She took Jeremy and Alaric back to her new place.

"I guess you've already seen it, huh?" she asked, happy that her two favorite men in the whole world were standing in her apartment.

"We have," Jeremy shrugged as he glanced around in the dark.

"But it's nice to be half-alive and see it too," Alaric smiled bringing her in for another hug. The power suddenly came on and return around town as well.

"Well, would you look at that?" Alaric smiled. "Now that the power is back on, I'm going to go check on Damon." With that, he left the kids to catch up.

Elena and Jeremy then talked for hours. They stayed up until sunrise talking, laughing, and comforting one another. There was no stone left unturned.

"Elena, you're practically asleep. Just go to bed," Jeremy said tossing a pillow at her. They were sprawled out on the couches spending time with one another watching tv.

"No, no, I'm awake," she insisted. He gave her a look.

"I don't want to close my eyes just yet," she told him. "I don't want you to disappear."

His expression softened and he understood. Getting up, he pulled a blanket over her and tucked her in. "Get a few hours of sleep. I need to go check on Bonnie anyway. I'll come back and grab you and we will grab some food from the Grill."

She grabbed Jeremy's hand.

"The veil doesn't go back up until tonight." Bending down to his sister, he kissed her cheek. "I'll be back. You can't get rid of me that easily."

Smiling, she watched as her heart left with him, and drifted off to sleep.

Jeremy carefully closed the door behind him, knowing Elena was already passed out on her couch sleeping. Glancing down the hallway, he ran into two familiar faces.

"Bloody hell," Kol cursed. "Jeremy Gilbert." Speeding over the ghost, Kol studied the man. Reaching out and poking Jeremy's shoulder, he found the man was absolutely real. Reaching up, Kol hugged the man. Jeremy had no idea what his presence meant.

"Uh, hey," Jeremy said, patting Kol on the back awkwardly.

"Jeremy," Elijah said with shock. The entire plane ride, Elijah was focused on Elena. He needed her to be okay. To see her. To hold her.

Jeremy's eyes casted to Elijah and immediately he changed. Anger filled the Gilbert, knowing everything he had done to his sister. Upon Kol's release, Jeremy walked over to Elijah and punched him hard. The man didn't move from his spot.

Noble my ass, Jeremy thought. Going to punch him again, Kol caught his arm and stopped him. "Easy, Gilbert."

Jeremy stood with rage at Elijah. He had seen on the other side how his sister was crushed. "You broke her," Jeremy spat at the vampire. "I died and you were supposed to be there for her. You were supposed to take care of her!"

Elijah had nothing to say.

"Easy, mate," Kol said. He didn't need Jeremy waking up Elena or bashing his older brother more than his entire family already had.

"You don't get to go in there," Jeremy seethed to Elijah. "You don't get to see her."

"Jeremy," Elijah spoke heartbrokenly.

"Elijah," Kol said softly. They needed to respect Jeremy's wishes. If there was one thing they owed the Gilberts, it was that.

Steeling himself, Elijah gave one last glance to Kol. "Call me when you know she is safe." And then he was gone.

When Elena woke, she was greeted by a tired face. "Kol," she breathed. Throwing the blanket off of her she wrapped her arms around his neck. "Hello, darling," he smiled.

"You're back."

"Just in time," he smiled to her. Glancing up to her forehead, he saw she still had some cuts and bruising on her face. "Why hasn't that healed?"

She reached up and touched the minor scrapes. "Uh, I don't know," she winced. "Knowing Connor, he probably had some sort of chemical on his gloves that slows the vampire healing process."

Kol brought his thumb up to rub the wound. As he did, his touch magically took the scrapes from Elena's forehead, to his, and went away healing.

"What was that?" she asked him, feeling her forehead and no longer feeling the wounds. "Do we have shared healing powers?"

Kol was baffled. There were still things he didn't know about their abilities. "It could be because I heal faster as an Original. Regardless, you need to fill me in about what has been going on."

And with bright eyes, Elena told him about Jeremy and Alaric.

"Elena, what happened with Connor?" Kol wondered. While he hadn't mentioned her goodbye to his siblings on the plane, he had to know what she meant.

"The truth?" she asked standing up and crossing her arms.

"Always," he responded.

