A/N: Sorry about the long wait for this update, but we have been swamped with schoolwork. This is mainly just a filler chapter. ENJOY!

Chapter 17

"What's the matter, love, are you scared?" Kol asks as he walks toward me with a smirk showing his fangs.

"Please don't hurt me!" I beg as I begin to back away from him.

"Where's my brother to save you now?" he asks still walking toward me.

"Kol, please!" I beg as I am now pinned to the wall.

"Shh, shh. It only hurts for a minute," he says with a smile yet again showing his fangs and his demented face.

He takes his hand and caresses my cheek, all the while with a smile.

I begin to tremble with fear.

"You know, you smell delicious," he says sniffing my neck.

"Please!" I beg one more time.

I feel his hot breath on my neck and then feel piercing pain as he bites down.

I let out a scream and just as I do Kol is thrown off of me.

I look and see it is Elijah who saved me.

"Come on, brother, why not just have a taste?" Kol asks walking back over to us. "She is very delicious."

I see Elijah look at me, and then his face changes just like Kol's.

"Elijah," I say starting to panic.

"Come on, brother, that's it. Don't you smell her?" Kol asks.

Before I can even react Elijah bites down and I scream. Then Kol bites the other side of my neck.

I woke with a start and realize I had been crying.

"Paige! Are you okay? Open up!" I hear Kalinda banging on my door as I regain myself.

I get up from bed and open up the door.

"Paige are you okay? Are you hurt?" Kalinda asks frantically.

"No, I'm fine," I lie trying to regain myself.

"Paige, something is wrong, don't lie to me. I can see you were crying," she says leading me to my bed and making me sit, and she sits beside me. "Please tell me."

I sigh and put my face in my hands.

If I tell her she would probably just tell me once again that I should stay away from him.

"Paige," she says gently.

"I had a dream, well, more like a nightmare," I confess.

"What was it about?" she asks curiously.

"Kol," I say, but don't tell her about Elijah.

"Oh?" she questions.

"About the night he attacked me," I explain. I mean it is not a complete lie. The dream just happened to go a little differently than that night.

"I see," she says and then gives me a hug. "It's okay; he is not going to hurt you," she says trying to comfort me.

I smile and hug her tighter.

"I need to get ready for school," she says pulling away. "Are you taking me?"

"Yeah," I reply.

"Okay," she says and then leaves the room.

I get up from my bed and go into my bathroom.

I take a quick shower and once I'm out I hurry up and do my hair and make up.

"At least I look a little less like a zombie," I say admiring my quick make up job.

I hurry and get dressed and then head downstairs.

Once I am downstairs I head to the kitchen and look at the clock on the stove and see it is 6:35.

"Did you eat breakfast?" I ask upon seeing Kalinda sitting at the table.

"I just put a bagel in the toaster," she replies.

"Okay," I say going over and making a quick pot of coffee. "You know, a bagel sounds pretty good," I say just as hers pops up.

Once she finished getting hers ready I put mine into the toaster.

While it is cooking I hurry and get my coffee ready and soon after my bagel pops.

I look at the clock and see it is 6:45.

I literally have five minutes or so to eat, I think as I sit down at the table with Kalinda.

We don't really talk.

Once I finish I look at the clock. 6:55.

"Come on, Kalinda. We got to go," I say putting my dishes in the sink.

"Okay," she says standing up and doing the same with her dishes.

Once we finally make it out onto the road it is 7.

Well at least I am going to be somewhat on time. I think.

When we reach the school it is 7:10.

I hurry up and park and as soon as I do Kalinda hops out.

"Do you need a ride home?" I call to her as I get out of the car.

"I don't know. I will tell you before the end of the day," she calls back and then walks into the school.

I grab my things and then head in as well.

Once I reach my room I sit at the piano and wait for the school day to start.

"Thank goodness," I say to myself. "It's lunchtime."

I grab my lunchbox and head to the teachers' lounge. When I get in there I notice Lindsay and Alaric along with a few other people in there.

"Hi, Lindsay. Hi, Alaric," I say sitting down by them.

"Hey," Lindsay smiles.

"Hi," Alaric says.

"How have you been doing?" Lindsay asks me after a few minutes of silence.

"Good," I say. "How about you?"

"Fine, but I've been really busy trying to organize an art show for the students."

"Oh well, I hope everything works out. I would love to come to it," I say with a smile.

"Me too, and great!" she says happily. "Well, I am going to go back to my room. I left my cell phone there and I am expecting a call," she says standing up. "Bye, guys."

"Bye," Alaric and I say in unison.

Soon after the other people leave as well.

I look at the clock there was still 20 minutes of lunch left.

They must have gotten here early. I think as I take a bite of my food.

"So, did you leave the ball early?" Alaric asks after awhile.

"Because I never saw you again after those few times we talked."

"OH, well, something came up that I had to take care of," I lie.

I mean should I tell him about Kol? Does he even know vampires exist?

"I see," he says looking at me skeptically. "I hope whatever it was all went okay."

"Yeah, it did," I say. "Well, I am going to head back to my classroom. Bye Alaric."

"Bye," he says.

The final bell rings

Thanks goodness. I think and get up and stretch.

"Hey, I don't need a ride. I'm going to Damon's," Kalinda says coming into the room.

"Okay, what time are you going to be home?" I ask grabbing my purse and coat.

"I don't know. See you later," she says and then leaves the room.

I sigh and shut out the lights, and then I lock the door.

I make my way out of the school and into the parking lot.

