can hold off Klaus temporarily. And—uh—K-Kol, too, yeah." She hoped he'd miss her stutter.

He didn't. He knew something was off.

"And I know you can't dagger Rebekah." She assured. "Matt can do it for you. Keep her busy while he snoops around for it."

Stefan, feeling odd, only hummed.

"Thanks, Stefan."

"HELP MY CURIOUS MIND HERE," Klaus, doing his best to stay calm, looked down at the floor between his feet and the sofa briefly. "The little devil's been infatuated with you for two or three centuries now—frankly, I've lost count. What went wrong?"

"I'd rather not say." Aurelia replied curtly, wincing at another grunt of disappointment. "Hey, I deserve my privacy."

"One, we're family—you don't get any," Klaus circled around the couch and took a seat. "Two, for the love of all things, I need a small distraction from this bloody mess. So please, entertain me." With a gesture of his arm, Aurelia took her seat at the other end of the sofa, throwing her legs onto the space between. "Please, have some class, this is from an exclusive auction." After receiving what felt the millionth look of displease from, he raised his hands in surrender.

"I feel like I've been telling this story for ages—" She exhaled loudly, placing an arm on the backrest. "Long story short, he was in love, and I may have loved him, but I wasn't in love, and he realized that ending things was best for us. Heartbreaking story, isn't it?" Ending on a sarcastic note, Aurelia pressed her lips together. "It was a lot. But it was the right decision. I feel like a weight's been lifted off my shoulders, and if I'm being optimistic, I think he feels the same." Understanding that Kol must have felt some guilt for his part in all this, Aurelia had to acknowledge it.

"Well, there goes that. My condolences." Klaus mindlessly grumbled, causing her to narrow her eyes. "I'm being serious. He may be a child of the Devil himself, but he treated you well."

"Either way," She huffed. "I'm in no need for any condolences. I'm fine. It was a good thing while it lasted. And why do I feel like you want to scold me for not delaying the break-up?"

"Because I do," More grumbling. "But I know that's just my rage speaking."

"At least you're aware." Aurelia sucked on her teeth. "Your so-called 'Child of the Devil' isn't." The statement piqued the Hybrid's interest, causing him to raise an eyebrow. "It's why I'm not speaking to him right now. I'm letting him cool off."

"I thought you two would've been fine." He commented. "Kol, a little heartbroken, of course, but otherwise fine. Why does he feel the need to cool off from you?" Pressing together one side of her mouth to reveal a small dimple, Aurelia hummed disappointedly.

"We fought last night." She started, receiving a look of surprise from the brother-figure—it was appropriate, of course. She and Kol bickered immensely, but rarely fought. It was much unlike her relationship with Rebekah. "Elena Gilbert called me yesterday—told me about Kol chasing the Hunter. I tried to reason with him, because I was worried, but I guess I came off too pressing. He said a few mean things, and left me to process it all." She clicked her tongue a few times. "I thought he actually meant all he was saying, but after I talked to Stefan, I'm more inclined to believe that it was, in fact, his rage speaking for him."

"Well, there goes that option, as well—" Klaus stopped mid-sentence. "You're talking to Stefan Salvatore about your feelings, now, eh?" And with a pointed and deathly glare, Aurelia only gritted her teeth. Finding it entertaining to tease her, he continued to prod, which only earned him a sharp kick on his thigh. "Ouch. How do your weak jabs give me pain?"

"Cuz you're weak, duh." She mumbled. "I know it's a big deal that I apparently opened up," She used quotation marks, clearly annoyed with having to consult the topic. "And I know we had a thing way back when. But it's not that. There's nothing going on. We're friends, and I think he's someone I can trust."

"I'd be happy to officiate your wedding—" Klaus cut himself off as well. "Actually, he's a Ripper. There's too much baggage. I don't approve." With a look of disgust and disbelief, Aurelia kicked him again. "Again. Why does it hurt?"

"I'm being serious." Aurelia insisted. "He's a great guy, and I'm sure he'll make someone very happy one day..." Resisting the sudden urge to suck in her lips in disappointment at her sentence, she continued nonchalantly. "But it's platonic. I promise."

"Alright, I believe you. For now."

"I can never win with you, can I?"

