Little Girl Blue

Klaus pulls into the driveway, illuminated by dozens of those sun powered lamps lining the path up to the house. Not house, mansion. Elena had never seen anything so elegant in Mystic Falls. No ball or town event compared to its elegance. It was like he had brought a little of what she so loved about the world here to her hometown just for her.

"This is new."

"Not new. Merely renovated."

"When did you have time to do this?"

"I didn't. I had Elijah oversee the project. Compelled three crews just to get it done as quickly as possible."

"What reason could you possibly have for building a house in Mystic Falls?"

"On the chance that you would want to return home, I figured I'd build you a house that was adequate. I don't underestimate the pull Mystic Falls has on you."

He had built a home for her and, she suspected, he would do it again anywhere it was that she wanted to live. He gave her so much already, she was beginning to feel selfish for holding out for more, a child.

"This is what you call adequate?" she asked, keeping the conversation light. She was still trying to think of them in terms of now, not yet ready to think about the future she's chosen for herself by virtue of being with him. All that she's gaining and all that she's losing.

"For now," he grinned as he grabbed her bags from her shoulder and carried their things into the mansion. He revels in her reaction, proud of himself.

As Klaus moves to open the front door, it swings open. Elijah is on the other side, with that composed neutral face of his, but Elena knows that face and it always means something with him.

"Niklaus. Elena. Welcome home," he says as he gestures inside to the grand foyer, white and sparkling. Inside are four coffins, ordered into a neat line on either side of a round table. She's surprised that Elijah didn't wake up his family the moment he got the coffins back.

"You've brought out our family. Wasted effort, lugging them out here for show. Put them back."

"Well, I thought what a better time or place to wake them up than now. Though, one refuses to open. Who have you trapped in that one? An enemy? Scorned lover? Who is in there?"

"How can I be expected to remember? It's probably just a spare."

"Your family is in there?" She circles around the coffins, curious to take a peek inside. Who do they look more like, Klaus or Elijah?

"Yes, Elena. Niklaus, from time to time, decides when we are more trouble than we are worth. In the dagger goes and down we go until such a time in which he changes his mind."

"Klaus!"

"I've had my reasons, Elena. They are perfectly safe and looked after."

"Indeed and now that we are all together I think it makes perfect sense to wake up our brothers and sister. The longer we wait, the harder it will be on you."

"Not just yet, Elijah." Klaus is walking past the coffins, tapping on them as he thinks.

"Why not Niklaus? How long do you plan to put off this reunion?"

"Let Elena get settled. You know how our siblings will be. She's new and their curiosity could prove overwhelming for her. After a couple days, we will have a welcome home dinner for our siblings. I promise you. I'll even make a spectacle of it."

"You don't have to wait for me." She looks back and forth from brother to brother.

"Nonsense, love. They've been asleep now for so long. What is another few days, Elijah? You know how our family can be or do you trust Kol around her? Of course you recall all the love Rebekah had for Tatia." Klaus makes a move to open a coffin and between that and his words, he seems to have convinced his brother.

"You've proven your point, Niklaus. A few days and then I wake them up, regardless of how settled Elena is."

"Lucky for us, you are feeling generous tonight," Klaus called after them as he walked up the stairs.

"Elijah, I'm sorry. I don't mean to come between you and your family."

"I know, Elena. Klaus is just using you as an excuse."

"Why doesn't he want to wake them up?"

"I imagine they'll be angry as or angrier than I was when I was un-daggered. I don't think he wants to deal with that until he feels more secure."

"Would he be in danger?"

"No, fortunately for him the gift you gave him back in January has made him nearly invincible. Physically at least."

"Right, well. Thanks for giving him some time anyway."

She wanders the halls upstairs for a bit before she finally finds Klaus, sitting in an oversized chair in front of a newly built fire. Drink in hand, he glances towards her.

"Have a lovely chat with Elijah?"

"I don't know that I had much of a choice seeing as you left so quickly. I'm not like you. I can't just dramatically leave a room whenever I feel like it." She walks towards the chair, her hand sweeping over the back as she stands behind him.

"I don't want you to see me as I fear they do. I couldn't bear it," he explained, still staring into the fire.

She bends down, arms crossing over his chest. "You'll have to trust that I won't."

His thumb rubs absently over her wrist. She stands there as long as she can manage before eventually going to bed. He grabs her hand, kissing her wrist before she goes. Klaus continues drinking into the night, worrying about his family and if he can really trust that her view of him won't change. It's late by the time he joins her in bed, no less anxious.

The next morning, Klaus is already gone from their bed. Elena figures it is one of few chances she has to do something for herself so she quietly puts on her running shoes and heads outside. The weather isn't ideal, but as her feet hit the pavement, she can feel herself getting pleasantly lost. Despite how much she loves Klaus, after years of being alone she still needs that time to herself. Something he doesn't seem to require as much. It's too difficult to explain to him so she settles for finding small moments like this morning run.

