Salvatore Boarding House
November 6, 2010

Jeremy cursed aloud as he waited for the map to cycle for the next match. Putting his controller down, he scratched the back portion of his hand in growing agitation. He didn't know if it was a skin rash or something else other than the slight redness. Whatever it was, the itch was starting to drive him insane.

"Dude what is up with your hand? You've been scratching at it, like even before we started playing," Jamie asked from the other side of the couch. Unlike Jeremy, he still had his controller in hand, so he was the first to start their match with their team. Cursing under his breath again, Jeremy retrieved his Xbox controller and joined the melee. When Damon had told everyone to move to the Salvatore Boarding House for the duration and bring the essentials, Jeremy had brought his Xbox 360 Console and a dozen or so of his games. The latest game they were playing along with a dozen or so other players online was Halo: Reach. Although he didn't really care for the single player game, the multiplayer matches were entertaining enough.

"I have no frigging idea. If you ask me, I swear I must have rubbed it accidentally on something of Damon's. Who knows where he or his things have been," Jeremy said humorously. He had mixed feelings about the changes wrought to his sister. The fact that she apparently traveled back in time and all the shenanigans his adoptive sister got herself into, now she was married and he was an uncle to twins who technically were older than him but still in diapers.

Before her journey back in time, Elena had seemed so blissfully unaware of how much Damon Salvatore obsessed over her. It was obvious to himself and Bonnie and Caroline, but other than Caroline they hadn't found the best way to address the issue with her.

"I really hope you are only joking about that man," Jamie chuckled, but with a hint of mild concern hidden underneath it. Jeremy didn't really blame him all things considered. After all Damon had killed him at least once when something wasn't going his way. Glancing down at his family ring, he missed his parents and uncle. If he could kill Klaus for everything he had so far done to his family he would, but how do you kill an immortal that can't be staked like other vampires was the question.

"No, I don't think you have anything to worry about. So, how is your mom coping?" Jeremy asked, changing the subject to something less disturbing.

"She is doing as well as can be expected, I guess she still doesn't want to be alone with me out of concern she might try to feed from me. Between you and me I'm a little jealous that since Bonnie is a witch, she can defend herself whilst I- Hey that was mine I saw it first!" Jamie blurted watching as his teammate picked up the sniper rifle.

"Possession is nine tenths of the law, dude. So you were saying?" Jeremy smirked. He briefly glanced over at his new friend who was no doubt considering earning a team betrayal medal. "Don't even think about it I don't want you booted from the server."

"Fine, but I get the next one. Anyway, mom says she is doing better. She tried bagged human blood before I left to come up for our game. She wouldn't say it, but she looked a lot better. I don't think drinking animal blood sits well with her. How does your friend Stefan do it?"

Jeremy out of habit glanced over to where Anna was watching him; she didn't offer anything other than a shrug of her shoulders. "Stefan is what we call a blood addict; he has trouble stopping himself from drinking human blood. He's trying to keep it in check by consuming animal blood." Jeremy explained.

"That is only going to ease the symptoms not cure him. He needs addiction support if you ask me. Hell Yes! Look, I got me a M319 Grenade Launcher!" Jamie crowed. Jeremy grimaced. The last time his friend had found one of those he nearly wiped out the other side almost by himself. Still better him than someone else on the opposing team.

"Sweet come over here then and let's start wasting these guys then… I don't know if there is a cure for what Stefan has."

"Couldn't your sister help him now that she is an Original? I mean I'm still new to all of this, but if she can compel him to not lose control when feeding on human blood would that work?"

Jeremy froze in mid thought he glanced up again at Anna who seemed as shocked as he was. "He might have a good point, Jer. I mean it wouldn't hurt to at least try, would it?" Anna asked finally.

"Hey Jer pay attention! You let that asshole sneak up on us without so much as aiming at him? Shit, I'm dead too!" Jamie spoke up, returning Jeremy's attention back to the game.

"Sorry I was just thinking about what you suggested. Maybe I can go ask my sister about it. Say, does it sound a little too quiet to you all the sudden?"

They paused, exchanging a look before climbing to their feet. It was too quiet.

"Stefan! Damon! Enzo!" Jeremy called out, but neither of the vampires appeared, and that worried him. Rubbing the back side of his hand again, Jamie and he went in search of everyone. When Jeremy didn't find his sister or her doppelgänger trapped in the guest room, he instantly knew there was something going on. They weren't going to let her out of there until they could use the spell Bonnie was preparing on her.

