A/N: Hello friends and followers. As promised, your first (and probably not last) chapter for May. There have been some exciting developments as it comes to this story. We now have a Beta for this story, the incredible PhoenixGod95. This story will get more an more complex as time continues on, if you've been paying attention thus far I'm sure you have made some calculated guesses what will transpire; I'd love to hear what your predictions are ;). Anyways, enjoy this chapter.
Elena waited by the door from the moment Rebekah left. She knew that Rebekah had to go, but it didn't stop her heart from aching painfully with every passing second. She joined her friends in the living room periodically as they continued to go through grimoires and eat pizza. When it got late, she returned to the door to wait for Rebekah to return.
Elena knew it was unrealistic, but she couldn't help but hope that Rebekah would somehow be home much sooner than the at least 24 hours it would take for her to go to Chicago and come back.
Elena couldn't bring herself to sleep; she instead resigned herself to the fact that the closest thing to being in bed with Rebekah was being in bed. She showed her friends where the bedrooms were, ensured that they knew that they could help themselves to food, and began to head to Rebekah's room.
She could hear and smell Bonnie following her up the stairs. It wasn't until she was a few feet away from the door that she felt Bonnie's hand on her arm, turning her around.
"I know this has to be hard for you…" Bonnie said. Elena could feel the tears starting to rise. "Why don't you talk to me about it?" Elena couldn't answer, and only nodded, as she stepped forward again and opening the door.
She sat on the edge of Rebekah's bed, feeling those same tears spilling over, falling onto her hands clasped tightly in her lap. She felt Bonnie sit next to her, snaking her arm around her shoulders. Soon enough Elena was doubled over, heaving. She hadn't felt sadness like this often, and even then; she hasn't felt it in a very long time.
"I love her." Elena sobbed between shallow breaths. "I love her and I don't know what to do. She's protecting me right now, but I can't protect her. She could die out there, I could lose her…" Elena continued, her breathing starting to even out. "If I lose her Bonnie, I will have lost so many people that I have loved."
"I know it hurts, it's a pain that hurts you so deeply that you can't describe it. It feel like your heart is being ripped out of your chest, like you can't breathe." Bonnie said. Elena could see the tears forming in her eyes too. "But if you never try to move on from that feeling Elena, it will consume you, all the people you lost will haunt you and you will never feel the same again." Bonnie's face mirrored her own as they sat there.
"How do you do it? How do you live with all of your loss without worrying about the next loss you will have to feel?" Elena said. She could feel her face tighten as the tears started to dry in lines. Her breathing returned to normal while she ran her fingers through the long brown hair that Rebekah was so obsessed with.
"You accept that death is inevitable, that people leave, that love fades. You accept that nothing is like the fairy tales, that every story doesn't have a happy ending. Once you understand that, you can accept when these things happen." Bonnie said, wiping her eyes. "It doesn't make it hurt less, but it means that you learn not to hold on to that hurt and that pain."
Elena nodded and understood. Bonnie knew how to handle emotions better than anyone; she was always calm and measured. She hid emotions well, and allowed herself to express them if she needed to, Elena wanted to be more like that, but she was the exact opposite.
Elena was reckless, impulsive. Quick to fall and even quicker to leave; admittedly she had never been in this kind of love before, but that wasn't to say that it would last. Part of her felt this draw, this pull to Rebekah, this connection that she had never even felt a fraction of with anyone else. Not Damon, not Stefan, not Matt.
Another part of her, a more reserved part of her, was afraid of what could happen if she were to lose Rebekah; but more importantly if Rebekah was to lose her. She had a very short lifetime ahead of her, 70 years at most; Rebekah had an eternity, Rebekah had forever to live. She was human, she was fragile, she could be killed at a moments notice, she could lose her memory. She was frail in a world that was so hard and so dangerous.
70 years would be all she would have to survive if Rebekah died… But if Elena was the one to die, Rebekah would still have to live out her eternity, but without that is the thought that truly rocked Elena to her core, that Rebekah would feel her absence forever, and that Rebekah would never forget about the future that they could have had together.
Bonnie stood up suddenly, taking Elena's hand in her own. They exchanged a look without speaking, and Bonnie turned and let go as she left the room.
Elena crawled up to the head of the bed, taking Rebekah's pillow and tucking it in the crook of her arm. When she closed her eyes she could imagine that Rebekah was next to her, and that she wasn't a thousand miles away from her. She could feel her heartbeat slow as the smell comforted her greatly. She closed her eyes slowly, letting the smell take her away.
It was some time in the future, Elena couldn't tell how far. She felt older. Rebekah was beside her, and for some reason she had this feeling inside that Rebekah hadn't left her side for a while. She was sitting on a balcony somewhere. She felt Rebekah's hand come out and touch her softly.
