Chereads / Fanfiction Dog / Chapter 15 - Chapter 44-46

Chapter 15 - Chapter 44-46

Mikaelsons

Rebekah waits for an answer, staring at the pair with confused anger as Elena smiles and leans into Klaus.

"I know you must think this is crazy. But after Klaus finally caught up with me, while he was torturing me, I was reminded why I cared for him all those years ago. We made up and Elijah gave us his blessing. I hope you can do the same." Elena pretends to be Katherine as Klaus tries to keep a straight face next to her and Elijah closes his eyes with a small sigh.

"You've got to be kidding." Rebekah scoffs with disbelief as Elena steps forward slightly.

"I know this is a lot to take in, but I've missed having a sister, you know, after Klaus killed mine. And that's what I hope we can become." Elena says with false sincerity as a dark glare overtakes Rebekah's features and she moves forward to attack, making Elena squeal and hide behind Klaus. "Oh, my god. I'm totally kidding! I'm not Katherine! Not Katherine!" She yells as the newly awakened siblings stare in confusion. "Don't kill me! I'm not Kat!"

"I believe you." Rebekah rolls her eyes and crosses her arms. "Katherine would never do that." She eyes Elena with judgement as the doppelgänger stands up straight and runs her hands over the clothes.

"That's fair. Definitely not my proudest moment." Elena steps out from behind Klaus and reaches her hand out to Rebekah. "It's nice to finally meet you Rebekah, you're amazing. I'm Ellie, the newest doppelgänger." She greets as Rebekah takes her hand.

"Hmm." Rebekah looks her over with indifference. "The original was much prettier." Rebekah insults with a fake smile as Elena smirks.

"No, she wasn't." Elena replies smugly, making Rebekah grin before schooling her expression and taking her hand back from Elena.

"I see you've compelled the girl to think she cares for you." Kol comments with a lazy grin, hiding the fury behind his eyes. "Perhaps had you done the same to Katerina, you could have broken your curse ages ago." He taunts, making Elena turn Klaus with mock betrayal.

"Is it true, my love? Have you used the voodoo that you do so well to make me love you?" She asks, making him grin as his siblings look on, still confused.

"Ellie's not compelled." Klaus informs as his siblings look to them with identical skeptical expressions.

"You were supposed to play along." She pouts before turning to the siblings. "Hi, Ellie." She points to herself. "I was a totally willing participant in the sacrifice. And you are Kol Mikaelson." She says with an excited smile, bouncing on her toes as Kol makes a face and turns to Klaus.

"Was?" He asks, Klaus smirks and lets his hybrid face show.

"Was." He answers, hiding a flinch when Rebekah takes a small fearful step backwards.

"Breaking your curse couldn't have been the reason you've awakened us, mind sharing what it is you need from us?" Kol asks with a fake grin, watching Ellie out of the corner of his eye, confused as to why she seems so excited to be in their presence.

"Maybe I just missed my family." Klaus responds with an equally threatening grin as Finn scoffs from behind Kol.

"You've obviously woke us for a reason, get on with it." He says with a bored tone as Elena sends him a pitying look, Klaus clenches his jaw, causing Elijah to clear his throat and steps forward.

"Mikael's dead. Our brother killed him and has allowed me to remove your daggers." Elijah explains, surprising the siblings before Kol chuckles humorless.

"Well, that's just fantastic. I should be on my way, I sincerely hope I never see any of you again." Kol nods and tries to walk away only for Elena to step forward and stop him with a hand on his arm. He raises his brow and sends her a threatening look, causing her to remove her hand.

"Hi, again, I'm Ellie. And you're Kol, I'm a big fan of your work. I love the way you mercilessly slaughter all those who oppose you, it's dope." She rambles as he continues to stare with contempt. "Oh no, I know that look." Elena says stepping back. "That's the 'I'm gonna kill Ellie to get back at Klaus' look." She says with realization as a fake smile spreads across Kol's lips.

"Very good, Darling." He says encouragingly. "Would you look at that, Nik. Your pet's not as dumb as her face would suggest." He mocks as she rolls her eyes.

"Ouch, my feelings." She deadpans, causing him to take a threatening step forward. Klaus pulls Elena slightly behind him and sends her a pointed look.

"Don't antagonize him." He scolds, making her pout slightly. "And, Ellie's not to be harmed." He says to Kol with a serious expression before turning to his other siblings. "That goes for the two of you as well." He says, causing Rebekah to scoff.

"You've really fallen for her face again, haven't you? God, you're pathetic." She says with disgust as Elena mutters 'rude' under her breath.

"You should probably tell them why killing me would be a very bad idea." Elena says, walking towards the bar.

"Ellie's blood is needed to create my hybrids. I'm sure you all know exactly what would happen if I no longer have access." Klaus says with a threatening expression, not needing to specify their punishment to scare them all into submission.

"Of course." Rebekah laughs bitterly. "I mean, you are incapable of caring for anyone unless they serve a purpose." She says to Klaus with a hateful tone. "Word of advice Ellie, don't let yourself care too much for my brother. He will destroy you. He'll use you, make you dependent on him, and if the time comes when you wise up and try to escape him, he will ruin everything good in your life." Rebekah says with heavy emotion as Klaus watches her with a blank stare.

"Careful, Bekah. A few more insults and he may dagger you." Kol warns with a smile, walking towards Elena. "Perhaps even 'lijah will help him." He adds, making the aforementioned sigh and look to the ceiling.

"Enough." Elijah orders his youngest siblings. "Our brother is trying to right his wrongs and I believe we should hear him out. It was our vow." He says, making Kol scoff and look to him.

"Our vow?" He mocks, taking one of the drinks Elena poured and downing it. "The only thing that damned vow has ever gotten me, is daggered again and again." He raises his voice and turns to Rebekah. "And betrayed, by those I loved most." He says with venom as her lower lips trembles and her eyes fill with tears. "Always and forever is a sham, and we all know it." He finishes, walking away from the group with Finn following.

"Well, that sucked." Elena says, walking towards Klaus and handing him a glass. "But, still somehow better than what I expected." She tries to cheer him up as he looks down at her with a small smile, Rebekah watches them, shocked at her brother's tenderness towards the doppelgänger.

"I'd like to get out of this dress, where is my bedroom?" Rebekah asks with impatience making Elena walk towards her and reach into her pocket.

"Hey, I know everything is probably a lot right now, but I thought I could take you to get a modern makeover." Elena says sheepishly, before holding up Rebekah's necklace. "Here, this belongs to you." She drops it into Rebekah's open palm.

"I tried to find this when I woke, where did you get it?" Rebekah asks in a quiet tone, staring at the necklace.

"That is a long story, one that I will tell you later. But for now, why don't you go take a shower and get changed, then we can go?" Elena offers as Rebekah nods and leaves the room. Elena skips back over to Klaus with a smug smirk. "She loves me already." She sings as Klaus rolls his eyes. "Will you be a bridesmaid at our wedding? Mrs. Mrs. Gilbert-Mikaelson has a nice ring to it." She continues with a dazed smile, Klaus smiles before kissing her.

