Thanks ILOVETMI for pushing me to update :) im glad to know that you guys are still so interesting and following. Reviews help a lot to guide me and show me what you like and what you hope to see, so leave them as often as you can! Thanks so much for reading! Sorry for the wait! Boyfriend has a sinus infection so Im on nurse duty ;) hope you enjoy the chapter.

Chapter 16:

Mari winced as he pushed her fingertip down on the slightly bruises fang marks on her neck. They were low enough that she could cover them with a scarf thankfully, though it might be pretty obvious. She had never worn a scarf before around them, and it was warm outside.

With a deep breath, she recalled the events of the night before, and the incident with Klaus, more specifically. She wondered if Klaus was thinking about it, too, or if it was just another triumph for him. Or maybe, it was just a bit of fun to him.

A sigh escaped her lips as she pushed away any thoughts she had about Klaus or the incident behind the bar. No, she had other things to worry about. Like how she was going to handle herself on this date with Marcel.

Before she could slip out of the compound, Kol came through her bedroom door. She cursed internally, hoping he doesnt question the thin black scarf she had wrapped around her neck, curled up enough to cover the light purple skin and the bite marks in the center of it.

"I thought you were off this weekend," he commented casually, moving to sit on the edge of her bed. "I wondered why you were leaving for work, but then I realized, you're not going to work looking that lovely, now are you?" There was already a tint of jealousy in his voice. Mari looked back at him, offering a guilty expression instead of words. "Klaus told me you had a date with the infamous Marcellus. I said, certainly not. But... here we are."

"It's just dinner. Just one dinner." She tugged down her black skirt, then flattened her lacy white blouse. Kol nodded, dropping his gaze to the floor. His grin faded, which made her a little concerned. He seemed disappointed. "Kol, I haven't been on a date in a long time."

Why was it like this with Kol? With Klaus, she didnt feel guilty when he confronted her about the dinner, she felt angry. But Kol's demeanor and lack of usual flirting and playfulness made her feel bad for saying yes to Marcel. But it was too late. She owed him a date, and deep down, part of her wanted to give herself a chance at a real relationship.

Kol took a deep breath and stood, putting a hand on her soft cheek. He offered her a small, forced smile and nodded.

"Have fun, darling. Just make sure you come home." Was that Kol's way of asking her not to sleep with Marcel? He of all people should know that she wasnt that easy, but it also made her heart melt a little when he said home. He thought of this as her home. He thought of himself as her home.

His hand dipped down suddenly to rest on her shoulder, but as it passed that bit bruised flesh, Mari winced and pulled back a little. Kol's eyes widened in surprsise, then narrowed. He stared at her for a moment, noticing the shame in her eyes. Then, he grabbed her scarf and began unravelling it.

"Kol, don't," she pleaded, trying to tug away. He grabbed her upper arm in one hand to hold her still, then carefully peeled the scarf away to reveal the light purple skin and the fang marks that accompanied them. His disappointed expression turned to one of fury.

"Did Marcel do this?" He demanded to know. She tugged at her arm, hoping to free herself, but his grip just tightened. She lifted her hand to cover it, needing to get away from that harsh glare. Kol grabbed her hand in his and pried it away.

"No, Kol," she squeaked out, though part of her wanted to lie and say yes. Mari knew what would happen if he knew the truth. She had to lie. She couldn't let Klaus and Kol fight, not over her, not again. She'd seen them fight before, and it wasn't pleasant.. "I... I just..."

Why couldn't she lie? Was was worse? Lying to him or telling him the truth? Kol wasnt someone she wanted to lie to, but Klaus wasn't someone she wanted to sell out either. What was she to do?

"Stop," he told her suddenly, and she shut her mouth immediately in response. She stared up at him with those innocent, wide doe eyes that Kol couldnt help but give into. He knew. Deep down he knew exactly who left those marks. He'd seen them, just like that, a thousand times before. If it wasn't the student, it was the teacher. It was Klaus.

