A/N: Thank you for the reviews! I decided to post the rest of the chapters to this story and close it up. I hate waiting for updates to a story because I get so pulled in, so now you all will have the opportunity to enjoy the rest. I have ideas for a sequel and it is already a work in progress, so stay tuned. Enjoy the last few chapters and review to let me know what you think!
P.S. I'd love to hear any suggestions or ideas you'd like to see for the continuation of this story!
She didn't know who had her and she didn't know what time it was. All she knew was that she felt horrible and full of defeat. Closing her eyes, she let whomever was carrying her take her away.
When she woke up again, she felt her head pound. Sitting up slowly, she found her surroundings to be unfamiliar.
"Ah, you're awake," a familiar voice said. Rubbing her eyes and temple, she looked over to the sound of the voice and found none other than Finn.
Fear plagued Elena instantly and her pounding stuffy head began to try to calculate exits and ways to get out of wherever she was.
"Don't worry, Ms. Gilbert. I am not here to hurt you." He cautiously moved to sit on the side of her bed. "We are in a bed and breakfast right on the border of Mystic Falls."
Elena glanced around the small room for Esther. Was it time already?
"You're safe, Ms. Gilbert," he said again. His voice was calming and even. It made Elena want to believe him. "I can return you home as soon as you feel up to it."
Elena furrowed her brows. "Why?" her voice was scratchy and dry from crying and Finn stood up, bringing a glass of water over to her.
"It's just water – for your throat. You have my word," he told her as she stared carefully at the cup. Taking the water, she took a few small sips. The phrase he used made Elena think of Elijah. She hoped he was safe wherever he was He must not have thought to look right outside of town for Finn and his mother.
"I've been on the run from my brother for a few days now," Finn said, practically reading her mind. He came to sit on the corner of the bed again, giving a sigh. "I assume he is carrying a dagger around with my name on it?"
Elena shook her head. "I have no idea."
Finn frowned. "Well, when you are ready, we should get you home. It is late evening."
As Elena stood up and stretched, Finn glanced at her. "What were you doing in the woods anyways, Ms. Gilbert?"
"Elena," she corrected. Ms. Gilbert made her sound too old.
"Elena," he repeated.
"I-…" Elena wasn't sure if she wanted to talk to Finn about her Salvatore problems. "I've had a really miserable day."
The answer seemed acceptable to Finn. He handed her her jacket and waited as she took one last sip of water. "Can you actually drop me off at Klaus's mansion?"
The question made Finn freeze. "I'm sorry, with my family out to dagger me, I don't think that is best. I can drop you a few blocks a way if you wish. But I dare not go near there."
Elena nodded and together they walked to his car. She was thoughtful about Finn. It wasn't what she pictured in seeing him again. He wore a tee shirt and jeans, much more casual than she thought. And it surprised her he made no move to try and kill her or take her blood. He was just as gracious and polite as Elijah – opening her car door, making sure she had everything and was comfortable.
"Why are you doing this?" she wondered to him as he got in the driver's side.
Finn sighed. "It's not time yet."
Elena's heart thumped hard against her chest. So Esther was still preparing something. "Finn," Elena said after a while into the drive. "When your family awoke you, how did you-…. how do you-…" Her eyebrows furrowed. Nothing seemed to complete what she wanted to ask. "When do you finally adjust?"
He was silent for a while and Elena wondered if she pushed the boundaries too far. "I haven't," his voice bounced throughout the car.
The words were not what Elena was hoping to hear, but she understood. "I'm sorry for all you've been through," she told Finn. He glanced out of the corner of his eye at her before returning to the road. "I know what it is like to sort through the pieces in life and try to live again. It isn't easy and I can't imagine trying to do it after centuries."
"The modern world is so complex now." He was opening up to Elena and she felt relieved. It was a start of something.
"It is," she agreed. "There is a lot to choose from and so much to decide. It's a constant fight."
There was a small twitch in Finn's face.
"I get it," Elena said turning to him. She couldn't play the tip toe game with him anymore. They were close to approaching Klaus's mansion and she didn't know when she would see him again. "I get wanting to quit and I get being scared of the world. It's unbearably hard to face others and yourself. But there is something about it."
