Elena headed back home the next day. She dropped Jeremy off at school and went home to talk to Jenna. She decided to take the day off to try to help her deal with all this craziness. Then she needed to go back to Elijah's and speak to him about Nik. She couldn't put that conversation off any longer. He needed to know what she was planning.

"Jenna?" Elena called out as soon as she got in the door. She knew she was home. Her car was in the driveway.

Jenna came downstairs a few moments later. "Hey. I thought you'd be in school."

"I dropped Jeremy off, but I decided to come see how you were," Elena said.

"I'm okay. It's really overwhelming, but Ric helped me make sense of a lot of it, if that's even possible," Jenna said.

"Good. I'm glad he could help you," Elena said.

"I think I've sort of accepted the whole supernatural thing. It's the rest of it that's troubling me the most." Jenna said. It was almost funny that vampires and witches existing could be considered the least shocking thing to learn about.

"Yeah, I can imagine. Let's sit down. I can answer any questions you have," Elena said before leading her aunt into the living room. They both sat down on the couch.

"Are you still my niece?" Jenna asked. That was the question at the forefront of her mind because she honestly wasn't sure.

"Yeah. I'm still Elena. I'm just someone else too. I lived too lives. I'm the same person, more or less, just with some added parts now," Elena said.

"Who were you before? What was your name?" Jenna asked curiously.

"Tatia Petrova Mikaelson," Elena told her.

Jenna nodded. "And Jeremy?"

"His name was Jarik Mikaelson," Elena said.

"So, Mikaelson was a married name, right? You were married?" Jenna asked. She supposed that should make sense, as much as anything did. She had a child. Chances were that she'd had a husband as well.

"I'm still married. Stefan wasn't exactly lying when he said that I left him for another guy, although he certainly tried to manipulate the situation. It's complicated, but my husband returned to my life shorty before I restored my memory," Elena explained.

"My God, this is so crazy. So, your husband is here too? Was he reincarnated too?" Jenna asked.

"No. Elijah is a vampire," Elena said.

"Elijah? You're not talking about the same Elijah that I was helping do research on Mystic Falls, are you?" Jenna asked.

Elena nodded. "Neither of us knew who the other was at the time, but, yes, it's him."

"God, I don't even know what to do with all of this," Jenna said.

"I know it's hard. I'm so sorry I had to put so much on you at once, but it didn't feel right keeping it from you, and I wouldn't even really be able to for much longer. Things are going to change and that's going to require you to know the truth," Elena said.

"Change how?" Jenna asked.

"For one, Elijah and I need to transition Jeremy into us moving in with him," Elena said.

"You're going to move out?" Jenna asked in a reeling tone.

"Not for a while, but that is the ultimate goal. We want to be a family again. We've lost so much. Jeremy's whole life has passed without Elijah being a part of it. But that doesn't mean you're not our family too. I love you so much, Aunt Jenna. I want you to be a part of our lives. That's why it's so important that you know the truth," Elena said.

"I don't want you to go," Jenna said.

"We're not going anywhere for a little while. Jeremy is still adjusting to things. I won't rush that. Right now, we're working on him getting to know his father and getting used to us being his parents," Elena said.

"This is so strange. I don't know how to begin to process this. You're my niece. You're only seventeen, but your married, and my nephew is your son. I guess you're not exactly seventeen though," Jenna said.

"I know it's hard. I'll do everything I can to help you though it," Elena said.

"Could I meet him? Elijah? I mean, I know I've already met him, but he was just some guy that wanted information about the town. Now he's your husband," Jenna said.

"Yeah, of course. I know he'd have no problem with that. We could have dinner one night," Elena said.

Jenna nodded. "I think I'm going to go upstairs and try to sleep for a while. I didn't do much of that last night."

"I can imagine. Go ahead. I'll be here if you want to talk more," Elena said. She then watched Jenna get up and head upstairs.

Xxxxxxxxxx

Elena went back to Elijah's after dinner that night. Jenna was doing better, and Jeremy was with her if she wanted to talk more. It was time to have a very unpleasant conversation with her husband.

Elijah kissed Elena as soon as she made it in the door. "I missed you."

Elena chuckled. "I just left you this morning."

"I miss you whenever we're a part," Elijah said before kissing her again.

Elena kissed him back for a few moments before groaning. "We have to stop. We both know where this is going to end up."

"I fail to see a problem," Elijah said as he kept kissing her.

"We need to talk," Elena said.

Elijah pulled away after a moment. "Well, those words never boded well for anyone. Is everything alright? Is it Jeremy?"

