Inside the box were five stakes. They were made of black wood, each carved with a pattern of ivy along the bulk of the wood. The handles were carved into the shape of animal heads, highly detailed and set with gem stones for the eyes.

"Y…You want me to kill them?" Realisation set in and I leapt out of my seat. Tristan grabbed my wrist, too lightly to hurt me but enough to hold me in place.

"Elena, listen, you have to trust me," he said. "I don't want you to kill them. If they die, every other vampire in the world dies remember? This won't kill them. These have only ever been an insurance policy… they'll put them to sleep, just until you get your head sorted. I'm just trying to look out for you."

He put a hand on my cheek and looked deep into my eyes.

"Do you remember when I asked that if I told you to do something, would you accept it was for your own good?"

"Yes, I remember."

"Trust me. This is for your benefit. Take them. Please. You don't have to act rashly, you can consider it carefully but know that I am doing this for your own good."

I felt it again. That unyielding loyalty that compelled me to listen to what he said and see the good in it against all odds.

"Do you still trust me?"

Of course I did. I'd run to him for safety, safety I used to acquaint with the Mikaelsons. I trusted him. Unquestionably.

"Yes."

"You promised to do anything I asked of you, remember?"

"Yes…"

"Then take these."

He closed the case and touched my hand. There was something in his eyes, a strange determination. I felt so uncertain. I would never want to hurt the Mikaelsons. They were my family and I'd spent so long fighting to get back to them. But Tristan had looked out for me since I met him. If he said that this was to help me, I wanted to believe him.

I tried to think, to weigh up the pros and cons but my head felt fuzzy, like it was stuffed with cotton wool, and there was a strange pain in the back of my brain.

"Okay."

"Thank you." He brushed some hair from my face. "Do you want to stay here for a while?"

"No I… I need some time to think…"

He nodded, understanding. I left the apartment, the case heavy in my hand. I wasn't really sure where to go. The Mikaelson house and Tristan's apartment, my two shelters, were out and I wasn't really sure where that left me.

I pulled my phone from my pocket. There were a number of texts from the siblings, asking if I was okay. I sent a brief text back in response to one, hoping that that would be enough to get some quiet. Now I just needed to work out what to do with myself.

I went for a walk by the water. It shone in the sunlight and for a moment I was tempted to throw the case into the water. But no… even the thought sent that familiar pain through my head and made my stomach twist.

I sat down on a bench and opened the case, gently running my fingers over the stakes. I found myself wondering what it would be like. I mean, a chance to think and be by myself. To heal without interference. But… I wouldn't be healing, not really. My mind whispered doubts to me. If I did this, if I put them to sleep to give myself time, my problems wouldn't go away. I'd still have my issues with the family, they'd just be put on hold. I could deal with the other things but it was just a temporary measure.

I sighed and buried my face in my arms. I felt so confused. Nothing in my head made sense.

"Penny for your thoughts?" I looked up to see Jackson. He nodded at the seat, asking if he could sit. I gestured for him to join me. He sat down on the bench, the case between us. I expected him to ask but he didn't say anything, waiting for me to talk.

"How's Hayley?" I asked.

"She's good. We're… actually expecting our first child."

"Really? That's great news!"

"Thanks… I wanted to tell you before but it was still a little early." I smiled and touched his hand.

"I'm happy for you Jackson."

He looked out across the water, smiling slightly. I followed his gaze, watching the faint winter sun play over the rippling river.

"I'm struggling Jackson…" I admitted after a while of us sitting in silence.

"That's fairly obvious Elena. Anyone who knows you can see that you're falling apart."

"Is it that obvious?"

"You make a good attempt of hiding it, I'll give you credit for that but the signs are there. I can see it just looking at you. You get this look in your eyes…"

"When I was… away, all I could think about was getting home. Getting back here and back to them, getting the girls back to their fathers. I didn't realise that… I thought coming back would magically make everything alright again."

"And it's not."

"No. I can't sleep, I keep hearing and seeing things that aren't real and every time I think I'm getting better, something happens and I'm right back where I started."

"You can't expect things to happen overnight Elena."

"You sound like Cami."

"Well she's right. You went through an ordeal. You were kidnapped, held hostage and tortured for five years. No one can begin to understand what you went through and if you're honest with yourself, I don't think you've really accepted it yourself. You need to take time. It's probably going to be a long time before you're anything like your old self, and you need to accept that."

"So I'm going to be stuck like this for… how long? Months? Years?"

"Impossible to say. But the longer you fight it, the longer it will take."

"Great… that's a bleak future…"

Jackson touched my arm, a silent gesture of comfort.

"Is the box of stakes related to this?"

I looked at the case, the stakes visible. It probably wasn't a good idea to leave it open in this city. I reached over and closed the case.

"I received a suggestion to help with my healing process. I'm not sure if it's a good idea and I feel kind of guilty for even considering it."

"You do what you need to do Elena. You can't spend your life being a martyr, otherwise you're not really living."

