With her mind deep in thought, the rest of the drive home is silent. When Elijah pulls into her driveway, she looks up and forces a smile. He offers to stay with her or call Rebekah to come over but Elena politely declines. It was bad enough that she had to summon Kol yesterday after having that unsettling nightmare. She's a grown woman and as much as she loves spending time with her friends, she doesn't need a babysitter. And she knows they mean well but she's not a child anymore. She needs to take back control of her life and stop being so dependent.
Look where it led them...
She opens her cupboard, pulls out her favorite flavor and makes herself a cup of coffee with her Keurig. As soon as it's done brewing, she settles onto the couch and tries to silence her chaotic mind by flicking through the channel guide. On the rare occasion that she would allow herself a day off, she used to enjoy taking it easy like now. Her club has always run like a well oiled machine, it's something she's very proud of. She took what her parents bequeathed to her and made it a resounding success.
Spread out on the couch, she takes a swallow of her coffee and continues to lazily scroll through the channels. When she happens to notice the picture of Gibby on the end table, melancholy begins to well in the pit of her stomach. As long as she had him, she didn't need any other company...
After she lost him she strictly forbid any of them from bringing her another cat, Gibby was irreplaceable. If he couldn't live, she wouldn't allow another pet to take his place. But more importantly there was the very real danger of the scenario repeating itself. She'll never get that image out of her mind.
She shudders and frantically resumes flicking the remote. She stops at an old Alfred Hitchcock's movie, Rear Window, she watches it for a moment, remembering her parents loved his films. A huge wave of nostalgia washes over her. She reaches for the fleecy throw and after covering herself, she curls up, submerging herself in the creepy storyline and gloomy atmosphere.
Somehow it's ... soothing. She even smiles a little, recalling the untold number of times she found her parents just like this, cuddled together on the couch while watching an old black and white movie.
As she watches Jimmy Stewart and Grace Kelly as voyeurs in the movie, it suddenly strikes her that her life has become a Hitchcock movie. If she hadn't seen the movie so many times with her folks, the part where it's revealed that Mr. Thorwald dismembered his wife's body, it would freak her out. Feeling fatigued, she turns down the volume and gets into a comfortable position, letting the sounds lull her to sleep.
Before she drifts off, she suddenly realizes why she feels so unsettled, why everything feels so wrong. These people are her friends, they're her family, the only one she has. For the first time in her life she's forced to ask herself, does she really know them at all?
"Are you sure, Damon, that you don't want to come home with us?" Jenna's tone is rather insistent but as Damon very well knows, she's a determined lady. Usually when she's like this his dad is the only one to be able to reason with her.
And he's not really sure that his father's on his side this time. It's pretty obvious that he's not when he says nothing, he just smirks at his oldest son's hesitance.
"Mom, I appreciate your concern, I really do but I can't, I need to work. The case is almost closed and honestly I won't rest anyway until the... ehm, responsible person's safely behind the bars."
Jenna doesn't look happy but to Damon's surprise she agrees with him. "I know. I'd feel much better about it if you'd let me fuss over you but l know how you are. Close this case so that poor girl can have some peace of mind once and for all."
It takes him a second before he realizes she's talking about Elena. "Mom? So... are you saying it doesn't matter that I suffer because Elena needs her peace? I'm not feeling the love here."
She rolls her eyes. "Don't be such a drama queen. You and I both know that I cannot stop you from working."
"That's beside the point, you're my mom."
"Stop it with your feigned indignation," she scolds, laying her hand over his. "As long as you insist on working, you might as well get it done, not only for her but also yourself. You've been dwelling on the Gilbert case for five years now."
"I get it, mom. I need to quit bothering Elena if for no other reason than to ensure her happiness." He winks at her and sing songs, "Your new friend doesn't need harassing from the police."
"Stop it!" She smacks him over the shoulder, laughing. Immediatly the laugh is gone as Damon lets out a pained moan. "I'm sorry, I didn't think..."
"Alright, alright, enough you two." Giuseppe shakes his head at their antics. "Jenna, we're leaving, Damon clearly needs an audience and I refuse to be it. You, Damon, report how you're feeling and don't hesitate to call for help... And please be careful," he adds quietly when Jenna leaves to use the bathroom.
"Thanks dad."
"You're welcome, I mean it son, be careful."
When Jenna returns, she gives him a hug. He follows them to the front door to watch his parents' departure.
He's trying to change into something more comfortable, not an easy task with three broken ribs, when the doorbell rings. He answers it and welcomes his two colleagues.
