AN: I do not own TVD or TO.
I'm making some changes because it's FanFiction and I can (muahahaha). Hope is still going to be born at the same time, but the events of TVD have been moved up a year. So Hope was conceived in October, Elena transitioned in November and Klaus and Elijah left for NOLA to deal with the Hayley/Hope situation.
Kol remained behind in possession of the white oak stake. Rebekah returns after being driven out of NOLA by her brother.
Elena will arrive in NOLA roughly a year after her transition before Dahlia comes for Hope while Kol is still in Kaleb's body.
November 6, 2011
"Matt, look out," Elena cried. She raised her hand and pointed to Rebekah standing in the middle of the bridge.
Matt swore and spun the wheel in an attempt to avoid the woman he had yet to recognize. He was driving too fast though and the car barreled over the side of the bridge and into the water.
"You're not going to fight back?" Alaric stood over Damon's prone body.
He scoffed without humour. "You're kind of invincible, Ric."
Alaric dragged Damon to his feet and held him by his throat. "Do not call me that. We're not friends."
"We were."
"Well, our friendship was part of the problem. It's what kept me weak." Alaric tilted his head; his eyes roamed over Damon's face. "That's why it took so long for the real me to break through, and now I'm going to break you."
Damon grunted when the fist collided with his gut. "Is that all you've got?" He never did know when to shut up.
"Not quite," Alaric smirked. He was about to drive a stake through Damon's heart.
Damon caught his arm and pushed him away with his leg. He gritted his teeth when Alaric punched him in the face.
She forced her eyes open and looked around. They were at the bottom of the river. The water was quickly filling the car. In less than a minute they would be completely submerged.
She turned her head and saw that Matt was unconscious. She shook him and checked his pulse before trying to open the window. She threw her weight behind her elbow and swallowed her frustrated scream when the glass refused to move. She sucked in as much air as she could before the water swirled over her head.
She shook Matt desperately and met Stefan's eyes when he peered through the window.
Stefan felt the strangest sense of déjà vu when he broke open the door and reached for Elena. She shook her head stubbornly and pointed to Matt. He tried to tug her free of the car insisting that she let him drag her to the surface, but she was nothing if not obstinate. He saw her relax marginally when he ripped the belt and pulled Matt from the car.
Elena watched them go while tugging on her own belt. Her fingers wouldn't work though. Cold had seeped into her bones. Her vision quickly faded around the edges. The last thing she saw was the final bubble of air when it escaped her lungs.
Damon grasped Alaric's shoulders when his body turned grey. Tears streamed down his face as he screamed at him.
"You're not dead," the cry repeated until the words lost any meaning.
She blinked against the bright light. A frown marred her pretty features when he blocked out the sun. It took a moment for him to come into focus but when he did she smiled.
"You are blocking the sun," she pouted.
"Terribly sorry," he dropped to his knees and pulled her into a sitting position, "but you were starting to burn."
She made a show of inspecting her limbs. "I'm not in the least bit red," she laughed.
"Your cheeks are unnaturally bright," he plucked a strand of grass from her braids.
"That's because you're staring at me," she crossed her legs at the ankle.
"Can you blame me?" He smiled softly. "My wife is the most beautiful woman in the world; I can't help it if I stare."
"Even if I am the most beautiful woman in the world," she rolled her eyes, "there is another that looks just like me."
"I disagree," he took her hand when they stood and started down the path.
She took a deep breath and tasted the salt from the water in the air. To her left the sun bounced off the sea and nearly blinded her.
"You don't think my twin sister looks just like me?" She spun in front of him and stopped. The gentle slope of the hill meant she was at eyelevel with him.
"No," he splayed his hands over her hips and drew her close, "it's all in the eyes." He breathed against her cheek. "When you smile your eyes light up the darkest of nights."
She turned her head and brushed her lips against his cheek. "Flattery will only get you so much."
"Then I suppose it's a good thing I come bearing gifts for your garden," he gave her a chaste kiss and leaned back far enough to hold the flower in front of her face.
A broad grin broke out over her face. She lifted her hand and gently traced the oval petals that were the palest of purples.
"Boiled as a tea this will banish nightmares," she inhaled the fragrant scent. "What's it called?"
"Crocus sativus," he smiled at the light in her eyes. "They say that this was one of the flowers being gathered by Persephone when she was abducted by her husband."