She felt herself smiling into it, and turning to look at the beautiful blonde next to her. Behind Rebekah's head she could see the Eiffel Tower peeking out. Paris. She should have been surprised, but part of her felt like she had been to Paris before; although she couldn't remember when.
"Happy 80 birthday Elena." Rebekah's voice carried over to her quickly. She found herself responding by quickly kissing Rebekah, her lips feeling more like home than they ever had.
"Thank you my love." She said, leaning her head on the palm of her hand, looking at Rebekah. "These have been the happiest 60 years of my life, I can't believe I found you." Elena heard herself say. There was a sudden thirst, and Elena picked up her glass and lifted it to her lips.
Her reflection shocked her for a moment. Her hair was grey, her face wrinkled and aging. She was old, and part of her was content with that. She could feel her love for Rebekah had grown each day, that they had gone on extraordinary adventures together, that they had experienced life together. Rebekah looked the same.
She was happy, she felt happy.
It was only a moment later that she felt something vibrate in her purse. She opened it, noticing her wrinkled and bony hands. She dug around through medication and notebooks, until she came across a sleek device. She turned it so the front of the phone was facing her. There was a picture of a face she recognized.
Her daughter. She had Rebekah's eyes, and Rebekah's hair. Elena knew she had chosen the donor specifically for this reason. There was an incredible amount of love for her, but also sadness too. Her daughter had grown up without knowing her other mother for most of her life.
She was 30 now; Elena knew that Callie had her own family now, a husband, and good job in New York. Callie rarely called her, except for holidays when Elena found herself out of the country gallivanting with Rebekah across most of Europe.
"Hello Callie, how are you?" Elena asked, taking one longing look at Rebekah. They rarely needed to speak to each other anymore; they had the ability to speak with only a look.
"Mom, I have some news for you.." Elena heard the excitement in Callie's voice. "Vince and I are having a baby!" Elena felt her heart race. A grandchild! "It's a girl. We don't know what to name her…" It only took an instant for Elena to answer.
"Rebekah. You should name her Rebekah."
Elena woke herself, repeating Rebekah's name over and over again. She was startled for a moment, and looked around the room hoping to find Rebekah waiting for her there. But she wasn't. It was still the dead of night.
Elena looked over to the window, and saw only the dark sky through it. She looked to her left and noticed that the Alarm Clock was shining 5am; she had only been asleep for a few hours. She could go back to sleep, Rebekah wouldn't be back until at least tomorrow. She laid her head back down.
She stood up quickly from where she was sitting; she could hear Rebekah shuffling about the house. The house was new, it was different; she knew she had many others in between the first one she shared with Rebekah and the one she had now.
She began to walk quickly to the kitchen, finding Rebekah standing there. She came up behind her, wrapping her arms around her, nuzzling her face into the back of Rebekah's neck.
Rebekah smelled so incredible, like honey and lavender, but more deep than usual.
"Good morning my love." She heard Rebekah say to her, a smile coming to Elena's mouth. "Happy 80th birthday." Rebekah turned to her, a cup of dark red liquid that Elena recognized as blood.
"Mmm, thank you. You always do know how to spoil me." Elena said drinking the warm mug, sighing contently. There was a little blood still on her lips as she stared gleefully at Rebekah. "Life with you has been a dream, I don't think I would trade it for any thing, or any one."
"You've got some right there on your face!" She heard Rebekah say, coming a little bit closer. "Don't move, I'll get it for you." Soon enough Rebekah was incredibly close, Elena could feel Rebekah's breath washing over her face, as Rebekah leaned forward, running her tongue over Elena's lips, collecting the blood.
"Hey, that was my snack for later!" Elena laughed, pulling Rebekah closer. "I guess I'll just have to take it back myself." Elena kissed Rebekah passionately while tongues danced inside of their mouths. Elena's onslaught didn't last long until Rebekah had spun her around; her stomach pressed firmly against the granite countertop.
Elena caught her reflection in the mirror. She looked basically the same as she always had, the same taut skin, the same blemish free face, and the same bright eyes. The benefit of being immortal was that you looked the same forever.
She moaned rather loudly as Rebekah's hands found its way between her legs; she threw her head back in reckless abandon while she suddenly crested into orgasm.
"Fucking hell." Elena swore loudly, turning to meet Rebekah's gaze. "You get better at this every time. 60 years, and you still keep getting better." Elena laughed, pulling Rebekah to kiss her again.
"I love you." Rebekah said, looking her in the eyes. "I can't wait to spend forever with you." Elena felt herself blushing at that.
"I can't wait to spend forever with you too."
