Chapter 76: Into the Wild

February 3, 2011

After Elena and the others had left, Jenna had led Ellie back inside the house. Klaus looked enraged. "Klaus…" She said shakily. "Klaus, I'm so sorry. Kol called me and I tried… I wanted to save him."

She paid no mind to the boundary spell. It was only meant for Klaus anyways. He watched her approach him tentatively. When she reached him, she wrapped her arms around him. Jenna watched with fascination as he returned the hug. Klaus shook slightly as he settled into the witch and tears escaped despite all of his efforts to hold them back. "Two of my brothers are dead." Klaus said shakily.

"I'm so sorry." Ellie said softly.

"Eleanor?" Elijah called from the doorway. Like both Ellie and Klaus, his eyes were red rimmed from his tears.

Her heart broke at his fragile expression as he glanced between both Klaus and Kol. "Elijah..." She moved over to him and pulled him into her.

"He's gone." Elijah's heart was hammering in his chest, the vibration pounding against her fingertips where she'd wrapped her hand around the back of his neck to hold him. His fingers were digging into her side as he tried to ground himself. She didn't dare say a thing about the pain.

"Brother. I will avenge him. I will destroy that damned cure." Klaus hissed angrily. "Once I get out of this blasted boundary spell, they will wish they never met me at all."

Ellie's hand shook where she held the white oak stake. "Elijah, take this." She insisted gently. He looked down at the bloody stake with an expression of such profound grief that her stomach twisted in pain. "Hide it, put it somewhere safe. Once this is done I'll put a cloaking spell on it so strong that not even Bonnie's Expression magic can find it." Ellie promised.

He took the stake from her hand before pulling away from her and moving over to where Kol's body lay. Kol was burned badly, the worst of it at his chest where Ellie had tried to stop it. Elijah knelt down and rested his hand on the side of Kol's charred cheek. "Ellie! Klaus!" Rebekah's cry came from outside. She was stopped at the front, unable to go farther without permission to enter. She was still in the dress she'd worn to the dance.

Jenna looked over at the distraught blonde. She felt overwhelmed watching the Mikaelsons react to the news of their brother's death. Their pain mixed with her own as she thought of Miranda and Grayson. "Rebekah, you can come in." Jenna said softly.

Having not expected the permission, Rebekah tumbled inside after having been pressed against the boundary spell. "Stefan told me what happened… I thought he was lying." She joined Ellie and Elijah where they knelt at his body. Rebekah took Kol's hand like Ellie had done and at the touch, a choked sob tore through her. Foreign words that Ellie didn't recognize tumbled out of Rebekah's mouth. Whatever it was, it seemed to have quite the effect on both Elijah and Klaus. Both of them winced and Klaus closed his eyes almost like he was trying to block her out.

Jenna's emotions were all over the place. Her pain felt fresh and raw at the reminder of what she had lost, but she also felt rage that her niece had done this to them. How many families? How many loved ones had Elena just torn apart in a single move? How had the girl that once cried because she stepped on a worm become someone uncaring over the deaths of thousands?

For the first time, it felt like Jenna truly understood the loyalty that Ellie felt to the Mikaelsons. Klaus had always been one for presenting a front. He appeared vengeful and uncaring at any given time. To see him so vulnerable affected her more than she realized. She moved to Klaus and took a hold of his hand, trying to give him comfort while Ellie was trying to comfort both Elijah and Rebekah. It caught Klaus by surprise, but he didn't turn her away.

Rebekah was still speaking in the foreign language before she broke off, curling into Ellie's shoulder and crying but she refused to let go of Kol's hand. This time, Elijah started to speak in the same language, the one that Ellie was fairly certain was their native tongue. He moved his hand over Kol's body in a way so practiced it seemed like a prayer. His other hand stayed clasped firmly in Ellie's. "We can't leave him like this." Ellie said gently.

"We need to bury him." Klaus agreed.

"Not without you being there." Ellie insisted. "We need to do it right." She, like Elijah cupped Kol's cheek and muttered under her breath a small prayer. She wasn't the most religious person in the world, but they'd actively gone to church when she'd been little. It wasn't the religion that he would have followed, but it was the thought that counted, wasn't it?

"Ellie." Klaus called quietly. "What you said to Elena… outside?"

"About what?" Ellie asked.

"About the cure. The one you and Kol were making." He clarified. She knew it was partially just an attempt to distract himself from the grief.

Both Rebekah and Elijah looked at her in surprise. "You were going to make a cure?" Rebekah asked.

"He didn't want Silas to rise. The only way to keep everyone from waking him was to make our own cure." Ellie explained. "We had made so much progress. We just needed a little more time."

"Why didn't you tell me?" Elijah asked.

"It was part of our deal. You were the only person that I could tell, but I could only tell you if you asked me." Ellie told him. "I didn't want to lie to you I swear, but I needed him to trust me."

The three remaining Originals didn't seem to feel the need to question her. "I gave Stefan Silas' headstone. He offered to take me with him to find the cure." Rebekah admitted.

"Go with him." Ellie told her.

"What?" The siblings asked at once.

