AN: In the future, we see our siphon problem escalating further as Kai fools Bonnie into performing a binding spell, to everyone's dismay.
Three years prior another meeting with Esther goes awry, Bonnie and her friends need to seek shelter in New Orleans, only to find the supernatural world of NOLA has another agenda brewing to serve the next generation
***UPDATE: This chapter has been updated due include some extra content I felt wasn't there the first time around, specifically the spell that Davina does for Bonnie.
When I say Kai is obsessed, this is what I mean!
Songs for this chapter:
Absolutely Anything by CG5 Ft Or3o
Soulmate by Natasha Bedingfield
Mystic falls 2013
Bonnie's POV
"Oh my God, why won't he just stay dead?!" Bonnie yelled after letting out a long groan.
"Hey, that's not nice!" she heard Kai exclaim.
"Kai Parker is in your house and you expect me to go over? Damon, I don't know when you truly lost your mind but I recommend you seek help. I'm busy," Bonnie snapped into the receiver. She wished it was a landline so she could slam the receiver down as she hung up. Damon was unbelievable. Two weeks since the bloody wedding massacre, Jo hadn't even been buried twenty-four hours, and Damon had the audacity to have Kai of all people in his home. She couldn't imagine how this would make Ric feel. There was no reason for this.
"To be fair, this is a hostage situation, not a friendly house call," Damon corrected.
"How does that work out?"
"I'm all saged up and immune to his magic vacuum trick. Think about it Bonnie, this could be our one shot to finally get rid of this crazy little douche," Bonnie could clearly envision Damon's baby blues shifting bulge to squint as he spoke.
She heard Kai in the background. "As the leader of the Gemini Coven, the proper term would be crazy little boss,"
"Shut up Parker," Damon hissed. "You don't have a coven anymore, you killed them,"
"Do you want me to speak to Bonnie? She might be upset, maybe I can calm her down,"
The young witch hung up when she heard Kai ask that.
Bonnie rubbed her temples, feeling conflicted. Of course she wanted to get rid of Kai, but not with an idea that he himself derived. He'd won the merge with Luke, the operative word being merge. It's not as if they were still two individuals, they were now two halves of the same whole, yet he was still Kai Parker. It was likely a deception.
Tyler walked into Bonnie's room at Gram's with Caroline, carrying a bag and some dusty old grimoires. "God, I hate that dick. Here's the rest of Liv's witch paraphernalia, all saged through and through. Kai won't be able to track them and you should be able to find if the spell he suggested actually exists,"
"You're really going then?" Bonnie asked. Caroline remained silent next to Tyler.
"My girlfriend's dead, Bon. This guy is unstoppable, it's like Klaus and the Originals all over again," Tyler slammed his fist on the dresser. Caroline flinched a little and Bonnie sighed.
"I'm sorry, Bonnie. You know I love you girls. But your boy might be back in town soon, and I can't with the Originals. Klaus still killed my mom,"
"I understand, really. You don't have to explain. I just-I'm so sick of Kai ruining everything and taking people away from me," Bonnie stood up and walked over to Tyler, embracing him in a tight hug. "Promise me you'll take care of yourself,"
"Of course I will,"
Over her shoulder, Tyler gave Caroline a look. "Oh, I can't help it!" She threw her arms over Bonnie, wrapping them around her and Tyler. "We all have to move on sometime, right?"
After Tyler left, Caroline helped Bonnie rummage through the grimoires. Care, with her vampire vision, Bonnie, using her magic to scan for keywords about the Gemini merge. When Bonnie was satisfied, she called Damon back.
"You might be onto something,"
~~~
Damon and Bonnie's POV
The gang traipsed through the woods, stopping in the spot they were supposed to meet Kai.
"Where is he?" Elena asked, glancing around.
"Probably closer than you think," Bonnie murmured.
Uncloaking himself, Kai appeared right behind Bonnie, leaning to whisper in her ear. In an instant, Damon had caught him by the throat. "If you wanna keep your hands, I suggest you keep them to yourself, or I'll rip them off!" He growled into his face before shoving him backward.
"If I do this with you, we're done, Kai. You leave Mystic Falls to try and salvage some semblance of a coven, and don't ever come back. And I'll be keeping tabs on you, if you're thinking of going all murder happy." Bonnie declared sharply.
"Ooh does that mean there's a chance I'll see you again, Bonster?" Kai winked a coy little wink that Bonnie ignored.
"That means if you're more Kai than Luke, our hunters won't hesitate to take you out wherever you're at. I won't even have to leave Mystic Falls."
"You wound me. I was hoping this would be a fresh start for us." Kai pouted and cupped his hands over his heart in mock offense, stepping closer to Bonnie.
"Enough pipe dreams! Let's just get this over with." Damon demanded, stepping in between them again. "I'll rip your psychotic eyes out and fucking feed them to you."
Kai frowned. "For what?!"
"My own amusement,"
The whole party stepped into the Salvatore crypt.
Kai just smirked. "Aww I'm touched, Damon. Shall we, Bon?"
He held out his hands. Bonnie took his hands in a tentative movement and felt their collective magic crackle, which Bonnie ignored. The feel of magic from Kai always felt wrong to her.
"Well, we haven't lost our spark," Kai winked. "Now repeat after me," he began his chanting and Bonnie followed suit.
Damon noticed magic swirling between them, bracing himself for action as he didn't know if this was normal. He was more expecting the magic to flow through Kai instead of them both but he wasn't sure how the spell worked. Elena, Stefan, and Caroline as well as Enzo were on standby in case things went astray.
"Is that supposed to be happening?" Elena whispered as all five vampires witnessed blood coming from Kai's right wrist flowing into Bonnie's left wrist and vice versa with Bonnie's right wrist.
"Bonnie," Stefan's voice warned as Damon demanded to know what the hell was going on. Neither Bonnie nor Kai answered, they just kept chanting as the blood exchange completed.
"Bloody fucking hell," Enzo mused in a low murmur, backing away from the gathering. He slipped out of the crypt.
"Bonnie, stop this!" Elena cried and lurched forward but a blast of energy shoved all the vampires present three feet backward.
