A/N: Heeey, peeps! ^_^ I'm starting my second term in college on Monday, so the updates might be a bit late or early next week depending on how busy I'll be.

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Chapter 37:

If it wasn't because of the seriousness of the situation, I would've found Kol playing with a bunch of kindergarten children incredibly amusing.

Following my mother's determined order, he'd brought me to the kindergarten she worked at, because she needed to speak with me immediately.

She didn't trust using her phone to contact me, because she'd found a bug in it after I'd left Mystic Falls with Kol – one that belonged to my grandfather's cult.

"He completed the transition, didn't he?" I asked worriedly, absentmindedly watching Kol being tackled by the children.

He despised them at first and stood in a corner by himself, but then they somehow managed luring him into playing with them.

"Yes and he's vowed to avenge what you did to him," Mom answered solemnly. "He came to me one night and told me to stay away from you. If I didn't, he'd… consider me an enemy of the family."

I pitied my mother and couldn't grasp how he could shun his own granddaughter simply because I'd become something he despised.

He himself was a vampire now and still he wouldn't give up.

"Mom, is he in contact with The Five? I believe he was behind the attempted assassination of me when Kol and I went to find Silas."

"Yes, he is. He's gone too far. It's like he's not even my father anymore. This codex… these stupid traditions… it doesn't feel right."

"Yeah, tell me about it. There's something evil in those rings, Mom. Silas approached me today and he hinted at something… about our family. How the women seemed to fall in love with vampires. He mentioned something about how terrible Aida's actions were as if it wasn't normal."

"Why would he tell you that? Unless he has something to gain from your help…" She furrowed her brows and shook her head. "I'm sorry, Beth. I wish this hadn't happened to you."

"You don't have to apologize. There's something wrong with our family and I intend to stop it," I finally shifted my full attention to Kol. "Maybe he's hiding something."

Kol groaned as the children were begging him to do a magic trick and gazed pleadingly at me for help.

"I better help him out. Poor guy." I laughed softly and approached the crowd around him, feeling all eyes turn to me.

"Are you and Kollie married?" a young girl asked curiously.

Kollie? Ha-ha, oh God, I needed to remember that!

"No, fortunately not," I replied teasingly and stuck my tongue out at Kol. "We're just an odd couple."

"My mommy is en-enga-engaged! Are you too?" another girl asked, making my cheeks turn bright red.

"No, we're not engaged either," Kol replied for me. "But maybe one day. Now will you please get me out of here, love? As much as I enjoy the attention, then these kids frighten me."

Laughing again, I grabbed his hand and helped him up from the floor, convincing the kids to go to my mother for milk and cookies.

We were barely out of the door when a young boy came up to me and tugged gently on my hand, wanting to give me his cookie.

"I will marry you, Bethy!" he said shyly.

Kol rolled his eyes and eyed the kid as if he was genuinely a threat to him, but I figured it was more because he was generally possessive of me towards anyone.

I accepted the cookie, though, and planted a kiss on the boy's cheek, thanking him for being so sweet towards me.

"Why do I get the feeling that you've been here before and that that boy didn't just randomly decide to propose to you?" Kol asked suspiciously as we walked towards his car.

"Umm… you're just jelly, because you didn't get a cookie!" I replied. "And I'm still pissed off at you."

"Hmm, sure. So Silas truly paid you a visit in your home?" He stopped dead in his tracks and turned to me.

"Yeah…" I sighed and took a bite of the chocolate chip cookie. "He's up to something and I don't like how he seems to know about my family. Before you and Aida… had your affair, did anything unusual then happen?"

Kol leaned against the side of his car and attempted remembering his time with her, remaining silent for several minutes.

"There is one thing that stands out to me," he said. "When I first laid my eyes on Aida, she was with a witch that practiced dark magic. The witch loathed vampires like most witches do, but she seemed to dislike my family in particular. Perhaps she cursed Aida when she turned her back on her and fell in love with me?"

"That's one theory. But why would Silas find it important? Do you think he scared us away to keep me from getting killed on the island?"

The thought never crossed my mind until now.

For some reason it was important that I was kept alive and I had a bad feeling that I was just a piece in whatever game he played.

"While you abandoned me, I spoke with my brother and he believes the way to find Katherine is through a werewolf named Hayley. We ought to find her before he does," Kol said. "The faster we get the cure, the sooner Silas will be dead."

