Disclaimer: I don't own any characters familiar to TVD.

Aria: I really enjoyed writing the Kolena scenes and I'm glad you liked it.

Eva: As I told you in my PM, I didn't remember Damon saying that, but it seemed fitting.

JMHUW: I really tried to keep it so. I'm not the biggest fan of Bonnie and that I often reflected in my stories.

Jamie: You finally caught up. So I'm going to try not to make my response too long, but there were a couple things I wanted to say. First of all, thanks for taking the time to leave such drawn out reviews, I know it must have taken up a large chunk of your time. I really enjoyed writing the Kolena scenes, I don't know why it took me so long to get around to writing it. No, I don't remember Katherine saying that about Klaus. I'm glad I didn't disappoint with the Bonnie thing. I don't like her and I tend to villainize her a bit in my stories, so I give myself a gold star for not doing that here. Thank you for the compliment on Klaus, he's a difficult one. I was always so concerned about getting Damon's character more in character that I forget about the other Salvatore brother.

Guest: Thank you. And thank you for taking the time to review.

Author's Note: So this is the last chapter. I apologize ahead of time, it's a little long, but there is so much that I felt that I needed to wrap up. I hope I don't disappoint anyone, as I know you guys have been waiting weeks for this chapter. Thank you guys for the reviews and the favorites and alerts. I'm glad this story was received well.

Epilogue

"So, tell me, darling, what depraved activities does my brother have planned for the two of you this weekend?" Kol asked, waggling his brows as he met Elena in the parking lot of the high school.

"Okay, first of all, stop calling me 'darling,' you know Elijah hates that," she listed.

"Of course I know it, why do you think I do it?" He retorted, as if speaking to a slow person. "Just like I make sure to kiss you whenever he's around," he added.

She rolled her eyes at him. "You know that one of these days your brother is going to act against you and I'm not going to do a thing to stop him, right?" She warned.

"Of course you would," he snorted. "After all, I'm the main reason that the two of you are together." He watched her arch an eyebrow at him, a response that was reminiscent of something Elijah had done on multiple occasions.

She scoffed in response to his words. "Oh, really?"

"Do you really think that my brother would have made a move if I hadn't prompted it?" He returned easily.

Stepping into the restaurant, Kol paused by the front door. His eyes immediately fell on Elena, sitting solo at a small table. It wasn't the first time he'd seen someone eat alone, but when he noticed her friends across the room at a table, he frowned. Without any hesitation, he made his way towards her. "Something isn't right with this picture…"

Snorting into her cup of soda, Elena rolled her eyes. "Yeah, well…it doesn't feel right either," she mumbled. Picking up a French fry, she dipped it in ranch before staring at it with disdain. Tossing it back down on her plate, she wiped her hands. "Needless to say, things haven't exactly gone back to normal."

"What's their problem?" He asked, his head tilting in the general direction of Stefan and Damon.

She shook her head. "I don't know what Elijah said to Damon and Stefan, but it worked. Stefan won't even look in my general direction and Damon does nothing but give me dirty looks and snide remarks. Bonnie and Caroline are a little more understanding, but…" She trailed off with a sigh.

"They aren't happy," he deduced.

She shook her head in negative. "They don't understand," she whispered. Actually, that was putting it lightly. "Bonnie helped you guys because of Caroline, but if Caroline had never been threatened, she never would have considered it." She would have washed her hands of the Originals and tossed out a cheerful 'good riddance' as she did so. "And considering Klaus' preoccupation with Caroline, she doesn't understand…"

"The feelings you have for Elijah," he finished. He watched the brunette look away from him, her cheeks flaming in embarrassment. "You shouldn't be ashamed of your feelings," he observed cautiously.

She immediately shook her head in denial. "I'm not ashamed."

"I gather that my brother is quite a catch," he airily tacked on. Once again, her face flamed in embarrassment and he chuckled. "You are too easy."

"Why are you here?" Elena asked, not liking the fact that he was finding enjoyment at her expense.

He placed an arm around her shoulders and moved much closer to her. "Well, we all need companionship every once in a while."

She attempted to fight his arm from her body. "And you're touching me, why?"

"Because I'm enjoying the looks that your boyfriends are giving me," he said, chuckling as he nodded his head towards Stefan and Damon. "Come on, I'll take you home."

She refused to look over at the Salvatore, not the least bit interested in a pair of dirty looks. "I drove myself," she denied quietly.

"Okay, so I'll join you in your car," he offered. "You can't tell me that the idea of leaving together doesn't sound the least bit appealing. Not only am I charming and handsome and-"

"And modest…" she added.

"Your friends won't like it one bit," he finished off, as if he hadn't heard her words.

"You know, it's okay to not be antagonistic," she denied. However, she found herself paying for her meal and following him out the door. If these were under normal circumstances, she never would have left with him, she never would have dared turn her back on Stefan or Damon; but she found herself uncaring about their reaction. She was tired of the cold shoulder from them.

