Hello Readers,

It's been a while since I've updated the story and I hope you're still with me. For those still with me thank you for sticking around and leaving a review. Now back to the new chapter, YAY! :D

Updated: Nov 7th, at 7 PM

I added more to the chapter so look for a bold text (xxx) that tells you where the added part is if you read the chapter already that is if not just continue reading all the way through. I wanted to add the last segment because I didn't think it would have fit for the next chapter. Yes, chapter five is currently in process. ;)

- Whimsical Rain :)

The Gilbert Legacy

Chapter 4

The Sacrificial Lamb

"A man who was completely innocent offered himself as a sacrifice for the good of others, including his enemies, and became the ransom of the world. It was a perfect act."

- Mahatma Gandhi

A black 10 RWD Sedan parked in front of the Mystic Grill, catching the hunter's attention he was seating on one of the benches just across from the restaurant, he watched as a man with dark hair in a black suit got out of the car. Smirking he got up and made his way across the street to meet with the man.

As if feeling his presence the man turned towards the hunter's direction giving him a smug expression due to their defiance. "Vaughn, didn't I tell you that I'll handle it?" taking his shades off and placing it into his tailored coat pocket. "I made my instructions clear as day and yet you still managed to disobey. Are you sniffing out death like a dog sniffing out bones?" He asked sternly not in the mood for Galen's games.

Galen held up his hands in surrender. "No, I just thought I should accompany you in case anything goes down. Plus, Masen, she's my friend too." He stares at him with a declaration that Masen sighs and shakes his head at his stubborn comrade.

"Fine, but don't fuck it up." He turns his body towards the direction of the entrance and walking into the restaurant with Galen flocking behind him. "Do you know what he looks like?" Masen asked without looking back as he examined his surroundings.

"Yeah, dark hair, blue eyes, and very cocky." A grin starts to lift from the corner of Galen's face when he realizes his description of the vampire matches the man in front of him. "Now that I think about it, that reminds me of—Oof!" He trailed off when Masen elbowed him in the gut, making him snicker quietly to himself.

"Not really helping." Masen murmured under his breath, fighting the urge to give Galen a good beating for playing games when they're there to meet with the vampire who potentially can hurt Odette. Before he can say anything else Galen points towards the bar, Masen's eyes zones in at the man—vampire, who raised his glass to beckon them over. They made the move and walked over to where Damon Salvatore is having his nightly drinks, as they got near, Masen noticed the similar features that matched Galen's description of the vampire before him. It's kinda scary how they seem to look alike, dark hair, blue piercing eyes, and light skin with a slight tan—just different species.

"I see brought a friend." Damon acknowledges his presence, he seems to mirror Masen's thoughts of how spot-on their similarities in their looks, they could pass more like siblings than Saint Stefan and him. "Can't seem to get anyone alone for a chat any more." Throwing back his drink before motioning for them to take a seat near him. "We have a lot to talk about and time is ticking." Grimacing, the two hunters sat down and turned their attention back towards the cocky vampire.

"Hands us the girl." Masen got to the point as his patience wore thin. "And no one gets hurt."

"Wow, straight to the point, huh? I like that. I won't be handing the girl over unless you tell me what your groupie is doing in my town? Who sent you guys here?" Damon interrogates.

"What does it look like? We're taking the trash out. We came here due to a posting indicating this town is infested with bloodsuckers, we are only here to exterminate." His expression didn't give anything away, not even a twitch of annoyance at the vampire's useless questions.

"A posting? Like a job post on Craig's List?" Damon asked in disbelief. 'Who the hell uses Craig's List?' "Do you really think I believed that? You know I've lived long enough to know when someone is lying to me." He grounded out his words coating them in venom.

"You're the one to talk, clearly you're just fishing for answers. Hmm, do you really have the girl like you say you do?" Masen challenges him, he turns his attention to the approaching dirty blonde-haired man who stops beside Damon eyeing him warily.

"Stefan Salvatore." Stefan introduced himself to Masen, holding out his hand, the two men shook hands in greeting. "Masen." They released each other's hands, breaking the tension between Damon and the new hunter in town. "What brought you here to Mystic Falls?" Stefan asked. "I'm here to retrieve the girl. But it seems this gentleman doesn't want to address that matter." Stefan frowns at his brother making Damon shrug in reply.

