A/N: In the immortal words of Ron Weasely, yeah, I'm still here. Thank you so much for your patience!

"Caroline, may I speak with you a moment?"

I turned at the sound of Elijah's voice, and turned to see him following me down the hallway in the direction of our rooms. Gone were his tie and suit coat. The sleeves of his shirt were rolled up to his elbows and his hair was rumpled all over his head. He looked tired.

I nodded. "Sure."

I motioned him in the direction of our room, knowing Klaus was downstairs talking with Marcel, Thierry and Stefan. I closed the door behind us, noticing the grin Elijah now wore.

"Am I correct in assuming he's had this room made sound proof?" he asked.

I didn't even want to know what color I was turning at the moment. Awkwardly, I nodded. "Something he does with all his girlfriends, huh?"

As light-hearted as I'd tried to sound, I hadn't fooled Elijah for a second. I doubted I ever could.

"My brother has a history of sound proofing his personal rooms for many reasons over the centuries," he informed me, his brown eyes warm. "And I'd hardly classify you as one of my brother's 'girlfriends' to use that term. My brother has had many paramours over the years but none that he's cared for beyond what he actually wanted from them. Until now."

I couldn't fight the smile that spread across my face. Yes, I did realize that perhaps the most powerful creature on the planet was in love with me. It humbled me to even think about it. But to hear from his brother that none of the others had really mattered? Yeah, teen girl moment. I couldn't help basking in it.

"How are you, Caroline?" he asked, his expression growing more serious. "I know my brother was upset about the condition of Hayley and the child."

"Yes, he was. But he's okay. Everything's okay," I assured him.

"He didn't harm you?" Elijah's gaze was piercing as he stared at me. "In any way?"

"No," I admitted. "He threw a big… concrete fairy thing… sort of in my direction. He wouldn't have actually thrown it at me. He was just… frustrated. Fearful."

Nodding slowly, Elijah assessed me. "You understand my brother perfectly." Blowing out an exhale – relief? – he smiled again. "This has actually worked out better than I had hoped."

"What? Me and Klaus?" I had to ask.

"Precisely that, Caroline," he said. "I wish you knew him well enough to see the change you've brought about in him."

"Thank you, Elijah," I told him. I meant it.

"You remember my warning?"

"That it's a long-term arrangement?" I teased.

"That he considers you his," Elijah clarified, dead serious.

"Yes, I remember." Then I smiled. "I think I can live with that. As long as he doesn't get too…" I wasn't sure how to finish that.

"That may happen from time to time but I'll be here if you ever need me, Caroline."

And I knew he would be, without being told.

"How are you?" I asked him, knowing that the situation with Hayley and the condition of her and the child were draining on him. It was obvious that he cared about them.

"I assure you, I'm fine," he answered, seeming distracted. "I wanted to talk to you about the days to come. Marcel feels certain that Tyler and his supporters will soon move against us."

Okay, now I had an idea of where this was going. I nodded as he continued on.

"It's my hope that Clarice will regain her strength quickly. Until she does, and maybe even after, Kol will stay close to keep her and the girls safe. I have to admit that his devotion to their line, to them, is a quality I wouldn't have ever imagined he'd possess but I'm pleased none the less."

I had to agree with that. Kol had been psycho number two in the original family to me for a long time. When he returned and formed the alliance with Clarice and her daughters, it stunned me. But it didn't take long to accept it. I actually liked the Kol I'd gotten to know since I'd come to stay here.

"We will need to hide Hayley and her child to keep them safe," Elijah went on. "That is my task in the immediate future and it likely won't be easy because the number of people we can trust is dwindling."

"And then there is you," he said finally.

So, now we get to the heart of the matter.

"Klaus has already made me promise him that I won't do anything to put myself in danger," I explained, hoping to save him some time.

Elijah smirked at me. "I have no doubt he has, Caroline. And as you might have guessed, I'm here to make sure you understand how important it is that you keep that promise."

"I do understand, Elijah. I get it. I'm the weakest one here really. Aside from the kids, I guess. But from what I've seen of them, they could probably beat my ass if they really wanted to."

