Note: I do not own TWD or TVD… just having fun.

Chapter Song:

Natalie Walker – Urban Walker

Scene: Chicago O'Hare Airport

James Morrison ft. Nelly Furtado – Broken Strings

Scene: Damon and Maggie

The Civil Wars – Falling

Scene: Damon and Elena

Chapter Fifty-two

Deciding to be a little bold, Maggie reached a hand across to his, slipping it in between them to lace her fingers the closest one. The action broke Kol from his thoughts and he looked down at the gesture a moment before up at Maggie. It was the first affectionate one in front of her family. He gave her fingers a brief squeeze before removing his hand, rather quickly.

Maggie's grin dropped into her biting her lower lip. At least until she felt his arm reached behind him and the hand go to her hip, pulling Maggie into his side contently.


Maggie's mind was swirling as she got ready for bed that evening. She stood in the bathroom brushing her teeth, much longer than she actually needed to. Through the open doorway, she sensed Kol moving about in the bedroom area. He was already changed. One of the first questions she asked him when they got in the door, like every other night during the past week was whether or not he was staying in the night. So far, he had yet to say no.

Her thoughts were still back to the picnic and the Originals interacting with her family. Other than her blood incident, the fact there was no major fights or death threats still threw her. She thought back to the way Kol talked to Daryl and the others. It seemed almost natural and that stunned her, in an alarmingly frightening sort of way.

It wasn't like she came there and flaunted her relationship with Kol to everyone. But at the same time, she noticed the distinct way that no one really asked what he was to her. Only Rick even asked why he was there. She knew better at this point to chalk that up as coincidence. The only person to say anything about it to her was Beth and even that was subtle.

Her little sister had been sitting next to her and simply scrunched her nose up in confusion. Her eyes were on Kol when she murmured, "I don't understand what happened… when you said you were bringing someone, I just thought it would be Damon."

Maggie choked on her drink quite a bit before she recovered from that one. Of course, she felt a little guilty about it. To Beth, she could see how it looked like her and Damon were going to get together for a while. She was probably one of the few people cheering in Damon's corner through all this.

But everyone else's silence was some sort of quiet acceptance of Maggie being there with the Originals.

Maggie shook her head of those thoughts as she finished rinsing and stepped out of the bathroom. Her eyes found Kol already in bed, lying on his back. He had one hand tucked behind his head while his right was held in front of his face. He absently flexed his fingers, staring at his wrist thoughtfully. Hearing Maggie close the door behind her, he dropped his hand and looked over at her.

He smirked slightly at her choice of bed wear, one of his shirts which was large on her frame and hung to her mid-thighs. His eyes followed her while Maggie went to turn out the last light in the apartment before making her way over to the bed and slipping under the covers.

Maggie's eyes adjusted to the darkness quickly and at first she remained on her side of the bed. But she felt Kol's gaze on her and turned her head. He still kept his hands tucked behind his head casually and quirked an expectant eyebrow, flickering his eyes down at himself briefly.

Maggie snorted, catching the hint. She shuffled over the bed to curl into his side. She draped one arm across his chest and the hand tucked under his head came down to wrap around her in the process. Maggie tucked her cheek against his shoulder. Another habit she noticed from Kol being around so much lately is his tendency to shed his shirt in the comfort of his own home. It wasn't one she was entirely opposed to either.

She ran her fingertips lightly over his chest while she settled down under the covers for a few minutes. The action was eventually stopped by Kol clasping his hand over hers. "Thank you for coming today," Maggie murmured quietly, while she felt tired, her mind wasn't ready for sleep just yet.

She felt the rumble of a chuckle through his chest. "You need to stop doing that, darling," His tone was teasing, but she could sense a slight edge.

Maggie blinked in confusion, "Doing what?"

"Thanking me for doing things I would have done anyway," Kol retorted, letting the hand wrapped around her run idly up and down her side as he spoke.

Maggie rolled her eyes, but smiled despite herself anyway. "Right, because doing decent things might ruin your reputation if other people notice," Maggie muttered sarcastically, remembering his words at the waterfall.

"Precisely," Kol grinned while relaxing and closing his eyes.

Even though she closed her eyes and tried to sleep, Maggie felt the time starting to slip away. Kol remained still underneath her. His chest didn't even rise and fall when he slept, she noticed, probably having been long past the habitual human instinct. It made it really hard to tell when he was awake or when he was asleep when he had his eyes closed.

With a soft sigh in the darkness, she shifted her head slightly, trying to get more comfortable.

"Can't sleep?" Kol whispered, almost startling Maggie, without even opening his eyes. He could feel her restlessness in the slight shifts of her body against his. Maggie simply shook her head a little against his shoulder.

"Me either," He smirked. In truth his thoughts had been back on the picnic and among other things from the past.

"What were you thinking about?" Maggie asked innocently, knowing her concerning conversation with Elijah was the main reason for her restlessness. She still had to figure out when to tell Kol about it. Seeing the way he got along with her family made it more complicated. What if he didn't react well?

"You," The one word sent a chill down Maggie's spine. It wasn't accusing, but meaningful in ways she didn't fully comprehend.

"Really?" Maggie questioned, the tone imploring to know exactly what. Kol lacked his usual smirk and cheek when he said it. She doubted there was some underline sexual suggestion to it, which left a number of other possibilities.

"Mhmm," He murmured and paused to clear his throat before proceeding, "I was thinking about the first time I saw you."

Maggie bit her lower lip, keeping her head tucked against his shoulder. It was easier not to get lost in his eyes and his lips if she wasn't directly looking at them. "When I ran into you after stomping off like an idiot?" Maggie clarified in a bemused tone.

"Try about a year earlier than that, love," Kol's grin grew broad, staring up at the ceiling of the apartment.

At that, Maggie's head shot up quickly and she pushed herself up on her side to look at him fully. "What?" She mumbled in sudden alarm.

Kol's eyes flickered with amusement when they met her frantic wide emeralds. "You don't remember?" He teased her lightly. The hand over hers on his chest moved to touch her cheek. Maggie remained stiffly still staring down at him, completely unsure how to react to that. She shook her head rigidly once.

"I'll show you, just close your eyes and relax," He whispered out gently and used the hand on her cheek to prompt her to lie back down. Maggie felt her heart pounding, but complied anyway.

How was she supposed to relax after saying something like that? Even with that, she barely closed her eyes before she felt her world slip away from her fingertips.


Maggie shook her head, chasing away the dizziness from her eyes. However, that was soon replaced by confusion when she realized she was standing up and moving. She was leaning back against a glass handrail of a moving walkway. Looking down at herself, she was relieved to see that she had normal clothing at least, some jeans and one of her dark shirts.

