Jenny had been depressed since getting fired. Damon had let her cry into his shoulder as he held her.

"That's the only thing I've ever wanted," Jenny sniffled. "And now I can't even have that."

"I'm sure you'll find something else," Damon assured her. "You were too good for them anyways."

Damon wasn't like Jenna. He couldn't cheer her up immediately but he tried. He even bought her a tub of ice cream to drown her sorrows in. He got her to smile then.

_____

Jenny was moping around alone when a knock came to her door. She opened it to find no one there. But there was a white box wrapped in a bow with an envelope on top.

She picked up both items and stepped back inside. Her name was written in elegant scrawl on the envelope. She set the box on the counter before opening the envelope to find an invitation to a Mikaelson ball being thrown tonight.

She turned the card over to find writing. She nearly dropped it when she saw who it was from.

Forgive me
-Elijah

Elijah. Her chest ached at the thought of him. She looked at the box and unwrapped the bow before opening it. A stunning red ball gown lied inside and she shut it quickly.

"He did not," she breathed deeply before opening it just slightly, peeking inside and nearly having a heart attack at the glittering jewels on the dress. "Are those diamonds?"

She shut it again. She shook her head. She didn't know whether to throttle him for getting her something so expensive or swoon over the fact that he did. Perhaps she'd do both.

A million thoughts ran her through head. The biggest one was that he had, indeed, returned and he hadn't come to see her; there was just an attempt at an apology on a card.

And then there was the question of if she'd even go. But really there was no question. She'd go to confront Elijah, whether that was in fury or not was entirely up to him.

          A phone call distracted her from her thoughts as she picked it up only to hear Damon, "Please don't tell me you got invited to this stupid ball?"

           "Um, yes," she answered in fear.

He groaned, "So I assume you're going?"

"Be my wingman," she pleaded.

"What? You think I was going to let you go alone," he said. "I'll pick you up tonight."

"Thank you," she smiled.

       ______

         Wearing this ball gown made her feel like she was living in a fairytale. This dress that was rather form fitting, instead of the typical poofy gowns, was made for a princess it seemed. It made her feel special and all sorts of nervous.

She took a deep breath once she heard a knock on the door. She opened it to find a man in a tuxedo. It was Elijah.

His breath caught in his throat as gazed at her. Jenny fixed him with a steely gaze and crossed her arms, "Mikaelson suits you much better than Smith. Why are you here?"

"I was going to leave you in peace but then I imagined you'd show up with another man on your arm," he said as he imagined Damon Salvatore escorting her which made him clench his jaw. "Or you wouldn't show up altogether."

"Why didn't you come see me earlier?" she uttered quietly, hoping that it wasn't because he didn't want to, hoping that she meant as much to him as he did to her.

"I didn't think I'd be welcome."

"You know when I said I didn't want you to take a step back..." she explained. "...I meant that forever."

"Forever?" he mused, finding it amusing that a human was talking about forever. But he smiled softly at her; he'd be so lucky as to get that forever. "Forever with you would be a blessing, Jenny Stevens."

Her heart nearly stopped beating and she couldn't help the small, toothed smile that appeared on her face. She could never stay mad at this man.

"Did I ever tell you how beautiful it is when you smile?"

"Oh stop it," Jenny stepped outside with him. "You've done enough flattering tonight."

"Really?" he offered her his arm. "I don't think I've done enough."

She looped her arm with his, clutching onto it tightly. She looked up at him with gentle eyes, "You're enough."

Elijah smiled and he felt so incredibly happy in that moment, "So does this mean you forgive me?"

"Elijah, I forgave you the moment you left," she answered. "There's always more tomorrows."

"And I'll make it up to you for each one that I missed."

______

Jenny texted Damon that she was being escorted by Elijah. He had a lot of words to say about that but she turned her phone off.

Elijah entwined his hand with hers as they walked up to a ginormous mansion that was apparently his. He brought her closer to his side as his thumb caressed the back of her hand; his simple touch was giving her goosebumps.

"We can leave at any time. My family.. is a bit troublesome."

"Well, I think Rebekah is great and Niklaus didn't seem too bad," Jenny said.

"Yes, Rebekah does have a soft spot for you," Elijah responded as he recalled his sister's words: she's such a sweetheart, Elijah. She's perfect for you.

"Niklaus, on other hand, it's for the best if you keep your distance," Elijah warned. "That goes for Kol as well."

"You talk about your family like they ruin everything," she stated.

"We do," he answered.

"You don't," she argued, her heart beating entirely too quickly as she looked up at him in the moonlight with love notes in her eyes. "You can't."

