I do not own TVD or TO. I wish I did because things would have gone differently.
2011
"1914!"
Elena blinked under the shocked outburst and waited for Caroline to finish her rant. She listened to the snapped words and speeding pulse of her old friend; the best thing for her sanity meant allowing Caroline to get everything out in the open at once.
Bonnie flinched, curling her fingers around her upper arms hard enough to leave bruises on her dark skin. Every sidelong glare and venom tinged word stabbed at her conscious, reminding her who held the responsibility for their best friend's newfound condition; the condition everyone had fought so hard to avoid less than a year before.
"You died there," Caroline shrieked.
The coherent part of her speech broke until the sole words passing her lips consisted of variations of her final three and Bonnie picked at her croissant, tearing the flaky pastry to shreds.
Elena allowed four variations and then cut off the babbling blonde.
"That's enough Care; what's done is done," she rubbed Bonnie's arm. "You're guilty and you have no reason to be."
"I sent you into the past," she touched her bottom lip. The deep breath in burned through her tight chest. "You died there, 'Lena."
"I transitioned," she twisted the gold band until the pyrite glittered in the sun. "I made friends. I rebuilt the city after the fires. I had a family here. I lived a good life, you know," she smiled, dropping her voice, "after it ended."
"And you raised a baby," Caroline leaned over the table. Her voice lowered to a hushed whisper for the question she kept in while Thierry had been with them, but he had taken his leave before dessert to pick something up for Elena. "Who's his dad?"
"I don't know," Elena shrugged.
"You don't know," Caroline's brows shot up. "Elena Gilbert…"
"I don't know the identity of his mother, either," she lifted her glass, sucking down a healthy mouthful of her smoothie, "so please refrain from calling me a wanton hussy."
Bonnie gaped for a moment and then snapped her mouth shut.
"What do you mean you don't know?"
"Wanton hussy?" Caroline mouthed the words.
Elena placed her drink on the table and tuned out the patio's chattering patrons. Crossing her arms she hovered over the table.
"I dropped into New Orleans in the midst of a supernatural war between the witches; there was famine, plague…"
"Cat giving birth to snakes?"
"War, Care," Elena snickered, "not Armageddon. A lot of people died in the cross fire including Thierry's parents. I took him in…"
"Took him in where?" Bonnie swallowed. "How did you adapt and get by? You had nothing."
"Literally nothing," Caroline dropped a black purse on the table, "but the clothes on your back."
Elena picked up the supple leather. She remembered purchasing it in a tiny boutique with her friends. The black stitching frayed on the left, threatening to bust open and spill the contents over the china holding the remnants of lunch.
"This used to be a lot cuter," she clicked her tongue, hooking the bag over her chair. She pushed some stray tendrils of rich brown hair from her cheek and leaned forward again to meet their eyes.
"I had help. I was there for a few minutes – well conscious for a few minutes – when someone found me. Did you know the Originals used to live here? That compound we were in belonged to them. The 'm' you see everywhere is there family crest."
Caroline's mouth snapped shut; on her left Bonnie froze. For a long moment her surprise rendered her speechless, and when she spoke again her voice emerged in a low whisper, far shakier than she liked it.
"Please tell me an Original didn't find you?"
"I can't do that," Elena shook her head. She crossed her arms on the table. "I got lucky though because the one who found me was the only one who wouldn't turn me over to Klaus."
"Elijah?" Bonnie guessed. "He tried to save you."
"It wasn't Elijah – he never even learned my name," she chewed her bottom lip. "They have another brother – two actually, but I only met the one – and he hated Klaus."
She took a deep breath and told them about the first few days in 1914. She recounted her first meeting with Kol, the way he had burst in when he heard her shriek in the shower, the adorable scarlet blush that had stained his cheekbones in the dressing room, and finally learning about Finn.
Caroline shot a sly smile at Elena.
"I notice you have avoided telling us what he looks like," Caroline teased, encouraged by Elena's sudden flush.
Elena having any sort of positive feelings for an Original vampire raised bile in Bonnie's throat – the family had delivered nothing but grief in her life – but she was incapable of holding back her teasing as well.
"You got fake married so we should at least have fake wedding pictures."
