When The Sun Rises

by MadameXOX

The universe has not been kind to Elena Mikaelson. She's been abducted, she's been hunted, she's even been thrown off a damn cliff for crying out loud! So it stands to reason that she might be a little traumatized, okay? But that's fine, she can deal. At least, that's what she tells herself. Luckily for her, no one is about to let her try and cope on her own. This is a sequel

4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

Elijah led Elena back to where the others still congregated, though, they were now divided into little groups. Elena spotted Tyler having his photo taken with his mother beneath the banners, and she'd have to remind herself later to congratulate him on his patience as the photographer man-handled him into different positions.

Caroline was stood with her mother, who'd forsaken her usual uniform and had traded it out for a modest, though elegant, silver A-line gown. Liz sent her a smile as she passed them that Elena was more than happy to return.

Elijah led her over to where her family had gathered by the stairs,

"We're taking the opportunity to have some portraits done before the other guests arrive," Elijah told her when they came to a stop, his voice quiet as the photographer, a black-haired woman in a black gown, barked instructions at Mayor Lockwood, "Once the guests arrive, she'll be circuiting the event and taking more candid shots."

Elena stretched on to her tiptoes to whisper into Elijah's ear, covering her mouth with her hand as if that would magically prevent the nosy vampires and hybrids from hearing her words,

"Do you think I could use my magical exhaustion as a reason to steal one of those strawberry tarts?"

Elijah tapped his chin as if he were deep in thought and then something was soaring through the air and into his palm, which he promptly offered to her,

"Niklaus wouldn't want to make a scene in front of the Mayor," On the contrary, Nik looked like he was about to remove Kol's arm before Elijah's eyes snapped to him and he slowly dropped his brother's limb, "By all means, enjoy your treat."

And in his palm was a deceptively perfect strawberry tart. How Kol and Elijah had managed to toss it through the air and catch it without even denting the whipped cream, Elena had no idea. She wasn't going to complain, though, and she carefully plucked the treat out of her brother's hand,

"Thank you," she spared him a quick look before biting into her stolen goods, fighting back a moan as the sweet taste of strawberries and cream spread across her tongue.

It tasted like summer, sweet and tangy and utterly decadent. She savoured each bite, being careful not to get any mess on her face or her dress under Rebekah's watchful gaze.

That didn't stop Rebekah from brushing any invisible crumb off her that she could find, though, tutting and murmuring while she went.

And she'd finished just in time, because just as Rebekah finished brushing off imaginary dirt, the photographer lady approached them,

"You guys are next," she checked the notebook in her hand quickly, "the Mikaelson Family Portrait, right?"

"Yes, that's right, Love," Nik sauntered over to her, "Where would you like us?"

Elena watched as her siblings followed the photographer, awkwardly shifting her feet. Was she meant to go with them? What if she wasn't? She didn't want to intrude, or get in the way, and they hadn't actually asked for her-

And then Kol was at her side, gently nudging her forward,

"It's not a family portrait without you, Idiot," Elena was sure he was rolling his eyes, so she bit back with the same level of sarcasm,

"Then it isn't a family portrait without Esther, either, and she's not here."

Kol snorted,

"Sorry, it's a family portrait of the family that we like."

She couldn't help the smile that was tugging at her lips that would have grown into a laugh if the photographer hadn't then grabbed her arm, and it was like time froze, everything stood still and all she could hear was the rush of her own blood in her ears.

Or, in her head it was. She couldn't breathe, she couldn't think, the walls were closing in on her and oh gods she was back in the forest! She had to run, she needed her hatchet-

"You'll remove your hand from my sister, or I'll remove your head from your shoulders," a low snarl rumbled beneath Kol's words, jerking her back into the Manor just in time for her to realise that she was shaking like a leaf until the woman jerked her hand back like she'd been burned,

"Sorry, I didn't mean to upset you, I swear-"

"It, uh, it's alright," she tried to smile as her heart hammered against her ribs, painfully aware of the eyes on her, she wrapped her arms tightly around her middle, like she could somehow hold herself together even as she felt like every fibre of her being was unravelling, "I just need a second, I'm sorry-"

And then she was spinning and tearing out of the room, her heels clicking noisily across the tiles as she fled through the first door that she reached, sliding into the kitchen and leaning against the wall as she fought to control her breathing.

She wasn't surprised when the door swung open behind her, Elijah strolling into the room and meeting her eyes as she struggled to centre herself. He didn't say a word; he didn't even change his facial expression from the carefully neutral mask he'd put on. All he did was open his arms in a silent invitation and then Elena barely had time to think before she was moving, her body slamming into his as he locked his arms around her,

"Breathe with me," he whispered as he held her head against his chest, letting his heartbeat fill her ears, the gentle rise and fall of his chest slowly soothing her as she forced herself to match his breathing.

It took a few minutes, but her heart did eventually stop trying to escape from her ribs and her lungs finally began to function normally. When her body started to relax, Elena gently slumped into her older brother, letting the safety of his presence soothe her mind,

"I'm sorry," she told him without meeting his eyes, "I made a scene."

