((Here we go. Song is "Steal My Heart Away" by Van Morrison. Enjoy!))

One hour later…

Elena bit her lip in excitement and set down her clutch on the vanity in the upstairs hallway of the Mikaelson Mansion before knocking on the French double doors to Caroline's room.

"Caroline…it's me!" Elena called, "Sorry I'm late…well, not late by anyone else's standards—but, I know you count arriving less than twenty minutes before an event 'late' so—"

"It's alright. I'm ready. Come in…" Caroline's nervous voice interjected from inside and Elena smirked and opened the doors.

When she did, she stopped immediately at the sight of Caroline as she turned around like an angel in the glowing afternoon sun, where she stood upon a pedestal in front of a triple mirror, smiling down at her best friend from childhood as Rebekah finished placing the diamond studded full length veil in her hair.

Elena gasped and brought her hands to a temple in front of her mouth, speechless, as she looked Caroline up and down, admiring the vintage, champagne colored Oleg Cassini off the shoulder, lace, wedding dress she wore.

After a moment, a tear streaked down Elena's face from her left eye and Rebekah, also dressed in a flush pink bridesmaid dress and her hair styled up in a French twist, came to Elena's side, holding out a box of Kleenex.

"Don't worry, Ducks. I had the exact same reaction when she tried it on the first time for me."

# # # # # # # # #

"Niklaus?" Elijah called as he knocked on the bathroom door in Klaus' bedroom suite, but all he heard in response was another heaving noise of a person vomiting.

Elijah looked over his shoulder at Kol, as the youngest brother worked on buttoning up his suit vest, and raised an eyebrow, "How long has he been in there?"

"Since about eleven," Kol replied with a shrug, focusing hard on the small buttons, "I figured all humans were like this before their weddings…you know, 'wedding day jitters' and all that…" then, when he finally put the button at the very bottom through its hole, sighed, "God, its torture enough that we have to wear a pink tie…why are these buttons so small?!"

"I've never been married before, I don't know anything about 'wedding day jitters'," Elijah replied, then eyeing Kol up and down, furrowing his brow, pointed toward his brother's vest and said, "You missed the middle one…" then turned back to the door as he heard the sound of the toilet flushing and the sink faucet running.

"Damn…" Kol muttered in the background as he ripped the vest open in frustration, "You know…I think there is still a shoe hook in my room somewhere…it's from the Victorian era, but I think it should do the trick…" then he disappeared from the room.

"Niklaus, it's Elijah," Elijah called out, tapping against the wooden door with his knuckles again, "Are you alright? Open the door…"

A few moments passed, then there was movement and the lock clicked, the door opened, and Klaus appeared in the threshold.

He didn't look pale, but he definitely looked nervous and flushed, already dressed his three piece suit, but with the top of his dress shirt unbuttoned down his chest.

"Here," Elijah said, immediately taking his brother's arm and leading him to his bed, "You should sit down."

When they made it to the edge of the bed, Elijah sat down first then guided Niklaus to his side, but his younger brother just let out a groan as he fell back on the comforter.

"Would you like some water?" Elijah asked

"No, thank you," Klaus replied

"A scotch?" Elijah offered

"No..." Klaus chuckled

"Something to eat?"

"Oh...Please...God...no..." Klaus whined, turning slightly pale

"Sorry..." Elijah lamented

Then after a moment's pause...

"You going make it?" Elijah teased with a chuckle, "Or do I need to resurrect your twin again to take your place?"

Klaus laughed, "If only that were possible…" then the laughing turned into a grimaced chuckle, "Christ, I feel like my insides are a free carnival and everyone in the entire universe is taking a ride…"

"I'm told that it's 'wedding day jitters'," Elijah replied casually, trying to help, "It's a human thing, apparently."

"Well…" Klaus sighed, "For the record, this is the one thing about being human that is complete bullocks!"

"Oh…" Elijah smirked, "I don't know. Would you rather not feel sick and nervous knowing that you are about to marry a gorgeous woman and spend all the rest of your days with her?"

Klaus closed his eyes and smiled as he turned his head, sensing Elijah's meaning, then opened them again and met his older brother's gaze, "I suppose you're right. It is nice to feel something every human seems to experience, no matter how bad it makes me feel. Though…I don't think I've been physically sick like this in, well, over a thousand years, and I gotta say… not a fan."

