We've arrived at the second to last chapter! There are a few things I'd like to say, but I'm saving them for the final one.


This one's for MerylinnEmrys.


Disclaimer: I don't own The Vampire Diaries


No matter how uncertain the future may be, there were no foreboding sensations crawling up the back of my neck, itching, warning, as I set my mind on packing up and leaving. Maybe some numbness lingered from when I turned everything off. Turned it down, more like. I remembered how I'd never really been completely void of emotion – how it had always been there: deep within, tucked away.

Elijah kept trying to convince Rebekah, but I think the final blow – what really pushed her – was Matt. I didn't remember her interest in him being that genuine. He would have nothing to do with her now. I found broken glass and a splintered bookcase in one of the rooms in the mansion, so it seemed she didn't take it very well. Not long after that, Elijah confirmed that he had her convinced.

I had trouble looking her in the eye without seeing what she had done, but I still wanted to help her. I had spent a lot of time racking my mind for any redeeming qualities she might have; and she had some, sure. I would only have to bite the bullet and force myself through it.


I had been trying to find a good time to bring up my thoughts about Klaus. One day, in my old room at the manor, I was thinking about it so intensively that Elijah had no trouble figuring out there was something bothering me.

''What is it?''

Shaking my head to get my view focused again after spacing out, I looked up to find him with a serious expression on his face. He read me so well these days.

''I don't want to get your hopes up for nothing.''

''What is it?'' he asked again.

I got up from where I'd been sitting on the edge of the bed and walked over to the window, looking down at the grounds below.

''It's about Klaus,'' I said. ''Lately, I've had this feeling that... that...'' I stopped, feeling Elijah's expectant eyes on me. ''I don't know how to say it.''

''You think he's... alive?''

''Maybe, I'm not sure. But how, even? He died right before my eyes. Maybe it's just his ghost. That's happened before, so-'' I drew a breath, stopping myself before I couldn't even make sense of what came out my mouth.

Closing my eyes and opening them again, set on Elijah, I looked at him with doubt. ''Is it possible?''

''Perhaps,'' Elijah said.

''It might be nothing,'' I said quickly, seeing him think. I hoped it was a good thing that I told him, I really did. That it wouldn't end up bringing him more pain.

Elijah stepped up next to me. ''And it might be something.''

''I know.''

''I have a contact further south. If we went there...''

I nodded slowly, and paused before I asked: ''A witch?''

''Yes.''

It was difficult for me to tell apart sometimes, these days, the grudge I held those who'd wronged me and an actual sense of distrust. I didn't want to generalise, I really didn't.

I reached for Elijah's hand and knew that he needed this. And I needed to know if what I was feeling was true. I had brought it up, after all, for a reason. I squeezed his hand.

''Then that's where we'll go first.''

When I looked up at him he met my gaze with surprise and warmth in his eyes.

I let out a breathy laugh. ''What?''

''Few people would have such grace and show my brother mercy. He knows not what he owes you.''

Leaning up, I kissed him softly. Moving back so I could meet his eyes again, I let my free hand stroke back a stray hair that had escaped his always immaculate hairstyle. I looked into those dark eyes I had come to love so much, and asked quietly:

''Does he know what he owes you?''

''Perhaps we'll see,'' Elijah replied, and brought me closer for another kiss. Then, we both turned our eyes towards the stretch of grass below us, through the window; both intently watching, focused on what was before us – but minds wandering further away, to things less slow and silent than the passage of time through leaves of grass.


I had said goodbye before, but this was more bittersweet than last time. Caroline met me and had me enveloped in a tight hug before I even got a chance to speak. My words were muffled against her shoulder. ''I'll miss you.''

''I'm just glad you're yourself again. That you're back.''

I wished I felt like myself. I would find a new normal one day, I was sure of it. But I didn't feel like pushing it anymore. I'd let it come on its own. ''Only, I'm off again,'' I said and leaned back.

''I'm going to college soon, remember?'' Caroline smiled, and when she blinked I saw tears in her eyes. ''I've got the whole world at my feet, and your number in my phone.''

