Three months had passed since Elena woke up. Thee months of intensive speech therapy, exercise, helped her immensely to get back to life, as she said. Only thing that remained was the locked memory of her previous life. Bonnie explained to her an Elijah that she might get it back in time, but she might never get it back. Elena didn't seem to be affected by it much.

"She could feel resigned. Sometimes people do that. She focused all of her strength to speak again. That was her main preoccupation. And rightly so, she has done tremendously well. Some don't manage what she has in such a short time. She is a fighter. You have to have patience." Bonnie said as she sat down to speak with Elijah the day of Elena's release from the Clinic.

"That is something I got plenty of" Elijah said. "I understand that nothing can be rushed an it's the last thing I would ever do"-

"You have suffered along with her. It would be good that you speak to someone to. There are support groups, but if you son't prefer that I know an excellent therapist. Camille O'Connell."

Elijah got up from his chair, feeling much calmer inside. He thanked Bonnie for the very extensive insight into what lies ahead.

"There are strong people, an I see that you are one, but everyone has limits. You're only human. An I am not saying that's a bad thing." Bonnie said.

Elijah nodded a little.

"I will still see her here every week for a session." Bonnie said as it was obvious that their talk came to the end. "Good luck"

"Thank you for everything you and your husband have done." Elijah said handing his hand out to Bonnie.

"That's our job." Bonnie said.

Both of them then went to Elena, who was packing some of her stuff to take home.

Bonnie's Flashback

The day before, in the session with Bonnie

"So, do you feel ready to go home?" Bonnie asked.

Elena took a moment. "Yes and no. But I feel like I want to."

"And how do you feel about Elijah?"

Elena looked at the flower bouquet, the one he had brought her that day.

"He is nice."

Bonnie wrote a note down. And then looked at Elena. She was now looking at the photo she had on the table.

"I feel good around him. Everything he said to me looks like we had a happy marriage. And he has done so much for me" she said.

"So, you are happy to go home with him?" Bonnie asked.

"Yes." Elena said.

Bonnie noted down that Elena was positive about Elijah, but her demeanour showed that she didn't express anything that made her feel more than just being good around him.

Elijah took the bags and waited a little till Bonnie and Elena said their goodbyes. Bonnie was her therapist, but at some point the lines between a therapist and the patient got blurred. Elena enjoyed their talks. A friendship was struck.

Elena gave her a hug. Then turned to Elijah, who asked if she was ready and Elena smiled a little nodding. Inside she felt apprehensive a little. It was like entering the world with new eyes. Everything felt like she had been put in a book of collage art. One chapter was her art, the other her husband, her parents, her friends, herself.
Everything was jumbled up.

"What would you like for dinner?" Elijah suddenly asked.

"Pizza" Elena said.

"Pizza?" Elijah flinched, surprised to hear it. She never liked pizza for some strange reason.

"It as on my dislike list. I want to try it and see why I dislike it so much." Elena said.

"All right. Pizza it is. Do you want to pick up something from your like list?"

"Red wine, but I guess I cant have it because of my medication" Elena said.

"You used to like beer. We can get you a non-alcoholic one" Elijah suggested.

"Beer, really? Jenna didn't write it down."

"When we started to go out you'd always order beer." Elijah explained.

"Ok.Beer then." Elijah turned to her husband. "Do you like pizza?"

"I do. Kol, Klaus - uhm - my brothers and I would go out on Friday. We'd meet to play cards. We's always order pizza."

"Why don't I like it?" Elena inquired.

"You were always eating healthy. You hate junk food."

"Oh, yes, Vicky told me" Elena said turning away, quietly enjoying the car ride, looking out of the car window. The streets looked familiar to her. But she didn't know for sure exactly where they were.

He could feel her huffing softly.

"This is our neighbourhood." Elijah said.

"Ok - I feel like I know it. I don't know why I'm not sure about it."

"I'm sure it will come back to you. Slowly. Until then- trying everything - new things - could be like a new adventure" Elijah said.

"Adventure" Elena muttered. "I like adventures, at least that's hat I wrote in that intro for one of my exhibitions. Did I keep a diary?"

"As far as I know you didn't. You wrote a book of essays about ceramics, sculpture. You were about to publish it when-"

"The attack happened?!"
Elena finished his sentence like she was stating a fact.