"It sounds dreadful..." Elijah said, playfully

Then the smile on his face faded and he looked down to his right hand that was nervously picking at the expensive comforter on Klaus' bed, "I would give anything to feel what you're feeling right now when I marry the woman I love…You're luckier than you know, Niklaus."

Klaus' face fell and he slowly sat up.

"Elijah…" he said as he placed a hand on his brother's shoulder and Elijah lifted his eyes to meet Klaus', "You have always been the most human of us all, from the very beginning…So, I don't doubt for a second that you will feel it when the time comes."

Elijah let out a relieved breath and nodded as he clasped his own hand over Klaus' on his shoulder.

Then after a moment, Elijah's face changed and he came back to the moment and looked down to his watch, "Alright then, well, we need to get you to the altar before your bride has a coronary…" then he stood and scanned his eyes quickly around the room, "Now, where is your tie?"

Suddenly, he spotted it, lying across the back of a chair near the walkthrough windows to Klaus' bedroom balcony.

"Aha!" Elijah smirked, "We are in business—"

But, he turned just in time to hear the bathroom door close again and with his vampire hearing, listen to Klaus begin heaving once more.

"Oh…well…that's just lovely…" Elijah sighed to himself as he wrapped the tie around his hand and plopped down in the chair.

"Ready!" Kol suddenly said as he swept into the room, fully dressed and spinning around for everyone to take a good look at him before presenting, with the flourish of a magician, three small cut white orchids with a pearl pin through them "And I've brought party favors!"

Suddenly, he stopped and looked around the room, then spotted Elijah sitting cross-legged in the corner chair.

"Where's Nik?" Kol asked

As if on cue, Klaus heaved loudly from behind the bathroom door.

Kol wrinkled his nose then looked over to Elijah as he walked over and handed his brother one of the orchids.

"Well, I think I'll just put his boutonniere on his jacket for him..." Kol offered

"I think that is a splendid idea," Elijah encouraged with a wink then watched Kol walk over to Klaus' jacket hanging on the closet door as the sound of heaving came from the bathroom one more.

# # # # # # # #

"I hear Klaus is sick…" Elena said in a worried voice, crossing the courtyard to meet Elijah, caterers and the band setting up the reception area around them for after the wedding, "Is he alright? Kol came and told us he's been in the bathroom for ages."

"Just 'wedding day jitters', apparently," Elijah smirked as Elena came closer, "He'll be fine. More importantly, how's Caroline taking the news of the delay? Should we prepare for hurricane winds?"

"Well…honestly," Elena shrugged with a confused smile, "She's oddly okay with it. I guess there's something endearing about your future husband getting sick at the prospect of marrying you."

"Yeah…" Elijah smirked again as he looked down and put his hands in his pockets as he said softly, "I guess you can't get any more human than that."

Elena immediately sensed his emotions and stepped forward, bringing a gentle hand to the side of his face.

Elijah lifted his face at her touch and brought his right hand out of his pocket to cover it, giving her a sad, but reassuring smile.

"Are you alright?" she asked, narrowing her eyes

Elijah shook his head and took her hand in his as they dropped from his face, "Don't' worry. I'm fine. It's just an emotional day. One of us is actually getting married. After all we've been through, I never thought it could really happen. But... here we are. And it's Niklaus of all people!"

"Are you sure?" Elena continued, "Kol said you didn't look right when you left Klaus' room—"

"I just couldn't listen to the heaving anymore, truth be told…" Elijah joked with a casual smirk

"Because, it reminded you that your brother is human and you're not?" Elena finished, her voice edged with sympathy

"Don't do that," Elijah replied with a whisper, stepping closer to her, his eyes sad, "Not now. Not today."

"Why not? You don't have to hide your feeling from me, Elijah, not ever—" Elena interjected

"But, I do from my family," Elijah replied, "I should. Especially, today. Klaus should have this—"

"But, you still can't help thinking, 'why him'?" Elena said bluntly, "You can't help but wonder why the fates gave the 'bad Mikaelson brother' the chance to be human and not you? I can feel the conflict within you. I feel it through our connection, since it's even more powerful now than the day we first met."

Elijah took in a breath and looked away…

"Elijah—" Elena started, reaching for his face to turn it back to face her, but Elijah turned back himself before she could do it.

