Thanks for all of the reviews and here's a bit of Kol and Bella's friendship. Keep up the reviews I love feedback. Special thanks to those that keep reviewing I love you guys. So here you go :) a longer chapter.
"Hello Tia, on your way home yet?" Kol asked in an accent that was entirely his own.
"Of course, now what's this about a ball?"
"Mother wants us to be a family and is inviting the town to a ball to celebrate the moving in of the most powerful vampire clan."
"Wait your mother is there? How? Why?" I fired off the questions quickly and louder as each one was said.
"No idea."
"If she is there she can't know I am alive, if I go to the ball it can't be with you. Put Elijah on the phone."
"Calm down I'm getting him right now. Bekah wants you to come too."
"Hello Tatia, you are going to be my date, as well as Miss Katerina Petrova if you wish to join us."
"Lijah what is going on should I come home or not?"
"Come home," he said without hesitation.
"Tell Kol to come and pick me up at the airstrip at 10:30ish, now I've got to go the plane is taking off. See you soon Lijah." I hung up and sat back on the couch just as the plane lifted off.
The plane ride home was really boring. I sat around and contemplated whether or not I should kill the flight attendants for not getting me a bottle of wine. I think I took a short nap at one point but I was awake and alert by the time the plane landed. I thanked the pilots and ran into Kol's arms.
"Hey what's it like to be out of that coffin."
"Not too bad. what's life like without me?"
"Terrible. Did you bring money I need a ball gown?"
"No but I'll call Bekah and tell her to meet us in town. I know you have to be Elijah's date but please save me a dance?" I smiled.
"Remember when that girl fell in love with you simply because you danced really well?" I asked as I slide into the driver's seat of the car Kol took here.
"How could I forget that was the night you had that guy begging for your hand I can't believe you didn't compel him." He teased starting up the car and driving off.
"It's good to have you back." He called up Rebekah and told her to meet us at the formal shop in town for dress and suit shopping. We pulled in and walked into the store and I smiled seeing Rebekah. "Hey Rebekah you stabbed Nik for me right?"
"Finn got the really good one in, so I'll say that he did." I smiled.
"And your mother?"
"Who knows what is up with her."
"So I saw this green one I really want your opinion on. I also saw this silver one that would look amazing on you. Kol I saw a purple one that you would love."
"Elijah said I don't need to get a suit or tuxedo."
"That doesn't mean you don't need a dress," I teased. He shook his head and started looking through the racks. I smiled and looked at an emerald green dress Rebekah was showing me. I nodded and told her to go try it on. Kol held up a royal blue strapless dress with a sweet heart neckline and a black sparkly lace around the neckline and where the puffy skirt started. I smiled remembering a dress just like it that I wore a long time ago, the skirt didn't get darker at the bottom and wasn't as puffy.
"It's perfect." I walked up to grab it from him and he twirled me when I grabbed it. I smiled bigger and brought it to the dressing room. It fit perfectly and brought back memories from the past. I stepped out of the dressing room and walked out to see Rebekah in the green dress. "Rebekah I'd go with that one it looks awesome on you." She smiled and twirled then walked into the dressing room to change. I walked over to the mirror and closed my eyes remembering that one night long ago. The night I found Kol.
Weeks after I left Elijah, and Nik I found Kol at a party in Paris. Then I realized this was pretty much the same dress I was wearing then. I remember someone dragged me onto the dance floor we switched partners in the dance and then I was dancing with Kol. If I wasn't still getting over Elijah that night Kol and I might be more than friends.
"You are not allowed to get this one Tia. I couldn't bare to see you wear this one. It's too close to the other one." Kol whispered in my ear sending shivers down my spine. "At least not if you're to dance with my brother."
"But I'm also going to dance with you, somehow. I'm getting this one," I said seriously. I turned around and found my head an inch away from his. I sucked in a quick breath and took a quick step back. Kol was my friend but at one point in time we were almost more. I changed quickly and went over to the counter where Rebekah was checking out. We paid for the dresses and I called Elijah and told him to distract his mother so I could sneak into the house and grab stuff from my room. He complied and said he'd make sure my window was unlocked. Soon enough I was shoving stuff into a duffel bag and checking into the small hotel.
Not trusting Esther and on a hunch I grab my purse and and head to Elena Gilbert's house. Stefan answers and tells me Elena went to the Grille so I promptly follow. I see Elena and Caroline sitting down at a booth and walk over sliding in next to Caroline so that I face Elena.
"I suppose you already got the invitation?" I asked getting right to the point, forgetting Caroline hasn't met me yet. "And that Esther especially wants to see you?"
"Yes," she answered carefully. "Caroline this is Bella, Bella Caroline."
"No right now I am Katerina Petrova. I am asking you this simply because Esther isn't here to reunite the family. She may convince everyone otherwise but I know better. When you meet her come to me straight after and tell me what she had you do. I know much more about vampires than you, and the original family with the slight exception of Esther."
"Be careful ladies next thing you know she'll be stabbing you in the back," Rebekah said coming up behind me.
"Remember no hurting the locals," Elena says.
"Seriously? Thank god I'm dead and didn't have to sit through that speech," I said actually relieved. Rebekah smiles and walks towards some blonde dude. "Elena come with me for a moment...Take off your necklace." She eyes me warily but does as I say then hands it to me. "Could I compel you now?"
"Yes," she answers automatically. Since I don't trust people I grab her wrist and prick her finger just hard enough to draw a drop of blood. It doesn't contain a hint of vervain and I don't smell any on her so I assume she can be compelled.
