(This is my first fan-fic. Please be gentle.
A couple of things to note: Kol never died in the Vampire Diaries, he just departed for New Orleans with the rest of his family. This story focuses solely on Bonnie/Kol. =This first chapter mainly covers the forming bond between Rebekah and Bonnie. Don't worry, the story will become more Kennet-focused in the upcoming chapters. Rated M for language and a ton of smut. If you come across a grammatical error, please feel free to tell me so I can fix it ASAP.
Thank you guys. I hope you enjoy!
Disclaimer: These characters are the property of L.J. Smith and the CW Network.)
Bonnie Bennet had heard countless rumors of the pulsating magic that emanated from the city of New Orleans; the historical city was known to be a breeding ground for powerful ancient magic. And yet, as she strolled down Canal street, she realized the rumors hardly did the city any justice at all.
A soft hum of magic seemed to flow in every direction around her. It summoned her, seducing her senses with its intoxicating authority.
Quite frankly, she'd come to New Orleans for two reasons.
First and foremost, she needed to see what the hell all the fuss was about. Was the Crescent City really as enchanting as other witches claimed?
Secondly, she required a damn good drink and preferably one far away from the supernatural cesspool better known as Mystic Falls. From what she'd been informed, the beings of New Orleans acted with discipline and order. This was something that she always hoped Mystic Falls could achieve, yet the small town continuously fell short.
When Bonnie had informed Caroline of her spur of the moment vacation to Louisiana, the vampire's eyebrows disappeared beneath her blonde locks.
"New Orleans?" Caroline's eyes widened in bemusement. "Why?"
"Because, I need to get away from all the endless fuckery." Bonnie said simply, and Caroline smiled sadly.
"I get it Bon, I really do," she nodded empathetically. Caroline knew better than anyone how much her witch counterpart deserved a break, "but why New Orleans?"
Bonnie bit her lip, contemplating. "I don't know, it just…feels right?"
"I could come with." Caroline suggested, but Bonnie knew the proposition was far from sincere.
Niklaus Mikaelson resided in New Orleans and the maniacal hybrid still very much held a candle for her dear friend. She could never ask Caroline to come along, not when she knew the implications it might place on her friend's budding relationship with Stefan.
"What if you run into our favorite original family?" Caroline read her mind.
Bonnie scoffed. "I've learned the hard way that there's worse things to deal with than an Original vampire."
Caroline laughed.
Bonnie hesitated at the entrance of a nightclub. The door swung open suddenly and a group of young marines drunkenly waltzed out. Music blared out of the club, ricocheting off the alleyway. She watched as the men scrambled to the curb and began a heated debate on whether to call for a Lyft or an Uber.
"It's the same fucking thing, man."
"Just get my ass home. I'm hungry."
"Ooh! Waffle House, bro."
Bonnie chuckled before taking a step toward the door.
"Out of all the wonderful places to toss back a drink in Nola, you choose a dodgy little shake joint?" A familiar female voice called over her shoulder.
Bonnie froze. She would recognize the lacy British accent anywhere. She closed her eyes, sighing softly.
She had prepared for the possibility of encountering a Mikaelson. In fact, she strongly expected it. She just never believed it'd happen within the first two hours of setting foot in the city.
"Rebekah." She greeted finally, turning around to face the flaxen beauty.
Rebekah's eyes narrowed as she assessed the witch. Her blue irises travelled the length of her form, processing what she saw before her.
"At first," she raised an eyebrow, "I could hardly believe it was you."
At this, Bonnie smiled bitterly. "Well, not that I'm keeping count, but it has been several years."
Rebekah mulled over her words as she observed the woman before her. Gone was the teenage witch she once knew.
Bonnie's shoulders were pushed back confidently. She was adorned in a black dress that clung to her like a second skin. Rebekah noted that the dress did not rest at an indecent length nor did it expose too much cleavage and yet, on her curvaceous frame it looked utterly provocative. The 'several years' that the witch spoke of had certainly filled out her body wondrously. The vampire's eyes skid lower to the witch's feet and found a pair of black strappy pumps.
Rebekah smiled. "Yes, I suppose so."
