I do not own TVD or TO.

The spatula clattered to the floor sending grease down the front of her sweater. She was more concerned with the burning sensation along her palm. The cut had stopped bleeding after a few drops had fallen into the glasses for the Allen siblings so that she had completely forgotten about it until she had tightened her hold on the cooking utensil.

"I can heal that if you like."

Elena looked up from where she was pressing a white towel to her hand.

Kol came up beside her and bent to retrieve the spatula. He dropped it in the sink and reached for her hand to inspect the wound.

"In retrospect," Elena inhaled when he lifted the bloody rag, "I should have used my left hand."

"Or you could let me heal you," he teased. Turning on the faucet he cleaned her palm in the clear flow of water.

Elena tilted her head and watched his calm expression. In her experience with vampires they often allowed their true features to show in the presence of blood, but his face remained as human as hers.

Kol, meanwhile, was running his tongue over his extended canines and trying not to let his eyes shift. It had been a long time since he had felt such a strong craving for someone's blood; since he had physically reacted to the presence of the life-giving liquid. He did not wish to frighten her, so he swallowed his desire, and attempted to block out the exquisite smell.

"Kol," Elena caught the tick of his jaw, "are you okay?"

"Perfectly fine, darling," he turned to her with a small smile.

That was when she caught the struggle in his dark eyes. Her left hand slid back over the marble countertop until her fingers closed around a crystal glass. She held it under the faucet and watched it fill halfway before setting it on the counter and nodding.

Releasing Elena's hand he bit the pad of his thumb and allowed a few drops to disappear into the glass of water. He watched her drain the crystal glass and inspected the cut as the skin knit back together.

Elena swallowed. His thumb was rubbing small circles over the former wound and sending electric jolts up her arm. Her breath caught in her throat as his free hand lifted to brush her hair back and graze her cheek with the softest of murmurs.

Her eyes flickered over his face as he shifted marginally closer to her. There was still a good half foot between them, but the air seemed to crackle with electricity. The heat made her heart pound and her skin flush.

"Well isn't this touching," a droning voice broke their hypnotic spell.

Elena exhaled slowly and carefully pulled her hand free. She cursed softly when she saw the state of breakfast; a few more seconds and the French toast would have been completely ruined. Snagging another spatula from the drawer she flipped the bread over and turned back around.

"What do you want Stefan?" She set the utensil on the counter and rolled up her sleeves.

"Mainly to get away from the yelling," he tilted his head in the direction of the stairs. "You're sister has quite the set of lungs," he addressed Kol, "and a rather extensive vocabulary."

"I don't hear anything," Elena frowned.

"She's been having a go at Nik for the past five minutes," Kol watched Elena remove the food from the pan and add more.

"Hungry, 'Lena?" Stefan smirked.

"Yes," her reply was clipped, "I am starving, and I thought everyone else might be too."

"Rebekah is working up quite the appetite," Kol chuckled.

"Your counter stopped." Stefan's eyes fell to Elena's wrist when she finished cooking.

"It did," Elena reached into the fridge for the fruit she had prepped earlier.

"Yesterday," Kol added.

Stefan's eyes darted between the pair on the other side of the kitchen counter. He wasn't even sure if they realized that they were moving in sync; always angled towards each other. Before he got a chance to respond to Elena's revelation one of his own became clear.

It took a second for the shrill voice and corresponding gasps to register with him.

"You compelled my soulmate to forget me, you bloody bastard!"

"If were getting technical I compelled him to forget us both."

"You knew what they were to each other and you still did it?"

Stefan's eyes widened and darted to the counter on his wrist; the counter that had finished during, a hazy period, in the twenties. It had been a period of time that was a complete blank to him. He had always assumed he had been too far gone, or on some sort of blood binge when he was meant to have met his mate; something shifted in the back of his mind.

"If you'll excuse me," Stefan spun on his heel.

"Where are you going?" Elena frowned.

"Unlike you, Elena, I am not bound to this house," he drawled. "I think I'll go and terrorize the locals for a while."

Kol waited a beat after hearing the front door close and leaned on the kitchen counter and crossed his arms.

"You and Stefan, then?"

"You almost sound jealous," she fixed couple of plates.