"We were mistaken for married," Elena rolled her eyes, "and I only have the one photograph; it's very old and sensitive to sunlight so I only take it out inside and away from natural sources of light."
"You gotta give us something until then," Caroline's blonde curls gleamed gold in the sunlight.
"Okay," she tilted her head. His features appeared in her mind and for a moment he was standing right in front of her. "Picture Elijah, but younger and with a mischievous smile. He helped me when anyone else who knew what I was would have handed me over to Klaus, and he was kind to me." She tugged at her hair and swallowed the lump in her throat.
"Klaus thrust a silver dagger through his heart, and now that I'm not tied down in a lengthy nap I will be resuming my search for him." Elena's pulse quickened, showing for one brief moment in a fluttering vein beneath her right eye. "That search starts with Klaus."
1914
Days passed and they slipped into an easy routine around the house, but Elena's restlessness increased. She missed her brother and friends more and more every day; he caught the forlorn light in her eyes that she tried to hide, and though he didn't understand the relationships she missed, the sorrow behind her eyes pulled at his heart.
Her eyes danced in his mind, distracting him from the crowded café. He regretted leaving her alone in the house with her thoughts.
A smooth, but insistent, voice drew his consciousness back to the table and the steaming mug of cocoa the same shade as her eyes.
His gaze moved upwards over the graceful curve of her lower lip to her analytical green eyes; there in the polished emerald rested a secret she had yet to speak.
"I would apologize for being late," she folded her ridicule on the table, "but it seems you hardly noticed my absence."
She pulled a small bundle of sage from her pocket and extended the herb until it met the tall flame of the candle; they caught fire and smouldered. She waved the fragrant smoke around them, blew out the flame and placed the smoking sage on the wood.
"Are we feeling paranoid today, love?" He raised an eyebrow.
"There are ears everywhere," she breathed, "and we have sensitive matters to discuss." She arched an eyebrow, reminding him of his letter delivered by compelled courier.
"That we do," a muscle quivered in his jaw. Through his leather gloves the heat from the cocoa warmed his skin. "Luckily your drink is still hot."
"You remembered," she smiled, taking a sip; the cocoa flooded her senses.
"It's difficult to forget your sweet tooth Freya," the beginning of a fond smile tipped the corners of his mouth. "It's odd; my sister Rebekah drinks her cocoa the same way."
"Really?" Freya sipped her drink to conceal her smile. A dollop of nutmeg dusted snow cream stuck to the tip of her nose.
"She does that too," he regarded her with amusement.
Freya wiped her nose, smiling behind her napkin.
"Did you find a solution?" His expression grew serious.
She composed her features and lowered the napkin. All traces of amusement left her eyes.
"I have been practicing magic since I was three years old," she gripped the handle of her mug. "I've studied every branch from each of the continents and there are no spells to do what you've asked. There are plenty that will do the opposite."
"Unfortunately, that's already been done," his vexation leaked into his voice. "Repeating the process could easily make things worse, placing her in the right place at the right time for Klaus."
"If you wish to keep Klaus from completing the ritual just turn her," Freya tilted her head. "Her blood would become useless to him."
"That's not an option," he snapped, glare drilling into her.
"Why not?" She arched a fine eyebrow.
"Because if he finds out he will hunt her to the ends of the earth, torture her until he grows bored and rip out her heart," his mouth thinned, "then he'll dagger me out of spite."
"You are already risking that by helping her," her lips parted. She tilted her head, considering him and the options before them. "Why not make her like you?"
"That's not an option," his voice lacked its earlier bite. "We lack a key ingredient for that."
"Give me the spell and I will be the judge," she pulled some paper and a fountain pen from her ridicule. "That spell may be impossible, but something similar could be created."
"I won't force that decision on her," he glanced at the pen.
"You're not forcing anything on her," Freya lifted her chin, "you are providing her with viable options; something she didn't have this morning."
"I think she would have preferred the first spell I asked for," he uncapped the pen.
"That's not…"
"An option," Kol finished, "I know."
"You knew before you asked me to look."
Homesickness weighed down on her shoulders, anchoring her in the here and now; which only made matters worse since the here and now held no reminders of the life she had always known.
