The next night, Elena found Finn standing beside the fountain, his hands behind his back, though his focus on nothing.
"Are you okay?" she asked.
"It's all so different. I don't know how to adjust," Finn admitted.
"Will you take a walk with me?" Elena tipped her head lightly towards the garden surrounding them.
"Of course."
Elena got the impression that he was only doing this to be polite. He was so guarded that it broke her heart. How else was he supposed to respond though? He didn't know her and he'd spent centuries in a box, so now he was lost in himself. But she couldn't leave him there, all alone, his mind still in the darkness of the coffin.
The darkness. Inspiration hit her. Finn didn't have to be alone though, because there was someone who knew what that was like.
"My son, Ryan. Talk to him about what happened to you in the coffin. If anyone would understand what you endured, it's him. He didn't suffer at the hands of his creator as long as you were locked away, but what he went through, it's similar enough."
"Why do you care?"
"Because you're Elijah's family and I plan on being with him for a very long time, so that makes you my family too, and I care about my family. You don't have to talk to him if you don't want to, but sometimes, what we need to heal is someone who understands us." Elena held up her hand when Finn opened his mouth to speak. "I'm not saying let Klaus off the hook for what he did, and but allowing yourself to connect will help you see that you can make a life for yourself, even if the world has changed so much."
Finn considered her carefully, then said, "Ryan seems so, so soft though. Do you think he can keep up?"
"He's just now learning to allow himself to feel and what it is he's feeling, so it's hitting him all at once, but I promise you, he's strong."
Her brave boy. He'd been so desperate for love, even though he'd been created from the most heartless being he'd ever encountered, that it spoke of his strength, his heart. Her beautiful boy was becoming his own man, learning who he was away from the monster who'd forged him.
"Perhaps I'll take your advice. Though I am curious, how did a teenager get so wise and so powerful as to free a living golem from the pit he was in and turn him into your son?" He raised an eyebrow in her direction.
"Can I trust you? Elijah's already aware, but I need to know if you can keep a secret from everyone else." Elena twisted her hands together, worrying. What if she was making the wrong decision in opening up to Finn? What if he used this to go through with his suicide mission?
"You can trust me in this."
"I lived another life, lived and died, then was brought back to save your family, so you all can help correct and maintain the balance. We've changed so much already, but there's so much more to be done."
"Why are you telling me this?"
"Because you picked up on the fact that I'm keeping secrets and I need you to trust me. It's the only way we'll succeed."
"Thank you." Finn inclined his head. "And I will keep your secrets. I can't imagine what Niklaus would do with this information."
Elena gave a humorless laugh and said, "I care about him, because of who he is to Elijah, but I can't trust him not to be stupid just yet." Maybe, once Hope was a little older, when Klaus accepted that he truly was loved, Elena would tell him how she knew what to do and why she helped him.
"Elena!" Klaus shouted from somewhere inside the house, as if sensing that they were talking about him.
"I suppose it's time for Niklaus to attempt to create his first hybrid. And the werewolf is your friend." Finn raised an eyebrow, as though he wasn't sure if he should be judging her for allowing Tyler to go through with this for her.
"I wouldn't let Tyler do it if I didn't think it would work." Elena smiled conspiratorially at him and headed towards the house.
When Finn fell into step beside her, Elena allowed herself to feel a bit of Hope for Elijah's older brother. Perhaps he actually could make a life for himself, to find belonging and happiness, even if he and Klaus never got passed this.
As long as Elijah's siblings were happy, he would be happy, even if he spent the rest of his life attempting to bring them back together.
"Were you at peace before you came back?" Finn asked softly.
"I was. But I don't regret coming back, even if it hurt, especially in the beginning." Memories of how much Elijah had been there for her in the first few months after she came back flashed through her thoughts and she found herself smiling just a little.
"Why?"
"Because I'm able to make things better for others, to give them a chance at having a good life instead of just focusing on myself, what I want and need, which was the mistake I made last time, by assuming that I was in the right all the time and if someone disagreed with me that made them wrong and my enemy."
"Hopefully, you can drive some of that into Niklaus's skull." Finn snorted.
"That will have to be something he learns on his own. Me trying to teach him will only make him double down."
