With the night's festivities, Eleanor found herself wanting to dress up for the special occasion. She stood inside her closet in her towel surveying all the options and smiled when she felt a presence behind her. She turned around, smiling beguilingly.

"You can't abuse your invi—" She gasped loudly and fell backwards. "Elijah?!" He looked her up and down and averted his eyes.

"Apologies, Ms. Gilbert." He replied and she stood shakily to her feet, rubbing her lower back and elbow.

"Oh look, your apology healed my bruise." She motioned towards her elbow, which had absorbed most of her fall. "What are you doing in my bedroom, Elijah?"

"I wanted to have a conversation about your role in all of this." She narrowed her eyes at his words but said nothing, only tightened her towel around her and led him to her vanity. She sat at the table and he brought a chair from the corner closer.

"Isn't my role just to stay alive?"

"Indeed." Elijah allowed himself a minute smile. "But it's also important that you don't do anything to mess up this sacrifice."

"I thought Klaus was your brother…" Eleanor began and Elijah nodded. "So, if you don't mind my asking, why do you want to kill him?"

"Well, Klaus was not my only brother." Eleanor inhaled. She'd thought Klaus only had one sister and one brother, so this was news to her. "I had siblings. Parents. I had a family." She nodded. "Over the centuries, Klaus hunted them down one by one and he took them from me." She bit her lip, saddened for Elijah. No one deserved to have their family taken away from them. "He scattered them across the seas where their bodies could not be found."

"So this is all about revenge." She smiled. "Where's the honour in that?" Elijah smiled at her almost affectionately.

"Sometimes there's honour in revenge, Eleanor." She nodded again. "I know you may want to save your sister, but…"

"Here's the thing, Elijah. I love my sister, but if she has to die so my little brother can be safe, I don't mind." Elijah raised an eyebrow. "If Klaus is as bad as you all obviously think he is, then he has to go, right?" Elijah nodded. "I wish it didn't have to come to this, but it's what's necessary."

"How logical of you." Elijah sounded skeptical and Eleanor had to guess that her loyalties were being called into question.

"I want Klaus gone, just so that my family can be safe." Elijah had a strange look on his face. "In a perfect world, no one would have to die for that to happen, but we don't live in a perfect world." Elijah stood up.

"You are extremely insightful, Eleanor. I enjoyed talking to you." Eleanor smiled thinly. "If you'll excuse me, I have some last minute details to go over with Bonnie Bennett." As soon as he left, Eleanor texted Blair and went back to her closet.

She was glad she knew something that could help Nik. Elijah had a soft spot for his family. All he wanted was them. If Nik could give them up, no one but Elena would have to die. She pulled a dress she'd bought in Italy from her suitcase and slid it on. It fit like a glove. It was a red mid-thigh length fit and flare dress with a lace criss-cross design on the back and she knew Niklaus would approve.

Jeremy walked into her room as she was putting on her shoes, and whistled with a small smile. He was wearing a black t-shirt and black jeans.

"Why are you dressed like we're going out to dinner?" He asked with a laugh. "I mean, it's not like we're gonna have a funeral for Elena as soon as she dies."

"Don't even joke about that," Eleanor answered, laughing too. "I actually just wanted an excuse to wear this dress." He sat down next to her on the bed.

"Well we're going to be out till late, so you might want to grab a jacket." She pulled her leather jacket from her bed post.

"Don't worry grandma, I'll be fine." He smacked her on the shoulder and she laughed. They left her bedroom and she closed the door behind her. "Are you getting a ride with Jenna to the boarding house?"

"Yeah, don't worry about it; I'm sure we'll have enough time to total your car later." She grinned and loped her arm through his as they walked down the stairs. Jenna was also wearing a dress, but it was a practical long sleeved shift dress. She gaped at Eleanor's outfit but didn't comment. They left her alone in the house and she walked calmly to the kitchen, put the champagne glasses in the dishwasher and turned it on. The low rumble calmed her down and she opened the faucet to let the water run. Then she dialled.

"Are you alone?"

"Are you?"

"Yes. I'm in the mansion's bathroom, the water is running." Nik sat on the edge of the tub and stared at his reflection. He too, was dressed to the nines in a black dress shirt and black slacks. He smiled a little when he heard her sigh.

"I am too, I'm in the kitchen and both the dishwasher and the faucet are turned on." She bit her lip and sat at the table.

"I'm going to the Salvatore Boarding House soon." She nodded though he couldn't see her. "What was it you wanted to tell me, Blair almost screamed at me to get my attention earlier."

"I had a chat with your brother earlier, he told me about your family." Klaus' mouth popped open and he froze. "Or, more specifically, what you did to them."

"Are you angry?"

"Just confused, I suppose." She pursed her lip. "Why didn't you tell me you had more siblings, or that your parents were still around?"

"Did it matter?"

"Well I for one thought that we were being completely honest with one another about everything…" She sounded hurt and Klaus wanted to kick himself. "But, this isn't the time to deal with petty relationship drama."

"Eleanor."

"No, Niklaus; I don't really want to talk about it now." She sighed. "That's Elijah's soft spot. Your family. He's going to try to kill you tonight, I'm not sure when exactly, but all you have to do is tell him that they're safe and you'll take him to them."

