982 – Vinland (present-day America)

Elijah felt himself tossing and turning all night. His little brother slept in his cradle next to Elijah as Esther found Niklaus slept better when he was nearby. But tonight, every time Elijah would shift, his little brother would startle awake with a cry. Elijah would freeze each time, waiting for the angry words of his father for having his sleep disturbed, but they didn't come. Instead, Elijah gently rocked the cradle until his brother would fall back to sleep. Elijah wished he could follow suit.

His mind however was plagued by the images of Astra's mother on her knees in the thorns, frantically searching for something. Esther had told him that empaths were disturbed in the head and that's why they could manipulate others the way they could. Part of him worried his mother had been right.

Even though Elijah had his reservations about Astra, he still trudged out to the open space in the woods where they had been practicing in. Astra had never hurt him or even used her magic against him without asking since the day they met. He would give her a chance to explain what happened the previous day before he went running and screaming from her like his mother told him to.

However, when he got to the meadow, Astra was nowhere to be seen. Elijah came to a halt when he saw the empty field. Astra had always gotten there before him. It drove him crazy that no matter how hard he tried to get there before her, she was always waiting for him with a slightly annoyed expression on her face that she had been kept waiting.

So this morning was incredibly strange.

Elijah couldn't help but think it had to do with her mother. Maybe she was embarrassed by what Elijah witnessed. Or maybe her mother had harmed Astra. Elijah's heart began to race at the thought. He shouldn't have left her alone. He knew better but he had let his fear of Mikael drive his actions.

He took off back into the woods, in the direction of Astra's home. Afraid he would find her still lying on the forest floor, hurt or worse. He tried to push the images out of his head. He had never truly cared for anyone before Astra. He had his parents, but they didn't seem to want anything to do with him so they would send him out of the house most days. He had his brothers, but Finn seemed to hate him and Niklaus was just a baby. But against his better judgment, he had grown to care for Astra during their training sessions.

While they wouldn't talk, he would watch how she trained. She was more dedicated than many of the boys in their village. And after the day of the attack by the village boys, Elijah understood why. As Mikael told him, training was a means of survival but many of the village boys viewed it as a status symbol. Whoever was the strongest or fastest, was the best. But for Astra, it was a means to protect herself. She understood the importance of survival and Elijah admired that. He wondered if she wanted to train for more than just protection against the village boys. If she needed protection at home as well.

The trees nearly blurred around him as he sprinted faster than he even thought he could. He made it to the clearing in record time. His eyes scanned the area where they had found Helga the day before. But this time it was empty. Helga was nowhere to be seen, and mercifully neither was Astra. He searched the forest floor carefully, making sure he didn't miss her small frame under the brush or buried beneath the fallen leaves. He didn't find anything out of the ordinary. The forest floor looked much the same as it had the day before, there hadn't appeared to be a scuffle or anything which would have disturbed the area. And he knew without a doubt that if Astra was attacked, even by her own mother, she would have fought back so hard that it would have permanently damaged the forest around her.

Elijah headed in the direction of the home of Erik. This time more slowly.

He had never actually seen the home. Astra's family chose to build their house on the far outskirts of the village. They were closer to the wolves than many of the villagers. Which only served to increase the speculations about the family.

Since meeting Astra, Elijah had paid closer attention to the rumors and the village gossip about Astra's family. Her father, Erik, was a lazy drunk who spent more time in the pub than taking care of his fields. And Helga was a beautiful siren who would use her magic to steal the men of the village away from their wives if they weren't careful. He had heard one man say that Helga had gotten pregnant by a werewolf and used her magic to trick Erik into falling in love and marrying her, claiming the child as his own.

This story was the one Elijah was the most interested in. After all, you could only tell a werewolf from a human after they triggered their gift. But Astra didn't seem like a werewolf.

Although, he remembered how quickly the alpha of the Deep Water pack came to her aid. How he threatened the village boys so fiercely.

When Elijah got to the small shack, he hesitated, not sure what he was going to find. Or even what he was hoping to find. If Astra was alright, she had purposefully chosen not to come train with him. And if she wasn't, Elijah knew there was not much he could do to protect her.

Evenso, he clutched the staff in his hand and walked towards the small home. It looked similar to his home, most of the village hovels did. Although, it appeared to be in need of repair. The door seemed to have a giant gash in it as if someone had taken a sword to it and the curtains that hung in the windows were worn and torn in places. It was also strange that they would have their curtains drawn in the morning. Candles were expensive and as soon as the sun shown in his home, Esther was opening the curtains for light.

Elijah took a deep breath and approached, despite his fears. He wasn't sure what he should do though. He was scared to knock and disturb her father if he was home but with the one-room shack, it would be impossible to get Astra's attention without attracting everyone else. He hadn't thought this all the way through.

