I do not own TVD or TO

Did I start a drabble to get the creativity flowing... yes I did. Did that drabble turn into a 4000+ word oneshot... yes... yes it did.

Enjoy this Halloween themed oneshot featuring Elejah, Klaroline, Katherine, Kol, matching costumes and an adorable tribrid.

She couldn't remember the last time she had been excited for Halloween, but she suspected she had been a child. Back then it had been all about the candy; lately it was all about the costumes, and even that had begun to lose its appeal since Caroline had taken over.

She loved her best friend to bits, but authenticity was going to kill her, or rather she was going to kill her for being such a nit-picky control freak.

Did it really matter if her fishnets were ripped in just the right place? Did the fake tattoos need to be perfect? Did she have to outline the spot where her lipstick would run from her lips?

The answers were all – unsurprisingly – resounding yes's: 'yes Elena, I am Harley Quinn and my costume will be perfect'.

Did Elena really have to wear the skin tight unitard? That question had garnered a smirk and the offer of a second costume that had Elena gritting her teeth.

She had promptly bitten her tongue and crammed her body into the black suit before fixing the mask in place.

Elena's costume was perfect; there was just one teeny, tiny, significant problem.

Somebody else was wearing it too. She matched the scowl and crossed her arms over her chest, striding until she stood in front of her mirror image. Her eyes slashed over her from her black stilettos to the pointed ears on top of her head.

"Well," Elena met her opponents eyes as they circled each other like jungle cats stalking their prey, "one of us has to change," she thought of the skimpy outfit upstairs on the guest bed, "and it's not gonna be me."

"I think it is cupcake," she purred, with a wicked glint in her feline eyes, "now be a good little kitten – just like we all know you are – and go change."

Several people turned to look at them, gaping at the odd scene. Truthfully it wasn't that odd since the pair of them hated each other with a fiery passion that often left one or both of them with third degree burns both figuratively and literally.

"Do I sense a cat fight brewing?" Kol whistled. "I've often wondered what it would be like to watch two identical women tear each other apart."

It was not unusual to find Elena and Katherine at odds, but it was unusual for them to be perfectly identical.

"Shut-up, Kol," Elena snapped.

"Don't be mean cupcake," Katherine smirked, slinking towards her, "he did call it after all."

Elena glanced beyond Katherine's cat ears to the grand staircase. Caroline – in an out of character move – had yet to notice the brewing storm; her attention was focused on securing the emerald scarf around Hope's neck. The child made an adorable Poison Ivy with her ribbon wrapped tights and red hair, but Hope could only distract Caroline for so long.

She dragged her gaze back to Katherine and scoffed; certain Kol had 'suggested' the costume to stir up trouble.

"I'm not gonna fight you, Katherine."

"Scared you'll lose," she taunted, prowling closer. Elena half-expected to see a tail flick out.

"We both know I could best you if I wanted to," her shoulder muscles rippled. Katherine was older but Elena was resourceful and quick. "I just don't want to fight you with Caroline because I ruined her party… plus I don't want to give Kol and Damon the satisfaction of watching."

She spun on her heel and disappeared into the crowd, reappearing moments later in the bedroom. She yanked a pillow off of the bed and screamed into the feathers, confident that nobody would hear her over the Monster Mash, but not everyone was at the party.

Her cheeks stained scarlet when she lowered the pillow, spotting her new companion.

"Elena," he fought back a laugh.

"Elijah," her voice emerged, breathless.

He stepped down into the bedroom, carefully prying the throw pillow from her hands. He poked a finger through a slash in the fabric and met her bright eyes.

"I was unaware of your aversion to throw pillows," his lips turned up in a smirk, but the question danced in his eyes.

"Katherine decided to come dressed as cat woman," she shook her head, crossing her arms. She despised putting up with Katherine, but Rebekah was with Stefan so Damon was a part of her life and lately Damon came with Katherine. "I suspect Kol's influence, but the main problem is that I now have to change in order to avoid a cat fight."

"When did you start avoiding fights with Katherine?" He tossed the violet pillow on the bed.

