I apologize for my absence! I'll be doing a double upload to make up for it. Look for the next chapter by Sunday!

This is sort of a wrap up chapter, but still important.

Enjoy!

Chapter 25

Year 1887 – New Orleans, Louisiana

Rebekah trailed Damon's scent, hoping to come across him sooner rather than later. She had received word that Kol and Finn would be joining them in New Orleans shortly and she didn't want him to be surprised.

A familiar scent tickled her nose as she turned onto another street, her eyes instantly seeing the man she sought with another woman in his arms. She rolled her eyes, wondering why he couldn't be more conspicuous, especially in a new town.

"I missed you so much."

The blonde stopped as the voice reached her ears. It couldn't be her. It couldn't be this easy after all this time. She vamp sped to the couple, holding her hand over her mouth when Elena looked up at her.

"It's true," she gasped, tears wetting her eyes as she fell to her knees on the other side of Elena, "I thought I'd never see you again."

Elena turned to doe eyes to the blonde and smiled brightly, "Oh, Rebekah, no need to be so dramatic."

Damon looked between the women, glad that his theory was correct. He finally had the woman of his dreams in his arms and he didn't plan on letting her go anytime soon.

"When was the last time you fed?" Rebekah asked sharply, taking in the doppelganger's appearance.

"She hasn't," a new voice said from behind them.

Damon was instantly on the defensive. Standing, he swooped Elena into his arms and cradled her against his chest as his eyes sought out the man.

The young man smiled menacingly, "I suggest you put down my mother."

"Marcellus-" Elena protested weakly.

"No," he said, cutting her off and striding over to her, practically toe-to-toe with the man holding her, "Mr. Elijah should be the only one touching you like that."

"Listen here you little-"

"Mr. Elijah?" Rebekah interrupted, ignoring Damon's glare before she looked to Elena, "Elijah's here?"

Elena motioned for Damon to put her down and he did so reluctantly, keeping a firm hand on her waist to keep her from toppling over. She looked at the blonde and gave her a small smile, "I wrote to him while I was in Virginia. I told him to meet me here when I learned of the…vampire problem in Mystic Falls. I couldn't be alone again, 'Bekah."

Marcel looked between the two women, "Mother, do you know this lady?"

"This, Marcellus," she motioned to Rebekah, "Is your aunt. Elijah is her brother by blood. Her name is Rebekah."

Marcel took Rebekah's hand and brushed a kiss across the back of her knuckles, "A pleasure to meet you, Miss Rebekah."

"Finn and Kol are on their way back," Rebekah said, pouring tea for her guests before sitting across from Damon and Elena on the couch in their hotel room, "We don't have much time."

Marcel had been sent to the plantation to fetch Elijah, sure that the Original would want to see his sister. He bid his goodbyes to his mother before disappearing into the night.

Elena sat up a little straighter, her eyes widening, "You've been traveling with Finn this entire time?" Her eyes went back and forth between Damon and Rebekah, anger slowly beginning to seep through her features, "You've been hunting me? What was your plan? That you'd get to me before he did?"

"It worked out, sweetheart-"

"No!" Elena shouted as she stood, the delicate teacup in her hand shattering on the floor, "It was by dumb luck that you managed to find me before Finn did. Nothing more, nothing less. I have made a life for myself here."

Rebekah sighed, glaring at the broken china, "We're not proposing that you uproot. We're merely saying that it might be beneficial if you simply…hide until we pass through town."

"I'm not leaving her," Damon said strongly, his jaw ticking in anger.

"Yes, and once Kol finds out she's here, he won't leave her either," Rebekah mused, her blue eyes observing Damon quietly. There would be hell to pay when Kol realized that Damon was as involved with Elena as he was and she wasn't looking forward to that. Elena was the only one who was capable of calming Kol when he was upset and it had been a very rough sixty years.

