November 22, 2010

Dear Diary,

I really was hoping that things around here would finally start to calm down; and that was before I made up my mind to finally tell the family a few of my closely guarded secrets. Ones that I have held onto for centuries and, in particular, one that I hadn't known for myself until a little over ninety-six years ago.

My apologizes for not starting a new journal but It's not like I could have kept one while in Astral Form and I did buy a new leather-bound journal during my outing with my sister, Finn's paramour and my best friend Caroline.

I really need to think of a way of telling the family about Freya but also how to keep Finn from running off to New Orleans before we have a strategy of getting her out of her otherwise secure location. I'm afraid of how they are going to react and that I had not broached the subject to them before.

It's not like I can sit them all down and say. "Hey guys you know a funny thing happened at a certain Christmas party almost a century ago. Any of you care to guess?"

The good news is that with Sage, Tatia, Bekah, and myself we are even with the boys with regard to numbers. But when we finally retrieve Freya, we will outnumber the boys by one, and that isn't counting the children. It probably has already occurred to my husband that the odds have shifted to the middle, but I doubt even he knows how this will change things in the family.

Now onto more pressing issues, Caroline's phone call this morning was rather disconcerting. Even as I write this entry, my cheeks are turning hot from the mere memory of what Lijah and I were up to when she called. Having the majority of residents of Mystic Falls does have the potential to cause problems for us, but not in the ways I first suspected.

My brother Klaus might be paranoid about several things, but it doesn't mean he is entirely wrong, either. Even though the family estate he built for the family does have the means of using the local water supply, we have an independent water system drawing from the natural mineral springs on the property. I also learned that unlike other mineral springs, which are typically sulfur based, ours is Lithium. We do need to use an expensive water softener system. I wouldn't have known if Klaus hadn't shared that with us. So we are safe from vervain while on the estate.

I feel guilty but I did bring up what are we going to do about blood. Klaus had the solution for that as well. All the human staff will not consume any beverage if they are out on business in the town, unless it is of the pre-bottled variety. Thanks to their layered compulsion they have no other choice but to obey.

For the hybrids, Klaus is having a few deliveries made of donated human blood to restock our pantries while having his witches looking for a solution.

I don't know why the council is acting this way especially with Pastor Young in the lead. It's hard to believe that the man I used to babysit for is so anti-vampire, but I should know better by now. I hope that Klaus doesn't do anything rash. I really didn't appreciate his offhand remark about turning April into a card-carrying member of the undead either. I might be an Original Vampire but I will not ruin her life because her father is being an utter jackass.

We have arranged for a meeting on neutral ground. The Boarding house and the Family estate are out of the question. I suggested the Gilbert Family home, which I thought was a good idea, but Jeremy flat out rejected that as well as using the cabin too. So that has left one location and while I admit it does suit our needs, it does dredge up some uncomfortable memories.

Jeremy will be staying with us because I can't let him go and oddly enough he has started to hang out with Kol of all people. I have only admitted this to my husband, but it took him far longer than it has in the past for him to wake up after dying. I don't know if the Gilbert Ring is losing its magic or if it was something else.

He, by all appearances, seems normal, but to me he feels different. It doesn't feel like he is in any danger but I still worry about him.

I managed to copy Ayana's warding spell so this new journal will only open if a drop of my doppelgänger blood is dripped onto the front leather cover like my previous one, but I did add some additional layers of protection so that if someone like Kol, for instance, managed to get access to my blood or Tatia's he won't even get past one page before he is hit with a blinding and paralysis spell that only I can cancel out.

And if you're reading this Kol? Dearest brother, it's far too late! So gotcha!


Mikaelson Mansion
November 22, 2010

Elena breathed a sigh of relief as Elijah and her ladies' maid Vera exited their apartment suite with her two little angels. Her children were safely away from things their young eyes wouldn't understand. That now only left Lily with her other ladies' maid and herself.

Kol was thankfully gainfully employed with keeping her baby brother occupied; if he had been present it could have been worse than just having Klaus there.

Feeling a little keyed up, she moved to close the suite doors only to find Klaus on the other side, shaking his head ruefully at her supposed naivety.

"Nik-," she stopped when he held up his hands.

"Ella, we are vampires lest you forget, and your children, who are my niece and nephew too, are going to see us biting someone at some point. It's inevitable we both know this. If we have to, we can always compel whoever little Erik and Astrid accidentally spill our nasty little secret to."

Stepping closer to her brother Elena felt her temper rise. It didn't help that the back of her throat was burned with a thirst she needed to address sooner than later. It was Lily's turn and even from where Elena was she could easily hear the girl's rapid heartbeat. Unlike Vera, her older twin Lily had to be calmed down when she started to feed and Elena didn't really blame the poor girl.

"I know what we are, Niklaus! Like you, I also crave human blood and to my eternal shame I want nothing more than to sink my fangs into that girl's neck and drain her dry!" Elena hissed at her brother in law. Sometimes it seemed as if Klaus forgot how fragile humans can be, both physically and emotionally in some circumstances.

"Well then, I won't keep you from your evening meal, dear sister," Klaus smirked before he sauntered off down the ornately decorated hallway. She had to give him high marks on opulence, but sometimes even the simple life should be enough. God only knew what Astrid and Eirik might be like growing up like they were a part of royalty. Based on what Klaus and Elijah were discussing earlier this afternoon, even she had to admit as a member of the Original family they already were Vampire Royalty. Not for the first time did Elena wonder how did her life turn into a Television Drama.

Closing the door behind herself she absently muttered. "At least we don't sparkle in sunlight."

Lily was still waiting for her. By the slight but still noticeable tremble in her hands which she tried to hide when she noticed that Elena had seen them, Elena couldn't help to wonder. Had the poor girl overheard her discussion with the big bad hybrid? Elena felt the desire to stalk after the frail human standing in front of her. The air felt electric as if something was charging it and Elena cursed herself for letting go of her magic. She'd thought she reined it in but she had noticed that when her hunger rose so did her magic in response.

