AN: I do not own TVD or TO.

Full Summary: The 2020 race for president is on, and due to unforeseen circumstances ace reporter Elena Gilbert is assigned the travelling role. The only problem: she knows Senator Mikaelson, and has since she was five. Somehow she doubts her editor was thinking of the time they rolled around in a mud puddle as dirt.

Shame since he's not even getting that. She supposes it could be worse for Kol. He could have a reporter who knows nothing and will actually dig into his past, rather than a friend and hey, if they flirt a little (or a lot) along the way then they're just falling into old patterns.

So what if they're both finally single?

That's not gonna change anything.

This story is completely written and just needs to be edited. If I can stick to my schedule then a new chapter should be posted every Saturday. There will be ten chapters plus a bonus chapter in total

March 3, 2020

She balled up a sheet of paper and spun in her desk chair, taking her best shot at the recycling bin in the next cubical where it bounced off the desk, teetered dangerously on the thin blue ledge and toppled into the bin.

"Yes," she threw up her hands in a quiet cheer.

"What was wrong with your recycling bin?" Caroline replaced the phone in its cradle and spun around, glaring across the aisle at her best friend.

"No challenge," she shrugged, speaking up to be heard over the cacophony of sounds. It was necessary to raise her voice for a decent conversation since dozens of people busy on phone calls, and the constant clack of keys made up the newsroom's soundtrack.

"You seriously need a new story," Caroline shook her head, rolling her eyes. "Preferably before I get hit in the head by a ream of paper."

"I've only been idle a couple minutes," she laughed.

"GILBERT!"

"Oh look," she grinned, rising from her chair, "a new story." She slipped through the rows of cubicles, pausing only long enough to look back over her shoulder and catch Caroline sneaking across the aisle. "Don't mess with my system, Care."

"Your system is a mess," she called back.

Elena knew what her friend would find in her workspace, just like she knew how it would make her brain pop. And the mini aneurysms it caused to Caroline were more than worth the extra ten minutes of searching for a pen every day.

"What's up?" She slipped into the conference room and dropped into one of the plain chairs across from her boss.

"New assignment," Reese nodded, eyes crinkling when Caroline's strangled shriek broke over the mess of sounds. "Before you go you're gonna want to clean up that desk."

"It's so much more fun to make Caroline stare at it though," she laughed, knowing the second she actually left the office her best friend would strike. By the time she returned her desk would be organized, colour coded, and would strictly adhere to the Forbes method that she still couldn't believe the blonde had patented.

"It might be amusing Gilbert, but without you running interference Forbes will implode and I don't want to deal with the mess."

That caught her attention and she perked up, drawing her shoulders back. She had known Caroline since they were kids and it took more than a day to reach impending implosions.

"Where exactly am I going?" She tilted her head.

Reese pushed his glasses up his nose and raked his greying hair from his eyes; thirty-nine years old and his sandy brown hair had been all but taken over by grey. Elena did not envy him the job.

He opened a file folder and flipped a glossy sheet of paper around. She stared at it for a moment before lifting the sheet and a single eyebrow.

"Kol Mikaelson?" She swallowed, hoping her voice didn't strain under the name.

"I'm given to understand you have a Mikaelson in your friend's list," Reese leaned back in his chair.

"You stalking my Facebook page Reese?" She fingered the edges of the page.

"I stalk all my employees Facebook pages, Gilbert." He rolled his eyes and played with a pen. "That's how I know Forbes had a dalliance with mayoral candidate Lockwood as well as an off and on thing with another Mikaelson, your ex is running on the republican ballot and one of your nearest and dearest friends is Rebekah Mikaelson. You have an in."

"I wouldn't call Rebekah an in," her eyes narrowed. "She's my friend. And I do have a good rapport with her brothers, but that has nothing to do with her, and everything to do with meeting them all at various stages in my past."

"I don't care how your 'in' came about Gilbert. The point is you've got one, and we're gonna exploit it." He turned another portrait around, this one a full colour depiction of a man who may or may not have popped into her dreams on more than one occasion. "You're joining the campaign trail."

"The election is in seven months," Elena frowned, "and I thought you had Davina Claire on the campaign trail?"

"Davina dropped out and we need another reporter on the bus, taking interviews, covering rallies, finding the skeletons in the closet to report anonymously."

"Skeletons?" Elena arched an eyebrow.

"Or gossip, if you like," Reese amended. He poked the portrait with his pen, leaving a blue dot on the pristine white shirt. "The entire country has it's eyes on him. He's the youngest candidate with an actual shot at winning this race, but nobody knows anything about his personal life. No known girlfriend, or boyfriend. We know about his political views and stance at this point; I want you to get me something more."