"As much as I'd like to think you could teach my brother a lesson, I'm afraid you're right."
Finn opened the door for her and Elena smiled in thanks.
"While you're dealing with Niklaus's latest scheme, I think I'll see about your suggestion." Finn inclined his head and disappeared in a blur, to find Ryan, Elena assumed.
Tyler was pacing in front of the couch where Hayley was sitting when they entered the room.
Caroline watched from near the drinks bar, her brow furrowed, though she said nothing, trusting the one who created her to do what was right by a friend.
Tyler stopped when he saw them and then dug his fingers into his hair.
"It's okay, Tyler. You'll be fine, I promise," Elena assured him.
"I know. I know." Tyler nodded, though he was still agitated. "I've just never died before."
"When you're like that, in transition, you won't even be aware that you're dead. It will just be nothing, and then you wake up."
"What about the sire bond? Hayley made it sound terrible."
"It can be, but there are ways to break free, provided you promise not to stage an overthrow."
"As long as I can be me when I turn, I'll be okay." Tyler nodded once. "Though I promise to be loyal to you, Elena. Because of all you've done. I'm not stupid. I've seen things. So, Klaus, if you want me to cooperate without trying to find a way to ruin your life, play nice with her. Because if you hurt my friend, I swear I will do whatever I can to be my own man."
Klaus inclined his head and said, "Elena has already bargained for your freedom, though I do expect your loyalty, without the sire bond."
"I'm assuming Elena had something to say about that to convince you to let go once I turn?" Tyler raised an eyebrow
"I may want the loyalty of a pack, but I don't cross her."
"Why? Because she's screwing your brother?"
"No, because Elena Gilbert is a witch I want on my side and I daren't anger her." Klaus smirked. "Now, Elena, if you would be so kind?"
Elena walked over to the sidebar and pulled out a tumbler. Raising a knife, she slit her wrist and allowed her blood to flow into the glass. Once she had a sufficient amount in it, she blew on the cut and it healed.
Pulling out a beer, Klaus popped it open and bit his hand over it.
"Drink up." Klaus handed Tyler the beer.
With shaking hands, Tyler took the bottle and sat down before lifting it to his lips. He pulled a slight face at the taste of blood mixed with the beer, but continued drinking it.
"You won't let me hurt anyone, right?" Tyler asked. "I mean, I could kill Matt or someone else."
"Caroline, Bonnie, and I are at school, so you'll be covered there. And outside of school, just make sure another supernatural who's not a Salvatore is around." Elena hoped that by talking, Tyler would calm down enough that he wouldn't be quite so close to panicking when it came time for him to actually die.
"Yeah, Damon would probably get a kick out of me doing something stupid, especially since Katherine seems to favor Stefan over him."
"Which means he'll start spiraling again if we don't do something." Elena pinched the bridge of her nose.
"I wouldn't worry too much. Rose-Marie seems taken with him and he's starting to pay attention to her," Elijah commented as he took a seat beside Elena.
As they talked, Tyler started to relax, even smiling a little.
"She's being careful though, because Vickie is still vulnerable and Damon is a terrible influence," Elijah said.
"Stefan can stand up to Katherine's bad influence better than Damon can, so I can't say that this is a bad thing."
Hayley's foot started bouncing as she studied Tyler's beer, her brows furrowing.
"Are you okay?" Elena asked her.
"That blood makes the beer smell weird. It's turning my stomach." Hayley pulled a face.
Or pregnancy hormones were already altering her senses. Soon, Hayley would be showing and they'd be working on getting Klaus to accept that this baby would love him forever and he would have a chance to be a better father than either his biological father or the one who raised him.
Finally, Tyler put down his beer and stood up.
"Are you ready?" Klaus asked.
"Let's do this, before I start freaking out again."
In less than a second, Klaus snapped Tyler's neck and the werewolf crumpled. Elena reached out and used magic to slow his decent to the floor.
"And now we wait," Elena said as she settled back in her chair.
After a moment, Elijah pulled her to her feet and led her out to the garden.
"What's going on?" Elena asked, curious
"I have something to show you." He took out his phone and showed Elena the screen.
There was a page for a fertility doctor, someone she'd referred her patients to a few times over the years in her other life.