"Thanks Jackson…" I closed my eyes and rested my head on his shoulder, happy to take a moment to just not think. We sat in silence together, feeling the air around us and the sounds of the city wafting over us.

I knew it couldn't last. Inevitably I had to return to the Mikaelson house and deal with their concern. It wasn't a bad thing that they were concerned about me, it was just… full on and sometimes it was too much for me to deal with.

"You should get back, I'm sure Hayley's missing you."

"You don't want to go home do you?"

"Not really. I had a… for lack of a better term, a 'freak out' and I ran off. I know they just want to look out for me but they can be a little overbearing at times."

"I'm always there if you need to talk."

I gave him a grateful smile and got up, taking the case with me. I headed back to the Mikaelson house. My mind was no clearer but I couldn't delay any longer. I had children who needed looking after, a family who would be missing me. My own problems could wait, like always.

I got back to the house and let myself into the courtyard. Kol was there with the girls, playing happily with them. He looked up as I entered but didn't speak, just gave me a brief smile. At least he understood the crowding issue.

"You all okay?" I asked. I felt really bad for running off and leaving the girls. I couldn't let my emotional breakdowns get in the way of my parenting.

"We're good. Are you…?"

"I'm fine. Just needed to take a walk, clear my head you know?"

"I get it. You don't have to talk if you don't want to, but I'm here if you need me." He turned away and scooped Blair up in his arms, smiling at her. "Do you want to join us? We're having a tea party."

"That sounds lovely. Give me a minute and I'll join you."

I went upstairs to my room, intending to stash the case somewhere. I knew if Klaus found it, he'd open it and it would ignite his paranoia. He'd go crazy thinking that everyone was out to get him again.

I locked the door, surveying the mess I'd left. Broken glass, shattered porcelain and splattered blood formed a carpet across the floor. I sighed softly and headed over to the bed.

"You look like shit."

I lifted my head to see Lucien once again reclining on my bed.

"You're not real."

"No I'm not. But I'm still here. And I will be as long as you think of me."

"Yes, I know we've covered this."

"And you're not throwing things this time?"

"No. I have issues, yes, but either way, you're still dead and you can't actually do anything to me anymore, apart from harass me. So you're currently at the bottom of my priorities."

"I'm offended."

"Good."

I swept up the broken glass as best I could, cutting my fingers a few times in the process, before grabbing the case and lying on my stomach to hide it under the bed. I wriggled into the darkened space, expecting to get a face full of dust. Instead the floorboards appeared to have been swept clean. There was a strange musty smell in the air under the bed, a thick noxious scent that wormed its way up the nose. I frowned slightly but shrugged, reaching back for the case.

"You're really going to ignore me?"

"For as long as I can."

"You're no fun."

"You're becoming less threatening and more annoying by the minute. I guess in my head I see you as a pathetic bitchy man."

"Do you know what I regret? Not killing your children in front of you."

"And I regret not killing you myself. I regret even letting you into my life. I should have turned and run the second I first saw you. We learn to live with our regrets."

"Yes you should have. I mean, you honestly thought I wanted to be friends with you? Really? No one wants to be 'friends' with you Elena. You're not a person, you're a pawn, an object to be used to further other people's ambitions."

"The Mikaelson's care about me."

"Really? You think all they care about is taking care of you? Of being good parents?" He scoffed. "I'm a figment of your imagination Elena, I can only tell you things you already know or think."

I moved to sit up, intending to say something, yell at him maybe even though I knew it wouldn't really do anything. I slammed my head against the bottom of the bed and cried out in pain, dropping back down. I rested my head on the floor, rubbing the sore spot on the back of my skull. The smell was stronger now. Every time I breathed in, I felt bile sting my throat and had to repress the urge to vomit. I pulled my phone from my pocket, using the light to illuminate the tiny space. One of the floorboards was uneven, sticking up just a little bit.

"If you know my mind so well… you know what's going on under here?" I asked.

"I do. But I'm not telling you because it's more fun watching you squirm." I stuck my head out from under the bed. He was leaning over the edge to look down at me, smirking.

"You are a son of a bitch, even dead."

He blew me a kiss. I rolled my eyes and ducked back under the bed. I ran my fingers along the edge of the wooden board. The protrusion was only small, but enough for me to work my fingertips underneath. I pulled carefully. It gave a little but remained in place. Whoever had been fiddling with this had made sure it was firmly slotted back afterwards. I pried it up, working my fingers further underneath until I could pull it loose.

I pulled up the floorboard and set it aside. The smell was stronger and I could see something tucked away in the crevice below. I pulled at the floorboard beside the gap and managed to work it loose. I worked hard, removing floorboard after floorboard, ignoring the splinters that dug into my fingers until that was a large hole below me. I shone my phone into the hole.

"Well now," said Lucien. "This is very exciting."

A/N: Two cliffhangers in a row? I know, I'm mean.