"I have a problem, Niklaus," Elijah told Klaus as his brother came in his house and sat on the sofa. "Selina is teaching Ethan how to cook, and they're inviting his little friend Jeffrey over to dinner tonight. Laura and Edward will be there, but I don't think I can handle it."

"I think I have you beat," Klaus replied. "Vivi, whom I always wanted to be a good child just like Lucy, has turned wicked in spite of all my efforts. She's geting into fights at school, though fortunately with only one child. A little boy who just happens to be Mikael's son. I don't know whether to be pleased about this or not. Cause if you think about it, through Vivi, I could have the revenge against Mikael that I never could achieve on my own."

Elijah smirked. "King and Vivi are getting into fights? Does Father know?"

"Yes, as a matter of fact," Klaus replied wryly. "He and I got into a tussle about it the other day."

"Okay, now that that's all settled...back to my problem," Elijah replied. "What do you think? What should I do about Ethan and Jeffrey?"

"Well, you can avoid them completely like you did me for all the time I was involved with the Duke of Orleans," Klaus suggested. "Or like you did when you found out about Alistair, before you knew that we weren't involved that way and decided to be his friend too."

"Unfortunately, now that's not so easy," Elijah sighed. "Selina wouldn't let me hide away. She says that's irresponsible."

"Well, then," Klaus replied. "I don't know what to tell you."

Elijah sighed. "Don't worry, Niklaus. It's not your job to fix my every problem. I'll figure out something somehow."

"Well, good luck!" Klaus said. "And if you can't think of anything else to get you through the evening, remember that you at least get to eat Selina's food!"

Elijah shrugged. "Well, that's something. If I focus on that, it just might help me."

"You're welcome," Klaus replied.

After Klaus went home, Elijah went to hide out in his study, and only emerged when a lovely smell met his nose. He headed for the kitchen and found Selina and Ethan standing over a bowl of goo and singing to themselves. He cleared his throat and they both turned to face him.

"Hi, Daddy!" Ethan said. "Mom is helping me make chicken, which is probably what you're smelling from the oven, and we're also doing other things that are a surprise. That's what this stuff in the bowl is."

"Well, that's wonderful," Elijah replied, trying to sound encouraging. "I'm sure it will be lovely. And you know that Laura and Edward are coming too, right? Will there be enough?"

"Of course," Selina replied as if he were being silly. "When have I ever not made enough? I already figured you were going to invite Laura and Edward tonight anyway."

"You did?" Elijah asked, his heart sinking a little. "And are you upset?"

"No," Selina replied. "As long as we all get along, the more the merrier, I say."

Elijah gave her a kiss. "Thank you!" He cried happily. "I might even put on a suit!"

"Great!" Selina shouted after him. "I can't wait!"

When she got to a point where she could leave the oven for a few minutes, Selina went to knock on her and Elijah's bedroom door. "Hey!" She called out to her husband. "Are you in a suit like you promised me you would be?"

Just then, the bedroom door opened and Elijah stepped out, smiling at her. "Could I trouble you to help me with my cufflinks, please?" He asked. He was wearing a black suit and a blue tie, and Selina felt her jaw drop. She stood there in silence for a few seconds before impulsively grabbing him and giving him a hug. "You look so nice!" She exclaimed as she squeezed him. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

"You're welcome," Elijah replied with a cough. "Now, darling, please let go. You're cutting off my oxygen!"

"Sorry," Selina replied and busied herself with fixing his cuffs. She realized after that his tie matched her dress. "We match!" She pointed out. "Did you do that on purpose?"

"Yes," Elijah replied. "I did. Now, how long before everyone arrives?"

"Not long," Selina replied as she patted his arm and led him to the kitchen to wait while she and Ethan finished dinner. "I promise."

Fortunately for Elijah, Laura and Edward (with Eli clutching his father's hand) arrived before Jeffrey did.

"We're having chicken!" Ethan said when he came to meet them. "I hope that's okay. I made it myself. Well, I did it with Mom's help."

"Well, let's have a look," Laura replied and followed him to the kitchen while Edward and Eli occupied Elijah.

"Dad isn't doing well, is he?" Laura asked Selina knowingly.

"He's doing a lot better than I thought he would," Selina replied. "Especially now that you're all here. And he actually put on a suit! I'm so happy!"

"Why?" Laura asked. "I thought you would be thrilled with Daddy loosening up a bit."

"Well, I am, don't get me wrong," Selina replied. "But before this...the only time he ever dressed down was for foreplay, and now I'm afraid that since I've seen him like that so often, it will have lost all its power." She sighed.

"And maybe it hasn't," Laura replied. "Who knows?"

Just then, the doorbell rang.

"Would you get that?" Selina asked as she put the final touches on dinner. "It's probably Jeffrey."

"Sure," Laura replied. "No problem."

She went and opened the door, seeing Jeffrey standing there with his parents. "Hi!" She greeted them. "I'm Laura, Ethan's sister. I don't know if we've met. Come in!"

"Thank you!" Jeffrey's mother replied. "I love coming to this house...it's so nice." She looked aghast at Selina's chair. "And some of the furniture is so quaint."

Laura smiled. "That's my mom's. She likes quirky, retro stuff. I kinda do too."

"That chicken smells good!" Jeffrey said after giving a sniff. "Is that rosemary I smell with it?"

