AN: So sorry for the long wait! Hopefully this chapter satisfies you all.
Also, a reminder that since no Mikaelson has died in this story yet, Elena and her allies don't know about the bloodline thing. The Mikaelsons know about the sire line connection thanks to Miriam, but definitely aren't going to tell anyone if they can help it.
ADDITIONAL AN: As of September 29, 2023, I've changed a couple of things. 1) I totally forgot about Sage, so she's in this chapter, and 2) I changed the frequency of Elena getting her blood drawn at the end. BookQn on AO3 said that once a couple of months was more accurate. And I'm nothing if not accurate in this reverse harem, time traveling, vampire story, lol
TW: Death. Like, multiple named character death.
ELENA
December 11, 2010
The chilly December air bit into Elena's skin as she walked down the busy street. It was a Saturday afternoon, cloudy with the promise of rain later, but cheerful in atmosphere. Christmas was coming in a couple of weeks, and the citizens of Mystic Falls were excited. The town square had been decorated with long strands of garland, plump wreaths, and many, many red bows. The shops and restaurants had decorated their outside areas and facades with Christmas lights. Nearly every window boasted some type of Christmas activity: ice skating, cookie decorating, a movie night at the local center, a church nativity play, an ugly sweater contest, just to name a few. Families passed Elena on the sidewalk; the parents were focused on their children's Christmas lists and the children were focused on the eye-catching toys and mouth-watering desserts in the store windows.
Everyone was cheerful. Even in the cold with heavy clouds threatening to dump their water, people laughed and smiled as they walked. Christmas music floated out of the open shop doors. People were taking pictures in front of the Christmas tree that dominated the town square- pictures that would no doubt be their Christmas card for the year. A car drove by with a tree tied to the roof. Yes, happiness was in the air for everyone.
Everyone but Elena.
She walked through all the Christmas cheer with resentment in her heart. Everything had gone so, so wrong. All she had wanted was her freedom, but now all she had was the opposite. She was always being watched. Her blood made her important to Klaus, so John had people guarding her at all times, in case Klaus came back for her.
She shuddered from the memory of Elijah methodically draining her of her blood. She had thought that he had liked her. But he had sat in front of her and coldly watched as her lifeblood was unwillingly taken from her. He had even allowed his monster of a brother to taunt her as she sat there half-conscious.
Elijah would always side with his family, this Elena knew. There would be no saving him from the fate that awaited the Mikaelson family. There was a part of her that would be sad when he died, but she would never mourn the death of Klaus Mikaelson. Fury burned in her heart whenever she thought of that villain. He had tortured her and her friends, had seduced Jenna and Jeremy into his cult, and had killed her. As long as he held breath in his lungs, she would never know peace. She could never live her life with him haunting her every step. He wanted her alive and human so he could take her blood to build his hybrid army. Even more insidiously, he wanted her human so that she could have children to carry on the Petrova doppelganger gene. As long as he was alive, she was never going to have a child, regardless of her desire to be a mother when she grew up. So he needed to die, so that she could live her life to the fullest.
Even now, with the Mikaelsons living in a different city, Elena could feel them breathing down her neck. They threatened her by just being alive; even if they were on a different continent Elena thought that she would still be able to feel them following her. Even worse, because of the Mikaelson threat, John, Isabel, and Tristan de Martel had all agreed that Elena needed to be followed around everywhere.
She was stalked all the time. Sometimes it was Isobel. Sometimes it was a Strix vampire. Sometimes it was Damon. Sometimes it was Stefan. No matter who it was, they made her feel like a child who couldn't be trusted.
Damon had become even more snarky and volatile, but that was preferable to Stefan's withdrawn and angsty attitude. Unfortunately for Elena, both men were currently following her.
"You shouldn't be out and about," Stefan scolded her.
Elena rolled her eyes. "I'm a big girl. I can take care of myself."
He frowned. "A couple lessons with Alaric doesn't make you a professional vampire hunter. And no amount of training could keep you safe if the Mikaelsons wanted you."
Elena bristled at the mention of the Mikaelsons. Every other word out of Stefan's mouth was about Klaus. He was obsessed over Klaus, just like every other person in Elena's life.
"Can't I just enjoy the fresh air?" Elena defended.
"Sure. It'll be the last bit of fresh air you get before Klaus kidnaps you to make new hybrids," Damon snarked in his usual way.
Elena rolled her eyes. "Whatever, Damon. Can you guys just leave me alone? I need to do some Christmas shopping."
It was a lie, but she wanted to be free from their suffocating presence.
"Not going to happen. You're a walking disaster. Also, we need to talk to you."
Elena tensed. Nothing good ever came out of a serious discussion.
Half an hour later she was sitting across from Stefan in the main living area in the Salvatore Boarding House. Damon was pacing in front of the fireplace, a glass of bourbon in his hand. The tension in the room was climbing with each minute, and Elena didn't like it one bit.
"Well?" she prompted.
"We have been talking," Stefan started slowly, "about our future. Specifically, our future with you."
Elena gulped. "What do you mean?"
