A/N: In the next few chapters there will be time skips to help progress the storyline ahead. Hopefully I picked scenes that will help with building on the relationship between Elena and Elijah. As well expand on her relationship with the Mikaelsons as a whole. With that in mind this chapter is setting up for the following chapter so it will be somewhat shorter than the previous chapters. I got the idea from my Beta SassyWriter26 so kudos to her for the idea. I'll give you a hint its related to the ending of a early 1990's sitcom. Please leave a review and let me know what you think so far. So without further adieu.

Previously on the Vampire Diaries

January 4, 999
Full Moon

Dear Diary,

Where do I start? After my safe return to the village after being kidnapped by Jade, it felt almost like a repeat of the amount of questions that I was being bombarded with by Elijah's father. I guess I should get used to the fact that by viking custom he will be my father-in-law in August of this year.

I had to painfully describe the events leading up to my kidnapping from within Ayana's home and how they had found me mere seconds from killing Jade with my dagger. If it weren't for my witnesses, I doubt that Mikael would have believed me.

Mikael was furious when we finally returned and we described my ordeal with Jade and the presence of Ansel. He was angered because his would-be nemesis slipped away once more and he took his anger out on Klaus for his incompetence. Elijah told me afterward that their father had to stay and inform the town's militia about werewolf infiltrators possibly kidnapping other women in their community, because he didn't even trust his own son to handle the task.

I hate to say it but I can really see why the Klaus in my timeline was the way he was- because of growing up with this man as his supposed father. I and my future mother-in-law, ironically enough, know the truth, but I'm not ready to spill the beans just yet. Best case, the truth would get him exiled; worst case, I don't really want to think or write about it.

Rebekah is ecstatic that I will be, for all intents and purposes, her sister in a mere eight months from now. She didn't seem to mind the extra chores she and I had to take on after our revenge prank on Kol was discovered. Which only happened when we returned from my rescue mission: Henrik was the first to notice the absence of Kol's eyebrows when he finally decided to crawl out of bed and see what was with all the commotion going. His horrified expression when realized that it was both Bekah and I that had perpetrated the deed might have morphed into an escalation of their little war if Esther and Ayana had not stepped in.

As to other matters, Tatia's pregnancy is progressing normally; she's been tired lately and Lodur has officially joined the village guard. I think Jarl Mikaelson (I can't quite bring myself to call him father just yet, the man scares me) has taken a liking to him.

My courtship with Elijah is going better than I expected. I still see the Noble man that he was in my past, but he also seems more human, at least to me. He keeps his inner self hidden from others, including his own family. It is hard to believe that before the next winter I will be Elena Mikaelson for however long I live in this time period. It sometimes bothers me that all the structures and people living here will be forgotten in the next one thousand years, only to be replaced with new people and such just trying to carve out a place to call home for a short while before time passes over them as well.

I've decided that I'm going to do everything I can to keep my future family from the immortal cursed fate they had in my timeline. How I go about it, I'm not entirely sure, but I know the loss of Henrik sets the events in motion. I just need to figure out how to prevent it. We are once again waiting for the werewolves to pass. Granted they, according to Ansel and Esther and confirmed through magic means, have moved to several days distant hunting grounds for several seasons. So moving into the caves is partially precautionary.

Ironically, both Esther and Ayana are looking into possible protective magics to keep unwelcome visitors from entering someone's home. It sounds awfully familiar to what I had to deal with in my timeline with vampires. I wonder if the Spirits of Nature might have done something similar after the creation of new predatory species. I really need to find a way of preventing that from happening. Supposedly, I'm a Child of Destiny. You'd think that the same Spirits of Nature might have given me an idea of how to accomplish such a feat.

Damon called me a selfless martyr, and perhaps he is right. But if I can do this, then I can save so many countless lives. Like specifically my aunt Jenna, Uncle John, my birth mother Isobel, the Salvatore brothers, my future family, and even Katherine Pierce. If my being stuck in the past is the price that I need to pay to keep people I either care about or know of safe, I'm more than willing to pay it.

And maybe my presence here in the past might do some good. Time will only tell.

A+A+A+A+A+A+A+A+A+A+A+A+A+A

January 4, 999
Mystic Falls Cave Network
Full Moon

Elena shifted, trying not to show her annoyance as she moved again. Still determined to better catch the light coming from the torch from a different angle. Writing in her journal via torch light could be a chore. She wished that Ayana's Spellchamber was an option, but Ayana and Esther as per the norm of their temporary stay in the caves, were busy ensuring all the access points of the cave network had their protective spells in place denying entry to all who would seek them harm. In particular, from the werewolves.

Her frequent nightmares were getting better considering she didn't wake up swinging, Elena still felt remorseful for the black eye she almost gave Ayana when the older woman was just trying to calm her one especially bad night.

