Okay, so this story has been knocking around in my head for nearly a year now. I've written countless drafts and scraped them and rewritten and rewritten before finally deciding how I wanted to handle the story.

Basically, I'm in love with this one.

I'm in love with all of my stories, but this one has been keeping me awake. A little nod to the title there ;).

The actual story was inspired by the song "A Thousand Years" by Christina Perry (if you haven't listened I recommend it because it's an awesome song), but the title comes from the greatest showman because I just felt that it fit.


Every night she donned the lead role in a dream. She sat back and watched as an entire life unfolded before her eyes, as real as if she were awake. For months she fell into fitful sleep disturbed with images of something that felt so very real.

Every single night it happened, and it had begun the night of the sacrifice.

She could still feel Klaus' fangs buried in her throat as her heartbeat waned; he stole her blood and after a small eternity her heavy eyes had drifted shut. She was meant to awaken in transition because of Damon's interference, but instead she opened her eyes to a lush forest.

Every night she dreamt of the woods and people she was certain she had never met.

She ran through the forest, leaping over fallen branches and trees. Her heart beat, wild and fast within its cage, as the world merged into a blur of brilliant colour.

Heavy steps came up on her trail, close on her heels.

She crashed through the tree line, stumbling to a stop at the top of the mighty waterfall, glancing over her shoulder to the silent forest; every inward breath burning through her lungs.

Eyes prickled the base of her skull.

A narrow game path led to the village.

She bolted for it, feet splashing through the stream. Cold water soaked into her dress, weighing her down. Halfway across she realized her back had been drenched by water splashing towards her.

She stumbled, slipping on a stone and pitching forward.

Strong arms snaked around her waist, pulling her flush against hard chest muscles. Her assailant whipped her damp hair aside and lunged.

She yelped, reaching behind her to swat at him.

"Did you just bite me?" She gasped, spinning around.

"That's what animals do when they catch their prey," he laughed.

"But we are not animals," her chest rose and fell as she attempted to catch her breath.

"Are you sure?" He struggled to regulate his breathing. "Whenever I'm around you I feel this animalistic urge to devour you," his thumb caught her bottom lip.

She nipped. Pride filled her when his eyes darkened. Stretching up on her toes she managed to catch the shell of his ear between her teeth and tugged. Something hot and hard poked her belly. She pulled back enough to meet his gaze and murmured against his parted lips.

"That sounds like a very human urge to me."

She had started waking up after the first scene; it always left her with a persistent ache between her thighs and a heavy sense of loss in her chest. She would then roll over and fight to return to sleep, both dreading and anticipating the return to unconscious thought.

It was never the last dream.

The mischievous eyed man haunted her sleep.


She stifled a yawn, struggling to focus on the fry her best friend waved around.

"Am I boring you?"

"Sorry, Care," she shook her head, "I've been having dreams lately; they've been keeping me up… waking me in the middle of the night."

"What kind of dreams?" Caroline leaned closer.

She thought of the most recent involving a stable and those damned eyes twinkling above the folds of her bunched skirt; a flush crept up, sweltering beneath her breasts and in her cheeks.

"Are you having Stefan sex dreams?" Caroline smirked, whispering so her voice wouldn't carry.

"No," Elena shook her head. The eyes were most definitely not those of her ex, nor were any of the features. He did look strikingly familiar though; there was something in the curve of his lip and slope of his nose. "I haven't been dreaming about Stefan."

"But you have been having sex dreams?"

Elena pursed her lips and stared down, inspecting the grooves in the table.

"Sometimes, but most of the time it's not. They're just really vivid, and they feel so real. Sometimes…" She drew her lip into her mouth and glanced up through her lashes. "Sometimes Klaus and Elijah are there."

"Are you having sex dreams of about Klaus and Elijah… at the same time?" Caroline's brows knit together. She appeared to waver between appalled and intrigued.

"No," she gasped, pushing back. The thought of either brother involved in one of those dreams turned her stomach. "They're never there in the sex dreams, but sometimes in the other ones. I keep seeing this guy. This guy I've never seen before, and I think I'm losing my mind."

"Okay," Caroline nodded, shifting to problem solving mode, "why do you think you're going crazy? They're just dreams."

Elena crossed her arms, bit her lip and stared at the table as she thought of how to put her thoughts into words. How could she explain the phantom touches and sweet nothings that stayed with her in every waking moment, nagging at the back of her mind, coaxing her to remember something she couldn't?

"It feels real," she whispered, "like the dreams are trying to tell me something."

"Maybe they're trying to tell you that Klaus is in your head."

"What would Klaus get out of that?"

"What does Esther get out of meeting you?"

"That's what I need your help to find out," she leaned closer, dropping her voice. "I need a body guard for tonight."

"Alright," Caroline sighed, "but I still think a Salvatore would look better in a tux."


Find a partner… find a partner…

Elijah's words echoed through his mind. He could feel his brother's expectant eyes when he didn't immediately move; it wouldn't do for one of the hosts to sit out of the first dance of the evening.

