Quick note: I really want to know what you know. So, please review. I do take requests from time to time. It might take a couple weeks but they usually show up.

Hello, my lovely readers. This chapter is a little pre-Thanksgiving fun. I hope you like it. Other noteworthy things. The next is the last before they age one whole year (I know its soooo sloooow but the years go by quickly." Anyway, I think chapters 11-20 will be the year of the birthdays. So, if anyone wants to volunteer to remind whose birthday comes first. (If anyone knows for sure.) And if any of you have ever seen HowIMet Your Mother, that's how this story is beginning to build, only with a side of supernatural. Enjoy!

Chapter 9: The Turkey Wars

"I dare you-" Damon began before I slammed my hand over his mouth. We were in the kitchen of my home and my mother was stressed out enough. She certainly did not need whatever was about to come out of my best friend's mouth. I curled my finger to indicate that we should walk into the hallway.

"Not to my Mother," I warned Damon. "Not this year." She seemed to be feeling better. But I never knew when her mood would suddenly plummet. She would disappear inside her room for days at a time. "Let's go see what Elijah's doing?" We walked up the stairs and I knocked on his door lightly.

"Come in," Elijah called. He seemed to be writing a letter to someone.

Damon and I sat on his bed. "What're you doing?" I asked him, watching him write. He had the best penmanship.

"One of our school projects was to become pen pals with someone else here in the States. So, I'm writing mine a letter." Damon peered at the name on the envelope.

"It's a girl?!" Damon's eyebrows rose in surprise. "Did you know yours was a girl?"

Elijah nodded. "I picked her." He continued to write as if we weren't there.

"Do you like her?" Damon asked, attempting to read the letter upside down.

"Yes," Elijah began smiling. "I've never met her, but, yes, I think I like her quite a bit." He turned to his nightstand and pulled a drawer open. Pulling out a photo, he handed it to us.

Damon stared at the girl in the picture and then shrugged, handing it to me. The girl in the photo was barely smiling. Her eyes were wide and she was pushing her dark hair behind her ear. Her blue eyes contained something sad in them.

I handed the picture back to my brother, who stared done at it. "What's her name?" I inquired.

Smiling, Elijah replaced the picture in his drawer. "Her name is Hayley. Hayley Marshall and she lives in West Virginia."

"Oh," Damon nodded. "So, she lives in a tin shack and is probably going to eat a dog for dinner."

Scowling, Elijah stared at Damon. "Please, leave my room."

Holding his hands up, Damon protested with a smile. "That was a joke, Lijah."

"It wasn't funny," Elijah informed him while beginning to write again.

"Sorry," Damon whispered. He admired my brother and did not want to harm him. Unfortunately, there were times when Damon's tongue was quicker than his brain, like my Caroline.

"Ni-k, Da-m-on." Bekah called as she ran into the bedroom and threw herself against Damon's legs.

"Hey, pint size," Damon pulled her onto the bed. "What are you all happy about?"

Bekah giggled. "Kol fell in the loooo." She exclaimed, clapping her hands.

"What!" Elijah exclaimed, jumping to his feet. We all went to investigate. Sure enough. There was Kol, stuck in the toilet.

"Get me out," Kol shouted, trying to shove himself out.

"How did you get in there?" Elijah questioned him as he began to pull Kol out.

"Bekah shoved me in. She said Stefan dared her." Bekah giggled from the doorway. I turned, wondering where the younger Salvatore was at the moment only to see Damon waving Elijah's letter and then pocketing it.

Whipping around, I was relieved to see that Elijah did not see that Damon had the letter. Stepping backward into the hallway, I called to my elder brother. "I'm going to find Stefan." Then I walked away with Bekah chasing after us. Damon was grinning widely as we walked into my room and closed the door.

"Where is Stefan anyway?" I asked Damon when Stefan crawled out from under my bed.

"Done," The younger Salvatore announced and then stared at me in horror.

"What did you do?" I asked him, narrowing my eyes.

"Nothing," Stefan replied, backing up as I approached him. He ran into the bed.

"What did you do?" I repeated my question, staring down at the younger child.

"I stuck your paint brushes in your gym shoes," Stefan told me, his head hanging. "Bekah, dared me to do it."

I turned to glare at my sister, who was hiding behind Damon. "Bekah." I cried in irritation. She simply stuck her tongue out. "You are a little brat." I snapped at her.

Sneering, Bekah stared back at me. "You suck." She said very clearly for a two, almost three year old. Then she turned around and walked away. Her walk was eerily familiar and I realized it was very much like Katherine's. Sighing, I sat down on my bed.