She woke again, this time by the sunlight glaring through the room, blinding her eyes. She looked quickly again at the clock, noting the 11am time. This was unreasonably early for her to be awake, but she knew if she went back to sleep she would have another odd dream about her future with Rebekah.
She got out of bed quickly finding clothes of Rebekah's in the closet and putting them on herself. They smelled of Rebekah, her sweet and salty scent was permeating through her nostrils; it brought her comfort and calm to smell Rebekah.
Elena decided to go downstairs and look through the Grimoires again, while she thought about her dreams. What did her dreams mean, and if they meant nothing or if they were trying to tell her more about her possible futures with Rebekah.
She knew she would eventually have to choose. Have the life she dreamed about, the happy daughter, and the grandchild but grow old; or have the eternity with Rebekah that she knew was so easily within her grasp. Which did she want more? Did she want the fairy tale that she wanted, the white picket fence, hiding her relationship and love for Rebekah a secret, unable to explain away her never ending youth to her growing daughter; or did she want the future with Rebekah, remaining ageless for eternity with the woman she loved, and who loved her without reservation.
She couldn't decide. She knew Rebekah would stay with her if she chose the first. She would love their daughter, even when she had to leave and meet with her in secret, on nights where Callie went over to a friend's for sleepovers. Even with her aging and decaying body Rebekah would be there for her, Rebekah would love her, Rebekah would make sure that she wanted for nothing, that she passed peacefully.
If she chose the second, she would live out the rest of eternity with Rebekah, young forever, exploring the world for eternity, settling down in new cities for a period of years before moving somewhere else. Maybe they would buy an island and live there in their own little paradise where they would be safe from it all, somewhere where the nonsense of Mystic Falls couldn't reach them. Somewhere that the two of them existed seamlessly and happily for the rest of their eternity. Elena couldn't think of what she wanted more. She wanted her happily ever after, but she also wanted her eternity.
Elena picked up an abandoned grimoire from the ground, and began flipping through it while the rest of the house was still sleeping. She had probably read through a couple before she started noticing a pattern. There were certain pages in different Grimoires with the same border.
Something in Elena's mind, likely enhanced by whatever vampire sympathy syndrome she was experiencing, started connecting dots, quickly going through all of the grimoires to find the pages. She sighed when she had finally opened the 15th grimoire, finding a matching page in all 15. She started to thinking about it, trying to connect the dots, to see the order of the pages, but she couldn't figure it out. Maybe it had to do with the age of the grimoires in question.
It was just her luck as she heard Bonnie descending the stairs. She could hear the tell tale sigh from Bonnie's mouth before she heard the yawn. When Bonnie finished her descent she called Bonnie to her side.
"There's something in these grimoires Bonnie, I can tell- but I can't piece it together without your help." Elena said taking a breath. "I know you haven't eaten, but eat and then maybe you can help me figure it out." Elena said, standing from the ground, and following Bonnie into the kitchen. She was hungry too; she could feel the hunger clawing at her aching stomach. She needed food; she was still human after all.
They made a quick breakfast, swallowing down the eggs and spreading butter on toast and bringing it with her to the living room. Bonnie did the same, getting a large glass of orange juice. They sat down in the living room with the grimoires surrounding them.
"These pages all have the same border. I haven't found another page in the grimoires that match." Elena said, pointing to each of the fifteen open books on the floor. "They all give a few lines of information, but clearly they are meant to be read together. I can't figure out the intended order that they are supposed to go in though." Elena said, a deep sigh leaving her chest.
"That's incredibly strange, all of these grimoires come from different parts of the Bennett family tree…" Bonnie said, a look of confusion passed across her face. "While most of the beginning should be the same, they shouldn't have identical pages."
"They do Bonnie, you're looking right at them. Do you know which ones come first in the Bennett family line?" Elena asked. "I'm thinking that it goes in order. That would be the most logical."
"You could be very right Elena, let me just check." Elena watched as Bonnie held the pages with her thumb and flipped all of the grimoires over to read their beginning date, placing them in order as she went. "So here it is, a message decoded."
"Children of the Moon, defenders of the dark. Village next to village, can tell neither apart. When the moon is full, the Children of the Moon will heal centuries of pain. That is their solemn deal." Bonnie read moving quickly onto the next book.
"The Children of moon will cause war, wage horror to their neighbours. Keeping them in control is always in our favour." Bonnie breezed over to the next book.
"The day will come when our line will be unable to control them, it will be then that we will finally be beholden." Bonnie said, her eyes conveying a confusion that Elena had felt moments before.
"Werewolves." Elena said pointedly. "Children of the moon, has to be werewolves." Elena finished, allowing Bonnie to continue.