Elena looked away at the blonde's words. She knew they were true, but that didn't lessen the hurt that she felt. How was she to choose between Kol and Damon? And then there was Elijah…but he wasn't in love with her as she had thought she was with him.

"He'll just have to deal with it," the raven-haired man said arrogantly.

When everyone had calmed down as much as they could, they decided to retire for the evening. Once Elijah had arrived, Rebekah insisted on talking to him and figuring out their next strategy to protect Elena.

Meanwhile, Elena sat outside Damon's bedroom door, her mind going a mile a minute. She couldn't keep doing this. She couldn't keep putting everyone in danger just for her own safety. Finn wasn't as dangerous as he once was, she was sure of that, and she knew that she could protect herself better now that she was a vampire. Elijah had risked a lot for her by taking her in and now Rebekah was trying to do the same.

She had done enough to separate their family and she could no longer be responsible for that.

The door slowly opened behind her and she looked up, meeting Damon's blue eyes.

"I can hear you thinking from my bed," he said with a smile, offering her his hand and helping her to her feet, "Come on, sweetheart."

She allowed herself to be pulled to his bed. She allowed herself to accept his gentle touches and eager kisses. When would she see him again? When would she feel this way again?

"Just for tonight," she whispered to herself when he pulled her pantaloons off and was cradled between her thighs.

Damon looked down at her with wonder. She was the woman he would want for the rest of his existence and no other had ever, nor would ever compare to her. His thumb stroked her olive cheek softly as he bent his head to kiss her before thrusting gently inside of her.

She gasped into his mouth, overwhelmed at the feeling of being complete. It had never been like this before with him. Her nails dug into his shoulders, leaving behind scratches that healed before he could think about them. She pulled him as close to her as she could, begging for that final surrender that would make her feel at peace with her choice.

When she cried out beneath him, Damon lost himself in her tight heat. His head went to the crook of her neck as his warm breath fluttered across her skin. He had missed her touch, her taste, her smell. He had missed everything that was Elena.

Later, they lay on their sides, watching each other intently.

"Do you remember where we first met?" She asked, breaking the calm that had settled into the room.

He smiled, "The forest around my family's home."

"I've never been as happy as I was when I was there," Elena whispered, her dark eyes begging him to understand. She sighed and cuddled closer to him, pushing him onto his back so she could lay her head on his chest. "When the time comes, you have to find me."

"Find you?" He echoed, his brows furrowing, "I'm not leaving you, Elena. It took too long to find you this time."

Pulling away, she reached up and cupped his pale cheek, "You won't have a choice, my love. Just remember."

And with that, she flicked her wrist to the side and snapped his neck.

Damon awoke with light drifting through the curtains of his hotel room. He was groggy and had a headache. Looking around, he noticed that Elena was no longer in bed with him and he panicked.

"I've never been as happy as I was when I was there," she whispered, "When the time comes, you have to find me."

When the time comes?

He was pulled from his thoughts with a sharp cry coming from the main room of their suite. Pulling on his trousers, he ventured out to see Rebekah and Elijah gathered around a note.

"What happened?" He asked dumbly, his blue eyes focusing on the note.

Rebekah sniffed, "She's gone. Elena left."

Damon reached for the note in Elijah's hand and he handed it over.

"To my family,

I'm sorry that I must do this, but it is imperative that it be done.

I refuse to live a life in fear, a life in hiding, and a life in shame.

I have done enough to hurt the Mikaelson name and I can no longer stand by and allow myself to destroy it further.

Family is the strongest bond that we have in this life and I cannot bring it upon myself to sever those bonds.

When the time comes for us to be together again, I hope that we are all healed and whole.

I pray that we can overcome this, but please do not come looking for me.

I need to live my own life, as do you all.

Forgive me if you can.

Until we meet again,

Elena Petrova"

Damon handed the note back silently, not trusting himself to speak. She had trusted him enough to tell him where she was going. But he knew it wasn't time to find her.

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~Grace