FOR the first time in a hundred eighty three days, Valentina wasn't woken up by the sound of infants crying. Sensing that she was getting too much sleep, her body suddenly lerched forward in a panic, and she checked the time to see that it was almost nine in the morning. "Shit. Shit. Shit." She threw the blankets off her body before frantically rushing to the twins' nursery. "I'm sorry! Momma slept in---" She stopped speaking after seeing their cribs empty.

Her eyes widened as she slowly backed out of the room. "Hey! Have you seen the twins?" Valentina's voice trailed off into a quiet murmur when she entered the kitchen. The last thing she expected to find was Damon cooking breakfast. "What's going on?"

"Mm!" Damon mused happily upon her arrival then urged her to have a seat at the table. "The twins are fine. They're with Elijah. Here. Sit." He said while walking over to set a plate of blueberry pancakes down in front of her. "Eat." He encouraged, kissed her on the top of her head, and walked back over to the stove.

"Since when do you cook?" Valentina questioned curiously as she lifted the pancake with a fork, examining the bottom for any burns. "This isn't some practical joke where I eat this and get really bad food poisoning, is it?"

"Oh my... I'm not trying to poison you, okay? Can you just eat it?" He snapped defensively causing her to hold her hands up in defense.

She cut off a piece with her fork then nervously shoveled the bite into her mouth. After a moment, she moaned in surprise and continued eating without any more arguments. "So... you ready to tell me how you're alive?"

Damon opened his mouth to speak but no words came out. He found it hard to explain everything that had happened to him over the past six months. Clearing his throat, he flipped a pancake onto another plate and set the spatula down. "You first."

"Well, mine is obvious. I don't think that needs explanation." She remarked with a shrug. "Don't change the subject. What happened?"

"Good morning!" Stefan greeting his siblings cheerfully. He affectionately kissed Valentina's temple on his way over to the coffee machine. "Where are the mugs?"

"I don't know. I haven't had the chance to look through everything yet." Valentina said honestly.

Stefan nodded in understanding then began opening every cabinet in search of one. "So... what are we talking about?" He asked curiously, sensing the odd mood floating in the air.

"Our brother was about to explain to me what happened." She answered bluntly. "Unless you have anything you'd like to share."

"Oh." Stefan hummed awkwardly as he poured himself a cup of coffee. "No. I think Damon's got this one."

Sighing, Damon joined Valentina at the table and tapped his fingers against the wood for a second before telling her everything from Katherine hijacking Elena's body to him returning from the prison world.

Once he was finished, Valentina sat back against her seat with an overwhelmed expression on her face. "What the actual fuck have you two been doing over there?"

"Us?" Damon reacted in offense and set his utensils down. "What about you? An entire coven lead by Esther is after my niece and nephew. You're still in hiding. Klaus is compelling away memories. Again."

"We don't know that he---" Stefan began to defend them.

"Shut up. Yes, we do." Damon snapped at him. "Not to mention the entire Mikaelson family has been resurrected. Killing them is gonna be a bitch the second time."

Rolling her eyes, Valentina wiped her mouth with a napkin. "It's all been..." She trailed off, unsure of how to word it, then sighed heavily. "So, what's Elena have to say about you being back?" She asked curiously as to move the conversation away from the faults of the Mikaelsons.

"I don't know. I haven't gone to see her yet. The first thing I did was come here." Damon honestly admitted causing her to stare at him in utter disbelief.

She pointed at herself with an amazed expression and looked at Stefan, who curtly nodded his head. She opened her mouth to speak but no words came out. They had never put her above Elena before.

"Even if I did go see her, it wouldn't matter..." Damon mumbled sadly.

"What do you mean?" Valentina asked curiously with an eyebrow raised.

"Elena erased her memories of Damon." Stefan replied then held a hand up and started to correct himself. "Well, just her memories of loving him. All she knows is he's our brother and all the horrible things he's done."

"Holy shit..." Valentina reacted, her eyes wide with surprise. "Damon, I am so sorry."