Elijah hummed, the soft vibrations in his chest tickled her face,

"Yes, I suppose you did," he conceded slowly, "Though, I assure you, there's nothing to apologise for. You were startled, and that's okay. I've seen Niklaus cause much bigger scenes with far less provocation. We're a dramatic bunch," he told her quietly, as if he were worried about overwhelming her, "We Mikaelsons are very good at making a scene, though I do suggest we get back before the next scene is because one of our over-protective siblings have eviscerated the photographer," he leaned in and mock-whispered into her ear, "My bet is on Niklaus."

Elena sucked in a deep breath,

"Thank you for following me," she told him as she stepped out of his embrace and he gently cupped her cheek, making her look up at him,

"You're most welcome," he looped her arm through his, "Though you don't need to thank me. If I hadn't, I'm sure one of the others would have followed you out here."

But, they hadn't. It had been Elijah, again.

Elena offered him a slightly watery smile,

"Am I still presentable?" she asked, only semi jokingly and he made a show of looking her over,

"You look as beautiful as you did when you left your room," he assured her, "Come on, let's go and have our picture taken."

She nodded and straightened her back as they headed back out to the others, who she offered a sheepish smile to when they turned to her,

"Sorry about that," she murmured, "I'm okay now."

No one said anything as Elijah guided her back to their siblings, and she wouldn't meet any of their eyes.

She didn't have time to process her embarrassment, though, because as soon as she was close enough, the photographer was shimmying them into position, this time without touching her, which Elena was grateful for.

She had Elena and Rebekah in the middle, and beside Elena was Elijah and Kol, with Nik and Finn beside Rebekah. She was going to force a smile onto her face, she could do this, she told herself.

But then Tyler caught her eye, he gestured with his head towards the table, mouthing 'I'm starving' at her and she couldn't fight back the soft grin that spread over her lips.

So, when the photographer called for their attention on the camera, the smile on Elena's face was real.

They took a couple of different photos in different poses and then, when Elena thought it was finally over, Elijah gripped her elbow before she could make her escape,

"You're not finished yet," he told her with a gleam of amusement in his eyes as she huffed,

"But everyone else has moved," she could admit that she was whining slightly which made Elijah raise a brow at her, but then Caroline was at her side, a suspiciously wide smile on her face,

"It's our turn," if she were any more excited, she'd be bouncing up and down and Elena slumped her shoulders slightly before accepting defeat and letting Caroline drag her back to the photographer and to where Tyler was waiting.

A group photo then.

Great.

The photographer ran her eyes over the three of them for a second before announcing rather snidely,

"I think we'll have the gentleman in the middle, yes?"

Elena was on one side of Tyler and Caroline was on the other.

"You look rigid," the photographer commented, oblivious to the dark looks that Nik was suddenly sending her way, "Why don't we try relaxing a little, put your arms around the ladies, yes, just like that."

"Smile, ladies, or she'll never let us go, and I don't want to get touched up again," Tyler was whispering, but his tone was aghast, "And I'm hoping she's annoyed Klaus enough that I can steal one of those chocolate truffles."

Caroline rolled her eyes before whispering back,

"He wouldn't let me touch those. You won't even get close."

Tyler smirked at her,

"Wanna bet?"

Caroline smirked back,

"If you want to risk your fingers, then that's on you. I'm having nothing to do with that."

Elena couldn't help but grin as she caught sight of Caroline and Tyler exchanging sweet treats behind their backs and Caroline grinned back at her before they turned their attention to the camera.

When the photos were finally over, Caroline wasted no time in flitting over to her mother and Tyler turned to her,

"Are you alright?" he asked her quietly and she nodded,

"Yeah, I think so," she took a moment to look around the room, "What about you? Care said that you're coming back to school?"

Tyler sucked in a breath through his teeth before shrugging,

"I figured it's about time, y'know?"

Elena blinked and raised an eyebrow, a little smile tugging at her lips,

"You mean your mom totally guilt-tripped you into sticking around."

Tyler shot her a devilish grin,

"Oh yeah, big time. There were tears, threats, bribes. So, pretty standard, really."

She almost laughed, bringing her hand up to hide the smile that was spreading across her cheeks, and then her eyes met Finn's, who was staring at her with a focus that seemed to beckon to her, so she offered Tyler a small smile before walking over to her oldest brother,

"How are you feeling?" he asked softly, "Our guests will be arriving soon, so if you need a moment to yourself, you should take the opportunity now."

Elena smiled at him, but was she okay?

She thought so.

"I mean, I'm exhausted," She shrugged lightly, "but I'm okay. My throat's still sore, and I keep getting these pains in my chest," she rubbed at her ribs, they were indeed very sore, "But I'm warm, I'm safe and I'm home, so all things considered, I think I'm very lucky. And it's not like every girl is fortunate enough to have an entire ball thrown in their honour."

Finn assessed her for a moment before nodding stiffly,

"I suspect your pains will pass by this time tomorrow. You should be aware that I have acquired our family grimoire, I had planned to give it to you earlier, but I was waylaid. I will bring it to you tomorrow, though Kol has requested that you do not practice any of the spells without his company."

Elena felt a surge of excitement and curiosity in her chest and she nodded eagerly,

"How did you get it!?"

Finn cocked his head slightly, as if he were unsure of how to answer her rather simple question,

"I… Acquired it whilst Mother slept," at her widening eyes he added, "I was in a rush."

"You totally stole it, didn't you?"

He blinked slowly, his eyes narrowing slightly,

"I will not be taking further questions on this subject."

