Finn found Elena in the living room watching TV. It had been a couple of days since Elena came to live with them. He'd been wanting to talk to her about Freya for a while now, but he didn't know how to go about it. He was a stranger to her, and she probably didn't want to talk about her mother, especially with a stranger. She'd answered questions that they asked, but that was mostly informational. He wanted to know about Freya personally. "Elena, may I speak with you for a bit?"

Elena muted the TV. "You want to know about my mom, right?"

Finn asked. "If you don't mind talking about her. I understand if it's too painful."

"Actually, I'd like to talk about her. Until you guys found out the truth, I haven't been able to talk about her. I couldn't tell anybody about her. I had to pretend that my mother was Miranda Gilbert," Elena said. That had been very hard for her. She'd felt like she was betraying her mother every time she called her 'mom'. Yet, at the same time, she still loved Miranda as a mom because she had Elena's memories and emotions.

Finn went over and took a seat next to her. "The others didn't know Freya, but I did. I've missed her terribly."

"She missed you too. She talked about you a lot," Elena said.

"So, she didn't blame me?" Finn asked. He knew it wasn't realistic, but he always blamed himself for not being able to do something to save his sister. Well, he would do what he could now, and he would certainly protect her daughter.

"For what? Not being able to stop two crazy old hags as a toddler?" Elena asked.

Finn decided to ignore the comment about his mother for now. "Was Freya ever happy?"

"She was with me, I think, but she was always scared too. We moved constantly because she was always afraid Dahlia would find us. I think the most we spent in one place was a few weeks," Elena said.

"That must have been a hard way to grow up," Finn said.

"It wasn't so bad at first. Mom treated it like it was an adventure. She made it fun. I didn't really start to understand that it wasn't how most kids lived until I was around six. That was when I started asking questions. I asked why I couldn't go to school like the other kids and why we couldn't really have any friends. She deflected at first, but when I kept asking, she told me that there was a bad person after us. I was ten when she told me the whole story. I think she was preparing me for what was going to happen," Elena explained.

"It sounds like she at least tried to give you a happy life," Finn said.

"My life was hectic and abnormal, but I wouldn't say it was unhappy. I loved my mom. She did everything she could to keep me safe. Even leaving me in this body, I can't really be angry about because I know it was the only option she had. She did it to keep me safe. But I miss her so much. I would give anything to see her again, even if it meant risking being caught by Dahlia," Elena said.

"I miss her too," Finn said.

"I should probably apologize for the at whole aneurism thing. I didn't want to hurt you. I was pissed off, and I knew you were going to try to stop me from killing your mother, which I was intent on doing," Elena said.

"I know you blame her, but there was nothing she could've done," Finn said.

Elena laughed bitterly. "Don't give me that. Look at me. I've been alive for fifteen years, and I've never laid eyes on Dahlia. I may have grown up unconventionally, but I didn't grow up a slave to that evil bitch! That's because my mother fought with all she had to protect me. Don't tell me that Esther couldn't do anything. She didn't try! Not to mention that this entire thing started because she sold her firstborn so she could have a family. She knew what she was getting into."

Finn didn't know what to say. Elena wasn't wrong. He was talking to his niece right now because his sister had used the means at her disposal to protect her child. She had hidden her well. Why couldn't his mother have done that? Yes, Dahlia had threatened the rest of them, but his mother could've found a way to hide them. She could've done something. Why hadn't she? Why didn't she fight for her child the way Freya had?

Just then, Elijah entered the room. "I hope I'm not interrupting anything too important."

"No. Elena and I were just getting to know each other a bit," Finn said.

"That's good, brother," Elijah said. He was glad Finn was getting closer to Elena. His brother had been in despair most of their existence as vampires. Maybe having Elena around could change that for him. "Elena, there are some things I need to go over with you."

Elena groaned a little. "I don't think I did anything… yet."

Elijah gave her a small smile. "Actually, I wanted to speak with you about your schooling."

"Oh. Am I going back tomorrow?" Elena asked. She'd been kept home so far, probably so her uncle could get all the paperwork in order."

"Probably, but first I wanted to talk with you about it," Elijah said before taking a seat in a nearby chair. "I'm a bit concerned because you are a few grades ahead of where you're supposed to be at your age. I've gotten copies of your grades, and they don't seem so bad, but I still want to be sure you're not struggling."

"I'm good. I have all of the real Elena's memories and knowledge, plus, I was kind of advanced for my age even before that. In fact, I kind of had to dumb myself down in certain subject so that people wouldn't get suspicious." Elena said.

"Alright. I'd like to test you a little in the next day or two. I also want you to start gradually doing your best if you're not already doing so. You can say that we've provided you with a tutor, which may happen anyway, as there are things that aren't covered in public schools. I will take you to school tomorrow. There are certain rules I will expect you to follow. I don't want you using magic in public unless it becomes necessary for your safety," Elijah told her.

"I've never been caught using magic," Elena said with a smirk.

Finn snorted. "That's an interesting word choice."