"We don't have the girl." Damon lets out a frustrated sigh because once again Saint Stefan is ruining his questioning game. "The Mikaelsons took her. I'm sure they'll be happy to give her back to you." Stefan said as he quickly took a pen from the counter and scribbled the address of the Mikaelsons Manor and handed it over to Masen.

Taking the napkin from Stefan, the two hunters stood up from their seats and nodded towards the vampires before leaving the establishment. Once they were out of hearing range a low growl was released from Damon's mouth. "Really Stefanie. We had an upper hand on them and you want to just happily hand them over the address of the Original Family? Ohh man, why not hand Elena over to them while you're at it." Damon shakes his head, pouring himself another drink and knocking it back.

"Damon, they're not our problem right now, we need to focus on Elena and help her get through the rough patch, the struggles that she's facing. She's having a difficult time adjusting to her new lifestyle, I can see how much it's killing her from the inside out. We have to support her and get her through it. We cannot risk her turning off her humanity, just because things are hard to face at the very moment." He reprimanded his older brother for not wanting to play his games. Damon looked at him with brows knitted together.

"Fine, but if shit starts to escalate because you don't want to multitask. You better help me with shit along the way." Stefan nods his head in agreement. "I'll have your back but in the meantime, Elena needs to learn how to properly take blood from the vein without wanting to tear out the human's throat."

"You're letting her drink human blood? What happened to Bambi blood, Stef?" Damon mocked his younger brother for his flip-flopping decision making, raising an accusing brow at his direction.

"Yes, Damon, I'm letting her have human blood but she has to learn some control over her feeding. And clearly, she couldn't keep the deer blood down and it's only going to starve her from our natural food source." He explains before sending him a smile, a sign of surrender to Damon's methods of teaching their newborn vampire. "Just don't let her kill anybody and get overwhelmed by it."

"That's the smartest decision I have ever seen you make, for once you're able to decide what is best for her." The raven-haired vampire acknowledges how difficult this must be for his brother to put his fate on him when it comes to his girl.

"Well don't make me regret it." Stefan turns away from his brother and walks through the door, Damon quickly knocks back his final drink before placing his money on the counter, getting up and following Stefan.

Mikaelsons' Manor

"Ohhh how cute. Already on the honeymoon phase brother?" Rebekah ridiculed Kol as he walked through the entrance making his way towards the staircase, with an angrily pouting Huntress over his shoulders. Klaus laughs at his sister's teasing and Kol just rolls his eyes and continues to walk away from them towards the stairs. The little Huntress narrowed her eyes at the two Originals.

Kol blurs up the stairs quickly, making his way to his room, Odette doesn't even notice him opening his bedroom door only that he drops her onto the mattress of his California king-size bed. She lifts herself with her elbows while the rest of her lays flat on the bed and she shoots Kol a glare meeting his cocky grin as he admires her occupying his bed.

"Why can't you just let me go? Did you really have to carry me all the way here? I can easily walk up the damn stairs." She huffed at him in annoyance not liking the way he's been handsy with her.

"Well Darling, if I let you roam on your own, you'll only try to escape once again and I cannot let you do that," Kol smirks as she couldn't resist but rolls her eyes at his behavior. 'Stupid, Pushy, Handsome Vampire.' She thought to herself, starting to back crawl away from Kol but in a blink of an eye, he was in front of her hunching over her like a cat cornering a mouse, his face close to hers, just a breath away. His scent intoxicating her, sending her senses aflame, through her veins. Rekindling the urges he had awakened within the pit of her stomach, clenching, begging to be satiated. She tries to crawl away from his predator stance above her, dominating. Showing her who has the upper hand. She turns her head from him, not wanting to be lured into his pool of embers but he didn't let her as he placed a hand under her chin and quickly smashing his lips against hers causing her to stiffen underneath him. The flames igniting inside her even more, burning her, like a wildfire spreading through the forbidden tropical forest, she had lost control of herself from the moment Kol's lips touched hers.

Their breathing turns into pants of desperation as their lips continue to move against each other, her hands run through his messy tresses while his hands roam the curves of her body sending delicious shivers through every touch. Their tongues clinging together releasing moans in unison. Their bodies singing the sensual song that molds them into one, even fully clothed the heat radiates from them, tempting them to rip every article of clothing from their bodies to connect as one, alluring them to completely give in to their unexplainable desires for one another to be lost in this lust-filled haze.