"In the midst of transformation, this deed shall be done. Shifting the balance for each and everyone." Bonnie finished the third book.
"What deed?" Elena asked exasperatedly. "Keep going."
"A ritual will be done, a spell will be cast. The children once of the Ground, will be of the Oak at last." Bonnie said, reading the two sentences in the fourth book.
"The ritual must be performed by one of our kind, if any of us disagree it would only buy us time. Mother turns to Father; Father turns on Child. From the Children of the Moon, is this curse riled." Bonnie acquiesced silently. Elena was putting the pieces together.
"This is Rebekah's story." Elena said, startling Bonnie from her state. "Rebekah told me. Werewolves in her neighbouring village killed Rebekah's brother, in order to protect their family, Rebekah's mother used her blood to cast a spell that turned her children and husband into vampires. Rebekah and her brothers had to be killed, to finish the spell they had to feed." Elena said piecing it together. "Maybe this is explaining why it's me and Rebekah being affected by this, and not any of the other humans in relationships with vampires…" Elena finished, questioning everything.
"That could make sense, the next book talks about what happens next in the story." Bonnie said, pointing to the fifth book, this with drawings of a tree, and six human like symbols, five with triangles above them pointing downwards.
"The Children of the Oak, the five would need to feed, their punishment to live forever forcing those they love to bleed." Bonnie looked to Elena hoping for clarification; Elena simply nodded along urging Bonnie to continue to the next book.
"Elijah, Klaus, Kol, Rebekah…" Elena said counting out loud. "But who is the fifth?" Elena was confused. Rebekah hadn't mentioned a fifth vampire sibling, only her dead brother who couldn't be a vampire because- well he's dead. "Keep reading maybe it will explain." Bonnie nodded in agreement; moving on to the seventh book sprawled before them.
"To prevent their end, to prolong their lives, the Children of the Oak will sentence the Oak to die. Be it by fire or be it by flood, they will destroy the thing that could return their blood." Bonnie read, pausing for a moment. She looked to Elena for clarification but Elena didn't notice, she was lost in a sea of thought.
What was the purpose of something like this? A prophecy, a legend? Was Rebekah really the cause of all of this? If it hadn't been her, could someone else have fulfilled it? Was she lucky or unlucky, Elena couldn't tell. She let Bonnie read the rest of the passages out loud without interrupting or interjecting. She just wanted to have the full story and be able to comprehend what was going on.
"There is a deception that will be discovered. This will turn the Father against his Children's Mother. It is said to end in bloodshed, end in terror and fear. But not a single sigh of death will any of us hear."
Elena mentally followed the story, nodding along while Bonnie continued to read. Elena was absorbing everything, but she knew her face wasn't expressing that. Bonnie raised an eyebrow, but said nothing. Leaving Elena to piece everything together.
"The five will separate, and scour across the earth, knowing that none of them will ever return to dirt." "One will seek a birth right that he has been denied, while a Child of the ground will experience pain undescribed."
"This Child will be born, will die, and be born again." "It is only from her ashes that his rituals can begin."
"Wait." Elena said, reaching for Bonnie's arm. "Read that again." Bonnie re-read the passage from the ninth grimoire. "Something about that is ringing a bell somewhere in my mind, but I'm not sure what the bell is for." Elena started, "Sorry for interrupting, continue Bonnie." She let Bonnie Read the tenth book.
"He will hunt for generations, he will search for years. If he is successful, it will actualize our fears."
"The combination of his genes, both the Oak and the Moon, will signify the end of the world for us will be approaching soon."
"Half vampire half werewolf!" Elena nearly screamed. "Is that a thing? Is that possible?" Bonnie thought for a moment before responding.
"I don't see how it would be. Werewolves are created by genetics; it's passed through generation after generation. Vampires aren't. So I don't know exactly. Maybe a kind of spell would make it possible, but I honestly don't know." Bonnie pondered for a moment. "Let's see what else it says and go from there?"
Elena nodded, and Bonnie nodded back, and Bonnie's voice rang through the air.
"The true Child of the Ground will face their creator. The implications of this meeting could not be any greater. The balance will be restored, or it could falter. Depending on whether or not these two take this meeting any farther."
'Child of the ground again..' Elena thought momentarily she knew that she knew something about it. She did, but fuck, she couldn't remember.
"Truth behind lies, methods within madness. Only those two will be able to understand this. Choices to be made; futures to decide. Futures could end, with the Composite in his stride." Thirteen.
"If they do not choose each other, the Oak and the Ground's daughter. Our race will disappear, left like lambs to the slaughter. If they do, and are joined together; humanity will live on to strive for better." Fourteen
"There is one book left right?" Elena said, looking over Bonnie's shoulder. "Also, remind me to get you to teach me how to read this stuff sometime Bonnie."