"Thank you." He says after pulling away. "For being here.. That probably would have gone a lot differently without you. Most likely more violent." He adds, making her laugh and nod.

"Of course, what are bone bros for?" She teases as Elijah clears his throat, reminding the two he's still in the room.

"I have to agree with my brother. That went better than I expected and I believe it was because of you." Elijah says with a kind smile before leaving the room.

"I need some money to take Bekah out. Plus more for me, cause you know, you've really been slacking on your sugar daddy duties." Elena says, making Klaus furrows his brows. "You have yet to buy me a luxury bag or Louboutins."

"You hate heels and said carrying around an expensive bag was 'too much responsibility'." He rolls his as she shrugs.

"Fine, then some docs and a new leather jacket, I've been hanging around you so much, I think this one has fleas." She grins as he huffs and sends her a look.

"Why are you asking? Didn't you steal my card?" He asks, she nods.

"Yes, but I've noticed that people tend to get a bit pissy when you use their stolen cards." She rolls her eyes as he shakes his head.

"The audacity." He deadpans as she nods enthusiastically.

"Right." She agrees, making him chuckle lightly.

"So you saw the future and the past?" Rebekah asks with confusion from her spot in front of the salon mirror as Elena spins in the chair next to her.

"Yep, that's how I know how hot you look with a sword." She responds with a flirty wink, making the original roll her eyes.

"Will you stop flirting with me?" Rebekah asks with a huff, Elena stops spinning her chair and looks to her with a serious expression.

"Beks, from the bottom of my heart, never." Elena swears as Rebekah's lips twitch, making her turn away from the doppelgänger.

"Well it's too bad for you, I'm not interested in anyone who's with Nik. I'm not Elijah." She mutters under her breath, making Elena snort.

"I wouldn't be so quick to dismiss me, beautiful. I could be the love of your life. Are you really gonna let the fact that your brother sticks it in me, get in the way of that?" Rebekah's jaw drops as she looks to Elena with wide eyes, making the brunette cackle and continue spinning in her chair.

"Are all women so vulgar nowadays?" Rebekah asks as Elena shrugs and stands, walking towards Rebekah.

"More or less. But, I like to think I'm one of a kind." She winks at Rebekah through the mirror as she picks up a spray bottle, coughing when she accidentally sprays it. She turns back to Rebekah and begins playing with a piece of her hair. "Besides, you have no idea how vulgar I can be." Elena whispers suggestively, Rebekah looks away and sighs.

"Where is Stefan?" Rebekah changes the subject. "You said he found my necklace after Nik compelled him. How did you get it from him?" She asks as Elena jumps up on the counter in front of her and swings her legs.

"He came to town a few months ago, saw me, was completely dazzled by striking good looks, then stayed to get to know me. Think it's safe to say he liked what he learned, because he quickly became one of my best friends. Him and his brother live in town. But fair warning, he's not the same guy he was in the 20's." Elena says sympathetically as Rebekah's brows furrow.

"Just another thing I can thank my bastard of a brother for." She says with anger. "He's managed to ruin every single one of my relationships and one of the few times he doesn't kill them, he daggers me for 90 years and makes him forget me." She scoffs, Elena taps her shoe with her own and sends her an apologetic smile.

"There's no excuse I could ever make for Klaus's behavior? But for what it's worth, I think he just didn't want to lose you. And having spent a good few hours with you, I can wholeheartedly understand why." Elena smiles as she manages to get a laugh out of Rebekah.

"Flattering won't work on me." The original responds with a playful smile as Elena hops off the counter.

"We'll see. But consider this, maybe none of your relationships have ever worked because the fates were saving you for the best." Elena says with a cocky smirk, gesturing to herself as she wiggles her eyebrows, making Rebekah shake her head with a smile.

"Women are allowed to dress like prostitutes now?" Rebekah with disbelief as she steps out of the dressing room.

"1. Sex work is work." Elena glares playfully. "2. You look hot in everything. Just wear what you're comfortable with." She says checking herself out in the mirror.

"This leaves nothing to the imagination." Rebekah critiques the dress she's wearing as Elena rolls her eyes.

"Why leave it to the imagination, when the real thing is better than anything, anyone could ever imagine?" Elena asks as the original tilts her head with a shrug and goes back inside the dressing room. "So, are you gonna come to school or not?" Elena asks.

"I'm not sure." Rebekah says with uncertainty before peaking her head out of the dressing room. "Is Nik serious about staying here? Did he really build that house for us to live together?" She asks as Elena nods.

"Yeah, you didn't hear it from me, but I think he's happy you guys are finally all together. He missed you, Bekah." Elena says as Rebekah smiles.

"Of course he did. I'm his favorite." She says smugly, making Elena laugh and send her a look.

"Oh Rebekah, I adore you." She says with a smile that the original immediately reciprocates. "And so will my friends, which is why you should come to school with us. I think you'd love it. You could be a cheerleader or join a sports team or something." Elena says in a pleading tone.

"I'll think about it, tell me about your friends. Do they know about everything?" Rebekah asks as Elena nods.

"Yes, I sat them down last year and came clean. I told them about the supernatural. Then I had to tell them about your brother and the sacrifice. That was super fun." She comments sarcastically.

"I still can't believe you sought Nik out. Why didn't you just run? Why would you willingly tie your life to my brother? Especially if you're aware of how paranoid and controlling he is." Rebekah rants with disbelief as Elena laughs.

"He's not that bad." Rebekah sends her a pointed look. "To me." She adds with a thoughtful expression.

"Don't you want a normal life? To be married or have children without my brother hanging over you?" Rebekah asks with a faraway expression. "Controlling everything you do?"

"Not really. I mean, maybe if Klaus was the only one who wanted me. But, other people are after doppelgängers and I feel a lot safer with your brother in my corner." Elena says as Rebekah sighs.

"Well at least you know what you got yourself into." Rebekah says.

"Did you manage to leave anything in the shops?" Klaus asks as his hybrid carries Rebekah and Elena's bags inside the house as they follow.

"You're the one who gave me a dresser, I needed to fill it." Elena kisses his cheek as she walks towards the bar, making Rebekah make a face.

"And you owe you. For shoving me in a box and making Stefan forget me." Rebekah pouts as Klaus rolls his eyes.

"What part of our father would have killed you, do you not understand? I did what I had to." He groans as Rebekah stares at him blankly.

"Of course, I'm sure it had nothing to do with the fact that you're obsessed with controlling everything I do." She says sarcastically.

"Believe what you want, dear sister. But at least you're alive. I'm not asking for your gratitude. But a small amount of understanding wouldn't kill you." He says through gritted teeth taking the drink Elena hands him as Rebekah scoffs and laughs humorlessly.

"You're right, Nik. Thank you so much for stealing centuries of my life and locking me away in a box. Thank you for being so terrified of being abandoned that you took away any shred of happiness from my life for a thousand years." She yells, storming out of the room as Klaus stares at the glass in his hand with an unreadable expression.

