A/N: Hii, thanks for all the amazing reviews, favs and alerts! ;D

Enjoy!

xoxo Ascha

Chapter 3:

The dress was a pain to get on and the shoes were killing her after only half an hour, but Kenzie went to the ball with Liz and Caroline. It annoyed Kenzie that she had to go to, but Liz thought that it was best if she came since not a lot of people knew who she was.

When Kenzie arrived at the beautiful Mikaelson Mansion, she instinctively looked for Kol and secretly hoped that he for some reason couldn't go to the ball too or that she got an excuse to leave.

"How long again am I supposed to be here?" she asked grumpily.

"At least until we're sure that no one here is behind the murders – especially not that vampire who has been stalking you. What did you say his name was again?" Liz answered.

"Kol Mikaelson. He and his siblings must all be vampires, but this isn't just a normal vampire family. Does your daughter even know about vampires or…?"

Liz hesitated, confirming Kenzie's suspicion. She'd found blood bags in their home and noticed that Caroline seemed a little different from what she remembered, which led her to believe that Caroline was now a vampire as well. She didn't mind Caroline being a vampire as long as she didn't hurt or kill anyone.

"I know what she is, Liz, but it's ok. I'm not going to kill her."

Liz sighed in relief. "Good. Caroline is a good girl and what happened to her… she had no control over it. But there are more I need to tell you about what goes on in this town – if I can trust that you'll keep it a secret and help us, that is."

I knew it! Something really is going on here, she thought.

"I promise on my mother's grave that I won't tell anything. The more I know the more I can help you out. That's why I'm here after all."

Liz smiled weakly and was about to say something, but the mayor – Mrs. Carol Lockwood – wanted to talk with her for a moment.

While they talked Kenzie consciously smoothed down her dress and took another look around. She didn't know why she was so focused on where Kol was, but she knew that it couldn't because she found him charming… or least she hoped that wasn't why.

"I'm surprised you came. Have I gotten under your skin, love?"

The sound of Kol's voice made Kenzie rolling her eyes and turning around. The sight of her seemed to make him smile and he took in her now curled blonde hair, the dark blue and black dress and the simple, but beautiful vervain filled necklace that hung around her neck.

"You look incredibly beautiful in that dress… like I expected," he said, smiling charmingly. "I hope you can dance, because I want you to be my dance partner tonight."

"I only came because I had to, so don't get too excited and I'm not dancing with you at any time tonight." Kenzie said and walked off.

She didn't have time to being harassed by him anymore this week, so she took a look around and tried focusing on the case. So far she could sense that there definitely was more than one vampire in the mansion and most of them were males and part of the Mikaelson family.

However, as Kenzie was well on her way to find Liz and let her know of the situation, she nearly walked right into Kol who appeared almost out of nowhere in his fine tux and with two glasses of what looked like white wine.

"Drink?" he asked, smirking devilishly.

"No thank you. I'm driving tonight," Kenzie lied, trying to walk past him but he would move. "Kol, get out of my way or I'll spike your drink with vervain when you least expect it."

He just chuckled. "Why so serious all the time? This is a party-well, more a ball, but the concept is almost the same. You're supposed to have fun. Preferably with me."

"Yes, because I so want to party with a 1000 years old vampire, who can snap my neck at any time (!) Seriously, Kol? Just give up already."

He offered her the drink anyway and she reluctantly took it, but only so she could down it, hand it back and leave again.

Kenzie eventually found Liz, but the sheriff was on her way out. "Hey, Liz! Are we leaving already?" she asked worriedly.

"Yes, they think they found another body near Wickery Bridge. But could you please stay and keep an eye on Caroline?" Liz answered.

Kenzie opened her mouth to protest, but Liz was already heading out and had left the mansion before she could stop her. She groaned and turned around only to almost walk into Kol again.

"You again!" she said, groaning.

"Yes, me again," he said cheerfully. "C'mon, Kenzie. It's only one dance and it will be over before you know it."

Kenzie sighed heavily. "Fine. But I'm a horrible dancer just so you know it. I haven't danced for ages and definitely not ballroom dancing."

"Just follow my lead and try not to drool too much over me."

He took her hand to his lips and went to kiss it gently, but someone called his name. "Stay here."

Kenzie stayed and watched him as he joined his siblings on the staircase, wondering why Kol was trying so hard to charm her when it was so much easier to charm an ordinary woman, who knew nothing about vampires.

Of course she was tempted to sneak away while Kol was distracted by his older brother's toast, but she had a feeling that he would easily find her anyway, so she stayed put and waited for the speech to end.

Kol went straight to her as soon as his brother was done and led her in to the ballroom with the others. She felt a little nervous and dreaded that she was going to make a fool out of herself since she didn't remember much of her old dance lessons.

"A 1000 years old vampire doesn't scare you, but dancing does? Unbelievable!" Kol said and chuckled quietly.

"Shut up! I'm not scared, but you better watch your feet because I will step on them." Kenzie grumbled.