"Thank you…"

"Anytime, Niklaus." He bristled, as he did every time she called him by his full name but didn't comment. He just nodded and hung up. Eleanor stood, closed the faucet and left the house.

The Salvatore Boarding House was once again all lit up, and Eleanor could hear some commotion inside. She ran inside and was faced a scene from a horror movie, involving the same woman she'd met in the grill two days ago. Jules. The brown haired woman was transitioning while trying to carry on a conversation.

"She's not here," Damon tried to reason and Jules screeched as her back sounded like it was breaking. She turned back to Damon.

"Then where the hell did she go?!"

"Klaus took her away already!" Jenna yelled and Jules, startled by the sound, ran towards her but Damon blocked her path. Being a vampire, she pounced on him and thrashed her teeth together. He held her up for as long as he could but Eleanor could see he was losing the battle.

"Jules!" She shrieked loudly and grabbed her attention. The werewolf was before her in less than a second. "Why are you here?" She wanted to know. Jules jumped forward, nearly biting her and she leaped back with a short yell.

"This sacrifice can't take place, Eleanor." She screamed as another spasm over took her, this time making her arms bend backwards with a loud snap. Eleanor winced at the sound of both the bones breaking and Jules' screams.

"It will, and you're needed." A calm voice spoke from the other end of the room. Maddox held an arm out and Jules doubled over, screaming in pain. Damon saw Maddox and immediately rushed him but was stopped by Blair. It took almost no effort to hold the hundred-year-old vampire back.

"Nothing will stop this sacrifice and as a matter of fact, Klaus requires an audience." Damon froze.

"Where is Klaus?"

"He is coming for the doppelgänger." Blair spoke in his ear, but everyone could hear her anyway. Jenna drew in a sharp breath. Eleanor did too. Her secret was about to be revealed. Blair snapped Damon's neck as the front door was kicked in. Maddox took Jules away with a small smile at Eleanor, which she couldn't return. Blair carried Damon to a couch and went to the front door. Jenna was about to go, but Eleanor stopped her.

"Stay with Damon, Jenna. I don't want you to see this." She looked like she was going to protest, but with a small sniffle, she walked to the chair and sat at Damon's feet. Eleanor inhaled sharply and walked to the front door.

Nik licked his lips when he took stock of her outfit and she smiled shyly at him. They could hear Elena thundering down the stairs and knew that Stefan would be in tow so they spoke no words, but the air was charged with electricity as they stared at each other. Blair blushed without quite knowing why and they all waited for the inevitable moment when Elena would see Nik and know the truth.

"Nick…?" Elena's voice sounded from the staircase and all three head whirled around to see her confused face.

"Elena…"

"You knew who he was?" She demanded, tears coming to her eyes. Eleanor had to steel herself not to cry. She wondered if Nik would forgive her for lying.

"It was for the best, Elena. You'll understand when this is over…" She exchanged a look with Stefan and he nodded slightly, at least partially understanding her role.

"When this is over I'll be dead." Elena countered and Eleanor flinched. "You are no better than Katherine, choosing the winning side."

"Don't comment on things you know nothing about, my dear." Klaus muttered and Eleanor threw him a look that made him go quiet.

"Hate me all you want, Elena, but know that everything I did was to protect you. All of you." Eleanor bit her lip and Stefan held Elena back as Klaus reached for her.

"You don't want to do that, mate." Klaus warned. "I'd hate to see you get hurt." Eleanor's eyes were downcast and Klaus wanted to comfort her, but he knew that would add fuel to the already raging fire.

"There's no reason for anyone to get hurt for me, Stefan. Let me go." He reluctantly relinquished her and Klaus vamped away with her.

"I know how much you like to watch…" Blair began, hoping to cheer Eleanor up, but the brunette only sniffled sadly. "I'm sorry princess, but Klaus was right; if you weren't around, he'd have just killed her and your aunt and your brother without thinking twice. But she'll survive this and he'll let her live because of you." She turned to Stefan. "Please tell me you understand that." Stefan nodded.

"You're not an awful sister." He answered. "I'm going to offer myself up to be the vampire for the sacrifice."

"Why?" Eleanor wanted to know.

"Because when Jules escaped, Caroline, Tyler and Matt found and killed Ben McKittrick, the vampire Klaus chose."

"What?!"

"Maddox has been really off his game tonight!" Blair commented. Eleanor was still wide eyed. Ben is dead. Fuck.

"Why is he so distracted?" Blair had a strange look in her eyes when she stared incredulously at Eleanor before she shook her head.

"If you don't know, I'm not going to be the one to tell you." Eleanor frowned but shrugged. "And your doppelgänger is going to survive, Twilight. It makes no sense for you to get yourself killed." Stefan and Eleanor rolled their eyes at the nickname and Stefan responded.

"She'll come back as a vampire. And she doesn't want that." Blair and Eleanor exchanged looks. "The least I could do is—"

"Stop talking." Eleanor scolded. "No one is supposed to know this, but my Uncle John Gilbert is going to give his life up so 'Lena can live." Stefan's eyes widened. "So all you need to do is wait right here and Klaus will bring her body back so you guys can wait for her to wake up."