She looked off the walkway to see people moving about, many with suitcases or rolling luggage bags. She frowned, trying to get a good look at some of them but having difficulty. Naturally on the moving walk way, they passed by in a blur. It was dark and her natural instinct told her that she was underground. Most of the lights came from the zig zag design of bright LED lights overhead. It took her a moment to remember where she had seen this place before.

"O'Hare?" Maggie muttered, remembering the name of the Chicago airport. They were under the tarmac going into a different concourse right now.

"Yep, Chicago O'Hare," Kol's voice interrupted her thoughts and Maggie whirled around to see him leaning on the opposite handrail next to her. Like she, he was dressed in some of his usual casual clothes sans his jacket.

"You've been here before?" Maggie asked dubiously. She was pretty sure airports were among the things that weren't around at the turn of the twentieth century.

"Just once before," Kol answered simply and turned towards where the walkway was heading. He leaned one elbow against the hand railing and made no move to hurry. Maggie followed his gaze, noticing the brightness of the lights at the end, where the stairs led upwards. She noticed the large overhead signs that indicated they were heading towards Concourse B.

She frowned slightly in thought, remembering most of her flights back home came out of Concourse C and B, mostly domestic eastern flights.

Kol sighed and muttered sarcastically, "Compel yourself into first class. It's easy, I do it all the time, he said."

"What was that?" Maggie quirked an eyebrow him, taking her eyes off the end of the walkway.

Kol ran a hand through his hair, ruffling some of the locks before going on to explain. "Niklaus booked my first flight out from Mystic Falls, but I had to last minute book the return trip. I was put on standby, but I managed to get a seat anyway," He offered an arm out to her while he stepped off the walkway.

Maggie took the offer and nodded along while listening to his story. "So I got on the plane and found out they put me in economy," His nose wrinkled up in disgust at the word. Maggie bit back a smile and refrained from telling him that's how most normal people travelled. "Niklaus said just to compel myself into business class if I didn't like it."

It seemed simple in theory, but Klaus also failed to mention he was going through one of the most trafficked airports on a frequented connecting flight that was usually booked full. "I compelled the steward to allow me to sit in a business class seat," Kol continued and Maggie grinned knowingly, having a feeling it wouldn't go well at this point. "But then this stuffy pig boarded, demanding his seat," Kol recounted, remembering how the gentlemen had been waving his ticket to prove it. "Saying something about being a Mileage Plus member and what have you." Like Kol had any idea what that was.

"He started throwing a fit, which drew the attention of security and I think an Air Marshal is what they called it," Kol scrunched up his nose, still unfamiliar with all the terms being thrown around that day. "I thought, I would just compel security to get rid of him and problem solved." How hard could it be to escort one man off a plane, after all?

Maggie pressed her lips tightly together while picturing this playing out in her mind, trying not to laugh at the mental image. She remained by his side while the two ascended the stairs.

"But no, that just drew more of those guards or air police," Kol cocked his head slightly, trying to think of the right name and remembering quite the disturbance it had caused at that point.

"You mean TSA agents?" Maggie supplied for him.

"Yes, that!" Kol perked up slightly and cleared his throat to continue on, "They wanted statements and had all these silly policies," He waved his hand dismissively. The agents had been citing all these fines and consequences for simple things such as being too loud or delaying the plane boarding process.

"So I had to compel the bloke whose seat I took, most of the flight crew and the people in business class who saw all this. Then the agents that removed the man from the plane, and then I had to compel the attendant to let me talk to the pilot to compel him to come up with an excuse for the delay to flight control that would still let the plane take off," Kol rattled off and finished exasperatedly when he ran out of breath.

They reached the top of the stairs and stepped out into Concourse B. By the end of Kol's story, Maggie was shaking her head and laughing. Yeah, compel your way into first class, it's not as easy as it sounds.

"All that trouble for a little extra legroom," Maggie teased lightly while her eyes darted about the terminal. She couldn't help but be amazed how realistic everything seemed. She could see the sunlight filtering through the glass panels overhead and the steel structure. The rolling of wheels against the floor and chattering on cell phones was louder than she recalled with her new senses. She could even pick out the certain flavors of pretzels and fried food from the concession stands along the way. None of the people took any notice of them, but whether that was the usual traveler attitude or because of the dream she didn't know.

Kol shrugged nonchalantly and a smirk grew on his face as he thought about it. "I suspect Niklaus was still sour I put wolfsbane in his paints before I left Mystic Falls," He added, thinking how bored he had been at the mansion during the day there.

Maggie noted they were walking past Gate B6 before turning her head to look at him again. His hair seemed a much lighter brown shade in the direct sunlight. He didn't seem nearly as menacing with the lazy contentment in his eyes. "And you remember all this from one visit?" She marveled in the recounting details of the dream. Everything was there, the workers cleaning up garbage disposals down to the screens full of arrivals and departures.

Kol shook his head, answering lightly, "Nope, I'm pulling this mostly from your subconscious at the moment."

Maggie's eyebrows rose impressed at that. She knew her dream manipulation had been uncontrollable and inexperienced. She couldn't produce anything with such clarity as this. But she figured, his age and experience played more into this than anything else. Even Damon's she had only see her and Damon in, she wondered if he could produce a large crowd like this.

Maggie remained in humble silence while they walked. Her hand kept a grim grip on his upper arm and she hovered close to him, mostly having to avoid colliding with the people walking by.

A few minutes passed before he turned and announced abruptly, "Ah, here we are."

Maggie stopped with him and her eyes traveled up automatically to the gate sign. They froze there when she saw "B12" staring back at her. That was when she got the tickling sensation at the back of her neck. It was like an odd sense of déjà vu but she wasn't quite convinced that's what it was.

At least, she wasn't until they stepped forward and Maggie saw the attendant counter. Next to the line for the gate, there was a row of chairs on either side. The numbers flashing on the television screen above the attendant counter completely stole Maggie's attention as she put it together quickly.

Looking to the row of blue chairs immediately next to gate line, Maggie spotted an eerily familiar brunette. Familiar, as in identical down to the short haircut and the baggy Northwestern sweatshirt with the black laptop bag at her feet. Her head was turned away, talking away on a cell phone, but Maggie knew who it was.

"That was you!" Maggie gasped, turning to Kol when it all came together. "You were the reason that flight from Denver was delayed?"

Kol grinned and shrugged his shoulders. "Oops," He claimed in a remorseless tone.

"Come on," He urged forward and moved to take a seat in the row opposite from the past version of Maggie. Whether it was a coincidence there was two open seats or just the dream manipulation, Maggie wasn't sure but followed after Kol. He lounged back in the seat with an arm across the back of Maggie's. For a long while, Maggie was silent as she watched her younger self. It wasn't unnerving, because it looked exactly like her, but that girl was so much different than the one today.

