McKenna woke to sunlight streaming in the room. It took a few moments for her to remember where she was.

Then the night came flooding back tenfold. She had spent the night with Elijah. And when she said spent the night, she meant spent the night.

It hadn't been an awful. He had been a complete gentleman, telling her what he was going to do before he did it and then asking if she was okay. It had been the one thing she had been so nervous about. She didn't know if he would be gentle or if he would just do what he wanted from the get go. But he didn't. He made sure she was comfortable before he did anything.

Sleeping next to him had been a shocker in all honesty. She didn't know he slept like a regular human. He had made sure she was comfortable, again, before lying beside her. They stared at each other for what seemed like forever. Skin was touching skin and that was a new sensation. Granted skin had been touching skin earlier but this was a different take. They were still, not moving, and their skin was touching.

McKenna rolled over and found an empty bed beside her. An unhappy noise escaped her. He would get up and leave her to sleep alone. Although it was a little disconcerting to wake up alone, it was a blessing in disguise. It meant he wouldn't see her thoughts all over her face just yet.

She got up then and winced as a dull pain slid up her spine. Well, so much for not being hurt. Her mother had said she would be hurting the first time so she wasn't too concerned. She walked into the bathroom and turned on the shower. As she waited, she looked in the mirror and inspected herself. There were no puncture wounds so he hadn't bitten her during their crazy night. She wouldn't have blamed him if he did but she was secretly happy he didn't.

When the room was foggy, she stepped into the shower and let the water wash the sweat and annoyance off her. This sucked because she didn't have her own shampoo or body wash but she would have to make due. She used all of Elijah's stuff out of necessity.

After getting as clean as she could, she grabbed a fluffy towel and wrapped it around her body. She found a thinner one and wrapped her hair in it. Walking out into the bedroom she looked around. Elijah had taken her clothes, leaving her undergarments hanging on the chair. He was a gentleman so he wouldn't bother those but it meant she didn't have anything to wear unless she raided his closet.

Which she did.

She opened the double doors and looked around. All that was in there was dress clothes. Button up shirts, slacks and khakis, blazers, ties, a few pairs of jean, and casual shirts were hung neatly in a row and color coordinated. Sighing, she grabbed a gray shirt and went in search of something other than khakis, slacks and jeans. She found a pair of shorts in one of the drawers and grabbed them.

After getting dressed, she climbed back in the bed and grabbed her phone. Three missed calls from Damon and a text from Stefan. They were not going to be happy when she told them where she had been, although they probably knew where she had been. She sent a quick text to Stefan then pulled her hair down from the towel.

As she towel dried her hair, the door opened. Kol stuck his head in and smiled. He sauntered in and dropped himself to the bed, stretching across it and leaning on one shoulder. She swatted his hand away as he tugged at a strand of her hair.

"Well, this is a pleasant surprise. I figured you would have left last night in hysterical tears after he turned you down. Imagine my surprise when I awoke to find my big brother making breakfast. Only two things would make him do that. First, it's a holiday and he cooks for the entire family. Second he has someone he's trying to impress. I know it's not a holiday yet so I had to come check it out." He smiled when he looked her over. "I see you didn't plan on staying the night. I haven't seen those shorts."

"I didn't plan on staying over. It just kind of happened. Then I find out he's taken my clothes." She rolled her eyes.

"He had them washed. I heard the washer going when I walked into the kitchen. I think he was being nice." McKenna stared at the wall as she finger combed her hair. Kol thumped her knee. "What's wrong?"

"I feel inadequate for this role," she said.

"For what? Being Elijah's lover?"

McKenna punched him and he laughed. "No."

"Then what?"

"I don't know how I can help him against the hunters."

"Don't try to." He held up his hands when she looked at him with a surprised expression. "Take Stefan, Elena, and Damon for example. Elena always wants to be in on the plan and those two allow her. From what I heard, nine times out of ten she's the reason it never works. Elijah would never allow you to put yourself in danger for him. He would lock you up before he let that happen."

"So you're saying I should just sit back and let him do his job?"

"No, I'm saying if he says it's too dangerous for you to be involved, he's probably right."

"Do you think he'll allow me to hear a plan?"

Kol thought about that then did something with his head. "Maybe, depending on what they're planning. Don't be mistaken. We are predators."

"I understand that."

"Do you? Do you understand that you could get hurt by any one of us at any time? That one of us can lose control and essentially kill you? Even Elijah?"

"Yes, I understand that and it doesn't scare me."