"Elena just murdered your brother for the fucking thing. If you get it first, you decide who gets it, or who doesn't." Ellie explained.

Rebekah quirked up an eyebrow. "What?"

"I wanted the cure for the sister I remembered that slept in the world's most uncomfortable hospital chair when I was still hospitalized after our parents died. I wanted the cure for the sister that curled into bed with me and Jeremy because none of us knew how to handle that grief. Not the sister that hurts people who have done nothing to her. And definitely not the sister that used my brother to murder yours." Ellie explained. "If you get the cure and decide you don't want her to have it, then I won't interfere."

Rebekah looked over to her brothers. "Are you sure?"

"Ellie's right." Elijah agreed. "If you get to the cure first, you control who gets it, or who doesn't."

Klaus was still holding on tight to Jenna's hand. "Go." Klaus confirmed.

"But the burial…" Rebekah said softly.

"How about you gather the sacrifices? We could do the main stuff here before you leave and then we can bury him once Klaus is out of the boundary spell. They aren't going to see the need to leave right away because Klaus is stuck for now." Ellie suggested. It was the best way to keep everyone involved in the funeral.

That seemed to satisfy the siblings. Rebekah ran a shaky hand through Kol's hair before nodding. "I'll go and start gathering." She stood up and started to leave.

It wasn't hard to tell that the blonde was struggling to keep it together. Ellie pressed a kiss to Elijah's forehead before going after Rebekah. "Bekah." Ellie called.

"I just thought they were going to dagger him… I knew they wanted him out of the way. I had no idea they were planning on killing him." Rebekah confessed. "What if I could have saved him?"

"Rebekah…"

"He's my brother, Ellie. I've had him around to cause me trouble and protect me for a thousand years. When we were human, he was the one that supported me wanting to do what the men could do. Witchcraft was seen as a woman's job, and so we supported one another." Rebekah explained. "I wasn't really ever close with Finn. He was so much older than me, but Kol and I were. Even still it was hard to handle Finn's death, but with Kol… it feels like… hollow. It's been so long since we've really been close. Why does it hurt like this?"

"Because you love him, Rebekah. He's your brother and you've loved him for a thousand years. It only makes sense that you're upset." Ellie explained. "I am so sorry for what she did."

"It's not your fault." Rebekah replied, "But thank you. Please take care of my brothers while I'm gone."

"I will. I promise." Ellie assured her. She hugged the blonde one last time before Rebekah disappeared. When she came back inside, Jenna had left Klaus' side and Elijah had brought Kol's body inside of the boundary so that Klaus could reach him. Both brothers were kneeling beside Kol's body where he lay on the couch, not saying a word. She didn't know what to say to comfort them, so she just moved to stand beside them.

She stepped between where they were kneeling, and Elijah wrapped one arm around her leg as his head rested on her hip. Her hand rested on top of his head, and she gently ran her fingers through his hair. Her other hand rested on Klaus' shoulder. Jenna came back downstairs quietly, trying not to disturb the grieving brothers. It was fascinating to watch Ellie like this. She had always been mature, but watching her comfort Elijah and Klaus was something else entirely. There was a maturity there that she hadn't expected. She would have made Miranda and Grayson so proud. "I brought something to cover Kol with." Jenna said softly, not wanting to really disturb them.

Neither Elijah nor Klaus turned, but Ellie took the offered blanket from her aunt and placed it over the majority of Kol's body, leaving only his head uncovered. If it weren't for his grey skin and burned clothes, he almost just looked like he was sleeping. After a while of the four of them just standing next to Kol's body, with each one trying to process his death and the different ways it affected them all, Rebekah returned. Her hands were bloody and her eyes were even redder than before. "I gathered the sacrifices. I didn't know where to put them so I placed them next to where we buried Finn." She explained quietly.

"Why don't you go upstairs and get cleaned up? You can borrow whatever clothes of mine you want." Ellie suggested and Rebekah nodded before doing as Ellie suggested. "Since we won't fully bury him until I can break Klaus out of the boundary spell, I should go and put a preservation spell on them so that they're in good condition for the burial."

"That is a good plan." Elijah said as he slowly stood. He offered a hand to Klaus and pulled him to his feet as well. "I'll stay here with Niklaus."

Ellie ran her hand over Elijah's cheek before she pressed a kiss where her hand had been. She squeezed Klaus' hand before looking over at Jenna. "I think they could both use a drink." She suggested.

Jenna nodded. "On it."

"I'm gonna go tell Rebekah where I'm going before I leave." Ellie told them before heading upstairs. The shower was running, but it didn't sound like Rebekah was inside. "Bekah? It's Ellie. Can I come in?" When there was no response, concern took over. "Bekah?" Ellie called again. She opened the door to see Rebekah standing in her underwear, bent over and clinging on tightly to the edge of the sink. "Rebekah?"

Rebekah's sharp breathing caught her attention. As she stepped closer, she could see Rebekah trembling. "I can't… I can't breathe…" Rebekah gasped. "I can't… why can't I breathe?" Ellie caught her as she collapsed. "Please… please what's happening to me?"