Each vampire, save for Enzo who was no longer present, tried to inch their way back towards Bonnie and Kai, who were no longer chanting but entranced in some sort of magical state with the glow of magic emanating from where their hands joined. None were successful as the magic was a barrier preventing them from coming within three feet.
The glow grew until it filled the crypt so bright, the vampire entourage had to shield their eyes, screaming for Bonnie to snap out of it. As the light dissipated, Bonnie and Kai did snap out of whatever magic had them captivated. Damon watched as they opened their eyes and gazed upon each other, noting that Bonnie was looking at Kai with a look he'd only ever witnessed her giving her Original vampire boyfriend, a look that he wished she would give him, a look that Damon had used on his "epic loves" and Bonnie herself. She blinked up at Kai looking dazed and enamored of him and he grinned back down at her, caressing her palms.
"You have really nice palms," Kai told Bonnie as he beamed a smile at her.
"Bonnie?" Caroline nearly whispered.
"Bonnie, no!" Elena cried.
Damon's eyes widening in his signature fashion said with a low growl, "Get the fuck away from her!"
Bonnie and Kai seemed to not even notice anyone was present until Damon's expletive. He clenched his jaw in annoyance and turned to Damon, but addressing Bonnie.
"It's time to kiss the bride." He gave a wink and his shitty smirk.
"What'd you do?!" Caroline demanded, her vampire visage manifesting. "We went over the spell, he fluked it somehow!"
"Bride?! You used her!" Damon practically exploded. "She's not for you and no one would be crazy enough to marry, let alone date you!"
Damon rushed at Kai but he and Bonnie thrust their hands out, magically captivating him before he could even reach the barrier that had held the vampires back.
"This is the guy?"
"Yeah, that's him. He tortured me in the prison world and murdered his entire family too. He shouldn't be here." Bonnie and Kai both glared at Damon.
"Bonnie! Bonnie, snap out of it! Kai used you, you're under his spell!" Elena called out.
"You want me to kill him for you?" Kai said when Damon and everyone started protesting and yelling at Bonnie to snap out of it.
Bonnie addressed Kai, annoyed. "No I don't wanna kill him, I want him to suffer. Let's send him back to the prison world." Bonnie glared at Damon with hatred that probably surpassed even Elena's loathing of him.
"Bonnie, you can't trust Kai! He is your enemy, you hate him!" Damon shouted. He rushed at Bonnie and Kai before they could join hands and to his relief, the three-foot barrier was no longer intact. His relief only lasted a second because he was hit with an aneurysm and a motus , flying out of the crypt entrance. He landed on a dead tree branch that impaled him through the heart.
"NOOO!!" Stefan roared and rushed outside to where Damon was, already desiccating.
"Stop it Bonnie, what are you doing!" Caroline cried, staring into Bonnie's cold green eyes imploringly.
"He deserves worse for what he's done to me!" Bonnie shouted.
"Kai's done that! He's manipulated you into thinking Damon did that, he's fucking sick, and now Damon's dead! Bonnie, this isn't you, please!" Caroline said through her tears.
Kai was clearly enjoying this until Bonnie looked at him, his face sobering. "She's lying Bonster, all your vampire friends are full of shit. They tortured you too, don't you remember?"
"Oh yeah," Bonnie said as a new memory formed.
"We should make them all pay." Kai murmured into her ear.
"Bonnie, no," Caroline whimpered before the cold in both Bonnie and Kai's eyes made her vamp speed out of the crypt.
The witches stepped out of the crypt and Kai wrapped his arms around Bonnie's waist from behind her. "Thank you all for coming but we're off to our honeymoon now," Kai announced.
"You're disgusting!! You can't force her into a supernatural marriage!" Elena yelled. "Bonnie, you know that's not who you wanted to marry!"
"Wait what? Marriage? Stop playing.." Bonnie let out a small giggle and she was just as perplexed as Stefan and Caroline seemed to be. She turned around to look at Kai, squirming out of his grip.
"It's done. You're my wife now, in the supernatural world. Don't you remember?" Kai said calmly, holding Bonnie firmly in place.
"Malachi! I didn't- oh yeah," she smiled up at him, and relaxed into his embrace.
"Let's go then, shall we?" Eyes drifting to her vampire friends he smirked and said, "it's like I said, she's MINE."
He wrapped Bonnie in his arms again and they vanished.
"Bonnie, NO!" Elena yelled as she and Caroline rushed at them with vampire speed but they only reached air as Kai and Bonnie blinked out of sight.
~~~
New Orleans 2010
Esther's POV
"In here," Esther heard Davina say, before she once again came face to face with one of her offspring turned abominations, who entered with the Bennett witch and another vampire. Her eldest and youngest living son sized each other up, exchanging auspicious glares.
Kol Mikaelson, who started off as a screaming, rosy-cheeked infant and became one of her most mischievous children, charming her with a cherub-faced smile to get out of trouble when he was a young child, and later with his wit. Still, he'd had a heart when he was human, a generous one, and a pleasant charm that could win over anyone, even temper Mikael's moods most of the time. All he had to do was make his father laugh with his quick wit before Henrik would join in and completely obliterate his frustrations, especially if Mikael was having a disagreement with Esther or Elijah. They would also entertain him with magic, as Kol was thoroughly gifted, thanks to his time with Ayanna.
This didn't work so well for Niklaus, but it wasn't for lack of trying. In those days, Kol felt it was his brotherly duty to train hard with Niklaus and make sure they played even harder when Mikael wasn't around. It was as if being a brother that was there for him in any other way would make up for the terrible abuse Nik suffered at the hands of their father. All of her children played a role in this if she was being honest.
But whereas Elijah and Rebekah remained by Nik's side post-transition, Kol eventually separated himself from the "always and forever" trio. Elijah made his best efforts in keeping his siblings in line, but Kol lashed out. Killing innocents with no consequences, forcing his way into various witch covens to try to get some semblance of magic back. His penchant for mischief had been replaced with bloodlust, aggression, a hedonistic and carefree lifestyle. Esther watched this unfold from the other side. All her children participated in slaughtering, Niklaus to intimidate and wield his power, Elijah because he thought was serving justice and Rebekah's temper only needed to be mildly tested for her to resort to her savagery.