By unspoken consensus they agreed to move their search outside, which was where they found everyone and then some. Both Klaus and Elijah were present. But then a fire ring near the salt line boundary was rather hard to miss, but the ring didn't encompass everyone. At first Jeremy thought that Bonnie had used magic to create it, but then he witnessed something he couldn't quite believe. Jeremy could only watch as the stack of photos clutched in Stefan's hand suddenly caught fire on their own which didn't happen unless via magic and if it wasn't even more obvious his own sister in the center of the fire ring, she flicked a hand towards Stefan. No, Jeremy had corrected himself, the photos themselves then to his utter amazement. His sister who looked exhausted even from where he was standing; he wasn't sure but it appeared that she was bleeding out of her nose and eyes.

"Ignis ardeat!" she had screamed.

"No fucking way!" Jamie breathed. Jeremy didn't disagree.

"NO!" Damon roared next and Jeremy missed what Abby was doing but the resulting effect was obvious Jeremy started to run the moment he saw Damon pulling a black dagger tucked into the back of his jeans. It almost looked as if it were made from stone. Jeremy wasn't entirely sure, but then he didn't expect to see Damon jumping over the receding fire ring and plunge the dagger straight into his own sister's chest.

"NO!" Elijah roared in anguish, but it was already too late. Neither Jeremy nor her husband could reach Elena in time. Jeremy barreled forward, pushing Damon aside as he touched his dead sister, moving her onto her back with the offending dagger buried into her chest. She was already graying and the blackened veins were spreading over her body. His itching in his hand only intensified as he touched his sister's still form.

"NO!" Jeremy cried. Not again! Why does fate or the Spirits of Nature or whoever they were to have something against his family? Something snapped inside of Jeremy and his head snapped up to find Damon still kneeling on the ground, looking at them. It felt like he was on autopilot. He jumped and slammed into Damon forcing him onto his back. Jeremy slammed a fist into Damon's nose, breaking it before hitting him again in the eye hard.

"I'LL KILL YOU, YOU FUCKING BASTARD!" Jeremy roared. He hit Damon again, this time in the jaw. He shrugged off someone trying to pull him away, but then his whole body froze mid punch.

"Bonnie, let go of me!" Jeremy snarled. But it wasn't his ex-girlfriend that spoke next.

"My daughter has nothing to do with your plight. I will release you only if you promise not to hit Damon again. As for you, Damon, there will be no retaliation for what he did. Do you understand?" Abby said from somewhere behind him. Stunned, he looked up to find Abby with her hand clasped shut. Confused, he looked down at Damon's unfortunately healing face, his body seemed locked as was Jeremy's. But that wasn't what was really going through his mind. Abby was a vampire now, so how is she still able to do magic? It was difficult to move just enough to see her, but Bonnie seemed as confused as he was feeling.

"I understand, but what about my sister?"

"She is going to be fine, Jeremy. Damon, do you agree as well?" Abby said reassuringly. It didn't really help him feel better.

"Get little Gilbert off me!" Damon demanded.

"Just tell her you agree with her terms, you stupid wanker," Enzo exclaimed. Jeremy had been right about his initial feelings about the British vampire. It seemed he was going to like him even though he seemed rather interested in Bonnie. Not that she seemed willing to entertain it, at least from what he had seen so far.

"Fine! I agree not to pummel him or snap his neck now get him off me!"

"Damon," Stefan sighed.

"What? He hit me first!" Damon said petulantly, as if a child caught red handed who still refused to fess up to any wrong doing on their part.

Jeremy, with some reluctance, climbed off the vampire. His hands were twitching to shove something into Damon's heart. Closing his eyes to calm his breathing, only after getting himself under control did he recall there were others present that he had only absently noticed.

Opening his eyes, he found the two Originals Klaus and Elijah. But with them were Elena's Doppelgänger and Jeremy's niece and nephew. However, what was more shocking was that Caroline was on the other side with them.

"Care why are you helping them? Were you compelled?" Bonnie asked for them all.

Caroline looked at the two Originals, then at Elena's twins who miraculously had settled down. They were both awake. Jeremy didn't know why he knew just that he did.

