November 4, 1001
Mikaelson Longhouse:
Elena and Elijah's bedroom:

The light was too bright for her, and the cacophony of sounds assaulting her eardrums were almost too unbearable to endure. It didn't help that Elena's whole body ached, but even though she was trying to sit up or even roll onto her side to avoid the painful ambient light, it was almost as if she couldn't quite remember how her muscles even worked. Trying to take her fevered mind off the so far futile effort of forcing her body to respond to its mental commands, Elena instead made herself focus on the sounds around her and, as the fog around her mind lifted, she could distinguish voices.

"It's been four days, son. We must face the inevitable, that she isn't going to wake up," Mikael's voice grated on her nerves more than usual. Who the hell is he talking about, she wondered.

"But father, mother said not to give up hope. She is with Ayana now, asking the Spirits for guidance. She can't be gone. I won't accept that. I've even checked earlier and her wound is now just a faint scar like on the rest of us," Elijah argued. She knew him well enough to hear the stress boarding on panic in his voice. She wanted to reassure him she was here, but still her body refused to move. Not even her vain attempts to twitch her eyelids did more than give her a pounding headache.

Still, there was a growing need for something that was pulling her towards wakefulness. A gnawing hunger that just didn't seem to cease, but in the strangest way. It wasn't like any hunger she'd experienced before.

"Son, I know you don't want to hear this, but you need to prepare for the worst and think of your children," Mikael's voice awoke something deeper inside Elena and it pushed past the gnawing hunger. Eirik and Astrid! Where were they? Were they safe? She startled both men with her frantic gasp for air as first her head then body snapped upright, her eyes wide with confusion and fearfulness.

"Elena!" Before she could register who it was that had spoken she found herself in a near bone crushing embrace, gasping in pain. It was second before her husband pushed himself away from her in horror. "God, what have I done? I… don't yet know my own strength! I could have killed you just now!"

"Lijah? What are you talking about? Why would you have killed me?" Elena asked almost automatically. Deep down she already knew, but still had to pretend that she didn't understand. Elijah didn't respond, so that left her father-in-law to step in and take charge, which annoyed her. Seeing him standing there, she caught the oddest sense of deja vu.

"Miss Gilbert, I understand you believe that my daughter will participate in the demise of Niklaus, but I've been in this situation one too many times to trust in sheer providence now!" Mikael said and before Elena could ask what he meant he was on her, he expertly removed her vervain bracelet she'd gotten to replace the vervain necklace Stefan gave her months ago. Still entrapping her in his viselike grip, Mikael forced her to look straight at him. Damon had been telling her not to rely solely on the bracelet, and she should have taken his rebuke for what it had been intended to be, not as a put down.

"When you see my daughter just prior to tonight's festivities, I want you to give back my wife's Silver Talisman to put her at ease. Then I want you to take this dagger, having concealed on yourself beforehand. You will drive it into her heart. You'll succeed if you can get close and do it from behind her. Do you understand?"

"I understand," Elena repeated in a monotone. Her mind whirled in frantic haste to figure out if she could find a loophole to somehow warn her new friend, or maybe Matt could help?

"She will want to kill me afterwards."

"Don't worry about her I will take care of my daughter once that Yelp of a boy is finally put down. Oh yes! Before I forget, you will not disclose or remember me telling you to do this. If asked, you will take the blame for the deed."

Elena gasped and pushed herself onto the opposite side of the bed, away from her father-in-law.

"Enough of this foolishness! Rebekah, bring the girl in here for your sister!" Mikael growled and absently she wondered if she'd blanked out for second then her anger rose when it finally hit her. Damn him! Mikael had compelled her to dagger Rebekah just before homecoming. The asshole! All this time, she was perplexed about her own actions that day. Somehow they found a common chord- the loss of their respective mothers long before their time- and to her surprise they had started talking about things other than what they believed was the soon to be demise of Klaus. Elena was pissed and even though Mikael had instructed her to give back Rebekah mother's necklace, she was already planning on doing that anyway. Yet he had used her like a marionette.

The cynical side of her brain chided her rational side while the whimsical side of her just realized that she was technically the first vampire in history to break their compulsion after being turned, or in her case, created through dark magic. Time Travel sure did have its unusual quirks.