But Kol, he didn't need a reason to kill. The fact that he was spilling blood and taking lives in a brutally violent manner was reason enough, or so it appeared. It was as if his brutal attacks brought him peace, as Esther observed. A realization which disgusted her as she looked upon her son. She looked into the eyes of her youngest living son, yet that is not who she saw. This person before her was an imposter, an effigy of what her son used to be. A cold-blooded murderer and no romantic tryst with a witch could redeem him long enough for him to leave his ways of violence and debauchery behind. She knew it in her heart and it laid to rest any concerns she may have ever harbored about ending her children. Esther didn't consider it filicide, she considered it making things right with Mother Nature.
She didn't even bother to address Kol, instead attempting a last ditch effort at recruiting the Bennett witch to the good side of the fight.
"Young Bonnie Bennett. We meet again! Though I do hope you do not intend to sour this reunion, as you did our last one. I only want peace,"
"Peace?"
"I'm offering you a final chance for redemption, Miss Bennett. It's too late for them," she gave a dismal gesture to Damon and Kol. "But you can help me correct this anomaly, these abominations of the natural order!"
"That's your son!"
"Greetings to you too, Mother," Kol scoffed and glared at Esther.
"He was my son. Now he's just a beast. He's clearly enticed you, I see. But think of your soul! What will become of it if you allow him to lead you astray? Your soul is pure, unscathed by evil,"
"Bonnie's a big girl, she can decide herself if she wants to dance with the devil," Damon issued with a glare in Esther's direction. "Give it up, Esther. Did you think we would just let you put us all in the ground?"
Ignoring him, Esther held out her hand to Bonnie. "Join me, sister. Together, we can rectify this madness. You know it just wasn't meant to be. He will only lead you straight to hell."
"You just said I'm pure," Bonnie began. "How do you know my purity won't cleanse his sins? That being with me won't bring out the goodness I know is in him?"
"It does not work that way, dear girl. Kol is doomed to his fate, that is his doing. If you refuse to aid in the endeavor to end the vampire lines and assist him in choosing your vampire friends instead, you are dooming yourself to the same fate," Esther warned.
"What about breaking the sire link? All of my vampire friends don't have to die, some of them are innocent and they do no wrong! They just happen to be undead,"
"They are all irredeemable abominations! Tis not the natural order of things to have immorality, nor is it to consume human blood!"
Apparently, this had Bonnie shook. Considering this, Bonnie looked between the younger vampire and Kol, who returned a smug and expectant stare, as if to say, 'enough games, stop this madness.' Bonnie didn't return the sentiment, instead looking wary of Kol for the first time since they'd entered this dwelling. She looked to be considering something.
No longer able to look Kol in the eyes, Bonnie lowered her eyes and stepped forward to stand before Esther. "What do you want me to do?"
"What the hell, Bon?!" Damon exclaimed as Kol flashed forward but was incapacitated along with Damon by an aneurysm spell Esther had cast. Bonnie winced as they hollered in pain.
Davina entered the dwelling and watched Bonnie with hard eyes, strengthening Esther's spell.
"I need Kol's blood. You'll prove your loyalty once and for all by securing it,"
Esther handed Bonnie a heavy athame, before magically propelling Kol forward. Bonnie placed her hand on the blade before she looked Esther in the eye. Suddenly feeling weak, alarm flared through her as contact with the blade scalded her hand. She tried to shake it off but the blade was stuck.
"What have you done!" Esther cried.
"Mother," Finn called before he glared at Bonnie. He attempted to rush at her but an aneurysm hit him as well. As he faltered, Esther noticed it was Davina's doing, additionally, the traitor had released Kol and the young vampire.
Esther squirmed and jerked, causing a stake gilded in silver to tumble from her coat pocket. Bonnie grabbed it before hissing in Esther's face. "I will never betray him!"
The witch tossed the last white oak stake to Kol who earnestly took the opportunity to drive it into Finn's heart. In an instant, Finn went up in flames and Kol had to jump back.
"NO!" Esther wailed in agony before Bonnie released her from her scalding clutch, keeping the athame. She fell to the floor and looked over at the flaming remains of her eldest child and let out a halted breath.
"I gather the notion that you wish to be reunited with Finn, Mother," Kol said, taking the silver blade from Bonnie as Damon pinned Davina against the wall of the mausoleum. "Lucky for you, I mean to grant what will be your last request. Unfortunately, for you, that is the only mercy I will show you," Kol uttered with a precarious bite to his tone as he twirled the blade in his hands, treading toward his mother.
Esther rose in a final display of defiant authority. "You have taken from me my most favored and virtuous son. The only thing left I coveted in this world."
"Won't be long now," Kol said with a wicked gleam glinting his brown stare as he slowly encroached on her space.
"Before you make your attempt on my life, I have a gift for you," Esther thrust a fist in Kol's direction, squeezing out a few drops of blood that landed on his hand. It sizzled and formed into the shape of a skull.
"What the hell is that?!" Bonnie demanded, while Kol used his other hand to guide her back.
"In time, you will understand. You've made a grave mistake, Bonnie Bennett. You can kill me as many times as you want, Kol. I will return each time to complete my mission, to end the rest of your siblings." Esther declared haughtily.
"And leave me alive? After I've killed your pride and joy?"
"Oh no, my despicable seed. Your demise is in her hands now. And if it isn't, she will suffer greatly for it," Esther promised with a menacing grin. The last thing she saw was a silver glow forming in Kol's eyes before he swiped a quick hand in her direction. The pain was great but temporary, then her world went black.
~~~
Katherine's POV
New York 2010
Katherine stepped into the car of the subway, following Nadia. She looked around at the state of the car, noting the graffiti and litter that was scattered all over. Grimacing in disgust, she leaned against a pole, taking extra caution to make sure she only touched where necessary.
"Why couldn't we just take a cab? This place is filthy," she muttered.
"Come on, Katherine, if you're going to be human, you've got to acclimatize yourself to the human ways of things. And the human way of traveling in New York is taking the subway. It's faster and there's less traffic," she added when her mother only glared at her. Nadia nodded to a woman also present in the car. She was wearing a long black, elegant coat, even though the spring weather was beginning to heat up.
"That's beautiful," she said, eyeing the woman's coat.