"No Bon I haven't been compelled. I did it because it was the right thing to do, that's why! I cannot condone keeping innocent people captive without due cause, especially if they are children! Children! And don't tell me I don't know what the hell I'm talking about Damon. My mom is the Sheriff, remember?" Caroline said, her voice firm and resolute. Jeremy watched how Caroline glared daggers at Damon. He'd long suspected something had occurred between the two of them, but Bonnie and Elena had only mentioned that Damon had been feeding off her when she was still human.

Jeremy couldn't really disagree with her on principle but those two Originals, especially Klaus, were anything but innocent. So was it all well and good to trust innocent people in their care. Then there was his sister.

"Can we take whatever that stone looking dagger thing is out of my sister?" Jeremy said

"Yes, if you will be so kind as to undagger my wife, we will be on our way." Elijah said.

Jeremy, not bothering to wait for an answer or agreement from his friends, moved to undagger his sister himself something he never considered doing for her in his life, not even after the Supernatural literally came knocking on their doorstep. Just as he was reaching for the odd stone dagger Abby's words stopped him.

"I'm afraid I can't allow that. Now I strongly suggest we for now go our separate ways for the time being." Abby said surprising everyone present.

"Who are you and how are you able to do magic? You're a vampire, are you not?" Klaus demanded still holding Tatia protectively in his arms.

"Abby Bennett, mother of Bonnie Bennett. And as to how I can't honestly say. I have no idea how this is even possible. I just felt my magic come back to me," Abby explained, looking as perplexed as most everyone else.

"I might know the reason for that. In fact your ancestor, whom I might point out was my as well as Elena's former guardian, Ayana, had postulated that it could have been a possible outcome. If Elena created more of her kind," Tatia spoke for the first time, at least from Jeremy's perspective. Everyone but Jamie and himself didn't seem as surprised as he felt.

"Since when can you talk? Have you been able to understand us all this time?" Jeremy found himself asking. Tatia looked at him directly with a sad smile.

"No Jeremy, I haven't been spying on anything all of you have said. You can thank your sister for me being able to finally communicate with you, and before I forget it is so nice to meet you officially. Elena talked often about you when we were alone and we could talk about things best unheard by prying hears."

"You knew all this time?" Klaus asked incredulously.

"Well of course I knew. Nik did you think I wouldn't immediately wonder why someone that looked slightly older but still bore a striking resemblance to me suddenly showed up in our village? No Ayana had me watch over Elena in her Spellchamber shortly after her arrival so I've known about her from the very beginning," Tatia said in a tone which made Jeremy do a double take of her. To him it seemed like she lightly rebuked Klaus and he didn't seem to mind instead he seemed more in awe of her presence than anything she was saying, but what did that mean?

He had no idea. In truth he was still struggling with the fact he just witnessed Elena, his older sister performing magic, so did that also mean he could as well? Why hadn't Bonnie told either one of them?

Oblivious to Jeremy's internal unanswered questions Tatia was looking up at Klaus and to the shock of everyone kissed him on the side of his jaw before snuggling into him. "Can we go home? I'm feeling rather tired from this ordeal."


November 8, 2010

I feel as if the part of me that truly makes me human has been savagely torn from me and I desperately want it back, but it isn't a bit but a who. Not surprisingly, with Elena being temporarily indisposed Rebekah has taken charge of getting the nursery finished for Eirik and Astrid, although she keeps changing various particulars of how it should be decorated. Personally, I think she is trying to keep herself busy instead of thinking up ways of destroying this town to force them to give us Elena. Kol is sadly on board with a little mayhem and although he had hardly had any personal interactions with Damon Salvatore, my little brother has taken a profound dislike in the man. Before our memories of Elena had been properly restored, I never thought I would be a father and even after all this time this falsity had never set well with me. Niklaus hated father and mother for what they did to him in particular with binding his wolf and sacrificing Tatia to accomplish that feat, but like Rebekah I was angry that I would never have a chance for a little one that called me father or papa. More than once I had to prevent Rebekah for taking a child to raise as her own. I hated doing it but with our father chasing after us what type of life would have been for a little one?