"Hey!" he throws his clothes at Ric letting him help him change. "So? Come in, I'll make some coffee, we can talk. Did you bring the reports?"
Luka and Ric follow him to the kitchen. "Not an option, you go lay down and Luka will do that. I'll give you the reports in the meantime."
He doesn't protest, his body's aching and he gladly takes his place on the couch. Not that it helps, no matter which position he takes, he cannot seem to get comfortable.
It's still daylight when Elena slowly comes back to consciousness. Before she's fully awake, in those first moments between wake and sleep, she feels around for her furry warm fellow only to realize he's not there, he'll never be again. Sighing at the realization, she turns on her back and stares at the ceiling, the late afternoon shadows drawing pictures on its rough surface.
Her phone beeps and she gives a thought to the fact that no one has called today, which is a very unusual occurrence. Are they giving her space or are they blaming her for the situation they all find themselves in?
She's never had such thoughts before and knows they've always had her back, but do they still feel the same? Have they reconsidered their lots after years and years of dealing with the crap that always seems to find her?
When she hears a little chirp, she reaches for her phone to read the message. It's Kai.
You alright? Want me to come over?
The corner of her lips twitch but somehow it feels like a grimace rather than a smile. She has to get over it, she's a grown woman. Elena starts typing.
I'm fine.
After a moment she adds...
On my way to the club.
She won't let the damn cops plant the seeds of doubt among her family and her staff. She'll be damned if she's going to let Jeremy reach out from beyond the grave and poison everything she's worked so hard to build.
Damon's been reading report after report and a plethora of different documents for hours. He drops them on his lap and rubs his temples for a few seconds. He's tired, his head hurts and he's sick to his stomach for starters. Glancing up at the clock, he only now realizes that it's been some time ago already since Luka took off. After checking in with his wife, Meredith, Ric stayed to keep him company.
"So, Parker didn't actually tell you where he was...?"
"Nope," Ric straightens and shifts in the arm-chair. "He said he was at work, only left to take her home."
"Right... After Elena, ehm Miss Gilbert asked him to stay with her?"
Ric shrugs. "That's what he said. No matter how many times I asked he didn't vacillate from his story at all. Frankly, he looked like he was enjoying my powerlessness."
"...And Mikaelson's excuse is that he was in the shower and didn't get the message till he picked up his phone to set the alarm to wake him in the morning," Damon adds, taking a long pull from his water bottle.
"Hmm... St. John?"
"At the office, then home."
"His girl..."
"Bonnie? They don't live together and she doesn't spend nights there anymore. Because..."
"Yeah, I know, our Luka," Damon grimaces, every other minute he shifts or moves in a way that his ribs don't approve of. He's going over the police report on the tampering done to his car. According to Will, one of their technicians, the coil wire had been snipped. Given the fact that Damon's car was parked under a light, not to mention the security cameras the monitor the parking lot, it would have been difficult to access it without being seen. But there's no doubt it was intentional because it was a clean cut.
"Elijah Mikaelson could be actually the person we're looking for?" Ric interrupts his focus again. "He knows your routine, he could have followed you himself or had you followed. And he's a sly one, he would have covered all his bases... like informing her inner circle to lead us off the trail and in a different direction."
"Yeah... but I have a hard time imagining him lurking in a crowd of people, hanging around, just waiting for the opportune moment to push me to my death. Elijah is a big deal in this town, everyone, well maybe not everyone, but most would have recognized him. We can pull him in for questioning but knowing him as well as we do, it will be like banging our heads against a brick wall. Why open ourselves up to anymore frustration?"
"You don't look too concerned?" Ric observes.
"It's not that. Maybe I'm crazy but I'm starting to think that the person or persons will reveal themselves at the right moment. But I still believe she's the key..."
Doesn't it always come down to the love of a woman?
"Anything you need now?"
"What I need is to get the fuck back to work. I have to find out what happened twenty years ago," he's well aware that he's beginning to sound like a spoiled brat.
Ric looks amused. "Okay buddy, you want me to pick you up in the morning?"
"You'd do that?" Damon knows he shouldn't but it's tempting.
"Sure," Ric responds nonchalantly. "Nothing gives me more pleasure than breaking my friends' bones in the back of my car."
"That I completely believe about you, given your driving habits," Damon's visibly cheered up at the prospect.
Ric chuckles and gets up to leave for the night. "That's settled then. See you in the morning."
