"everyone leaves eventually"

—

"EDEN?"

Eden cleared her throat, blinking slowly as her surroundings came back to her.

"Hey, sweetheart," a voice spoke to her softly, fingers running through her hair. Eden's vision focused and confusion swelled in her. Curly blonde hair, stormy eyes — filled with tears— and full lips.

Gods, he was so beautiful.

"I'm here, it's alright."

"Not here," Eden whispered, leaning into his touch. "You...not here...needed you."

"I know," a tear fell down his cheek. "I'm sorry, love, I tried to be here, I swear. Flight was delayed and a private jet couldn't fly because there was shit weather and...it doesn't matter. I shouldn't have left you."

Eden teared up and he hushed her softly, pulling her into his lap. "It's alright, my love, I'm so sorry." He pressed a kiss to her head. "I'm sorry. I won't ever leave you again, I swear."

—

Nik was gone when Eden awoke, and she wondered if he'd been there at all. She turned her face to the side and a small smile pulled at her lips, spotting Elijah lying next to her on the bed, a book in his hand.

Against the wall were three chairs and their occupants: Stefan, Rebekah, and Tyler.

Her heart swelled at the family surrounding her and a sense of appreciation soared through her. Draco entered the room, sending Rebekah a quick smile before walking to Eden.

Tears filled her gaze.

"I love you guys," she said quietly, looking around at them all. "I don't — I don't know where Nik is, but I don't — you're my pack. My family."

Draco rolled his eyes, but she noticed the fondness in his movements. "Hush up," he chastised lightly. "Here," he offered a potion. "Muscle relaxant. It'll help with the aches."

Elijah pressed a kiss to her head at her words, and she took the potion from Draco, glancing to a tired looking Tyler.

"Thank you for being there," she smiled softly. "It meant a lot."

Tyler shrugged. "Klaus saved me, I didn't choose that, but...I choose you. You're my pack, too."

—

"Do you think Vernon and Petunia think of you on your birthday?" Eden asked Harry over the phone, munching on cookie dough in her bedroom.

Harry laughed. "I think they celebrate for an entirely different reason." He paused. "Dudley sent me something though, which is...weird. I think he forgot the actual date of my birthday and just knew it was a month after his."

Eden hummed in thought. "He was a kid, like Draco. Raised by his environment. Wouldn't hurt to give him a chance."

"I don't know," Harry admitted. "Either way, I'll decide later."

"What did he get you?"

"A baby's bonnet," he elaborated. "It's cute actually, I think he's got a girlfriend or something because there's no way he picked it out."

"Aw," Eden smiled softly. "That's sweet, bubs. He's making an effort."

"I know," Harry sighed before changing the subject. "How was the moon last night?"

"Terrible," Eden admitted. "I thought it would be better because I'd have Nik, but...he never came so it was awful. If Tyler hadn't been there, I think it could've been a lot worse."

"I don't understand why he left you," Harry voiced. "He loved you a lot, he does love you. He was ready to kill everything to find you."

"Well, everyone leaves eventually."

"I don't know," Harry mulled. "There's something we're missing."

"Alright, Sherlock," Eden rolled her eyes. "Use your sleuthing skills and figure it out. I'll hear about it in nine months when you've finally come up with an outline."

"Fuck off," Harry chortled. "I've gotten better. I'm an Auror now."

"Really?" Eden asked sarcastically. "Hadn't noticed."

They were quiet for a moment before Harry spoke up again. "I'm worried about Ron," he admitted. "He's not taking his breakup with 'Mione well. I know she's happy with Malfoy, and they're good together, but...I'm worried about him. He's been throwing himself into work and George says he comes home drunk early in the morning..."

Eden's heart clenched. "I'll talk to him," she suggested. "He might just want to vent."

"I tried that," Harry's tired voice spoke back. "But he says we're too close to Malfoy and we don't understand because we have soulmates."

"Poor Ron," Eden sympathized. "Do you think he'll find his soulmate?"

"I bloody hope so," Harry answered. "I also hope George visits you again soon to get on with the Caroline nonsense because if he calls Ginny one more time during sex—"

"—Oh, gross, Harry!"

"I'm just saying! It's unfair. We have to map out times because of the kids and—"

"—No, no, no, hate this," Eden made a face, covering her ears. "Hanging up because I will actually kill myself, love you, bye!"