"Yep," Ethan replied, coming out of the kitchen and taking off his apron. "You do!" They gave each other kisses on the cheek before Ethan took Jeffrey's hand and led him into the kitchen to taste the dessert (a chocolate cheesecake with raspberry sauce) which was chilling in the refrigerator.

"What do you think?" Selina asked after Jeffrey gave it a try. "It was Ethan's idea."

"Good!" Jeffrey said. "Can we skip dinner and eat this now instead?"

Selina smiled. "It's not firm enough yet," she said. "But when it is, I'll give you extra big pieces for your patience."

When everyone sat down for dinner, Elijah took a seat between Laura and Eli and tried to relax, but couldn't take his eyes off of Ethan and Jeffrey, who seemed to be holding hands under the table and were openly feeding each other pieces of chicken.

"Are you all right?" Laura asked her father.

"Yeah, Grandpa," Eli said. "Are you okay?"

"Of course," Elijah replied and tried to look away from the boys. "I'm great. What do you think of the chicken?"

"I think it's good," Laura replied. "Wonderful, even."

"Hey, Grandma," Eli looked at Selina. "How long until we have dessert?"

"Just be patient, Eli," Laura told him. "It'll happen when it happens."

"Okay!" Eli replied, trying not to squirm too much. "But that's very difficult! Cause I know it's chocolate!"

"We've all been there," Laura sighed. "Trust me."

Finally, everyone finished their chicken and when Eli saw Selina get up to get the cheesecake, he asked if he could help her.

"Oh, I don't think it would be a good idea for you to try and lift the presentation platter cause it's very heavy," Selina told him. "But you can come in with me and I'll try and find something for you to do, okay?"

He ended up being the one who brought in the forks and the napkins and handed them out to everybody while Selina put the cheesecake in its display on the table and everyone made noises of awe and took pictures.

"Can we eat it now?" Eli asked, jumping up and down as the last camera was stowed away.

"All right," Selina replied, taking the lid off the display. "Ethan, would you like the first piece?"

"I'll take the second," Ethan replied. "I think Eli wants it more than the rest of us."

Eli was so happy when he got his piece of cake. Selina gave him an extra big piece, which he ended up splitting with Elijah, who knew he wouldn't be able to eat a whole piece on his own. Eventually, Jeffrey and his family put on their coats and left, and Elijah let out a sigh of relief.

"You made it through all right," Laura hugged her father. "Good for you."

"Yeah," Selina replied. "Thank you, Elijah."

Elijah cleared his throat. "You're welcome," he replied. "Now, would you please get me some red wine?"

"Sure," Selina replied. "Coming right up."

"I'll get it," Laura said. "Mom, you sit."

"I'll come and help you," Edward replied.

But the wine was slow in coming and when Selina went to see what the hold up was, she found Edward and Laura making out in the kitchen, their hands places on each other that Elijah wouldn't have approved of if they weren't married.

"I see you're busy," Selina smiled. "You want me to bring this to your dad?"

"Oh, sorry," Laura replied as they pulled apart. "We just...we got distracted."

"Hopefully, I'll be able to distract your dad the same way tonight," Selina replied and brought Elijah his wine.

"You did really well tonight," Selina told Elijah as they were getting ready for bed. "I know having Ethan and Jeffrey in the same room makes you a bit...antsy. But you handled yourself well enough."

"I try," Elijah sighed. "Cause I know it makes him happy, and I don't want to get in the way of that, but I just..."

"It's not something you're used to," Selina nodded. "I get it."

"As Niklaus reminded me, in the past when something like this came up, I deftly avoided the situation...but I shouldn't do it here, should I?"

"If you can avoid avoidance, that would be best," Selina replied. "He's still your son. He just happens to like boys. But if it makes you feel any better, I caught Laura and Edward making out in the kitchen when they were supposed to be getting your wine."

Elijah smiled. "That does make me feel a little better," he said. Then, he went into the closet and changed back into his jeans only before re-emerging and pulling Selina to himself. "I changed," he said. "Now it's your turn. Or should I do it for you?"

"You...you help me," Selina replied and looked at him in amazement, her hands running down his bare chest and pausing a moment before she unbuttoned and unzipped his jeans and kissed him.

"You know," she said, her voice breathy. "I-I was afraid that if I saw you in your jeans too often, the look wouldn't be enticing to me anymore."

Elijah chuckled at this and gave her a long kiss as he pulled her dress over her head. "Clearly that was wrong, wasn't it?" He asked.

"Yeah," Selina nodded. "I guess it was." Then she moaned his hand slipped inside her panties and give her a rub, the sounds she made causing his erection to pulse. He pushed her against the wall and took off her bra, his hands kneading her tender breasts as she threw her arms around his neck, kissed him, and threaded her fingers through his dark hair.

Finally, he set her down in their bed, pulled off his jeans and boxers, slipped off her panties, and pushed into her, swallowing her scream with a kiss as she bucked forward and sank her teeth into his shoulder.

"Sorry," she said when she could finally get a breath. "I didn't mean to make you bleed."

"I don't mind," he said, kissing each one of her fingers. "I didn't feel a thing, really." He grinned. "At least not like you did."

"You're not kidding," Selina replied, her eyes wide. "I felt that. I really did."

"Ready for round two?" Elijah asked.

"Give me a minute," Selina replied, taking a breath. "Give me a minute, and then yes, I'll be ready for round two."