"I'm the big brother," He replied. "So, absolutely not. And if you do end up dating him, I'm inviting him over for dinner." As he said that, he quickly ducked to dodge a pillow. "Nice try."

"One, nothing's going on." Aurelia enunciated each word. "And two, I'm never allowing my partner to accept a dinner invite from you—you'd end up barbecuing them somehow." She threw another pillow at him, which he caught easily.

"On another note," He hugged the pillow. "Kol's seeming infatuation with Silas is concerning me. He's put himself in too much trouble in his pursuit to stop him. He can't actually exist. I don't know what Kol's trying to accomplish here. I'm surprised to see he put his motives before your feelings, judging from your fight last night." She hummed sadly, agreeing with him. "I know it's a bit of an ask—and I will handle any consequences resulting from this—but," He sat up and turned towards her.

Aurelia only groaned with irritation, realizing that what he just did meant she'd have to be his errand girl.

"Track down Kol, for me. Use a locator spell, or an app on your phone. I really don't care—but find him somehow. I'll handle him then." Aurelia, seeing Klaus' distress, began to feel a little bad.

"No, it's okay—I'll go see him." She proposed. "Hopefully he's calmed down a little bit now. I know you have a lot on your plate, and you'll have even more once he's delivered to you. I feel like there's something I should do." With a grateful sigh, Klaus sank back into the couch. "By the way, can I steal this couch when I get my own place?"

"I think the bloody hell not. Buy your own sofa from elsewhere."

"NOBODY SEEMS TO THINK SILAS EXISTS," Elena looked up at the unlikely guest in front of her. "So, why do you?" Her hand reached out to her phone as she thought it buzzed, but realized it best not to secretly text her brother right in front of the man. The last she'd heard from Jeremy was that he was looking for Bonnie, that Matt was looking for the dagger while Stefan distracted Rebekah, and that she needed to make sure that Kol Mikaelson stayed in her house for as long as she could make him.

"I used to run with some witches," Kol began to reply, leaning his figure against her sofa as he sipped his drink. He'd taken a quiet glance at the window closest to them, noticing that night had already fallen. "Africa in the fourteenth century, Haiti in the seventeenth century, New Orleans in the nineteen hundreds. They all knew about Silas; that he needed to stay buried." He then smiled at the doppelganger. "I actually hold witches in high esteem."

"I can tell." She said. "You're dating one, so it makes sense." His eyes darkened at that point.

"Didn't she tell you?" He asked, narrowing his eyes at Elena's clueless state. "We ended things." The three words made Elena raised her eyebrows in surprise, but she attempted to divert to another topic quickly, unaware of whether or not it was a sore spot.

Fortunately, it meant that Kol's ties to Aurelia were cut—so Aurelia likely wouldn't come for her throat once her plan succeeded. "I didn't know, sorry to bring it up."

"It's quite alright—we parted amicably." He clarified, taking another sip. "Although your call to her yesterday complicated things." Elena had to keep her composure, even as she noticed his tone drop slightly in accusation. The plan wouldn't work if she was dead. She needed to stall.

"W—Why Silas? Why are you so afraid of him?"

"They said if Silas rises," Kol acted as if they hadn't just spoken about Aurelia. "He'll unleash hell on Earth. I happen to like Earth just the way it is." Elena's eyes fell, as he spoke, on his jacket. She'd seen the white oak stake in its pocket just minutes prior—the weapon to kill him was right there, and if Matt found the dagger, she could prevent Rebekah from lashing out too—the only one left was Klaus, and one Original was much easier to handle than three.

She could only hope that her guise of a truce was rather believable, and held him here long enough for her plan to succeed.

NIGHTTIME FELL QUICKLY, FASTER THAN AURELIA had realized. But she'd made the mistake of expecting Kol to stay in one place, and she was facing the consequences for it. Her little magic setup with one of his many trinkets was left back at the Manor with Klaus, and she'd swore a few times at herself for not using a spell that would track his movements in real time. Why'd she assume he'd stay at the Grill? He'd probably gone there to eat someone.

She then swore at herself for not buying a car when she came to Mystic Falls. Something about going green as an excuse for laziness, but after walking up and down the town a few times, and trying to reach Kol's phone to no avail, she needed a car.