Odette gasps into Kol's mouth when he grinds his pelvis against hers, feeling how much he wanted her, she couldn't help but mimic his movements as her legs wrap around his waist, making him growl with need sending his instincts primal. "Darling, Oh...j-just...l-like that." He whispers into her ear, making her heart pick up its' pacing. She complied, grinding her hips harder against his, the friction sending pleasure through her, like never before. "Yes, take what you need, little vixen. Make yourself release that delicious nectar for me." Kol's words sending shivering thrills through her body.

'Fuck, he's so sexy when he talks to me that way.' She sighs with contentment as her hands running down his back feeling his muscles twitch at each touch. She thrusts her hips against his faster until she hits her climax making her body trembling from the pleasure of her release, sending the sweet alluring aroma towards Kol, his eyes darken from lust as his hands rip her tank top from her body with her jeans meeting the same fate, leaving her in black laced bra and matching panties. His intense gaze drinks in her beauty with such intensity, as of a lover not as a stranger who's driven by pure lust, something from his expression snaps Odette from lustful daze back into reality, quickly she flips them over straddling Kol's waist, as he lays there on his back shirtless not remembering how that happened. Her tiny hands wrapped around his throat as she leers down at him, meeting his amused expression.

"What the hell are you doing to me, bloodsucker?" She sneered at him, he shook off the amusement he felt from her sudden change of attitude and let out a chuckle in disbelief. "Darling, I simply kissed you and you compiled. Giving in to the desire you feel for me." She glares down at him, "What are you doing to me? Why am I responding to you this way?" She demanded once more. "Darling, I know you want me and I'm irresistible. It's simple as that, it doesn't take rocket science to figure that out." a cocky grin appears on Kol's face making her huffed in anger before releasing his throat from her grasps and making a motion of getting off him but Kol was quicker than her and his hands' grips her hips and she ends up on her back once again before she could comprehend what just happened, she let out a hiss of frustration when she felt his body against hers, temptation. That's what this vampire is, making her do things that she wouldn't usually do towards their kind. What makes him so different? Why is he affecting my ability to think clearly? She felt his lips against the side of her throat making her unconsciously tilt her head to the right exposing her neck to him, an action that would be perceived as submissive to the beast before her. A content growl erupted from the vampire's chest as an acknowledgment of her gesture towards him even when she's unaware of it, he leaned forward to kiss her pulse point making her shiver, he was pleased by the way her body reacts to him, how his touch makes her crazy with need. Kol doesn't understand what's happening between them but that doesn't mean he's not willing to explore more of it, though only with her approval. Something he hasn't done before, he was usually used to getting what he wants, when he wants it.

The woman in question was back in the same haze he had her in, the same lustful fog that consumes her thoughts whenever he's so close to her, his scent drives her senses crazy with anticipation for him to abide. Like she has to have him, she wants to devour him to satisfy the build-up of need that's been awakened from her soul, aching to be cleansed, as if her soul serenades towards his begging to intertwine with one another. Her cheeks flushed, her heart picking up its pace as Kol leans forward to capture her lips with his once more, his hands wanders towards her leaking lady parts that are emitting an addictive scent egging him on to take her innocence. Before he was able to slip his fingers into her aching core, there was a crash through the window of the very room the two occupied which ended their kiss, sending Kol in a protective stance in front of his bed in between the intruder who rudely interrupted the start of his debauchery of the beautiful brunette occupying his bed, the brunette snapped out of the haze once again then let out a breath of relief seeing her comrade had finally appeared to rescue her from the vampire.

"Oh, am I interrupting something?" The blonde intruder smirks at the vampire who was clearly irritated by the intrusion he has caused, Kol let out a warning growl sending Galen into a fit of laughter. "I take that as a yes. Man, blue balls must suck." Kol growls once more before replying. "Matter-of-factly you ha—" Before the irritated vampire could finish his sentence, Odette springs into action using Kol's distraction to snap his neck, making his body hit the floor with a loud thud that would surely alert the other occupants of the mansion.

"About fucking time, Vaughn!" She snapped at her fellow hunter before rushing to put on a shirt she retrieved off the floor, turning her attention back towards Galen. "How did you manage without being…" She didn't finish her sentence because the blonde cut her off with a name she didn't think would hear so soon. "Masen." The cocky blonde bastard smirks at the brunette knowingly. Fuck...not only she's going to put up with this cocky bastard but she's going to put up with the Mister-stick-up-his-ass as well.