Caroline had once explained to Elena during her transition the gum region around her canine teeth ached, so it wasn't that much of a surprise she was experiencing the same sensation. It was then the gnawing hunger hit her again with a vengeance. Just as she wrapped her arms around her torso the bedroom door flew open and a rather ecstatic Rebekah entered, pulling along a girl that brought Elena up short. Idunn was one of the newest additions to their town and for some reason only known to Idunn she had taken an instant dislike of Rebekah, and, subsequently, Elena herself.

"Bekah, what is Idunn doing here?" Elena whispered, although she had a pretty good idea of what was about to happen. She was suddenly disturbed that even at a whisper her ears were still ringing when Bekah answered her sister.

"Idunn has volunteered to help you, Ella," Rebekah beamed, then her face turned predatory, and she smiled at her would-be town nemesis. "Haven't you, sweet Idunn?"

"Yes- I volunteered to help," Idunn answered almost robotically.

"What's wrong with her Bekah?" Elena asked. She found herself wondering if Originals could already know how to use compulsion, but instead Rebekah answered her with a perplexed expression now.

"I'm not entirely sure, Ella? I was really angry with her the other night so I told her to shut up and do as I say. Ever since then she does what I want."

Elijah and Mikael both looked surprised and seemed to be considering her explanation when Rebekah pushed the hapless girl to sit on Elena and Elijah's bed. She could only watch as Rebekah took the other girl's arm and, after her true vampire visage appeared and her fangs lengthened, she bit deep into the girl's upturned wrist, hard tearing the flesh to allow the blood to follow easily.

"Here sister, drink!" Rebekah chirped gleefully and pulled the blooded wrist over to Elena for easier reach.

"Bekah?" Elena asked weakly. It wasn't as if she didn't know what was going on, thanks to her prior awareness of future events. She was more worried about her growing hunger and her teeth were throbbing with pain now at the sight and smell of the wondrous coppery scent! Why hadn't it smelled so enticing before now? She tried to concentrate, but her mind was clouded with a building need to lean in and breathe in the scent.

It didn't help that Rebekah was all but pressing the girl's bleeding wrist into her lower face. Elena wasn't even aware when she had taken the wrist into her own hands and was drawing it closer towards her slightly parted mouth.

"If you want to live! Drink!" Mikael barked, and it startled Elena enough to quickly close the distance and the instant the blood touched her tongue she latched on and started to take a long pull as the delicious nectar filled her mouth. Tiny rivulets of the crimson liquid ran out from the still imperfect seal she tried to make. The feeling was euphoric and there was something else there, too. She might have continued to drink more of it if it hadn't been for the sudden burst of excruciating pain in her upper jaw, which made her push the bleeding thing away from her. Elena leaned forward and whimpered as she felt her fangs elongate. She couldn't help herself and with a trembling hand, her fingers probed her mouth, and even though she knew what she would find, the sharp point of two long fangs. She was a vampire- no, she corrected herself, she was an Original Vampire. This self revelation left her bewildered. If she was one of them, what had really changed? Nothing apparently, but if that was the case, where was she in the future with too many questions and not enough answers.

Elena looked up from the bed at her family, she wasn't aware how much her human senses paled when compared to what she was experiencing. Her vision acuity was incredible and her hearing could pick up the slower heart beats of the three other vampires in the room. The human heart beat was faster and she tried to resist but she glanced at the girl sprawled on the floor. How had she gotten down there? Elena could watch as her skin moved over the veins with life giving blood coursing through them. Gripping the bed sheets, she looked away, closed her eyes.

"Get her away from me!" Elena cried out, almost in a sob.

She heard her sister pull the weak human up and order her to go home and only come back if she was called upon. Elena rocked on the bed, trying to make sense of everything. Her fangs were still fully extended. She didn't know how to make them go away and chances were good her eyes were the same way. Her emotions were a roller coaster and with a growl, she looked up at her father-in-law. His self satisfied expression about what had just transpired near minutes ago made her want to tear his throat out. Right that moment she didn't care how she looked, Elena's head snapped up and she glared daggers at the man. He seemed nonplussed but her husband, on the other hand, seemed aroused by her vampire nature. At first she thought she was imagining it but the obvious spidery black veins around his blood-red eyes and elongated teeth were a dead giveaway. As if sensing the mood change in their bedroom, Mikael excused himself and closed the door behind him, leaving the married couple alone.

