I do not own TVD or TO.

Here in is the final chapter + a time jump epilogue

I hope you enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed writing it.

Rebekah's fingers drummed against her thigh as she stared out through the window at the crowds adorning the streets. She had sworn she would never come back to this city, but a little convincing from her big brother had brought her around.

They couldn't very well have Kol hiding away from them forever, and it had become clear he was not about to answer the phone for any of them. He would have assumed Elijah was working with Klaus, and he knew Klaus and she each held murderous designs for Elena… or at least they did.

"Where would he take her?" Elijah crossed his arms and leaned in her bedroom door. "You know, or at the very least have a good idea."

"I'm not about to tell him that," her eyes darted to Klaus, "Kol would never forgive me if I got her killed."

"I'm not going to kill her," Klaus grumbled.

"You were itching to end her life not twenty-four hours ago," Rebekah threw her book down. The volume made a hollow thud when it hit the fluffy comforter.

"As were you, sweet sister," Klaus' eyes flashed. "But that was then. Things have changed, and he shouldn't have to spend who knows how long hiding her away from us."

"He needs to know that she will not come to any harm by our hands," Elijah cut in before Klaus could get worked up, "and he needs to hear it from us. I believe we all owe her an apology."

"She stabbed me in the back," Rebekah crossed her arms.

"And you've attempted to kill her numerous times for it," Elijah leveled her with a look. "From what I understand she didn't see another choice; she might not have even had a choice."

Rebekah's eyes narrowed in a glare. It made sense; Elena had been perfectly sincere in her actions prior to the daggering.

"You're obviously trying to protect them both by concealing what you know, so forgiveness is not out of reach," Elijah arched an eyebrow silently challenging her to contradict him. "Now you can conceal Kol's whereabouts, maybe even long enough for him to find a witch to cloak them, but that would mean we likely never see him again. Are you really ready to say goodbye for the rest of eternity."

Rebekah looked between her brothers. If it came down to it Klaus could be subdued by the three of them.

"He has a house…" she inhaled and silently begged him to forgive her if things went badly, "… in New Orleans; he concealed it from you both. And if he's looking for a witch to help them that's where he'll go."

"I never knew he owned this place," Klaus stared up at the placard outside the blue house.

"That was kind of the point," Rebekah drawled.

He propped himself up on his elbow and watched the slow breaths as they entered and exited her lungs. Sometime during the night she had rolled onto her stomach and bunched the pillow under her head.

He carefully brushed her hair aside exposing her smooth cheek to his gaze. She looked so peaceful in sleep with a happy smile resting on her lips. It was a look she rarely showed when she was awake.

He wondered if she ever allowed anyone to see her in such a vulnerable position. He had never thought he would see such trust directed at him in his life; any lover he had ever been with had never been capable of sleeping beside him so peacefully, but then perhaps that came with soulmates.

For that was what they were to each other. They had confirmed it hours before in that very bed. He could still smell her blood in his veins and feel her presence in the back of his mind. He had no intention of ever letting her go; she was his and he was hers for as long as their lives would endure, but they could figure out the particulars later.

He smiled to himself and leaned down to press his lips to her shoulder. He might have wrapped his arm securely around her waist and pulled her closer if he hadn't heard the telltale sign of feet climbing the front porch.

He was going to ignore it until the knock sounded. With a sigh he left a last lingering kiss on her skin, pulled the sheet up further to cover her back, and stood from the bed.

He was downstairs and dressed at vampire speed and reaching for the doorknob.

He went on the defensive when the door opened.

"Well I'll be damned," Klaus scoffed, "she was right."

"Oh shut up, Nik," Rebekah sighed, "I'm always right; you just never listen."

"If you two are quite through," Elijah just held in his exasperated sigh. "Do relax, Kol," he took in the stiff set of his brother's shoulders, "we've come to talk. Where is Elena? Upstairs?"