Mari wanted to cry. His expression turned from one of fury, to a knowing one. She didnt have to lie or tell the truth, somehow he just figured it out. She jerked her hands away from him and reached forward to rest her hands against his firm chest.

"Kol, please don't make a big deal about it," she begged. "I said it was okay. It's my fault. He was thirsty, and I offered. I mean... I'm still a donor, aren't I?" Her hands balled into fists against him, and he took them gently into his own.

"My brother is not careful," he said simply. "He never has been the gentle type." Kol looked at the bruised skin for a moment longer, then let out a long, saddened sigh. "Do you still have feelings for him, Marigold? Even after he treats you so carelessly?" He released her hands, then lifted his own to his lips and pierced the skin of his thumb with his fang.

"It's not like that," she said, though she wasn't sure which question she was answering exactly. Kol rubbed the bead of blood on his thumb over the fang marks, glad to see it heal quickly and the bruise start to fade. She closed her eyes, then turned her face away from him. "Its hard to... to understand exactly what I feel."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that... I care about Klaus. I care about him, and I want to be close to him. Closer than I am. I want to be more to him than I am." She couldnt look at him and tell him this truth at the same time. "But at the same time..." She sucked in a deep breath. "I want the same... with you."

"You want to be more to me as well?" He questioned, his voice low and accent thick. There wasnt excitement or happiness in his voice. It was something more of shock and concern. "That's quite the dilemma." One, he didnt know how to solve without violence or bloodshed, two, things that he knew Mari hated with a passion.

"I know that I may never be," she sighed. "I know what I was brought here for, and why you both have taken an interest in me. I'm... okay with it, Kol, I am. But... thats why I said yes to Marcel. A date would be... really nice. I want someone to love me, Kol." She had always been a romantic. She knew that. And sometimes, romance and true love just wasnt an option.

"Mari, do you think so little of me?" He asked, catching her a little off guard. "Im not here because you mean nothing to me. Im not refraining from tearing out my brother's throat because you're just a donor to me. If that's all you were, I'd force you to stay home and not go out with Marcel. I'd curse and claw at my brother for touching my property. You're not... property."

"Kol..."

"Im letting you go because I want you to feel free. I want you to be happy. I'm behaving myself with Klaus because I know how much it upsets you to witness or be the cause of violence. I'm doing my best to be... good... for you, Mari." He brought a hand up to his face in frustration, but he kept his tone surprisingly gentle.

Mari almost couldnt believe the words she was hearing. It wasnt exactly a confession of love, but Kol was admitting that he felt for her. He cared about her. That was something she had been wanting to hear for a long time.

"Kol, I didn't know. I thought-"

"I know," he interrupted her. "We put up tough fronts in this family. I'm not saying these things because I'm trying to convince you not to go out with Marcel. If you truly enjoy yourself and this date, I won't hold you back. At the end of the day, there are worse men out there than Marcel. I just want you to know that you are more to me than a toy. More than a donor."

"I'll be home by eleven," she promised with a soft, gentle smile. "I'll head back right after dinner so you dont have to worry." She wanted to make him feel better; she wanted to wipe away that frustration and worry. Mari snaked her arms around his neck, standing on her toes to hug him tightly. He stayed still for a moment, but eventually wrapped his arms around her lower back, burying his face shoulder. She smelled heavenly. Like sweet blood and vanilla.

"I expect to see you then."

"You will." She fell back on her heels, smiled once more, then grabbed her purse and headed for the bedroom door. She couldnt look back again. She may not go at all if she looked back at that jealous, saddened expression.

It was odd, to see him in such a state. When she first met him, she never would have expected to hear those words from him. She never thought he'd care about her so deeply. It was a relief, but it also complicated things. He didnt know about the alleyway incident with Klaus, and he didnt know that Mari enjoyed it.