"…part of me gave up," she told him quietly. "I thought that by starting over and getting a new place and a job and letting go of Elijah that I could start to move on. But…I was wrong," she sighed. "I was so tired Kol. And when Connor came for me a second time, part of me thought, why try? I had drawn on both our energy and it wasn't enough. I thought…I thought maybe it was finally time to be with Jeremy."

Kol frowned. He sat there sad, disappointed, and then suddenly angry. "And so, you'd leave, just like that?"

Elena opened her mouth, but Kol cut her off. "And what about everyone else, Elena? Huh? What about Elijah? Or Rebekah or Klaus? What about me?"

Silence hung between them and Elena didn't know what to say.

"What about me?" he asked again softly.

She walked over and hugged him. Putting her head on his shoulder, she frowned. "I guess I figured you'd be okay," she told him pulling back. "I thought you'd move on from me."

Kol was profoundly stunned at her inability to see her value and self-worth. The Salvatores had done reprehensible damage on her.

"Elena, do you know how we developed a tie with one another?"

Shrugging, she didn't really know. They hadn't come up with any concrete answers. She figured it was just some weird thing that happened

"It developed out of our friendship," he told her. "It pulled from what we had already shared with one another when you were human. In your transition, it transformed that into something stronger. We can hear each other because we already knew each other. We trusted one another."

She thought back to her human days. She did have a strong bond with Kol. Their connection was unbeatable.

"It didn't appear out of nowhere," he answered her. "So, you slipping away and passing to the other side…I wouldn't just get over that."

She met his eyes in a teary smile. Hugging him once more, she was thankful for Jeremy saving her life. "I'm sorry," she whispered to Kol. "I really am."

He accepted the apology and hugged her tight once more. They were both tired, but problems were blooming on the horizon. "Now, we have a few other guests to deal with." And he filled her in on the rest. He told her about Rebekah's ex-fiancé, Alexander, and warned Elena against Vaughn, as well. "Niklaus is sure that there are some angry hybrids coming for him as well."

"Great," Elena said with a large sigh. Just another day in Mystic Falls.

To keep away from of the ghosts, Elena, Jeremy and Alaric hid away at town graveyard, eating food from the Grill, while Kol and his family rushed off to try and take care of a few problems.

"Oh my god," Alaric moaned as he took a bite of his burger.

Elena laughed as Jeremy wholeheartedly agreed.

"No grease on the other side, huh?" she asked them with a smile.

"You have no idea how much I miss this," Alaric told her chewing his burger. "And this," he said picking up his bourbon.

Elena grabbed the alcohol from his hands and slugged back a large gulp.

Jeremy went to reach for it as well, but she pulled it away. "Hey, you wish."

"I'm dead," he said bluntly. "What are they gonna do, throw me in juvie?"

Alaric glanced to him. "Well, then at least you'd have a place to live."

Elena tried to hold back her smile by throwing her fries at them. "You both suck," she laughed.

"Hey," Ric smiled as he shielded himself. He stared happily at her. "Well, there it is."

Elena looked curiously at him. "That smile," he said as he watched her glow with happiness. "I wasn't sure we were going to see that again," he told Jeremy.

Tears welled in her eyes. "Things have been pretty horrible without you guys around."

Jeremy grabbed her hand. "Hey, no tears," he told her. "We only have until tonight. We need a no crying rule."

She smiled and gave a laugh. She was tired of crying.

Hearing her phone ring, she dug around in her purse. The Grill.

"It must be Matt," she told Jeremy and Alaric.

"Hey Matt, I didn't hear from you last night. You and Caroline made it somewhere safe, right?"

"Hello, Elena," Connor called. Her smile dropped. "It's your dead friend Connor here. Remember me?"

Spinning around to Alaric and Jeremy, she shot them worried looks. How the hell did he resurrect? Alaric got up from his seat and listened in on her call.

"What do you want?" she asked the hunter.

"I heard some Original vampires are in town," Connor told her.

"I don't know who they are, so I guess I can't help you," she told him as she stared at Alaric.

"Huh, well, you know who's gonna need some help? All these wonderful townspeople at the Mystic Grill in for the graduation brunch to celebrate the big Mystic Falls high school graduation."

'Keep him talking,' Alaric mouthed as he ran off.

"You either give me what I want, or they die," Connor said flatly. He had moved on from seeking revenge for his death. He could now kill the source of all vampires.

