Hello everyone!

I come with apologies this time. I know it has been VERY VERY long since the last time I updated but I'm a complaining university student here and I hope you all understand the nightmare of workload we all have on our backs once its in full swing.

Nonetheless, I have the next chapter. Its not particularly interesting. (Its not really a favorite) But still, if it wasn't important I wouldn't have written it. I hope most of you are still as interested as you were when it comes to reading this story. I do apologize for the quality of this chapter and hope that the next one will come to me more swiftly and without too many glitches.

Also, I'll give a quick shout out to all of you for now - Thats my big thank you as usual, the PM(s) will be waiting in a couple of hours.

A huge thank you to BarbarafromGR, WendyHomel, LucyRider17, Cielja, Snowberryxoxo, ConsistenlyRandom21, my dear dear friend Appy, the ever so kind appreciation, the lovely CritiqueOfReason, Huntress3419, Chocolate Boy (DreamsfortheDead, I still love you!), the very talented Lotheriel (I'm falling back on reviews I know. I'll make up!), sofia313 (your input is so very valuable, thank you!), WhatsGoingOn, bettingonalice01.

I wish all you guys a (delayed) Happy and Prosperous 2013! And lets kick this year off for this story with this Chapter!

Happy Reading! :)

Chapter 9

Kol watched from a distance, the boy as he braced himself to take another shot on the pitch. He missed, once again. Kol shook his head in frustration. The young boy still had a long way to go and what could be better for him than having a tutor of the likes of a thousand year old vampire? Kol was adept at sport, always being the athletic one among his siblings next only to Niklaus.

The young boy grunted as he hit the ball with all his might and began his sprint. The ball landed with a light thud, a few feet away from Kol. Introductions were certainly in order.

Kol picked the ball, fidgeting with it, he waited to be approached. "Hey man, can I get that back?" the young boy was walking towards him with an expectant look on his face. Kol's lips twitched involuntarily in a smile.

"Looks like you could use some help." He kept the ball to himself. The young boy gave Kol a quizzical look, unsure of what mannerism to exhibit. He arched an eyebrow apprehensively, contemplating.

Introductions were certainly in order, Kol thought. "I'm Kol." He put forward his hand to shake, a friendly gesture. The boy's face softened, after little thought, he smiled slightly too and shook his hand.

"Jeremy Gilbert."

The sun shone brightly in the morning sky in Denver. The weather was mildly chilly even in the winter months as compared to the average frigid temperature of Mystic falls. The breeze blew gently, caressing her cheeks. Arianna enjoyed the climate; she could finally let her hair down a bit. It was what she always craved, a fresh start, a place where no one knew her, a place where she could be who she wanted, what she wanted and never have to think twice before her next action.

Her feet carried her quickly forward on the pavement before she ascended a flight of stairs in most unladylike fashion, skipping several of them at once. She had been running late.

'Damn that alarm.' She cursed to herself. If only had it rung on time, she wouldn't find herself in the state of frenzied hurry that she was currently in. She would have to hurry unless she was a fan of making a grand entrance in an already semi-filled classroom. She wasn't a huge fan of conspicuity.

Time and again she would glance at her wrist watch and shuffle through her papers at the same time. Even after a week at the University she hadn't managed to memorize her program and class schedule even though she had managed to familiarize herself with most of the corners and halls of the central university area.

Amidst her musing, she paid little attention to where her feet guided her and she walked straight into someone.

"Oww." Arianna momentarily halted in her tracks rubbing her nose soothingly, her eyes closed, hoping that the spasm that hit her nose would cease. She had no time to recuperate however. Why did things like this happen to her only on the days her alarm refused to obey?

"Are you alright, miss?" the man asked her concernedly, but she hardly had time to notice him, save his curly brown hair, twinkling eyes and the familiar voice she had heard sometime over the past couple of days. "Yeah, I'm sorry." She muttered in a hurry and sped past the man into the hall at the far end of the corridor.

Atticus Shane watched pleased, the brunette, her brown locks flying in the turbulent wind. Not a couple of days ago had he seen her at the Mystic Falls Public Library, yet here she was, assumingly a student where he was just visiting. He bent down to pick the sheet of paper that had slipped from her fingers.

Scratching the back of his head lazily, he scanned the document. It was her daily schedule.

