"What do you mean I'm going to high school?! You never let me within ten feet of people my age when I was human." I sat at the kitchen island, watching Elijah move around. It was terribly domestic.

Elijah set two blood bags in front of me and returned to his eggs. "Yes well, clearly I missed something in your upbringing. You will experience senior year."

"This is about the doppelgänger, isn't it." I think I'd rather stick my hands in a blender. "Elijah tell me I'm not going to be on babysitting duty."

He glanced at me with an expression that was vaguely amused. "You're not going to be on babysitting duty."

"So why do I have to go?"

"It'll be good for you to have to socialize with those who would be your age."

"Who's been putting these ideas in your head? Because they seriously need to reevaluate themselves."

"Before Niklaus arrived, you refused to do anything but mope. This is a particularly good distraction."

"What's the catch?" I picked at the blood bag closest to me. "I mean for the man who insisted on educating me himself, I find it a little weird that you want me to go to public school."

"You want more freedom, do you not?" His brow rose.

"Obviously, but-"

"Then you will find yourself as a Timberwolf."

"What about my meditations? We usually do them at like noon."

"You will drink a blood bag before school, during your lunch, and once you've arrived home."

"Three a day?!" I gaped.

"What better way to gauge where you are."

"What about my face?! You want that out in public?"

He gestured to one of the bags. "Drink."

It was like talking to a brick wall. I grasped the straw and brought it to my lips. I was about back in the same spot I was before I was daggered. It took a moment, but my expression did come out. Though delayed.

He watched me closely. "I see there's still some work to be done."

"But there's progress. When I woke, I was basically at square one."

Elijah dished up the eggs. "Niklaus gave you enough blood to keep you from desiccation. What I will do is teach you control to the extent that you only need meditations after daggerings."

"You can really do that?"

"Yes." He set the plate in front of me and took the near empty blood bag. "I expect you to finish the other before you walk out the door."

We'd see about that. I picked up the fork. "Where's Bekah?"

"I believe the term is retail therapy." He turned the tap on and ran the now empty pan under it.

"Isn't this a little dangerous? Us being separated. What if Mikael comes?"

"I will not have you living in fear of my father." Elijah set the pan down a touch too hard. He took a deep breath. "He has been a shadow looming over my family far too long. I refuse to let it darken your days."

"Elijah, he's been obsessed with finding and destroying all of you for a thousand years, if he knows I exist, he's not just going to leave me alone."

He turned, leaning against the counter. "So long as I live, you won't encounter him." I still hadn't. That night, I'd seen the man, but he hadn't seen me. He and Elijah had fought, then by the time we'd got to the opera house, it was already on fire.

"Is that why you're sending me to high school? Just in case he comes?"

"It would give you time to run." He moved forward. "However that is not the sole reason I've decided to send you." Elijah scooped up something from behind the counter and held it out to me. "You'll need this."

A backpack.

It was already filled. "Are you sure I have to go?"

He gave me a look. "I'll be by during your lunch hour. I expect perfect attendance as well as the highest marks one can attain."

"Obviously." I didn't think he'd want anything less. He was a hard ass when he taught me.

"Oh and as a warning, the history teacher is a hunter. He is well in the know of the supernatural around this town and is unsurprisingly on Elena's list of protectors."

"Of course he is."

"If he touches you, tell me. I'll take care of it."

I took the backpack. "For the love of god, please cool it with the overprotective dad sh- stuff. Especially if I'm going to school. I won't make any friends if you scare everyone off."

He smiled softly. "I will try my best."