She glanced out the window and saw they were slowing. "I'm not saying that to plead for my life or stop what your mother has planned. I'm saying it because I've been through it. And I can tell you that fighting yourself and the changes you are thrown into is empowering. It makes you come out stronger. It makes you see things you may not have seen. Giving up is so easy. And it is rewarding in its own way. But fighting. Fighting is where it really is. Because you get so much back and there is so much that opens up when you open yourself up – love, happiness, joy. It comes with pain, but the pain lessens overtime. You just have to give it a chance to do so."
Finn slowly put the vehicle to a stop and Elena took that as her cue to unbuckle and get out. "Thank you for the ride Finn, and give Esther my regards."
Elena hopped out of the vehicle and slammed the door shut. Sticking her hands in her pockets, she walked forward, not daring to look back to see if Finn was watching her.
Elena knocked and waited on the front steps of the Mikaelson mansion. It was only moments before Klaus's coy face greeted her.
"Elena, what can I do for you this fine evening?" he wondered, opening the door wider for her. Too tired to play games or keep up with his snark, she rubbed her eyes and turned around to look at him. His house was giving her major PTSD.
"Is Elijah home?"
"Unfortunately, he's out of town looking for our dear brother, Finn," Klaus said walking over to the liquor bar. "I believe he told you?"
Elena internally smacked herself. He had told her last night. "Right, of course. Well," Elena said sighing. "You might want to tell him Finn is in the area. He just dropped me off a few blocks away from here actually."
The sly look on his face was quickly wiped off. Speeding over to her, Klaus looked for any injuries before bellowing for Kol.
"Call Elijah, and go see if you can track down Finn. Elena just said he dropped her off around the block."
Kol nodded somberly, placing a comforting hand on Elena's shoulders as he sped off.
"Are you sure you're alright, love?"
It was a surprising question to hear coming from Klaus.
"I've had better days," Elena remarked bitterly. "Just…let me know if you find anything, okay?"
"What? That's it? What did dear old brother want? Elena-" Klaus called speeding to cut her off before she could reach the door. "Did Finn do anything? Was my mother there?"
"No, he was actually civil," answered briefly. "He didn't try anything and I didn't see Esther. All he told me was that it wasn't time yet, for whatever that means."
Elena watched as Klaus pensively glanced away. It was a clue for sure, but for what no one knew. Exhausted, she patted Klaus on the shoulder and turned to walk out the door. "Night Klaus," she called over her shoulder, and sped at vampire speed home.
"Elena," a voice called softly, shaking her awake. Groaning, Elena rubbed her face and sat up, finding Elijah standing in her bedroom.
"You're back," she claimed, watching as he came to sit next to her.
"Kol told me Finn came to see you."
Elena shifted and hesitated. "…something like that."
"Are you alright? Did he hurt you?"
The concern in his voice was overwhelming. The sound of how much he cared ached her heart as the doubts in her mind were swirling inside of her. "I'm okay. He didn't do anything. Just took me to mansion like I asked."
Elijah could tell something was wrong. Elena couldn't seem to keep eyes with him and she was shifting, as if she were hiding something from him. "Where is your car? I didn't see it in the driveway and Klaus said you ran home."
"I went to go see Stefan and Damon earlier," Elena said bracing herself for any scolding Elijah may do on his part. She knew he wasn't a fan of them. "I had a lot of apologizing to do and need to catch up with them."
Silence was suddenly casted between them, both parties uncomfortable.
"Look" Elena huffed. She wasn't sure what to do with Elijah and she was uncertain of her feelings for just about everything right now. "Can we do this in the morning? I didn't have the greatest of days and I would just like to sleep."
"Of course," Elijah said, slowly getting up. From the way she was acting, he wasn't sure his presence was welcome. "Goodnight Elena," he said bending down and kissing her forehead.
"Goodnight, Elijah," she sighed, adjusting her covers, not noticing his sullen face before he left.
"Kol didn't find anything," Klaus muttered with a low growl behind Elijah who stood looking out from the window in the library of the mansion. After leaving Elena's he went home, hoping for answers and mulling over his worries.
"He must be using magic so we can't trace his steps," Elijah answered calculatingly.
"Did Elena say any more?"
Elijah shook his head and glanced back behind his shoulder at his brother. "Oddly quiet. Seems that she shared more to you than to me."