"It is," Katherine mused, scoping out the same coat. "I don't think it would truly fit your 90's grungey taste though, Nadia. In fact, it would look better on me. It's suited for finer tastes, meaning moi," Katherine gestured to herself in a dramatic gesture of regality.
Scoffing, Nadia turned up her nose. "Please, that whole high-class act is rendered moot when your desperation for the Salvatore seeps through."
"Nadia, we agreed. No more speaking of the past, no more of that S word, certainly none of that wretched 2.0 wannabe. It's just you and me now,"
"And when we tie up this last loose end, we're never going to look back," Nadia grabbed Katherine's hand. "No more witches, vampires, none of that again."
"Just you and me, the way it always should've been,"
Suddenly Nadia seized then collapsed, clearly in some distress, evident by the way she squeezed Katherine's hand. "Mama," she whimpered as terror filled her eyes.
"Nadia! What's happening?!" Katherine cried as her daughter's body was inexplicably desiccating, and a moment later Nadia's grip on Katherine's hand loosened. A blank expression glazed her eyes as she held her mother's gaze into a death stare as the graying and veins crossed over her face.
"Gahh!" Katherine cried out, cradling her only child in her arms. Either Esther or the Bennett witch must've succeeded in taking out one or all of the Originals, she figured.
"Is she ok?" The woman who shared the car noticed the action of Nadia's untimely demise, not comprehending the fact that she was a vampire who was no longer among the living. Katherine took it upon herself to make one last kill, as she was sure death was coming for her in just moments. The violent act would offset the grief that threatened to kill her before the sire link could.
Unmasking her vampire form, Katherine sped to the woman, removing her coat and tearing out her throat. She didn't even bother to compel her not to scream, it wouldn't matter in a few minutes anyway: all anyone would find when they reached this part of the subway would be three corpses.
Taking the woman's coat and draping it over Nadia, Katherine whimpered as she waited for death to envelop her in its cold, dark embrace. There was absolutely nothing here for her on this planet now. Her baby girl, the one who'd been instantly ripped from her arms after seven hours of excruciating labor was gone. Their reunion has been tentative and uneasy at first but over the past three months they had grown to trust each other and finally began to have a sort of mother-daughter dynamic, only to once again, have her daughter ripped right from her hands.
Fate was indeed cruel, doling out punishment for her misdeeds with a scalding hand. Katherine would accept no more if this depraved display of a lesson from fate herself. She pulled out the cure and cracked it open. She wished to end it all and she would start by disposing of the cure.
~~~
Bonnie's POV
Bonnie winced as Kol's decapitation of his mother splattered blood across them and the wall. She had known Kol killed ruthlessly and he had gotten some sick satisfaction out of it. Feeling his anger at Esther's last words, and the aftermath of serenity in his heart, when she was finally out of the way, paved the path to perplexing emotions in Bonnie. God, she was so angry with him for his cruel mindfuck earlier that night but this right here . Kol had always vowed to keep her safe from harm, but to see it in such graphic action and the accompanying emotions was astounding for Bonnie. His top priority was protecting her and it was comforting and strange, having witnessed the violent acts that said protection warranted. This gave Bonnie peace with the fact that knowing that his homicidal tendencies were shifting to be a means of protection against deadly enemies. That, she could live with, over mindless and unwarranted violence.
Damon still had Davina pinned against the wall, as he was questioning her. Kol stepped around Bonnie and approached them.
"Kol," Bonnie said, reaching for him. He shook his head and for a moment Bonnie was stunned, initially under the impression that Kol thought she meant to betray him to Esther. Not even on their worst day, which that day had turned out to be so far, would she ever betray Kol. That was an instinct she had always been well aware of. Then she noticed the same raging glow in his eyes as he approached Davina and realized he meant to kill the young harvest witch. Ok, so maybe he's not there yet, but it's still progress! "Kol, no! She was helping!"
Bonnie rushed in front of Davina, blocking her from Kol's view. "That's what I'm trying to find out. Why did you help?" Damon asked.
"I was protecting someone," Davina declared. "I had to play the part!"
"That someone is Marcel Gerard," the youngest Original announced, stepping into the mausoleum. "He's got something brewing. Davina knows what. And we need to leave now, the quarter witches are pissed off, and they are coming for us."
The entire living and undead party rushed out of the mausoleum and the cemetery as Rebekah explained she met up with Marcel a short while ago, who informed her he had heard about the prophecy and was working on a master plan to save vampire kind. Kol grabbed Bonnie's hand and led her to Damon's car. "There's something I must do. I'll meet you at the hotel shortly,"
"What are you-"
"Do you trust me?"
"But Esther,"
"Trust me," he implored his witch.
Bonnie looked into Kol's eyes and sensing his sincerity, she nodded her head. He kissed her forehead then opened the car door for her.
"I'll meet you back at the hotel,"
"No, not the hotel, it's not safe! The witches will find you there," Davina warned. "One of Marcel's properties, I've cloaked it. You'll be safe there," she nodded to Bonnie assuredly.
"Why did you help us?" Bonnie queried.
"Marcel's always had my back. I've got his. If Esther kills the Originals, Marcel will die too." She explained.
"You're coming with us to see Marcel," Kol hissed at Davina.
"Why can't I come?" Bonnie asked. Though Kol had just threatened the other young witch, the way Davina had eyed him earlier made Bonnie feel uneasy. She didn't exactly want to let her man go off with the witch.
"Marcel and I didn't part on the best of terms. He might be looking to kill me. He'll kill you in an instant. He harbors affections for Rebekah so that will neutralize him but I won't have you targeted."
"We're wasting time!" Rebekah cried.
Before Damon got on his side of the car, Kol glowered at him. "If anything happens to her..."
"I got it, Romeo,"
Davina gave Damon the address and they each set out. Once they were on the road Bonnie sighed, leaning back in her seat as Damon headed towards Marcel's place.
"So what happened, I thought your boyfriend was a dick? Now you wanna save him?" Damon teased.
"He's my boyfriend, Damon. We had a little disagreement. Just because I'm pissed at him doesn't mean I want him to die,"
"Come on, it would be an intense crime of passion,"
"But I'm in love with him! You've obviously forgotten how to love, you've never known love, or you're the dick, otherwise, you'd recognize the signs! I'm not just going to give up on him because we had one fight, God, what is wrong with you?!" Unbelievable!
