AN: I do not own TVD or TO

The brunt of this story is going to take place over a short period of five days.

Kol grinned wickedly when he spotted her across the dancefloor. She was the very image of Tatia.

He downed his drink and began working his way through the crowd of pulsating bodies. Hands reached out and groped him forcing Kol to choke down the urge to tear off a few limbs.

Since waking up he had come to love the convenience of music anytime he wanted to hear it, but he could hardly call the wall of noise assaulting his ears music: it lacked true melody and composition.

No matter, though, he was here for her. He had missed out on knowing the last one, and he figured the quickest way to get under Nik's skin was to start up a flirtation with the doppelganger.

Kol decided to follow in the footsteps of his fellow party goers. Rather than turn her around and introduce himself he gripped her hips from behind and mimicked the rhythmic movements of her body.

The music was truly horrendous, but there was something to be said about the dancing. If he had to compare it to something he would have called it a mating display. Kol would not have been surprised if there were couples engaging in said activities somewhere on the dance floor; he could smell it.

Kol carefully started steering the woman grinding against him towards the edge of the dance floor always keeping to the beat. When he was at the edge he turned her around and pinned her to the wall.

The hint of fear in her eyes brought a smirk to his lips.

"Hello darling," he pressed his knee between her thighs and dipped down to kiss her throat. His fangs nipped at the skin and sent a delicious shiver of stone cold terror down her spine.

The fear only made her blood smell that much sweeter.

"Get off me," she hissed. She shoved his chest with all her strength.

It was futile endeavor that made Kol chuckle. He had thought of toying with the woman's emotions to torment Nik, but the prospect of robbing his brother of the thing he wanted most was, much like her blood, irresistible.

She gasped when his fangs pierced her carotid. A gurgling sound rose in her throat as he took long pulls of her blood.

He could just hear her heart starting to slow when a hand clamped around the back of his neck.

She slumped against the wall when he was torn away. Blood poured from her neck and she lifted a shaking hand to cover the wound before looking up at her knight in shining armour.

More like knight-in-an-Armani-suit, Elena gulped and watched with wide eyes.

Elijah Mikaelson had her assailant by the scruff of his neck. With an unreadable look on his face he held out his hand and pulled her to her feet.

Within moments he had Elena and the young man outside.

She leaned against the hood of a car and shivered. Her vision grew hazy and her legs shook. She flinched when the younger vampire pretended to lunge at her.

"Behave," Elijah hissed. He took a look at Elena before biting into his wrist and lifting it to her lips.

She grimaced and closed her lips over his wrist. A moment later her head cleared and she was able to focus as Elijah growled.

She had never seen him so angry.

"What the hell were you thinking?" He closed his hand around the young man's throat and squeezed.

"I was just having a little fun, 'Lijah," the younger vampire smirked. His eyes flickered to Elena. "I thought I'd rob Nik of his army; he's certainly robbed the rest of us of enough over the years. Have you had a taste? She's delicious."

"Kol," Elijah forced Kol to look at him. The veins under his eyes blackened and writhed. "Let me make myself very clear. Elena Gilbert is not to be harmed. If you try to harm her again you will not be facing the wrath of Niklaus."

Kol's eyes widened in surprise; he swallowed nervously and cast a look at the petite brunette. He couldn't remember the last time Elijah had taken an interest in the life of someone outside the family. He could see plain as day that Elijah cared for this doppelganger and it was nothing like the last time.

Kol gritted his teeth and nodded. Nik was annoying and had a tendency to go on mad killing sprees, but Elijah was deadly. He would have done anything to get under Nik's skin and he would have down anything to stay in Elijah's good graces.

"I won't touch her," Kol vowed. He could see the hesitation in his brother's movements when his neck was released.

Kol turned to the doppelganger and offered a charming smile. "Terribly sorry love," he gave a slight bow, "won't happen again." His tongue darted out to catch a drop of blood on his lip.

"Fuck you," she shivered.