She longed to have one more stupid fight with Jeremy over the remote, or what to have for dinner. Her muscles ached for another sparing match with Alaric to prove she had the strength to defend herself. Her ears were cold without the near constant gossip and teasing of Caroline and Bonnie.
In serious danger of crawling back in bed and never coming out again she reached for a sheet of paper on Kol's desk and resolved to make a list of everything she could go without for a while longer.
1. Klaus and his hybrid agenda.
The first did not count since Klaus existed in 1914 and held the same agenda as in the present. With a jolt she realized that she even missed her Klaus. 2011 Klaus needed her alive.
She scratched it out.
2. Damon, Stefan and their ridiculous tug of war.
They fought over her like a doll threatening to rip her arms from their sockets. Relief lightened her limbs, for a moment her shoulders straightened and she sat tall. As dangerous as her new present was she felt a strange sense of peace in Kol's house where nobody fought over her affections.
3. Being guarded around the clock.
Twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week someone watched her: Stefan, Damon, Bonnie, Caroline, Klaus or one of his many hybrids. In 1914 she had Kol, and while he offered protection the desire to keep her safe didn't consume him in an obsessive manner. She had freedom to move about without the constant pressure of eyes on the back of her head.
4. Being the center of attention.
Supernatural life in Mystic Falls revolved around her, but as long as her existence remained a secret she remained nobody, one more face in the crowd. Anonymity tasted like spring water: crisp, clear and clean.
Elena blew a gentle stream of air on the page. She touched the last letters and found the ink dry so she folded the page to look at when she started to feel homesick again.
A brisk wind kicked up, stinging her cheeks and upsetting her hat. She reached up and straightened the silk monstrosity. Astrid's insistence had led them to take a much needed break in the crisp air.
"It's futile," she buried her hands in a fur muff, "what we're doing."
"Giving up so soon Astrid?" Mary Alice sighed. Her determination had transformed her into an immovable rock. "The spell is perfect, but we lack a joint focus."
"Perhaps a bigger gem," sarcasm laced her voice, but Mary Alice was deaf to it.
"Where on earth would we find something bigger?" She pressed her lips together. "Large gems are not easy to come by."
"The pair of you seek a gem?"
Together they turned, regarding the woman. A beam of sunlight set her red curls on fire. They shared a look as her lips curled up in a smug smirk.
"You won't believe what I've heard."
Elena twisted her heavy curls into a loose chignon at the base of her head and carefully used the hot iron to shape the hair that remained around her face. She managed to finish without causing herself physical harm and slipped the ring back on her finger. With one final appraisal of her appearance she nodded and headed downstairs.
The sound of the door opening made her pause, but her burgeoning smile died on her lips. A shiver surged through her heart, flooding her bloodstream.
"You are not my brother," his eyes assessed her.
Elena drew her hands in front of her body and turned the ring around her finger. His eyes held no sign of recognition, and she repressed a relieved sigh.
"An astute observation," she moved down the stairs, careful to hide her haste. "Did the dress give me away?"
"Where is he?" He chuckled.
"He's gone out."
"And left you in his house," Klaus caught her elbow.
Elena eyed the coat closet just beyond her reach and schooled her features into a smooth mask as she was turned around to face him.
"Who are you?" Klaus held her arm in an iron grip. "What are you in Kol's home?"
"I'm a friend." Emboldened by his confusion she dared to glare at the hand on her arm.
Klaus relinquished his hold and watched her move towards the closet. Her slender arms disappeared into scarlet sleeves.
"I had assumed you to be a 'friend'," he surveyed her with a suggestive tilt to his mouth. "Kol does happen to like pretty little things with sharp tongues."
The blush on her cheeks encouraged him, morphing his smile into a smirk. "You've failed to answer my first question. Who are you?"
His voice lost the brief flicker of amusement.
She swallowed, dropped her eyes to the buttons on her coat and focused on the task.
"Does it matter?"
"Since you are reluctant to answer, yes," he smirked.
He caught her by the elbow again and pushed her up against the wall. The impact knocked over a crystal vase to shatter on the hardwood.
"Why won't you tell me your name?" He tipped up her chin with a finger.