Eden didn't wait for a response before hanging up.

—

Eden curled up next to Elijah, cuddling him closer.

"Elskan, it's morning."

"Morning can go bye-bye," Eden mumbled, burying her face in his chest.

He chuckled in amusement. "Darling, I do think you'll want to see who's downstairs?"

"If it's not the guy who sprinkles sleepiness in your eyes," Eden sighed, "I don't want him."

Elijah pressed a kiss to her head, laughing softly. "Eden, come," he stood and offered her a hand. "You won't be disappointed."

Eden eyed him for a moment before groaning loudly and standing, allowing him to help her up. He gave her a moment to change — jeans and a shirt Rebekah picked out their first shopping trip together — and brush her teeth before she followed him downstairs.

Her heart stopped at the man standing before her in the foyer.

"Nik."

He smiled softly and her heart skipped a beat.

"What are you — you're — you're back?"

Niklaus nodded. Elijah pressed a kiss to her head before walking away, leaving the pair to rekindle together quietly. She appreciated it a part of her wanted to punch Niklaus, and she knew Elijah would stop her.

"Why've you come back?"

Niklaus sighed. "I'm sorry I left," he told her gently. "I'm not — I still have things to do, but I had to see you after last night."

Eden's face hardened and she crossed her arms. "You mean when you didn't show up?"

"Eden, I—"

"—You shouldn't have come back," Eden snapped. "I've got no use for you, either."

His face flickered and his jaw tensed. "That's not what I meant—"

"—Well, it's what you said. You should leave before Draco comes over because he will make you regret being immortal."

Niklaus hesitated. "Eden, don't trust anyone here. Promise me," he stepped forward, closing the distance between them. Eden looked up at him, noticing the urgency in his gaze. "Elijah will protect you, but everyone else in this town...they'll go against you. Promise me."

"I don't trust anyone but Elijah," Eden answered softly. "Not even you. So, I think you should leave."

Hurt filled his gaze but it was gone in an instant.

And then, so was he.

—

The last thing Eden expected while making mashed potatoes at three in the morning — she was starving — was Remus Lupin standing in her doorway.

Shocked, and terrified, Eden dropped the bowl and watched the potatoes splatter across the floor.

Elijah, hearing her panic, rushed in and looked at the man in confusion. He must have recognized him from the memorials, because he didn't attack him, only observed cautiously as Eden fought back tears.

"W-what are you doing here?" Eden asked, looking to Elijah. "You-you see him too, right?"

"It's me, Eden."

His voice made her choke up and slowly, she walked up to him, pressing a finger to his chest.

He was solid.

"W-what...?" Eden teared up, looking to his face in confusion.

"6, August, 1995," Remus spoke softly. "That was the first time I said you were my family."

She knew why he'd brought it up. It was something everyone did during the war, prior to her kidnapping. To ensure people were who they said they were.

"Remus?" Eden let out a sob, pulling him into a hug.

She didn't know how or why he was in front of her, but a part of her didn't care.

—

"This is Teddy," Eden rambled, pulling out the photo album she and Hermione had been working on for Harry's birthday. "He's so sweet. His first word was bear, which is something most of us call him; Teddy Bear."

Remus smiled softly at her, looking over the photo. His eyes filled with tears and he reached out, stroking the moving photograph with his thumb.

"He looks like Dora," he remarked quietly. "I think about him constantly."

"We'll tell him stories," Eden promised. "When he's old enough to understand them."

Remus nodded, tearing his gaze from the photos and sighing. "So, this is your soulmate?" He looked to Elijah, offering a hand. "Remus Lupin, friend of Eden's."

"She speaks highly of you," Elijah shook his hand firmly. "It's an honor to meet you."

"Yeah, I've seen you both," Remus nodded. "I check on you and Teddy frequently, Harry too. Merlin, he's happy."

"Yeah," Eden grinned. "He deserves it, though."

"Looks so much like James," Remus commented. "He'd be so proud of him. Will you tell him that?"

Eden nodded. "I will. Can I...ask why you're here? Why aren't you with the Marauders and Tonks?"

