McKenna stood on the Wickery Bridge and stared down at the water. This had become her favorite place to hide out when she was having issues.
Since Tuesday when she found out Elijah had orchestrated for her art to be shown at the grill on Friday night, she had thrown herself into becoming a "vampire hunter." She had gone running in the woods with Caysen with those stupid weights strapped to her. She had spared with Paisley and wrestled with Brad until she had him pinned for more than three seconds.
She worked at night after working with the Carters then went back to Elijah's. She had been so tired she hadn't painted any. Instead she went upstairs, got a shower, and went to bed. Elijah always came in at the same time and curled up with her. That was when she would fall into a deep, undisturbed sleep.
At work Matt was very understandable. He didn't say much when she began falling asleep at work. He put her in the back unpacking boxes and moving stuff around. It helped her relax, a little too much sometimes.
"Kenna?" She turned around. Kol smiled as he walked up to her. "I figured you'd be here. You always come here to hide."
"I'm not hiding. I just needed time to think," she replied. She threw the rock she had in her hand into the river. "I can't believe there's going to be an art gala in my honor."
"Elijah went all out for you. That's why Matt told you to take tonight off."
"Yeah, I know but tomorrow night is also when the hunters have decided to attack. I don't know what I'm going to do."
"You're going to do what you've been working to do. You're going to the art gala and you're going to help us defeat the hunters. We're counting on you."
"I know that but what if something goes wrong?"
"We'll deal with it if it comes." He watched her closely, noting if something changed in her posture. "Come on. Let's go back to the house."
McKenna allowed him to pull her back to her car. He drove this time, taking the corners fast and wild but always keeping it under control. He made it back to the house in ten minutes where it usually took fifteen from the bridge.
"Kol, go sit on the settee," she said once they were inside.
He cast her a confused look. "Why?"
"Just do it. I'll be right back." She ran upstairs to her room and grabbed her art box. Running back downstairs, she got a fresh canvas and set it up on the easel they left in the living room whenever she got the urge to paint.
"Why are you painting now?"
"Because I haven't in three days and it feels weird. Now do whatever you but don't move too much while doing it."
"Then all that leaves is reading."
"Then read!"
Kol laughed a grabbed the book on the coffee table. When he was situated and into his book, McKenna started to paint, background first and then working on Kol. She got the couch done first and then worked on his shoulders, the curve of his neck, his cheek. As she worked lower, she paid attention to his chest, waist, curve of his hip, the way his leg was draped across the other. She paid so much attention she didn't see Elijah walk in with Damon.
"Kol? What's going on?" Damon asked.
"Shh. I'm busy," Kol whispered.
"You're sitting on the couch reading a book. How are you busy?"
Elijah made a knowing sound. "McKenna is painting." He looked by the fireplace and smiled. "Gala jitters I presume."
"Worse. Hunter jitters. She's nervous about tomorrow night," Kol replied. He looked over at his friend and watched. "She threw me on the couch and made me stay still." He laughed when the girl in question made an aggravated sound. "Okay, so she didn't throw me down but she did ask me not to move."
"Does she do this all the time?" Damon asked.
"Yes, she always paints by the fireplace. Usually it's when there's a fire roaring in it. I'm usually here when she starts it. This is a surprise to me." Elijah walked over to her and pressed a kiss to her hair then looked over her shoulder. "It looks like Kol."
"It's supposed to. He is the basis of the painting," McKenna replied.
"Let me see." Kol got up and walked over. He was speechless. "Wow, Kenna. This is great."
"Thanks, but it's not going up in the gala tomorrow." When she said that, she looked up at Elijah. "I don't want them knowing anymore than they have to."
"Can I have it?" She thought about it for a moment then nodded. Carefully Kol lifted it off the easel. "Thanks. I'll take care of it." He walked out of the living room and up the stairs.
"You made him happy," Elijah said. She nodded as she began to clean up. "Tomorrow night you will get dressed at Elena's and Matt will pick you up there. He will be your escort for the night. He has a look when you go to the woods. We'll have Klaus and Caroline waiting there already. Then we'll show up."
"That's fine."
He stopped her when she moved past him. "Everything will be fine."
"I know."
Damon piped up when he let her go on. "She's not okay."
"I know she's not but I can't pressure her into telling me what's going on."
"I would."
Elijah turned around. "That's the difference between you and me. Good night, Damon."
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Friday night rolled around and everyone started getting ready for the gala. McKenna had the help of Elena help her get dressed. Elijah had dropped of a green satin gown for her to wear with silver shoes. It was so gorgeous that she didn't want to put it on. Elena made her.
At seven, Matt showed up in a tux. He smiled when he saw her and offered her his arm. She took it and allowed him to help her into the truck. The ride was silent until he told her the same thing everyone else had.
When they got to the grill, he helped her out and to the door. There was applause when she walked in. Her art was displayed all around her and it felt weird. No one had ever seen her paintings unless she allowed them to. Now here they were for the entire town to see. People she didn't even know congratulated her on the beauty and perfection of her paintings.
"Parker." She turned around and faced Caysen. "These are very good. How long have you been painting?"
"Since I was five. It got better as I got older. My mom was an artist so she trained me," she replied.
He smiled then leaned in closer. "We're going after them tonight in the woods. It'll be around eleven when we can."