As she runs through the main street of town, she notices a few people staring at her. Eventually, she stops to check herself in a shop window, wondering what she could have on her face. She turns to make sure there aren't any holes in her pants and when she looks back up, Caroline is behind her.

"Hey! You're back? When did you get back? Why didn't you tell anyone that you were coming back? I'm guessing Klaus found you otherwise you wouldn't be here, but if he did that doesn't really explain why you are here. I can't imagine he'd want to come back to Mystic Falls." Caroline's hands gesture wildly and her increasing pace quickly overwhelms Elena.

"Care. Hi."

"Hey. Sorry. I'm just surprised to see you." Her friend's hair is curled to perfection and she looks phenomenal despite how early it is. Elena notices she's carrying two coffees, but doesn't remark on it.

"It's okay. I haven't exactly told everyone that I'd be back. Just Jenna and Ric."

"So, Stefan doesn't know?"

"No, why would I tell Stefan? I would tell you and Bonnie before I told Stefan."

"Well, he was your boyfriend, Elena. That means something."

"Was, Care. A long time ago."

"So you don't care about him anymore?"

"I didn't say that, Caroline. Of course I care, he just isn't my top priority for information sharing."

"Have you thought at all about what coming back here might mean to him?" A familiar judgement seeps into her tone.

"I-what? I came back for Jeremy. Not him. I doubt he will, but he shouldn't look too much into it."

"He won't see it that way!" Caroline was at the start of a panic, but Elena didn't understand the reason for it.

"What is going on?"

"I don't know, Elena. I just wish you'd figure out if you are coming or going." Her friend turns on her heel, blonde curls bobbing furiously until she stops suddenly. "Ugh!"

"Caroline. What's wrong?"

When she turned around, Elena thought that the look she gave her would break anyone's heart. "I like Stefan. I've always liked Stefan and this last year made it seem like finally we would have a chance. He's always so worried about what dating could do to our friendship, but when it finally looked like he might relent, now here you are and it feels like it could hit reset on everything."

"Yeah I came back, for Klaus to sacrifice me and so I could escape the Travelers. I'm back again to help Jeremy out. I don't mean to come in between what you two have going on."

"I know that. But Stefan. It just feels like he's always going to have a soft spot for you. He has this frustratingly compulsive need to like, save you, or something."

"You know I can't control what he does, right?"

"Could you try for me?"

Elena laughed, reaching out to grab her friend by the shoulders and pull her into a hug. "You deserve to be pursued, Caroline. You're brilliant and fun and amazing. Anyone can see that."

"I will be," her friend responded with all the confidence in the world.

"I need to get back to the house. Will you do me a favor though? Don't tell anyone I'm here yet?"

"Sure," she responded with a little hesitancy.

"I just want Klaus to get settled here first before we have to confront anyone," she explained, borrowing his excuse from last night. They hug again before she takes off back to the house. She wants more for her friend. She's distracted, caught up in thoughts of Caroline and Stefan, to notice the handful of people watching her on her way back to the house.

"Are you sure you don't want to come, Elijah?" Elena is in the bathroom, clipping up her hair halfway and finishing up some light make-up. She isn't sure where Elijah is in the house, but figures he can hear here from wherever he might be.

"You're really keen on being a big, happy family aren't you?" Klaus grins at her from the doorframe.

"Family is important to me. And you. I'm looking forward to meeting yours. Anyway, are you ready?" She looks back at him, casually dressed in jeans and a dark Henley.

"Are you sure this is a good idea, love? Last few times I've seen your brother haven't exactly gone well."

"I don't care. You're important to me. My family is important to me. This is going to work. I'll make it work."

"Just because you will it to happen does not mean it will happen." She rolls her eyes, annoyed. She's determined to have the kind of family life she wants. Any obstacles in her path, she's resolved to jump over.

She can feel Klaus's hand tense in hers when they walk into The Grille. She sees her family, but they haven't seen them yet so she can't imagine they are the cause. She understands when she sees her best friend's voluminous brown curls. Bonnie is thankfully alone at the bar. She wouldn't feel as comfortable approaching her if Damon was with her.

"Hey, will you let Jenna and Ric know we are here?"

"So you can go confer with the traitor alone? Certainly not. I'm coming with you."

"Klaus. Let me handle it."

He huffs and stalks away, she takes a minute to enjoy the view before she walks up to the bar. Unsurprisingly, Bonnie doesn't flinch when Elena taps her on the shoulder. Like she'd been expecting her.

Still, her voice holds the weight of trepidation when she says, "Hi Elena."

"You don't seem surprised to see me here."