The last thing I wanted was for my little sister to become anything like Katherine Gilbert. Shifting, I watched Damon pull out the letter. "Dear Hayley," Damon read before rolling his eyes and gagging.

Thank you for the photo. It's pleasurable to be able to put a face to your letters.

Damon fell back laughing before he continued.

It has been about four months since my family arrived in Mystic Falls. I have a few friends. They seem to be fairly nice here. Although I would very much wish that you might visit me one of these days.

Sometimes I find that I am quite bored but your letters keep me company.

Thank you, Hayley, your friend,

Elijah

Damon sat up. "That's it. He has her photo in his drawer and that's the best he can do?" He stared at me.

I blinked at my friend. "Is there something wrong with that?"

Nodding eagerly, Damon reached into my drawer and pulled out a pen and paper. "We're going to write Hayley a letter."

I shook my head. "Why?"

"Because he likes her." Damon acted like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "So, we need to tell her. I dare you."

My shoulders slumped. "Damon…"

"Nope, no arguments, Nik. Just write." Damon held out a pen to me and then got up.

"Where are you going?" Damon shrugged. "Someone has to keep Elijah occupied and I hear Elena is coming over. I'm going to dare Finn to give her a haircut."

I sighed. Now, I was stuck with Elijah's letter and Stefan, who was staring at me with big eyes. "You want to write this?" Stefan shook his head and ran off. Frowning, I stared at the paper when Rose came wandering by the door.

"Hello, Klaus," she called and I was relieved. I found her accent comforting. It was like being at home.

"Hi, Rose," I called as she entered my room and sat down in front of me.

"I thought you were an artist, not a writer." Rose teased me staring at me with pen in hand. Then she saw the letter sitting next to me. "Is this Elijah's?" She picked it up and began to read it, her eyebrows rising.

"Yes," I told her, seeing the look of disapproval, I explained. "Damon stole it."

"Oh, I see," Rose nodded. "And now he wants you to write another letter?" she guessed her eyes sparkling.

I smiled. "Yes, he does. What do I write?"

Before Rose could answer, Andie and Sage walked into my room. "Is it a letter to a girl?" Sage asked. "I wish Finn would write me a romantic letter.

"I wish any guy would write me a letter." Andie added with a grin.

"Do you like a girl, Nik?" Sage asked me, picking up Elijah's letter and reading it.

"I…" I began to find three pair of female eyes on me. "I…" I felt nervous. What if they told Caroline? What if they thought it was weird?

"He likes Caroline." Damon announced walking in like he owned my room and flopping onto the middle of my bed with a full plate of turkey and other Thanksgiving goodies. "You Mom's done cooking," He announced picking up a fork and beginning to dig in.

"Bring us some?" Rose asked, batting her eyes at Damon.

Damon looked at her, his mouth full. Chewing slowly, he swallowed before he got to his feet and walked back out the door. "You like Caroline?" Rose questioned and I flushed.

"I guess," I replied with a slight shrug.

"You do. You totally love Caroline." Andie teased, leaning over to tickle me between my ribs. I tried to squirm away but the girls ganged up on me and all of them started tickling me. Rose took off my shoes and began to tickle my feet until I screamed. Damon walked in with the food for Rose. Before he could walk out. Rose dashed over, set the food aside and picked him up, dragging him over to join the ranks of tortured.

This only stopped when Elijah stepped inside. "Have any of you seen a letter?" He asked. We shook our heads and then he walked away. The girls continued to tickle us.

"I give up," Damon yelled. "I'll get your dinner and dessert. Now, let me go." The girls let him go. He passed Elena, who was sniffling, pulling at the ends of her hair which were six inches shorter.

"Lena?" Andie called as Jeremy and Bekah appeared behind her. They piled onto the bed.

"I'm hungry," Jeremy announced. I got up and retrieved the plate on the floor and sat it in front of him. He and my sister began to pick up pieces of turkey to chew on them.

"Okay. What are you going to write?" Andie asked me, looking at the paper when Caroline wandered in with Damon.

"What are you writing?" Caroline asked, pushing herself onto the bed beside me.

Damon sat beside Elena. "Nice new cut." Damon taunted Elena, who began to wail. She then grabbed a fist full of mashed potatoes and shoved them into Damon's face. Undaunted Damon picked some cranberry sauce and painted her cheeks with it. Growling, Elena tackled him. "Have some turkey, Damon." She grunted trying to shove it up his nose.

Caroline shifted beside me. "Nik," she whispered in my ear. I looked at her and didn't see Bekah coming as she slapped me with a mash potato covered hand. The next thing I knew my room looked like a Thanksgiving disaster and we were covered in food.