"Something more?" She frowned, unable to shake the feeling that he wanted career ending dirt. Granted she did know some, but it had more to do with his older brother than him, and even if she had a thought to utilize it - which she didn't - then the words would never make it to print. Still, better her than someone who would actually dig.

"Mikaelson was elected representative at twenty-five, senator at thirty, and now he's poised to be the youngest president on record, beating JFK out by eight years. He's the baby of the house and nobody has ever found dirt on him."

"Since when are we a gossip rag?" She sighed and stood up. "When do I leave?"

"Campaign swings through Virginia tomorrow. Davina will get off and you'll get on."

"Am I really going to need that?" Elena glanced in the mirror as she packed her makeup and various toiletries in the bag.

"You're going away for six months," Caroline rolled her eyes. She carefully zipped the blue dress into a garment bag.

"I'm reporting, Care," she hurried out, dropping her kit into her suitcase. "That's not a professional dress."

"No, it's a date dress," the blonde nodded, selecting shoes from the closet. "Six months on a bus, in various hotels, with other reporters and one smoking hot senator; you might want to go on a date."

"Why did you include the Senator in that list?" Elena opened the top drawer of her dresser and grabbed a handful of lace and silk. She dropped it into her open suitcase just to drive Caroline nuts.

"Because you have the hots for him," she started sorting through the scraps of lace without a word about the disorder. "And according to Bekah, he's got the hots for you."

"Nothing's going to happen between me and Kol Mikaelson," Elena sighed. She took more time folding her work clothes to avoid wrinkles, but sweats and lounge ware were thrown in indiscriminately.

"Famous last words," Caroline sang.

"Care, I'm serious," she moved to her desk to sort out her computer and various cords. "He's a presidential candidate, and I'm a reporter for an online newspaper taking a serious stab at becoming a genuine gossip rag. Nothing's gonna happen."

"Whatever you say."

Her bags were safely stowed in the bus and she was doing her level best to not think about the second handful of lace Caroline had tossed in when she thought Elena wasn't looking. It was like she had forgotten the last time Elena dated someone involved in politics.

Not that Kol was anything like Damon, but still an oath was an oath and no old crush was going to make her break it. She had sworn there would be no more politicians.

She drew a deep breath in and let it out, stepping towards the doors as a tiny brunette exited the bus. No matter how old Davina got she always seemed to resemble a porcelain doll. The innocent eyes were an act though; Davina could be as devious as anyone.

"Hey," Elena greeted, offering her a quick one-armed hug. The girl was devious, but she was an acquaintance through work and nice enough that it would have felt weird not to offer a hug.

"Hey," she nodded. There was an unguarded look in her eyes that made Elena's heart thump.

"So," she rocked back on her heels, adjusting her hold so the computer bag was in front of her. "What exactly happened?"

"What do you mean?" Davina slung her bag higher on her shoulder.

"With you," she clarified, chewing her cheek. "You've been on the trail for months and suddenly you're dropping out."

"Let's just say that he's not what he presents himself to be," Davina pursed her lips. "Take a bite if you like. You won't regret it."

"Take a bite?" Elena's eyes widened, though why she wasn't sure; it was hardly surprising. Well - she conceded, glancing over Davina quickly - maybe a little surprising.

"Sorry," she shrugged, "non-disclosure agreement; I can't say anymore."

And she didn't.

Elena watched as the young woman strode away from the bus. When she was out of sight and most of the people onboard had stepped off to stretch their legs Elena hopped up the stairs and spun into the narrow aisle.

She had thought it would be a narrow aisle. It wasn't. There was a decent amount of space to walk and more than enough seats for people to spread out if they wanted; they were empty at the moment and so held little interest to her.

At the back of the bus, lounging in his seat and reading through some sort of legal document sat the Senator. There was a layer of scruff over his jaw and a deep furrow between his brows. She knew that furrow, and she had dreamed of that scruff.

If there had been more people on the bus she might have thought through her next act, but as it was just the two of them and the driver who was well beyond earshot she strode down the aisle, dropping her bag into an unoccupied seat. She followed and plopped down across from him.

He looked up as she crossed her legs, and if anyone asked her, her toes brushing his pant leg was accidental and he was definitely not giving her his trademark panty dropping smirk that made her actually consider dropping them.

And she was not going to have to change them.

He was not affecting her with his mere presence.