"Please don't hurt anyone," she told him trying to buy time. "I'll find out who they are and I'll bring them to you."

"Good. Get it done," he snapped and cut the line.

"So, you get off on terrorizing innocent people?" Alaric asked Connor.

"And who might you be?"

"I'm the guy responsible for that girl you just threatened," Alaric said angrily.

"Well, that girl's brother shot me in the heart with an arrow."

"I'm also the guy that taught her brother how to do that."

"Heh." Connor unzipped his jacket and showed Alaric he was packed with C-4.

"This is my bar, pal," Alaric snapped. "No one's gonna blow it up." With that, he sped Connor to the back and the C-4 blew.

Rebekah had rescued Matt from Alexander, and Klaus and Elijah were taking care of the hybrids.

"So, what, they die, go to the other side, and what –come back all over again?" Kol asked his siblings over the phone, as he went tracking down vengeful hybrids around town.

"Wonderful," Rebekah sighed.

"How long does that take?" Kol asked.

"Not long enough," Klaus muttered.

Elena needed to check up on everyone. Matt was now safe with Rebekah, Bonnie spending time with her Grams, Caroline waiting at school, and all that left was Stefan and Damon.

"Lexi," Elena said surprised when the long-haired blonde answered the door of the boarding house.

"Elena," she smiled. Stepping to the side, she let the girl in. "So, you guys are okay?" Elena asked when Stefan appeared. "From what I've heard, the veil gets put back up tonight."

Stefan nodded. "Yeah, we heard from a friend."

Elena frowned in confusion and walked with them into the house to see a dead vampire hunter. Vaughn. "Okay then," Elena sighed and spun on her heels. "Is Damon okay?"

"He'll be fine," Stefan assured her.

"Guess my work is done here," she announced. "Now off to-"

Jeremy stopped her. "You're going to your graduation," he told with her cap and gown in his hands. The whole ghostly popping in and out at any time was a bit unnerving.

"Gradua—no Jer," Elena sighed to Stefan and Jeremy. She still needed to check back on Kol, Klaus, and make sure baby Hope was absolutely safe. There were more important things than her graduation ceremony.

"Mom and dad would kill you if there wasn't a photo of you in your graduation get-up," he told her.

"Jer," she sighed. He was supposed to be in the audience for her. He was supposed to be there watching her walk across the aisle. And it wasn't like he could just show up and attend. He was dead.

"Lexi will keep me company," he assured her. "Come on."

Debating on it for a bit, she finally gave into her little brother's begging eyes. Taking the outfit from his hands, she let out a breath and turned back to Stefan. "Let's go graduate."

"Where is everyone?" Caroline barked to Bonnie. She no longer cared the veil dropped. She just wanted today to be perfect. It was a rite of passage that they all graduate together.

"We're here!" Matt and Rebekah called running up to them.

Spinning around, Caroline glanced to two disheveled friends. "Where have you guys been?"

"Oh, you know," he huffed catching his breath, as he glanced to Rebekah. "Making plans for the summer, dodging death by vampire hunter."

"Connor?" Caroline asked worriedly.

"Different one," Matt huffed as Rebekah stayed silent.

"Where's Elena?" Bonnie asked Caroline. "We can't do this without her."

"I'm here!" Elena cried. Rushing over with Stefan, she smiled to her friends. Turning to Bonnie, she wasn't sure what to say. "Thank you for today," she decided on, bringing her longtime friend in for a hug.

Bonnie glanced to Stefan, who looked at his feet shamefully. He didn't tell Elena about Bonnie's plan to bring back Jeremy for good. Bonnie hadn't said anything to him about the spell being successful and he didn't want to give Elena false hope like he had before.

"I can't believe it," Caroline told all her friends as Elena and Bonnie parted. "We're actually all here. We are all here together!"

Everyone smiled at one another. "Aww! Group hug!" Caroline said with overwhelming enthusiasm.

"Uh," Stefan said awkwardly. "I don't–I don't hug."

"Oh! Get over yourself," Caroline said and grabbed everyone.

"Time to go!" Kol hollered. He had taken care of most vengeful hybrids Klaus could think of before the start of the graduation ceremony. They would be able to make it just in time.

Klaus came walking down with Hope in the carrier, and Elijah soon after.