"Rebekah, you're having a panic attack. It's ok. It'll pass, but you have to calm down." Ellie instructed. Rebekah just shook her head, unable to make herself look up at the other girl. They collapsed to the ground with Ellie supporting Rebekah's weight. "Come on, you've got to focus."

"Please I can't." Rebekah cried, overwhelmed all over again with what was happening. "He's dead, Ellie. He's dead and I can't breathe."

Ellie shifted her position from holding Rebekah to kneeling in front of her. She grabbed the blonde's face forcing her to make eye contact. "Look at me." She demanded, her tone sharp enough that Rebekah instinctively did as she was told. "I am right here with you. I am here and you are safe. Klaus is safe and so is Elijah. Elijah has the white oak stake. Listen to me Rebekah, I swear as long as I am alive, I will never let someone take any of you away from me. If they try then I'll tear the world apart to protect you, just like you would protect me. Do you know why?"

"Why?" Rebekah asked shakily, her breathing slowly slightly.

"Because I love you. I love all of you. And I have never forgotten the fear I felt when Esther tried to take you from me. It's easy to not realize how much someone means to you until you almost lose them. This isn't your fault." Ellie insisted. "Do you hear me? This is not your fault. None of you are to blame for this. The only person to blame is Elena. This was her decision. I will not let you tear yourself apart for something she did."

Rebekah had stopped hyperventilating as she looked up at Ellie. "But she's your sister."

"And Kol's your brother. I'm not saying I want her dead because I don't, but at this point, I don't want her to have the cure either. After what she's done, she doesn't deserve it." Ellie admitted. She felt cold, but it was just her being honest. "And you've got to pull yourself together long enough to make sure she doesn't get it. You are Rebekah Mikaelson, a thousand years old and one of the most powerful women in the world. And you hate her. So wouldn't it be the perfect revenge to take away the one thing she's done all of this to get?"

The thought of revenge was an alluring one. "She doesn't deserve it."

"She doesn't deserve it." Ellie repeated. "But you do. And if there is anything you're good at, it's revenge."

"Revenge." Rebekah said slowly. "Revenge. I can do revenge."

"Think about how pleased Kol will be to watch them fail." Ellie encouraged.

"For Kol." Rebekah repeated. "Ok. Ok, I think I'm ok."

Ellie helped her stand slowly before she said, "Ok, you shower and I'll take care of the rest." She glanced over Rebekah one last time before leaving and shutting the door behind her.

"Is she ok?" Elijah's voice was gentle, once more composed.

"For now. I don't know how long she'll stay that way." Ellie admitted. There was no reason to lie to him about his own sister.

"I heard her crying, but I didn't know if she was indecent. And you seemed like you were handling it well." Elijah confessed.

Ellie nodded as she moved toward him. "She'd made it down to her underwear before she broke down. I just needed to give her something to focus on."

Elijah cupped her face with both of her hands. "I still don't understand what I have done to deserve someone who treats my family with this kind of care. We have been alive a thousand years, and I don't think I've ever interacted with someone that cared for all of us, not just one or two. You have seen us in some of our worst moments, but you do not leave. Why?"

"Every relationship is complicated, and I clearly have my fair share of siblings with questionable morals, but there is just something about all of you that I feel… drawn to. Like kindred spirits or something. It's so strange to try and explain. But I don't think I could leave you guys if I tried. So I hope you know you're stuck with me." She grinned at him as she fiddled with his jacket.

"What a wonderful predicament for me to be in then." For a moment, their grief had eased and she relished in the moment of peace.

She kissed him softly, before she suggested, "We should get back downstairs. You could do with another drink and I have a spell to go and cast."

"Do you want me to go with you?" He asked.

"I think you and your siblings need each other the most right now. I'll be perfectly safe and come straight back, I promise." He didn't fight her on it. Instead, he simply nodded and headed back towards Jenna and Klaus.


After Ellie had performed the preservation spell, she'd come home to see Jenna had continued to pour the boys drinks. It wasn't long before Rebekah had left to pack what she needed for the trip to get the cure. It didn't take particularly long for Klaus to drink enough to start getting a bit drunk, though after everything that had happened, he deserved to forget for a while. By the time it got time for them to try and sleep, Klaus had taken to one of the arm chairs, refusing to rest.

It had been a losing game to try and get Klaus to rest. His anger and grief overrode and other logical emotions. To Ellie's surprise, Jenna had offered to stay downstairs with Klaus while Ellie took Elijah upstairs to try and get him to rest. Her reasoning was that at least one of the Mikaelson's needed to have enough rest to think straight. Unsurprisingly, Elijah had refused to leave the house when both of his brothers were there.

Even now, it felt like they were all trying to process what had happened. Jenna hadn't any other choice but to go to school. She only had a few months left before she graduated and was trying to finish up the last of what she really needed to do. Once Elijah was up and dressed, he came downstairs where Ellie had made breakfast for them. "Morning." Ellie said gently as she ran her hand across his collar to flatten it.