Elijah climbed onto the bed with her and laid down next to her, their eyes exploring each other's features. It took a moment of reflection to realize that even in her prior life, before being transported back into the past, she never once had seen, as Damon called him, the Noble Original's vampiric features. To her surprise, she found that she liked them and they seemed to suit him. Elena reached out and touched the side of his face, a fingertip tracing one of the raised veins, to her surprise he tried to turn away but her soft touch stopped him.

"Don't, Lijah. I want to see them," Elena spoke gently as if he was a wounded animal who would bolt if given the chance.

"I… Failed you and our children, my Kærasta! I couldn't protect you from our fathers machination. Both he and mother did this to us," Elijah said; his voice sounded strained. Did he think she was going to hold it against him? Instead of answering him with words, her lips sought out his and the resulting kiss was wonderful. And although all Elena wanted it to be a simple reassurance from one lover to another, it grew it to something more.


Intellectually she understood that it was the new heightened emotions she and Elijah were experiencing but that scarcely mattered for either of them. Nor did she care that he still had his true face or was sporting a pair of sharp pointy teeth and based on the sharp points in her own mouth, neither did he.

Their teeth clashed as they kissed and although it was a new sensation, it only intensified their carnal need to seemingly merge themselves into the same space. Finally, coming up for air, Elena, to her surprise, found she didn't need to breathe as much as she had when she was still human.

"Elena! I… I…"

"Clothes off- NOW!" Elena growled and would have started to tear his clothing from his body if he hadn't stopped her with his firm yet gentle hand as his fingers wrapped around her bare forearm. His touch, however, still sent fireworks going off in her brain.

"Elena?"

He made her look him in the eye. It would have almost been comical to see his conflicted emotions. The lust was there and she picked that up instantly but he was still concerned about her current mental state. Which only made her desire him even more.

"Lijah please… Whatever it is, can't it wait? I, or more accurately, we, have come back from death and I don't want to waste a minute of it, at least for the time being. Lijah, I need your touch and everything else to affirm that I'm still alive." Elena hated sounding pleading, but she had meant what she said. Why couldn't he see that? Men can be blind sometimes and it was borderline infuriating. She didn't know if it was her words or the scent of her obvious arousal that did it, but he started to decant his clothing as fast as he could without ruining it. For herself, she wasn't so fortunate. She tore some of the fabric of the nightshirt someone must have put on her when she was still dead.

Once they were free of their garments, he scooped her into his arms and laid them both flat onto their bedding. His feather touch was excruciating erotic for her, sending pleasure spiking through to her very core. As if in hunt of the scent of her arousal, his thick fingers found her clit, lightly rubbing it to drive her mad with need. Elena ground against his deft fingers, wanting him to go deeper, but she knew that he was holding back on purpose.

"Ah-ah," he warned. "Let's not forget who is in charge here."

She growled in response, but he pressed harder, deeper, pushing to the edge as she climaxed on his fingers alone.

"You're mine," he all but growled, as if he were a wild animal claiming his mate. "Say it."

"Yours," she gasped for air. Her first orgasm as a vampire had been damn near earth shattering as far as she could estimate, and it had been him only fingering her. How it was possible to be even better was hard for her to comprehend. The newly awakened predator nature of herself wanted to know so much more about it, though. She parted her legs even more as if daring him to make good on his claim.

She parted her legs more, opening up for easier access as Elijah moved to cover her with his body. The other times he'd been gentle in filling her. Maybe it was the animalistic need to take her, which he did, but the thrust into her was painful. It also made her arch her spine in greedy need.

"Elijah! Yes!"

The pace at which her husband went was almost brutal but also was just what she needed. She was meeting his thrusts and for the first time the solid wood frame of their marriage bed groaned under the repeated rocking. Elena still wanted more and easily flipped them so she was on top. Afterwards she would marvel how easy it had been as her husband was no small man. Their bodies were slick with perspiration and their mingled musk filled the air. She was in control now and she set the pace until she rode him as hard as she could, grinding down hard with each plunge, downward, erratically rolling her hips in the process.

"Gods Elena!" Elijah growled out. Elena, with her own eyes closed, relishing the feel of him inside of her, missed witnessing the sight of her husband on the verge of surrendering to the pleasure his wife's actions were subjecting onto him.