"Where do you see this going, Elena?" Damon interrupted. "You are officially dating Stefan, but you cannot deny the connection between us."
Worried, Elena looked at Stefan. She was expecting to see anger, or sadness, at the mention of her split affections. Instead, he was calm and open.
"I know that you love him, too," Stefan said softly. "I don't blame you. I know you love me, as well. It's alright."
"How can it be right?" Elena croaked, her throat thick with tears. "I'm like Katherine."
"No, you aren't," Damon insisted. "That bitch played both of us. She enjoyed pitting us against each other. She enjoyed the misery and jealousy that she created. You don't. You hate that you love us both."
She did. She really did.
"Elena, we don't mind that you love the both of us. Damon and I have talked, and we don't mind sharing. However, we need to know a few things before we can move forward," Stefan said. "The first is this: Where do you see your life in ten or twenty years?"
The answer came easily to Elena.
In ten years she would be twenty-eight. She would have finished college and started a career. Maybe she would be a doctor, like her father. Or maybe she could be a teacher, or accountant, or a small business owner. She would get married, and have a couple of children. She would live a mundane life, by her current standards, but it would be hers.
"And do you see either of us in your imagined life?"
… No.
No.
No, she couldn't see either of them in the perfect life she imagined. She didn't want to be a vampire, she wanted to be human. And even if they were okay with her staying human, what would their life look like? She could see Stefan blending in for a couple of years, maybe even going to college with her. He would be a good dad to the kids they would adopt. But she would grow old and leave him in his eternal youth.
Damon would hate domesticity. He would hate small talk with neighbors and handing out Halloween candy to children. He would love her fiercely, but she couldn't envision him as a dad who took his kids to soccer practice in a minivan. Could he refrain from killing an annoying parent at their kids' school? Would he change diapers? Would he do the midnight feedings? Would he allow her to grow old without him?
She didn't think so.
"Are you willing to give up your imagined life for a life with us?"
"No," she said firmly.
"Are you willing to give us up for the life you want?"
Elena hesitated.
She loved them. She truly, deeply loved them. But she loved the idea of a non-supernatural life as well. No one would ever love her the way her two men loved her. No human man could possibly compare. But could two supernatural men compete with the allure of planting roots of an ordinary human life?
"And there it is," Damon said cruelly. "You won't pit us against each other like Katherine did, but you will pit us against this perfect future you've envisioned in your head."
"No, I-"
"That's exactly what you're doing, Elena!" Damon threw his glass across the room. It shattered against the wall and Elena flinched at the sound it made. "You want the best of both worlds, but reality doesn't work like that! You can't have it all Elena. God, stop acting like a child!"
I am a child.
The thought came to her uninvited. She tried to shake it away- I'm an adult! I'm an adult!- but she couldn't.
She locked eyes with Stefan, and knew instantly that he was thinking the same thing.
"Enough, Damon," Stefan stood up. "If she doesn't want to make a decision, we can't force her." His eyes were sad, but resolved. "Elena, I will always love you, but I will not be a part of another love triangle."
He left then, quietly and without any fanfare. Elena's heart splintered at the sight of his retreating back. She turned her frantic gaze on Damon, but he was glaring at her.
"I won't be a consolation prize," he snapped at her.
"You aren't!"
He laughed, but it was a mirthless thing. "No, Elena. If you agree to be with me now, after you rejected both of us and Stefan rejected you, I will always know that you chose my love as a last resort."
As he stormed out of the room Elena's heart fully broke.
Friday, December 17
The war room was crowded. John and Isabel were there, as well as Alaric. Bonnie stood with the Strix witches, her eyes dark with exhaustion from all the work she had been doing. Damon and Stefan were also there, along with Sage, an ancient vampire who was there solely to retrieve Finn Mikaelson from his brothers. Other vampires, witches, and even a handful of werewolves were also in attendance. Tristan de Martel, Aya, and the other Stix vampires dominated the rest of the room.
Elena was allowed in the war room… barely. All the adults in her life were reluctant to talk to her about the upcoming attack on the Mikaelsons. Her biological parents were hesitant to show her the rougher side of war. Damon and Stefan wanted her innocent and as un-Katherine as possible. Tristan was suspicious of her fortitude; he was sure that she would go running to the Mikaelsons.
But even being in the room made Elena feel like a tool instead of a person. Both Tristan and Aya referred to her as 'the doppelganger'. Her bio parents and the Salvatores loved her, but they also saw her as a chess piece to be guarded. Damon had callously referred to Elena as a pawn, but that wasn't true. Pawns were expendable and plentiful. They were useful as canon fodder, and even had the potential of becoming a queen. No, Elena was no pawn. Elena was as useless as the king. People were willing to die to protect the rare doppelganger from the evil Mikaelsons. She was made to be protected, and could do nothing to protect herself.
Elena hated it.
She couldn't even remove herself from the board like Katherine had done. She was watched constantly. Her parents, the Salvatores, and Tristan were all adamant that she should stay human. While her parents and her lovers had pure intentions, she knew that the only reason Tristan was allowing her to live was because of her doppelganger blood. It was useful in potions and spells. So until he decided that her blood wasn't worth the trouble of keeping her alive, Elena was going to remain human. She wanted to be human, but it rankled that her life was beneficial to yet another powerful vampire.