"Why would Ric agree to this? Does he hate me that much?" Damon snapped in frustration.

"Wait... Ric?" Valentina stopped the conversation.

"Yeah. He came back just like everyone else." Stefan explained as he sat at the table.

"As an Original?" She inquired then watched them both nod their heads. "He's not gonna come--"

"Oh." Damon mused in understanding before shaking his head rapidly. "No. No. No. He came back an Original but he's not under Esther's spell anymore."

Valentina loudly breathed out in relief and placed a hand over her wildly beating heart.

"Can I ask you something?" Stefan said after a moment. "What's up with Elijah? He seems... different."

"From the pieces that I have, Esther held Elijah captive and tortured him. Whatever it is she did, kinda... broke something in him. He's been a bit off ever since." She explained, not knowing much about it herself. "Nik thinks he stay here with me and... what was the word he used? Ah. Yes. Convalesce."

"A single violent outburst at a filthy road-side café, and one never hears the end of it." Elijah suddenly walked into the room with both of the twins on either hip.

"Elijah..." Valentina greeted him with a strained smile and looked over anxiously. "I'm sorry. I was-"

"I understand." Elijah acknowledged simply.

Stefan immediately rose from his seat, scooped up one of them from the Original, and held the baby up above him in the air with the widest smile possible. "Hi, Ada!" He cooed affectionately at his niece, who giggled and kicked her feet. He felt a pair of eyes on him and turned around to see Valentina staring. "What?"

"Nothing." She answered with a shake of her head. "I just... I haven't seen you smile like that in almost two centuries."

Cradling Adalina to his chest, Stefan gave a sad look at first then smiled genuinely. "She looks just like you."

Damon scoffed as he scooted back in his chair and walked over to take Theodore away from Elijah. "Nah. I think Teddy looks like Tin."

"Teddy?" Valentina raised an eyebrow at the nickname for her son.

"What? I think it's cute." Damon boasted proudly at his choice.

"Don't let Nik hear you say that." She suggested politely.

Elijah, now hands free, laughed under his breath. He then crossed the floor toward Valentina and kissed her gently on the top of her head. "I think that would give him an aneurysm."

"Agreed." She mused while taking her empty, dirty plate over to the sink. "I can already hear him. "Teddy isn't any name for a Mikaelson."" She mimicked her husband's accent perfectly causing the men to laugh.

She grabbed a mug from the cupboard to pour herself a cup of freshly brewed coffee. Once it was filled to her preference, she spun around just to knock into Elijah and spill it on the sleeve of his pristine dress shirt. "Ah. Shit. I'm so sorry." She apologized profusely and instantly grabbed a cloth which he snatched from her.

She grew concerned when she realized that the longer he tried to get the stain out, the more aggressive and furious his scrubbing became. "Hey." She called out to him softly but he didn't respond or look at her. "Elijah. It's fine. We can---" She reached over to stop him before it could get worse.

Everyone was caught off guard when he quickly grabbed ahold of her wrist and stared intensely into her eyes. Elijah squeezed slightly causing Valentina to moan at the pain shooting through her hand.

"Let go. Now." Damon snarled protectively, ready to hand Theodore over to Stefan so he could spring into action.

"I'm not as fragile as my brother suggests." Elijah said to Valentina directly and gently let go of her. His eyes softened after realizing what he had done. "Valentina, I---" he stopped abruptly, unable to finish his statement because the words got caught in his throat.

They stared at one another for a moment as she rubbed at the healing bruise around her wrist. Their nonverbal conversation was interrupted when his phone rang loudly.

"Rebekah, where on Earth are you?" Elijah questioned frantically then paused, listening to the voice on the other end. "I see. No, I must have been dialing the wrong number. Forgive me." He apologized to them and hung up with a distressed expression. "Excuse me." He pardoned himself before leaving the room to call Klaus.

"Are you okay?" Stefan asked Valentina in genuine worry once Elijah was out of earshot.