As if the human girl recognized her station, she quickly recovered, or best that she could manage considering she was alone in a room with a supernatural creature who was about to feast on her blood. Lily curtsied before Elena and somehow she hid her grimaced reaction lest it terrify the poor girl more.

"My Lady, I'm ready to give you sustenance." Lily said in a controlled tone which would have made Elena rage but she knew by now that the only compulsion placed on the human staff regarding vampires feeding on them was they must be willing to donate blood to the family if their heath permitted and certain other conditions were met.

Elena's teeth ached to sink into the flesh of her ladies maid. It was strange, but the magical currents in the room had hardly dissipated; in fact they seemed to be growing. Cursing, Elena knew she had better feed before it got worse.

"Thank you Lily. If you are willing, please come here and stand with your back to my front," Elena instructed. Thanks to her boot selection for tonight's gathering, her three and quarter inch heel Christian Louboutin black leather boots, she stood a full six feet and the smaller redhead ladies maid was almost a head shorter than Elena. She did as she was told.

Standing behind Lily reminded Elena of the sacrifice and she was tempted to change how she intended to feed, but as quickly as that thought had come she rejected it. Pushing it out of her thoughts. The air was growing alive with magic; she needed to feed. She pulled the human next to her, her arms held the trembling girl up around her waist. Lily, knowing what was coming, tilted her neck, having already pulled her hair to the other side.

"I promise I won't hurt you Lily," Elena murmured into her maid's skin as she nuzzled it, breathing in the heady aroma of her warm blood. Kissing Lily gently on the neck, Elena expertly drew on the skin to coax the blood to the surface. The magic was growing in the room and Elena was so hungry she easily pierced the fine smooth skin and expertly used her lips to form a perfect seal. Allowing Lily's heart to pump the blood into her mouth, Elena swallowed mouthfuls of the delicious nectar until she heard the faint slowing of her meal's heartbeat. So entranced by her feeding, she missed the sigh of pleasure from the girl, but even more astounding was now she was almost stated on her fill of blood. She could feel her magic pulling back into herself. But there was still an intense magical build up until it reached its crescendo and several of the lights in the room exploded in rapid succession. Both of them were surprised and Elena would have pulled away if she wasn't holding Lily up from falling; she had taken more than she intended.

Sitting the girl into a nearby chair, Elena bit into her wrist and offered her blood to Lily who thankfully licked at her already healed wrist. Enough of her blood had been consumed on her part to already start healing Lily's bite wounds.

"Thank you my Lady I… I… was… what just happened?" Lily asked in a melodic Irish accent. In the short time she was reunited with her children, Elena had pleasantly discovered that Astrid and Eirik loved to hear either of her Ladies maids sing to them. In the few times they had, it had felt almost magical. Had they been using their magic and Elena hadn't noticed it?

Curious, Elena studied the girl, before reaching for her own magic as she felt about the girl. There was no mistaking it as she felt power coming from her. But why now, Elena found herself wondering. Then thanks to the long deceased Ayana she had her answer: untapped magic potential could be brought out under extreme emotional events. If Lily Sullivan was what Elena now strongly suspected she was, then chances were the same for her older twin.

"Lily, I believe that you have come into your power."

Those green eyes widened as the implication struck home. Human or not, compelled or not, it was highly probable either sister had found out more about the supernatural than most fangirls do in a controlled environment of Question and Answer sessions of the cast of Twilight Franchise.

"I'm a-"

"A witch I believe so, and since you are a twin, your sister is very likely one as well."

"A witch?" Lily repeated more to herself than to Elena. Which then made her giggle softly before she quickly recovered, looking aghast at her behavior. Something Elena didn't hold against the redhead. She had grown quite fond of the Sullivan sisters.

"Listen Lily, I need to leave with my family when you feel up to it. Go sit with my sister Tatia and tell your own sister I would like to talk to the both of you when we get back."

The poor girl looked like she was about to jump up and do just that, but for a firm but still gentle hand keeping her in the seat.

"Stay and only move when you feel strong enough to do so. I promise that I will talk to Vera and you soon. I don't want you hurting yourself by accident."

"Yes, your ladyship," Lily bowed her head.

Elena straightened her clothing and after checking her makeup she departed her and Elijah's apartment. On her way down to the foyer, she couldn't help but smile. If things went as planned, she would have two witches to mentor and once they fully tapped their magic what compulsions were laid on the Sullivan sisters would forever be broken. Score one for Elena against her family's campaign for compelled honorifics.


November 22, 2010
Steven's Quarry

"How are you doing, my love?" Elijah's voice rumbled through his chest, which Elena would never grow tired of hearing, especially when he was holding her so closely with her head resting on his shoulder. As they had planned, their arrival was timed just before everyone else, and now they were just waiting for the others to arrive. The last time she'd been here in the physical sense, from her time travel affected lifespan, was over ten centuries ago.

And yet, for her at least, it still felt like it had happened yesterday.

From what she could see and feel through her magic, the remnants of the ritual site hadn't faded too much back into the earth. It shouldn't be too much of a surprise when she considered that three supernatural beings, her as the Doppelgänger being one of them, were ritualistically murdered there. It permanently marked the very land with Dark Magic.

It felt wrong to her and part of Elena's darker side pondered how many dark witches or warlocks would in time come, seeking out this site and using it for whatever nefarious purposes they hoped to accomplish by drawing from the magic infused into the very earth itself.

"I'll be fine," Elena lied and she could already feel his reproachful eyes on her.

"I know when you're lying to me. Something is bothering you," he admonished her, but stilled as he considered their surroundings. It was as if he only now realized the full significance of where they were.

Elena had to admit, despite how she felt about it, the Ritual site itself was rather breathtaking when seen during daylight with the nearby abandoned water-filled quarry and the waterfall that was emptying directly into the former quarry itself. The echoing effect of the waterfall was oddly welcoming.