Now just to survive another painful night.
After stepping inside her office, Elena does a double take when she sees the state it's in. She decides to clean up the mess since she's been skipping paper work for weeks now. She has a business to run and doesn't have time for the police crap. Kai came upstairs and Kol called to check on her but both made a hasty retreat when they saw the mood she's in. Darling Enzo's been suffering diligently and following instructions since she started chewing them all out.
After getting her desk cleared, Elena takes a swallow of coffee, looking up just as he brings in yet another pile of files and a stack of mail.
"I'm sorry Enzo, I've been barking out orders like a drill sergeant. You can go home, I've kept you here for far too long already."
"It's okay," he smiles faintly, "I think we all need to clear our heads and nothing does the job better than a thorough cleaning. They say sunlight is the best disinfectant after all."
"How is Bonnie?"
Enzo gives it a thought. "Not good at the moment but I think we'll be okay in time... She left just before you arrived."
"I'm not asking because of that! I know all of you spend more time here than you should," Elena shakes her head. "I'm worried about you."
"I know," Enzo smiles, this time genuinely. "You should give yourself more credit. Your enthusiasm is rather infectious and... It's our life, just like it's yours."
"Yeah, sometimes I wonder if this is it, is there more or are we mistaken? I mean, there should be more right?"
"There is more. You just haven't come to that point yet. I think when all of this is behind us, you'll be able to take a deep breath and look around. My guess is that's when you'll see what more is for you and for all of us."
"Oh Enzo, I don't know what I'd do without you. Without all of you." Elena jumps to her feet, a few quick steps later, she reaches Enzo to give him a warm hug.
"Well, it's a good thing you're never going to have to find out," he winks at her. "Shall we finish?"
Elena nods vigorously and resumes going through the documents.
Damon feels restless. He swallows a couple pills to dull the pain but even breathing is an inhumane task when he tries to lay down. No matter what he does, he cannot get comfortable. After a few hours of groaning and hissing with every little movement he gives up and crawls out of bed. As much as he wants a good stiff shot of bourbon, he can't, the doctor cautioned against it, instead he makes himself a pot of coffee. The hot summer air's streaming inside and he closes the window to allow the air conditioner work more efficiently.
He wishes he could do something, anything to make this easier for her but he knows he's bound to make it worse before it gets better. There's no denying it. Since he met her, he always seems to bring fog and darkness with him. If she won't cooperate and tell him everything that she keeps bottled up inside, he has to find another way.
He makes himself comfortable, well, less uncomfortable on the couch, his laptop at hand. Running his fingers over the keyboard he uses his password to get to the department's database. Elijah Mikaelson gave him a specific indication, the date of the Gilbert's will. It means he can track the event. He goes through the reports starting a year before it was signed.
He takes his time so he doesn't overlook anything that may seem insignificant on the surface. Three hours later he's finished with the reports with zero to show for it. Yet, he still doesn't want to give up. He browses through local newspaper articles. Luckily they're carefully scanned and put under the right link. He learns that Bill Forbes was elected Reno's new mayor and Honoria Fell died at age 103.
Perusing a little more deeply, he finds a short blurb about the Gilbert's 7 year old daughter and how she almost drowned at her birthday party. The article states that she fell into a pond on the Gilbert's property luckily it had a happy ending. She was treated in a local hospital and released the next day.
How did he not find it in the police reports?
He checks the date of the article and starts digging through them again. One by one he meticulously examines the records but finds nothing about the accident on the Gilbert property that day. If they called an ambulance, which is the only logical conclusion since the article states she spent a night in the hospital, the police would likely have showed up too. Either protocol wasn't followed or the responding officer never wrote up a report. Why? Not only that, in a town like Reno, everyone who is anyone would know if something like that happened to one of the founding families. They must have kept it secret. From everyone but the Mikaelsons...
And suddenly, he knows exactly what happened twenty years ago. The pieces of the puzzle fall into place, answering most of the questions he's had since this case started. He knows why she was chosen to manage the family business, why her people are steadfastly loyal to her and why there was no love lost between the Gilbert siblings.
The only question now is who? Which one of them?
Eva and I want to thank you all so very much. We really appreciate each and everyone of you so much.
Thank you Eva for bending over backwards and your dedication to be here with me.
Chapter title: 'All The King's Horses' by Karmina
I did update "The Night All Angels Cry" yesterday.
I hope you all have a safe and wonderful day and weekend. Thank you all again, we'll see you next time..