I nodded in agreement and followed him into his car, but rather than taking me on a road trip with him, he dropped me off at my school.

I barely had the chance to cuss at him when he kicked me out before he'd driven away, clearly wanting to do the search alone.

"Your boyfriend is a bit of a douche bag," Matt said, helping me up from the ground. "I heard you've been having family problems."

"Yeah… something like that," I said, brushing the dirt off my pants. "How's Elena? I'm sorry she had to lose Jeremy too."

Matt sighed heavily and signaled at me to follow him into the school. "She burnt down her house yesterday and Damon made her switch off her humanity. You and Kol were right."

I grimaced and couldn't even begin to imagine how she must be feeling right now. "I wish we weren't. Silas is free and… we're all screwed. How are you holding up?"

"I honestly don't know anymore. I miss how the town was before the Originals came – back when all we had to deal with was Katherine."

"I haven't met the girl, but she sounds awful," We stopped outside the English classroom and remained there while others were taking a seat. "Matt, I can help you stopping Silas."

"And Kol? He's never proven himself friendly towards us. He's tried killing nearly all of us. Are you sure you're not sired to him like Elena is to Damon?"

His question caught me off-guard, but my feelings towards Kol hadn't changed much since I became a vampire.

Of course, they were stronger than when I was human, but that was simply because of the enhancement of my emotions.

"Kol won't be an issue. He's not… he's not like Klaus."

"Sure about that? He seems an awful lot like him sometimes."

"Believe me. He's not. But Kol isn't the issue right now. Silas is and he's up to something."

The bell rang and the English teacher was on her way towards the classroom, so I parted with Matt and went inside, finding a seat in the back.

I barely paid attention during that lesson, though, because all I could think about was Silas' haunting words.

Was he simply playing with my head to occupy me?

I should be worrying more about my grandfather than Silas, because he was the one who wanted me dead and buried under the ground.

During the breaks, I tried getting in contact with him, however, the idiot was ignoring me on purpose.

I called Klaus after school and asked him to meet up with me since we had a few things to discuss.

No part of me felt like speaking with him, because he had caused nothing but trouble in my life and enjoyed seeing the result of turning me into a vampire.

Walking back to the Mikaelson Mansion, I caught Klaus talking with a young woman I faintly remembered seeing before at the Grill.

She had dark hair and beautiful hazel eyes, and judging from the way she glared at Klaus, it was evident that she disliked him a lot.

"I figured my brother might abandon you here while he chased the misleading information I gave him…" Klaus said when he noticed my presence. "Hayley, this is my brother's persistent girlfriend Bethany Dawson."

"I recognize you," Hayley said softly. "You work at the Grill."

"Worked. The supernatural life got in the way," I offered a smile. "So you're Hayley? I'm guessing you're not a fan of Klaus like me?"

Klaus rolled his eyes and signaled at me to take a seat by the dinner table. "I assume you didn't come here for Kol, so let's make this quick."

"Yes, let's. I wouldn't mind shoving the cure down your throat, but Silas is my priority right now. I'll make sure you get the cure if you help me stopping my grandfather. He still wants me dead."

"Is that the sound of you making a deal with the Devil? Hmm, I'll take it into consideration."

"Whatever floats your boat, Klaus… I just want Silas gone and I'm sure Hayley would like to keep my cousin safe."

I'd briefly overheard some of their conversation and knew that Tyler was on the run lately after trying to overpower Klaus' tyranny.

When Hayley realized that Tyler was my cousin, she seemed more at ease around me and like she actually wanted to work with me.

"But you clearly seem to be occupied, so I'm just going to find Katherine on my own and get the cure from her. I'm sure she'll love to hear what I want to do with it."

Leaving Klaus hanging without a deal or my help, I went to find another Original, who might want to work with me, but I wasn't sure if I'd get a hold of him as I hadn't seen him for weeks.

I dialed Elijah's number, which I'd gotten off his phone once, and waited in my home with the hope that Silas wouldn't make another appearance.

My brothers were home at least and discussing what they should do to stop our grandfather from hurting me again.

I wasn't fond of them getting involved in this family drama, because they should be finding girlfriends and starting their own family.

"Who is this?" a familiar voice questioned.

"Oh, um, it's Bethany Dawson. I'm sorry if I disturb you, Elijah, but I'm sure you know what's going on. A lot of people are looking for the cure," I replied and sighed weakly. "I know from Kol that you know Katherine very well and–"

"And you wish to take the cure too?" he interrupted.