Stepping into the chilly air, she stopped short at the sight before her. Leaning against her car as if he belonged there, Elijah was the perfect picture of casualness; barring the suite. Her companion was forgotten as she looked at the eldest Original. "You're back."

He nodded once. His eyes flittered to the closeness between Kol and Elena; hardening for a moment before he schooled his features into neutrality. "I am."

"And did you take care of everything that you needed to?" Elena asked as she approached him. When Elijah informed her that he would be out of town, wrapping up some business, he left without an estimated return date.

"More or less. I…don't anticipate having to leave Mystic Falls anytime soon."

Kol looked between the pair and rolled his eyes. "Well, since I've suddenly become invisible, I think I'll make myself scarce," he excused.

Realizing that she'd been staring, Elena tore her eyes from Elijah. "You don't ha-" She began, only to be cut off.

"Yes, please do, Kol," Elijah returned in a firm tone of voice, making sure that his tone of voice was louder than Elena's.

"See, darling, I know when I'm not wanted," Kol replied with a mock pout playing around his mouth. "I'm sure I'll be seeing you soon, Elena." Smirking over at his brother, he leaned over and placed a quick kiss on her cheek before she even realized he moved. He watched in complete amusement as his brother bristled and without another word, he disappeared from sight.

Elena turned in the direction that Kol left in. "I don't know why he keeps doing that," she tried to excuse. Didn't he realize that he made her uncomfortable? She knew that his actions were more friendly and playful than anything, but she'd never been so affectionate with any of her guy friends in such a way.

"He does it because it bothers me."

His voice was casual and smooth and it caused her heart to beat faster. She tilted her head up towards him. "Oh, it does, does it?"

Instead of commenting more on it, he pushed off her car. "Would you care to take a walk with me?" He offered, holding out his arm.

She didn't hesitate to lace her arm through his. "I'm glad you're back," she voiced after a moment of silence. She wouldn't say it was an uncomfortable silence, but she wasn't sure how to start the conversation. There was so much that she wanted to say, that they needed to discuss, but she didn't know how to approach the subject.

He didn't reply verbally to her admission. Instead, he placed his free hand over the arm she had looped through his. "How were things while I was away?"

"They've been…weird," she confessed after a pause. "Your sister ended up dropping by last Friday."

Elijah nodded along with her revelation. "Yes, she told me. I don't think that she'll be extolling your virtues anytime soon, but I don't think you'll have any further issues with her."

Elena giggled over his choice of words.

"And your friends, how are they?"

"My friends?" She repeated. "Or do you mean Stefan and Damon?"

He considered her question. "Both," he admitted after a moment. Yes, his main concern was Damon, but he was genuinely curious about how Elena's friends were. Bonnie and Caroline had really come through for them, and he'd known how resistant the witch was in the beginning. He hoped that it hadn't left Elena in an awkward position.

"Damon and Stefan haven't spoken to me, if that's what you're wondering," she allowed with a heavy sigh. "If they're planning anything, they're not saying a word to me."

He pulled her to a stop. "I'm sorry, Elena. I hate that this has placed you at odds with them. I know how much they mean to you." He didn't agree with the closeness, but he understood it.

She offered him a forced smile. "I…it is difficult. I…Stefan was such an important part of my life...I mean…they both were," she clarified. "After the things that we went through, I imagine that it was only natural that I grow so close to them. And…Stefan…" she sighed. "I really loved him. I think a part of me always will, but we were different people back then. So much has happened since then, I'm not the same person and neither is he." It had taken her months to come to that realization. "I wasn't happy with the way things ended between us, I felt robbed. But I finally understand Stefan's decision."

"I still feel responsible for the distance between you two," Elijah denied. During her speech, he listened with bated breath as she spoke on her realization and her feelings for Stefan. Her words left him hoping for something he'd scarcely believed was possible.

"But you aren't," she denied. "We are, Stefan and I," Elena clarified. "Yes, I loved him and I mourned the loss of him, I know that it's time for me to move on."

"And eww, did you just inquire about my bedroom activities with him?"

"I'm not exactly asking for a play by play," he denied.

"Good, because it'd be awkward if you were," Elena countered. "As for any plans, you'd have to ask him." Elijah said he had plans for them, but other than that, he was remaining hush, hush. "I'm waiting for Rebekah to meet me and she's going to help me get ready."

Holding up two different dresses, Elena stood before her floor length mirror. Holding one against her, she tilted her head as she considered it how she'd look in it, sans the pants and perhaps a change of her hair style. Pulling it away, she repeated the action with the second dress.

"I think you should go with the red one…" her companion offered without having to be asked.

Once again, Elena trained a critical eye on her reflected self as she held up the red dress. "I don't know…" she hedged. "Red is usually Caroline's color," the brunette denied after a moment.

"It isn't as if she has the market cornered or anything," her companion grumbled. "If you want to wear a red dress, you should be able to."

"It isn't that," she instantly denied. "It's just, she tends to look better in that color than I do."

"Maybe you have just been buying the wrong styles?" Was the sarcastic response. When Elena just shrugged her shoulders, she continued. "Don't worry, we'll fix that soon enough."