"When it became clear that this one would lead to a subsequent fight with Caroline – that would dissuade anyone regardless of the presence of a child in the room," she perched on the edge of the bed, trying to take a deep breath and finding it impossible in the too tight costume. "I try to avoid violence in the presence of children."

"That's understandable," he watched her pull the mask and ears away from her head, "but why are you upset about changing? Surely Caroline insisted on a back-up costume."

"She did," Elena reached for the small pile of fabric in the middle of the bed. Shaking it out revealed a body suit with pieces cut out in strategic places on the red bodice, and gold stars over the blue bottoms; it was essentially a bikini.

"Are you telling me that Caroline Forbes selected what is quite possibly the most derogatory Wonder Woman costume on this earth? Caroline Forbes?" He glanced at the fabric, but refused to picture Elena wearing it; in a thousand years it was one of the hardest struggles he had ever had to endure.

"Yup," she shrugged. "She said I didn't have to get a costume because she would take care of it, and apparently she really wanted me to be cat woman." Her eyes fell to her leather clad form. "She knows me well and knew that the only way she would get me in a unitard was if my only other option was… well…" she gave the star spangled costume a little shake.

"I can see where you'd be reluctant," he tilted his head, glancing down at the costume. She had placed it in front of her body and the image came unbidden. He cleared his throat and tore his eyes away; they found a new home on the night stand.

Caroline and Klaus had been 'dating' for years, making Elena a frequent guest in his home. Each time she stayed she carried around a book – the same book. She had read it so many times that the cover was practically falling off the weathered volume, and when she read it now she skipped around to her favorite passages; some of which she could recite by heart.

He stared at the book for a long moment as a slow smile appeared on his face.

"I have an idea," he offered her a hand up, "but it will require a little trust."

"You know I'd trust you with my life," she grinned, eyes twinkling. Slipping her hand in his she suppressed her shiver at the contact. "I have on several occasions, so I think I can trust you with a Halloween costume."

"Is there anyone you wouldn't?" He led her into the hall and deeper into the compound, glancing over from the corner of his eye.

"Kol," she responded without a hint of hesitation, causing them both to laugh.

He brought her to a stop in a room filled with trunks of various sizes and directed her towards a screen.

"You might want to take that off." His heart gave a leap when she turned around and swept her hair over her shoulder. He held his breath and acceded to her silent request by reaching out to unzip her costume, taking care not to touch the tantalizing reveal of skin.

"Thank you," she murmured, hoping her disappointment at not feeling his hand on her back didn't bleed through her voice.

"Anytime."

She slid behind the screen, wondering if she had imagined the strain in his voice.

Elijah averted his eyes from her shadowed silhouette and selected the appropriate trunk. He extracted a mixture of garments and approached the screen where she was straightening up in one fluid movement. He cleared his throat to announce his presence, smiling when her heart jumped.

"There is a fair amount of fabric," he shifted closer. "Would you like it in stages?"

"Are you going to tell me what I'm wearing?" She poked her head around the screen and flashed him a teasing smile.

"Where would be the fun in that?" He smirked, handing her the first pile of fabric.

She vanished again, giving him a brief glimpse of her bare arms. He saw her moving beyond the silk screen: rolling stockings up her shapely legs, dropping a formless shift over her head, shaking out her hair, and fitting her arms into sleeves.

"I may need help with the corset," she emerged.

He swallowed, nodding. Every inch, save her arms and collarbone, was covered in material, but he still remembered the days where her current attire would have been forbidden beyond the walls of a bedroom.

She turned her back on him and allowed her lips to form a pout as his deft fingers worked the laces without touching her; not so much as an accidental brushing of skin on skin.

She schooled her features and spun around, placing her hands on her hips. Her brow arched elegantly.

"Now what?"

"Now you close your eyes and trust me," he chuckled.

She nodded, lifting her arms at his instruction. Silk fell over her wrists, coming to swirl around her ankles with the barest of whispers.

"Are you attending the party?" She felt strings being tugged into place along her spine.

