A/N: So I've been a busy bee and wrote three chapters today (moving onto the fourth!) However, because I fell really behind on the originals and I hope to use characters I hadn't actually got to, I couldn't post this chapter until reached season 3 of my binge watch.

I slept for a long time. When I woke up, Elijah was sitting in the armchair, rocking the babies who were making soft noises. He looked up and smiled.

"You're awake. I think these two are hungry."

"Well we can't have that." He brought over the twins and settled them in my arms. I smiled. It felt right, holding them. We belonged together.

"I'll give you three some privacy. And then when you're done, I think Rebekah wants to show you something. She's been bouncing around like a maniac for the past hour waiting for you to wake up." I laughed.

"Okay, I'll be out soon."

Elijah left. I looked at my little girls, watching me with their big eyes. I smiled.

"What do you think little ones? Do you think you'll be happy here?" Blair gurgled loudly and Lilah let out a happy shriek. "I agree."

I fed the girls and got dressed. As I was sorting through my clothes, I found my Mikaelson necklace. I smiled and slipped it on.

"There. What do you think?" Blair smiled brightly. "Well I'm glad you approve. Unlike Miss Grumpy pants here." I picked up Lilah. "I get it, you want your daddy. And I'm sure he'll come back. He always does. But it may not be quite that easy." I stroked her cheek. "Families are complicated. Especially this one." She looked at me and I felt uncomfortable under the gaze of that green-blue eye, so identical to Klaus. "He wasn't in complete control of what he did but he has done a lot of bad things. And I am getting a little tired of just forgiving him."

"Elena…" called Kol from behind the bedroom door. "Stop talking to yourself and come out!"

"I'm not talking to myself Kol, I am talking to Lilah. She is a little bit miffed that one of her daddy's is currently trapped in some kind of hellbeast form and is roaming Louisiana."

Kol opened the door and leant against the frame.

"Well maybe he deserves it. I know you say he was under Dahlia's control but… Klaus is still Klaus. And he's a bastard. I mean literally and in personality. He kidnapped you. More than once. And I'm sure even if he hadn't been controlled by Dahlia to do it, he probably would have done it anyway." He came over and picked Blair up. "Be happy he's not here and that we have a chance for our girls to grow up in relative peace and harmony. Okay?"

"I don't like it. He's Lilah's dad."

"Mikael is our dad and we were all much happier when he wasn't around."

"Klaus is not Mikael."

"Klaus is worse than Mikael. I know eventually Klaus will have to come back. He always does. But he should at least be punished for his part in this."

"I'll think about it." I pushed past him. "Where's Rebekah?"

"Listen and you'll hear her. She won't shut up." I laughed softly and followed the sound of Rebekah's voice. She was in the hallway and smiled when she saw me.

"Elena! You're up!" She took my hand and led me to a room. "Now it's not completely finished, I had to rush it." She opened the door and stepped aside to let me in. I bit my lip and crossed the threshold. I stared at what Rebekah had done. The room had been beautifully decorated, white fabric hanging from the walls giving the whole room an airy quality. There were two cots, a rocking chair, a bookcase with a number of books and toys dotted along the shelves.

"Oh Rebekah it's beautiful…" She smiled.

"I'm glad you like it. I thought our little princesses needed their own room."

I smiled and set Lilah in her cot. Kol came over and placed Blair in the one next to her.

"It's absolutely perfect Bexs," he said. He kissed her cheek and smiled. Elijah came to the door.

"I do applaud your effort sister and I wish we could take more time to admire the work you've put in. However there is a small…. Problem downstairs that requires Elena's immediate presence." He looked at me. "If you could… as quickly as possible."

I frowned and followed Elijah. He led me down the stairs to the courtyard. I froze on the bottom step.

"Oh wow."

The courtyard was full of wolves, a mass of shifting fur. Finn was stood by the wall, watching the animals with interest. Freya was in the middle of them, weaving her way between them.

"Elena, would you care to explain this…?" Elijah asked, gesturing to them.

"You're acting like I have an answer." I heard footsteps behind me and turned to see Rebekah and Kol on the stairs.

"Would someone tell me why our house is full of mangy dogs?" Rebekah asked. One of the wolves growled.

"They're not dogs, Rebekah!" said Freya with a delighted childlike innocence. "They're wolves! Aren't they beautiful?" She went to pet one and it snapped at her. "Not… friendly though."

