Chapter 1:

Weeks earlier

The street was clear of cars and people when Elena Flemming walked into the Mystic Grille, pulling her shoulder length hair into a ponytail. She knew what vampires smell and feel like having been raised by a vampire mother who cared for her to the point that she transitioned to protect her from some vampire named Marcel.

That was when she was two years old and when they were living in New Orleans.

Isobel Flemming taught her how to protect herself and she was determined to protect herself and Hayley-her sister of sorts.

She's nineteen-going on twenty-when she sniffed the air inside of the restaurant. Though she wasn't hungry she was thirsty and at the bar there was one open seat next to a man in a sharp three piece suit with a depressing smile and sadness coating his eyes...

Well that won't do for her. Someone like him depressed?

The story's gotta be good she thought as she sat next to him. The bartender didn't even give her a second look as he was flirting with some high school girls and she leaned over to grab glasses, salt and limes.

—

Elijah wasn't sure why this doppelgänger was doing what she was but he didn't care.

Really-why should he care? Kol summed up what he was like nowadays-

"A sharp suit and a stick up the ass brother who only cares about the status quo and who doesn't know and believe in love."

Elijah only had the 'stick up the ass' because he was responsible for trying to protect them all from Mikael, Esther and the Mystic Falls idiots.

He was only good for protecting his siblings and that was it. Kol didn't believe that he could love but a part of him did before they betrayed him by going behind his back.

Now? He didn't really want to see his family. Rebekah would sneer and snark about how Kol was right, Kol himself would flaunt his relationship in his face while saying that she 'loves' him and Klaus would kill everyone.

No, he didn't want to be seen by them and decided to stare at the doppelgänger getting the drinks ready.

He took a subtle sniff of her and smelled the magic rolling off her in waves. She was a witch and yet he didn't move from his spot.

"Can you hold your tequila?" She asked, sounding playful with a lilting accent from New Orleans. Her brown eyes held a sparkle of mischief in them.

"Can you?" He parried back, surprising himself as he had a teasing lilt to his own voice.

"Let's find out," she said smiling as her eyes watched him take the shot before she did. She knew that it'll burn but this wasn't the first time she's had tequila.

—

The bourbon was poured freely between the Original Hybrid and the werewolf girl that was staring at his artwork. The knocking on the door made Klaus leave her for a bit but she didn't seem to mind as she was entranced by the paintings.

She was especially enamored by the one of the sun and moon clashing together in perfect harmony behind a pinkish red background.

"This is my favorite," she whispered softly and turned to see him smiling.

"I'm surprised that you didn't like the moon and stars little wolf," he said as he walked to stand beside her. "I made this one for an ex girlfriend who I caught cheating on me with my sister and her boyfriend."

"Classless girl," Hayley hummed as she walked around the little studio. It wasn't that she didn't like threesomes but from the marriages she had seen if you were with someone you truly love then nothing should have separated them. "She must be one of those girls who would do whatever it takes to get what she wants only to become bored and want something else."

"Had a boyfriend like that?" Klaus drawled.

"It's why he's an ex," she told him once they were facing each other again. "Top me off with more bourbon and tell me who was it that now wants me dead?" Klaus obliged and poured himself some more bourbon.

"It appears that Katerina Petrova has my little idiotic brother Kol and the Salvatore brothers after you," he told her. "Which means that Elijah has been dumped-poor bastard-and Katerina now has her claws in Kol."

"How am I going to hide from them?" She asked as she spilled some bourbon on her hand. "Shit-sorry. Must be a little more buzzed than I thought."

He waved it off with a shrug.

"It's no problem little wolf," he told her as he showed her to some other paintings he had done. Tyler had told her that Klaus had a thing for Caroline but none of the paintings he had shown her were of the girl. They were more...like nature scenes.

"You're a good artist," she told him. "I'm surprised that none of your artwork is up in any museum or gallery."

"Most don't want them," he explained as he led her to his room. "You can stay here."

"All alone?" She asked with a bit of a buzz. "That's a shame." She turned towards the bed and took her shirt off to expose her blush colored bra. She gasped as his warm mouth was suckling on her carotid artery.