"Yeah, I'll bet…"

Her extended offer to Rebekah had been made in complete earnestness. And she hadn't done it to win points with anyone, or in an attempt to get on her good side. She'd genuinely wanted to help the blonde if at all possible. And though it had been weeks since she'd last spoken to Rebekah, she had seen her in passing at school. And she'd also taken notice of the fact that Rebekah studiously avoided looking in her general direction.

Two weeks after the Mikaelson siblings faced off against Esther, she'd been home alone. Things between herself and the Salvatore brothers were…awkward at best and tense at worst. Neither was willing to give an inch where Elijah and his siblings were concerned. And though Bonnie had grudgingly helped them, she and Caroline weren't inclined to socialize with them either.

And for the first time in a long time, Elena found herself separated from her friends. It wasn't the first time that she had fought with any of them, but it was the first time that she hadn't had anyone to turn to. And though the slight distance between herself and Caroline and Bonnie wasn't the result of a discord, they were still uneasy about her friendship with Elijah and what that may mean with her relationships with his siblings; more importantly, Klaus.

It was Friday night, and instead of attending a party or hanging out with her friends, she was curled up on her couch alone. Her hair was twisted up on the top of her head and she wore an old pair of sweat pants and an equally battered shirt. The last thing she expected was to hear a knock at the front door.

Pausing her movie, Elena moved to answer the door with caution. She knew that if someone meant her harm, they wouldn't have knocked on the door. No, her hesitance came in the fact that she looked so disorganized. Being on the sort of outs with her friends, she knew it wasn't any of them and Elijah was out of town. At least she thought he was still out. Hmm, had he come back early? Opening her door, the last thing she expected to see was the sniveling mess in front of her.

"Rebekah…" she trailed off, clearing her throat.

"You said that if I wanted to talk you would be there," the blonde started. "And I wanted to."

Holding back the surprise that she'd felt, she nodded quickly. "Of course. Come in," she said, holding the door wider for the female Original.

In the months since her first visit, her friendship with Elijah's sister had steadily grown. And through their friendship, the blonde had also grown somewhat closer to Caroline and Bonnie; though she clearly preferred to spend more time with Elena. The tension that once existed slowly died, and for the first time, Rebekah was able to move on from her preoccupation with Stefan.

"Are you nervous?" Rebekah asked, lounging across Elena's bed. She flipped through the magazine in front of her, casting a critical eye on the fashion trends in it.

"You mean about dying?" Elena responded. Looking at her reflection in the mirror, she sighed.

The blonde rolled her eyes. "You know you won't actually be dying, right?"

"I know," Elena tried to play off. "I know I'm not scared, but the whole not knowing thing…you know?" She asked. "I keep having these thoughts that things will go wrong," she confessed after a pause. She trusted Elijah with everything, but what if something happened before they finished?

Rebekah snorted. "Yeah, my brother would lay down his life before he let something happen to you."

Rebekah was right about that, Elijah had said as much. "This is so not how I imagined my life turning out," she sighed. "The rest of the kids in our class are getting ready to go off to college and I'm preparing to let my boyfriend kill me." She, Bonnie, Caroline, Matt and Rebekah had graduated the previous month and Elena was becoming increasingly aware that time was coming to an end.

The vampire frowned. "Elijah told you that he was more than willing to give you more time," she reminded her, not unkindly.

When Elijah told her that he wanted her forever, there'd been no argument on her end. However, the closer the time came to actually dying, the more she began to worry that she'd been too hasty in her agreement.

Her relationship with Elijah had become so much more than she ever figured it would be. It didn't matter that she was only eighteen years old. She'd been very lucky when it came to romance and love. And as much as she had loved both Matt and Stefan when she'd been with them, neither relationship compared to the one she shared with Elijah. When the supernatural bombarded her life, she hadn't planned to transition into a vampire, even after her relationship with Stefan grew. Yet, she found herself agreeing to it when Elijah mentioned it to her for the first time.

"I just…what if I have trouble adjusting?" Elena asked after a pause. It was a subject that she had yet to approach with Elijah.

Rebekah appeared to be amused by the question. "You…have difficulty adjusting?" The idea seemed like a foreign one. "Elena, when vampires were first introduced into your life did you run away screaming?"

"No," she answered in a small voice. "But then it wasn't your typical introduction," she tried to excuse.

Rebekah rolled her eyes. "Yes, because that is an everyday, common occurrence…" she scoffed. "You didn't run away screaming then, and you did what you could to support Caroline after her change. What makes you think that you're going to have issues?"

Elena could only shrug. "I just keep having this bad feeling, and I can't shake it. Though I'm sure it's nothing more than my overactive imagination," she tried to excuse.

"You should talk to my brother about this," she cautioned the brunette. "I'm sure that Elijah could assuage your worries better than anyone else."

"Talk to me about what?"

