The night still loomed over New Orleans, Elena had been in a deep slumber, nestled next to Elijah and entangled in him when she felt a searing pain in her mind; her eyes shot open and a loud gasp escaped her lips as she shot up into a sitting position, Elijah immediately followed her up and her heavy breathing was causing him concern, "Elena, what is it?"
"It's Klaus," she turned to look at him, her gaze fixating on him as a look over dread washed over her, "we have to go."
Arriving at Rousseau's not long after, courtesy of Elijah's speed and her determination to save Klaus from himself, they found themselves entering another scene of horror; there where several dead tourists, each with gaping wounds in their necks and they had been fed on until dry.
"Oh my god," Elena spoke lowly as she brought her fingers to her lips, she was saddened by his actions and she was angry, he knew how to handle himself better than this and she was a mess of emotions.
As she walked to the other end of the bar, she found Kol and Rebekah tucked away at the back with broken necks, she was starting to get a picture of what happened; she held her hands out and cast a small chant, repairing their broken brain stems and bringing them back to life.
"Nik?" Rebekah exasperated as she darted her head up but instead she was met with a very temperamental Elena; she slid her arms across her chest and stared down at them both.
"What happened? Klaus can't just kill people, if the factions find out then he could start a war," her tone of voice was firm but there was still a hint of sadness buried within her.
"He wouldn't stop talking about you both and when we came to defend you, he freaked out and killed the bloody tourists," Rebekah said as she took the hand Elena had offered and brought herself to her feet.
"He's mad with rage, Elena, we need to find him before he kills someone other than a tourist," Kol spoke as Elijah helped him to his feet.
Elena spun on her heel and turned away from them, trying to block out their emotions and panicked state was hard whilst she was trying to think, "so far, I don't think any of the factions know, my power as unification leader is what made me aware so we might have time to fix this, we need to bury the bodies respectfully and find him."
"I'll bury the bodies," Kol said, as he stepped further into the centre of the bar and began straightening it up; suddenly, Elena got the searing pain in her head again and she inhaled a sharp breath, pressing her fingers to her temples as the images started to settle.
"He's killed again," her gaze flickered to the floor momentarily as her sadness and guilt overwhelmed her before she turned to face Elijah and Rebekah, "he's heading to the cemetery, if he kills a witch then there will be a war, both of you stay here and help Kol, I think I need to talk to him alone."
"Why a witch? He knows that would mean the end of the unification treaty, he's smarter than that," Kol said with confusion etched in his voice.
"He probably see's the witches as one of the reasons why Elena changed and drifted away from him, her magic was the whole reason her life changed," Elijah responded, bringing a deep sadness to Elena.
"Call if you need anything," Rebekah placed her hand on the doppelgänger's arm before joining her brother and cleaning up the trashed bar; Elijah placed a soft kiss on her forehead and let his lips linger.
"Be careful, Elena, he's unpredictable."
"He won't hurt me," she sounded sure of herself but there was a small doubt at the back of her mind that he would at least try to; she focused the image of the cemetery in her mind and channelled Klaus, allowing her magic to flow through her and take her to her destination, her teleportation landing her a distance away from Lafayette's.
And then, she saw him, walking with haste towards the cemetery gates and covered in blood and she could sense his pain and disconnect; as he approached the gates, she sealed her hand into a fist and pulled them shut, magically sealing them and preventing his murderous streak.
"I was wondering when you were going to show up," he slowly turned to face her, his eyes a golden hue and his eyes blackened.
"I won't let you murder a witch, Nik," she tried to sound calm but she was far from it, her heart was stuck in a nervous frenzy and she didn't want either of them to get hurt, "this is our home, you'd jeopardise the life we have built here because you're hurt?"
"Hurt?" A small smirk appeared on his lips and he sped closer to her, leaving a shorter distance between them, "I'm sick and tired of being betrayed by those who claim to love me!"
"We didn't betray you," she argued back, her patience thinning as she took a few steps nearer to him, "I'm sorry if you feel that way."
"Don't do that," he felt his face soften slightly by her compassion and he wouldn't allow it, a low growl rumbled in his throat as he darted towards her.
She held her hand out and channelled the aneurism spell, bringing him to his knees in a searing amount of pain, "you have to listen to me, Nik."