"Am I that obvious?" Kol chuckled.

"A little," she pressed her lips together to temper her smile. "Stefan is my ex-boyfriend. He was the one who told me what the counter actually was. He was surprised to find I had one at all."

"Most humans don't," Kol blinked when she passed him a plate. "What's this?"

"Breakfast," she smirked over her shoulder. Making her way over to the table she took a seat and smiled when he joined her.

"You know vampires don't have to eat, darling," he picked up a fork.

"Doesn't mean you can't," she took a bite of French toast. Her hunger slowly abated with each bite.

Kol nodded and dutifully took a bite. His eyes widened when the combination of sweet and tart exploded on his tongue. The second and third were not duty bound.

"Someone's hungry," Elena giggled and covered her mouth with her hand so her fork pointed towards her own plate.

"This is delicious," he pointed to his plate with the fork. "You're an excellent cook."

"Thanks," a slight blush rose in her cheeks. "I kind of had to learn otherwise Jeremy and I might have starved. Aunt Jenna meant well, but she couldn't boil water."

Elena blinked back a few tears.

"You miss him," he stood and circled around the table. Sitting in the empty chair to her left he took her hand.

"Haven't you ever missed your siblings?" She shifted closer to him.

"We're not really that close," he ran his thumb over her knuckles. Even when they were human he had felt excluded from the others and their promise of Always and forever; he suspected Finn might share his sentiments. "I spent several centuries on my own; I did miss Rebekah though. It can be good fun getting her riled up."

"Why is she so mad?" Elena's eyes narrowed. She could hear the distant sounds of pained screams.

"Evidently," he pointed to his ear and then towards the stairs, "Stefan is her soulmate, and Nik knew it when he compelled him."

"So…" Elena's heart clenched, "… she'll be angry for a while."

"For a long while," his hand slid down so he could stroke his thumb across the numbers on her wrist.

Elena followed his gaze to her arm and shivered.

"I don't really know what any of this means," she admitted quietly. "Until last year I didn't even know soulmates existed."

"Your parents didn't explain," a line appeared between his brows.

"My parents were human," she shook her head and hooked her foot around the chair leg, "and I was adopted. If they knew anything they weren't very forthcoming."

Kol brought her arm up and pressed a delicate kiss to her wrist; he could feel the shiver that raced up her skin.

"Every supernatural being is born with them," he began. Tilting his head to look into her eyes he could almost block out the sounds of heavy blows a floor above them. "My mother always thought it odd that ours were so high; it made sense after we turned though."

"You had this before?" Elena reached for his arm.

Goosebumps rose over his skin under her touch.

"We were witches," he nodded. "Finn and I were the only ones to practice, but we were witches."

"Were?" Elena tilted her head.

"You can't be both darling," his smirk didn't quite reach his eyes.

"I think people said that about werewolves too," she swallowed.

"That different," he exhaled.

Elena couldn't help but wonder how. How come Klaus got to keep that which he was born with while Kol didn't? It might have made sense for those that came later, but he was an Original. He had been turned with magic; he hadn't been sired.

"We've gotten a little off topic though," he squeezed her hand, "I was telling you about the counter. Everybody has them, but they are only visible on the supernatural; they count to the moment soulmates first lock eyes."

Elena nodded, so far everything he had said she already knew.

"I've come across a few over the centuries," he continued. "From what I have seen once they've met several things can start to happen. I've seen mates share unspoken communication; I don't know if it was instinct, or if there was a telepathic connection."

"I guess we'll find out soon," she smiled. His warm hand in hers was raising her mood and making her bubble with joy; she could have gladly held his hand all day.

It was remarkable to how comfortable she was with him.

"They also say the physical chemistry is… palpable," he smirked. He could hear her heart beating wildly in her chest; it did every time he touched her. He liked finding reasons to hold her hand just so he could hear her heart flutter.

"They are always very protective of each other," he met her eyes, "and in the event when both are witches they draw on each other's strength and power."

"And what does it mean for us?" Elena blinked slowly. She had never been sure she truly believed in soulmates; that had always been Caroline's thing. Even knowing what the numbers on her wrist meant still gave her pause. Could there really be someone out there who was perfect for her? Was there really someone who was her other half; someone with whom she would be completely comfortable from day one?