"I can't make any promises about the accuracy of what I teach you, there are some things I understand really well, but others that I have no idea about. Grams didn't get the chance to teach me." Bonnie got quiet for a moment, before looking back at Elena. "I will teach you what I know, and hopefully when I learn more, I can teach you more."
Elena reached for Bonnie's hand and held it firmly. "I am sorry about your grams Bonnie. I know how much she meant to you, and how much she continues to mean for you." Elena could feel a lump forming in her throat, her eyes misting and clouding her vision. "Your grams would be proud of you, she would be beyond proud of you. I know that I am." Elena felt Bonnie squeeze her hand, and turn back to the grimoires before smiling slightly.
"Thank you, I am too." She said before reading the next and final book.
"Two hundred and forty-eight moons is her time to decide, if she would rather live or if she would rather die. When the clock strikes midnight, on the nineteenth year, the Child of the Ground's choice must be clear. If not she will bring forth the dawn of the vermin." Bonnie sighed, finally finished reading the grimoires.
"What does it mean Bonnie?" Elena said. She was so confused; there was so much information to take in, most of which she didn't fully comprehend. She had worry written across her face, she knew that, and Bonnie knew it too.
"I'm not sure, I think it would be good to wait for Rebekah to come back, and she can help us figure it out." Bonnie said, Elena nodded along with her. She was right, Rebekah with all of her knowledge could help them understand what was going on.
"You're right, we should wait for her to come back." Elena said, getting up and stretching her limbs. "Bonnie would you do me a favour and jot down the story so that we can all read it and understand it." Elena asked quietly turning to Bonnie, who nodded and grabbed a pen and began writing.
Elena went back to the door, and looked outside, it was almost 2pm but the others were still asleep. Elena went to the kitchen, and started making brunch for everyone.
Elena took her time examining Rebekah's house, it was a lot nicer than she first noticed, there was a room off of the kitchen with a table that looked as if it was made to seat 16 people. The room was decorated very nicely, modern but with some really ornate features.
There were gold plates and beautiful glassware already set on the table, black flowers in crystal vases that looked healthy as the day they were picked. Elena felt that there was something special about this room, a reason why it was closed off when the rest of the house had a very open concept. She mentally reminded herself to ask Rebekah about it later.
After Elena finished putting all of the food out, she found bonnie in the living room scrolling through her phone. "Hey Bon, I'm going to go and wake everybody, food is in the dining room off of the kitchen." She watched Bonnie nod as she ascended the stairs to wake the others.
She knocked at the first room, and when she didn't hear a response she opened the door slightly and stuck her head in. "Hey guys, I've got food ready downstairs if you-" She was caught off guard by the sight of a very naked Caroline and an equally naked Tyler laying on top of the sheets. "Oh my god, I'm so sorry. I didn't realize." Elena said, a blush forming on her cheeks. How insanely awkward.
"It's really fine." Caroline said, turning to look at her, "Come on Elena, it's nothing you've never seen before!" Elena's face got beet red, she could feel the blood rushing to her cheeks, and her neck; if it kept up like this she would look like a tomato.
"Yes Caroline, I've seen it all before, but that was by choice you know!" Elena said, her eyes permanently glued to the wall, she couldn't really think about how uncomfortable seeing someone naked unintentionally was. It was beyond embarrassing. "Listen, if the two of you want to put on clothes before you come down, so as to not scar the rest of our friends, it would be greatly appreciated."
Elena was almost shutting the door when she heard Tyler laugh, and then Caroline join him. Elena started laughing nervously, before moving onto the next room. She knocked, and this time shouted "ARE YOU DECENT?" at the top of her lungs, she would rather not be scarred again for the day.
Thankfully Matt appeared at the door a moment later fully clothed. Elena breathed a content sigh. "Thank god you have clothes on, what I just saw in that room was enough to make me abstain from sex for the next 50 years." Elena said, dramatically shivering.
Matt laughed deeply. "Well, let's hope not because that's a long time to not have sex Elena, and I think you would be very angry really soon if you didn't get some." Matt smiled, jabbing Elena's sides, making her laugh.
"You're definitely right." Elena said, examining Matt's face. His smile made part of her sad. All she could think about was the moment where she broke up with him for Stefan, he had been so happy about the dance that week, and then the smile disappeared from his face. It took months for it to return, and even longer for Matt to start speaking to her again. "I have food ready downstairs, I assume you're hungry."
