AN: Hi everybody. It has been a WHILE. Whew. I'm working full time and I'm a full-time student and it has been eating up my time. I do have some more time this semester and I decided to start another 52 stories, one each week at least 2k each (hopefully. I'm still working weird hours and trying to have what passes for a social life during Covid-19). These prompts are by sdavid09 dot tumblr com and I'm writing these with her permission to use the prompts.
This series would not have started without the lovely terapsina, who has Elejah fics here on ffn! The Hayley/Rebekah was her idea and for her. I still haven't seen the Originals. Go give her some love and reviews!
I also got a request to change my formatting so please let me know if you guys like or dislike this formatting and what you think of the fic!
Reviews make updates happen :D
The answer was written in her eyes.
She almost drops the lantern as the pull inside her chest stops, right at the sight of him.
For years she's assumed the pull to go back to Mystic Falls was homesickness.
It's him, in these caves that he and his family stayed in during full moons to avoid the werewolves.
Her Viking. She's seen him in every decade and she feels foolish searching for so long.
He was here, just under her nose, actually her feet. She can't help but be in awe.
He is marble, but she's seen him vibrant and alive in her dreams.
The new dreams stopped four years ago, showing her his past instead of his present.
The suit doesn't seem outdated in the slightest so, whatever happened to him must be tied to that.
The thought occurs that this could be a trap, he was so close to finding her in Mystic Falls. Perhaps he was moved here, he's too clever to be lured into these caves without something tangible.
She knows this is Elijah. This must be magic. The urge to touch him is too strong and she rests a hand against his cheek.
Warm. Not quite a human temperature, but warmer than she expected, here in the void of the caves.
There must be a way to fix this. It wouldn't be safe to move him by herself.
She strokes her thumb against his face before she moves again.
Without a second thought, she presses her lips to his.
Marble yields to flesh, she's kissed back briefly before she pulls back. He's alive, looking at her in awe.
He doesn't need to ask because the answer is in her eyes.
"Elena," he breathes. Her smile is his answer. He covers her hand with his own.
"Elijah," she murmurs. Writing on the wall catches his eye.
"We're in Mystic Falls, in the caves your village used during full moons," she tells him. His lips quirk upwards at her knowledge.
"Valkyrja, what year is it?"
"2015. I just graduated from college. Five years ago, all of my dreams became about your past and this place. I spent so much time researching caves. You were right here," Elena sighs.
Her frustration slips into her voice.
He tells her about the caves, the names on the wall.
When she has reception again, she'll lend him her phone.
Someday she'll tell people she met Elijah while exploring a cave system, and they'll be able to laugh at their inside joke.
"Niklaus did this to all of us," Elijah reveals.
"Because your family destroyed all of the white oak," Elena realizes. Elijah nods, moving to hold her hands in his.
"I want to help you find them," Elena vows. He squeezes her hands briefly.
"Always and forever," he murmurs. Elena knows the full weight behind those words.
"Always and forever," she echoes.
It's odd to know someone so well and only meet him now.
Elijah carefully leads her back up to the surface, ready to assist if she should stumble on the uneven rock.
There are so many questions, but the wave of relaxation of knowing she's found him quiets them until they reach the surface.
Trees. Warm air. Soon, she'll have her first birthday with her soulmate.
She won't be on the receiving end of questions of where he is or why he doesn't want her from everyone else. He does want her. He's here now, she'll follow him anywhere.
"Where were you when Niklaus did this to you?" Elena wonders.
"New York. I was on my way here. Thankfully, he found me there. And not here, not you," he replies.
He doesn't want to imagine Klaus deciding to free him from the spell to tell him that he killed Elena so he could become a hybrid.
"Let's regroup in Mystic Falls. Then we can go wherever you want," she promises.
He gives her a wide smile that she's only seen in dreams before.
She watches him lean down slightly, angling for a second kiss she is more than happy to initiate.
It's easy enough to pack a suitcase while Elijah makes calls downstairs, her head spinning with the reality of what happened in the caves.
A word sticks in her mind.
Valkyrja. He called her that earlier.
If she had her phone, she'd Google it, but he's probably still pacing in her living room.
After they leave, the house will be empty for weeks, Jeremy's on the other side of the country while Jenna and Alaric are on vacation. It'll be okay, she thinks.
After everything they've found each other, it seems so much easier to breathe now. Despite that, vampire speed is something she isn't used to, and he makes her gasp as he appears suddenly.
"You called me something earlier," Elena begins.
Elijah has warm eyes, closing the gap between them in a few seconds.
"Valkyrja," he supplies. Elena does her best to mimic it aloud before she asks what it means.
"I called you a Valkyrie. They chose who died in battle and went to Vahalla-and who lived. I was destined to be yours, to live this long to meet you," he says. Tears prick in her eyes as she reaches for him.
The thought of him being dust crushes her heart in her chest.
"We've made it this far," he says reassuringly.