With a deep sigh he turned his attention towards the crowd. A brunette beauty inexplicably drew his eyes and he paused, appreciating the hug of smooth indigo and glittering gold that made her glow. When he reached her familiar features he found a look of pure annoyance.

It had been a long time since he had adhered to the manners he had been raised by without an ulterior motive yet he found himself crossing the room and extending his hand.

"Sorry to interrupt," he smirked, "but I fear my brothers will kill me if I disregard tradition. Would you allow me the honour of being your partner this evening?"

"She already has a partner, Mikaelson," Damon's eyes narrowed.

"You don't make my decisions for me Damon." Fire flashed in her dark eyes.

"Someone has to," he retorted, extending his hand. "Now come on, Elena, it would be rude not to dance."

She glared at Damon for a moment before a small smirk lifted the corner of her mouth.

"It is tradition," she hummed.

She slipped her gloved hand into his outstretched palm and let him direct her into the ballroom without looking back to the outraged look she could feel on Damon's face.

"I hope I didn't overstep," he let go of her hand as they took their places. "You looked like you could use a rescue."

"So glad I project 'damsel in distress' to the room," she rolled her eyes. She dipped into a curtsy. "I suppose I should say thank you…" She trailed off when she finally looked at him and he realized she didn't know his name.

"Allow me to introduce myself," he brought her gloved hand to his lips and pressed a kiss to her knuckles, "Kol Mikaelson."

"Elena Gilbert," she murmured.

He grinned and pulled her into the proper dance form. He had always elected to avoid Tatia Petrova, in five hundred years he had spent less than an hour in the presence of Katerina Petrova, and this was his first meeting with Elena Gilbert, but he couldn't shake the feeling of familiarity as they turned about the room.

"Would it be inappropriate to say you look stunning?" He turned his head to look at her and guided her into his arms.

"Extremely," Elena's eyes narrowed. "Did Klaus put you up to dancing with me?"

"You don't know me, darling," he smirked, settling his hand on her hip, "but I don't do anything for Klaus if I can help it. I asked you to dance because I wanted to share a dance with the most beautiful woman in the room."

"That would be sweeter if you didn't know two others who look just like me," Elena tilted her head.

"They looked nothing like you," his thumb stroked the silk covering her knuckles.

She shivered.

"Do they often stare at you like that?" Kol glanced over her head.

Elena shifted to look over her shoulder and found Stefan and Damon both watching her from their corners of the room. The brothers exchanged a look that made her heart skip a beat. She knew what they were planning when they moved out of formation and towards her as the music swelled.

"They're just looking out for me," she sighed. She took a deep breath and resigned herself to her fate; any second she was going to be moved to a new partner for the remainder of the dance.

"I get the distinct sense that you can look out for yourself," Kol met her eyes. "Do you want to dance with either of them?"

"Not particularly," she exhaled.

"Do you trust me?" He searched her gaze.

"I don't even know you," Elena frowned.

"I swear I'm very trustworthy," he smirked.

She took one look at the mischievous twinkle in his eyes and scoffed. "I highly doubt that."

"Is that a 'no' darling?" He cocked an eyebrow.

She chewed her bottom lip, glanced over her shoulder, and nodded her assent. A second later he took her hand and twirled her out of his arms and into her new partner.

"Elena?"

"Elijah?"

He recovered from his surprise a moment later and fell into step with the other dancers.

Elena caught a glimpse of Kol a few seconds later dancing on the other side of the room. A handful of couples away Damon danced with Rebekah and stole glances at her while his partner blatantly stared at Caroline. The first dream to actively feature Rebekah came the very night she met the Original sister; there had been fire and smoke and a very hard shared bed.

And oh, how she wanted to talk to Caroline.

"Elena?"

She tore her gaze from Caroline and Klaus, tilting her head back the few inches to meet his eyes.

"Elijah?" Her brow rose.

"I feel I owe you an apology." He directed them through the steps.

Beyond his shoulder she caught a glimpse of an older woman staring down at the dance floor. The features slotted in her mind, belonging to the one dream that actually felt like a dream. She saw the smoke and heard the warbling voice whose words she couldn't make out.

"Who is that?" She glanced at Elijah in time to see him frown. "On the stairs?"

"My mother," he frowned. "Elena, I…"

"And beside her?" Her gaze flitted to a man, out of place in his tailored tux. The last time she had seen him, which should have been never, he was brushing snow from his long hair.

"My older brother, Finn," he sighed. A wrinkle appeared between his brows. "Elena I am trying to apologize…"

"Is that what you're doing?" She murmured the words, focus split between him and the array of images in her mind. "I'm sure you'll understand my confusion since I didn't actually hear the words 'I'm sorry'. And for the record that's always the way to lead with an apology."

"I'll remember that for next time," he chuckled, but swiftly sobered. "I am sorry Elena, truly."

Sorry, he was sorry. Jenna was dead. John was dead. Stefan lost his humanity and she was a human blood bag. And to top it all off, the stupid ritual had done something screwed up to her head.

But he was sorry.