She didn't have to tell him how she was truly feeling about being back here after everything. Watching Klaus kill her aunt was one thing; it was even harder to deal with now when he is the uncle to her two little angels. The Original Hybrid who had killed countless people who annoyed him, yet he is so painfully gentle with either little Eirik or Astrid. Even though they are still infants, he was going to spoil them rotten.

"My apologies, my love, we should have selected a different meeting place."

Elena reached up and cupped the side of his face, peering up into his brown eyes she'd fallen in love with the first time he peered down at her when they were both human.

"No, it's better that we do this here. Besides if you think about it, this is like coming full circle for me in some manner of fashion," Elena said firmly before kissing him on his lips. They would've deepened the kiss if Kol hadn't picked that moment to interrupt them. Elena made a mental note for herself to kick his ass at some unspecified time.

"So where are they, big sister? You supposedly are far more acquainted with your former friends than we ever deign to be," Kol asked rather testily.

Elena reflexively stepped away from her husband to better regard her brother in law with a mild level of irritation. Yes, she was a Mikaelson now and had been for centuries. However that didn't stop her from caring about the friends she had prior to her journey back into the past. It also scared her to consider the possibility that if she was presented with an ultimatum by the likes of Damon or Stefan, Elena would have to side with her family.

Knowing them as well as she did, neither brother would likely accept her decision, at one time Stefan might have but she wasn't so sure as she had once thought. If they didn't and tried to act against her or her family, then she would have to regretfully compel them both to forget ever knowing her. If she didn't do something, then one of her family members would be on her behalf.

Her Elijah, while indeed an honorable man, had his own limitations as to what he would tolerate from a pair of young upstart vampires. And there again was yet another reason their family needed to start exerting their dominance over their kind, as they all should have from the very beginning. Granted, it hadn't helped their cause to have Mikael hell bent on killing Klaus as well as anyone that stood in his way. Then there was Klaus himself, while he and the family were dodging Mikael he was actively looking for a means to break his curse.

Feeling somewhat guilty, Elena glanced over to where her Doppelgänger stood alone, watching the Original Family with a mix of curiosity and tension. She'd wanted Katherine here for this meeting, which had annoyed Klaus, but thankfully her insistence with Elijah's support had ultimately prevailed. She also needed to talk to Katherine and Tatia alone sooner than later, but for now they had to address their latest threat.

"They will be here Kol, Caroline and Bonnie have both texted me they will be here as soon as they are done with cheer practice," Elena answered. She felt a sudden pang at the memory of her on the squad cheering with her friends at games, right before her life was turned upside down. Things had been so simple back then, but it hadn't felt anything like that at the time.

To her surprise Rebekah had made the decision to return to classes that morning then after school had drilled with her friends. From what she'd said afterwards her sister in law had a relatively good day. A part of her hoped that her sister Rebekah and Caroline would give their fledgling relationship a chance. Being immortal did have a tendency of isolating vampires especially those who were turned while still teenagers both physically and mentally.

A very small part of herself did indeed want to go back to school to finish her primary education, but considering she was mother now and although she could pass for eighteen years old again if she put forth the effort to appear and act younger. After all, how many actors and actresses pull that feat off on a near regular basis? However Elena had been made into a vampire when she was roughly twenty-one years of age biologically, as much as she hated to admit it she wasn't the same teenage girl she once was nor did she feel like one either. She had duties and responsibilities to her family as well to her status as an Original Vampire and what that entailed for their species.

Maybe when the kids were in high school or perhaps college, she by then could go back to school. It would be one way she could keep a watchful eye over Eirik and Astrid.

Lost in thought, she almost missed the sound of the first group making their way through the trees and undergrowth towards the former ritual site. Everyone stilled as they tuned in their senses to better hear the still distant conversation between the two brothers and their boarding house guests.

"Damon, stop being such a horse's arse! Do you honestly think they would want to seriously meet at your or their place after everything that has transpired? Don't make me regret allowing you to call me Enzo once again."

For younger, less capable vampires, it was easy to not hear the faint but still barely audible stifled feminine snicker from who could only be Sage as she tried to suppress her own laughter at Enzo's pointed jab. Elena didn't feel the need to tempt fate by looking to where Finn stood, probably with his posture ram rod straight. They'd thought about asking him to stay at the mansion to watch over things there, but Klaus's hybrids were patrolling the grounds.

As much as he hated the subterfuge, they needed Sage on the inside looking for the whereabouts of the final disposition of the lumber made from the White Oak Sapling. Fortunately during her would-be confinement Elena had destroyed the last trace of photographic evidence of its existence.

By the ever increasing volume of their voices, she could just about approximate what was their general location. By her estimation, if they kept up their current pace she figured they would be at the ritual site very shortly. Until then, they could listen into their conversation.

"What you don't understand Sage, and Enzo buddy, this place we are going to is hardly neutral ground from my and my brother's point of view," Damon snarked back.

"I can speak for myself, Damon," Stefan's voice echoed from close by the two other vampires.

One of nicer perks about being an Original, and that was along with her other aspects of her true parentage, Elena's hearing was far more sensitive than even her husband's. To the level she could differentiate between the three heartbeats of the approaching trio. Damon and Stefan's hearts were faster, as if preparing for a fight while Enzo's was almost eerily relaxed.

"Then I'm all ears, little brother."

Elena couldn't help herself, so she just rolled her eyes at Damon's childish response, but she quickly turned somber when her former boyfriend took up Damon's verbal challenge.

"Unlike you, Bonnie and Elijah were just waiting for the right time in the ritual when Klaus was at his most vulnerable, for which Elijah promised to kill his brother. We shouldn't have trusted his lying ass then. I was going to be there for Elena up until the end, but I should have gone with my gut and did what I originally planned to do."

Fortunately for Stefan's wellbeing, Elena was still holding onto her husband's hand thus preventing him from confronting Stefan for his criticism of his strongly held belief in family. That didn't mean Elena wasn't curious by the last part of Stefan's remark about his original plans. He never talked to her about any such thing afterwards.

