A/N: Hellooooo, I'm sorry about the lateness again. My second term of college started, so I've been occupied.

Thanks for the reviews! ;)

~~ Enjoy!

Chapter 38:

Sleeping soundly, I discovered Kol on the couch in his library with two empty bottles of hard liquor standing on the coffee table next to him.

From what I'd gathered as I returned home to Mystic Falls, then he spent the entire day and night drinking himself to the point that he'd passed out cold.

I cleared the table of the empty bottles and glasses while he continued sleeping, recollecting my brief meeting with Katherine Pierce before I went home.

"The vampire with an uncanny ability to elope Death… I thought you'd be more intimidating," Katherine said as she stood by my table in a diner. "We haven't officially met. I'm Katherine."

I'd rolled my eyes and ignored her presence at first, because I'd heard plenty of things about her as well and she was no angel.

When she sat down at my table, I finally glanced up at her from my cell phone and noticed that she was watching me intently.

"Expecting a call from Kol Mikaelson? Rumors have it that you tamed the wild and reckless Original. I don't know whether to find that pathetic or impressive."

"Did you solely come here to insult me, because I really don't give a shit…"

She raised a brow and smirked mischievously. "No, I came to talk with you. As much as I love Elijah, then I doubt he'll be able to stop his sister from getting the cure. That's why I've decided to give it to you."

"Me? But… why? It's your ticket to freedom." She was up to something. I could sense it.

"Yes, and I need someone from the outside. I have a very long history with Elena and her silly friends. You, on the other hand, is unnoticeable and unimportant. Bring it to Mystic Falls and give it to Klaus in exchange for my freedom and I'll owe you a favor."

The cure… I never imagined I would be returning with it in my pocket and now that I finally had it, the temptation to take it started creeping into my mind.

But although taking the cure would solve my family drama, then I couldn't go back to being human.

Once I'd cleaned the library, I approached Kol again and slapped him gently on his right cheek, trying to wake him up from his deep slumber.

"Kol? Wake up, baby," I said softly.

His eyes suddenly fluttered open and as he noticed me, a look of bewilderment passed over his face as if something was wrong.

"I'm sorry I came back late. I had some things I needed to deal with first."

I smiled weakly and leaned down to kiss him, feeling him turn rigid temporarily before forcefully invading my mouth with his tongue.

His hands went straight for my breasts and it was obvious that pure lust was on his mind, so I pulled back quickly and stared at him.

"Jesus, what's up with you? I was only gone for one and a half day."

Sitting up, he ran his fingers through his hair in a flirtatious manner and winked, wearing the old smug smirk he wore when we first started getting to know one another.

"What's up with me? You're the one randomly kissing me even though we've just met. Or have we met before? Wait, how drunk was I last night?"

He glanced around and grimaced when he noticed his clothes were still on his body.

"Hmm, I definitely didn't get laid. That's a surprise."

"Are you still drunk or something?" I asked, growing more and more confused by his behavior.

"No, hungover maybe, but I'll need a drink to get drunk again. What's your name again, love?" he answered, grinning from ear to ear.

Umm… what. Had he lost his memory?

"You don't remember me? I'm your girlfriend!" I was beginning to grow worried and frightened of what had happened after I hung up on him.

Kol burst out laughing all of a sudden and kept laughing for several minutes until he noticed the serious expression on my face.

"Oh, wait… are you serious? You have got to be joking! I'm Kol Mikaelson. I do not date," he said and rose from the couch. "Now, unless you're going to undress and spread your pretty little legs for me, I'm going out. I'm hungry."

He vanished when I remained quiet and I stood still for a moment, attempting to comprehend what occurred a few minutes earlier.

Either Kol was playing a sick and twisted joke on me or someone had wiped his memory of me.

I couldn't find Kol anywhere in the mansion, so I decided to interrupt Klaus in the middle of his current work of art.

"We need to talk," I said, watching him move his paintbrush effortlessly. "Your brother's lost his memory."

"I know," he replied casually and smirked darkly. "He came home wasted and blabbered something about coming home without any pretty women."

"And you're not the least bit concerned about that?"

Klaus shrugged. "He remembers me. What do I care if he doesn't remember his girlfriend?"

"You should care, because someone powerful obviously did it to him!" I was tempted into slapping him, but I remembered that I carried the cure on me.

Klaus didn't deserve it and I didn't have time to argue with him.

I stormed out of the room and decided to head into town, going from bar to bar to find my lost boyfriend before he did something stupid.