Elena grinned and nudged him with her shoulder,

"It's okay, your secrets safe with me."

Kol's hands clamped on her shoulders as he leaned over her, smirking at Finn,

"I'm going to tell Mother about your transgression, imagine her horror," his fingers tightened slightly on her shoulders, "Maybe the shock will kill her, you know, properly this time."

Finn sneered at their brother,

"You do not amuse me."

Kol shot him a cheeky grin,

"Sure, I do. You love me, really."

Finn sighed, as if Kol's mere existence was exhausting, and honestly? Elena got it.

And then Kol was leading her away, his hands still firmly on her shoulders,

"Niklaus gave you your bracelet, Bex got you your dress and dolled you up, Finn got you the grimoire, I think it's my turn to give you a gift, don't you?"

Elena narrowed her eyes suspiciously,

"Why is everyone giving me gifts? I don't need gifts."

Kol sighed, as if she were being the difficult one,

"Come now, Little Bird," at the nickname, she felt her heart stutter, he hadn't called her that since he was a human, "Don't be difficult, let us celebrate your continued breathing."

Elena rolled her eyes, even as a swell of fondness for her brother grew in her chest,

"No, I'm serious, I don't need gifts. I mean, they're lovely, and I'm grateful, I feel like a princess, but the best gift you can give me is your company."

Kol rolled his eyes, but she was sure she saw a slight upturn of his lips,

"Well, luckily for you, my gift isn't actually ready yet, but when it is, I'm sure I'll have given you the best gift. I will be winning at the gift giving."

Elena frowned, crossing her arms over her chest as the first guests began to filter in through the double doors,

"I'm serious Kol, I don't need a gift. Just spend the day with me, help me catch up with my homework tomorrow or something."

Kol pretended to think about it for a moment before simply grinning at her,

"Nah, I like my idea better."

Elena grabbed his wrist while rolling her eyes, a fond and exasperated smile on her face. She tugged him over to the wall and out of the centre of the room,

"Honestly, this is all too much," she kept her voice quiet as she gestured to everything, from the staff that were now passing around champagne, to the live band and the streamers, "I mean, it's brilliant, but it's too much."

Kol rolled his eyes as he plucked them both a glass of champagne,

"You should've seen some of the parties we used to throw," he told her as he passed her a glass, "You'd have loved them. Loud music, good food, dancing… We Mikaelsons have always thrown the best balls and functions. The high society ladies used to hang off our arms like little vultures, just waiting for the next excuse to dress their sons and daughters up."

Kol was smiling almost wistfully, and Elena couldn't help the little bubble of curiosity in her brain,

"You've lived through so much, don't you get bored of this? Of the parties and the dancing?"

Kol frowned as he thought about it, swirling his drink in his glass and sticking one hand in his pocket as he leaned against the wall,

"It's my humble opinion that life gives you enough reasons to be miserable, I think you have to find your own happiness in this world, and every moment that could be celebrated, should be. These parties, they might not mean much right now, in fact, I'd bet you'd rather be curled up in bed right now, but one day, you'll look back and even though these last few weeks have been terrible, especially the last few days, you'll remember having fun tonight. You'll remember that after the dark, there's always light. You'll understand, one day, when you've lived for long enough."

Elena hummed softly, she hadn't expected such a serious answer from him, really.

She thought about what he'd said as more guests came through, people in suits and fancy dresses starting to fill the entrance hall, gentle chatter swelling up over the sound of the music,

"So, which lucky lady is getting your first dance, then?"

Kol pretended to think about it for a moment, raking his eyes over the available guests,

"I'm not sure, I don't know who I'll bless with my frankly superior company," he sniffed in an aristocratic way, tilting his chin up even as a small smirk grew on his lips, "Perhaps I'll break two little hearts and ask Caroline before either Niklaus or Tyler can. Interesting little love triangle, isn't it?"

Elena cocked her head as her eyes flicked towards Caroline, who was now stood with Tyler. They certainly made an impressive pair, she mused. She frowned as she contemplated them, would they be getting back together now that Tyler was back?

She turned away only to find Nik watching her as her gaze gravitated towards him, though the strange look of compassion on his face left her feeling more confused than anything else. He would be hurt, she thought, if Caroline got back with Tyler. She'd have to keep an eye on her brother, she decided. She didn't want to see him hurt. It probably wouldn't be good for the population of Mystic Falls.

"Elena!" Stefan enveloped her in a tight hug before she had a chance to process that he was actually in front of her with Bonnie at his side. Stefan was in a black tux, his hair puffed up in his usual style and Bonnie was in a bold, golden gown with a split running up to her thigh, her hair sleeked back and tumbling down to her shoulders,

"Stefan," Elena gasped as she returned his hug, sinking into his embrace with a fond smile before pulling back, "You've scrubbed up well, both of you."

Bonnie ran her eyes over Elena and offered her a tentative smile,

"You look gorgeous, 'Lena," Bonnie slowly reached out, her thin fingers closing around Elena's wrist, even as Elena stiffened, twisting it this way and that as she inspected the bracelet that dominated Elena's forearm, "This is stunning," she breathed, her gold rimmed eyes sparkling in the gentle light of the entrance hall, "Where did you get it?"

