Bulldozed: I didn't mean for it to come off as though he was blaming her. More like he was upset with the situation and not handling it the best. I hope this chapter explains it a little better.

Beverlie: Thank you.

Angel of darkness: I'm glad to hear it. I know that you might enjoy it otherwise (at least I'm hoping so), but twists are good too, aren't they?

Guest: No Finn and Caroline in this chapter. I'm happy with the way people received them, and I will do my best not to let them down…in the long run.

Eva: I don't know what I'd do without you. Your kind words, feedback, ideas and willingness to listen is…thank you doesn't seem satisfactory enough. I hope this chapter will shed further light into Elijah's feelings on the matter. I decided to make chapter 14 more about finishing out that night. Elijah will soon learn about the dreams and Mina's relationship with Kol and Elena's past lives.

Ellie: I'm glad you saw Elijah's reaction that way. I got mixed reviews about it, so I don't think that I clearly explained it. Hopefully this chapter will provide further insight. I have a couple different ideas for how I'll deal with Sage/Finn/Caroline/Klaus bit. Other than Sage, who I don't really care about, I'm really going to try not to shite on someone's character.

Fiat: There won't be a Finoline kiss yet, I haven't even considered the moment. As for Elena telling Elijah about Mina's relationship to Kol, she won't…at least not in a cognizant state…and I'm hoping to make that part of the next chapter.

Darkangel: I hope you'll understand Elijah's reaction after you read chapter 14. No, when Elena transitions into a vampire, it will be because Elijah's blood. I have reservations about Sage. Other than her threesome with Rebekah and Damon, I don't really remember her, so I'm sure that I'm taking liberties with her in this story. Let me apologize now if that offends you.

Tori: Ah! I've been such an emotional wreck lately that I hadn't even realized that you read this. You bring up very excellent questions and points and I'm hoping that when I finally do address it (if all goes well I'll start that within the next two chapters) I won't disappoint any of you. There's nothing worse than when a story starts off strong only to die off.

Guest: I hope you enjoy this next chapter

Shuuwai: I will go further into the dreams. I was tempted to start that in chapter 14, but there were a few things that I needed to tie up before I did. Yes, Sage will be a slight problem, but nothing too severe.

Guest: Hopefully this next chapter will help clear up Elijah's feelings and reactions.

Addicted: I'm back. I promise. Unless something else goes horribly, I can't imagine that I'll disappear for so long again.

Author's Note: So this chapter was looonnngggg overdue. Thank you all for the kind feedback and PM's. Please, let me apologize for taking so long to update this. Between dealing with a spout of writer's block and the death of a friend, I had a very difficult time pulling my writing together. Thank you everyone for your patience and kind words of understanding. Without further ado…

Disclaimer: I don't own any characters familiar to TVD.

Chapter 14

"You are my life, Elena," Elijah confessed. Compared to the fabric of time, her presence in his life was such a brief flicker; but if she ceased to exist, he knew that he wouldn't be able to go on without her.

"I didn't mean it like that," she denied in a whispered confession. "I just hate feeling so…weak," she added in an equally soft tone. "For so long I've been a part of world where I'm nothing more than a weakling." How many times had Damon and Stefan had to rescue her? Bonnie had saved her multiple times, even Caroline had saved her. "I just…now that I have the ability to not only save myself but my family and friends, and I haven't taken advantage of it."

He shook his head, immediately trying to discount her fears. "There is nothing wrong with being safe. I understand what you are trying to say, but understand me," he ordered gently. "If you were ripped from this world, I would make it my mission to follow behind you."

"Isn't that a bit…" She trailed off, afraid of offending him.

"Dramatic?" He asked, picking up where she left off. "Maybe," he admitted. "But true all the same. Elena, I would never recover from losing you. I may still have my family, but as much as I love them, they would never make up for the loss of you." He was sure of that with every fiber of his being.