He could never ruin her because it was his mere presence that put her back together.

Elijah looked down at her noticing her soft smile and her eyes that gleamed of happiness when she looked at him. It caused his own smile to appear and he swore he would've felt like dying if she ever stopped looking at him like that.

It was a moment between them that only the moon witnessed that spoke of love without speaking. (And perhaps the moonlight shined a little more or perhaps it was the stars but they both looked at each other like everything was a bit brighter then.)

         ______

       "Welcome. Thank you for joining us. You know, whenever my mother brings our family together like this, it's tradition for us to commence the evening with a dance," Elijah addressed the guests and Jenny waited for him in the crowd. "Tonight's pick is a centuries-old waltz, so if all of you could find yourselves a partner, please join us in the ballroom."

            Elijah quickly walked downstairs and joined her. He put a hand on the small of her back. "Ms. Stevens, would you join me for a dance?" he asked with a quirk of his lips.

            "Of course, Mr. Mikaelson," she bit her lip and followed him to the ballroom.

            All the couples lined up in a row before the dance started. Jenny noticed Elena was here, dancing with Stefan. Then there was Damon who was with Carol Lockwood.

           "I never got to tell you how stunning you looked," Elijah said once the dance started and it tore her focus away from the other couples.

              It caused Jenny to blush before she scolded, "I should be mad at you for getting me this dress."

            He furrowed his eyebrows in confusion and she spoke before he even asked, "Elijah, it has diamonds on it. Literal diamonds."

            Elijah chuckled before he stated, "Money isn't an issue."

             "I gathered," she looked around at the mansion she was in as they waltzed before looking back at him. "And I rather like you in a tux."

She smiled up at him like he was her sun and he smiled down at her like she was his world. Then she was being spun out of his arms and into another's. It was Damon. She beamed at her friend, "Isn't tonight great?"

"Oh, yes, lovely," Damon said sarcastically.

All night he could see how happy she was. Again, with Elijah around, she was like sunshine and he was bitter.

"What's wrong with you?" she started to frown just a little bit.

"I don't know, Jen, maybe because you're letting Elijah right back into your life like he hasn't hurt you," Damon patronized. "Why does it have to be him? Why can't it be..."

"Don't you dare say you," she scorched him with a steely gaze. "We already had this conversation."

"Yeah, yeah. Friends only because it's what you want."

"Yes, because it's what I want and apparently you can't ever respect it. That's why it's him and not you," she stopped dancing with him altogether and walked away.

_____

Jenny didn't tell Elijah exactly what Damon said (she was waiting until they left). But it seemed like he already knew with the way he was angry. Elijah had to restrain himself from murdering Damon Salvatore.

Now Elijah had gone off to check on something and Jenny walked over to Rebekah and Kol.

"Rebekah, I've been so worried about you," Jenny smiled softly.

"Me?" the blonde looked surprised before she smiled a little bit. "I've just been busy with family drama."

Rebekah had been keeping an eye on her older brother and she had never seen Elijah so happy. She adored Jenny for that.

Kol introduced himself, "Kol Mikaelson, love."

"Jenny," she smiled. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Kol."

"Of course it is," Kol smirked.

Rebekah elbowed him, "Ignore him. He's just full of himself."

Jenny chuckled before she saw Elijah in the crowd, looking for her, and she excused herself. His eyes had landed on her as she was leaving his siblings.

"They didn't cause you any trouble, did they?" he asked once they met in the middle of the crowd.

"No," she chuckled. "Of course not."

"Do you wish to leave now?" he asked.

"You don't want to stay?" she questioned.

He shook his head, "I've had my fill of family for the evening. I'd rather spend the rest of it with you."

"Alright," she smiled.

______

When Elijah took her home, she invited him inside. She found out that when he left her at ball to 'check on something,' he was actually getting her the gift he picked out.

             It was a necklace with a sunflower pendant. It was beautiful and a very sweet gesture. She didn't need him to tell her why he chose this; after all, she told him before on one of their coffee dates that the sunflower was her favorite.

            But to Elijah, Jenny represented a sunflower, bright, pure and happy, that had bloomed right into his heart.

         They spent the rest of the evening talking. She told him how much she missed Jenna, she told him about her job, and she even told him about what happened with Damon over the summer (he didn't particularly enjoy that part but he appreciated that she was honest).

They had fallen asleep on the couch together late at night. And before they did, she had kissed him goodnight.

AN: so just to point out, Elijah didn't drink the champagne because he left with Jenny.
I tried to make this chapter super sweet because it's definitely a stepping stone chapter and it's really important that it is. Hopefully I prevailed.