While Elijah was standing in front of the door, debating his next moves, the door swung open causing Elijah to stumble a couple of steps back.

"What are you doing here?" Astra hissed, closing the door behind her to block Elijah's view from her home.

"You didn't show up to training." He stuttered out, trying to regain the bravery that forced him to check on Astra.

"I'm busy today." She said vaguely, not meeting his eyes. But Elijah was studying her face. The first thing he noticed was her wild curls that she hadn't tried to tie down. But her eyes were what concerned him. She had dark bags under her eyes, as if she hadn't slept for weeks. He furrowed his brow in confusion, he had seen her just the day before and hadn't noticed that.

"Astra, are you okay?" He moved a step closer to her but she pulled back.

"Please don't." She whispered, her hands grasping one another. The fear in her voice made him freeze in place. No one had ever been afraid of him before and the feeling left a pit in his stomach.

"I'm not going to hurt you." He matched her quiet tone with a more comforting one of his own. "I was worried about you."

Astra's green eyes flashed towards him, they were duller than he remembered seeing them. Her look was a mixture of relief and fear. Much like Elijah, she didn't often have anyone to look out for her.

"I'm fine," Astra said, her tone still quiet. This disturbed Elijah more than anything. She always spoke with such confidence, even when the confidence was not warranted. "Thank you for checking."

"Is your mother alright?" Elijah pried further, trying to figure out exactly what had happened in the woods the night before. Astra looked at him with wide eyes. She had never had a friend before and he truly looked concerned. His eyes were soft and caring as he still clutched the staff in his hand like he would fight off anything that threatened to harm her.

Both of Astra's parents had warned her not to tell anyone of her mother's afflictions. Her mother would tell her the only reason they were safe is that people feared her enough to leave them alone. If they knew Helga could be weakened, their entire family would be at risk.

But even with that warning, Astra found the words spilling out of her. Things she couldn't tell anyone, not even her mother. She told him about her mother's magic and how over the last year demons seemed to plague her mind. That her mother would often not even remember what happened in these states. It was as if she was possessed. How it was getting worse every time. It would take days, even weeks, for her mother to come back to reality after one of her episodes.

"But you can't tell anyone." Astra grabbed his hand, imploring that he understood. And he did. Helga would be burned alive for this. The village would view this as a sign that the Gods had forsaken her and she would be killed as a sign of good faith to the Gods. "Please, promise me."

"I promise." Elijah held her hands. They felt so small in his. "I won't let anything bad happen."

2013 – New Orleans, Louisiana

The water seared her skin as she let it wash over her. She welcomed the burn. It was enough to ground her in reality. Pulling her mind away from the way Elijah had held her just an hour ago.

He was in pain and you were there for him as a friend , Hayley reminded herself. There was nothing to feel guilty about.

And yet she did feel guilty. Incredibly so.

So guilty in fact that she immediately got into the shower when she got home. This only made her feel more guilty. Like one of those sleazy women on daytime television who had affairs and would go home to erase the scent of their lover before their husbands came home.

Which wasn't far from what Hayley was doing.

She couldn't imagine making Jack understand that nothing had happened. That she had just held him as he cried. That he was processing through all of the grief of their pack because his friend brought their friend back. But she knew Jackson would just focus on the fact that she essentially spent the night in Elijah's arms.

And she couldn't blame him because the thoughts running through her mind were anything but innocent when Elijah had pulled her onto his lap, seemingly unaware of his actions, as he buried his face into the crook of her neck. His beard lightly scratching the soft skin there. It reminded her of the night they had given in to their desires and Elijah had trailed kisses down her neck.

She let herself be taken by the memories for a moment before shutting the water off and getting out of the shower. She wrapped a soft towel around her body and gathered the clothes she had thrown in the corner as she undressed. She brought the shirt to her face briefly, breathing in his scent one last time. She gathered the discarded items and tossed them into their laundry hamper, before heading to wash the remaining evidence of her night with Elijah.

XXXX

Cami padded down the metal staircase as quietly as humanly possible. Which she knew was ridiculous in a household full of vampires. She made it to the courtyard before she was spotted, or at least before they acknowledged her presence.

"Sneaking out before breakfast?" Elijah's familiar voice stopped her in her tracks, but there was something off about it. She spun around to see Astra, Elijah, and Rebekah sitting in the dining room with drinks in front of them.

"That's typically our brother's move," Rebekah smirked at her, eyes taking in her rumpled hair and borrowed clothes.

"As you're well aware," Cami bristled at the implication. She knew she couldn't deny her developing feelings for Klaus, but she also didn't like how openly the family discussed it. As if they were discussing the weather. "I slept in the guest room. And I should be heading home."

Cami turned to leave but stopped, the therapist in her forcing her to turn back to the trio.