—

Elena wasn't sure what happened afterwards but once the tequila ran out they went to his house, switched to whiskey and his cold lips were over her plump warm ones.

"You taste delicious," he growled in between rough kisses. "Chocolate and peppermint..." his voice was in a low growl and she moaned, deepening the kiss as she nearly ripped off his dress shirt to feel his skin against her.

The feel of his fangs entering her carotid artery made her lose herself to the pleasure he was going to give her.

—

Hayley would never admit it then but the passion Klaus Mikaelson-the feared Original Hybrid-showed her made her feel warm inside.

"You're a Crescent?" He asked as he ran a finger down her birthmark. She held in her shiver at his touch and looked over her shoulder as she hooked her bra back on.

"Crescent?" She asked as she reached to grab her tank top. "What do you mean?" She looked around for her jeans as he sat up, showing off his lean but muscular chest.

She tried to forget how it felt against her. The pure radiating heat and quivering muscles beneath her fingers still made her want to stay where he was.

She couldn't though. She wasn't who he wanted and a little part of her was okay with it. She could be a distraction…just for a bit.

"The Crescent Wolf clan was a werewolf one," he mused as he looked far away. "They were wolf royalty of New Orleans."

"I guess that I'll be going in that direction," she whispered though she didn't feel the need to anymore. "Thanks for...everything."

—

The buzzing of her phone going off woke her from her deep slumber and as she looked at the text message, she bit her lip. Sitting up she turned her head to the sleeping vampire beside her, also in a deep sleep. The cold of his lips and skin made her shiver in delight before she got out of bed.

She grabbed her shirt and jeans, slipping them on and whispering to the male, "maybe we will meet again. I hope we will." Smiling sadly, she pressed a kiss to his lips before disappearing, unaware of the blue eyes watching her.

—

A few weeks later both Elijah and Klaus were in the sitting room, both lost in thought about the women who left them. The sounds of moaning and things breaking from one of the rooms made them get up and investigate.

Opening Kol's bedroom door they walked in on Katherine riding Kol and both brothers looked quite disgusted (well, Klaus did-Elijah just groaned). Closing it, Elijah motioned for Klaus to follow him back into the sitting room and as soon as they entered Klaus rounded on Elijah who held a hand up.

"I found out a few nights ago that she was using me for clemency while screwing Kol who believes that I'm only good at protecting our family," Elijah explained. "It appears that they believe that I don't believe in love."

"He should have known better," Klaus told him angrily. "You have sacrificed more for us then he had every time he wasn't neutralized. The only time I never felt guilt for daggering his ass was when he slaughtered everyone in a parish back in 1600."

"What about St. Anne's?" He asked.

"Okay," Klaus amended. "Second time I never felt guilt."

"If we go to New Orleans," Elijah whispered softly as his eyes traveled over to the table where a letter was. "If we go and try to star at a new life there would you dagger Kol and keep him hidden?"

"What are you saying?" Klaus asked, looking into his brother's eyes.

"I'm making a deal," he said simply. "If you keep me undaggered and don't give me those threats I will dagger Kol myself and find a way to neutralize Katerina."

"I dagger both and keep you safe unless Rebekah finds out," Klaus simplified. "He wouldn't believe you would dagger him but he knows that I will." He looked thoughtful. "Consider it...a very long timeout to make him understand his mistake."

"What would that be?" Here Klaus grinned at the stupefied face of his favorite brother.

"It's what you always say...family, always and forever."

—

As Kol was getting dressed alongside Katherine when he turned to see her skin turning grey and her veins becoming more prominent.

Behind her was Klaus and as she fell down, he saw a dagger in her back.

"It appears that Bonnie Bennett would do whatever it takes to keep you from destroying the town," Klaus mused. "Especially when it comes to her views on what family is." He pointed to the dagger. "She spelled that one after discovering your sordid little life and to get even with Katerina for ruining her friend's self image issues she fixed the dagger to work on her." He twirled another one in his hands. "You see I made a deal with someone I respect and I'm going to fulfill it." Before Kol could move the dagger was in his heart. "Hopefully you will understand the meaning of family and how much Elijah has sacrificed."