It's been about a week and a half since I had last seen Elijah when he calls. I'm at home in my kitchen, hunched over a mixing bowl while reading the instructions from a Betty Crocker mix for pancakes.

I must have stared at the phone for a good four rings before I snap out of it and answer. "Hello?"

A stray hair falls onto my face and I panic for a moment, my hand flying up to the messy bun that dominates the top of my head before I remember that the sophisticated original can't see my very, well, uncultured look.

"Elena." His rich voice makes me falter and calm down. "How are you?"

"Elijah," I say. I perkily push myself away from the mixing bowl. "Hi. I, umm, I'm good."

A pause. "Niklaus tells me you've had an eventful week."

Oh. "Yeah. I got robbed." My tone is too perky for the sentence, but the last person I talked to was actually Klaus- three days ago, and he wasn't exactly sympathetic. Klaus had waited a few seconds after Mrs. Blanc's appearance after the squad car was declared to be on its way, before giving me an ambiguous nod and disappearing in the blink of an eye. Beyond my police report, me attacking the robber using the aluminum bat included, I was home within two hours.

"He also told me you fought the thief off on your hands," Elijah says.

Oh, they talk about me? I step away entirely from the counter and a hand over my face, smoothing the uncontrollable (but tiny, okay?) smile that appears automatically. "Yeah. Poor guy didn't know whose house he'd hit. He received a lot of my frustrations. I had a baseball bat. The cops laughed about it."

Elijah doesn't laugh, but I swear I hear a smile. "Forgive me; I thought you needed protection. Clearly, I was mistaken."

"Hey," I say laughingly. "He was raiding my parents' stuff. I had to call Klaus. He told me to fight."

"Did he?" his tone is surprised.

"Well, he said he didn't know whether he should tell me to run or fight. He did say not to get killed."

"So you fought."

I purse my lips. "Yeah."

A beat passes, then two. "I'm happy to hear about that"

After a few tense moments of silence when I'm trying not to implode, Elijah says, "I received news that my brother is on his way to Mystic Falls." He added, "My very….homicidal younger brother, Kol. I trust you'll be cautious?"

"The same Kol who broke Matt's hand at the ball and was killed by Damon?" I say.

"Yes, that's the one."

I like to believe my puff reeked of as much elegance as the little amused sighs Elijah and Klaus let out, but it probably doesn't. Nevertheless, I huff a breath. "Trust me, I'll be staying. I'm sick of drama, especially the...homicidal kind."

I can almost see the smile on Elijah's face. "Wonderful," he murmurs. "Alright then. It was lovely speaking with you, Elena. The next we speak shall be in person. I'm wrapping up the business matters here."

Oh, really? "Yeah, okay. Sure. The Grill's smoothies don't compare." The words are barely out of my mouth before I regret them. Now, he's going to think that, like, all I think about is food, not his delightful company.

To my surprise, an amused sound travels through the phone and perks me back up. "I would hope not," Elijah murmurs.

I do a similar sound and then debate putting a hand to my mouth to entirely stop the word vomit situation that seems to be going on. That's too dramatic, even for me.

"I'll see you, then," I end up saying.

A pause, and then we exchange goodbyes. Alright then, that's something to look forward to later. And until then, I'll be taking a shower and thinking about that "good girl" comment.

"Ah," Klaus says as he slides next to me on my booth at the Mystic Grill, "the lonely doppelganger."

It's the next day, and I'm still thinking about that phone call.

My eyes drop to the glass of bitter smelling whiskey in his hands. I'm startled when I look up and face his cold eyes straight. "Klaus." My voice is stale.

I want to tell him that he's 'the lonely hybrid' but the words lodge in my head. He's too close. His cologne is mouth-watering. I end up saying, "Right back at ya," which is good enough, right?

His lips rise into a sharp smirk before he gets comfortable, stretching his arms behind my back in a laugh-worthy version of affection and familiarity. "I'm all for a midday cap-" Both our gazes stray to the mango smoothie I've been slurping on for the past ten minutes. "-but shouldn't you be somewhere in around…" He makes a show of jiggling his 50-thousand dollars Rolex behind me. Subtly dramatic, he also glances at it. "One hour ago?"

"Oh?" Since he's reminded me of my delicious smoothie that doesn't at all remind me of the concoctions Elijah used to make me, I lean forward, leaving behind the warmth of his weird show of power, and attach my lips to the straw.