"What is going on here?" She took in the multiple empty bottles of bourbon and the disheveled state of the culprits.

"We are celebrating the return of our brother." Rebekah held up a drink as if in a toast, but she had briefly forgotten she was a vampire once again and the glass shattered in her hand. "Oh bloody hell."

"Rebekah, if you keep breaking our glasses, we will be forced to drink straight from the bottle." Elijah laughed at his sister's annoyed expression. This was the fourth glass she had broken since they all convened in the dining room to drink away their sorrows.

Cami wasn't sure if she was more surprised by the lighthearted joke coming from Elijah or the slightly slurred words. She knew the Mikaelsons drank like their lives depended on it, but she had never seen any of them actually get drunk.

"Are you drunk?" Cami asked, surprise evident in her voice.

"Don't be ridiculous." Elijah gave her a stern look which lost a lot of credibility by his slightly glazed eyes. "It's not even noon yet."

"Well, I'm going to assume by the eight bottles of bourbon that you're lying." Cami gave him a soft smile, relieved to see the three of them working through whatever magic was in their system together. Hearing how the magic impacted empaths reminded Cami of her brother and uncle. Of how a magical hex had made them lose their minds and their lives. She desperately did not want the past to repeat with these three. "Does it help? With the magic?"

"Exactly," Astra spoke up for the first time, seemingly worse than the others. Which made sense if she was trying to keep up with the original vampires. "She's a smart one, I like her."

Cami moved to enter the room and grab a seat near Astra but the young woman pulled back slightly.

"I like you but I am going to ask that you sit over there." Astra gestured to the chair as far away from her as the table allowed. Cami's mouth dropped open and she began to make excuses to leave. "No, I want you to stay, but just far enough away that your emotions aren't going to send me into a spiral. You have a lot of anxiety radiating off of you."

Understanding washed over her as she looked at the seating. Astra's chair was as close to Elijah's as she could get without just sitting in his lap and Rebekah was down the table from Elijah. Apparently, her energy was also grating on Astra.

"Oh, are you anxious about staying in a house full of vampires?" Rebakak teased the therapist. "Or is it just one vampire in particular?"

"So is that why you're friends with Elijah?" Cami asked, completely ignoring Rebekah which only caused her to break out into a fit of laughter. "Because his emotions are so repressed? Or is that why his emotions are so repressed?"

"It's really the chicken or the egg conundrum," Elijah smirked down at Astra, who had leaned into him more. While his emotions were still raw, he felt more calm than he had the night before. His break from her in the study must have helped him sort himself out. Although Astra knew he hadn't actually worked through the emotions, rather he shoved them in a neat little corner of his mind, likely to plague him until the end of time.

"Don't be ridiculous." Astra scoffed at him, remembering the little boy she had known all those years ago. While Elijah struggled to remember parts of their human lives, Astra remembered it all. Every time she turned twenty-one and her memories started to flood back, she would remember every moment of their human lives. "You were a very emotional little child. But it wasn't me that made you suppress it."

Astra's eyes turned stormy remembering seeing Mikael throw Eliah down to the ground because he had the audacity to cry when Mikael killed his pet dog. Astra had to admit she was jealous of Nik for getting the opportunity to kill Mikael twice. One of these days she would bring both his parents back just so she could have the satisfaction.

"Drink," Elijah whispered to her lightly. "Pushing the glass over to her."

It was a game they had played since their human days and she began to have her episodes. Drink when you feel sad until the pain is manageable. This time they may stay drunk for weeks at this rate.

"This doesn't seem healthy." Cami sighed as Astra threw back the rest of her drink.

"It's not." Rebekah smiled as she grabbed another glass for herself and one for Cami. "But we do it to get through the initial episode so we don't get dragged down into the pain and let it consume us."

"Cheers to that." Astra held out her glass so Rebekah could fill it once again.

"Are you lot drunk?" Klaus walked into the room, glancing between his siblings. His eyes landed on Cami however and he gave her a small, almost shy smile. One which she immediately returned. After another lingering look, he turned back to his siblings to find Rebekah giving him a mischievous look with a twinkle in her eyes. Choosing to ignore whatever clever thought she was about to utter, he turned his gaze to his brother. "It's not even noon."

"Oh, so we do practice morality in this household." Elijah had enough alcohol in his system that he didn't bother to mince his words. "Killing innocent women is permissible, but getting drunk before noon is not. Thank you for clarifying, brother."

The room stilled at Elijah's words, waiting for the inevitable reaction from Klaus. His eyes hardened at the anger in his brother's words. He felt the anger in him rising once again. He had told Elijah that his anger was unending and these days, with his brother being mad at him, it had never felt more true.

Thankfully, whatever biting remarks Klaus was going to say were cut off by the arrival of Hayley, who entered the room with wet hair, looking around curiously at everyone. It was still early and she had hoped to sneak in and grab her daughter without running into the family.