"I don't have a costume," he handed her something that felt like a glove.

She worked the material by feel.

"We're in a room full of what I can only assume are period clothes," she sighed, feeling her smooth gloves.

"Would you like me to go?" His voice came from lower down.

"I think you should have some fun," she shrugged, letting him guide her feet into a pair of shoes. "Please come to the party."

"Very well," he stood. "Turn to your right, take three steps and then you can open your eyes."

He had disappeared by the time her eyes adjusted to the light. The indigo dress held a slight shine. She fingered the black lace over the bodice and swayed, watching the fabric shift.

"Is this Rebekah's dress?" She used the hairpins behind her ears to twist her hair into a quick chignon.

"For tonight it's yours," Elijah emerged, fastening the buttons on his blue jacket.

"It's beautiful," she fingered the skirt and turned to look at him. Her eyes roamed over his tall form and straightened her shoulders. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," he smiled. Reaching out he smoothed a few strands of hair behind her ear. The tip of his fingers grazed the soft skin, sending an electric jolt up his arm.

Her breath caught in her throat as she met his eyes and found herself stuck in his gaze. A force drew them closer together as his fingers skimmed over her throat. Her tongue darted out to wet her bottom lip; his eyes dropped to her mouth for a split second and had she still been human she might not have seen it.

Her chin tipped up as her skirt brushed his legs.

He inhaled the sweet smell clinging to her body, a combination of perfume, lotion and all of the candy she had helped Caroline make for the party; she was intoxicating.

"Elena," a loud voice shattered the stillness, startling them apart. "I know you're up here. You can't hide from the party."

She glanced at Elijah and drew in a quick breath.

"I'll be down in a minute, Care," she called.

"If you're not on the dancefloor in five minutes you will face the full wrath of Harley Quinn."

"Got it," Elena laughed.

She met Elijah's eyes when he cleared his throat.

"May I have the honour of escorting you to the ball, Miss Bennett?" He lifted her hand, placing a chaste kiss on her gloved knuckles.

"You may, Mr. Darcy," she giggled.

He slipped her hand into the crook of his elbow.

"Why weren't you going downstairs?" She picked up the hem of her skirt when they reached the railing.

"Would you believe 'I do not have the talent of conversing easily with people I have never met before'?"

"Not for a second," she laughed.

"In truth I find such parties tedious," he sneered at the crowd, but his expression softened for her, "present company does make it enjoyable."

"Really?" She ducked her head, trying to hide her smile.

"Really," he patted her gloved fingers, "I enjoy your company immensely," his eyes flitted to the speakers, "this music, not so much."

"Don't worry; Caroline only planned themed music for the first hour," she teased, "after that Rebekah gets control of the line-up. Speaking of…" her eyes found the blonde Original working her way through the crowd. "Is she going to be upset that I'm wearing her dress?"

"I doubt it," he let go of her hand reluctantly.

"That's my dress," Rebekah crossed her arms, looking Elena up and down through narrow eyes before nodding, "much better than the last costume." She glanced at her brother and whipped her phone from the vintage 1922 purse, snapping a picture of him and Elena.

Elijah gave her an inquisitive look.

"Documented proof that you participated in a costume party," she grinned, turning her eyes to Elena. "I don't know what you did to get him down here, but good work."

"I just asked," Elena frowned with a line between her brows.

"No, really," Rebekah laughed, "what did you do?"

Before she could respond Caroline appeared and linked arms with her and Rebekah, giving them an annoyed look.

"It's about time," she rolled her eyes. "Love the dress," she smirked glancing at Elijah and then back to Elena. "Come on, picture time… you too, Elijah."

"Oh no," he shook his head, backing away.

"Oh, yes," Elena grinned. She gripped his arm in time for Caroline to pull the three of them.

Elijah allowed her to take him along to the area where the rest of the family waited. He took the position Caroline dictated, but his eyes never sought out the vampire Caroline had dragged over to act as an impromptu photographer.

His eyes were glued on the woman beside him; the woman who had bewitched him, body and soul.