Her cheeks were a little rounder and skin a little paler from spending hours in college classrooms, instead of outside on the run from walkers. She wasn't as bitter about the world, but she had that scowl on her face that would become almost permanent over the next year. The scowl that had only recently started to fade. As Maggie sat, the memory of this came back to her and she knew that conversation she was having on the phone. Hershel was talking to her about what happened on the farm.

Maggie tore her eyes away from her and looked towards the double doors that were being propped open by the United Airline employee. She could already hear the footsteps of the passengers deboarding the plane at the bottom of the ramp.

"It took me the longest time to recall why your face seemed familiar to me," Kol murmured quietly and enjoyed the way Maggie sat up stiffer, watching the first passengers appearing in the hallway. Maggie nodded and didn't say anything, watching for the earlier version of Kol to appear. The tickling feeling at the back of her neck grew, she knew what was going to happen next, but she had to see it.

Maggie heard his voice before she saw him. He was snapping at someone on the cell phone about his neck getting broken by Damon before they took off with Jeremy. It took a moment before Maggie could faintly make out Klaus' voice on the other side of the line, thanks to her vampire hearing.

The past Kol emerged from the walkway with brisk steps and irritation radiating off his shoulders. Apparently the flight and confusing take off had done nothing to help alleviate the tension from the fiasco in Denver. He was wearing the same black jacket that Maggie kept from Kol.

Maggie eyes darted to her younger self and she knew right away what to expect. She wasn't even looking up, completely engrossed in her conversation, like many people did those days. She barely saw Kol's sneakers as he walked by. It was what she said next that stopped him dead in his tracks.

It was that moment gushy high school teenagers imagine the love of their life would stop and instantly know the moment they spotted the one. Like some trashy romance novel.

But no, reality didn't quite work like that.

"What do you mean he bit Shawn?" The younger Maggie hissed lowly into her phone, causing the past Kol to nearly trip over his feet.

Even though the vampire had walked right past her and now was a good ten yards away from Maggie, he heard and turned on his feet. His eyes sharpened quickly on the source of a phrase so commonly referred to vampires. He kept the phone to his ear while Klaus continued to yap away, but he studied the woman that had her body half turned away from him.

The real Maggie smirked slightly. To any stranger, it looked like he was completely gawking, but now she knew he was just listening to her conversation. She didn't need to listen to recall how Hershel had explained one of Shawn's friends turned and he got bit in the process.

"Are you going to take him to the hospital?" Her younger self asked her father over the phone, her eyes trained on the floor.

Maggie remembered the answer being no before Hershel said it. He was stubborn and believed that he could treat Shawn just fine without paying ridiculous hospitals bills. Besides he claimed, they hadn't heard anything about one of the neighbors that disappeared earlier that morning. Maggie knew later that night Shawn would bite Annette when he turned before Maggie even got home.

While Hershel was explaining all that, the younger Maggie's gaze moved along the floor and she looked up. She remembered the feeling of being watched in that moment. When her gaze moved up, she caught Kol staring blatantly at her.

Her eyes flickered up and down Kol quickly before mustering up what Maggie could only describe as her best, "What the hell are you looking at?" glare.

And just like that, Maggie looked away from Kol dismissively. The vampire in question looked a bit startled by the glare, shaking his head briefly and turning away. It was almost in, dare she say, embarrassment at being caught.

"I think it's spreading, Niklaus," The earlier Kol murmured lowly into the phone and picked up his steps quickly to head off towards his next gate. Maggie faintly caught something about Klaus saying he wouldn't be surprised if the FAA grounded flights in the next 48 hours.

"You were so unimpressed," The real Kol commented next to Maggie, reminding her that he was still there through all of this. There was a slight dejected tone to his voice. Maggie turned to him and swore she caught a bit of a pout too.

That sent her over the edge, she started to laugh and shook her head. "I'm sorry. Hot random stranger or not, you were staring like a complete creep, Kol," Maggie teased him lightly. While it was eerie to watch her memories play out before her and the nature of the conversation on the phone was heavy, it didn't weigh her down as much now. She had replayed that conversation so many times in her head before, but never really cued into the fact that was Kol.

Kol just shrugged and grinned, watching the way Maggie laughed until she finally settled down. She shook her head in disbelief, only barely paying attention to the past version of her shelf.

"So just like that," Maggie commented, thinking how simple and almost normal it was. Almost, because it looked that way on the surface, but the truth was totally different. If it Kol hadn't tried to compel that man, the gate never would have been changed and they never would have saw each other.

"What would you have done if you knew I was the doppelganger then?" Maggie asked Kol curiously, remembering how he had no idea what Rose looked like. That was the only reason he just kept walking, she figured.

"Oh, I would've found your home in eight hours tops," Kol answered quickly and confidently.

"Really?" Maggie scoffed, "How?" He could tell that just from one look?

Kol snickered at her alarm, but explained frankly anyway. "Well, first I would compel one of these other passengers to give me their ticket to get to Atlanta," He gestured towards the other people sitting around them, but Maggie didn't take her eyes off Kol. "Then I would've compelled an attendant for the flight manifesto to get all the passenger information. After that I would go to the nearest Department of Motor Vehicles office and cross check the address with the photographs and birthdates…"

"And you would know where I live, when I was born, and who I am just like that," Maggie finished for him, nodding in numb understanding of just how resourceful being a vampire could be. It was unnerving really. "I would be dead by dinner," She muttered under her breath, glancing towards the innocent recollection of her younger self.

"Maybe, maybe not," Kol admitted, but his tone was leaning more towards the latter.

Maggie looked back him sharply, imploring at the ambiguity.

"I spent five hundred years chasing an idea, not a specific person or face. An idea I have yet to fully come to understand," Kol said. He had years of contemplating what that idea could be, but the truth was he never knew for sure. Just like he wondered what that face would be when he met it, but he didn't know until now. "I didn't kill you now, who's the say that I would've killed you that time?"

Maggie nodded, taking a deep breath and frowning thoughtfully while she considered his rational.

But apparently Kol wasn't done speaking. "And maybe if this didn't happen…" His eyes flickered down between them, referring to the present. "I was doing sweeps through the east coast, I would've eventually found that prison if Damon hadn't found you. Or if this plague hadn't occurred and Elijah came for you, he would've asked me to help hide you from Klaus."

"What are you trying to say, Kol?" Maggie's head began to spin from all the possible scenarios that had one common variable.

Kol leaned forward to her and raised his hand, not the one the back of the chair, to her cheek. "What I'm saying is that," His tone softened and she felt the back of his knuckles brush against her skin, "in some capacity or another, you and I were unavoidable."