"Because I have no desire to be involved with two Originals," her jaw ticked. "If I tell you my name will you let me go? I'd love to be anywhere but here."
"Has my brother been so cruel as to leave you unsatisfied sweetheart?" His eyes gleamed in the filtered light. "I'll be sure to have words with him, but yes: give me a name and I shall let you go."
"Isobel," she inhaled, sharp and quick. He gave her a look that said he didn't believe her for a moment, but that was fine. He just had to believe the name matched the one she 'gave' Kol. "May I go now?"
He stepped back and she moved to the door, but stopped midstride at the sound of his voice.
"Have we met before? There is something familiar about you."
"I just have one of those faces," she glanced over her shoulder. She was about to race out the door when he called out again.
"Isobel," he smiled, "you've dropped your glove."
She took the leather from his hand and spun on her heel.
He doubted the smell would leave his coat without the aid of fire, but the rich scent of pine masked the remnants of sage. Focused on the task at hand he failed to notice the other smell lingering in the foyer.
"Good afternoon, brother."
Tiny hairs rose on the back of his neck.
"It was wonderful until a few seconds ago," he lowered his burden. Leaning back he glanced at the coat closet. There was no sign of scarlet sleeves.
"Isobel is gone," Klaus leaned in the threshold to the living room.
"Who?" Kol cursed himself for the slip. Only one woman could have provided a name.
"No wonder she ran out of here so fast," Klaus chuckled, "you couldn't even be bothered to remember her name."
Kol took a relaxing breath. She had worn her ring. Her identity remained a secret; if Klaus knew there would be a dagger in his hand.
"What are you doing here?"
"I came by to remind you about dinner tomorrow night after mass."
It took Kol three hours to locate her and when he finally managed it was by her scent. He paused at the end of the cemetery aisle and watched her peer left and right beneath furrowed brows.
"Isobel, darling," he strode towards her with his hands out, "you raced off."
She started, reached for her throat, but relaxed upon recognizing him.
"I had the misfortune of meeting your brother," Elena's shoulders sagged. "He believes you left me dissatisfied."
Kol took her hands and ran his thumbs over her knuckles.
"I assure you, darling," he winked, "nobody has ever left me and been unsatisfied."
Elena blushed and dropped her eyes to his chest.
Kol gave her hands a gentle squeeze. "Are you alright, darling?"
"I'm fine," she tipped her chin back up. "I thought it best that I make myself scarce. The less time I spend around Klaus the better. What was he doing there?"
"Being an invasive ass," he released her hands and offered his arm. "I assume you were seeking the tomb."
"I was actually looking for the way out," she tucked her hand in the crook of his elbow. "Where did you go this morning?"
"I had a meeting with a friend: Freya."
"Did you leave her unsatisfied too?" She quipped.
"She's not provided me the chance," he chuckled. "I think she fancies the ladies."
"Right," Elena murmured with a trace of laughter in her voice, "because that's the only reason a girl wouldn't fall for your charms."
"Precisely," he cast a sideways look at her.
"I haven't," she pointed out.
"Give it time, darling."
His deep voice sent a thrill over her skin.
"Why did you journey to the cemetery, love?" Kol steered her around a corner. The familiar façade of the tomb rose ahead, filling his ears with chants of archaic Latin.
"My feet went on auto-pilot," her hand reached for his arm, covering the exposed portion of her fingers in the crook of his elbow. "I guess I only remember the path to the cemetery; the inside is a labyrinth."
"Yes," Kol held her hand in place. Leaning closer he dipped his head and whispered in a low smooth voice. "Be sure to keep your eyes open for the Minotaur."
"I kind of have my hands full looking out for the hybrid."
"He's not one yet."
"The longer I'm here, the greater my chances are of discovery and the better his odds are of using me to break his curse long before he's meant to."
Kol froze, brining Elena to an abrupt halt. Her blood held a faint trace of fear; he could almost taste it on the air. Their actions, her association with him, held a very real danger for both of them.
"I made you a promise, Elena," he tipped her chin up, cupping her cheek.
"And Klaus walked through the front door today," her teeth sank into her bottom lip. "What if I hadn't put the ring back on after I showered? He killed me once for this spell, Kol, and I don't have a parent to save me this time."