"No," he growled through the pain, his hands clutching at his head in attempt for relief.
"I'll let you go if you promise to hear me out?" She spoke as she focused a touch more power into the spell to keep him down.
"Fine!" He growled out, his suffering coming to an end when she lowered her hand and dropped the spell; she took a few steps closer to him, removing most of the distance between them and reached for his hand, her fingers grasping at his, "we didn't betray you, Nik, we love you and that doesn't jeopardise our family and will not change anything, this behaviour and shutting us out will."
"You have lied to me for months, little warrior, you and my brother have snuck around my back like children trying to hide this relationship from me and now, you'll both probably leave New Orleans and our family will be incomplete," he argued, he tried to keep his disconnected demeanour but his hurt seeped through ever so slightly, she was sure it was her Empath gift tapping into his emotions but when he softened towards her for a glimmer of a moment, she knew he was hurting, "did our time together mean so little to you that you moved on so easily?"
"You're right, we shouldn't have lied to you but you've only made my concerns right, I knew you would act like this, you made me scared to tell you and that's not fair, Nik, me and Elijah aren't going anywhere and if we do, you'll just have to come with us, don't you get it yet? I would do anything for you and this family and even after your temper tantrum tonight, I'm still standing by you," his words had hurt her slightly as she remembered their time together, her emotions were everywhere and she couldn't bare the thought of losing him; she held onto his hand tighter and closed her eyes for a long moment, "our time together was everything, Nik and it took me a long time to move past you, I needed you so much and you where there, there will always be a place in my heart for you."
"Stop," his facade was starting to crack and the humanity began to seep back through, he tried to step away from her but she would only close the distance.
"No because I love you, there will always be a piece of you within me and you don't get to ruin that."
"Elena, enough!" He spat, his lips pursed together out of frustration at the hold she had of him; with his current state, he abhorred being vulnerable to another person and he felt so powerless against her, he had tried to extend his fangs and dart for her but she reflected him off her barrier.
"Not until you get it, I'm always here for you," she dropped her barrier and took a chance, she wrapped her arms around his neck and hoped he would drop the facade, "will you please just come home?"
A small breath exhaled from his lips and he slowly slid his arms around her waist, his vampire features softened and disappeared, and he relaxed against her; she rested her head on his chest and he pulled her in close, breathing her in and allowing his monstrous qualities to bury themselves beneath the surface once again.
"Let's go home," his voice was low and still had a hint of anguish within it but he was returned, his anger tamed and his hurt could now start to heal; he sped them back to the plantation, arriving mere minutes after they left The Garden District.
He instantly went for the liquor and poured them both a glass, she sat on the sofa and sent a quick text to Elijah and Rebekah on their whereabouts; he handed her one of the glasses and held his out towards her, she clinked it against his and took a sip.
"Could I continue your torment by asking a rather personal question?" Klaus spoke, his silky voice and smirk returning as he sat opposite her in the armchair.
"Sure," she was cautious by his words, her eyes squinting slightly and a smile curling up on her lips.
"You and my brother, a union I never would have considered a possibility," he paused for a long moment, choosing his words carefully and sipping at his scotch, "Why him?"
"Do you really want the answer to that question?" A small sigh subtly left her lips and she knew that this conversation can only go one of two ways.
"I don't particularly want to know but I need too."
"His compassion is what drew me in, his loyalty to you and his family and his unwavering commitment to your redemption kept me, but what made me fall in love was everything else, his heart, his strength in troubling times, how much light and peace he brings me and how right it feels when I'm with him," she hadn't realised how much she had continued to ramble, her emotions overtook her and her brain forgot to tell her to stop, "he's what I see when I think about my future, him and this family, always and forever."
He remained silent, trying to process her words in the least painful way he could, "I tend to be the most emotionally unavailable member of this family but I will come to accept this if this is truly what you want, I do wish to see you and my brother happy, even if it means trusting that union with our sacred bond of always and forever and that our family will remain whole."
"I do want this," her lack of hesitation sealed it for him, he knew her heart and once it had chosen, it will never change, he loved her purity and compassion and he wouldn't compromise that, "and we'll remain whole."
He nodded his head and held his glass up to her once again, "besides, we made quite the team today."
"I knew we would, the hybrid and the doppelgänger side-by-side once again, we're unstoppable," she tapped her glass against his and they both chuckled lightly.