The scent of expensive perfume was the only warning Elena got before a voice spoke.
"Go sit with Isabel, little human," Aya purred from behind her.
Elena turned to face the vampire. Aya was gorgeous in her aloofness. Unlike Damon, who was expressive and sarcastic, Aya was restrained and subtle. She was not prone to fits of emotion, and Elena envied her for that. She had been turned as an adult, Elena was positive, because she wasn't as dramatic as some of the other vampires she knew could be.
Elena had been told that Aya, Tristan, and the Strix had been turned by Elijah. She could believe it. All of them had this look in their eyes. It was wisdom and pride, superiority and a thirst for power through knowledge. Aya's eyes also contained mirth whenever she looked at Elena, as if she knew something about Elena that Elena didn't know about.
"We are about to start the meeting, young one," Aya prodded.
"Are we close to ending this?" Elena asked instead of retreating. Everyone had been brushing her off, and she wanted answers, dammit. She wanted to know if she was ever going to be free of the Mikaelsons' shadow over her life.
Aya smirked, as if amused at Elena's impertinent question. "My, aren't you a brave one? I never had the fortune of meeting your previous doppelgangers, but I have to believe that you are the boldest of them all."
Elena flushed, realizing her overstep. All the vampires in the building could see and hear their conversation, and many of the Strix vampires were glaring at her for questioning their leader. Isabel twitched from her spot next to John and Alaric, but did nothing to help Elena.
"To answer your question, Miss Gilbert, yes, we are close to putting an end to all this turmoil," Aya said smoothly. "Soon you will be free to live your life to the fullest, just like you have always wanted. Now, if you will excuse me, I need to begin the meeting."
Elena should have been assured, but she only felt dread at Aya's words. They sounded more like a threat than a dream come true.
Suddenly Damon was there.
"Come on," he hissed as he grabbed her arm harshly. "Let's get you back to your parents before you demand more answers from one of the strongest vampires in the world."
Elena glared at him but said nothing as he shoved her into John's arms.
John steadied her and moved her until she was standing between him and Isabel. He didn't scold her, but the disappointment in his eyes echoed too closely to Grayson's (her true father, she believed in her heart) for her comfort.
Aya called everyone to attention before stepping away to give the floor to Tristan. He stood at the head of the table, with Aya to his right as usual.
"We attack tomorrow," Tristan declared. "We received intel that the Mikaelsons' mate, a human woman, will be leaving their fortified town of Roanoke to visit friends in Lynchburg- without any of the Mikaelsons. A joint group of Strix vampires and witches will capture the girl and bring her here. Once we have her, we will use her as bait to lure in the Mikaelsons."
"Of course, they will expect some sort of trap," Aya said. "So we will be launching a three-pronged attack. One group will attack the Mikaelsons' mansion in Roanoke. The second group is already in place in Paris, France, where Rebekah Mikaelson and Kol Mikaelson currently are. The third and final group will ambush the Mikaelsons during the hostage negotiations- not from behind or the side, but from the tunnels underground. Our Strix witches, aided by Miss Bennett, will spell the area to make it impossible for the Mikaelsons to leave. Once they are in the spelled area, we will swoop in and kill them."
"All except for Finn," Sage said pointedly. "Aya said that he is still daggered, and is currently in the basement of the Mikaelsons' Roanoke residence. I want him back, Tristan."
"We will, Sage," Tristan answered long-sufferingly.
Finn Mikaelson had been a topic of debate amongst the eldest vampires for a while, Elena knew. Tristan had wanted all Original vampires destroyed, but Sage had argued in defense of Finn. Elena had witnessed one of their 'arguments' before: During the heat of their argument, Sage had actually pounced on Tristan. He was older, but she had spent her entire existence fighting. She had plunged her hand into his chest and hadn't removed it until he had given his assent.
Sage was vicious, and single-mindedly focused on Finn Mikaelson. Even Elena, who didn't spend much time with her, knew that the vampire only cared about Finn's safety. She didn't care about the other Mikaelsons, just hers. As long as Finn was in her possession by the end of their attack, she would be happy.
"I mean it, Tristan," Sage warned. "I will suffer no 'accidents' or changes to our plan. Finn has done nothing to you or the Strix. He is not apart of their schemes. I know him like no other, and I know that he won't ever forgive Klaus and his siblings for keeping him daggered."
"You will get your lover, Sage," Tristan promised. But his eyes were hard and his lips were pressed tight, and Elena suddenly knew with one hundred percent surety that Tristan was planning on double-crossing Sage.
"And we're sure this information is viable?" Alaric asked suspiciously.
Tristan sniffed and looked down his nose at Alaric. "I have been alive for more years than you can count, hunter. All my information is correct. My Strix vampires are the wisest and most cunning people on the planet. It was child's play for them to plant spies in Roanoke, in Paris, and even here in Mystic Falls."