"Family meeting?" She asked, looking between the siblings and finally landing on Cami who looked as if she had spent the night.

"They're drunk." Cami gestured to the three who merely shrugged at the accusation.

"Of course." Hayley looked at the three briefly without making eye contact with any of them. Or really, without making eye contact with one of them in particular. "I'm going to check on Hope."

As Hayley excused herself from the room and headed to the direction of the nursery, she heard Elijah follow after. She took a deep breath to steady herself. She should have known he would follow.

"Hayley." She heard his deep voice and stopped herself from thinking about the times he had whispered it in her ear as his body was pressed on top of hers. She debated not turning around. She could ignore him and she knew he would let her.

But she was trying to be a good friend. Astra's words still haunted her. She knew Elijah had struggled after Esther's torture and then everything had gotten so out of hand that no one had followed up with him. She wouldn't make that mistake again.

When she turned to face him, she saw the look of surprise flash across his face. He had been expecting her to walk away. That was their pattern after all. Always walking away from one another.

"I wanted to apologize about last night." His tone was low as he was very aware of his nosy siblings with supernatural hearing in the other room.

"You apologized last night–" Hayley started. "Well, this morning. And I told you there was nothing to apologize for."

He had apologized, numerous times, when he had pulled himself together enough to realize the compromising position they were in. Hayley was curled into his lap, pressed firmly against his chest as his head rested on her shoulder. She had taken to stroking his hair softly as she whispered soothing words to him. As he came back to himself, he gently moved her so she was sitting next to him, although he took his time removing his hands from around her waist. Knowing it would be the last time he would allow himself to touch her in such a manner.

"Even still, I should apologize for taking advantage of you in that way." Hayley nearly laughed at his words. If anyone had taken advantage of someone last night, it was her. Even while she was comforting him, she was relishing in the feeling of having his arms around her again. "You're married and I put you in an uncomfortable position which I will explain to Jackson."

"No." Hayley nearly shouted the word at him, but remembered herself. "No. That's not necessary. There's nothing to tell."

Elijah's eyes lingered on her wet hair briefly before he looked into her eyes again.

"As you wish." He nodded briefly. "Thank you again."

She watched as he walked off, his steps steady. If she hadn't seen the evidence of the alcohol in front of him just moments before, she wouldn't have guessed he was drunk. Although, maybe his words wouldn't have been in such earnestness if he wasn't.

XXXX

"Good, you're back." Astra nearly cheered when Elijah reentered the room. Elijah nearly groaned at her cheerful tone. She was swinging back and forth between cheerful and devastated too quickly. "We're going dancing."

"Excuse me?" Elijah looked around the room as if to gain a sense of what she meant.

"Yes, we have much to celebrate brother." Rebekah came to his side and wrapped an arm around him. He responded by putting his around her shoulder and kissing her on the forehead. He was happy to have Freya, but he had missed his little sister. "Kol has returned, our family is together, and we are already drunk."

Elijah nearly argued that the last point was a reason they should not go dancing. New Orleans did not need a family full of drunk original vampires loose on the streets.

"Absolutely not," Elijah argued, seeing he had support from his brother at least. But Rebekah and Astra seemed set on the idea.

"Please." Astra pouted. Although she knew it wouldn't take much convincing. Anytime she was struggling, there wasn't much Elijah wouldn't do to help get her through it. "It will make me feel better."

Elijah let out a deep sigh. He knew she would win this argument. She always did.

"Rosseau's." Elijah negotiated. "And only for one drink."

"You've already showed your hand." Astra smiled widely at him. "You caved in far too easily. So now we are going clubbing and closing down the bar."

"As fun as that sounds," Nik smirked at his brother. "I will be staying home."

"I'm sure no one will miss you, Nik." Astra didn't even glance his way. "Cami, you're coming, right?"

"Sure." She smiled at the excitement between Rebekah and Astra. She had never really had close friends, let alone close girl friends. She was excited to actually go out with them, although she worried what impact being at a club would have on Astra if she didn't want people to be near her. "It sounds like fun."

"I'm going to invite some friends tonight too." Astra beamed at her. "I'll introduce you to some nice guys for once."

Astra could feel Nik glaring at her but she still didn't acknowledge him.

"Oh, I don't think that's–" Cami started, but Astra cut her off.

"You'll love them." Astra was focusing on the feeling of excitement from Rebekah. Astra was slowly pulling herself back from the edge. She found herself focusing on Cami, who was radiating a calm, happy energy now. Astra noticed it began when Nik entered the room. She didn't know how he always seemed to attract the sweet, innocent ones, but she wanted to protect her from the horrors of falling in love with a Mikaelson. She saw it time and time again.

