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Chapter 9: A Horrible Truth
Shae was sitting quietly as Kol drove towards the airport. She was done crying and begging. It wasn't having any affect on the original anyway. It seemed nothing could change Kol's mind. Not even Shae agreeing to apologize to Alison, just so that Kol wouldn't take her back to Prague. And it was because the original really thought he was doing the right thing here. Kol was thinking that perhaps by making Shanyra stay away from him, he could prevent the exchanging of their personalities or at least slow down the process until he could find a way to stop it from happening.
'It's for the best' that was what Kol kept repeating to himself. The longer Shae was going to stay with him, the more she'd be like him. No, pushing her away was for the greater good. Though it was killing Kol from inside to think that he'd have to stay away from his soul mate. And Shanyra wasn't making this any easier on Kol. At first her crying was hurting him, and now her silence was no less torturing. Though Kol didn't look at Shae for once since they got inside the car, but he could still tell that she looked miserable. Her eyes were red and fluffy from crying hard. Her lips were dry and her face was void of any emotions as if she was a broken person. Despite the fact that Kol was hating to see her like that but he didn't let himself go soft. For the greater good.
On the other hand, Shae glanced at Kol once before looking away again. No one knew what was going on in her head. A drop of tear escaped her eye and rolled down her reddened cheek. She sniffed a little as she wiped away that tear. A look of determination suddenly came over her face. After a moment of silence, Shae spoke up once again.
"May I request a favor from you?" She asked. Kol didn't say anything. He just kept looking ahead, focusing on the road. But Shae voiced her request anyway.
"If you must get rid of me, at least take me back to my old boarding school. You have to understand I can't go back to living with my mother. Not after knowing what it's like to be free." Even though Shae humbly asked, but Kol refused to consider it. He pretended as if he never heard her talk. That behavior angered Shae to no limits.
"Actually I have a better idea. Ask your witch to put the entire soul in your body and just let me die." She said angrily. But Kol still remained unaffected.
"But of course you wouldn't help me. It turns out you are just like my mother." Saying that Shae looked away from Kol. There was not only anger but hatred in her eyes as well. She would've stayed quiet again but for some reason she didn't. Shae started talking but it seemed as if she was talking to herself rather than Kol.
"I was seven years old. My mother got married to Thomas so she and I started living with my step father in his mansion." As Shae spoke, Kol pretended not to hear anything but actually he was listening to every word very carefully. His coldness was just a mask he wore.
"He used to visit us very often. My step father's best friend and business partner." Shanyra said with slow and distinctive tone of voice. Her throat seemed rather dry that moment.
"He liked me a lot. He used to buy me dolls and chocolates. Took me to the children's park and the zoo whenever I felt lonely. My mother never had any time for me, so I also liked going out with him." Shae inhaled a deep breath before continuing the story.
"One day, he came home and asked mom if he could take me out for a long drive. He had just bought a new car, a black Mercedes and wanted to drive me around in that. Mom as usual had no objection. She always actually encouraged his liking towards me. He was after all her husband's best friend. And I was excited as well to go with him. He was the only person who paid me any attention during that time."
"He told me that he was going to take me to a place where I've never gone before." Shae had her gaze unfocused as if lost in the memories. Kol still pretended to avoid her but in reality, he was getting more and more interested to know what really happened.
"Just as he said, he took me far away from the city. In an isolated place. No one was around for miles. Suddenly he pulled over the car at the side of the road. He told me that he was driving for quite a while now and needed to take a break. I suspected nothing else. How could I? I was only seven."
"He also gave me a nicely wrapped gift. I thanked him and excitedly started to unwrap it. And he started to caress my cheek. I didn't think anything of that because he always did that. But then after a moment, he started to touch me differently." Hearing that Kol stomped on the brake hard. Luckily the car didn't flip over or crash anywhere. He finally looked at Shae with shocked eyes. Kol couldn't believe his own ears because he just realized where this story was going. Shae however didn't look back at him. She continued talking ignoring Kol's shocked gaze on her.
"I didn't like what he was doing to me but I didn't know how to stop him either. He started kissing my face and neck and then he made me sit on his lap." Tear started to leak her eyes as Shae relived her horrible past.