Maggie swallowed thickly, feeling a chill go down her spine from that last word. She wasn't one for believing in fate, but when he put it like that it made you stop and think. "Doesn't that scare you?" She asked in a quiet whisper, thinking more of how she felt about it.

"I was terrified at first," Kol admitted bluntly in a rare moment of honesty before a smirk took over. "But I spent centuries chasing an idea and when I gave up looking for it, that's when I found you. After living for as long as I have, there are only a few things I have faith left in and one of them is that things happen for a reason," His hand turned to cup her cheek gently as he spoke.

The knot in Maggie's stomach was only a little alleviated by the soothing touch. She remained captivated under his gaze while she hung onto each word. The adoration in his eyes struck her the most and it took Maggie a long while to realize that he was waiting for her to say something.

She let out a breathless chuckle, almost squirming under the tension. "You were right, you don't play fairly," Maggie mimicked his earlier words while the one on her mind wouldn't shake away.

Kol just grinned broadly at her.


Maggie stirred in bed with a yawn. She stretched her limps out like a gingerly feline under the covers. Turning over on her side, she noticed that Kol was already up and out of bed. That didn't really surprise her and she wondered how he could be such an earlier riser. She settled down a moment, thinking back to the dream she just had. It seemed so surreal to be sitting with Kol in a busy airport talking about fate. But she knew the words they exchanged were real.

She heard the refrigerator door open from the kitchen. Pulling the covers aside, Maggie climbed out of bed and headed towards the noise. She came into the room to find Kol putting a blood bag in the microwave for a few minutes. At least it wasn't any eggs this time, Maggie thought to herself.

She swiftly approached him once her groggy mind caught up with the fact she had the real version in front of her and not a dream. The microwave hummed to life and Kol turned around, sensing someone stirring in the apartment to find Maggie right behind him. He smirked at her and opened his mouth to say something but was cut off by her lips on his.

Her hands went to his cheeks, sliding back into his hairline while his hands caught her hips. Kol recovered from his surprise quickly and hummed against her lips in approval before using his tongue to part hers. Feeling his resolve to stick to his resolution begin to waver, Kol had to ease back from the kiss as the last seconds ticked down on the microwave. He couldn't think about just how thin the fabric of that shirt actually was and how easy it would be to tear it away.

"Mmm, I should share dreams more often if this is the response I get," Kol greeted her in a teasing tone while the microwave beeped behind him.

Maggie scrunched her nose up slightly and pulled her hands back to swat him lightly in the chest. "Stop," She chastised but ended up grinning anyway. She stepped away to let him turn around and retrieve his blood bag. She slid into one of the island bar stools while she watched him pop the cap off the bag. Idly, she made a mental note to track down some coffee beans. She could use a little caffeine boost in the morning.

"I won't be able to train with you today. I need to get out of Mystic Falls for a bit," Kol announced seriously after downing half the bag.

"Get out of Mystic Falls?" Maggie questioned his word choice immediately, sitting more upright in the chair.

Kol nodded and gestured down to the blood bag in his hand. "I need to hunt something fresher," He explained without saying he also needed a chance to clear his head.

Maggie had to bite back the natural instinct to ask if she could go with him. But it caught up with her how morbid that would seem. It wasn't like he was going to be hunting deer and she didn't have a direct need for it.

"Right, because you're drinking for two now," Maggie smirked, taunting him return for the comment he made about vampire hormones on the road to Georgia.

Kol shot her a rueful look.


Maggie found her cup of coffee later that morning at the Mikaelson mansion. Taking advantage of the warm morning air, she sat out on the back patio in the chair of a small dinette set. She slipped one the hot liquid, noting how strong the coffee bean flavor was on her senses while Elijah sat across from her. Kol left shortly after morning conversation. She knew he didn't particularly like the idea of her being alone with Elijah, but she had to keep him updated to keep up her end of the deal she made.

Elijah had his suit jacket draped on the back his seat and the sleeves of his shirt rolled up to his elbows. It was the most dressed down she had yet to see him, which made him seem a little more human in her eyes. He took a sip of his own coffee.

"This is the first human craving I've had," Maggie declared with her sudden realization. Sure, alcohol had been her go to on several occasions, but it wasn't for the flavor.

Elijah nodded understandingly, "Your body must be finally adjusting." He had to admit that it seemed unnerving to him still that a vampire was feeding regularly on other vampires, but he was learning that Mystic Falls caused him to doubt what could be impossible.

Maggie kept her fingers wrapped around the warm ceramic and shrugged. "I suppose, I haven't had a blackout in a week," She commented, thinking since she started drinking Kol's blood.

"I suspect that has more to do that has more to do with Kol's lessons," Elijah smirked faintly at the last word. The first time he heard Maggie getting thrown into a wall, he thought that Kol was legitimately torturing her.

"Probably," Maggie agreed, grinning behind her coffee cup before taking another sip.

She set her cup back down on the table while silence settled over them. She had to admit she wasn't as nervous around him this time, as long as he didn't decide to bring up the past. To avoid that, Maggie thought about something else on her mind and took the opportunity.

"May I ask you something, Elijah?" Maggie cleared her throat. The Original quirked an eyebrow for her to proceed, choosing not to point out the fact she just did. "Does the term claiming have a special meaning?"

Elijah's eyes widened fractionally before taking the time to sip his beverage and putting it down on the table, collecting his thoughts. "Claiming is an old vampiric term. It's an intimate exchange that marks a vampire belonging to another and vice versa," Elijah explained, if he was uncomfortable by the topic he did a good job of hiding it. "Some younger vampires may not be as familiar with the practice and while it discourages other suitors, it might not stop more persistent ones."

Maggie bit her lip, unable to help equating the way he described that to marriage practices. She thought of wedding rings and how that deterred most men, but sometimes a gold band wasn't enough. That sounded like a very serious commitment and she wasn't sure how she felt about that. The use of the word persistent caught her attention, too. "Persistent… you mean vampires like Damon?" Maggie questioned carefully.

Elijah nodded, but didn't say anything because he was thinking her question actually narrowed down who brought up the claiming term without him asking.

Maggie shifted upright in her seat a bit, not entirely sure how much she wanted to have this conversation but she did start it after all. "How exactly does that work?" She asked, rubbing one hand against the back of her neck as she did.

Elijah leaned back on his seat, folding his hands lightly in his lap, seeming to be perfectly at ease still. If anything, she picked up a hint of amusement at her discomfort. "It requires an exchange of blood from both parties, which can form a bond in rare instances. It takes several exchanges before it affects your scent," He gestured a hand casually as he spoke, waving it in the air. "Which is how other vampires know you're unavailable, so to speak. But I imagine that won't affect yours much more than it already has been," There was a definite smirk on his face as he finished this time.

