#I hadn't thought about this before but it makes SO Much sense that Adriana hadn't come out to anyone but her hacker friends beforehand

[twobellsilence]

OH I JUST REALIZED THAT ADRIANA HADN'T BEGUN HER TRANSITION WHEN SHE ARRIVED AT HQ. she'd Literally Just ran away from home when she got there. And she was probably EXTREMELY nervous, not necessarily because she was about to join a secret supernatural organization, but because she'd always been conditioned to feel ashamed about who she is and she feared they'd reject her, or worse, be actively hostile towards her once they saw her in person.

Imagine her relief when she saw queer identities being recognized in the registration form. And when nobody batted an eye when she selected she/her as her pronouns. And when she met her bosses and the UNDEAD COMMANDER OF HER SQUAD noticed her discomfort and the mismatch between her government issued ID and her registration form and he mentioned gender-affirming care being available at the facility. And when her other boss encouraged her to get it, because it's free, and she deserves to be happy and, mlst importantly, herself. Can you imagine? Not only did she get her dream job and escaped her abusive parents, but she was also given the chance and was actively encouraged to become herself. Her REAL self. And she found nothing but support and validation along the way.

[xxwritemeastoryxx]

These Violent Delights Ch. 3

Hidden in Plain Sight

Author: xxwritemeastoryxx

Pairings: Elijah Mikaelson x OC

Word Count: 4.2K

Warnings: None that I can think of?

Author’s Note: I know, this one is late. But at least it’s done, right? XD Anyways, we are about to get into things. 

Feedback gives me life and motivation for future things. ♥

<< Chapter 2 || Series Masterlist || Chapter 4 >>

The moment Adriana sat down in the booth with Bonnie and Elena, it had been evident that the main reason for being there wasn't there yet. As her brown eyes scanned the room, she couldn't help but speak her mind. "I see that Caroline is running late."

Elena sighed as she placed her hands on the table. "We've been under surveillance since Damon was arrested. Seeing as what is being given to you today, she needed to make sure that she gave them the slip before making her way over to us."

Adriana nodded her head in understanding. While it was news to her that they were being watched, it wasn't unusual. For as many times a black card was dropped off with her, they were usually late. 

"Are you sure this is something you want to do?" Bonnie asked, looking over at Adriana.

It wasn't until recently that they had found out who Damon's go-to was. Once the Salvatores were sent to Prison, Elena and Caroline were in charge of the simpler things. Including knowing the details of who to call when something, or someone, needed to be taken care of. 

When Elena found out Adriana had been 'Rosa', Everything had seemed to make sense. With as close as Giuseppe and Victor had been, it wasn't a huge surprise to see that Damon and Adriana had become close in their line of work just as their parents had been. At least Elena knew it was someone they could trust and not some hired contract that could turn on Damon or even Stefan. 

Adriana huffed a laugh. "This is Damon we are talking about. I don't think I'd be able to walk away from helping him. With as much business he's sent my way, I'd feel like if I'd be betraying him if I didn't do this for him." A thought crossed her mind. "Any idea who is on the card?"

Elena shook her head. "Damon didn't say. Mostly because it's hard to get any information out without it being overheard. I would say Caroline would know, but she only knows how to get the encryption onto the card. Whoever is on the card, Damon made them a top priority. We are supposed to help in any way that we can."

"Even though you guys are supposed to help, there isn't much that you guys can do once I start." Adriana said, looking between the two. "I don't want you guys anywhere near where it is going to happen. Especially since you have ties to Damon."

"We definitely have a plan." Caroline said as she plopped herself into the seat next to Elena. "Damon and Stefan want us away for the weekend. So we are going on an all-girls vacation. Which you are required to join once things are done."

Adriana rolled her eyes. "Typical Damon and his weekend getaways for his girls."

She wouldn't say it out loud, but that meant there would be a double with the girls until she joined them. But at Least Adriana knew there was a plan in place to protect her friends. With this one being close to home, Adriana wouldn't risk anyone that she knew. It would make things a complicated mess.

