I Do Not Own Vampire Diaries/The Originals/Legacies

Klaus walked into his house to see his brother chatting with the witches while he was playing with a candle flame casually. It was different, to see Kol like this. Hayley shoved the groceries at him and beelined for Kol, Davina and the Bennett witch. Left with groceries he walked to the kitchen and heard the baby vampire behind him with her own arm load of groceries.

"Um…" he heard Caroline pipe up and turned to look at her. He hadn't spoken to her since her arrival because he had been consumed by worry for his brother and if he was going to perish now that he was human. Kol would have been suspicious though if he hovered over him and a suspicious Kol was one no one ever got close to.

"I apologize for my rudeness, I am not ignoring you," he assured her as he started unpacking the groceries.

"No, you must have a lot on your mind," she said timidly.

"I do," he admitted. His brother was now very mortal, and there were enemies who would attack Kol in his vulnerable state and the mere thought was intolerable to Klaus. Kol was his baby brother, and while his brother had always been wildly independent, as a human he was notorious for finding trouble.

"Do you… do you want to talk about it?" she asked carefully.

"About what, sweetheart?"

"Whatever's on your mind," Caroline said with a smile. "My mom and I talk all the time when something's bothering me, and it helps!"

"My younger, thrill seeking, Valkyrie flirting brother is now mortal, there is not much to talk about," he muttered.

"Kol?"

"I do not have another younger brother!"

"Oh… I thought… you know with how you and Elijah are that you were…?"

No, I am not the elder of Elijah and I. The order was Finn, Elijah, myself, Kol, Rebekah, and Henrick," he mused.

"Oh!" she nodded. "I guess you could be a middle child," she said uncertainly.

"You speak as an only child," he chuckled.

"I am an only child, but you know that," she pointed out as she handed him items for the freezer.

"I did, sweetheart," he chuckled. "I may not always like my siblings, love, but I do always love them and worry about them."

"Sounds difficult."

"It is. Kol was always the most wildly, independent, stubborn one of us, normally families in my time would stay together, but at the age of thirteen he left, made a life for himself, learned his craft, ran a farm, he was particularly good at it," Klaus chuckled. He remembered his younger brother being so proud of himself for his first successful and profitable crop. Granted, Klaus suspected his brother had used his witch nature to keep his plants and crops flourishing. Kol's connection to magic had always dwarfed their mother's. "Our father thought magic to be woman's work, he was particularly frustrated when Kol was a witch, and a prodigal one."

"Your father was a dick."

Klaus snorted in amusement. "Kol figured out how to use his magic and combat, which he excelled at, making him father's favorite pupil, and the village's favorite warrior to be, then he figured out how to make a flourishing farm, he was also a skilled sailor and navigator, his independence though made him an oddity."

"How so?"

"While our people prized independence in young children and did treat us as adults from about seven onwards, Kol made it his mission to be the best, or most independent. When he was a vampire, I did not have to worry about his reckless nature because he was indestructible, now… he is mortal and fragile, again."

"Awe, you care!" Caroline giggled.

"Of course I care! He's my brother!"

"I just… you never care, at least not openly," Caroline sighed. "And it's okay to worry about him," she promised.

Klaus said nothing to her claim because he disagreed. He didn't want his siblings' mortal; he didn't want to have to worry. He loved them all; except Finn, but Finn was an arse and dead. Finn had been their third biggest bully as humans, and when they had been turned into vampires, he had tried to take over their existence. Thank the gods for Elijah just being more reasonable and appealing to anyone with half a brain; and Bekah and Kol had more than half a brain.

"You never talk about your siblings, at least, not without scorn or distaste."

"I disliked Finn, but I do love Elijah, Kol and Rebekah," he stated firmly. He had loved Henrik dearly too and been genuinely excited for Henrick's wedding. He always regretted that he had let his brother sneak out with him to see the wolves turning. It was truly his greatest regret of his life.

"Well, I'll help you keep him safe," she promised. "Bonnie invited me into their witch lair!"

"I appreciate the sentiments, darling," he chuckled as they finished packing away the groceries. "But he probably won't permit that."

"He won't have to know."

"He'll figure it out and being the wily, cagey fox he is, he'll slip our grasp and disappear where we'll never find him," Klaus stated knowingly.

"I am starving!" Kol announced appearing then. "What have we got to eat!" he demanded.

"I made them pick up steak!" Hayley appeared behind Kol.

"Oooo! I want to season! Spice is needed!" Davina declared as she ran for the fridge.

Klaus was amused seeing his younger brother casually summoning things to himself and turning on the stove fire without touching things. It was funny to see Kol as he always was, but with his magic in this era.

"Stop that, you're going to set the house on fire!" Davina ordered as she put out everything.

Kol snickered.

"You used to be more responsible," Klaus chided.

"It's been a thousand years, so much debauchery to catch up on!" Kol declared as he smiled that wily smile that usually warned everyone of Kol's schemes three seconds before they were unleashed. "And the best part, you can't dagger me!"