"I smell different?!" Maggie's voice rose slightly, her eyes widening and she had to fight the natural instinct to turn her nose to sniff her shirt.

"Naturally, you've been drinking Kol's blood for a week now, have you not?" Elijah pointed out without needing the answer. Most vampires may not be familiar with Kol's scent, but he could smell his brother on her since the moment she walked in the door.

Elijah took Maggie's silence as confirmation. If she was still human, he was sure that her cheeks would be fire engine red at this point. "Why exactly do you ask about claiming, Ms. Greene?" He tilted his head slightly, choosing to remain focused on the facts of the situation.

Maggie delayed answering by taking a sip of her coffee, which was really more of a scalding gulp that burned her tongue. It healed quickly anyway. "Kol mentioned it… It's something he wants to do," Maggie fumbled with the proper usage of the term.

This time Elijah didn't bother hiding the way his expression fell into naked shock and wonder. His gaze moved away from Maggie, absently on the scenery and blinking quickly. Maggie's brow furrowed tightly, feeling a little unsettled at the eldest Original looking frankly… lost.

He often wondered how to get Kol to let his emotions back in and what type of man he would be when it happened. He didn't realize it was happening right under his nose. Kol had become so crafty at his deceptions it was hard to see the truth after all these centuries. But even Elijah had to recognize the gravity of claiming and the emotional attachment from both parties that comes with it.

"Elijah?" Maggie called to him gently.

Elijah snapped from his thoughts with a brief head shake. "My apologies…" He murmured halfheartedly before forcing his eyes back up to Maggie's gaze. He cleared his throat to explain his behavior, "Rebekah informed of her suspicions that Kol let his emotions back in. I just wasn't sure myself…" His voice trailed and the 'until now' was evident in his tone. His eyes wandered again and Maggie could tell he wasn't entirely seeing her at the moment.

Maggie ran her finger anxiously around the rim of her coffee cup, not entirely sure how to respond. It was harder because she couldn't read whether it was a positive or negative reaction from Elijah. But she gathered it was something he would have to work through on his own.

She glanced down at her cup, noticing the caramel liquid was almost gone. "I'll get us some more coffee," Maggie offered rising to her seat. Elijah gave the faintest numb nod and she reached forward for his cup as well. She stepped away towards the French doors to give the Original a few moments alone.


Kol didn't come back that night and Maggie didn't find him in the morning either. She couldn't hide that she had wished he had been there. A part of her had to acknowledge the fact she liked waking up to him being there. And it wasn't just for the blood bottles he left in the refrigerator either.

Maggie kept herself busy by working at the Grill and seeing Carol. She spent most of the time there recounting the family picnic and how things went for the vampire. Obviously Daryl wasn't as good at divulge details like female would be.

As the sun was setting in the town square, Maggie had found herself sitting on the table top of the wooden picnic she normally spent time at with Damon. She rubbed her hands together, not because she was cold, but from the anxiety. She had sent Jeremy home with a message to send to the eldest Salvatore. They needed to talk and she didn't want it to be at the boardinghouse where someone else would likely overhear.

The heels of her boots were tapping against the wood when the rumble of an engine cued the arrival of the blue Camaro. She watched the car pulling into one of the parking spots along the square, spotting the familiar head of raven hair. Maggie took a deep breath and forced her feet to stop while she watched Damon climb out of the car, sporting his usual black leather jacket.

"Hey," Maggie greeted quietly as Damon sauntered up with his hands stuffed idly in his pockets. She felt his piercing blue eyes dart over her and he pressed his lips tightly together, giving a nod of acknowledgement in return.

He moved to sit down next to her, but Maggie noticed he was careful to not actually touch her. "I haven't seen you around much lately," Maggie commented, trying to ignore the tension and put on a small reassuring grin.

Damon wasn't biting though. "You really find that surprising?" He retorted bluntly, his eyebrows rising a bit confrontationally.

Maggie's lips parted in surprise, but the words died in her throat. The last time she really got a chance to talk to him was at the birthday party and he wasn't exactly shy then.

Damon sized up her reaction quickly. "I take it Kol failed to mention I came by your apartment," He pointed out. His hands were clasped together as he leaned against his knees, trying to appear relaxed but his shoulders were rigid.

Maggie shook her head quickly, wondering when this had occurred and squirming in her seat. When did he come by? Was she there? What did Kol say to him? Whatever it had been, it obviously hadn't gone well if it kept Damon away all this time.

"I get it," Damon beat her to say anything, biting out the words bitterly. "He's helping you, which by the way you absolutely reek of him, but hey that's helping." He had to restrain himself from using air quotes with the sarcasm.

"Damon," Maggie sighed the name, trying not to wince from the storm brewing behind his eyes. "It wasn't like that…" Well, it was but she thought she deserved a chance to explain herself.

"Stop, Maggie," Damon cut her off sharply. "Whatever you're about to say next, think about it real carefully first," His tone was warning and Maggie could tell he reached his limit for dealing with BS.

Maggie opened and closed her mouth several times, feeling like a deer caught in headlights. Despite the attitude, she took a deep breath and shook her head, unable to come up with a direct response. "What do you want to know?" She asked quietly.

"The truth, Maggie," Damon demanded, calming his tone enough to keep it even. "Just the truth, no more lying or deflecting."

Maggie held her hands, one clasped over the fist of the other in front of her mouth. Her stomach knotted while she tried to think about how to word the truth, not wanting to give it away. But eventually she decided she had to treat it like a Band-Aid, there was no making this moment better and she wasn't the best with words to begin with.

"Fine," Maggie conceded, forcing her eyes to look back at Damon. "Kol's been staying at my apartment to help me with my control." Her hand moved to absently rub over her wrist while she added on, "And I've been drinking his blood. That's why you smell him."

Damon's head jerked back like if he had been slapped. Stun kept him from immediately responding, but he probed for more information anyway. Drinking blood was personal and every vampire knew that, which could only mean one thing. "And have you two been…" His question trailed, the snark dying in his throat because he wished he didn't actually have to ask.

"Damon, don't go there…" Maggie shook her head in a warning hesitant tone. She could feel the sting around her eyes, knowing it wouldn't do either of them any good to get into the gory details of everything. The hurt was evident in Damon's eyes no matter how much he tried to hide it.

Unfortunately, her warning was everything short of an admission.

Damon couldn't sit still next to her any longer, he rose to his feet and a hand tugged at the hair on the back of his head. "How long?" He shook his head in disbelief, wondering what point this had all started. Call it morbid, but he wanted to know the moment he had pushed her away to him while trying not to think about the pain in his chest this caused. "Were you planning on telling me at all?" He turned towards her at that.

