He does come back, and he hugs her before she can do anything else. She's guessing Caroline gave him what she got him for Christmas.
"I am sorry I can't give you something as wonderful as you gave me." He says and she shakes her head.
"You do. You keep me up to date. I don't know what I'd do without you." She admits into his shoulder. It's too close to what she almost wants to say, but she can't hurt him. She can't risk hurting him or scaring him into never returning.
They watch Christmas movies in his mind, and Elena lets her mind go blank as they do. It's a little better, then. He shows her what Caroline planned, as he experienced it. There's a twinge of sadness in the memory that she can feel, and she knows it's not hers. Then she sees Elijah look towards her room. Oh.
She wants to apologize, but Elijah wouldn't accept an apology anyway. She thanks him for the memory, for the chance to do that. He thanks her, for her thoughtful gift. He has one that he'll give her next year, he decides. The gift will need a little work, but he'll do it. Elena's worth it. She sends him out so she can sleep for a few days.
Weeks pass, and the Mikaelsons keep her company and Elena feels like a burden still, despite their best efforts. She misses everything. She misses real sensation. They're all living their lives and she isn't. She loves Elijah but she can't say the words. She tries once, and he looks at her with unreadable eyes as the words lodge themselves in her throat. She almost chokes. She coughs and tells him about something else.
Caroline visits Mystic Falls, and dates Klaus. She tells him that she loves him, and all of the other Mikaelsons leave the house for a few days, and take Elena with them.
Rebekah has never been so thankful for Elijah's odd real estate habit. Rebekah contacts Elena's nurse and tells her about the change in location, with a genuine apology and money to make up for it. Things are almost normal, despite their change of location. Elijah runs what Klaus is in charge of until his brother is ready to be in charge again.
Caroline and Klaus call eventually, with partially insincere apologies. Rebekah's fairly sure Klaus and Caroline didn't care about kicking the rest of them out of the house, but Klaus attempts to deny it. Rebekah takes the phone from Elijah and tells Klaus to put a shirt on, and that they'd be there in an hour.
She knows her siblings well. Klaus is probably shirtless and Caroline is probably in a similar state of undress. None of them want to see that when they get home.
Elena gets a kick out of it, Elijah, Rebekah and Kol tell her about it from a similar view.
Caroline tells it in a different light, and then she clears her throat because she doesn't want to hear about what Klaus Mikaelson looks like shirtless or any of the other details she knows Caroline is planning to tell her. It takes a few moments for Caroline to get the hint. She drops the subject, but Elena would have known, even if the other Mikaelsons hadn't told her. Caroline doesn't look as tense anymore.
They talk about other things and then Caroline yawns and Elena sends her away.
There are weeks that pass where she just sleeps and everyone in the real world pretends like they're fine until they talk about it together, usually after a drink or two. They don't like days without Elena, and Elena doesn't like days without them but it all comes down to selfishness.
She's too selfish and they need to live their lives. Sleeping for so long is a double edged sword, it makes the time pass more quickly, but she misses out when she does it. She also is up for a long time after that. Elena tries to find a good balance for it.
Elijah does his best to stay impartial, and tells her the news as time goes on that Alaric is teaching at a small university for a the time being.
Damon and Stefan have moved out of Mystic Falls, Damon visits Alaric regularly, and Stefan is in France.
Caroline's mother is still doing well, and there isn't that much to report from Mystic Falls since everyone moved away.
He tells her about Matt, who got a full ride scholarship to one of the best football colleges in the nation and he might become a professional football player. Elijah watched one of the games he played in, and he was fairly good, for a human.
The Original keeps people watching over him, Matt Donovan should be protected if possible. Elena wants him to have a normal life, and so does the human. Matt almost died for her, he went through hell and back in his life before college. He deserves that. He deserves good things.
Elijah had talked to him, and Matt had told him that he meant no offense, but the supernatural chapter of his life ended when he left Mystic Falls, and he didn't want that in his life. Elijah told him he respected that. What he doesn't tell Elena is that he told Matt of her condition. The human froze at the mention of his first love, and told Elijah to call as soon as she woke up. If he's still alive, he'll see Elena and go to Bonnie's funeral. Elijah wishes him the best in his life and career and Matt nods and tells him to take care. He tells Elena of that.