He cupped the back of her head with his hand, pulling her forward slightly to press a gentle kiss to her forehead. "Morning." He replied. "Breakfast?" He asked as he glanced toward the food she'd prepared.

She nodded in confirmation before telling him, "You two need to eat something."

"I need to prepare the funeral pyre." He replied. "Klaus prepared Finn's. I should prepare Kol's."

"You need to eat first." She corrected. "Then you can prepare the pyre. None of it matters before I can undo Bonnie's boundary spell." Rebekah had wanted to be there for the funeral, but Ellie reminded her that they could go and visit his grave once she returned. He had been there for her through so much, taking control when she couldn't handle it. It was her turn to return the favor, whether he even realized it or not.

He conceded to her request, sitting at the table and taking the plate she offered him. Klaus was still in the armchair that he'd supposedly slept in, though it wouldn't surprise her in the slightest if he'd just stayed awake, observing his brother's corpse. When she offered him the plate, he took it without protest. Quietly, he told her, "Thank you."

Part of her wanted to ask if he was ok, but she knew it would be a stupid thing to ask. She didn't think she would handle it nearly as well as they were if she were to lose Jeremy. She left Klaus to his solitude. He didn't seem to be in the mood for attempted pleasantries at the moment. It didn't take long for Elijah to eat, and he rinsed his dishes off in the sink before turning to her. "Watch over him will you? I don't want him to be alone." He asked quietly.

"Of course. I'll most likely spend my time trying to get Bonnie's boundary spell down. But don't be gone too long if you can help it. I don't like the idea of you being alone either." She told him.

He gave her a smile, but she could see his grief hiding right behind it. "I won't." He promised her.

Once he was gone, she headed over to Klaus. "Have you finished eating?" She asked.

He passed his empty plate to her as he replied, "I have, thank you."

"I'm going to run upstairs to get some of my grimoires to see if there's anything on Expression." Ellie told him. It didn't take long for her to find some of her grimoires that she'd kept stashed away. Her magic flared as someone approached the house. Normally, Tyler dropping by the house would be fine, but not when Klaus was here.

"Morning, sunshine. You look pathetic." Tyler said as he let himself in the house.

"Only until Bonnie's spell locking me in here wears off." Klaus said calmly. "Then I'll look different. Angrier, perhaps. Or I won't look like anything 'cause I'll have gouged your eyeballs from their sockets."

"My friends will be back with the cure by then. So, I can shove it down your throat and make you mortal." Tyler threatened.

Ellie paused, waiting to see if in the midst of his threats that Tyler would even realize that she was there. "I'm an Original. What makes you think my entire vampire bloodline won't be cured along with me? I.e., you."

"You know what I think? I think that's impossible. I think the moment you stop being a vampire, our whole blood connection to you is broken and your sireline ceases to exist. So, whatever happens to you happens only to you. Which means I can kill your ass and no one else has to die. Although I am still debating just how to do it." Tyler taunted.

"Tyler." She snapped and unsurprisingly he jolted slightly. "Enough." Her tone was sharp.

"Ellie? What are you doing here? I thought you went with the others to find the cure." Tyler replied.

She raised an eyebrow at him. "Why would I have done that?"

"To.. get the cure?" He supplied. "I thought you wanted it for Elena."

"I did, before she was willing to commit literal genocide to get it." Ellie replied. "Right now, I couldn't care less. Now, what are you doing here? Because if you just came to gloat that's low, even for you."

"He tried to kill my mom, Ellie. He killed my friends." Tyler reminded her.

"And his brother is dead. Two of them actually, because of Elena and all of you deciding it was a brilliant idea to murder them." Ellie shot back. "If you just came here to be a dick then get out."

Tyler looked bewildered. "How are you so defensive of him? After everyone he's killed?"

"And we're just going to forget everyone Elena literally just had an insane amount of people murdered in one go. Were you in on it? Who the bad guy actually is happens to be a matter of perspective." Ellie was tired of trying to walk the increasingly thin line that came with staying in the middle. The line of not choosing a side had lost its appeal. It was her decision before her sister had become unrecognizable to her.

"So you're siding with him? Against everyone else?" Tyler asked in disbelief.

"He is my friend. Rebekah is my friend. Elijah is my boyfriend. And my siblings and my friends have now killed two of their brothers. So yes, actually, I am siding with him. At least he's never done anything to me that could have gotten me killed." Ellie said tiredly. "Or are we forgetting how many times everyone lied to me when my literal life was on the line."

"Ellie…"

"Kol was my friend too, you know. Did anyone stop and think that I might be grieving for him too? Because yet another one of my friends is dead. Or did everyone else just forget about Luka and Dr. Martin? Because surprise, surprise, they got killed not because of the Mikaelsons, but because everyone decided to literally backstab Elijah when he was trying to help and they were trying to rescue him because they wanted Luka's sister back. Tell me, in their story, who do you think the villain was? Cause I promise you it wasn't Elijah." She paused before holding up a hand to keep him from speaking. "Just, get out Tyler. If you try and instigate right now it would be incredibly shitty of you."