Right now, however, her mood had progressively turned from casual to worried—with little to no idea of what Kol was doing, she could feel a pit in her stomach grow with a horrible feeling she couldn't explain. So, her desperation to find the man grew.

She could only hope that nothing would go wrong before she tracked him down.

"ELENA, I'M HEADED BACK TO YOU RIGHT NOW." Jeremy Gilbert spoke through slight pants—required to get to Bonnie's house in order to find her, he had to run the considerable distance, only to receive a shut door from her father. He'd hoped she was behind him as she assured, but as of that moment, he needed to reach Elena to let her know that he was coming back. "I told Bonnie that Kol was in our house, and there was a delay, but she's gonna be on her way soon—I'm coming back as fast as I can, but please keep Kol there for as long as you can." As he pushed his phone back into his pocket, he quickly let his vision pass by the reflection of light on one of the parked cars' windows.

When he saw a person just behind him in the reflection, he spun around to face Aurelia, much to his dismay. "Jeremy. It's been a while." Jeremy and Aurelia were well acquainted, which explained the sweet smile as she greeted him. However, in their pursuit to kill Kol, Jeremy realized quickly that it went against the woman's interest, and she would only serve as an obstacle.

He'd need to ensure she knew nothing about their plan. She was powerful enough to put a stop to it, especially if it was him and Elena versus her and Kol.

He'd need to tread very lightly with her, because she was smart—too smart. She'd figure out something was off with the slightest trigger, and if she'd heard him leaving Elena that voicemail just now, he was screwed. "It's fancy seeing you here. What's up with you?"

"I'm just getting back from Bonnie's place."

"Ah, you're both dating, aren't you?" A small nod from him clarified it for her. "That's sweet. How have you and your sister been? I've heard Klaus and Kol have been giving you a hard time." Jeremy, as much as he needed to prevent arousing and suspicion, needed to get back to Elena immediately, and found himself in a dilemma.

"It hasn't been easy." He quickly said, perhaps, much too quickly. "Hey, listen, I'm sorry, but I really gotta get back. Elena's going to be annoyed because I've been spending a lot of time at Bonnie's as of late."

"Why don't I walk you back?" She offered, the sweet smile still complimenting the apples of her cheeks. Jeremy hesitated a moment and then politely declined.

"I'm good, I gotta hurry—"

"Jeremy," When she spoke again, he felt a chill down his spine, and the hairs at the nape of his neck rise. It wasn't gentle anymore—he didn't like how it darkened, or what it implied. Her expression dropped quickly as well, and he had to consider the possibility that she had, in fact, listened to him talking to Elena. "I know you're lying."

Shit.

"What do you have planned?" Jeremy tried pushing past her, but she stood there, in front of him, unfazed and determined. "Jeremy, we're on good terms. I don't want that ruined because you're planning something I don't like."

"I don't know what to say." He replied, gulping back the lump in his throat. "I know you heard that voicemail." And she smiled yet again, but differently, in a manner that could make anyone freeze in front of her malice.

Gathering his thoughts and his breaths, he began to harden in demeanor, realizing that the conversation wasn't going to end well.

"IT JUST SEEMS ODD THAT YOU'D BE..." Kol trailed off as Elena approached him with a bottle of wine. "So willing to give up the cure. I'm sure it's something you want desperately." He needed to take a quick moment to reconsider if what she'd told him she'd wanted was true—whether she really wanted a truce, or if he was making a mistake in trusting her.

"I would do anything for my brother. And if what you're saying about Silas is true, what does it matter what I want if it puts everyone else in danger?" Elena, of course, had lied to Kol. She'd told him she wanted a truce in the name of her brother's safety—but it was a guise.

"Well, this has been enlightening. Thanks for the drinks." Kol, always the polite gentleman, smiled at the doppelganger as he headed towards the door.

Elena, on the other hand, felt internal panic rise through her chest, all the way to her throat, as she pieced together that the small window she had to kill him was coming to a close.

He stopped, however, before he stepped out. "I'll take your request for a truce under advisement." Elena scrambled to think of any question she could ask, anything to keep him at bay.

"I—Is there any chance you could be wrong about Silas?" She asked quickly, hoping that it would work.

But Kol only spoke without looking at her. "Trust me, Elena. Some things are better left buried." And he was gone, making Elena hiss in disappointment.

"Damn it!"

