Standing before Elena, I see her dressed in her typical fashion. Skinny blue jeans and a light-colored long sleeve. Her hair as straight as always. Her eyes brown and stubborn. I see the dagger lying on the floor. Elena obviously removed the weapon from my body. Why though? I betrayed her and her friends. The only time, I have ever gone back on my word. Something I don't take lightly.

"Elijah," she stammers.

I recognize the room. Our house in Berkshire from many decades ago. But why would Elena be here? Why would I be here? Despite her waking me she still manages to appear shocked by my presence.

"I want you to know, about the sacrifice..."

Elena doesn't allow me to finish, "you did what you did for the family. I respect that and I understand. I don't like it but somethings are out of my control," she explains. A sense of relief fills me. I may be honorable but Elena possesses virtue I may never replicate.

"Well isn't this lovely," my brother's chilling voice echos from the top of the steps. Neither Elena nor I speak as my brother descents into the room. "It's okay love I was hoping you'd wake my brother," Klaus says noticing the fear in Elena's eyes. His words calmed her as right she would fear my brother's repercussions to awakening me.

"Elena darling, would you leave my brother and me. We have some things to discuss," and with Klaus's words, Elena departs.

And so, Klaus explains everything I've missed. How Stefan Salvatore and he spent the summer failing to turn wolves into his pack right. How he woke Rebekah and found Elena to be alive. And thus how Bonnie made contact with our mother - tricking her into believing Elena's death would be the solution. And why he kidnapped the girl.

"I warn you brother, you free her and I won't stop with the dagger," he threatens me. So aggressive as always.

"I'm sorry Elijah. I didn't know what to do. But Michaels dead and I want to reunite us with our family, the right way. But not today. I just one day and tomorrow we can wake Kol. Please. I just want my brother," Niklaus's eyes water. In the most rare moments of sincerity, I believe him. If anything, I want redemption for my brother. Because no matter what, my siblings are the only ones who will ever understand me completely.

"Always and Forever," I say in a quiet whisper only for Niklaus to hug me.

I leave Niklaus and head to the main foyer

"Hello sister," I say as I look at the blonde girl turn around revealing my beautiful sister.

"Elijah," she cries as she leaps into my arms. I wrap my arms around Rebekah and embrace my sister. She pulls away leaving a hand on each shoulder. "Nik, he said he was gonna wake you but," she stutters on her words as she can barely contain her happiness. Rebekah can't help but smile, her happiness exaulting.

Hours pass as I rejoice with my darling sister. Niklaus joins us and the three of us, put aside the past, and indulge in the fond memories we shared together.

Eventually, day turns to night and we all separate into our various courters.

I enter my chambers and despite an updated wardrobe, most likely Rebekah's doing, everything is exactly how I left It over a century ago. I glide my hand along with the smooth wood of the bed frame. The wood was handcrafted by artists in the Bavarian Alps. It's the middle of the night and yet I don't even bother getting ready for bed. I'm rejuvenated enough after a four-month nap.

So I decide to head down to the kitchen and rejoice with a glass of scotch. If I call recall we should still have a vast collection of precious beverages. Heading to the main level the house is almost silent. I hear the slightness of a metal spoon hitting a glass bowl.

I approach the kitchen to see the light on. Elena is inside. Eating a bowl of cereal. I knock lightly on the wall so as not to scare the human.

Elena sees me but remains mute. Honestly, her quietness might indicate trust. After a couple of moments, I look at the girl. I don't think she can sleep with all these changes.

"Would you like to go for a walk?" I ask the doppelganger. She does not immediately provide me with a response. But instead ponders my question as if I asked her if she wanted to take out a bank loan. Finally, she nods her head and we precede to the outside.

It's dark. In fact, I think daylight will be in a couple of hours. I suggest to her we walk around the pond and Elena says she can't really see. I forget Elena's eyesight is not as attuned as mine. So, I suggest we walk the lit path. It's not as long as the pond but will probably take a good hour for a roundtrip.