"Elijah, I'm not going anywhere," she spoke then, realizing just how upset he truly was. "What happened was just a freak event. It will take much more than a hunter to rip from me from your life." Realistically, she knew she was downplaying everything, but Elijah needed reassurance in that moment more than anything.

He leaned down and captured her lips with his. "I love you, Elena."

"I love you too," she responded breathlessly. When he seemed to collapse against her, her hands automatically moved to his head. Running her hand through his hair, she sighed. "I'm not going anywhere," she repeated in a breathless tone.

Closing his eyes, Elijah attempted to sooth himself by getting lost in her scent.

"Sage is here?" Finn asked, dumbfounded by the news.

Elijah shook his head. "If they have not arrived then she soon will be," he supplied. He hesitated, studying his brother. They'd only spoken of her once since Finn's awakening, and even then his brother hadn't said much.

"How was she? Was she…okay?" In all honesty, he had done his best not think of her. Upon dealing with Pastor Young, Katherine, his mother's death and then the hunter; it was easy to focus on something else.

"She's slightly…upset that you didn't seek her out," Elijah admitted. If his brother was going to face a pissed off female vampire, he deserved to know ahead of time. When Finn let out a heavy sigh, he turned to study his brother. "Why did you not seek her out?"

Turning the question over in his thoughts, he pursed his lips. "I…" Hunching over, his rested his forearms on his thighs. "Your relationship with Elena changed things," he confessed softly.

Startled by the revelation, Elijah turned to face him. "If my relationship with Elena was the reason why you never left to find her…I apologize. Finn, I would have understood if you packed your bags and-"

"Went off in in an unfamiliar world to search her out?" Finn interrupted with an arched brow. The last thing they needed upon his un-daggering was announce to the vampire world that there were five Originals running around. He shook his head. "Even after becoming somewhat acclimated to this world," which he supposed he still was not, "I would not have left to pursue her."

He couldn't deny his shock over his brother's confession. Like the rest of his siblings, he thought that Finn was deeply in love with Sage.

"No, when I spoke of your relationship with Elena changing things, I meant that it changed my perspective." Once upon a time, he couldn't have imagined his life without Sage. "I never was happy with our fates." Of all of his siblings he was the one that struggled most with it. "But when I happened upon Sage…" She truly had become his guiding star. She had been the one bright light in his dark life. "She made it manageable." He hadn't truly been happy, but he had been content. It was Sage's presence alone that kept the dark thoughts of death at bay. "Because when I met her, I realized that I was no longer alone."

"You were never alone," Elijah defended. "We were always there." He and his siblings never strayed far from one another. It wasn't until Katherine's introduction to them five hundred years later that their relationships began to fray.

"You speak as if you never once experienced the feeling of loneliness," he shook his head. "I know that even in a room full of people you have endured such an emotion, and that was how I once felt day in and day out." He never took their vampirism the way the others had. "I may have not been alone in the physical sense, but in an emotional sense, I was. And it was because I chose to be. But with Sage, I found myself more accepting about what we had become. I will always love her for that."

"But…" Elijah interjected, sensing it coming on.

"But I have never loved her the way you love Elena."

"Comparing my relationship with Elena to the one you shared with Sage is like comparing apples to oranges," the eldest brother argued. "Elena is my mate, of course the emotional tie we share far surpasses anything one would feel for a companion."

Finn nodded in agreement. "Yes, but it is true all the same. I understand that the concept of mates is rare among our kind, but now that I've been witness to such a pairing; I realize what I want." He doubted that he would be blessed in the same way that Elijah had been, but he knew that he didn't want to settle. "I may not find my own 'Elena,' but I would like to find someone as close to the idea of what she represents. And I know that Sage is not that person."

Elijah very nearly winced by the conviction behind his brother's words. "I do wish you the best regard to speaking to Sage about your feelings."

Disconnecting his call with his manager, Matt's attention immediately moved to the woman standing before him.

It had been a surprise to find Rebekah on his doorstep minutes after Bonnie pulled away from his apartment. Oddly enough, his stomach still clenched every time he was around the attractive blonde. Yet, for all of his feelings for her, they'd never once seriously attempted anything.