"Anyways, here are the plane tickets, and hotel key for that weekend." Caroline said as she handed Adriana an envelope. As Adriana took it, she knew that the black card was hidden neatly within its contents.

The contents felt heavy in Adriana's hand as she pulled it closer to her. This was something she wouldn't be letting out of her sight any time soon. While the card wouldn't look out of the ordinary to anyone else if she had left it out, she still wouldn't take the risk. 

"When are we leaving?" Adriana asked.

"In a week." Caroline said with a nod. "Though there is a two day period that we are expecting delays."

That had confirmed what Adriana knew. She'd have a week to go over the information she now had and make her plans. In a week, her friends would be leaving, and Adriana would have her cover story. The day after they left, she'd make her move. While most clients put a rush on things, Damon made her timeline more relaxed. It made it easier to get the upper hand she needed. 

"That gives me plenty of time to pack without you hating on every piece of clothing I own." A smirk grew on her lips as Adriana began to joke.

It was a way to ease the tension she was beginning to feel. A coded discussion wasn't what they were used to having with each other. They were used to being carefree in their conversations. Now that it felt off, Adriana wanted to fix it. 

Caroline rolled her eyes. "You better have at least bought some amazing swimsuits while you were out and about. Otherwise, I will judge the whole time."

Bonnie and Elena laughed at the two. The conversation that followed had made them feel as if they were back in High School. The flow of conversation came so naturally to them. They talked about their lives after high school. Ten years of their lives, they hadn't known what Adriana had been up to or vice versa.

_____

The moment Klaus's phone went off, they knew their night out at the bar was about to end. Even though it was their night off, it seemed that it wasn't going to be staying that way. Once Klaus answered the phone, Marcel and Elijah waited to find out what they would be assigned to. 

Klaus' eyes widened as he listened to the voice on the other line. He turned in his seat, his eyes landing on the table where the women were sitting. He watched as they were laughing at something that had been said between them. 

"I understand." He mumbled into the phone, turning his attention back to Elijah and Marcel. He could easily see the look of curiosity displayed on their faces. "We'll bring her in for questioning." Without another word, he hung up the phone. 

"Who exactly are we bringing in?" Elijah asked, already reaching over and grabbing his jacket. 

Klaus shook his head. "I will be bringing in Caroline for questioning. She made the drop earlier, and they want her down the at the station for questioning. You and Marcel will be sticking together. Rosa is officially in town and if she has her mark, it wont be long before you are potentially at risk."

Both Marcel and Elijah rolled their eyes. "How the hell did I get stuck on babysitting duty?" Marcel asked. 

"If you'd like to get the death glares by taking Caroline in, be my guest. I can stay here and be sure my brother isn't used for potential target practice." Klaus said with a raised brow.

"How about we not talk as if I am not here?" Elijah asked as he looked between the two. "I do know how to protect myself."

"I'm sure her long list of victims said the same thing." Marcel noted. "Right before she took their lives without ever laying an eye on her."

"We don't know for sure if I am even her intended target." Elijah said with a shake of his head.

"From what Rebekah said," Klaus stood and collected his things. "Caroline handed an envelope to a woman before getting into her car. The team that watched her believed the woman was Rosa and followed her, losing sight of Caroline. The moment that woman knew she was being followed, she made damn sure she wouldn't be able to give up any details."

"Meaning in the process, Caroline was able to give the real Rosa the black card without anyone knowing when or to who." Elijah shook his head. If he had been there, he would have sent one team with Caroline and another with the woman to ensure nothing was a miss. 

"Looks like it will be a few days of us sticking together." Marcel said, giving Elijah an apologetic look. 

Klaus walked away from the booth as Elijah began muttering about making Marcel's life hell at work. An amused smirk had been on his face as he walked away. His brother never did like just sitting around when he could be at the front of the action. 

As he reached the table, he could hear the women laughing at something Elena said. As he came to a stop at the table, he cleared his throat, getting their attention. The moment Klaus had it, he didn't miss the glares he got from three of them and the shocked look he had gotten from Adriana. 