"Uh huh. I don't care how good you think you are at hiding it. You're not going to do it. Am I clear?" Elijah asked sternly.

"Fine," Elena said unhappily.

"I don't think it is necessary for me to say this, but I want you to stay away from Stefan Salvatore," Elijah said.

Elena snorted. "Well, obviously I have to stay away from him. I don't think I could resist the urge to break his neck now that he knows I can. Although, I don't make any promises if he approaches me."

"You will make promises. You will promise to walk away and immediately tell us," Finn said. He wasn't very good at the strict parent thing like Elijah was, but he wouldn't have Elena risking herself by performing magic. He also wouldn't have that volatile, infant vampire around his fifteen-year-old niece.

"Or let Rebekah handle it. She will be returning to school as well," Elijah said.

Elena reluctantly nodded.

"Now, you already know you have to act older than you are in public, and I know you're capable of doing that. However, I want you to know that this house is a safe place for you to act your age. You don't have to hide here," Elijah assured her. She had already started doing that, but he wanted to make sure she knew it could continue. He wanted her to be herself at home, even if it did drive him insane at times.

"So, if I break someone's neck here, I won't be punished?" Elena asked with a wry smile.

"Nice try. No. There will be no acts of violence against anyone in this house," Elijah said in a hard tone.

"Well, then you better do something about your psycho mom soon, because that's just a temptation that I'm not going to be able to resist much longer," Elena said.

Elijah sighed. They were going to have to do something about their mother soon. She was still locked in the basement, in chains that they'd had Elena spell to keep her from using magic, but they weren't going to be able to keep her there forever. They had to come up with a permanent solution soon.

Xxxxxxxxxx

Finn walked down to the cellar, where his mother was being held. He was the only one in the house. Well, almost the only one. Elena was asleep upstairs, but the others were gone. Niklaus and Kol had gone out for a drink, Rebekah was going to see some boy from the school she was attending, and Elijah had gone to restock their blood supply. Finn had volunteered to stay home with Elena.

When he got downstairs, Finn found his mother on the floor, chained to the wall.

"Finn, dear. I'm so glad you're here. Are the others gone?" Esther asked.

"Elena and I are the only ones home, and she's asleep," Finn said. Well, the staff was still there, but they hardly counted.

"They're keeping the girl here. That's good. We can finish what we started. You just have to release me and get me a sample of Elena's blood," Esther said.

"You still want to kill us all, even though we might be the only chance of saving Freya?" Finn asked.

"Darling, you're not strong enough for that. No one can stop Dahlia. You know that," Esther said.

"You told me that. You told me that there was nothing you could do to protect Freya. Yet, Freya managed it. She shielded her child from that woman. How am I to believe you could do nothing when there is living proof that there was another option sleeping upstairs?" Finn asked. He was honestly questioning everything his mother told him. He always believed that his mother did everything she could for them, but believing that was much harder with everything he'd learned from Elena.

"I don't know Freya managed it, but I'm sure a degree of luck was involved. However, perhaps there is a way to save Freya now. We give Dahlia an alternative," Esther said.

"What?" Finn asked with an edge to his voice. He had a feeling he knew what his mother was suggesting, but he prayed he was wrong. Surely his mother was not that cold.

"Elena is stronger than any witch I've ever seen, aside from Dahlia, and she's only eighteen," Esther said.

"She's fifteen, Mother. She's a child," Finn emphasized.

"Even better. Her power will only grow. Dahlia won't be able to resist her. I could try to make an exchange," Esther said.

Finn could hardly believe the indifference with which his mother spoke. She was talking about selling her granddaughter. He'd understood when she wanted to kill him and his siblings. Their existence was a violation against nature. However, Elena was an innocent child. She was Freya's child. "You want to trade Elena for Freya. You want to sell Freya's child. Do you have any idea how much she'll hate you for that?"

"She'll come to understand eventually. Dahlia would come for her either way. This way would give Freya her freedom," Esther said.

Finn felt sick. He would do almost anything to save his sister, but not this. Forget the fact that he was beginning to care for Elena the way he did Fraya, he could never look at his sister again if he did this. It sickened him that his mother could. Elena was right about his mother. She was evil if she could do something like this.

"Finn, we must act quickly. I have to take care of your siblings before anything else. You have to release me before the others get home. It's only a matter of time before Niklaus comes to kill me again," Esther said.

Finn soon heard the front door open and close. Someone was home. Noting that fact, he walked over to his mother and gently pulled her to her feet. "Niklaus will not kill you, Mother."

Esther smiled. "That's my boy."

Finn brought his hands to either side of his mother's head. "I will!" he said before twisting her head until he heard her neck snap. He then let her lifeless body fall to the ground. "I'm sorry, Mother, but I couldn't let you do it."

Finn soon heard footsteps. He turned to see Niklaus enter the room.

Klaus looked back and forth between his brother and his mother's obviously dead body. Finn was the last person he expected to murder their mother. He all but worshipped her.

"Destroy the body. Make sure she can't come back," Finn said before walking away, leaving his younger brother to just gawk after him in shock.