Hello, my lovely readers. Caroline returns to Mystic Falls, and her friends, while Kol tests Bonnie's loyalty to him. On with the show...
Chapter 15: The Rumors of My Death Are Greatly Exaggerated
There had to be a plan. Caroline Forbes had spent a good portion of the ride back to Mystic Falls, working through the kinks of said plan. Or, she meant to work through the kinks. People, in general, are unpredictable. There were too many unknown variables to create a plan that would suit all scenarios. And any of these unknowns could ruin the entire plan. However, Caroline had faith-which felt ironic given what she'd just learned about what she was. She had faith in herself. She would fight-to her last breath, if necessary-to survive what was to come, and to save her loved ones. She just hoped they felt the same way about her...
Pushing the double doors of the Mystic Falls High Library open; Caroline marched forward with a smile. With any luck, her friends missed her half as much as she missed them, and she missed them, a lot. Turning the corner, she took in the sight of her little group. Alaric stood, with a book open in one hand. His eyes drifted over a page. Tyler's face was lit by the glow of a laptop as he typed away at one of the tables. Bonnie was sitting, cross-legged, less than a foot to Tyler's left. The witch seemed to be meditating. Probably something she picked up from Freya. And Hayley sat on the counter, wolfing down some kind of bar. Smelled like granola.
"Did anyone miss me?" Caroline called as Hayley glanced her way. Bonnie's eyes popped open, a small smile appearing on her lips, her green eyes sparkling. Alaric dropped his book while Tyler jumped to his feet.
"Caroline!" Alaric moved to step over the book while Bonnie eased herself off the table and Tyler pushed his chair back. It was a race to get to Caroline. But Hayley beat all of them. Leaping off the counter, the younger slayer threw her arms around a shocked Caroline. Caroline stated at Bonnie with wide eyes, patting Hayley on the back.
Seconds after Hayley's unexpected greeting, the baby slayer edged back. Her head was down. Her dark waves fell over her face, covering her expression until she brushed them back and raised her eyes to meet Caroline's. Hayley was not smiling as she stared at Caroline. Caroline thought she even saw a hint of anger in the girl's round eyes. "I thought you weren't coming back..." Hayley's tone had more than a little reproach in it. Yup. The kid was unhappy with Caroline's disappearing act.
"Well, I'm back now." Caroline beamed and the side of Hayley's mouth jerked upward into a half-smile, but there was still some distrust there. Looked like the girl did not take abandonment well. Good to know.
Hayley hopped back on the counter, and attacked what was left of her granola bar, chewing it with vigor. This gave Bonnie an opportunity to come forward. She stopped a few inches from Caroline. The witch's eyes moved over Caroline, apparently assessing Caroline for injury. "You're okay?" Bonnie's tone was quiet.
"I'm okay. Promise." Caroline held out her arms and Bonnie crossed the space, hugging Caroline. Caroline felt happy. She hated being away from Bonnie this long. One day, their paths might move in separate directions, but until that day, Caroline liked to think they were inseparable.
Caroline was the first to pull back. "You're okay, too?" She meant in a non-physical harm coming to a person kind of way. "Nothing crazy happened while I was gone?" One of Caroline's worst nightmare had been that The Council would show up and begin to badger her friends. Thankfully, Kol, and Freya, had been out-of-town, which limited the types of chaos that could rain down on Bonnie's head.
Bonnie shook her head, smiling. "No. Everything has been shockingly quiet on our end. Sure, we had to stake a few vamps. Well, Hayley had to stake a few vamps. But we were there. Not getting tossed around like bowling pins." Bonnie shook her head slowly and Caroline laughed before Bonnie grinned. It took them a a moment to become serious again. "Nothing unusual happened, here." Something about the way Bonnie said these words made the little hairs on the back of Caroline's neck rise. "Nothing unusual?" Uh-huh?