"Elijah, Cami and I have decided you can't wear a suit to go out dancing tonight." Astra turned her focus to her friend. "Consider it part of your therapy."

"How is taking away my suits therapy?" Elijah looked curiously at Camille who looked hesitant to get involved.

"It's just a running theory." Camille looked hesitant. Despite what Klaus liked to pretend, she was not their therapist and worried about miss diagnosing them. But it was at least clear that Elijah suffered from Obsessive Compulsive Disorder associated with his Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. She had left him alone with it for months seeing if he would work through it on his own, and she thought he had. But it turned out he just started hiding it. So Cami had been researching the best ways to help him and landed on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy mixed with the idea of reprocessing. The idea she and Astra came up with was to force Elijah out of his comfort zone but in a safe environment so he could develop new associations. Astra and Cami both knew Elijah's OCD manifested in this appearance, so they decided to put him in a relaxed, hopefully happy situation, without his suits to see if that would help him move past the panic that settled in him when he was slightly disheveled.

Cami noticed the vampires in the room all turned to the entrance of the dining room but when she turned, no one was there. Moments later Marcel strode into the room, his eyebrows furrowed and his jaw clenched.

"When were you going to tell me you were back?" He demanded, looking straight at Rebekah.

"Marcel." Rebekah stood up, having the decency to look ashamed. "I meant to call."

"I had to find out from Josh that you are not only back but your back in your body and you almost died." Marcel fixed her with a hard stare. He should have known something was wrong. They had been speaking on the phone regularly as she was away looking for a way to bring Kol back but over the last few days, she had gone radio silent. He had called her multiple times, concern building, but he assumed if something had happened, the Mikaelsons would tell him. Apparently, he had been wrong. "And no one thought to tell me Astra was back in town."

Astra gave him a small wave having heard her name, but she was not about to get in the middle of a fight between Bex and Marcel. She had been there and done that before and it never ended well.

"Everything just happened so fast," Rebekah explained. "I was going to call you when we sorted it all out."

"You couldn't have sent a text?" Marcel demanded although the anger seemed to disappear slightly.

"I'm sorry, love." Rebekah noticed the shift in his mood and took it as an opportunity to approach him. "Next time I am called back in town to prevent my brothers from killing one another and then have to deal with Astra almost destroying the bayou and then desiccating me, I will make sure I send you a text."

She moved forward and put her arms around his neck, pulling him closer.

"You better." He smiled at her and kissed her gently.

XXXX

The church attic was drafty, but Davina didn't seem to care. The love of her life was lying in bed with her, his arms wrapped tightly around her. She snuggled into him and his arm gripped her tighter.

She was still getting used to this new body. She had fallen in love with him while she knew him as Kaleb and she was used to that face. Not that she was complaining about his original body. She logically knew when she got him back that he would be in his vampire body, but every time she had imagined it, she still pictured him as Kaleb.

A part of her worried that Kol wouldn't desire her like he had before now that he wasn't a witch. She worried that they might not have anything in common anymore. After all, he was a thousand-year-old vampire and she was just a regular witch.

Yet, with his arms wrapped around her, it felt as if no time had passed between them.

"What are you thinking, darling?" She felt Kol's chest rumble as he spoke. She hadn't realized he had woken up.

"I'm thinking that I am incredibly happy right now." She pressed a kiss against his chest and ran her hand across his stomach.

When they had left the Mikaelson compound last night, she was embarrassed to admit she didn't have a place to bring him. She had been living in the attic of the church for the past several months. She didn't have any money to afford a place on her own and she was too proud to tell Marcel. He had been trying to check on her, but she was avoiding him. The last thing she needed was for the witches to think she was aiding him with his new vampires. So had returned to the only home she had. The church Marcel had kept her in when he first saved her.

Kol didn't seem to mind. He joked that all he needed was a bed and he'd be happy. She had blushed at his comment but when they arrived at the church he was practically asleep on his feet. She knew exactly how it felt to come back from the dead. It was draining and she had felt like she could have slept for days. So that's what they did.

Kol had stripped down to his boxers and collapsed into the bed without much preamble. Davina stood there watching him, her eyes lingering on his naked chest. She didn't know why she felt so out of place.

"Come here, love." Kol cracked one eye open to look at her and held his hand out.

"Let me change into something more comfortable." She said nervously, grabbing shorts and a tank top from her dresser. She glanced around nervously and went behind the changing screen to preserve some modesty. She could have sworn she heard Kol chuckle quietly from where he lay on the bed.

When Davina emerged, Kol was practically asleep on the bed, but his arm was stretched out as if he had been waiting for her. She laid down gently, curling into his side. He didn't say anything but he pulled her into his chest where she fell asleep peacefully for the first time in months.