That last one was true. She had felt at ease the moment his eyes first met hers. Her body had hummed with energy, while a sense of calm had overtaken her mind.

"Honestly," he sighed and squeezed her fingers gently, "I don't know yet. I do know that you're now tied to the most dangerous family in history."

"I was kind of already entangled in that," she attempted to smile. "I had the misfortune of being born a doppelganger."

"There's nothing misfortunate about what you are, Elena…" he cleared his throat when she raised a brow. "Aside from my brother of course. Being a Petrova does still make you a traveller."

"A what?" A line appeared between her brows.

"A witch, darling," he smiled softly, "of sorts. Travellers are cursed…"

"Story of my life," she sighed.

"They're cut off from traditional forms of magic, but they can still practice by drawing on their own individual power."

"I don't know much about witches," Elena bit her bottom lip, "but isn't that what they do?"

"It is, but a witch can also draw on nature and other witches," Kol's fingers threaded between hers. Sitting there with her he could almost feel the energy in her body; he hadn't felt anything like it in centuries. Granted he hadn't tried.

"What the bloody hell is going on in here?" Klaus snapped a few bones back in place and glared between them. "Are you the guard dog then?"

Elena saw the shift in his shoulders and heard the lowest of growls coming from Kol's throat.

"You're the only dog in this house, Nik," Kol tightened his grip on her hand and prepared to move her quickly if necessary.

Elena shook with a silent laugh at the comment.

"Where are the others?" Kol leaned back casually. "Don't tell me they're done with you already."

"It's not as if they can do any lasting damage," Klaus rolled his neck as the last of his bones healed.

A sense of dread crept up her spine.

"What have you done?" Kol was barely on his feet when Klaus moved.

Kol grunted. His head bounced of the wall; he could smell his own blood where it ran down his neck.

After a thousand years in this life he was strong, but he was no match for the physical strength of the Hybrid. The element of surprise had played in his favour earlier, but he no longer had that.

"Where are the daggers?" Klaus held his brother's throat in a vicious grip.

"Where are our siblings?" Kol countered. He caught Klaus' elbows and threw him across the kitchen towards the island.

"Upstairs," Klaus snarled, "I broke their necks." He jumped to his feet, snatched a knife from the block and hurled it through the air.

Elena stifled her shriek and dove under the table. Coming up on the other side she saw Kol drop the clean knife on the floor.

"Perhaps you should go upstairs, darling," his eyes never left his half-brother.

Elena started backing up. She froze when Klaus turned his eyes on her.

"I should probably be asking you that question," his eyes blazed gold, "you were the only one who could have removed them."

There was a rush of wind and suddenly Kol was in front of her. Elena only got the briefest of glimpses of his back before there was a crash to her left.

The glasses in the cabinet shattered on impact and rained down on the scuffling brothers.

She really was starting to leave the room again, but the pained cry of her soulmate stopped her. She couldn't have explained her reasoning, or even how she got from point A to point B, all she knew was that one moment she was a foot from the door and the next she had driven the chef's knife deep into Klaus' back.

She gasped and stumbled back into the island when Klaus fell temporarily neutralized. Her entire body shook like a leaf until she was enveloped in Kol's warm arms.

"That was incredibly foolish, darling." He bit down his pained groan.

Elena's arms snaked around his waist. Pressing her cheek to his chest she counted the hastening beats of his heart and narrowed her eyes to slits.

"Kol?"

A single vein under his eye pulsed when she pulled back to look at him. Her mouth popped open when she saw the nasty bit on his neck; angry red streaks made their way down towards his heart.

She didn't bother stifling her shriek when his neck twisted at an unnatural angle. She fell to her knees and choked on her sob.

Klaus managed to get a grip on the knife in his back and pulled it out with a wet sound. Rinsing it in the sink he bent and took hold of her arm.

"Let me go," she struggled against his much stronger grip.

Klaus paused and pretended to consider her demand with pursed lips and a tilted head.

"No," he took a firmer grip on her arm and tugged her towards the door, "it's high time we were gone from this town."

Elena screamed and pulled on her arm to no avail.

