She watches a new show Elijah watched while he was away. When they finish the thirteen episodes, she rests her head against his shoulder. They talk, and she's happy. Elijah seems to understand her better than anyone else who has regular access to her head. She asks when Caroline is coming back from Mystic Falls, this time. Elijah tells her it'll be a few days, and she nods. They watch another show, because Elena doesn't have to think if they watch something, she told Elijah in the first month. She wonders how many months she has to go.
Alaric doesn't look much like a regular corpse. He never had the habit of staying around corpses too long, but Alaric looks almost fine, except for the unnatural angle his neck is at. He takes another drink from his favorite bourbon. Caroline will be coming with her mother in a few minutes, to figure out how they can cover up the death of his best friend.
He stares at Ric too long, much longer than he would if Ric was alive. Then Ric's chest moves and he blinks and sets down the bourbon.
Maybe he had hit his limit.
"Fuck." Ric says and Damon blinks a few more times.
"Oh my god, Ric's a vampire? Damon, he spent part of his life hunting vampires. This is not going to be an easy transition." Caroline hisses.
"Get off your high sober horse Barbie." Damon says and Liz and her daughter roll their eyes at the same time.
"I haven't decided if I want to transition or not." Ric offers from the floor. He hadn't wanted to move, and Damon had thoughtfully left a glass of bourbon to drink from.
"You have less than a day to make a decision." Damon reminds him before he resumes drinking from his bottle of bourbon.
"I know that." His friend tells him.
"Come on Ric, I need to show Jeremy that you're not dead because he's kinda freaking out right now."
Ric groans. His hand feels a little forced.
"I can teach you. If you decide to transition, you can come with me to New Orleans for a little while and it'll all be okay." Caroline says, looking at him from the passenger seat.
"And I bet Bonnie could make you a daylight ring. If she won't, I can get one for you." She adds, and Alaric swears. Liz isn't quite sure what to make of the man in her backseat.
Elena bites her lip and then the tears spill out. Ric's dead. Really dead. He wasn't wearing his ring this time, they hear Rebekah say. Elijah holds her while she cries and she feels even worse because that seems to be what they've been doing most lately.
She just wants to be happy.
That won't happen for a long time.
They hear Rebekah call Caroline for more details, and then they hear her confusion.
"Wait so he's not dead? He's going to transition?" Rebekah says, and Elena takes a little breath, and then they hear Rebekah sigh in relief.
"You'll take him here to teach him? That's a wise move. Caroline, I'm talking like this because I'm in front of Elena and Elijah. I'm sure they're listening in. Elena, Liz says hi and everyone wants me to remind you that you love them although you already know." They hear the Original say, and then they wait a few more minutes, but she can't hear Rebekah anymore.
"Oh thank god." She whispers into Elijah's shoulder.
She won't lose Ric after all. One less thing to worry about, from her too long list.
She has a few happy tears and Elijah offers her a hopeful smile. She does wonder why Damon's blood was in Alaric's system, but she'll ask about that now, she's too relieved to care.
She's not the only one.