"I was wondering where that was,"

⋆˖⁺‧₊☽◯☾₊‧⁺˖⋆

Clarissa had kept her plans to herself, not sharing them with others. 

Perhaps it was guilt that kept her silent, or maybe she simply wanted to avoid being treated as if she were on a suicidal mission.

In truth, she had no intention of killing herself.

She only wanted to protect those closest to her.

However, she was unsure if her friends would see it the same way.

Of course she couldn't blame them, she understood their concern. 

They were just worried about her, that's all.

They were worried because they cared about her. 

They loved her. 

They didn't want her to get hurt.

She knew that they would never understand her plan. 

They would never understand why she was doing this, why she was willing to put herself in danger to protect them.

Clarissa wrapped her arms around her knees, feeling vulnerable as she observed the screen in front of her.

She didn't like what she was seeing - it was like catching glimpses into her deepest, darkest thoughts.

Thoughts she had tried so hard to keep locked away.

Jenna entered the room and found Clarissa sitting on the floor, surrounded by a chaotic mess of papers and books. She raised an eyebrow, curious as to what her niece was up to.

"What are you doing?" she inquired, her eyes taking in the organized mess around the brunette.

Clarissa answered, her gaze never leaving the file in her hands. "Aunt Carol called," she replied simply.

Jenna nodded, a knowing smile on her face. "Ah, I see. She told you about the gathering. Should've expected that," she said, a slight smirk tugging at her lips.

"You know she's going to want to brag about you, right?" Jenna mentioned off-handedly, but Clarissa hummed in response. "I'm aware," 

Finally lifting her gaze, the brunette noticed Elijah's presence and her eyes widened in surprise.

"I didn't realize we had guests," she spoke, a shy smile on her face as she began to gather the papers and files, carefully placing them back in their boxes.

Elijah smiled warmly at her, introducing himself. "I'm Elijah,"

Jenna looked amused, her brow arching as she watched Clarissa's actions. "How long have you been doing this?" she inquired.

Clarissa shrugged nonchalantly, her fingers running through her hair as she responded, "Uh, for a while?"

Jenna raised an eyebrow, her skepticism clear. "Since you had coffee?" she asked, her tone indicating that she didn't believe that was the main reason for Clarissa's behavior.

Clarissa chuckled softly, shrugging again. "Uh, yes. I might have had a cup or two," she confessed, a sheepish grin on her lips. "But in my defense, it's not like any sane person would voluntarily immerse themselves in an avalanche of information unless adequately caffeinated. It's a bit intense, you know?"

Jenna chuckled softly, a smile on her lips as she remarked, "That's our Clarie for you. Once she gets going, it's near impossible to stop her."

Clarissa let out a soft laugh, glancing between her aunt and Elijah. "I'll leave you two to it. It was nice meeting you, Elijah," she replied before heading up the stairs.

"That's what we call her research mode," Jenna explained, a hint of pride in her voice, as she watched her niece climb the stairs.

Elijah raised an eyebrow, his interest piqued. "Research mode, huh?" he mused, a glint of curiosity in his eyes.

"Yep, it's her way of diving deep into something. She'll lose herself for hours just gathering information," Jenna chuckled, clearly amused by her niece's intense focus. "She was never one for parties or social gatherings. Only attended them for her best friend, still does,"

Elijah's gaze remained fixed on the stairs, his mind working as he absorbed the information about Clarissa. "Why for her best friend?" he asked, his curiosity getting the better of him.

Jenna chuckled softly before replying to Elijah's question. "Like I said, Clarissa's never been a fan of social events, but her best friend, Caroline, she loves them. And Clarissa can't say no to her, so she usually ends up playing the part of Caroline's wingman,"

Caroline and Clarissa smiled, their hands linked together.

It was clear their bond ran deep, deeper than oceans.

Clarissa looked up from her book, sensing his presence. "You won't hurt her, will you?" she asked, her voice betraying a small trace of protectiveness.

Elijah shook his head, his gaze fixed on her as she stood. "I have no desire to harm your family," he replied, his tone sincere. "You haven't told them," he stated rather than asked.

Clarissa closed her book, taking a deep breath before responding. "Neither have you," she countered, her gaze meeting his.

"It is not place to do so," Elijah answered, his gaze not leaving her.

They stared at each other, neither saying anything as silence settled over the room.

Elijah sighed, retrieving several items from his pocket: her necklace, her journal, a polaroid image of her with Caroline, and lastly her camera.

"How did you-" Clarissa began, her expression softening as she held her personal possessions.

Elijah answered, "I required it to track you," he explained, observing her reaction closely.

To his surprise, Clarissa didn't appear angry; instead, she seemed understanding.

She smiled tenderly at the polaroid, running her thumb gently over it. "I was wondering where it was," she whispered softly.

He couldn't help himself from taking in her every move, every expression. He watched her fingers touch the polaroid with such care, almost as if it was fragile.

There was something incredibly captivating about her, something he couldn't quite put into words. And the fact she wasn't mad? That he found even more intriguing.

"A missing piece of my heart," Clarissa whispered, her gaze shifting to her wall. There were numerous polaroids decorating her room, but a particular section held a heart shape made of the ones she cherished most.

Among them, pictures of her with Caroline, Elena, Jeremy, Bonnie, and Mystic Falls, a visual testament to her memories and connections.