"Nik designed it for me, isn't it gorgeous?" Elena couldn't stop the smile that spread over her cheeks despite the uneasy feeling in her gut, she still wasn't sure how things were between her and the Bennett witch, "I might never take it off," she admitted softly as she gazed at the sparkling silver adornment against her skin.

Bonnie's dark eyes flicked to Elena's for a moment before sliding back down to her arm,

"You don't mean Klaus, do you?"

Elena nodded, despite the carefully neutral tone of Bonnie's voice. To her complete surprise, Bonnie just took a shaky breath before meeting her gaze and giving her a shaky smile,

"Then he has impeccable taste, doesn't he? You're a lucky girl."

The smile on Elena's face morphed into one of relief and a tentative joy,

"Yes, I'm very lucky," she told her friend, honesty lacing her breathy voice "And I love your dress."

Bonnie lifted her skirt and dipped into a playful curtsy,

"It's my mom's, she said I could borrow it."

"It suits you."

The two girls smiled softly at each other before Bonnie gestured that she was going to go and talk to Caroline. Stefan cleared his throat, and Elena turned her gaze back to him, a small smile still on her face and Stefan's eyes softened as he took her in,

"You look stunning," he told her quietly, "and happy, you look happy."

Elena shrugged with a growing grin,

"Thank you, I am happy," she told him honestly, "I'm the happiest that I've been in a long time, which is weird, right? Given what happened literally twenty four hours ago?"

Stefan thought about it for a moment, his eyes growing dark as he inevitably thought about the previous day and his brother's involvement in all that had transpired, but then his expression cleared and he shook his head,

"You'll feel it all eventually," he murmured to her, "the guilt, the horror, the fear. It'll come when you're not expecting it, but that doesn't mean you can't be happy in spite of the things you've had to face."

"Probably," she admitted easily, "But I'm not going to think about it tonight. Maybe I'll worry about it tomorrow."

Stefan grinned at her,

"Would you do me the honour," he made a show of taking her hand in his, "of giving me your first dance?"

Elena's eyes automatically swept the room, landing on Rebekah, who was talking to one of the cheerleaders from school and was trying desperately to pretend that she wasn't listening to their conversation. Elena sighed softly and squeezed Stefan's fingers,

"I'll certainly save you a dance," she told him gently, "But I think there's someone else here who would love to share their first dance with you. And something tells me," she took her hand from his and gently patted him on the chest, "That you'd rather be with them, too."

Stefan looked disappointed for less than a second before his eyes narrowed,

"I don't know what you're talking about," but even as he spoke to her, Elena could see his eyes wandering across the room and the way his lips quirked when he spotted Rebekah,

"You know exactly what I'm talking about," she shoved his shoulder, "And it's okay. You should go for it, anyway."

Stefan's eyes darted between Elena and Rebekah, as if he wasn't quite sure where he wanted to be, but Elena saw it in his eyes the moment he'd made up his mind, they softened and his shoulders slumped as if he'd just realised what Elena had known all along, that they were truly over and that he was moving on. And he looked crushed by the revelation that he wasn't as hurt as he thought he'd be.

Elena smiled almost sadly at him,

"We were great, you know," she gently brushed off his tuxedo jacket with her fingers, "But I think it's time for you to start living, Stef. Move on, fall in love… I want you to be happy."

And she did.

She wanted him to be happy, to find something worth living for and grab it with both hands.

Stefan pulled her into a soft, gentle hug and his voice was quiet when he whispered to her,

"I'm sorry," he told her, "I'm sorry that I couldn't be the man for you."

Elena pulled back from the hug with a soft smile on her face,

"You can't apologise for that. It's not your fault, we just weren't right for each other. So, go. Go chase your happiness."

He raised one brow at her before starting to walk backwards away from her.

"Go, off with you," she shooed him away with a little laugh, watching as he approached her sister whilst rubbing the back of his neck.

She sipped lightly on her champagne while she watched the people around her. There was a small, frustrating voice in the back of her head that was screaming at her to run, that this was too much, there were too many people here, but there was a larger, much more mushy part of her that was basking in the sensation that she was important enough to warrant a party like this.

She sipped at her champagne as she cast her gaze across the room, taking in all the schmoozing and the fancy outfits as yet more bodies crowded into the entrance hall. There wouldn't be room to move soon, she thought.

She was just considering her chances of successfully escaping to a different room when Elijah appeared at her side, offering his arm out for her,

"Would you do me the honour?"

She rolled her eyes with a fond smile before tucking her hand into the crook of his elbow and letting him guide her up the stairs. They stopped near the top and then Tyler was at her side with his mom on his arm and Elijah tapped on his glass to get everyone's attention. Elena barely noticed her other siblings joining them on the stairs as Elijah began to speak,

"Good evening everyone, and thank you all for coming on such short notice. As you all know from your invitations, we have gathered here this evening to celebrate the safe return of not only Mayor Lockwood's son, Tyler, but also the safe return of our youngest sister, Elena," Elijah sent the crowd an award winning smile as Elena's cheeks burned red, "The two were doing an independent study in Montana and got caught in a blizzard while they were in one of the National Parks and when we hadn't heard from them, we thought the worst had happened, but here they are, safe and sound and back where they belong," Elena's fingers tightened on Elijah's arm and he turned to her with a soft, warm smile, "We believe that family is something that should be celebrated, always and forever. So please join me in raising your glasses in a toast, to the safe return of our loved ones," Everyone's glasses were in the air,

"Again, I'd like to thank every one of you for coming tonight. Now, let's dance, shall we? Please pick your partners and join us in the ball room for the first waltz of the night."