XXXX

Elijah was striding after Astra as she walked down Bourbon Street. He watched as she carefully avoided coming in contact with the tourists but he could tell the excitement of the crowds was affecting her. He had made sure before they left that Astra could handle it. He knew her episodes came in cycles and she seemed to be on a high and was trying to ride it out as long as possible.

He watched as she twirled in the street to the live music, letting the energy of the city run through her. He wished he could be that free. Instead, he anxiously tugged at the sleeve of his leather jacket. Astra had dressed him in dark jeans and a long sleeve tee. He decided to throw his jacket on top and Astra nearly argued against it but stopped herself. They were already pushing him tonight. She would let him have the comfort of his jacket.

Besides, she thought, he looked hot in it.

They were meeting the rest of his family at some club Freya was familiar with. Rebekah had texted Davina and they agreed to go out and celebrate with the family. Rebekah had also invited Hayley and Jackson to join the celebration, causing Elijah to try to get out of the evening festivities, citing that someone needed to watch Hope as Niklaus was now planning to join. He had said something about making sure Astra didn't corrupt Camille against him. But his brother argued that 'the crone Mary' was watching Hope tonight to let Hayley and Jackson have a night out.

Elijah was happy Hayley was getting a break to enjoy herself, but he had no desire to witness her night out with her husband.

The club they met at was packed but Astra had called ahead and gotten a private area reserved for the night. That way if any of them needed to escape the mayhem, they would have a safe haven.

Rebekah, Marcel, and Freya were already at the table with a round of shots in front of them. He shook his head at his sisters. They had been drinking for most of the day and yet they were still going.

"Good, you're here." Freya smiled at the new arrivals and held out two shots. "Just in time."

"I don't think that's necessary," Elijah argued, not reaching for his shot. He was still feeling the effects of their binge drinking all day.

"Of course it is." Astra grabbed both of them, handing him one.

"Cheers." Rebekah held up her drink. "To family."

"Always and forever." Freya finished for Rebekah. It warmed Elijah's heart to see them bonding. Rebekah had always wanted a sister and now she had Freya to look out for her.

They clinked their glasses and downed the shots together and Elijah nearly choked.

"What is this?" He gasped.

"Cheap tequila." Freya grinned at him. "The only way to get drunk."

Elijah just shook his head at her. He was not going to be drinking cheap tequila all night.

As they settled in, Kol and Davina arrived. Davina immediately went to Marcel and gave him a hug, but seemed to distance herself from the rest of the family.

"Brother." Kol approached Elijah. They hadn't had a chance to speak since he had been brought back. Elijah pulled him into a quick hug, clasping the back of his neck as he did.

"It's good to have you back, Kol." He said as he hugged his little brother. He had a third chance with Kol and he wouldn't let him down again. Kol smiled slightly at his brother's words. He and Elijah had never gotten on, but he had always looked up to his older brother and wanted to make him proud.

"Cami!" Astra nearly squealed as she threw herself at the blonde, who likely would have toppled over if Hayley hadn't been standing behind her to catch her.

Elijah gave a brief nod to Hayley and Jackson before turning back to the table where Rebekah and Freya were happily chatting.

"I'm going to grab a drink." He heard Jackson tell Hayley, but Rebekah was faster.

"We have bottle service." She shouted over the music so he could hear it.

"But only if you're in the mood for cheap tequila apparently." Elijah pretended to glare at his sisters who merely laughed. As he was complaining a waitress walked up to their table, smiling brightly at the party.

"Hi sweetheart, could you bring us over a bottle of your finest bourbon?" Elijah leaned into the waitress so she could hear his order. As she left to fetch his order, Elijah turned back to the table to see all eyes on him.

"I forgot what a rake you are when you drink." Rebekah nearly cackled at him.

"I am not." Elijah's eyes widened in surprise at the accusation.

"You a little bit are." Astra slurred slightly as she reached for the bottle of tequila. "But don't worry, I like it."

She threw him a wink as she held out another shot. Rebekah nearly groaned. She forgot what the two of them were like when they were drunk together. Especially where there was dancing involved.

"You'll need this." Astra smiled at Elijah. "For all of the surprises I have for you tonight."

"I thought this was supposed to be fun," Elijah complained but took the proffered shot.

"Oh trust me, it will be." Her eyes sparkled with mirth. "For us."

It turned out the first surprise was telling the band that The Elijah Mikaelson would be in attendance tonight and that he should be called up on stage to perform. Astra nearly had to march him onto the stage, but she had made sure she had plied him with just enough alcohol that he eventually complied. Although, she was apparently not getting a birthday present for the next twenty years due to her surprise.

Cami, Rebekah, Freya, and Astra pushed to the front of the crowd in order to be at the front of the stage as Elijah played the keyboard with the jazz band. He smirked at her throughout the performance. Astra had almost forgotten how flirty he was when he was intoxicated, but she loved it. Although she loved it less when his gaze drifted to the back of the club where the private tables were. She didn't have to turn around to know who had caught his attention.