"Caroline texted everyone earlier," she explained. "I reached out to Jenna and she said you'd be here tonight."

"I should have seen that coming."

"You didn't call or anything after you left. I kept trying, but it was going straight to voicemail."

"I was mad, Bonnie."

"Was?" She almost doesn't want to crush her friend's hope.

"No, actually I'm still mad. I don't know how you could do that to me. Do you know what it feels like to have your decisions taken away from you? It sucked and it hurt even more that you were a part of it."

"It wasn't supposed to go down like that. Damon was the one-"

"Damon acted like Damon. He did what he always does, whatever he wants. Whatever he thinks is best. I'm not even that surprised about Stefan either. But I can't believe that you were involved, Bonnie. You're supposed to be my best friend. I thought you were happy for me." The more she talks, the more firm her footing seems to be. Her shoulders relax a little into a confident posture.

"I know! Elena, I'm sorry."

"Why did you do it?"

"I don't know. I thought when you agreed to my plan that you'd come back home and stay. But then you showed up with him and I had thought that he'd only come into town to do his part and then leave. You two together though? He couldn't shut up about all the places he'd rather be and you seemed so…invested in his plans."

"You say that like it's a bad thing, Bonnie."

"It just seemed so weird. All you'd ever wanted was to come back home for years and then finally when you are actually able to, it's like it was the last thing on your mind. It didn't seem like you wanted to anymore. It felt like you would rather be with him than us. I thought maybe he was compelling you."

"Oh Bonnie…"

"Elena, I just wanted you to stay and I was looking for any explanation for why you wouldn't. Other than that, you just didn't want to stay. You don't want to be here with us anymore."

"It's not that I don't want to stay or that I don't care about you all still. I do. You're my friend and you always will be. I just don't know that I belong here anymore."

"Of course you belong here!" Bonnie reached out to grab her arm and that feeling pushed Elena back. Maybe it was that too much pressure on her arm made her feel like she was being pulled in, controlled in a way. Maybe it was the blind insistence that she still belonged in this town. Either way, just as Bonnie had almost managed to build a bridge Elena had quickly put up a blockade.

"No, that's the thing. I don't think I can belong anywhere where people actively plot against me and those I love."

"Elena!"

"Sweetheart? Jenna is asking about you. She claims the baby misses you." Klaus is at her back, a hand on her elbow guiding her back to the table.

"I gotta go, Bonnie. Dinner with my family." She glances meaningfully at Klaus, including him in her statement.

"Elena? Are we good?"

"Yeah, sure."

Klaus watches her walk away, waiting just long enough for her to get out of earshot before he turns back to Bonnie.

"You and I on the other hand, are far from good."

"Like I care."

"Oh, but you will. Of that I'm positive."

When Bonnie gets up, he discreetly grabs hold of her arm and turns her back to face him one more time. "Should you or Damon or any of your friends cross her or me again, should you cause her pain in any way I will retaliate in ways unimaginable. I will amplify her pain or her betrayal tenfold in the most wonderful ways."

"Elena would never forgive you."

"Careful there. You don't sound all that confident. How about we both agree to never find out how far her forgiveness can extend before it breaks?"

Klaus leaves Bonnie and slides into the booth next to Elena. He doesn't mind that Ric's smile seems forced, but is more than pleased that Jenna's seems natural. She seems to have been easier to win over. He's not sure what he feels when he sees Grace bouncing in Elena's lap. The way her brown eyes seem to light up as she makes ridiculous faces to amuse her niece. It's a pleasing image, but only serves to remind him that what she so desperately wants is nothing he can give her and it's the one thing that seems to be making her so unwilling to turn for him.

"She's been trying to get her to say Auntie Elena," Jenna explains, "Which is a little too advanced I think."

"I believe in Grace. She can do anything."

"That's what I love about you. An unwavering belief in the impossible." Elena smiles at Klaus and leans into him.

"If you're good to me," she starts, "I'll start on Uncle Klaus next."

Dinner goes well and Elena can feel herself sliding into an easy comfort with her family and Klaus. She enjoys watching the emotional battle waging across his face when she fusses over Grace. She finds it even funnier when she passes Grace to Klaus for a moment. Both men at the table act like the baby has just become a bomb, Klaus holding her awkwardly and Ric looking like wants to jump across the table.

She's contemplating dessert when a woman with wild, curly blonde hair interrupts her. Her hair contrasts with the dark eyeliner and her attitude covers up a clear, simmering power under the surface that pricks at Elena's skin, itching at the back of her neck. Klaus instinctively moves in front of her, slightly blocking her from sight.

"It was stupid of you to come back here," she scoffs, glaring at Elena in a way that's too judgmental and familiar for a stranger.

A/N: Thank for reading/reviews! So many confrontations in this chapter. Everything sort of came to a head.