Elijah then turned slightly, presenting a hand to Mayor Lockwood,

"Would you allow me the honour, Mayor Lockwood?"

Elena would later swear that her eyes didn't widen as a blush crept up the mayor's neck and even Tyler looked faintly disturbed as his mother grabbed Elijah's hand.

Tyler watched his mom and Elena watched her brother as they descended the stairs together for a moment before Tyler turned to her, taking her fingers into his hand,

"Dance with me?" he asked and Elena cocked her head to the side,

"What about Caroline?"

Tyler frowned,

"Caroline's dancing with your brother," he sounded confused, as if he couldn't understand why Elena was asking about the blonde,

"I thought you guys came together."

Tyler rolled his eyes, an amused grin stretching his lips as he guided her down the stairs,

"I shared a car with my mom too, does that make her my date as well?"

Elena shot him a little smile as they entered the ballroom,

"Which brother got to her first, then? Was it Nik or Kol?"

Tyler rolled his eyes,

"Believe it or not, Finn got there first. He said something about it only being fair, y'know, 'cause he spent so much time in his box."

Elena's eyes widened as a delighted laugh fell from her,

"No way, Finn? And Caroline? I did not see that one coming."

Dancing with Tyler was easy, they'd danced together at enough town events that there was no awkwardness, no competition for who was leading them, just an easy, soft rhythm that felt vaguely out of place with the desire that was growing in her chest for her to run from the room. But she could do this, right? She could pretend, just for a while, that she and Tyler hadn't been hunted for sport.

She could pretend that she was okay.

So, she twirled, and she smiled, and she let Tyler sweep her into a low dip, her hair almost touching the floor,

"Thank you," she gripped his arm a little tighter as he gazed down at her, "For saving my life, for finding me when no one else could. For not leaving after we got separated, because you could have, you know? And I wouldn't have blamed you."

Tyler's dark eyes softened and he twirled her out before pulling her back into his chest, perhaps slightly closer than he had before,

"You don't need to thank me, 'Lena. I just wish I'd found you earlier."

Elena smiled up at him, unaware of the way her eyes twinkled beneath the lights,

"I think you found me exactly when I was meant to be found. Are you going to make a habit of rescuing damsels in distress?"

Tyler nearly scoffed,

"Damsel in distress? Please," an amused smirk spread across his face, "I watched you handle yourself out there. You didn't need rescuing, Elena, you just needed someone to have your back."

"I don't know about that," Elena mumbled much to Tyler's growing amusement, "I don't think I'd be stood here today if you hadn't found me."

Tyler didn't say anything else and when the partners were traded out, Elena found herself in Finn's arms.

Finn, who was better at dancing than she'd thought he'd be,

"I didn't get to dance with you last time," he told her, "are you enjoying yourself?"

Elena smiled up at him,

"You know what? I'm having a great time. Are you? Do you like dancing?"

Finn seemed to consider her question for a while before seeming to come up with a satisfactory answer,

"I enjoy dancing, yes. I do not, necessarily, enjoy large crowds," he spun her out and then twirled her back into his arms, "But if that is the price I must pay for everyone's merriment, then so be it."

From the corner of her eye, Elena spotted Kol dancing with Bonnie, and if he looked a little stiff, she wasn't going to comment on it.

"Our mother will be disappointed to have missed this," he told her, and Elena swung her eyes back to him as she chewed on her cheek,

"I don't know, she wasn't exactly well behaved at the last ball."

Finn seemed to consider this for a moment,

"Perhaps not. Still, I imagine she will find her way home eventually."

Honestly, Elena was surprised that she wasn't here already.

The next time she was spun out, she took the opportunity to duck off the dance floor and instead, set about grabbing herself a plate of treats before sneaking out into the garden.

The music carried out into the chilly fall breeze and Elena forced her breathing to stay normal as she took in the darkness of the grounds. She could do this, there were twinkling lights out here, so it wasn't really dark. At least, that's what she told herself.

She took a seat on a pretty marble bench that was a little way from the house.

She was still exhausted and that was never more obvious than when she stopped.

The moment her bum touched the bench, it was like all the fatigue that she'd been burying came up to greet her, weighing down on her bones.

She nibbled on the strawberry tart that she'd pilfered, letting the sweetness of the treat fill her mouth and do what it could to fight off the urge to sleep.

There was still a part of her that couldn't believe this was real. She was safe and back in Mystic Falls, her family had missed her so much that they'd thrown her a party and Elijah wanted her to move in with them. When had her luck changed?

She smiled to herself as she looked around the garden, she was the only one out here and with the music, she felt almost at peace. Like all the weight of the 'maybes' and the 'what ifs' had faded off her shoulders.

She'd have to applaud Nik's taste buds, she thought, everything that she'd eaten so far tonight had been exquisite, from sweet strawberry tarts to these decadent chocolate truffles, everything was delightful.

She was just chewing through some chocolate covered apple slices when a set of quiet footsteps caught her attention and, almost on a reflex, her spine straightened and her body locked into place as she peered around the darkness.