"Again, that could have gone worse." Elena says as she takes a seat next to him. "Any luck with your brothers?" She asks as Klaus huffs.

"Finn hasn't said a word and Kol threw another temper tantrum before locking himself away in his room." He says as Elijah enters the room. "At this point we should probably be thankful he hasn't tried to go on a killing spree."

"Though, it's only a matter of time." Elijah comments with a defeated sigh, making Elena laugh and smile at him.

"Alright, wish me luck." She says with a nod as she stands, Klaus grabs her hand and raises his brows. "I'm kinda the only person here who's never betrayed him. I mean, I know he's not exactly a fan of my face, but not even he's petty enough to ignore me for it. Let me try to get through to him." She says, making Klaus sigh.

"Fine, but scream if he tries to kill you." He half jokes as she nods.

"Aye aye, captain." She says before walking out of the room and through the house, in search of Kol's room.

"Oh, it's you." Kol says with a fake smile as soon as he opens the door after she knocks.

"Yeah, don't cream your jeans." She jokes as he raises a brow with confusion.

"What?" He asks as she shakes her head.

"Nothing, can I come in?" She asks as he opens his door wider, letting her through.

"Sure, I'm feeling a bit peckish." He says with a grin as she rolls her eyes.

"So funny." She states dryly as she takes a seat on the edge of his bed.

"Who said I was joking?" He asks, stalking towards her with a threatening gleam in his eye, stopping when she only rolls her eyes.

"I'm not scared of you. So please, just shut up and sit down. We need to talk." He stares at her incredulously, making her smile widely at him and pat the spot next to her.

"I may not be able to kill you, but that doesn't mean you have nothing to lose." He threatens, making her snort.

"You know, Klaus said the same thing when we first met. Now look at us, he's practically in love with me. And in time, I'm certain you and I will become friends too." She assures as he stares at her in confusion.

"Is there something wrong with you? Mentally? You don't even know me. And I doubt my brother shared anything about me, that would give you cause to change that. So, what is it exactly you want from me?" He asks with seriousness as she sighs.

"Nothing, dude. Honest. I was telling the truth when I said I was a fan of your work. No one slaughters entire covens quite like you." She compliments as he scoffs with disbelief. "So, come on. Stop sulking and let me show you how fun the 21st century is. Please." She bats her eyelashes as he narrows his eyes.

"How do you know about the covens?" He asks with suspicion, making her groan.

"I was born with knowledge of the past and a possible future." She recites with boredom. "That's how I know we will be friends. I have a roadmap to your heart, paved with your past and future interests." She winks as leans forward with interest.

"How much do you know?" He asks as she shrugs.

"A fair amount. I know you used to be a witch and that you've spent the last 1000 years looking for a way to get your powers back. I know Rebekah betrayed you when you told her about the gold dagger for Klaus. I know you killed an entire coven because they were trying to raise Silas, who is very much real, by the way. Sidenote, he's a huge douche." She says as Kol stares with an open mouth.

"What else?" He asks, grabbing her arm a little too tightly, releasing it when she sends him a look.

"I know you like music, video games, and aluminum baseball bats." She continues, noticing his confusion. "Right, video games are… shit, I don't know how to explain this to you." She says, making him smile slightly. "But, I can show you music, come on." She stands and grabs his hand, trying to pull him out of the room, but failing when he stubbornly stays rooted in place. "Seriously?" She asks with annoyance, causing him to smirk in amusement and let himself be pulled. "I got you an Ipod, well actually Klaus got it for you, but I put tons of music I thought you would like on it for you." She says as they walk through the house.

"Why would you do that?" He asks with confusion as she shrugs.

"I don't know, thought you'd like it. It's not a big deal." She laughs slightly, missing the look he sends her.

As they reach the living room, Elena lets go of his hand and makes her way over to her bag and pulls out the Ipod, tossing it to him as she walks back to him. He stares at it with confusion as she laughs again and shows him how to turn it on.

"I kept it pretty simple to start. Don't get me wrong, there are tons of amazing modern bands and collectives, but I thought it best to show you the unrefined classics first, Led Zeppelin, Sex Pistols, Beatles, Nirvana, The Kinks, Queen, The Rolling Stones-" She cuts herself off with a laugh, noticing the look he sends her. "Right, well you can figure out what you like and then decide for yourself where inspiration ends and plagiarism begins." She says, sheepishly rubbing the back of her neck as he chuckles lightly.

"You really like this." He points out with amusement as she nods.

"Totally. I think music's the purest expression of art. Though, others may disagree." Elena sends a glance to Klaus as he looks away, pretending to not be eavesdropping.

"Ah yes, Nik's quiet the artist." Kol says, hiding his angry tone behind a grin. "Has he ever… painted you?" Kol asks with a not-so-subtle innuendo as Elena smiles slyly at him.

"Yes, multiple times. Though he's as free to paint others as I'm free to be painted." She responds as he watches her lips.

"Interesting." He comments with a grin she responds before she clears her throat, taking a small step back.

"So, wanna fuck with your siblings?" She whispers with an innocent expression, contradicted by the mischief in her eyes as he smiles widely back at her.

Across the room Klaus watches with narrowed eyes before turning to Elijah and motioning to Elena teaching Kol a secret handshake. "Nothing good can come of this." He says gravely as Elijah follows his line of sight.

"Agreed." Elijah responds in a serious tone with a nod.

Ugh!" Rebekah groans in frustration as she's woken up for the third night in a row, angrily she gets out of bed and stomps out of the room, bumping into Klaus in the hallway. "Control your pet, before I rip her throat out." She instantly threatens, making her brother roll his tired eyes.

"I don't control her, Rebekah." He states as she scoffs.

"Well, that's a bloody first!" She shouts with venom. "Shut them up." She demands before turning around and slamming her door.

Klaus huffs before continuing his path to the source of his restless night, coming across Elena jumping on the couch, strumming a plastic guitar as Kol sits in front of her, beating the plastic drums.

"Klaus!" Elena cheers when she spots him in the doorway, jumping off the couch and running towards him. "I found a way to combine music and video games! Aren't I fucking genius?" She asks with a wild look in her eyes.

"Ellie, it's 4 a.m., you haven't slept in two days." Klaus informs her with concern, making her laugh and turn towards Kol.

"Kol, it's 4 a.m!" She shouts with excitement, making him look to her with a thumbs up.

"Cool." He replies, turning back to the game.

"Wanna play with us?" Elena asks Klaus, who shakes his head with a sigh.

"No." He says with defeat before turning around and leaving the living room.

Ellie shrugs and runs back to Kol, pulling him from the game and pushing him down on the couch. Kol smirks with a raised brow when she lies on top of him.

"Very forward, darling." He comments, moving to kiss her as she rolls her eyes and puts her hand against his face.

"Sorry, babe. No time. We've gotta get through this list." She says, reaching to ground and retrieving her notepad, flipping it open.

"Fine." He says with a pout. "What's next?" He asks when she sends him a look.