Valentina continued to stare in the direction Elijah disappeared in, her face glazed over from thought. "Yeah."

After getting off the phone with Klaus, Elijah stood in the living room and stared distantly out the window. His mind was being pummeled by flashbacks from his time with Esther. Covered in blood, he was chasing Hayley/Tatia down a long hallway.

He snapped out of it only to begin hyperventilating and gasping loudly for air.

Hearing him from the other room, Valentina rushed over to help him. When she tried to grab ahold of his shoulder, he aggressively swatted her away and bared his fangs at her.

Gaping at him, she scoffed harshly and started to back away. "Elijah!" She yelled at him, hoping to break through his anxiety and bring him to his senses. "Hey!" She clapped her hands extremely close to his ears.

Elijah's face slowly relaxed, returning to its usual stoic expression. He glanced at Valentina apologetically then sped off outside to the front porch. He spoke again with Klaus on the phone and remained out there for a good while, trying to calm himself first. He listened to the three Salvatores talking amongst themselves inside.

"We need to call Klaus." Damon suggested sternly.

"No. It's fine. We don't need to work him up. There's already so much on Nik's plate." Valentina rejected with a shake of her head. "Elijah's just having a hard time right now. Esther really fucked with his head and he needs a moment to catch his breath. Okay? Everything's fine."

"Val, he's dangerous. He's not himself. What if he can't snap out of it next time? What if he kills you? Or hurts the twins?" Stefan raised the points, gesturing at the babies playing on the floor.

"He would never." Valentina immediately defended her brother-in-law.

"We understand that you want to protect him, Tin, but it's not safe." Damon remarked softly. "We need to tell Klaus. You can't risk it."

"I'm not risking it. I'm thinking past all of this." Valentina snarled defensively then gestured outside with a wave of her hand. "Even with Elijah's mind fractured, I know he would protect this family with his life. We cannot underestimate Esther or Mikael. I have no idea what kind of threat Dahlia actually is but I can't chance it."

"I'm calling Klaus." Damon said, pulling his phone out from his pocket.

"Damon, stop." Valentina snapped and reached a hand out to take it from him but he pulled it away from her. "I'm being serious. Nik doesn't need to be distracted by this right now. We are fine. No one got hurt. Everything's fine."

"I wouldn't call it fine. I owe you an apology." Elijah offered after entering the house from behind them.

The trio turned around and the sound of his voice then Damon and Stefan took a step in front of Valentina, shielding her from the Original.

"Gentleman, that is not necessary." Elijah informed them while pointing between the two brothers.

"It's okay, Elijah." Valentina attempted to brush it off, rubbing anxiously at her chest.

"It's not." He refused to accept her reply while shaking his head. "It's unacceptable. You have far too much faith in me, I'm afraid. Rebekah is missing. Our family's in jeopardy, I am... uh, utterly powerless to help. This is not a state of affairs I'm accustomed to. As you know. Perhaps I'm not weathering this ordeal as well as one would hope." He stopped talking, not sure what to say next, and hesitated for a moment. "Forgive me."

"I know you're going through a lot. Between this and Hayley getting married." She commented, earning a surprised look from him in return. "Yeah. I overheard. I'm sorry."

Elijah ran his tongue along his lower lip, placed his hands on his hips, and nodded curtly. "She must do what is necessary to save her people. You understand what that burden entails."

Valentina looked down at the babies sadly then smiled slightly. "Still. You're allowed to be heartbroken. I don't have all the details and honestly, I don't need them. But if you want to talk about it---"

"No need. The unity of the wolves means the twins have a chance at safety back home. As will the unity of the witches. Davina will eventually lead her witches, and whatever that girl may be, she is no enemy to your children." He refused to give in and discuss his feelings.

"Elijah---" She reached out to place her hand comfortingly on his shoulder.

"I must sacrifice my feelings for the safety of this family." Elijah cut her off abruptly, his tone stern. "Now. Enough of this discussion. What---" He suddenly stopped speaking and stumbled weakly forward.