The original drew nearer and the witch firmly stood her ground. Several moments of silence passed between them.
"Well," Bonnie cleared her throat, "as lovely as this reunion has been, I could really use a drink. So, if you don't mind-"
Rebekah snorted and eyed the witch suspiciously. "What're you doing here?"
Bonnie clenched her jaw and crossed her arms over her chest. "I just told you."
"You expect me to believe that you came all the way to New Orleans just for the libations?"
"I don't expect you to believe shit." Bonnie shrugged indifferently. "But yes. I came here to experience the magic and the booze."
Rebekah walked closer, looking around skeptically. "And where's the blonde barbie and doppletwat?"
"Caroline couldn't make it." Bonnie stared Rebekah squarely in the eyes. "And as for the dopplebitch, I wouldn't know and I couldn't care less."
A mixture of great amusement and surprise washed over the original's features. The doppelgänger and her witch besty had fallen out?
Rebekah let out a low whistle. "You two are on the outs?"
"For quite some time now." Bonnie rolled her eyes.
"What happened?"
"It's really none of your fucking business," Bonnie began, and Rebekah glowered, "but I'll tell you if it means you'll leave me alone so I can have my drink."
Rebekah circled the witch, debating it over. Indeed, it was a likely story. New Orleans was renown for its magic – something any witch would desire to encounter, and Bourbon Street alone packed more pubs and clubs than that sorry excuse for a Virginian town. Perhaps the witch was telling the truth, but if she wasn't…
Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer. Nik's conspiratorial voice danced in her mind.
"How about you tell me over a drink?" Rebekah smiled. Less than a foot of space separated them. "If this is indeed your first time in New Orleans, you'll need someone…well-experienced with the territories to...pop your New Orleans cherry."
Bonnie smiled at Rebekah's offer. She was far from foolish and was aware of the angle the original vampire was trying to play. She didn't trust Bonnie and therefore was attempting to unearth any hidden agenda the witch might have.
Reluctantly, Bonnie nodded. Sacrificing a night of her vacation to have a drink with Rebekah was a small feat if it'd clear her name amongst the Originals. She simply wanted to enjoy the rest of her vacation in peace. Besides, she had more than enough enemies and a large part of her was hoping to put whatever conflict she had with the Mikaelson family to bed.
"Only if it's bourbon."
The women shared a table on a balcony of an upscale jazz club. Raw oysters doused in hot sauce sat on a bed of ice between them. Bonnie grabbed a lemon wedge and squeezed it over an oyster before slurping its meaty contents down.
"There's no ladylike way to do this, is there?" Bonnie chuckled and Rebekah shook her head, giggling.
"Do continue, please! She gave you an ultimatum?" The blonde stared incredulously at the brunette.
"Pretty much. She was so jealous of the bond that Damon and I formed." Bonnie relayed the events that occurred post-1994. She picked up her bourbon and swished the glass, staring down at the circling amber liquid. "I just kept thinking... all those years she begged me to see a semblance of humanity in him...to get along with him, right?"
Rebekah nodded in understanding. "Then when you finally do, she asks you to choose between your friendship with her or your friendship with him?"
"I mean," Bonnie chuckled without amusement, "most women are dying for their best friends to get along with their man."
Rebekah took a long sip of her wine. Her blue eyes watched Bonnie over the rim of her glass. "You chose him."
"Of course." Bonnie threw up her hands wildly. "I've done so much for Elena. I sacrificed everything for her. My mother...I...died multiple times. She continuously put me through the ringer and I was so blinded by our friendship that I never saw it until that moment."
"And Damon?"
Pain fell over the witch's features. It was enough to indicate what had occurred between the two and Rebekah chose not to pry further.
To her surprise, in that moment, the vampire felt great sympathy for the witch. It was a shame. The elder vampire had lived out majority of her many years on this Earth without female companionship. What she wouldn't give to have a friend who was as loyal to her as Bonnie had been to those ungrateful slags. She couldn't believe she was thinking it, but Bonnie Bennett truly deserved better.
"And what of my brother's crush?"
Bonnie caught her reference.