"Speak of the devil…" Rebekah trailed off. She tried to greet Elijah, but his attention was focused on Elena. She rolled her eyes at the pair of them. "Okay, I'm leaving now…not that either of you care." Elijah was already giving Elena his patented 'bedroom eyes' and she wrinkled her nose at the thought. It didn't matter how many centuries they'd lived, the idea of 'sex' and her 'brothers' in the same sentence just didn't set well with her.

The couple replied with half-hearted goodbyes, but their attention remained trained on one another.

Elijah waited until he heard the front door open and close before he moved closer to Elena. Cupping her cheeks in his hands, he kissed her senseless. He felt her knees start to tremble and he immediately moved to catch her. Never breaking the kiss, his hands moved to her hips and he lifted her against him. Walking her towards her bed, he gently lay her down before he moved over her.

"What was Rebekah talking about?" He asked as he trialed kisses down her neck.

"I…oh…my change…" She stumbled through her words, sighing in response to his actions.

Her words immediately pulled at his attention and he disconnected his mouth from hers. "You aren't having second thoughts, are you?"

"I…" Her eyes met his. And though her words refused to come out, she was sure the truth of her emotions was written on her face and in her gaze.

"Elena…" he trailed off quietly. He couldn't say that he was disappointed, after all, she was willing to give up her life for him; but he couldn't deny the flash of panic he felt. She hadn't changed her mind completely, had she?

"I…this is all just happening so fast," she said with sadness tinging in voice. "I thought I was ready, but then I see these kids that I went to school with, and they're going off to college, and I won't be able to do that."

He frowned. "Of course you can. You can go as many times as you like," Elijah told her after a moment.

"I…I know, I have the rest of forever to," realistically, she knew that. However, she also had the feeling that once she gave up her mortality, her priorities would change. She was afraid that she was going to miss out on something. "I just…" she shook her head. "It isn't like what happened with you," she denied after a moment. "And I know that sounds callous, and I don't mean to sound that way. Your life was torn from you, and it wasn't fair. You adjusted because you were forced to, Caroline was forced to move on. But…I have this option, and I'm afraid that I'm going to miss out on something." Leaning up, she kissed him. "I meant it when I said that I would spend my forever with you. But would you mind terribly if I put it off for just a little bit longer?"

"I…of course not," he said, hesitating slightly.

Her head fell back against her pillow, her eyes staring into his. "I've disappointed you…" she observed.

He smiled quickly and shook his head. "I'm disappointed because there is so much I wanted to share with you, but I can wait." When she looked away from him, he gently pinched her chin and forced her gaze to meet his. "I could never be disappointed with you, Elena. But that's not all, is it?"

She shook her head. "I have been having this feeling that something's going to happen."

Her confession left him feeling slightly alarmed. Elena had never once claimed experiencing any sort of premonitions or precognitive dreams, but her confession worried him. "What do you mean?"

"Nothing's happened or anything, but everything is going so…perfectly right now."

"And that's a problem?" He asked, arching a single eyebrow. "Are things too boring for you now?" He teased.

She rolled her eyes, mostly at herself. "No. I just…it feels like a calm before the storm, you know? I mean Klaus has been relatively polite to me. And I thought that he would have been more upset about the thought of losing my blood."

"Yes, he was at first," he admitted, remembering the fight that greeted him when Klaus discovered his decision to change Elena. "And then I told him about your idea to give him a supply of your blood."

"Are you insane?" Elijah demanded, when he finally found his voice. "You want to what?"

"You know as well as I do that your brother isn't going to accept this," she returned, completely calm. "Maybe if I promise him blood, it will placate him enough."

"He'll just have to learn to live with disappointment then." He was not going to risk her for anything. "Do you understand what you're saying? What about your friends, what do they have to say?"

"This isn't their decision," she denied. No, she had not discussed her decision with any of them.

"You never said anything to them, did you?" He asked in a pointed tone. He watched her shake her head in response. "Elena, do you understand what you're offering?"

"If I don't do this, Klaus will never give us rest," she denied. "And you know that."

"But he wasn't," she finished. "It just feels like everything is going too nicely. But I'm sure it's just nerves," she excused after a moment of hesitation.

Tucking away her concerns for another time, he focused on her doubts. "Everything will be fine, Elena." Like she tried to excuse, she was just experiencing a bout of nerves. "As for waiting a little longer, I don't mind. I'd wait forever for you," he vowed.

"I promise I won't make you wait that long," she denied quietly. "Just…a little bit longer. I…meant what I said, you asked for forever and you have me."

He captured her gaze with his. "The last thing I want is for you to regret anything that happens of me, directly or indirectly," he replied. "Now…about these plans for the weekend…"

"I'll be ready shortly," Elena replied. "I meant be finished, but then I started talking." Pushing him away, she stood from the bed. With her back towards him, she began to remove her clothes. "It will only take me a minute to change," she added, taking off her shirt.

Easily removing himself from her bed, he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her body against his so he was flush against her back. Brushing her hair to one side of her neck, he began lavishing her neck with attention.

Whatever thoughts she'd previously had died and Elena felt herself melting in his arms. It wasn't even a conscious decision as she tilted her head to allow him more access. "You are very distracting when you do that," she murmured, closing her eyes.