"Struggle all you like, love," Klaus tore open the door of the mansion and pulled her to the black SUV, "nobody is coming to help you. They're all recovering from their broken necks, and the process takes a lot longer with werewolf venom coursing through their veins."

"You bit all of them?" She stared at him aghast. "You bit your family?"

"My family was getting in my way," he slammed her into the door of the car, "they can have the daggers for all I care, but I will be taking you. As I've said I have plans for you, my lovely little doppelganger."

"I'm not yours," she spat. "I don't belong to anyone."

"Those numbers on your wrist say you do," he glanced down. "I guess you'll never know who it is though."

"Oh, but I do," Elena held up her arm with a small smirk, "you just broke his neck."

"Kol?" Klaus' eyes narrowed. "That explains why he attacked me, and why the others did. They get touchy about soulmates."

"You don't seem to care at all," Elena glared up at him.

"I compelled Rebekah's to forget her," Klaus leaned closer until he was only a hairsbreadth from her lips, "tore Finn from his, and left Elijah asleep when he should have had the first meeting."

"What is wrong with you?" Elena inhaled and tried to back up, but there was nowhere to go.

"We all made a vow centuries ago," his nose brushed hers, "family above all; always and forever. Soulmates threaten that vow by creating discord amongst us."

"It seems like you're the one doing that," Elena's heart pounded wildly with anger.

"Yes, well," his hand curled around her throat, not tight enough to choke her but enough to let her know he was the one in control. "I want what I want, love, and I will take it; even if it means taking stealing my brother's mate away."

"Now get in the car," he let go of her to open the door.

Elena spun around. She made it two steps before her arms were seized and she was hoisted off her feet.

She kicked and hit when he dropped her into the passenger's seat.

"I had hoped we'd do this the easy way," Klaus heaved an exasperated sigh, "but it seems you've already grown attached."

He captured her chin in his strong hand and forced her to meet his eyes. For a brief moment he considered making her forget what she had learned over the past twenty-four hours before changing his mind; it would be far more fun to watch her in agony. Besides he could always make her forget later.

"You will stop fighting me this instant," he smirked when her limbs grew still, "and you will not struggle again; neither will you leave this car without my express permission. In fact you won't speak unless spoken to for the rest of this journey. Am I making myself clear, love?"

Elena glared at him and seethed silently.

"That required an answer," his grip tightened leaving bruises on her pretty skin.

"Yes," she ground out through gritted teeth.

"Wonderful," his angry features smoothed into a mask of concern. "Now put on your seatbelt love. We wouldn't want you getting hurt if there's an accident."

Elena had never thought of wanting to be a vampire, but in that moment, had Klaus not compelled her, she would have gladly jumped in front of his car.

Bonnie raked her hair back from her face and sighed. She was mentally exhausted and her day hadn't even begun yet. Thankfully it was the weekend which meant she could go and get a few hours of sleep before resuming the search for Elena.

They had all been looking round the clock for the missing brunette. Tyler seemed convinced that Klaus had taken Elena out of town, but so far every locator spell had come back empty.

Damon was currently looking out of state for Elena, and Jeremy was busy trying to find something that would help them locate his sister. After every failed spell he would search for something else in her room that she had a deeper connection with, so far there had been nothing. Her journal had given Bonnie only the briefest of glimpses of the brunette, but it had been an image of her in a library; hardly anything to go on, and the journal had only worked once since the leather book had somehow gone up in flames when she tried again.

Bonnie feet dragged heavily across the front porch to the door. She blinked tiredly at the frosted glass. A manila envelope was taped to the window; her name was written in block letters.

Reaching inside she extracted a single sheet of heavy paper bearing an address outside of town. Flipping the page over, made her breath catch in her throat.

Elena stood in a lavish kitchen wearing a stained sweater next to a tall man who was all but obscuring her from view. He was holding her hand and pressing his thumb into her palm.

Bonnie flipped the page again and pulled out her cell phone. The call connected on the third ring.

"Caroline? I think I've got something."

Phew... that one got a little long.

I've never written Klaus this way. I always write him as the family above all kind of guy; he has funny and downright destructive ways of showing he cares, but he always did care.

I haven't decided if he really doesn't care yet, or if he's just without humanity.