Damon guffawed with merriment. "Oh so that's how someone gets into your heart, by being a raging lunatic?"
"Shut up, Damon. You don't know him like I do,"
"You say you love him. You ever been in love, Bonbon?"
"What are you talking about?"
"The question is, how far are you willing to go for the volatile vampire you claim to love? That was no empty threat Mama Original gave," Damon squinted his wild, cerulean stare in Bonnie's direction. The young witch cast her gaze down, avoiding eye contact.
"He's an Original. One who's in possession of the only weapon that can kill him. He can compel someone to hide it before Esther could ever try and make me stake him," Bonnie huffed indignantly. She knew her display of petulance was giving the doubts she had in her mind away, but stubborn as she was, she carried on. "And I'll take out anyone or anything who tries to hurt him,"
At this, Bonnie gave him a pointed stare, causing him to revert to his signature half-smirk. "Oh I have no doubt you won't hesitate to take me or any other murderous vamp out," Damon chuckled. "What about Elena? Blondie? Hell, even Donovan?"
As Bonnie's face contorted in disgust at what Damon was suggesting, he pressed even further. "What about Abby? You just got her back. Are you willing to kill your own mother, who actually admitted that she gives a shit about you now? For that dick of a psychotic vampire?"
"Stop it!" A simultaneous aneurysm spell and engine killing spell sparked just then, causing Damon's hands to swerve the steering wheel all the way to the right, sending his Camaro to the side of the road to avoid collision with an oncoming vehicle. Bonnie unbuckled her seatbelt and stomped around to Damon's side in a blazing rage, using her magic to squeeze his heart with a tight fist. "I won't be corrupted, Damon, I don't care what has to happen but I will not hurt anyone I love or any innocents! I'll find a way to keep everyone safe, what don't you get about me? I'm a Bennett witch, I will always find a way!"
"You'll die," he groaned.
"I don't care!"
Gasping, Damon fell out of his seat, clutching his chest. "Bonnie, I can't,"
She released Damon from her mystical hold and the vampire began to cough and heave. Then, to Bonnie's confusion, he began to laugh. "Oh my God. Ew, Damon. Don't use my rage to get your masochistic rocks off, that's beneath even you,"
"You don't even know what's funny,"
"What is it?!" The little witch demanded.
"Your passion,"
"My passion?"
"It goes right along with that little martyr complex your whole family line seems to have. You just proved that. When it comes down to it, you're gonna have to make a choice. Your loved ones, or your loverboy," Damon stood up, towering over Bonnie at a range that was too close for her comfort. "Or it's gonna be you,"
"The mark," Bonnie despaired, remembering the branding on Kol's hand.
"It's a hex, and your boyfriend knows it," Damon stated as if it was common knowledge. "It varies from witch to witch but it's eventually going to kill him. My guess is that he went to seek out witches around here who'd be willing to help. And I think I'm growing on him, if he thinks you're safe with me,"
"How is it going to kill him?"
"Somehow, you'll be the cause of it. That's as much as I know,"
"And how do you know about the hex?" Bonnie ran her fingers through her scalp. This day was just getting worse. The plan was, find Matt, find the cure, stop Esther from linking and killing each Original. The only thing that actually went right was that they'd temporarily stopped Esther from enacting her filicide agenda. The cure was missing and Matt had been sent back to Mystic Falls. And now Kol was hexed.
"Because Emily tried to do it to Stefan, when he was first a Ripper. I made sure she got the wrong guy," Damon dusted off his nails and blew a quick breath at them. "Kol needed you out of the way to figure out exactly how this curse will affect you all. You're gonna have to make some hard decisions, Bon. And I'm not gonna let you sacrifice yourself for him!"
Damon flared his nostrils and crazy eyes at Bonnie, still towering ominously over her. Bonnie would not be intimidated and there wasn't anyone who could tell her who she could and couldn't make sacrifices for. Especially when it came to Kol. As much as she hated to admit it, she knew she'd probably follow him into hell if that's where he was headed. Anything to pull him back into the light that was her life. Not that she particularly wanted to be so attached to him, she simply was by instinct and she couldn't explain it, nor could she escape the fate her emotions were bringing her to.
"That's not up to you, Damon. If I choose to-"
"Neither will Abby. I already texted her. She's pissed, by the way, you skipped town without letting her know. It ain't gonna be pretty when you get back. I'll have my popcorn ready,"
"Ugh!" Bonnie stomped in disgust and took a step back. "Why do you even care?! It's my business and my life,"
"I told you, you need someone to look out for you,"
"Right, someone who doesn't want these cheeks. I don't understand you, Damon, you're so-"
Damon cut her off again. "You were willing to die for Elena. You remember how crushed she was when she thought you were dead? Imagine that one hundredfold, in the form of blood and violence, if you get yourself killed. What do you think Klaus will do to Kol if your boy goes postal?"
Bonnie's heart sank, knowing he was right. "I still don't get why you care. How does any of this concern you?"
"Maybe I care," he stepped forward, his jet black hair glistening in the streetlights, and tucked a small strand of loose hair behind Bonnie's ear. "Because I just do,"
Damon drilled his eyes with an intensity she thought he'd only had for Katherine or Elena, as it was previously only seen directed at her. Oh no, she knew what that look meant.
"Damon, whatever you think about me that's got you suddenly in favor of my best interest, you need to just slow your roll. As annoying as you are, it wouldn't sit well with my conscience if Kol killed you in a jealous-"
"You think you're in love and it's gonna make you do stupid things. And I'll be here to stop you,"
"Ugh! Thank you for making my life miserable! I thought the misery was reserved for Stefan? You remember how you promised him an eternity of it?"
"My meddling drives him crazy, I haven't disappointed yet," Damon walked around to the passenger side and opened his car door. "Let's get to the vampire safe house already,"
Bonnie folded her arms and hesitated for a moment.
"Today, Witchy!"
Sighing, she instead climbed inside Damon's driver-side door and settled into the passenger seat.
"So much for being a gentleman," Damon mumbled as he made his way to his door and slid inside. "But, you can't say I don't try," he said with a wink as he restarted the engine.