"We made a deal and you broke your word." She came to a halt in the middle of the dance floor, forcing him to stop as well. Maybe Kol had thought placing her in Elijah's arms was a favour, but suddenly she wished for the distant Stefan or hovering Damon.

"It's my own fault, really." She stepped out of his arms. No matter what had transpired Klaus was his brother and he always would be. "I never should have expected you to keep it."

She thought she saw hurt flash in his eyes, but she was too preoccupied with her own thoughts. The room seemed to swirl around her, bringing snapshots of three people she knew for a fact she had never met before stepping into the ballroom.

"Excuse me," she forced the words out as she spun on her heel. "I need some air."

She slipped between dancing couples, leaving him staring after her. One person grabbed her arm and she looked up, expecting to find Damon with the demand that she return home at once, but instead of hard blue she found warm brown.

"Are you alright, darling?" Kol's mouth twisted into a concerned frown. "You've grown alarmingly pale."

A blue and silver dress twirled nearby, so she ignored the tendrils weaving under her skin and focused on Caroline, catching the blonde's eyes with what she hoped to be a desperate look.

"I just need to step outside for a minute." She gently pulled her elbow from his hand. "I'll be fine."

She forced herself to leave without looking back, exiting through the double doors she had entered. Cool night air surrounded her, erupting gooseflesh on her bare skin. It prompted her to return inside, but inside were the Originals, and for whatever reason thinking about any one of them brought waking dreams, vivid as life.

Before her eyes a bonfire appeared across which she spotted a woman who looked remarkably like her. She danced and twirled and suddenly a man swooped in; she had seen enough of him in dreams to know Klaus was the one to steal a kiss. Rebekah sat a ways away, staring longingly at the people dancing. Finn and Elijah appeared through wavering smoke. A warm hand landed on her shoulder.

She jumped and looked back, gasping when she found Kol. Laughter shone in his eyes along with something else. He opened his mouth to speak, but the voice that emerged was decidedly feminine.

"Elena?" The effect of a female voice was jarring. "Earth to Elena!"

When she gave no response Kol did something he had never done in dreams. He grabbed her shoulders and shook, barking in that familiar feminine tone.

"Snap out of it!"

The images broke up, fire petering out to the soothing trickle of a fountain and a million fairy lights.

She blinked and Kol disappeared. In his place stood Caroline, holding her frozen shoulders.

"Are you with me again?" She leaned in, tilting her head.

"Care?" She drew a shaking breath and tasted salt on her lip.

Caroline gently wiped the single tear from her cheek, lowering her voice to softer tones.

"Do you need a minute before meeting Esther?" Her grip eased on Elena's shoulders.

"Esther?" She exhaled. In her mind's eye she saw the hazed over scene and her chest tingled; if the dreams were telling her anything they were telling her to avoid a second confrontation until she knew exactly what she was dealing with.

Elena swallowed around the ache in the back of her throat and met her friend's eyes.

"Take me home please, Care. Take me home right now."


"Kol?"

Slowly he turned away from the window where he had watched the baby vampire whisk Elena away. Elena… it wasn't fair. As if he didn't have enough reminders just looking at her.

"Elijah," he nodded, clenching his jaw.

"Did you happen to see where Elena went?" He stared through the window as if expecting her to appear from thin air. "I saw you grab her arm."

"She looked distressed," Kol shrugged. "What exactly did you say to her?"

"Apologized for some recently dodgy behaviour."

"Isn't dodgy behaviour Nik's area of expertise?" He cocked an eyebrow. He scoffed and motioned to the lawn with his chin. "She asked her friend to take her home," he offered, leaving out the apparent anxiety attack preluding the request. "Why do you ask? Are you out to apologize again?"

"I wished to ask her a favour." Elijah lowered his voice, glancing towards the stairs. "It has come to my attention that mother wishes to speak with her. I wanted her to tell me why."

"I see," Kol hummed, inspecting his cuff, "your apology was selfishly motivated."

"My apology was genuine," he sighed, "and overdue."

"Yet you offered it expecting remuneration." He tilted his head.

"Does it not strike you as odd that mother has returned?"

Unexplained outrage flared behind his heart.

"Mother is a powerful witch," Kol shrugged, glancing towards the stairs. "She created a spell so we would all cheat death, why should cheating the system herself be odd?"

"It's not that she's alive Kol," Elijah shook his head, voice low to hide beneath the orchestra. "It's that she has apparently forgiven Niklaus for everything he's done to this family and wants to be a family again. It's the fact that her first order of business is to throw a party so she can meet Elena Gilbert, a woman whose blood can do wondrous things."

Elijah shook his head and unbuttoned his jacket. "Think about it Kol: when have you ever known mother to have a forgiving nature."

Had they spoken of anyone else's mother forgiving transgressions he would have said a mother's love could overlook anything, but Esther was different. He was half convinced she had cursed Nik not because he was an abomination, they all were at that point, but because she blamed him for Henrik's death.

Esther Mikaelson had not a forgiving bone in her body.

"What does she want with Elena?" His eyes narrowed.

"That's what I wanted Elena's help to find out."