"Well, what was this grand plan of yours, then? Not that it really matters now."

There was a longer than expected pause and Elena wondered if Stefan decided not to elaborate.

"Instead of negotiating with Klaus like I had. I should have just swapped places with Elena's aunt and myself."

As Stefan described in careful detail, Elena could only listen in rapt awe to how he explained that he would have jumped into her fire circle before tossing Jenna clear while ordering her to run. Suddenly feeling guilty for her eavesdropping, it still didn't lessen what Stefan was unknowingly sharing with her as well as her family. Elena felt Klaus's blue eyes focused on her his expression was undefinable but there was something swirling in the back of his eyes that just reminded her that she needed to talk to him alone.

"Well, that is some nice sentimental drivel, little bro, it just might have worked. But you're overlooking the simple fact that Elijah betrayed us when he broke his deal to Elena. So if you had died what would it have accomplished?"

Rebekah, Elena realized, was also watching her with a concerned expression. Even now Jenna's death still ate at her soul, she prayed that wherever her aunt had ended up she hoped that she would eventually forgive her niece for being involved with the brother of the very man that killed both of them.

"Um… Not trying to intrude in your little discussion about things that should have done in past, but exactly how far is this place? Damon said it's near some quarry which by now isn't really hard to miss all thanks to that waterfall you described," Enzo asked. Elena almost sensed his need to change the topic of their discussion.

When thankfully it turned less inflammatory, Elena tightened her senses, limiting them to just above human range as she, like her family, waited for the Salvatore party to enter the clearing. There was something familiar about their British accented companion that tickled the back of her mind. She could always look up a memory spell to help, but even that seemed too extreme for something that probably wasn't important. Perhaps she should just ask him directly?

"Ella, are you okay?" Rebekah asked.

Before Elena could repeat what she had told Elijah earlier when he asked literally the same thing, in typical Damon Salvatore fashion, he interrupted Elena's halfhearted response.

"Of course she isn't, Blondie! Take a look around. If you weren't fully aware of the significance, this literal supernatural crime scene is where your freaking brother killed her!" Damon exclaimed, striding into the clearing like he owned the very land.

He wasn't entirely wrong but he, like everyone else, didn't know the entire picture and for now it would remain that why Elena resolved.

"Damon, that isn't really relevant to our current crises," Elena answered, in rather vain hope to at least forestall a potential conflict to break out before they could actually discuss the reason they were meeting in private in the first place.

"Seriously Elena? You can just kiss and forgive that easily. I'm sure Jenna is resting easy now while knowing how things turned out."

His words were savage blows to her chest, in part she sometimes wondered what her adoptive parents, birth mother, as well as her aunt and uncle thought about her life choices. Damon's hard blue-eyed gaze made her feel like a helpless teenage girl. Which he probably still thought of her as and yet even after all her centuries, he somehow brought her down, and she hated that he could do that to her even now.

It didn't help that while Damon could meet her eyes, his brother still hadn't made eye contact with her. Not that it surprised her but it still hurt, nonetheless.

Elena braced herself for either Elijah or her extended family to come to her defense, so she was surprised when it came from an unlikely source.

"Damon, stop being such an ass hat! We've got bigger problems to hash out before we start dredging up the past," Bonnie said from the opposite of the clearing.

Everyone watched as Abby and Bonnie tentatively made their way over towards their ever-growing group over the uneven terrain.

Elena wanted to embrace her oldest childhood friend. Then to just apologize for so much that had happened to Bonnie's family but the cool gaze she and her mother were extending towards her kept her rooted to her place next to Elijah. Who thankfully was picking up on her physical ques and was just being the bedrock support she needed right then.

As if to emphasize that support, she felt the reassuring squeeze of her hand by his own wrapped around her own. If there weren't so many people around she would kiss him right there, but they had more pressing matters to contend with.

"Nice of you to join us Witchy and Vamp Witchy, after you both bailed on us. I'm surprise- Owww! For fuck's sake, stop it Bonnie!"

Damon collapsed to his knees, clutching his head in obvious pain, but when everyone in her family looked at Elena, she simply shrugged then made a show of pointing out the only obvious cause of Damon's current predicament. Not that she hadn't thought of doing it to him herself, but to Elena's own surprise she sensed that the magic was coming from Abby, not the one particular witch she expected it to have come from. By outward appearances, Abby hadn't even raised a hand or twitched a single upturned eyebrow to indicate she was the magic wielder causing Damon's aneurysm. Bonnie's smile faltered just when she caught Elena watching her reaction. They needed to talk so as to clear the air between them, but now wasn't the best time.

"We bailed, as you so crassly put it, because you snapped the neck of a teenage boy. For the sole reason you were upset that previous events hadn't gone exactly your way, mister Salvatore!"

Damon by all appearances looked like he would've tried to argue with her if not for Abby repeatedly bursting all the blood vessels in his skull before his vampire healing kicked in, only for those same newly repaired blood vessels to tear themselves apart all over again.

"You are one very lucky vampire, Damon Salvatore! If I hadn't felt my ancestor's magical essence imbued in his ring and also connected to what I'd overheard young Jeremy talking to my step son about what it could do, you and I would be having a vastly different conversation," Abby snapped crossly before, with some obvious reluctance, she ceased melting his brain.

As Damon started to recover, Elena made a step towards her friend and her mother, but stopped when Bonnie did not return her usual smile she did when greeting her friends.

"Hello Bonnie, Abby, thank you both for meeting with us," Elena said, still trying to break the obvious tension. It didn't feel right that Bonnie and her lifelong friendship had become so strained, for which Elena felt a large measure of guilt.

"We came only because my mother and I need to understand what sort of precautions we need to take, nothing more," Bonnie answered stiffly.

"We understand Miss Bennett," Elijah said, which slightly annoyed Elena. While she could understand why he picked them to intervene on her behalf, it still hadn't resolved anything either.

