The next morning Kol took McKenna to school. It was an interesting second ride. The first one had been quiet and brooding. Kol had been planning the hunter's demise. McKenna had been holding back pain. It was a silent trip.

This trip was loud and boisterous. Kol liked American music, which was still surprising given his accent even though he had been alive over a thousand years. He had a good singing voice and sang every song on the radio while he drove. McKenna laughed at him despite the fact that she had been concerned he was driving with no hands.

When they pulled up to the school, every head turned. Kol drove an expensive, foreign car that no one else at the school could afford to drive. So when McKenna stepped out, everyone was looking.

"Either Elijah or myself will be picking you up this afternoon for work," he said as she leaned in the window.

"Don't you think it's better if I do this alone? I mean we could tip them off," she replied.

"I don't feel right leaving you alone."

"She won't be alone. We're here." McKenna turned around to see Stefan and Bonnie standing behind her. "Hey, Kenna."

She turned back around to look at Kol. "See? I'm protected."

Kol made a face. "Don't ruin my fun for me."

"Oh, shove off, Kol. We all know you're sucking up to Elijah by protecting his human," Rebekah said as she walked by the car.

"Sister, you do have a snarky attitude." Rebekah made a face at her brother. "Ride with Bonnie to the bar. We'll see you at the house tonight. Elijah's collecting your stuff from the Salvatores." McKenna frowned and Kol smiled. "You're moving in with us." Then he drove off.

McKenna turned to Stefan with raised eyebrows. He sighed and turned to walk into the school. "Elijah called this morning after you left with Kol. He said he was coming over to get your stuff, that you were moving in with him."

"I never said such a thing."

"Maybe not but it's happening. I wouldn't fight it."

"Never said I would." She smiled at him. "See you in English." She walked away towards her locker to get her math and English books. When she turned around, Rebekah was in her way. "Good morning to you too."

"Let's get this straight. I don't want you in my house but you make my brother happy. Hurt him and I will kill you," she said.

"Then he'll kill you so don't place me in the way of a brother/sister feud." McKenna stared her down until Rebekah took a step back. "I didn't ask to move into your house. Talk to Elijah about that."

The blond sighed. "I have to stay near you at all times. Give me a copy of your schedule. We'll coordinate protection that way."

"Didn't you understand last night? I have to do this on my own or it won't work. They have to trust me so I can bring them down."

"If you get hurt in the process, my brother will have a corollary. Until you get in, you're protected by the rest of us. Deal with it. I'll see you in history and at lunch."

As she walked away, McKenna resigned herself to the fact that her friends were not going to give up on the protection. She walked on to her math class.

(%)(%)(%)(%)(%)(%)(%)(%)

After math, English, art, and lunch, McKenna walked into history. She looked around the room. Unfortunately there was only one seat left open and it was right in the middle Stefan, Elena, Bonnie, and Rebekah. Sighing, she sat down and opened a notebook.

As Alaric started talking, she started sketching, first the back of Bonnie's head then her profile from memory. She kept going until she had everyone's profiles done. She wasn't paying a bit of attention so she didn't see the new girl walk in. Her head snapped up when she recognized the voice.

It was the hunter. She was young, but not young enough to be in high school. She was posing as a student to get close to Stefan and Caroline. Now she had to tread lightly.

As she sat down, the girl caught her eye and winked. So she recognized McKenna. That could pose a problem. McKenna scribbled something on a scrap piece of paper and slid it back to Stefan. Seconds later, his answer came in.

Don't let her see you interact with us.

Plan and simple. That she could do.

(%)(%)(%)(%)(%)(%)(%)

Paisley walked into the Mystic Grill and looked around. She had been given an assignment. She was to infiltrate the high school and pick out the vampires there. That had been the easy part. The hard part had been seeing the girl she had tripped and hurt in the bar the last time she had been in here. She actually felt bad about that. Now walking back into the bar she felt that guilt ten times over.