"You say that like it's a bad thing," he whispered between kisses against her milky skin.

"No…not…bad. But what about…plans?" She was

"Forget dinner. We can order in." He nuzzled his nose against her neck, breathing in her intoxicating scent. "It's come to my attention that I've been neglectful of you. I haven't worshipped your body in three days."

Spinning her around, he captured her lips, not giving her a chance to say a word. His arms wound around her back and he expertly unfastened her bra. Never breaking his kiss, his hands skimmed down her arms with the ghost of a touch, pushing the offending garment off her body. And when she stood naked from the waist up, his mouth began traveling down the length of her neck towards her collar bone.

"It's unfair that you're so good at that," Elena said, nearly panting. "I wish I could make you feel even half as good as you make me feel."

His hands skimmed down her sides before settling on the waistline of her jeans. He easily unlatched them before he kneeled and began to push them down her body. "Oh, you do. No one has ever made me feel the way you do, Elena," he divulged, looking up at her. He'd had a thousand lovers in the past, but no experience could ever measure up to the ones he shared with Elena. She was his happiness, his lover, his mate, his love.

His eyes darkened and Elena felt a flutter in her stomach. She decided then that she could have melted into a puddle of goo.

Showering her stomach with kisses and nips of affection, he easily removed her jeans and helped her step out of them. Placing a kiss on the front of her panties, his hands snaked to the sides of them and he began to slowly remove them. He was immediately assaulted with the scent of her arousal and he groaned in satisfaction. "Already, you're so wet for me." He lifted first one foot and then the other to remove her panties. However, instead of placing her second foot back down, he placed it on his shoulder. "You might want to brace yourself," he warned before moving in to nuzzle her sex.

Her hands immediately moved in an attempt to steady herself, one against her dresser and one against the wall behind her.

There was no teasing to his actions. His mouth latched against her sex and he began to alternate between thrusting his tongue inside her as deep as he could go and teasing her bundle of nerves.

Gyrating against his mouth, Elena panted into the room. Her knees were beginning to weaken, and she was quickly discovering that standing was not going to be an option for long.

As if sensing her dilemma, one of his hands braced her waist while he used his other hand to pinch her clit. Her cries of pleasure escalated. "That's it, Elena," he encouraged. "Come for me, darling." He continued to play her with her nub as he thrust his tongue as deep inside her as he could. Her body began to tremble and he held her up as her orgasm tore through her. It was only when she stopped riding his face that his actions ceased. Picking her up, he carelessly placed her on the middle of her bed before shedding his clothes quickly.

Elena barely had a chance to collect herself before Elijah joined her on the bed. Her orgasm had made her increasingly wet, and he slid into her without any issues.

His eyes closed involuntarily as he buried himself inside her to the hilt. Every time he bedded her, it was like coming home. She was it for him, he'd known that after their first time. It had just taken him a bit of time to convince her of it.

Wrapping her arms around his shoulders, Elena pulled him down against her. She captured his mouth, paying no mind to the fact that she could taste herself.

Never breaking the kiss, Elijah continued to ride her. He began to kiss her in tune to his thrusts. Their skin began slapping against one another, and the intensity behind his thrusts grew.

Elena tore her mouth from his and cried into the room. It was both too much and not enough and she was sobbing incomprehensively.

Pushing up, he adjusted their positions slightly. Spreading her legs and leaning back on his own, he continued to spear into her, her screams echoed into the room. He felt her walls flutter around him and as her second orgasm tore through her, his actions never wavered. It was only when she became completely lax that his thrusts stopped.

"I love the feel of you coming around my cock," he murmured huskily, as he leaned over and captured her mouth. "I can't remember anything feeling as good."

After two orgasms, she felt her sex pulse with desire. How was that possible? She thrust her hips up then.

"You ready for more?" Elijah asked.

She nodded her head once in agreement. However, instead of continuing her actions, she pushed him back from her. When she had him where she wanted, propped up against her headboard, she climbed over him and easily sank onto his erection.

She'd already orgasmed twice, so her main concern was Elijah and getting him to his. Her eyes never faltered from his as she continued to ride him.

"That's it, ride my cock," he grunted, thrusting up to meet her. "You like the feel of me filling you up?" Her arms wound around him and she nodded.

Already, she was a puddle of arousal, and it had only been minutes since their change of position. How was it that she was already climbing the precipice of another orgasm and he hadn't had one yet?

"You keep this up, I'm not going to last long," he purred.

"Me either," she panted.

"I'm going to make sure I'm as deep as I can possibly be inside you, and I'm going to cum," he whispered into her ear. "Do you trust me?"

"Of course I do."

"Good girl," he cooed. Fisting a hand in her hair, he forced her head to the side. Without any warning, he opened his mouth against her throat and bit down.

Not expecting the action, she gasped into the room. It wasn't the first time that he'd bitten her during sex, but it was the first time without warning. He began to take long pulls of blood. With his free arm wrapped around her slim waist, he was easily able to pull her down against him as he thrust upwards.