''And you'll have a great time.''

Caroline suddenly got a faraway look in her eyes. ''She would have loved it.''

I could picture it, without a doubt. Elena, Caroline, and Bonnie. Three best friends graduating, then going off to college together. That was how it should have been.

''Yeah.''

Breathing with sudden difficulty at the sight of her in my mind, smiling, laughing, being alive – I forced myself to transfer the tension to my hands instead, clenching them tightly.

''You're sure you can do this?'' Caroline asked. ''If you need any help...''

I shook my head with a smile, trying to be inconspicuous when I straightened my fingers and curled them up again, over and over. ''I know. I'm still getting the hang of it, but it's going better.''

Apart from the occasional flashbacks, which I chose not to mention. We all had them, probably, but in different ways. I inhaled deeply, and let my hands relax my by sides. Another moment of peace of mind, or at least close to it, settled, for a while.

''Because you have a mission,'' Caroline pointed out, continuing. ''Thank you for getting rid of that godawful-'' She stopped when she saw the now amused look on my face. ''-wonderful sister-in-law. You'll have so much fun.''

''Totally,'' I agreed. ''We'll meet up again.''

''Yeah, well, we've got time.''

I still had to get used to all these puns including me. But, the idea of endless time was somehow too abstract to understand. The vastness of it was still beyond my comprehension. I knew it, and I counted on it, but I just couldn't see it.

She pulled me in for another hug. Over her shoulder, I unexpectedly saw Stefan, who had moved fast to a point a bit further away. Now, he was walking at human speed towards us.

''Stefan,'' I said in surprise, stepping away from Caroline. I continued, unsure. ''How... how are you?

''I don't know,'' Stefan paused, lines creasing his forehead. He was careful not to give an answer about his state of mind, but it was clear how devastated he was.

''What will you do?''

Stefan bowed his head. ''I'm going to keep an eye on Jeremy. I owe her that.''

Jeremy. God, Jeremy. He had no family left now. A memory of a slightly younger Jeremy flashing a grin at me passed through my mind, accompanied by a sharp pain. There had been too much death. Too much loss.

I felt Caroline's hand on my shoulder, and aimed a small smile at her. Things would really never be the same again, for any of us.

''Have you heard from him?'' I asked, thinking of Damon. I hadn't seen him since the cemetery. It sounded like him to leave without a trace and be stuck with no one and nothing else than himself and his own thoughts. But, there was a small glimmer of hope in me, wishing he had contacted Stefan somehow.

Stefan's reply was definite, and I fought the sinking feeling in my stomach. I knew Damon, I knew how he dealt with things. I just wished he knew that he didn't have to do it alone.

''If he comes back here, could you... could you...''

''Of course,'' he said with a tight-lipped smile. ''What are you going to do now?''

''Leave. We've convinced Rebekah to go with us. This time, she'll keep her word. You won't have to deal with her. And Kol is already gone.''

I thought of what lay ahead for me, and wondered how I was supposed to deal with Rebekah. When she heard about Klaus, she would want to look into it too. And I still resented her.

''Thank you,'' Stefan said. ''For what you're doing.''

I wanted to say, don't thank me yet. Despite her agreeing now, Rebekah was unreliable. But, with bittersweet hope, I thought that maybe the whole ordeal with Matt really would make her want to stay away, and that the business with Klaus would keep her, and us, preoccupied. I was going to keep this promise, one way or another.

''I couldn't think of anything else,'' I said. ''I want you to be able to live life in peace. And I think it's what she would've wanted, too.''

Stefan's expression softened. ''Yes, she would.''

The back of a head, long, brown, hair.

A smile.

Eyes, alive.

Dead.

I blinked and shuddered. Slowly, the images faded.

''Will it make you happy?'' I heard Stefan ask. Blinking, he came into focus before me again.

Would it make me happy? I would be with Elijah. I would get to see things I'd never seen before, go to places I'd never been. He made me happy, he did. But I also got the distinct feeling that this was something I could never get over. All the death I'd seen. My mother, my friends. Klaus, despite everything.