"Caroline says she'll never choose between the two of us, but I think if it actually came down to it..." Bonnie smirked proudly before tossing back the remainder of her drink. "She's with Stefan though, so family parties would be pretty awkward if she were to severe ties with Elena."
Something flashed in Rebekah's eyes. Anger? Annoyance? Disappointment? Bonnie had forgotten all about Rebekah's past love affair with the younger Salvatore.
"My bad."
"Don't fret, love." Rebekah discarded whatever emotion she was feeling. "Care for another?"
Bonnie nodded.
Rebekah motioned to their waiter. "Another bourbon, please. And you can top me off as well."
She flashed an attractive smile at the young man and his face turned a deep shade of crimson. He nodded, staring at Rebekah longingly for several seconds, before departing to fetch their drinks.
"Seriously?" Bonnie laughed.
"What? The poor lad can't help himself." Rebekah smirked innocently.
At the Mikaelson manor, the youngest and the oldest of the Mikaelson brothers lounged in their living room.
Elijah sat in a leather armchair with a glass of wonderfully-aged scotch in his hand. Deep in thought, he closed his eyes. His family was finally on the verge of reestablishing their authority over the city. Mikael was dead. Marcel, an ally. And Niklaus was too busy with his duties of fatherhood to be concerned with his maniacal escapades. Their circumstances were rapidly improving. He slowly sipped his drink, feeling a calm he hadn't felt in a very long time.
"We live in a world," Kol was laying on his back on their Persian-carpeted floor, "that has an application-"
"App." Elijah corrected patiently, not opening his eyes.
"An app," Kol savored the word in his mouth, "that gives you a broad selection of minxy little things just begging to be fucked."
Kol continued to scroll mindlessly through his Tinder, offering up the occasional swipe right.
"Indeed, gone are the days of courtship." Elijah remarked sadly.
"Forgive me," Kol stared up at the ceiling, narrowing his chocolate eyes, "but you actually sound disappointed."
"Well, baby brother, some of us prefer the intrigue of a challenge." Elijah explained sarcastically and Kol smiled.
"Oh on the contrary St. Elijah, I can never resist a challenge, but I'd be a fool to pass up the opportunity to bed-"
Feminine laughter interrupted his trail of thought.
Kol sat up quickly, exchanging a curious glance with Elijah. Seconds later, their sister came into view, accompanied by a thoroughly unexpected guest. Dazed, Kol raised his eyebrows.
"Brothers." The blonde grinned. "I do believe you remember Miss Bonnie Bennett."
While it was true that Bonnie Bennett stood before him, she certainly was not the Bonnie Bennett that he remembered. He had always found the witch to be beautiful, but at present moment, she was downright ravishing. Never, in his entire history of knowing her, had he ever witnessed her in such a flattering set of clothes. Where were the signature figure-concealing layers she tended to hide beneath?
Shit.
"Miss Bennett," Elijah stood to his feet immediately, "to what do we owe this pleasure?"
Bonnie smiled softly at the oldest Mikaelson. "Well, you can thank your sister. She's quite persuasive."
At this, Elijah's eyes sought out Rebekah for an explanation.
"I had the noble honor of saving Bonnie from an incredibly mediocre evening." Rebekah chimed tipsily. She ushered the witch over to a nearby love seat and gestured for her to sit down.
Still on the floor, Kol sat less than two feet away from Bonnie. Her drunken gaze gave him a once over, lingering a bit longer than necessary on his shirtless abdomen. He smirked, causing her to relocate her gaze back to Rebekah.
"I hope you don't mind, I promised her a nightcap." Rebekah continued.
"Did you now?" Elijah looked pointedly at Rebekah, still seeking a more sufficient explanation for Bonnie's unexpected visitation.
"And a warm bed." Bonnie reminded her. One glance around Bonnie's cheap hotel room and the vampire had refused to allow her to stay there.
"Upstairs, take a left, two doors down the hall to the right." Kol gave her directions to his bedroom. Elijah shot his younger sibling a daunting look, but Rebekah merely snorted.
"Fat chance." She vexed before glancing at Bonnie who was completely oblivious.
Elijah suddenly grew weary. He had finally felt a sense of peace, yet now alarm gripped his senses. He needed answers and he needed them immediately.