Odette sighs in defeat before walking to the broken window, she grips the zipline before jumping out the same window he came in from using the zip line to escape which stops just at the outskirts of the treeline of the Mikealson's property, where the beginning of the forest lies. The blonde hunter's laughter can be heard as he follows the brunette which had set the other Mikaelsons in motion towards the upper levels of the mansion, alarmed by the intruder.

By the time Rebekah and Klaus made it to Kol's bedroom the brunette and her accomplice are nowhere to be found they snarled in frustration, not only being outsmarted by the hunters but seeing their sibling unconscious on the floor sends anger through them. Klaus gathered Kol's limped body off the floor, into his arms and gently sets him on the bed, looking on the ground with confusion etched on his face as he sees the ripped article of clothing on the floor and the hint of aroma of arousal clear in the air, that was surely emitting a feminine scent mixed with Kol's. This cheeky bastard had caused that huntress to climax before getting his neck snapped, Klaus smirks to himself at the revelation of his younger sibling's charms that had been played out.

"What the bloody hell happened here?" Rebekah asked as she too observed the same things her older brother had noticed. "Kol will not be happy about this, God, let's hope he doesn't go on a killing spree throughout Mystic Falls. I would like to stay longer in this town without the town's people rioting to our home's doorsteps with pitchforks and torches, demanding us to leave."

"Yes, he'll be furious, but I won't let him do such a thing." Klaus resisted rolling his eyes at his sister's dramatics. "We need to figure out what to do next once Kol awakens, we just lost our liability but I believe there's a way of obtaining it once more." Rebekah frowns at the hybrid, not liking anything he may have up his sleeves. 'Why must he be always up to no good?' she could resist rolling her eyes at her hybrid brother.

"This better not have us killed, Nik," Rebekah said with accusation tinting her words. "You know what kind of a mess these hunters can convey when it comes to their devotion to eliminating every supernatural being there is on this planet."

"Oh dear sister, have faith in me for once. We've dealt with these hunters before so what makes you think we couldn't handle them once more?" The hybrid arched his perfect brow towards his sibling. Rebekah sighed, she turned to exit Kol's room but found herself halting when her face met with a perfectly tailored suit covered chest.

"Elijah." She whispered as her blue eyes met with deep hazel brown ones, she couldn't help but sigh in relief to see her eldest brother right before her, she gave him a brief hug and he gladly returned it.

"Oh, I see the noble brother has returned and just in time I must say." Klaus claps his hands together and sends Elijah a smirk as an appreciation of his reappearance. "What has our dearest, eldest brother been up to?" his eyes quickly glance at Rebekah before settling back at the formally dressed Original.

"What kind of trouble have you gotten yourselves into this time?" Elijah asked ignoring Klaus' question, as his eyes examined the scene before him, shards of broken glass covering the bedroom floor, a zip line still attached at the window sill painting a picture of an intrusion has occurred, ignoring the article of clothing scattered on the floor his eyes landed on an unconscious Kol.

"Hunters. There are hunters amidst." Rebekah chimed as she crossed her arms over her chest stepping back from him. "Where have you been, Elijah? You've been gone without any contact whatsoever." She furrows her brows thinking of many things that her brother would be doing but yet left her in the confusion of what he had been up to while they've dealt with things on their own in Mystic Falls.

"Traveling." Elijah vaguely responded causing Rebekah to huff in frustration. "So, about these hunters, were they the ones who caused this mess?" He gestures around the room.

"Yes." A groggy voice replied, attracting the siblings' attention to their awoken brother. "It happened so fast, I didn't exactly process it enough… but when I get my hands on her she will be in for a punishment of her lifetime." Kol sends them a lazy grin before rubbing the back of his neck—cracking it before he quickly blurs into his walk-in closet, returning to his siblings' presences well dressed in a black button-up shirt and dark skinny jeans pairing it with black boots.

"Gross, we don't need to know what kind of debauchery you will inflict onto the huntress. DO keep it in your spare time, Kol." Rebekah sneered, showing her perfectly sharp teeth.