She could feel it building in her, the need to run, to escape, to tear through the trees-

Only to immediately relax as Nik stepped into view, inclining his head towards the bench,

"Do you mind if I join you?"

Elena smiled up at him before moving her plate to make space for him to sit next to her. He slowly lowered himself down next to her, running a hand down his face as he stared out into the garden. It was silent for a few minutes before Elena nudged him gently,

"Is there something bothering you?" she asked quietly, as if she didn't want to startle him,

"No, not particularly," he breathed slowly, keeping his eyes forward as he spoke, "What about you, what brought you out here? And don't try and tell me it's so you can eat in private."

Elena looked down at her hands, to the bracelet that Nik had gifted her,

"Relief, I suppose?" she sucked in a breath before looking up to the sky, "I don't really know. Maybe I just needed a minute."

Nik nodded as if that made complete sense to him,

"Understandable, of course."

They lapsed back into a comfortable silence for a while until Nik stood, brushing imaginary dirt off his tuxedo before extending his hand to her,

"Join me for a dance?"

Elena slid her hand into his and let him help her to her feet,

"The Lockwood boy seems to like you," Nik's eyes darted to her as he spoke and Elena's brows crumpled in confusion,

"Well, yeah, I guess. We're friends. We grew up together, you know? Me, Care and Tyler, because we're the founders kids. Or I was?" she shrugged her shoulders, "I guess technically we were here before any of them arrived, so on a technicality, I think I'm still a founder's kid."

Nik nodded slowly,

"Was your childhood a happy one?"

Elena stopped in her tracks and tugged Nik until he stopped, stepping into his line of sight with a soft smile,

"Well, until I was six, I had the best life a girl could ask for, lots of doting siblings, magic, happiness… And then after that, when they took my memories, I didn't know what I was missing. But yes, I had a happy childhood. I was a cheerleader, I've always been best friends with Caroline and Bonnie, I got to dance at all the founders parties…"

Nik nodded almost jerkily, and Elena sighed before dragging him back into the party, where she let him lead her to the dancefloor.

They glided almost effortlessly across the floor, spinning and twirling gracefully in time with the other dancers.

Nik spun her out, only for her hand to get caught by someone else and then she was in the air, a delighted-looking Kol waiting to catch her before spinning her above his head,

"Dance with me, Darling."

She grinned when her feet hit the floor and Kol was immediately pulling her into a faster-paced dance that she was just about able to keep up with as he twirled her, spun her, threw her into the air and dipped her so low that her hair actually did touch the floor.

He grinned at her, his white teeth on display as he pulled her into a tango,

"Your witch-friend Bonnie is interesting," he told her, and she rolled her eyes,

"I don't know if she's my friend," Elena told him as she met him step-for-step, "I haven't decided if I can really forgive her yet."

Kol shrugged one shoulder, the grin not fading from his face,

"Only you can decide whether forgiveness is something that you can offer."

Elena briefly wondered how many times he'd forgiven Nik for daggering him.

"I don't want to be the kind of person who can't forgive," she admitted quietly, "But all I can think about is her deciding that she'd rather I lost everything, every memory, every part of me, than for me to be myself. I don't know how to get past that."

Kol seemed to consider her for a moment,

"Would it make you feel any less conflicted if I told you that Bonnie tried to locate you every day after she found out you were missing?"

Elena shook her head,

"I think that just confuses me more. I shouldn't have needed to be abducted for her to remember that I'm still me, you know?"

Kol's eyes softened,

"I know exactly what you mean."

He hoisted her into the air again, a smile spreading across her face as he spun her around above his head,

"Tell me you'll spend the night," he implored dramatically with wide eyes as he brought her back down to the ground, "You have your own room here, stay."

Elena rolled her eyes,

"I have homework to do, homework that I left in my apartment."

Kol poked her in the forehead,

"What if I promise you that your homework will be here when you wake up? I'll even arrange for Caroline to stay with you and I suppose the puppy-vamp can come back tomorrow and we'll all help the pair of you catch up," he was giving her the full puppy-dog eyes that she wasn't sure it was legal to refuse, "I'll even teach you a new spell, pleeaaase?"

Elena sighed, a fond smile on her lips,

"Did you know that Elijah wants me to move in?"

Kol rolled his eyes,

"Yes, yes, we all want you to move in, it's a conspiracy. Now, tell me you'll spend the night."

Elena thought about it for a moment,

"I mean, sure, if the others don't mind."

As if his name had summoned him, Elijah was suddenly at Kol's shoulder, an indulgent look on his face,

"Of course you can stay. Caroline is just informing her mother that she will be spending the night here. Elena, would you care to join me for a dance?"

Elena curtsied to an amused Kol who looked far too happy with himself before extending her hand to Elijah, who led her smoothly into a more traditional dance.

"I partially stocked your room with clothing, so you will find pyjamas in the chest of drawers."

She smiled up at her brother,

"Thank you, Elijah. For everything."

He shook his head, twirling her gracefully across the dancefloor. Around halfway through their dance, he felt her beginning to falter and he sighed softly,

"Lean on me," he pulled her closer, "let me be your strength for a while."