Caroline chuckled as she watched Kol and Davina move around the kitchen cooking and fending the other off of food. It seemed so normal and entertaining that she didn't know how to take it.

"How are you, Bon?" Caroline asked as her friend came to stand beside her.

"I'm good," she admitted. "It feels… good."

"How so?" Caroline asked.

"If Davina was a warm flame, Kol's a storm, and it feels… it's powerful to connect with them, but when I do, I feel… connected and free. I guess that's what a coven feels like."

"That's good, I'm happy you're making witchy friends," Caroline chuckled.

"Hard to think that earlier this month we were plotting to kill Kol to complete Jer's mark so we could get the cure for Elena," Bonnie sighed. "Now he's a friend, we're not at war with the Mikaelsons, and I'm reconnected to magic. It kind of makes you wonder what would've happened if we had succeeded with Shane's plan."

"I don't know… I haven't really thought about it," she shrugged.

"I kind of do, but I don't," Bonnie confessed.

"It is cool to know the all-powerful, intimidating Mikaelsons are somewhat normal though," Caroline giggled as she watched Kol and Davina use magic to shove Klaus out of the kitchen. Hayley stole Davina's coffee then which had the younger witch balking. Caroline stifled a laugh as the wolf downed the last of it in one throw back.

"It's different, they're still scary and dangerous, but they aren't that bad, I guess. I'm totally going to get Kol and Davina to join my coven," she stated smugly.

"You have a coven?"

"I will!" she grinned.

Caroline laughed at Bonnie's glee and persistence in the matter and smiled as she watched Klaus reappear to annoy Kol. Klaus reappeared near her as he held a wine glass and sipped it.

"What was it like?" she asked.

"What?" he raised a brow at her then.

"When you were human," she clarified as Kol used his magic to cook.

"When I was human it was very different from this," Klaus admitted softly. "As I've said, Kol was independent, determined to break the mold and be his own man. Our father trained us daily, it was brutal, and when we did not train, we worked the farm."

"You guys were farmers?"

"What you call Vikings was an occupation, one which I participated in, as did my brothers. But our people were farmers, love, we travelled to find fertile land, our father had found it in your Mystic Falls, he had gone further south than most of our other people, but he wanted to give us our best chance. The Old World was not a place to thrive, which is how we came here."

"If you were Vikings… were you married?" she asked.

Klaus snorted then. "No, we were an oddity in our village because we were so old and unwed with no betrothals arrange. Our mother was firmly against any of us marrying or siring children, and we were so busy we had no time to dwell upon it. Finn did not marry because he desired to appease mother, but he did have thralls of that nature, infertile though by mother's doing. Elijah probably would've married, he had a love in our village, he loved her son like he was his own as well. Bekah desired to marry, but father was seeking a powerful landowner in what is called Iceland, to wed her, mother was against the union, but it would bring her security and wealth as well as a level of comfort. Kol was… Kol, many women desired him, but he was uninterested in marriage. Henrik was to marry, before his death, his wedding was to be the following fortnight. He had paid the Bride's Price with money Kol had lent him, and Kol had arranged the union, the girl was from the local tribes."

"Kol arranged it?"

"Kol was an independent male of our family, he had power to make contracts on behalf of one of us, especially if our father was neglecting the duty. Bekah tried to get him to find her a suitor, he probably would have in time," Klaus shrugged.

"Why not you?"

"Elijah and I had remained with our parents, it wasn't uncommon in that age, it was actually encouraged, it made life easier if it was more…communal, Elijah and I were able to split running the farm and the village, as well as trade goods, while keeping an eye on Bekah and keeping her safe from our mother. Henrik was determined to marry his girl, and because Elijah and I did not live elsewhere, he went to Kol. Kol was happy to help Henrik out, and Kol spoke the tribal languages of the area, making trade easier."

"Tribes, as in Native American Tribes?"

"Yes."

"What about you? Did you have a love?" Caroline asked innocently.

He snorted but smiled. "No."

She was now extremely curious about why he was smiling like that and wanted to pry, but she wouldn't as she thought about her next question.

"Your brother Finn, you said he had thralls?" Caroline asked.

"I believe the term today would be slaves," he remarked. "And they were of sexual gratification for our brother, he particularly liked that aspect of our culture."

"That's disgusting," Caroline grimaced.

"It was bloody expensive, do you know how much it would cost to keep them alive in that day in age, far cheaper to be without," he decided.

"That's weird," Caroline informed him.

"What is?"

"Discussing slaves like cattle or something."

"It's all about economics, sweetheart, slavery is nothing new in human society," he shrugged. "In today's world it's uncivilized, but in the world I was born in, it was quite normal practice. My father owned a few to help with the farm, he even had a freeman back in the Old World," Klaus shrugged.

"Humans aren't property," she stated.

"Different times, sweetheart, in a hundred years it might be normal again, who knows," he shrugged. "Personally, I never liked the practice."

"No, you just like compelling everyone," she snorted.

"More economical that way," he retorted dryly.