Tyler seemed speechless by her decision. She held her ground as her magic opened the door for him. When he didn't move fast enough, Ellie quirked up an eyebrow in warning. She was not above forcing him out herself. Eventually he looked away from her. He shook his head in confusion before walking out without another word. The door locked behind him as Ellie tried to compose herself. "Thank you." It was so quiet, Ellie wasn't sure it had actually happened.

"What?" Ellie asked as she turned to face Klaus.

"Thank you." He repeated. He still spoke softly, but it was slightly louder than before. It was a fascinating contrast to his regular confidence and aggression that he'd used with Tyler just a moment ago. "Very rarely have I ever seen someone go against their family and friends in defense of my family and I. Your loyalty does not go unnoticed. I'm not sure if I've ever thanked you for it."

She observed him for a moment. She could see the sadness hiding behind his neutral expression. It only strengthened her resolve to defend him. "You're my friend, Klaus. We've both made mistakes. Yours came from your rage and going after people I care about. But mine came from bouncing back and forth. I cared so much about all of you that I wouldn't make a stand. I wouldn't decide where I stood. But after what Elena did… everything she's done, including the way she's treated me and made me feel… I'm tired Klaus. You've both done horrible things, I won't deny that. But you don't regularly lie to me, and even when you have kept things for me, those things didn't really put lives in danger."

"That's true." He confirmed, but he wasn't really trying to interrupt her.

"When you came, you just wanted to be free of the curse Esther put on you. After we left, we were done with Mystic Falls until you had problems with your hybrids. You left everyone alone. And even when you used Elena as a blood bag, you didn't really hurt her. It was no different than her donating blood to a hospital except she didn't want to do it. You built a home here. You and the others were willing to make peace. But she didn't like that, so she woke Mikael and when that failed she woke Esther. If she hadn't done that, Alaric wouldn't have been made an Original vampire and she wouldn't have died. That's the difference." Ellie explained, though it felt more like a rant.

"What exactly is the difference, love?"

"You had no say in what happened to you. You were forced to turn and then your werewolf side was forcibly bound. That was Esther's fault. But had Elena just left it alone, she wouldn't have ended up a vampire and she wouldn't be sired and Alaric wouldn't be dead and Kol wouldn't be dead and the thousands of vampires she just murdered wouldn't be dead. She wants the cure to undo the consequences of her own actions. You wanted to be free of a curse that you couldn't have prevented. What happened to her was her own fault." Ellie explained.

Klaus nodded in understanding. In truth, she didn't seem to realize that she was one of the very select few that he actually trusted. She continued to prove herself and there never seemed to be something that she wanted from them other than their respect and friendship as well. Most people had ulterior motives, even before they realized it themselves. She was not one of those people however. "Your reasons make sense. Even if Elena wouldn't see it that way."

She smiled at him before grabbing her grimoires. "Ok, now let's get rid of this stupid boundary Bonnie put up." She entered the living room and dropped down on the floor next to the couch where Kol still lay. Klaus had taken to reading one of the books that they had in the living room, an old mystery book that Ellie's dad had gotten her when she was younger.

That was how they were when Elijah found them a while later. It seemed that Ellie's presence calmed Klaus much like she calmed Elijah. "The pyre is built." Elijah said as he entered.

"Good. I think that I've almost figured out how to break Bonnie's boundary spell." Ellie replied. It didn't really have much on Expression as its own type of magic, but it did talk about overpowering another witch's magic. She was making notes about what she needed when Jenna also arrived back home. "Hey, Jen." She called idly.

"Hey. How goes the boundary spell removal?" She asked.

"Actually ready to try." Ellie said as she stood up. Her magic stretched out, feeling out Bonnie's spell. It latched on to it and she began to chant under her breath. She could feel it resist her and as it tried to keep her out the air around them began to chill. The others could practically feel the tension build, her magic strong enough they could practically taste it. For a moment, she thought it wouldn't work, but then it gave and Bonnie's magic shattered like glass.

"Did it work?" Jenna asked curiously.

"Klaus?" Ellie questioned, she gestured toward the door. He moved forward slowly and then passed into the foyer.

"That's my girl." Elijah praised as he grinned at her.

She beamed at his praise. "Now we can continue with the funeral."

Klaus nodded. "I'll get the clothes for Kol." He said before he made his exit.

"Is there anything that I can do?" Jenna asked gently.

"We need alcohol." Ellie told her. She hadn't forgotten the ritual from when they'd buried Finn. Jenna nodded and went to find something suitable. When they were alone, she pulled him to her and asked, "How are you?"

"I'm doing alright." Elijah assured her.

She observed him carefully. "You know, it's ok if you aren't." He appreciated her concern, but he had never really known how to handle grief. Even when he'd been human and lost Henrik. It had felt like a hole had been ripped into his chest and with every loss the pain amplified the original ache. "I… if there's anything you need from me, please tell me."

"I will." He promised. They waited for Klaus' return and when he did, both Jenna and Ellie left them to dress Kol.

"So what exactly is happening?" Jenna asked as they waited upstairs.