Elena's moan was guttural as she too was almost to her breaking point. Elena leaned downwards so as to drape her body over his well muscled form. Her lips sought out the faint scar over his heart and then she started a trail of kisses first to his left nipple, teasing it with her tongue before moving onwards to his shoulder. Elena playfully bit his shoulder, drawing a little blood before it healed too quickly for her liking. Her hunger for the red nectar was almost instinctual now as her nose followed the scent of his blood's flow underneath his skin until she reached the juncture of where his neck connected to his shoulders. Her nostrils flared at the enticing scent of his blood coursing through his neck's rich crimson filled blood vessels, his rapid heartbeat causing the scent to permeate the air deliciously.

"You smell so good," she purred into the crux of his neck.

Elena first tasted his flesh above his pulse point tentatively, but with each suckle of his flesh into her mouth she relished more and more how he tasted. Acting on a newly awaken instinct, her fangs sank deep into his heated flesh; the moan of pleasure from him only encouraged her to continue. She was rewarded as soon as the warm flow of his blood exploded onto her tongue drove her into organismic bliss. Elijah, feeling her coming hard on his rigid cock still buried deep within her, finally pushed him over the edge as well. To her own surprise, Elena felt him reciprocate her bite with one of his onto the opposite side of her neck. The intense pleasure of feeling him pulling her blood into his mouth only intensified their erotic experience twofold. As they each drank their fill of each other's blood, Elena reveled in the feel his cock pumping its load into her womb. Something she hadn't yet realized was how she was now forever barren: they would never have another child ever again. However, for now, the Original Vampire couple were sated enough just to lay in each other's arms. Whilst simply enjoying the pleasant aftereffects of their shared orgasm and blood sharing.

"That was-" Elijah started but paused as if search of the proper definition. Elena didn't hesitate, she burbled with amusement into his neck when she added, "Intense, perhaps?"

"Perhaps, still I don't feel if a single word can describe how I'm feeling at the moment. What possessed you to first bite, then feed from me?" Elijah asked. At first Elena thought she might have gone a tad too far, but the curious tone in his voice made her relax.

"Nor can I explain how I'm feeling, but as to your other question, I… I just felt the need to bite you and the first instant I tasted your blood on my tongue. I-"

"What?" Elijah asked concerned as he helped to roll her off him they laid naked side by side, peering into each other's questing brown eyes.

"Elijah, I might have been imagining it, but as I was drinking your blood, I could have sworn that I was feeling not my love for you, but your own love for me. I caught glimpses of... I guess you'd call memories, of the first time you saw me- the day I literally collapsed into your arms after exhaustion. Did you experience anything?" Elena asked hopefully.

He didn't immediately respond at first, feeling disappointed. She decided to suggest they clean themselves up and go join the family in the main hall when he nodded his head but had a puzzled look on his face.

"What? Lijah you can tell me."

"I felt similar feelings with regard to you as well, but the glimpses of these memories as you called them," his pause made Elena's breath catch, "don't make very much sense to me," Elijah explained.

It was surprising how well she could school her sudden feeling of alarm when it finally occurred to her about the first time they had met and it wasn't in the best of circumstances. Considering Elijah at the time was planning on killing his half brother for dumping their siblings into the ocean.

"Oh… Why do you say that?" Elena asked.

"We were in a strange building. It looked to be run down or perhaps abandoned would be a better word to describe it. The room wasn't properly lit, but there were these strange light fixtures that cast light but held no flame, almost as if by magic. I was standing next to a dark haired woman wearing trousers, of all things. The oddest thing I can recall was that I was wearing vastly different clothing and my hair was sheared short. It really didn't make much sense to me," Elijah finished with a sigh.

Elena, covering her anxiety, sighed as well before lowering herself back onto their bed into his waiting embrace. She had to find a way of changing the subject and an idea quickly began to form.

"I'm not sure what you saw. This is all still confusing for me as well and I have only been conscious for a short while," she paused as if considering her next question but didn't really need to. She already had a good idea what had happened; she just didn't know how it had. "Elijah, what did they do to us?"

"While you were still… Dead, Father then Mother explained what they had done to us was their solution to protecting us from the werewolves and anything else that might harm us."

"Harm us? Elijah! Mikael drove his sword into each one of us! How was killing us supposed to protect us?" Elena cried out, her hand returned reflectively to her chest, still recalling the pain of having a sword driven into it.

"Do you remember the wine we all were encouraged to partake of?"

"Yes, what about it?"

"Mother laced it with spelled human blood and, according to her dark ritual, it then required that we die for the transformation to start altering our bodies. The final step of this transformation meant each of us needed to consume human blood to complete the transition."