"Klaus will not use you for his ritual," his fingers slid down to circle her neck, thumb rubbing her jaw. "If I could stop what's going to happen to you – what did happen to you – I would do it in a heartbeat."
"Anything to spite your brother, right?" Her lips lifted in a half smile.
"There is that," he chuckled. Her lashes lowered, kissing her cheekbones. "However," her eyes snapped up, "I also happen to enjoy your company. You shouldn't be persecuted because of the family you didn't choose."
"Not to mention the features I never wanted," she licked her lips. "Do you know what it feels like when two other women have worn my face? Since I found out I haven't met anyone who didn't know and or love Katherine first."
"I haven't," he met her sceptical eyes. "Truly, darling, I was in Scotland at the time my family met Katerina or Katherine as you call her."
"You knew Tatia, though," she cocked an eyebrow.
"I knew of her. I saw her around the village," he shook his head, "but I didn't know her. I had no desire to."
"Speaking of undesirable things," her sigh rose from her mouth as a white cloud, "I should go back to the house and get the devil's star. I left it on the nightstand."
"I'm afraid you won't find it on your nightstand, love," Kol reached into his pocket. Paper crinkled in his hand.
"Did you steal my dark object?" She smirked, glancing down. "You know you are safe from death by accidental stabbing…" her voice trailed off as Kol unfolded the paper to reveal nothing but bold lines. "You drew it?"
"No, darling," he guided her hand to the image. "You, in your desire to store the devil's star somewhere is could do no harm, sealed one of my dark objects in paper."
Elena's fingers traced the star, tingling with the same negative energy the metal had held. Her lashes fluttered with the rapid glances between Kol and the page; her voice emerged slow and hesitant.
"This is the…" he nodded, "… I put it here?" She shook her head, laughing at the absurdity of the situation. "I didn't do this. I would have to be a… a… a…"
The initial plan to let her reach the conclusion on her own dissipated when she managed to trap herself in a stammering loop.
"A witch, love," he took her shaking hand.
"I'm a witch?" She licked her lips. "I would know if I were a witch."
"Well," he tilted his head, "technically you're a gypsy, and not a witch."
"What's the difference?" A line appeared between her brows.
"That depends on who you ask."
"I'm asking you," she searched his eyes.
"Aside from where they draw power there isn't one."
"And you've just decided that I'm a gypsy?"
"Actually, your family decided that," he smirked. "You'll recall the family you didn't choose."
She nodded slowly.
"When we first met I was unsure if you shared your family's abilities, but you have done things since then – felt things. Perhaps you've labeled it as a sixth sense, but that tingle beneath your skin is magic."
"Okay," she breathed, biting her bottom lip, "let's say I believe you. How do I get it back out?"
Just pull it out, Kol's voice echoed in her head. Freya assures me you need only reach inside and lift it out.
She glared at the page on the desk. Her fingers had pushed against the image enough times that the paper should have torn, but the paper was proving to be indestructible. Part of her was relieved that the devil's star rested where nobody could be harmed by it.
Out of sheer boredom she snatched another sheet of paper and sketched, copying every line until she possessed a perfect drawing of the trapped object.
"Just pull it out," she snorted, reaching blindly for the papers.
Surprise siphoned the blood from her face. Her wide eyes flickered to her hand and the metal star between her fingers. It looked like the devil's star. It weighed the same as the devil's star, but it lacked the feeling of death.
She stared at the page with the crease and the dark object; folding the paper along the line she turned her art project over in her hands.
"You've been working on this for over a week," Kol snarled, with no attempt to hide his irritation. Klaus had ventured too close, come too near his secrets; he would never allow his brother to snuff out the light Elena brought. "My family grows more insufferable during the holidays. We need to finish!"
"We've tried everything," Mary Alice placed her hand on Kol's arm, "we need a bigger diamond."
"There is no bigger diamond," he threw off her hand, storming to the cabinet. Freya's rings would maintain the illusion for so long, but he could feel time slipping through his fingers; Klaus needed to be stopped.
"There may be," Mary Alice piped up, eager to please him.
He turned sharply and she straightened her shoulders.