Alaric raised his hands in a placating gesture. "Fine. If you say so."
"I do say so," Tristan said sharply.
"Mr. Saltzman, believe me when I say that my people are the very best," Aya assured. "They know their mission, and they have followed my instructions to a 'T'."
"We believe you," John promised, and he shot an annoyed look at Alaric. "Though I must ask: Where is Lucien Castle?"
"Lucien has been busy these past few months," Tristan said. "I am in constant communication with Lucien via email, and he has been eradicating North America of its werewolf population. Klaus has a limited supply of Miss Gilbert's blood, but due to Lucien's efforts, he has only been able to turn the Roanoke pack. There are only seven hybrids in the entire world, and after tomorrow that number will be zero."
John looked relieved.
The meeting continued, but Elena barely heard a word. Guilt churned in her stomach. John was so happy that Lucien Castle was killing werewolves- people! They were people! Sure, there were probably bad ones like Brady and Jules, but there were probably lots of them that were like Tyler.
A thought, bitter and jaded fluttered through her head- are we any better than the Mikaelsons?- but Elena refused to let it take root. She couldn't think like that. The werewolf gene was triggered by murder, there was no excuse for it. Lucien killing werewolves meant that he was killing murderers. Yeah, she cared about Tyler, but he was an exception to the general population. And yes, they were going to kill the Mikaelsons, the Roanoke pack, and the human mate. But it would all be worth it, because it was righteous. They were getting rid of the tyrants to make way for a better way of living.
It'll all be okay, she lied to herself. It will all be over tomorrow.
Saturday, December 18
After a long, sleepless night, the next day arrived.
Elena had gotten up early to go to the meeting area with John and Isabel. A large canopy tent, like those used for outdoor weddings, had been set up in a clearing. Portable heaters lined the interior of the tent to keep the witches and humans warm in the chilly morning. Elena huddled under one and listened in on the updates as their grand plan came to fruition.
Elena, Tristan, Sage, Aya, Isabel, John, Alaric, Bonnie, Stefan, Damon, and a number of Strix vampires and witches gathered around a large table. Tristan had set up a sort of map that looked like it should have belonged in the medieval era, and not the modern era with modern appliances surrounding it. As information was relayed over phone or email, Tristan moved pieces on or off the board. Elena found the action pompous, but his plan was working, so she'd let go of the flashy board.
The first good news came in a little after nine in the morning.
The van carrying the Mikaelsons' mate had been driven off the road in-route to its destination. The girl's guards had been slaughtered, and the girl had been captured. Strix vampires were now on their way back to Mystic Falls with their hostage.
"My people say they have launched their attack on the apartment that Rebekah and Kol are staying at," Aya informed Tristan. "The witches have stunned the two Mikaelsons and now await your orders."
"Perfect," Tristan grinned violently as he moved a couple of pieces off his board.
Elena, who stood in-between Isabel and John, glanced at Aya. The vampire was smiling at her phone as it chimed. She looked up and winked at Elena, who quickly looked away.
A little under an hour later, the Strix sent to capture the Mikaelsons' mate returned.
Tristan was almost manic in his glee as he hurried out of the tent. By the time Elena and the others had made it outside, the SUV had come to a stop on the other side of the clearing. Tristan's intensity had rubbed off on Elena, and she found herself anxiously awaiting the reveal of the Mikaelsons' mate. She had only seen the girl a handful of times, but she knew she would recognize her.
Come on, come on! Elena chanted in her head as the car turned off and a couple of Strix members got out. One of them waved at the watching group before opening the door to the back seat. After what felt like an eon, the person in the back finally got out of the car.
"What the hell?!" exclaimed Alaric.
Stoic John stepped back in shock.
Bonnie gasped.
Elena couldn't comprehend who she was seeing.
She was expecting Miriam Sanchez. She was expecting a Mexican woman with curly dark hair. She was expecting tears and fear. Not…
No.
No. No. No.
Nononononono-
"Jenna!" Elena wailed.
"We've been tricked!" Tristan growled.
And the entire clearing descended into chaos.
Vampires sped towards each other at super-human speed. Hybrids, dozens of them, burst out of the forest from the opposite end, pinning Elena and her friends in between two dangers. Witches chanted. Wind whipped through the clearing, pulling at Elena's hair and stinging her eyes. Spells flew back and forth, and the path they left was rife with devastation: vampires with snapped necks, fire that caught in the trees, and the tent left in tatters. Growls, screams, and roars filled the air.
Hands, soft but firm, grabbed Elena and pulled her out of the battle and to the relative safety at the edge of the clearing.
"Don't look," Isobel urged.
Elena sobbed and buried her head in her mother's neck.
It was over brutally fast.
The silence in the aftermath was louder than the sounds of fighting.
"Isobel, if you could bring the lovely Elena over here?" a smug, posh voice said, and shivers ran down Elena's spine.
Klaus.
Their side had lost.
"I'm so sorry, Elena," Isobel murmured.
Elena pulled her tear-streaked face out of Isobel's shoulder and looked at the vampire in confusion.