She gently placed the polaroid in its designated place amongst the other ones, completing the heart.

Elijah stood and quietly observed every move, his gaze transfixed on her. There was something enchanting in the way she carefully placed the polaroid, as if handling something precious.

"You know, your little mission was-" Elijah began, but Clarissa cut him off.

"Stupid, idiotic, reckless?" she suggested, her tone almost teasing.

Elijah shook his head, a small smile tugging at the corners of his lips. "I would say brave and selfless," he corrected her. "Not many people would even attempt what you did," 

Clarissa was taken aback by Elijah's words. She hadn't expected him to label her actions as anything but foolish.

But hearing him describe her mission as brave and selfless made her heart flutter.

She shook her head, a soft chuckle escaping her lips. "You must think I'm trying to get myself killed," she murmured, half-jokingly.

"Not exactly, no," Elijah answered, his gaze meeting hers in a way that made her mind race. There was something about the way he looked at her, as if he could see right through her.

Clarissa shifted, unable to tear her gaze away from his. "What do you mean?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

"You want to protect your family and friends. You care about them deeply," Elijah replied, his gaze still on her, observing her every move.

"I sense a but coming," Clarissa commented, crossing her arms over her chest.

Elijah gave a slight nod, his gaze never leaving her. "But... You could've gotten yourself killed," he said, his voice barely above a whisper.

Clarissa only stared at him for a moment before a chuckle escaped her, her expression turning amused. 

"Oh oh, that's the devil smile," Jeremy mused, causing his sister to grin.

That smile on the screen, that was when Clarissa showed her cards.

When she revealed her intelligence and cleverness.

When she became cunning.

"Do you seriously think I did not have a back up plan?" she questioned, stepping closer to him. "You think I'm that naive? I knew you were alive,"

Elijah raised an eyebrow at her response, a small smirk tugging at the corners of his lips. "And what was your back up plan, pray tell?" he inquired, taking a subtle step closer to her.

"You," Clarissa responded, her eyes not straying from his. "I counted on you coming,"

"On me?" Elijah repeated, his gaze locked on hers. "You were hoping I'd come save you from a bunch of vampires?" he inquired, a hint of amusement in his tone.

"Not hoping," Clarissa shook her head. "Expecting. See, I noticed those things your witches took missing, I would be a fool not to. And I knew a witch once who told me about this tracking spell. The same you used to find me,"

"Clever girl," Elijah murmured, his gaze never leaving her face. "I underestimated you," he admitted, a hint of respect in his voice.

Clarissa smiled at his comment, tilting her head slightly to the side. "You're not the first, you know," she said, her tone holding a hint of pride. 

She had never been given much credit for her intellect before, and it felt good.

"No, I don't doubt it," Elijah responded, his gaze still fixed on her. "But I won't underestimate you again," he promised, his lips tugging at a small smile.

"Good," Clarissa mused, her gaze locked on his, a hint of a smile tugging at her lips. 

"It wouldn't be so fun if you underestimated me again,"

⋆˖⁺‧₊☽◯☾₊‧⁺˖⋆

Stefan and Katherine heard a noise coming from the entrance of the tomb, and they both walked to investigate. Katherine gasped as she saw Elijah standing there.

"Elijah," she said, her voice laced with fear.

Elijah smiled slightly at Katherine's fear. "Good evening, Katerina," he greeted her, his tone calm and composed.

He then turned to Stefan, who looked at the Original with caution.

"Your release has been requested," Elijah told the Salvatore vampire.

Stefan's gaze flicked to Katherine before returning to Elijah. "What? By who?" 

"The lovely Clarissa,"

Stefan was puzzled, glancing at Katherine before looking back at Elijah. "Clarissa?" he asked, skepticism lacing his voice.

"Hey, why are you so skeptical?" Clarissa exclaimed, offended.

"Yes," Elijah nodded, motioning for him to step outside. "Please. Come,"

"I can't," Stefan said, but before he could say more, Elijah interrupted him.

"Yes, you can. I've had the spell lifted," he said, and Stefan hesitantly stepped out of the tomb.

Katherine tried to speed away, but Elijah saw her move coming. He swiftly blocked her path, making her gasp in surprise.

"As for you," Elijah said, his gaze fixed on Katherine, "Clarissa asked me to stop hunting you and let you go. Something about repaying a favor. I've decided to indulge her," the Original stated, and Katherine immediately made a move to escape, however, Elijah had grasped her arm, stopping her once more.

"Not so fast, Katerina," Elijah said, his grip on her arm firm.

Katherine tried to pull away, but Elijah's strength was too great

She looked up at him with a combination of fear and defiance in her eyes. "Let me go," she demanded, her voice tinged with desperation.

Elijah's gaze was unyielding as he looked into her eyes, his grip not loosening. "Do not hurt that girl, Katerina," he simply replied. They both knew who he was speaking of. 

Clarissa.

Katherine's expression softened slightly, and her struggles ceased momentarily as she listened to Elijah.

"You owe her your life," the Original reminded her, his tone carrying a hint of warning.

Katherine remained silent, her gaze not leaving his face as she processed his words.

"Harm her and you will regret it," Elijah warned, his grip on her arm tightening for a moment before releasing her.