"That gossip Genevieve heard a rumor that the dowager Folly keeps a massive gem hidden inside her mansion."
Kol nodded and she grinned, leaning forward to finish her explanation.
"That's why she never leaves. She's worried someone will steal it."
"She never leaves, you say," Kol turned his gaze to Astrid whose heart pounded.
His deep voice startled Elena, breaking up the crackling fire.
"Have you been sitting there since I left?" He rolled up his sleeves.
"It would seem so," she cleared her throat.
"Your dedication has paid off, I see," he nodded to the blade in her hand.
"Sure," she drew out the word and lifted her eyes. The loose fringe of hair over his brow drew her gaze. "It took hours, but I managed to pull this out." She dropped her eyes to the scattered papers on the table. "How are Mary Alice and Astrid? Did they have any luck yet?"
"Not yet," he held out his hand and drew her up from the table towards the hall. "They require a larger diamond."
"Where are you taking me?" Her brows drew together.
"I've a surprise for you," he squeezed her fingers, "and you have managed to keep it so by remaining in the kitchen." He led her through the house and to the living room before stopping and covering her eyes with his hand.
"Kol," she giggled at his antics, "are you gonna show me some massive gem you've acquired?"
"No, darling," he chuckled, "the diamond is in the hands of the dowager Folly." He grasped her free hand and used it to lead her down in the room. "It's in her home: the mansion we passed on the way back from the cemetery today. I shall have to retrieve it."
"How exactly are you planning on getting inside?" She gripped his wrist.
"She leaves once a week for mass, darling," he steered her around a low table. "I'll have words with her tomorrow."
"You go to church?" Elena tripped over her feet.
"Everyone does, darling," he caught her. "I must keep up the illusion of a devoted parishioner."
"Does that mean you're not one?"
"Are you asking if I'm Catholic, darling?" He eyed the way her mouth tilted.
"Everyone believes in something. What do you believe?"
"I have been alive for a long time, Elena, and during the course of my existence I have encountered many religions; each with its own lessons and beads of truth."
"So…"
"Let's just say I believe in something," he sighed, "but I can't say it adheres to any one religion. And you?"
"I was raised Protestant."
"And what is one thing you believe?"
"One thing," she pursed her lips. "I believe that…"
Kol leaned a few inches closer, eyes drawn to her parted lips.
"… That you will let me open my eyes very soon," she teased, tapping the back of his hand with her finger. "I also believe words are unlikely to gain you entry into that woman's house."
"Don't you worry, love, I'll get the gem," he cleared his throat, "now, for your surprise."
He steered her with gentle hands until she faced the corner and lowered her hand from her face.
"Open your eyes, Elena."
Her lashes fluttered and the room came into focus. She gasped and lifted her hand to her throat; in the corner of the room stood a seven foot pine tree.
"I thought you might like to help me decorate tomorrow night," he smiled. "Lord knows I'll need some proper holiday cheer after a family dinner."
"We would need decorations," she chewed her bottom lip in an attempt to temper her smile.
"I have the trimmings, darling, I assure you. Rebekah insisted I decorate last year and keep the ornaments."
"You don't usually decorate?"
"No, but I thought you might like some semblance of normality this holiday season since you miss your family. I thought some of your traditions might make you feel better…"
Her wide eyes bored into him and a sense of unease washed over the back of his neck.
"If I've offended you, darling, I'll remo…" he cut off when her arms closed around his waist.
"Thank you," she whispered, stretching up and kissing his cheek.
His breath caught in his throat. "You're welcome."
Elena pulled back before he could return her hug and spun towards the tree. Her fingers pinched the healthy needs that reminded her of home and hot cocoa, tinsel fights with Jeremy and burnt cookies, caroling with Caroline and spiked eggnog, and now the Original who went out of his way to cheer her up.
He lifted his hand to his tingling jaw where the imprint of her soft lips lingered. He observed her sparkling eyes, excited bounce and bright smile as his pulse raced.
I'm having so much fun writing this story. It's inspiring another Kolena story for after this one is finished that will take place after TVD's graduation episode and feature what would have happened if Kol got what he wanted when he found Elena in the cemetery.