A/N:

Happy holidays, everybody! As my gift to you, I decided to post the first chapter of a new crossover that I started a while ago. I'm not sure when I'll be updating it next, so please be patient. I have a lot of medical problems and a couple other stories that need updating before I work my way back to this one. Just a reminder, I write to entertain myself, so spare me the flames if you just want to torch it. Hit the back button and you'll find dozens of other stories to enjoy.

This fic technically begins in TVD, but it's mainly focused on the Originals. I haven't actually watched much of TVD, though, so please give me a little leeway if I screw something up or the timelines don't quite match. I'm a Mikaelson girl through and through.

Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or the Originals. I'm just a writer who likes her vampires wild.

Kol met her by happenstance, a rare and extraordinary moment of pure luck.

Darkness had fallen on Mystic Falls hours before he stumbled across her, bringing with it a boredom so intense and familiar that it made him restless. Sleep was a thing of the past, a luxury only the living were granted, and he often spent those quiet, late night hours wandering aimlessly through the empty streets. There wasn't much to do on the Other Side and he could only take so much of stalking his crazy family or the murderous Gilbert siblings before he needed a break from his impotent rage. He was forced to put some distance between them for his own peace of mind, but he couldn't seem to find the will to leave the accursed town behind entirely.

He feared he was becoming a bit of a masochist.

The backfiring of an ancient, red pickup truck drew his attention to an unfamiliar brunette as she pulled into the parking lot of the only inn in town. For reasons he couldn't explain, Kol found himself pausing to watch her as she turned off the engine and climbed out of the rusty deathtrap. Head tilted, he stood on the edge of the lot as she hoisted a worn duffle bag over her shoulder and shut the door with a noisy slam.

She was clearly exhausted and about to fall asleep on her feet, but Kol didn't really notice that. He was too preoccupied with taking in the beauty of her. The moon itself seemed to favor the girl, highlighting the delicate shade of her ivory skin with its silken rays. Under its tender care, her petite, heart shaped face took on a subtle gleam, made all the more striking by the contrast of dark, mahogany locks cascading down her shoulders. She was surprisingly small, no taller than five foot four, and possessed a set of soulful eyes so wide they resembled a doe's. He liked the color of them, a shade so rich and warm it reminded him of hot chocolate.

After walking the earth for a thousand years, Kol had seen his fair share of beautiful women, but there was something special about this one that set her apart. It was surprising, when he reflected on it, because she didn't have the face of a model or the luscious body of an exotic dancer. In fact, he couldn't quite pinpoint what it was about her that made her stand out. She was weary and worn down, hovering on the brink of exhaustion, but there was something almost ethereal about her. He'd spent countless nights with women that were utterly gorgeous, yet never one with a girl quite like her.

Inhaling deeply on reflex, Kol nearly purred when he tasted her scent in the air. Not for the first time, he felt the phantom desire to feed. It was almost unfair how delicious she smelled, like ripened strawberries and wildflowers. His gaze briefly wandered to the slope of her neck and his mouth actually watered. With a heavy swallow, he tore his eyes away from that tempting sight and trailed them down her slender form.

He was so distracted by the dips and curves of her body that he didn't notice the Cold One stepping out of the shadows until it was too late. Before he could so much as blink, the beautiful brunette was being slammed up against the truck by a viciously gleeful redhead. Her abrupt appearance was so unexpected that he almost flinched in surprise.

"Bella," the redhead cooed and Kol raised his eyebrows in disbelief. The vampire knew the pretty human by name, a puzzling piece of news since Kol knew for a fact that few Cold Ones interacted with the human world. "It figures I'd finally catch up to you in a dump like this one. What is it with you and shithole towns?"

Kol was intrigued by how calm Bella appeared. He knew she was afraid, he could hear her heart racing and smell her fear, but she didn't let it show. With a defiant lift of her chin, she responded in an even, measured tone, "Well, I don't know, Victoria. Maybe small towns just remind me of home." Tilting her head, she remarked, "I have to admit, I expected to see you sooner... I did leave Forks over a year ago." To Kol's amazement, a sly smile crept across her face before she taunted, "Then again, I guess I shouldn't be surprised it took you so long to find me. James was the tracker, wasn't he?" Her voice turned wicked, taking on a sinfully amused note, "You must be so lost without him."

Kol ventured closer in curiosity, not the least bit surprised when the redhead snapped and roughly flung the brunette across the parking lot. He couldn't understand what possessed the girl to taunt a Cold One like that. He was tempted to call her foolish for provoking her wrath, but something held him back. There was a certain confidence to her demeanor that told him she wasn't acting impulsively. While he might not understand her actions, he was convinced she was more cunning than she looked. Bella knew exactly what she was doing.

She wasn't foolish at all, he decided. She was brave.

