A/N Hey guys! I apologize for taking so long with updating this story. I have no valid reason for not posting, except for the writer's block. Sorry that you had to wait so long again. I hope this chapter makes it up a bit. If it's not good, let me know and I'll change it. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own the Vampire Diaries.

Chapter 11

Caroline studied Damon for a moment. He had been scowling ever since Stefan convinced him to strike a deal with the Mikaelsons. It was clear he still wasn't happy with the idea of letting Bonnie turn Kol back. Well, he could be unhappy all he wanted, as long as he behaved during the negotiation with Klaus.

She and Damon were sitting at the bar, waiting for Klaus to show up. They had agreed to meet with the Original in the Mystic Grill, since it was the most neutral place they could think of. Caroline had to admit, she had been rather surprised when Klaus called her to talk about negotiations. He wasn't the type for negotiations in her eyes, certainly not in cases like this. It made her wonder if he was desperate.

But why would he be? When she had met de-aged Kol, he seemed like such a sweet boy. A bit mischievous perhaps, but not enough to drive a person crazy. Well, she would find out soon enough, as Klaus and Finn entered the Grill at that moment. They walked over to them and sat down next to her.

'Hello love,' Klaus greeted. Finn simply nodded at them.

Damon frowned at the sight of both Originals and grabbed the Stake in his pocket.

'Shall we start the negotiations? Although I love to admire your beauty, Caroline, this matter is rather pressing.'

Caroline shot Damon a warning look, before turning to the Mikaelson brothers. She was rather surprised Finn had come too, but she supposed the eldest Mikaelson had his reasons.

'Well, it's rather simple. You want Bonnie to turn Kol back to his normal self. We want you to leave Mystic Falls, for good. I'm sure we can find an agreement in this.'

Klaus frowned at the mentioning of leaving Mystic Falls. He wasn't quite ready to leave the town, since he still wanted to make more hybrids. On the other hand, was he willing to give up his brother, just to make his army stronger? Kol was family, his little brother.

'Actually,' Finn spoke up. 'We want to know something else first.'

'We're not telling you where the White Oak Stakes are.' Damon snapped.

Finn sighed, looking very annoyed that he had been interrupted.

'That is not what we want to know. We need you to tell us what spell Bonnie used to turn Kol into a toddler. Did she intend for it to happen?'

Before Damon could answer, Caroline cut him off. There was no need to lie about it, seeing as only Bonnie could turn Kol back.

'She didn't. When we found out Kol had been turned into a toddler, she was just as surprised as the rest of us. She used a certain spell but it has been messed up because Kol was wearing a bracelet, which changed the outcome of the spell.'

Finn mentally banged his head against the wall. He stood up abruptly and left the Grill, leaving Klaus to do the rest of the negotiations. Damon stood up as well but Klaus motioned for him to sit back down.

'We haven't finished the negotiations yet. I assure you, Finn has no intentions to harm any of you. Or not yet, at least. But, returning to our point, you want us to leave Mystic Falls forever, and in exchange your witch turns Kol back. Did I understand that correctly?'

Caroline nodded.

'How did you imagine that? Do we leave before or after the Bennet witch turns Kol back?'

'I think we can pick a spot outside of Mystic Falls, where Bonnie turns your brother back. When she's finished, you and your family leave.'

'With or without the White Oak Stakes?'

'Without, of course,' Damon snarled. 'That way, we can make sure you keep your part of the deal.'

Klaus nodded in understanding.

'I have to talk with my siblings about this. I will let you know when we've reached a decision. Enjoy the rest of your day, my beautiful Caroline.'

With that, Klaus left the Grill as well.

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Elijah woke up with a start when he heard someone knocking on the door. Apparently, he had fallen asleep without knowing. Kol was still in his lap, sleeping quietly.

Rebekah poked her head inside and when she saw her brothers, she entered the room.

'There you are! Kol isn't awake yet?'

'He woke up some time ago, but has fallen back asleep. And it seems I had fallen asleep as well. How did the negotiations go?'

Rebekah walked over and sat down next to him.

'I don't know the details but Nik just called me. He said they're coming back now and that Kol has to be awake. Did anything happen while we were gone?'

Elijah frowned and looked down at his sleeping brother. Hopefully Kol would stay asleep when he told Rebekah what happened.