"It's good to see you, Adri." He said with a nod of his head as he looked over at Adriana. "I hate to break up the chance of catching up," he turned his attention towards Caroline. "unfortunately, duty calls and this isn't a friendly visit. I'm going to have to ask you to come down to the station."

"What the hell, Klaus." Bonnie said, shaking her head. "She hasn't done anything but sit here and-"

"It's okay, Bonnie." Caroline cut her off. She stood up from her seat, knowing that it would be easier to just go than make a scene. "Just call your dad for me?" She turned her attention towards Adriana. "Welcome to our knew normal."

"What is this about?" Adriana asked, looking over at Klaus."

Klaus sighed. "Just some routine questions. She'll be free to go later this evening."

Adriana stood up in front of Klaus. Compared to the man, she was shorter than him. But the way Adriana currently held herself, it almost made Klaus want to shrink in size. She had always kept her ground, and it was a reminder that she never took any shit from anyone.

"Routine questions as in you have something against her?" She questioned as she looked up at Klaus. "Or routine questions that help you solve a case?"

An eyebrow raised on Klaus' face. "You know I can't discuss it."

Adriana laughed. It was unsettling to Klaus and the others that were there with the two. "We both know there's a fine line on what you can and can't talk about. In case you've forgotten, I've been on the other side of a Mikaelson questioning for years. There are ways you can discuss it without jeopardizing whatever case you are working on."

"Adriana, he's just doing his job." Elijah's voice filled the air. 

Adriana never took her eyes off of Klaus. It surprised her how much her heart picked up at the sound of Elijah's voice. But as much as she wanted to turn and see him for the first time in ten years, she wasn't about to back down.

"Adri," Caroline said, coming over to stand beside her and placing a hand on her arm. "Elijah's right. This is just their job. I'll be out of there in time for dinner. Plus, you don't need to make things harder on yourself if they drag you down there with me."

Adriana looked over at Caroline, her face softening. Sighing, she reached over and picked up her bag, pulling out a business card. "While I know Bonnie's dad can do one hell of a job," she handed the card to Caroline. "call this lawyer. Let her know Adri told you. She'll be there in record time."

Caroline laughed. "Leave it to you to have everything on stand by."

A smirk pulled at Adriana's lips. "It's kind of my job to be that person."

The girls watched as Caroline left with Klaus out of the bar. There was a bit of guilt going through Adriana. She knew what this was about. Caroline was going to be questioned about the drop she made at some point today. And while it was unknown to Adriana as to the details of earlier events, she felt like this one was going to come back and bite her in the ass.

"Well there went that." Elena said as she stood up from her seat. "I'll see you both tonight?" She asked as she grabbed her things.

"You don't have to leave, yet." Adriana said, looking over at Elena. She didn't want to miss the chance for them to enjoy their time together.

Bonnie sighed. "We've got a few things we need to go take care of. But we'll be there for dinner. " Bonnie pulled Adriana into a hug. "Plus, by the look on Elijah's face, it seems like he wants to speak with you, and I'd hate for us to get in the way of that conversation." She whispered. 

For the first time that night, Adriana looked over at Elijah. While patient as ever, Bonnie had been right. She could see it on his face that Elijah wanted to speak with her. But Adriana also didn't miss the way her heart picked up once more as she took in his appearance. 

Time had been kind to him. If she once believed she enjoyed how he looked, now that seemed to be intensified. Where he had one wore jeans and shirts had been traded for a suit that looked amazing on him. 

There had been so much left unsaid between the two of them. Ten years' worth of words could have been said between them if Adriana had just stayed.  But since she left without saying a word, it made it difficult to even get the first words between them started. 

"We'll give you two some space." Elena said, giving them a small smile. "I'll call when Care is out."

Adriana nodded her head and watched her friends leave before she looked back at Elijah. She tried thinking of something to say. After a moment, she had it. "Can I just say that I was a horrible best friend?"

A small chuckle passed Elijah's lips. "I agree. There is quite a bit you've left me out of."

"How about a drink?" She asked, gesturing to the now empty booth. "And I'll try and make up for it." 