Kol felt like dying of boredom as they went through the list of names. He was only here for two people, not the entire school.

"Bloody hell," he muttered to himself. The list drowned on, and because Klaus and Elijah had taken their time, they had back row seats.

This is the worst, Kol told Elena through their connection.

Try doing it in heels, she replied.

You know, I'm only here for you. You owe me big.

Elena rolled her eyes and Kol gave a chuckle, practically feeling it. You're also here for Bex. Nice try.

Yes, dear baby sister. But I've seen about four of her ceremonies.

Elena cut her mental connection when she saw her friends begin to walk up on stage and accept their awards. Clapping for them, she watched as Bonnie grabbed her diploma, with Matt soon after, and Caroline after that.

Stop distracting me, Elena scolded Kol when he re-established their connection to show her little baby Hope. Kol snickered.

"Matt Freeman," Bonnie's father called.

This was it.

Elena took in a deep breath. "Elena Gilbert."

The crowd clapped and Elena walked up on stage. She gave a laugh, as she heard Kol with her vampire hearing, loudly cheer.

Elijah and his siblings all stood clapping for Elena. While she surely couldn't see them, Elijah couldn't have been prouder.

Bonnie, Caroline, Stefan, and Elena all met after the name readings. They stood around idly chatting when a high-pitched squeal rang through their heads.

"Remember us, Bonnie?" A former witch asked, with a group of formerly dead hybrids, behind her. She was one of the people in the massacres Bonnie had done to drop the veil. With the power of her hand, the former witch brought everyone down to the ground with a splitting headache.

Clutching their heads, Elena glanced up to her friends. The sound only got stronger.

A graduation cap came flying in from the distance, rushing past Elena's head. Decapitating the vengeful witch, her body fell to the ground and the sound had stopped. Klaus.

"There are plenty more of these to go around," he called to the witch's groupies, holding another graduation cap in hand, spinning it around slightly. "Who's next? I can do this all day."

Klaus gave a devilish smile, and before they all knew it, the group of hybrids that were standing behind them had their hearts pulled from their chests. They fell to the ground.

Elena spun around.

Elijah.

Elijah looked at her with adoration, but hid it behind his emotionless façade.

"Guess that answers that," Klaus said coyly, as Rebekah and Kol came out form the shadows with little baby Hope in Rebekah's arms.

Elena smiled at them.

"I guess I was a bit late to the show," a familiar voice called. All eyes snapped to the stranger. Finn.

"Finn?" Rebekah asked unbelieving.

"Baby sister," he smiled coming up to them.

Reaching Elijah first, Finn pulled the brother into a hug. Elijah broke out in a smile, hugging his ghostly eldest brother back. He was his old self, not paranoid or going after Elena. It was his old brother. Pre-mother.

From there Finn made his rounds to his siblings, hugging Klaus, Rebekah and coming over to Elena before seeing Kol.

"Thank you," he said simply with his hands in his pockets. "I'm truly sorry for all I put you through when I was alive, but I hope we can move past it."

Elena gave a smile. Reaching up, she hugged him. "I'm glad you made it back here and you're your normal self."

"Speaking of which-," Klaus started.

"I can't help you," Finn answered knowing exactly what the hybrid was going to ask. "I don't remember much about getting sick or anything there after really. I know what I became with Mother, and I was lost from there. All I knew is Elena had to be the one to kill me. And now I'm here."

"Why side with Mother?" Rebekah asked with Hope in her arms. "Why turn against your own family?"

"I was shoved in a box for decades," Finn told his sister. "I awoke to a complete difference in the world. Adjusting was so…well, it was difficult," he said thoughtfully. "It was easier to side with mother on her plan and look to passing to the other side for peace than it was trying to live in a brand-new world."

"You could have come to us, Finn," Elijah spoke.

Finn glanced back to him and shook his head. "One has to choose to live in order to walk through life. I didn't."

After explanations were passed around, Finn was introduced to his niece, with Bonnie and Stefan fawning over baby Hope in Rebekah's arms, as well. While they were busy, Elena walked up and hugged Klaus.

"Thank you," she smiled as she pulled away.

"Congratulations, love," he smiled to her. Glancing up, he saw a pretty blonde waiting to speak with him, while a tall dark and handsome man was waiting for Elena.