"Feminism. We're gonna watch a bunch of feminist documentaries on Netflix to educate you." She states with a nod as he scoffs.

"Yeah? What's in it for me?" He asks as he brows furrow.

"Well, women won't sleep with you if you treat them like second-class citizens. Plus, a guy who cares about feminist issues is really fuckin' hot." Elena adds, making Kol's eyes widen as he sits up with her in his lap.

"What is a Netflix?" He asks with urgency.

Elijah wanders into the living room in search of his siblings, other than Finn, he really is dull.

"Oh, I've seen this. It's very good." He comments, noticing the documentary playing on the TV as Elena sends Kol an 'I told you so' look.

"Of course you have, 'lijah." Kol says with a very slight slur, causing Elijah to raise a brow and take notice of the empty bottles scattered around the couch.

"You're drunk. It is 10 a.m." Elijah states as Elena smirks slyly.

"You're about the sexiest clock I've ever seen." She flirts, making his sigh. "Hmm, was that a judgmental sigh? Kol, what do you think?" She turns to Kol, who nods.

"Oh, definitely." He responds with a grin as Elijah rolls his eyes, reaching into his pocket.

"What are you gonna do with the money?" Kol asks Elena with curiosity as Elijah stuffs a bill in the cup.

"I'd like to buy a golden chalice to replace this truck stop paper cup. Then I wanna keep replacing it with rarer and rarer precious metals. And I expect you to continue the tradition after I'm long dead." She points to Kol as he nods.

"I'd be honored." He says with emotion as Elijah sighs and stands as he reaches into his pockets again. On his way out of the room, he stuffs a hundred in the cup as Elena watches him leave before turning to Kol.

"He is so into me." She tells him with a smile.

Klaus walks into the room, rolling his eyes when he finds Elena and Kol clutching each other in obnoxious laughter, he clears his throat to get their attention.

"Oh, hey." Elena greets, trying to catch her breath as she wipes the tears from under her eyes.

"What's so funny?" Klaus asks with a fake smile as he takes a seat across from the two.

"Remember how I can kinda summon dead people now?" Elena asks in a casual tone as Klaus nods. "Well, I taught Kol about prank calls and he had the amazing idea to mess with some of his former victims." Elena says through a laugh as Kol nods along and Klaus's brows furrow.

"What does that mean? What do you do?" He narrows his eyes at the two.

"Well, I kinda found the guy on the other side and I was all like 'I'm gonna grip you tight and raise you from perdition" Elena quotes in a gravelly tone. "And he was all like 'omg, you're the best' and then I was like "psych, bitch! Kol says hey' then-" Klaus interrupts.

"So you are pretending to save people, sorry dead people, from the otherside?" Klaus asks, trying to keep the judgment out of his voice as Kol and Elena look to each other with a nod.

"Yeah, pretty much." Elena confirms.

"He was a thief." Kol tries to defend their actions as Elena nods.

"Ellie, can I speak with you… in private." He adds when she only stares at him.

"Sure thing, boss." She stands, following Klaus only a few feet away. "You seem… off?" She tries to think of the right word as he scoffs out a laugh.

"I guess I just didn't sleep very well." He says, sending a glare to Kol as a look of realization spreads across Elena's face.

"Oh, I get it. You're jealous." She smirks as he scoffs.

"I'm not jealous." He rolls her eyes as she sends him a pitying look.

"It's perfectly natural to feel jealous of the new baby. But, mommy has enough love to share." She says with mock sympathy as Kol snorts and Klaus glares.

"I'm not jealous! You two have not shut up for over 48 hours. You were supposed to be catching him up on modern times and important history." He quotes her as her jaw drops with offense.

"I have been." She argues as he sends her a look.

"Is that what you call what you've been doing?" He asks with disbelief. "So far, you've played video games, gotten drunk, used my card to order movies, and told him in length about the feud between rappers Tupac and Notorious B.I.G." He lists off on his hand as she rolls her eyes.

"Okay, 1.) our card! And they were Informative documentaries. 2.) We only got drunk because documentaries are super boring." She whines as he rolls his eyes. "3.), important historical events, i.e.; Pac and Big's feud, which he retained because I'm an amazing teacher. Kol, who killed Tupac?" She asks as Kol's head snaps to them.

"The feds." Kol answers as Elena points to him in pride with a smug smile as Klaus runs a hand over his face in frustration. "On the subject of Kol and I being awesome, can we get a bounce house?" She asks with hopeful expression.

"No."

"Please, Kol's never seen one because you daggered him." She tries to guilt trip him.

"No."

"Pretty-" Klaus interrupts.

"No."

"I was really hoping you'd say yes." Elena trails off awkwardly as they hear a large sound coming from the backyard. "I love you." Elena cheers weakly as Klaus stares at her blankly. "Come on, Kol." She says quietly, pulling the original with her.

"Everything looks good." The man who set up the bounce house says making Elena nod.

"Cool, thanks- Kol, no!" Elena scolds as Kol tries to bite the man.

"What?" Kol asks with confusion as the worker looks between them.

"You can't eat him, he has it hard enough." The man's eyes widen as Elena continues. "You probably make minimum wage, right?" She asks the man as he nods silently. "See. That sucks, bro. Hold on." Elena runs into the house as the man looks at Kol, causing the original to nod awkwardly.

"Here." Elena pushes a handful of judgment jar money into the man's hands as he stares at her in confusion. "Wanna bounce with us?" Elena asks, looking at the bounce house with a smile as the man nods.

"Ugh! What is wrong with you two?" Rebekah yells from the kitchen, causing Ellie and Kol to laugh and high five as they walk into the kitchen. "Are you children? Actual children?" She asks as she wipes her chin of a red substance.

"What have they done now?" Elijah asks with an exasperated sigh as he enters the room.

"They messed with the blood bags." Rebekah tells him in an angry tone. "And they put flour in my blow dryer, and plastic wrap in the doorways, and whatever else I haven't found yet." She glares at them as Elijah turns to them with a disapprovingly look.

"What did you do to the blood bags?" He asks as Kol rolls his eyes.

"We mixed corn syrup and red food dye." Elena says with a proud smile as Elijah turns to Rebekah.

"It's harmless." He says as she continues glaring.

"I don't care, I'm sick of this! It's bad enough living with Kol, I can't handle two of them." Rebekah rants before storming out of the room.

"Maybe it's best you dismantle any undiscovered pranks." Elijah tries to reason with Elena as she pouts.

"Fine, but when we get back. Right now we have to go meet my drug dealer." She says as Elijah raises his brows. "I mean friend." She corrects with a smile as Elijah stares blankly.

"Come on, Kol. Quick, before he tries to give us his word." She pulls Kol out of the room, sending Elijah a teasing look as he rolls his eyes with a smile.

"Wake up." Kol shakes Elena awake, causing her to open her eyes and look around frantically.

"What? What's wrong?" Elena asks as Kol stares at her in concern.

"What the hell was that?" He asks as Elena's brows furrow in confusion.

"What?" She asks.