"You're damn right I am!" Matt said, skipping down the stairs. Elena retreated back to Rebekah's room. Matt had become such a treasured friend to her, she felt so guilty for hurting him. She really did. Part of her wondered what her future would have been like if she had stayed with Matt.
It would be simple, uncomplicated. At one point he had talked about marriage, about a house and kids, the whole white picket fence. She could have had that, but something told her that even if she had decided to stay with Matt, she would have still ended up here with Rebekah. That was the part about it that broke her a little bit inside.
No matter what she had decided to do all of those years ago, Matt would still end up hurt. Regardless of if she left him for Stefan, or for Rebekah, she would have left. Deep down she knew that, and deep down he knew it too. This was the path that she paved for herself.
Part of her was glad that she had left him for Stefan, because it meant that he had time to heal, and that he was here now. He was okay, and maybe the time apart and the time it took to heal made this friendship possible. Elena knew she should stop looking backwards at all of the mistakes, but she couldn't stop thinking about Matt; and about how grateful she was that they found their way back to each other, even if it was a different relationship than the one that they had ended.
She composed herself quickly before descending down the stairs to eat with the others. She slowly crept down the stairs, letting her feet fall heavily until she reached the bottom. She was reluctant to join the others because it meant explaining what she and Bonnie had found. She didn't have the answers, and she knew that even Rebekah might not have all of the answers herself- but that there would likely be much more than what Elena had.
Part of explaining the prophecy, was telling Rebekah's story, and she wasn't sure that Rebekah would appreciate Elena telling it for her. It really wasn't her story to tell.
She entered the dining room and sat at the head of the table, she was effectively in charge here. Everyone but Caroline was eating all the food that she had brought out, and that made her smile. She wasn't too surprised that Caroline wasn't eating, she never did, she didn't even drink blood in front of others. Elena knew this was a contentious issue for Caroline.
It had to be hard to be on a special diet that repulsed the others around you. It didn't faze Elena; she had been around so many vampires for such a long amount of time, that truly it didn't even bother her… If she was being honest it hadn't bothered her really at all, even in the beginning. She guessed she was just less of an issue with it, maybe it was just her DNA, but the thought of blood wasn't even disgusting to her, it was merely a fact of life.
After the group was done eating, Elena addressed all of her friends in the room, bringing them in on what she and Bonnie had discovered.
"We found what we were looking for in the grimoires." Elena said, feeling all but Bonnie's set of eyes looking at her with curiosity. She and Bonnie shared a different look, one of understanding.
"Is it a spell that can undo whatever is going on?" She heard Caroline ask from her seat next to Tyler. Elena took a deep breath.
"No, it isn't." Elena said, noticing her friend's shoulders falling in disappointment. She knew they cared for her, she could tell that this news disappointed them. "I think Bonnie would be best at explaining what we found, they are her Grimoires after all." Elena motioned her arm to Bonnie, who cleared her throat.
"We found a prophecy." Bonnie began. Elena watched as everyone's shoulders rose again in interest. "It was spread throughout all of the grimoires, which is why we didn't find it before, each one held a different section of the prophecy." Elena could see questions forming in her friend's mouths, and watched them choke their interruptions down until Bonnie was finished. "Part of the prophecy doesn't make a lot of sense, but there is information that Rebekah can provide when she returns that will help us figure out what is going on." Bonnie finished quietly. It was Matt who spoke next.
"What does the prophecy say?" Elena noticed that everyone's head nodded in agreement, they all wanted to know even if they couldn't understand what it meant. Bonnie's eyes connected with her own, and Elena nodded for Bonnie to continue.
After Bonnie finished giving the group the fully translated prophecy, heads turned back to Elena, who simply sat in silence really thinking about the prophecy at hand.
"What does it mean?" Caroline's voice brought Elena back to the present. Elena thought for a moment, debating on how to explain without revealing more than necessary.
"For some reason Rebekah and I have fulfilled this prophecy, we're not entirely sure of the specifics of it- we'll have to wait until she gets back so that we can work it out." Elena said, running a hand along her face and taking a very shaky breath. "There is a chance that whatever the prophecy is, is only temporary, or can be reversed- but that chance is seeming smaller and smaller the more I think about the prophecy." Elena said, sitting back in her chair.
She wasn't entirely sure what was happening to her, but it was definitely something that confused and scared her, and it scared Rebekah too. She could tell by the way Rebekah's concerned eyes had looked at her so intensely. Whatever was happening she wasn't fully sure that she could handle the implications of the prophecy… But she supposed she really wouldn't have a choice in the matter.
"The prophecy will have to be explained in more detail by Rebekah, because it's her story to tell." Elena said looking out to the group. "When Rebekah gets back, we'll go over this some more, but for now, let's try not to focus on it too much until we have all the facts."