Remus hesitated. "I had a choice," he admitted. "When I died. I felt it; I saw Sirius. But...I couldn't go. There was something in me that wouldn't let me. I think it was Moony. I couldn't abandon my family. Teddy, you, Harry. At the time, I didn't know Dora had died either. I didn't know to follow her because I didn't know she was dead."

"Remus..." Eden breathed out in sympathy. "Have you been stuck for a year?"

Remus nodded. "I wouldn't call it that," he shook his head. "Sometimes, it's lonely, but I'm alright. I'm not here to talk about me, however."

"No?" Eden asked, glancing to Elijah.

"Eden, I need to warn you," he leaned forward a bit. "Mikael is coming," he looked to Elijah. "And he will do terrible things to you. Not in the same sense that Dolohov did," he took her hand softly. "I'm so sorry about him, Eden. I should've killed him."

Eden squeezed his hand, objecting quickly. "No, Remus, it's not your fault. He killed you, and he's awful and now he's dead."

"Because of you," Remus acknowledged with a soft smile. "My little spitfire, still wreaking havoc."

"What?" Eden looked between Elijah and Remus. "Lij and Nik killed him."

Remus looked to Elijah, eyes narrowing a fraction, and then back to Eden. "Of course," he amended. "Either way, I'm happy he's dead."

"Me too," Eden admitted. "Are you hungry? Can you eat?"

Remus laughed softly. "No," he shook his head. "I'm a ghost, love, but for now, it seems the young ancestral witch has allowed me to come through."

"Bonnie?" Eden asked in confusion. "Why?"

"It wasn't intentional, I'm sure," Remus added. "But I'm here nonetheless, and I'll take advantage of that. Now, Eden, you need to listen to me. Elijah, you as well."

Both parties leaned forward as if to hear his words more closely, and Elijah's hand found her back, softly resting against it. She relaxed in his touch.

"Esther is planning something," he looked to Elijah's surprised face seriously. "I'm not privy to exactly what, but there are whispers of...very dark magic. Twisting of one's soul, corrupting another, and a broken bond. I haven't been able to gather anything concrete, and if I did, I would tell you, but that's all I can offer on her."

Elijah nodded, hand tightening on Eden. "I'll look into it further."

"I know," Remus nodded, then looked back to Eden. "You have to protect Niklaus," he told her, squeezing her hand. "I understand your fury, Eden, I do. And an Alpha should have never abandoned his Valinn, but I will tell you that he felt it. Your pain." His face softened. "Sirius wasn't a wolf, but on the full moon, our connection was particularly heightened. And when he was in Azkaban, I felt my own pain tenfold, and his longing, his pain even more so. It's agony for the Alpha, and if he left you, he had good reason."

"Remus, I—"

"—Trust me," he asked of her softly. "And promise me you'll keep him safe. The future depends on it."

"Future of what?" Eden asked with a frown.

"Everything, Eden. You and Niklaus were brought together for a reason. Don't you find it the least bit interesting that his Valinn was chosen a thousand years before she was born, before he even enacted his own werewolf curse?"

Eden thought for a moment. It was strange, but she hadn't thought about the relevance of it, now. Her soulmate was his brother and a thousand-year-old Original Vampire — why would it be strange for her Alpha to be the same?

"You're a part of something bigger than yourself, Eden," he sighed. "It will come to fruition once everyone betrays you."

"What?" Eden asked in horror. "Harry and-and Draco wouldn't —"

"—Not them, Eden," he shook his head. "But they won't know until it's too late. I'm sorry."

"Are you insinuating that my mother or father will kill her?"

Remus looked between the pair.

"I'm warning you that if you trust the wrong people, you'll die."

—

ehhhh not very happy with this chapter i'm sooorrrryyyy i have so many plans for season3 but not until nik gets back and UGH. i was going to have it be fred because i know a TON of you requested for it to be him during this ep, but honestly I think fred would've moved on and been at peace. i think remus is someone who sits in his regret and guilt and when the time came, he wouldn't have moved on. also, when the prequel i make of this book is finally up, you guys will cry during this chapter because remus and eden make me so sad he's literally her father figure bye it's awful. okay anyways hopefully you guys didn't hate this chapter??
and yes, mikael and esther will be way worse in this than in the show, and eden will finally be the badass y'all have been waiting for UGH

also!!! POLLL!!!!
would you prefer ELENA or DAMON have a soulmate? I have an option for either but I can't decide which would work best.