"Your dream! You woke me up by tossing and turning, so I went into your head, hoping it was a sex dream, preferably staring me. It wasn't, so I ask again, what the hell was that?" He asks with wide eyes.

"Zombie apocalypse." She answers with a shrugs as he stares in confusion.

"What?" He asks.

"Yeah I mean, I always dream of zombies. Sometimes they bite me, sometimes I escape, one time I bit a zombie." She lists as he continues to stare.

"... What?" He asks again.

"Right, I forgot you were in a box. Look, I don't have the time or patience to explain all zombie lore to you, it's too much. I'm pretty sure it dates back like 400 years. Ooh, I have an idea." She exclaims with excitement.

"Not the dog." Kol whispers, turning his head so Elena doesn't see him wipe his eyes.

"I know." Elena sobs, the doorbell rings and Elena stops crying. "Ooh, pizza's here." She stands up and runs to the door.

"This is delicious." Kol says with a mouthful of pizza as Elena nods.

"I know right, I can totally see why someone would pay in sex." She comments as he sends her a look of confusion and amusement.

"What?" He asks with a laugh as she gasps and stands.

"Oh, my god. I've failed you." She says sadly.

"She's so bendy." Kol says with astonishment as he and Elena stare at her phone with tilted heads.

"Right." She responds, impressed as Klaus walks into the room.

"There is no way they're comfortable." Kol shakes his head as Klaus looks at the phone over Elena's shoulder.

"My, god! Are you watching porn?" Klaus asks with disbelief as Kol and Elena nod.

"Obviously." She replies, not taking her eyes off the screen as Klaus huffs and storms away.

"I need your help." Klaus says into his phone with irritation, sending his brother and Elena a look.

Klaus, I got your message!" Elena says with excitement as she skips through the house with an ice cream cone in one hand and Kol's hand in the other, Elena stops suddenly when coming across The Salvatore brothers, Jeremy, Caroline, Bonnie, and the remaining Mikaelsons. "What's this?" Elena asks, noticing the slight guilt on Klaus's face.

"This is an intervention." Damon says, sending a very unsubtle glare to the mischievous Mikaelson.

"Aw, dammit Klaus, that was dirty." Elena says to the hybrid with betrayal written across her face.

"What did he say to get you here?" Bonnie asks, looking between the two with suspicion.

"He said he would finally let me-" Klaus cuts Elena off quickly.

"That's enough. No need to subject your friends to such filth." He says dismissively as Elena leans into Kol.

"Who knew he was such a prude?" She whispers to Kol as he snickers.

"Perhaps that's why Tatia chose 'lijah." He whispers back, making her giggle.

"See. That right there." Klaus gestures between them. "This is why I called them. You're too close. You need some time away from each other." Klaus states as Elena and Kol stare with matching incredulous expressions.

"Over my smoldering ashes!" Kol replies at the same time as Elena yells,

"Suck my cock!"

"Wasn't a suggestion, little brother." Klaus ignores Elena as Elijah speeds behind Kol and forcibly drags him from Elena's grasp.

"Ellie!" Kol calls out dramatically, holding his hands out to Elena as his siblings (and Damon) roll their eyes.

"Kol!" She cries equally dramatic.

"Enough." Klaus says with a tinge of amusement, but mostly annoyance. "Caroline." He gestures for her to step forward.

"Et tu?" Elena asks with narrowed eyes.

"You've both become 46% more chaotic in each other's presence." Caroline also ignores Elena.

"You did the math? Nerd." Kol comments as Elena makes an excited expression.

"I taught him that!" She exclaims proudly as Stefan looks at her with confusion.

"You were a mathlete, El." He reminds as her eyes widen.

"Shh! Don't tell him that, I want him to think I'm cool." She whines as Stefan sighs.

"Ellie, Klaus said you haven't been sleeping. And that you've been going pretty hard for a few days. We're worried." Jeremy steps towards her with a sympathetic smile.

"Rem, I'm fine. I've just been having fun, Kol is awesome!" Elena says with a large smile as Kol grins at his siblings smugly.

"That's great. We're so glad you've made a new friend." Caroline says in tone that would sound pandering from anyone else. "But, maybe you should get some rest. Let someone else get to know him. Like… Damon." Caroline pulls Damon forward, ignoring his look of annoyance.

"No, thank you." Damon says with a fake smile as Elena looks between Kol and Damon with a contemplative silence.

"Okay, yes. You guys should hang out, I think you'll have fun." Elena says while bouncing on her toes as Kol shakes his head.

"No, I want to stay with you." He says to Elena as she nods.

"And I want to stay with you, but I think they're right. I've been hogging you, they deserve to get to know the awesomeness that is you." She says as Damon scoffs.

"I don't see what's so great." He mutters childishly as Elena rolls her eyes with a smile.

"You will. He's amazing, and crazy, and fun. He has quickly become one of my favorite people." Elena says passionately as Kol stares at her with a smile and Jeremy raises his brow.

"Wow, you really like him." Jeremy says with a tilted head as Elena nods.

"Yeah, I think I'm in love with him." She says casually as the room stares at her with dropped jaws.

"I'm sorry, what?" Caroline screeches with wide eyes.

"Yep. I've never felt this. I want to be around him and mess with people with him, and make fun of people with him. Is that what love feels like?" She asks before turning to the vampires. "You answer, you've all felt it like a 1000 times." She shades as they roll their eyes.

"I agree. I think we're in love, Ellie. I've never felt it, but I think we're soulmates." Kol says with a definitive nod as Elena snaps her fingers and points to him.

"That's what we are. Definitely soulmates-" Klaus cuts her off with an annoyed glare.

"You're not soulmates. And Ellie, you're aromantic." He reminds with another eyeroll.

"Right. Shit, sorry Kol. I forgot." She pouts as Kol shrugs.

"That's okay, Darling. I still love you." He says, making her smile widely.

"Are you serious?" Damon asks Elena with a softer expression. "He really means this much to you?" Elena nods frantically, making Damon sigh. "Fine." He says as Elena squeals.

"Yes! You will not regret it. I think you guys will really get along. I mean, me and you are soulmates, right?" Damon nods with a small grin. "Well then, if Kol's also my soulmate, then the two are basically soulmates yourselves, it's PEMDAS or something." She explains with a grin as Damon shakes his head with a fond smile. "So, how about you, the Stefinator, and Nik here, take Kol to get a drink or something." Elena suggests before she looks around with confusion. "Wait. We're missing a few scoobies. Where's the one with the muscles and the one with eyes? Or the hot one? Or Zoey?" She asks as Caroline giggles softly and Bonnie smiles.

"Matt and Ty are at practice and Vic's working." Bonnie answers as Elena nods.

"Enzo went to Whitmore, something about unfinished business." Damon smirks with a dark glint in his eyes.

"Right, well you'll just have to get to know them some other time. For now, you guys hang while I-" Klaus interrupts her again.

"While you get some rest." He says with seriousness, before noticing the looks his siblings are sending him and clearing his throat. "For your blood." He says as Elena tries to contain a smirk with innocent eyes.