Hayley had said she would wait at the table as the girls went to the front of the packed club to watch Elijah play. She leaned into Jackson who had his arm draped around her as she spoke to Davina about the witches, who were apparently angry at them once again. But every now and then her eyes would drift to the stage and she couldn't help but smile at Elijah. He always seemed so happy when he played, yet she couldn't recall the last time he had.

"Brother," Kol announced Klaus' arrival at the table.

"I see Astra has made Elijah perform for her again." Klaus rolled his eyes as he looked to the stage.

"Yes, well Astra has a talent for making people do things they don't want to." Kol shoved his brother's arm playfully. Rebekah had filled him in on the family drama, and while Kol got a sick sense of satisfaction that his two inseparable brothers were now at odds, he was hoping they could get through a night without any bloodshed.

Elijah had only agreed to one song and as soon as it was over, he got off the stage so quickly Astra could have sworn he used his supernatural speed.

"You were amazing!" Cami cheered as they headed back to the table. "You should play more often."

"I would if we had a piano." Elijah frowned slightly at that. The last piano they had was burned to a crisp when Celeste burned their old home down.

"I've ordered one for the compound." Astra smiled at him as she sat down.

"I do not need you to buy me a piano." Elijah's voice was stern. He hated for Astra to spend her hard-earned income on him.

"Oh, you paid for it." She reassured him with a wink. "I have your credit card memorized."

The table laughed at that and Elijah found himself laughing along. He loved to see his family this happy and carefree.

"My friends should be here soon," Astra told Cami with a conspiratorial grin. "And I have someone I want to introduce you to as well, Elijah."

"Of course you do." This wasn't the first time Astra had tried to set him up. However, she was notoriously bad at it. "I can't wait for this to end terribly."

"Not all of my introductions have ended badly," Astra argued, waving her hand in his face. "Let's not forget who introduced you to Aya."

Aya had always been one of Astra's favorite exes of Elijah's.

"Oh, you mean the woman who has spent the better part of a millennium trying to find a way to kill me?" Elijah leaned back so he could see her better, which was difficult considering she was leaning into his side while his arm remained around her.

"But before that she was lovely," Astra smirked. And she still was lovely, but the whole trying to murder Elijah had put a damper on any plans Astra had to reunite the two. Elijah merely laughed at her though. She was glad he was in a teasing mood. That was a good sign. "But you're really going to like this woman. She's smart, talented, funny, and a brunette."

Astra elbowed him and he merely rolled his eyes, causing Cami to laugh.

"That is not a requirement." Astra only smirked at Cami as she nodded her head.

"But really, she's a doctor." Astra continued on her quest to find someone for Elijah. Really anyone but the married she-wolf that his eyes kept darting to when he thought no one was watching. "Well, a resident right now. I met her when she was volunteering at a refugee camp last year and we've stayed in touch."

"She sounds like a lovely woman," Elijah replied noncommittally.

"There she is now at the bar." Astra saw her friend and waved to her. The brunette pointed behind her and held up a finger, signaling she was going to finish her conversation and then join the group. "Isn't she gorgeous?"

"Yes, she's very pretty." Elijah was smiling a little too widely which made Astra suspicious.

"You cannot have already found something wrong with her," Astra demanded pulling away to glare at him. He wasn't even giving her a chance.

"I don't think there is anything wrong with her," Elijah smirked as he picked up his bourbon. "Although I think she may find something wrong with me."

Astra looked back at her friend who was leaning in closely to speak with the person at the bar. Upon further inspection, she realized it was Freya.

"You were right about her hitting it off with a Mikaelson at least." Kol joined Elijah in his laughter as Astra sat there staring at her friend who was very clearly flirting with the wrong Mikaelson.

"I had no idea." Astra was shocked. While she and Keelin hadn't exactly been pen pals, she felt like this was something that would have come up.

"You just assume that any woman who is not flirting with you is straight." Kol teased her, leaning over to poke her side. He had always liked Astra, especially now that he was indebted to her.

"That's usually a good indicator." Astra huffed in response. "Well, I tried."

"We can't blame you for trying." Elijah was still struggling to hold back a fit of laughter at Astra's expression. She was so put out that her plan hadn't worked. But Elijah for his part was thrilled to see Freya laughing across the bar.

"I'm going to dance." She announced to no one in particular and Elijah stood up to let her out. She ran her hand across his chest as she exited the private area. "Come dance with me."

"I'd much rather watch." Elijah gave her a flirtatious look. Astra figured if her friend wasn't going to work out with Eliajh, they might as well have fun.

Astra pulled Cami and Davina out to the dance floor to dance near where Marcel and Rebekah had already taken residence. Even for Astra, their dancing was nearing indecent for a public bar but she understood their desire. They hadn't seen each other in months.