"It hurt me SO much; I screamed out loud. But he didn't stop. He just kept hurting me. Again and again. There was no one else to hear my screams. No one came to save me." Shae started panting a little as her body started shaking with fear without her permission.
"I didn't know at that time what he was doing to me. I only knew that it hurt and I wanted him to stop. But he never did. Instead he whispered soothing words and sweet nothings into my ear. He was telling me, that he loved me. Telling me how much he wanted me. He called me his little doll. And he kept hurting me more and more." Shanyra wrapped her arms around her small frame as if to keep herself from falling apart. Her heart was beating so fast, Kol feared it might explode in her chest.
"I thought it'd never end until I die. But it did. He even took me back home. I was so confused and scared. I didn't even know what to tell to let someone know what happened with me. I tried to talk to mom about it but every time I went to her, she sent me away saying that she was busy. I guess my silence encouraged him as he came to visit me again. And then again. And again. And again. It seemed that he'd never stop coming back for me. That he'd never stop hurting me." Shae closed her eyes shut tightly as she spoke of the things, she wished she could forget about.
"At one point, I couldn't take it anymore. I didn't listen to my mother as she said to me that she was busy. I didn't leave until I told her everything." A sob escaped Shae's breath this time.
"I thought after hearing that my beloved mother would be furious and she'd do anything to stop that monster from hurting me again. But that's not what happened. You know what happened Kol?" She finally looked back at him.
"She told me never to tell anyone about this. Because if I told a word to anyone, it could destroy the family reputation and the business. She even went so far as to tell me that even if I did tell anyone, no one would believe me. Because everyone knew how much he loved me. So, I'll just become a liar in everyone's eyes. My own mother instead of helping me, and protecting me; she silenced me. That time I couldn't tell anymore what hurt me more, that monster's torture or my mother's betrayal." Shae paused a little to swallow the lump in her throat.
"I lost the courage to speak to anyone about this ever again. Though I suppose I should be grateful that my mother sent me to a boarding school soon after. He never got to touch me like that again but my mental torture never ended. Because every time I went back home in holidays, he came to visit me, bearing gifts. He never let me forget. And the worst part was, no matter how much I despised it, I had to be polite with him, show him proper respect; let him caress my cheeks, and kiss me and hear him say that he loves me." Shae shook her head to herself in self pity. How horrible her childhood was.
"Even mom never stopped being friendly with him. She'd laugh at his jokes; work with him on projects. She'd invite him to dinners and parties. It pleased her husband a lot that she was being so warm towards his good friend. Therefore it never mattered what that good friend did to me."
"My mother's behavior even had me believing for a time that perhaps what happened with me was normal. That it wasn't a big deal. But then at school, I became friends with a few girls from higher grades and it is from them that I learned, what happened with me was not only wrong but a punishable crime. I also realized that my mother is either a coward or a horrible person who couldn't careless about that fact that her daughter was molested and raped for weeks." Kol never heard Shanyra spoke so bitterly before. But she had every right to.
"Ever since I realized that, I lost all the love and respect I had for my mother. She was supposes to protect me, keep me safe. Not play the roll of a perfect wife for her rich husband. How could she even look at that monster let alone be friends with him! I'd never understand that. But one thing I understood clearly that, if I wanted to escape him and everyone else, I've to do it on my own. No one's going to help me. That's why I was so desperate to grow up" said Shanyra but she wasn't done talking yet.
"But then you came into my life out of nowhere and turned everything upside down. You got me out of that hell in a blink of an eye. Gave me hope that I never have to go back to them. My nightmare was finally over. And I really lived for the first time." At that point, Kol was staring at Shae with unblinking eyes and an unreadable expression covered his face.
"You cannot imagine how thankful I'm to you for letting me know what if feels like to be safe. To feel no fear. To have someone to care about me. But there's a downside to it, I guess. I cannot bear the thought of going back to that life anymore. I don't have it in me Kol," said Shae vehemently shaking her head to herself.
