My eyes snapped open as the final moments of my first kill faded away and I stared blankly at the ceiling of the car I sat in. The knot of pain in both my heart and stomach has returned and I tried to swallow through the bitter bile, but faced a lot of difficulty in doing so because only until about three years ago my humanity switch had been in the off position. A century without emotions is a long time to live and I think turning them back on was the hardest thing I have ever had to do. One hundred years of suppressed confusion, rage and above all heartbreak is almost too much for a single person to feel all in one go; but it helps to focus my rage on just one person. It wasn't until the twenties that I learned who had ruined my life. It was his sister, Rebekah, who revealed that the man I had met at the train station was actually named Klaus Mikaelson, the bastard who ruined any chance of me living a normal human life. The very same bastard who has been wrecking havoc on the lives of my friends.

Of course I had never revealed to Rebekah how Klaus and I knew each other; we had been friends – fairly good friends, I have to admit – but when I learned that she and Klaus were siblings I became more hesitant in revealing my past to her. It wasn't really because I didn't trust her, it was him I didn't trust, and I had heard stories about the Original family and their uncanny knack for getting whatever they wanted, when they wanted and at whatever cost.

I growled, violently pulling down the mirror above me when a stiff envelope fell onto my lap and then to my feet, I peered at it with an eyebrow raised and then bent forward to pick it up. The material of the envelope felt expensive in itself and I was careful opening it, afraid to damage what was inside. A card in an elegant shade of off-white slipped out and I read out loud.

"Please join the Mikaelson Family this evening at seven o'clock for dancing, cocktails and celebrations." I scoffed loudly and threw the invitation onto the seat beside me. Quickly I looked at my watch and let my head fall back against the seat; I wasn't supposed to go up to the house for another half hour and all this waiting was extremely boring.

I suppose I could pick up a dress when I finish.

I mentally slapped myself for even considering going to this pompous event, it would be like delivering myself into the gaping maw of a pack of wolves with a pretty little bow on my head. On the other hand, I thought to myself, it would be rude to decline an invitation from the Original Family of vampires…

What do you care if they think it's rude?

My shoulders rotated in agitation and I tilted my head from side to side, physically trying to keep at bay the small voice inside of my head; the voice that almost always seemed to be right.

Maybe you just want to see him again…

My face pressed into my shaking hands again and I giggled hysterically, one hundred years and that goddamn Mikaelson family still had control over my heart. Dragging my hands down my face I groaned loudly, and then reached for my phone which began to buzz the second it got into my hand. One glance at the display screen and I smiled widely.

"Good morning, Mr. Salvatore, and to what do I owe this pleasure?"

"I've been looking everywhere for you, where are you?"

I chuckled to myself and checked the time on my watch again, another twenty minutes until show time. "I'm out of town for the day, Damon. What did you need?"

"Well I gathered as much Olivia!" he huffed into the phone.

"Is there a purpose to this call, Damon? Or are you simply bored and looking for entertainment?" I inquired dryly while looking at the chipped edges of my nail polish.

"A bit of both, I suppose," he drawled and I rolled my eyes.

"Well clearly I'm not in the vicinity to entertain you; perhaps you would like to move on to the second part of your business?"

"You're in an unpleasant mood, today…"

"Damon!"

He sighed heavily, "Elena received an invitation to a Mikaelson Event tonight. Apparently Momma Witch wants to rendezvous with Elena. Stefan and I have invited ourselves to attend with her. I just wanted to let you know."

I eyed the invitation on my seat, the familiar knowing pit of curiosity forming in my stomach. What could the Original witch want with my friend? After a time, I muttered my response, "I received one too. It was slipped under my door yesterday evening."

"By who?"

I shrugged and then remembered he couldn't see me, "No idea. Perhaps Klaus is choosing me to play his games with for a change." I grimaced to myself in the mirror, I had already been the subject of one of his games, and I was not in any rush to be so again.

I took Damon's silence to mean his being in agreement and then he spoke again, "you never answered me, where are you exactly?"

"New York, on business."

"What sort of business – boy business?" I did not appreciate the suggestive tone.

"That's none of your concern. Besides, if it were, you jealous or something?" I spat at him and he laughed loudly on the other end.

"Liv, for two people who have seen so much of each other, I should expect you to be truthful with me." Damon purred into the phone. I could practically hear the smirk on his face.

I pulled the phone away from my ear and glowered darkly at the screen which displayed a picture that Damon had taken of himself… with nothing but a towel on. I had wanted to change it just to spite him, but a small part of me enjoyed the image.

Begrudgingly I put the phone back to my ear to find that Damon was still talking, "to be honest Liv, I'm beginning to think you're embarrassed by our relationship-."

"Relationship!? Damon, as much as I love that you warm my bed on occasional nights, that does not make me obligated to tell you about what errands I run."

"So you admit that you love me."

Oh for crying out loud! I mouthed. "You are such an arrogant shit, Damon Salvatore! If you really want to know what I'm doing, fine, chew on this: I'm following a lead that may or may not help us deal with the Klaus problem." I hung up on him with that and stepped out of the car, slamming the door behind me. I bitterly stewed upon the conversation; that man has a lot of nerve thinking he's obligated to an explanation regarding my whereabouts. So what if we slept together? It was one time!

More like five times my subconscious corrected obnoxiously and I spun around furiously to lean against the car door, as my face buried itself in my hands again. Why does sex have to complicate everything? I asked myself and then blearily stared at my watch. Ten minutes until my appointment and I decided I was not going to wait any longer. Shoving my phone into the pocket of my leather coat and stalking up the stone pathway to the large Victorian townhouse, I focused on what I had learned from my previous appointments and lifted my fist up to knock on the heavy mahogany door with the golden eagle head knocker.