My old wishes of studying and going at life alone, mostly, had been put on permanent hold in my mind. I had no desire to follow up on them, not now. Instead, I would be doing something for the people I lost, and the ones still here. I would be keeping a promise, keeping my word to the best of my ability. That softened the blow of heading into the unknown, despite the massive responsibility it was to deliver on my side.

Biting down on my lip, I confessed slowly:

''Right now it doesn't feel like I could ever be completely happy again. But close enough, maybe.''

Stefan nodded, and the smile on his face was small but genuine. He looked like he had the world on his shoulders. He didn't deserve all this heartache. He really didn't.

''We'll miss you.''

I reached for Caroline's hand and offered them both a sad smile. ''I'll miss you too.''


I still couldn't find it in myself to sell the house. It would be there, and it would still be mine. Cutting all ties to Mystic Falls had never been the plan, and anyway, it was impossible. I was born there. It was the final resting place of my mother, my family, my friend. Some day, I would come back.

Elijah had parked his car outside the house. I only had one bag, small and easy to carry, filled with some clothes and little pieces of memories I couldn't part from. I put it in the backseat. Leaning against the car, I looked at the house. This time, it would be a while. I thought it, and I knew it in my bones – this time would be different.

Sighing, I pulled my gaze away. Elijah looked over at me. ''Are you ready?''

I couldn't say yes just yet. There was still something that I hadn't done, but yet again, had to.

''Wait,'' I said, stepping away from the car. ''There's something I have to do first.''


Sarah couldn't understand why I was crying when we met up. I saw the marks on her neck.

''You've been such a good friend, you know that?'' I told her.

She rolled her eyes and smiled an encouraging smile. ''You're talking like you're never gonna see me again,'' she said, jokingly, but had no idea how true that might be. How true it had to be.

I dried the tears from my face and smiled back. ''I'm so grateful for your friendship.'' Looking her in the eyes, which looked deeply confused, I continued with words forced from my mouth by a greater good. ''I'm leaving. Don't be sad because of it. We parted on good terms. We'll both remember each other, but you won't try to contact me.''

Noticing the change in her eyes, that empty look I had seen a few times before, I knew that it had worked. Rushing away, I watched her from a distance. She stared ahead of her for a moment, then she shook her head and looked around, like she wasn't sure why she was just there, just now. Then she turned and headed towards The Grill.


It didn't take long to get back to Elijah. He was still there, unmoving, looking lost in thought.

My eyes were dry from crying, and not long after I got there, Rebekah arrived. She gave me one look that made me, for a split second, feel weak. But I wouldn't let it, and steeled myself.

Elijah and Rebekah had agreed on the destination beforehand. What happened after we all got there, was for us to figure out.

''Can we trust you'll be there?'' I asked her.

She looked like she at least had the decency to hold back a scoff. I had to hand that one to her.

''I'll be there,'' she said. ''If I'm lying, feel free to put me in a coffin for a couple of years. I just can't stand sitting hours in that car.''

With us, I had a feeling she wanted to add. Maybe she would have if it was just Elijah. I didn't take any offence from it, to be honest, it was kind of a relief. If I had to learn to cope with her presence, it would have to be with baby steps.

Rebekah took off, her words true, leaving me and Elijah alone.

I looked at him.

I couldn't explain it. Love was just a word, and still so much more. I had no idea what could face us, if we would cross paths with old enemies of his. I couldn't see what he had done, or they, to make them that. I just saw him, as he was. And I had the strongest sense that I couldn't let him go, that I couldn't not love him. It was at the very core of my being, screaming and emanating warmth whenever I let it. It wasn't an uncomfortable feeling, not at all; but it was intense. It was how things should be, that's what it told me. And over the years, I had learned to trust my instincts.

''And now?'' I asked.

Elijah looked at me over the roof of the car, speaking the same words as earlier. ''Are you ready?''

I felt my mouth strain into a smile and opened the car door. ''I'm ready.''


See you next week for the finale!