AN: The miniseries I had in mind for the previous chapter was Over the Garden Wall, but I try to leave shows mentions open for interpretation. This chapter is partially inspired by the quote: I've seen you at your worst and I still think you are the best.
Rebekah was in her mind that morning, and Kol was in an hour after that. They both assured her Elijah would be back from his business trip by the afternoon. Elena accepts it. She wonders if Elijah knows the importance to the day. She double checked her calendar, but Rebekah had confirmed the date. She likes Rebekah and Kol, but they constantly engage her when they visit. She wants Elijah to just let her sit next to him and think and not be lonely. Sometimes just talking makes her feel even lonelier, because she thinks and wants to tell someone about her thoughts. But her visitors leave, eventually. Then she remembers that she's stuck in her own mind and things feel a little worse. She's by herself more often than not, unless Elijah's in New Orleans.
She takes it out on a punching bag until she hears the playlist pause in the real world. She had only been paying attention to the lecture on plants halfheartedly anyway, but Elijah's the only one who pauses it like that. Rebekah and Kol say something before they pause it. Elijah pauses it and then talks.
Elijah, she thinks and then she hears his voice. He asks her to lower her walls and she does with a wave of her hand. She makes her way downstairs to wait. It was only a week, but she missed him.
When he appears in the darkness, she can't help but move forward to hug him. As his arms wrap around her she can't help the few tears that fall, but she buries her head in his shoulder and hopes he won't notice.
"I know." He says and a few more tears escape. It's been a year. Jeremy and Bonnie are pretending like they aren't a couple, and Caroline is happily with Klaus. Ric is a year older and she's been stuck for a year.
"I feel selfish." The words that have been weighing on her mind for a few days escape, in a murmured confession. She feels weak.
He pulls back, still close, but so they can see each other's faces.
He looks into her guilty, tear filled eyes.
"You are not weak, Elena." He says it with such conviction that she just cries a little harder, because she feels that way no matter what he says. She blinks and a few tears escape.
"I hate this." She whispers and he nods.
"I know."
"I was just thinking today and I started crying because I was hoping Bonnie wouldn't use magic to live longer than a human life. That's selfish and I'm just weak. I don't want to be."
"You're not." He murmurs and she opens her mouth but he continues speaking.
"Anyone could have those thoughts. You're strong. You're so incredibly strong, Elena." He continues, pulling her close again.
She likes physical contact, even if it's not really real.
"I missed you." She sniffles. She's trying to stop crying and she tells herself to get it together.
"I missed you too." He tells her. A few more tears escape. Neither of them know how long they stand there.
When she's done crying, done with being weak, she asks if he wants to watch a movie. That's not his first thought, not the first thing he wants to do, but she's asking. Elena needs it so he'll give it, he knows her voice to hear the slight quiver.
"Of course."
Caroline crosses her arms.
"You're going to kill him someday." She warns, as she watches Damon and Alaric drink and stand by the stairs to watch her go. At least they're doing that in the Boarding House and not somewhere else, she thinks to herself.
"Loosen up, Barbie. Ric and I are having fun." Damon slurs slightly, and Ric nods his head. Caroline turns and leaves. She has more important things to do.
She doesn't hear Damon swear, or see Ric tumble down the stairs.
Damon flinches a few seconds later, after he hears the human's neck snap. He searches through his contacts to call Elena. After a few moments he realizes she won't answer, she's being guarded by the Original Assholes. She's in a coma. Right. Damnit. He had almost completely forgotten, just for a few minutes. He calls Jeremy instead.
"He'll be okay, right? He had his ring on?" Jeremy asks, and Bonnie freezes.
Damon shakes his head and then realizes Jeremy can't see it.
"He took it off. Even if he had it on, falling down the stairs doesn't count as a supernatural death Little Gilbert." He says and Jeremy closes his eyes. He's lost his last parental figure. Tears prick in his eyes and he thinks of Elena. She'll be heartbroken. He dials Elijah's number. He doesn't pick up, sometimes he doesn't when Jeremy calls. Jeremy tells him that he needs to tell Elena, in a voicemail.
Bonnie tells him she'll help him arrange the funeral.