It was not needed; however, because the heavy door swung open and a young woman stood there dressed in black. She wore a long necklace that was decorated with varying types of gemstones and rocks that represented magical properties. I forced myself to maintain a relaxed position and I eased my lips into my most charming smile. Sure, witches could be helpful when they wanted to, but almost every one of them could be manipulative when it suited them – and I didn't trust them one bit.

"Olivia," the young black haired woman smiled with perfect teeth, "I see you found the place. Not too much trouble I presume?"

"No, not at all," I hummed pleasantly and if it were possible, the woman only smiled wider.

"Forgive the abrupt change in location, we want to remain hidden for as long as possible," a new voice floated from behind the young woman and I smiled a true smile at him. "Well enough chit chat," the man crowed and he clapped his hands once, "let's get started!"

I looked at the door frame pointedly and the young woman jumped, "Oh, how rude of me. Please, come in."

Smiling gratefully, I carefully stepped over the threshold and into the house, where the young woman closed the door behind me.

~O~

Elijah strolled down the main stairs with a calculating gaze. Below him, many caterers were busy preparing for tonight's event and he watched them with vague interest. When he reached the main floor he headed in the direction of the dining room, the room in which he had watched his family take out small bits of revenge on Niklaus after the daggers had been removed from their hearts. The only one of his siblings missing was Finn, who was most likely aiding their mother. Rebekah sat at the table, mindlessly looking through one of her many magazines; she was no doubt fishing for a hairstyle for that night. Klaus was positioned beside her with all the power of a coiled jungle cat ready to spring. He had a goblet of what Elijah assumed was blood on the table, and he casually sipped at it while reading from a fairly large book on his lap. As Elijah took a seat opposite of his siblings, his youngest brother, Kol walked in with a glass half filled with amber liquid already in his hand.

Elijah smiled wryly, "Drinking already, Kol?"

The youngest brother brought his lips up in a lopsided smirk and pressed the glass to his lips in response. Elijah shook his head in slight amusement.

"Perhaps you should hold off until tonight. I believe Mother would be displeased if you showed up well on your way to inebriation."

Kol tossed his shoulders carelessly, "The party will be dull as it is. I'm simply livening it up before it even gets started."

"It would be improper of you to do so," Klaus commented dryly and Kol shot him a challenging stare. Catching the tail end of the look, Klaus continued, "But by all means, proceed with whatever makes you happiest, brother."

Kol lifted his glass, tipping it towards his brother and took another drink. "The way I see it, you all have dates – which means you'll be tied down to one person for the night whereas I have the freedom to move between women."

Rebekah looked up from her page and faced Kol with a blank stare, the corners of her lips turning down slightly, "I'm sure there'll be plenty of desperate women to satisfy your needs, Kol."

Klaus chuckled to himself over his sister's snarky comment.

"Perhaps you should start getting ready for tonight, Rebekah. You'll need all the time in the world to make your face presentable. I would suggest a nap too, while you're at it."

Rebekah's mouth dropped in fury and she moved to where her brother stood, where she proceeded to smack him repeatedly with the magazine. Kol laughed loudly and shoved her playfully where she responded with a final smack with the magazine, and then disappeared up the stairs. Kol took another drink from his glass and sat down in the seat his sister had just left.

"Who did you decide to bring tonight, Elijah?" Klaus asked without looking up from his page. Elijah knew his brother wasn't truly interested in who he brought to the event, it was merely Klaus' way of being nosy for the sake of his own interests. Kol, however, looked to his eldest brother with an exaggerated look of curiosity, a look of sarcasm that only Kol could pull off.

"She's a friend of both Elena and Caroline," Elijah started, the use of Caroline's name made Klaus look up. "I thought it would be appropriate to invite her as well."

Klaus leaned forward to grasp the goblet of blood with his eyebrows raised, "is she a special friend of yours?"

"Of course not!" Elijah protested, "We've only spoken a handful of times. However, I admire her honesty, although brutal and uncalled for most of the time, admired all the same."

"Sounds like you like her, Elijah," Kol teased, a troublemaker grin splitting his lips and Elijah returned the look with a stern one of his own.

Returning the goblet to the table, along with the book, Klaus then sat back with his hands clasped on his lap. "And what is the name of this friend of Caroline whom I have not met?" There was a possessive undertone to his statement that neither Kol nor Elijah missed.

Shaking his head at his brother, Elijah stood from the table and smoothed out the front of his jacket. "Her name is Olivia. Olivia Knight."

There was a loud bang of glass hitting wood and both Klaus and Elijah turned to stare at Kol who had just slammed his glass down, his hand still resting on the top.

"What…was her name?" He asked slowly with a look of dismay.

"Olivia Knight. Are you acquainted with this young lady?"

Kol stood up abruptly from the table with a dark look in his eyes, his hand brought his glass back to his lips and he tossed the final mouthful of amber liquid down his throat, a small trickle of it escaping from the corner of his mouth. "No. No I haven't known her for a very long time." Kol's voice was hoarse from the burn of the alcohol but that didn't disguise the pain in his voice, "excuse me," he muttered, and quickly left the room.

Elijah looked at Klaus with astonishment, unsure of how to handle this reaction from his ladie's-man brother. However, Klaus did not share this look. Klaus' eyes betrayed an understanding and a flash of fear over his brother's reaction. It seemed that Klaus had some inside information about this girl and whatever was between her and Kol, Elijah was determined to figure it out.