"Sister, don't act like you haven't had your own fair share of conquests—you haven't heard us complain about how many times you've conquered them in our close proximity." Kol rolled his eyes and turned his attention to Elijah. "I was slightly distracted, before I knew it my neck was snapped. But, I do know that a blonde hunter interrupted my time with the pretty little brunette and I'll be sure to repay him with my personal vengeance."

"Kol now is not the time for your games, that can wait. We have to figure out how to get her back." Rebekah scolded him for his antics.

"Oh, Bekah. Why must you always try to spoil my fun?" Kol asked before he walked out of his room followed by his younger sister.

"I'm not spoiling anything." She defended. "I'm simply letting you know we have a problem and have no time to let you play your games!"

"You are Bekah! Just admit it." Kol snarled, settling onto the couch where the huntress' scent lingers, he inhales it briefly calming down his anger. Whatever allure it was that erupted between him and the pretty brunette he sure would gladly take her back to show her what it meant to be desired by him, even if it meant it was a spell cast among themselves. Kol doesn't fully understand his growing attraction and desire for the girl but he couldn't get himself to complain about it, in fact, he's giving into it—more than she had. Clearly, she's fighting their attraction for one another for whatever reason that may be.

Klaus and Elijah exchanged a look at each other before following their bickering siblings downstairs into their living space where they've gathered once more to discuss their current discoveries and keeping Elijah up-to-date with the things he missed from his absences. And the eldest Mikaelson was happy to inform them of his travels and what he had been up to.

Miles Away From Mikaelsons' Manor

"What happened to your clothes?" Masen asked after a great distance from the location he had rescued the fuming brunette from, along with the sly looking blonde who's occupying the back seat, playing with his pocket knife twirling it around between his hands.

"Disappeared from distraction." Odette glared ahead of her as she was seated in the passenger seat, she didn't want to have this conversation with him, let alone with the smiling bastard at the back seat.

"She's distracted alright. Distracted sucking faces and getting freaky with a leech." Galen supplied a shit-eating grin on his face and wagging his eyebrows up and down in motion which didn't go unnoticed by the blue-eyed male upfront through the rearview mirror.

"Like I said. Distracted. I was buying you guys time to get to me. End of story." She crossed her arms and turned her head towards her side window, watching the trees passing by.

"I'm sure you were." The instigating bastard eggs on, making the brunette turn quickly while reaching over the middle console to punch his arm. "Fuck! I'm only stating what I saw. Jeez."

She stuck out her tongue at him before settling back into her seat. "I was trying to escape on my own, but that leech was so damn clingy." She tried to explain.

"I'm sure he was clin—" Galen didn't finish what he was saying because Odette threw her shoe at him making him duck out of its way.

"Finish that sentence and you'll regret it." She snapped at him.

"Okay, that's enough!" Masen said sternly, shaking his head at the way they were behaving. "

Whatever it may have been. It shouldn't happen again, you're putting yourself in a vulnerable situation. No more distractions Swan."

"Don't call me that, Masen." Odette glared at him with clear distaste in her tone. "I—It won't happen again...But what I do know, is that I'm going to kick Connor's sorry ass for landing me in this predicament."

"I've told you he cannot be trusted." Masen sighed at her stubbornness, that didn't help how she has sucked into this situation herself. "I never trusted your judgment when it came to him, he was too eager to get involved with anything supernatural related and now look what that got you."

"Just say it." Odette looked at him with an attentive stare.

"Say what?" Masen asked with a twitch at the corner of his mouth.

"Say, 'I told you so.' and get it over with." She bent her knees up in the oversize shirt she's wearing, hugging them against her chest in defeat.

"I told you so. Connor cannot be trusted but you gave him the benefit of the doubt and it lands you in a bigger mess, Swan."

"I had it under control." She mumbled. Ignoring his use of her name there was no use in correcting Masen when he tries to get a rise out of you.

"Yeah, and look what that got you," Masen emphasized her failure to see Connor's true intentions. "You can't just trust anyone who's so eager to be sucked into this world we lived in...let alone get into this particular business."

"Yeah, yeah." Odette rolled her eyes before leaning forward and entering her address into the GPS. "If we're going to confront Connor I might as well be well dressed." She smirks at Masen. "Not that I mind walking around in my birthday suit and all but it's freaking freezing!" She huffed and crossed her arms over her chest like a petulant child.

