Wayward Hearts Book 3- Summer

Part 9

"Oh thank God you answered," Damon breathed a sigh of relief after Elijah picked up from his end of the telephone, "because plan B was to start killing until you realized someone else was on your turf."

"What is it Damon?" Elijah asked, sounding rather annoyed to be bothered by the Salvatore brother.

"I'm in town and I'm pretty sure you are going to want to meet up with me."

"And why would I want that?"

"I have someone who has been asking about you, and you definitely want to see her."

Elijah's interest was piqued, "Where are you?"

"No where special, just a hotel room off of Bourbon street."

"I'll be there in fifteen minutes."

Both men hung up.

Damon looked over to Alice, who was sitting on the edge of the bed looking through Emma's bag of cloths that Damon had brought in from the car.

"This must be your bag, there are no women's clothing in here," Alice commented.

Damon couldn't help but chuckle, "Nope, that is Emma's bag. Fashion is a bit more forward than when you were last around."

Alice nodded, "I see."

"What's the last thing you remember?" Damon asked curiously.

Alice stopped digging and looked up, "War. An attack on my home. Next thing I know that Crowley man was bossing me around, telling me to kill someone who had sold their soul to him. He was not happy when I said no."

Damon's heart sank, when he got Emma back he could only hope she wouldn't remember any of that.

"There is a courtyard downstairs, we should wait for Elijah there," Damon suggested.

Alice nodded.

"I'll stay here and keep looking for answers," Sam informed the group.

Dean stood up and followed Damon and Alice down the shaded courtyard.

It was evident that Alice was excited to see Elijah again. She was pacing back and forth as they waited for him. Luckily she didn't have to wait long. As soon as he rounded the corner to where they were waiting for him his eyes fell to who he thought was Emma.

"What is it you have to show me?" Elijah looked over to Damon.

Damon gestured towards Alice.

"Elijah..." Alice took a deep breath, "don't you remember me?"

"Of course I do Emma," Elijah smirked at who he thought was Emma, in a playful way, thinking she was playing some sort of game, Alice shook her head and a light bulb seemed to slowly turn on in Elijah's head, "...Alice?"

Alice eagerly nodded and opened her arms as if she expected Elijah to come running to her. Instead he turned to Damon with his face full of concern.

"I don't understand, what happened to Emma?" Elijah asked.

"Why does everyone care so much about this Emma character?" Alice was becoming disillusioned quickly, "Elijah, I'm here now, we can continue our story."

Elijah shook his head, "No, I watched you die Alice. I watched you burn up from the inside out. I heard you scream in agony as you died."

"Phoenixes can't die!" Alice argued, "I became dormant until I was brought back, like every other time."

"I have seen baby pictures of Emma, so I know for a fact that she is her own person, not some vessel waiting for you to decide to pop back up," Damon crossed his arms and leaned against a stone pillar.

Alice was quiet for a long moment, "Fine...Esther helped me. She sensed that Emma's mind was open to manipulation thanks to that self proclaimed king of nothing. I came back for you Eli."

Alice opened her arms again and took a step toward Elijah.

"Don't," Elijah said harshly and held up his hand, "Esther doesn't do anything for free, what did she want in return Alice."

"When she calls in for a favor, I don't ask questions," Alice shrugged.

"So where in the hell is Emma?" Damon's brows furrowed.

"Locked away somewhere," Alice looked unbothered, "I didn't care for the details."

"This is Emma's life to live Alice, you had yours," Elijah stood firm in his conviction.

Alice stepped back as if he had reached out and slapped her, "I did this for you! For us!"

"Aly," Elijah took a deep breath, "you died almost eight hundred years ago. I let you go. Let Emma have her turn at a life. You may not know anything about her, or even care, but other people do. I do."

"What about me? I deserve to live, I sacrificed everything for everyone."

"I can tell you exactly what Esther wants from you," Elijah offered, in a last ditch effort to convince Alice to give up, "you would be aiding her in killing me and my family. You'd be alone again as I watched you from the other side."

"Then I would just find a way to kill myself and join you," Alice reasoned.

"And then what Alice? Emma doesn't get a chance to live at all?" Elijah finally stepped towards Alice and pulled her close to him, "Wait there for me now, and let the girl have a chance to have everything you already did."

Alice looked up at him, "What is so special about this Emma person anyway? That several people would be willing to challenge me to bring her back? Including you..."

Damon pipped up from his corner of the courtyard, "She never gives up, on anyone. Every time I gave up on myself she pulled me through. She is the one person I would kill for. And trust me, that is plan B."

Alice took an involuntary step back at the threat from Damon but tried to seem unintimidated, "You have no way to kill me."

"Bet?" Dean crossed his arms and glared at Alice, "Ever hear of Atticus Finch? He was another Phoenix, my Colt turned his ass to ash."

Alice felt as if her breath had been knocked out of her, "You killed my brother? Elijah, you can't seriously be on their side?"

"I'm on Emma's side," Elijah let go of Alice and stepped up next to Damon, "I'm on my family's side. As long as Esther has a willing Phoenix, they are in danger."

Alice's eyes flared a brilliant orange as she squared her shoulders in defense, she almost growled in a low voice, "You can't make me leave."

Sam came running down the stairs, he held out his hand and blew an herb in Alice's face, the action confused her long enough for him to mutter out the spell, "Boh roh gah jo due."

Alice collapsed into a heap on the cobblestone floor.

"Good timing," Damon let out a sigh of relief, "I've seen Emma accidentally do some crazy magic, I don't want to be on the wrong side of what a Phoenix can do when they are trying."

Dean nodded in agreement, remembering the ash touch the both Emma and Atticus seemed to be in control of; Emma less so. Elijah scooped up Alice and looked to Sam for his next steps.

"That isn't going to keep her down long," Sam warned, "we have iron chains in the car."