The women danced and twirled around each other. Astra felt the bass of the music in her bones but she also felt the energy of the crowd. She loved to go dancing because it created the most magical energy. There was so much love, excitement, desire. She never felt more alive.

She felt all of those emotions coming from the direction of their table as well. She looked back to see not only Elijah watching her, but Kol and Nik were watching the dancing as well. Although she knew they were not looking at her. She nearly snorted at how predictable those men were. When the Mikaelson men fell in love, they fell hard.

While she was dancing, she hadn't noticed Elijah approaching her. He had been watching her dance and decided he was done with her teasing. He had enough alcohol in his system that he didn't care that his family was around. He only focused on Astra.

She laughed as she saw him approach. She knew it was only a matter of time before he joined her on the dance floor. One of Elijah's greatest loves was music and another was her. With the two together, he couldn't resist.

She knew Elijah was drunk by the way he smiled at her. It was a happy and open smile that she seldom saw these days. He pulled her close as he danced, moving his hips with hers and she couldn't help but be intoxicated by him. It didn't matter how long she had known him, he still knew how to make her melt.

As they danced, she felt him pull her closer and he leaned down slowly as if giving him a chance to stop him. She nearly smiled at his stupid nobility, but instead, she wrapped her arms around him and pulled him down towards her. Even though they had kissed thousands of times in their life, it always felt like coming home. It grounded her more than anything. She pulled him closer and he happily complied.

XXXX

Hayley was still sitting at the table with the remaining members of the party. Jackson had asked if she wanted to dance but she hadn't felt like it. Not after seeing the display Elijah and Astra had made on the dance floor. She knew she had no right, but it still bothered her that he held her so closely that very morning, and here he was with Astra. Although she guessed she was in a similar position with Jackson's arm wrapped around her.

She looked around the club and couldn't spot Elijah and Astra anywhere. They must have left, she thought, and she didn't want to allow herself to think about where they had wandered off to.

XXXX

Elijah had noticed Astra tense before she even truly realized it. Someone had stormed past her and bumped into her on their way off the dance floor. Typically she had more control over what she took from others, but with being so weak, the emotions flooded her. As soon as Elijah saw it happen, he whisked her off to the corner of the bar, away from any other accidental brushes.

"Are you alright?" He grasped her face in his hands to look at her.

"I swear you get paid every time you ask me that." She took a deep steadying breath. She would not let the anger overrun her.

"Focus on the good." Elijah reminded. "Look how happy you've made Freya."

Elijah gestured back to the dance floor where Freya and Keeling were dancing and laughing. Astra couldn't help but crack a smile at his joke. While she hadn't intended to introduce Freya and Keelin, she couldn't help but admit they were cute.

Astra looked back at Elijah who was still staring out onto the dance floor. She followed his gaze and saw what he was seeing. Freya and Keelin laughing together, Kol twirling Davina around as he gazed at her with so much love, Rebekah and Marcel were in their own little world completely. Even Nik, who was pouting at the booth as Cami walked up to him and a small smile graced his lips.

"I can't recall the last time my family was this happy." Elijah's voice was quiet, almost reverent.

"I think they're all just really drunk." She nudged him slightly. "And what about you? Are you happy?"

She knew the answer before the question left her mouth.

"I don't know." He admitted. "I don't know if I remember how to be happy anymore."

"Yes, you do." She knew Elijah had always struggled with focusing on the positive. "You're happy when you're with your niece. Or when Rebekah fills you in on all of her recent adventures."

Elijah nodded as he still looked over the crowds of people. He couldn't remember how freeing it felt to be human. He had always taken it for granted.

"Happiness is an emotion, Elijah." Astra gripped his hand. "Not a place. It is as fleeting as any other emotion. There will always be struggles and hardships, but you have to focus on what brings you joy."

Astra watched as his gaze shifted back to the table where only Jackson and Hayley remained. He wasn't even trying to hide the longing in his stare.

"I think you were right." Elijah finally looked back down at her. "I think it's time I leave New Orleans."

XXXXX

A/N: I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. I wanted to have a little bit of a break from some of the angst.

Also, I would really appreciate feedback now that we are 7 chapters into the story. What do you all think so far? I'm trying to keep the characters as close to their character as possible while exploring more of their emotions and giving them time to process everything around them.
One person I'm concerned about is Hayley. Mostly because I felt like the writers didn't really know what her character's motivation was in S2 and S3. Obviously her main motivation was her daughter, but she would flip back and forth between saying her marriage to Jackson was real to saying it was all for the pack. So I'm trying to explore more of the emotions that were driving those decisions and the consequences of those decisions.
Final questions, do you all like the flashbacks? I think they add a lot to Astra's character and I love exploring the human Miakelsons.