A/N: I finished my work shift and despite being very tired I decided to try and put something else up. And good news (for you, bad news for me) my second night shift is cancelled so I have nothing to do from Friday to Sunday except write.

Also, I wanted to address a review I got. This person was registered as a guest so I can't reply privately. I'm not planning on doing another chapter of Mikaelson stuff at the moment because, as I said before, I feel it distracts from the story. And I find them rather boring/annoying to write. However, if I do do one, I will try and do a different perspective than Elijah's. You don't have to keep asking.

I left the dining room and headed out to find the girls. Something about Aurora unsettled me greatly. I wasn't sure what it was, but she just… was… wrong. Something was off about her.

I heard them before I saw them. Aurora's childlike laugh. I followed the sound to the ballroom that I'd trained in the day before. Aurora was blindfolded and was chasing the girls around the room, arms outstretched. Tristan was leant against a wall, watching them with amusement. I went over to him and he smiled.

"I've not seen Aurora this happy in a very long time. It brings me great joy." He looked over at them before turning his attention fully to me. "You remember I mentioned my group of friends… the vampires from Elijah's sireline?"

"Yeah… the Strix right?"

"Yes. I was considering having a few of them over tomorrow night. Would you be my date?"

"Umm…"

"I don't mean an actual date Elena. You are married after all. But I would like you to attend as my honoured guest. They'll all be dying to meet you. And Lilah too, come to think of it."

"How many people?"

"Just a handful of those I'm closest too.

"I suppose that wouldn't be too objectionable." I smiled slightly. "I can't guarantee Lilah's attendance… you can understand my concerns about bringing her into a group of vampires."

"Of course. If you come, you can have a look at the group and then decide if you want Lilah to come along later."

"It would be nice to have an evening where I can meet people without worrying about incurring Lucien's wrath for speaking my mind."

"Exactly," he smiled. "As I said, best to make the most of this time."

"Mama, mama!" shouted Blair, running to me. She tripped, falling to the floor, and let out a wail of pain. I rushed over to her and helped her into a sitting position. Her knee was badly grazed and was bleeding. Aurora tore off her blindfold, her vampire fangs sliding out and her veins darkening. She took a step towards Blair and I pulled my child behind me.

"One more step, I swear to god…" I said, glaring at her. She stepped back, her eyes returning to normal and her lips curling into a sulky pout. I turned my focus back on Blair. Tristan came over and picked her up carefully. He carried her over to a chaise longue and set her down. I came over and wiped the blood from her knee, gave her kisses until her tears dried up. "I think that's enough excitement for one day, don't you?"

"But we were going to have a tea party mama…" said Blair.

"Maybe later, okay sweetie? Why don't we go upstairs and I'll read to you for a bit, yeah?" She nodded and held up her arms to be picked up. I scooped her up and carried her up to her bedroom, Lilah following behind us.

We settled on the bed and I fetched a book from their bag. I read to them for a few hours, the two of them nestled in my arms. Blair dozed off near the end and I paused in my reading. I looked at Lilah who was watching me with her big silent eyes.

"You alright sweetheart?" she nodded. "You know you can talk to me, if you want to, right? I won't get mad like Lucien does, I promise." She looked down. "When you're ready, I'm here." She snuggled closer against me. I stroked her hair lightly and continued reading. Things felt reasonably good for the first time in a very long time. Not perfect but better at least.

Lilah drifted off as well, so I decided to leave them both to take a nap. I wriggled off the bed and left the room, heading back to the room Lucien had so recently vacated. I hesitated at the door, reluctant to return to the scene of last night's attack. I'd been there briefly that morning to get dressed but I'd only spent a fraction of a second there, going in and out as quickly as I could and I'd refused to look at anything around me.

I took a deep breath and entered the room. This time, I went slower, looking around the room. I was almost glad that there were still signs of what had occurred. If they'd disappeared, it would have made the night's events almost meaningless, like my suffering had no impact. The mirror was still broken, the shards piled up around the base. The bed hadn't been slept in and there were traces of my blood on the sheets, the carpet, splashed across the walls. I grimaced and grabbed my bag. I couldn't stay in here.

I took the bag to the twins' room and opened it, rooting around in my bag until my hand came into contact with Ansel's pendant. I lifted it from the bag and ran my finger over the curve of the fang. I missed Ansel. It had been nice to have someone to talk to who would just listen without judging me. Well, maybe he'd judged me but he'd kept it to himself which was appreciated. I put the pendant around my neck and tied the cord. Maybe if I was lucky, I'd see him again.