"I did not cause this. I only know one pack of wolves and they're in the bayou. And I gave them the cure so they shouldn't be stuck as wolves anymore." I bit my lip. "Plus last time I was out there someone died and one of them got attacked so I doubt they'd be feeling particularly friendly."

"Well then, this is quite a mystery," said Kol. "Do we know anyone who has a penchant for the dramatic and an affinity for these four legged friends?"

"Nik…" said Rebekah softly.

"According to Elena, he's currently roaming Louisiana as some kind of… what did you call him Elena? A hellbeast?" I gave him a look. "Either way, he's hardly going to be in a fit condition to rally an army of wolves and send them to our door."

"Dahlia?" Finn suggested.

"She hates wolves. She's more likely to use flowers," Freya commented, still trying to pet the nearby wolves.

"I don't think they were sent by someone…" I bit my lip. "Freya, can you stop trying to pet them for a minute and fetch Lilah?" She nodded and headed up the stairs. Elijah eyed me warily.

"What are you doing Elena?"

"Working on a hunch." Freya returned with Lilah and handed her to me. I stepped off the staircase and into the courtyard. The wolves bristled, eyes fixed on me. I moved between them, into the centre of the room, guided by something I didn't really understand. I looked at the wolves around me, their glowing amber eyes watching me. "This is who you're here for, isn't it?"

Lilah squirmed in my arms. I bit my lip and laid her on the floor. She whined a little but otherwise stayed quiet. The wolves watched me. I could feel the Mikaelsons' tension from where I stood.

I stepped back. The wolves looked at Lilah and slowly one stepped forward. I frowned, the markings oddly familiar. It lowered its muzzle to her head and sniffed. I bit my lip, ready to rush forward and grab her at a second's notice. It licked her forehead and sat. It let out a low howl, which was echoed by the ones around it. I smiled and looked at the siblings who were staring.

"I had a… strong hunch they were here for her. Somewhat aided by the fact that a whole bunch of them showed up when I gave birth." I stepped forward and picked up Lilah. "I don't know who they are or where they came from but they… seem to be on our side." I kissed Lilah's forehead and handed her over to Elijah. The wolves growled softly. "Or at least… my side. It might take some work for them to like you."

"Speaking of people who don't like us…" said Kol. "You realise that fairly soon we're going to get a whole bunch of old enemies crawling out of the woodwork planning to use these girls for their own end. Even if Dahlia is dead, they're not safe."

"Kol, we agreed no serious talk for a few days," Rebekah complained.

"I know but bear with me." He took a deep breath, considering his words. "When Elena was pregnant, so many people swore their allegiance to her. I think, we should invite them here and see if they're prepared to do it again. And this time, we bind them to that oath."

"You realise if we invite them here, we're essentially inviting snakes into our home." Elijah pointed out.

"I think it's a good idea," I said. "We need to know who our friends are, who we can rely on when the time comes. Better to do it in one swift act rather than drag it out with small negotiations that might break down as soon as one person finds out about the other." Elijah groaned.

"Elena, I think I liked it better when you were silent and didn't get a say."

"Well tough. Cause you're stuck with me." I folded my arms. "We'll take a vote on it. All those in favour of having a get together and inviting the witches, vampires and werewolves to swear allegiance to the family?"

Kol raised his hand immediately. Then Freya. And Rebekah. Finn hesitated but even his hand rose.

"See Elijah? We're decided. So lose the grumpy face and go play with your daughter till you feel friendly enough to help make preperations."

"And what are you planning on doing Elena?" he asked. "Might I suggest building a large kennel for your new pets?"

The wolves growled. I held out my hand and they fell silent.

"Might not want to antagonize them. We don't know if they're normal wolves, werewolves stuck in wolf form or hybrids who just happen to prefer the four legged look. Either way, you might not want to risk one biting you."

"Are you threatening me Elena?" He raised an eyebrow.

"No. I'm merely pointing out the obvious."

"If they touch me, I will –"

"Oh come now Elijah, as long as they're housetrained I don't see a problem with Elena's new friends," Rebekah cut in.