I don't honestly know what I would have done if I had to wait out the centuries just to finally be reunited with my wife and our two children if I had known from the very beginning. But if we had, would have Niklaus and Rebekah perhaps treated Elena Gilbert differently if they'd known what, where or with whom her true future lay? More importantly, would Elena have believed them? At the time she was involved with Stefan Salvatore, our subsequent alliance to defeat my brother had felt right almost as if we were meant to work well together and we did, but was there something hidden that neither of us were subconsciously aware of is the question.

I desperately miss my wife and I want- no that is not good enough- I need her back within the safety of our family. I will make those who stand in our way pay any price and bear any hardship for her safe return. We were just about to leave for home when Klaus's witches finally made an appearance. I'm ashamed to say that I did not react in the most gentlemanly or honorific manner at the timing of their arrival. If it hadn't been for the presence of Eirik and Astrid, not to mention the calm reassurances from Niklaus that we won't rest until our family is fully reunited, I might have done something that I would have regretted.

Various factions or otherwise throughout our existence have mistook my reserved and almost deferential treatment of my younger brother as a misguided belief that he, not I, was the Original to be the most fearful of. What they don't understand is that I wanted them to think that way.

Last night I dreamed that I revisited the time which, through my manipulated memories, would have been what I once considered my first encounter with the lovely Elena Gilbert. As of late, I have wondered what she thought of me at the time. I wasn't at all prepared for the day when I responded to a request to meet Rose in the middle of nowhere to supposedly receive information concerning the last still living Petrova Doppelgänger in exchange for their freedom. Whom at that time I originally thought was Katerina herself so it had been an understatement to my initial reaction when I was confronted with the very human Petrova Doppelgänger. The fact I was willing to use her as an innocent pawn as a means of seeking revenge against Niklaus still haunts me then and even more now.

Before I continue, I have recently been provided a progress report on the refurbishment and upgrade of the same once decrepit mansion and the surrounding estate I fully intend on presenting to her as a wedding anniversary gift. Everything according to the project manager I'd hired has promised that all the still incomplete items should be completed by then, but I still can't decide if I should furnish it or wait until after I present it to her to share the nebulous honor of selecting items for our home away from home. No one else is aware of its existence and I don't intend to reveal it until after presenting it first to Elena.

Klaus' witches have confirmed that the barrier around the Salvatore Boarding House is channelling power from the lunar phases and will be at its weakest during the next full moon, which will be November the Twenty First. That will be the best time to breach it. We are already preparing for the date; we will not give the Bennett witches a chance to recast the spell. Miss Caroline Forbes explained to the best of her knowledge what Elena did by essentially fooling the wards that protect the barrier into letting Caroline or more accurately her blood to pass through it without hindrance. She offered to try again, but her access had already been revoked. Not all that surprising, the Bennett witches are a formidable magical bloodline.

There are other ways we can make things difficult for the Mystic Falls Gangs until the next full moon, so for now at least it has devolved into a waiting game.


Location Unknown:
Time Unknown:

Elena found herself shrouded in utter darkness. There was the inevitable burst of panic before the transition to confusion as her mind reconnected the events leading up to where she was now. Yet her conscious mind still rebelled unwilling to admit that she was here because of someone else's actions.

"Son of a bitch! Not Again! Damon!" Elena yelled out into the void. She cursed herself for not picking up the damn Obsidian Dagger before leaving the cave network. At least she fed on Abby when she ultimately returned to the antechamber.

At least it wasn't like the very first time. Her consciousness had taken, at the most, five centuries before she felt herself returning, but that had been intentional the first go around. If this was anything like how it was when Elijah re-daggered her just before taking her coffin back to New Orleans, then at least three or four days have passed. She could Astral Project, but what should she do? It's not like she could remove the dagger herself in Astral Form. The dagger itself prevented her from that and she had to give credit to either Esther or Ayana for crafting the spell work. Even after studying it for half a millennium she still hadn't quite figured out how they put it together so quickly… unless they knew it would be needed? Too many questions and after all this time far too few actual answers.

"Well, this is just perfect! And once again, I've already started talking to myself. That didn't take very long, not that I can measure time here, anyway."

At least her being daggered finally answered one of the questions she entertained herself with the last time she was in this condition. Unlike the silver white oak ash daggers her brother in law had a nasty predilection of stabbing their respective sibling with time and time again, if an ordinary vampire used the Obsidian Dagger on her, they wouldn't die. She didn't entirely understand how she knew this, but something was telling her that Damon Salvatore was still alive.