Parting their ways from one another, Elena walked to her former lover. "Elijah," she breathed, shakily. He had just finished wiping the blood off his hands with a handkerchief. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," he replied with caring eyes. God, he missed her.

"I didn't think you'd come," she told him as they gazed at one another. Elena had figured when she called Kol for help, it would have been just Klaus and Rebekah.

"I wanted to return to Mystic Falls much sooner," he told her in honesty. "But Kol convinced me it was in your best interest otherwise."

She slowly nodded. Kol hadn't told her that.

"Elena!" Stefan called, nodding to the parking lot for them to leave. Glancing back to Elijah, she tried not to let her heart get the best of her. "Thank you again," she said slowly starting to back away from him.

"Elena," Elijah called. He knew it was a long shot, but he had to try. "Would you be mind if we caught up a bit later this evening? Just for a few minutes."

She bit her lip and thought about it. Would it really hurt? She nodded. "We all are getting together at the Salvatores tonight to celebrate. You're welcome to stop by."

Elijah lit up like a Christmas tree and watched as she ran off. At least it was something.

"Anyone seen Jeremy?" Elena asked as she hung around the boarding house with Stefan, Lexi, Damon, and Alaric.

"He went to go see Bonnie. She had mentioned keeping the veil down and he went to go stop her," Alaric said. "He'll be back before it's time."

Coming to sit next to her guardian, she plopped on the couch beside him and hugged his arm, laying her head on his shoulder. He patted her leg.

"I don't want you to go," she told him sadly. It felt so good to have Ric back with her –the real Ric. She didn't think that she could do this adult stuff alone.

"Hey," he told her. "You'll be fine. You got this."

"What if I mess up?" she questioned to him. "I mean, I burned our house down because I was mourning. What if-"

"-you're doing just fine," he consoled her. "There is no perfect, and there is no right or wrong. You have this, Elena," he said confidently.

Lexi nudged Stefan and Elena narrowed her eyes at the pair.

"I guess this is the best time as any to tell you…" Stefan said walked towards Elena. "I'm getting out of here for a while." He sat down on the table across from her.

"Where?"

He shrugged and looked back at Lexi. "I think it's time for me to get out of Mystic Falls and explore what else is out there."

Elena had difficulty processing it. He was saying goodbye to her. Willing herself not to cry, she leaned in and gave Stefan a long hug.

"Take care of him, okay?" She asked Lexi.

"Always," she smiled to the girl. Waiting for Stefan, the pair soon parted after that.

"Okay," Elena breathed. "I can't do this," she told the last two men. She couldn't sit on the couch with her head on Ric, and just wait for him to disappear. And she definitely could not sit around and say goodbye to her brother like she thought she could. "This…no-"

She got up from the couch.

"Hey!" Ric called after her. He and Damon shared a look. She was running away from grief.

"I'm going to find Jeremy!" she called and left the men behind.

The boiler room in the school was her first thought of where to look. It had been one of the first places she found Bonnie and Jeremy making out when they first started dating. Venturing into the school and in the boiler room, neither of them were there. Time was beginning to run out and the veil was to close soon. She was getting anxious she was not going to have enough time to see him again.

"Would you believe I'm having a bad day?" Katharine asked Elena, as she went walking out to the high school hallways. Katharine threw Elena's body against a door. Picking her up by the head, Katharine then tossed the doppelgänger's body against the lockers. Watching as the girl fell to the floor and pull herself up, Katharine ran at her, trapped her by the neck with her high heel boot. "I've had enough watching my phantom-self get everything I ever wanted."

Elena had enough struggling against Katharine's footed grasp. Hitting her in the knee to get her to bend her leg, Elena grabbed Katharine by the boot, and threw her alter self into the lockers.

Katharine was quick. Grabbing Elena by her short hair, as the teen tried to run away, Katharine threw her backwards.

"I deserved this day," Katharine called down the hallway. Speeding over to Elena, she kicked her in the torso and watched as she fell to the ground. "I never had a graduation or a prom." Katharine stood over the teen. "or you know, a life." She pushed the boot of her high heel in Elena's shoulder. "But you did."

Elena cried out in pain.

"You have everything," Katharine spat. "And it's not because you're a good little girl who deserves happiness. It's because you stole mine."

Elena pushed Katharine away and got up.

"I stole your happiness?" Elena asked incredulously. "You killed my brother."

