Elena and Elijah sat on the back porch with Tyler standing up, facing them.
"So, I'm actually gonna turn into a wolf on the next full moon?" Tyler demanded, pacing back and forth.
"It will only last for a few hours, but yes, you will." Elijah rested his ankle on his knee and relaxed back into his seat.
"I killed my dad and now I'm a werewolf."
"It was an accident, Tyler," Elena said, her voice soft. "You can't control everything and it's not your fault. You can't help what another driver does and you can't control your bloodline. All you can do is embrace what's happening, that you now understand why you have the temper you do, and try to make the best of the life you've been given."
"I can't do this alone."
"I'm a witch and can take you down if things get bad, so I can be out there with you, if you'd like to not be alone your first time."
"Yeah." Tyler nodded, his expression one of a terrified boy.
"So, sundown the next full moon, you and I will go to the cellar on the old Lockwood estate so we can lock you up for the night and I'll be there until you're a wolf."
"And I'll be around until it's safe for the humans," Elijah added. At Elena's horrified expression, he added, "I only get sick from werewolf bites. I can't die from them."
"Right, I've never been around an Original who was bitten, only regular vampires," Elena said as she rubbed her hand up and down his thigh.
"Even if I get bitten, I'll be fine." Elijah caught her hand and lifted it to his lips.
"Will it hurt?" Tyler whispered.
"Yes."
"How do you know?"
"I watched my brother go through it and I hated every second of it," Elijah replied.
"I can't do this. I can't."
"You can, Tyler," Elena cut into his panic attack, her voice firm. "You're strong. Yes, it will hurt, but your ancestors endured it and so will you."
"Your ancestors celebrated becoming a werewolf, an honor for killing the first enemy in battle in effort to protect their tribe," Elijah added.
"I didn't kill to protect anyone. It was an accident that killed my dad and my best friend's mom. Nothing honorable about that."
"Taking a life by accident doesn't tarnish your honor," Elijah assured him, vehemently.
Elena glanced at him, slightly startled by the passion in his voice. Then, she realized that over his very long life of lusting after blood, he must have killed at least a few people by accident. He'd always been the picture of control, so she'd never thought about that before. In effort to sooth him, she leaned into him, running her hand through his soft hair, raking her nails against his scalp.
"This is crazy. My best friend's ex-girlfriend is a witch, my ex-girlfriend is a vampire, and I'm a werewolf," Tyler mumbled.
"The world hasn't changed, you just know more about it now," Elena said gently. "This next full moon, meet me here at about sunset. Jenna knows about the supernatural and she'll understand what's going on. Then, you and I will make sure no human gets hurt because of what you've become."
"You'll make sure I can make it through the full moons without hurting anyone?" Tyler asked, linking his hands behind his head, his face scrunched up.
"I promise, Tyler. Eventually, you'll learn to handle the wolf on your own, and what works for you, but it takes a bit to figure out what works for you."
"You'll be there?" Tyler breathed heavily, as he continued to pace.
"I swear it."
His face twisted and he whimpered deep in his throat before whispering, "How bad will it hurt?"
"Every bone in your body will break, over and over again as you take on a new shape."
"I can't do this."
"You have no choice but to face it. If you try to pretend that it won't happen, innocent people are going to get hurt, because you'll turn near your mother or your friends and werewolves can't fight their instincts to hunt and kill," Elena warned.
"It gets easier, with time," Elijah said. "The first time is the worst, but after a few months, your body will adjust to the changes."
"I'm scared."
"It is terrifying, I remember how it was when my brother turned the first time, but you will survive."
"Werewolves have been doing this for centuries. You'll be fine," Elena assured him.
"Hello, Elena."
Elena's blood ran cold when she heard that eerily familiar voice. She hadn't heard it in decades before she died.
"Katherine," she finally managed to say as her ancestor stepped onto the porch. "Tyler, why don't you head on inside? You've got enough on your mind and Matt needs a friend too."
"Sure." Tyler stared at Katherine as he headed towards the door.
Once Tyler was inside, Katherine asked, "So, you're really not into the Salvatore brothers?"
"No."
"You're not pining for Stefan's brooding good looks?" Katherine raised an eyebrow. "No lusting after Damon and his pretty eyes?"
"Not at all." Elena caught Elijah's hand in hers and ran her thumb along his forefinger.
"So, you don't mind if I get back into the mix with them?"
"Knock yourself out. All I ask is that you don't rile them into killing people. We've been through enough trying to keep Damon's messes to a minimum."
"Damon's not the one I'm after."
"Then, why kiss him?" Elena demanded.
"Because I wanted to see how you'd react. And you went straight to Elijah when you found out."
"So you did it so you'd know for sure that I wouldn't be competition at all for them."
"Exactly. And since you got Elijah and Klaus off my back, I no longer have a reason to run."
"Make sure you're not seen around town," Elijah said. "We have enough going on without you causing a stir with the humans. It would draw too much attention from the Council and we need things as calm as we can get them if Niklaus is to show is face so we can break his curse."
"Of course. I have what I want."
"What about Mason?"
Katherine rolled her eyes and exhaled dramatically, "I ended things with him when I realized you were putting everything together. Though I do have him on standby just in case."
