Chapter 23 – Revelations

Elena hesitated as she approached her house, the house that held so many happy memories and so much pain. She had only been gone for a few days but it had been long enough that she had realized there wasn't much that held her to the house, her brother was gone, her parents and aunt dead. In reality the house only held pain now, and despite everything the Originals had done to her and her family the mansion felt more welcoming than her house.

"Elena?" Finn asked concerned as he noticed her hesitation.

Elena looked over at Finn and tried to smile but didn't quite succeed. "I just realized that this house doesn't feel like home anymore. The mansion feels more like home than the house I grew up in does."

Sage left Finn's side and walked over to Elena and gave her a hug. "I'll share a secret with you," she whispered to her. "I didn't feel at home these past 900 years until you came to live with us.

"You have changed me, you have changed each of us; our outlook on life, our view of each other, our family in many ways you don't even realize."

Elena took a step back and stared at Sage, "Me? How could I have done that? I didn't do anything!"

Rebekah smiled wryly, "You didn't have to DO anything, it's just who you are."

Elena shook her head, "I don't understand."

Finn smiled gently at her, "You don't have to; just keep being who you are. You make us better, without you even trying."

Elena just stood there bewildered, not knowing what to do or what to say. Her mind was a whirl, and she didn't realize her mental shields were down and she was projecting. "What do they mean, how could I have changed them?" She wondered to herself.

"Darling, you're projecting." Kol thought to her.

Elena startled, and quickly shut off the connection to everyone but Kol. "I don't understand," she thought to him, "How can I change you without doing anything?"

Kol laughed, "Darling, it's part of how we knew you were the girl in the prophecy."

Elena scoffed, "The prophecy again. No one has explained that to me yet."

"I know 'Lena, we keep getting distracted. I can't explain it now, everyone should be there for that but I can tell you how you've changed me." Kol told her through their link.

"Tell me, please," Elena begged mentally.

"Darling, you intrigued me from the first time I laid eyes on you." Kol began, "I only saw you from a distance, but you made me what to live, to love, to be human again."

"Human?" Elena couldn't believe what she was hearing, if it was Rebekah yes, Kol no.

"Well, not human-human but emotionally human. To be free to fall in love, settle down. To have relationships. I wanted to settle down before I was daggered this last time, but I didn't want to live my life.

"Living for a thousand years, seeing pain and loss over and over, just surviving had caused me to just survive. You love life so much, it made me want what you had, love, family, much more than just surviving. So I went and found Sabrina's family, to find her, to find my future."

"I like Sabrina." Elena told him with a small smile.

Kol smiled softly as he answered Elena back through their link, "I do too."

Sabrina looked over at that moment and saw Kol's smile, her heart leapt at the sight of his smile. She shook her head slightly, she had to gain a grip, she couldn't let anyone know just how fast and how deep in love she has fallen.

"Sabrina, do you think this will be enough?" Bonnie broke into her thoughts. "Will this work?"

Sabrina turned her attention to the witches with her, "Yes, I do believe so, but I should talk to Henrik to be sure."

"Henrik?" Lucy asked.

"He's a warlock on the other side, he's been a huge help in figuring what was going on with Alaric. I'll just need to do the spell with Kol tonight." Sabrina told them. "We can meet tomorrow and I can fill you in on how it goes then. For now take a break, you've earned it. Go to the Grill, watch a movie, whatever; just relax for the rest of the day."

The witches left Sabrina and Kol alone, Sabrina filled Kol in on her plan to meet with Henric that night. Bonnie and the other witches adjourned to the Mystic Grill where they found Caroline, Matt, Elijah, and Niklaus.

"Hello Matt," Bonnie greeted her friend as they entered the Grill. Matt was busing tables and happened to pass by at that time.

Matt grinned at her, "Hello Bonnie. If you are looking for Caroline, Klaus, and Elijah they are over at the bar."

Bonnie thanked him, then looked over to her mom and Lucy. "It's up to all y'all. We can sit by ourselves or with them."

Abby sighed, "I think, even though I'm uncomfortable around them I'd like to sit with them. I want to get to know them a little better, you must see something I don't and I'd like to know what it is."

Bonnie smiled at her mom sadly, "I've only really given them a chance since they blood adopted Elena. She's been happier since they have done so. She fits with them and they gave her a home, security that she didn't have before. They genuinely care for her, so they can't be all bad. I'm tired of looking at people and judging them based on what I'm told. They care, they love, they have pain, and yet I'm told that they are the opposite."

Lucy nodded, "I hadn't thought of it that way before. They're closed off, hard to get to know because they have been alive for years, they have to be so in order to survive."

Bonnie nodded, "And yes they have done things that are bad, but there are so many humans who are just as bad. I'm just at the point where I want to forget the past and get to know them now, for Elena, and for Jeremy."

Bonnie, Abby and Lucy moved to join the others at the bar, not realizing that they had been overheard by Niklaus and Elijah. Elijah smiled at the witches and offered to grab a table for them if they would be more comfortable.