Elena didn't recall this description from when Rebekah had explained part of it to her in her past, but she probably didn't think it had been relevant. After all, Elena had been trying to find out more and find a means of enlisting Rebekah's aid in killing her brother. Ironically, after becoming part of the Mikaelson family, she could never conceivably harm any one of her new siblings. Even Klaus was her brother now. How was that for changing teams, Elena mused thoughtfully.

"Wait! Then why did we have to die? Tre we even alive?" Elena asked. She thought she already knew the answer, but it was probably better not to over play her advanced knowledge of some events.

"Mother wouldn't say, but both Finn and Kol believe that we had to surrender our mortal lives in exchange for our new immortality. As to your question about are we even alive," Elijah spoke gently and rather than tell her he took her trembling hand. Then placed her palm against his faint scar. It took Elena a moment to realize that the faint beat her new hearing was picking up was her husband's slow beating heart. Not as fast as a human, but still beating.

"Elena, we are alive. Make no mistake believing otherwise, and although father says we are no longer human, we are still family. We are each going to have to learn to deal with the challenges we now face as a new species."

New species. He almost made it sound like they were aliens, Elena mentally chided, but he did have a point. As much as she wanted to disagree, she and her family are a new predatory species and barring any other supernatural creature, like a dragon if they even existed, they were now an apex predator of this world. Elena's senses could hear the heart beats of her family from where they gathered in the main hall. With the exception of Esther's normal heart beat, she couldn't detect two additional beating hearts, but that could mean a number of things. Realizing that she had been too quiet for far too long, she asked a leading question.

"What do you mean, challenges? What aren't you telling me yet?"

"It seems that although mother had only intended that the consumption of fresh human blood be a one time occurrence to seal the rites of her dark ritual… We- will need to consume blood for the remainder of our immortal lives." Elena's heart went out to her husband. He looked devastated. She took pity on him and leaned closer to kiss him tenderly on his lips. Not as intense as the ones before, more than a reassurance for his damaged soul.

"I guess we will have to learn to live with it then. Is it safe to assume that we can consume animal blood?"

"Yes, I will need to take you out hunting for game later tonight, but that brings up another challenge we now face. Something else mother never considered until after our first day when Rebekah wanted to see the outside world with her new senses," Elijah said, and the reticent look in his eyes made Elena's heart break for him as well as for her family's plight. She already had a good idea what her sister had discovered, but instead of speaking up she waited for him to explain.

"When mother crafted her spell, she called upon the sun for life, and the ancient white oak tree in our village for our immortality. Nature turned against us and the sun has become our enemy."

"Our enemy? What does this mean for us exactly? Does that mean the sun can kill us?"

"No, we are immortal now. Remember we can't die, but light from the sun will burn us. Elena, I don't want you trying it. I was curious after hearing Rebekah describe her encounter and the pain I felt was excruciating."

There must have been something in her expression that made him pause. They had an unspoken agreement to allow the other person the freedom of choice and he, in his attempt to protect her, had trodden right over that.

"I'm sorry lovely Elena, I just wanted to keep you from feeling it as well. Mother is working on a way for us to walk in the sun, but it might take some time to come up with a reasonable solution." Elijah apologized and although she knew that she could remain upset, they had other, more important matters to deal with now.

"I understand Elijah, please don't do that again." Elena said then after a brief pause added. "I think we need to get up and go see how the others are dealing with our new reality as immortals."


November 4, 1001
Mikaelson Longhouse:
Main Hall

They dressed quickly, although Elena was now slightly regretting how she had so wantonly torn her favorite sleep shirt to shreds. Even after all the adjustments to the living in the past, it sometimes caught her unaware. It wasn't as if there were a mall or store to purchase a replacement. She would need to borrow one from her sister Rebekah... or she could sleep in the nude. To her own surprise, she found herself warming up to the idea. What had happened to the once feeble Elena Gilbert, a dark voice in her head whispered, but she wisely chose to ignore it.

"Are you ready?" Elijah looked over at his wife with a sad smile. There was still so much they needed to talk about. For now, at least they would rejoin their family.

"As ready as I'll ever be," Elena answered after blowing out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding. Elijah opened their bedroom door and escorted Elena out. She had only barely taken a few steps when Rebekah appeared as if from thin air and if she hadn't become a Original Vampire herself, her sister-in-law would've broken a couple of her ribs.

"Ella! You're awake and like us now!" Rebekah giggled, Elena wondered if there had been any doubt on her sister's part that she might not have completed the ritual? Was that why she stayed to watch them? Elena wondered.