"Why is Klaus going to let this happen? I thought he needed her dead."

"Thanks to Eleanor, plans change." Blair said simply. "Now do you want to take your car to the sacrificial grounds?"

"Do you feel like carrying me all the way there?"

"I thought I told you not to make that a habit?" Eleanor smiled and twirled her keys around as they walked to the door.

"Comfort Aunt Jenna. Tell her everything is going to be fine." Those were her last words as she closed the door behind her.

Together, Blair and Eleanor drove to Stephen's Quarry, this time, unconcerned with mud on the tyres. They drove as close as they could get, and amidst all her protesting, Blair carried Eleanor the rest of the way.

"The moon is almost at apex…" Greta was saying. "Do you have the moonstone?" Klaus smirked as he pulled it out of his jacket pocket. They turned when they heard the two women walking and Klaus breathed a sigh of relief at the lack of tear stains on Eleanor's face. She smiled encouragingly at him and he turned back to Greta.

"I've spent five hundred years looking for that thing." He handed it to her. "I hate to part with it." She smiled and looked up.

"Well, the moon is past its apex." She smiled seductively and Eleanor was surprised at the brief flare of jealousy. She blinked and squeezed Blair's hand. The vampire looked at her questioningly but she shook her head. "You remember everything you need to do?" He nodded with a sidelong glance at Eleanor who smiled again.

"I remember." The ring of fire that surrounded Jules began to flicker and she screamed. When she caught sight of Eleanor, she grew quiet and restless. Klaus began walking towards her.

"The vampire!" She yelled and Eleanor jerked in surprised and frowned. "The vampire back at that big house. The one who looks like you!" She thought of Damon and stepped forward. "He's your brother, isn't he?!" Blair stepped in front to Eleanor protectively as the fire began to fade. "I bit him!" Elena gasped loudly. "He'll be dead by morning." Elena screamed.

"Damon, no!" Eleanor looked to Klaus who began to chase the now escaping Jules. Eleanor had to hand it to her, the girl was a fighter. Klaus killed her easily enough and Eleanor turned to Greta.

"How long until he has to kill the vampire?" Greta looked up at the moon slowly and looked like she was calculating.

"About thirty minutes."

"Can you spare Maddox?" Eleanor directed her question to Klaus who nodded. "I'll be back soon." She walked up to him and kissed his cheek. Together, she walked away with the warlock. Blair and Klaus exchanged a look and Blair only shrugged. Klaus sighed loudly and discarded the werewolf's heart. The woman they'd turned into a vampire for the sacrifice was someone Blair had found looking through Ben McKittrick's apartment. Her name was Amber Bradley, and upon prompting, Blair had found out that she was the girl Ben had cheated on Eleanor with. That made her a spectacular candidate.

Everything might not have gone according to plan, but things were still going swimmingly. Eleanor and Maddox found her car easily enough and they managed to get to the boarding house in less than ten minutes. They found Damon writhing in pain on the couch with Jenna and Stefan looking on in confusion.

"Is he ok?"

"No! How did this happen to him?" Stefan wanted to know. He eyed Maddox in suspicion but Eleanor waved a hand to catch his attention.

"Jules bit him when she broke in here." Eleanor explained. "A werewolf bite is fatal to vampires."

"No shit, Oldie Gilbert." Damon muttered sardonically. Eleanor signalled to Maddox. "Why are you here?" Maddox strode closer and stooped in front of the couch to everyone's disbelief.

"He's here to slow the poison in your blood." Eleanor explained. Maddox placed one hand on the bite and another on Damon's heart and began chanting under his breath. "One of the benefits to being a traitor is that Nik fed me some of his blood earlier today just in case." Stefan frowned, still not getting it, but in all her curiosity about supernatural entities, Niklaus had explained to Eleanor what his transition into a hybrid would entail. "When Nik completes his transition, his blood will be the cure for werewolf bite. Stefan and Damon gasped.

"Eleanor…" Stefan began, but paused after a harsh look from Damon, he closed his mouth. Eleanor assumed he would have told her that Klaus would be killed. Maddox stood up and stepped away from Damon. "Thank you." The duo said nothing more, they simply left the house.

"Would they have started yet?"

"Should be just about to." He answered. "We can make it if you let me drive." Eleanor didn't hesitate to throw him the keys.

The ring of fire was just starting to extinguish when Maddox and Eleanor returned. Nik smiled at her but didn't stop walking towards the girl that the brunette recognized with a smile. She was killed quicker than Jules since she didn't think to run or fight. Nik and Greta shared a knowing smile as he deposited some vampire blood onto her altar.

All that remained was the doppelgänger and as the ring of fire began to dissipate, Klaus turned in Eleanor's general direction.

"Is there anything you want to say to her before this happens, love?" Eleanor was surprised that he'd offer something like that and nodded. She walked towards her sister and stood before her, staring her straight in the eyes.

"I know you might hate me, or you might think I betrayed you but I didn't. I wasn't lying, Elena, when I said I loved you, I do love you." Her voice was hoarse with unshed tears. "Damon will be fine, Jenna will be fine and you are going to come out of this alive…" Elena looked to Klaus who smirked knowingly.