"I thought we were on good terms," Klaus monologues. "It hurt my feelings when you failed to show up for our appointment."

I snort in my straw and back away, not breathing in an attempt to keep in my ironic laugh. "I have an explanation for that."

"Uh-huh," Klaus prompts, relaxing back. "Do tell."

"Well, I woke up, totally on time," I say innocently. "But then I felt, like, totally faint. And you said it yourself, you want me to be healthy. And I didn't have any, like fruity stuff at my house, so I came by here for a smoothie. I was going to come by after if you had been a little patient."

All throughout my explanation, Klaus carefully watches me. His smirk fades into something a little less amused, and all the sugar that's running through my body from the sugary drink churn in my stomach.

"You had every intention of stopping by then?" he pushes. I've been around vampires and werewolves enough to recognize that he wanted me to repeat what I said so he could listen to my heartbeat and see whether it skips if I'm lying or not.

I hum obediently and go back to taking another sip. "Today." Totally candid. "Here, see?" I scooch back a little to the side in the booth to sit sideways and show him my right arm. "Short sleeves, no bracelets, and fresh bandages in my purse."

What a mistake showing Klaus my arm is. He reaches for it smoothly and rests his roughened fingers on my pulse point. The feeling that rushes to my head, the shiver that runs through my body, they have nothing to do with the sight of my- oh God, I want to say dainty- or small, let's say small- wrist in his large hands.

But then I remember the same hand reaching for in front of the Salvatores' house, tugging me possessive, trapping me, and then later that night reaching to kiss me twistedly. The air around me is so tight, thick, that I want to gasp. His grip tightened as well and I-

Klaus lets go. He uses the same hand to pick up his whiskey again. "Finish your bloody smoothie."

We both finish our drinks at the same time. In an attempt to look busy, I had texted Caroline, only to be ignored. My phone gets thrown in my purse and I set my smoothie down and feel some vindication when I get to stand up and boss Klaus around by saying, "Let's go."

Klaus is absolutely fuming. The nurse that was supposed to take my blood left. He growls at me to 'stay bloody put' and tells me he's had enough trouble 'wrangling me here' that I shouldn't leave.

My simple 'okay' and shrug tick him off and satisfy him at the same time. He leaves to call someone else.

And then I'm left alone in the big, sunny room I hate to love. I have half a mind to sit down and take a nap before my phone buzzes. It's an app I downloaded after the hospital thing to remind me to make food and eat.

"Klaus, I'm going to see if there are any more leftovers from the last time I was here," I say in a moderate voice, slighter louder than normal to grab his attention, knowing he could hear me anyway. "Shout if I shouldn't."

I wait a heartbeat, but when a hybrid doesn't come snarling at me to keep out of his kitchen, I shrug and move on.

There are no more leftovers even though I'm sure I left some. But there is a bag of croissants that I shamelessly take one of. If Klaus can eat my stuff, I'll eat his. I actually need the food.

The last time Elijah presented me with a platter of rich-smelling pastries, he'd raised his finger for me to hold on. I'd smiled curiously, wanting to laugh, and watched as he disappeared into the walk-in pantry, only to come back with a jar of powdered sugar. It was one of the best damned croissants of my life, so much so that I didn't notice my arm aching for an afternoon.

In the present, as I open the pantry doors, I find that it's an actual room with too many jars and containers that I don't know where to start. I start looking.

I'm on my fifth drawer when my eyes widen dramatically.

"Oh my God," I gasp, my hand going to my mouth. "Is that a weed?"

Klaus appears behind me. He looks alarmed at first, then his eyes drop to the drawer I have open and the big bag of literal weed in my hand. A similar bag of white stuff almost blends in the white pantry.

I hear Klaus; a deep sigh- that kind responsible people huff when they're disappointed by someone. "It's Kol's," he explains. Ah, that sigh. He relaxes though, and leans against the open archway that leads to the pantry. "It's idiotic"

This time, Klaus' dismissively rude comment isn't aimed at me. It's at his younger brother, who I've never actually met but have heard enough tales to steer clear. A glimpse of him in their family ball had proved how handsome he was.

"I'm calling the police," I say, jokingly. The Vine reference goes over Klaus' thousand years old head.

"Get out of there," Klaus orders in his usual demanding tone. "What were you doing anyway?"