Things had changed so suddenly. She used to seek Klaus' heart, but Kol thrilled her body. Now, it was like the tables had turned so drastically. Her heart had begun to beat for Kol, and her body, the traitor that it was, longed for more of Klaus. Her situation had not improved, but she had to admit to herself that it gave her confidence and happiness to know that she meant something to Kol, something real. Something more than a donor.

Klaus watched with disdain as Mari walked through the compound gate, a beautiful, delicate thing wearing an amazing black dress that he wanted to carefully peel from her porcelain skin. It bothered him more than he cared to admit how lovely she looked heading to her evening with Marcel.

He wasnt at all surprised when Kol appeared beside him, eyes fixed on Mari as she climbed into the passengers seat. Marcel stood there for a moment, after closing the door for her. He smirked through the gate, infuriating both Mikaelson within range.

"You should've killed him a long time ago," Kol remarked hatefully, his eyes darkening. "Perhaps I'll get around to it one of these days, brother. We both know you won't." He glared over at Klaus. "Im in quite the homicidal mood this evening. Im sure you would be, too, if I left a hideous mark on your dearly beloved."

"Is she your beloved now, brother?" Klaus challenged with nothing more than a chuckle. "Is she aware of this?" He thought back to her sweet reactions to him, her little purrs and mews of pleasure. She did not belong to Kol, of that he was sure.

"She's human, Klaus. You know how fragile they can be. Is it too much to ask that you're careful with this one? The one we both fancy at the moment."

"Not every humam wishes to be treated like glass," Klaus reminded his brother with a cruel smirk, a glimmer of something secretive in his eyes. Kol nearly growled at the thought of there being a secret between Mari and Klaus. He held it back, hoping to keep his temper under control so he didn't make things hard on Mari. He didn't want her to run off with nowhere to go.

"Be more careful," Klaus said, knowing that Klaus would do whatever he wanted no matter what Kol said. "I would hate for Mari to go running off into the arms of your idiot creation." That devilish grin on Klaus' face only grew at the mention of Marcel.

"Allow me to make a peace offering." He turned towards Kol, eyes lighting up with mischief. "I have an idea. A way to make sure that Mari is not... vulnerable and entirely unprotected. Freya has agreed to help. For her safety of course."

"Her safety," Kol snorted. "Of course."

Mari sat patiently at the dinner table. Marcel recieved a call that was about urgent vampire business. He apologized profusely, but she ressured him that she understood. His family needed him. Mari understood being there for family. Or trying to at least.

She picked mindlessly at the lace trim on the bottom of her dress with one hand, and pushed around her food with her fork with the other. Her head was low, her exaggerated blond curls bouncing around her pale cheeks with every movement of her head. She had even went through the trouble of putting in contacts so she could use her bright blue eyes to her advantage instead of hiding them behind her glasses.

The isolation was soon broken up as she heard an all too familiar but completely unexpected voice in her ear. She turned quickly to see Klaus emerge from behind her, standing by the side of the table with his arms crossed.

"There are much better restaurants around than this," Klaus critiqued, eyes flicking around the room. Another voice came from the other side, drawing her attention to her left.

"I don't know, Klaus. The live music here makes up for the tasteless decor," Kol mused from the other side of the table. Mari braced both of her hands against the edge of the table, ready to stand up and urge them both to leave.

"No need, love," Klaus wagged his finger at her like she was a child. "You see, we're not actually here. You can't force us to leave." Kol stepped forward, brushing his fingers along her cheek. She felt a chill, like an isolated cold breeze, but nothing more. Her eyes widened. It was like he was a ghost.

"We're projections, darling," Kol explained before she could ask them anything. Better to keep her from talking, since no one but her could see or hear them. "We're in your head. Its a rather helpful little spell Klaus discovered. For us to make sure you're safe."

"Marcel is a tricky bastard. Always has been," Klaus said coldly, despite the smirk on his face. "I trust him now as far as I can throw him. Vendettas don't disappear over a pretty face, love. As much as I know you wish they would."

