-Disclaimer- I don't own TVD or any of their characters! All rights belong to their individual and rightful owners and I'm NOT part of them. AN: Thank you so much for your continuous support! So… I have to admit that writing this chapter was somehow incredibly hard, harder than before because I seem to have a block on this story… (Reason why I'm telling you all this?) To warn you if my updates could take longer. So… I'm really sorry for that, but I hope you'll enjoy this chapter. Please review to let me know what you thought!


*Last chapter*

For a long moment Kol didn't move at all, his head was still down, but eventually he looked back up with a sad smile. "I understand Elena… I really do. And I know you don't want to hurt me and that's why I'm grateful you told me the truth… even though it does hurt quite a lot." He laughed sadly and I just couldn't help but to hug him tightly.

"You know… if it would make things easier for you… we can stop seeing each other for a time or a bit less…" I whispered into his hair, but nearly instantly Kol started shaking his head. "No… I like spending time with you… and truth be told you're my only real friend. I've spent so many centuries locked up and then so many centuries doing just what I wanted, that I never had any friends. Now that I know what it feels like to have a friend, one like you, I don't want to miss one single moment of it." He answered with his head still on my shoulder.

"Well then… I propose we eat this really tasty smelling food and then we go out to have some fun." I said trying to lift the mood a little bit and took a step back, smiling encouragingly at him. "Yeah I guess we could do that." He answered with a small smile. "It wasn't a true proposition actually, Kol. It was an order." I winked and went to get out some plates. "Aye, aye Captain!" Kol joked.

*End of last chapter*

Elena's P.O.V.

"Do you… like it?" Kol asked almost shyly after I had taken some bites of the pasta he made for us. "If I like it? No! I LOVE IT!" I answered him honestly and gave him a reassuring smile. "Really?" He asked and I nodded eagerly. "You know, you should really, really cook more often Kol…. In fact…" "Yes?" He asked and nearly leaned more forward in his chair. "Well, I was thinking that we could perhaps make a habit out of it." I suggested and took another generous amount of the pasta.

"Sounds good to me. Let's say… every Sunday?" Kol proposed and since I had still a large amount of pasta in my mouth I only nodded. "At least that would occupy us, because every Sunday it's the same thing… Get up late, be lazy, do the strict minimum and then we go to bed with this shitty feeling of not having done anything." Kol continued, now taking the first bites of his meal.

"You know, that's actually a brilliant idea Kol! But where do we want to do this? Only here or only at your place? Or more like one Sunday here and the next at yours?" "Well to make things fair we could do one Sunday here and the next as an example at my apartment." "Sure, that would be great" I answered smiling and was relieved that some of the earlier tension was away. 'If only the entire tension was away…'


**The next day**

"So… How was last night?" Amy asked me as soon as I entered the shop the next morning. "Well it was…intense." I admitted, hanging my coat over my desk chair. "Intense? Like… in a good or bad way?" Amy asked curiously, forgetting everything about the internet research she was doing. "Well… It's… I'd say it depends for whom, I guess." I answered, thinking about how I could explain it to her. "What do you mean by that?" She asked and I sighted heavily. "He admitted to like me and… I just couldn't really give him an answer."

"Like you? Like… relationship like or…" "Relationship like." I cut in and looked at her, observing her reaction. "That would explain his outburst when you mentioned his brother…" Was Amy's only response, as my phone started ringing. "This conversation isn't finished yet." Amy smirked, just as I answered the phone. 'Oh great…'

Fifteen minutes later the phone call ended and Amanda immediately jumped back to our previous 'conversation'. "So, what did you tell him?" "The truth." I answered, avoiding for some seconds Amy's piercing looks. "I told him that I liked him too, but I didn't know if it was the same way as he did. I told him that it was too soon, but that I wasn't saying that there would never be something between us." I continued and watched Amy's eyes widen and widen. "You just completely friendzoned him!" Amy exclaimed, causing me to groan loudly. "Yes, no… I don't know anymore." "Girl, we need to go and have a drink." Amy said sternly, already putting on her coat. "You mean now? In right now?" I asked confused, but putting on my coat as well. "No, you genius. I was speaking about going out in ten years, of course it is now!"