'Kol told me about a dream he had.'

'Why are you frowning? Dreams are good, right?'

'It was good, if you consider the fact that it wasn't a nightmare and it didn't cause a panic attack. But it's what he described that concerns me. It sounded exactly like the day that Henrik died.'

Rebekah bit her lip and looked away for a moment. Even after a thousand years, the memory still hurt. She looked back at Elijah when he placed a hand on her shoulder.

'I know, sister. But we mustn't dwell on the past now. From what I understand, the dream didn't scare Kol in any sort of way. It simply confused him, which is understandable.'

Rebekah nodded and looked at her twin brother, who was still sound asleep in Elijah's lap. She gently stroked his cheek, causing the little boy to open his eyes. He stared at her sleepily for a moment, before a smile threaten to split his face.

'Bekah!'

He crawled over to her and hugged her. The action drove away the lingering sadness that had been caused by the memory of Henrik's death.

'Hey, Kol. Had enough sleep?'

'Yup. Can we play tag? I'll be it.'

Rebekah smiled and lifted Kol up, carrying him to the wardrobe to dress him. Elijah stood up and left the room, having heard the front door open and close.

When he arrived downstairs, Klaus and Finn were already in the living room, both having made a beeline for the cabinet that contained the bourbon. Finn sat down in a chair, taking a big gulp from his glass, while Klaus poured Elijah a glass before sitting down on the couch.

'What happened?'

'Something that gives us reason to worry. The spell was most definitely not performed correctly.'

'And although that explains a lot,' Klaus piped up. 'It also gives us quite the headache. Like Finn said before, this could prove to be fatal. And it's quite clear that the Bennet witch won't help us without wanting something in return.'

Elijah sat down heavily, processing what his brothers had just told him. For a while, it was quiet in the room, the three brothers lost in their own thoughts.

They were interrupted when they heard a crash, followed by a scream of Rebekah. They sped upstairs as quickly as they could, only to collide with their sister halfway on the stairs.

'Move, you bloody idiots! I have to get outside, now!'

The brothers sped after her, but stopped dead in their tracks when they saw shards of glass on the ground. Rebekah was looking franticly around her, looking besides herself with worry. Klaus was the first to approach her.

'What happened, sister?'

'We were playing tag and Kol was trying to get away from me. A-and then…h-he f-fell…through the window.'

Klaus paled, as did Elijah. They started looking around as well, but looked up when they heard Finn chuckling. Klaus rounded on him.

'What's so funny? Kol is probably seriously hurt!'

Finn shook his head, still grinning.

'I wouldn't worry about that, brother. I suggest all of you look up at the window of Kol's bedroom, just for a minute.'

Klaus looked up suspiciously and his eyes comically widened at the sight that met him. Kol was floating in the air above him, waving enthusiastically at him.

'Hi, Nik! It's alright, I'm okay!'

'How the bloody hell did you get up there?'

The little boy shrugged casually.

'I fell through the window and I thought I was gonna die. But then I was flying, like a bird. I like it, but the falling was really scary.'

Elijah shook his head in fond exasperation, relieved Kol hadn't broken his neck or anything.

'Maybe it would be wise to get down, Kol?'

'No!' The little boy shouted. 'I like flying. I don't wanna come down.'

Klaus muttered something under his breath about annoying little brothers who weren't supposed to be flying, while Rebekah reached her arms out to Kol.

'Kol, if you stay up there, I can't play with you. I can't fly. Would you please come down? I'll catch you.'

Kol looked thoughtful for a moment, then nodded his head in agreement. He looked at the ground and suddenly, he fell down with a great speed. The boy screamed and closed his eyes.

When he opened them, Rebekah was clutching him to her chest and carrying him inside. She scolded him gently and he promised he would never do it again.

In the living room they all sat down, Kol in Rebekah's lap. Finn sighed. Although Kol's action had brought an amusing distraction, they an important problem to attend to. Elijah crouched down in front of Kol, who frowned at his brother's serious expression.

'Kol, do you remember the day you woke up here, like this?'

The little boy nodded.

'Alright, do you remember that Niklaus told you someone had turned you back into a child?'

'Yes. Why?'

'Well, we're going to have to turn you back. But in order to do that, we need your help.'