When she first arrived in town, they'd flirted a bit, but nothing serious ever happened. He knew his feelings for her had caused mixed signals, how could they not? As attractive and interested as he had been, his loyalty fell first to his friends. And the fact that Rebekah had been at odds with them since her very first day at school, did not endear her to him.

All that aside, he had gotten to know her…as well as she allow anyway. And with every situation that arose, he was granted access to a new side of her, he didn't think he'd ever tire of it. He knew that she also liked him, or he allowed himself to believe she did. However, just like him, she never made any moves.

"What? Why are you looking at me like that?"

If he thanked her outright, she would just wave him off. If he inquired as to why she would deal with something so seemingly inconsequential to the situation, she'd rebuff him. "I thought you were sent on a mission to keep the situation under control?"

"I was. While Finn and Kol went to deal with the footage from the security cameras, I spoke to your manager. Sheriff Forbes was right. He needed some extra convincing," she shrugged.

"But that doesn't explain why you told him to keep me on." He'd broken so many policies that night, there was no way he should have kept his job…whether his boss liked him or not.

Tilting her head, she arched one superior eyebrow at him. "If you'd like, I can always call him back and have a little chat?" She offered airily.

He angled himself to face her head on. "You can do that over the phone?!" Compared to the rest of his friends, he was still learning about vampire quirks. He knew that Originals were powerful enough to compel another vampire, but he thought that personal interaction was needed for such a thing.

The mixture between shock and awe on his face had her laughing.

"I hardly think this is amusing," he muttered, embarrassed that she laughed so easily at him.

Her laughter died down to a giggle. "I'm sorry, Matt," she apologized, honestly meaning it. "It's just…you should have seen the look on your face." She forced down her hilarity all together. Is it so difficult to say 'thank you?'"

He shrugged. "Is it so difficult to accept said 'thank you?'"

As sad as the fact was, it was a difficult thing to accept. After having a wooden stake stabbed through her heart, courtesy of her husband, she found it difficult to open up to anyone other than her brothers. She had to admit, he had her there.

"Really, Rebekah, thank you." If it wasn't for her, he didn't know what he would have done. His mother sent money home when she remembered or could afford to, but not nearly enough for him to live off of. It wasn't as if he'd hit pay dirt working at The Grill, but he earned enough money that he didn't need to stress.

"You're welcome," she replied softly. She watched as he leaned away, resting his head on the back of the couch and closed his eyes. "I should probably go," she excused.

His eyes shot open and he turned his head in her direction. "You don't have to," he denied.

Once again, she arched an eyebrow at him. "You look like you could pass out any minute."

He shrugged his shoulder, turning his stare to the ceiling. "I may feel like that, but it won't happen. My mind is going a mile a minute, I highly doubt that sleep will claim me any time soon." And it really wasn't an excuse just to spend time with her. "Stay and watch a movie with me."

She appeared to consider his invitation. "Fine," she admitted defeat. "But I get to pick the movie."

He nodded once. "So long as it isn't some mushy, chick-flick, fine."

"Chick-flick?" Did he really take her for that kind of girl?

"Yeah, you know…something that will make me have to do something manly afterwards to earn back my man card."

"I wasn't aware that you had one to begin with," she retorted with a smirk as she jumped from the couch and movie to his meager DVD collection.

As soon as Finn and Kol stepped into the mansion, both could sense a foreign presence. Thankfully, Elijah had the foresight to warn his brother ahead of time, but Finn hadn't dared share Sage's presence. Instead, he spent their car ride home, attempting to piece together a conversation with his former lover.

Kol tensed. "Someone's here." Since Elijah and Rebekah were elsewhere, his worry settled on Klaus. His brother had proved more than once that he was capable of taking care of himself, but what if someone came with a grudge?

"Relax, Kol," Finn said with a shake of his head. "It is only Sage."

He spun around to face him, nearly sputtering. "Sage? As in your lover?"