"It's more than the fact that you are the youngest among our kind here, Caroline. I'm thinking about the impact it would have on my brother, on this family, if anything should happen to you," Elijah said carefully. "Klaus might never recover if he lost you and his humanity has been tentative at best over the last few centuries. I doubt even I could bring him back from such a loss. The harmony that's developed in this household wouldn't survive. It's as if… it's as if you've become the beating heart of this home, the center of it all."

Tears stung the backs of my eyes at his words.

"You will likely be a target of Tyler's," he went on.

"Because I was once with him?"

"No, because hurting you would hurt Klaus," Elijah answered me. "So I want you to promise me that whatever happens, no matter how they choose to attack, you will stay with either Klaus or myself. No exceptions. Kol and Rebekah also care about you, and they too are strong. But for my sanity, do this for me."

It wasn't until then that I understood just how serious Elijah was about this.

"Do you understand, Caroline?"

"Yes, I do." I meant it. I had to. Elijah was literally staring me down.

"Good," he told me. "Now I can get started on my plans, secure the mansion."

"Secure the mansion?" Something occurred to me. "Who owns the mansion?"

Elijah's expression was one of confusion. "Klaus and I are technically the owners…"

I could tell he didn't know what I was getting at.

"Back when Elena was still human, to help keep her safe, Damon and Stefan signed the boarding house over to her so no other vampires could enter without her permission. And since we know that invitation would also apply to a hybrid…"

His dark eyes lit with understanding. "Of course. We could sign the house over to Clarice."

I nodded. I knew it wouldn't stop the witches but it would help stop Tyler and his hybrids anyway.

"That's a very good idea," he told me. "I'll see it done."

The line was meant to mark his exit but I had one last question.

"Is there anything I can do aside from keeping myself safe, Elijah? I'm used to being part of a team, pitching in. You know?"

Elijah's smile was kind. "Just be you, Caroline. You have no idea how incredibly important it is that you do so."

I watched as he walked out, feeling honored to be held in such esteem by someone like Elijah. To be told I was important by him? Wow. It was humbling to say the least.

I was about to get on my laptop and see if I had any emails from my Mom or my friends when a knock sounded at the door that Elijah had left slightly open.

"Yes?"

"Caroline, it's me."

Rebekah walked in, her smile not reaching her eyes. I could tell from the swirl of emotion in her blue eyes that she was carrying stuff around and I knew a moment's guilt. With everything that had been happening – saving Davina, Clarice's weakness, Hayley's return, the impending threat of Tyler – I'd forgotten all about Rebekah. She was careful to close the door behind her.

"How are you doing?" I walked over to her, giving her a hug because she looked like she needed one.

She hugged me back tightly. "I've been better."

"Girl talk time," I told her the minute she released me and I motioned her over to sit on the bed with me.

I didn't say anything which I found was a good tactic with the original sister. If I started out asking the wrong questions, it would just irritate her or worse, get her temper fired up. I'd learned if I just let her start talking when she was ready, it went a lot easier.

"Marcel is here and firmly on my brother's team," she began. "I realize under the circumstances he has little choice. But he knows that Nik doesn't want us together – like he wants me to have anyone – and he's giving me the cold shoulder."

The pretty blonde slumped next to me on the bed. "It's the same old thing, Caroline. Every time I care about someone, they seem to care about me, Nik ruins it. Either they decide his favor and protection would serve them better or their fear of him causes them to bow to his wishes."

I'd been ready to hear about how things were from her point of view now that Marcel was here and on our side of things. And Stefan… Yeah, I thought this was going to be more of a two-boys-I-like-are-under-the-same-roof-as-me kind of thing. I didn't anticipate that her focus would be on Klaus. Her words sent me instantly into defensive mode. He was my lover, right? But, at the same time, how I felt about Klaus didn't blind me to the fact that he could be cruel in how he interfered in his sister's life. I hoped in time he'd be so occupied with his own happiness with me, that he'd stop messing up Rebekah's love life. Didn't she deserve to be happy too?

"Oh, I can see the wheels turning," her voice broke into my thoughts. "What are you thinking, Caroline?"

"That I was actually thinking you'd say something else," I admitted.

"Such as?"