"We're doing a Viking ritual, like what they would have done when they were human. Basically, we dress him in clothes that aren't ruined, and then we take him to his burial ground. We'll bury him next to Finn in the woods. We all drink and then there's something that they say in their native tongue before pouring the rest of the alcohol onto his body and then burning him on the pyre. As he burns, we prepare the grave. Klaus and Elijah will dig while you and I gather rocks." Ellie told her.

"Why do we gather rocks?" Jenna questioned.

"Because we basically line the grave with the shape of a boat because they believe that it will carry them into the afterlife. I think it's kind of sweet actually." Ellie replied.

There was a knock on the door before Elijah entered. "He's dressed. We're ready if you are." They nodded and Ellie gently carried Kol's body out to the SUV. The group separated with Ellie going with Elijah to his car as Jenna went with Klaus in the SUV. When they arrived, Ellie gently carried Kol's body to the pyre.

When she placed him upon the pyre, a wave of grief and regret washed over her. He had been her friend. She had never wanted him to die. She brushed a small fleck of dirt off of his check and whispered, "Kol, if you're here and you're listening… I am so sorry. I should have known they would try something. I'm sorry I couldn't protect you. I'm just… I'm sorry." His daylight ring glinted in the sun. Carefully, she slipped it off and pocketed it before making her way back to the others.

Elijah took the bottle that Jenna had brought for the ritual and drank heavily from it. He passed the bottle to Klaus and like his brother he drank heavily as well. When it was passed to Jenna, she took a generous sip before passing it on to Ellie. After she was done with her drink the bottle returned to the hand of Elijah who spoke once more in that unfamiliar tongue. Her throat felt tight as she tried to keep a grip on her emotions.

She had tightly clasped Klaus' hand in her own, though she wasn't sure who was holding on tighter. Once Elijah's speech was done, he poured the alcohol over Kol's body and set it aflame. Elijah returned to her side and she took his hand as well. For several minutes, they all stood in pained silence to let themselves just grieve. After a while, they started to move once more as Klaus instructed Ellie and Jenna to gather the rocks while he and Elijah dug the grave.


Just as it had for Finn's funeral, the preparation of Kol's grave had taken the majority of the day. By the time they laid his ashes to rest, the sun was setting and the mood was just as somber as it had been since Kol had died. After the burial was finished, she cast a protection spell over his grave so that no one would be able to find him or disturb his resting place. Once she was done, Klaus surprised them all by saying, "We should go back to the Gilbert residence."

"What?" Ellie asked in confusion. "Why?"

"Your ability to break through a spell cast by Expression is impressive. It's not a feat many witches will ever be able to achieve. There is a reason why Expression as a practice of magic is feared and it's not just because they draw from dark sources. Even witches that practice black magic tend to stay away from Expression because of how lethal it can be, for the people that are attacked with it as well for the witch that practices it. Quite frankly, I wasn't expecting it to work, but I didn't want to say anything and risk discouraging you." Klaus explained.

Ellie felt as confused as Jenna looked. "Wait, so what does that mean?" Jenna asked.

"It means that Ellie has far more potential than I think anyone realized." Klaus told her. "Her spell would have only lasted so long anyway, if I had to guess, she would have tied it to the phase of the moon which will be over soon enough. For now, I think it would be smart of all of us to keep your capabilities to ourselves."

She looked over to Elijah for advice on what to do, but he seemed to be thinking about what Klaus had said. After a moment, he finally nodded his head in agreement. "He's right. If this Professor Shane really is as dangerous as we think he is, the last thing we need is for him to know how powerful you actually are even with just your regular magic. If he were to set his sights on you we could have a very big problem on our hands."

That was all it took for her to agree though she didn't think it was really a good idea for either of them to be back in the house that their brother was murdered in. They headed back and admittedly Ellie felt relief when she saw that no was there, specifically that Tyler hadn't come back to make the situation any worse than it already was. It was when they returned that she finally saw how much of a mess the house was from the fight. Jenna noticed it as well and suggested, "Why don't you guys relax? I think I'm going to try and clean up a bit."

Before Ellie had even offered her own help, Klaus replied, "No, actually I think I would much rather help with house repairs. I know a thing or two about breaking and fixing things in this house."

The two girls shared a look. All it took was the briefest moment of silent communication for them to both agree that that would actually be a good idea. "Yeah, ok." Jenna agreed. "Um, why don't we start by all of us going through the house and kind of figuring out what all has been damaged and then we can make a list of what needs to be fixed?"

"That sounds like the best place to start." Elijah agreed.

Klaus headed upstairs without another word, and Ellie was more worried for him that she ever was. "Elijah, can I talk to you?" She asked softly.

He caught her tone immediately. "Of course." He followed her outside and watched as she perched herself onto the porch swing. "What's on your mind?"

"Elena." She confessed. "They've gone to get the cure. What if Elena and the others get to the cure before Rebekah can get it for herself?"

Elijah leaned against the porch railing before he replied, "Then she cures herself and the drama of a vampire Elena finally ends."

