Well, here we go. The last of Elijah's goodbyes.

As always, thank you for the favorites, follows, and comments. They mean a lot to me.

~In This Life or the Next~

Five down, three to go. And since he really needed to talk to Kol and Davina together, that meant that Freya was next.

"I guess this means that I'm going to have to step up and actually be the oldest, doesn't it? You did such a good job of keeping the others in hand, it was easier to leave you to it. But, can you imagine Klaus as the family patriarch?"

He had to laugh at that. "I'm sure you'll be fine. I have all the faith in the world in Davina's ability to keep Kol in line. Rebekah was never really much trouble. And Caroline has promised to deal with Niklaus. I think that between her and Hope, he will be quite manageable."

"We didn't get nearly enough time together. Out of a thousand years, we had less than a decade. But, I do love you, little brother. And I'm so sorry. I wish I had time to figure something else out."

"Can I make a confession? Something I can't tell the others?"

"Of course. You can tell me anything."

"Unless your solution involved finding a way to bring Hayley back, then I don't want it. This is… It's more than just a final solution to the Hollow problem. It's atonement. It's the only way I can make it up to Hayley. Not just for letting her die. No, not letting her die. For being the reason she died. Because, let's face it… if I hadn't been there, Niklaus and Caroline would have been able to handle the situation perfectly fine. But, not just for that. For forgetting her. For walking away, and making her think I didn't love her. For the past seven years. For… just for everything."

"She loved you, too, Elijah. She wouldn't want you to die over that. She would want you to move on. To live your life. To fall in love again. Trust me. At this point, I know her better than anyone. You think we never talked about you? About what your decision to forget us did to her? She was my best friend, Elijah. And I was hers. So, I can tell you beyond a shadow of a doubt, that she wouldn't want this. She wouldn't want your death."

For possibly the first time since he had started this, he let himself cry, too. "I know that. But, it doesn't really change anything. She's dead because of me. But, it isn't just that. I… I'm having a hard time explaining it. But… I don't have time to explain all of my reasons for having my memory erased. I wish I did. You all have a right to hear it. But, I do admit that I was being selfish. And now, I'm about to be even more selfish. But… I can't face eternity without her. It took me a thousand years to find the other half of myself. And now she's gone. And it's my fault. And I want her back. I want her back. And there's only one way that's going to happen. And part of me hates myself for that. For being so willing to leave the rest of you. But…"

Freya frowned at him. "Tell me this isn't just a suicide, Elijah."

"No. Not at all. If it wasn't for the Hollow, then my penance for letting Hayley die would have been to stay, to help you and Klaus raise Hope. But, as it stands, this is just the best solution. Klaus gets to stay with his daughter, Hope isn't left an orphan, and… hopefully I get to apologize to Hayley in person. It would serve me right if she told me to fuck off. But, at least I can try to fix things with her."

Freya just hugged him. "I'm going to miss you, so much. I… hug Josh and Hayley for me, and tell them I love them?"

He hugged her back, holding tightly to her for a minute. "I will."

"And… If you see our mother… Tell her… Tell her that I forgive her."

"If I see her. I honestly don't know what the odds are of that, though."

"I would never ask you to look for either of our parents. Just… if you see her."

He just nodded and hugged her, again. And then he pulled away, kissed her cheek, and turned to go back into the other room.

~In This Life or the Next~

He took a deep breath. He wasn't looking forward to this. The last two goodbyes were going to be the hardest. Not because of it being hard to say goodbye to them, but because it was his last chance to try to explain himself to a woman who hated him. His last chance to try to make amends with the brother who had spent a thousand years always feeling like an outsider in his own family. He had no real hopes of fixing things with them. Not in one night. Maybe if he had another thousand years. Maybe not even then. Maybe some wounds just couldn't be healed.

"I'll leave you two alone."

"Davina, no. Stay. Please? I have things to say to you, too. And this time, it would be easier to do this all at once. Please? As my last request?"

"That was a low blow, Elijah."