Trying to distract herself, Elena frowned when she didn't yet see Caroline or her mom's arrival, not even her senses could detect them.

As for her former legal guardian and the town's resident vampire hunter Elena had already reached out to Ric. He could only promise that he would try to attend, however he did warn her that he was busy with grading class papers he'd forgotten about over the weekend.

"Why the hell is the Evil Vampire Slut herself here?" Damon demanded, shooting Elena's Doppelgänger a hateful expression that in the human world would warrant a restraining order.

Elena rolled her eyes in a vain effort to stem her growing irritation of Damon's verbal parry, only to watch as her ancestor Katerina Petrova aka Katherine Pierce mimicked her eye roll almost too perfectly. Thankfully Katherine was focused on the two Salvatore brothers rather than anyone else. An idea started to form, and she knew that not everyone was going to like it, but what choice did they have?

"Ah… Damon, I'm almost touched, you care so much about me," Katherine purred coquettishly before she shifted her gaze towards Stefan who still refused to look in Elena's general direction.

Stefan would always have a special place in her heart even after everything he had done to keep her away from her family. It was subtle, but Elena couldn't miss how Katherine was watching Stefan with a look of longing need. One of the more revealing things about watching events unfold over the centuries while in astral form was the very last day Stefan and Damon both walked the Earth as mortal men. Katherine had barely glanced at Damon's prone body, but Stefan was an entirely different matter. It was then that Elena knew that Katherine, despite her bluster and denial, truly loved Stefan Salvatore.

"Elena? Earth to Elena? Hello," Damon drawled, his voice finally snapped Elena out of her personal reverie.

"My apologies, I was just thinking. What is it, Damon?" Elena coughed. She didn't need to look around to see almost all eyes were on her, making her feel rather self conscious.

"Yeah, I bet… Anyway I was asking why is Katherine Freakin' Pierce standing alone over there, here now? Did one of you need a plus one to this little soiree? I mean, after all, how convenient. She has been hanging around in your family dungeon too?" Damon asked. Elena didn't know why exactly but his implied comment caused her own temper to grow.

"Damon-"

"Don't Damon me! Elena, why is she even here? You know what, screw this! Come on Sage!" Damon turned to leave before he turned back to wait for the red haired vampire to follow after him. For a brief moment Elena found herself wondering if Sage would expose where her true allegiances lay but quickly pushed those thoughts away when Sage's own expression changed.

"I'm coming, Damon, but before we go, perhaps one of you might volunteer to catch me and my former protégé up on whatever we miss out on, by our rather hasty departure?" Sage answered her gaze sweeping over the assembled vampires and lone witch.

After a measured note of reluctance on his part, Finn stepped forward and offered his services. Somehow every member of her extended family somehow suppressed their respective grins as he took Sage by the hand, kissing her raised knuckle before he finally released her.

Mentally resolving to ask Sage afterwards if she had ever been an actress sometime in her past. They watched in silence as Damon and then Sage disappeared into the underbrush.

It wasn't very long before Caroline and a very grim looking Sheriff Forbes entered the clearing where everyone else was waiting for them.

"So… Where is Damon?" Caroline asked only after greetings were exchanged.

"Miss Forbes, he decided that he didn't want to stick around so he tendered his leave and his companion Sage departed with him for a more palpable venue," Elijah spoke carefully.

Her best friend made eye contact with Elijah and then Elena before frowning in confusion. Once more Elena found herself wondering what Caroline's life might have been if she had gone into acting before becoming a vampire. Who knew, thanks to her immortality Caroline Forbes just might, Elena mused.

"Sage? Umm… Who is that?" Caroline asked, faking confusion.

Sometimes Elena just loved her best friend's quick mind. It had completely slipped her own when she forgot to mention that Sage was spending time with Damon in an effort to gain his trust. Trying not to shudder as she thought about the possible whereabouts of the very substance that could spell doom not just for her entire family but countless vampires scattered all over the world.

"Just an old acquaintance from Damon's past, if I remember correctly their paths crossed here in Mystic Falls sometime in the second decade of the twentieth century," Stefan chimed in looking up at Caroline. Not that he knew that Sage herself had already shared with Rebekah, Caroline, and Elena the sorted tale of meeting Damon and Stefan at a boxing match.

"Well, now that all the pleasantries have been taken care of. How about we get to the real reason why we are all meeting at the very place I reclaimed my birthright, shall we?" Klaus said grandly.

Not for the first time or very likely the last such occasion did Elena feel like kicking her brother in law in his family jewels. Hopefully Tatia wouldn't be too upset with her, considering whatever damage she dealt him wouldn't be permanent. Although in retrospect, she did understand the underlying driving desperation he'd felt over the centuries to find the ingredients to finally break his curse. He'd come so close to achieving that, but then hadn't. Especially after Katherine had escaped, he'd become very despondent. It couldn't have been helped with her foreknowledge of the future; she had no other choice but to help Katherine escape. While Elena did try to reassure Klaus in his dreams there was only so much she could do. After this meeting of theirs, she really needed to have a serious one on one with the Original Hybrid himself. She was both looking forward to as well as dreading that as yet pending encounter.

Thinking about her children in the care of Tatia and her ladies maids, Elena only partially listened to Klaus taking the lead as he normally did, which was both a relief and somewhat annoying that he was still taking liberties for the family. However considering his tendency of daggering their siblings when they didn't exactly agree with him was rather disconcerting. The only good thing that Klaus and the others probably weren't aware of was the fact that his infamous Silver White Oak Ash Daggers don't exactly work on her either.

"So ladies and assembled vampires, now that we are all mostly caught up on what the founder's council of this fair town is up to, we are here to discuss the path forward," Klaus smiled. Before her trip into the past a similar smile from Klaus Mikaelson would have terrified her; now she wanted to just roll her eyes in abject annoyance.

