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"Dance with me." Elijah held out his hand to Katherine. Looking at his hand, then back at his eyes, she smiled warmly and took his outstretched hand using her grip to get up.

They walked together to the center of the room. Pulling her to him, Elijah rested his hand on her hip as Katherine slid her arm around his back. They moved in complete silence at first as there was no song playing in the background –her head brushing his cheek every now and then –until he started humming.

Katherine rested her head on his and sighed softly against him. Her wondrous scent overwhelming her, he inhaled sharply. His humming soothing, she relaxed into his embrace. At some point, the melody started to ring a bell in her head, and she asked. "Is this 'Missing you'?"

Elijah stopped humming for a second. He nodded then resumed with his humming.

She felt so good pressed like this against Elijah's body, his warmth radiating through her. She could have stayed in his arms forever. She would have –gladly –if only she could. Encircling his waist with her arms and resting her head against his shoulder blade, she suddenly started to wonder how much time they had left together. She knew that she should enjoy this moment while it lasted and not think about what was to come, but she couldn't help herself. Elijah was there with her for now, yes, but she was no fool and she didn't see the point in deluding herself: sooner or later, he would later. Hoping it would be later she couldn't help but wonder when exactly that would be. How much more time would she have him?

She didn't ask him though. She didn't have the courage. If she had and if he had answered her –if he had given her a specific date –it would have made his impending departure more real, and… she wasn't ready for that. She was not ready for that. So she kept quiet –about that. Hating herself for making him stop his relaxing humming, she couldn't help but ask, "Do you sing?"

He pulled away slightly to stare at her. "No."

She made a face and shrugged. "That's a shame."

Chuckling a little, he added, "I could try if you want me to, but the weather has been very pleasant these past few days, I would hate to ruin it."

Katherine laughed. She pressed her face back to Elijah's cheek. They kept dancing for a few moments in absolute silence before she inquired, "Are you happy about the evening? Did I overdo it?" There was just an ounce of worry in her voice, but it was enough for Elijah to catch it.

Once again, he shifted his face to look at her. "Not at all." He answered and saw relief in her eyes. He stopped their dancing for an instant and broke his hand free from hers to cup her face. "Thank you for doing this for me, Katerina." He acknowledged gently.

She brought her hand to his forearm and stroked it tenderly. "Thank you for letting me."

'Hello?' The most angelic voice Elijah had ever been blessed enough to hear answered. It took him a moment to recover and answer back. God had he missed that voice.

'Happy birthday.' Elijah wished her.

There was a second of blank before she answered, and Elijah could actually sense her hold her breathe: she must have been stunned.

'Elijah?' She spoke in a questioning matter.

'It's me.' He reassured her. 'Happy birthday.' He wished her again, uncertain as to whether or not she had heard him the first time.

There was another blank before she replied. She wasn't expecting his call. That much was obvious.

'Thank you.' She said. 'How are you?' she hurried to ask him causing Elijah to chuckle light-heartedly.

'Aren't I supposed to ask you that?' He pointed out. 'It's your birthday.' He made the reason of his call obvious once again.

'Right. I'm fine.' She answered his implicit interrogation. 'How are you?' She brought back the conversation to him making him chuckle again.

It was funny because most people who knew Katherine or thought they knew her would have assumed that the second she got him on the phone, she would start talking all about her and tell her how she was doing, how she occupied herself during the days, etc… But in reality, it was quite the opposite, really: she wasn't that way with Elijah…, never. She took care of him, she always made sure he was amazing and that he had everything he needed… She acted almost like a housewife.

'I'm fine.' He responded likewise.

'Are you with your siblings?' She asked him.

'Not right now, no.' He answered. 'I'm alone in the house.' He elaborated.

'And you were thinking of me." She completed eliciting his first real laugh since she picked the phone.

'And I was thinking of you.' He repeated.

There was a moment of thoughtful silence during which neither said anything and wondered what was going on in the other's head.

Elijah opened his mouth to talk when Katherine declared. 'I miss you.'

Elijah closed his eyes and his heart constricted painfully in his chest at the longing he heard in his Katerina's voice –because no matter the distance, she remained his Katerina.

'I miss you more, Katerina.' He replied in response. 'I wish I could be there with you.' He confided to her.

'I wish you were here too.' She told him. 'I'm pining for you.'

'I read your letters.' He said to her. 'I loved them.' He ended.

'I thought you might.' Katherine replied a hint of mischievousness in the voice causing Elijah's face to break in a smile.

'There's a lot of noise around you.' Elijah noted. 'Are you at a party?' He asked her.

'Yeah… more or less willingly. You know Andrea: she wouldn't let me do nothing for my birthday.' She explained.

'She's right. It is your birthday. You should enjoy yourself, do something out of your day, and not sit in your room all day putting nail polish on your toes.' He told her causing her to burst out laughing.