Klaus kept his inquisitiveness to himself and held his hands behind his back. "well she was looking for you, brother. She must have wanted something."
Elijah let out a sigh. He should have never left, even if it was for a day. "She went to see the Salvatore brothers."
"Ah, Stefan and Damon," Klaus said jovially to rib at Elijah. From his brother's somber expression, he could tell it was deeply bothering him and so Klaus dropped the remark and took a seat across from Elijah. "And what happened there?"
"No idea," Elijah muttered darkly as he picked up his glass of whiskey and swirled it around. "she was too tired to talk, and I didn't want to force her."
Klaus bit his tongue at the easy jab he could have made at his brother. While he loved kicking a man while he was down, the expression on his dear brother's face was actually concerning.
"She loves you, 'Lijah. Salvatores can't change that."
"Don't be so sure about that, Niklaus," Elijah commented back. "They have a power over her – they all do. And we are not big fans of any of Elena's loved ones."
Klaus couldn't refute that. They were all deemed 'Elena killers' by Damon, and unfortunately it rang painfully true.
"Something happened, I just have no idea what," Elijah remarked bitterly, tossing back the rest of his whiskey before leaving the room and heading to bed.
Elena avoided everyone the next day. She knew she had to talk with Elijah, but she couldn't bring herself to do so just yet. Luckily Jeremy had gone to the Grill to hang out with his friends after sensing her mood, and she holed herself up in the house, not accepting company from anyone.
The window in her bedroom was now locked and pulled over with blinds to hint to vampire visitors the desire to be left alone, and she left her phone on vibrate in the kitchen to charge. She stayed in her sweats, cuddled on the couch with a tub of ice cream and turned the tv on to watch some television movie.
It had been early evening before incessant knocking was at her front door. At first, Elena tried to ignore it, but as it continued on, she had no choice but to get up and answer it.
"Took you long enough," Matt said with a large paper bag in his arms. Not bothering to ask to come inside, Matt made his way past her and into the kitchen. He knew the Gilbert house like the back of his hand and he missed seeing Elena in it.
"Matt, what are you doing here?"
Elena shut the door behind her and padded her way to her friend. As much as she loved Matt, she needed the day alone.
"Don't you ever pick up your phone?" he wondered to her, taking out carryout boxes from the bag and serving the two of them burgers and fries. After his shift was over at the Grill, he decided to go see her. He was the only one who hadn't gotten the one-on-one time with her. And he missed his best friend.
"I'm not really hungry Matt. And my phone is charging."
While Matt could sense her mood and understood how she wanted to be alone, he needed her. He needed to be near her, know she was alive, and experience it all for himself. There was so much vampire craziness and bullshit. He had a hard time keeping up with it. And she needed him too – whether she knew it or not.
So, he didn't dare give her what she wanted. He knew her too well and by the looks of her, all the drama was catching up to her. Sometimes he wondered how she could carry on from day to day.
"Look, I missed you. I can tell you don't want company, but you've gotten to hang out with everyone besides me. Can we just have this one night?"
Elena's arms crossed over her body. Waging her options, she nodded and pulled a chair out from the table. Oddly enough she'd pick Matt's company over Elijah's or any other Original right now. She also would pick Matt out of any of her friends. Matt was just…Matt. He was calm. Steady. Constant.
They ate and chatted for a long while, soon ending with only cold remnants of food on their plates. They talked about school, football, vampires, werewolves, her time away, the past, and more. She truly enjoyed Matt's company, and she was glad that he stayed. It felt like old times.
"Just say it," Elena claimed, coming back to the table with hot cups of tea for them. Matt was blunt in asking her what was going on with her and Elijah. He wanted an explanation, just like everyone else, on how she could jump from Stefan to Damon and now Elijah.
"I just don't get it, your thing with them." Matt stared at her intensely with a hand on his mug. He couldn't understand how he could just let them go. While he was glad she was Salvatore free (he never really like them anyway), she had jumped to someone different. Someone more dangerous.
Elena adjusted uncomfortably in her seat. Staring at her mug, she gazed at it for a while before finally opening up to someone other than her journal about this. "I know it doesn't make sense, but at the beginning, after my parents died, there was something about being with Stefan that just…felt safe."