As we start to walk, it's difficult to squeeze a word out of the girl. So I lead the conversation. "I'm sorry. I wish I could help but," I don't finish that sentence. I think Elena understands that despite all of Niklaus's wrongdoings and betrayals, I won't purposefully disobey his wishes. It's not like Elena is in harm's way but the girl's not happy either. It saddens me. She's a nice girl - one who is full of love and friendship. She doesn't deserve to be locked away.

"You know this place is one of the most beautiful homes I've ever had," I tell her.

"I don't know," she finally speaks. Then it hits me. One cannot find beauty in prison. And to Elena, this house is a jail cell.

"It is also my favorite place I've ever lived. Up until the last few days, this place holds some of my best memories," I tell her.

"What happened?" she asks. I don't know if Elena cares or just doesn't want to be rude but it ceases to matter. Elena looks at me and I know I have her full attention. Despite her youth, she is one of the most sincere young ladies I have ever known.

"I lived here for almost two decades. It was a lavish home. Filled with the biggest parties of rich and the royal. None of that mattered though only she did.."."

"So there was a girl," Elena nods her head. If anyone understands the force of love, it's Elena.

"Not just any girl. A thousand years and I've been in love twice. Once as a vampire the other as a mortal. But she, she wasn't like the first girl In fact, the first girl was identical to you. Physically that is. A Petrova doppelganger," I look at Elena, and I have peaked her interest. "Tatia you're doppelganger in case you wanted to know." Elena releases a small smile. I think talking about love reminds her that my family and I are not so different than here. Or at least I am not.

But Tatia was young love. I think the idea of love changes as life moves forward. When you're young, love isn't hard or perfect. Two teenagers believe their love will outlast anything because life fails to get in the way. Young love mistakes are harder. Elena knows this. I think what she and Stefan had was real love. A difference that not many understand until their older. Real love is one of unconditional passion and friendship. Real love isn't a fairytale but what you make of it. Love is hard and anything less than it's just infatuation.

"Her name was Loriah. She was breathtakingly gorgeous but charismatic and complex. She challenged me and brought every joy into my life," I cannot help but smile at the thought of her memory. "But like any great love, it was imperfect. I feared two things: her discovering my secret or her not being able to live the life she desired. One of the children and growth," I tell Elena knowing she can relate to that idea. Not everyone wants immortality. Not everyone should. Some people take pleasure in life's design.

"I remember chasing her across this grass. She'd laugh and it was ever so captivating. Her favorite though was running in the rain. The mud did not bother her. Nothing did. She simply found joy in life's little miracles."

"What happened to her?" Elena asks. I know she has an idea otherwise Loriah would be here with me.

"I was going to run away with her. Move to a little village her brother wrote her about. But my brother found out. See he did not want me to leave him. So he killed her right in front of me," I see the compassion in Elena's eyes. She tears up by my story. Whether it's my way with word or empathy, it's comforting. "See love is fickle but not guaranteed and I'm sorry my brother took that from you. In all my life, all the mistakes or acts nothing compared to seeing her lifeless body. Niklaus drenched in her blood. You know, that was the first time I truly was in awe by the amount of blood a person holds. I never really saw it because Niklaus didn't feed on her. He drained her, all of the wood. But anyway my brother's fear of abandonment paved the way to fruition. I left him. And thus I wanted nothing more to hang his head on a stick. And thus I found myself in Mystic Falls, plotting with a bunch of high school students and two very annoying vampires."

"Nobody wants to be abandoned. Losing people. It sucks. I can't describe the pain, but trust me, I know. You're brother, he didn't have to kill Jenna. He could've turned any passing body. He picked her to punish me. But how could I be punished when I was willing. Your brother is impulsive and vindictive and those people. You have to let them out of your life to find happiness," she says.

"Our definitions of peace are very different," and thus we walk back.

The rest of the conversation remains friendly chatter. We discuss primary literature. And as the sun rises I walk her back to her room and then head to mine.

Within minutes of returning, my brother enters.

Niklaus speaks in the doorway, "it's time to wake Kol."

And so we gather Rebekah and head back down to the dungeon. The four caskets just as I left them last night. Mine still open as the others remain shut.

We lift the cover on Kol's casket. Exchanging glances, Niklaus removes the dagger from our youngest brother's chest. And the three of us wait for him to wake.