"And here I thought I was more than only anything," a female voice drawled. She briefly settled her gaze on Kol before turning her full attention on Finn. "Hello, Finn."

Tilting his head, Finn kept his own gaze trained on her. "Sage. You look well…" He stumbled over his words. Quickly, he found his resolve breaking. She devoured him with her eyes.

Sensing that his presence was no longer needed, Kol removed himself from the situation, attempting to locate Klaus. If either person took notice of his exit, they didn't mention it.

"And you…" she said, making her way to his side. "Are breathtaking." Moments later when she stood before him, she raised a hand to his hair. "I…" She shook her head. "I've wondered how you would have evolved with the times," she confessed. She'd always loved his long hair, believing that he would have kept it long. "I didn't think I'd ever see you without…but it suits you."

Reaching up, Finn grabbed her hand. "Sage…"

"My first conversation with you in hundreds of years and I talk about your hair," she shook her head. Closing the distance between them, she captured his lips with her own.

He froze under her touch, not returning the kiss or caress, but not pushing her away either.

When he remained unresponsive to her actions, her thoughts flashed back to Elijah's callous words concerning Finn's awakening and interest in a baby vampire. Pushing down the flaring jealousy, she pasted a small smile on her face. "What is the matter? I have thought on this moment for so long…the idea of being reunited with you; but you aren't nearly as happy to see me."

Finn sighed. "Sage…" he shook his head. "It's been nine hundred years."

She nodded. "Yes, but given the fact that you've only just awaken recently, it should feel like yesterday. I'm the one who has had to endure our separation…but my feelings for you, about you, never wavered."

"You are a different person than you were at that time…as I am."

She laughed off his words. "Oh, I know you," she denied. "You are the same broken man that I met." She pulled her hand from his grasp and ran it down the length of his face. "The same man that bore his soul to me, that loved me, touched me deeper than anyone had or since." Her hand trailed down his chest. "Don't tell me that you've forgotten those nights," she whispered. "The sex, not only between us, but those we invited into our bed. Do you remember slaughtering that family and then fucking in the pool of their blood?" She fingered the waist of his pants. "Because I do."

Grinding his teeth, he stepped away from her. "I am not that person any longer," he denied.

She offered him a saccharine smile. If that was what he wanted to believe…but she knew better. She also knew that her words had gotten to him. "Then perhaps we should get to know each other again," she suggested.

He shook his head. "I do not think that a wise decision on either of our parts." He remembered every single moment she mentioned, but he felt no sense of loss or reverence for the time that had long since passed.

"You are angry with me…" she trailed off after a moment.

He hesitated to answer. "No," he denied softly. "But I am…Sage, when you met me, I was in a very dark place in my life."

She smirked at him. "I am aware." Flashes of naked skin, stained in blood, bit at her forethoughts.

"I am not that man any longer. And giving thought to that time in my life, I realize just how toxic we were together."

Shaking her head, her amusement died. "It was not toxicity, we did not know better." She grabbed his hand and squeezed it. "We do now." She didn't think she'd ever be considered good, but she could be better if that was what he desired. "At least give us a chance to get to know one another as we are now."

He did not think it would change a thing.

"You seem to think that I am not the one for you, and I am under the mindset that I am," Sage sighed. "At least let one of us be proven wrong."

Even as he considered her proposal, something deep inside him told him that he was doing nothing more than inviting trouble to stay. However, she had a point. For what they once meant to one another, he owed her another chance…didn't he?

When he continued his hesitance, she tried another angle. "Finn, if you are right in your feelings, I will leave Mystic Falls and never return. All I ask, is for an opportunity to regain the love that you once held for me."

"Is there something I can help you with?" Klaus asked with a sigh of irritation as he addressed his brother. He'd done his best to ignore Kol's presence, but in the end, he lost to his annoyance.

Uncrossing his arms, Kol unfolded his arms and entered the office. "I don't know what you were you thinking when you invited that woman into our home, but you did nothing more than invite trouble into our lives."