Rebekah gave up staying behind. She didn't care what the Mystic Falls group did, she just… her brothers were in Boston and she was going to Boston. That was the only firm decision she had had about nine hours ago when she had left Nik's house.

Now she was standing on the stoop of a different family home and shivered a bit in uncertainty before she knocked. The door was opened by Elijah.

"I thought I told you to remain in Mystic Falls," he stated.

"Oh please, as if I'd listen to you," she snorted as she brushed past him, pausing long enough to hang up her coat and bag. She followed the laughter to the living room and saw Kol, Hayley, Davina, and Marcel all there, along with the Bennett witch and the little bit of sunshine who had her older brother tripping over his feet whenever she was in the room.

"Bex!" Kol was up and her eyes widened as she caught the sound in his chest.

"It's…" she started.

Kol walked up to her and before she really registered what he was doing, she was wrapped up against her big brother's chest. His hand tangled in her hair, and he curled around her like he did when she needed comfort or protection. Kol was so big he had a way of making himself feel like a shield between her and the world.

"I'm sorry," he murmured.

She burst into tears as she sagged against him. Kol didn't stagger or stumble though as she gripped his shirt and sobbed. He hummed a bit, as he held her tight. It was like when she was a girl, and she would run to Kol to cry about their mother's temper or latest ridicule about her lack of skills or her most recent heartbreak at a thwarted courting attempt.

"I'm happy for you," she promised between gasping breaths.

"I'm sorry," he murmured again as he kissed the top of her head.

"I am," she promised as she hid against his chest and listened to that sound, she hadn't heard in a thousand years. It was the same, slow, steady, strong rhythm she remembered from her human years. She had listened to this heart more times than she cared to remember, had relied on him to help her make it better, or relied on him to fix the problem. Elijah and Klaus might protect her, but Kol was her confidant and partner in crime.

"I believe this would be best taken to the library," Elijah said softly. She nodded as she tried to compose herself. Kol thankfully didn't mind not letting her go as they walked to the library. Kol didn't let her go as he hauled her up and sprawled out beneath her on the couch, he didn't make her get up or move, he just kept her safely tucked against him like he had when they were children. She just listened to his heart.

"So you are…" she whispered.

"Yes," he answered. "Magic and all."

"I'm happy for you," she whimpered as she buried her face in his chest so he couldn't see how much she hated him right now for having what she wanted.

"No, you're not," he chuckled humorlessly.

"I am!" she insisted.

"Bex," he sighed.

"One of us should be happy," she muttered.

"If I knew what I did or how I did it, I would trade places with you so you could be human," he murmured.

"No, you wouldn't, you missed your magic," she grumbled.

"Yes, I did," he admitted. "But I would still give you the cure, you're my baby sister," he pointed out softly as his hand rubbed reassuringly over her back. Rebekah let her tears fall as she hid against his chest.

"You can now grow old, marry your little witch and gimme lots of witchy nieces and nephews," she mumbled.

"Not this again," he exhaled.

"I'm serious, Kol," she insisted as she finally lifted her head to stare at her brother who was giving her a bland look.

"I don't know where you get these crazy ideas," he stated firmly.

"You're the worst case of denial, ever," she grumbled as she wiped her face of the tears.

"Why on earth would I want to get married and have a bunch of snot nosed kids when I have you already snotting up my, or rather Marcel's, shirt!?" he demanded.

"Ah, but you don't deny you like the witch!" she grinned.

"I'm not getting hitched, or having a shit ton of kids, Bex, so knock that idea right out of your thick head," he said as he ran a hand over her head. She grumbled as she brought her ear to his chest and hugged him tighter. "Easy, Bex, human again," he murmured.

"Sorry," she whispered.

"Don't be," he said softly. "Now that I'm a witch again I'll look into undoing what mother's done harder," he promised.

"Kol…"

"I'm a Mikaelson witch again, Bex, familial magic might be the route to get you human again," he said softly.

"Really?"

"It's worth looking at now that I'm a witch again," he said softly.

"Just… do me a favor," she murmured.

"Anything."

"Live," she whispered. "I want you to live, tell me all about it. Gimme nieces and nephews to spoil, and love."

"Again, not happening," he chuckled.

"Please!" she teased. "For me!"

"No. It wasn't happening the first time, I don't think it's happening this time," he chuckled. "I'm so sorry, Bekah."

"How…?" she whispered.

"I don't know," he sighed. "I don't, I shoved the cure down Silas' throat, was going to kill him. He headed for Davina who was unconscious, so I reacted, I drained him."

"Ew," she grimaced.

"You're telling me, worst fucking thing I have ever tasted!" he shuddered. She giggled at his disgust, and he smiled a bit. "Next thing I knew, he was dust and bones and I feel like I have the worst bout of food poisoning and then I wake up human and reconnecting to my magic."

"But Silas is dead?" she asked as she brought her ear to listen to his heart again.

"Silas is dead," he replied, his voice made his chest rumble, and she closed her eyes as she listened to his heart. Tears of envy and joy slipped her guard.