"Hello, darling, fan-"

She cut him off before he could get out the full greeting, knowing it would be best to have the information out in the open from the get go. And if her eyes narrowed and her nails dug into the leather arms then, well, there was nobody around to corroborate his story.

"You fucked Davina Claire, didn't you?" It wasn't a question. They both knew it wasn't a question.

Kol closed his file folder, set it aside and leaned forward, bracing his elbows on his knees.

And Elena did not, under any circumstances, lean forward too so she was mirroring him, but again, nobody was there to contradict her statement.

"Now darling," he smirked, tilting his head, "if I didn't know any better I'd day you were jealous."

"Jealous?" She scoffed, and it was in no way high pitched. "You didn't answer my question."

"Technically no, and she meant nothing to me," he shook his head.

"Why would I care what she meant to you?" Elena's lashes fluttered, brushing her cheekbones.

"I just thought you might," he shrugged, letting his fingers brush against her knee. "If she did mean anything it would have been over the second she was found compiling incriminating information. That's the thing about reporters."

"I could so easily take offence to that," Elena peaked up through her lashes. Caroline might have labeled it as flirting, but she was not flirting with him.

"You're different," his knuckles trailed down her calve and back up, slipping under the hem of her skirt and moving down again.

And dammit, she was definitely gonna have to change. He was too sexy for his own good.

"Bet you say that to all the girls," she breathed.

"Only you darling," he caught the edge of her skirt, letting his fingers dance over the material. His smouldering gaze flickered between her eyes and lips.

And she did not lick her bottom lip or lean closer. There was not a flush creeping up her neck.

"Kol," her cool breath fanned over his chin.

"Elena," his nose brushed hers.

She could practically taste his spearmint gum.

"We should…" she swallowed, reaching out to curl her fingers around his tie. "We should… should really keep this professional."

"When have we ever been professional?" His large hands covered her knee and reached for her elbow.

Elena's stomach trembled, years of tension threatened to break in that moment and she was more than willing to toss her little oath out the bus window. No politicians was all well and good, but that had been before she was in his presence again and well before she felt the magnetic pull that drew her into his orbit.

Where would they have been if she'd just given in and kissed him that first summer when the attraction began? Would things have fizzled out fast, or would he have taken a different path that didn't leave a trail of broken hearts and NDAs?

She wanted to know what it felt like, what he felt like.

"Elena," he rubbed his thumb over her thigh, "should I stop?"

"I…" She breathed slowly.

"Sir, the car is here."

Elena jumped at the gruff voice of the driver. She had completely forgotten the man was there, but Kol clearly hadn't if the way he smoothly thanked him was an indication.

"Going somewhere?" She managed to lean back, putting a gaping distance between them that made her feel cold.

"Not without you," he stood, holding out a hand.

"Kol," she started to shake her head.

"Come on, darling," he smiled, watching her expectantly, "I'm on my way to a family dinner to celebrate and you're coming with me."

She barely made it into the ambiance lighting of the restaurant before her eyes rolled, showing a glimpse of the specials board and cozy bar of which she knew every inch and featured in several pictures that lined the walls.

"Really?" She cocked an eyebrow as he lead her between tables and booths. "This is how y'all decided to celebrate."

"Have you noticed that when you're adorably exasperated your accent thickens?" He chuckled.

"I do declare that I don't know what you're referrin' to," she adopted her thickest southern drawl. "I have no accent."

"Oh bloody hell," he sighed. "You're going to do this all night aren't you?"

"It's possible," she grinned. "Seriously though, the Grill."

"I had a hankerin'," he made an attempt at her accent.

"That's really bad," Elena laughed, bringing her hand up to cover her mouth.

"Elena?"

She turned around to face the table; the question gave way to a happy squeal and the next moment she had a face full of silver blonde hair. Rebekah hugged, squeezing until she felt certain she would pop, and she hugged her right back.

"Hey Bex."

"Elena," Elijah stood, nodding his greeting and casting a questioning glance towards his brother, "how are you?"

"I'm finer than a frog hair split four ways," she chirped, backing up from Rebekah as Kol groaned. That would teach him to mock her accent.

"What?" Amusement flickered through Elijah's normally stoic eyes.

"Forgive me, Elijah, I fear the quirky expressions are my fault," Kol cleared his throat.

"Damn skippy," Elena grinned.

Kol shook his head, pulling out her chair with a fond smile on his lips.

She folded her skirt beneath her and took the seat, smiling as Rebekah sat on one side of her. The fine hairs on her arms rose when Kol sat on her other side.