"We'll have the werewolf on our own, Katherine. Not Mason and not Tyler. They haven't done anything to deserve dying for Klaus."
"I have a few potentials," Elijah added, for Katherine's benefit.
"Very well. As long as no one will try to interfere with me and the brothers, provided they keep their fangs out of unwilling people, I think I'll return to them. Especially a certain brooding one." With an elegant flick, she brushed a curl out of her eyes and flashed away.
"Now that she's in town, I need a hair cut." Elena's shoulders drooped. "I don't trust her to not do something, especially when it comes to pretending to be me."
"Perhaps you and your friends could have a girls' day out."
"Good idea. It'll be Caroline's first since she turned."
All at once, Elena found herself drained almost completely. Seeing Katherine, being forced to look at the woman who wore her face and caused her so much grief. This was the woman Damon had tried turning her into, had succeeded in making her his ideal version of, and she'd complied. She couldn't take it anymore. She needed to lie down.
"Elena?" Elijah leaned forward, studying her face.
Slowly, Elena stood up, only to sway on her feet, and Elijah caught her arm. Scooping her into his arms, he carried her inside.
"What's wrong with her?" Jenna's worried voice cut through the fog of Elena's brain when she saw her niece in distress.
Opening her eyes, it took too much. She couldn't move. All she wanted was to lie in Elijah's arms and allow him to soothe the rough edges of her soul back down.
"She's reached her limit for the day," Elijah explained.
"Right. Anything I can do to help?"
"Keep things quiet, though people don't need to leave if they're not ready to go home." Elijah tightened his grip on her. "As long as you have no objections, I'll be staying with her tonight."
"Of course."
With a nod, Elijah carried her up the stairs and laid her on her bed. He took off their shoes and jackets and lay down beside her, wrapping her tenderly against his chest.
"I'm sorry," Elena mumbled.
"Never be sorry for the times when your mental health gets the better of you. I'm here, for your ups and your downs, because being with you is all I need, besides my siblings, to be happy with my lot in life."
"It helps, when you say that."
Pressing his lips to her hair, he whispered, "I'll say it over and over again, as many times as you need to hear it. You make me happy. I want you, like this, and more, when you're ready. No one else, just you."
Elena sighed and rubbed her cheek against his arm, and drifted for a while.
Suddenly, she found herself sinking into an endless darkness and she caught a glimpse of a dark haired man sitting on the ground, staring at his hands. Was this what it was like inside Malivore? If so, who was this person and why was she seeing him
"Hello?" he called, looking around.
Before she could reply, she found herself back inside her own skin again and she tried to sit up.
"What is it?" Elijah loosened his grip on her.
"Malivore. We need to find a way to stop him that doesn't involve Hope jumping"
"Rest, Elena. Malivore won't awaken for another few years, but I will put it at the forefront of my research as soon as my brother's curse is broken. We'll still have a few years before Hope and Malivore collide, and that should give us the time we need to keep her from feeling the need to jump."
"Can't let her fall."
"We know what's coming, Elena. Because of you, she'll have her family and her life, and we'll make sure she doesn't feel the need to jump."
He pulled a light blanket over their bodies and shifted her so that she was lying across his chest.
"Thank you for this," Elena whispered.
"Anything you need, Elena. Anything at all."
"Don't let me become like I was before. I was worse than Katherine was and I convinced myself I was better than she was, all because I didn't run." Elena snorted softly. "I may not have run, but I let people die for me and that's just as bad."
"You know better this time around, Elena."
"But it doesn't change what I did. What I'm capable of doing. Don't let me take advantage of you or become like that again. Please. Promise me?"
"I give you my word." Elijah ran his hand over her hair and kissed the top of her head.
"I just feel like I'm using you, especially when I fall apart like this."
"You're not using me if I'm offering to be here. Besides there's more time between each event."
"I thought I was over falling apart like this."
"You might always struggle with episodes like this, and I'll be here whenever you need to retreat."
"Just so long as we don't smother each other and we try to bring out the best in each other instead of the worst."
"You inspire me to be a better man, Elena. And no, I'm not doing this to impress you or to keep your attention." He kissed her hair softly. "It's my choice, for me, because being a better man is a path to happiness for my family."
Elena sighed and allowed herself to drift.
It was still so novel, a powerful man wanting to set up boundaries, so that she could be herself even in the midst of loving her. He didn't want to control her or make it so they never argued. He wanted to love her as she was, even on days she argued with him. Was this how it was supposed to be, when a vampire fell in love and respected their mortal partner?
"I love you, Elijah," Elena murmured.
"I love you too, my dearest Elena."
"How you holdin' up?" Jeremy asked Tyler as he handed him a soda bottle.
"How much do you know?" Tyler whispered, his eyes wild.
"You mean about….?" Jeremy trailed off. "Everything. Elena told me and my sort of girlfriend is a vampire and so's Vickie."
"What does Matt know?"
"Only what Vickie's told him. She's terrified he'll hate her so she's taking her time."
"They say I can do it." Tyler gestured up the stairs. "But I don't know if I can. I'm terrified."
"One thing I know, trust them, especially Elijah when it comes to this."
"How can I? He's a vampire!" Tyler hissed.
"Ask him about Klaus. You'll see. He does know."