"Arianna Griffiths." He read to himself, smiling. He turned one last time to look at the brunette before walking contentedly towards the common teacher's room.

Arianna shuffled through her papers, arranging and rearranging, searching tirelessly. How could she possibly be so irresponsible? She remembered having run back to her apartment only for it and yet here she was, searching for the single piece of paper. "You cannot be serious." She muttered to herself. It would warrant another visit to the university office which was a long way off where her classes were held. She felt tired, lethargic even to so much as push herself from the chair she was comfortably seated in. "Oh come on now."

Finally she gave up. Arianna had lost her class schedule and now did not know what she had signed up for next. She sighed defeated, her fingers massaging the temples of her head. The untimely hour at which she had awoken and deficiency of breakfast diet in her stomach made her feel queasy.

Collecting the remnants of her belongings, Arianna headed to the cafeteria where she bought a cup of coffee and a sandwich and chose an empty table against the huge glass windows. The vibrating cellphone in her trousers demanded her attention.

She had a couple of unread messages.

The first one was from Melanie. She really had missed her friend. She pressed the button. "Day 7: I'm back doing what I do best."

She laughed at a heroic picture of Melanie's bogus attempt at strangulating Damon whose expressions were slightly more exaggerated to give the picture its dramatic effect. Melanie's recovery had been suspiciously early and beyond any explanation that science could offer, Arianna however thought it better not to question and was simply thankful that she was in a better state of health.

She scrolled to read the other messages.

'She's forcing me to go to some shit fundraiser. I'm not. You handle her.' It was her disgruntled brother complaining about their mother. Arianna sighed. Well the least she could be happy about was the fact that they were at talking terms and Nate felt comfortable enough to whine about things before her. It had taken a lot of mutual effort to regain eachother's trust and she was determined to only develop on it as the days passed by.

"Can I join you?" an unfamiliar feminine voice shook her out of her arbitrary musing. Arianna looked at the slender girl with brunette hair and mischievous brown eyes, a slight smile gracing her lips. She reciprocated, "sure. Help yourself!"

The brunette pulled the chair and made herself comfortable. "So, you're new around here?" she asked casually.

"Yeah. Just attending a program this place offers." Arianna put her cell-phone away giving her guest her full attention. "What about you?"

"Oh… I'm just visiting.. A guy I know." Her words were filled with a strange uncertainty, as if she was contemplating a million times before establishing a relationship, before speaking more than required.

"So you're not from Denver then?" The brunette swiftly changed the topic of conversation.

"Nope. And by the looks of it, neither are you." Arianna stated firmly, a triumphant smirk playing on her lips.

"I'm Hayley by the way." The brunette smiled; playfulness persistent in her features. "Arianna."

The shrill electric bell rang in the corner. Arianna began to gather her things. "So… what class you got now?" Hayley asked, her hands in her pockets.

"Umm, I really don't know. Lost my schedule so I guess I'm just going to go and walk into the first class I think is interesting." The two brunettes walked to corridor absentmindedly.

"Great, I think you should come with me then." Hayley led the way implying Arianna to follow.

"And where is it that we're going?" she called after Hayley.

"You'll see."

Arianna paused before walking into the hall where Hayley had disappeared. "Occults Art – Prof. Atticus Shane." It read. She looked at it skeptically for a moment before shaking her head in disbelieving amusement and hurried in to find Hayley. She was seated right in the middle of a commotion-filled lot of students. The man at the head of the class was fidgeting with the laptop placed before him, configuring it with the projector. The moment her eyes caught Arianna's form, she waved enthusiastically, calling her over.

"Occults, really?" she had the playful tone of one being deceived into doing something they wouldn't have done otherwise, in their senses.

"You'll see." Hayley's eyes were fixed on the tall frame of the man at the head of the class. Arianna's eye followed hers and that was when recognition blossomed in her eyes, her mind could recall their prior acquaintance.

The man had the familiar brown curly hair, an angular jawline, the familiar frame and the unmistakable twinkling eyes. He was the man she'd met at the library not a couple of days ago and just when she thought her staring wasn't too obvious, he looked up from his laptop and straight at her.

At the end of his lecture when he was beginning to collect his belongings, he felt a pair of eyes trained on him. He knew she was watching, he knew she recognized him and truthfully was quite fascinated by her. He continued nonetheless as she continued to watch him.