Before Caroline could question what Bonnie was trying to convey, the witch turned away and pulled out a chair at a nearby table. She took a seat and stared at Alaric who seemed to be lost in thought. This left an opening for Tyler to march over and grab Caroline. He lifted her off her feet, causing her to laugh. "Care, we missed you!" he said, shaking her before setting her back down.
"I missed you, too." Caroline patted Tyler on the arm.
"You didn't call! You didn't write!" Tyler gave Caroline a mock-angry look, shaking his head and crossing his arms over his chest. We thought you might be livin' it up in some exciting town, leaving us, here, with Ric for protection!" He hooked a thumb at Alaric and rolled his brown eyes.
"Hey!" The history teacher came to and narrowed his eyes at the back of the wolf's head. "I am full of excitement and danger-defeating dering do!" He raised an index finger, trying to look heroic, and coming off as comical instead.
A scoff could be heard from Bonnie's chair. "Excitement?" she called. "Last time I need help with something, I found you asleep at your desk with a cup of decaf coffee." She exchanged knowing looks with Tyler.
Placing his hands on his hips, Alaric looked insulted. "I'm still in the slaying game." He paused and then added, "Just last week there was that vampire with the...the... Damn it... What was it?" He frowned, staring at a spot on the carpet.
"Hook. Jackass had a hook." Hayley said. "Thought I was going to end up needing plastic sugary when he tried to turn me into a fish on the end of that thing."
"Yes!" Alaric called his hands together. Then he tried to look more serious. "And I staked him. You know, before he could hook Hayley."
Tyler let out a laugh and everyone else turned to stare at him. "Sorry. It was funny. You had to be there."
"Well, I am sorry I missed Mr. Hook. Or was it a Captain Hook?" Caroline watched Bonnie shrug.
"He didn't strike me as very pirate-y. More land lubber." Tyler moved to lean against the table Bonnie sat at. "Hey, Hales, tell Caroline what happened the last time you needed a weapon from Ric."
Alaric raised both his hands. "Come on, guys! Everyone is entitled to an off day."
Hayley smirked. "I broke my crossbow. Thought I'd stop by Ric's, see if maybe he had a spare. Well, I get there. It's only eight in the evening-"
"Eight forty-five!" Ric added, pointing at Hayley who rolled her eyes.
"Ric had to get out of bed. He's going grandpa on us, Caroline." Hayley grinned at Ric.
Ric rolled his eyes and held up his hands. "Jo came back from a forty-eight hour shift. We watched a movie, and decided to make it an early night."
"No sex?" Tyler shook his head. "Man, I hate to see forty."
"I'm not forty!" Alaric shouted.
Caroline could not stop smiling. She'd missed all of this. And she felt so lucky to be home.
While Alaric ran a hand over his face and muttered to himself about teenagers being a bunch of jackasses; Tyler turned his attention back to Caroline. "Okay. Now, you have to tell us about all the dragons you were slaying while you were gone!" He seemed excited for a story, but Caroline did not feel ready to tell her friends any of her big news.
Turning, Caroline gave herself a moment to think while she hopped on the counter, next to Hayley. "No dragons. No slaying." Caroline bumped shoulders with Hayley. "Unlike some of us." Caroline shot Hayley a proud look who ducked her head, but could not hide her pleased expression. "Got more of those?" Caroline nodded at Hayley's granola wrapper, still clutched in the girl's fist.
"Yup." Hayley spun on the counter and dropped onto the other side. Caroline peered down as Hayley rifled through her bag. The girl had an extra T, a water bottle, extra granola bars, and a paperback copy of War and Peace in her bag. Now, Caroline had a conversation starter to kill any talk of where she was, or who she had been with, during her little impromptu vacay.
"Heavy reading. Didn't take you for a Russian girl." Caroline said as Hayley tossed Caroline two chocolate chip granola bars. "My fav!" Caroline enthused, tearing one open, and shoved half of it in her mouth.