"You insolent, little girl," Victoria sneered, circling her like a lion would its prey. "I'm going to enjoy this, Bella. I'm going to enjoy finishing my mate's hunt." In a flash, she'd buried her hand in Bella's hair. Mercilessly pulling her to her feet, the redhead lamented, "I only wish that idiotic telepath were here to see it." Yanking her head back, she brought her lips to the girl's ear and whispered, "I guess I can always replay it for him later. What do you think, Bella? Would Edward enjoy that?"

For the first time that night, Kol watched Bella's composure slip. Face crumpling in pain, she visibly flinched at the sound of Edward's name. Her eyes hardened a beat later, her expression smoothing out into an emotionless mask, and Kol found himself grudgingly impressed. Bella knew Victoria was getting off on her pain, so she deprived her of it. She didn't react to the taunting, wouldn't scream when she was wounded. Her life was on the line, but she refused to cry or plead. She wasn't going to give the redhead that satisfaction.

It didn't take long for Kol to connect the dots. Victoria was avenging the death of her mate. Bella obviously wasn't strong enough to end a Cold One, but Victoria believed killing her would torment Edward, the man responsible for the death of her James. Because Edward took someone from her, she planned to take someone from him. It was revenge at its most simplistic.

And he would know. Kol considered bloody revenge his area of expertise.

"If you think my death will hurt Edward in any way, then I pity you, Victoria," Bella rasped, nearly breathless from the painful grip the redhead had on her hair. "Don't you get it? I was just a distraction for Edward, a pet. When he grew bored of me, he left. He threw me away like a bad penny." Victoria shook her head in clear disagreement and Bella let out a bitter, incredulous laugh, "You don't believe me? Tell me, Victoria, what kind of vampire abandons his mate?"

Oddly enough, her words came as no surprise to Kol. He'd already deduced that this Edward she mentioned cared very little for her. Any idiot with a dash of common sense knew not to allow a vengeful mate to live. If you killed one of the mated pair, you must dispose of the other. To leave Bella alone while the bloodthirsty redhead still existed just showed how little Edward valued her life. He'd as good as given her a death sentence and Bella seemed keenly aware of that fact.

Kol thought him a fool. If he had a girl like that, he'd certainly never toss her aside.

"I guess we'll just have to see about that, won't we?" Victoria said with a sweet smile before forcefully shoving her to the ground again. "Now, which leg was it that James broke? The right?"

Kol winced as she slammed her foot down on Bella's right leg, instantly shattering the bone. The girl cried out involuntarily, bringing a malicious grin to the Cold One's face. Tapping her chin in a mockingly pensive way, Victoria shook her head, "Oh, wait, that's not right, is it? Now that I think about it, I'm certain it was the left." She shrugged dismissively, "No matter, easy fix." A sickening snap was heard as she stomped on Bella's left leg too. "There we go, that's better." She canted her head to the side and mused, "I wonder how many bones I can break without making you bleed."

"You won't get the chance to find out," Bella gritted out a split second before the tantalizing scent of her blood filled the air. Piecing together what she'd done, Kol smirked in approval. Instead of allowing Victoria to torture her, she'd sliced her arm open with a shard of glass she found on the ground.

"Clever little bird," he admired softly. Cold Ones were renowned for their insatiable bloodlust, which was why they so rarely interacted with the human world. A single drop of blood could drive the oldest of their kind into a feeding frenzy. Clearly, it was something Bella was also aware of.

Her earlier taunting made sense to him now. From the second she saw Victoria, Bella knew she was doomed. With nothing left to lose, she'd antagonized her with the goal of making her snap. Victoria wanted her death to last, to torture her for hours before bleeding her dry. Days, even, if she could get away with it. Bella intended to foil that plan; if it couldn't be painless, then she wanted her death to at least be quick.

The poor girl got her wish.

Victoria was on her in an instant, viciously tearing into her neck with her venom coated teeth. Kol felt a pang of disappointment as he watched Bella's body grow limp and the light fade from her vibrant eyes. She was an intriguing and clever little human, one he wouldn't mind getting to know. He couldn't help but think it was a shame that he'd never get to meet her.

Alas, it wasn't meant to be. Only the supernatural walked the Other Side when they died.

Kol was already walking away when he suddenly registered the muted scent of saline in the air and heard a heart-wrenching cry. Instinct had him turning to look at the source and what he saw made him stumble back in astonishment. Not five feet away from him was Bella, who'd fallen to her knees in pure grief. Tears cascaded down her cheeks as she wept, her watery eyes trained forlornly on her lifeless body and the oblivious Cold One still feeding from it.

"Well, now," Kol murmured to himself, a thrill running through him, "isn't that intriguing?"

Sensing his presence, Bella's teary eyes darted away from her body and locked with his. Her grief gave way to cautious surprise and Kol couldn't quite pinpoint why he was so relieved that she could actually see him.

Slowly, his lips tilted up into a devilish smirk.