"What makes you think she's here?" Kol bit down his growl.

"Well," Rebekah held up her fingers and counted, "you reek of her for one, and you're blocking the door with your body." She stepped forward and gasped when a barrier knocked her back. "And apparently you've signed the house over to her. What were you afraid of Kol: us catching up to you?"

"Clearly a valid fear," Kol's eyes flickered over his siblings, "and I didn't put the house in her name; thank you very much for telling them about it by the way."

"It seems she's safe inside," Rebekah crossed her arms. "What human's name is on the deed?"

Kol's eyes narrowed. It had been mildly amusing at first; he had thought she was having him on, or even pretending to be incapable of crossing the threshold to keep their brothers from trying, but he could see it in her eyes now. Rebekah was really trapped outside the house.

"It's in my name, sister," he tilted his head. His eyes widened when Elijah reached out and was stopped by the threshold.

"That's funny," Klaus sighed, "now you've had your laugh. Go and get whoever you need to get and invite us in."

"I'm not joking, Nik, and even I was I wouldn't let you in."

"He's not going to harm her Kol," Elijah crossed arms.

"She's off limits," Rebekah agreed. "Do you think I would have told them about this place if I thought they'd hurt her?"

"You hate Elena?" Kol pointed out.

"I…" Rebekah bit her cheek and sighed. "I dislike her, but I like you and I'm not about to knowingly cause your soulmate harm; none of us are."

"I wasn't exactly worried about Elijah," Kol's heart skipped a beat. "How do you know about that?"

"Because we saw the spell," Klaus sighed. "Elijah sent it to you last night."

"I thought you would like to know it was perfectly safe to bring her back to Mystic Falls," Elijah nodded. His eyes narrowed at Kol's confused look. "You didn't get the message."

"I did," Kol murmured. "I just got distracted before I could read it."

"Yes," Klaus rolled his eyes, "we can smell the distraction." His voice dropped to a whisper when he heard footsteps on the stairs. "And we can see her too."

"Kol…" Elena stifled her yawn and came down the steps slowly, "… what's going on?" She had woken to an empty bed and the distant sound of voices coming from downstairs, so naturally she had rolled out of bed and gone to investigate what she thought was the radio.

"Well there's a look for you," Rebekah snickered.

Elena's cheeks flushed red; she had pulled on her discarded pantie and Kol's t-shirt before leaving the bedroom. It wasn't exactly ideal clothing for seeing the rest of his family.

She thought her embarrassment just might have outweighed her fear in that moment, but then the fear took over and made her heart pound rapidly.

"Do relax, love," Klaus looked her over slowly, "I'm not going to hurt you."

"Yet," Elena tugged the edges of Kol's shirt down. She could clearly make out the growl he directed at his older brother.

"At all," Rebekah rolled her eyes.

Elena's eyes flickered over the Originals in confusion. From what she knew of the family Kol and Elijah were the only ones likely to stand on ceremony and wait for a formal invitation into a home.

"Why are all outside?"

"Because we cannot come in," Elijah met her dark eyes. "It appears Miss Bennet's spell has worked to Kol's advantage as well as yours. Would you care to invite us in brother?"

Darling? He glanced over his shoulder to the brunette. It would seem I have the power to keep them out; shall I test it?

They had discovered during the night that their bond allowed them to communicate non-verbally; a part of them seemed to reside in the other.

He watched her eyes flicker over his siblings with distrust. He could hardly blame her for those feelings.

Just Elijah.

Kol nodded before stepping back and inviting his eldest brother in. It was the same choice he would have made too even without her consent; Elijah alone had never harmed her.

"Seriously?" Rebekah crossed her arms. A part of her still believed that Kol was having them on and the house was in the name of a compelled human; that thought went soaring out the window when Elijah stepped over the threshold.

"I think I'm going to go change," Elena turned around. She darted up the stairs when she heard Klaus wolf-whistle.