"No, he's fine. In fact, I think he handled last night pretty well. We're a far cry from him being ready for us to move in with you, but I think he's at least starting to get used to us a tiny bit. There is just something we need to talk about, and you're not going to like it," Elena warned.

Elijah groaned. "Elena, I know you well. When you say I'm not going to like something, it means I'm going to hate it. I'm going to hate it, aren't I?"

"Yep. Come on," Elena said before leading him into the living room. They sat down next to each other on the couch. "We need to talk about Nik."

Elijah frowned slightly. "What about Niklaus? Do you have reason to believe that he's learned about you?"

"No, but it's only a matter of time. If Trevor and Rose found out about me, someone else will too, and they'll tell him. He's going to find out that a human doppelganger exists soon," Elena said.

"I will not let him hurt you, and if you're right about him, he won't hurt you once he knows who you are," Elijah said. He didn't have much faith in that though. His brother wanted his curse gone more than anything, and he wasn't the same person he was when Elena knew him. He was not sure knowing that she was Tatia was going to be enough to stop him.

"I am right, which is why we're not going to tell Nik who I am until after the ritual," Elena said.

"What?" Elijah asked with an edge to his voice. "What do you mean after the ritual? There will be no ritual. It will not happen."

"Yes it will. I'm going though with it, Elijah. I'm going to help Nik get rid of his curse," Elena said.

"Absolutely not!" Elijah exclaimed before standing up. "I will not allow you to throw away your life for my brother's obsessive crusade!"

Elena glared at him slightly. She knew he was upset, but no one forbade her to do anything, and that included her husband. "I'm sorry, did you just tell me you would not allow me to do something? I suggest you rethink your words before I end up stabbing you with something sharp and wooden!"

"No, I won't let you do it! I just got you back! I can't lose you again!" Elijah said, his voice filled with emotion.

Elena sighed before getting up and placing a hand on his cheek. "You're not going to lose me. Just listen to me for a minute. You and I both know that death doesn't have to be forever. There are ways of getting around it."

Elijah shook his head. "He will bleed you dry! Why would you even consider this? I know you feel guilty for what happened to Niklaus, but it wasn't your doing. You do not owe him anything."

"It's not just that. Yes, I want Nik to be free from this curse, but that isn't the only reason. I wouldn't do it if it were. I wouldn't put you or Jeremy through that. I wouldn't ask Nik to bleed his best friend dry. Elijah, soon enough, you and I are going to enter a battle to the death, with our son's freedom at stake," Elena told him.

"You are referring to Dahlia?" Elijah asked.

Elena nodded. "When that happens, we're going to need every weapon at our disposal. We need Nik at full strength, and that means we need him to be a hybrid. We need all the hybrids he plans on making. We need an army."

Elijah shook his head. "I can't do this. You cannot ask me to choose between me and our son."

"I'm not. The ritual might kill me, but it won't be forever. If Necessary, you'll give me your blood before the sacrifice," Elena said.

"You'd do that? You'd become like me? Are you sure?" Elijah asked.

"It's not my idea outcome, but I would do it in a heartbeat to be with you and Jeremy. I have no intention of dying, Elijah," she promised.

"I might have another way. There is an elixir that I was planning on giving to Katerina. I don't know if it will be effective though. It's five hundred years old and it's never been tested. I'd rather not risk it on you," Elijah said. He didn't want this happening at all, but he could understand his wife's reasoning. If it would protect their son, they had no choice.

"We have time to figure it out. It's not going to happen tomorrow. One way or another, we will survive it," Elena promised.

"I hate it," Elijah said.

"I know. I also know I caught you off guard, and that's why I'm going to look past the fact that you just tried to forbid me from doing something," Elena said with a smirk.

"I apologize. You know that I would never try to make choices for you. I just don't think I could survive losing you again," Elijah said.

"You won't," Elena said before hugging him.

Elijah hugged her back. "If we do this, we need to have every contingency planned before Niklaus steps foot in this town. We can't leave anything to chance."

Elena pulled away. "I agree. We already have a vampire to use, Katherine."

Elijah shook his head. "Niklaus won't use her. He wants her to suffer. He's going to make her death very slow."

Elena thought for a minute. "Well, then I have another idea. It sounds like a very fitting end for the vampire who broke our son's neck. It will be a little poetic given how much Damon wants to stop this ritual."

Elijah chuckled. "You always were a bit petty, my love. It is one of the many qualities I love about you."

Elena smiled and kissed him.

Elijah kissed her back for a few moments before pulling away just slightly. "Now, is there anything else keeping us from finishing what we started when you first arrived."

"Nothing that I can think of," Elena said with a smile.

"Excellent," Elijah said before kissing her again briefly. He then took her hand and started leading her out of the room and towards the stairs.