"Damon, don't," Maggie shook her head defensively, "You can't go there when –"

She didn't answer how long because she didn't know herself. How was she supposed to explain that she had always noticed Kol?

"When I still love Elena, I get it. I know," Damon snapped out quickly, his hurt flaring into agitation quickly. He stepped up to her and Maggie remained seated, having to look up at him. "Here's the difference. I never lied to you about it. I told you from the beginning exactly what was going on. You know I'm trying to get over her and I gave you space, thinking you needed to get over Glenn and everything else."

Go figure, he thought bitterly, he tried not to be overbearing when it came to Maggie's emotions, letting her dictate the pace of their relationship… Just for all of that to blow up in his face.

Maggie bit her lip harshly to keep herself from saying anything, feeling the first tears pooling in her eyes at the raw emotion rolling off of him.

"You knew every moment exactly how I felt… And for what? Me to lose you to him anyway?" He doubted more to himself than Maggie, her shoulders sagging as he waved a hand in the air.

"That's the thing!" Maggie piped up suddenly, refusing to acknowledge the threat of the tears. "I'm not some competition, Damon. I'm not a prize to be won or fought over. This isn't a game."

"You don't think I know that, Maggie?" Damon retorted, his voice rising in ferocity. "It never was a game to me. I meant it when I said I love you, Maggie. But now I'm wondering did you mean it you said you love me?" He challenged her.

At that Maggie rose to her feet. "Of course, I love you," Maggie snapped out, refraining from throwing an insult at the stubborn jerk because when she went nose to nose she felt something deflate in her. The tears started to roll down her cheeks. She gave a shaky exhale, "But not in the way that you want me to."

The truth that she wouldn't openly acknowledge was out between them.

Maggie wrapped her arms tightly around herself, her gaze dropping to the ground. "I don't love you like that and you're right, I haven't been fair to you," She admitted shamefully. She couldn't force herself to fall for Damon and it wasn't happening. He was right after all, the heart wants what it wants.

It forced Damon to step back, almost like he took a physical blow. The anger was sapped out of him by the hurtful reality. His eyes dropped and head shook, as if trying not to accept what he heard and processing it at the same time.

The silence felt deafening to Maggie. She didn't bother wiping away the first tear that ran to her jawline. She didn't want to hurt him, but he was right. She couldn't go on with the lying and trying to deflect from the truth. She honestly wasn't the good guy at the end of the day. She lied and manipulated for her own means and that included people she cared about.

When Damon looked back up at Maggie, there was something defeated in his eyes and she hated knowing she put it there. "Let's just say," He began hypothetically, "if there wasn't Elena, Rose or Glenn… who would have you picked?" He couldn't help but wonder how different things would have been between them without those three blaring obstacles. Maybe she wouldn't even have gone to Kol at all.

Maggie cringed at the what-if question because it was honestly nothing more than that. "Damon, I can't answer that." She didn't want to rub salt into the wound, but she had to be fair. "Without them, we wouldn't be the people we are today. Don't ask me to pick like that."

Damon's nose scrunched up, his lips rolling over his cheek as he swallowed her answer. He just nodded and didn't say anything more, his throat was like sandpaper at that point.

He gave Maggie one more parting glance and before she could speak up, he turned his back and started walking towards the Camaro.

It'll always be Stefan and Kol was there.


Maggie tried to wipe away the tears and stop the sniffles when she cut the engine to her SUV. She had to pull it together for just a bit. She couldn't shake the hurt in Damon's eyes and the guilt that bubbled like a poisonous acid in her stomach.

She looked to the glow of the Mikaelson mansion, the light coming through the first floor windows. She used the collar of her shirt to wipe away the last tears and stepped out of the vehicle. A quick scan around and she noticed a lack of a particular silver Audi, but two other SUVs in the driveway. She approached the front door and figured to knock this time.

A minute later, the front door opened to reveal Rebekah. She cocked her head at Maggie's appearance, choosing not to comment on it and stating the obvious in her usual short tone, "Kol isn't back yet."

"I know," Maggie had to suppress the shudder going through her shoulders. "But I could use an evening of insensitivity and no one asking me what's wrong," She said in a hopeful tone, really looking at Rebekah.

The blonde narrowed her eyes on Maggie and folded her arms over her chest. Her curiosity was piqued, not for genuine concern over Maggie's state, but interest in what happened.

"Have you seen Nik's wine cellar?" Rebekah asked with a sly smirk while moving to open the door wider for Maggie.

Maggie gave her an appreciative, although pained, grin at the effort, moving to step inside. The last thing she wanted now was to talk about her feelings and how she felt about what just happened. Drinking the prized wine of the man she hated most seemed like a good way of avoiding that.


The stars seemed mockingly bright night. They were clear without any clouds to shadow them, staring down at Damon. He felt like he should shift his body to get rid of some of the discomfort, but he didn't. He just kept his hands on his stomach while the asphalt dug into his shoulder blades. Honestly, it was nothing compared to the war in his mind and the stabbing in his chest. But he didn't let that show other than the scowl on his face as he glared up at those mocking lights.

He didn't even bother turning his head for the pair of shoes echoing against the ground, approaching him. He recognized the stride and the scent before she reached him. The brunette cocked her head slightly at him and then looked around the empty forest surrounding them. "I hate to break it to you, but it's going to take a lot longer for a car to come around these days," She greeted him in a weak attempt at humor.

Damon just half shrugged, replying without hesitation. "I got all night," It wasn't like he was in a rush.

He sighed when she refused to go away and instead moved to lie down next to Damon, not quite shoulder to shoulder but mirroring his body positioning. "Find your own patch of pavement, I was here first," Damon snapped out at her childishly.

"If I recall correctly, I think technically I was first… calling for a ride home," Elena corrected him, finding it interesting of all the places that Damon chose to slip off to was the place of the conversation he compelled her to forget.

Damon quirked an eyebrow, but didn't respond. This road was dirt last time he was in Mystic Falls, so maybe that didn't quite count and in that case Elena would have him there.

"What are you doing here, Elena?" Damon questioned bluntly, the hint of aggravation in his tone. Maybe he should have just gone and pestered Alaric instead to have someone to drink with. It wasn't like he could just go to the Grill or break in, that's right Maggie worked there too.

"I just had a talk with Stefan," Elena stated with mixed feelings, fidgeting with her fingers as she did. Her straightened hair fanned out around her on the pavement. The Salvatore kept staring to the sky while Elena turned her head towards him.

Damon gave a shallow snort, asking in a tone lacking much emotion other than bitterness, "Yeah? And how did that go?" And the glutton for punishment of the year award goes to…

"I'm here instead of with him, aren't I?" Elena pointed out, her tone soft. It was a marveling contrast to the biting and harsh one he just had earlier with a different doppelganger. He couldn't let him turn to look at those brown eyes though.