"It was Klaus. He compelled me. He's been compelling me since before I met you," Isobel said in a rush, her eyes filling with tears. "I didn't want to come here, but he made me. I'm so, so sorry. I didn't want to be used against you, but he gave me no choice!"
Betrayal was sharp as any knife.
"You-"
"Now, Isobel," Klaus prompted.
The compulsion settled over Isobel's frame. She grabbed Elena's arm and pulled her back into the clearing.
It was carnage.
Vampire, witch, and human bodies were strewn across the icy ground. Some had missing limbs, or vicious bite marks. A few people were still alive- but barely. Vampires with bite marks gasped and choked as the poisoned werewolf bite tore at their bodies. Witches twitched on the ground, blood seeping from every orifice. Humans slowly bled out from their wounds.
"I do so love when a plan works out for the best," Klaus grinned like the maniac he was.
"There was hardly a chance of anything going wrong," Elijah said dryly.
The Mikaelsons- Klaus, Elijah, and Kol (who apparently wasn't in Paris)- stood in the middle of the clearing, uncaring of the bodies around them or the blood on themselves.
"We had no casualties," a tall blond woman said in an accented voice. Her resemblance to the other Mikaelsons was obvious, but Elena hadn't known there was another Mikaelson.
"Miriam will be happy with us," Kol Mikaelson said proudly, and Elena could only feel revulsion towards the vampire who was covered in blood and gore.
Elena looked around. Stefan and Damon were bloodied but alive. So were Alaric, John, and Bonnie. Tristan and Sage had even survived. Strix vampires had all six of them on their knees in front of the Mikaelsons.
"Traitor!" Tristan hissed.
Elena flinched, thinking he was talking to Isobel, but he was looking at Aya.
The vampire woman stood next to Elijah. She wore a contented smile on her gorgeous face, and seemed unbothered by the vitriol that Tristan spewed her way.
"I may be a traitor, but unlike you, I will survive this day," Aya taunted.
"Whatever he promised you-"
She tutted sharply. "And that is the reason for your downfall, Tristan. He didn't approach me, I approached him."
Tristan gaped at her, as if he was seeing her for the first time.
"I think it's time to dole out the punishments," Klaus interrupted gleefully. He clapped loudly, and more people entered the clearing. Jenna came forward with two people that Elena recognized as Bonnie's parents. There were also four hybrids; two who flanked a man who was gagged and chained, and two who flanked a redheaded woman in a straightjacket. At the sight of her, Tristan began shouting and trying to get free.
"AURORA!"
"Here is your punishment, Tristan," Elijah said as the woman was brought just out of reach of Tristan. "Your sister will die for your attempted crimes against us."
"She didn't have anything to do with this!" Tristan pleaded.
"I don't care," Elijah shrugged. "Aya, would you like the pleasure?"
"I would like nothing more," Aya purred.
And despite Tristan's frantic pleading, Aya plunged her hand into Aurora's chest and pulled out her heart.
Tristan howled until Elijah pulled out his own heart.
The Mikaelsons turned to Sage next.
"Freya, dear sister, you never got to meet Sage, did you?" Klaus said conversationally as he circled Sage's chained up form.
The blonde witch shook her head. "I never got the pleasure."
"She's not much of a pleasure, to tell you the truth," Klaus fake-whispered to the witch. "She always assumed that just because she warmed Finn's bed that she was worthy of our respect."
"Respect has to be earned," Freya noted.
"Yes, it does," Kol agreed. "And she never earned ours. She was always too eager to be violent for Finn's taste, but he stayed with her because she was devoted to him." Kol knelt down in front of Sage, and his playful grin morphed into something menacing. "Dear, dear Sage. I've unfortunately grown closer to my eldest brother. I know his mind and his heart better than I ever have. And I know for certain that our true mate is so much better for him than you could have ever been."
Sage snarled.
Freya joined Kol in bashing Sage. "You are nothing compared to Miriam. I haven't been awake long, but even I can tell that she is far superior than you."
"Enough, sister," Klaus laughed as Sage tried to attack Freya. "You will get her too worked up. Finn will want her in one piece, and with her mind in tact."
Freya shrugged. "Maybe so. But I can still get her ready for transportation."
And with an easy flick of her wrist, Sage's neck snapped. A couple of hybrids picked up her limp form and took her away.
"Now for the Bennett witch," Kol said. He and Freya stepped forward and motioned for Bonnie's nervous parents to join them. "You, little witch, have caused a lot of problems for us. But, in order to foster peace between my family and the Bennett line, we have decided to pardon you one last time."
The creepy blonde Mikaelson woman lifted up a small bottle and said, "If you drink this, you will forget all of the events that led up to this moment. You will forget about your animosity towards my family. You will only remember a year of vampire threats and moving to Canada with your mother."
Defiant to the last second, Bonnie spat: "I won't take that!"
"Please, Bonnie," Abby pleaded with her daughter. "This is your last chance. Our last chance! Our last chance at being a family. Please. Your father agreed to go with us. And I know I've been gone for too long, but I have a son now. His name is Jaime. He really wants to meet you. Please. We can leave this place and never have to worry about the Mikaelsons or anything ever again."