Arianna watched the little confrontation between Hayley and the professor. It appeared they couldn't quite come to a consensus on a particular subject leaving a very miffed Hayley who decidedly stomped out of the class. The large room was beginning to clear out as the students dispersed for the day in batches.

The man with the curly hair and twinkling eyes had been quick to catch her interest. He spoke of the occult, he spoke of the paranormal and what she experienced on a daily basis wasn't quite the normal. It was only obvious she'd have come across one like him. She made a mental note to thank Hayley later, for now she decided to make quick introductions.

She walked towards his table, standing before him. "Professor." He looked at her pointedly, as if he was expecting her to be right there at that very moment.

"Ms. Griffiths." His eyes sparkled with sincerity and excitement, he extended his hand. She didn't quite know how he knew her name but she was going to find out. She took his hand when her eyes fell on a scattered piece of paper sticking out of his folder on his desk. It was her class schedule.

"You have something of mine." She smiled, pointing at his folder.

"Oh. Yes, I do." Shane shuffled through his folder quickly retrieving the document. "You dropped it when you were running late for class this morning." He explained. Arianna's eyes widened. She had been rather clumsy and was hoping that wasn't an impression that would last a lifetime.

"That was you?" he laughed at her scandalized expression freely as they walked on the corridor. "Yeah."

"So you're profess Occult Art?" she questioned him deliberately. Even though her mind was inquisitive, she knew better than giving herself away. He looked at her, a sudden shift in his features but a façade still covering them. "Yes, I do."

"Do you truly believe in them though?" she shrugged nonchalantly. "Who knows, I'm always curious."

"You know what they say about curiosity-" she couldn't help but speak but stopped midsentence when realization dawned upon her. Shane obviously noticed her apparent shift in demeanor. "You alright there?" he asked, concerned. When she didn't respond, he shook her slightly. She gasped, shaking out of her trance before the nightmare would descend upon her. It had been a week since and fortunately she hadn't had one of her episodes yet or her… nightmares. Kol and Rebekah and Mystic Falls had all been but a bad nightmare. "I'm good… I need to… I'll get going." She muttered, slightly out of breath.

"You don't look so well." He persisted. Arianna noticed a fleck of concern in his warm eyes feeling slightly unsteady. She didn't know him yet, couldn't help but wonder why he was being so friendly. He looked at her with familiarity though. "Is there anything you want to talk to me about?" he asked, noticing her guarded expression. She knew she was better off walking away, under normal circumstances she would have even, what was it that was holding her firmly in place now, in the midst of a crowded college corridor.

She decided against voicing her thoughts, "what were you doing in the library?" she asked reminiscing their first encounter.

"I'm sorry, what?" he was taken aback with the haphazard context of her question.

"I saw you at the library a week back. What were you doing in Mystic Falls?" she asked him again and noticed the sudden twitch in his jaw. He was hiding something too. "Is there something you want to talk to me about?" she was using his words on him and he was quick to notice that. She was challenging him, but he was a different player. Unlike Kol, he knew when to yield and when not to.

"How about we get some coffee first."

Arianna smiled slightly at his directness. She didn't know him and she certainly wasn't going to encourage him. He was a professor and she a student, it would only lead to complications. She debated with herself. She didn't want more complications in her life than already present.

"I don't like coffee." She walked away, the smile not once leaving her face.

Shane's eyes trailed the form of the young brunette, his mind racing with curiosity, always inquisitive. He was certainly going to pursue her. All he had to do was wait, and patience was a virtue he had come to learn over a period of time.

Arianna made herself comfortable at the bar stool. Hayley and she had exchanged numbers and she was to meet her at the bar that night. The prospect of getting out on campus and meeting people always seemed to brighten her mood.

She checked her phone impatiently hoping to receive some news from Hayley but to no avail.

Kol had spotted her the moment she had walked in however. The scent of her, the aroma of her blood had been unmistakable. It appeared to him that she was calling out to him. What other explanation was there for her showing up everywhere he went. He had known she'd be headed to Denver soon and was only too pleased to see her here. He felt obliged to make his presence known to her but just when he was beginning to walk in her direction, a young man not much older than her was already leading her to the dance floor.

Kol certainly wasn't too happy about it.

I'm all too eager to hear your thoughts on this one. Please be kind as you always have been.

And also - Thank you for the 100. I love you guys!