"JEREMY, YOU CAN TAKE THE EASY ROUTE," Aurelia's biggest downfall, despite time serving as her advantage, was her patience. "And tell me what you're doing with Kol in your house. Or I can go find out myself. Elena will suffer disastrous consequences if I get there before you—and trust me, I will."

"Aurelia, you don't understand—"

"Then make me understand, Hunter." That was his first warning, reducing him to his magical identity. Aurelia had a tendency to reduce people to subjects of less importance in her own mind before she pulled anything risky, and it was a well-known fact. "I helped you become who you are—I saved your sister from the Hunter's Curse. If you're about to do something that goes against repaying my kindness, it's not going to end well for you."

"You'll find out soon enough." Jeremy was evasive with his answers, and for a moment, she wondered if this was what it was like to deal with her. "Let me get back to Elena." As he moved past her, she glared right at him—but he ignored it, focusing more on the problem at hand. When he went off at a running pace, he was momentarily surprised that she'd let him go so easily.

He was wrong, he'd find out, as soon as he felt his body fall straight on the concrete footpath, with an aching pressure forcing itself down on his back. "Just remember, you chose the hard way, Jeremy Gilbert. What happens now, is not on me."

"Let go of me!" He exclaimed, trying to move his body in any manner possible. Aurelia's foot moved ever so slightly with the alignment of his spine, but not enough for him to move out of her grasp. "You're forgetting something—I'm a Hunter."

"Hah," He heard her laugh as he felt her lower her body to add more pressure to his spine. "Please, I'll crush your lower back in the next five seconds if I want to. You have nothing on me." Her hand wrapped around the nape of his neck, too.

Angry and believable as she was, Aurelia didn't mean what she was saying. She'd rather liked the young boy—polite, protective, determined, the youngest sibling that sought to defend their family—they shared many commonalities, which was what sparked their little friendship. She was simply spitting out empty threats, which was a rarity, but necessary here. He was seeking to protect his own, and so was she, but she hoped he would agree to a truce of some sort.

That is, if a truce about this situation could even be reached.

"Aurelia—" Jeremy moved a little too much for the vampire's comfort, allowing her to remember his magnified strength. She tried to react, but he reacted faster, somehow. "I'm sorry, but this is Elena—my sister." He'd pushed her back quite quickly, much to her surprise; on top of his supernatural strength, he'd been working out enough to build natural strength.

As she winced at the unexpected impact of her butt to the rocky pavement, he'd already stood up and turned around to run once again—but not in the same direction she'd thought. His eyes had fallen upon a makeshift weapon, which was unknown to her, and he needed the head start.

Right as he'd reached the damn branch in the lawn of the house they were in front of, Aurelia—some sort of mountain lion at this point—had pounced upon him, spinning him around to fall on his back. This time, she'd sat her entire weight, and more on his body to keep him down, and despite his scratching grasp on her calf and shin.

"I just need to stall you a couple minutes, Jeremy." Aurelia calmly spoke over his grunts and groans. "I'm not actually going to hurt you, that threat was simply to instill fear—and since that didn't work," She huffed. "I might as well keep you here. Whatever that message you left for Elena was—it sounds like Elena needs to keep Kol there until you're back, and if you're not back soon enough, hopefully whatever plan you have in mind will break and fall apart." She leaned over him, her face nearing his.

He glared right at her, no fear, no intimidation in his eyes. Simply, determination.

"Stop fighting." She said clearly—but she still didn't know why he'd run to the random house (to the lawn of it, really, right at a fence—what was he planning?). "If you wanted a chance, you should've gone straight home, rather than whatever here is—" And she gasped loudly, her hand reaching up towards her neck to cover the blood that ran and dripped from her carotid artery.

This audacious bastard. He'd been looking for a damn branch. She knew she should've pinned his hands down.

As she tried to grasp onto the thick branch, which he'd likely seen when he turned around to run from her, she coughed and sputtered, feeling the blood leak into her throat. "God—" Jeremy took his chance and pushed her down, her incapacitated state becoming a Hail Mary for what had initially been a situation he was losing.

Another heavy draw of breath came from her chest when he pulled the branch out of the side of her throat, and she gasped again, feeling nothing but pain as he grabbed onto her throat and pressed his fingers down