Finn made his way down to the basement. Rebekah told him that was where their father being kept down there. She'd also told them that their mother's coffin was down there and had been magically sealed. No seemed to know how or why that happened.

Finn wasn't sure why he went down there. Perhaps he needed to see for himself that his father had been neutralized. He found him in a corner surrounded by a boundary line. He went over to him, stopping just short of the boundary. He shuddered as he looked at him. Even desiccated on the ground surrounded by a magical barrier, his father still terrified him. This man had made all of their lives a living hell.

"He can't hurt you."

Finn couldn't help but jump as he realized he wasn't alone. It wasn't easy to surprise a vampire, but he supposed his mind was elsewhere. He turned around to see his aunt walking down the stairs.

"He won't wake up. My spell holds him this way. He'll stay this way until I remove it, and should I ever do that, it won't be for long, and I will make sure you are all safe. I won't let him hurt any of you again," Elena promised as she made her way over to him.

"I suppose I just fear him jumping up and attacking, no matter how unrealistic it is," Finn said.

"That's understandable. This man has been a plague on all of your lives for your entire lives," Elena said.

"I don't know. He wasn't always like this. I think he loved me once. He definitely loved Freya. He gave into her every desire. He would've done anything for her," Finn said.

"I don't know if I believe this man has ever loved anyone other than himself in his entire life. Yes, he adored Freya, but I think what he loved was the idea that she belonged to him. He wanted her to be like him," Elena said. She could remember Mikael making statements about good of a Viking she would be when she was holder, how she would be just like him. Elena never would've allowed that. She wanted her daughter to be her own person.

Finn nodded. As he thought about it, he didn't have much problem believing it. "Yes, he did want us to be like him. When we weren't, he became enraged. Any sign of weakness, and he would be furious. That's why he seemed to hate Niklaus so much. Niklaus had little interest in war or fighting. His passion was creating things."

"There's nothing wrong with that," Elena said.

"I know. Father was a monster. However, there was a time when I blamed Niklaus for the way we were treated. Niklaus seemed to only ever enrage him, and when Father was done with him, he turned on us. I just wished Niklaus would act the way he wanted so that it would stop," Finn said. He wondered if that was why Niklaus had no use for him, because he resented him for blaming him for everything.

Elena sighed. All of these children had been deeply damaged by their parents. It was going to a challenge to help them all heal, but Elena was determined to do so. They deserved so much better than what they'd gotten, and she would make certain they got it. "I understand why you would feel that way. It wasn't Niklaus' fault. It wasn't any of your faults. But you were a boy. It's hard to find the right person to blame under those circumstances."

"Did you love him?" Finn asked as he continued to look at his father. He knew his aunt had used his father, but he wondered if she ever loved him. It didn't truly matter, he supposed, but he was curious.

"No. In the beginning, he was a means to an end. After I got pregnant, I was willing to make a life for him for my child's sake, but it was never going to be real love," Elena said.

"And you hate him now. Why don't you just kill him," he wondered.

"Eventually, I probably will, but I may need him. Besides, I want to give Freya the chance to say whatever she wants to him once I find her. She deserves that closure. You all deserve it. If you want, I can give you the chance to say what you want. I promise you'll be safe. Niklaus and Rebekah had the chance to speak to him. I wasn't able to give that to you or your brothers. If you'd like, I can wake up long enough to say your peace," Elena said. She'd already had a chance to offer the same to Kol and Elijah. They'd both declined for now.

Finn shook his head. "The only peace I need is the peace that will eventually come from his death. I have nothing to say to this man."

"Okay. If change your mind, just tell me," she said.

Finn nodded before turning and walking towards the coffin a few feet away. "She's truly in here? My mother?"

"Apparently. The coffin is sealed magically. Niklaus says it has been the entire time," Elena said.

"I never knew he kept her in here. Do you know how to open it?" Finn asked.

"I could probably figure it out, but I have no intention of it. I'd sooner destroy it. This coffin was sealed with powerful magic for a reason. Here's a lesson that you should take to heart. Never attempt to open something that has been sealed without knowing exactly what is inside it," Elena said seriously.