Kol chuckled before flashing off. He could see what his brother liked about her: she had spunk.

Elena watched him disappear; her hands started rubbing her arms. She tilted her head back to carefully look at Elijah when he settled his suit jacket over her trembling shoulders.

"Friend of yours?"

"That was Kol," he passed her a handkerchief and watched her wipe the blood from her neck. "He is my younger brother."

Elena blinked slowly as she took in the information. "You found your siblings then?"

"Yes and no," he shook his head and chuckled darkly. "Niklaus lied to me. He told me he had dropped them at the bottom of the oceans… they were in his care the entire time."

"You got played," she muttered.

Elijah had the good grace to look chagrined under her cynicism. "I owe you an apology Elena. I had promised to take care of Niklaus after the sacrifice. I betrayed you and you lost your aunt."

"You betrayed me for family Elijah," she crushed the bloody handkerchief in her hand. "Having now met three of your siblings I find it hard to understand why anyone would want them nearby, but they are your family. I would have done the same thing if it were Jeremy."

"You are far too compassionate for your own good," Elijah said. "I am sorry Elena. I hope you can forgive me one day; although I will understand if you choose not to."

"Were you not just listening?" She laughed. "I already forgave you for that. And even if I hadn't Klaus sticking you in a box for the summer would have more than made up for it… at least in my mind."

"I'm glad we can joke about that," he chuckled and shook his head. This human woman would definitely be his undoing. "Do you need a lift home? I don't see your car in the parking lot."

"Sure," she shivered when he took her elbow and steered her in the direction of his car.

"Are you cold?" He opened the door for her and flashed around to start the car. He turned on the heat and steered them onto the highway.

"What were you doing at a club in Richmond, Elijah?"

"I was following Kol," his lips twisted into a wry smile. "He has a tendency to…"

"Attack young woman on dancefloors?"

"Among other things," he sighed. "What were you doing out tonight?"

"I needed to blow off some steam," she shrugged. "Damon and Stefan are driving me crazy. I feel like they each have sunk their claws in and are trying to tear me down the middle."

"They want you to choose?" Elijah asked.

"Yeah," she sighed and leaned her head back against the seat. "Stefan was my first love. Damon really got me through this summer when Stefan was on the road with Klaus. They want me to choose one of them and it's driving me up the wall. I don't like this role they've forced me into."

"I'm afraid I don't understand your meaning," Elijah frowned and looked at her from the corner of his eye.

"They want me to choose and it's completely destroying their relationship," she turned to look at him. "I don't want to be like Katherine. I don't want to tear them apart. It took them over a century to mend the bond she broke."

"You are nothing like Katerina, Elena," he assured her. Katerina Petrova delighted in the role she played. She took joy in tearing apart once strong bonds. He hadn't seen her manipulative nature until his own relationship with his brother had been shattered. Tatia had been jaded by a hard life and she had let that effect the way she interacted with him and Niklaus.

"You are nothing like either of your predecessors." Elena somehow still maintained her compassion and a sense of innocence after suffering insurmountable horrors in her young life. "Have you ever thought that maybe it doesn't have to be a Salvatore?"

Elena watched him carefully from the corner of her eye. She had considered it, but somehow she didn't think his mind was in the same place hers was. He had told her he would never make that mistake again.

"I've thought about it," she shrugged when he pulled into her driveway. "If Klaus had his way it would be a human being. He's rather intent on me having kids. He even swore to protect me and my children and my children's children… I'm not sold on the idea of one of my descendants sharing my fate though…"

Elijah's heart skipped a beat when she said that. Was she considering turning? That would be the surest way to ensure the curse ended with her. It might also mean that one day he might have a chance. He wouldn't act on anything while she was human though; he would not try to influence her decisions.

Elena opened the car door and stepped out. She shrugged off his jacket and passed it back to him before smiling gently. "Thanks for the ride Elijah… and for saving me from your other brother."

"You're welcome," he nodded. "Goodnight Elena."

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