_____

Her fingers ran over the rim of the wine glass in front of her. "Do you remember what it was like to be kids?" She asked, looking over at Elijah for a moment before looking back towards the glass. "Where we weren't defined by the actions of our parents?"

Elijah sat back in his seat, lifting his glass up to his lips to take a sip of the wine. "It was easier to believe that we could get away from the world that surrounded us. If only it had been that easy."

She shook her head and smiled. "You managed to get out of Mikael's shadow. He never made detective. He was just a cop, not afraid to do anything to get what he wanted."

He shook his head. The thought of his father's days as a cop had been a long-forgotten memory. Adriana had brought those memories to light so easily. He could remember there was only ever one family his father kept harassing the majority of the time. And he was currently looking at a member of that family. 

"You've managed to get out of your's as well." Elijah noted. "You haven't been home in years, traveling the world from what I hear. What your family was responsible for was never something you took on. Continuing the family business, as they say."

"Imagine if I did?" She asked. "The two best of friends on the opposite sides of the law. Your dad would throw a fit." A smirk pulled at her lips as she said the words. If only Elijah knew how wrong he was. 

He chuckled. "He would have thrown a fit over several things if he had only known. Aren't I right, Rosa?"

Hearing the nickname come from Elijah had hit differently. She had heard it several times from other people over the years. She heard it every time someone hired her. But hearing it coming from Elijah, it always felt different.

"I'm surprised you remember that." She said, giving him a smile.

"How could I forget?" He asked as he leaned forward in his seat. "I was the one that gave you that nickname."

"I feel like I was a different person when you gave it." She admitted. "I haven't been home in so long that the Adriana Vega that loved this city looks like a distant memory."

"Whatever happened at your mother's must have been one hell of a visit." He noted. He could still remember the day he heard that she left for her mothers. 

Adriana sighed. "I never went to my mothers." The look she got from Elijah at that moment hurt her. "After she left us, I hated it. She never accepted my calls or even checked in on me. After graduation, a family friend invited me to work with her for the summer. I loved it so much out there that I couldn't bring myself to come back."

"You had us worried when you didn't." There was hurt in his voice that she hadn't missed. "I thought for sure you would have come back. "

"I wanted to." She nodded her head. "But I couldn't bring myself to come back. I kept telling myself that I would go home and see everyone and explain why I left, but I couldn't bring myself to. Eventually, a letter just seemed like the best way to say goodbye to an old life."

Elijah nodded his head in understanding. Adriana had wanted an out from the world that she had been a part of in New Orleans. Even though he understood, it still hurt him that she left without telling him. 

"Has this new life of yours been kind to you?" He asked. Fishing for information that he wasn't sure he wanted to hear. 

She shrugged her shoulders. "As kind as it can be for someone that travels a lot. " She picked up her glass, taking a drink. "Work keeps me busy enough, the pay is great that I can retire soon." She chuckled slightly. "But it's lonely compared to the life I had here."

It was the first time she had ever said that out loud. But speaking with Elijah made it so easy to come up. He used to be the person she could say anything to. They could talk about any of their problems out with each other. It seemed that aspect hadn't changed after all those years. 

Adriana missed that. Being a mercenary meant having little to no friends or connections. The less that people knew about her life, the better things were. Settling down wasn't an option. Not when a target could be placed on them for some of the jobs she had done. 

Elijah sighed. "I take it there was another reason for you coming home? Otherwise, I believe you would have been back sooner if you missed the people." 

A small smirk pulled at her lips. "If you are trying to ask me if I missed you, the answer would be yes." 

Elijah chuckled as a small smile formed on his lips. "Good to know. Though if that was the case, why not just tell me?"

Adriana sighed as she looked down at the glass. Several things crossed her mind at that moment. She turned down a different path than Elijah had when she left home. He chose the career he always wanted while she followed a darker path. How could she ever explain that to him?

"You were the first person I wanted to tell." She admitted as she looked over at him. "I wanted to tell you that I was packing up my bags and leaving."

"Why didn't you?" He asked curiously.