"No, not at all! I… want to use it on the person it was intended to be used on. Silas. I wouldn't be asking you unless it was important."

"Of course. I do know where Katherine is, but I need you to come alone and make sure neither of my little brothers follow you. Will you promise me that?"

"Yes, I promise. You have my word on it. Could you text me the location?"

I eyed my brothers in the other room suspiciously and briefly wondered if they were another one of Silas' illusions.

After hanging up on Elijah, he texted me the location and I snuck out, heading out to the town where he and Katherine currently resided.

Kol had been quite blunt about what happened between Katherine and Elijah, revealing that the pair fell in love once and that Elijah still might have feelings for her.

If so, then he might be concealing Katherine's whereabouts and protecting her now.

The long drive took hours and I nearly got lost a few times, because of my horrible sense of location and the unnerving sensation of being followed.

I'd tried getting in contact with Kol again and was sent a text message from him in the early evening, telling me that he was going to kill Klaus.

Hopefully, Elijah wasn't sending me on a wild goose chase too, because I never wanted any trouble with him when he'd been so sweet towards me in the past.

He wanted to meet up with me in a park in an idyllic-looking town, so once I was positive I wasn't being followed, I went to the park and waited on a bench.

The sun was nearly gone and the night sky was beginning to show, casting a dim light over the serene town.

It reminded me of the time before vampires came to Mystic Falls and disrupted the peace.

"Why would you get involved in this… toggle of war, Miss Dawson?" Elijah asked, suddenly sitting next to me.

His presence didn't startle me, because I was beginning to get used to vampires and Originals sneaking up on me.

"I'm scared," I admitted honestly. "I don't know who scares me most – my grandfather or Silas.

He gazed curiously at me as if he was expecting to see any sign of having bad intentions, but I didn't mind it.

I would be suspicious too.

"The news of your grandfather's organization of sorts have crossed my path. He seems like a rather unnaturally sinister person. Kol told me you've met Silas…?"

I nodded to confirm his suspicion and sighed. "He plays tricks with your mind. I fear he'll be a big threat towards us if we don't use the cure on him and kill him."

"Doing that – even with the cure – would be difficult for you and Kol. My sister is a danger to be reckoned with and will stop at nothing to become human."

"I know. And Katherine wants to bargain her freedom with Klaus with the cure… I assume, you'll be the middleman?"

Elijah neither confirmed nor denied it verbally, but I could tell that I was right.

"Klaus will most likely want to use the cure on Elena once he gets it. That way he'll be able to make more hybrids. You wish to use it on Silas… Are you certain he is here and will be a threat?"

"Yes, I'm positive. Kol believes that he's incredibly dangerous and wouldn't fear him as much as he does if the tales about him were all fictional."

"You trust my brother a lot – despite everything he put you through in the beginning of your… relationship with him."

"I do. He's an ass, but he's not dumb."

Elijah nodded in agreement and rose from his seat, smoothing down the jacket of his fine suit. "I'm afraid I cannot hand you the cure yet, but I will help you stopping Silas. There is something… personal I need you to do for me, though."

I raised a brow and sensed someone watching us, turning my head to find Elena- no, not Elena but someone who looked exactly like her staring at us.

Her hair hung in wavy curls and she dressed in a more flattering manner, showing off her curves and other physical attributes.

Katherine Pierce.

"Your relationship with Kol has grown rather serious over the months and I know from past experiences that Kol rarely falls in love. If he does anything to push you away purposely, it's simply because he's worried you'll break his heart. Do not let him break yours first."

I nodded understandingly and watched him approaching Katherine, vanishing with her as the sun finally set over the horizon.

I remained seated on the bench and tried wrapping my head around everything that had happened lately – between Kol and I.

Kol had definitely been acting strangely lately and pushing my buttons on purpose.

I decided to call him again and fortunately he answered this time, however, I could tell he was somewhere crowded – perhaps at the Grill.

"Did you leave me as revenge for what I did?" he asked immediately.

"No, I had some… errands," I lied, mimicking his excuses. "I won't be back until tomorrow. I love you, Kol."

He fell silent and the line was quiet for several minutes. "I love you too, Bethany. Mind telling me where you are?"

The concern in his voice was evident and monumental, leaving me with an ache in my heart.

"Close to Elijah. I'm safe, so there's no need to worry."

He laughed softly and sipped whatever he was drinking. "Me? Worried? Never!"

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