Elena didn't really have to guess how Caroline's mother might have interpreted Klaus's greeting based on how she had moved her hand strategically over her still holstered weapon. Her action only seemed to amuse him. Liz's heartbeat increased as her body readied itself for fight or flight, the exasperated expression Caroline was currently directed towards Klaus only seemed to heighten his illicit behavior.

He would adamantly refuse to admit this behavior, but there were times he and his little brother Kol sometimes had the same temperament. Which might also explain why Klaus had daggered Kol the most often out of all of the Mikaelson siblings.

"What exactly do you mean by that mister Mikaelson?" Liz Forbes asked in her tone that at one time should have told Elena that her unfortunate status as the child a Founding Family really doesn't protect her from avoiding being issued a traffic violation. What she had learned afterwards was that it was a euphemism termed a 'California stop' for which she had been grounded from driving for most of the previous summer by her parents. Sadly it was the very same summer she and Jeremy ultimately lost them no thanks to her selfish behavior.

"Sheriff, normally I would just compel, or barring their use of vervain, simply turn the majority of the founder's council into vampires to get my point across, but my brother and my lovely sister in law would say otherwise."

"You would never do something so… so-" Liz sputtered.

"Machiavelli? Oh yes he would, my dear. My brother has a penchant for having things his way. I seem to recall a tale about the time Klaus turned a simple farmer into a fledgling vampire who, when considering he was still unable to control his newfound bloodlust, was then let loose on his farming community for the sole reason he wanted the land his farm resided on," Kol chimed in with an infuriating smirk.

"What can I say? The poor sod had possessed some quaint property, which at the time had some really lovely vistas that if memory serves I'd wished to see if I could capture its rustic beauty in my palette of oil paints."

"Wait, he paints?" Caroline mouthed and Elena had to smile at her friend's rather incredulous expression. Very few individuals knew that about her brother in law. It was a secret side of him he very seldom shared with others.

"Niklaus, must you antagonize others with your vulgar humor?"

It was the all too self satisfied look Klaus was giving her husband after his rather appropriate rebuke also in her honest opinion, which almost pushed Elena into giving her Brother in law the worst brain aneurysm she could devise at the spur of the moment. If not for her husband's touch, she might have snapped at her brother in law but instead chose to push on with the reason they were meeting in an otherwise secluded place.

"Um… Yes. Thank you, Care, for sharing what you unfortunately discovered before all of us this morning," Elena began giving her friend a wan smile of sympathy before she continued.

"It seems rather fortuitous that both the Salvatore Boarding house with its own water filtration system and, thanks to my Brother in law's paranoia streak, my family's estate has an independent water source we can utilize. What's more, before we departed the estate grounds Klaus's hybrids had reported back to him that they had verified that the town's water supply, with a few minor exceptions, has been thoroughly contaminated with vervain."

"What do you mean by verified?" Stefan and Liz asked nearly at the same time.

"Well-" Klaus started, but Elena interceded before he could elaborate any further like he obviously intended based on his annoyed expression he was extending her way.

"Nobody in town was harmed, Sheriff Forbes, I can reassure you of that. So with the exception of Caroline and Abby it seems all the resident vampires of Mystic Falls are relatively safe for the time being," Elena concluded.

Caroline's mother's eyes lit up with a horrified expression as she first looked at Elena then at Abby, who after a moment of hesitation finally with some reluctance wordless nodded her head as if the two mothers communicated something between them nonverbally. Elena found herself wondering if all mothers acquired that motherly trait. Not that she had much opportunity to test her theory, considering she had until recently an obsidian dagger wedged in her chest for the last millennium.

It still took Elena a minute to realize that Caroline hadn't shared with her mother that Bonnie's mother had been accidentally turned into a vampire. Elena found herself feeling guilty about feeding on Abby and giving her blood to her, but if she hadn't Bonnie's mother would be dead right now.

This was just something else she was going to have to address sooner than later. Giving Katherine a rather hard penetrating glance, she mentally started weighing her options when a cruel idea steadily started taking shape in her mind and she couldn't help grinning right at her ancestor side profile. She felt her grin grow even wider when Elena heard the slight uptick in Katherine's heartbeat after she must have felt Elena's eyes on herself.

"Caroline, if you want to come stay with us again until we find a resolution to the current vervain crises you are more than welcome," Elena next turned to Bonnie and her mother. "Bonnie, Abby, we would like to make the same offer to you both as well."

Bonnie's eyes snapped to where Elena still was standing with Elijah and opened her mouth in what Elena strongly suspected was just the start of verbal retort when Abby surprised them both.

"Thank you Elena, we just might take you up on your kind offer, but my RV does have a decent potable water tank, so with that in mind we are good, at least until we run out." Abby paused as if she was internally debating with herself about what she added next. "Besides, I'm researching if there are any spells to possibly leech the vervain out magically."

Elena found herself caught off guard. Why hadn't she thought about that as a possible option? It would simplify things considerably, but what would they do if Pastor Young and his cronies caught on? She decided to leave that for later contemplation. Seeing Katherine shift her stance ,obviously bored by the direction of the conversation, another idea occurred to Elena. This time she didn't allow her grin to reach her features.

"Um… I believe I could help with your spell research Abby. If you would want me to, that is."

"That won't be-" Abby started.

"Pardon me, I'm no expert on magic by any means, however my lovely wife does have a similar spell in her repertoire. You could perhaps modify its use," Elijah suggested. It really shouldn't surprise Elena that her Elijah had picked up on her thoughts in an almost instinctual way that always seemed to catch her breath.

"Abby, Bonnie, I want to help in any way I can," Elena added.

Abby seemed to have a better understanding of her daughter's reluctance to answer directly, so she agreed for the both of them that they could meet up later the following day. It wasn't exactly what Elena wanted, Abby knew from Elena's expression, but for the sake of her daughter's continued friendship she'd hoped it would be enough for Elena to wait.

Sensing that it might be advisable to change to a slightly different but still relatable topic, Elijah cleared his throat, turning everyone's attention to himself and by her proximity to Elena as well.