"Why are you?" He frowned up at the constellation he was trying to focus more on than his own pain.

"Because I realized I should have made a choice a long time ago and I shouldn't keep holding onto something that isn't there anymore," Elena admitted, taking a moment to bite on her lip before letting out a deep breath and continuing, "Choosing Stefan had always been the safe option, but I was holding onto something that wasn't true. And you've always been there for me, through everything no matter what. Stefan… Human or vampire, everything."

Damon set his lips tightly together, his jaw twitching as he locked it to keep himself from saying anything. It was all things he had heard before since she transitioned and his resolve was beginning to wear down.

"But more importantly," Elena paused before voicing what she never got a chance to say before, "I love you, Damon."

Damon turned his head, allowing him to really look at Elena for the first time. His eyes grew wide while his lips formed an 'o' at shock from hearing the confession out right. For a long while, he just stared at her and Elena refused to flinch from his gaze, almost as if he was waiting for her to change her mind or take it back.

She loved him? She always tried to tell him that she had feelings, but it he just they were only stirrings and nothing substantial.

"God, I've wanted to hear you say that for so long," Damon sighed out in wonder and Elena started to give him a small grin. She was almost tempted to reach her hand out towards him.

But he broke his gaze by squeezing his eyes shut and turning his head back towards the sky. The wonderment melted away into a grimace instead.

He wanted her to say that, but she never did because it was always Stefan. And maybe if it wasn't Stefan anymore, that still left him second best to his brother. A familiar female voice nagged at the back of his mind, leaving him to wonder just how long it would be before he did something that would chase Elena right back to Stefan even if it was true.

He opened his eyes, those stars still flickered tauntingly at him. All of the sudden, his bones felt so heavy. And something was just so tiring by the whole situation. He could feel the way the Petrova woman next to him was staring with a mixture of apprehensive confusion.

"I love you, too," He whispered out, his voice being carried away the faint summer breeze in the air. He cleared his throat before speaking up firmly and looking Elena in the eye. "But if I choose you, then I'm going to lose Stefan," He admitted frankly.

Elena opened her mouth to protest, but she didn't know what to say. She felt like there was a possibility of rejection coming with that statement, but that was assuming Damon was going to the right thing. He always admitted to how he could try to the right thing, but he usually messed that up. And he said he loves her, that's something, right?

"And I already did that once before," He continued, ironically with the same face of a different woman, he thought. "But I can't make the same mistake again and lose my brother. I won't make that mistake again."

His brother had been the one constant in his eternity, but he couldn't jeopardize it again. Damon got up from the pavement in almost a blur. He had to get away. He didn't stick around long enough to see the tears forming in Elena's eyes.


Maggie was up in Rebekah's room when the Original was showing some of her clothing that she had brought over to the mansion. Most of it was from before she was daggered in the 20's and the clothes she bought prior to the outbreak. Maggie wasn't one to normally fuss over fashion, but with a glass of wine in one hand and needing a distraction she was open minded.

In the end, she was rather curious at the older fashion. She marveled at some of the designs, especially since the vampire could afford some of the finer materials and designs of the time. Maggie ran her fingers over some of the smooth fabric while Rebekah prattled on, rummaging through hangers briskly, when she heard the front door of the mansion open.

"It sounds like my brother is home," Rebekah commented absently while smoothing out some sequins on one dress.

Maggie sighed and knocked back the rest of her wine. Okay, it was quite old and vintage, blah, blah, blah but she really wasn't in a sipping it type of mood. She did at least give it a few conservative sips the first glass, but after that, she stopped caring.

"Oh Elijah, I really hope you're not back for another lecture on properly decanting wine," Maggie muttered dryly when she felt the senses at the back of her neck tipping her off that someone was approaching the bedroom. Her back was turned to the door. How she knew she figured had something to do with the heightened Original blood senses. She glanced at the wine glass in her hand, thinking the eldest Original meant well, but tonight was not the night.

"It sounds like the first one was dreadfully boring," The accented voice cut into the room.

Maggie nearly dropped her glass and turned on her heel to see Kol leaning against the doorway, his arms crossed and a smirk on his lips. She barely processed setting the glass down on the dresser by clothes before crossing the room and throwing her arms around Kol.

The Original stood up and easily caught her, quirking his eyebrows at the eagerness. He wrapped his arms around her tightly, holding her small frame against him and inhaled deeply. He ignored the way Rebekah narrowed her eyes thoughtfully at the couple, almost studying them.

Not that he wasn't relieved to see her, but he could tell something was off by how tightly she held onto him and the obvious fact she was drinking with Rebekah. He confirmed this when Maggie pulled back enough to look him in the eyes. He noted the puffiness around hers and frowned a little, "You've been crying." The statement came out imploringly while he reached one hand to brush against her cheek, almost out of habit at this point.

"Yeah," Maggie was a little startled by how quickly he picked up on it. "But I don't want to talk about it right now." And certainly not with prying ears around either.

Kol stroked his thumb back and forth against her skin a few moments while considering his answer. "Okay," He conceded in a gentle tone. He had just got home after all. Besides, he'd rather she came to him about it on her own.

Maggie kept her hands at Kol's shoulders, only dropping one to run down his chest, starting to feel a little better to just have him back. Briefly in the back of her mind, she wondered if it was okay to miss someone after just one day. She was even more appreciative of the fact he wasn't pushing the matter further.

"Is there something I can help you with, sister?" Kol's tone rose with impatience, but he didn't take his eyes off Maggie. The question was anything but friendly. He could feel the way Rebekah was almost gawking, her head tilted to the side slightly and her mouth hung open with sharp eyes.

Rebekah snapped out of it, almost literally perking up. "Oh good," She spoke mockingly, "I almost didn't recognize you, Kol, and mistook you for a sensitive sap."

Maggie pressed her lips together and bowed her slightly, knowing that Kol was shooting her a death glare in response.

"Go ahead and get ready for bed, darling," Kol murmured without taking his eyes off Rebekah. "I'll join you in a minute."

Not interested in arguing with that, Maggie nodded and slipped out from Kol's hands through the doorway, into the main hallway.

Once she was gone, Kol stepped into the room slowly and tucked his hands behind his back. He glared at Rebekah coldly and lowered his voice to a level appropriate to keep it between them, "Is there a problem, Bekah?"

The Original folded her arms and simply shrugged with a smug expression. "Not at all, I happen to like her," It was obvious he was referring to Maggie and Rebekah had to admit she was the only doppelganger she could stand. "And so does Elijah… But what are you going to do about, Nik?"