"It's beautifu…" she shrieked when he picked her up and held her over his shoulder. "What do you think you're doing?" She laughed and swatted at his back.
"I should think that was obvious," he chuckled and took off up the hill. "I am abducting my wife."
"One of these days you'll have to tell me where you find all of these flowers," she examined the Datura he had placed in her open palm.
"If I did that you'd simply go yourself and I would be deprived of the wondrous light in your eyes," he teased. "Besides, I like being there when you first discover what they do."
She shook her head and ran a finger over the soft petal. "This particular flower will do several things," she grinned. "It will make a wonderful addition to a spell for concealment and invisibility. If I add it to a tea with the crocus sativus it will bring prophetic dreams."
"Must it be mixed with the other?" He watched a cloud cover her face.
"No," she lifted her gaze to his face, "it will provide the dreams either way. The crocus will protect against the darker premonitions."
"Then mix it with the crocus," he kissed her cheek, "I only want you to see the happiest of futures."
"I've already seen one," she smiled slyly, "and I didn't need any herbs for that." She giggled when she placed his palm over her stomach and his eyes widened.
"Truly?" He met her brilliant eyes. A wide grin threatened to split his face when she nodded.
She squealed when he lifted her and spun her around. A tiny shriek escaped her lips when he stumbled and they both went down in the shallow water.
She broke the surface and gasped before falling into his embrace and laughing. "I love you," she raked her wet curls from her face. "You are quite possibly the clumsiest person I have ever met, and I love you."
"You take that back," he splashed water up her back, "I am not clumsy. I'm incredibly graceful; this is the first time I have ever knocked us both off our feet."
"Yes," she flicked her hand and laughed when the water sprayed the side of his face, "but you are also the only person to ever knock me off my feet, so therefore you are the clumsiest."
"I suppose I cannot argue with that logic," he swiped the water from his eyes. "It appears we have company." He nodded over her shoulder.
"What could she possibly want now?" She followed his gaze to the beautiful woman in on the shore. "I already told her everything she needed."
"Perhaps she now needs you to cast a spell for her," he suggested. "You did tell her immortality would come with a price."
Damon pushed through the cold stone doors of the morgue with a renewed sense of urgency. Meredith had a lot of nerve.
He stopped up short when he saw Stefan with his head in his hands. Elena laid prone on the table in front of him. Damon sighed in relief when she sat up gasping for air and tore open the blood bag.
Elena blinked and peered around at the stainless steel that surrounded her. Every time her eyes closed she was greeted with the sight of Elijah soaked through in the sea. She almost expected to see him standing vigil over her body, and could not understand the disappointment when he was nowhere to be seen.
Elena's eyes widened when the blood was forced into her mouth. A sharp pain stung her gums as sharp teeth descended. She forcefully shoved Damon away from her and felt a sob tear through her.
"Why the hell would you do that?" Elena screamed. Her strangely vivid dreams were forgotten for the time being.
"I couldn't take the chance that you would refuse to transition," Damon picked himself up from the floor and passed her back the bag. "Meredith Fell used my blood to heal her earlier," he explained to Stefan when he stared in horror.
"No," Elena shook her head and swiped away the tears. "I don't want to be a vampire Damon."
"She should have had a choice," Stefan wrapped his arms around Elena's shaking shoulders.
"The options were to die, or to transition and maybe find a way to turn back," Damon pressed the bag of blood into Elena's hands again. "You need to drink Elena… drink and adjust. We'll figure out the rest later."
Elena wanted to scream at him; it was her decision to make and he had robbed her of that. She wanted to throw the blood against the far wall. She wanted to sob. And if she were being really honest she wanted the calming presence of the Original who had promised to keep her alive.
As if from a distance she saw herself lifting the bag to her lips. She needed to adjust; they would figure out the rest later.
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For those currently reading all of my stories I tend to work on them in rotation and update in that order. Here is the list so you know roughly when each story is going to be posted.
1. Strong, Ageless, Fearless
2. Historical Royalty
3. Alexandria Ricci
4. A Friend Like You
5. Tabula Rasa
I am almost done with A Friend Like You when that's finished I will start typing the currently untitled LOL/ELEJAH/KLAROLINE timetravel story... There is a summary on my profile; if anyone has a suggestion for a name I might consider it.