"Okay, okay… Where do you want to go?" I asked her, knowing that it was best just following her than trying to talk her out of it. "I just know the perfect place! It's a hotel and they've got the best bar." Amy smiled, pulling me out into the rainy street. 'Looks like the weather is in perfect sync with my mood…' "It's not far from here, E."

Twenty minutes later we were sitting at the bar of a luxurious hotel with each a drink in front of us. "So… what happened afterwards? Because I know that Kol prepared a dinner for you." "I know you do Amy… Well, we ate the dinner, most of it and… we talked and he left. It was… kind of awkward, you know…" I admitted and took a long sip from my drink. "Well I can imagine that! First he admits his feelings for you and then you place him in the 'best friends' department… You've got to imagine how he must've felt, Elena." Amy pointed out at me.

"I know… and I really feel horrible about it. But I couldn't lie to him and pretend something I didn't, namely being sure of my feelings and starting a probable relationship with him." I tried to make her see my point and she nodded understandingly. "Yeah… That's true too, E. And what do you plan to do next?" "Honestly I have no idea… I know that if I take my distance that it will hurt him and if I continue simply the way we did before that it will surely hurt him too." "Looks like you're in a deep mess…" Amy commented and in my thoughts I could only agree with her.

After a while spent in silence, Amy opened her mouth as if to say something, but exactly in this precise moment her phone started ringing. "Excuse me for a moment, please." She said apologetically and walked into the lobby of the hotel to answer her phone, little did she know that even over this small distance I was still able to hear every single answer she would give.

"Mrs… This gentleman over there offers you a drink." The bartender said as he placed a glass of Bourbon in front of me. Curious about the guy who just offered me a drink I turned in the direction of where he was pointing and out of shock I nearly let my new drink fall to the ground. 'What is he doing here?... Did he hear the entire conversation? What if he has? Oh…. Damn.' I thought in a short moment of panic but eventually offered him a small, but thankful smile.

I could see that he was just about to come over when Amy walked back in, anything but pleased. "Hey what's wrong?" I asked her, forgetting for the time everything about him. "Remember the dog sitter I have?" "Sure… That woman with the bizarre hair and all?" I asked, trying to conjure a mental image of this person I had only once seen. "Exactly that one… You know she promised me above everything that she would never, and I repeat again, never let Coco go from the leash. And what did she do today?" Amy asked rhetorically and emptied her drink in one gulp.

"She let her go from the leash… And now?" "I have to go and get the dog at the Vet… A nice doctor found Coco and decided to take her with him to search for her master. That's why I have to go and get her… Elena, I'm so, so, so sorry…." Amanda began but I quickly interrupted her. "It's okay, Amy. Go and get her, don't worry about me. See you tomorrow?" "Yeah… thanks a lot E. You're really the nicest boss I ever had." Amy exclaimed happily, gave me a big hug and was already out of the bar. 'Sometimes she's so fast I wonder if she really isn't a Vampire or a Werewolf…'

"Good afternoon, lovely Elena." "Good afternoon to you too, Elijah." I smiled and offered him the seat next to me. "Thanks for the drink by the way." "It was my pleasure, lovely Elena." Elijah answered with a very rare smile and I was sure that I had detected a glint of something in his eyes, but before I really could put my finger on it, it was already long gone. "May I ask what brings you here?" Elijah asked after he had taken a sip from his drink. "As you just saw I simply came here to drink with a friend. And you, Elijah?" I wondered out loud. "I'm living here." He simply answered and as if to make a point of that statement, the hotel manager came over to us and welcomed Elijah. 'Wow…. You'd think they planned this for a long while…'

"Elijah, my dear friend! It's good to have you back! Oh and you've brought company with you! Hello, my name is Dominic." The manager said quite loudly, so that every single person turned towards us. "Oh… Well, I'm not…" I started, but Elijah quickly answered for me. "Dominic, it's not such company… Elena is an old friend of mine and simply came here to have a drink with a friend." Elijah answered and I had to admit that I was quite thankful for his 'takeover'. "Oh, but is none the less my pleasure, to meet such a beautiful lady in my bar." Dominic laughed and shook my hand quite strongly and I was sure that if I hadn't been a Vampire, that the next day I'd have a bruise somewhere on my hand.