"I'm scared." She admitted and Eleanor pulled her into a fierce hug. "I don't want to die, Eleanor."

"I know, love. But for now, it's necessary if you want Klaus out of your life for good." Elena nodded. "Are you ready?" She nodded again. They separated and Eleanor nodded to Klaus. He came into the circle and kissed her, chastely on the lips.

"I couldn't have done this without you…" He murmured and she blushed, making him smile a little.

"You probably could have, but there would have a lot more casualties." He laughed and kissed her again. He held a hand out for Elena, but she didn't take it, choosing to walk up to the altar on her own.

"At least I know where she gets it from." He muttered and Eleanor rolled her eyes. "Are you still mad?"

"Is now really the time?" He pursed his lips and Greta made an impatient noise. "Be careful, ok? My best bet is that they're going to be coming at you while you're turning. You'll be weak."

"I'll have Blair and Maddox." He smiled again when he saw that she'd relaxed. "And of course, you…" She kissed him again, this time passionately.

"You are not allowed to die."

"I have no intention to." He walked over to Elena and Eleanor strolled back to Blair and Maddox.

"He's going to be fine." Blair promised and Eleanor nodded, still unsure and restless. "Maddox will spell you now, are you ready?" She nodded again and felt the heat of a protection spell running through her veins. She had to shake off the jacket because the heat was practically overwhelming.

Blair tensed and Eleanor turned her attention back to the ritual. Ethan also came out of the woods and stood with them, waiting to see what would happen. Klaus stood next to Elena on the huge rock they were using as an altar and held her hand.

"Thank you, Elena." She gave him a blank look and smiled minutely.

"Go to hell."

Klaus pulled some hair from her neck and Eleanor winced as he bit her. Elena's only reaction was a small gasp as Klaus literally sucked the life out of her. Eleanor watched, stricken, one hand on her mouth, the other clutching Maddox's forearm. Both he and Blair was worried she would over react, but she only watched, never even making a sound.

It was only then that the real action began to happen. Klaus looked up at the full moon and his eyes became yellow. Eleanor remained stock still, hardly even breathing, waiting to see what Elijah Mikaelson would do. Klaus began to turn right then and there, with Eleanor cringing every time he screamed but she refused to move. Together, the four of them waited. Maddox pointed to the woods where they could see a faint outline of a person and he leaned closer to Eleanor's head.

"The plane is on standby if anything goes wrong, we'll meet you in Bali at the safe house." She nodded, swallowing. "I promise I'll keep Klaus safe." Ethan patted her shoulder and Blair took her hand.

"He'll be safe. We promise." They muttered in unison. Klaus' bones continued to break with him screaming in agony. Greta watched her handiwork with a smile on her face.

Suddenly, the altar burst into flames and Blair tensed, letting go of her hand. Eleanor held her breath. Bonnie Bennett walked out of the woods, chanting furiously. Maddox started forward but Eleanor held him back. Klaus continued to turn, his pain seemingly amplified by whatever Bonnie was doing. Alaric Saltzman was at the altar in seconds and he plunged a syringe into Greta's neck, catching her fall and laying her down on the stone.

"Wait for Elijah." Eleanor murmured under her breath and he held down, shivering every time Nik screamed. Blair watched in silence, a pained look on her face.

"I want to intervene…" She whispered furiously. "That witch is killing him." Eleanor felt a sharp pain in her ribs at the words but she shook her head.

"Eleanor is right, B. We can't do much until the original shows. It's him we have to deal with." There was one point when all this was happening that Klaus looked directly at her, still screaming at the top of his lungs and she began to walk forward almost involuntarily but Maddox held her back.

At long last, Bonnie put her arm down and Niklaus quieted. Elijah walked up slowly, unbuttoning his suit. Klaus seemed startled to see him and fought to catch his breath.

"Elijah…"

"Hello brother." There was a small smile playing on his lips and he leaned down and shoved his hand into Nik's chest. Eleanor screamed and that drove Maddox, Blair and Ethan to march forward.

Blair brought Maddox behind Bonnie Bennett and with a few whispered words in her ear, she fell to the ground. Both Elijah and Alaric looked at this in alarm and Ethan wasted no time in doing the same to Alaric. When he was down, they revealed themselves, but Elijah had already begun to pull his hand out. Probably with Niklaus' heart. Damon Salvatore vamped in to take Elena's body and gaped at the scene before him.

"In the name of our family, Niklaus." He said in a deathly quiet voice. Nik gasped and grabbed at his arm.

"I didn't bury them at sea." Elijah stopped and Eleanor exhaled, watching closely, not even daring to move.

"What?"

"Their bodies are safe." Klaus pulled at his hand again, grunting when he failed to pull it out of his chest cavity. His eyes rolled to where Eleanor was watching. "If you kill me, you'll never find them." Damon took this opportunity to speak up.

"Elijah. Don't listen to him."

"Elijah, I can take you to them." Klaus rasped. "I give you my word, brother." Damon stepped towards them in a predatory stance.

"If you do it, I'll take you both out."

"I could kill you rather easily..." Elijah pointed out but Damon shook his head and pointed at Bonnie who seemed to be rousing.

"She would help."

"Brother." Nik murmured. Their eyes met and Eleanor exhaled sharply. Elijah began to withdraw his hand.