"Don't try me, Damon. I am not Katherine or some naive little country girl you can charm or compel your way into my pants,"
"Something tells me I'm growing on ya,"
Bonnie just rolled her eyes.
~~~
Kol's POV
"If this is a trap, you'll be the first to die," Kol warned Davina as he and Rebekah followed her into a warehouse.
"It's not a trap, but I knew you wouldn't believe me if you didn't see it for yourself. Marcel isn't going to pick a fight with you, there's no point to now anyway," she replied.
Davina walked down a corridor that led into an empty, dark, and decrepit room. She stopped before the threshold and said an enchantment. The air rippled around her and then fell away, revealing a well-lit room that was completely furnished. The trio stepped into the room to view a young lady with dark hazel eyes and long brunette hair sitting on a loveseat, next to a small child. The child had red hair, large blue eyes, and Kol could sense great power emanating from her.
Seated around the room on various seats was a combination of witches, werewolves, vampires even. None of them seemed to sense any alarm at the presence of the Originals to Kol's silent dismay. He was used to being the one people cowered before. Instead, the congregation seemed bored, except the woman seated with the child.
"This is the wrong Mikaelson, Davina," the woman said, pulling the child into her arms protectively.
"Don't worry, Klaus will be here soon with the former Bennett witch," Davina walked over to a pale, red-haired witch and spoke quietly with her, nodding her head in Kol's direction, before leaving the room.
The woman with the child sighed. "What's taking him so long? The whole vampire population of Mystic Falls is from his sireline, including his precious Bennett."
"Discussing vampire business in the presence of a child?" Kol tsked, clicking his tongue.
"Oh, Hope is no ordinary child," Marcel Gerard said, stepping into the room from an alternate corridor. Internally, Kol braced himself. "In fact, she's already the most powerful one here,"
"Little Marcellus," he hissed.
"It's just Marcel,"
"Ironic isn't it? That's all you've ever been to me. Just Marcel," Kol taunted with his usual smirk.
Smiling with a smug fashion, Marcel shoved his arms into his jean pockets. "Hope, sweetheart, why don't you go play in the other room. But first, show my least favorite Mikaelson what you can do,"
The young child, who couldn't be more than three or four years old, looked to the woman holding her. Kol guessed it was her mother, who smiled and nodded.
"It's ok, just remember to put your bracelet back on after," she said. The little girl took off a beaded bracelet adorning her left hand and within an instant, she shimmered out of sight.
"Thank you, Hayley," Marcel said.
Rebekah scoffed. "So the little witch is powerful at a young age. What's the big deal?"
"She's our savior," he replied.
"How on earth could she possibly be a savior to vampires? She smells like a witch, we've all got witches who can help."
"My daughter is the first of her kind," Hayley, the mother of the child said. "You really can't sense it?"
Kol stepped forward, inhaling more of the lingering scent of the little witch. He sensed the mother was a werewolf so naturally, the daughter was too, yet she was also a witch. Her mother wasn't. There was something else.
"The child is a mix of wolf, witch, and vampire?" Kol asked.
"That's right. Conceived from my witch and wolf blood and her father's vampire and wolf blood. I think it was both of our wolf blood that made it possible."
"A hybrid?!" Rebekah exclaimed. "Not possible, there's only one hybrid and that's-"
"Nik's child," Kol stated as he deduced Hayley's meaning.
"Bingo! Now, do you see where we're going with this?" Marcel asked, clasping his hands.
"I don't understand. Exactly how is she to be a savior to all vampires if she's a- a-" Rebekah could only stammer as she apparently didn't know what to call the sort of species her new niece was.
"Tribrid," Hayley offered. "And Klaus isn't the only hybrid. I'm one too, sired by a drop of blood from my daughter." Davina was conveniently back, murmuring another enchantment that rippled through the air, subsequently letting Kol and Rebekah sense the true hybrid nature of the others present. Hayley waved her hands, gesturing to her werewolf companions. "These are hybrids too. We are the only hybrids and no one knows about us, except you two now. It's dangerous to be a hybrid, that's why Davina's cloaked us. Most of the quarter witches are hunting us. My ability to do magic died with my human death but we're working on a spell to use my daughter's blood to save all the vampires we care about, including Marcel."
Marcel stepped forward then, eyes suspiciously regarding Kol and his baby sister. "So the question is, when Klaus gets here are you Originals going to be left behind? Or are you coming with us into the new hybrid order? Well, you, Klaus, and Elijah," Marcel said looking at Rebekah.
Kol and everyone in the room knew he was hexed by Esther and didn't stand a chance at survival. The hex came with a supernatural signature that was easily sensed. No wonder Marcel didn't make an attempt to attack him. He just didn't know how much time he had. That fact made him itch to kill something or someone.
"Hybrid order? Turn us all into hybrids? That's hardly the answer," Rebekah scoffed, shaking her head.
"Why don't you just tell me who these witches are and I'll kill them all, you'll all be free to live your lives out in the open," Kol suggested.
"Killing all the Quarter witches who were allied with your mother?" Davina, who had just returned the asked in disbelief while Marcel scoffed.
"You really haven't changed, have you? That would attract too much mainstream attention that even the media couldn't cover-up. Kol, these witches have families, the next generation of practicing witches is being trained as we speak. They will retaliate and if it becomes a bigger problem, it'll go up the chain," Marcel explained, catching his eye, imploring him to understand. "These witches here are the only ones that can be trusted, they're pro vampire preservation,"
Kol understood what Marcel was implying, though he couldn't discuss in the company of such infantile vampires. The summit would only meet once every five hundred years unless an emergency warranted it. The last summit occurred two hundred years after the second Petrova copy was turned. At present two hundred more years would need to pass before another was due to occur. Marcel only had the privilege of learning about it due to his vampire age of two hundred years. Vampires weren't invited to the summit unless they had passed around two hundred undead years. This was a process of natural selection because most vampires tended not to survive their first few years.
Marcel was suggesting that the course of action Kol wanted to take would cause a higher authority to have to intervene and the consequences could be devastating. For now, the vampires would continue to govern themselves and avoid a war with the witches, even though the witches seemed to be picking the fight.
