Elena got out of her car, shut the door and made sure it was locked, wiping the tears that had fallen off of her face.

She was having a pretty rough day, feeling worse than she had in a very long time, so she knew that she could go to Alaric because he was the only one that knew what she was going through.

She walked up to the door, hesitantly knocking on the door.

"Hi, girls," she said, smiling when Lizzie and Josie greeted her at the door.

"Aunt Elena, are you hear to see dad?" Josie asked Elena, hugging her.

"Yeah," she smiled sadly, hugging the girls.

"Okay, Lena, I'll tell him, but you can come in," Lizzie said and Elena nodded, walking in and closing the door behind her.

It takes her quite some time to find Alaric, considering how big the house is, but she finally finds him sitting at the kitchen table and eating a Poptart.

"Hi, Elena, I wasn't expecting to see you today," he said as he stood up and Elena nodded, hugging him, a tear falling down her face.

She needed him now more than ever.

"How have you been?" Alaric asked, keeping his eyes on her, but the brunette just plays with her hands, not sure how to answer the question. A tidal wave of memories enter her brain, the pain starts all over again and it takes her biting down on her bottom to contain the sob that wants so badly to break through her lips.

She seems to remember everything. The day in the hallway, how he saved her when her parents car went off the bridge, how he caught her when she fell, when he rescued her from Rose, how the two would both write in their diaries at the same time on occasion, how safe she felt in his arms, how when he would dance with her, it was like she was the only girl in the room and how he made her feel like a princess.

"Hey, I know what you're thinking. I had the same thoughts after Jo died," Alaric said through her thoughts and Elena could feel him put his hand on her shoulder.

"He was the love of my life," she answered, more tears streaming down her face.

Walking away, Alaric brings her back tissues and she cries into his shoulder, wishing now more than ever that she could turn her humanity off, but she can't.

"He loved you. You know how much he loved you," he said and this just makes her cry even harder.

"He's dead and he's been dead this entire time." Sobs and screams rip through her throat, wishing more than anything else that he would come back to her.