A/N: I do not own The Vampire Diaries or anything related to it.

A lone figure hurried along the street, their hood pulled up against the curtains of rain which continued to fall from the sky, seemingly unaware of the pair of dark eyes watching them from across the road. It was late, and Kol had already eaten, but that didn't mean he couldn't still have some fun. Quietly, he crept out from the shadow of the doorway in which he had been hiding and silently began to follow the unfortunate human.

Mia had stayed at Kate's flat later than she had intended. Her friend, a DVD and a bottle of wine had provided a welcome distraction to her current problems and the weather outside was so awful that she just hadn't wanted to move. She was now regretting this decision as the rain blocked out much of the light from the streetlamps, and the streets themselves were empty, most sensible people being warm and dry in their beds at this hour.

Although never having been one to succumb to paranoia, Mia suddenly got the horrible feeling that she was being watched. Perhaps it was just the solid sheets of rain impairing her view that made her feel as though there was something there that she couldn't see. A loud ringing sound startled Mia out of her already nervous thoughts and she reached to answer her phone.

A smirk graced Kol's handsome features as he listened to the girl's heartbeat quicken in fear as her sixth sense kicked in. She quickened her pace but did not look round, not that she would have seen him even if she had. His amusement was short lived however as a horrible piercing tone filled the air. The girl quickly stopped walking and began to rake around in her handbag for something, pulling out one of those damned cell phones that seemed so common in this century.

Melting back into the shadows of a building, Kol listened curiously to her conversation.

"Hello, is this Amelia Rey?"

"Yes, can I help you?"

"My name is Sheriff Forbes. I'm afraid I have some bad news."

Momentarily distracted, Kol's concentration shifted. Sheriff Forbes? Wasn't that the mother of that blonde baby vampire back in Mystic Falls that Nik was so pathetically infatuated with?

His attention was snapped back to the girl he had been following as a wail escaped her and the phone fell from her hand and smashed to pieces on the pavement. She curled in on herself as she sank to her knees, sobbing and clutching herself as if she might otherwise shatter into pieces as her phone had done seconds beforehand. Her tears mingled with the rain that still cascaded down around her.

Mia felt as though her world had crumbled with those few words over the phone. Her parents. Dead. By her sister's hand. Her dangerous, delusional sister, who had done a vanishing act and was now nowhere to be found.

She felt the phone slip from her hand, the sheriff's voice still talking on the other end of the line. A heart-wrenching cry sounded in the air, stifled by the rain, and she realised it had come from her own mouth. Her legs no longer felt able to hold her weight as she fell to the ground, holding her own body together in an attempt to control the wracking sobs that shook through her.

Kol watched her from the shadows. He had been after entertainment, but this was simply tragic. Maybe he should just kill her and put her out of her misery.

But there was something about this girl, something that drew him in like a moth to a flame, and he couldn't put his finger on what it was.

Deciding that he should at least find out how she was linked to Mystic Falls, he walked cautiously out from his hiding place and approached her.

Putting on his most charming smile, he began "Excuse me? Are you alright?"

The girl stiffened at the sudden intrusion and then her shoulders slumped as if she had decided that she didn't care who the mysterious man was who had suddenly appeared out of nowhere. She slowly turned her face up to look at Kol. Tears streamed from her sad blue eyes and her expression almost made Kol feel. Almost.

"Here, let me help you up." He held his hand out towards the girl, who hesitantly reached up and took it, slowly standing and attempting to steady her breathing. "What's your name?"

"...Mia."

"What were you doing down there? Did you hurt yourself?"

"No... I...I have to go."

Kol watched as Mia hurried past him and round the corner of the street. Mia... what a pretty name. He had a feeling this wasn't the last time he would see her.