"You would have stopped me from leaving." She hadn't missed the shock and confusion that played on his expressions at her words. "Rebekah told me about your summer plans for us."

Elijah's shoulders slumped slightly. His mind quickly jumping to conclusions. He had always believed that there was a reason she didn't tell him she was leaving. He felt at that moment, with those words, he had gotten his answer. 

Seeing his face, Adriana reached over and placed her hand on his. "I would have stayed and enjoyed that summer with you. Life would have been different.  And I did want that. I could have told you about the job and we could have worked something out. But what would have happened to us once I decided I wasn't coming home?"

"We'll never know since you made the decision on your own." He said as he looked her in the eye. 

A huff passed her lips as she pulled her hand back. "Would you have left your family for years at a time?" She asked, watching his reactions. "Or handle the fact that I was traveling more than being at home? And you can't say that you would have tried the traveling life. Because I know you, Elijah. You wouldn't have been here to protect your siblings from Mikael."

Elijah looked away as he took in her words. She wasn't wrong about anything she had just said. Adriana knew him well enough that she knew his thought process without ever needing to speak with him. 

If he had left with her, he wouldn't have been there for his siblings. His father had taken plenty of his anger out on his siblings. It was Elijah that tried his best to keep them safe. And if he stayed, he wasn't sure if he could take Adriana being gone for as long as she been speaking about.

"Maybe it was for the best that we hadn't." He said with a nod of his head a moment later. "I wouldn't have been able to live with myself if you had stayed and given up the opportunity you've had."

Before Adriana could voice her thoughts, her phone went off. Her eyes drifted to the phone screen, seeing Elena's number pop up. She was able to scan the message before the notification closed. 

 "Caroline's out." She said softly. "We're still meeting for dinner. I know our conversation is probably far from over..."

Elijah nodded his head. "Go. I assure you it is still rather easy to get in contact with me. " He reached into his pocket, grabbing his wallet and pulling out his card. "But just in case, here's my card."

A smile pulled at her lips as she took the card. "Never thought I'd see the day where Elijah Mikaelson has his own business card."

He chuckled softly. "It's a good thing you've come home, then." 

Adriana's smile grew a little more at his words. "I'm happy to be home, even if it's only for a while." She got up out of her seat and collected her things. "I'll try not to be a stranger."

"I hope not." He said as he stood as well. Since she was leaving, he had no other reason to be there. 

With one last smile, Adriana walked away from the booth and out the door. Elijah had watched as she had, hoping that this wasn't the last time they spoke. He'd hate for things to be left as they were. 

"Well," Marcel said as he came up and patted Elijah's back. "You could feel the tension from the other side of the place."

Elijah rolled his eyes. "Say another word, and you'll be buried in paperwork. "

Marcel raised his hands in surrender. Though a smirk played on his lips as he did. 

_____

The moment Adriana got to her car, she pulled an encrypted tablet out from the glovebox. The moment it was powered up, she pulled the envelope out that Caroline gave her. Just as she expected, the black card had been hidden within the pocket meant to hold the hotel key. 

Removing the small SD card that had been hidden in its side, Adriana popped it into the tablet. As the tablet worked to unseal the files, her eyes wandered. As they did, she watched as Elijah and Marcel began to walk out of the bar, a small smile pulling at her lips. 

The ding that came from the tablet made her look down at it before her eyes widened. Her heart dropped as she took in the information on the screen. A moment later, her head shot up, her eyes scanning the area until landing on Elijah getting into the car with Marcel. 

She watched as they spoke to each other for a moment before driving away. As they did, Adriana was beginning to hate that she took this job. She never wanted her work to interfere with her past. And yet it was about to do that. 

She could only hear her father's words as she looked back at the screen. I understand the thrill of it all. To want to be able to get the money and have power all at the same time. But one of these days, you'll mess up in a way that you can't come back from. 

On the tablet, there was an image similar to what she had seen moments ago. Elijah and Marcel holding coffee in their hands and smiles on their faces as they were getting into the car. At the bottom of the image was writing that was clear as day. 

Elijah Mikaelson. You have a week, Rosa. Use it wisely. 

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