, did not mean that he needed to try with her!

"I am aware of that, Elena," he bit back at her, angry that she would compare herself to Katherine. "I know who are, I've always known who you are," he muttered.

It was mostly a whispered comment to himself, but she heard it nonetheless. Elena looked away from the remnants of her house, her astonishment was easy to decipher. "Excuse me?" She asked, her voice taking on a softer tone. "So earlier in the gazebo, you knew it was me…" She trailed off, waiting for him to elaborate his previous statement.

She never took Elijah for an idiot. For her, Elijah was always the lesser of two evils, but she never forgot about the threat he posed. In the end, he was still an Original, he didn't survive the last thousand years by being lenient. However, for some inexplicable reason; they'd formed a partnership of sorts. There had always been respect and understanding between them.

At least there had been until she found out he'd been sleeping with Katherine. To say the news was a shock to her, would be an understatement. In all the time she'd gotten to know Elijah; granted at how little it was in retrospect, she never imagined he would have held a torch for her lookalike for all those years. It just didn't make sense to her. The revelation of his relationship with Katherine not only sickened her, she felt a foreign sense of jealousy. It was a small, niggling emotion, but it was there all the same.

Standing up, Elijah extended a hand out toward her. Instead of verbalizing a response to her question, he simply offered an arched eyebrow when her gaze traveled up from his hand to his face. He was not ready to address that particular admission of his, he didn't even know if he ever would be.

"What are you doing?"

"Come, Elena. Come with me," he offered in a soft but firm voice.

Surprised by his offer, Elena shook her head. She stared at the limb as though he held a bloody heart in his hand. "Why, Elijah?"

"Let me help you," he offered, extending an offer that not many had ever received from him. He moved a little closer to her, his eyes silently urging her to agree.

With an unsteady grace, Elena settled her hand in his and allowed him to pull her to her feet. As soon as she was on her feet, he pulled his hands away from her body. She trailed behind him as he led her to his car. "Why?" Elena prompted gently, stopping suddenly. "Why are you doing this after everything I've done? After everything I've done against you?"

Upon hearing her question, Elijah stopped walking. He turned around to face her. "You have acted against my family, Elena. And I will never forget that," he admitted in a soft voice. Yet, he had acted against her family…her. Because he had gone back on his word, Jenna and John died in vain. He loved his siblings, but he was not blind to their faults. He should have known better than to leave town without Rebekah. His sister had always been one to act rash. She acted against Elena and her friends for something their mother had been responsible for. Months later, Katherine, who after forming alliance with him, killed the younger Gilbert sibling. "However, you have already been punished enough. There is nothing more that I could possibly do to you that could inflict more pain." It was a fact that would always haunt him, but he was not blameless in all of that.

She slowly nodded, understanding his observation. However there was one more question that had been on her mind since their conversation earlier in the day. "You didn't come back for me when you found out about my change, why do you care now?"

When she learned that he'd been aware of her change but chose to stay with Katherine, there was a slight feeling of betrayal that went along with surprise. She wanted to know what it was about Katherine that he couldn't let go of. What was the deciding factor in staying with her doppelganger, as opposed to returning to Mystic Falls to see her and reunite with his siblings? She couldn't help but wonder if things might have turned out differently if Elijah had never left Mystic Falls; or at the very least, if he returned upon learning her fate.

"I thought you were in capable hands," he admitted with a frown. "It has become quite evident that is not the case…" Elijah trailed off. If only she knew how difficult it was for him to learn of her fate. He knew that she didn't want to turn, it was why he'd attempted to fight for her humanity; why he was still holding out for it. He'd been consumed with guilt upon the knowledge that she'd been changed, discovering that it had happened at hands of his own sister only added to it. "Allow me to do what I did not earlier," the Original explained. He was not ready to forgive her for her actions, but in the end; it was Elena. He knew it would only be a matter of time before her humanity came rushing back. Once it did, they would discuss it all then…

"Too little, too late, don't you think?" Elena asked then. She didn't buy for one moment that he would so willingly turn a blind eye for her actions. She wouldn't have been surprised if he dealt with her the same way he'd dealt with Trevor. Aside from that thought, why did he suddenly care then?

Opening his car door, her comment made him pause in his actions once again. Since their first meeting, Elena had become one of the few beings that managed to catch him off guard. However, against his better judgment, he was finding this newer version of her intriguing as well.

He met her gaze, unflinchingly and pursed his lips. "Too little, maybe," he allowed after a moment of thought. "It's never too late though," Elijah denied.

The End