"Let me guess," Rebekah tossed her hair over her shoulder, "Kol made some crack about your accent and now you're punishing him for it."

"That was the plan," she crossed her legs under the table and shook off the drawl she'd adopted.

"Don't take this the wrong way Elena," Freya lifted her water glass, "because we all love you, but what are you doing here?"

"Kol dragged me," she shrugged. Somewhere in the restaurant a flash went off as somebody took a photo behind them.

"Elena is taking over Davina's spot on the campaign trail," Kol supplied, offering a slightly better explanation.

"So you write for Davina's publication?" Finn passed the menus to her and Kol.

"Technically I've worked there longer," Elena took it with a smile even though she knew, as did everyone else at the table, that she didn't actually need it.

"If anything we should say it was Davina working for Elena's publication," Rebekah rolled her eyes, saying the former reporter's name with a grimace that suggested the syllables left a foul taste on her tongue.

"I assume your sense of integrity is better ingrained than the Claire bitch," Klaus spoke up.

"Klaus," Freya scolded with no real passion behind it.

"Don't 'Klaus' me, sister," he rolled his eyes.

"Davina spent months gathering information in an attempt to gain dirt on this family," Rebekah leaned closer, placing her hand over Elena's wrist as she whispered in a voice that didn't carry beyond their table.

"And we're trusting that you'll do a better job than your predecessor," Freya sighed, putting Klaus' words into a politer phrase.

"Of course," Elena smiled sweetly while reaching for her water glass. "I've known y'all fifteen years. Trust me when I say I won't spend my time digging up dirt and searching closets for skeletons," she swallowed the cool liquid, watching as Kol got a good mouthful before continuing. "I've already got plenty on all of y'all."

She had been hoping for a short sputter. Maybe some water down his shirt or across the table, but he just laughed softly.

"Then I suppose it's a good thing most of what you've got incriminates you too, love," Klaus chuckled.

There was a round of laughter that tapered off when Vickie stopped by the table for their orders. As predicted nobody bothered opening the menus. At that point in their lives when they went to the Grill it was because they had a 'hankerin'.

Under the table a hand rested on her left leg and it was most certainly not making her throb. His fingers were not driving her crazy with need and she was not thinking about creative excuses and subtle clues that would put both of them in the dimly lit restroom.

"I'll have my usual Vickie," she managed to keep her voice level. He brushed the smooth skin where her legs met and she squeezed her thighs tight together; his back and forth stilled as his nail gently tickled her garter.

The conversation continued around her for a moment as Vickie left to take their orders to the kitchen.

She glanced through the corner of her eye. He had his eyes focused on Elijah as his brother asked question after question but his finger continued to play with her garter. She dangled on the precipice with her decision.

And damn it if she hadn't been in this position before. It seemed every time they met his hands found their way to her body or hers landed somewhere on his, but one of them always stopped before anything actually happened; either for Rebekah's no-screwing-my-friends/brothers rule, or because one of them was involved. There was one thing she could genuinely say about Kol Mikaelson; he might have been a womanizer and a playboy but he was not a cheater.

One fling at a time.

Their fling had been years in the making.

Silently she unfolded her legs, and sensed the surprise in his hand as he turned to look at her for a split second, covering the moment with a quick question about Klaus' work.

She arched an eyebrow in silent challenge because honestly she grew really tired of denying her attraction to him. Not that she was attracted to him, or his damn smirk, or lickable abs.

Were they as defined as the last time she had seen them?

The conversation flowed around them; she took it in turns to respond and ask questions at the appropriate moments. And his hand, his damn hand, made its way upwards, steadily gaining ground with each passing second.

"So what exactly are we celebrating?" Elena reached up, tucking her hair behind her ears. The side of his hand brushed her damp panties.

"What's not to celebrate?" Kol countered with a brilliant smirk, under the table he moved down her leg and went back up, brushing her centre again.

And she did not curl her toes up tight to stop her hips from chasing his fingers.

Her eyes flickered to Vickie when she dropped by the table with glasses of champagne.

"You said you were celebrating something, and dragged me here for it, so I assumed there was something specific," she eyed the flute of sparkling liquid when Vickie placed it in front of her.

"There's always something to celebrate, isn't that right Vickie?" Kol turned his smirk on the waitress and she blushed.

Rebekah had the decency to wait for Vickie to leave before scoffing and catching her brother in a glare. Like Elena before her, she waited until he had taken a sip of water in the hopes that he would sputter and spit it up.

"You'll fuck anything that moves."

"Rebekah, please," Finn closed his eyes, as if that would tone out his siblings laughter.