'How do you know that's what I was going to do?' She asked him.

'I know you pretty well.' Elijah said simply, a faint smile on his face.

'Yes. You do.'

'I'm grateful for Andrea. I'm glad someone's there to take of you when I can't.' He said.

Katherine didn't reply and when the silence turned awkward, he added. 'Someone who isn't a man.' He specified half-jokingly.

'I miss you.' Katherine declared.

Elijah tilted his head to the right, and smiled at her words. 'You said that already.'

'And I love you… Elijah.' She added.

Elijah's brows slightly rose at that, and his mouth drew open a little. He slightly knit his brows and tilted his head to the left, a thousand thoughts crossing his mind at the same time. Had he heard her right? Had she really said what he thought she said?

He opened his mouth and was about to say something when suddenly he heard a noise close to his room.

'I thought you were alone.' Katherine said from the other end of the phone.

'So did I.' Elijah spoke in a lower voice getting closer to his door. 'I, uh, I need to go. I'm sorry.' He apologized,

'Don't be.' Katherine told him. 'Thank you for calling.'

'Take care of yourself, Katerina.' Elijah said to her, his heart sinking a little at having to hang up.

'You too, Elijah.' She said back.

'Stay safe.' He paused and made the moment last as long as he could. 'Goodbye.' He eventually said.

'Goodbye.' Was the last word she said before she hung up.

/

"See you later then." Elena said to Damon as she headed towards their entrance door to leave.

"Wait!" Damon called out and she turned around. "I was hoping I could talk to you. Can you hold on a minute?" He asked her.

"Sure." She said and walked back to him. She sat in the couch across from him. "What is it?" She asked him.

"I feel like I owe you an apology." Damon said plainly, without dancing around the subject,

Elena didn't say anything. She simply crossed her arms over her chest and waited for Damon to continue.

"The way I left four years ago and the way I left things between us…, it was very coward." He acknowledged. "I should have handled things differently." He paused. "I should have talked to you about my decision."

"Yes, you should have." Elena agreed with bite. "Why didn't you?" She asked him, trying this time to keep the anger out of her voice rising because of the memories he was evoking.

"I didn't feel like I was capable to confront you." He offered as the beginning of his answer. "I knew if I talked to you, if I saw your face again, and stared into your eyes, I wouldn't be able to leave." He answered her.

"That's hardly an excuse, Damon." She refused. "It hurt me: the way you acted… You hurt me." She told him in all honesty, with no false pretenses. "How could you just leave like that? Without saying a word? After everything that we had been through?!" She asked him still not understanding.

"That's exactly why!" Damon responded. "Because of everything we had been through. You don't understand, Elena. I wouldn't have gone through with my decision if I had come to you. I wouldn't have been able to. I didn't have much of a choice, Elena." He assured her.

"You always have a choice." She countered.

"I did what I thought was best for everybody…, and you were at the top of that list."

Elena looked away seeming annoyed, which she wasn't really as a matter of fact. She was very angry with him at first, but time had passed and she was kind of over it. But she did understand that in that twisted mind of his, at the time, it seemed like the right thing to do. She didn't agree with that: she reckoned he could have and should have done things differently…, but she got it.

"Is that all you're sorry about?" She asked him looking back at him.

Damon's eyes turned to her as well, and Elena caught something in them, something she would have described as surprise.

She raised her brow at him knowingly. Did he really think they wouldn't have this conversation. "I remember." She let him know.

Damon opened his mouth to say something, but thank God for him, the doorbell rang before he could form the words.

"I'll get it." He said enthusiastically and jumped out of his seat. He cowardly left the living-room under Elena's burning gaze digging holes in his back.

/

"This dinner was a great idea. Thank you." Elena acknowledged to Stefan. "We needed this." She added putting her hand over Stefan's.

He smiled thinly but genuinely at her. "My pleasure." He replied. "As long as you're happy that's all that matters."

"I am happy." She said to happy. "You make me happy." She emphasized.

"That makes me happy." He told her leaning his head forward.

She gazed at him lovingly, her eyes reflecting her affections for him and mirroring the genuine smile on her lips. She looked down at her plate and attempted to retrieve her hand from Stefan's to keep on eating but he retained it causing her to look up at him confusedly.

"I hadn't planned to do this like this." Stefan started and laughed with what seemed to be jumpiness. "I, I was going to wait until your birthday, and do it in a more… private setting." He ended taking in their surroundings. "But I just… I can't wait any longer." He told her and put one knee to the ground while still holding her hand.

Elena swallowed hardly. 'Oh my goodness is this happening?'

"I love you, Elena." He said to her gazing softly onto her brown eyes. "You are the love of my life. You are the one I've searched forever. You are everything I dreamed of and more. You are… the greatest blessing. You are my heaven." He declared truthfully and watched as Elena's eyes brimmed with tears. "You keep saying that I make you happy, but I can't even put into words how happy you make me… how blessed I feel because of your presence in my life. And I want to give that back to you: I want to make you… the center of my universe. I want to spend the rest of my life making each day more special than the one before." He paused and reached out in his pocket for a black jewel-case.