Bonnie just tilted her head up stubbornly.
The Mikaelson witch rolled her eyes. "This is taking too long."
With a wave of her hand, Bonnie froze and opened her mouth. Kol poured the potion into her mouth and forced her to swallow it.
"Bonnie!" Elena tried to run forward but Isobel kept her in place.
Bonnie gagged once before passing out. Her dad gingerly picked her up.
"And you'll leave us alone?" Abby asked Klaus.
"Of course… as long as young Bonnie doesn't make her way back down here. Keep her up in Canada with her cousins and keep her out of our business."
Abby nodded. "We will."
And then Elena's best friend was ripped from her life.
Klaus turned to the other prisoner in chains.
"Your turn, Lucien."
The vampire was dragged before Klaus, who smiled down at the chained man with malicious joy. He ripped the gag out of the other man's mouth, allowing him to speak.
"Please, Klaus," Lucien begged. "Please, I would never work against you. Your brother and sister lied to you about my confession; I would never betray you!"
Kol scoffed. "Wrong angle to go with, mate. Ever since Nik captured you in Las Vegas you have been under constant surveillance. And all of us Mikaelsons oversaw your compulsion and subsequent confession. Nik knows that every word you uttered about Tristan's plans were true."
Klaus nodded. "I do. Unlike you, dear Lucien, I have evolved. I trust my siblings to protect our family."
"Elijah and Rebekah will turn on you!" Lucien tried to lie. But even Elena knew his words were false.
"No, they won't. And nothing you say will change my mind. You know, Lucien, I've had about a thousand years too much from you. For a century, you lived with my name, and you never did quite recover from losing it, did you? You became a man of wealth and stature, but you never could crawl from my shadow. And in the end… despite the gift of immortality, you have always known what you truly are."
Klaus plucked a knife from the hand of a dead witch. He twirled the blade in his hands for a moment before kneeling down in front of Lucien. The hybrids holding the man tightened their grip as he struggled to get away.
"Please…" Lucien begged pitifully.
Klaus ignored his pleas and ruthlessly mutilated Lucien's mouth with the knife.
"You… are… nothing," Klaus announced before plunging his hand into Lucien's chest and ripping his heart.
"Why mutilate him?" Freya asked as she dispassionately watched the hybrids drop the body onto the ground.
"Tristan did the same thing to him a thousand years ago. He believed that Lucien was sleeping with Aurora, and tortured him for the crime," Klaus said. He let Lucien's heart fall to the cold ground with a wet splat, and wiped his bloody hands on his coat. "Tristan always made him feel lesser than. To repeat Tristan's actions…"
"You were mentally and physically torturing him," the witch chided without any real weight behind her words.
Klaus grinned. "Yes. But sadly, I am on a time constraint today, and as such couldn't draw out Lucien's much-deserved torment."
"What did Miriam promise you?" the witch asked knowingly.
"Nothing!" Klaus defended.
"She wants us back early to make gingerbread houses with the children," Kol interjected. "Also, I'm pretty sure she promised to suck his-"
"Enough, children," Elijah chided. "Let's keep our private life private, yes?"
"'Lijah, they'll all be dead soon," Kol complained.
Elena swallowed a sob.
These monsters were joking with each other while standing on ground that was stained with blood! They were talking about making fucking gingerbread houses later as if they hadn't just committed mass murder. They were truly sick in the head.
"You do take the fun out of everything," Klaus agreed with Kol. He turned to Elena and the rest of the survivors and addressed them for the first time. "Unlike Lucien and Tristan, who have posed a real problem for my family, you all have been a mild irritant. We would have left you alone, had you not joined forces with Lucien and Tristan."
"You were warned again and again not to interfere," Elijah added in a chiding tone. "We gave you more than enough chances to turn back, to stop your obsessions. But still you persisted."
He looked at Elena then, disappointment in his eyes. Something like shame swirled in her gut.
"Our next order of business: the Salvatore brothers," Klaus announced with a grin.
"Leave them alone!" Elena pleaded.
"Isobel, keep Elena quiet," Klaus ordered.
"Elena, please!" Isobel cried as she gripped Elena's arms with bruising strength.
Klaus stepped up to Stefan, and despite the panic that was flooding Elena's head, she could recognize fondness in the Hybrid's eyes.
"For the friendship we shared in the past, I give you a choice," he said seriously. "You can either take your brother and leave North America for the next one hundred years of your own free will, or you can be compelled into forgetting Elena and your misadventures. Choose, mate."
"Elena will not be harmed?" Stefan asked.
"Elena will live a long and happy human life with little interference from our family," Elijah promised.
"What do you think, Damon?" Stefan turned as much as he was allowed.
"I think," Damon said after a long pause, "that I haven't visited London in a while."
"No!" wailed Elena before Isobel clapped a hand over her mouth.
"You are free to go. A couple of my hybrids will take you to an airport. If either of you place a toe on this continent before your hundred years are up, I will not hesitate to kill you, past friendship or not."