"But we should know well enough to know that she never knows when to stop when your family is involved. Say she does find it and cure herself, but when she does, she's just going to see Klaus as a threat because he can once again use her as a blood bag and the whole reason she brought back Esther and Mikael was because she didn't want that in the first place." Ellie told him.

He nodded. "That is true. But there's something that's really getting under your skin. What is it?"

"Tyler stopped by earlier, when you were gone to build the pyre." She started. "He basically told Klaus that when the others got back with the cure that he was going to take it and shove it down Klaus' throat before coming up with some creative way to torture and then kill Klaus."

"He hates Klaus. It doesn't surprise me that he would make a threat like that." Elijah replied.

"I know. But Elijah, they killed your brother. They know that Klaus isn't going to be ok with that and with them already seeing him as a threat and someone that they want dead… what if that's actually what they plan on doing?" She asked fearfully. They were going to end up putting her in a position where she was truly backed in between a rock and a hard place and she didn't think they were going to like the decision she made if they forced her into that situation.

It clicked why she was so concerned. "You're worried about really fighting against them." He concluded as he moved to sit next to her on the swing.

"I don't want to lose them. Even when Elena makes the stupidest decisions, she's still my sister and I think a part of me would die if she died. But I can't just sit aside and do nothing when she's trying to hurt you because of how much I…" The words caught in her throat, unexpectedly as a sudden rush had her heart beating violently. She recovered quickly and finished, "With how much I care about you… and Rebekah and Klaus. The thought of her dying is horrific… but Elijah, the thought of something happening to you. Of losing you… I don't think I would be able to survive something like that."

The emotions were complicated to feel and even harder to explain. But just the thought of something happening to Elijah made her stomach twist up in knots. He took her hands in his, gentle but firm. "Eleanor, nothing is going to happen to me. I have the white oak stake hidden safely and they won't be able to get close enough to me, or Klaus, to use the cure against us." He insisted.

"But how do you know that?"

"Because I trust you." He replied without hesitation. "Your protection of my family is as fierce as if you were defending your own. Klaus trusts you as well, even if he hasn't said anything to you. We stick together and no one will be able to touch us. It might even be wise for us to return to Klaus' mansion. We're stronger together."

Ellie leaned forward, resting her head in the crook of his neck. They lingered there for a few minutes, reveling in their small reprieve. It would undoubtedly come to an end the moment Elena and the others returned. A small part of her brain had started whispering at her to leave. Leave Mystic Falls and the pain and heartache that seemed to have a relentless grip on the town. She didn't know where she would go, if she even went. She didn't think that Elijah would be against it. He'd had a thousand years to travel the world, surely there was somewhere that he liked better than this.

Her thoughts drifted to Katherine. If she left, would Katherine stay? She wanted Stefan, but Ellie didn't want to leave her behind either. There was the other obvious problem of Klaus wanting Katherine dead. Would it even be possible for Ellie to earn Katherine her freedom? She wanted that for Katherine. After five hundred years, the other girl deserved it. The list of struggles seemed never ending, but at least for the moment, in the safety of Elijah's arms, she could forget about it all even if it was only for five minutes.


Author's Note:

Sorry for being a bit late you guys I was having technical difficulties. Also, I'm sorry this chapter is a bit shorter than what we've been having. I was in the middle of midterm week and didn't get a chance to finish this chapter until 6 this morning and then I couldn't figure out what to add on to this chapter without dragging everything out unnecessarily. But, what better way to give Jenna a chance to bond with Klaus than comforting him while he's grieving? But still, as always, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. Please leave a review and let me know your thoughts.

To Lola Carver: Not to be rude, but I think there's a pretty big difference in "nothing" being changed and me not changing what you want me to. Jenna and Mayor Lockwood are still alive, Elijah is still in town, Stefan is questioning Elena, and Tyler isn't on the run. Kol's death was absolutely necessary otherwise it would have derailed literally the rest of the series of TVD and we all know he comes back to life anyways, so sorry that I didn't change what you wanted but you can't say that I didn't change anything. Good luck story hunting though.

To Guest: Ok, on the topic of Bonnie, you've got to keep in mind she's literally brainwashed right now by Shane so that he can find the cure. Of course she's going to go along with the plan to kill Kol to complete the mark, plus he did just try and kill her hours earlier. So at the very least I cut Bonnie a bit of slack. But yeah, the whole thing of them not thinking Klaus was real was exactly what I wanted you guys to remember so we all know how stupid they sound. As for Jeremy, it's kind of the same as with Bonnie. The hunter's mark is driving him to kill vampires, and Kol just tried to kill him. He's not going to be strong enough to think about Ellie when, like he said in the last episode, the thing that was driving him to kill was on overdrive. He was taken advantage of by Elena. That wasn't even a thought in his head until she put it there. But, part of why it didn't change was because it was the only way for the plot of TVD to continue and we know he comes back. But yes, Jen, Kat, and Care will all end up in NOLA at some point I hope.

To Guest(2): Kol's death was necessary to keep TVD moving, though he will be back at some point in TO. I think that would make it kind of complicated to figure out how that would work, seeing as when people are brought back from the Other Side, they come back as what they died as. Plus, his return in TO kind of needs to stay the same for the sake of him and Davina, but he will be back.