She still didn't know how long Jade's leering face would continue to haunt her sleep. Which considering that she still occasionally has nightmares about the sacrifice involving Klaus only made her wish that she'd managed to have to killed her would-be rapist, before they'd stopped her. She knew that Ansel had no other recourse to remove him as his Beta. He even went so far as to ask Esther to place a hex on his former Beta to keep him away from her and her soon to be new family for the foreseeable future. For now, she just had to keep up appearances and everything was fine.

Elena didn't know how many times she had to repeat.

"I'm fine, thank you," or "Yes, I feel much better" to everyone that asked how she was doing after her kidnapping and subsequent rescue had become a major topic of gossip throughout their village.

Some details of her conduct just before being rescued had only grown with each retelling of the story. Much to her own chagrin, she'd prefer if people would just forget the matter, but more importantly, that she carried a concealed dagger. She'd just have to come up with something else to put her trump card back where it belonged and she had an idea on the precise way to go about it.

With a heavy sigh, she returned her writing utilities and journal back to her pack she'd brought with her to the caves. Not for the first time did she wish that she had a book or something to read during their monthly stay, but they would've been considered a luxury in this era. Standing up after brushing off the dirt from her dress, she went in search of her friend Adric and his daughter.

"Adric, Romana, how are both of you doing tonight?" Elena greeted them once she finally tracked them down one of the side passages.

"Elena! We're doing alright, but never mind us. How are you doing?" Adric responded.

"I'm fine. Thank you for asking."

Romana greeted Elena by wordlessly wrapping her arms around her frame, hugging Elena tight.

"Honest Romana I'm fine."

"Um… So, are you hungry? We remembered to bring enough food and drink this time around. I think we might have brought a little too much in all honesty," Romana asked, changing the subject when she finally noticed something pass behind her friend's guarded expression. Elena smiled gently at the young girl; after their shared experience with Jade the first time around they had forged a decent big and little sister relationship. Elena tried to check on how the young girl was adjusting to their new home. Thankfully, she'd stopped trying to get Elena to start a relationship with her father. He reminded her too much of her former history teacher. And that would have made things too awkward for her.

"Thanks but I've been invited to share a meal with the Mikaelson's again," Elena apologized and started to blush when Romana gave her a look that was out of place on someone her age back in her time. One thing Elena had learned was that childhood in the past was almost nonexistent, not when survival to see the next season was so uncertain.

She broached the subject once to Ayana about why she wasn't getting sick from not growing up with all the germs and viruses of this time period. After a rather lengthy discussion about what she was asking about, Elena had in retrospect probably shouldn't have been surprised. The Spirits of Nature had, for all intents and purposes, given a broad spectrum of inoculations to everything she might have encountered. Which Elena had decided was the best thing they could have done for her; dying from Typhoid or the Bubonic Plague would've been horrible.

"Elena?"

"Sorry I was just thinking about something." Elena responded recovering quickly from her day dreaming.

"A certain tall, dark and handsome gentleman, perhaps?" Romana teased.

"No! Well maybe," she lied. Elijah had been on her mind ever since he walked her home that fateful night. They had snuck off more than once to share a kiss or two or maybe three when they could spare a moment of privacy. Both she and Rebekah still had punishment chores to their part in the escalating prank war with Kol. Thankfully, they both only had another week to worry about the extra work they had to endure. It was back breaking work, but Elena and her soon to be sister-in-law had to do the time for doing the crime. Or so she told Rebekah every time she complained in hushed tones to her best friend.

"Actually I was hoping to ask your father if he might be willing to make a particular type of weapon for me?"

Her question made Romana frown, but whatever was bothering her, she kept it to herself. Her father, on the other hand, looked up from whatever he was carving out of a piece of wood with a look of interest. Elena was relieved that he'd recovered from the brow beating he received for all the silver inlaid weaponry he'd made for many of the newcomers prior to departing the old country.

It turned out that the channeling he made to inlay the silver wire could also be used as a wicking reservoir for the wolfsbane oil. He only charged the cost of material to update their weapon scabbards as he had done for Elena's dagger. Her exploits with her weapon had only helped his business.

"What do you have in mind?"

Elena spent the next twenty minutes describing the weapon she had in mind. It was familiar to what she practiced with Ric at his assistance which had annoyed her at the time since it was an impractical means of killing a vampire; but he'd said more than once it was meant to help focus her mind and coordinate her body. Damon had naturally laughed at them practicing, but both she and Ric had ignored him.

"I can do it for you. It shouldn't take too long to find a suitable piece of wood for you. You said that the harder the wood, the better?"

"Yes, but it shouldn't be too heavy for someone my size to yield it. But still be sturdy and tough enough that it doesn't splinter on impact. Adric, how much would I owe you for crafting it for me?" Elena asked hesitantly. She had little money, and it wasn't like she had her debit card, but Adric's refusal to accept payment surprised her.