"Yeah, we can't have Mase be distracted with them legs of yours." Galen laughed as the two up front told him to shut up. "Hey, this distraction is a good distraction." He said with his hands up in surrender.

"We didn't ask." Masen's hands tightened his grip on the steering wheel as he sped off to the location of Odette's apartment.

"You never do." The cocky blonde murmured to himself.

A few minutes later they've arrived at the place where the unsolicited meeting was held just several hours before the only difference is Masen was present, Odette wearing a different outfit while Galen wears a serious expression on his face.

Odette slowly made her way towards the double wooden doors before kicking it open, revealing Connor sitting behind the office desk drinking whiskey.

"You look comfortable. Surprise to see us?" The angry brunette asked before throwing a sharp knife at him which cuts the left side of his face making him hiss in pain. "You thought you could easily get rid of me Connor? Well, think again."

Odette walks up towards the desk and grabs the collar of Connor's shirt and demands his response, he on the other hand shows no fear, at least no traces of it on his face. "I was wondering when you'll show up, though I suspected you'd be leeches food by now."

"What can I say, they have a soft spot for me." She shoves him back into his chair before settling onto the top of the large desk. "What you did was extremely fucked up. I don't do well with betrayals. If you knew me better, you would have known that." Before Connor could reply Odette stabs him with another knife into his right shoulder making him scream in pain. "Who are you working for? It sure as hell ain't working for me, fucker. We're hunters shouldn't we be on the same side not against each other?"

"I don't work for anyone." He lied. She removes the knife and stabs him again on the same spot twisting the knife deep into the wound. "Nope, that's not going to work for me. Who are you working for? Either you make this easier for yourself or harder." She smirked at the distraught Connor and when he didn't respond quickly enough she grabbed the back of his head with both hands and smashed his face into the desk surface knocking him out. His body falls limp against the office chair.

"Wow, I have never seen you that angry in a long time." Galen quipped beside Odette. She grabbed the handkerchief that Masen was offering and wiped the blood off her hands.

"Vaughn, tie that bastard up and leave him tied in the basement. I'm not done with his traitor ass." Odette commanded before getting down from the desk and walking towards the door.

"Where are you going?" Masen asked as he started after her retrieving form.

"I need a drink." She waved her hand above her head before completely walking out of the room and down the stairs towards the main room where the entrance is located.

"I'll accompany you." Masen announced as she twisted the doorknob and slightly turned towards him, analyzing his serious expression, the one that says 'I'm not taking NO for an answer.'

She shrugged. "Suits yourself, Gingersnap."

A burst of throaty laughter emits from behind them. "Why do you call him Gingersnap?" Galen asked when he got their attention.

"He's a natural ginger," Odette smirked and exited the building before she could catch Masen's disapproval on her way out earning another round of laughter from the blonde.

"I did not know that," Galen said with amusement once everyone was back inside Masen's car, resuming their former positions.

"I prefer not to say." Masen sneered.

"It's okay Masen, we're the only ones who know it." Odette cooed at him, 'Ha, payback for calling me, Swan.' "Not like people are too observant to realize your natural hair color."

"Can you just drop it?" He sighed in annoyance fueling her playfulness.

"Yes, yes, I can." She bit onto her bottom lip to prevent herself from smiling at his irritation.

"I knew I'd find you here, Buttercup." The older Salvatore announced his presence to the pretty brunette with an amateur vampire hunter in tow.

"Do you ever get tired of hearing yourself?" She asked him, without looking at the vampire she downs her shot of bourbon then pouring herself some more, she was currently occupying the bar while her other colleagues were settled beside her on the left side of the bar. "Kindly piss off, Creep."

"Ah, you've wound me. I thought what we had was something special." The raven-haired vampire mockingly touched his chest with his right hand as a sign of being hurt by the brunette's words.

"Yeah, if you're masochistic." The huntress turned her head to have a good look at the cocky vampire but then her eyes met with familiar brown ones.

"Swan?" Alaric asked confused.

"Hello, Ric." The brunette stare softened and she gave him a tight smile.

"I thought you had a family emergency and won't be coming back…" Ric trailed off as he saw the other occupants at the bar. "No...Please tell me you aren't with these guys."

"You know each other?" Damon asked in curiosity, assuming they might have been an old fling or may be related but then again he can only make such assumptions at this point.

"We're friends" They replied at the same time.