"Although you did take your own sweet time coming back," Klaus chided. The smirk on his face in the past would have terrified her, but Elena had been around her brother-in-law long enough to know he wasn't serious and he was trying to hide his concern for her.

"Niklaus," Elijah started, but Elena's touching his forearm eased his ire.

"So, Um… I think I might have misheard father, but did I hear correctly that I was really dead for four days? Just how long were all of you dead for?" Elena asked, looking about the room, noticing that Finn and Mikael weren't present. Not that she wanted to see Mikael, she was still angry that he had compelled her to stab Rebekah in the back.

"We all woke up a few hours after-" Klaus started, but stopped, his hand lingering over the center of his chest and although he didn't have to say it, she understood how he was feeling.

"Mother and Father planned all this!" Kol seethed. Elena looked over at him alarmed and to her own surprise she could feel the anger and anxiety emanating off of him. It hung about him as if it were a storm cloud. He was seated at the family table with about a half dozen unlit candles on the table situated in front of him. It took Elena a moment to realize he was glaring at the candles, which only perked her own curiosity.

"Is everything okay with you Kol?" Elena asked. She knew that she sounded like a big sister and while that was true, she didn't want to sound patronizing either. Kol's head shot up and he smiled grandly.

"Why would anything be wrong, Ella? We are all immortal. What could be wrong with that!" Kol yelled, shooting to his feet. "I'm going outside for a bit of fresh air!" he declared and before anyone could stop him, he was already opening the front door. The shaft of sunlight that struck him in the face propelled him back into the safety of the darkened confines of their family home. Elijah was the first to react and had slammed the door shut, cutting off the harmful light to them all.

"Son of a Bitch! Oh Ella, this is one example of the side effects. Fuck that hurt!" Kol growled, moving back into view. To Elena's horror, his face looked somewhere in between a second and third-degree burn all over the exposed skin.

"Kol are you alright!" Elena started to walk over to him but Rebekah beat her to it.

"He's going to be fine, but I'm afraid he will be permanently scarred for life," Rebekah chided her older brother.

"What are you talking about Bekah?" Elena found herself asking. She knew that sunlight wouldn't kill them unlike vampires that will eventually come afterwards, but the sad expression on her sister's face was throwing her off and for the briefest of instant Elena could have sworn she saw a glimmer of glee in the corner of Rebekah's eyes.

"I think Bekah is referring to the fact that our dear brother's memory might be faltering, considering the precautionary steps our father took to leave our home to check on mother's progress," Klaus chuckled, which only earned him a confused looked from Elena but daggered looks from most of his other siblings. Even Elijah appeared displeased as well, but she doubted his siblings could read him as well as she could now.

"Where did Mikael go and what are these precautionary steps he took?"

"Our father went to Ayana's place to check on our children and to see if Mother needed anything while she is consulting with her former mentor. She is trying to find a means for us to walk in the sunlight without ending up like Kol did. Father bundled up his exposed skin with a cloak covering as much as his exposed skin for the walk over there. The previous time he tried rubbing only ash into the skin and it didn't work as well as he expected," Elijah explained.

At the mention of her children Elena's heart leapt. She had to find a way of seeing them soon but for now she was curious where Finn had gotten himself off to. Granted, he was the recluse of the family, but he did talk to them, including herself, after he'd finally warmed up to her being a part of the family.

"He's in his room looking for a way to reverse what mother did to us," Kol answered. To Elena's surprise, his face was already fully healed. Original Vampires must heal far quicker than their progeny will, Elena surmised, but kept that to herself. She didn't need or want them to start trying to turn others in their community.

"Can he find a cure for what was done to us without our consent?" Elena asked. Her family looked at her as if she had suddenly grown another head. Even Kol, who, although looked frustrated, seemed surprised by her question.

"Why do you want to be cured, Elena? I know you've only just gotten back on your feet, but there is so much you have to experience. We are fast and strong. All of us have run to and back from the outpost in mere minutes and we will never grow old. Elena, what could be wrong with that!?" Rebekah asked, her voice boarding on exasperation with her sister. Part of Elena wanted to say screw messing up the timeline, she wanted to tell them the truth now, but how would they react was the big question. Fear and shame was a heavy weight to bear and instead she felt sadness for her family. Rebekah had always told her that she wanted to find love and start a family of her own. But having kids wasn't a possibility for them any longer. That self realization hurt more than she wanted to admit. If Elijah and she hadn't had Eirik and Astrid before now, they wouldn't have the opportunity to become parents.

