Thank you for being along on this crazy adventure with me, I loved writing this story. I wouldn't be anything without all of my amazing readers! I love you all so much. You all inspire me to better my writing and give me lovely ideas.

I already have the next one in the works and it's going to be a Kol/Elena story, all human. I'm hoping to have the first chapter out by Halloween because I have a few stories to wrap up still.

And I know this is early, but I felt that you all deserved it. :)

Enjoy the epilogue!

Epilogue

"Auntie Care!" The little girl squealed as she stomped her foot, "I want my cupcake now!"

"Don't you stomp your foot at me, Eerika," Caroline scolded her, holding the bakery bag out of her reach, "You can have your cupcake after dinner. I'm so not getting yelled at by your mom again for giving you sugar before a meal."

Eerika huffed, smoothing down her dress as she mumbled, "I like Uncle Stefan better."

"I can hear you, you know," the blonde pursed her lips, "And I can also eat this cupcake faster than you can blink. So, I'd be nice to me if I were you."

The walk back to the Compound was quiet after that. Caroline had been in town for the past week helping out Stefan and Rebekah's wedding plans. While she and Klaus were just merely getting on friendly terms, she had no reason to stay in New Orleans full time.

It had been five years since Eerika was born and she was brighter than any five-year-old Caroline had ever met before. She was walking and taking before she was even a year old and she and Hope had become fast friends.

Klaus and Rebekah had moved out of the Compound, wanting to give the new family their privacy, but Kol had stayed behind. He found humor in his niece and spent almost every waking hour with her that he wasn't engaged elsewhere. Currently, a little witch by the name of Davina Claire had caught his eye and they'd been seeing each other for the past year.

"Come on!" Eerika cried, pulling her aunt through the door, "Uncle Nik's coming over tonight!"

"Oh, yippee," the blonde said, rolling her eyes.

As soon as they were in the kitchen, the girl let go of Caroline's hand and launched herself at her mother, "Mama! Me and Auntie Care went to the bakery today!"

Elena's eyebrows rose as she readjusted her daughter on her hip, "Oh? Did you bring home some of the pralines for daddy? You know they're his favorites."

"Uh huh!" The little girl nodded her head quickly, her chestnut curls bouncing enthusiastically, "I got a cupcake and we brought home cookies for Uncle Nik and Uncle Kol."

The brunette pouted slightly, "Didn't I deserve something, too?"

Eerika giggled, "Of course, Mama! We brought you home some beignets!"

"Extra powdered sugar?" Elena asked, eyeing Caroline.

The blonde smiled, "Extra, extra powdered sugar."

"God, I love you both," Elena sighed, nuzzling her face against her daughter's hair as she continued to giggle.

"Elijah, we can't spoil her all the time," Elena chided her husband as pulled on one of his button downs to sleep in, "She's going to think that she can get away with anything."

As soon as Elijah had returned to the Compound that night, he had allowed Eerika to devour her cupcake in five seconds flat, effectively ruining her appetite for the dinner that Elena had spent most of the day preparing.

He gave his wife a small smile, "She'll only be young once, my love. She deserves to have fun. And…we won't be graced with raising our own child again."

"Fine," she groaned, hating when he played that card, "She can have dessert early once a week, but that's it!"

"Yay!" A little voice cried before barreling through the doorway.

Elijah easily caught his daughter before she made it to Elena. He looked down at her reproachfully before a smile tugged at his lips, "You were supposed to wait downstairs while I convinced your mother."

Eerika pouted, her brown eyes staring at him, "Auntie Care and Uncle Nik were arguing and I didn't want to stay downstairs anymore. She told him he had commitment issues. What does that mean?"

Elena laughed, walking over to the pair and poking the girl's nose playfully, "Remember when we wanted a fish, but as soon as daddy and I told you that you had to feed it everyday, you didn't want it anymore? That's a commitment issue."

"Why does Auntie Care want a fish?" Eerika asked, confusion written across her little innocent face.

Elijah chuckled, "Your aunt doesn't want a fish, princess. It's simply an example."

"Oh."

"We could've kept her home another year," Elena said worriedly as she observed her daughter playing during recess.

It was Eerika's first day of school and Elena was a nervous wreck. Normally around this age, witches began showing the first signs of their magic. But Eerika had been using her magic for the past year, with Davina and Kol's help. However, she was still so young and her emotions often got the better of her, causing her magic to act up.

Elijah soothed his wife's hand, "She's ready. She's smart and eager to learn. Besides, Kol wouldn't have suggested it if he thought that she couldn't control herself."

"I just…I don't like her going to school with all these humans," she said softly, looking down, "She's only ever been around witches and vampires and werewolves and hybrids-"

"The being around humans should be a piece of cake for her," he laughed, "She can already handle the hardest things that life can throw at her. School with humans should be simple."

Elena sighed, "I don't want her to pretend she's something she's not. She's the child of an Original vampire for God sake. She shouldn't have to hide."

"Sweetheart, we're in New Orleans. Witches are widely accepted here. She's perfectly safe," he assured her, lifting her hand and placing a kiss to the back of it, "And I may or may not have compelled her teacher to protect her by whatever means necessary."

"Elijah!"

"She's our daughter. She's worth more than the world," Elijah said softly.

They sat quietly for a while, both of their minds in faraway places. Five years had come and gone, yet everything had remained the same with the exception of Eerika's addition.

Violence had died down heavily now that the Mikaelsons had complete control of the Quarter. But now, under their rule, all supernatural was welcome in New Orleans. Witches could practice their magic, werewolves could claim residency, and the vampires kept the order. It wasn't a completely ideal system, but everyone got along just fine.

"This is our life now, isn't it?" Elena asked, turning and smiling softly at the love of her life, "We get to live here and raise our daughter in safety. We get to be happy."

"I never truly knew what happiness was until I found you, lovely Elena," he confided, turning towards her as well and gazing into her chocolate eyes, "And then you gave me our daughter. You and Eerika make everything worth it and I would go through it all over again if it meant being with you."

"I love you, Elijah."

He smiled and kissed the top of her head, "As I love you, my queen."

Hope you all liked it.

See ya on the flipside!

~Grace