"Miss Bennet, would you be so kind as to excuse us as I accompany my sister in preparing your nightcap?"
"Exactly how many originals does it take to prepare a drink?" The bourbon allowed the words to leave her lips bluntly. She knew, undoubtedly, that Elijah wanted to secretly discuss her in private. Both Rebekah and Kol chuckled, but Elijah did not share their sentiment. She smiled apologetically. "I'm sorry. By all means, Elijah. Thank you."
The elder vampire nodded curtly and flashed into the kitchen with his younger sister at his heels. The witch suddenly wished she had vampire hearing.
Bonnie sighed heavily; her body was exhausted. Originally, when she agreed to have a drink with Rebekah, she'd viewed it as a means to an end. She never expected it to lead to one of the most thrilling nights of her life. Their night had blended seamlessly from dinner at the jazz club to gambling at a local casino. She'd even won eight-hundred dollars playing blackjack.
The witch rubbed her tired legs, unbuckling the straps of her shoes. As she did so, she quickly became aware of Kol's eyes burning into her every movement. She stole a glance at him and found him shamelessly watching her. While most people would look away after being caught staring, Kol simply stared harder.
Heat flooded her cheeks and she silently prayed for Rebekah's return.
"Precisely what are Miss Bennett's intentions for being here?" Elijah spoke calmly, but Rebekah knew him well enough to detect the urgency in his tone.
"That is yet to be determined for certain, brother. However, she claims to be in need of a little downtime." Rebekah grabbed a lock of her hair, assessing the tips for split ends.
"Then, why New Orleans?"
"Look around you, brother," Rebekah gestured to the thin air, "why the hell not?"
"Niklaus will not be pleased with your decision to play tour guide and quite frankly, neither am I." He scolded.
"Elijah, an opportunity presented itself and I seized it. She's cut the deadweight of the brother-hopping harlot. From what I've gathered, Niklaus' little ladylove is the only one out of their crackbrained little circle that she remains in contact with." She attempted to explain her reasoning.
Elijah watched her intently.
"With that being said, she could be eager to form new friendships." Rebekah smiled. "She's a bloody Bennett. Half of every curse and spell in existence is tied directly to her bloodline. If we get in good with her, we'll be unstoppable, Lijah."
Her brother considered her words as she continued. "All we have to do is treat her decently. Something none of those halfwits were capable of accomplishing."
"We cannot know for certain if she means our family harm." Elijah argued, narrowing his eyes. He still wasn't sold.
"Yes, we cannot. But I ask you brother, do the pros outweigh the risk?"
Truth be told, Bonnie Bennet's self-righteous behavior had always grated Kol's deviant nerves raw, but as his eyes roamed her lustrous caramel skin and supple full lips, all he could imagine was fucking it out of her until she was left sullied and claimed by the sin that was him.
"You seem different, little witch."
Bonnie was still blushing. "You know, you're the second Mikaelson tonight who told me that?"
Kol smirked and leaned forward to grab one of her discarded shoes. He ran his fingers against its suede surface. "These are nice."
"Thanks." She suddenly became very interested in the vaulted ceiling. She swallowed, attempting to lasso in the unspeakable thoughts she was having about Kol Mikaelson.
I need to sober up.
"You're very welcome, little witch." Upon the words 'little witch', his tone had taken an abruptly sensual turn. If her panties weren't already soiled by his hauntingly handsome presence, they certainly were now.
She stood up suddenly, feeling exposed, and crossed the room. "Where's your bathroom?"
"Next to the kitch-." Before he could finish his sentence, she turned on her heel.
He watched her retreating backside in amusement. The vampire was exceedingly pleased to discover that his presence was having quite the affect on the witch. Her sweet scent enveloped the room. It was a mixture of cardamom and honey with the heady aroma of her positively mouthwatering arousal. And to think, it was for him.
Fuck.
His phone chimed. He unlocked his iPhone and read the new notification. Kol could feel his member growing uncomfortably erect in his jeans. 'Mandy from Chalmette, LA' who swiped right could fuck off, because the only person he desired in that moment was Bonnie Bennett.