Katharine sped towards her and Elena threw her across the hall.

"I'll admit that was nasty," she agreed getting up. They ran after one another and Katharine caught Elena's arm, breaking her wrist and throwing her into an emergency hose case. Glass broke against Elena's face and she fell to the ground. She thought about drawing Kol's energy, but both of them were still tired from her encounter with Connor the other night. Instead, Elena tried to crawl away.

"I have nothing…" Katharine called, grabbing a broom stick and breaking it in two. Walking beside Elena as she tried to crawl away, Katharine stabbed her double with it. "I'm dead."

Still, Elena continued to try crawling away.

"So, I figure, instead of watching my phantom-self continue to get her happily ever after," Katharine stabbed Elena again. "I just kill you and take it all away." She kicked Elena in the face and watched her go flying on her side.

Sticking the broomstick in Elena's neck, she watched as the girl choked on her own blood. It felt good to see the little goody two shoes suffer.

Elena held onto the stick, staring at Katharine from the floor. She was not going to let this bitch win. Jeremy was dead because of her. Sweeping her leg under Katharine's stiletto boots, Elena was able crawl backwards and pull the wood free from her neck.

And then she felt the rush of wind.

Elijah.

Grabbing Katharine before she could go after Elena again, Elijah threw his almost-former lover against the corner of a wall, breaking her back. "Katarina," he growled.

Elena didn't know what happened. One minute they were fighting with Elijah having the upper hand, and the next Katharine stood in front of Elijah with her hand in his chest.

"I wonder if an Original can live without a heart?" she asked. Pulling her hand from his chest, Elena sat in horrified shock as Elijah fell to his knees with Katharine towering over him with his heart in her hand.

"No," Elena shook as she stared at Elijah's dead body in the school's hallway.

Fueled with anger and pain, Elena sped over to her alter self and threw her head into a locker. As she fell to the floor, Elena kicked her in the back of the neck, before tearing Katharine's heart out from her chest, like she did Elijah.

When Katharine was finally dead– again, Elena ran over to Elijah. Turning him over, she set his head gently under her lap and sat paralyzed in fear of what to do. He was lying still, not moving or coming back to life. She had no idea if an Original vampire could live without a heart.

"No, no no," she repeated, touching his face with shaky hands. She was overcome with fear at how suddenly cold and pale his skin was. He wouldn't be returning to her. He'd be gone like Jeremy.

"Elijah… Elijah, please wake up. Please… Please," she pleaded as tears spilled down her eyes. He continued to lay still in her arms.

"Oh god," she panted. Glancing around and seeing Katharine's body now vanished, her eyes went to the heart laying on the ground. Elijah's heart.

Laying his head down gently to the floor, she quickly scurried over to the organ and picked it up. Maybe if she put it back, he'd resurrect. It'd work, right?

Running back over to him, she hovered over his figure and tried to take calming breaths. Her hands were trembling with fear. He couldn't be dead.

Elena looked to his heart in her hands and wasn't sure how to proceed. Her knowledge of the human anatomy consisted of what she had learned in class. What if she put it in wrong? What if it was dirty and instead of bringing him back it would make him sick?

She shook her head and swallowed hard. No, she couldn't think like that. He'd be fine. She just needed to get him back.

Holding his heart gently in her hands, she plunged her hand into his chest cavity. Feeling around, she tried to align the organ correctly with the rest of his anatomy and then removed herself from his wound.

"Come on," she cried, as she waited. "Please. Please," she begged. "You have to come back to me, Elijah," she told him, shaking and pounding her bloody fists on his chest as she cried. "You can't do this. You can't leave me."

She sobbed and cried as his body laid still. They still had so much to say to one another. There was more to work out. He couldn't do this. He couldn't just leave her. And then he gasped.

Startled by the sound, Elena looked wide-eyed at the living man and let out a cry of relief.

Elijah sat up, bewildered at what had just happened. Elena was hysterically crying in front of him. Glancing down at his bloody shirt that was torn at his heart, he quickly gathered he had died. Katharine tore his heart out. So that's what it felt like.

Pulling a sobbing Elena in his arms, he held her as she cried.

She saved him. Elena had saved his life.