Valentina reached her arms out to catch him before he could fall unconcious to the floor. She slowly eased him down into a nearby chair then gripped onto his face and shook him gently. "Elijah? Hey! Hey. Come on." She coaxed him but to no prevail. "Call Nik." She frantically requested from the other two vampires, who jumped into action.

"Hello?" A feminine voice greeted Damon from the other end of Klaus' phone.

"Uhh... hello? Who the hell is this and why do you have Klaus' phone?" Damon questioned impatiently and glanced at Valentina, who left Elijah's side to approach him.

"Who is this?" The mystery person snapped back in confusion.

"Damon Salvatore." He introduced himself. "Your turn."

"Davina." Valentina mouthed slowly after finally recalling the familiarity of their voice.

"Your Valentina's brother. I thought you were dead." Davina replied bluntly.

"Yeah. Well, I'm not and that's a lot to unpack right now. First, I need you to tell me why you have Klaus' phone." Damon harshly demanded to know.

"Because I can't wake him up." Davina answered aggravatedly, followed by a heavy sigh.

"What do you mean? What's going on?" Stefan asked quickly as he noticed the alarm written all over Valentina's face.

"I'm not sure. One minute he was fine and the next, he's passing out on the ground." Davina jeered with displeasure.

"Yeah. Elijah's down for the count too." Damon informed her, staring past Valentina to Elijah's slumped over figure.

"Ugh, I'm an idiot!" Davina exclaimed in sudden realization. "The spell Finn used was to trap his brothers... Meaning Kol's in trouble."

"What do we do? How do we help them?" Stefan asked loudly, hoping the teenage witch could hear him from the background.

"I have no idea." Davina admitted, completely overwhelmed by the situation. "But I'll figure it out." She assured them before hanging up the call.

Valentina listened to the dead line beeps for a second then locked Damon's phone and gave it back to him. "Alright. Think. Think." She whispered to herself while nibbling anxiously on her fingernails. "I can't call Marcel or Hayley because that would ruin everything." She snapped out of her brainstorming when Theodore cried loudly. Her head whipped around at the sound and she instantly ran over to scoop her son up from the floor. "What's wrong, baby?" She asked the infant even though he couldn't verbally respond.

He settled down upon feeling her touch, leaning his head against her shoulder. His eyes fluttered shut and his breathing slowed slightly to a shallow, deep pattern.

She sensed him falling asleep in her arms and smiled widely to herself. She pressed her cheek to his forehead while stroking the hair on the back of his head. Slowly squatting down, Valentina grabbed Adalina off the floor and cradled her daughter on the other side of her chest. She walked across the room, lowered herself into one of the arm chairs, and hummed a lullaby quietly. It wasn't long before both the infants fell fast asleep.

"I can take them---" Stefan offered politely after a moment, trying to be helpful.

"No. I'm okay. We don't need to move them." She refused quietly with a small shake of her head. "Hey, how long do you guys plan on staying?" She suddenly asked causing both of them to look at her.

"I'm not sure yet but it's not like I'm in any rush to go back." Stefan admitted as he sat down on the couch. "As far as I'm concerned, this is our home now."

"Especially since Stefan's made an enemy out of every single person there." Damon jabbed at their younger brother, smirking wickedly and lowering himself to sit on the armrest of Valentina's chair.

Stefan rolled his eyes with a heavy sigh while Valentina looked at him, intrigued by the news.

They all snapped their heads up when Elijah woke with a loud gasp for air. He frantically looked around at his surroundings then visibly relaxed upon realizing he was still at the safe house with the Salvatore siblings.

"Are you okay?" Valentina asked in genuine concern, unable to rush toward him due to the sleeping twins in her arms.

Nodding his head, the Original rose to his feet and walked across the room to stand beside her. "For now." He answered cryptically before gently stroking the infants' heads.

---
Comment
Vote
Share
Xoxo
-the1andonlytifftiff