"Thank you Rebekah. And I am going out for a walk Elijah. I've spent the past week or so locked up in a single room in the most depressing hospital you've ever seen. So I will go and get some fresh air. Maybe see a few friends… Cami… Sophie… maybe even Marcel. I should probably inform him that his witch is a psycho and also a pile of ash." I weaved my way through the wolves. "And I know you're probably itching to follow me but please, don't."

I headed out of the courtyard and onto the street. I heard Kol call my name and I paused, looking round. He appeared in the doorway and came over to me.

"Kol, I know stalking is your speciality, but I really want some time to myself."

"No, I get it, I just wanted to talk to you about something."

"Okay, go on."

"I… I was wondering if…" he fiddled with something in his pocket. "Would you… Will you… m…m…ma…"

"Kol, I think you're adorable when you stutter but maybe you should wait to ask whatever it is when you can actually string a sentence together?" I gave him a kind smile. "I won't be gone long, I promise." I kissed his cheek and headed off.

I made my way to Rousseau's. I felt a wave of warmth at the sight of the bar. It was a place that I'd found such comfort in over the past few months. I let myself inside, relaxing as the musty scent of liquor and spices washed over me. Cami was at the bar, reading and she looked up at the sound of the door. Her eyes widened when she saw me.

"Elena!" She rushed over and hugged me. "Oh wow… you're so skinny!"

"Yeah I no longer look like I swallowed a beach ball. Still got a way to go though before I get back to my old self." She smiled and ushered me to the bar.

"You look amazing. Motherhood clearly suits you."

"Thanks. It's been a bit of an adjustment."

"I can imagine. What did you have?"

"Two girls. Lilah and Blair."

"Aww. And where are the little ones?"

"They're at home. With the rest of the family. I just needed some time to myself." I bit my lip. "Is that bad?"

"No. You can't let your life be defined by your kids." She smiled. "How are things at home?"

"Crazy as always. Everyone's gone into overdrive since the twins were born."

"It's nice to see you looking happy. In your past visits you've always looked… kind of tense. Like you had the world on your shoulders."

"It felt like that. A lot. But now… everything just feels… right. It fits. Things finally make sense."

"I'm glad to hear it."

"Is Sophie in? I can't stay out long before everyone will freak out, I wanted to say hi to her before I have to go back."

"Yeah, she's in the back."

I smiled brightly and headed away from the bar to the door that separated the kitchen from the rest of the room. A tall dark haired man was coming the other way and I nearly collided with him.

"Careful there," he said, reaching out and steading me before I could fall. His voice was clipped with a British accent.

"Whoa! Sorry…"

"It's okay. No blood, no foul, right?" He adjusted the cuff of his sleeves and gave a slight smile.

"Thanks. Sorry, kind of out of it."

"Not a problem. Just keep your head clear, might help you in future." He stepped around me and went over to the bar. I let myself into the kitchen where Sophie was working.

"Hey," I said. She turned.

"Elena! Oh my god, I've been so worried."

"Sorry… crazy hybrid daddy and angry witch aunt decided to abduct me and try to steal my babies. All sorted now."

"Jeeze. Do you ever have a normal day?"

"What are you talking about? That was a normal day." She laughed softly.

"How are you feeling?"

"Rough. I feel… drained."

"That's probably because you don't have all that magic and hybrid blood running through your body."

"You're right. It was a hell of a pick me up."

"Do you miss it?"

"The magic? Yeah… a little bit. I felt… strong. Safe. Now I'm back to being useless and weak."

"I wouldn't use either of those words to describe you Elena." She turned and faced me. "You… have a… presence around you. Like a force. It's like magic but not quite. I feel like the ancestors are watching over you. They want you to be safe."

"I think that's meant to be comforting…" The idea of a bunch of dead witches watching over me made me kind of uncomfortable.

"The ancestors don't look on non-witches very often. You should feel honoured."

"From what I know of your ancestors, they don't like vampires. And since I am sleeping with their enemy… literally in some cases… I can't imagine they'd be too fond of me."

"True but you are also the mother of two little witches who might be the most powerful ones to ever be born."

"And here I thought I was the special one." I smiled slightly. "We're planning a big party to welcome them to the city and try to prevent any fighting between the various factions. You want to come? I could use a familiar face."

"I'd love to."

I smiled and checked my watch.

"I really should head back. Before Elijah pops up doing his whole overly protective thing."

"I'll see you soon." I hugged her and left the bar.