He smiled. "You're a strong one. I can see why Elijah wants you around. I know now why I want you around." McKenna smiled and that made him happy. "Do me a favor. If one of us tells you to leave because we think it's too dangerous for you to be there, run and don't look back. Let fight or flight kick in and choose flight. Elijah would kill me if something happens to you. Do you understand me? If we say run, run. Run back to the Salvatores and stay there until Elijah or I come for you. My password for you to know it's safe will be the wolf painting."

McKenna turned and looked at the wolves on Elijah's wall. That would be the easiest thing for her to know.

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were trying to hit on her, Kol," Elijah said as he walked into the room.

Kol slipped into a standing position and crossed the room, bumping shoulders with his brother as he went. "Not at all, brother. I would never do that to you." He winked as he walked out of the room.

Elijah smiled as he got a good look at McKenna. She was dressed in his clothes and they swallowed her. He had asked his sister to loan her some clothes but Rebekah had steadfastly refused. Her stubbornness bothered him sometimes.

"What did my brother want?" he asked as he set the tray down on the bed.

"He was just telling me what I should do should things get dangerous," she replied as she dug into the fabulous breakfast of eggs, bacon, toast, fruit and Klaus's orange juice.

"He's right. If it gets too dangerous, I don't want you around."

"Would you tell me the plan if you make one?"

"No."

She looked at him then. "How am I supposed to think about other things if I keep thinking you're out there somewhere about to get your head chopped off? I couldn't do that. I'm not asking to be part of the plan, but I'd like to know what you're going to do so I could create an alibi if you get arrested or something for it."

Her protective streak had come out and he wasn't used to that. He leaned forward and kissed her forehead.

"All right. I'll tell you our plans but you cannot get involved in it."

"I won't."

"Now, eat. Matt called and asked you to come in today."

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After Elijah gave her her clean clothes back, he drove her to work. Matt had given her a spare shirt to wear for the day with the promise that she'd wash it and return it the next night. With the promise in mind, she set about slinging drinks and taking people their food.

McKenna picked up a tub and began busing tables. Every time she passed Matt, he hip bumped her. Every time she laughed. He was goofy and he hit it just to make her smile.

As she was making her last pass, she tripped and went sprawling across the floor, dropping the tub. She groaned as she sat up and looked at her arms. Glass from the broken cups was sticking out of her skin.

"Kenna?" Matt asked as he hurried over. He kneeled down beside her and looked at her arms. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah. I just tripped," she replied as she pulled glass from her arm. "Sorry I broke the glasses."

He laughed. "Don't worry about that. As long as you're okay." There was laughing behind her and he looked up. "Did you do this?"

The woman who was laughing simply shrugged. "She tripped over my foot. I can't help that she's a klutz."

Matt glared at her as he helped his co-worker up. "The glass comes out of your tab." He ignored her look of disgust as he wrapped a rag around McKenna's arm. "Come on."

As they were moving to the back room, Alaric appeared. McKenna shook her head so he didn't say a word. Once they were secure in the store room, Matt set her down and looked at her arm.

"It's not too bad. I don't think you'll need stitches but let's get as much glass out as we can," he said.

"What happened out there?" Alaric asked.

"He knows," Matt said when she hesitated slightly.

"They were hunters," she blabbed as she watched Matt clean her arm.

"What'd you do to them?" the teacher asked as he crossed his arms.

"Nothing. She was working when they tripped her," Matt replied. He finished wrapping her arm. "It's all taped up but I suggest you take the rest of the day off to make sure you don't aggravate it."

"I'm tired of taking time off. I need this job," she replied agitatedly as she ran a hand through her hair.

"I really think you should go home for the night. It's better."

"For me to admit defeat? You know I'm not like that, Matt."

"But it'll keep you alive until we can do something about it," Alaric said.

Matt got a glint in his eye. "I'll pay you for full day." He waited a few moments. Finally he smiled when she nodded and took her hands in his. "Good. I'll see you tomorrow."

McKenna stood and brushed by them. She grabbed her jacket from the rack and pulled out her phone. It was answered on the second ring just as she walked out to the bar. "Kol, come pick me up."

"I thought you had to work today," Kol replied on the other end. She heard the wind whistling through the ear piece.

She looked around the bar, taking in the three hunters at various ends of the building. "There was a little accident."

The tires squealed as he obviously turned his car around and headed her direction. "Are you hurt?"

"Not really. Just come pick me up. I'll tell you then."

Five minutes later, the youngest Mikaelsen brother stopped outside the bar. McKenna got in the car and stilled his hand when he went to put it in gear. They watched as the hunters file out and climbed in their car. Kol didn't say a word as he put the car in gear and headed out. McKenna sat back and watched the scenery change.