New Orleans- 1821
(This is the first chapter that includes an official flashback).
Side by side, Kol and Stella hurried up the stairs. Both of them wanted to see what was about to go down. From the strange tone of Rebekah's voice, they were both positively sure that something would be going down.
Kol subconsciously lingered behind the witch. With the speed she was running at added to the length of her dress, it would be way too easy for her to trip and die. He couldn't be having that.
When they arrived up the stairs, a problem was already starting. Niklaus sat with a dead girl either side of him, their bodies nigh empty of blood. At the doorway, Elijah stood with Celeste. When Rebekah entered with Emil, Kol thought if it best if he stayed close to Stella. It didn't take a genius to spot trouble coming. Whilst none of the Mikaelsons would bring harm to the lovely Stella, she had a knack for getting herself into trouble.
"Are we interrupting?" Rebekah asked upon entering.
"Yes," Niklaus called at the same time Elijah said no.
Kol and Stella followed close behind them. Immediately, Stella frowned at the mess her friend had made. She cared for Niklaus dearly, but that didn't excuse the kind of things that he did.
"Dearest Elijah," Rebekah began with a smile, the Governor's son close at her side. Stella had to admit she was glad for Rebekah's fascination when it came to Emil Gerard. A year ago, he'd been fully intent upon marrying her. "You've only ever wished happiness for me. Emil and I are in love. Please let me turn him."
As soon as the words were out of her mouth, Niklaus began to chuckle.
Stella frowned, struggling to come to grips with what her friend was asking.
Did all vampires do that? Seek to force forever on the people they love? Subconsciously, she took a step away from Kol. Of course, he didn't fail to notice.
"Rebekah," Elijah began with a sigh. "The Governor has graciously agreed to hide a lot of our indiscretions. It would not do to turn his only son into one of us."
Stella's shoulders tensed. They didn't know about the little Knight. Only she knew. Not even Kol had managed to make the connection. They didn't know about the boy who deserved the world who'd hardly been given a thing. Stella was immensely proud of him. His reading and writing skills were improving with every passing day.
When Rebekah continued to plead, Stella shook the thoughts aside.
"Please. For me."
Niklaus rose from the carnage, a menacing smile on his face. "It's not gonna happen, sister. If we turned every man you dropped your knickers for then human beings would cease to exist and we'd have no bloody food."
This was when it would happen. She could feel something about to go wrong. Emil- her childhood friend of sorts- had opened his mouth, readying to kick up a fuss. "Emil, don't."
He didn't listen to her.
"How dare you sir. You would do well-" Before any of them could stop him, Niklaus had his hand around Emil's throat and began dragging him towards the stairs. Huffing and puffing, Elijah and Rebekah made to follow him.
When Stella tried to do the same, Kol hastened to grab her.
"Let me go!"
Kol only held her tighter, ignoring her protests.
"No, Stella. You'll get yourself into trouble. Let him do what he's got to do."
When Niklaus got into a mood like this, there was simply no stopping him. Unlike when Stella challenged him, Niklaus found no amusement in Emil's challenge. The boy had no charisma. He was nothing but trouble. Besides, he wasn't good enough for Rebekah.
"No. No! Niklaus, don't!"
There was no stopping him. He threw Emil over the stair rail where he fell to his death. A bang sounded when his body made impact with the door. Dead. Stella gasped.
Wincing, Kol pulled her further into his chest.
"That's enough death for you today, darling."
Sparing her the horror of seeing another dead friend, he whizzed her down the stairs faster than her eyes could see, carrying her out of the Plantation house in the general direction of her own family mansion.
No more than five minutes later, he pulled her writhing body inside. He'd only ever been in her home once to compel her Father. He didn't know his way around the place.
Upon spotting them, a maid came rushing over.
"Miss Stella, is this man upsetting you?"
Stella paused her writhing, going limp in Kol's arms. He rolled his eyes. Of course, he'd known the entire way there the writhing and pushing around had been her being dramatic. He watched the exchange between Stella and her maid carefully. Most servants had to address their people by last name. "No Eva." His eyebrows shot up. So, she'd also bothered to learn their names. "He's not. He's-"
She drifted off, lost for words. Kol filled in for her.
"Which way is it to her bedroom?"
Like his did a moment ago, Eva's eyebrows shot up. That wasn't the most respectable question for a gentleman to ask upon entering a young woman's house. Not respectable at all. Surely he was mistaken. "I'm sorry sir. I don't think I heard you correctly."