Kol was back in the Grill and chatting up some woman at the bar, so I walked straight up to them and compelled her to leave.

"For a crazy woman, you sure are… well, crazy," he commented, rolling his eyes. "Now my breakfast left!"

"Well, tough shit. I don't know what happened to you, but I am your girlfriend and–"

"Did I turn you once? You must be sired to me or something, because I'm pretty sure I said I don't date. Dating is for… weak-minded people."

His words hurt me like daggers in my heart.

How could he simply forget everything when he'd spent months being in love with me?

"If that's the case, then why do I have this?" I asked, showing him the necklace he gave me. "You gave me that on my 18th birthday when I was still human."

Kol gazed at the key and read the words on it, a playful smirk forming on his lips. "That's cute. Now scram before I lose my patience."

I refused to give up on Kol so easily when I'd fallen so hard for him, so I decided to draw his attention in another way.

"You know what? I must've been mistaken. You clearly aren't the handsome, brave and delectable man I enjoy having fun with."

I flashed him a mischievous smile and turned on my heels, walking away from him without looking over my shoulder.

I heard Kol leaving his chair and sensed him following me out into the alley behind the Grill, because he never was able to stand being undermined.

If I couldn't make Kol remember, I would make him fall for me all over again.

Without a warning, Kol suddenly pinned me against a wall and stood before me, staring into my eyes with curiosity and suspicion.

"Who are you?" he asked, his eyes wandering over every inch of my body.

"I'd say an old friend, but we all know you don't have friends," I retorted, pushing him away from me. "My name is Beth."

He didn't seem to recognize my name and watched me for a moment, then held up a small container with blood inside it.

The cure.

I instinctively checked my pocket and realized he'd snatched it while I was distracted.

"What might this be and why are you carrying it around?" he asked, examining it playfully.

He dropped it on purpose and noticed the brief look of horror on my face just before he caught it again with ease.

"Judging on the way you behaved, I'd say it's quite valuable…"

"Kol, hand it back to me. I need it," I said firmly, knowing he'd cause trouble. "It's… important, yes."

He grinned mischievously and circled me as he examined the cure more thoroughly, having clearly forgotten everything about our hunt for it as well.

"There's a liquid inside it… what is it? No, don't tell me. I'd rather find out for myself. Drink it." Kol stopped dead in his tracks in front of me and offered it to me.

Drink the cure? I attempted remaining calm and composed, reaching out to grasp the cure, but he stepped back and laughed mockingly.

"You couldn't dream of drinking this. I see the disgust in your eyes. I assume it's a poison of sorts… or at least deadly to vampires. Werewolf venom?"

I remained silent and watched him opening the container, moving it to his lips as if to drink it.

Panicking, I swiftly grasped his wrist and stopped him, knowing that if he became human I wouldn't be able to live with him forever.

Kol noticed the panic in my eyes and raised a brow, pulling his hand out of my grasp. "Not werewolf venom… I think I'll hold on to this for a while."

Vanishing from my sight, I was left on my own and minus one cure I was supposed to give to Klaus in exchange for Katherine's freedom and help.

If I did this, she would help me stop my grandfather and I'd have one less problem to worry about.

This power struggle was driving me mad and I knew that if I didn't side with the right person, I would end up losing everyone I loved.

I couldn't allow Kol to destroy the one thing that would ensure our safety.

Chasing Kol through Mystic Falls would be exhausting and pointless, so instead I returned to the Grill and decided to have a drink.

He would come to me when he grew bored of staring at the cure and had nothing to do.

I'd spent enough time with Kol to know how his mind worked.

Halfway into my first drink, I sensed the presence of the person I least wanted to talk to right now and this time he'd taken the form of Liam.

"It's fun digging through your memories…" Silas said. "And the memories of your ancestors. Did you like what I did to Kol?"

I clenched my fist and scowled angrily at him.

"You asshole. You think wiping Kol's memory of me is going to make me give you the cure?" I asked, gulping down the rest of my drink.

"No, I think that wiping Kol's memory of you will be very beneficial to you. He really does love to cause trouble and changed your life."

Silas ordered a drink and leaned close to me, a playful smirk covering his lips. "You truly do look like her, you know. I'm surprised Kol hasn't mentioned it."

"Look like who? Aida?" I frowned and resisted the urge to rip his head off right now and here.

"Not Aida, no, but definitely someone who looks like her."

"A twin? Aida had a twin sister?" Kol never mentioned that, but judging from the way Silas spoke about her, I felt like my suspicions were right.