"Sheriff Forbes, in the little time we had before this meeting Elena could only share what little she remembered about Pastor Young from her times babysitting his only daughter," Elijah started but when he didn't continue Elena picked up on the opening her husband had given her.

"Her name is April Young. I used to take care of her when her mother was undergoing chemotherapy treatments when I was in junior high school. To help distract her from what was going on with her mother I would read her some of my short stories, but we lost touch with her after her father sent her to a girls boarding school," Elena added, not wanting to admit that she'd been jealous of April. When she and her father were at her parents funeral, while they had both been sympathetic towards herself and Jeremy at least April still had her father.

"Did you say April Young? As in April Miranda Young, wavy brown hair, blue eyes? She has very high cheekbones and a fair complexion. That April Young?" Rebekah asked. It took Elena a moment for her mind to start working. How had her sister known that April's middle name was the same as her adoptive mother? Realization hit when she started to put on the afternoon drama of Rebekah and a newly enrolled Kol returned from school. Kol had been teasing Rebekah about her new friend she had made.

"Yes… Um… Pastor Young and April's mother had given their then newborn daughter my mother's name, for her help to get June to the hospital when she went into labor," Elena found herself explaining to everyone present. Not that it had been entirely necessary.

To this day Elena had no idea how her mother had gotten both her and her baby brother into their respective car seats, then driven to the hospital, then on arrival reverse the process. On top of helping June with her breathing and keeping track of her contractions all the while keeping everyone calm. A feeling of melancholy made Elena subconsciously wrap her arms around her midsection. So many of her loved ones have died. It didn't help that she was immortal and had watched all of them die while she was in astral form.

"How do you know who she is?" Finn asked his little sister.

"Oh… Her school locker is next to mine and we are in AP Chemistry together too," Rebekah responded.

Rebekah had mentioned acquiring a new lab partner, but when asked to expand on her reason for getting a new one, she admitted to compelling their teacher to switch her former one with a new student. She'd explained afterward she just wanted to see how widespread the vervain was in the local water supply had become but there was something about this that reminded Elena of how, at the time, she been surprised that despite Rebekah being a thousand year old immortal and her family connection to her hybrid brother, she just wanted to live a normal life.

"Perhaps we can use her to get to Pastor Young?" Klaus suggested.

She wanted to argue against his suggestion mostly on merit, when considering that involving humans in their affairs almost always ended up going very poorly with regard to their wellbeing, but Klaus did have a point. By her sister's indignant expression, Elena was a little reticent to simply endorse his suggestion. At least without a better explanation.

"No Nik! I won't let you do that to another person I just want to be friends with," Rebekah declared rather heatedly. Which at least for Elena, she didn't hold it against her sister. Over the centuries, Klaus had taken to killing or compelling individuals who had gotten too close to his baby sister. It had been rather infiltrating to observe while she was in astral form. It was still a bitter taste in her mouth when she recalled the choice Klaus had given to Marcellus when they were still residing in New Orleans then much later when Rebekah wanted to run off with Stefan a few decades afterwards.

"Bekah love, I'm not suggesting that we harm the little lass, I'm just suggesting that-"

"Niklaus," Elijah's voice was laced with just a hint of warning.

While Elena silently applauded her husband's attempt to admonish his younger sibling manipulations, Elena found herself thinking back to how woefully she'd been prepared for the supernatural and while the founding families were trying to protect them, it had made things more difficult. Even her aunt Jenna, who was only a part of the founding family through her adoptive parents' marriage, who knows what might have transpired if she had been forewarned.

"No Lijah, Bekah, I would suggest we at least hear him out. Besides, April was once a close friend of mine too, after all I really couldn't think of her otherwise after taking care of her like I had. She was one of the first few people I trusted to give me an honest appraisal of my creative writing," Elena said before leveling a finger at her brother-in-law.

"Niklaus, just to be clear, I will not let anything untoward occur within regards to either April Young or her father."

Klaus's dour expression would have made Elena growl right back at him if not for her understanding of how he internally processed things. Still she could already see his mental wheels turning as he sought a possible loophole, but whatever solution he'd come up with was not surprisingly for public consumption.

"Yes, thank you, Love. Now as I was saying it is already a given, at least for now we can't compel her or for that matter anyone else in this, um… quaint little township. However there are other means of finding out what sort of events are about to transpire around here. With that in mind, I believe it couldn't hurt our overall image in the community writ large by presenting ourselves as a new affluent family in this fine community. And if Rebekah and her new friend are seen hanging out together it can only help to draw away suspicion."

No one spoke as Klaus's eyes swept over them before finally settling on their sister.

"What would you call it, Bekah? I believe you mentioned to me once you wished to do more normal things teenage girls do in this century more or less?"

Her sister studied the Original Hybrid with gimlet eyes before reluctantly, non verbally agreeing with her older brother. The tension eased somewhat, but then Klaus continued.

"Excellent! Now Sheriff Forbes, while I understand you were not personally present and according to you a certain part time history teacher as well as a semi retired vampire hunter was there instead at the time. I'm rather curious about this backstory of this new deputy of yours. Hartnett, if I'm not mistaken," Klaus asked. There was something in his voice that made both Elena and Elijah heart rates pick up their shared tempo.

For the life of her, Elena couldn't understand why Klaus was so fixated on this specific deputy in the first place. When Caroline had finally calmed down enough to describe over the phone what happened and the warning from Ric about the founder's plans they only had time for a brief summary. Something about a group of vampires just about wiping out a small mining community somewhere in Alaska.

"It vaguely sounds almost like a plot for a vampire horror movie," Elena said in a low sotto voice so only another vampire standing very close just like Elijah could overhear her. Unfortunately Elena had forgotten that an Original Hybrid's hearing was far more acute.

"Ella, I'm more concerned about another vague detail, then something that someday might play on the silver screen."

