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Rebekah's voice quivered with disbelief as she whispered, "Impossible."
Niklaus, trying to remain composed, uttered cautiously, "How...after all this time?"
Elias, smirking, interjected, "Oh come on, who said I was dead?" Meanwhile, Elijah, with a sense of urgency, announced to the gathering, "Attention, partygoers, due to unforeseen incidents, the party is concluding early. Please, make your way out." He watched the guests disperse with a polite nod. Once the room cleared, his gaze returned to Elias, who was now enveloped in a tearful embrace by Rebekah and a somber Niklaus.
"Brother, please, explain how you are alive," Elijah implored.
Elias, with a slight nod, replied, "I suppose Mikael led you to believe I was dead?" As they all nodded in agreement, he continued, "It's a long story. Allow me to show you instead." He then shared a series of selective memories, only revealing what he intended them to see. While they were absorbed in the images, he swiftly moved to the basement, retrieved the dagger from Finn's heart, and placed his casket in the designated room.
As he reentered, noticing their saddened expressions, Niklaus couldn't help but express a mixture of happiness and surprise, "You're a hybrid."
Elias nodded, his eyes briefly flashing a vibrant red, "I was mid-transformation when I was daggered."
He then turned to introduce two figures standing quietly behind him, "This is Jude and Stephanie, my hybrids," Elias stated casually as the mother and son's eyes glowed amber in response.
"How are you still alive?" Rebekah inquired, perplexed. Elias, with a mischievous glint in his eye, brought his index finger to his lips and whispered, "That's a secret I'll take to the grave, dear sister," as a chuckle escaped him.
Elijah, observing a noticeable change in Elias's demeanor, inquired with a hint of concern, "You've shut off your emotions?"
With a wry smile, Elias responded, "Well, after being trapped inside your mind for 200 years, one might crave a respite from those pesky emotions, wouldn't you agree?"
The room fell into a tense silence as they processed Elias's words. Elijah's face softened with understanding, yet a hint of worry lingered in his eyes. Rebekah, still recovering from the shock, moved closer to Elias, her expression a mix of relief and concern.
"You've been alone all this time," she murmured, her voice thick with emotion.
Elias shrugged slightly, "Alone, yes. But not idle. I've been preparing, learning, and waiting for the right moment to return."
"How is my husband?" Elis queried with a curious tilt of her head and a mischievous smile. The room fell into an uneasy quiet, as the three were uncertain how to respond.
Elias chuckled, breaking the tension, "No need for silence, I know he's been daggered. I'm quite intrigued about what he must have done to deserve such a fate. Nevertheless, while you were all absorbed in my past endeavors, I took the liberty of removing his dagger and relocating him to the room I intend to occupy," he explained with a knowing look.
Niklaus and Elijah exchanged glances of concern before Niklaus stepped forward. "About Finn, you should be aware that since your absence, he's been trying to end his own life. He believed you were dead and wanted to join you. I wouldn't let him die, so he begged to be daggered."
Elias listened intently, then reassured them with a nod, "Worry not about Finn. Now that I'm back, I'll handle him. Now, fill me in on all that has transpired during my supposed demise," he requested, eager to catch up on lost time.
As they shared their past struggles and encounters, a loud crash from Finn's room interrupted them. Elias smirked, "It seems sleeping beauty has awakened." He then stood, his demeanor confident, and added, "Stay here. I'll handle this." before speeding off towards the room."
As Elias entered the room, his heart swelled with emotions long suppressed. He knew that seeing Finn might reignite feelings he'd kept dormant, yet he couldn't help but yearn for the embrace of his lover.
The room was in disarray, a broken chair on the floor, and Finn, disheveled, huddled in a corner. Softly, Elias called out, "Finn?"
Finn, trembling, muttered under his breath, "You're not real, you're not real," a mantra against hope and heartbreak.
Without hesitation, Elias closed the distance and gently pressed his lips against Finn's. A flood of emotions-pain, longing, love-washed over him, but he embraced them all for the sake of this moment. As their kiss ended, he pulled back slightly, eyes locked with Finn's, and whispered, "Do you believe I'm real now?"
Finn, his eyes wide and glistening with a mixture of confusion and dawning realization, stared at Elias for a moment longer. His breaths, once shallow and rapid, began to even out as he absorbed the presence of his lover, tangible and real before him. Slowly, a sense of understanding washed over his face.
"Yes," Finn finally spoke, his voice cracking with emotion, "you're here, you're real."
Finn, overwhelmed with relief and guilt, continued to cry into Elias's neck, his apologies a soft litany amidst the tears. Elias, his own emotions swirling but tempered by the need to comfort Finn, gently rubbed his back, offering silent reassurance.
Finn, pulling back slightly, looked into Elias's eyes, his own red and watery. "I'm sorry, love. I missed you so much. I thought I'd never see you again," he confessed, punctuating his words with tender kisses along Elias's neck.The gentle kisses elicited soft moans from Elias.
Elias cradled Finn's face between his hands, locking eyes with him and solemnly repeating their sacred vow, "Always and forever." Through teary laughter, Finn returned the promise, a smile breaking through, "Always and forever."