"Who's Russian?" Tyler looked confused.
"Huh?" Bonnie stared at Caroline.
Hayley hopped back on the counter and spun to face them. "She meant my book." Glancing at Caroline, Hayley's brows furrowed. "You meant my book?" Caroline nodded swallowing.
"What are you reading?" Alaric inquired, looking interested.
"War and Peace." Hayley stared at her hands.
"We never had to read anything that hard for sophomore year," Caroline said, taking another bite of her bar.
Bonnie shrugged. "I read it. For fun."
Swallowing, Caroline rolled her eyes and smiled at Bonnie. "Some of us prefer to watch a film."
Bonnie gave Caroline a snarky smile in return. Hayley groaned. "There's a film. Elijah never told me there was a film?"
Now, Tyler jumped in. "Elijah told you to read that book? Ha! Someone has a crush on an Original!" Then he frowned. "What is it with those guys and taking all the women folk?"
Before Caroline could say anything, Hayley began to speak, far too quickly: "I have a term paper. And Elijah said the the teacher would be impressed. And I could not think of anything else!" She hopped off the counter, but Tyler wasn't done.
"First Caroline, with Klaus. Then Bon and Kol. Now, Elijah wants to play with our new slayer. How is this fair?"
"I have a crush on someone else!" Hayley cried. Then her cheeks turned pink as everyone stared at her. "Did anyone else hear the bell? Got to get to class! Bye!" She ran through the double doors and Caroline shook her head at Tyler.
"What?" Tyler asked, looking from Caroline to Bonnie who gave each other long looks.
Caroline hopped down. "We do have classes. And, I have an announcement, for after school. Reconvene in the woods outside of the Salvatores?" Alaric, Bonnie, and Tyler nodded. "Good. I will see you all then."
~0~
After school had ended, Caroline made her way across town. She did so on foot, all too aware of the possibility of running into Julian, or one of Julian's lackeys. That would be on of those unknown variables.
Luck seemed to be on Caroline's side as she entered the woods. She dropped her bag and pulled her hood down, looking up, and at the shining sun. Fat, blue clouds went by. For a moment, Caroline wondered if Klaus was looking at the same skyline. He should be there, soon. And she would have to tell her friends about their...re-connecting. And that was just one of her problems.
Eyes shifting to the empty Boarding House, Caroline hoped that Damon and Stefan were okay. In spite of how awkward things became between Stefan and Caroline; she harbored him no ill will. Honestly, she missed his friendship. Maybe, one day, they could work past the, well, past. Elena must be worried sick about Jeremy and Caroline felt like she should be helping, on that front, but she had her own mess to clean up before she could stop to clean up someone else's.
That is why Caroline stood in these woods, waiting for her people to show up. She did not have to wait long. Soon, Bonnie, Tyler, and Hayley came to join her. The baby slayer slid out of her jacket and dropped it to the ground, flopping down on top. Tyler set a bag from The Grill down. "Sandwiches. And sides."
"Drinks." Bonnie made her way over to Caroline who plucked a cup out of the tray. "Thank you," Caroline said, sipping a pop. She needed to wait for everyone to show.
"Onion rings!" Hayley said around a mouthful of burger. Tyler pulled out a container and handed it to Hayley.
"Don't hog them," Tyler admonished with a finger wave. Hayley rolled her eyes and accepted a drink from Bonnie. Tyler took a seat on a fallen tree and looked to Caroline. "So, what's up?"
Caroline inhaled. "We need to wait."
"For what?" Hayley asked, popping an onion ring into her mouth, eyeing Caroline.
Caroline opened her mouth to reply when two new figures came toward them. Elijah and Freya Mikaelson. "Epijah!" Hayley choked out, the word garbled by the food, and Tyler smirked at her as she chewed.
Bonnie turned and dropped the remaining drinks on the leaves at her feet. "Freya?" She gasped as Elijah sped toward her to relieve the younger witch of the drinks. He moved to the side and Bonnie began to walk forward.