"Nonsense Elena, I wouldn't take your coin, but if you insist on paying me, then I would like to see a demonstration of this quarterstaff. I've never heard of such a weapon."

Elena was relieved that she didn't have to ask Ayana if she could borrow some money, but she still felt guilty that she might be taking advantage of him.

"Are you sure Adric? I don't want to inconvenience you."

"Don't worry about that. You've done so much for me and Romana already. Who knows, if others see how useful it is I might have more commissions to craft others."

Elena opened her mouth to protest, but her growling stomach settled the matter for now and she went off to find Elijah and her future family.

A+A+A+A+A+A+A+A+A+A+A+A+A

Elena's good cheer dropped perceptively when she finally stepped into the antechamber the Mikaelson family had practically claimed as their second home. She had heard a second hand rumor from Rebekah that her father had once originally wanted Ayana's Spellchamber in the beginning, but both Ayana and Esther had put their foot down in refusal. She didn't know how much truth was in the rumor, but even she had to admit that Ayana's chamber was impressive. The source of her reason for her change in mood was smirking at her as she went to help Rebekah with ladling out the cheese broth soup in the wood bowls they'd brought with them.

"Well, look who finally decided to join us, brother," Kol asked, glancing over at her future husband.

Elena could get upset with her future brother-in-law, but decided to try something more reproachful to his attitude. She'd heard from both Elijah and Rebekah that their mother had to threaten to hex him into next week if he misused his magic again.

"Kol! I'm so sorry I didn't mean to startle you," Elena exclaimed, playing it up for everyone. The puzzled looks she was getting from Rebekah and Henrik were priceless.

"Huh? What on earth are you talking about?" Kol asked, not bothering to hide his confusion. In response, Elena stepped closer to study his features before she stepped back and sighed dramatically.

"Never mind Kol, I'd forgotten that you're still missing your eyebrows," Elena replied sweetly.

"For a moment I thought I'd really startled you so much that they'd flown right up then off your forehead," she quipped nonchalantly. Amazingly, her own expression didn't falter, as both Rebekah and then Henrik started laughing at their brother's stymied expression. Knowing Kol that didn't last very long.

"Ha Ha, very funny! I can already tell that Elijah is going to have his hands full when dealing with you once you two are wed," Kol growled back at her. He reached for a piece of bread set on the table when his sister slapped his hand with a wooden spoon.

"Ow, Dammit Bekah, that hurt!"

As if to emphasize his pain, he rubbed his bruised hand as if it were a crippling injury. His antics didn't impress his sister, nor Elena.

"Good and stop being a big baby I didn't hurt you that badly. Besides, you know the rules: no eating until both mother and father say otherwise," Rebekah admonished her older brother. Elena somehow managed not to laugh at Kol's expense. As much as she wanted to, she had to keep the peace to some extent. Instead, she regarded her friend and soon to be sister with a thoughtful expression.

It was still hard to believe that they had become good friends in such a short time and Elena couldn't help to ponder exactly why did she dagger Rebekah in her former past. If she remembered correctly, they'd started to bond even then too, so what had happened? Rebekah's touching her arm brought her back to the present.

"Elena? Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I was just thinking about uh.. various things?" she said weakly.

"Yeah, I bet!" Kol smirked but stopped when Elijah stared pointedly at his younger brother. It still amazed Elena how much her future husband could convey with his stoic mannerism and his penetrating gaze. She didn't know how it affected others, but every time he looked at her, she felt a flush of anticipation and arousal spike at her very core. Face it Elena, girl, you have it bad for him.

Before anyone could say anything else, both Esther and Mikael entered their home away from home and the women, including Elena, started to serve the men in the family gathering. Her fingers lingered momentarily as she handed Elijah his bowl of cheese soup and their fingers accidentally, or on purpose, touched. She wasn't quite sure; either way the effect was electric. Then, as if on queue, Kol ruined it for them both.

"I see you've got her trained Elijah. She seems to know to serve you first before herself."

"Kol," Elijah grated through clenched teeth.

"Enough!" Mikael ordered, his gaze sweeping through the ante chamber as if looking for dissent. Elena tried not to frown when she watched as his gaze lingered on Klaus for what seemed like a longer duration before moving on to the next of his offspring.

"Kol, you and I will have words later; but for now let's be thankful for the food provided and what blessing the Spirits of Nature see fit to grant us," Esther admonished her second to youngest son. As if on queue everyone started to eat.

Elena smiled at Elijah and then picked up her own bowl and started to eat as well. She was starting to truly love her soon to be new family and her future husband. An errant thought of her brother threatened to spoil the moment, and she surprised herself by mentally forcing the memory of his features into the back of her mind as she enjoyed the banter of everyone as they ate. Even Finn joined in their shared discussion.

Could she be happy here?