"A part of me misses those days," he admitted, his eyes wandering to the glass and the liquid that swirled within it.
"Me too," her gaze also flickered down, her mind wandering as she remembered those early days and everything else leading up to now; she brought the glass to her lips and drank the entire shot, "it was simpler when I was just the doppelgänger and not this miracle witch, when all I wanted was to build a life for myself and my family and now, I'm the leader of factions in New Orleans, I have this insanely immense power and I was hunted by creatures older than time."
"And I don't believe there is a single person on this earth that could have handled it better than you, little warrior, all of your struggles are a testament to your strength and your compassion; you united species that have been at war for a thousand years, you brought a whole new meaning to the vow always and forever and you have impacted each and every one of us, who else do you know that could accomplish all of that? I've never met one," he spoke quite passionately before grabbing the liquor bottle and filling their glasses up, allowing her the relief she needed that only alcohol could bring, a quiet mind.
Before she could respond, the front door burst open and the siblings all appeared in the living room, Kol and Rebekah stood either side of Elena and Elijah stood in the centre.
"Whatever you're planning, brother, you'll have to go through us first," Rebekah remarked, ready in her protective mode and here to defend.
"I swear to any higher entity out there that I will pull you apart limb by limb if you attempt to harm Elena," Kol was just as furious and even though she disliked it when the family was at odds, she couldn't help but be overwhelmed by the need to protect her.
"Niklaus, whatever issue you have is not to go near Elena, we will settle this," Elijah's voice was stern and she could feel the love and protectiveness radiate from him and she thought it quite cruel to allow this to go on.
Klaus and Elena grinned on the rim of their glasses before taking a sip of their scotch simultaneously; Rebekah glanced at the bottle on the table and she was starting to realise there was no tension in the air, no rage or hate and then she saw the grins on their lips.
"What's going on here?" Kol asked, his brow furrowed and his confusion bringing a slight amusement to Elena and Klaus.
"Great show of force, my dear siblings," Klaus chuckled lightly before standing from his chair and grabbing several more glasses from the cabinet and pouring them a drink, "did you honestly believe I would hurt Elena? Is your opinion that low of me?"
They all turned to look at her, their facial expressions filled with confusion and suspense, "we worked it out, we're all good."
"What?" Elijah spoke, a small breath escaping his lips as he shifted his gaze from Elena to Klaus, "What game are you playing, brother?"
"No games," he walked towards Elijah with his glass in his hand and offered it too him, "I could never truly hurt you, Elijah, perhaps dagger you for a few centuries but she deserves to be happy, you desiccated in a coffin and our family at odds isn't going to achieve that."
Elijah nodded his head with a smile before taking the glass from his hand.
Elena became overwhelmed by his words and they locked gazes for a long moment, she mouthed the words 'thank you' before standing to her feet and walking to Elijah's side.
Klaus placed a soft kiss on Elena's cheek before exiting the living room and heading for the kitchen, leaving a brief silence in the room until they all processed what just happened.
"You continue to surprise me, Elena, you should write a book on the inner most workings of our deranged brother with a step-by-step guide to tame his temper," she picked up the glass he poured for her from the cabinet and approached the doppelgänger.
"It's not something I can explain," she responded, clinking their glasses together and taking a sip with the original blonde.
"Well, you've done the impossible with him, you've made him see some sort of reason and look past his hate and rage," Kol joined in, offering her his words of praise.
"Well, you are special," even hearing Elijah's voice made her heart flutter uncontrollably and she turned to face him, they shared in a look they hadn't been able to previously, full of love, relief and without a problem in the world.
"This is going to get nauseating really quick," Kol said with an eye roll before following Klaus into the kitchen; a small chuckle escaped Elena's lips at his words before she rested her head on Elijah's shoulder.
"I'm with Kol on this one, I'm a sucker for love and a happy ending but you're my brother and it's disgusting," she smirked slightly before exiting the room, leaving only Elijah and Elena.
They both grinned widely, enjoying in a moment of surreal peace before Elijah placed his hand on the back of her neck and brought her into him, their lips meeting in a slow and passion fuelled kiss.
"We should go to the hotel you took me to on our first and only date," she spoke on his lips, as she felt his arm slip around her waist.
"I'll take you anywhere."