Kol relaxed fractionally at the apparent lack of actual confrontation between the two of them. He wasn't sure if she was going to let the emotions topic go, but he certainly wasn't going to instigate it. "I'll deal with him when the time comes," He stated dismissively and turned to head out of the bedroom as well.

Rebekah's voice stopped him at the entryway, "You know Nik isn't going to stay away for long, not when we're all here together in his house… and I'm sure he still wants to kill her." Even with Kol's message sent to him in New Orleans after the hybrid incident, she doubted her brother would handle being the one casted on the outside from what's left of his family for long.

Kol clenched his jaw and went still while choosing his words. He knew that Rebekah's threat was her backhanded way of showing she cared about him and by extension Maggie.

"If he raises a hand against her, it'll be a grave mistake," Kol declared ominously without turning back to look at Rebekah before slipping from sight.


The next morning, Maggie woke up in Kol's bed, tucked underneath the covers. To her surprise, she wasn't alone. Normally he rose before and she half expected to hear the shower running already. Instead, he was half propped against the headboard of his bed while she remained curled into his side. One arm held her to his side while his right hand remained free.

Maggie yawned and nuzzled her face against him before chasing away the sleepiness. She opened her eyes and was going to greet him good morning until she noticed what he was doing. He held his right hand in front of his face, which was pulled into a thoughtful expression. He repetitively flexed his fingers while staring at his wrist.

Maggie's brows furrowed, this wasn't the first time she caught him doing that. "Kol?" She questioned softly, aware that he knew she was awake, but he didn't move.

Hearing her voice, he stopped moving his fingers but kept staring at the faint blue spider work of veins beneath his skin. Hunting had been one of the lower priorities among the things he needed to do during that day. One of them had been to think with a clear head uninterrupted or distracted.

"Neurotoxins… some of them cause uncontrollable muscle contractions or fasciculation, even numbness or paralysis. Cardiotoxins can actually stop the heart. Hemotoxins destroy red blood cells. Some cytotoxins can rupture cell membranes," Kol rattled the terms off in an eerie calm and factual manner.

Maggie's eyes grew wide while her body became rigidly still, not entirely sure where this was going or what had brought it on. "Why are you telling me this?" Maggie asked softly.

"Because when you drank from me, my arm went numb," Kol let the hand finally fall to turn his head and look at Maggie sternly.

"You mean the night I died?" Maggie wanted to clarify, not entirely surprised since they had talked about it before.

Kol shook his head, "No, at the picnic."

At that, Maggie pushed herself up to a seating position to be at Kol's eyes level, staring at him in bewilderment. "What? I thought that was impossible… now that I'm a vampire," She nearly stuttered. Her blood and other doppelganger abilities were supposed to be useless now, right?

Kol inclined his head, but he didn't have a clear answer for her. Instead, he focused on what he did gather. "In theory, but I have to wonder… whatever neurotoxin venom may have, they all have the same goal," His gaze dropped while he logic through it, "Immobilization of their prey… Which seems like a peculiar adaptation for a vampire or a human to have, particularly one that targets vampires and not humans." He's seen her feed on humans before, they were definitely not experiencing what he was.

Maggie held her tongue while she thought about it. This was now the second time that Kol's arm had gone numb from her drinking directly from him. Once was as a human and now as a vampire. Naturally, her mind went back to the incident with Damon too. There was a voice in the back of her head whispering what the possible reason could be, but she didn't have enough reason to jump to conclusions and she honestly didn't want to assume it was that.

Kol shared the same level of contemplation and the bedroom was filled with heavy silence until he was the one to break it. He had a question form in his mind ever since he heard Maggie's explanation in the kitchen of her apartment. What he didn't know was how much the question would be a game changer.

"Maggie… have you ever drained a vampire completely?" He asked, wondering what would happen if she wasn't stopped.

Maggie bit her lip and shook her head slowly. She began to pick up on his line of thinking with that look from him. It set her on edge and she could feel her heart pounding in her chest from the gravity of the possibilities.

"If what you say is true," Kol muttered, having not actually seen the incident with Damon himself, "Then I suppose it would take a vampire with a borderline death wish… can't say that I know of any," He added on a half-hearted smirk.

Maggie looked away from Kol, blinking in disbelief while trying to wrap her mind around what he could be suggesting. Well, it wasn't could be, Kol wasn't one to take things lightly. If he didn't know one now, knowing him he would probably go out and find one.

But as she thought that, she realized he may not have to do that and maybe she would be damning herself for what she said next.

"I think I know one."


Author's Note: Oh snap!

Sorry for the delay on this chapter, I've honestly been swapped with my courses, both college and practicum (Yay for five classes and two practicum classes). Anyway! Such a sad chapter, but now begins the buildup to the end of the story! The character returns begin next chapter, things will pick up! What did you think of Damon and Maggie's talk? How about Damon and Elena? Keep in mind, in this AU, there was never that scene from 3x22 of Elena picking a brother, so this chapter nodded to that in some ways.

And Kolie! What do you think of their actual first meeting? I thought something simple and normal (on the surface) would be much better than something dramatic and over the top – like stalking a girl in the middle of the night on an empty road.

Anyway, please please Review! The feedback is a huge motivator, especially when I got a lot of other stressors going on in life.

Review responses –

M: I wouldn't say that Kol is in denial about his feelings, he just doesn't like having other people point it out and rub it in his face. Let's be honest, Rebekah is about as subtle as a freight train after all. I'm glad you like the Stefan/Maggie interaction, Stefan always surprises me on the show with his occasional one-liners! But yeah, Glenn is a sad situation (though I have to say the proposal on TWD show was the worst I've ever seen on any show) and I can't say it will improve for him (especially if I decide to go with a sequel).

Guest: I'm not sure who you are, but I'm glad I was able to improve your day! I can definitely relate to that and know the feeling of needing a pick me up, so thank you!

Eby: You're so silly! I hope to hear your feedback/10,000 questions again soon!

Z: I never knew there would be so many Daryl/Rebekah shippers! It is certainly giving me something to think about for the last section of the story. And I agree that Caroline and Maggie perhaps could reconcile and become friends, however they are both stubborn, so it's something that would take work and time… which may or may not be on their side. I'll admit the idea of a sequel is appealing, I just have to work out the timing of it. I'll keep everyone posted on it. Thank you so much for the awesome review and I look forward to more!

UrieNanashi: Aww, thank you so much! And no, I wouldn't be mean and turn Kol human accidentally like that. He would hate it. I'll be honest, when I started this story I hadn't intended on bringing in Caroline or Tyler at all, so that was a recent development but I could see a bigger role for her if I go with a sequel. I am still aiming for 60 chapters plus a short epilogue.

Guest 2: Thank you so much, I'm glad you liked those little moments and I hope the long waited talk is worth it!