"You think she cursed her own body before she was killed or something?" Finn asked.

"I don't know. I have no way of knowing what I'd find if I opened that coffin. That's why it won't be opened. However, I wouldn't put it past her," Elena said. She'd stopped underestimating the depravity her sister was capable long ago.

Finn shuddered at the reminder of all that his mother had done. She'd kidnapped and then sold his sister to protect him. He couldn't help but blame himself for it. He was supposed to be the one Dahlia took, not Freya. Freya should've been allowed to grow up with her mother. She should've been allowed to have a good life. "I don't understand how she could do this. I wouldn't have wanted this. I don't want this. I would've preferred that she just let Dahlia have me."

"Do not say that. This is not on you. You were an innocent child," Elena said.

"If it comes down to it, trade me for her. I'll take Freya's place," Finn said. He was terrified of Dahlia. He'd spent his entire childhood afraid that she would come back for him and the rest of his siblings, but if it would save Freya, he'd give himself to her in a second. It was supposed to be him, after all. Realistically, he knew she wouldn't want him, as he wasn't a witch or the firstborn, but he was the one she'd bargained for.

Elena took him by the arm and turned him towards her so that he was forced to look at her. "That is never going to happen. Even if I thought it would work, I wouldn't even consider it. I will not trade one child for another."

"But I'm not your child," Finn said.

"Maybe not technically, but that's beside the point. You are my blood, my family. That means more to me than you can ever understand. You're mine, and I will not throw away what is mine. We will get Freya back, but no one is getting sacrificed in the process. Do you understand?" Elena asked.

"But she's not just going to let her go," Finn said.

Elena sighed. "Finn, I know you're afraid of Dahlia. I'm sure to the eyes of a young boy, she seemed unstoppable, but she's not. I will stop her, make no mistake about that, and I will do it without any of the rest of you getting hurt."

"I don't understand why you care about us so much. You should hate us. You should certainly hate me," Finn said.

"Why? Because Esther was your mother? Children don't choose their parents, Finn. It's luck of the damned draw. It just so happens that you and your siblings had terrible luck. Believe me, I can relate to that. The truth is, I loved Esther at one time. There was nothing I wouldn't have done for her, which is why if she'd come to me, I would've helped her protect you, no questions asked," Elena said before turning to the coffin that held her sister's body. "I don't know what happened to make her the way she ended up. Maybe it was Mikael or the captivity. I've wracked my brain trying to figure out if there was anything I could've done differently."

"I can't say I've never played that game before," Finn said.

"Yes, it's an endless and pointless game, I've come to realize," Elena said before turning back to him. What I do know is that I will always love who she once was, even if I can never love who she became. I will also love her children with the same fierceness that I did her," Elena said strongly.

"Even Niklaus?" Finn asked.

"Yes. I know that Niklaus has done damage to you and your siblings, but I don't think he knew how else to respond. He was never taught any better. None of you were. I want to help you all with that," Elena said.

Finn nodded. "What happens next, with Freya?"

"I'm still working on that. I need to find Dahlia, and the first step with that will be to reintegrate myself into the supernatural community. However, there are some loose ends I need to handle first," Elena said.

"Like those that oppose you here?" Finn asked. It was very clear that there were those that wished to get in his aunt's way. They had already tried when they sent the authorities to attempt to remove Jeremy from her care.

Elena nodded. Unfortunately, she was certain that it would come to that. Her 'friends' were far too foolish to take her warning to heart. One or more of them were going to try something and it would force her hand. She also still needed to make sure her niece and nephews were situated. The things she'd seen in Elijah's mind during their second encounter months ago needed to be addressed soon. That was her next priority. "Don't worry about it right now. Nothing will happen for a while. Things need to be done carefully, and unfortunately, very slowly. That's how a plan succeeds."

Finn smiled a little. "Patience isn't our strong suit, with the exception of Elijah."

Elena chuckled. "I've noticed. That's one of the first things I'll be teaching you. Come on, we've wasted enough time down here."

Finn nodded and followed her towards the stairs.