He hoisted her up so that her feet were balanced on his and as her body subconsciously leaned into him, he glided them across the floor with her head on his shoulder. They danced gently until the song ended and he subtly helped her to one of the tables that had been set up at the back of the room, carefully helping her into a seat,

"Thank you for the dance," he gently tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, "I will fetch you something to eat and drink. You just sit there and rest."

She was going to object, she'd even opened her mouth to tell him that she was okay, that she could take care of herself, but he'd already gone. And truthfully? She wasn't sure if she could walk far enough to make it to the buffet and then make it back to her seat.

Elena watched from where she was sat as Caroline swayed gently in Nik's arms, her head resting against his shoulder and a soft, secret smile on his face.

Elijah returned to her with a plate of finger sandwiches, chips and various sliced vegetables and a glass of what she suspected was apple juice in a champagne flute,

"Tomorrow, I'll make you and your friends a proper breakfast, but for now, I'm afraid this is the best I can offer you."

Elena smiled up at him,

"This is perfect, thank you," he went to sit with her, and she shook her head, "Please, go enjoy the rest of the ball. I'm sure there are lots of ladies who would love for you to ask them to dance." And maybe a few who aren't patient enough to wait and will ask him themselves, she thought as she watched a few of the ladies eyeing up Elijah.

He sat anyway, nudging her plate towards her,

"Eat. Let me worry about fending off the ladies."

So, she does. She eats each little sandwich, she clears her whole plate, actually and she's just starting to feel slightly human again when Elijah turns to her, his eyes soft and a little smile on his face,

"Kol's gift for you has arrived. I will leave you in his semi-capable hands."

Elena is confused when he gently cups her cheek and presses his forehead into hers before turning and making his way back onto the dancefloor.

Elena's frowning as she looks around the room, her eyes flitting over the various guests until they land on Kol, who is approaching her with a cocky smile.

She gets up to walk towards him, but in a very un-Kol-like moment, he stays silent and raises one hand, freezing her where she stood as he stepped to the side and Elena's breath caught in her throat.

What had Kol done?

Behind him, dressed in a navy tuxedo with his bow-tie crooked and his hair in his eyes, was Jeremy Gilbert.

All that Elena could hear was the sound of her own blood rushing through her ears as she took in the sight of Jeremy, all dressed up and awkwardly twiddling his fingers in front of her.

Kol approached her slowly and carefully, like she were a frightened deer who may yet bolt, and to be fair, she just might.

He extended his hand out to her even as she kept her wide eyes locked on Jeremy, who was also staring at her as if he'd never seen her before.

Kol's warm fingers entwined with hers as he gently tugged her forward, subtly moving his arm around her as her legs began to shake,

"Jeremy?" her voice was quiet and oddly vulnerable, it was a sound that made Jeremy flinch and he rubbed at the back of his neck,

"Hey, 'Lena. You look great," he gestured towards her almost lamely, "Sorry that I'm late, my train got delayed and then the taxi was slow-"

"What are you doing here?" she hated the way her voice shook and the way she leaned on Kol, who happily filled the silence,

"When you went missing, I took the liberty of checking in with little Jeremy. We weren't sure if he'd know where you were, you see."

Elena frowned and looked up at Kol,

"You thought Jeremy had something to do with my abduction?"

Kol shrugged,

"We weren't ruling anything out."

Jeremy stepped forward, his face open and earnest and a little piece of Elena's heart stung at the sight of him,

"You've got to believe me, I would never hurt you like that. This whole thing- Elena, I swear, it wasn't me," She sucked in a breath through her teeth as Jeremy grabbed her free hand, "It was Damon. He compelled me, he thought that if I disowned you, you'd go running back to him and Stefan, I swear, I would never-"

Kol cleared his throat, tearing her eyes from Jeremy to him,

"Imagine my surprise when Little Gilbert all but begs me to remove the series of compulsions on him. It was clever, I'll give the soon-to-be-dead Salvatore that, his exact wording for the compulsion meant that Jeremy would not be able to contact anyone in regards to you, but he'd still know how much he didn't want to go down this path. Damon thought he'd rather successfully destroyed two lives with one nasty compulsion."

Elena didn't know whether to look at Kol or Jeremy, her eyes flickering between the pair of them so fast that it almost made her dizzy and she was vaguely aware of the lights starting to flicker as Kol pulled her into a tight hug,

"Hey, hey, it's okay. You're alright, I've got you,"

Elena clung to him, her fingers clutching at his shirt in such a tight grip that she was slightly worried she'd rip it,

"You freed Jeremy? For me?"

Kol cocked his head to the side with a little frown as he gently pulled her back so he could look at her face,

"Well, of course I did, Little Bird. I know what it's like to miss a younger sibling," he turned his eyes to Jeremy, "And besides, what's one more brother to us?"

Elena frowned, her eyes darting around the faces of her siblings, all of whom had congregated around the three of them and as she should have expected, it was Nik who stepped forward, leaning on Jeremy's shoulder,

"Family comes first, always and forever."

Elena was feeling more than slightly overwhelmed, she couldn't even make a sound pass her lips as Jeremy shrugged Nik off and pulled Elena into a tight, bone-crushing hug that stole the oxygen from her lungs,

"I told you once, a little while ago, that you'd always be my sister. That's as true today as it was then, if you'll still have me?"