Hours later Caroline sat on the bathroom counter flicking through hundreds of pictures while Klaus scrubbed furiously at the paint on his face.

"This bloody make-up won't come off," he growled, throwing down the wash cloth.

"Try these," she passed him a package of make-up wipes. Her thumb changed the picture to one of Elijah spinning Elena around in a dance.

"Seriously?" The pack crinkled in his hand.

"That's my line," she smirked, examining another picture. "Is there something going on with Elena and Elijah?"

"Well, he did come to the party – in what amounted to a couple's costume – because she asked," he sniffed the wipe.

"Witch hazel," she answered. "What does that have to do with anything?"

"I am wearing a pound of white face paint and my hair is green…" he cocked an eyebrow, "… because you asked."

"I'm thinking Smurfs next year," she grinned.

"You do this just to see what you can get away with, don't you?" He lowered his brows.

"You do look good in blue," she plucked the wipe from his hand. She began washing away the paint in circular motions. "So what's going on there?"

"Where?" He lifted his chin so she could get his neck.

"Elena… Elijah…" she met his eyes.

"Contrary to popular belief, love…" he closed his mouth when she wiped at her upper lip, "… I don't get involved in my sibling's love lives."

She made a sound in the back of her throat, suspiciously close to a laugh.

"Tatia, Alexander, Sage, Katherine, Emil, Celeste, Marcel, Stefan, and those are just the ones I know about," Caroline hummed and got out a fresh wipe. "I'm sure if I asked Kol would have a list as well and might even add to the names I already know for Elijah and Rebekah."

"Anymore," he amended, "I don't get involved anymore." He pulled her to the end of the counter, stepping between her legs. His thumbs hooked in the jagged rips in her tights. "She's your friend. Shouldn't you know?"

She cleared the last of the white away and used the corner to clean away her lipstick.

"After my overexcitement at the Stelena relationship and the terrible advice during the Delena debacle she stopped telling me about new romances," Caroline sighed. "She only tells me stuff when it's serious, or over. So if I don't know, and you don't know I'll have to keep meddling until one of us figures it out."

"Keep meddling?" He cocked an eyebrow.

Caroline bit her bottom lip, but couldn't stop her sheepish smile. "I may have suggested to Stefan that he recommend Katherine come to the party in the same costume as Elena in the hopes that Elena would change, but because she didn't have another suitable costume someone would have to help her out, and I knew that Elijah wouldn't be caught dead downstairs… unless Elena 'asked him'… apparently…"

Klaus tilted his head and cleared his throat, waiting until he was certain he wouldn't laugh while speaking.

"Okay," he nodded after a moment, "I've got two things to say, you meddlesome woman."

"Control-freak," Caroline tilted her head, "but, continue."

"One, if something is going on between them it will get serious really fast as he's been pining for years."

"I saw that in the pictures," Caroline flipped between images. In one Elena watched Elijah, in another he watched her; it went back and forth in all of the pictures with them. "What was the second thing?"

"This is very important, love," he cupped her cheeks, continuing only when she nodded. "You've got to stop giving people ship names."

She rolled her shoulder, folding her arms behind her back. It took her longer than she would ever admit to find the strings of the ball gown, and unfastening them proved impossible; somehow she managed to create a knot of the neat bow Elijah had tied.

"Damn it," she muttered.

She twisted her body in front of the full length mirror until the knot came into view. The mess would take forever for her to pick out by feel.

The compound housed nearly a dozen people at any given time, most of who were intimately with the garments she needed removed. She pursed her lips and squinted at the tangled strings; a few strands of hair appeared to be stuck in between the mess of knots. Any attempt to remove it would end in ruined fabric, and while Rebekah had been alright with her wearing the dress she would not be happy if the dress was torn.

With a sigh she lowered her arms and moved to the door. She made it three steps down the hall before meeting someone. His dark eyes looked her up and down before focusing on his watch.

"It is nearly four in the morning, darling," he cocked an eyebrow, "and you're still dressed."