As tears prick in Elena's eyes, he wonders if she still wants that, how badly she wanted that. He almost wants a human life sometimes too, but he doesn't want to hurt her. She doesn't say anything, just shakes her head and asks him to keep talking. So he does. He talks until neither of them can talk anymore.
A few more years pass, and Caroline tells Elena that Bonnie told Jeremy she didn't want to see him again. He didn't understand at first, until the words hit. Bonnie had been crying and Jeremy had moved to comfort her before the witch spoke again.
She told him that every time she saw him, she was reminded of her failures. She was reminded that Elena is in a coma and it's because of her. They're all suffering because of her, Jeremy especially. Her mascara ran as she told Jeremy that she loved him. She did, she loved Jeremy with almost all her heart, but she couldn't keep pretending and couldn't keep lying to herself. She could never really love him completely. There was something in her that wouldn't let her fall all the way. Jeremy had nodded and kept the box in his pocket there. She had always told him they were only temporary. He wishes that he had listened.
They were spare moments and in betweens, take out on her couch. They were not talking and action, and not really a real relationship at all, but it still hurts like the loss of a real relationship. Jeremy feels like he's bleeding as he drives to New Orleans.
Elena comforts him as best as she can, but it hurts her too. Another double edged sword. When Jeremy leaves, he reminds her that he's not going to say goodbye, because it's not a goodbye. He'll see her again. She hugs him with tears in her eyes. Then she sends him away. Caroline pays the witch who had agreed to not to speak of this, and sees Jeremy out.
Caroline and Rebekah befriend a witch named Freya, a few days after that. Freya likes the same things they do. They begin to hang out more and more often, much to the worry of Elijah and Klaus. There are a few times people ask if the three blondes are all related, and they laugh it off.
Elena only hears from Kol and Elijah for a few weeks, because Caroline and Rebekah move out for a while. Freya doesn't know the truth, doesn't know her new friends are hiding a large secret quite yet and cannot be exposed to Elena. Then things get complicated for a few weeks.
Freya claims to be a Mikaelson one day, and it throws them all.
Finn and Sage even come back to New Orleans at this claim, and Caroline moves Elena for a while, an apartment across town. Freya doesn't know Elena even exists. Elijah misses her, but the issue of Freya is a little more pressing so he deal with that.
Klaus is tired of the drama Freya brings, he came to New Orleans to run a kingdom not to meet imposters, but a blood test and details only a Mikaelson would know prove that she is part of the family. Klaus is more agreeable when Caroline can come back and Elijah's a little less tense when he switches places with her. She gets to deal with Klaus and he keeps Elena safe for a while.
Finn and Sage leave after a few days with a promise to return. Freya talks to Finn before they leave, he's the only one who really remembered her before she was taken away from them.
Freya says that she was stuck in a coma for a few centuries, the reason why she's a witch who looks a few years older than Caroline. Their Aunt Dahlia froze her to taunt Esther. The sisters had made a deal, Freya reveals. Dahlia took her first born in exhange for Esther to have children, Caroline privately thinks that it sounds like a fairytale but keeps that thought to herself. They're all quietly glad that Freya kept her claim to herself.
She has a right to know what's going on, and to catch up on the family drama. They all update her in their own ways, leaving things out or adding too much.
Elijah has to explain his history with Elena and their siblings add details when they want to. They only move Elena back when the Originals deem it safe. Elijah still doesn't quite trust Freya yet.
She's watched for a few days after all of that, and when Elijah finds her wandering into Elena's room, he gives her a warning. If she says even one thing wrong, if she hurts Elena in any way, retribution will be painful.
Freya just gives him a knowing look with those pale eyes of hers. Rebekah texts Elijah to let him know that she'll keep an eye on Freya while he's with Elena. He thanks her, in his reply. They don't know what all Freya can do, and they don't want to risk being overheard.
Kol thinks it's probable proof that Freya's one of them. They all hide things from each other and lie at some point, it's how their family works.
Rebekah is miffed the first time she sees Kol make a bet with Freya. They all walk on eggshells for a while, but they all breathe just a little bit easier when Elena likes her too.
Things work a little more smoothly after that.
Life goes on.