"She's a friend." The amateur hunter clarified without giving anything else away until he's sure he can get the brunette alone to have a meaningful discussion about her choices of a crowd to hang around with, and he slightly fears for her life being mixed in all this chaos, something he never would have thought she would ever get herself involved in.

"Well, this just got even more intriguing." Damon sends a smirk her way before he takes her bourbon and shot glass to pour himself a shot and down it. "What a small world."

"Belle…" Ric reached out to touch her arm, she didn't notice him move towards her as his attention was on the vampire stealing her drinks.

"I know Ric, I have a lot of explaining to do. But I can't do that right now, Not when there are so many sensitive ears that are listening to every word we exchange." The brunette said as her eyes wandered towards Damon once more than back toward her dear friend.

Alaric notices the Original family occupying a table just a few distances from the bar, the tall cheeky Original wiggles his fingers towards him as an acknowledgment that they can hear everything they are saying.

"Yeah, okay." Alaric nodded his head, turned his body, and headed out the door.

The brunette continued staring at the vampire in front of her once more before glancing towards Masen who was watching the whole exchange and nodded his head to her silent question with that she walked towards the direction her friend left as she exited the establishment leaving the eavesdroppers in their curiosity.

She sat down on the bench at a park just across the Grill next to her friend, he let out a breath when he felt her sit next to him.

"Since when?" Ric asked, cutting to the chase.

"A while." She vaguely responded.

"What do you mean a while? Can you elaborate?" Alaric turns to look at her and she meets his stare with her emotionless one. He never saw this side of her before.

"I've been with them since day one since we've met." The brunette explained. "Ric, sometimes things were better off unsaid…" She tried to explain more but he cut her off.

"That's bullshit! Belle, If Belle is even your name, Odette, whatever. I don't know who this is right in front of me." Alaric gestures his hands towards her. "Who are you really? Why did you get involved? Are you even really my friend or were you using my wife to get information?" He accused, making her jaw tightened from the accusation.

"It wasn't like that!" She raised her voice. "Alaric...It wasn't like that. It's personal business when it comes to my involvement, there's a reason why I attended...I didn't use your wife or you for that matter. I was your friend, to begin with, and still am. Nothing changes that, not even my alias. I'm still the same Belle you've met years ago."

"That's kinda hard to believe knowing you showed up out of nowhere with hunters along with you. I never would have seen it coming. You had me fooled." Alaric stood up from the bench and started to walk towards the Grill but was stopped when Odette's hand wrapped around his forearm.

"Please… let me explain, Ric." Her voice was low and filled with slight desperation.

"Explained what? That you lied and will continue to keep lying." Ric didn't even turn to look at her.

"I was trying to keep my distance… trying to keep you safe." Her voice quivered, finally showing her true emotions instead of the mask she usually wears around others. "I didn't...I didn't want you to be in danger."

"What are you protecting me from?" He finally turned to look in her eyes, his own slightly widened at the tears in hers threatening to fall.

"Myself…" She whispers as she looks down and let the tears fall from her eyes, wiping it when she feels it is too vulnerable for her to cry in front of Alaric.

"You were protecting me from yourself," Ric stated before he pulls the crying young woman into his arms. "You silly girl…I can take care of myself." He felt her arms encircling his waist as though to reassure herself that he wasn't going to run away from her.

"I didn't want you getting hurt." She mumbles against his chest, she pulls away breaking the embrace. "It's too dangerous to even know about the supernatural world, I've been in it all my life and it only has caused my loved ones… they've paid with their lives. I didn't want to see you pay with your life as well." She crossed her arms around herself as if to keep herself together, preventing her from falling apart.

(xxx)

"You better not tell anyone you witness my breakdown or I'll have to shoot you with an arrow to the knee…" Odette playfully warns Alaric as they both gather themselves before heading back towards the Grill. After that emotional trip, they'll need a few shots or so.

"No promises…" Alaric teases back as Odette lightly punches his arm. "Hey, watch it! I have a bow of my own."

"Yeah, I heard -Vampire-Hunter!" She reiterates, shaking her head. "And I thought I was the only badass between us."

"Pfft, you can't take all the credit." Ric rolled his eyes and opened the door for her to go through; she then ran into a muscular chest whose arms automatically wrapped around her. She tries to pull away but the arms tighten.