"Good then because when I get my claws into you Damon, I… I'll FUCK! Why Damon can't you just let go?"

But she already had a reasonable understanding of why he was like this. Being trapped inside of her body like this was put simply boring and although she quickly learned how to move about the world in Astral Form, there was only so much she could take watching her beloved family fracture itself. While Niklaus was mostly to blame for much of their family's issues, it wasn't entirely his fault either. Their father, or as he had taken up the moniker of 'The Destroyer,' had hunted her family, giving them no quarter. She thought she disliked the man when she was still human, but that had grown to sheer unadulterated hatred as she watched her family run from one place to another in fear of that monster.

When she rejoined the world again and not via Astral Projection, she wanted- no needed- to have a very long talk with her brother-in-law. To both personally apologize to him and tell him that he isn't alone in this world. An idea of how to go about the latter point actually brought a sly smile to her face. She had the perfect location for it too she realized. Rather fitting, Elena Mikaelson thought absently.

However, she was getting off track. There were times she needed a break from her family's actions and behavior. If she saw her husband with another lover, granted his memories were blocked, as were everyone else she might have used all her carefully husbanded magic to express her displeasure.

Watching unseen she witnessed how Damon had fallen head of heels for Katherine Pierce back when he and Stefan were still human. She wanted to scream at him that she was just using him and ask why couldn't he see it for what it was. The night they had been shot by their own father had been heart breaking, but she had to her surprise witnessed a human side of Katherine she hadn't seen in ages. It hadn't been Damon that Katherine sought, but his younger brother.

Yet another thing she would have to work on when she was no longer imprisoned by the effects of the Obsidian Dagger. A little compulsion on the love triangle trio seemed long overdue.

Elena perked her ears at the faint sound wafting from somewhere seemingly distant and smiled. Yes, this was a good sign it meant that although apparently dead to the world at least her hearing to the outside world was returning. So she waited.

"Look I don't understand why you don't want us to remove that stupid stone dagger from her chest? I still don't know why you had it on you in the first place." Jeremy said, which surprised her. Why hadn't he just removed it without seeking permission from Damon, Elena found herself asking a perplexing question. Clearing her thoughts, she reached for her magic and although her reserves were weak, they were sufficient to give a try. Elena felt herself drifting and allowed the feeling to fill her willing for it to flow through her body unopposed. Closing her eyes, she waited until she felt the time was right before finally opening them.

"Well, at least my body isn't in the cellar like Elijah and Bekah's bodies were unceremoniously dumped in my previous life." Elena muttered to herself. Not that anyone present could hear or see her. The only other time that had happened had surprised her and helped to explain many things she didn't then have an inkling of but that was best saved for a later time.

Her little brother, the Salvatores brothers, Bonnie and her mother were all standing around the same bed that Tatia had been using during her imprisonment here, but now they were all looking down at her daggered body as if in contemplation of what to do with her.

"Because she isn't herself and we need to figure out why, and if you try to remove the dagger again, I will snap your scrawny neck. Thanks to your family ring I can get away with it," Damon snapped.

Elena bristled at the rebuke and implied threat to her little brother. Why hadn't she just taken an extra few steps to the salt line, she would have surely toppled over it when she succumbed to the effects of the dagger. Still, she had just weakened the barrier enough to pass through, but she hadn't, so there was no use wishing for something that didn't happen.

Sensing movement, Elena's head shot up and froze at the person she caught watching her. Well this was totally unexpected, her inner voice remarked. The apparition bolted with vampiric speed but Elena's Astral Form or not she still was a Original. It was child's play how easily she caught up with the former vampire.

"Let go of me! How can you even be here?" Anna grated.

"Not until we have a nice little chat Anna," Elena declared still keeping a firm grip on the still struggling former vampire.

"No!"

Elena sighed, hating what she had to do, but she didn't see any other choice. Pulling the young vampire close she looked her in the eye.

"I'm older and stronger than you Annabell Zhu, since I can't threaten you with physical pain I have no other choice." Elena said firmly before pushing her compulsion into the now fearful vampire. "Stop struggling and don't try to flee Anna I just want to talk."

Anna immediately stopped her struggling, but not before glaring daggers at Elena. "Well, looks like I have no other choice then. What do you want to talk about?"