"I'm okay now, I'm right here," he said soothingly. Pulling back, he cupped her cheek and ran his thumb over her cheek bone. He ached from missing her. His eyes meeting hers, he waited until she could gather a breath and see past her tears. He put his forehead to hers and inhaled deeply. God, he had missed her.

"Y-you can't do that," she hiccupped to him. "Y-you c-c-can't-"

Emotions caught his throat and he had difficulty swallowing. She had thought he was gone for good.

"I'm right here," he whispered holding her face close.

Elena set her hands over his and tried to calm down enough to stare in his eyes. It had worked. She hadn't lost him. He wasn't gone. He was here with her. Watching as he leaned in, she let her eyes close and felt as his lips touched hers.

Sparks flew. For Elijah, little jolts of electricity sparked throughout his entire body and his heart truly began to beat again. He melted his lips against hers, taking her strongly in his arms. He craved for Elena to be closer. All he wanted, always and forever, was to hold her in his arms. Dominating her with his kiss, he pulled her to him and ran them home to his bedroom.

Elena gasped when a rush of wind swirled around her. Letting her eyes flutter open, she peered around to see she was now in Elijah's room. And then she was bombarded with another kiss. His lips took hers and he cradled her body close. He didn't give her a minute to think.

He pushed them back into his dresser, holding her, unable to overcome the love for her in his heart. He missed her. He loved her. He needed her. He finally, after all of this time, had her.

"Elena," he breathed when they finally pulled back from their heavy lip lock to fill their lungs with air. He brought his hands back up to cup her face. She was so beautiful.

Catching a glance of blood on his hands, she raised her own to see where it had come from. Seeing her own coated in them, she gasped. Dried on her skin was his blood from when she had grabbed his heart and stuck it back in his chest. She stared at her hands traumatized.

"Okay, it's okay," he said trying to get her to calm down. Setting her down gently, he put his hands over. "Elena, it's alright."

But it wasn't. Both her jacket and dress had blood at them, as well. The blood that was all over her was his. There was so much of it. And it was from his heart. She could still recall the feeling of sticking her hand in his chest to put his heart back in his place to save him. She had almost lost him.

Elijah pulled her into the bathroom. Setting her to sit on top of the counter, he started warm bath and went back to stand in between her legs. He watched her carefully, watching as she tried to process all that had happened and the loss they almost went through. She stared at their hands, frightened at what covered their skin.

Kissing her cheek softly, Elijah nuzzled the side of her face with his. Slowly, he pulled the shoes off her feet. From there he reached up to her shoulders, tugging the jean jacket off of her. She looked at him with glazed, tear-filled eyes. He gave her a soft smile in return. When the jacket finally came off, he tossed it somewhere behind them. He brought her in close again. Leaning into her, he nuzzled his face against hers and let the heat of his skin warm her.

Elena was a creature of touch. She felt most deeply with feel. He learned that it was the single most way to get her to raise herself from the depths of destruction. Touch. See. Smell. Feel. He needed to get her back here with him and out of the shock and terror she was beginning to be overwhelmed with.

Slipping his hands on her waist, he slid his hands up her back and traced the curves of her body. Inching his hands up slowly, he found the hook and zipper to her dress, undoing them both and pulling down the fabric from her body.

Helping her stand, he let the dress pool to the ground.

"I have you," he whispered gently as she stood with her top half exposed to him. He put her close in his arms again, holding her until she was ready to continue. Pulling away from her only in the slightest, he set his hands on the tiny straps of her lacy underwear and began dragging them down. He knelt down to the floor, helping her step out of them. When they settled with her dress, he looked up at her, desire warming him, as his eyes settled on the sight of her naked beauty.

Grazing his face and lips against the softness of her skin, he brought himself back up to stand in front of her, holding her close, as eyes met his. He shed his suit jacket. And then unbuttoned and discarded his shirt. He let his pants drop to the floor and slipped out of his shoes and socks as well. Staring in her dark eyes, he rid himself of his boxers and grasped her in his hands. Using his vampire speed, he brought her over to the large tub. Gently setting her in the warm water, he got in across from her.

When she was ready and her breath less shaky, he took her hands in his, and reached down, dipping them down in the water between them. Gently wiping them down, they watched as the blood disbursed in the warm water, losing its dark red color and turning their hands back to normal. He snapped his eyes back to her, keeping hold with her.

"Hello, again," he smiled when her eyes met hers.