Freya met Bonnie in the middle. "Where have you been?" Bonnie asked, looking Freya over.
"I had to help Niklaus with something. Do not worry. I will not be going anywhere for some time." Freya's hand went up and brushed Bonnie's cheek. Caroline suddenly felt like she was in the middle of a very private moment between the two witches. Lifting her cup, she sipped her drink, unable to look away as Bonnie wrapped her arms around Freya and Freya embraced the shorter witch, her nose pressed into Bonnie's hair. It felt like a very good thing that Kol had decided to leave with Klaus and Rebekah.
Alaric appeared. "Hey!" he called, Pausing to stare at Bonnie and Freya, and then looking away. Rolling her eyes, Caroline let out a loud cough, to gain everyone's attention. "Now, I know all of you came to enjoy take-out from The Grill, but I have an announcement to make." She waited for Bonnie and Freya to part and turn, to stare at Caroline. "I have decided to tell The Council about, well, me." She waited for reactions.
Tyler chewed an onion ring slowly, looking thoughtful. Bonnie's brows rose. Caroline thought her best friend would not look shocked if Caroline announced she was leaving to join NASA, and would be in a shuttle to the moon that weekend. Elijah frowned, also looking thoughtful.
Alaric was the first to break the silence. "No. No! Absolutely not!"
Caroline opened her mouth to reply, but Hayley added her thoughts, "Um!" She raised a hand and Caroline stared at the brunette as Hayley played with her drink cup. "Isn't the point of having a secret identity, to not tell people about it. You know, we don't know where 'Hey! I'm a Slayer! Ask me how!' T-s. So, shouldn't you, like, not tell them? 'Cause they might, I don't know...want to kill you...a lot..."
Freya was the next to speak. "Caroline, I agree with your protégé. This could be extremely dangerous..." Since Freya knew more about who, and what, Caroline is, Caroline had to admit that the Original did have a point.
Tyler waved a hand. "What would you tell them? I mean, you weren't planning on going in and saying: 'Hi! I'm Caroline! I used to slay for you, but now I'm fang-y, and have different nutritional needs. So, we're all still cool, right?" He ended this with a big smile like he was auditioning for a toothpaste commercial.
"NO!" Caroline shook her head. "I'm going to tell Julian that the coroner screwed up. Someone found me, and helped me, but I was afraid of what people would think, you know, since you thought I was dead; so I didn't just appear on my own doorstop the next day."
"You think Julian will believe you're human?" Hayley's sarcasm did little to help Caroline's dissipating good mood.
"Yes!" Caroline snapped.
Hayley looked at her burger. "You must think he's stupid," she muttered to her food.
Caroline made her way over to stand over Hayley, arms crossed over her chest. "Okay, my Julian expert, tell me, what is wrong with my plan?"
Pausing, Hayley chewed and held up a finger. She swallowed and said, "Well, Julian will test you. Because, he'll find it suspicious as hell that you came back from the dead."
"Not the first time." Caroline stared at Hayley.
Hayley nodded and tilted her head to the side. "I guess, it might work. Really. It's your funeral." She took another bite and Caroline turned to look at the others.
"This isn't really a discussion. This is my plan. Anyone who is worried, please, book a flight out of Dodge." Without another word, Caroline made her way towards the Salvatores' driveway. She needed a place to think, and she knew where Damon kept his spare key.
"Caroline." The sound of Elijah's voice made Caroline stop and turn to face him.
Folding her arms over her chest, Caroline stared at Elijah. "I hope you don't intend on talking me out of this. I've already made up my mind."
Elijah shook his head. "No. This concerns another matter."
"I'm listening." Caroline expected this to involve Klaus, but Elijah's word left a pit in her gut. "While you were away, I had time to speak with Hayley. It seems she has a practice of studying previous slayers. And she is aware of no other slayer being turned...until you, that is..."