"Sorry I'm paranoid." I compel her to find me and tell me everything after she meets with Esther then I tell her to forget I ever talked about Esther. I give her her necklace back and go to Caroline and compel her to forget meeting Bella and only having a little chat with Katherine and Elena about the ball tonight. I step out and run into Nik. "Hey I just met your girlfriend the blonde, hope you don't mind I compelled her to forget who I am."
"So she didn't make you the slightest bit jealous?"
"I'm not going to do jealous for a while Nik, see you tonight." I said walking away from him and down the sidewalk towards the tiny hotel.
"No skipping, Mother is making me go as well as get a date. Besides I heard you were already taken by Elijah. I heard I also might be competing with Kol now too?" I stopped and looked at him over my shoulder.
"It's not a competition and if it was you'd be losing because I've only fallen head over heels for a guy twice. You were the main reason both times didn't work out. Besides I just got home from saving that one guy's life, it's too soon to fall in love again. Goodbye Nik," I said turning back around. He sped up showing vamp speed and put his hands on my shoulders.
"Please let me try to make it up to you." I stifle a small laugh that comes out more like a moan.
"Kol Finn and Rebekah are the only ones in your family that hasn't broken my heart, and you broke it twice, no three times."
"I'm sorry love, three?"
"You made me trade a kiss for Elijah's life, you were the one that shoved a dagger through my best friend and you destroyed my chance at a normal ordinary life with Edward Cullen that could've made me happy."
"Ordinary, normal, and happy, stop lying to me love. You were not being yourself, you revel in the strength that was bestowed on you, you hated pretending to be that weak little human. You wanted to be the one that ripped James apart. Let's face it love I saved you from a dull boring life."
"And yet you did it by breaking my heart. See you tonight Nik."
I hesitate before walking up to the doors of Nik's mansion. If Esther realizes who I am then I am as good as dead, I hope she'll be distracted enough by my descendant and I might be able to have a night I don't regret. I walk into the mansion and see the grand staircase woven with lights and every corner of the room lit. I feel people's eyes on me and search for Elijah and Kol knowing one of them will be looking for me. I see Kol first talking to Damon Salvatore and a lady wearing a pale gold dress with brown hair tied in a bun on her head.
"You look stunning Katherine," said Elijah smugly appearing at my side and offering me his arm. I take his arm wishing I could have come with Kol much less that he was an option.
"Remind me again why I have to be her?"
"Because you can't be Elena or yourself and Katherine is too afraid of Niklaus to come anywhere near Mystic Falls for a while."
"Why? What did I miss there?" Asking because I needed to know what Nik did, and what happened to my devil of a descendant.
"Oh yeah I forgot you left before the ritual... Katerina ran away before the ritual and with the help of a guard. Another vampire was going to turn her in however Katerina was bleeding to death so she feed her her blood. That night she hung herself and turned herself into a vampire she's been running ever since." I snickered.
"And not even you could keep her from fleeing for her life." He turned away. "Did you get that miracle potion you wanted?" He looked back at me surprised I knew. "I was there when you requested it. That night after you saw her in her room I left. I felt you pulling away from me for days, but I'd still give my life it meant that I'd save yours, and I did."
"Two days after I met her I saw you kiss Niklaus. Then I went to the gardens and saw her."
"Nik thought you were turning from him and that you would try to find a way to sabotage him. I bought you enough time to fall in love with a different girl that looked just like me, that made me leave... She doesn't have to worry about Nik killing her, he would kill her quickly. I will kill her slowly and in all the ways she fears. The best part being she never met me." I untangled my arm and walked to a waiter going around with glasses of wine.
I took a sip and saw Caroline come into the room in a dress I wore a long time ago during my time with Kol. I remembered it being in my closet when Kol was daggered and running before I went back to chateau we were sharing. I saw Nik walk over to her and smiled when she said she needed a drink and practically ignored him. I shook it off and decided I wouldn't be jealous but the dress was a low blow.
"Hey didn't you wear that once?" Kol startled me from behind.
"Yes at your musical debut in Paris. It was at the chateau when you were daggered. I couldn't return without you and I wasn't going to face Elijah and his new girlfriend. Apparently she ran away before the ritual and got herself turned into a vampire. If I knew that you wouldn't have been in that coffin for nearly as long."
"Hey, Katerina Petrova. Don't you dare go blaming yourself," he said holding my chin gently so that I was looking at him.
"You know I will." I said. He sighs and runs his hand through his hair like he always does when he's nervous.
"Come on it's time for Elijah to make his pointless announcement. I picked the dance by the way." He said leading me back into the main ballroom. He quickly kissed me on the cheek and stood on the staircase next to Nik I bit my lip as Esther walked down the stairs next to Kol.
"Ahh if everyone could gather please," Elijah began drawing my attention to him. "welcome thank you for joining us. You know whenever my mother brings our family together like this, it is tradition for us to commence the evening with a dance. Tonight's pick is a centuries old waltz. so if all of you could please find yourselves a partner and join us in the ballroom." He finished and I watched Esther climb the stairs. I saw Elena make a move to follow her and then saw her stopped by Damon Salvatore. I turned and saw Elijah and Kol both offering their arm. Then there was a third. I looked quizzically at Stefan Salvatore and saw his brother and Elena making their way to the ballroom. I nodded and took his arm letting him lead me to the dance floor.