"You could say that. She was… like a shadow. Hiding in the darkness, always keeping to herself…"

"How do you know this? You've been entombed for over 2000 years. Nothing you say makes sense and I'm starting to question your sanity."

I slipped off my chair and went to leave him at the bar, but he grasped my wrist and pulled me back again, tightening his grip further.

"I never said Aida had a living sister. Spirits visit me, Bethany. They come and go and tell you all sorts of stuff about the past. Her name is Frída. She loathed her sister throughout her entire life and did everything she could to destroy her."

"Why? Because Aida did something to her? Did she kill her?"

Silas fell silent and gazed at someone in the far distance. When I turned to look who he was gazing at and saw no one, he vanished from my side.

Even though I loathed him, then he'd given me some insight to my troubled family history and a few answers to my questions.

There was more to Aida's past than I originally believed – things that didn't involve Kol at all.

Enjoying two more drinks with myself, I finally left the Grill and decided to go home, reflecting upon everything that'd happened recently.

Silas, Kol, the secrets, my family… It was all too much and I wished that I could elope all of my problems, because I didn't seem to have anything under control.

Both of my parents were home, though, so I decided to spend some time with them to get my mind off my worries.

"You've grown so much since Kol entered your life…" Dad said as I sat with him in the living room.

"Is that a bad thing?" I asked worriedly, gazing at him.

He shook his head and wrapped his arm around me, pulling me close to him. "Despite everything… what he is and what you've become, then I think it did you well. You're mature, wise and strong."

A faint smile formed on my lips and I rested my head on his shoulder. "What do you think I should do, Dad? I'm so… confused and lost. Not to mention, I screwed up my chance at getting out of this messy situation."

"You'll figure out what to do. But just don't lose sight of your enemies. They strike when you least expect it and when you're at your weakest."

"Don't frighten her, honey," Mom said, entering the living room. "I have good news. I spoke with my family and it's only few, who actually follow my father now. They… prefer staying away from him now that he's a vampire."

"Sadly, that doesn't reassure me that much. He still wants me dead."

"It does matter. That means that his power is fading and once it does, he'll hide. His reputation has already been damaged immensely. Most of the family is appalled by his actions towards you – especially, after how they heard you saved his life. You've changed their view of vampires, Beth."

I couldn't believe that my actions would have such an effect on a family full of hardcore vampire hunters, but it did… and it gave me hope.

"Where are Danny and Mark?" I hadn't spoken to them much this week and knew they were busy.

"Danny's trying to convince your grandfather's former followers into helping us and Mark is working on a plan to keep you safe permanently. Although, we come from a family of hunters, we do have connections with witches. Some are willing to help."

I yawned and realized how late it was, so I thanked my mother for everything she'd done for me and retired to my bedroom.

It'd been a tiring and long day for me.

I wished to sleep in my own bed and forget about–

"I've been invited into your home once… intriguing," Kol said, standing by my dresser and looking through my things. "I thought about what you said and the way you behaved. You love me."

My heart felt like it stopped at that moment and I dreaded what he would do or how he would act.

"I do. I have for a long while," I said, sighing and sitting down on my bed. "But it's pointless. You don't remember me. A powerful enemy of ours wiped your memory."

"Why?" He closed the dresser and turned to me, a serious expression on his face.

"Who knows? He's full of secrets and will do anything to get the cure. That's what you took. The only cure to vampirism."

Kol pulled out the cure from his pocket and set it on the dresser beside him. "This… cures vampirism?"

I nodded and chewed nervously on my bottom lip. "I need it. Many people want it and some want it for the wrong reasons."

He raised a brow and approached me slowly. "Kol Mikaelson… in love with a common girl. Sounds ludicrous in my ears. Beyond laughable actually."

"Then why are you here? Why follow me home and come here?"

"I came because I found this in my bedroom…" He pulled something else out of his pocket – a small, velvet red box with a beautiful and ornate diamond ring inside it. "It has your name engraved on the inside. I don't believe in coincidences nor that you're lying."

I gasped in shock at the sight of the ring and didn't know what to say or how to behave, because I never imagined Kol would actually want to marry me so soon.

But it did explain why he'd been behaving so weirdly lately and why he pushed me away.

"I assume I would've proposed to you in a more… extravagant way, but seeing as I clearly remember nothing, I'll make it simple. Will you marry me, Bethany?"

Oh my God.

Thanks for reading and please review!