There was a whole world of insecurity in Jeremy's voice that didn't seem to fit him, and Elena flung her arms around his shoulders,

"I can't believe this is real," she whispered into his shirt, "I can't- What- Oh gods, I thought you hated me."

He placed a gentle kiss on the top of her head,

"Never. I could never hate you. It was Damon, please, you have to believe me."

And Elena did.

Maybe that made her a fool, a gullible, naïve little girl.

But, if the Mikaelsons believed him, then that was enough for her. And while she loved each of the Mikaelsons, she'd missed Jeremy in a way that was so real, so utterly painful, that it had been like she'd lost a limb.

Could this all be real? Could she really have it all?

Elijah cleared his throat, a soft and indulgent smile on his face as he stared at the reunited siblings,

"Jeremy will, of course, be staying here tonight. We can iron out the details of how everything will work later, when we're less likely to blow up Niklaus' lights."

Elena pulled back from Jeremy with an almost broken sounding giggle,

"Sorry, I'll try my best not to blow anything up or set anything on fire."

Elijah gently swiped away her tears with a handkerchief and then Jeremy was bowing and extending his hand towards her,

"Think you've got one more dance in you?"

Elena sniffled and offered him a wide smile,

"I didn't know you knew how to dance," she teased, and he grinned as he took her hand,

"I might've picked up a thing or two over the years."

Jeremy's eyes were red-rimmed as he led her into a gentle dance,

"I've missed you," he told her quietly, "I wanted to come back, to make things right, but I couldn't-"

"It's okay," she told him, "You're here now."

He smiled sadly at her, and when did he get so tall?

"Things have been hard," he whispered to her, "I couldn't bear the thought that I was hurting you, that Ric was passing on these fake messages. I'd hoped you'd figure it out when I gave Caroline permission to use the Lake House."

Elena shook her head,

"I thought you were saying goodbye."

Jeremy shook his head, a lost, lonely look in his eyes that Elena knew only too well,

"I don't ever want to lose you, 'Lena. I don't care who gave birth to you or how many ancient siblings you have, you're always going to be my sister. You know that, right?" he was staring at her intently, but he was talking again before she had a chance to answer him, "I mean, if you still want a little brother, that is. I know you're practically drowning in family right now, and maybe you don't need me anymore-"

"It crushed me," she cut him off with a firm shake of her head, "It destroyed me that you were disowning me. I've missed you every single day, I think about you all the time and it hurts, right here," she put her hand on her chest, where the festering wound of her abandonment was beginning to patch over, "This," she gestured to the party, "This is amazing, and I can't wait to tell you all about it, but you're my family, too. And I heard Nik and Elijah, don't think you're getting out of this unscathed, if I'm right, and I think I am, the Mikaelsons don't see it that I'm their sister and you're just my brother. Family is everything to them, so if you're serious, if this is real, I think you're pretty much stuck with us."

Jeremy chuckled almost forlornly,

"I kind of gathered that when Elijah sent me this," he gestured towards his tux, "And then Kol sent me the train tickets."

Elena reached up and swiped a tear off Jeremy's cheek,

"Damon will suffer for this," she promised him. And he would.

Beneath her joy, her contentment and even her exhaustion, Elena felt a burning fury that was scorching through her veins. She could, maybe, have forgiven Damon for Stefan's sake for his part in her abduction, but this? Hurting Jeremy?

Damon Salvatore was completely screwed. She promised herself, the next time that she was face-to-face with the black haired, blue eyed vampire, she was going to make him suffer far worse than she had, far worse than Jeremy had.

She'd study the grimoire that Finn had gotten her, she'd practice with her bow, she'd run and maybe she could convince Caroline to join her in some sort of karate group or something. Whatever it took, Damon Salvatore would regret crossing her this time.

She wanted him dead, but more than that, she wanted him to hurt.

Even Stefan couldn't save him now.

Maybe she was a bit more like Niklaus than she'd thought.

Her back straightened and Jeremy nodded, as if he could see the resolve in her eyes and maybe he could,

"Kol told me you're a witch, now?"

Elena blinked and then she gave her brother an awkward smile,

"Kind of, I'm not very good yet-"

"Don't believe a word that's coming out of her mouth, I watched her make a bonfire out of at least fifteen werewolves on her own. She just needs to practice," Tyler was at her shoulder, his hand clapping Jeremy on the arm.

Jeremy smiled at Tyler,

"So I've been told," if Elena wasn't mistaken, there was a hint of pride in Jeremy's voice as he looked back at her, "you look exhausted, 'Lena. Let's get you back to the table before you pass out on the dancefloor."

Jeremy guided her back to her seat carefully with one arm wrapped around her and honestly? Elena didn't care whether they were sitting or dancing or pigging out on pizza in their pjs, she was just so beyond grateful for everything that her family had done for her.

She slumped in her chair after Jeremy deposited her there, putting her arms on the table and laying her head on them. She wanted desperately to stay awake, to engage in the conversation that was surrounding her, but her body had given up. It was demanding the rest that she should have been giving it hours ago and she was powerless to stop it.

She was vaguely aware of being picked up by a pair of strong, sturdy arms and the gentle swaying that meant someone was walking with her, but she couldn't even summon the energy to open her eyes and see who it was that had swept her from the ballroom.

She felt the arms get replaced with the softness of her mattress and she heard the click of her door closing and then she was lost to an all-encompassing darkness.