"Safe? Elena he's a vampire."
Trying her hardest not to rolled her eyes, she nodded. "I know, believe me. Just saying it out loud sounds crazy, but…it's like I knew that he would never stop loving me, like he would never…"
Matt waited for a few seconds for Elena to answer, but nothing came out. Instead, she seemed caught in thought. "What?"
"Die. Like he would never die." The realization hit Elena, sweeping her breath from her lungs. Could people be right? Is this why she loved vampires? Because they'd never leave her?
Matt nodded in understanding to what she meant, "Like your parents did." He watched as Elena nodded sadly, and as much as he didn't want to push, she hadn't been the forthcoming until now and he couldn't help continue to question her. "And Damon?"
Elena sighed, trying not to think about her massive fight with Damon. "Damon just sort of snuck up on me. He got under my skin and no matter what I did, I just- couldn't shake him until now."
"Once you fall in love with someone, I don't know if you can ever shake them," Matt claimed sadly.
The meaning behind his words hit her like a ton of bricks and a startled realization of what she was doing to her poor friend made her feel guilty. "Oh, Matt. I-…"
"It's okay Elena. I don't mean it like that."
Relief washed over Elena and she sat back in her chair.
"I wouldn't want to shake you from my life anyway. You're a part of who I am."
Elena smiled. "Likewise Matt."
After Matt left and Jeremy came home, Elena walked to the Mikaelson's mansion. Her car was still parked at the Salvatore house, and while she could go and get it, she didn't think she could stand seeing Damon or Stefan right now.
It was a long trek over to the Mikaelson's, but Elena needed some time to think. There was so much chatter in her head. It was as if her heart was telling her one thing and all the whispers in her brain another. She didn't know who to listen to or what to do. There was just so much of everything.
Walking up to the large front door, she quietly knocked and waited on the well-lit porch.
"Long time no see, Darling," Kol teased as he opened the way for her.
Stepping inside, she gave Kol a long hug. Smiling at his confused face when she pulled away, she shook her head as if to say 'don't ask'. Maybe it was the exhaustion that made her feel like a sap. Or maybe she was letting her feelings get too much of her. Regardless, she hadn't had the time to hang around Kol like before and missed him.
"Is everything alright?" Elijah's voice asked the pair as he came walking forth to the scene. A concerned look on his face echoed his brothers.
"Yeah, I'm fine. Actually, I came here to see Rebekah. Is she in?" Both Elijah and Kol looked surprised. Elijah couldn't help but feel a bit hurt that her visit wasn't to him, as he hadn't seen or spent time with her in a bit.
"She's up in her room," Kol answered as he watched Elijah stare at Elena and Elena look away. Something was going on, but he wasn't sure of what.
"Thanks" Elena answered, flashing a quick smile to Kol before walking off deeper in the mansion. Stopping next to Elijah, Elena hesitantly put a hand on his chest, unsure of what to say. Elijah waited patiently, staring at her, but with no words, Elena's hand slipped from his chest and she slowly walked away.
"What was that?" Kol asked his brother.
Elijah clenched his jaw and tried hard to refrain from gritting his teeth. "Don't ask," he snapped before walking off to the library with fingers pinched to the bridge of his nose.
"knock knock," Elena said slowly popping her head into Rebekah's room. She laid like a teen, belly on her bed, flipping through a magazine with her feet up in the air. "Can I come in?"
"I didn't realize you remembered me."
Ouch. "Okay, I deserved that," Elena said stepping inside and walking to sit on the bed next to her friend. "I'm sorry I haven't been around since we've returned home. I guess I've-"
"-returned to the same old boring Elena?" Rebekah questioned, tossing her magazine off to the side so she could better glare at her friend.
"Something like that," Elana muttered. Flopping herself back on the bed, Rebekah moved so she laid opposite of the girl. "So, is this how it is going to be now? Because I'm not going to be some secret friend of yours."
"No," Elena sighed. "This is not how I want it to be." Shifting to sit up on her elbows, she looked at the blonde with sincerity. "And you're not just a secret friend. More of a secret sister maybe," Elena teased. She laughed as Rebekah shoved her jovially.
"Really though, I am sorry. I am making a complete mess of things and I got swept away in it all."