Damon and Stefan nod, and leave quickly. Only Damon looked back, his face full of sorrow but his eyes hard with the sentiment he had told her the night they both broke it off with her: I will not be a consolation prize.
Hot tears ran down Elena's face as her two epic loves voluntarily walked out of her life forever.
"Now for the rest of you lot," Kol said gleefully. He had the Gilbert ring in his hands, and was lazily tossing it into the air. "You have all made many, many mistakes. Too numerous to count, really."
"None of you deserve any mercy, but our mate, the one you tried to kidnap, has bargained for it regardless. Not for any of you or your actions, but for Jenna," Elijah said. "To that end, we will allow you to say your goodbyes."
Jenna stepped forward. Her face was pale and her expression was resolute. She ignored Alaric, but focused on John and Isobel.
"I loved you daughter so much," she said softly. "I want you to know that she'll be taken care of when you're gone."
Isobel was crying. John was struggling against his captor. Alaric was pleading with her. She ignored them all and instead approached Elena.
"Elena, I love you. I have cared for you and protected you to the best of my ability. I'm so, so sorry that it wasn't enough."
"Jenna-"
"You won't remember this conversation, but I wanted to say that I will always be there to protect you. I will always protect you."
"Jenna, please!" Elena begged.
Her aunt ignored her words. She hugged Elena, briefly but fiercely, then turned around and walked out of the clearing and out of sight.
"Jenna! Jenna, please come back! Jenna!" Elena shouted.
"Enough of this caterwauling," Kol said as he rolled his eyes. He marched over to Alaric and grabbed a fistful of hair and pulled-
Elena screamed.
Isobel wailed.
Kol fucking Mikaelson just grinned at their anguish and held up Alaric's severed head. "Who's next?"
"Elijah!" Elena pleaded desperately. "Please! No one else, Elijah. P-Please, let's make a deal!"
"Miss Gilbert, you misunderstand," Elijah said smoothly. "There are no more negotiations to be had. No deals will be made. Nothing will stop what is about to happen."
Klaus was suddenly in front of John.
"No!" Isobel begged.
But Klaus ignored her. He plunged his hand into John's chest and pulled out his heart. John's body slumped to the cold ground.
Elena barely had time to cry before Elijah was ripping her away from Isobel. He tore her vervain necklace off and tossed it to Kol.
"Be calm and quiet," he compelled her.
Her mouth snapped shut and a rush of false emotions flowed over her. Despite her true self screaming inside of her own head, Elena's body went docile in Isobel's hands.
"Isobel, be a dear and step away from Elena," Klaus compelled. "Great. Now take off your daylight ring."
No! No! No!
Elena tried to move, but couldn't even twitch a muscle.
"Elena, I'm so sorry. I love you! Please, please close your eyes, Elena!"
Elena didn't close her eyes. She watched in forced serenity as her last remaining parent died before her eyes.
She didn't pay much attention after that.
Her aunt and brother had abandoned her for her enemies.
Her friends were either in cahoots with the Mikaelsons or drugged to forget.
Her allies were dead.
Her lovers had rejected her.
Her mentor was dead.
And her biological parents were dead.
Everyone was gone, and Elena was horribly alone.
Snippets of the Mikaelsons' conversation pierced through her melancholy. Words like 'loyal witches', 'foster parents', and 'magically induced coma' reached Elena, but she had been compelled to remain calm.
And why fight it? She thought darkly. The Mikaelsons won anyway.
The Mikaelsons had been ten steps ahead the entire time. Somehow they had gotten to Lucien Castle, Isobel, and Aya. They must have promised Aya something great to get her to be a spy, and they must have gotten to her months ago. How had they known what to do? How had they been able to outsmart Elena and her friends?
How had this all gone so wrong?
Elena would never get the answers to her questions, for Elijah gripped her chin and his eyes dilated with his compulsion, and she knew no more.
ELENA GILBERT-PRYDE
September, 2011
Elena loved her life.
Brian and Polly Pryde were amazing foster parents. She knew they weren't her real parents, but they were decent substitutes. She was so lucky that these distant relatives of her mom's side of the family were willing to foster her. Her relatives were great. Brian was a doctor who worked at one of the bigger hospitals in San Diego, California. He worked a lot, but he tried to be present when he was home. He was dorky; he liked Star Wars and playing board games. He helped Elena with her homework; he was so smart, and Elena really looked up to him.
Polly was a stay-at-home mom. She drove a gray minivan, took her biological kids to soccer, was on the PTA, and also enjoyed boxing in her spare time. Polly had become Elena's rock. She helped Elena adjust to living in California by encouraging her to join cheerleading, as well as getting a job at the mall. She gossiped with Elena about boys, taught Elena how to make strudel, and never once made Elena feel like an outsider. Both Polly and Brian had welcomed Elena with open arms, and Elena was supremely grateful.
"Parker! Bailey! If you aren't down here in ten minutes, Elena is going to leave without you!" Polly shouted up the stairs.
"Coming!" came the reply.