Klaus didn't even get the chance to laugh before Kol's fist collided with his jaw.

From upstairs Elena heard Rebekah snicker and tell Klaus it served him right.

11 years later

"What?" Elena crossed her arms and tapped her foot impatiently.

Elijah startled out of his reverie and tore his eyes from her face. She had caught him staring.

"You've been looking at me like that for a week," Elena sighed, "why?"

"I have not been looking at you," he turned his attention back to his book.

"You have," Elena pressed. "You, Klaus, and Rebekah have been staring at me for the better part of a week. Kol has too, but it's a very different stare."

"We haven't been…" he trailed off when he caught her glare.

Elijah sighed and closed his book. He supposed it was about time someone discuss the issue with her because it seemed clear that she and Kol were not talking about it; this was something they would have shared with the rest of the family, and that's what Elena was now: family. It had taken half a decade for her and Rebekah to work past their differences, and it had been only the last year that she and Klaus had stopped sniping at each other, but eventually everyone had come to see her as a new member of the family.

"Why have you all been staring at me?" Elena repeated her question. "You've been whispering too," she lifted an eyebrow, "always low enough that I can't hear."

"We've been talking about you…"

"I kind of gathered as much," she rolled her eyes.

"You're pushing thirty Elena," Elijah stood and took a few steps towards her.

"You've all been talking about my age?" Her brows shot up. "Really?"

"Yes," he nodded, "we've been talking about your age and how you don't look it."

"What are you getting at?" Elena glanced over her shoulder when Rebekah strode in.

"Are we finally talking about this?" She looked from her brother to the brunette.

"We are," Elijah nodded.

"Oh goodie," Rebekah grinned. "Someone had to bring this up before she made the decision to actually turn."

"You realize I'm still here right?" Elena sighed. "What does my age and turning have to do with anything?"

"It's the fact that you're not aging love," Klaus leaned in the doorframe, "and you haven't since the binding spell."

"I don't think you need to turn," Rebekah smirked, "because you're already immortal… semi-immortal anyway since you can still be killed."

Elena's eyes grew round. She tried to stifle her laugh but she couldn't do it; the amusement bubbled up and over.

"That's not possible," she shook her head.

"Anything's possible," Elijah nodded to the hall and the approach of little feet, "you've already proven that."

Elena turned around in time to see her four year old daughter come running into the room with Kol on her heels. He caught the little girl with ease and tickled her sides until she was gasping for breath.

"Daddy…" Lucy squealed and squirmed. "Stop it; that tickles."

"Oh, sweetheart," Kol sat her down on the floor and kissed her cheek, "that was the whole point."

"I think I like Mommy better today," Lucy smirked. "Mommy doesn't tickle me."

"That's only because Mommy gets a little winded chasing after you," Kol chuckled before standing and wrapping his arms around his wife's swollen waist.

"Get close enough and I'll tickle you too," Elena teased.

Lucy giggled before running and hiding behind Rebekah's legs.

"You'll protect me, Auntie Bex?" She blinked up at her.

"Always and forever," Rebekah swore.

Kol chuckled and rubbed soothing circles over the tiny foot that had decided to kick his palm. Their second miracle child liked to kick anyone who dared to touch Elena. They had discovered after six years together that it was possible for them to conceive during a celestial occurrence, such as a full moon, provided Elena was ovulating; they might have discovered it sooner with the way they were, but the two events hadn't coincided until six years into their bonding. It had actually been a few weeks after the wedding; the second one they planned and invited their families too, although it had been awfully tempting to elope at the last minute.

"So what are we talking about?" He propped his chin on his wife's head and smirked.

"The impossible," Rebekah answered simply.

"And the fact that your wife hasn't aged a day in eleven years," Klaus watched Lucy gravitate towards a bookshelf. Someone had placed her stuffed bear just out of reach, so she reached up with one hand and sent it flying down. "Impossible," Klaus turned back to the young couple, "but true."