"Hope is a tribrid with an unsired heart," Hayley said. "Her blood can make hybrids, they can be werewolves and vampires but they'll no longer be witches like me. If we can infuse the blood of an unsired heart into all the vampires of each sire line, then the Original death won't cause their death. Your vampirism won't be affected,"
"We'd be signing our own death warrants by agreeing to this!" Kol exclaimed. "What's to keep the Originals from being killed, if your off-brand lot of hybrids is produced?"
"Are you an idiot or are you just crazy?!" Hayley demanded.
Marcel pinched his fingers together. "A little of both,"
"We can protect each other, we have the most powerful witches on our side. In exchange for your cooperation, your lives will be protected and your sirelines will too. It's what's best for everyone, that way if any Original deaths are met, which is highly unlikely, all the generations of vampires don't have to die out. My daughter is at the same risk since she's the head of our sireline, but we'll need to reinfuse her sired vampires blood with doppelgänger blood. We are strong, Kol, more powerful if we work together."
Davina and the other witches raised their hands and began a quiet chant.
"The spell won't be without a blood contract. Yes, the breaking of the sireline puts you at a vulnerability to your enemies but no one beyond this room will know about that. And we'll all be sworn by a blood oath to look out for one another, not betray you to the quarter witches and Esther, and you won't kill any of our hybrids in any of your predictable and frankly infantile Mikaelson fits," Marcel explained his stipulations using hand gestures to animate his points. "You know how werewolf bites are lethal? Won't be a problem anymore with hybrid blood. We'll be unstoppable, but most of all we will be self-sustained."
"And if you don't cooperate, you'll all be subdued and we'll still take your blood anyway," Hayley added as Kol felt a tightening in his chest. Next to him, Rebekah faltered as well. "It's the only way for our survival,"
"I get it! Stop with the magical enchantments!" Rebekah grumbled to the witches as she straightened herself. The witches silenced their chant. "We can't just kill mother, once and for all? She is leading the pack against all vampire kind," She looked around to Kol and Davina, then back at Marcel.
"She keeps coming back," Kol reminded her. He pressed his fingers into his temples, trying to make sense of it all. He could see how it would be in the best interest of all vampires to continue to live on, but for his own selfish reasons, he wanted to keep his sireline intact. At least for Bonnie's sake. The last vision he'd had of her before they left him for a millennium, was that Bonnie would become a vampire. A more powerful one, as he'd felt. He didn't know how that was to transpire, yet he knew if anyone was going to turn her it must be him. He would want to be able to share a sire bond with her, an attachment even greater than the blood bond they currently shared. His newfound niece was definitely adorable and powerful, though Kol didn't want anyone else's blood running through the veins of his one true mate. All the same, if Esther were to somehow dispatch him, as much as he'd hate to be on separate sides of the veil from Bonnie, he wouldn't want his death to pull her in as well. No, his beauty must continue to thrive in his absence, should that fate ever befall them.
Kol sighed. "Survival. The hybrid nature won't affect Originals at all?"
"No, you'll still be fully vampire and able to compel others, besides me & Hope. Technically she's a hybrid for now, her vampire side won't be active unless she dies a human death but her blood can still turn others."
"I'm sure you and Nik both want to ensure she survives her human life into adulthood," Kol reasoned. He was still wrapping his head around the fact that Nik of all people had fathered a child.
"So we need to get Nik on board then," Rebekah calculated. "I'm sure his blood will be needed for the spell as well. And as for Elijah, he is currently daggered."
Marcel popped his eyes in surprise. "Do I even want to know why?"
"He threatened my Bonnie," Kol shrugged nonchalantly.
"Can I... can I meet her?" Rebekah asked Hayley suddenly.
Hayley nodded and stood up, exiting the room. Rebekah followed.
"Ahh, the Bennett witch. She's a pretty little thing for sure. Seems so sweet. Don't know what she's doing with you," Marcel gestured to the red-haired witch. "Genevieve, come. You'll want to see Gen, here. She specializes in hexes."
"Can you remove it?" Kol asked as he followed the witch into the hallway. She went into a room and flipped on a light switch. There was a table with herbs and vials of various colored potions on it.
"Of course not, I can only strengthen it, or I can tell you what sort of hex it is," she replied and she grabbed a sharp blade and a small bowl. She gently sliced Kol's hand open, extracting a few drops of blood into the bowl and adding some potion to it. Then she poured the entire mixture onto Kol's hand and waited. When a skull and crossbones shape formed, she gasped.
"Oh no. I'm sorry, Kol," Genevieve whispered, covering her mouth. Her eyes regarded him, mournfully. Davina and Marcel stepped into the room just then.
"Is it as bad as I thought?" Davina asked.
"Worse. Five days, max. The more she uses magic, it'll thin out that timeframe," Kol's heart sank when he heard the redhead speak those words. His immortality had suddenly been reduced to mere mortality in an instant.
"We'll take you to Bonnie now," Marcel said. "She's been lightly briefed of your plight. She's not to use magic around you in the meantime, it'll kill you faster."
Of all the irony in the world, Kol's favorite witch's use of magic was now lethal to him.
~~~
Bonnie's POV
Bonnie dived under the water again. Kol dived in and swam after her. She teased him by swimming away as soon as he got close. Eventually he caught up to her and pulled her to him, kissing her as passionately as being underneath the water would let him. They came to the surface still attached at the lips.
After surfacing the vision changed to them arm in arm , holding each other while dread and despair overcame them. A rainbow of light shot through them from every direction. Bonnie couldn't breathe and the fear was at an all time peak.
Another vision of them covered in black ash, with their clothes bloodied and tattered floated into her view next. Feelings of tension and heartache shrouded the air as she begged Kol to hold her, to which he complied immediately. They then locked fingers and Bonnie felt shared magic manifesting.
Next, the vision changed to Bonnie standing at the edge of a runway in an immaculate dress, holding a bouquet of red roses. She was hand in hand with Kol, who was dressed handsomely as well. She realized they were both wearing crowns. Among the audiences were various faces, some familiar and some foreign, but everyone was beaming at them as paparazzi lights flashed. Two beaming strangers led them back down the runway, apparently closing what looked like a lavish fashion show.
The montage of visions faded before she became conscious again. When the young witch opened her eyes, she blinked, struggling to focus on the dim light.
"Did you see you and Kol?" Davina asked.