Elena laughed from her spot at the kitchen counter. "I'm not going to leave them here."
"Eh, maybe they'll hurry up," Polly shrugged. "Thanks again for driving them to school for me."
It was Elena's turn to shrug. "The middle school is on the way to the high school. It's no big deal."
"Still, it was a kind gesture." Polly sat down next to her. "Have you thought about what we talked about last week?"
Elena nodded. "I know my grades were bad back in Virginia. Even with doing senior year over again this year, I don't have a great chance in getting into the better medical programs."
Her dad had been a doctor, and so was Brian. Both of those influences had inspired Elena to become a doctor as well, but she was struggling on how to make that dream into a reality. After her parents had died she had spiraled, and her grades had suffered for it.
"Okay. What will you do?"
"I think you were right the other night. I'm going to apply to community colleges in the area. I'll get an A.A. degree, then transfer into a state school. It won't be the full college experience that I wanted, but at least I'll be on my way to becoming a doctor."
Polly beamed at her. "I'm proud of you. I know last spring was a difficult adjustment period for you. You were so shy when you first arrived, but now you've blossomed into a beautiful young woman."
Elena blushed. She didn't really remember much about the spring of 2011. She remembered fighting with Jenna when Jenna wanted to move to a different town with Jeremy. She remembered having a falling out with Caroline. She remembered Bonnie moving away. She remembered a lot of physical and mental pain- likely from her parents' deaths- but not much else. She barely remembered deciding to move in with Brian and Polly, or the so-called adjustment period that Polly was talking about. Entire months of her life were hazy.
It was like trying to recall a dream. But like a dream, those lost months held no consequence, Elena decided. They happened, and now they were in the past. She was more concerned with her future.
My future will be bright, she vowed to herself. She would finish her senior year strong, then dedicate herself to furthering her education. She would follow her parents' and foster parents' examples and give back to the community.
The younger kids thundered down the stairs, interrupting Elena and Polly's talk.
"You have two minutes to grab a piece of fruit and a granola bar for breakfast!" warned Polly.
"Okay!" the kids replied as they hurried around the kitchen.
"Oh, Elena, before I forget, tomorrow I'm going to go give blood. Want to come with me?"
"Of course, Polly," Elena smiled brightly. Ever since she moved in with the Prydes, she had gone with Polly to the hospital to give blood every two months or so. It didn't take very long, and it was something small she could do to help people.
Polly returned the smile, satisfaction in her eyes. "Good. Off you kids go! You're going to be late for school!"
Bickering lightly, Elena and Polly herded the younger kids outside and into the car. Elena waved at her foster mom as she drove away from the house, then laughed as the kids started to argue over the radio station. Her life really was sweet. And if there was a nagging feeling in the back of her head that she was missing people, she ignored it.
- Jeremy getting hurt but coming back to life-
- A girl who looked exactly like her but meaner and more cunning-
- Bonnie floating feathers in the air-
- Caroline moving with a speed faster than any Olympic runner-
- The sensual touch of a man whose face she couldn't recall-
Elena ignored it all. Her future was bright, and she wasn't going to waste it on dreams and weird thoughts. She smiled as she drove down a street lined with palm trees.
She loved her life.
Elena Gilbert-Pryde would finish her senior year of high school then begin taking courses at the local community college. After getting her A.A. degree, she would transfer into a four-year school and excel at her classes. She would then go to medical school and become a general surgeon. When telling people about her family, she would routinely forget about Jenna and Jeremy. The guilt after those moments was suffocating, but something inside her forbade her from calling them.
Her second year of residency, she would meet Gregory Hoffman. He was an English professor whose appendix had burst unexpectedly. The two of them would date for two years before getting married in a lovely June wedding ceremony. Elena would ignore the nagging feeling that there were people missing from her wedding; that the friends she had made in med school were just stand-ins for her true best friends. She would ignore the ache in her chest when her foster parents gave wedding speeches instead of Jenna and Jeremy.
Three years after their wedding, Elena and Gregory would have their first child, Jennifer. Twins Grace and Gilbert would follow two years later. Elena would drive her kids to lacrosse and soccer practice, and go shopping with her daughters and help her son collect Pokémon cards. She would decorate her house for Christmas and plan fun family trips during the summer. And every two months without fail she would give blood and never wonder why.
Elena would brush away every mention of her birth parents, her biological brother, and her aunt. She would tell people she and her aunt had a falling out, and that her brother was better off without her. Even when her husband offered to reach out for her, she said no. And she would never see Jeremy or Jenna again.
Elena would lead a successful life. She would never encounter anything supernatural or scary. She would die at a nice old age, with her three children, ten grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren at her side… and a voice screaming in her head that her life should have ended differently.
And several hundred years later, another doppelganger was born.
First enemy conquered!
And here is also the end of Elena's story. She still provides blood for Klaus's hybrids, but she gets to live out her life as a human. It was a cruelly kind end, in my opinion.
Some dialog taken from TO 3X20.
(Finn and Rebekah were in Roanoke with Miriam, in case anyone was wondering.)
Let me know what you thought!