"Not here. I want to do this somewhere else," Elena said only after deciding where best she wanted to do this and she decided to do it somewhere she was comfortable with. It had been a long time since she visited there, anyway.

"Where?"

"My old family home."


Mikaelson Mansion
November 11, 2010

"So you're saying we can't do anything until then?" Rebekah asked while rocking her little niece as they sat together in one of the sitting rooms.

"Oh dear sister we won't be just idly sitting around waiting for the next full moon that I can assure you," Klaus promised. Tatia who was presently napping was leaning into him and to everyone's surprise, at least not to Elijah, their brother seemed mollified by her proximity. Not that anyone was really complaining. Ever since she had returned with Elijah's children their brother had become almost pleasant to be around. Still, not having Elena with them was something her husband found intolerable.

Thankfully, Caroline was currently feeding his son a bottle of formula. He didn't trust himself with his anger not to accidentally harm either of them. Not that he would, but they were too precious to risk.

As much as Elijah disliked the notion of armed guards, even Niklaus's hybrids, they were currently patrolling the family estate grounds. Having extra people watching for a threat to the family actually helped him sleep these last couple of nights.

As if on queue, one of Niklaus's hybrids knocked on the entryway and he wasn't alone.

"Thank you, Perry, show him in and then leave us," Klaus smiled, sitting up straighter in the love seat. His movements made Tatia Petrova stir from her sleep.

"I'm sorry Nik, I didn't mean to fall asleep on you."

"Not a problem, love. Besides I have something I need for you to do for the family," Klaus said, not bothering to elaborate, only motioning for the guest to join them. Other than Elijah their siblings weren't in the know about what was about to happen. It wasn't the only thing they were doing, but it could only help. They watched in silence as a fortyish and stocky human sporting a well-groomed goatee walked hesitatingly into the room. Elijah wondered if the man could somehow sense that he was in an enclosed space with a family of apex predators. For a reason he never really approved of, Niklaus had developed a perverse habit of showing humans that did business with their family what they were but only compelled them to keep that knowledge to themselves. He could only imagine what that could do to someone's psyche. Unfortunately he once had to personally deal with another human a century ago that had eventually cracked under the pressure and taken her own life.

The tragic irony was she had once been a talented violinist whose mere memory of her musical ability still evoked fond memories before their mother and father had changed them. All the more so now since those memories included his Elena in them. It was only after the fact that Niklaus had regretted his actions. Sadly, it appeared that Niklaus hadn't learned his lesson. Elijah could taste the fear radiating from him.

"Sir, I… I have brought the paperwork as you requested. Is this the person you wish to be the signatory for the transfer?"

"Yes… Mister Hampton, this here is the lovely Tatia Petrova," Klaus said, introducing Tatia. The man reached hesitantly over the coffee table to offer his hand. It wasn't hard for Elijah to miss how his hand trembled, nor how he glanced anxiously at his brother as if asking permission. Tatia, bless her heart, reached out and took his hand regardless of how Niklaus's body tensed when they made physical contact.

"Greetings to you Mister Hampton," Tatia said formally.

Elijah sighed and moved to stand next to his sister and Caroline. The young vampire was really starting to grow on him and her actions at the Salvatore Boarding House was starting to endear her to his sibling apparently as well.

"Um… Sorry if I'm intruding, but what is going on, Elijah?" Caroline whispered. Having finished feeding his son she was now attempting to burp him. His sister rolled her eyes but fortunately, Elena's childhood friend hadn't seen the slight. His sister, however, surprised him by speaking for him without any hint of malevolence.

"Caroline, what did Damon and Stefan do when they were trying to protect Elena from my brother months ago? Stefan told me the lengths they went to protect her from him," Rebekah whispered back.

"Oh! Actually that is really a good idea! I still can't believe they are doing this!" Caroline said, raising her voice slightly, but not enough to upset either Eirik or his sleeping daughter.

"Thank you again for calling me like you did. Miss Forbes I only wish we had gotten there sooner. Still we have Tatia and my children back. I can't speak for my family, but you are in my personal debt," Elijah said, not allowing his stoic mask to falter, but he meant every word. As far as he was concerned, she and her family were safe. The Bennett witches and young Jeremy Elijah would leave to Elena herself, but the Salvatores, the older brother in particular, was another matter.