"Are you crying Ella?" Rebekah asked and Elena reached up to touch her damp cheeks. When had she started crying?

"I guess I am," Elena answered, trying to clamp down on her emotions. Stefan had been so right about the heightened emotions. She felt like a tiny boat in a turbulent sea of emotion. If she let go of her boat's helm, she just might flounder, and she'd be damned if that was going to happen. Not on her watch!

"Well, this is really all too dramatic for me suddenly. I'm going to check in on Finn and see if he hasn't deliberately snapped his own neck this time or found a way of turning himself human again," Kol said and disappeared into the dark depths of their home, or refuge from the sun. Elena hadn't quite decided which was more appropriate at that moment. They all heard the sound of Finn's door opening and, after a rude comment between the two brothers, the door slammed shut, cutting off their voices.

The perplexed look she gave everyone else must have looked priceless to them, because all of them started laughing at her.

"What's so funny? Why are you laughing at me?" Elena asked defensively.

"Sorry sister, you missed so much while you were uh… indisposed Finn had been rather upset that we need to continue drinking blood for our primary means of nourishment now. I don't recall the argument that both Kol and he had gotten into, but do remember Finn daring Kol to shut him up and Finn did by snapping his neck. Mother was furious, but father stopped her before she could do anything I think he wanted to see what would happen." Klaus chuckled.

"What happened?" Elena asked. She already had a good idea, but she had to pretend to not know otherwise.

"Finn's neck healed itself and then both he and Kol resumed their argument until mother finally broke them up," Klaus explained.

"Okay, Klaus, I get that now, but why are Finn and Kol acting this way? Is it our heightened emotions from our change?" Elena pressed. She felt that something important was going on; she just didn't have all the pieces yet. Rebekah, finally taking pity on her, sobered her expression and finally revealed the missing piece to Elena's mental puzzle.

"Ever since the change, neither Finn nor Kol can perform their magic. It might have not been obvious, but Kol has been trying to use his magic. For instance, he's spent the last couple of hours trying to light the candles on the table," Rebekah explained.

Elena glanced at where the still flame free candles were placed on the table Kol had just made his departure from.

"Oh Gods, poor Kol and Finn!" Elena blurted. She had a vague recollection of Rebekah telling her a similar story from her other timeline, but so much has happened she sometimes wondered if she had dreamed that other life.

"They will adjust, I have and truth be told, I'm relieved that Mother will stop pressuring me to practice my magic," Rebekah declared bluntly. Elena knew from first hand experience that her sister-in-law had never truly mastered her magical gift. The best she managed to do was light all the candles one time before storming off. It had taken what felt like hours for Rebekah to achieve even that, and it had irritated Esther for several days afterwards.

An evil glint of mischievousness appeared in Rebekah's blue eyes and she smiled as she excused herself from the table as she, too, disappeared into the darkness of their prison. Elena glanced questioningly at her husband and remaining brother in law when the mixed sounds of cursing and laughter broke the strange silence.

"Come on Niklaus, we need to go and separate them all. Will you be okay by yourself?" Elijah sighed, and after a pause, spoke again.

"Elena?"

"Um… Sorry Lijah, I was thinking. Yes, go and check on them please."

With a quick peck on his cheek, she watched as the two brothers went to intercede and prevent the fight that was surely going on behind the now closed door. Elena took the spot that Kol had vacated earlier and peered down at the still unlit candles. Part of her was happy that Kol wouldn't be able to prank either her or Rebekah with his unfair use of magic, but still, she felt sorry for him. Kol loved that he was a warlock and could perform magic before they changed. His spells were becoming more refined at least according to Esther and Finn's discussions over the same dinner table she was now seated at.

Elena closed her eyes and surprised herself by wishing that there had been a way to help her brother-in-law. He could be a jerk and pain in the ass sometimes but she still loved him just as she loved Jeremy. It was slow at first but grew with fevered intensity. She felt something shift within her and the tiny hairs on her arm stood up. Her eyes snapped open and wide with alarm. Elena instinctively backed away from the table, moving with vampire speed to the opposite side of the room.

"What the Fuck! Did I do that?"

On the table each of the candles were now held flickering firelight as if they had always been like that.

"What the hell is going on?" Elena muttered, moving closer to the table.