"Of course. Everyone knows the human body stops making blood when you're slightly sleep deprived." She says with a tilted head as Klaus narrows his eyes at her.

"Hey, earlier when you came in, why was Kol with you?" Caroline voices the question that's been on her mind, making Kol and Elena turn to Klaus with identical cheeky grins as the hybrid avoids eye contact with the group. "Oh." Caroline whispers with pink cheeks before shaking her head. "Alright, well while you guys do that- take Kol out, not the um…" She trails off as Kol and Elena smirk at each other. "Me and Bon made plans to show Rebekah around the school." She finishes with a peppy tone as Elena smiles brightly at their forming bond.

"Sounds good. I'm gonna go get some rest, definitively not go through everyone's dressers. Behave." Elena whispers to Klaus tilting her head towards Kol, making the hybrid roll his eyes.

"Come on." Klaus says after kissing Elena's cheek and walking towards the door.

"I have a better idea. Why don't we get some coffee in you and then you come with us?" Kol asks as she smiles.

"Sorry, babe. Have fun." She says as he presses a kiss to her head, causing Damon to scowl and do the same as Stefan shakes his head with an amused smile. Elena grins and mouths 'thank you' to the younger Salvatore for not being as possessive as his brother, making him nod.

"Wanna come with us?" Stefan asks Jeremy as they walk towards the door.

"Umm, I'm fifteen. So, I think I'm just gonna go home and play video games." Jeremy says as Stefan nods.

"Yeah, makes sense." Stefan replies as Rebekah follows Caroline and Bonnie, trying to stop herself from looking at Stefan, remembering Elena telling her he's 'different' now.

"No kiss?" Elena asks Rebekah seeing her conflicted glance towards Stefan, making the blonde stop and turn to her with a smirk.

"You wish." She responds as Elena smiles and nods.

"Very much." She agrees, Rebekah rolls her eyes and turns back around, leaving Elena with Elijah and Finn. "Not the Mikaelson threesome I was expecting, but I'm not mad about it." She shrugs as Elijah reaches into his pocket and silently retrieves a bill.

"I have some matters to attend to." He states vaguely, nodding his goodbye as he leaves the room, stuffing the money in the cup as he goes.

"Why does he say that? What the hell does it mean?" Elena questions out loud, throwing her hands up. Finn smiles tightly and nods, also leaving the room as Elena frowns.

Elena tosses back and forth in Klaus bed with an annoyed huff, eventually giving up on trying to sleep and throwing the sheets off of her.

As Elena wanders through the mansion in search of something to relieve her boredom, she comes across Finn reading in Elijah's library.

"Hey." She knocks on the door frame, causing Finn to look up with a small smile.

"Hello." He greets awkwardly as Elena steps into the room, absentmindedly scanning the book shelves.

"What are you reading?" Elena asks as her eyes search for a certain book before turning to Finn, he holds up the book, showing her the cover as she nods with a slight grimace. "Franzen. Nice. Very pretentious." She comments as the corner of his lips lift.

"Yes, I've noticed that." He looks down at the book. "Elijah recommended it." He adds as Elena aahs.

"Well that explains it." She sends him a grin before turning back to the bookshelf. "Borning. Racist. Sexist. All three." She criticizes the books, distracting Finn. "Come on, I know it's here." She mutters as Finn sits up.

"What are you looking for?" He asks with minimal interest as she continues searching.

"Fifty Shades of Grey, I know he has a copy somewhere." She huffs, putting her hands on her hips as she narrows her eyes at the books. "Whatever, it's probably on his nightstand." She turns to Finn, eyes widening slightly at the lack of complete boredom on his face. "Hey, uh… you wanna hang?" She asks, surprising herself and confusing the original.

"Hang?" He asks simply as she nods.

"Yeah, hang out. Spend time together. Fuck shit up, you know, hang." She explains, only lessening his confusion slightly. "Come on." She leaves no room for argument as she grabs his book from his hand and tosses it on the chair next to him, noticing the look on his face, she sighs. "Were you really gonna finish that?" She asks, he opens his mouth only to shut it and shake his head making her laugh lightly. "Well then, come on." She skips out of the room, not waiting for him as he looks to the ceiling and huffs before following after her.

"Where are we going?" Finn asks as he follows her out of the house and to her car.

"On an adventure!" She says with wonder as he stares skeptically. "Okay, to get some food." She admits, opening the passenger door for him and gesturing with flamboyance to the seat, he contains an eye roll getting in, causing her to cheer and fist pump, before running around to the drivers side. "Then, an adventure." She says after buckling her seat belt and looking over to Finn.

"Why do you want to go on 'an adventure' with me?" Finn asks, making Elena sigh.

"Because… I think you're having some trouble adjusting or not, honestly I can't get a read on you." She says. "But, this could be good. No, you know what? This will be good!" Elena cheers. "Yeah, I'm gonna manic pixie dream girl the shit out of your life!" Elena adds enthusiastically as Finn's brows furrow in confusion. "And if the media has taught us anything, that's all that's needed to cure the depression of down on their luck white dudes." She mutters with an eye roll.

"That sounds like a critique, but I don't know those words." Finn states with a defeated sigh, Elena nods sympathetically.

"I feel you, Phineas-"

"That's not my name." Finn shakes his head.

"It must be weird waking up 900 hundred years later." Elena ignores him. "Oh, my god. You're like a time traveler." She adds with wide eyes.

"Hello Betty, who's this." Kitty eyes Finn like he's gonna be her fifth husband.

"Hi, Kitty. This is my friend… Vinny." She smirks as Finn stares at her in confusion before looking to Kitty with a polite smile.

"Nice to meet you, Vinny." Kitty smiles at Finn before shaking her head slightly. "I assume the usual." Elena nods. "And for you?" She asks Finn as he studies the menu with an overwhelmed expression.

"You know what, bring us all the most popular foods on the menu." Elena says, taking the menu from Finn and handing it to Kitty with a smile. "And all the milkshake flavors." She adds, smiling even larger as Kitty sends her a disapprovingly glance.

"What have I said about using stolen cards?" Kitty scolds as Elena shakes her head frantically.

"I have permission!" Kitty raises her brows, unconvinced. "I swear! The guy I'm porking is totally loaded and I'm like 80% sure he's in love with me." At Kitty's displays of disbelief, Elena glances at Finn then back to Kitty with a sly smile. "You look really pretty today, Kitty. Don't you think, Finn?" Elena says in a casual tone, sending a pointed look to Finn, causing him to look between the women with confusion.

Kitty rolls her eyes and walks away, muttering about 'a crazy girl who needs a strong authority figure.'

Elena sighs in relief as she watches Kitty walk away, she turns to Finn. "For a moment there I thought you were gonna have to bang her." She admits with a small laugh as Finn's eyes widen and shock.

"What?" He whisper shouts in disbelief.