Kol's bottom lip trembled and tears started to gather in his eyes.

'Why? Don't you love me anymore? I'm sorry if I made you mad, I won't do it again, I promise!'

The toddler flung himself to Elijah, his shoulders shaking with sobs. Elijah rubbed his brother's back, trying to comfort him.

'We do love you and I promise you did nothing wrong. But don't you think that your Finn, Elijah, Niklaus and Rebekah miss you? I am most certain that they want you back. And think about our Kol. Don't you think he wants his brothers and sister back?'

That made the toddler calm down. He looked at Elijah with red-rimmed eyes, his expression still sad.

'I think my brothers and sister miss me. How can I help?'

Klaus sat down next to Elijah.

'I have to go into your head, to find some things. You just need to lay still. Can you do that?'

Kol nodded and laid down. Klaus gently grabbed both sides of his brother's head and went inside.

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Klaus blinked and looked around. He was standing in the middle of a field, with trees on the edges. The sky was a brilliant shade of blue and he could see mountain tops over the trees. He didn't recognize the scenery, not in the slightest.

'What are you doing here?'

The voice came from behind, making him jump (not that he would ever admit to it) and he turned around. 17-year-old Kol was staring at him. The teenager was dressed in a simple white tunic and brown pants. His brown curls reached just over his shoulders and his eyes were shining with something akin to fear. He was clutching a bloodied sword loosely in one hand.

Klaus held up his hands, trying to seem as non-threating as he could.

'Kol, it's me, it's Klaus.'

'I know who you are, Nik, I'm not an idiot. I asked what you are doing here?'

'Look, I need to speak with you. You're a warlock, are you not?'

'I am. Why are you asking that?'

'Good, that means I found the right you.'

The teenager cocked his head slightly.

'You know about the demon? How?'

'I've met him before. But that doesn't matter, he's not the one I need. You see, I want to know something about a certain spell.'

'Then why don't you ask Mother? She knows much more than I do about magic.'

'I can't, so I need to ask you. Have you ever heard of a spell than can turn someone into a child?'

Kol frowned.

'I know of spells that can turn people in all sorts of things. Though I have never heard of turning someone into a child. But I assume it could be possible. Why do you want to know?'

'Well, you were cursed and now you're five years old. We want to turn you back, but we need you to tell us how.'

Kol backed away, shaking his head.

'I can't. I don't know how.'

'What do you mean, you don't know?'

'Look, I haven't been here very long. I escaped some time ago and that demon is after me. I spend all my time running, I don't even know what's happening around me. You can't expect me to know how to reverse something that I wasn't even aware of!'

Klaus sighed. His patience was seriously wearing thin.

'Kol, you're not making any sense! You're a warlock, so reverse the spell!'

'I can't! I'm not the one who's in control!'

'Then who is?'

'That bloody demon! He has been in control for centuries!'

Suddenly, there was a small tug on Klaus' sleeve. He looked down and saw toddler Kol staring up at him. Klaus threw his hands up in the air.

'This is bloody confusing! How many Kol's are there?'

'If you count little me, currently three.'

Teenage Kol crouched down in front of toddler Kol.

'I've seen you before in here. You're scared of that demon, aren't you?'

Toddler Kol nodded and looked at Klaus again.

'Have you found what you're looking for? 'Cause we need to go.'

'No, I have not found what I'm looking for. Apparently, I have to find vampire you.'

Teenage Kol's eyes widened in horror.

'I am a demon?!'

Klaus mentally hit himself. Just what he needed, a freaked out Kol.

'Look, you can think about that later. Right now, I need to find someone who can fix this bloody mess.'

'You're not going to find that here.'

The new voice made them all turn around. Vampire Kol was standing a few feet away from them, his eyes shining with anger. Klaus took on a defensive stance, not wanting vampire Kol to get the drop on him.

'Relax Nik, I'm not going to attack you. I was looking for human me and it seems I found him. Wasn't expecting to find you here, but it's fancy seeing you nonetheless. Now, I believe you have a certain predicament you need to take care of?'

This was the first time Klaus got a chance to truly observe the differences between human Kol and vampire Kol. The human Kol seemed far less dangerous and not just because he was a human. It was clear he wouldn't fight unless he deemed it necessary. Vampire Kol looked ready to kill, just for the fun of it.