Once everyone had nodded in agreement Elena rose from her seat and went back upstairs to Rebekah's room. She went to the closet and took out some of Rebekah's clothes and laid them on the bed. She got a towel from the chair, and walked into the en suite bathroom.
Elena was always astounded by how beautiful Rebekah's house was. Every corner she turned she found something more beautiful- the bathroom was no exception. It was massive, with a large glass shower, and beautifully modern sink fixtures, and a claw tub tucked perfectly in the corner. Elena opened the heavy glass door and stepped inside, she noticed that there was a bench built into the shower.
She turned the hot water on to its highest setting, and turned the cold water only slightly so that the water coming out was hot enough to satisfy her desire for warmth, but not so hot it would scald her skin. She pulled her hair out of its ponytail and let the water consume her scalp.
She stood for a few moments just letting the water cascade down her body. This was the first time she'd felt really warm since Rebekah had left for Chicago. Elena didn't realize how much she missed having Rebekah around until she wasn't there anymore. It would have been a little pathetic, but there was an underlying fear there that something could happen and Rebekah wouldn't come back.
Elena knew Rebekah was essentially immortal; it would take a lot for her to die. But there was still that lingering fear in the back of Elena's mind that threatened to consume her completely if she dwelled on it too much. Elena sighed before grabbing a bottle of Rebekah's shampoo and pouring some into the palm of her hands.
It smelled like Rebekah, and the smell transported her back to that first day when Rebekah carried her out of the school. Part of her had been so transfixed on Rebekah's eyes and mouth that hadn't consciously recognized the smell until she had the shampoo in her hands. She had wanted to just pull Rebekah towards her, and kiss her until she couldn't breathe. But they hadn't known each other; Rebekah had been helping her, so she supposed it would have been wrong to take advantage of their proximity.
While she lathered her hair with Rebekah's shampoo, she thought about the way Rebekah had been looking at her that day, extremely interested in her; it was the way Stefan had looked at her at the beginning, with this burning desire that threatened to tear him open if he couldn't have her. She preferred Rebekah's attention much more than Stefan's. Stefan was rough, unruly, and dangerous without a protective nature. Rebekah was solid, considerate, dangerous but protective; she sacrificed her home for her; that was more than Stefan had ever done.
Rebekah was enigmatic, resourceful, knowledgeable, honest, compassionate, and careful; Rebekah was always looking out for her, and it surprised Elena how much Rebekah was willing to give of herself to ensure her protection. She had never had anyone care about her so deeply outside of her family.
She felt internal warmth radiating from within her, not just the warm water cascading down her body from the shower. Rebekah tended to have that effect.
Once she was done lathering her hair, she rinsed the soap from it, humming a tune to herself, she didn't know where she had heard it before; but something about it sounded familiar, like she had heard it before. She didn't think about it too much as she reached for the conditioner, and finished the process.
She grabbed the soap next, lathering up her body, which started to smell like peaches. She smiled to herself; peach was one of her favourite smells, so it was surprising that it would turn out to be the one that Rebekah decided to use.
She thought about that for a moment, maybe they really were more connected than Elena gave them credit for. It was such a strange thought to her; she couldn't quite grasp it completely. This was spiralling out of control very quickly, one minute she was dating Rebekah and the next she was here, in a home that she, apparently, owned, wondering about a prophecy that joined her and Rebekah together. She couldn't tell if it was fortunate or unfortunate that she was cursed with complexity.
After she was done showering, she grabbed a soft towel from the shelf and wrapped it around her body, and took another and wrapped her hair. She made her way into the bedroom, feeling the nice wood floors under her feet. She walked over to her bag that she had initially brought for her weekend away with Rebekah. She pulled out a clean outfit and laid them on the bed.
She dried her legs and torso with the towel before she began pulling her pair of underwear up her legs until they were firmly where they needed to be. She next put on some jeans, and a plain black blouse.
When she was finally dressed she left Rebekah's room, hanging the towels up as she left, closing the door quietly behind her. She felt a strange sense of comfort in a house that didn't belong to her. She could hear the others downstairs, going about their conversations. Elena wondered to herself if she would ever have a normal life, and if she did, if she would even want it. Realistically she knew that regardless of if her life ever became normal, she would be with Rebekah, whose life would never be.
It would be a sacrifice for Rebekah to be with her, and to have her remain normal. Elena knew that there was a lot that Rebekah would be willing to sacrifice for her, but Elena wasn't willing to let her sacrifice even a sliver of her eternity to be with Elena while she aged.