Elena feels secure in his arms. This is exactly where she is supposed to be, she thinks.
Her words spark something in him that causes him to hold her a bit tighter.
"Is Mikael still hunting you all?" she asks. He'll never meet her parents, but she might have to meet one of his. He frowns.
"I'm not sure," he answers with a frown. They'll have to take precautions going forward.
They find Rebekah in a small gallery outside of Paris, smooth marble in a flapper dress.
Elena wants to study the history around them, centuries-old art in frames decorate each room, but there isn't time now.
"The sculptor's name is one of Niklaus's aliases," Elijah says absently.
Elena looks at the bittersweet look on Rebekah's face.
"Do you know who her soulmate is?" Elena wonders, reaching for his hand. He lets her take it.
"I do, a girl named Hayley Marshall. I was more preoccupied with finding Rebekah first," Elijah explains.
"I'll get the curator over here," Elena promises, walking away.
It's easy enough to convince him to talk to her, then to lure him to Elijah.
It was easier still to compel the sweet curator to give up what he thinks is merely a statue.
After Rebekah, they need to find Kol and Finn.
Elena hopes they'll find their soulmates before Klaus hunts their soulmates down.
He must have known what she looked like as a Petrova doppelganger, and yet he only went after his siblings.
She doesn't know what it means. In the long, reflective silences she finds Elijah in, she wonders who and what he's thinking about.
Elijah guides her into the doorway, breaking the lock with a twist of his wrist.
In the dim light, she can see the outlines of furniture and can smell the dust.
Elijah must hear how her heartbeat spikes because he squeezes her hand as he shuts the door.
She has a crowbar and Elijah at her side, her anxiety is unfounded.
"We are alone here," he promises, turning on the flashlight from his phone.
It's only for her sake, Elena knows, but his attempt to dispel her anxiety works.
There are several identical boxes like the one they packed Rebekah in to move her to safety.
The irony isn't lost on her that they're going to move Kol into a hearse.
Still, it was the best choice for moving Kol's body. Still conspicuous, though it is the middle of the night.
Hidden, out of sight, and in the dark. Elena wonders why Klaus wanted Rebekah on display and yet he hid Kol.
Perhaps it's reflective of his relationship with each of his siblings, the symbolism in his choices. Still, she hands Elijah a crowbar to start opening identical boxes, the sizes of bodies.
"Are these all bodies?" Elena whispers, peering down at a man in a toga. He's made of gray stone. Elijah peers into the box with her.
"Artwork. I think the rest of these are decoys. Niklaus usually kills his enemies. He wouldn't run the risk of so many people and their soulmates seeking revenge," Elijah answers.
Despite the details of the eight other statues in the dark basement, they're all slightly off. Not quite as detailed as Elijah or Rebekah. He makes a noise of surprise that draws her to the box in front of him.
Kol looks like how he did in her dreams-she wonders when Klaus put him here.
"Just Finn left then, right?" Elena asks. Elijah sighs as he picks up the box containing Kol.
"Yes. But I'm not sure if Sage is alive or how to find her," Elijah frowns.
Loading Kol into a hearse in the dead of night is unsettlingly easier than expected.
Despite the intense week of finding two of his siblings, Elena has a good feeling about finding their soulmates.
She buckles her seatbelt and looks to Elijah.
"Sage must know. If we can revive Kol and Rebekah, then you can spread the word. Someone has to know where she is. She's had a long time to hide, but she'll dream of us finding him and moving him. I had dreams of where you were all the time," Elena reassures him. He nods in thought as the car starts.
It's been ridiculously easy to fall into a rhythm with him, she has spent so many hours dreaming of his life, how he conducts himself completely alone, and he knows her just as well.
Like fitting the last piece into a puzzle, she knows that he distances himself physically from most, but he loves touching her.
Holding hands, pulling her closer when he's asleep, leaning into her when they're sitting, and she feels the same.
On their flight to New Orleans, she wakes up with her heart beating like it's been replaced with a hummingbird's.
"I saw you. I saw the time Klaus had you turned to marble," she says breathlessly.
Elijah reaches for her. Elena lets herself be held by him, aware he's safe now.
"I saw you in the car crash when your car went over Wickery bridge. At the time, I thought I was watching you die. I didn't see how you survived," he confesses. His words make her close her eyes.
"I'm not sure either," she admits. It gives her goosebumps to know she might not ever find out.
The girl has dark hair and wide eyes, practically launching herself to get closer to them in the bustling restaurant.
"You're Elena and Elijah," she breathes. Elena squeezes Elijah's hand in question, keeping her eyes on the girl in front of them.
"My apologies, have we met before?" Elijah inquires. The girl shakes her head.
"No. I'm Hayley, Hayley Marshall. Rebekah's soulmate. You two moved her body. I saw it in my dreams," she explains.
One down, Elena thinks.
"Please, sit with us. We should talk. We'll take you to see Rebekah after lunch," Elijah promises.