She could for the first time see that it was painful for him to say it.

Elena's Flashback

A few weeks before

Elena looked at the photo of her and her best friend Vicky Donovan.

She was told by Elijah that her best friend was coming to visit her. She was an actress and lived in Los Angeles. She had read all the well wishing cards she had send her.

"I am so sorry I couldn't come earlier"- Vicky said as she hugged Elena.

"It is fine." Elena said.

The women got out of the hug and just looked at one another. Elena knew her from the pictures and what Elijah had told her. Everything else was blank.

Vicky then sighed a little and in her bubbly nature."So, everything is - wiped off?!"

"Almost everything. I remember something about myself when I was little." Elena explained.

Vicky hugged her friend again.

Elena asked her to tell her all about their friendship. And finally about Elijah.

"You married the greatest charmer on this planet" Vicky said."Every girl wanted him. And he had so many affairs."

"Really?" Elena was slightly stunned.

"Ok. Don't get this wrong. He is dark, tall and handsome. Goodness incorporated."

"Ok. So, he dated loads of women - did he cheat?"

"No. He was - popular. Didn't really believe in love. Until he met you
And he fell in love with you. H e only had eyes for you" Vicky said. "But you didn't make it easy for him."

"Tell me." Elena wanted to know more.

"Ok. Here it goes. Ready?"

Elena nodded.

"Right. You first met in this bar. I think it was called Daniel's. I knew his sister-in-law Sophie."

"Kol's wife?"-Elena interrupted her.

"Yes. She is a designer. I met her when I worked as a model," Vicky explained, "anyway, he was hooking up with a woman -Hayley at the time- I think was her name- and both Sophie and Rebekah couldn't stand her. You know what Rebekah is like-when she doesn't like someone"

Elena shook her head a little implying that she didn't really know Rebekah anymore.

"Oh, yes - well -" Vicky smiled a little apologetically before she continued,"Rebekah is the best, but if she doesn't like you- then she is your worst enemy. But she really liked you. The moment she met you she was like your best friend."

"So, I didn't want to be with him because he was with that woman?" Elena asked.

"Sort of. You were also kind of dating this guy- Mason Lockwood."

"Kind of?"

"You were off and on. You didn't really want to be serious with anyone." Vicky explained.

"Then how did it happen? How did I get to marry Elijah?"

"You kept seeing each other. You two both loved that bar. And you just would talk. Like forever. Seriously. You two would sit on the bar and just talked about anything. Your art. The stuff that was going on in the world. New York. Why the spring is better than the autumn. Or why you loved Easter and he loved Christmas."

"So, we started as friends?"

"Pretty much. Although- you were both falling hard. Both denied it. And we all watched it and we were all like- get a room already!" Vicky said.

"And? How then."

"It was for Halloween bonfire night. Rebekah would always organize these theme parties. And we were all invited to the Hamptons."

Elena now got up and looked for the album and then showed her friend the strange photo of her and Elijah.

"Ah, yes. Wow. Yes, that's it!" Vicky exclaimed recalling the day."This is the night you made your mind up that you will tell him that you choose him"

"Choose?" Elena was surprised it had come to the point she had to make a choice.

"Well, Elijah told you how he felt a few days before the party. And he saw you with Mason in the bar and you broke up with Mason already, but Mason had to kiss you in front of Elijah. And it was all a bit ridiculous. Elijah thought that was it."

"Oh!" Elena exclaimed.

"Yeah, we went to the party," Vicky continued, "and he was there, all completely broken."

"What happened then?" Elena was eager to find out.

"You went to him and - told him that you choose him- and it's not like you ever had to choose. You were so in love with him already."

Elena got out of the car giving Elijah a significant look. "I don't know how this will go, but I am ready for this new adventure!"

Elijah put a little smile on and nodded.

"Shall we follow the white rabbit then!?" he said.

"The white rabbit?" Elena asked.

"Ok. I will get the book. You will understand when you read the story-"

"Tell me just what it is about?" Elena said as they got into the elevator.

"It's about this girl - Alice, who follows a white rabbit down a hole. She encounters fabulous creatures that defy all reasonable expectations." Elijah said.

"Right. Let's follow the white rabbit then." Elena said.