"Elijah, she did more than that. I think. I might have misjudged you, Caroline. After all, if it wasn't for you, I wouldn't have my precious little niece back," Rebekah sighed, nuzzling his daughter. Elijah and Caroline shared a perplexed look. It had been Tatia that had carried Astrid over the salt line but it seemed that neither of them were going to correct his sister which was probably for the best Elijah decided.

They watched in silence as Tatia was walked through the places she had to sign. It was fortunate that Klaus had already started the paperwork on Tatia's behalf. Like he had done for Elena recently. At least on paperwork, Tatia Petrova was now the younger sister to his wife.

"Elijah, Rebekah, where are your other brothers?"

"Finn and his paramour are out of town on business for the family. And Kol is busy with Niklaus's witches. They are trying to see if there still might be a faster way of bringing down Miss Bennett's barrier before the next full moon."

"Kol? Sorry, but what does he know about magic?"

"He was a witch before our parents turned us into what we are today. Funny thing is he used to prank my sister and I. Now it seems the tables have turned," Rebekah interjected.

"I think this is something I like to hear," Caroline laughed softly. Rebekah was just about to respond when Niklaus motioned for their attention.

"Tatia is about to sign the last page. I suggest we all step over the threshold before things become rather unpleasant for us." Klaus said.

They would have to call Finn and Sage, which shouldn't be that much of a problem. Invitation can be granted over the phone and although Kol wasn't present, he had overheard them talking.

After exiting the mansion, they each waited their turn to be re-invited inside their home. Tatia seemed unsure but quickly caught on, and it didn't take very long to get everyone back indoors.

Elijah and Klaus had already agreed that his hybrids would only be invited in if only both he and his brother agreed. They'd argued, but eventually Niklaus had acquiesced to his demand. Niklaus might just be his creations, but when it came to Astrid and Eirik lives he wasn't. It did have the benefit of keeping more of the hybrids watching the estate and keeping an eye on the comings and goings from the Salvatore Boarding House.

Even before they were walked back inside together, they heard then saw a frantic Katherine Pierce trying to leave the premises but thanks to first Elena's compulsion and then Niklaus's added command she couldn't leave without permission. It was a textbook definition of a catch-22 situation. Taking pity on her, Elijah quickly snapped her neck before hauling her body outside. Thanks to her compulsion she would want to re-enter the mansion once the damage to her spinal cord eventually repaired itself.

"Niklaus, if I didn't know you so well I'd think you arranged this knowing full well when Katerina was still asleep in her room," Elijah chided his brother.

"Guilty pleasures brother. Tatia, would you like to see my latest painting?"

"After you."

Watching them depart, Elijah could almost forget that not only was his wife being held against her will, but she'd been daggered by one of the two vampires that swore to protect her. Yet she had pushed herself to liberate her Petrova ancestor and her children from people that had no right to hold them.

Maybe it was a good thing that Niklaus had a dungeon with its own dedicated torture chamber with both old and modern tools of the trade? Glancing at his watch then at Katerina he decided he had enough time to check if they were missing anything he might want to have. Just in case he or one of his family caught hold of him.

"Where are you going?" Rebekah called from behind. He didn't bother to look back; instead he chose to be a little cryptic.

"I've realized I haven't seen the dungeon yet," Elijah said, knowing they could still hear him. Then he disappeared around a corner to a hidden stairway.

"Wait, you guys have a freaking dungeon?" Caroline asked incredulously. This time she shifted her attention to the blonde Original was giving Caroline a chiding look as if she asked why is the sky blue or something.

"Doesn't everybody?"


Gilbert Residence
November 11, 2010

Elena sat on her bed, looking about the room that had once been hers for as long as she could remember. It felt silly to her, but it almost felt like a shrine of a life that was and could've been, but thanks to events was something else entirely. Her home lay somewhere else; still she did feel a degree of Melancholy. Even after all this time she still missed her parents. It didn't matter that she wasn't biologically related to either of them. If anything, she felt even more guilt for what happened to Jenna and the uncle that till his last moment on this earth believed he was her real father.

The last time she was here was when her friends were intent on sending a message to her. If she hadn't been there in Astral Form lending a boost of her magical energy and specifically to send her mother back into the past their efforts would have failed.

"Well, are you going to say something, or are you just going to sit there?" Anna asked, breaking the awkward silence which had elapsed between them as soon as they had arrived.