Oh, yes! Bonnie nodded. "It was...just glimpses of our life together. It was beautiful and chaotic, but what does it mean?"
"This is the spell that shows you who your soulmate is,"
Her jaw nearly hit the floor and she had to remember to shut her mouth. Something powerful had thrummed between Bonnie and Kol since she met him, amping up when they'd shared their first kiss out in the woods. She could swear she felt a magical energy the night of their first date when he officially declared that Bonnie was his girl. A powerful magnetism had been pulling them toward each other and she couldn't fight it. Was it because she had found her soulmate?
"I'll be damned. He knows," Rebekah said incredulously. Bonnie faced her with a question on her face, as if to say, please, elaborate. "He knows that you are his soulmate Bonnie. That's why he went mad over your impromptu trip with Damon, and why he's waited on you, and wanted to protect you from Elijah, our mother and your ancestors. He truly does love you and for a Mikaelson, fear can tend to manifest as... lunacy. Especially after a thousand years alive and finally a lifetime that brings you to him, he fears for your safety with what our mother and ancestors have done to you and your magic,"
"But... how?" It made little sense to Bonnie that the person she was fated to be with was a thousand years older than her. Especially considering the fact that if Kol had lived out his human life, he wouldn't have been around to meet her. "I didn't even exist until this century and technically, Kol isn't supposed to exist right now,"
"Vampirism allowed him to meet his mate, a loophole by fate. It's terribly romantic, don't you think?"
"Sounds more like a glitch in nature to me," Damon supplied. It earned him scowls from Rebekah and Bonnie, and a side eye from Hayley.
"But-"
Rebekah tsked. "Oh, don't question it darling, take comfort in the fact that fate found a way to draw you two together, as fleeting as that might be,"
"Too bad he's hexed," Davina murmured. She looked at Bonnie mournfully. "I'm sorry Bonnie, but Marcel and us can do whatever we can to make this easier on you both,"
She sighed and nodded. She was instructed by Marcel, who backed up Damon's claims about the hex, not to use magic because of Esther's hex, as it would only shorten the time she would have with Kol.
"And how are you gonna do that?" Damon asked with a scoff.
Davina glared at him before addressing Bonnie again. "Why is he here again?"
"Bonnie and I have a mutual interest in preserving Original lives so our near and dear don't become our dearly departed. So this hybrid agenda is really convenient,"
She rolled her eyes and left the room, lifting the spell that blocked their conversation to Hope's observant ears.
Hayley smiled at Hope, who wouldn't stop gazing up into Bonnie's eyes. "So Hope, Aunt Rebekah is the youngest, next to your uncle Kol,"
"And my Uncle Kol is your boyfriend?" Hope was asking Bonnie as Rebekah played with her hair.
"Yes," Bonnie said, giving the child a warm smile. She was a most inquisitive child and she definitely had her mother's coy smile and her father's charm.
"Are you going to marry him?"
Damon scoffed and rolled his eyes.
"Hope! Too many questions!" Hayley scolded.
"It's alright," Bonnie chuckled. Damon was the only one who seemed to mind how hard Hope was shipping the idea of her and Kol.
"Of course she's going to marry him!" Rebekah chimed in as she finished a braided headband on Hope. "He's a Mikaelson. And do you know what our motto is?"
"Always and forever?"
"More like always kill everything in sight when you're having an off day," Damon mumbled as he left the room. "Great lesson to teach the young and impressionable," he called over his shoulder. Rebekah and Hayley glared at Damon's back.
"Right you are!" Rebekah said, turning to Hope and tapping her niece's nose as she turned back to her. "Don't listen to the cranky vampire. You are a clever little one, aren't you!"
Bonnie cringed and giggled nervously as Hope came to hug her.
"You're pretty. You'll be my auntie if you get married,"
"Aunt Bonnie. It's got quite a ring to it, doesn't it, love?" Bonnie looked up to see Kol and Marcel had entered the room. He smiled and her heart melted. After everything she'd just learned about Kol and the life she was supposed to have with him from Davina and Rebekah, in addition to the hybrid population agenda and the time-sensitive hex on Kol, all she wanted to do was be enveloped in his embrace. He crossed the room over to Bonnie and crouched down to eye level with Hope.
"Hope, my darling niece, I see you've made a new friend. Can I speak to her? I'll bring her back, shortly,"
"No it's ok, it's almost Hope's bedtime," Hayley said, standing up.
Hope pouted. "I wanna stay with my new friends!"
"Oh come now, love. Aunt Bex will tuck you in, yeah?" Rebekah suggested. She had been smitten with the child since they were introduced. Delighted, Hope jumped into her arms.
Kol stood up and Bonnie wrapped her arms around his neck. She began to kiss him, losing her breath in the process.
"Easy, lovebirds, there are children present. Follow me, I'll take you to your quarters for the night." The vampire Marcel said, turning on his heel without another word. Davina was with him, following behind.
"Bonnie, I'm going to block your magic for the night. You guys will be safe here and that way you don't have to worry about your magic affecting Kol. Your expression is new and emotional, what with all the raging teenage hormones and things, it's just safer this way for your boyfriend," Davina explained.
The quartet stopped in front of what looked like another empty room. Did this girl cloak everything in this damn house?
"Now brace yourself, this is going to hurt just a little bit," Davina held a vial of blood as she held onto Bonnie's hand and spoke another incantation. A red glow sizzled into Bonnie's skin at the point of contact and she whimpered slightly. Then Davina jerked her hand back. "Sorry,"
Bonnie leaned on Kol. "What did you do to her?!"
"It's an old spell to drain her magic, she'll be fine after she gets some rest and her magic will be restored," the hazel-eyed witch assured before she turned to leave, after uncloaking the room.
"Thanks, D," Marcel eyed Bonnie, somberly. "Miss Bennett, you'll do well to remember what I said. Now, y'all have a goodnight," he said with a wink after Bonnie nodded.
AN: Here's Esther, finally getting some screen time! I actually didn't intend for her to be such a background character but it definitely helped build up the suspense about what would happen when they met up again. I also felt it was important to get her emotions about her family, from her point of view.
Any errors in grammar or continuity, I shall hunt them down as I read this back. Please read, share, add comments or kudos and let me know if you are enjoying this fic :)