To Jules: Lmfao, that's exactly what I was thinking. Especially Damon. In canon, Stefan was aware of what she wanted to do and Elena sent him on the mission to find the dagger and take down Rebekah. So, the way I'm going to imagine it was that he had no idea they were going to make the move to kill Kol so soon. Honestly, I lean more to just blaming Elena rather than Jeremy or even Bonnie because Bonnie's brainwashed by Shane and Jeremy's hunter's mark was in overdrive which means he wasn't thinking about anything else other than killing vampires.

To xenocanaan: Lmao, I don't blame you for wanting her dead. I'm sick of her too. Would it make you feel any better to know that I do technically have a plan for something to happen to Elena that is definitely different than what happened originally? Plus, as soon as I can I'll get Ellie out of there.

To Guest(3): Surprise! She was able to break through Bonnie's boundary spell. And you're exactly right, there was no way in hell she was going to leave Klaus alone. Did you like their reactions to Kol's death? Stefan's definitely starting to question things where Elena is involved. Actually those would be really cool things for Ellie to study in college.

To zombie-hunt: Jenna is definitely on Ellie's side and it wouldn't surprise me in the slightest if Ellie was finally pushed past the point of what she could handle from Elena and that left Jenna to try and keep everything from falling apart. Yes, Jenna and Ellie will absolutely be going to NOLA with the Mikaelsons. And no, I don't know if they would forgive Elena for that. If they did it wouldn't be for a long time. Don't worry, there is no way that Katherine will be the reason that Jeremy dies, if he dies in the first place.

To Blu3b3rryT3a: Elena is absolutely selfish. They both were definitely in on the mission and they did bury Kol. I hope you enjoyed even though it was a bit sad.

To Crazy Devil Girl: Lmfao, I know I'm so sorry! His death really was so tragic and I didn't really help anything did I? Same, Season 4 Elena made me want to scream.

To Guest(4): Honestly, same. Getting rid of Elena would be kind of nice. And no, there's definitely no way that they would Elena burn the house down. Plus, no humanity Elena will probably have them looking at her differently anyways. Normally, yes, the Mikaelsons would be off limits. But, in that episode, Jeremy explicitly says that his hunter's mark has him in overdrive. I mean, he even tried to kill Bonnie's mom and even unconsciously grabbed a stake to attack Elena without even realizing. He wouldn't do that if he was thinking rationally. And with Kol actively trying to kill him, the hunter's mark is going to override any other thought. Truthfully, I don't blame Jeremy for what he did. Elena took advantage of him when she knew he wasn't fully in control. Tyler is a bit of an idiot, and doesn't think things through. So his idiocy is his own problem honestly because I can't explain it away.

To lolistarkiller: I know! It hit me in my feels too. Honestly, that would be a pretty smart spell for Ellie to do. Elena is definitely a horrible person, but lets be real. She took the villain spot from Katherine and the Mikaelsons a while ago. Yeah, Caroline had no idea what was happening this time. And yes, Stefan is finally starting to really question Elena.

To Guest(5): Exactly! Stefan, as much as I love him, isn't innocent and Damon doesn't even need explaining. Honestly, I think Elena is just incredibly manipulative and gets everyone thinking that her plans are good ones and that's part of the problem. Jenna and Ellie are definitely tired of it though. Damon and Elena not getting a happy ending would be satisfying lol. I'm glad you know that Elena took advantage of Jeremy, but when it comes to him not thinking about Ellie before killing Kol, think of it like this. His mark was in so much overdrive that he tried to kill Bonnie's mom and nearly attacked Elena. He wasn't thinking straight and Elena knew it, and then Kol actively tried to cut his arms off, Jeremy isn't going to be thinking about much of anything other than killing him. And Bonnie's brainwashed by Shane to find the cure, so of course she went along with a plan to complete the mark. Bro! Ellie changing her name to Petrova or Pierce would be so satisfying to me. Katherine being her new twin would be amazing. For the group hug, I'd probably include Stefan because he is starting to realize that Elena's plans are insane. He didn't know when they were going to kill Kol, he was just aware that Elena wanted to.

To skyellebaby: Jeremy went along with it because his mark was in overdrive and he wasn't thinking straight. He tried to kill both Bonnie's mom and nearly Elena. He was vulnerable and Elena took advantage. Klaus knows that Ellie didn't help them against Kol. Did I maybe take your idea for taking the daylight ring? Yes. Yes I did. Well, Kat doesn't want the cure, plus when she took it it ended up killing her. But I agree, Elena doesn't deserve it. I hope you enjoyed.

To brigitm28: Exactly. Like it would have been out of character if Kol didn't go after them. And yeah, she knows enough about him to know that giving his word is as serious as Elijah giving his word. Elijah's whipped, and I love it. Lol, I had a lot of fun writing that scene with Rebekah and Stefan as well. That's exactly what both Ellie and Jenna and I were thinking about. How many lives did Elena just destroy, just because she could?

-Madame Magic

Posted: 7/3/21