Kol smirked and took her hand as the music started playing. Kenzie followed his lead and tried watching what the others did, but as soon as she recognized the choreography she didn't worry so much about making a wrong step anymore.

"Do you have a boyfriend?" he asked quietly as he twirled her around.

"If I say yes, will you then leave me alone?" Kenzie answered.

She didn't date that much and usually spend more time on hunting, but there had been a couple of good relationships that ended badly, because of all the secrets she kept from them.

"I take that as a no then. That's good. Then I don't have to worry about competition."

Kenzie raised an eyebrow. "Oh, so now you're hitting on me? You do realize that I'm a vampire hunter, right? I kill monsters like you and I do it with a smile on my lips."

"So? I still find you very intriguing and I can tell you like playing these games with me too."

"Is that so? Kol, get it into your thick skull: I'm not interested! Not now or in the future. I wouldn't even date you if you were the last living person on Earth – let alone sleep with you."

"But don't you want to see what 900 years of bed skills are like?"

Kenzie flushed. "No, I don't. But why 900? I thought you said you were over 100 years old."

"Oh, I am, but my brother Niklaus kind of daggered me and kept me in a coffin for a century or so."

She raised an eyebrow at that. So I need to get my hands on a dagger to stop him? That doesn't sound so hard…

"I'll see you soon." Kol said just before they switched partners.

Kenzie ended up dancing with no other than one of Kol's brothers and it was one she remembered seeing before many years ago. Her heart began beating a little faster, but she tried keeping her composure and acted normal.

"My brother seems quite smitten with you, Miss…?"

"Forbes. Kenzie Forbes." she said.

He raised an eyebrow and briefly moved his gaze to Caroline, which of course made Kenzie worry if something was going on between them.

"I'm Klaus – Kol's brother," he said. "How exactly are you related to the Forbes?"

"I… I'm Bill Forbes' cousin. My mother – Lily Ann Forbes – was his aunt. You remember her? You must do since you did butcher 12 years ago."

Klaus' jaw tensed up and she felt his grip on her hand tighten. "Now I remember you. You're that pretty little girl, who tried to stake me. I know your father too. Is the old hunter still alive?"

Kenzie wanted so badly to drive a stake through his heart, but now that she knew that he was Kol's brother, then it was going to take a lot more than a stake to kill him.

"I may just be a hunter, but once I figure out how to kill you I will gladly take your life. You don't deserve to live, you bastard!" she hissed.

"Sorry to break it to you, sweetheart, but you can't kill me. I'm not like my siblings, but I'll snap your neck before you leave this house tonight, so you can join your mother." Klaus said, smirking devilishly.

"Go ahead. I have nothing to lose."

Klaus chuckled. "I truly do admire the spirit your family has. You don't care if you die as long as you take the vampire down with you."

Kenzie glared at him, but lucky for her she was about to change partners again and returned to Kol, who of course seemed only happy about seeing her again.

"I–"

"I have to go. Sorry." she said, running more than walking away from him.

She couldn't face him now.

Not when she knew that his brother killed her mother.

She wanted to leave, but she also wanted to stay and fight Klaus, so she ended up at table where they served drinks and downed 4 or 5 glasses of champagne. She needed something stronger or at least something that could take her mind off Klaus until they were going to meet again, but when she tried finishing her 6th glass, Kol snatched it out of her hand.

"I think you've had enough for tonight, yes?" he said teasingly, trying to move her away from the table, but she pulled her hand back and slapped him hard across his face.

"Touch me again and I'll kill you!" she snarled, then walked off, barely able to keep her balance as she did so.

She eventually got her hands on another drink and emptied that one too as she leaned against the wall under the stairs. She couldn't stop thinking about that night Klaus paid them a visit, because they were in possession of something he wanted.

Kenzie couldn't remember what it was he wanted, but she remembered being all alone at home with her mother, because her father and brothers were out hunting.

No! I can-I can't think back on it. I have to–

"What did Niklaus say to you?" Kol asked, but Kenzie wasn't listening.

Her mind was somewhere else.

"God damn it. Why must that bastard always ruin everything?" Kol muttered grumpily, wrapping his arm around Kenzie to keep up.

He ushered her upstairs and in to his bedroom, placing her carefully on the bed to lie on since she was too drunk to dance or talk anymore tonight.

"Are you going to tell me what he said to you?" he asked as he removed her shoes.

"It… doesn't matter," she mumbled, her eyes struggling to stay open. "I… I have to go home."

She tried standing up, so he quickly pushed her back down and placed a pillow under her head. "As tempting as it is to bite you right now, then I have a bone to pick with my brother. Stay up here and get some sleep, okay? And don't disobey me this time."

"Fuck you…"

Kol chuckled and stroked her cheek gently with his thumb. "And here I was hoping that you lost your inhibitions once you became drunk. But now I at least know not to get you drunk."

Kenzie closed her eyes for a moment and when she looked at him again, he saw a faint smile on her lips. "Kol?"

He leaned closer to her. "Yes?"

"Get the fuck off me or I'll kick you in your balls."

He smirked and placed a quick kiss on her cheek before pulling away and leaving his bedroom.

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