"I knew you'd come running right back into my arms, but I didn't think quite literally." Odette knew that accented voice from anywhere and when she looked up she found herself staring right into the ember pools of Kol Mikaelson's, the last guy she wanted to see let alone wanting to avoid any physical contact with. It's driving her crazy how comfortable he was when it comes to touching her, wearing that cocky smirk on his lips knowingly how much he affected her with just a simple touch.

"Go. Fuck. Yourself. Kol." She seethes as she pushes against his chest hard enough that he finally releases her, creating distance between them. A quick flash of disappointment flies through his eyes before recovering back the arrogant mask he wears around people.

"Oh Darling, I can't do that when you almost did it for me." He smirks at her while gauging her reaction. "In fact, we were rudely interrupted by your hunter friend." Kol jerks his thumb towards the direction of the bar.

"Great...You know him too." Ric sighed in exasperation as he clearly overlooked Belle's involvement with the supernatural world. He may be right about not really knowing Belle fully well for that matter, this young woman he knew was just buried in secrets. Something he wanted to uncover for himself. Why was she so adamant in keeping her involvement a secret that she created a false identity for herself? Was she running away from something or someone?

"Unfortunately, Yes." She sighed as well, not catching any break when it comes to being face to face with the unthinkable, in her case lunatics of the supernatural community. "What do you want, Kol?" She turned her attention back to the cheeky bastard in front of her, crossing her arms above her chest as a guarded posture.

"Yeah, Kol what do you want with Ms…" 'Great here comes another one.' She thought as the Hybrid joined in his brother's fun in pestering the Huntress. "Lache...It's Lache." She clarified resisting to roll her eyes at him. 'Just trying to keep up with these charades…'

"I have a lot of plans for her... once we're alone again…" Kol winks at her before brushing his arm against hers as he walks towards the exit, shivers erupted through her body. She didn't like the way she easily reacted to his touches and even his presence alone could set off the fire that threatens to ignite within her once more.

"Kol!" She called out to him. He turns around with a mischievous stare to meet her solemn ones, her arms straight at her sides while fists balled up. As she restraints to attack the Original who's easily getting under her skin.

"You're treading dangerous waters… so don't test me." Her cold demeanor back in play. "You're only going to sink in the end." She warns him, his smirk deepens and eyebrow arched at the serious Huntress.

"Is that a challenge, Love?" Klaus asked as he stood with his brother facing the Huntress.

"No, It's a promise." She smiled provokingly their way, turning around to flip her hair and walked back to her fellow hunters who were watching the whole exchange between them.

"I'll hold you on that, sweetheart." She heard the Hybrid say before reaching the bar with Kol's amused laughter erupting behind her.

"I love pretty little things with sharp tongues." He told his brother before leaving the restaurant along with his other two siblings who were quietly observing.

"You Buffy number two just signed your death certificate." Damon acknowledged the brunette's standoff against the Originals. "Welcome to the Scooby Gang." He raised his shot glass.

"Gimmie that!" The brunette snatched the glass from him and down the liquor so fast it slightly burned her throat. "Get your own drink, Weirdo." She sat back down at the bar with Ric shaking his head as he sat to her right along with Damon wearing a mocking smile on his face. This hotheaded brunette was entertaining enough that his once pissed off mood had been forgotten, but it doesn't mean he'll pick flowers with her or braid each other's hair.

"For once I can agree with the bloodsucker. Shouldn't have provoked them Lache." Vaughn chimed in pushing a tall glass of cold beer to her.

"Ugh, shut the hell up Blondie!" Odette sneered as she jugged down the beer. "I never asked for your opinion. I was busy shutting down advances from a creepy and clingy Original."

"Hey! I'm only emphasizing the mess you got yourself in." He shakes his head and drinks his own beer.

"Odette…What have you gotten yourself into?" Masen asked before shoving a nacho chip into his mouth and taking a swing of strong liquor.

"You don't want to know…let's drop the topic for now..." She glares down at the empty glass in front of her, reflecting on everything that went wrong on this day, from the interaction with the Scooby-Doo Gang to the Mikaelsons to provoking the two most unhinged among the Mikaelson siblings. "This has been the longest day of my life. Hey bartender! Give me the strongest drink you got!" She motions for the lady bartender and in return, they nodded their head at her as they began to fix her drink.

"It's not going to be easy, Belle," Alaric whispered next to her. "But we'll make it through it together."