Felt the tingling of his orgasm creep up. Mindful not to mar her skin, he removed his mouth from her neck, and continued to thrust up into her. "That's it darling, I'm going to cum. Are you going to join me?" He wasn't long off, and if it was going to happen, it needed to happen shortly. Unfisting her hair, his hand slipped between their bodies and he pinched her clit.

A keening cry was torn from her throat as another orgasm assaulted her. Throwing her head back, her eyes closed. She could only vaguely make out the sounds of his grunts as he gave himself over to the pleasure.

When he was spent, he fell back against the bed, bringing her with him to rest on his chest. He ran a hand through her hair as he used the other one to hold her securely against him.

"That was intense," she panted into the room, the sound of his heart beat lulling her into security. "How do you do that?" Elena asked, tilted her head so she was looking at him.

"Do what?"

"You make sex better than it was the previous time," she confessed.

He smirked. "That, my dear heart, is all you. I can't seem to control myself around you." His eyes traveled over her facial features. "I didn't take too much did I?" He asked, referring to the blood he'd taken.

She shook her head. "No," she denied instantly. "At least I don't think so," she tacked on. Though she was suddenly feeling tired. She assumed it was just because he was that good of a lover.

"Even still, I'd feel better if I gave you some of my blood." He lifted his wrist to his mouth and bit into it.

Elena wrinkled her nose. "Elijah, you know I don't like that," she denied.

"I know, but I need to make sure you're in tip-top shape," he argued.

Her brows furrowed together in confusion. "For what?"

"So I can make love to you as often as I want," Elijah purred. "You didn't that last round was it, did you?" He waggled his eyebrows. "Come on then, drink up."

She rolled her eyes at him, but grudgingly placed her mouth around the mark he'd made. As much as she loathed to admit it, the blood did make her feel slightly better…despite the fact that she had to force the liquid down her throat.

"This really isn't the way I intended spending the morning," Elijah muttered into Elena's shoulder. Instead of giving into his body's urges the previous night, he should have insisted that they leave town as he'd originally planned.

"I don't know," she hedged. "I thought last night was worth it, don't you?" She replied in an equally soft voice. She'd certainly enjoyed herself and her body ached in ways that only Elijah had ever been able to cause.

Her tone was suggestive and if he knew that if they were alone, he would have tossed her over his shoulder and carried her back to the bedroom. "Behave," he chided, though it was obvious that he didn't mean it.

"But I thought you liked it when I was a bad girl?" She asked, tilting her head and nibbling on her bottom lip. She watched his eyes darken a shade and lifted a hand to run down his exposed chest.

"Oh…you have no idea just how much I love that," he replied, lifting Elena's finger and bringing it to his mouth. He placed a kiss on the top of it with the intent to pull the digit in his mouth, however, before he could continue on, they were reminded of the fact that they had a guest.

Kol cleared his throat dramatically loud and offered the pair a pointed stare. "You do realize that you aren't alone, don't you?" He asked.

"You act like you've never been consumed by someone's entire being," Elena waved away.

"And you couldn't possibly put on some clothes?" Kol asked, ignoring her question completely.

Elijah's attention turned to Elena. Her thin frame was swallowed by his dress shirt. "I don't know, I like the way you look in my shirt, Elena."

"It was convenient, Kol." It was the first thing she pulled on when they were so rudely interrupted by Elijah's brother. "Besides, it's comfortable."

"The two of you are nauseating, completely nauseating," he grumbled, rolling his eyes at them. "And by the way, you're burning the eggs, brother," he observed, his sensitive smell detecting the scent.

Elijah shrugged, not at all eager to pull away from Elena. "I can always make more eggs."

The sound of furious pounding on the front door pulled the couple to a stop. Elijah sighed wearily and turned to find Kol wearing an all too innocent face.

"Kol?" Elena asked. "Who-"

"It's Damon," Elijah replied, easily able to hear him from the front porch. And considering the fact that he was speaking, he wasn't by himself. Stefan, more than likely, was probably with him. "Kol, what did you do?"

"What makes you think I did anything?" Kol asked. Why was it that his brother automatically assumed he'd done something? So what if he had done something to provoke the younger vampire? It was the principle of the matter.

"It's you…" Elijah said, helping Elena off the counter. "If I have to fix your mess, don't I deserve to know the reason why?"

"Did you really think that he was going to let it die?" Kol burst out.

Elena frowned. "What die? What are you talking about?"

Kol ignored her, focusing on Elijah. "You should have known that your warning would fall on deaf ears. Did you really think he'd listen to you?"

Elijah's jaw worked. While he had a feeling that he knew where his brother's words were going, he needed the confirmation. "What did you do?"

"He was trying to figure out which one of us he and his brother were spawned from." And there was only one reason for that, to make sure they didn't kill the wrong sibling. "I killed the only remaining vampire that knew."