"Relax, man. I'm kidding… kinda." She looks back at Kitty over her shoulder and turns to Finn. "If I'm being totally honest, I don't think you could handle it." She holds her hands up in surrender at his glare. "What? Kitty's got claws, that's all I'm saying." Finn rolls his eyes.

"I can see why my brother likes you." Finn comments as Elena narrows her eyes.

"That's not a compliment, is it?" She asks as he forces down a smirk and shrugs. "Speaking of your siblings, you're not feeling any… murderous inclinations, are you?" Elena tries to bring up his siblings casually as Finn's eyes darken and all playfulness disappears.

"Why would I?" He asks, void of any emotion as she chews her lip nervously.

"Well, you know, the whole… neglecting to remove your dagger business." She says in a quiet tone. "Or the being kinda weird to you since waking you." She adds as he looks out the window next to their booth with a sigh.

"They think I'm dull." Finn says and looks to Elena as she opens her mouth.

"Whaaat? You? That's crazy-" He sends her a look, making her grimace. "Okay, so you're dull. So what?" She shrugs. "It's not like Eli has any room to talk, or any of your siblings for that matter. Bekah falls in love so easily we should get her some knee pads. Klaus's daddy issues control his entire life. Elijah hides behind a facade of honor and nobility, because he's too scared to be himself. And Kol, well I don't have anything for him, he's a gem." Finn rolls his eyes as Elena continues. "What I'm saying is, who cares if you're dull? It doesn't matter. We all have stuff. I'm annoying, I go out of my way to mess with people, and I say whatever I'm thinking. But, people still put up with me. Do you know why?" Elena asks as Finn squints his eyes.

"Because you're honest?" He offers, causing her to shake her head.

"No, because I'm hot. And so are you, but for some reason you don't seem to know it." Finn doesn't miss the teasing grin and rolls his eyes again.

"You're trying to annoy me on purpose." He states.

"Obviously. And yet, you find yourself reluctantly fond of me, don't you?" He nods silently. "Yeah, that's kinda my brand. I think it's the whole doppelgänger thing. People want to protect me. Truthfully, it can get annoying when I want to mess with people for real. I mean, come on, I only have one nemesis and I'm pretty sure it's one sided. But, that's not the point." She rambles before shaking her head. "The point is, none of those things matter and they certainly don't keep me from caring for them any less." She tells him with a genuine smile.

"How do you care for them?" He asks, leaning forward. "They've killed countless people. Klaus even killed you. How can you stand to be around our kind?" He asks with emotion lacing his tone.

"Because I'm not a racist." She answers simply, taking him by surprise. "Yeah, the whole 'all vampire are bad' thing is fucking racist, dude. You're supposed to judge people by the content of their character. Granted, most vampires's character kinda sucks on account of the whole emotion switch thingy and surviving on the blood of other creatures, but still." She argues.

"Vampires are perversi-" She interrupts with an eyeroll.

"Yeah, perversions of nature, blah blah blah. Who cares?" She groans as he stares at her like she's crazy. "Getting rid of all the vampires in the world is just not possible, not to mention dangerous. I mean, what do you think humans are gonna do when a bunch of people suddenly drop dead or go missing? I smell a witch hunt. You know, just because you're suffering doesn't give you the right to take it out on other people by, I don't know, committing genocide." She finishes as Finn shakes his head.

"That's not- my mother made a mistake-" She cuts him off again.

"Oh man, you do not want to get me started on your mother. Christ on a cracker! A 'Karen' if there ever was one." He sends her a questioning look. "Yeah, yeah, you don't get it. But, that insult was fantastic by today's standards." She waves him off. "Look, it's okay to want revenge or to right your mothers wrong, but someday you're just gonna have to let it go." She says sympathetically.

"They left me in a box for 900 years." He raises his voice in anger. "How am I supposed to let that go?" He asks with desperation.

"I don't know, dude. But when you do, don't do it for them. Do it for you. Because at a certain point, your hate's gonna turn to a poison that only harms you." She pats his hand lightly, trying her best to comfort him before getting an idea and smiling, Elena sits up and calls out to Kitty. "Hey, can you pack everything up to-go?"

"Where are we going?" Finn asks as Elena drives deeper into the forest. "Just drink your shake, Finnick." She says absentmindedly.

"That's not my name." He says.

"Okay, we're here." She ignores him as she parks the car and gets out, immediately going to the back of the SUV and setting up a picnic in the trunk. "Come on." She says, making him exit the car and walk towards her.

"What is this?" Finn asks, before looking around and noticing the waterfall.

"My favorite place." She says, taking a seat in the truck and immediately grabbing her burger, Finn looks to her with an unreadable look.

"Why did you bring me here?" He asks softly, she shrugs.

"I don't know." Elena answers with a full mouth. "You seemed sad, but not the normal kinda sad, the 'I'm gonna bottle this up' kinda sad. And when I do that, I come here." She says, patting the spot next to her. He sits next to her and she hands him some food, she looks at him for a moment before speaking up. "I've never brought anyone here before." She admits, feigning nonchalance.

"It's beautiful." He says looking out at the water with a wistful smile. "This town really hasn't changed all that much." He adds, lost in memories of his childhood.

"With all you Mikaelsons running around, not really no." She jokes as he smiles. "So what do you think?" She asks, making him raise a brow. "French fries. Are they not the most amazing thing you've ever tasted?" She asks as he looks down at his food.

"Yes, very good. Not better than blood, though." He attempts a joke, making her eyes widen comically.

"Do you just make a funny?" She teases as he rolls his eyes. Elena stands and wipes her hands on her pants before holding them out to Finn. "Okay, come on." She says, pulling him to his feet as he frowns with confusion.

"What are you doing?" He asks as she pulls him towards the water.

"Skinny dipping." She says, making him stop in his place.

"Elena, um- unlike my brothers, I hold no feelings for doppelgängers. You're very pretty. Just not my-" Elena interrupts his nervous rambling with an eyeroll.

"Chill. I'm kidding." She says, laughing at his sigh of relief. "I get it, I know you're more into redheads." She teases with a grin and continues pulling him.

"I don't understand what we are doing." Finn says, looking out at the water.

"The reason I come here-" Finn interrupts.

"I thought you came for the water." He says with confusion.

"You think I come here for the water? Come on, even after only knowing me for basically a day, you've got to know I'm not capable of tranquility." She says, making him laugh lightly and shake his head. "I come out here to get shit off my chest." She says, continuing at his expression. "There's no one around for miles, so no witnesses. I come here to yell. To vent my frustrations. Or excitement. The good, the bad, and the mostly sexual." She admits as scoffs.

"I'm not yelling." He states, making her shrug.

"Okay, I'll yell. I'm annoyed that Finn won't yell!" She yells, making him roll his eyes. "I'm worried about Kol and Damon! I hope they don't kill each other! I'm mad Klaus snitched like a lil' bitch! I'm also really touched he cares so much! I'm kinda sad I won't ever fall in love!" She swallows and turns away from Finn, not meaning to get so real, Finn sighs and clears his throat.

