Ever since that kiss on Wickery Bridge, Klaus seemed to be avoiding her and the Mikaelson ball was all everyone could talk about, even Caroline – Tyler had asked Caroline to be his date to the ball.

Surprisingly, Bonnie had reached out now that Stefan's plan had gone up in smoke, only to complain that Jeremy was ignoring her calls and texts over his new friendship with another.

Elena schooled her expression as Bonnie complained and insulted the person that took up all of Jeremy's time, she fiend cluelessness when asked if she knew anything.

If Bonnie was going to keep secrets, Elena can too.

Though Elena did voice her concerns about Kol's intentions with Jermey to Elijah, who promised to keep Kol under control, but from what Elijah found out, it was a coincidence that Kol and Jeremy met at a baseball batting range.

Klaus had no partake in Kol's sudden departure from Mystic Falls to Denver, though Elijah did say that Kol would be back in time for the ball, as Esther had asked him to attend as a 'family'.

Elena had a few choice words on Esther meaning of 'family' but thought it may open up a can of worms that she really did not have the energy to deal with.

A week before the ball, Tyler returned to Mystic Falls with not only new Hybrids for Klaus but also Jeremy, apparently Kol had invited Jeremy to the ball, as friends.

From the moment Jeremy returned to Mystic Falls, Kol Mikaelson had been a frequent visitor, Bonnie was still ... Bonnie- she refused to meet Jeremy's new vampire friend.

"We haven't officially met," Kol spoke, cornering Elena at the bottom of the stairs. "I'm Kol."

Elena introduced, lightly smiling as Kol placed a kiss on her hand. "Elena."

"So, you're the doppelganger that got Elijah and Klaus at odds with each other."

Elena blinked several times, in confusion. "What?"

Elijah and Klaus are fighting, over her? Wait, does Elijah know?!

"Elijah thought he could sense you all over Klaus's room," Kol spoke, with a shrug as they walked into the lounge room. "I, for one, don't care if you sleep with Klaus or not. Just don't hurt my family."

Elena shuddered at his warning, nodding her head in agreement.

"Good. Now, what is an Xbox 360? Jeremy promised to show me."

Before Elena could even respond, Jeremy walked in, he seemed a little annoyed as he pocketed his phone but his fact lit up the moment his eyes landed on Kol.

Was something brewing between Kol and Jeremy?

Elena shook her head, inwardly laughing to herself.

Jeremy is a big boy. He can take of himself.

Elena forgot how good it felt to run, she began her short morning run following the hiking trail through the woods that surrounded Mystic Falls, alone in her own little world it was then that something caught her attention in the far distance, running with her.

Slowing her pace down, Elena noticed that it was a wolf.

The wolf was in front of her now, Elena tensed up as she stared into the wolf's eyes – they seemed familiar.

A wolf feeling familiar? Impossible.

Though, it was Mystic Falls, anything can happen – including a wolf with familiar eyes.

"Klaus?" She inwardly laughed at her own stupidity – why would he be a wolf at this hour?

Maybe she was sleep deprived from her late-night talk with Elijah and the early morning visit from Kol - there was no way that this wolf was Klaus Mikaelson.

Elena reached out her hand to stroke the wolf's fur, pausing as the wolf lightly growled but allowed her to touch it's snout, she couldn't believe she was patting a wolf.

"As much as I find you cute, I need to continue my run."

The wolf's ear flattened as the fur bristled, it turned it's head towards the direction Elena was headed and then growled – that wasn't a good sign.

"Ease up there, Cujo." Elena whispered, rolling her eyes at her annoyance towards a wild animal.

But something in her gut was telling her that she should turn around and go home, where it was safe.

"Okay, fine, I'm going back." Elena sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "And I'm talking to a wolf… I need coffee."

Yeah, she was definitely sleep deprived.

Elena shook her head, tightening the elastic band that held her hair together before turning on her heels and made the short journey back home.

Both Jermey and Kol were playing Call of Duty when Elena walked through the back door, grabbing herself a glass of water and watched as her brother bonded with the teenaged Original.

"You guys hungry?"

"Yeah, I could eat- Kol?"

"Positively starving," Kol replied, giving Elena wink.

Elena rolled her eyes at his little wink, shaking her head. "I'm just gonna have a shower and then I'll make something- Pancakes sound good?"

"Sure."

"What's a pancake?"

Jermey looked at him as if he grew a second head, then lightly chuckles. "Right, I forgot you lived in a box for almost a century."

"I think it was two centuries, Jer." They both looked at Elena, who shrugged in return. "What?"

"Nothing. You're being weird."

"I'm tired and hungry. So, hush." Elena snapped, stomping up the stairs, listening to Kol and Jermey speak.

"Is she always like that?"

"Only when she hasn't had her morning coffee."

"I heard that!"

That got Jeremy and Kol laughing as they turned back to the game, waiting for Elena to come back downstairs to show the Original Vampire what a 'pancake' was.

.

"I think I have a new favourite food," Kol spoke, moaning as he dived into his third helping of pancakes, Elena smiled at his compliment.

"If you like Elena's blueberry pancakes, you'll love her chocolate chip cookies." Jeremy responded, a faint flush of colour on his cheeks from Kol's moans. "She's the baker in the family."

"Really?"

"Yep." Elena replied, smiling. "Jeremy got the artistic talent whilst I got the baking, we even made plans to open up our own bakery when we were children."

"Gilbert's delicate pastries," Jeremy added, smiling at the memory. "I was going to design the shop and flyers, whilst mom and Elena made the food."

"Can I ask why you both didn't go through with it?" Kol asked, wiping the corner of his mouth with a napkin.

"It was a childish fantasy, the following year Jeremy wanted to be a space-pirate," Elena sighed, staring into her coffee cup.

"And Elena wanted to be a princess."

"I was eleven, what eleven-year-old girl didn't want to be a princess?"

Klaus needed a distraction, he needed a distraction from Elena's face that plagues his sleep, he almost decapitated a poor, innocent person because they interrupted his slumber at the behest of Esther.

Elena Gilbert was everywhere.

And it didn't help that Kol was hanging around Jeremy Gilbert, Elena's brother, though Kol was capable of looking after himself – the safety of the Gilbert siblings was another story.

Kol promised that his bloodlust was under control, though Elijah continued to remind both Klaus and Kol about the lovely priestess that Kol fell in love with in 1273 and he ended up draining the very same girl a week later - all because of a small cut from a knife.

And then there was a sweet boy during their stay in New Orleans in 1864, where they first met Marcellus and Kol ended up killing him as well, out of anger this time.

Observing the patrons of the Grill, there were regulars, like the Hunter, who's body Klaus borrowed and the quarterback – busboy that Rebekah was fawning over, Matt.

One person stood out the most, she was playing pool with Tyler, the baby vampire.

Caroline Forbes.

She was pretty, Klaus could admit to that, and she would provide the distraction he was currently craving.

A very pretty distraction indeed.