"I got stuck," she motioned to her back. A line appeared between her brows. "How did women ever get undressed by themselves?"

"In this house they didn't," he winked.

"Is there any hope for you?" She struggled to hide her amusement behind a stern look and an eye roll.

"What is your problem with me, love?" He stepped closer and looked down into her eyes; he heard her heart speed up.

"You're a hopeless flirt," she tilted her head.

"Most women enjoy that," he smirked, "a few men, too."

"I'm not most women," she shook her head.

"I've noticed," he chuckled. He made a circular motion with his finger. "Let me see this mess of yours."

"Why would I do that?" She cocked an eyebrow.

"So I can do what I've been trying to do for years," his eyes flickered over her body, "and get you out of your clothes."

"You do know that's not gonna happen," she laughed.

"I was only joking, love," he smiled, holding out his hands with his palms up, "I'll be on my best behaviour. Let me help you, love. You can't sleep in a corset."

They stood in the hall for a moment, locked in a silent battle of wills that Elena felt she was in danger of losing. She was just about to step back in her room and let him held when a third body appeared in the hall.

"Stop being a prat, Kol," Rebekah gave her brother a shove, "go find some witch to torment."

"Why would I do that?" He pouted. "I'm finally about to get a glimpse of the illusive doppelganger."

"No you're not," Elena shook her head, "and even if you were, calling me doppelganger seriously blew your chances."

"Are you saying you don't want all of this?" He took a step back and posed against the wall in a manner designed just to make the girls laugh.

"Not if you were the last man on earth," she giggled.

"Darling," he took a heaving breath, pressed his hand to his heart and even managed a fake sob; "you wound me."

He couldn't stop his smirk.

"If you're that desperate for a doppelganger go and find Katherine," Rebekah rolled her eyes, "if she hasn't tossed Damon to the curb yet I'm sure she will soon."

Elena thought Kol looked like the suggestion made him sick if the sudden shift in complexion and grimace were anything to go by.

Rebekah waved him off and turned Elena back to her room. She swept aside the curtain of shiny hair and set to work untying Elena from the dress.

"How did you manage that?" She asked when the gown pooled on the floor.

"I tried to untie it," Elena shrugged. She stepped out of the silk and lifted it to fold and drape over the back of a chair.

"I'm surprised Elijah didn't help you."

Elena caught Rebekah's eyes in the mirror; she dropped her chin to hide her blush.

"He got a call about a Faction thing."

She tried not to imagine Elijah's deft fingers removing the many layers and failed. Then she tried to banish the image of his hands playing her body like one of his instruments, composing a melody with the sounds she would make at his skilled urging.

"The witches want to celebrate some new feast day," she said by way of distraction.

"That's probably a good thing," Rebekah murmured.

Elena frowned at the blonde in the mirror. Against all odds the pair of them had become friends, and as her friend Elena knew when Rebekah was saying less than she knew; she got that infuriating twinkle in her blue eyes that never failed to increase her resemblance to Kol.

"Oh," Elena prompted. Rebekah had the twinkle in her eye.

"Yes," she grinned, working free the last of the corset's laces. Her words sent a flush over Elena's skin until she resembled Caroline's buckets of fake blood for the party.

"It is a very good thing Elijah didn't help you because he would have missed the meeting and probably ruined my pretty dress and corset in his haste to get it off of you."

Elena pressed her lips together and sucked in a sharp breath through her nose.

"Ripping my clothes off seems like more of a Kol move, or Klaus if you believe Caroline. I think Elijah would be the tease by agonizingly slow removal of fabric type," she snickered.

Rebekah sputtered and turned red. "One comment does not mean I want to talk about this."

"Then you shouldn't have brought it up," she smirked. "Elijah would have to be really riled to rip off my clothes."

"You know," Rebekah smirked, "you and Kol might be a match made in heaven."

"Take that back right now, Rebekah Mikaelson!"

"Take back what you said first!"

"Fine," she sighed. In the back of her mind she wondered what it would take to make Elijah lose control and rip off her clothes.

What did you think?

Did everyone get Klaus' costume?