I am almost to my car when I bump into someone. They drop their purse.

"I am so sorry," I say picking up the purse. Man I have got to start paying attention to where I am going, I think. I hand the purse back to its owner, which happens to be a girl with long curly blond hair.

"It's okay," she says with a smile. "You're the new chorus teacher right? Kalinda's sister?" she asks.

"Yeah, I'm Paige," I say with a smile, introducing myself.

"Caroline," she says.

"You're the sheriff's daughter, right?" I ask, remembering her name was Caroline, although there could be more than one Caroline.

"Yes, I am," she says still with a smile.

She seems like a really happy person. I think.

"Well, I have to go. It was nice meeting you, Paige," she says and begins walking away.

"You, too," I call. "And again I'm sorry about running into you."

"No problem," she calls over her shoulder with a smile.

I walk over to my car, unlock the doors, and get in. I turn the radio on and start driving down the road.

Once I get home I get out of the car and walk into the house.

"I'm so exhausted," I say aloud as I walk over to the couch. "A little nap won't hurt. Kalinda probably won't even be home for supper," I say as I lay down on the couch. I close my eyes and I feel sleep coming to me soon after.

"Aaaaah!" I scream and sit straight up. I look around and see I am okay, and I am in my house. I try to calm my breathing as I walk into the kitchen to get a drink.

I get a glass from the cupboard and fill it with water and take a long drink.

I look on the stove and see it is 4:00.

I take as eat at the table and put my head in my hands.

These nightmares are going to kill me. I think replaying the one I just had in my head.

Just then there is a knock at the door.

I wonder who that could be. I think as I walk over to the door and open it.

"E…Elijah," I say with a slight stutter as I feel my heart start beating fast. Get a hold of yourself, Paige, they are just dreams. He is not going to hurt you.

"Is something wrong?" he asks me showing concern.

"No, no everything is fine," I say forcing a smile. "What brings you here?" I ask curiously, hoping I don't sound rude.

He looks at me for a minute before he answers. "You left your dress at my house."

"Oh my goodness, I completely forgot about it!" I exclaim. He hands it to me.

"Would you like to come in?" I ask. "I mean you came all this way."

"That would be great, thank you," he says and then steps into the house.

"Thank you as well for returning my dress," I say, and then a thought crosses my mind. "You can feel free to take a seat where ever. I will be right back," I say and then hurry up the stairs to my room.

Okay, now where did I put it! I think as I look around my room for his sisters' dress.

Finally I find it in my dresser.

I run down the stairs with the dress in hand and see that Elijah hadn't moved from his spot by the door.

"Here is your sister's dress," I say handing it to him.

"Now maybe Rebekah will stop complaining," he says with a slight smile.

"How about we go sit in the kitchen?" I suggest.

"That would be nice," he says and follows me to the kitchen.

"Would you like anything to drink?" I ask hesitantly afraid to hear his answer.

"No, I'm fine," he answers. "But thank you for the offer."

"You're welcome," I say sitting down in front of him.

There are a few minutes of awkward silence.

"So how have you been doing?" he asks breaking the silence.

"Good," I lie not wanting to tell him about my nightmares.

"Well, I am glad," he says with a smile, but I can see that he is skeptical.

"Oh, I almost forgot," he says searching in his packet for something. Once he finds what he is looking for he holds it up.

I forgot about that!

"I found this in the hallway my brother attacked you in," he says.

"Did you know that there is vervain in it?" he asks.

"Vervain?" I question and then remember what he told me about it. "No," I say honestly.

"Now just out of curiosity why would you father have had any reason to put it in your necklace," he says staring at me. "Did you know that it protects you from compulsion?"

"I didn't know," I say suddenly uncomfortable. "What is compulsion?

"Your sister knows about vampires, doesn't she?" he asks catching me off guard.

"What are you talking about?" I ask.

"You don't have to lie to me, Paige. I promise I will not hurt either of you, nor will I let anyone else," he says.

"Yes, she does. She gave me the necklace, and I'm assuming she is the one who put vervain in it," I say. "She told me to always keep it on."

"And she is very smart in telling you that. With any vampire, besides my family and I, they can not touch the necklace and it prevents them from compelling you," he informs. "Compulsion, in a way, is like mind control, if I were to look you in the eyes right now and tell you to do something, you wouldn't give it a second thought."

"Oh," I say feeling lightheaded at this new information.

"May I?" he asks standing up with the necklace and walking behind me.

I nod my head yes, and feel him move my hair away from my neck, and then he puts the necklace on.

"Thank you," I say with a smile.

"You're very welcome," he says still standing. "I should probably be heading home."

"Okay," I say standing up and walking with him to the door.

"Thanks again for returning my dress and necklace," I say as he opens the door.

"You're welcome, and it was no trouble," he says and closes the door.

Well that was interesting. I think as I walk back into the kitchen to start making supper. What was up with the interrogation? I wonder.

Soon after I finish supper I hear the front door open.

"Paige, I'm home," Kalinda calls.

"In the kitchen. Supper is ready," I call back.

"It smells good," she says sitting at the table.

"Thank you," I say and get everything ready and sit down as well. "So, did you have fun a Damon's?" I question.

"Mhmm," she replies.

"That's good," I say and after that there isn't much talking.

Once dinner is finished I clean up and then head to my room.

"I'm going to bed, Kalinda, night," I call.

"Night," she says.

I walked into my room, change into my pajamas, and lay down.

Soon enough sleep finds me.