"I don't know if I can because of the gala."
"Try. We really have to do this tonight because we have another job to get to." She nodded. "Okay. I'll meet you at ten thirty at the door and we'll go together. Brad and Paisley will meet us there."
McKenna took a deep breath and walked on to the bar. Rebekah was waiting there. She had been the one to get roped into this when all she wanted to do was stay home and watch Jersey Shore. Instead, Elijah forced her to come and be a guard.
"Tell Elijah ten-thirty," she said as the bartender for the night passed her a drink.
As she was walking back to Matt, something hit her in the back of the head. She went down hard but didn't hit the floor at all. She could vaguely hear someone talking on a phone or something.
"Yeah. I got her. We're on our way." That was all she heard before she blacked out.
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Elijah looked at Damon as he whistled shrilly. Everyone in the grill turned to look at him and he turned on the smile.
"Thank you for coming. Tonight is dedicated to a special artist who has come to live in Mystic Falls recently. She may be young but she has talent. I had this put together so you all can see what I see. Please give a round of applause to McKenna Parker. McKenna?" He looked around the room when he didn't see any movement.
Matt burst out of the crowd and came up to him. "Caysen got her."
A look of horror passed on his face before he calmed himself and turned to the crowd. "It seemed she is a little nervous. Please, enjoy the art and champagne." Rebekah, Damon, Stefan, and Kol all converged on him as he headed for the door. "Rebekah, you were supposed to be keeping an eye on her."
"I did, Elijah. He moved on her too fast. I couldn't get to her without hurting someone else," Rebekah replied.
Elijah pulled his phone out as it rang. It was a restricted number, which meant it was coming from McKenna's phone. "If you've hurt her, I will kill you."
"I won't hurt her unless you agree to meet us."
"There's a clearing a half mile away from Wickery Bridge. Meet us there in ten minutes for a trade."
"What will the trade be?"
He stopped and thought. She was going to kill him for this. "My life for hers." Everyone else looked at each other then at him, shaking their heads in response.
There was a laugh on the other end. "That sounds fair. Thirty minutes. If you're not here, we'll kill her."
"You can't do that," Stefan said. "McKenna won't allow you to."
"I have to protect her no matter what. I will do what I have to. If you don't want to come, then stay here." He stalked out of the grill and turned to see they were behind him. "Damon, take your car. My brothers and sister will need a ride home."
They piled into the two cars and raced down the road to the Wickery Bridge. Kol took the turns at crazy speeds but made sure McKenna's car was not totaled. Damon and Stefan stayed right on their tails over the bridge, through the turns and trees.
Kol slowed as they came upon the clearing. There was a SUV parked right in front of them. Elijah opened his door and jumped out. Caroline and Klaus should be around somewhere. Where, he couldn't be certain. The others moved to flank him.
"Good. They've arrived."
"Where is she?" he asked into the darkness. He could see them clearly but they had a fire burning so it made it easier on his eyes.
The middle sibling smiled. "Right here." The older brother came out carrying McKenna.
Elijah's intake of breath was audible as the other held their breaths. McKenna was bloody in many places as if they had beaten her. There was a trail of blood from her temple to her cheek. Her dress was ripped and she was missing her shoes.
"I will kill you," he said.
"Elijah, don't." His body quit moving as she spoke to him. Caysen dropped her to her feet but caught her before she fell into the fire. When she looked at him, her eyes were unfocused with a concussion. "Don't hurt them."
"You're an idiot if you think we're going to let this go," Damon said.
"Listen to the girl, bloodsucker. You really don't want to die," Brad said.
"No, dumbass, you don't." Caroline dropped out of the trees on Caysen.
The three- Caroline, Caysen, and McKenna- went flying backwards. McKenna rolled to the side to get out of the way. Damon moved into fight Brad as Rebekah went for Paisley. McKenna watched as her friends fought. She fought her own body to get to her feet. Realizing she was standing in the pile of weapons, she grabbed whatever one she could reach.
As she turned around, she turned right it Caysen's crossbow. He had incapacitated Caroline and came at her. She stood very still and looked at the bolt.
"You're not going anywhere," he said.
She swayed slightly on her feet. "You knew who I was the entire time."
"No, I didn't. Not until I saw you ride in with the younger brother last Tuesday night. That's when all the pieces went together and I realized you were infiltrating us when we should have been the one doing that to you. You're very smart that way but you see I'm smarter." He frowned when she laughed. "What?"
"Actually, I'm smarter."
It was silent seconds before the entire woods went berserk. Bears and wolves came charging out of the trees. Birds dive bombed from the trees. All the animals missed the vampires and instead attacked the humans. Caysen looked at McKenna as the animals came towards him. He fired his crossbow as the Mama Bear from before mauled him.
"No!" McKenna heard Damon's voice as blood rushed through her ears. She looked down and saw the bolt sticking out of her chest before she looked up at the men coming towards her.
Elijah caught her before her body hit the ground. He bit his arm and pressed his bloody wrist to her mouth as he pulled the bolt from her body. "Drink!"
"Elijah, get her out of here. We'll clean up," Stefan said.
He didn't waste any time. He picked her up and was gone before anyone could move in on her. He had to get her to safety and he could think of one place.