The girl she had tripped had flowers braided into her hair. It was an intricate design that had taken some time to do. It made her more amiable to be around, as told by the customers calling on her. Her smile was huge and her laughter genuine as she talked and interacted with the clientele. Guys from across the grill and at the bar started calling out to her so she walked to the bar to get a good idea.

"Hey, there. Remember me? I'm in your history class," she said once the girl was behind the bar.

She looked up. "Yeah, I remember you. I also remember you tripped me on Sunday when I was working." There was a bite to her voice. "What do you want?"

"I just came to see if you would accept my apology. I was dared to do it and so I did. I didn't know you were going to drop the tub and break all your glasses." She stopped and thought about it. "I shouldn't be apologizing because I had to pay for those glasses."

"It was your own stupidity that caused me to fall and break the glasses thus forcing you to pay for the glasses. Now if that is all that you have to say to me, you can take a seat in Matt's section."

Paisley grabbed her arm as she started to wipe down the bar. She looked at her. "I heard there are vampires here. Is it true?"

"I don't know. I just moved here."

"You're a decent one then."

"What do you mean decent?"

"I mean you could be a decent vampire hunter. I know some people who can help you learn."

"I don't want to learn. I don't want to kill people."

Paisley looked at the sketch book lying on the bar. She snatched it up and began flipping through it, awe on her face. "You're an artist. No wonder you don't want to hurt anyone."

"What you mean?"

"Artists never want to hurt any living thing. And with the flowers woven into your hair it just proves my point."

"You're saying I'm a push over just because I like to draw and paint."

"No, I'm saying even though you know how to do all this, deep down you know how to kill people. Everyone does. It just takes a different person to bring those urges to the top."

"Hey, Parker, can I get a beer please?" Paisley looked over at the hot accent that sat beside her.

"Seriously, Kol? It's four o'clock in the afternoon. You're drinking already?" the girl said with a laugh.

"What can I say? I like to get started early." He looked over at the girl to his left. "Hey there. I'm Kol Mikaelsen."

"Paisley Carter," she replied.

"Why are you named after a color?"

The other girl snorted to keep from laughing out loud. "Kol, you're downright fiendish."

Kol smiled. "You remember what my sister said. I have a devilish smile."

"And a bad sense of humor to go with it. Do you need anything else?"

"Some food will do."

"Find a seat and behave." She shook her head as he slid off his stool and walked away. "Do you want anything or are you just here to get me fired?"

Paisley grabbed her hand, forcing her to look at her. "Parker, listen to me. You need to join us."

"Why do I need to join you?"

"Because that man right there was a vampire?"

The other girl scoffed. "Kol? A vampire? I don't believe you."

"Then he's already gotten under your skin. I can't help you if you won't allow me to." She got up and started away.

"Wait. What if I need to get a hold out you?"

Paisley smiled to herself then turn around. She grabbed the drawing pencil and scribbled her number down. "You can reach me at that number. I'll tell you where to meet me." The other girl nodded. Paisley turned and walked away.

McKenna watched her leave. A few seconds later, her phone vibrated in her pocket.

Keep up the good work.

Kol

She looked up at him and caught his eye. He nodded at her. She got back to work.

(%)(%)(%)(%)(%)(%)(%)(%)(%)

That night Elijah lounged on settee in the living room by the fire. He had glass of wine in one hand and a plate of cheese and various meats in the other. He watched as McKenna painted a portrait she had in her head. She had been painting when he returned home from gathering her things so he had gotten something to curb his hunger while he waited for her to finish.

He found he truly enjoyed watching her pain. She got this look on her face when she was really into it and bit her lip. Sometimes there was paint on her face, much like there was now. There was a blue swipe across her forehead. Either she had swiped the brush across her forehead or had paint on her finger when she scratched her head. Either way, it was a little endearing.

He wasn't certain if she knew if he was there or not. Sometimes she got into something and ignored everything around her. He figured it was one of those times. He heard her groan in frustration as paint went flying everywhere, leaving three nice splotches on her face.