"Let's dance…" he smiled broadly at her, his face completely changed and the emotional baggage suddenly packed away, "What do you say?"

Before Elena could say anything, Elijah walked through a row of tables up to the band stage and signaled to the lead singer.

Elena watched as the man dipped his head down to talk to the original, then smiled and nodded.

As Elijah loped back over to Elena and took her hand, she noticed the leader bringing the other band members into a small group circle and letting them in on Elijah's plan.

Then, just as the music began to play, Elijah twirled Elena into his embrace and kissed her on the nose and said, "Hey, Good Lookin'…"

Elena chuckled at his words then her face softened when she realized that the band was playing a Van Morrison song.

It was the same artist they had first danced to that night in her house, when Elijah had put the album on her parent's old record player.

Suddenly, the lead singer came up microphone…

"I can hear the sound of violins,
I can hear the piper play…."

"Van Morrison?" Elena smiled, as Elijah brought her into a close, standard dance frame and began slowly moving around the floor.

"The man is a legend, Elena…" Elijah said defending his choice as Elena shook her head in amusement

"Freak…" she chuckled

"And every time the song begins,
You just steal my heart away…."

Elijah twirled Elena under his arm and spun her out, then brought her back in to him.

"The journey's longer than I thought, my love,
There's lots of things that get in the way…."

Elena brought her cheek to rest against Elijah's and closed her eyes as they continued to move to the music.

"But, every time I think of you,
You just steal my heart away…."

"Elena…" Elijah suddenly whispered, "You're right. I am jealous of Niklaus being human…and I'm ashamed of it."

"Just like a morning in May like this,
See the heather on the hill…."

Elena opened her eyes and pulled back slightly to meet his gaze as they moved, "You don't have to be. I love you just the way you are…vampire or human…you've always had a human heart, Elijah. That is all that matters."

"There's a place way up the mountainside,
Where the world keeps standing still…."

"I'm glad you think so….because my hope is that we are together for a very long time." Elijah smiled

"Just like the sunshine after rain I'll come,
To be with you will save the day…."

"We have an eternity, Elijah…" Elena smirked, cocking an eyebrow at him before bringing her chin to rest on his shoulder and saying softly, "I'm never leaving you. I'm yours forever— 'Always and Forever'".

"'Cuz I know when I'm with you again,
You'll just steal my heart away…".

Suddenly, Elijah dipped her back and kissed her lips deeply as Elena felt the cool of metal slip onto the ring finger of her left hand.

When he brought her back up, Elena's eyes opened and she saw the sparkling two carat antique setting engagement ring on her left hand resting on Elijah's shoulder.

"I wasn't planning on doing this here...now…..but, after what you just said, I hope you are measuring eternity in human years as well…because that is what I'm still measuring it by…" he whispered in her ear, "Always have…since the first day I first met you, Elena Gilbert. I knew right then and there. Human or vampire, you would be mine as long as I could have you for."

"Just like a morning in May like this
We see the heather on the hill…."

Elena turned and looked into his soft brown eyes as they continued to move, her face a mixture of awe and happiness as he asked, "Will you marry me, Elena?"

"There's a place up on the mountainside
Where the world is standing still…"

"Please say 'yes'" Elijah quipped with a playful smirk, "Because, I'm pretty sure everyone in this house with vampire hearing heard what I just asked you."

"Just like the sunshine after rain I'll come,
To be with you will save the day …".

Elena took in a breath, then suddenly, her gaze was drawn to the figures of Kol, Caroline, and Rebekah all standing on the upper balcony looking down at them.

"'Cuz I know when I'm with you again
You'll just steal my heart away…."

Then, she followed Elijah's gaze and saw Misha, Bonnie, Jeremy, Damon and Stefan standing at the entrance to the courtyard.

"'Cuz I know when I'm with you again
You'll just steal my heart away…."

Elena turned back and and met Elijah's eyes.

"Yes," she said with a smile and watched Elijah's face light up.

"'Cuz I know when I'm with you again
You'll just steal my heart away…"

"Really?" Elijah smiled broadly, bringing his forehead to rest against hers and she nodded enthusiastically.

"'Cuz I know when I'm with you again
You'll just steal my heart away…"

Suddenly, Elena found herself swept up into Elijah's arms as he kissed her deeply then spun her around the dance floor as applause and whistles from their friends and family broke out.