And so he repeated himself.
"Which way is it to her bedroom?"
"Men aren't supposed..." She drifted off, her mind rushing to connect the dots. From the discreet red shade of Stella's cheeks to the way the man was holding her, it wasn't difficult to guess who this man was. "You're the vampire Kol, aren't you?"
"You know about-"
"Miss Stella tells me everything. Last room on the left hand side, up the stairs, Sir."
So Stella trusted her maid to know about the supernatural world. If word of Stella Mendacium being a witch got out, she'd be killed. He didn't think he'd ever encountered loyalty so overwhelming. Well, he certainly hadn't seen that kind of loyalty in his family.
Without further argument, Kol followed the maid's directions up the stairs. Upon reaching Stella's room, he locked the door behind them both. As soon as he loosened his grip on the witch, she stumbled away from him.
He watched her carefully as she took a seat on the end of her bed.
"Stella, are you alright?"
She stared at the floor, her eyes refusing to leave it. He could sense that she was sad. Not heartbroken like she was when her sister died, just sad. At least this time he wasn't to blame. He wondered if she was starting to dislike their family. Of course, she didn't know about Kol's hand in Mabel's death. Still, if the Mikaelsons had never come to New Orleans, two of the people that she cared about would still be alive.
The Mikaelson family was toxic.
He took a seat beside her, pulling her into his side. He knew she needed the comfort. She didn't argue against his touch. Instead, she embraced it, leaning further into his side. After a while, she released a pent up breath. "Why does everyone I care about die?"
Kol frowned. "You cared about the Governor's son?" He'd spent roughly two months viewing Emil Gerard as a threat to his Stella. Eventually, he'd noticed that Emil's interest was elsewhere. Generally, Stella never noticed him.
"No. Yes? I don't know. I didn't love him or anything. But we grew up together. He was always there. I just-"
"You don't like death."
She grabbed his hand, idly entwining their fingers. Kol smirked. Stella was convinced that she didn't feel anything for Kol. In moments like these, the vampire knew for definite that she was wrong. "No one likes death."
"I could make you live forever, if you want."
Her eyes went wide.
"Why? Why would you want to do that? Rebekah tried to give Emil forever. That killed him."
Niklaus threw Emil down the stairs. Common sense told Kol he wouldn't do the same to Stella.
"It wouldn't kill you. You could spend forever with me."
"Why would I want to do that? We spend most of the time arguing."
He pulled away to better see her. Looking at her face, he wanted nothing more than to kiss her. Eventually, they'd get to the stage where he wouldn't have to think about kissing her. If he felt like doing it, he'd be able to do so without hesitation. It would happen eventually.
"We don't have to argue, darling. We could do other things."
His tone was suggestive. Stella was too innocent to catch on.
One day, he was going to say that to her and her mind would go to unholy places.
"I just... I don't understand."
He caressed her cheek with his finger. "You don't have to understand."
He could see from the crease in her brow that she wanted to. She was far too curious for her own good.
"If you were in Rebekah's position. Say you were deeply in love with someone, would you want to turn them too?"
What was she suggesting?
"Where are all of these questions coming from?"
"Just answer them."
"Yes Stella. If I were deeply in love with you, I'd want to turn you. I'd want you by my side for all of eternity." Their eyes met. "I wouldn't let your natural body clock get in the way." Her cheeks reddened. "I'd make you unkillable." He peeled his ears to listen to her heartbeat. "When a witch becomes a vampire, they lose their magic. If I were deeply in love with you, I'd find a way around that."
Her lips had parted. With no else around, he could scent her desire. He knew she was hot down below. Stella probably didn't know it, but the witch was craving his touch.
"That's a deep answer to a yes or no question."
"You said you wanted the answers. All I did was give them to you."
He'd come back tonight like he'd promised himself earlier. He knew which room he'd came to. He had to show Stella that his threats weren't empty.
He'd leave her for now. Still, after the deep conversation they'd just had, there was simply no chance of him leaving her as she was. He had to give her something to think over.
Gently, he cupped her cheek and leaned in towards her. His eyes flickered down to her lips before his eyes closed. Ever so softly, he pressed his lips against hers. It was soft and gentle. He'd return that night and show her the darker side of the kiss.
When Stella's eyes opened, the vampire was gone.