"And..."
"And I fear her interest may yield some information that could prove dangerous, for you, in the wrong hands... Given what I have ascertained about the depth of Hayley's bond with Julian, I fear she may not be the right person to keep such information..." Elijah stared at Caroline, his expression unreadable.
"Thank you, Elijah." Caroline could hear the hollowness of her own voice.
"Of course." Elijah nodded. Then he was gone, leaving Caroline alone with her thoughts. It looked like Caroline needed to do her own research: on Hayley Marshall, before the girl became Caroline's closest enemy and the source of the end of Caroline's world.
~0~
Mystic Falls. Kol Mikaelson hated that he felt drawn to this town. And it had little to do with the town itself. It all had to do with a little witch who made his cold, dead heart beat a little faster whenever they were in the same room. He'd always known that Bonnie Bennett was pretty, abs powerful, two elements that always made a girl more attractive to Kol. However, he had no idea how intoxicating she would be once they were together, nor could he have anticipated the depths of passion she drove him to. He would kill for her, or because of her. Right now, he wanted to end his own blood because of her. And that was a funny thing in of itself because he'd always wanted to be closer to his siblings.
Freya. She wasn't truly one of them. Just some stray they'd found who had the same blood. But she never woke up in a coffin, thanks to Niklaus. She did not listen to Bekah drone on about her never ceasing list of suitors. She did not know how hard Elijah worked to not tear every human he encountered's head off their body while he adjusted his tie. And she had no idea how much Kol worshiped Bonnie. If she did, she would know what a grievous mistake it was to try to separate them. Bonnie was Kol's. The only person who had been his, not someone hw had to share with his family, not someone he had to fear would turn her back on him because one of his siblings told her to.
Walking up to the doors of the high school, Kol jerked one open and sped inside. He made his way to the gym. Inside, Bonnie stood, looking as lovely as the day they met in a short, black skirt and loose white top. Her eyes met his and Kol smirked. He heard her gasp of surprise when he scooped her up, hands wrapped around her thighs.
"Kol." Bonnie chuckled as he pressed her back into the wall behind them. His mouth opened and he teased her lips with his before turning hid head and kissing her like it was their first time, and their last. She moaned as he tugged her underwear off. Her hands went to his pants. They looked each other in the eye as he lifted her up. Her eyelids slid closed and she bit her lower lip as he took her hands, pushing them above her head.
They did not stop moving for two hours and Kol found a mat to lay Bonnie across; so she might sleep off the work-out. He lay down beside her, wrapping one arm around her waist and waited. Unfortunately, he would have to wake Bonnie from her slumber soon. The reason made him smirk, because he would finally have her to himself. A final test of loyalty. He knew Bonnie loved him. He just needed her to show him it was him she worried for the most. Kol. Not precious Freya. He would be chosen first, not last, for once.
~0~
Kol leaned on his elbow. He felt tempted to allow Bonnie to sleep. This moment reminded him of their summer together. Caroline had been vengeful. Klaus has been absent. Bekah had been amorous with Jeremy. While Kol had found himself relaxing into Bonnie Bennett's embraces. It had felt new, and exciting. Full of possibility. And he felt very much like the young man he'd once been, a lifetime ago.
Pressing his lips to Bonnie's arm, Kol ran his hand over her side. She mumbled nonsense in her sleep before turning her head to give him a dazed smile. "Hi," she said.
Mouth darting downward, Kol kissed Bonnie for a long time. He eased back up and smiled back. "Hello, darling."
"Um. I think I have to go home. Grams will wonder where I am." Bonnie did not seem to want to leave as she lay on her back, staring up at Kol and lifted a hand to run through his hair.
"We should." Kol nodded, taking her hand, and kissing her knuckles. "And then I can slip into your room, and your bed, like we did over the summer." He watched Bonnie laugh. She had such a lovely laugh.