"I don't think I like modern times!" Finn yells, making Elena turn around with a small smile. "Everything is different! Everything is so loud! Everything buzzes! Why does everything buzz?" He asks quietly, making Elena laugh.

"I have hard plans to bang all of the originals! Even if it takes the rest of my life!" She turns to Finn and smirks as he avoids eye contact. "Klaus does this thing-"

"I can't stop thinking about Sage!" Finn yells, interrupting Elena as she grins, an idea forming in her head.

"Okay, now good. I think it's cool Finn's not such a tight ass!" She yells, laughing as he tries to smother a smile.

"I like some of the music you and Kol have been playing… very loudly!" He sends her a look as she grins. "I like blood bags! I like that I don't need to hurt people to sustain myself!"

"It's possible I'm a sex addict!"

"I want to punch Elijah in the face!"

"Being Elena Gilbert sucks!"

"I always knew Niklaus killed mother!"

"I wish I wasn't so apathetic!"

"I hate my siblings! I hate that they thought so little of me, they were willing to leave me in a box! I hate that they don't care! I hate that they aren't even sorry!" Elena watches Finn as he spits his words with venom and heartbreak. "I miss Freya!" He yells in a softer tone as Elena's eyes widen.

"Oh, my god. Finn, I am so fucking sorry! I totally forgot. Freya is not dead." Elena rushes out her words, stunning Finn completely. "You're aunt Dahlia did this fucked up sleeping beauty thing, where they awaken for a year every 100 years. Freya is set to wake up in a few years, but we can find her and try to wake her." Her rambling is cut off by Finn crushing her into a hug, surprising her.

"Thank you." Finn whispers, causing her to relax her muscles and hug him back, while rubbing his back awkwardly.

"Totally." She shrugs as he pulls away, she grabs his hand and drags him back to the car before sitting down. "I'm sorry." She says, making him look to her. "I've been cold. Or at the very least, indifferent. I can blame most of it on Kol, but it was mostly me judging you for things you haven't even done yet. Things you won't do if I have any say."

"What did I do?" He asks.

"A lot, but mainly some stuff having to do with Klaus's kid." Elena says.

"I would never harm a child." Finn scoffs and Elena sighs.

"Yeah well, if history has taught me anything, it's that there's no drug more addictive than magic and no poison more toxic than jealousy." Elena says.

"Jealousy?" He asks incredulously, she nods. "I'm not jealous of my siblings. They are-"

"Evil? Beasts? Abominations?" She asks in a bored tone.

"Selfish." He corrects as she looks to him a slight surprise at the raw emotion in his voice. "Callous, inconsiderate, cruel. They abandoned me for 900 years. For what?" He asks weakly, she swallows thickly and blinks away the tears in her eyes.

"I'm really sorry I didn't try to get to know you beyond what I saw. You're not what I expected." She says as he clears his throat.

"I truly don't mean offense, but do you ever actually try to get to know people or do you simply go by what you've seen?" He asks gently. "And how often do you get to know people you haven't observed?" He continues, stunning her completely.

She lays back with a shocked expression. "Well, shit." She says with a groan before glaring at him.

"What the hell, dude? I thought we were becoming homies. Why are you making me think about this?" She whines as he grimaces.

"I'm sorry." He tries to say as she shakes her head and holds up her hand.

"No, don't apologize. You're right! I've emotionally connected to like 3 people I didn't have knowledge about, and I barely talk to them. What the hell is wrong with me?" Elena continues to work herself up as Finn looks on with remorse. "Alright, you know what? No. Not doing this today. I do not have time for an existential crisis." She closes her eyes with a deep breath, sitting up quickly, she plasters on a large smile. "I will deal with that some other time, hopefully I'll repress it til my death bed. We are here for you, so tell me, do you feel better than you did earlier?" Elena asks Finn, ignoring her own near breakdown, Finn blinks and looks to the water before a small smile forms on his face, he nods and turns back to Elena.

"Yes, I do." He admits beside releasing a breath. "I really do, thank you." He tells her in a genuine tone, making her shrug.

"It's whatever. We should probably go." She says, they both stand and as Elena makes her way to the drivers side, she stops with a grin. "Hey, I have an idea."

"She's just so wild." Kol says out loud to no one in particular with a dazed smile. "And she doesn't care what people think. And she's so nice, she's all 'do you, Kol. Be who you are,' no one has ever said that to me before." Kol takes a shot as Damon, Stefan, and Klaus all look to each with identical knowing expressions.

"Don't do that." Damon says, making Kol turn to him with a bored look. "Seriously, it's not gonna happen. Ellie's not into relationships, you're just setting yourself up for disappointment." Damon says as Vicki makes her way towards them.

"You talking Ellie?" Vicki asks, making them nod. "This one fall for her?" She asks in an amused tone, making them all nod again. "Sorry, dude. But it's true. You can't tell her. Ever. Alright? Ellie might constantly accuse people of being in love with her, but the second anyone shows any genuine romantic interests, she freaks. She can't handle it. If you care for her, you'll keep this to yourself." Vicki finishes sternly as Damon nods along.

"Exactly. You know, a week after meeting her, Ellie's brother sat us both down and warned us both to never tell her if we liked her. Apparently, she gets really weird and starts doing things for you out of guilt. Just don't…" Damon trials off as he notices Elena's car outside of the grill. "Is that?" He points to the window in confusion as the car keeps stopping and starting in the middle of the street. The four men stand and make their way to the car.

Outside, Elena is gigging uncontrollable from the passenger seat as Finn scowls at her and curses under his breath.

"It's not even stick, you literally just have to push the pedal." She says through a laugh.

"This was a bad idea, it's not safe." Finn scolds as he tries to ease his foot on to the gas pedal, making her laugh harder.

"You're immortal, Finn. You can't get hurt." She reminds him as he turns to her.

"But, you're not and you can." He says with annoyance as she sends him a genuine smile, before ruining the moment by leaning over and pinching his cheek.

"Aww." She teases, making him roll his eyes and turn back to the road, trying and failing to go, as he struggles, Elena sees the group walking out of the grill, making her cackle and point to them. "Finn, you need to go if they see you, they will never stop making fun of you." She warns with a smile as his brows furrow, before pressing the gas and speeding away from his brother's inevitable mocking, Elena whoops and laughs, hitting the dashboard.

"Yes! Wooo!" She cheers, looking to him with a smile. "I am the most amazing MPDG, Natalie Portman can eat my ass!" She says as he looks to her, even more confused, making her giggle again.

"Thanks for hanging with me today. I had fun. It was surprisingly awesome getting to know you, Finn." Elena says as she walks Finn to his door.

"I also had fun. Thank you, Elena. Today was- just thank you." He says with a smile as they reach his door. "Was there a reason you insisted on walking me to my door?" Finn asks as they look at the large door.

"I'm a gentleman." Elena shrugs, sending a wink to the original before turning around and walking away.

"Elena." Elijah greets as Elena walks past his study, making her stop and grin.

"E man, just the babe I was looking for. What do you know about planning formal balls?" Elijah raises a brow at her mischievous smile.