"I'm sorry." Damon began to run towards them but Elijah vamped them away. Damon yelled in frustration and looked towards where Maddox and Blair had previously been standing. He searched angrily but even though Eleanor could still see them walking towards her, he couldn't. He picked Elena's body up and walked out of the forest, muttering angrily the whole way.

"Elijah won't kill him." Maddox whispered in Eleanor's ear and she nodded, still stoic. She could feel tears threatening, but refused to let them fall. "He's ok." She leaned up to kiss his cheek and did the same to Blair and Ethan.

"Thank you for your help, all of you." She mumbled, unshed tears making her voice hoarse. Blair nodded and kissed her right back. Maddox just patted her on the head.

"Elena should wake up by morning…" He whispered in her ear and they began walking. Eleanor remained stoic, only nodding. "And Klaus should contact you soon."

They sat her down inside her car and Blair closed the door. She and Ethan vamped Maddox away, leaving her to gather her thoughts.

Eleanor sat in her car for what seemed like ages but in reality was about an hour. She knew she had to get to Damon before the blood left her system and that thought was what propelled her to start the ignition and race to the Salvatore Boarding House.

It was strangely quiet considering Elena was dead; the only sound that could be heard was slight whimpering. When she walked through the door, she saw Jenna bent over Elena's body with a white cloth to her forehead, John Gilbert seated patiently in a chair, Damon lying on the floor in front of the fire with Stefan looking at his bite. The whimpering was coming from Jenna but the room was plunged into silence when Eleanor walked in.

Stefan looked up at her in relief and she moved towards them first, moving her hair from her neck.

"He'll need to sit up." She knelt before them. "And hurry, I don't know how long vampire blood stays in the system." Damon struggled to sit and smiled crookedly at Eleanor when he did.

"How awful would it be if I died of a glorified flu?" He sniffled and she smiled. "It's difficult to be angry at you when you're saving my life, Oldie Gilbert…"

"Then don't be angry at me." Her smile dropped a peg. "This thing that I did is going to heal you." She offered him her neck and he held onto her face.

"What's stopping me from snapping your neck when I'm healed?" He rasped and she frowned, considering his question.

"If you snap my neck, Klaus wouldn't hesitate to make you torture and kill your own brother, just for kicks." Jenna shuddered. "Then, he would take Elena away, leaving you alive just to feel the unbearable pain of what you'd done to Stefan." Damon swallowed, looking uncomfortable. "He would probably set the town on fire in anger, most likely leaving just Jeremy alive to tell the cautionary tale of what happens when you fuck with a homicidal hybrid."

"Why Jeremy?" Jenna wanted to know and Eleanor hesitated before answering.

"Because he would never hurt someone that I loved so unconditionally." Stefan frowned and pursed his lip. "Now Damon, you can kill me if you want to, but you'd only be sealing your own fate." Damon shrugged and plunged his teeth into her neck. She bit her lip, not wanting to scream and he had his fill before letting her go. Her wound healed immediately and she wiped the excess dripping blood and licked it off her finger. Damon raised an eyebrow when he saw her do it.

Both he and Stefan sighed with relief when the werewolf bite sealed itself up. Damon kissed the milky white skin where it had been loudly and hugged Eleanor tightly.

"Thank you." Stefan murmured when Damon finally let her go. He squeezed her hand and she smiled.

"No problem." She thought of Elena's face when she heard that Damon would be dead and for a moment, she wondered what kind of situation the three of them were in.

Just as the sun began to rise, Elena started to stir. Both Damon and Stefan rushed to her side and Eleanor walked calmly to her uncle John. He smiled at her.

"I meant what I said earlier, Uncle John. My dad would be so proud of you for doing this to save Elena." She bit her lip. "Your daughter."

"It means a lot to me to hear that Eleanor." He smiled and looked at where Elena was waking up. "And as opposed as I am to vampires, I'm glad you were able to help your sister." He swallowed and held onto her arm tightly.

"I love you, Uncle John." He inhaled sharply at the words and tears came to his eyes. "Thank you so much for giving Elena another chance at life."

"I love you too, Eleanor. I love all of you so much." She knelt at his side as his eyes closed and his grip on her arm slowly loosened. By the time Elena had composed herself enough to turn to them, he was dead.

Elena stood up and walked to where Eleanor was kneeling to help her up. The two sisters stood face to face, Elena smiling and Eleanor passive.

"Seeing what Klaus was capable of before you got here, I'm glad you were able to make him okay with my coming out of this alive." She began and Eleanor nodded curtly. She had yet to tell them the punchline. "I'm still a little confused about how you met him and why you helped him do this, but I saw the difference in him; between when he was here alone and when you finally joined him and—"

"Elena there's a reason…" She had the attention of everyone in the room. "When I found out that you were the doppelgänger, I made Klaus a promise." She inhaled slowly. "He needs your blood to make other hybrids, so I told him that I would collect a pint from you twice a year." Stefan stepped towards them but Elena held a hand up.