"I know that I've crossed a line. I was enjoying my freedom way to much instead of just appreciating it. So, I understand you not wanting to put up with me anymore. I really do. But please, don't take me back to hell. I'll go and live anywhere else. I'm begging you Kol. Don't leave me to deal with my nightmare alone like my mother did. I do wish to smile and feel grateful every time I remember you. Not feel betrayed."
Shae was staring at Kol with hopeful pleading eyes. She was quite literary going insane at the thought of going back to her not so old life. Kol on the other hand was staring at the space, thinking of something to himself. The truth was, he never expected to hear anything like this from Shae. He suspected that she had a secret but never imagined, it'd be this. She had such a tragic childhood and she kept all her pain hidden within herself. Not sharing with anyone. How could someone deal with something like that? Not to mention, at her age? There was nothing to think about anymore. Kol started the car again and did a U turn in the middle of the road. He started driving towards Mystic Falls again.
Shae on the other hand got confused when Kol changed direction. She gave him a questioning look and asked-
"Where are we going?"
"Home. Our home" said Kol surprising his soul mate with that answer.
"I won't be able to live with myself if I take you back there now." He said and meant it quite seriously. A moment passed between them before Shanyra hugged Kol tightly. She wanted to thank him with words but there was nothing she could say that would properly express how grateful she was feeling that Kol has changed his mind. The original as well wrapped an arm around Shae and pulled her closer to him as he drove with one hand.
At that moment, Kol thought- to hell with personality exchange. He'd never think about pushing Shae away again. No matter what. Whatever happens because of the soul sharing bond, they'd deal with it together. Kol promised himself to always protect the little girl who was the very reason he still existed in this world. However, it wasn't only the bond that made Kol feel protective of Shae. The original has genuinely started caring for her.
Shanyra fell asleep in Kol's embrace. It didn't take very long for Kol to pull over the car in the mansion parking lot. He didn't wake up Shae instead gathered her in his arms and carried her inside the mansion. Surprisingly Caroline was still there. She got shocked and confused when Kol walked in with a sleeping Shae in his arms. She opened her mouth to ask Kol what happened but he never gave her the chance to speak. He went straight to Shae's bedroom first and gently put her in bed. He covered her with the soft blanket. Shanyra stirred a little in her sleep. She didn't appreciate the lack of warmth that was coming from Kol. The original softly kissed her on her forehead, then walked out of the bedroom with fast steps.
As soon as Kol stepped out of the bedroom and closed the door behind him, he let himself feel murderous. A feeling he had bottled up earlier so that he wouldn't end up scaring Shae. Kol was feeling so furious. He needed to take out his anger on something before he explodes. He also needed a drink. He needed to taste blood. And not just any blood. Kol Mikaelson was very much thirsty for a particular someone's blood. When Kol came back downstairs again, Caroline walked up to him with a determined look on her face. Klaus and Rebekah were there as well and they were equally confused about what was going on.
"Kol, what the hell is going on?" Caroline asked demanding an explanation immediately. Kol however didn't answer that question and said-
"I need you to look after Shae for a couple of days. All of you." Kol said that more to Rebekah and Caroline than Klaus.
"Why? Where are you going?" Rebekah asked realizing that her brother was planning on going somewhere.
"Someone needs to die and I am going to kill him." Kol said with a dark and dangerous tone of voice. His siblings couldn't recall when they've seen him so mad before. Without saying another word or answering another question Kol walked out of the mansion again.
In the parking lot, Kol noticed the black colored car he owned. He decided to take out his rage on the vehicle for the time being. There was a small-medium sized water fountain nearby, made of marble stone. Kol picked that up, uprooting it from the ground and he threw it at his car with vampire strength. The car was totaled completely. Hearing the noise Klaus came out and saw Kol destroying the black car like a maniac.
Klaus knew that something has happened. Something very serious. And he wanted to know what. It was obvious that Kol wasn't going to tell him anything. Well, Klaus could always stalk his little brother and find out what was going on. Kol on the other hand, was determined to find that monster in disguise of a human who hurt Shanyra and kill him in the most brutal way. He might teach her mother a lesson as well. With those thoughts, Kol got into another of his car and started driving towards airport again. Not realizing his brother Klaus might be keeping a very close eye on him.