Feeling her blood rushing to her ears, Elena felt even more flushed when she felt everyone's gaze fixated on her. If it hadn't been for Elijah's comforting hands on her hips she might have bolted. Instead she waited while wishing everyone would stop staring at her, especially Katherine who hadn't bothered to hide her amusement at her expense.

"So Miss Forbes, if you could explain in some detail what this deputy described about his ordeal with our kind."

They waited until Caroline's mother tried her best retelling of someone else's retelling of events which transpired over a year ago. Even if some of the finer nuances were lost in the retelling, Elena still felt sick that their kind could take advantage of people in such a horrendous manner.

Even during her most desperate times in her own home town when she too was just starting to learn about her place in the supernatural world. There were plenty of safe harbors to be found.

This man and his family were in a remote location of Alaska during a time when even the sun itself didn't offer any respite. But as terrible as the retelling was even by a third party, it was something about hunters that seemed to concern Klaus the most and Elena didn't understand why it affected their other siblings as well. Elijah's body had gone rigid, and it felt like their supportive roles from earlier had suddenly reversed.

"So what exactly is so special about this Brotherhood of the Five group he described? To me it sounds like a bunch of foolish humans who've watched Buffy or that comedy of a film called From Dusk till Dawn far too often have decided to become vampire hunters. Do you have any idea how many of them I have taught the error of their ways?" Katherine scoffed in derision.

It still took Elena as well as everyone else to remember that she was even present. Elena had originally vetoed Klaus's suggestion they just compel her silence. If she had to guess her brother in law was still annoyed they had to bring her along with them.

Compulsion or not, their family wasn't going to leave a vampire with an axe to grind with either Tatia or the twins alone. Granted, the estate did have Klaus's hybrids for protection, but there was always a chance something could go wrong.

"Katerina, since you asked first, would you care to speculate on why you should be concerned about these particular vampire hunters?" Klaus asked, his voice saccharin sweet.

"No? Well, love, the short of it is that around nine hundred years ago a group of five very powerful witches selected five warriors and used their combined magic to create another supernatural species whose sole purpose is to hunt our kind. Where do you think my collection of silver daggers came from? If these new hunters are similar to the type of mystical hunters we encountered- who knows what they have in their arsenal now?"


November 22, 2010
Steven's Quarry

They continued to debate and then argue the finer points of their joint efforts to keep tabs on what the Pastor and his minions were planning next. A part of her worried that she was becoming more like her family than she had ever considered before now.

A dark part of her actually did consider the merits of turning the Pastor and any of the council who agreed with him into vampires. That only helped to spark a long forgotten idea she had about how to bring their species back under their control but for now she pushed that thought aside.

Stefan and Enzo were the first to leave when they broke for the evening. He didn't even look at her and while she understood, it still hurt that her friendship with him was so strained at the moment.

Rebekah and Kol were next to leave, shortly thereafter by Finn who had held up remarkably well, but even Elena could tell he was angry that Sage was spending her time with Damon. It was important, they all knew what was at stake, but it still hurt to see him like this. Elena resolved to finally reveal something to him to give him hope, but she wasn't entirely sure how he would react to the startling news she had kept close to her chest for so long.

With a sigh of resignation, Elena made her way over to her first best friend and her mother. Elena could feel their magic building up under their skin as if they were preparing to either fight or run. To be fair, she didn't exactly blame them.

"Bonnie, Abby, I meant what I said. I can help if you need me too, and-" Elena stopped, not entirely sure how to proceed.

"And what Elena?" Bonnie snapped.

"Bonnie, just hear her out," Abby sighed before directing her own attention back to Elena. A look of curiosity graced her warm features and Elena felt remorse for being the one to have put her on the path of becoming a vampire like herself.

"I have something that has been in my care for over ten centuries now. It really needs to be returned to your family. Can we meet at my family estate on the day after Thanksgiving?"

Bonnie seemed shocked, but it was Abby that answered for them both.

"We'll be here, Elena."

With a nod of farewell, Elena watched as they too took their leave. Elijah was holding Katherine by her elbow, not aggressively but firmly enough to promise swift reprisal if she ran off now. They were taking a chance with her and although it had been Elena's original idea, it still could go bad for no other reason than Katherine Pierce being her general self.

To her surprise and silent thanks Klaus was still lingering around, although he seemed more interested in examining the remains of the three circles of power. Where she and her aunt had met their end. She could sense he was waiting for a chance to talk to her alone.

It was a long time coming and she was both dreading and looking forward to this impending encounter. She must have been lost in her own thoughts when she heard Elijah clearing his throat. It was only then she realized that Caroline and her mother were still there and the woman that had taken her and Jeremy in for a few days when their parents had met their end.

"Yes, Sheriff Forbes, what can I do for you?" Elena asked, having found her voice to speak once again.

"Elena I assume that Jeremy is staying with your ah… Family for the foreseeable future. Would it be possible if I come to your residence and talk with you both?" Carol Forbes asked quickly before glancing at her husband, who's stoic expression hardly faltered but for the barest hint that she knew from experience was concern.

"Your husband can attend of course I… I need to ask you some questions in an official capacity. I hate to burden you with this now in light of recent events, but I still have a job to do."

"Certainly, would sometime after breakfast work for you?" Elijah asked carefully.

"Yes, that would work quite nicely. Until then."

Elena hugged her second best friend and then watched them leave as well, leaving only Elijah still holding her annoyed ancestor and Klaus lurking now by the makeshift altar.

"Lijah, can you take Katerina back? I need to do something with your brother that is long overdue."

He looked ready to argue, but the hard look she directed towards him quickly changed his mind. Instead he cupped the side of her face with his free hand and then nodded in silent acceptance.

"Do you know how long it might take?"

"That entirely depends on him."

Their lips touched briefly. The kiss was far too short in both of their opinions but when Elena reopened her eyes, having not realized she closed them during the kiss to find herself alone with her brother in law and the man that had killed her over thousand years ago in her skewed time frame. Yes, what they had between them was way overdue.