Rebekah snuck a glance at the sullen Elena. She couldn't help but feel a bit bad for the girl. The stress of it all wasn't doing her any good, as Elena looked more worn and tired than she had seen a while when she stepped through her door.
"You're going have to choose you know," Rebekah said with a gentle kindness.
Elena looked downward to meet her friend's eyes. "Not you too," she groaned.
Rebekah frowned and stayed silent. She wasn't sure what to say, as she imagined that her friends and the Salvatores had said enough to Elena to convince her they were the bad guys. Rebekah wouldn't admit it freely to anyone, but she enjoyed having Elena around. Her hate for the girl had dissipated from their time on the run and instead she got a taste of what it was like to have a sister. And she always had wanted a sister.
"I don't know what your friends or the Salvatores have been saying to you Elena," Rebekah said gently. "They've probably tried to make us out as the bad guys. I mean Damon keeps calling us the 'Elena killers' so…"
Elena stiffened and Rebekah could feel it. "What I'm saying is that neither parties play well together. We just don't mix and I don't think you'll ever be able to force it."
"What if I need you both?" Elena questioned, her voice cracking and betraying her.
"Do you?" Rebekah wondered with wait. While there was sympathy and empathy for Elena, she did wonder where her allegiance was. Was it with her and her family? Or was she now going to be against them again? Did she still care what would happen to them? Or had her family and friends poisoned her enough that the game plan had changed? She didn't need to know just for her own curiosity and heart ache, but for her family as well. She didn't want to see Elijah get hurt and she needed to protect her family. Forever and always.
"I miss New Jersey," Elena sighed, breaking Rebekah out of her reverie.
The girls laid there in silence, both in agreeance. New Jersey was something that surprised them both. It was a sense of safety and peace and happiness.
"Bekah?" Elena asked with a thick emotional voice. She stared at the ceiling and wished for a way to make things better. "I'm making a mess of things, and I'm not sure what I do."
Rebekah's heart sank deeper as she could hear the torment in Elena's voice. She couldn't imagine how the girl was coping with everything. Yet it felt like an opportunity to show Elena that her and her family was worth all of this. Maybe it was why she was being so kind to the girl right now rather than her pushy self. Elena didn't always respond well to that, and she was learning from Elena how to take her time with people. She needed this and Rebekah was capable of it. How could she not? She needed to prove Elena right, that she was worth taking a chance on.
"You talk, Elena. Tell me what is going on." Rebekah sat up on her elbow and looked over to her friend. Her intentions of getting Elena to spill what was happening wasn't out of manipulation. In part it was out of kindness, and yes, maybe some self-preservation. But most was general curiosity and worry for Elena. The poor girl looked like she was going to break any moment. She was no longer the strong glowing girl that got built in New Jersey. Now, she was fragile.
Elena debated on sharing everything with Rebekah, but she knew the ears that were had in the home. She was undoubtedly sure Kol and Klaus were listening. And Elijah could be too. And she wasn't sure if she was ready for that yet. She knew if he found out what Damon had said to her, he would kill him. And as much as she hated Damon right now, it didn't mean she wanted to see him dead.
"Earth to Elena," Rebekah sang while waving a hand in front of her face.
Elena put her finger up to her ears, motioning the listening ears, and Rebekah rolled her eyes, falling back onto the bed with a grumble. "I hate this house sometimes!" Rebekah claimed exasperated, knowing her brothers would hear.
Elena let out a laugh, silently agreeing. Sometimes, vampire hearing was a bitch. Staring at the ceiling, Elena went through her thoughts. She debated on what to tell Rebekah when she had the opportunity and what she would say to Elijah. She also wondered if it was her place to tell the Mikaleson's about the dagger Ric was hiding. While she didn't want to get Stefan and Damon in trouble, and she surely didn't want any harm to come to Ric, she was worried about the safety of the Originals. There was a white oak dagger out there and it could kill any one of them.
"I need to talk to you guys – all of you," Elena said with a sigh. She knew that with all of them listening she wouldn't have to yell or gather everyone.
Getting herself up, Rebekah rolled off the bed and the grabbed Elena pulling her up to see what she had in store. "We'll meet you in the family room," Rebekah called to her family on Elena's behalf.