"Why are you still here, Anna? Why haven't you found peace like your mother?"

"Don't you dare talk about my mother, Doppelgänger!"

Elena mentally kicked herself for sounding so callous. She hadn't intended to sound confrontational.

"I'm sorry Anna I didn't mean to upset you," Elena sighed, looking sheepish at the irritated vampire. "I'm just worried about my brother."

Anna didn't immediately respond. At first she ignored Elena's presence, almost daring her to stop her from exploring Elena Gilbert's room, but there wasn't much she could do even if she wanted to. Instead, she contended herself by waiting.

"Why are you so worried about Jeremy? Aren't you some big bad Original Vampire? How the hell can you do magic?" Anna asked, not bothering to turn around and face Elena, choosing instead to study the various trophies and awards she'd won in her former life. Sadly, she hadn't cared about any of that after her parent's death. She only participated in the Miss Mystic Falls Pageant out of respect for her mother, but like a lot of things her heart hadn't been in it anymore.

"In answer to your first question, sadly me being as you so eloquently described me as a big bad Original Vampire is why I'm so worried," Elena waited for what she just said to sink in before she continued. "The unfortunate truth is that my family has made a great number of enemies. If Katherine Pierce had them, imagine how many Klaus has? Anna, I'm worried that my brother will resent me and it doesn't help that they will use him to get to me."

"If that was the case then why didn't you stop the events that lead to our creation?" Anna asked

"Time travel is virtually impossible. Apparently it was only the fact that I am Child of Destiny that made it even possible. And before you ask I have no idea what that title even means. But I did try to change history. It seemed that my presence was required to make sure that it did happen."

"I'm having trouble believing all of this, but here you are. You still haven't answered my other question about you performing magic."

"The Petrova family is far older than even the Mikaelson family. The Petrovas were cursed over two thousand years ago and I was the lucky one of them to finally break it," Elena explained.

Anna sat down next to her on the bed, studying her hands as if they held some unseen truth. "I don't know why I'm still here I feel that I can't leave just yet. I tried to leave, but unlike my mom I just can't. Please don't ask me to stop spending time with Jeremy."

Anna looked up. Her eyes were watery and Elena reacted without thinking; she pulled the girl into her arms.

"I won't, I promise."

But she hadn't listened to Elena. Instead she pulled back looking at her in wonderment. "I… I can feel you did you feel me?"

Elena didn't say anything instead she closed her eyes then held out her palm for Anna to touch. "You can feel this?"

"Yes."

"H… How is this even possible? I mean Jeremy used to able to interact back when I still had that stupid witch's necklace, but ever since then-"

Elena opened her eyes to find Anna in tears. Elena couldn't help not to offer the girl physical contact. She pulled Anna in close holding her like the young girl she would always be.

"I don't know, but I think it has something to do with me being in my Astral Form. Although I get the distinct impression from something that transcends all of that, it only happens when it's supposed to happen."

"Sorry but that doesn't make a helluva lot of sense," Anna sniffed and Elena had to agree. Maybe at some point if Bonnie is willing to talk to her again she might bring up the issue. There was so much she needed to tell Bonnie about her ancestor Ayana; so much had been lost in the last thousand years. Her family had an important magic heritage and Bonnie is their legacy.

"Welcome to my world, Anna. For whatever it's worth, I'm happy that you have at least my brother, but can you promise me that you will keep in mind that he still has time in this world? I know this is hard to hear but try to encourage him to live his life that's all I ask, I have a terrible feeling that it is going to become difficult enough as it is so I don't want him beating himself up for missing out."

Not wanting to seem as if she was pressuring her, Elena stood up to explore her former room. She didn't know how long she was studying her collage of pictures on her old dream board before the former vampire drew her back with a polite cough.

"I'll do what I can, I just don't want to lose him like I did with my mom. Being alone sucks."

"Do you want to talk about it?" Elena found herself asking. Since when had she become the mom figure, but she suddenly felt silly for even thinking that way.

"Umm… Sure, although I'm not entirely sure how or where to start?" Anna said honestly.

"Well, let's start simply. What can you tell me about your earliest memories of your parents?"

Elena listened as Anna spoke about her life. Nostalgia, emotions, hugs, and as time passed by, Elena wondered when the ache in her heart would go away, stemming from her separation with her children and the love of her life.