"That's a fair price to pay." She answered. Eleanor's eyebrows shot into her hairline and Elena smiled. "When you left with the male witch, the redhead came to me, she tried to explain to me that you figured out how to convince Klaus to let me live. She told me that Klaus would have just killed me and left without thinking twice about collateral damage. She mentioned that Tyler was a viable option for the werewolf sacrifice before you got here and how Klaus was even looking at Caroline as the vampire." Eleanor's eyes widened. "But you changed all of that the second you got here."

"I…"

"Thank you, Eleanor, for everything." Elena pulled her into a hug. "We were barely on speaking terms the day you arrived and you were still thinking of me." They separated and Eleanor smiled.

"I love you, Elena."

"I love you too, Eleanor."

…

Eleanor slid neatly slid into the driveway of her house and rested her head on the steering wheel. It had been two days since she'd seen or heard from Niklaus. She was keeping in contact with Maddox and Blair and they said that Greta was still unconscious due to a fancy cocktail of sedatives and neither Klaus nor Elijah had been in contact with them. Blair was slightly restless about it but Maddox was adamant that Elijah wouldn't harm Klaus. Eleanor inhaled and exhaled in quick succession before sliding out of the car. She'd attended John Gilbert's funeral, the story was that he'd allegedly died of a cardiac infarction; and said condolences to Amber Bradley's mother who thought her daughter had been killed by Ben McKittrick shortly before taking his own life. Ben's was a government funded funeral since he was an orphan and all the money he earned from working as a bartender and the money left to him by his parents went to Mystic High, probably to buy new cheerleader uniforms.

The funeral had been empty, save for Eleanor and Damon, who had only come because Elena didn't want Eleanor to be alone and she had even shed a few tears when the undertakers lowered the coffin into the ground. The priest said a few words and Damon put an arm around her as they walked away. She'd given him a ride to the Grill and driven straight home, feeling drained.

Her heels clicked against the concrete and her head was down as she searched her clutch for her keys. When she looked back up, she was faced with a light grey wolf. She shrieked and backed up but the wolf only looked at her impassively. She took a step towards it and it did not move. When she was close enough to touch it, she sat down on the porch step.

"Klaus?" He cocked his head to one side and growled under his breath. She sighed and put her head in her hands. "I swear I deserve my own CW show." She peeked through her fingers and a very naked Niklaus was staring back at her. She shrieked again and threw her trench coat at him. He wrapped it around himself and she scurried up to unlock the door, leading him inside.

"Sorry for just barging in…"

"It's fine." She found a towel in a clothesbasket in the laundry room and threw it to him. "I'm afraid the only men's clothes in this house belong to Jeremy and they wouldn't fit." He shook his head with a small smile.

"Where's your suitcase?" She pointed to the stairs and brought him to her bedroom, hesitating before opening the door. He marvelled when he stepped inside, grinning at her.

"This is where the great Eleanor Gilbert grew up." He walked to her suitcase and opened it, pulling out one of his button downs and a pair of slacks. "I asked Blair to put one of my trousers in here a few hours before the sacrifice." She sat on her bed.

"Why?"
"Because when in werewolf form, you're driven to your most primal urges." Eleanor wanted to make a joke, but restrained herself. "There are stories told of men who wake up closer to the places their wives and children slept and women waking up on the floor next to their children's cribs and beds."

"Understandably," She smiled. "So you knew that your primal urge would be me?" She wanted to know.

"In a sense, yes." He smirked and sat down next to her. "I know how you make me feel, I knew that I would remember that feeling even after I lost my mind to the wolf." She swallowed the lump in her throat. "I slept outside your window last night and in the woods outside the Salvatore house the night before that."

"Well colour me flattered." He ran a hand down her collarbone and traced the outline of the dress above her cleavage. She bit her lip.

"I'd prefer to colour you satiated."

"We have some talking to do first." He stopped moving his fingers and she regretted her words but cleared her throat. "What's going on with you and Elijah?"

"What do you mean?"

"Are you going to tell him where you put Rebekah and…" She hesitated, realizing she didn't know his other siblings' names. "The other siblings?"

"I fully intend to reunite them." Eleanor rolled her eyes knowing that this could mean any number of things but held her tongue after a look from Klaus.

"Alright."

"Now you, what of your family?"

"My uncle John is dead, Elena is alive, and she forgave me after Blair spoke to her. I assume you asked her to?" Klaus looked perplexed.

"No, when did Blair talk to her?"

"She said it was when Maddox and I left to check on Damon Salvatore." His brow furrowed. "You didn't know?"

"Blair was cloaked the entire time, which means she did it of her own accord." He smiled proudly. "I'm extremely pleased to hear that, honestly."

"Why?"

"Because Blair rarely ever shows compassion or consideration for anyone but herself and Maddox." He smirked. "And me, of course." He grabbed her hand. "She must really like you."

"I'm glad to hear it." Eleanor chided and grew serious. "I thought you said it was almost impossible to kill originals…"

"It is. I would tell you how to, but you understand that I won't do that until we are worlds away from this one pony town." She nodded. "Why do you ask?"

"Elijah said you hunted your family down…"

"Ah, there is a special dagger made by a witch, almost a thousand years ago that when combined with a special substance can bring an original extremely close to death." Klaus informed her. "It is useless on me because of my previously dormant werewolf side, but it works wonders on my siblings."

"And your parents?"