Another difference was that human Kol still seemed innocent. Not as much as toddler Kol, but still. Vampire Kol had lost any trace of innocence a long time ago. A third difference was that human Kol seemed completely at ease in the presence of Klaus, while vampire Kol looked suspicious and guarded.

Klaus turned to vampire Kol and sighed.

'I assume that you are aware of the fact that you have been turned into a toddler?'

'Yes, that detail has not slipped from my attention. You lot must be thrilled. I'm much easier to ignore as a toddler, am I not? Or maybe, little me gets all the love that current me doesn't? It wouldn't surprise me, to be honest.'

Klaus rolled his eyes.

'Don't be so dramatic, Kol. I'm in your mind to find out how to turn you back. I was hoping human you could tell me that, but he says only you can.'

'If he means that I have more knowledge than he does, that is completely true. And I have heard of spells that can turn people into children. But what makes you think I would help you out?'

'Are you telling me that you want to stay a little boy? In case you don't know, you're not a miniature vampire.'

'If I'm correct, I have magic. That is way better than being a vampire. I would enjoy it more if toddler me wasn't controlling my mind.'

'Hang on!' Human Kol said. 'What happens to me and little me if you turn us back?'

Vampire Kol smirked.

'You go back where you belong. Little you/me goes back to memories, while you are locked away again. Like you have been for centuries.'

Klaus sighed exasperated.

'Would you cease fighting yourself! Can you turn yourself back or not?!'

'No!' said human Kol.

'Yes!' said vampire Kol.

'For God's sake, stop being so confusing! Little Kol, which one is lying?'

'The demon,' toddler Kol whispered.

'So, I'm wasting my time here. It would have been nice to know that from the start.'

With that, Klaus left Kol's mind.

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Kol woke up with a gasp when Klaus let go of him. Finn and Elijah immediately cornered Klaus, while Rebekah looked after her twin.

'What did you find out?'

'Other than that my trip was completely useless? Nothing, except for the fact that Kol's mind is a really weird place.'

Finn sighed.

'That means we will have to make a deal with the Salvatores and their friends.'

'Why? I mean, what's wrong with Kol being like this? He's much easier to handle than his normal self and he has really strong magic. We could use that, you know.'

'No!' Rebekah said. 'This whole de-aging this has made me realize how much we have failed our brother. I want to make up for my mistakes. I owe him that much.'

'I agree with Rebekah. We are a family and Kol is part of that. Even though he is not an easy person to deal with, we have to try.'

Rebekah smiled at Elijah, thankful for his support. Klaus stared at them.

'You are willing to leave Mystic Falls for good, just so we can turn Kol back? Is he really worth that much?'

Rebekah shot up and glared at Klaus, fire in her eyes.

'How could you say that?! He might be dying and you don't care? Are those stupid hybrids of yours so important that you would sacrifice our brother for it?!'

Klaus opened his mouth to react but was interrupted by a sob. They all turned towards Kol, who had curled into himself and was crying. He had crawled away from Finn and Elijah and had clamped his hands over his ears.

Rebekah got down on her knees and reached her arms out towards her twin.

'Kol, it's okay. I'm sorry if we scared you.'

The toddler looked up through his eyelashes, hurt evident in his gaze.

'Do you love me?'

'Of course we do! We've told you so before.'

'Not me! I mean your me. Demon me. Do you love your brother like you love me?'

The question made them hesitate for a moment. It was easy to say that they loved toddler Kol, but vampire Kol? None of them knew how to answer the question.

Kol wiped his eyes with the back of his hand.

'You don't,' the little boy concluded. 'I know he's scary, because he is a demon. But Nik is a demon too, isn't he?'

Rebekah sighed. This was really hard to explain and frankly, they didn't have time for this. She stared in surprise when Klaus kneeled in front of Kol and grasped the boy's arm gently.

'I know he's a demon, just like me. But like Elijah said, he is part of our family. And he belongs with us. Just like you belong with your family.'

Kol smiled in relief and nodded. Finn crouched next to Klaus.

'We have to make a deal with the Salvatores. They will change Kol back and we will leave Mystic Falls. I think it's time for us to move on anyway.'

A/N Was it any good? Am I allowed to ask for reviews?