"Something about her page and face clicked whenever I saw her so. I've already talked to her and scheduled an appointment," Elijah admitted.
"Maybe it was a subconscious decision to go to her." Elena smiled. "I had nothing but the highest respect for her last time around."
Elijah exhaled in relief, then continued, "I asked if she could do a preliminary workup on you, so we could get started as soon as we're in a good position, and she agreed. So, be prepared for blood work and a physical."
Elena smiled widely as tears filled her eyes and kissed Elijah's cheek. One step closer to getting her beloved children from her other life back. Her hand moved to her stomach where soon enough, she would carry them once more.
"As soon as I walk across that stage when I graduate, I want to head straight to the clinic. Or as soon as I'm ovulating right after that. No child can replace another child in a mother's heart. Ryan is his own person and I love him for that, but even as much as I love him, I can't help but miss the children I had before."
Elena threw her arms around him, pressing her cheek against his chest. Soon, she would be carrying his child and they could be a truly proper family, her, Elijah, Ryan, and whatever names they gave the children she would give Elijah this time around.
"Perhaps a wedding would be in order before you start to show," Elijah suggested.
"Are you asking me to marry you?" Elena whispered.
"Yes, I suppose I am. So, will you?"
He went to one knee and pulled a small box out of his pocket and opened it. Inside was a delicately crafted ring, lapis lazuli surrounded by tiny diamonds set in gold.
"Yes. Yes, I'll marry you!" The tears that had been threatening to fall flowed freely.
Elijah slid the ring onto her finger and stood up. Elena threw her arms around him once more, then kissed him. There was the faintest brush of his tongue against her lips and she opened her mouth to allow him access. His hands slid down her body, pulling her more tightly against him.
After a long moment, he pulled back, he brushed her hair out of her face.
"I love you, Elena Gilbert."
"I love you too, Elijah Mikaelson." Elena pressed her face into his neck and breathed deeply.
This was heaven on earth. As much peace as she could possibly ever experience on earth, Elijah's arms wrapped around her, the promise of carrying his children—courtesy of a donor—the promise of marriage, and her own beautiful boy somewhere inside, making a friend who understood what he'd endured. This was as close to the peace she knew when she died the first time around. In fact, it was better in a way, because this time, she'd actually done good and saved her friends. Yes, there were losses, and there would still be more wars to fight, but she was happy, truly happy.
"I swear, Elena, I will do everything in my power to make you happy."
"No relationship is without its fights and ups and downs, so I don't always have to be happy. I just have to know that you love me."
"You know I love you, with every fiber of my being and soon, you'll be giving me children. There's nothing more I can ask. You've already given me so much, I don't deserve how much you love me."
"Love isn't about what we deserve. I don't know what it is entirely, but I do know that I love you, and I can't wait to give you children."
"You've already given me so much, Elena. My family, freeing Niklaus from his curse, and so much more. The thought of you carrying a child that will call me 'father,' it's more than I ever thought I'd get, and so much more than I deserve."
"Family is always and forever, and through it all, you never let me go. Whatever I needed, you gave me. No matter what, you were there. You helped me heal, and accept my new life. No one can ask for more."
"So, you're okay with being the future sister-in-law to the one who killed you?"
"He needed to kill me. He didn't choose it. For that, I blame your mother, and your father, for forcing her hand. Klaus can be a good man, if people believed in him enough, if he felt secure in their love enough to not let what was done to him control him. Curses are terrible things, taking control of you, ripping you apart so much so that you struggle to focus on the people who've never abandoned you."
That last bit, she said more for Finn than anyone else. Finn struggled the most with what they were and what Klaus had become, but he needed to see his brother's point of view, once he'd found peace, at least some sort of it, with what happened to him.
"Being my wife and giving me children, that's more than I could have ever hoped for," Elijah brushed her hair out of her face.
"I can't wait to carry children that will call you 'father.'"
Tyler's sharp inhale as he woke up distracted her so much so that Elena found herself yanked out of the moment.
"Time to get back to making sure Klaus doesn't abuse my friend," Elena sighed.
"Klaus can wait. He has your blood and knows what it means to anger you. Caroline can help him for now. Trust your friend."
"I trust her with my life."
Elijah rested his cheek against her hair and Elena sighed as she relaxed against him.