Kol's composure rivalled Elijah's when he wanted it too, so he swallowed calmly and turned, winking at Elena as his fingers reached the apex of her thighs once more.

"There's not much I can do when the attraction isn't mutual, sister."

Elena couldn't be sure if it was the way he said 'attraction' or the pressure of his hand over throbbing centre, or that wink that would have made a less experienced girl swoon, but she blushed.

Thankfully everyone's eyes were on Kol and Rebekah as they traded barbs and the light pink flush could easily be mistaken for makeup or a trick of the light.

"Celebrating," Elena prompted, squirming in her chair. If his siblings asked about what was making her uncomfortable she would say it was being stuck between a bickering Kol and Rebekah.

Which was in no way a lie.

"Allow me to propose a celebratory toast," Kol reached for his flute of champagne, lifting it in salute.

Dutifully she reached for her flute.

"To old friends," he tapped the glass with Elena's. And there was no doubt he was talking about her.

"And winning the primaries," Klaus arched an eyebrow. His critical eyes flicked between Kol and Elena.

"Oh yeah," he conceded, "that too."

Elena sipped her champagne and said absolutely nothing about the way his siblings were casting knowing glances at her. She even managed to make it through a further fifteen minutes of conversation before Kol had to take his hand away to pick up his utensils.

She did not roll her hips when he was gone, but she would admit that she was hot, and not able to focus on her food without glancing at his hands and feeling a tingle in her blood.

"Excuse me," she folded her napkin and sat it on the table. "I'll be back in a moment."

On her feet she tried not to make a beeline for the restroom. Inside though she could admit that she was relieved to breathe in the cool air. She even closed her eyes and sucked a deep breath into her lungs. It wasn't enough to cool her down though so she opened her eyes with the intention of splashing freezing water on her face.

Blue eyes met hers in the mirror.

She yelped, slapping her hand over her mouth as she spun around.

"Are you trying to give me a heart attack?" Her breathless voice lacked bite and it was all Kol's fault. Kol, and his stupid dextrous fingers.

"What's going on between you and my brother?"

Ah Rebekah, she sighed, queen of the segway.

"Nothing," she lowered her hands to her sides.

"Really," she tilted her head and stepped up close. Analytical eyes surveyed the light flush staining her throat and the rapid rise and fall of her chest. "Because you're flushed and it started when he winked at you after saying that crap about mutual attraction. Are you attracted to my brother Elena?"

"Of course not," she denied, an easy reflex after doing it for years, but her breathless voice suggested otherwise. "He's your brother."

"Yeah," she rolled her eyes. "The brother I had to warn again and again to leave you alone because he had it bad for you."

"He had it bad for me?" She bit her bottom lip, tucking a dark curl behind her ear.

"Of course," Rebekah scoffed, actually scoffed, "you're hot. Anyone not attracted to you is an idiot."

"Awe, thanks Bex," she smirked, attempting to change the subject before the blonde could press further or accuse her of being aroused and sneaking off to take care of that. Which to be fair she was, but she hadn't been considering slipping into a stall to finish what Kol started at the table. She had not. "You're hot too."

"I know I'm hot," she rolled her eyes. "I had four big brother beating the boys off me," she waved a hand. "You and Kol?"

Damn it, Elena sighed, spinning around to wash her hands. "Nothing is going on between me and Kol. I took over for Davina and he invited me to join you all tonight. That's it."

Rebekah did not need to know her brother was all but fingering her best friend under the dinner table, or that her best friend invited him to do it.

"Nothing?" Rebekah gave her a look in the mirror, suggesting she did not believe her for a moment.

"Nothing."

Back at the table Klaus stared after Rebekah's back while Elijah fixed their younger brother with an exasperated stare.

"What did you do?" Elijah pointed to his brother with his knife, and he was allowed to damn it. It wasn't threatening his Senator, it was scolding his baby brother.

"What makes you think I did anything?" Kol glanced up from cutting his chicken.

"Don't give us that you sly fox," Finn rolled his eyes.

"She ran from this table with hell hounds on her heels," Klaus mused.

"I haven't done anything," he popped the chicken breast in his mouth.

"So I shouldn't start drafting another NDA?" Elijah arched an eyebrow.

Kol paused his chewing to fix his brother with a look that suggested the lawyer had grown an extra head. The idea that such a document might be necessary sounded ludicrous, and clearly not to just his ears.

"Don't be ridiculous Elijah," Freya spoke up, donning the robe of eldest sibling she so rarely utilized, "it's Elena. And even if something happened Elena would never disclose anything."