He turned his head up as a proud child would do. "I did no such thing."

Kol smirked. "She will not afford you a chance with Caroline."

Klaus' easer demeanor immediately failed and he glowered at his brother.

"Finn will not reconcile with Sage," Kol continued. While he didn't think that Finn knew what to do with himself, he knew that much. Unlike the rest of his brothers, he couldn't rightly guess exactly what Finn was after, but Sage was not it. "She will not distract him and take up his free time."

"I didn't bring her here for that."

Arching his eyebrows in a look of amusement, Kol smirked. "Didn't you? And where is the witch that you and Elijah left to locate?" He didn't scent anyone else in the house when he entered.

"As the problem was taken care of while we were gone, I had no further use for him. I assume he is somewhere in the North East of the country."

"You assume?" Kol repeated. He didn't know why his brother's antics continued to astonish him, but they did. He should have expected that his brother would do something like that, but then, he assumed that Klaus would have at least provided the Wiccan a passage home.

"Did you come to actually share something of importance, or were you looking to annoy me? Because you seem to have excelled at the latter."

Kol rolled his eyes and shook his head. "Elena will be fine," he told the hybrid with a pointed manner. "Your concern is touching though," he muttered.

"I didn't doubt that she would be," Klaus denied. Elena was strong, stronger than the previous doppelgangers had been. If he was concerned for her well-being, he would have stopped off at the hospital, but he had no doubt about her status.

"You think that there will be any whip lashing for Bonnie?" Kol asked after a moment.

Klaus frowned. Why would there be? More importantly, why did his brother care to ask? "I don't know, and I don't care. Why do you?"

"Oh, I don't know…maybe because she has once and for all proven that her loyalties lay with Elena. And while she may not serve you, there's no mistaking that Elena's presence in both your lives will tie her to you as well…" Bonnie was only born into one of the most powerful Wiccan families… If she lost her powers, what good could she be for Klaus?

"Has there been any change?" Rick asked, entering Elena's room. He and Jeremy had left earlier that evening, only to return hours later after their task had been completed.

Elijah shook his head, staring at the slumbering girl. "Although the doctors are rather interested in the rate of her healing," he sighed. He'd already had to interfere when the doctor became too nosy.

"Have they mentioned when she'd be good to come home?"

"No, but given her advanced healing, she won't be in here two days more." At least he couldn't imagine so. "Is everything set up?"

"We called Stefan and asked for his help, but the last of her things have been moved." He claimed a seat on the other open chair. "He was angry that he wasn't informed of the situation earlier on. I don't think I need to mention Damon's reaction…"

"It wasn't as if they were the first people to cross everyone's mind," Elijah denied, though even as the words passed his lips, he knew he was stretching it.

"No," Rick agreed. "But before you entered her life, they were. I understand that things are different, and I think that I've been a pretty good sport about your newfound relationship with Elena, but it isn't fair to cut them out of her life."

"I believe they did that themselves," Elijah was quick to dispute. "However, I will make sure that I am more conscious of their presence in her life." However, the less of them he saw, the better off, he felt. He accepted Elena's close relationship with the Salvatore brothers, but he didn't understand them…and he certainly didn't like it or them.

Rick nodded once. "I just need to make sure that Elena doesn't completely lose herself because of all of these changes," he excused.

"I would never let that happen," Elijah denied passionately. "I fell for the person that she is, and I understand that her friends are an important part of her life." He understood that her return home meant spending more time with Caroline, Bonnie, Matt and the Salvatore brothers. "To tell you the truth, this couldn't have come at a better time," he admitted with a defeated sigh. Grudgingly, he had to admit that her returning home was the perfect time. He wasn't keen on the idea of having her under the same roof as Sage.

Narrowing his eyes on the Original, Elena's self-appointed guardian let the conversation drop. "Are we set for her release?"

The Original nodded. "All that I am is hers." Whatever she needed or wanted, he would see to; whether it be the world or just a ride. He would gladly take on the role of chauffer.