"I'm looking for the powdered sugar," I say, then add laughingly. "This is pretty close. Can I try it?"

His eyes widen, then narrow in warning. "No," he says matter-of-factly.

"But it's on my bucket list." I pout. "Come on," I whine pleadingly, enjoying the indulgent look Klaus gives me. "It's not like it's a very long bucket list. I started it after my first near-death encounter after meeting Stefan. It's not very long because I didn't expect I'd live this long." I'm totally lying, but I kind of have always wanted to just try to get high. The past few years would've been a lot more bearable if I'd been high.

Klaus doesn't look like he's buying my bullshit, but he does soften somehow. He grabs my chin and leans down a little to me, as if to talk on the same level as me, talking down to me. "Elena, love," he murmurs. "If you ever bring up using substances again, I'll-"

"You'll what?" I breathe, even though technically, I feel no oxygen reaching my brain. All of it must have gone to supply the blush that burns my neck and ears.

Inappropriate Tik Toks come to my mind, and my breathing becomes heavier. Klaus' scorching gaze lowers to my chest. Good to know he's hot-blooded too.

I lean in, and it's his turn to lose his breath. My smile is sharp, triumphant. My fingers tighten on the Ziploc plastic bag for the briefest moment before I bolt out of there. I'm sure I'm out of the kitchen by the time Klaus realizes I'm gone.

As I run, my bag of weed clutched so tightly in my hands like I'm running from the police, I shout, "Kol Mikaelson!" I'm just running away at this point, targetless, going through a pointless loop in my haste for an escape that's not the slightest bit thought through. "Kol!" I call again, laughing as I look back. My champagne-colored blanket cardigan falls off one shoulder, but I ignore it. "I'm Elena Gilbert. I want to smoke weed with you!"

My feet carry me to the deck and pool area. I'm barely out of the door and down the wooden steps when a whoosh movement whips my hair away. I pause in place, slightly out of breath. A stillness fills my surroundings. I abruptly turn around, thinking I'd catch Klaus standing behind me.

A younger, wilder looking version of Elijah stares back at me, his head tilted.

"Kol." I exhale, then smile.

"Elena Gilbert," he repeats my name. His voice is higher than I thought it would be, but the same power in Elijah and Klaus is there, just a little bit less… restrained. "I understand you have my… weed?"

That prompts a laugh from me, though a little withdrawn a little since I'm beginning to question whether this is such a good idea or not. I've been so caught up in rebelling against Klaus and getting one over him that Elijah's phone call has completely slipped my mind. Did I just specifically call- no, shout for the attention of the most unpredictable and homicidal Mikaelson brother?

"I-I found it in the pantry," I say lamely since I have to say something. "And the heroin. Who keeps their stash in their kitchen pantry?"

Kol doesn't answer. He just keeps observing me unnervingly. Did all Mikaelsons have the ability to invade my mind?

"Why are you holding your arm away like that?" he instead asks. My shoulder rolls in discomfort because he's not referring to my left arm, which has the weed, but my right arm, whose cardigan sleeve had been halfway abandoned.

For the second time today, my breath stutters as a Mikaelson steps closer to me. I'd describe it as uncomfortably close, but it's so so welcome that I kinda accidentally lean in too. Kol turns my arm so the inside of my elbow is facing upwards. I close my eyes because I know what he sees. Ironically similar to a drug addict, the inside of my elbow is riddled with needle holes from the dozens of times that I've had blood drawn from me.

"Your brother," I say. I impress myself with how fast I recover. The bag of weed crunches as I shove it at Kol's chest. "Were you really going to smoke this? I thought vampires' metabolisms were, like, crazy fast. Can you get high off it?"

For a tense moment, Kol appraises me. He's completely unreadable on his part, but he sees what he wants in me, or is curious enough that he smirks- God, his smile is the opposite of Klaus' and Elijah'. All...mischievous and troublesome. It shouldn't thrill me.

"Let's find out, shall we?"

Hello! Better a few months later than never, right? (nervously sweats)

All jokes aside, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Kol is finally here and I'm very excited about that! Let me know what you think of their first encounter, Elijah's phone call, and Klaus being a growly, mysterious hybrid.

And did anyone catch that Vine reference? Lol. I miss Vine, but I guess we have YouTube compilations to immortalize it.

Thanks to everyone who commented, followers, or favorited my story!