My father came to the door and shook his head. "I'm glad you children are having a fun Thanksgiving in my home. Now, get washed up and go downstairs. Tomorrow you will come back and help my son clean his room." I slunk to my bathroom to get cleaned up. When I left the bathroom there was still a line waiting to get cleaned up.

Looking at my bed, I saw Elijah's letter and my stomach twisted in a knot. It was covered in food and there was no way he could send it like that. When we went downstairs, I felt guilty. Every once in a while I would peer at my brother, who did not seem to suspect a thing.

When dinner was done, I went to bed in Finn's room, who was reliving the horror of Damon's dare. ""I'm so sorry, Elena," He cried out in his sleep. "I did not mean to cut it that high." I rolled over onto my side determined to get some sleep.

Getting up early the next morning I went out with Finn, who wanted to get Elena a present to make up for the haircut. "What should I buy?" Finn asked me. I shrugged my shoulders. I had no idea. Then I spotted a stuffed turkey toy.

"Finn, can I borrow some money?" I asked him, searching my pants' pocket and coming up with three dollars. The toy was five.

"Sure," Finn said absentmindedly looking for something.

"Get her a diary." I told him not really thinking too much about what I was saying.

"That's a great idea." Finn replied finding one with Disney princesses on it.

Walking to the checkout counter, I held the turkey close. "Can you walk me to the post office later?" I asked him.

"Sure," Finn told me.

We walked to the Gilbert's house and Finn gave Elena the diary, who thanked him. Later I made some phone calls and hoped that everyone did what I asked of them. I sat down and wrote my letter.

Hello Hayley,

I'm Niklaus Mikaelson. I'm Elijah's little brother. Elijah wrote you a letter. But it was messed up because we got turkey on it. I'm sorry. So, I think that you might want to know Lijah likes you a lot.

Klaus

Later that day Finn and I walked to the post office with a box. I smiled when the mail lady took the box and told me it would go to the post office in a town in West Virginia:

"Hayley, you got mail," Hayley's foster mother called. Hayley walked out of her bedroom and was surprised to find the woman had a handful of envelopes and a box. "I guess Christmas came early, girl."

"Thank you," Ten year old Hayley took the letters and the box. Walking back into her room she sat down. Looking at the names she recognized Elijah's last name and those of his siblings. That was odd. She had never had mail from them. Then there were the letters from other girls she didn't know. Opening the box first, Hayley laughed when she saw the turkey.

Setting it aside, she opened Klaus' letter and smiled again. 'That was nice of him,' she thought curling up on her bed. She then opened the next letter from a girl named Rose.

Dear Hayley,

Hello! We've never met before but I am a friend of Elijah's. I hope you had a lovely Thanksgiving. We had a bit of a terror of our own. You can always look forward to something crazy thanks to one Damon Salvatore. I'm sorry I must be brief, my friend, Katherine is dragging me to the movies.

Cheers,

Rose

P. S.

I included my address if you want to write me.

Dear Hayley,

Hi there. I'm Andie Starr. I think it is so awesome you're pen pals with Elijah. He seems kind of lonely sometimes. But he's really nice. So, I thought it would be great if we could be pen pals, too, because you can always use a girlfriend to talk to about Elijah. He is sooo cute. Really! Oops. Queen Kat calls.

Later,

A

Hello Hayley,

This is Kat Gilbert. I hear you're writing to Elijah. Here's a friendly tip: he's not into you that way. Oh, and my sister, Lena and brother, Jeremy say hi. Although they have no idea why I'm writing this letter and frankly neither do I.

XOXO,

Kat

Hayly,

Hi! I am Damon Salvatore. I thik girls ar gros. But Lijah thinks your cut. So I dont now. Your prt of the club now.

Damon Salvatore

PS

Your first dare is write Kat that your a wtch and she wll mary por. Ha ha ha.

Hayley began to laugh. Elijah's was right. His friends were great, except Katherine, who sounded kind of scary. She picked a pen and paper. She began to write starting with a thank you to Klaus for the turkey. She hadn't had turkey for Thanksgiving. All they had in the house was Spam. But this made up for it in a lot of ways.

I hope you enjoyed the chapter and that you don't hate the inclusion of Hayley. Watching The Originals has influenced by decision to include her in the story. So, I'm working it out how much of a role she'll play in the story now.

Thank you for reading, faving, following and reviewing. Thank you Sissymac, ferrylis, WeasleysGroupie, Klaroline4everlove, Klaroline-lovegames, redbudrose and sw33tp3a91.

Love,

LL