"Well, I would absolutely adore to continue talking with you too, but unfortunately work calls. Elijah, it's good to have you back and we really need to get a drink one evening. Elena, it was a pleasure meeting you. I hope it isn't the last time." He winked and before I could even think of a replay he was already in the lobby, giving orders and all.

"You'll have to excuse, Dominic… Sometimes I'd like to say that he isn't like this, but… he's always like this." Elijah chuckled, swallowing the last bit of his drink. "So about before… You live in a hotel? I would've never taken you for one to live here. I thought you'd be more a person who wants to be the 'king' of his own 'castle'." I teased, enjoying the fact that I could speak more or less freely around the Original I had always considered as a friend, even in the times we betrayed each other.

"Oh but I am the 'king' of my own 'castle', lovely Elena. But from time to time I like to mix with the 'folk'." Elijah smirked, giving me a light nudge. "Oh I feel humbled, my lord." I joked and pretended to bow on my barstool, before taking a sip from the drink Elijah had offered me. "Well it is my absolute pleasure." Elijah played a long, making me laugh just as I was sure to recognize a voice not far behind me.

"Good afternoon brother and… Elena." Kol said with a surprised look and took the other free seat next to me. Now 'trapped' in between the two Original brothers, I had to admit that I felt rather… uncomfortable. I was sure that Elijah had no idea about Kol and mine's … friendship and the recent 'awkwardness' of it. "Kol…" I greeted him, wondering how I should act around Kol and how Kol would act around me.

"Elijah, I didn't know you had kept contact with the doppelgänger." Kol stated, still refusing to look at me since he had taken place next to me. "Well I didn't brother, I happened to meet the lovely Elena only some days ago in a nightclub." Elijah explained with a little smile in the corner of his mouth when he mentioned the nightclub.

"Oh… so since then you've been keeping contact." Kol stated distantly, giving me a quickly glance that I didn't miss. 'So he's jealous… Would he seriously think that I told him to stay friends just so that I could go and 'go out' with his brother?' I questioned myself and the urge to shake my head was nearly overpowering. 'Of course he would… Happened with Klaus and Elijah before… so why wouldn't it happen to him? Besides he has seen how it happened to Stefan and Damon over Katherine… and me.'

"In fact no, this meeting was pure coincidence. I met a friend here and she had to leave unexpectedly, downsides of having an animal of company I heard." I answered, turning lightly towards Kol before taking a sip of my drink while giving him a challenging look. I noticed Kol looking at me with a little wonder in his eyes for a split second, before he put back on this impassive mask the entire Original family seemed to possess. "I see…" He answered quietly seeming to understand what I meant, but after spending quite some time with him I could easily recognize that slight change in his voice, the one that told me that he wasn't convinced.

"Now that we have that cleared out, can you tell me what you're doing here brother?" Elijah asked, leaning a bit over the bar so he could see past me. "Well isn't a brother aloud to speak with his older brother?" Kol asked challenging, showing both Elijah and me that he wanted to talk with Elijah alone. 'Well I guess that's my clue…' "Gentlemen… I'm really sorry, but I have to leave now." I stated with a nervous smile and got up from my seat. "Elijah, it was nice seeing you again and talking with you. Kol… it was nice to see you again." I offered and walked out of the hotel bar without any further words.

I had barely reached the doors leading to the lobby, when a hand on my shoulder made me stop. I was ready to attack whoever was holding me, but the voice of hand's owner made me stop in time. "Is there a way we can perhaps stay in contact?" Elijah asked, stepping in front of me, offering one of his very rare smiles. "Sure…" I answered hesitantly, noticing out of the corner of my eyes Kol tensing in his seat.

"You want my phone number?" I asked Elijah, feeling rather weird with Kol listening in on our conversation. "That would be lovely, since your old phone number has mysteriously stopped working." Elijah winked and for a moment I got lost in his beautiful eyes, the ones I was sure I'd never see again. "Mhm… That truly is a mystery. Can I have your phone please?" I asked, giving Elijah a thankful smile after he handed me his phone.

"All done, now. See you, Elijah!" I smiled and walked out of there, smiling even wider when I heard Elijah's answer. "Hopefully soon!" 'Not if things go according to Kol…'


So, that was the end of this chapter… What did you think of it? Did you hate it? Did you like it? Please, please leave me a review to let me know what you thought AN: I promise I'll update as soon as possible!