"I have no idea where my father is," He began. She interrupted him before he could say anymore.

"And good riddance." He laughed at the way she said it and kissed her cheek, making her laugh too.

"But my mother's coffin is among the rest of them." She nodded. "Spelled shut, her body probably preserved for all eternity."

"Like tchotchkes."

"Except they would not fit on a mantle." She leaned up to kiss him on the lips. "I missed you, Eleanor."

"And I, you." She kissed him again. "My sister is alright with the idea of one pint of blood twice a year. Will you manage?"

"I will have to." He stood up. "I have to see my brother. Will you meet Blair at the hospital with Elena?"

"Yeah, sure." She watched him in silence for a while. "I would like you to leave vials of your blood here in case any of Elena's friends get bit by werewolves again." He looked a bit uncertain but nodded anyway, figuring it was easier to placate her considering what he was about to do to Elijah. If she found out, she would undoubtedly be furious. "Thank you." She pulled her phone out and began to unzip her dress when he stopped her.

"I have a busy day ahead of me, love. Don't tempt me or we'll spend the rest of the day in this bed and neither of us will get anything done." She giggled into her hand and slipped the dress off completely making him growl. He exercised as much self-restraint as he thought possible and vamped away.

Eleanor smiled to herself as she stripped and took a shower. Niklaus was returned, Elena was safe, Jenna and Jeremy were both relatively oblivious and she could now breathe easier. She dressed casually when she was done, in blue skinny jeans and a flowered crop top and she saw that Jeremy and Elena were seated at the table downstairs.

"How was the funeral?" Jeremy asked and Eleanor shrugged and grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge.

"It was ok, I suppose. Damon and I were the only ones there." She sat down next to them. "It made me sad. I mean, I loved him."

"Which is big, considering you only saw each other between fifth and sixth period." Jeremy chided and she scoffed.

"You get over that crush on Vicky Donavan yet?" He threw a grape at her head and she ducked, laughing. "Guess that's a no." Eleanor turned to Elena. "Speaking of, how's Matt?"

"Oh, he's fine. He dated Caroline for a while…" She answered, popping a grape into her mouth. "Have you heard from K—" She gave Jeremy a side-long glance. "Nick?"

"Yes, actually. He's happy that you're safe and he'd like us to meet with the redhead in a few." Elena looked alarmed.

"Right now?"

"Preferably." Eleanor offered her a measured look. "Have you changed your mind?" She shook her head with another glance at Jeremy. "Alright then, let's go." They stood up and Eleanor kissed Jeremy on the forehead. "We won't be long, small fry."

"I bench press one twenty!" He yelled after her and she laughed all the way to the car.

Elena folded her hands in her lap and shot down any attempts at conversation on the way to the hospital. Eleanor didn't mind sitting in silence but when she eased into a parking spot after spotting Blair, she felt like she should probably speak up.

"If you're having second thoughts, Elena…"

"I'm really not." She answered. "I'm just worried that Klaus won't keep his word. I mean, you're not immortal, what if he comes back here to terrorize my descendants?"

"Then he'll be your descendants' problem…" Elena narrowed her eyes at her sister. "Alright, 'Lena. I'll make sure he promises to keep up the twice a year shtick for any and all future doppelgänger babies." Eleanor smiled. "Howzat?" She opened her car door and nodded. They walked to Blair together and she embraced Eleanor and smiled at Elena.

"You know, you're much prettier than Katherine." Elena grinned and flipped her hair in mock arrogance.

"Oh, I know." This caused Blair to giggle and take her arm. They walked in and the vampire led them to a private room where a nurse was waiting.

"Hello Ms. Gilbert, Princess." Eleanor rolled her eyes and smacked Blair's shoulder. "Please have a seat, Ms. Gilbert and we'll get started." Elena sat in the offered chair and Blair and Eleanor left the room to give them some privacy.

"What did Klaus tell you?" Eleanor wanted to know but Blair only smiled serenely and shuffled from foot to foot.

"Oh, I can't tell you." She grinned. "And it's good, too." Eleanor huffed loudly and Blair giggled again.

"Literally can't? Or do you just not want to?"

"He compelled me before he left." She frowned. "I would be angry about it, except one of our delightful little perks is that I'm perfectly fine with whatever he says." Blair smiled sweetly. "Just think of it as a surprise…"

"Good surprise?" The redhead thought for a while, seeming to struggle with the words. She bit her lip.

"I don't think I'm allowed to say, Princess." She looked peeved by this. "I'm sorry." It was Eleanor's turn to smile and she patted the vampire's arm.

"Its fine, darling. I'm sure I'll find out eventually." She sighed and they stood in silence for a while before striking up a compulsion safe conversation about a possible visit to the Caribbean.

The nurse came to get them, holding a small cooler. Elena came out of the room drinking a Guinness and making a face.

"One Pint of Gilbert Special." She remarked and Blair took the cooler, thanked the nurse and compelled her to forget what had just happened and return to her work. They walked back to Eleanor's car in silence. Right before she unlocked the vehicle, she turned to Blair.

"I need you to remind me to buy a car exactly like this when we get home." The redhead nodded.

"I'll tell Klaus."