Elena's breathing considerably slowed down.

He opened it revealing the ring and Elena gasped feeling like her heart would explode out of her chest: it was the most beautiful piece of jewelry Elena had ever seen. It resembled her mother's engagement ring a lot, yet, it had its specificities: it had a slender platinum band with a single round diamond.

"Elena… Marie… Gilbert, will you please marry me?" Stefan asked his eyes shining with hundreds of different emotions, the prevailing one being love.

Her gaze swung between Stefan and the beautiful, beautiful ring he was holding out to her. Her eyes filled with tears. She shook her head from the left to the right and then back again several times, dazed, utterly stunned. She wasn't expecting this. She wasn't expecting this at all… This was a completely unforeseen proposal. She thought that he was struggling with his feeling for her and that he was reconsidering their relationship, and here he was: proposing to her.

She looked back up at Stefan, and that's when she realized she hadn't answered him, so she opened her mouth to do so. She moved her lips in an attempt to speak, but nothing would come out.

"Okay… you're speechless… and on the verge of tears…" Stefan stated facts. "Is that a good thing or a bad thing?"

"I…" Elena tried to get the words, but she couldn't seem to.

"Yes…?" Stefan nodded encouraging her.

"I don't know what to say right now." She managed to say causing Stefan's face to fall.

"Okay." He said and was about to rise from the floor when she spoke again and stopped him from standing up with her hand.

"I don't know what to say except that…" She choked back a sob. "…I love you so much! You're the love of my life. I love you to infinity and beyond, and I cannot conceive my life without you, so yes. Yes! Of course, I will marry you!" She let it all out in a breath and pulled him up with her and crushed his lips with the weight of hers.

Stefan wrapped his arm around his sweet-heart and pulled her closer to him. They kissed until they had close to no air left inside their lungs and had to break away.

"So it's a yes?" Stefan made sure searching for her eyes.

"Yes! It's a yes!" She answered him cheerfully with the brightest smile on her face.

Stefan smiled back at her before looking down at the ring. He took it out of the box that held it and took Elena's right hand in his free one. He gazed into her brown eyes before he slowly, gently slid it on her fourth finger.

A single tear fell from Elena's eyes and she swiftly wiped it away before she cupped his face and rose on her toes to plant a quick kiss on his lips, and then pulled him into a warm embrace. Stefan tightened his grip on her and cupped the back of her neck tenderly –his fiancée…

A round of applause broke them a little out of their bubble. They slightly pulled away so they could turn their heads in the direction of the sound. They sat two waitresses and a waiter standing there applauding. They hadn't even noticed them approaching.

"Congratulations." The waitress in the middle spoke up.

Elena extricated herself completely from Stefan's embrace. She looked down at the floor, an embarrassed yet happy smile on her face. Stefan surrounded her waist with his arm and pressed a loving kiss on her hair.

"Thank you." He appreciated for both of them.

"The desserts are on the house." The other waitress said.

"Thank you." Elena acknowledged gratefulness evident in her voice.

The two women and the man nodded and left the happy and newly engaged pair who –once left alone –quickly resumed with their previous activity of hugging.

/

Elijah was reading, comfortably seated on his bed, when somebody knocked at his door.

"Yes?" He answered not tearing his gaze away from his book.

Klaus entered his room.

"Niklaus…" Elijah said putting his book down on the bed to get up.

Klaus advanced towards him, his hands linked together behind his back. "I will be clear, and I will be brief." He spoke up. "You are free to go to Katerina." He declared. "…and she will remain unharmed."

"Wh-What?" Elijah stammered. In that moment, saying that the elder Mikaelson was caught off guard would have been an understatement.

"Elijah, it hurt my teeth the first time. I'm not saying it again." Klaus said calmly. "But may things be clear: as for now, I do not want Katerina in my house." He declared pointedly. "I do not want her anywhere near me. And if she so much as tries anything against this family or hurts any of its members, and that includes you…, I will kill her. No discussions. No persuading. I will simply drive a long overdue stake through her heart and I will revel in her death." He stated in his most serious tone. "Have I made myself clear?" He asked.

Elijah nodded. "You have."

Klaus nodded back and turned around to leave.

"Niklaus." Elijah called before he had turned the door handle.

Klaus turned around. "Yes?" He answered.

"Thank you." Elijah thanked in a voice that exuded gratefulness.

His little brother nodded in acknowledgement. "Caroline is the one you should thank." He declared and waited a couple of seconds for his brother's reaction before he turned without another word and opened the door and made his exit.

Elijah turned to his bed after his younger brother left.

OMG more than 100, 000 words written, 26 chapters, more than 300 followers and 200 reviews.

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