AN: AU. Carolijah. Elijah goes missing after going to meet Katherine to get the cure. Why would that be?

"So, Elijah disappears with the cure and we're only able to find him eight years later with the departing words from the Bennett witch: its not quite him. Don't you find that a bit odd?" Kol questioned with a raise of his eyebrows.

"Kol, shut up. We need our brother. Besides, this isn't about the cure-"

"Unless he's used it." Kol pointed out, interrupting Rebekah.

"Why would Elijah use it."

"Elijah wasn't quite as bad as Finn but he wasn't glad we were vampires. He hates being a vampire but the only reason he hasn't complained or tried to be a sacrificial lamb to end us is because we're together."

"Look how that turned out," Klaus muttered from the driver's seat.

"You're just annoyed that the child wasn't yours in the end. Its been seven and a half years, Nik. Get over it."

"I thought the child would bring Elijah back. I don't have anything he'd want."

"He doesn't want anything. He doesn't even want us. I don't see why we're even going to get him."

"He is family, Kol. We all gave up on that long ago but now its our turn to make Elijah see that we need to be together. He gave up because we never cared!"

Rebekah's outburst silenced all of them the rest of the way.

They pulled up to a house just outside of a small town. It was quaint and isolated between a forest and a ridge overlooking the beach. It was only around a five foot drop on to miles of white sand before it joined the vast blue sea. It was not a place that they pictured Elijah to be living in.

As they neared the house it became evident it was a vacation home. The four door car with a baby seat inside had a roof rack for more luggage.

The sound of children laughing confused the siblings more than the baby seat. Why would Elijah live with a family?

They rounded the house and Rebekah almost fainted, staggering back in to Kol who barely caught her through his own shock. Elijah wasn't in a suit. Whilst he still looked rather formal in black jeans and a button up shirt, he just didn't look like their Elijah. He looked aged as well, more wrinkles set in his face and a slower pace as he chased two children around the field of a garden.

Then they realised Elijah had a heart beat.

The children ran from Elijah as they laughed as any normal family would. It was such a surreal sight. A woman walked out with a smile, a toddler padding on in front holding her hands. "Elijah, Nik wants you!" She called as she tried to hold back the little boy in blue whilst awkwardly bending over her swollen stomach.

Klaus froze as Kol and Rebekah turned to him expectantly. He couldn't react as Elijah stopped running after the older boy and girl then ran for the squealing toddler. "Henrik, Bekah, come on in. Its time for dinner." The children groaned in unison at the end of their play time as all three Originals turned to look at them once more.

Henrik was the eldest boy with most of Elijah's facial features and his dark wavy hair. He looked like Henrik mostly but the nose was from his mother and so were the eyes of clear blue. The little girl, Bekah, had her mother's golden hair and soft features but Elijah's dark eyes. The toddler looked like his brother but had lighter hair and eyes of brown.

"Elijah! Why did you let Rebekah wear that?" The woman demanded as he picked up the toddler from her. The girl in question beamed at her mother, happily in her red Wellington boots, pink tutu, and bright blue sequin tank top. "When did we even get that top? Rebekah, go change in to your pyjamas, please." The girl pouted but stomped in to the house, kicking her legs back to get rid of her boots.

"That girl will be the death of me!" She proclaimed as she pushed her hands in to her back where the pain was. "Go rest, Caroline. You are no shape to be shouting at the door like a mad woman." She slapped at his arm with a glare. "Your worry for your very pregnant wife is so touching," she deadpanned. He moved in to kiss her but she ducked her head. "Nope. Make it up to me." A wicked smirk passed her features then she disappeared in to the house. Elijah sighed as he picked up the boots his daughter had kicked off.

The Original siblings shared a look before turning away. Elijah was human. He was a husband and a father. They would write to him and watch over him, but they would not interfere. Their first letter to him was sent a week after their visit and was replied to three months later.

My dearest family,

I do hope you have not forgotten me as I have not forgotten you. The circumstances of my new life are complicated but I will give you the brief summary. Katherine forced the cure upon me when I rejected her advances. Whilst I loved her for a long time, I could not be with her as all I wished was for her to be Katerina again and she would never be. I was found by a young witch named Caroline. She took me to her home and helped me adjust to my new human life. She also stopped the affects of the cure. Had it not been for her, I would have turned to ash just a week after I had ingested the cure.

After three months of being a guest in her home, I realised that I had fallen for her. When I told her, she had laughed and said "Of course you have, idiot. That's what soulmates do." My soulmate found me and saved me. Caroline and I have been together ever since. Our eldest son is called Henrik William Michaels. My daughter is Rebekah Amelia and my second son is Nikolai James. As of a week ago, Natalia Elizabeth and Finley Thomas. We hope to have more children in the future also.

I wish for you to visit properly and meet my family as they are also your family. I have told my children about you and Caroline already knew it all. I hope you can forgive me for not finding you but I was afraid you would not want me as a part of your family now I am human. It was a ridiculous notion but I was not in a right state of mind in the beginning and then everything changed so quickly with Caroline that I almost forgot.

Almost.

Caroline told me every day to contact you but I was too much of a coward to find out if you would reject me or accept us together. I truly hope you visit us. My children wish to meet you. They all have magic like their mother but are not against vampires as other witches and warlocks. They know my history and wish to learn of all yours.

I love you. Always and forever,

Elijah.

They did visit a few times over the years. The last time was at Elijah's deathbed. Caroline had passed but two months ago and he was following after her. "Do you think I will join her?" He croaked out, old and grey and so different to the brother they had spent a thousand years with. "Yes. Witches and ex-vampires both go to the Other Side, brother," Kol tried to make light of the situation and it brought a sad smile to Elijah's cracked lips. "I love you all. I am sorry I did not say that as much as I had wished."

"We knew it, Elijah," Klaus let out as he fought back tears. Elijah had always been his closest confidant, his best friend and favourite brother. But now he was dying. "I love you, Elijah," cried Rebekah as she dropped her head to his shoulder. His withered hand found her hair and stroked it. "I love you," both Kol and klaus admitted in their moment of weakness. A tear rolled down Kol's cheek and it was Klaus' last restrain. They sat on the bed either side of him with his children around them waiting.

Henrik, Rebekah, Nikolai, Natalia, Finley, Killian, Kolina, and Lydia. They had triplets lastly and that was why they had visited the time before now. The vampires listened as Elijah's heart slowed to a stop and the children had watched as his eyes closed whilst he smiled slightly. Rebekah moved away from him to her waiting and living brothers, crying as they both held her in a rare moment of sibling unity. Elijah's children, most with their own children waiting downstairs, kissed their father's forehead before leaving in a bundle of crying and mourning bodies.

They visited Elijah and Caroline's grandchildren for a while but the visits grew less frequent until they stopped all together. It was too painful to see Elijah's dark eyes or brown hair when he was gone.