"Sounds like a plan." Bonnie got up and made her way over to where her clothes had ended up. Kol watched her dress. When she was ready, he sped through the act of dressing. They locked hands and made their way out of the gym. Kol led the way to his car and opened the door, waiting for Bonnie to get inside. He knew they had little time before the drama would unfold and he could not change his mind at this point.
As if to emphasize what he already knew, his phone went off, and Kol checked it, to be sure. Yes. The plan was in motion. All they had to do was arrive on time.
The streets of Mystic Falls were quiet as Kol drove along. He turned a corner. His body tensed as a truck plowed into they side of a car. The car rolled over and Bonnie grabbed Kol's arm. "Stop! We have to help them!" she cried.
Kol pressed his foot to the brake as a woman freed herself from the car and two men with guns got out of the truck. Getting out of his car, Kol saw Bonnie raising her hands, "Phesmatos-" She began to say when the men's words filled the air.
"By orders of The Hunter's Council!" One of them said as the woman turned to face her attackers.
Bonnie let our a cry. "Freya!" Then she was running towards Freya. "Leave her alone!" She shouted and raised her hands, again, "Phesmatos, flecto!" Her hands bent and so did the men's weapons. Her hands rose, "Dissulto!" she cried with intensity and the two men went flying through the air, and away from Freya.
Freya turned to Bonnie before she collapsed to the ground, shaking. "Freya!" Bonnie ran to wrap her arms around Freya. "Hey! Hey! Look at me! Freya! Stay awake!" Patting Freya's cheek, Bonnie did not note the truck starting up.
"The driver," Freya moaned, eyes moving to the truck that sped towards them. Bonnie did not have time to act.
Kol sped in front of the truck. The impact would have killed a human. Good thing Kol was not one as he sailed through the air. He felt the hard pavement and his several bones broke as he fell. But he was up in seconds. Speeding to the truck, he removed the driver. The driver seemed dazed and confused from where the impact with Kol had made the vehicle come to a sudden stop, as if it had met a brick wall. Fangs popping out, Kol bit into the driver's throat without mercy. He tossed the man aside seconds later as the other two idiots he'd compelled into thinking themselves Council members withdrew weapons, trying to get to the witches. Hands gripping necks, Kol twisted, and the men fell to the ground, dead.
"Kol, I need to... I needed to question them..." Freya said, blood trickling from her head and down her cheek. "Oh, I'm so tired..."
"Don't you dare go to sleep!" Bonnie shouted, holding onto Freya. Terror was writ large on Bonnie's face. "Kol, help me with her. We need to get her to my Grams. She can help us." Her eyes went to Kol and Kol felt malice course through him. And still, he found himself scooping his sister into his arms. He carried the blonde back to his car, laying her across the backseat. Bonnie got in with Freya. She placed the older witch's head in her lap, stroking Freya's cheek, and leaned over her, whispering to Freya that she would be alright.
With a heavy heart, Kol got behind his wheel. He drove to Shelia Bennett's house. She stood on the sidewalk, holding a sweater around her neck, a frown on her face. "Bring her in," Shelia directed Kol through the house and to Bonnie's bedroom. He laid his sister down as Bonnie sat by her side. He moved to lean against her wall as her Grams went back and forth, to heal his sister.
When Shelia was done, she sat with Freya as Bonnie walked Kol downstairs. He could see, already, that her mind was on his sister, a haunted look on her face as she led him to the door. "I'll call you," Bonnie said. She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. He left the house and she closed the door behind him. He stood for a long moment, listening to Bonnie race to Freya's side. He closed his eyes and gritted his teeth, his hand going to the door. It clenched into a fist. His eyes rose, and he let out a quiet laugh. Kol Mikaelson reduced to this. What a sad, irony. Turning, he sped off, and into the night.
Thank you for reading, faving, following, and reviewing. :)
Be safe,
-J