Elena thought about her dream, they were two different paths. She knew if she had to choose, she would choose Rebekah. Jenna was the only family she had left, it would be horrible to watch Jenna get older until she couldn't remember Elena anymore, but it was a small price to pay to have her eternity with Rebekah. She wondered if Rebekah would see it that way though, given her propensity for self-sacrifice.
She thought about it as she descended the stairs, until she came face to face with Bonnie.
"Elena, I was just coming to find you." Bonnie said, Elena noted her wide eyes and her intense stare; something was up.
"What's going on Bon?" Elena asked as Bonnie grabbed her hand and dragged her downstairs. They were soon in the living room, surrounded by the grimoires.
"I've figured something out, there is a spell in one of the grimoires and the symbols match the symbol from the prophecy." Bonnie said, pointing to an open grimoire. Elena sat and looked at it.
"What does it mean Bonnie, you know I can't read this." Elena said, becoming exasperated, all of this prophecy stuff was making her head swim. She was so tired, but not tired at all; this was so much added stress that she likely didn't need to begin with.
"You know how we saw those symbols for what we assume was the 'child of the ground' or whatever?" Elena nodded, and Bonnie continued, "I found that same symbol again, it's for a spell. It requires a sacrifice, and that sacrifice is the same symbol." Bonnie said pointing it out.
"Wait the child of the ground is meant to be a sacrifice?" Elena said, confused for a moment.
"Yes" Bonnie said, looking to her, "but it's more than that. You are the child of the ground Elena." Bonnie said, waiting for a response. Elena looked back at her, confusion masking her true feelings, absolute fear.
"What do you mean I'm the child of the ground?" Elena said, her head swimming. What the hell was happening?
"Think about it," Bonnie said. "I mean clearly this prophecy has something to do with you and Rebekah, everyone else is accounted for; but you."
"Fucking hell, what if you're right?" Elena said, her heartbeat pounding in her ears.
"If I'm right it means that you're in love, but it also means you're in danger." Bonnie started. "The spell in this book is talking about a sacrifice to create hybrids. The original hybrid will have to sacrifice you in order to turn others." Bonnie said, Elena felt a hand reach out and touch her arm. It was meant to be comforting, Elena knew that, but it wasn't doing the trick.
She recoiled momentarily, but then relaxed into the touch. "I don't know what to do anymore, I don't know what to say, and this is all so much information." Elena said, taking a shaky breath before standing up and pacing back and forth in the room.
"Breathe for now," Bonnie said, standing in Elena's way "At least wait until Rebekah comes back and can confirm or deny what we've found. She might have a better understanding than we do of the implications." Bonnie was right, and Elena nodded, sitting down on the couch.
She shut her eyes for a moment, before hearing a vehicle pull into the driveway. Elena stood straight as could be before bolting to the door. She felt her breath leave her lungs as she watched Rebekah dismount from the bike and take the helmet off.
Elena could count on one hand all of the sexiest things she had ever seen, and from this exact second onwards, they were all this moment.
She watched Rebekah's long blonde hair drop down just past her shoulders as fingers began to run through it. Elena wasted no time, throwing the door open and running full kilter into Rebekah's arms.
Elena revelled feeling of being reunited with Rebekah. She felt so warm, and so happy. She leaned her head towards Rebekah's lips and connected them to her own. It was a relief that washed over Elena when she met Rebekah's eyes and saw that the feeling of comfort and happiness she was feeling were mirrored in Rebekah's.
"I've missed you." Elena whispered into Rebekah's ear, sighing when Rebekah embraced her tighter.
"I have missed you too, more than you know." She heard Rebekah whisper into her hair. She knew that she felt it too. "I have plans for you tonight, but that will have to wait until our guests are gone." Elena felt her face redden at the statement, but composed herself before she disengaged the embrace.
"We've learned a lot, and have some idea of what's going on- but our understanding is going to rely on you to tell them as much as you told me." Elena said, standing back while Rebekah reached into the seat of the bike, pulling out what looked like another grimoire.
"I have much to tell you as well, and I will likely need Bonnie's help in determining what it all means." Rebekah said as she walked towards Elena. "Let's go inside, I am tired from riding that thing for the past few days."
They entered in the house, meeting everyone in the living room again; this was becoming a familiar scene for Elena. Rebekah sat on the couch and everyone looked to her.
"Okay, let's not waste time, tell me what you have found and I will tell you what I discovered in Chicago." Rebekah said.
Elena looked at Rebekah. There was something bubbling beneath her surface, and uneasiness, a concern, something that Elena couldn't quite place; but unsettled her just the same. She swallowed down her discomfort, allowing Bonnie to take the lead and explain to Rebekah what they had found in her grimoires.
Elena sat in silence. Allowing the group to discuss what her fate could be, and what they were going to do about it, Elena not knowing herself.