Oh yeah. She was getting irked.

"Such as how awkward things are because Marcel is here. Stefan is here."

"Stefan." Rebekah blew out an exhale. "Yes, Stefan who is still reeling from your Doppleganger bi- Elena. Even if he thought of me again, as more than a friend, how long would it take Nik to…"

"I'm seeing a trend here," I cut her off gently. "Okay, let me ask you a question then. If your brother wasn't an issue, who would you want? Who do you love?"

Her lovely face fell, her gaze dropped. My question had stopped her cold and I instantly felt guilty for asking. How many times had this beautiful girl found love and it had been denied her? She'd once loved Marcel. Years later, she'd fallen in love with Stefan. Neither love was able to grow into anything at all because Klaus wouldn't allow it. How was she supposed to feel? How was she supposed to choose? Or even answer my thoughtless question?

When she said nothing, I sighed. "Forget I said that."

"I may as well forget you said it. I'll never have a choice." Rebekah's voice was heavy with defeat.

In the grand scheme of things, Rebekah's love life didn't seem to be that big a deal. Tyler was coming for us with the hybrids he'd apparently created. The witches would be coming for us because of our interference in their lives.

But Rebekah and I had one really big thing in common. We were frozen teen girls. Stuck in time at a time when love was supposed to be romantic and breathtaking. Of course we matured emotionally, mentally where our bodies didn't. I certainly had and I was a very young vampire. Some things… I had to wonder. That yearning for love a girl felt when she was barely a woman. Did that remain? Part of me doubted it because of the changes I'd been through. The love I felt for Klaus wasn't a teen girl's emotion. It was deeper than that, stronger than that. It consumed.

Rebekah hadn't had the chance to experience any of it because her brother didn't want to be alone.

That's when I made up my mind.

"Rebekah, I want you to change your mindset." I grinned at her. "No more oh, Nik will never let me love anyone. From now on, I want you to think in terms of how good your love life will be."

Her eyebrows shot up as she gave me an incredulous look. "Seriously?"

"Seriously." She didn't know what it was like when I, Caroline Forbes, made up my mind about anything. "Your brother isn't even going to be an issue. It's not about him. It's about you. It's time you started thinking about your life in terms of what you want out of it."

She shook her head at me in denial. Even still, I didn't miss the speck of hope shining in her beautiful blue eyes.

"As if there would ever be a day when Nik wouldn't be an issue in my life," she said sadly.

"Leave him to me," I assured her.

"You honestly think you can get Nik to butt out of my life?"

"If he ever wants to have sex again? Yes."

Rebekah burst out laughing and I joined her after a minute though no part of what I said was intended to be a joke.

"You're serious?" she finally asked.

"Very serious."

I guess she didn't know where to go from there because she simply nodded, her attention drawn to something else.

Rebekah reached towards me to touch my necklace. "That really is beautiful. Nik gave it to you the night we went out with Stefan, didn't he?"

I nodded.

"He had it spelled you know."

"He did?" I'd often wondered if there were some significance to the beautiful piece. Klaus had given me beautiful things before, simply because he could. But I'd caught him eying that necklace so many times… He'd even reminded me to wear it a couple of times. "How do you know he spelled it?"

Rebekah let the diamonds slide between her fingers. "You can feel it."

"Great." I snickered, joking. "If I flirt with someone, maybe my hair will catch fire or my daylight ring will deactivate."

"I doubt it," Rebekah smiled but didn't treat it lightly. "Knowing Nik, how he is with you now, he's spelled it to protect you."

Of course he would do that.

"I'd give anything to have someone feel that way about me one day," she said wistfully.

I clasped her hand in mine. "It will happen. I swear it."

After a moment, Rebekah saw something in my face that must have convinced her that I was dead serious – and I was – and she pulled me in for a fierce hug. I hugged her back with everything I had.

I realized then, between my promise to Rebekah, my visit from Elijah, and my love for their brother, I really had become part of this family. I'd fight for them. I'd fight for Kol and his family of witches.

I loved them. And I would cling to that love in the days ahead. I'd seen dark days but a scared part of me whispered that I hadn't seen true darkness yet.