"I don't really have time for niceties." He sat on the couch next to his sister-in-law, and took her hand in his. "Freya and I… We weren't fair to you. To either of you. At the very least, we should have explained. I'm reminded of how brave you were the night Sophie finished the Harvest Ritual. How you just stood there, told her that you believe, and let her do what needed to be done. You sacrificed yourself for this city, not really knowing if she would be able to bring you back. I won't ask what your answer would have been if we had explained what we needed. At this point, it doesn't matter. Just know, that if I had that day back to do over, I would explain it to you. I would at least give the two of you a chance to say goodbye. I wasn't fair to you, and I am so sorry."

To his surprise, there were tears in her eyes when she looked at him. "I wish you had explained. Given us a chance to say goodbye. Not so much for my sake, but for Kol's. Because, you're right. I would have done it. If I had understood exactly what you needed, I would have done it. I guess I had been with Kol long enough to start to think like a Mikaelson. But… for Kol's sake… I wish you had taken the time to explain. And, now, I'm going to leave the two of you to talk. Don't worry. We're okay. I forgave you a long time ago. Tell Josh I love him?"

Elijah could only nod as she got up and walked out of the room, leaving him alone with the little brother who had somehow always come in last. "I… Kol… I can't begin to atone for the past thousand years. It would take at least another thousand years to do it. And I'm running out of time. But, I need you to know that you were always loved. Niklaus, Rebekah, and I formed a bond that somehow excluded you and Finn. I guess it's a little too late to try to understand why. It wasn't fair to you. To either of you. Though, Finn… I don't know that he ever really wanted to be a part of it. But you… I don't know how or why…" He wiped the tears that were forming away. "For a thousand years, all you wanted was to be included. And somehow… we always denied you that. We didn't always realize we were doing it. And now, I just wish I could undo it all. I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry."

And then Kol's arms were around him. "Shh… It's okay, Elijah. I was an annoying little shit most of the time. When I wasn't a homicidal monster worse than even Klaus. I'll never feel as close to any of you as you are to each other. You have a thousand years of history together that I wasn't a real part of. But, I do know that you all love me. You may have had strange ways of showing it sometimes. But I know that you do. And I love you, too. And I'm going to miss you, so much."

They sat there, holding each other and crying together, bonding over their grief the way they never had been able to over anything else in their lives. Until the whispering started in Elijah's head, again.

He pulled away. "Time's up. I need to get Freya and Hope to give me back the rest of the Hollow."

~In This Life or the Next~

He had said his private goodbyes. Been given his messages to deliver to those who had preceded him. Caroline had even pulled him aside while Freya and Hope were working on the spell to transfer the part of the Hollow that Klaus had taken back into him.

"I feel horrible asking. But, I heard that everyone else asked you to… talk to the people they care about for them?"

"I imagine that your parents and your husband are on your list?"

"If you don't mind? I mean… if you see them… Stefan… my parents… Tyler? And… tell Jo… Tell her that I hope I'm doing okay by her daughters. That I hope she approves. And let her know that I really do love them like they're my own."

He smiled at her. "Of course."

Niklaus pulled him aside to add Cami to his list of people to talk to. "And… tell my father that I'm sorry. I was just trying to protect Hope. And if you see Henrik…"

Elijah smiled and put a hand on his brother's shoulder. "I'll tell them."

And then it was time. One last round of hugs, quick goodbyes that were also stall tactics. And then he walked out into the courtyard.

He needed to be alone for this. Nobody should have to watch him die. Except, his family had other ideas.

"You wouldn't let me die alone. What makes you think I'll let you die alone?"

"Honestly, Elijah. How long have you known us? Always and forever means exactly that. You're stuck with us until the very end."

He couldn't help but smile as he looked around. No, he hadn't wanted them to see this. But, he was touched that they wanted to be there for him.

He looked around, at his family. And they were all his family, whether by blood, by marriage, or just by having been there for them. He was going to miss them. But, hopefully, he would be able to watch over them. And, he knew that he would see them all again. That was the true promise that Hope brought back with her from her near death experience. The knowledge that there was more. And someday… someday, even his family would join them.

And then he closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and plunged the stake into his own chest. Searing pain was followed by a merciful darkness. And then a flash of bright, white light.

~In This Life or the Next~

And now, this gets put on hold until Waiting For That Dance catches up. Which will pretty much be April's project.