Hayley raises an eyebrow but sits in the empty chair next to Elena anyway.
It's a good thing they haven't ordered, but she wouldn't blame Hayley if she's too excited to eat.
As magical as it was to find Elijah, it takes her breath away to see how Hayley looks at Rebekah.
Her soulmate watches too, reaching for her hand.
He must feel responsible for leaving Rebekah in New Orleans, but if he hadn't, he would've been turned to stone much earlier.
The marble melts away to reveal Rebekah, and Hayley can't resist wrapping her arms around her.
"Hayley," Rebekah sighs.
"Elijah and Elena get credit for finding you and then me," Hayley tells her. Rebekah looks over Hayley's shoulder to look at them.
"Elijah," she breathes. Elena lets go of his hand in time to watch him get tackled. She can't pick up on what they're saying. In a flash, Rebekah is sizing her up.
"Elena," she says, mimicking Elijah. Elena finds herself in another hug, beads crushing against her sweater.
"We should find you something from this century," Hayley comments thoughtfully.
"What year is it?" Rebekah asks, looking at Hayley and Elena with a sharper eye.
"2015," Hayley answers. Rebekah sends her a sad look.
"I wanted to find you before now so badly. I'm so sorry," Rebekah apologizes. Hayley winces but lets herself be touched anyway.
"I'm not sure if you know, but I'm a werewolf," Hayley says, looking toward Elena, who blinks in surprise. Rebekah sends her a look of regret.
After a quick loan of clothes and a shower that Rebekah marveled at, Hayley suggests shopping while Elijah does some research involving the local witches. Kol's soulmate is named Davina. Surely someone knows her or a way to contact her.
"I'll be fine. I've got Rebekah and Hayley. And two of us have cell phones," she reminds him.
They've been so close since she found him that she feels the separation anxiety as well.
It would be easy for someone to trap him or maim him to bring him to Klaus. Any of the witches here could have turned him to stone a few years ago.
"If anything, I should be worried about you," she points out. Elijah tilts his head and raises his eyebrows in a quick agreement.
"Be safe," he urges, pressing a kiss into her forehead.
"Always and forever," she vows, kissing his cheek. He leaves the hotel room first.
Hayley and Rebekah can hardly comment on that display of affection with the amount of hand-holding and romantic stares Elena has witnessed in the last few hours.
"I have a few ideas for where to start, you do have expensive taste-and I have Elijah's black card," Elena says, displaying it in her hand. Hayley grins in approval. She was saving up to visit Rebekah in France just yesterday, and now she's here. It's still mindblowing.
"I think we're gonna get on famously," Rebekah declares. She looks to Hayley to see if she's used it correctly, Hayley gives her an encouraging nod.
"Date night dress," Hayley insists as she pushes the hanger into Elena's hands. Elena sighs and admits defeat by adding it to her pile to try.
She does stick to the same colors. It would be nice to have a real date with Elijah when this is over-this is that dress.
Rebekah gestures for Hayley to come over, surprising Elena with how quickly she's adjusted to the times.
Then again, if she saw Hayley's life in her dreams, she was exposed to quite a bit of this century.
"I'm gonna see what Rebekah's looking at. Holler if you need anything," Hayley says before she walks away. Elena nods.
The dozens of changing rooms she'd been in before this one were cramped with awkward lighting, but this is nice, with way too much space for hangers.
It makes Elena wonder who's tried on the entire store in one of these rooms with the heavy purple velvet curtains separating them from the world. As she zips her dress partially up her back, she's surprised to see it open.
"You have my soulmate," the girl in front of her says. Elena's eyes widen- the intense look on the girl's face isn't reassuring.
"Rebekah!" Elena calls. The girl does a double-take as the Original appears in the dressing room with them. She gives Elena a quick once over, looking at the girl in front of them with curiosity.
"Rebekah," the girl breathes, realization clear on her face.
She must be Kol's witchy soulmate then, Davina. Hayley is walking over at a human pace, listening to their conversation.
"I'm Elena," Elena introduces herself.
"Davina Claire, Kol's soulmate," the girl says.
"I saw you in my dreams moving his body and I didn't know you were-" Davina trails off.
"We can take you to him in a few minutes. I need to pay for this dress before we go," Elena promises. Davina looks at her with a realization on her face.
"Where's Elijah? Where's Finn? Klaus did this to them," Davina says with justified venom in her voice.
"Elijah was out looking for you. And we're still looking for Finn and his soulmate," Rebekah answers. She zips Elena's dress up the rest of the way.
"Hayley was right, you have to get this," Rebekah sighs like the dress was destined to be Elena's.
"Thank you," Hayley winks.
Kol is surprised to see so many people when he pulls away from his soulmate.
"Elena and Hayley," he guesses. Hayley nods while he takes that in.
"I think I know where to find Sage," he says. Elena squeezes Elijah's hand, ready to follow him anywhere, to assemble their family.