After an hour or so, she sighed and leaned back. That was the sign she was done. Finally she looked up over the easel and smiled. So she hadn't seen him when he walked in. Leaving the painting to dry by the fire, she got up and walked over to him. He set his wine glass on the coffee table as she crawled on top of him. She kissed him.

"Mmm," he mumbled. He looked up at her when she pulled away. "Kol says you played your part brilliantly today."

"He almost made me break character," she replied as she meticulously unbuttoned the top two buttons on his shirt and ran her hands along his collarbone.

"Yes, but the important part is you didn't." She smiled and lowered her mouth to his. He was the one to pull back this time. "Don't call her too soon."

"I wasn't."

"Good, because we're going to stage a vampire attack. I want you to see it then call them. It's probably a perfect alibi."

"All I ask is that you don't let Kol be the one to do it."

Elijah tilted his head. "Why not?"

"He's my best friend, Elijah. I don't want anything to happen to him. And don't offer yourself. I won't have that either."

He laughed. "I thought we agreed that I came up with the plans."

"No, we agreed I'd listen to the plans but not get involved. That is until you decided to use me anyway. So now I get to have a say in what goes on because I am the primary attacker." She smiled at him when he frowned. "I won't get hurt."

"I know you won't but I don't know how to think about it. I don't want to think about it."

"Then don't."

He didn't when she pressed her mouth to his. A few minutes later he was grappling for control as her mouth went to his neck then his chest. He tried not to crush the flowers in her hair but she was driving him crazy.

"Whoa! If you want privacy go to your room, Elijah."

McKenna dropped her head to Elijah's shoulder as he let his head fall back to the arm rest. "What are you doing home, Kol? You said you had a date tonight."

"It ended early. Seems like I walked in on a little raunchiness going on here."

McKenna looked over her shoulder at her best friend and his stupid grin. "You're an ass."

Kol watched as she stood up and moved back to the fire place to pick up her stuff. "I'm not the one having a heavy make out session on the settee." He looked at her in shock as she swiped her paint brush across his face. "No, you didn't."

"I sure did."

"Come here, little girl."

With a loud shriek, McKenna darted off towards the living room. Kol could always catch her in an instant but he was having too much fun. He chased her through the house until went back into the living room. Elijah was finishing his wine when McKenna came back in and used him as a shield. Kol slid to a stop, barely, before he collided with his brother. McKenna made a face at him from under Elijah's arm.

"I will get you one of these days," he said as he tried not to laugh. She looked so funny poking her head through the little hole Elijah made when he rested his fist on his hip. She stuck her tongue out at him.

"Enough, Kol," Elijah said. The younger moved from the living room. Elijah waited until he was certain McKenna had picked up the rest of her art supplies before he turned around. She was setting her painting on the mantle to dry. "It's beautiful."

"Thank you. I just had this thought running through my head and I went with it. I'm surprised it turned out this good. Usually it takes a couple tries," she replied. She turned around and wrapped her arms around his waist then dropped her head to his chest. "I'm so tired."

"Well then let's get you to bed." He picked her up and carried her upstairs. When he opened the door, he set her feet on the floor and watched her reaction. He had moved all of her stuff in this afternoon. It took him a while but he got it all situated and put away.

"Well?" he said after a few moments.

"Well what?" she asked as she continued looking around the room.

"What do you think?"

"I think you outdid yourself."

He smiled. "I take that as a compliment." She smiled in return. He motioned her over. "Let's get the flowers out of your hair."

She allowed him to do just that. Within minutes he had all the flowers out and was brushing her hair into silken strands. When he finished, she grabbed his shirt she had been sleeping in since she had been sleeping over.

"I move all your clothes here and you choose my shirt?" he asked incredulously as she climbed in the bed.

"I like your shirt better. Now I'm going to bed." She turned out the light. "Good night."

She waited a few moments. She heard him changing in the dark. A few moments later the bed shifted on the other side and two arms came around her. Smiling, she scooted back until she was flushed against. Him.

Elijah pressed his lips to her ear and nuzzled the skin behind it before kissing her. "Good night."