The rest of the day and the day that followed were pleasant. It was nice to be able to move around without fear, to dress myself, to sleep and just… be normal. Or as normal as things were likely to get for me.

I put the twins to bed that evening and went to get ready. I ran myself a bath and sank into it, relaxing. The water felt good and for once I could take my time getting ready, the way I used to in Mystic Falls.

After my bath, I changed into a relatively smart dress. Tristan had said it was a casual get together but judging by the way he dressed, I figured it was better to make an effort. I paused by the mirror and I felt a little sad. So many parties gone by. They'd gone from being something fun with my friends and family to something I had to endure.

I adjusted my pendant and headed out of the room. I paused at the top of the stairs, surprised by what I saw. There was a lot of people downstairs, far more than I'd expected from Tristan's description of a small get together. I was now very glad I'd left Lilah in bed and had decided to investigate the group first. I bit my lip, part of me wanting to flee back to my children. Being surrounded by unfamiliar vampires did not appeal.

Tristan was greeting people at the door. I slipped down the stairs and decided to get a drink before talking to anyone. Alcohol was the best way to deal with things. I went to the dining room and poured myself a large whiskey. I didn't like whiskey but every vampire I knew seemed to have an endless supply of the stuff.

"Seeking a little liquid courage?" I looked up and saw Aya nearby. I smiled slightly and downed the drink.

"At least I know that I can give anyone who tries to start a fight with me a run for their money even in this dress."

"Don't say that too loudly Elena, some people might take you up on it."

"So are all these people Strix?"

"Yes."

"Tristan said it was only going to be a few people…"

"Well it was supposed to be but we're a close knit community and word spreads fairly quickly. They're all very excited to meet you."

"What's so special about me?"

"Most of them know about your… status. And they're all aware that the Mikaelson's are currently hunting you which makes the allure even greater. They want to see what the fuss is about."

"I hope they're ready to be disappointed." She chuckled softly.

"Have a good evening Elena. Try not to start any fights."

Aya disappeared into the crowd. I refilled my glass and drained it once more. Okay, now I felt ready to face whatever Tristan's Strix cared to throw at me.

I made my way back to the foyer area. Tristan noticed me this time and came over to me. He took my hand in his.

"You look beautiful Elena. Are you ready to meet my little group of hell raisers?"

"Ready? No… but let's do this."

He led me to the stairs and moved up a few steps so that everyone could get a clear look at him. He cleared his throat and even though the sound was relatively quiet, everyone instantly fell silent and gathered in a loose semi-circle around the base of the stairs.

"Good evening everyone, it is a pleasure to see you all again. We are here tonight to celebrate someone of great importance to our community. All of us are bonded by one person, the progenitor of our great sire line, Elijah Mikaelson. And tonight, I would like to introduce you to my honoured guest, Elena Mikaelson." A murmur spread through the crowd. They didn't sound very impressed. "Do not let appearances deceive you. She is human, yes. But she is a girl of great intelligence, determination, loyalty, curiosity. All traits that our society was founded upon. And not only that… I assume all of you have heard the rumours from New Orleans, of a human who bore vampire children of the Mikaelson bloodline? I can confirm those rumours as truth. This woman has mothered a child of our great sire. So, I expect you all to make her feel welcome. She belongs here. She is one of us."

He kissed my hand and stepped down. Sound once again filled the hall as everyone began to talk. I followed him down the steps and back into the crowd. As I moved, everyone around me paused in their conversations to watch me. Some of them even reached out and touched my arms, my shoulders, my hair.

"Well… this is a lot…." I said under my breath to Tristan.

"You deserve this and more," he murmured, placing a hand on my waist in order to gently steer me from the crowd. "I invited them here because I wanted to show you that… the world isn't limited to the Mikaelson family. Yes they helped create us all but we have grown far beyond them. And you deserve to be recognized by all of them for who you are, not just for the family that you joined."

"That's… flattering. But I like the Mikaelsons."

"You're saying that you've never had any second thoughts? Any regrets? That every moment has been just roses for you?"

"There… have been times…" I admitted. "And yeah, it's had difficult moments but that just makes the good moments more special. I don't care about being recognized. In fact, I got tired of that when I was just the doppelganger."

"I think you're limiting yourself Elena. You are worth more than this, you should be admired everywhere you go." He released me. "Think about it. There is a whole community of people who want you to be a part of them." He smiled. "Try and have some fun tonight."

He disappeared into the crowd, leaving me very confused as to what had just happened.

A/N: Sorry about the length.