Elijah's eyes widened. "You killed Mary?" The revelation shocked him. He hadn't seen the red headed woman in years upon years, having heard that she lived as a hermit. However, once upon a time, she'd been relatively close with him and his siblings.

Kol shrugged. "I did what I had to do to protect us," he sniffed.

Elena frowned, wondering about the shock in Elijah's tone of voice. "Okay, who's Mary?"

"She was a sort of friend of ours," Elijah replied in a stilted manner.

The younger brother smirked. "Come on, brother. She was rather more than that at one time," he corrected. "She was a groupie."

Elena pursed her lips. "A groupie?" She repeated. Her thoughts instantly turned to a modernized version of a groupie, and all that it entailed, or what she assumed it entailed…which wasn't good. "Uh huh…" She trailed off, looking to Elijah for clarification. "You know when I hear that phrase I think…"

"Debauchery?" Kol supplied for her. "Sex, drugs and alcohol?" He pretended to consider his words. "Eh, sounds about right…"

Elijah glared at his brother with a vengeance. Of course Kol couldn't keep his mouth shut. He quickly turned to the owner of his heart. "Elena, it was a long time ago."

And there was her answer. She crossed her arms over her chest. She could only assume that life as a vampire skewed one's way of thinking. Her idea of 'a long time ago' was different from his. Then again, if he used the phrase, then maybe it was a long time ago, by a hundred years or so? She felt a niggling of jealousy tug at her heart, which she knew was completely stupid and irrational.

As if sensing where her thoughts had gone, Elijah stepped closer to her. "A very long time ago," he said, stretching the word 'very.'

"I'm going to go change," Elena said in an even tone. "Do me a favor, please don't kill him in my house," she added, nodding towards the front door.

"Elena…" Elijah said, attempting to catch her attention.

She replied with a negative shake of her head. "I think it would be better if I were wearing pants while he's here, don't you?" Without looking at the siblings, she turned and marched up the stairs with as much grace as she could muster.

"Oh, sure, put on pants for him," Kol grumbled. "But when I'm around, it is okay to suck on each other's fingers…"

"Firstly, you didn't have to watch. And secondly, you weren't invited. Maybe if you hadn't stopped by unannounced, we would have been better prepared to receive you," Elijah said.

Kol watched his brother fly towards the door. "What are you going to do?"

"Elena asked that I not kill him in the house," Elijah muttered. "She didn't say anything about the front yard," he tacked on darkly. "And when I finish with Damon Salvatore, then I'm going to start on you. I can't believe you just so casually mentioned Mary in such a way."

She didn't dare take a shower, worried that if she did Elijah and Kol would use the time to their advantage and harm one or both of the Salvatore brothers. Instead, she quickly changed pants and a shirt, brushed out her hair and brushed her teeth. All the while, she was able to hear faint yells from both the Mikaelson and Salvatore brothers.

"I warned you," Elijah hissed. "I warned you not to do anything, and you did it anyway."

Elena made her way to the bottom stair and stopped at the sight before her. Elijah had Damon pinned against the wall while Stefan did his best to get him released and Kol relaxed against the back of the couch…as if seeing his brother in such a state was normal. Once upon a time, she would have been the one to beg Elijah for Damon's life, but that time had come and gone. She honestly felt for the Salvatore brothers, fighting against something they had no chance of defeating.

"You're just worried that I will find a way to kill you," Damon responded with his usual cockiness, despite the hand wrapped around his throat.

"When have I ever been afraid or worried about you?" Elijah retorted with full sarcasm. "But you just can't leave well enough alone. I've given you multiple chances, but you never learn…"

"Just because I don't bow down to you and your siblings…" Damon denied. "You and your family have no right being here. You should have left and stayed gone."

"Maybe so," Elijah agreed darkly. He supposed that once upon a time, he had a life, a relatively normal existence. "However, Elena's here. And I don't plan on leaving her anytime soon. So until she asks me to leave, you're either going to have to get over this preoccupation you have with her, or look the other way."

Stefan looked from his brother towards Elijah and then his gaze fell on Elena. "Can't you say something?" He asked of her.

"And why would I do that?" She asked innocently. Her gaze settled on Damon for a sad moment. However, before she could dwell on it, she appeared to mentally shake herself from her thoughts. "If you guys will excuse me, I have no interest in playing your game." She refused to go against Elijah in front of anyone else, Damon and Stefan, specially.

She heard the arguing commence once again and shook her head in annoyance. Turning away from the four of them, she switched on the coffee pot, having already prepared it the previous night and waited for it to finish brewing. Elena reached for the pan of eggs and frowned at the contents, remembering Kol's mention of their being burned. Dumping them in the trash, she made her way to the sink and washed it before carrying it over to the stove to air dry it there.

When the coffee was finished, she turned to the cupboard near the sink and reached for a coffee mug. Spinning back around, she slipped on water that had fallen to the floor when she carried the pan back over to the stove. Her jerky movements caused her to drop the mug. And before she knew it, her body was falling into the counter, her neck hitting the edge of it and her world went dark.