She surprised him when she took his hands from his. Shifting in the water, she had moved to sit on his lap, her chest pressed near his.

Elijah breathed with desire, staring at her, as placed herself in his lap. Following her eyes with his, he found she was touching his chest, grazing her fingers over the space of his heart that was now healed. There wasn't a trace of what Katharine had done.

"Elena…" Bringing his hand up to hers, he rubbed his thumb over her fingers and brought them to his lips to kiss them softly. "I'm okay."

He thought she was going to leave when she had sat up on her knees and removed herself off his lap, but instead, she stayed hovered above him, with her belly button barely covered in the water. She brought her fingers to his face, caressing his skin and running a hand through his hair. He watched with his head tilted up at her, as she took him all in.

"I missed you."

It was the smallest of whispers that slipped from her lips, but with his vampire hearing he had heard it clear as day. Pulling her down to him by the back of the neck, he crashed his lips against her and held her tight. They tugged and pulled against one another, fisting each other's skin and bodies. It was hard and rough and everything felt raw.

Seating her down on top of him, he groaned as he found himself inside of her. Her gasp had him curling in pleasure, loving how she was tight around him.

Their lips never left one another. Keeping himself deep inside of her, the two kissed one another until neither could breathe. It wasn't until he parted with her that they had begun to move. He buried his face in her neck, kissing, sucking and lightly nipping at her skin, as she let out sounds of pleasure in his ear. She held him against her tight, getting lost in the feeling of him inside her.

He sped them outside of the tub, only making it to the wall near the shower, where he held her up by the bum and pumped himself in and out of her. She clawed at his back and he pushed himself against her. Again, and again and again, he lost himself inside her.

Elena tossed her head back in ecstasy, feeling the coil build in her stomach as he buried himself inside her. The water dripped from their skin, and he had caught one of her hands, bringing it up above her head and held it with his. Opening her eyes and seeing them in the mirror, she watched as Elijah thrusted himself inside her, moaning in her ear as he did. She watched herself radiate with pleasure, enjoying the way she clawed at his back and he cupped her ass to get her higher. He jousted himself against her, and she moaned loudly as she felt what that did.

Biting her lip as he touched her breasts, she let her eyes rolled to the back of her head, as he continued to push himself inside her. Another moan escaped her lips and so she brought her mouth to his. Their breathing was both harsh and rugged. From the thrusting of their hips to their lips rough from kissing. They each were close, so, so close. Squeezing her inner muscles for him, he gave a loud groan and held her hips tighter, starting all over again.

"Elijah," she breathed in need as he hit the perfect spot. He did it again and again, thrusting the exact spot she needed. Just about to come undone, she watched their reflection one last time, holding onto his very naked back as he fucked her against the bathroom wall. His perfect backside was muscular, wet and toned. His shoulder and arm stretched out as he grasped the top of the shower door for thrusting leverage. Giving a cry at his strength, he pushed into her hard and fast. And that was it.

Unable to hang on any longer, she watched for as long as she could, before letting herself go.

Warm liquid coated his spear of flesh, as he shoved himself in and out of her. He moaned at her orgasm, her inner muscle walls spasming and hugging his hard cock. Unable to last much longer, he moved his hand down from the shower wall to hold her hips tightly, bringing his other hand down between them, for his thumb rubbed her clit as he orgasmed hard.

He could feel as his warm seed filled her, the second orgasm that his created with his thumb, washed over her. He radiated with happiness and glory to hear her moan so loudly.

"That's it," he coaxed as his thumb continued their motions, rubbing slower as she came down from the high.

He kept himself inside of her as he whisked them to bed. He was still impossibly hard for her, as he laid her down gently, placing her head delicately on the pillow. He planned to do this the right way, and for her body to continue to give in to his. Running his lips over her skin, he kissed from her head to her neck, meanwhile running his hands over the sides of her body. Not giving her a chance to rest, he hiked her leg up and pushed deeper inside of her.

He smirked at her gasp, moving rhythmically inside of her, bringing her up to the high once more. He needed her.

She whimpered and he grinned. Again, and again he shoved himself deep inside of her. He watched as she orgasmed for him, and kissed her until it was done washing over her.

Completely spent when he brought himself to a second orgasm inside of her, he kissed her deeply and slid out from her. Bringing her to his chest, she curled against him and they fell asleep.