"Tell me what?" All three heads whirled around to where Klaus stood. He'd changed into a black thermal sweater and black jeans and to Eleanor, he looked sensational.

"She wants a car like this." Blair answered without hesitation and Eleanor winced. Blair's eyes widened. "I mean—"

"Its fine, Blair." Eleanor patted her arm soothingly. "Elena, would you like to wait for me in the car?"

"You sounded exactly like mom." Eleanor froze. "I'll walk to the school, see if Caroline is around."

"Are you sure?"

"I am." She turned to Klaus. "I look forward to never seeing you again, Klaus." He bowed with a smile on his face.

"Well, a bruise to the ego once a millennium is good for the soul." He answered. Elena frowned, like she wasn't sure if he was joking and turned on her heel.

"She missed a perfect opportunity to tell you that you have no soul." Blair laughed and Eleanor rolled her eyes at Klaus' attempt at a stern look.

"Blair."

"Sorry." Her eyes were downcast and for a second, Eleanor almost felt sorry for her. Klaus cocked his head to one side and Blair strolled away in the direction of their SUV. Eleanor watched her go with a strange look on her face that Klaus picked up on.

"Is everything alright, love?"

"I don't know that I want to stay human anymore." His eyes widened and he moved towards her slowly with a small smile on his face.

"And what prompted this change of heart?" His voice was soft but barely masking all that he felt.

"I almost died like three times in the past couple of days." Klaus took a step back with wide eyes. "My uncle is dead." She frowned. "But ultimately, Elena is worried that future doppel-babies aren't going to be able to escape from your reign of terror."

"And the truth comes out." He took her hand. "The lengths you are willing to go to help your baby sister…" Eleanor bit her lip. "It's admirable."

"It's really not." She murmured, releasing her lip. "It's self-preservation with just a tiny bit of debauchery thrown in." He held her by the waist and pulled her against his body so she could feel every inch of him. She gasped.

"Well, debauchery was at its highest in one of my favourite years."

"The 1490's?"

"No, but close." He slid a hand down her back, making shivers run up and down her spine. He stopped at the small of her back, right where her crop top met skin. "The roaring twenties." He whispered and nibbled her ear.

She roped her arms around his neck, lifting her neck to give him the access that she craved but he stopped suddenly, and when she opened her eyes, he was staring at her intently.

"You alright?"

"Yes, but you aren't." She pursed her lip, waiting for him to step back before she put her hands on her hips. "Penny for your thoughts?"

"Blair," Klaus heaved a heavy sigh and put his hands in his pockets. Eleanor turned around to open her car door, fell back into the driver's seat and crossed her legs. She simply waited, knowing that he would speak when he was ready.

It seemed like hours later when Klaus sighed and looked her in the eyes. She continued to remain motionless, waiting.

"It's an extremely rare occurrence, Eleanor." He began but she only narrowed her eyes at him. "What?" She held up her left hand, pulled out her phone with her right.

"Blair, darling. Klaus says he needs you here. Now." She hadn't even hung up and Blair was standing in front of the car, phone in hand. If she'd been human, she would have been panting. Eleanor gave Klaus a look that made him growl under his breath.

"I thought you two were having a moment…" She began and Klaus grit his teeth. "Was there something you needed, Nik?"

"I hope you don't mind, I was just proving a point." Eleanor answered. "I just told Niklaus that I want to transition."

"Ah, but the sire-bond has you worried?"

"Yes,"

"Well I'm sure he told you that it was rare." Eleanor nodded. "I'm one in a million, princess." Blair looked to Klaus who settled his jaw and some telepathic communication occurred between the two of them. "If it makes you feel better, you can use my blood." Klaus smiled and Blair vamped back the way she came.

"It's terrifying how she does that."

"Does what?"

"Says exactly what I need to hear, even though you don't tell her what I need to hear." Eleanor sighed. "I—"

"Allow me, sweetheart." Klaus vamped to the other side of the car and was inside in milliseconds. "You're worried about spending an eternity with me and my sire-bonded friend who is ready and willing to fulfil my every whim and desire." Eleanor bit her lip and pulled her feet into the vehicle, closing the door. "Yet you don't want to say anything, because you don't think we're at that stage just yet." He held her hand. "Have you any proclivity or burning desire to tell me what you told Maddox no less than three days ago?"

"Eavesdropping is terribly bad manners, you know." She smirked and slid the key into the ignition. She leaned over to kiss his cheek and bit her lip and she moved to his ear. "I love you, Niklaus." When she pulled back, his eyes were shining and for a brief moment, she could see all his vulnerabilities raw and open like a wound. He held her head stagnant and stared at her without blinking.

"Say it again." She inhaled slowly, letting the air fill her lungs completely before exhaling sharply. "I want to hear you."

"I. Love. You. Niklaus Mikaelson." He let out a short laugh that seemed a bit incredulous. Eleanor fisted the hair at the nape of his neck and pulled him towards her roughly. Their lips crashed together and Klaus sighed into her mouth. She smiled, happy that she was finally able to tell him how she felt. They parted slowly, breathless and smiling.

"What do we do now?" He teased. "Waltz off into the sunset?"

"I hate the waltz." She snapped good-naturedly. "I'd much prefer to drive." She started the engine.