When she opened her eyes again, she was keenly aware of the darkness in her room. It was far too pronounced, much more so then when her drapes were closed. Her gaze focused on the bumps in her ceiling and she momentarily wondered why she'd never noticed them before.

"Hi…"

Elijah's rich baritone pulled her from her thoughts and she looked at him. It didn't take her eyes long to focus on his serious expression and she was struck by the sight of him. She'd never seen him so…perfectly before. "Elijah…" The silence in the room was drowned by the sound of their heartbeats…heartbeats? Since when…no… "Something's wrong," she muttered.

Elijah grasped her hand and squeezed it. "Elena, what's the last thing you remember?"

"I…why?" Why was he asking her that?

"Humor me," he replied softly.

"I went downstairs and you were arguing with Damon, and I…left the room. I went to make coffee, but I slipped and…" It all came rushing back. She remembered falling against the counter, hitting her neck. Immediately, she lifted her free hand and grabbed for her neck. "Oh God…" she muttered, thinking on the few changes she'd noticed since awakening. She factored in the fact that they'd shared blood only hours earlier. "I transitioned."

"Not quite," he replied. "You need to consume blood to make it complete." He watched her eyes fill with tears as she began mourning for the loss of her life. "I am so sorry," he apologized. "If I wasn't so distracted with that stupid boy…" he shook his head. He would have been in the kitchen with her, and he would have been able to catch her before she fell.

He couldn't remember the last time he'd been so scared. The sound of the mug shattering on the kitchen floor had been enough to cease all arguments. However, it was the sound of complete silence that followed that had him running for the kitchen. He was assaulted by complete and utter horror when he discovered her lying on the floor, her neck placed in an unnatural way.

"So…I'm really a vampire…"

He found himself apologizing again. "I know you wanted to wait," he whispered. But she had no other choice, she needed to complete her transition. He wouldn't be able to live without her. He'd never been as relieved as he was when he realized that his blood was still in her system.

"What's going to happen now?"

"You need to feed. I have already gotten in touch with Bonnie, she's fashioning you a daylight ring as we speak."

"Elijah, I can't feed," she denied. The idea scared her just as much as disgusted her. "Can't you just give me your blood?"

"I'm afraid it doesn't work like that," he denied softly. "If it did, I would have offered myself to you the moment you woke up. You still have to consume human blood to make it complete."

She heard the sound of voices filtering from the first story. "Who is here?"

"As soon as I found you I brought you up here. Kol called my sister, and she and Nicklaus arrived half an hour ago."

"Stefan and Damon?" What had they done when they'd discovered her?

"There was yelling and accusing. Kol finally managed to get them to leave, though it was under strong protest." Yes, the two had been concerned for Elena; but he was certain that their main concern was over the fact that his blood was in her system. It further solidified the growing chasm between them, the fact that she had the blood of an Original within her only further reminded them that she was lost to them.

"Rebekah would very much like to see you, if you are feeling up to accommodating her presence…"

She remembered the fact that until she had a certain spelled object attached to her body, she was a prisoner in her room. "I…guess…" she muttered uneasily. She didn't know if she was up to seeing anyone at the moment when all she wanted was to curl up in a ball and cry.

Elijah nodded and made his way to hallway and softly called for his sister to join them before he made his way back to Elena's side. "I know this wasn't the ideal situation, but we'll get through it. And I will be by your side the entire way."

She lifted a hand to his face, cupping his cheek in it. "I know." And she did. He would be a constant presence in her life, and it was the only thing that offered her comfort. "I love you."

"I love you back," he replied, grabbing her hand. Raising her wrist to his lips, he placed a kiss on the bottom of it.

"Only you, Elena," Rebekah sighed, joining the pair. "It's a poetical irony isn't it? After everything you've survived…witches, vampires, ghosts and sacrifices…and it's water than ends your life?" From the moment the supernatural entered her life, she had a vampire protecting her, whether it was Stefan, Damon or her brother. And none of them had been able to save her from her fate.

Elena winced, but she was unable to deny the truth to Rebekah's words. After dealing with the situations she had the last few years, and it was a small puddle of water that led to the end of her life?

"I know it wasn't what you had planned, but everything will work out," the blonde offered after a moment. "You aren't alone, and we'll help you through this." She turned her attention to Elijah. "I delivered the ring just as you asked and Caroline said that she would call as soon as it was ready." She claimed a seat on the edge of Elena's bed. "I hope you don't mind, but I called Matt. He's offered his…services."

Elena frowned. "Services?"

"Blood," Rebekah supplied flatly. So much for being subtle… "He's offering his blood to you so you can finish your transformation."

The brunette gasped. "I can't. I can't drink his blood!" She hadn't been thrilled with the idea of drinking a stranger's blood. She certainly couldn't drink his!

The female Original could only shake her head. "You're thinking like a human when you no longer are one."

Elena slipped into silence as Rebekah's words washed over her. "But what if I can't stop?"

"We'll be here to make sure that nothing happens to him," Rebekah assured her.

"Well, Elena? Are you ready to begin your forever?" Elijah asked quietly.

The End