"I wouldnt tell him we're here," Kol warned, looking up at Marcel headed back, weaving around the tables between him and his own. "Just enjoy the dinner, love. We're just here to observe." Mari had a flurry of words spinning rapidly through her mind, but she kept them to herself. Marcel sat down across from her, and he didnt react to Kol or Klaus. Either they were telling the truth, or she was going crazy. Either way, she didnt bring it up.

"I'm so sorry about that," Marcel apologized again. "I told them not to call unless it was an emergency. I didnt want family drama to ruin the dinner."

"It's not ruined," she struggled to smile and act like everything was normal. "Family comes first. Always." Marcel smiled at that, then nodded in agreement.

"Well, it's solved now. I'm yours for the rest of the evening," he chuckled. Klaus huffed at that, rolling his eyes.

"Too bad. He is actually trying to make an impression."

"I hate that stupid grin. What a cocky son of a-"

"So," Mari said a little louder than intended, hoping to drown out the noises around her. She cleared her throat, blushing slightly at his startled reaction. "Im sorry. I was just..." She let out a long sigh. "Its been a long time since I've been on a date."

"You don't have to be so nervous," he told her, his words and empathetic expression genuine. "It's more enjoyable if you loosen up and take some risks every now and again."

"Surely that's not the line he uses to try and seduce you," Kol scoffed. "He's lived a long life. He could do better." The fact that Marcel was so blissfully unaware of Kol and Klaus' presence was slightly comforting. He couldnt hear their criticism or badgering at least.

"I'm trying," she cleared her throat, looking down at the remnants of food on her plate. "It just isn't easy for me, with my... situation right now."

"Right," Marcel nodded. "I don't figure living with the Mikaelsons is easy. Especially when you're donating blood. I'm assuming Klaus is feeding from you now, too?" She furrowed her brow. How did he know? "He's always been a bit selfish. If he sees something that makes someone else happy, he gets this subconscious desire to take it for himself. I guess hoping he'll get the same happiness."

"Lies," Klaus defended himself.

"I'm not so certain," Kol shrugged. "That would explain a lot, dear brother."

"Everyone deserves to find happiness," Mari said with a frustrated sigh. There was too much noise, too much pressure. She wanted to disappear into herself. "I just don't think that I'm the happiness they need. I'm more of a distraction."

"Probably," Marcel agreed, though he got no joy from it. It seemed to hurt her feelings. "They lost people important to them. People they loved."

"What about you? You loved Davina."

"Differently," he corrected. "She was like a child to me. Or a baby sister. Family. To Kol, she was... so much more. For awhile, I actually believed she could change him. Kol Mikaelson, slayer of men. The man who has bedded hundreds of women with only minutes of conversation."

Kol didnt quite like the look on Mari's face as Marcel playfully brought up Kol's past. It looked like some kind of pain. Maybe insecurity.

"The Mikaelsons... They don't change. That's why you have to be careful with them. Don't invest too much. You'll never get it back." He reached across the table to lay his hand over hers, and both the brothers scowled at him, though he couldnt see. "I don't mean to hurt your feelings, Mari. I just want you to look out for yourself. Don't end up like Davina and Cami. Please."

"I think I need to go." She pushed up from her chair, her chest heaving, her eyes watering. Thinking about dying at the hands of Klaus or Kol, or even because of them frightened her. But it seemed like so much more of a possibility all of a sudden. "Im so sorry, Marcel. I owe you a dinner, but I feel sick, so I am just..." She let out a sigh, smoothed her dress, then rushed off.

Marcel sat back in his chair, looking too pleased with himself.

"I'm not sure if you're listening," Marcel said quietly, assuming Klaus and Kol would have found a way to spy, to be close to the restaurant. They would hear him. He was confident. "But be wary of how much you push. If she's as smart as I think she is, she'll start pushing back. And I'll be the shoulder she can run to."