I Do Not Own Vampire Diaries/The Originals/Legacies

Kol woke with Davina sprawled over his chest and a note materializing in his hand. Squinting a bit he lifted his hand with the neatly folded note.

'11 o'clock, Mystic Grill. I will find you.'

Squinting through the sleep in his eyes he glared at the alarm clock and saw that it was nine in the morning. Groaning he tried to rub the sleep from his eyes as he carefully escaped Davina's grasp, he checked her stiches when he saw a little bit of blood on his shirt, but noted that it was normal from Davina's stitches. Walking into the kitchen he saw Rebekah and Marcel talking lowly. Still rubbing the sleep from his eyes, he went to the coffee, pouring himself a cup he leaned on the counter as he sighed in bliss about the steaming heat warming him.

"Kol," Rebekah smiled at him brilliantly.

"Whatever it is, I'm busy," he declared as he sipped his coffee.

"Rebekah and I were thinking to head down to New Orleans," Marcel said.

"Wise move, I'll be there soon," he conceded.

"With Davina?"

"Yes, we're going to kill mother," he stated. "I have to go; I'll be around later."

"Where are you going?"

"It's about the Merge, ask Davina when she wakes," he stated as he walked out with his coffee. Getting in his car he regretted not packing extra clothes but knew that Klaus would've been suspicious then, and probably would've followed him rather than accepting Hayley. Sipping his coffee as he drove, he frowned when lights flashed in his rearview mirror. Pulling over he waited as the sheriff came towards his car.

"Morning, darling," he smiled as he rolled down the window and she came up to his driver's side.

"I've been trying to get a hold of you all week," she said as she peered in the car.

"Well, I've been busy," he sighed. "How can I help you?"

"I've actually got the magical sort of problem which is probably in your wheelhouse."

Getting out of his car he forgot that he was barefoot but the cold, damp asphalt didn't bother him. She pulled out her phone and handed it to him. Kol accepted it as he started looking through the photos there.

"These are Roman… This is… Greek," he muttered.

"Do you recognize this?"

"Where is this?"

"Couple of counties over," she admitted.

He nodded. He immediately sent the photos to himself as he flicked through them.

"Do you have any idea what it is?"

"I might, how many were dead?" he asked.

"Fifteen in the town," she admitted.

"I have a meeting today, but I will come by after it to look more closely," he offered.

"What is it?"

"I haven't seen these for a couple hundred years, but every time they come up, it's never good," he confessed.

"What happened last time."

"They resurrected someone very bad, and I killed him," Kol shrugged. "I'll look more into this after my meeting."

"I'll be at the station," she said.

"I texted the photos to myself," he warned her.

"How's Davina?"

"She's healing," he answered.

"I'm glad, Tyler's a good kid at heart, but he's a bit of a hotheaded idiot," the sheriff said.

"He's lucky she got my word I wouldn't kill him," Kol snarled. "Else, I'd have executed him how my people killed their enemies."

"And how was that?"

"I'm partial to blood eagle given what Tyler did, seems a fitting death, but Nik probably would've suggested hung meat, and if Elijah were here, he'd be diplomatic, but suggest the fatal walk," Kol stated as he got into the car and started for Nik's home.

When he arrived, he was unsurprised to see Hayley's Jeep still there. Jogging into the house he went straight for his room. Changing swiftly, he grabbed a trunk and started filling it with books about the Travelers. He had about a thousand years' worth of information on Travelers; either through the aftermath of their 'purification' when they got their hands on a doppelgänger, or from stumbling over them by accident. They were a nasty piece of work.

Though he still thought the Strix to be far worse; and he had thoroughly chewed Elijah out over the millennium for their creation. Once he had all the information and he was dressed for the damp cold which was holding promise of rain he hauled the trunk out to his car. Going back into the house he nearly ran into a hasty Hayley.

"Kol!?" she sputtered.

"Morning darling," he greeted. Fingering the last vial of potion in his pockets, he guessed Nature had already had a plan and didn't desire or need Davina and his plan with the fertility potion.

"This is not what it looks like!" she said hastily.

"I think it looks like none of my business," he assured her. He was relieved that he didn't need to drug them to ensure this conception. "I'm going to the Grill, Bex is at the cabin with Davina and Marcel. If you need a change of clothes love, raid Bekah's closet."

"Um…"

"It'll be alright," he assured her.

"Thank you," she whispered as they walked up the stairs. He opened the door for Rebekah's room and Hayley shuffled in. Walking into his room he tossed the vial of potion into his dresser where it wouldn't be found or messed with before changing.Kol grabbed the information he had on the merge and jogged down the stairs.

"Ah, brother," Nik appeared with a wolfish grin on his face.

"Busy Nik, I'll see you tonight," he called out as he went out the door. Driving for the Grill he found a parking spot and shut off the engine. Closing his eyes, he sighed as he tried to rub the sleep from his eyes still. Getting out he jogged through the rain into the Grill.

"Hey Kol," Matt greeted him.

"Hello, mate," he greeted as he shook the water off of him a little bit.

"How's Davina doing?" Matt asked.

"She'll be alright in time. I'm having a meeting, mind if we sit in the corner by the window?" he asked.

"Nah man, with the rain, I don't expect a big lunch crowd. Need anything while you wait?"

"A coffee would be wonderful," he admitted.

"You got it," Matt grinned. Kol made it to his preferred seat and sat down. Dragging a hand through his damp hair, he made a mental not to get it cut.

Bonnie had just arrived at the old house to see Elena and Caroline sitting on the stoop in the rain. Pulling up her hood she jogged out of her car to the leaky stoop and stood there shivering a bit. Kol had started fixing up the old place in a way, but this was still a damp area.

"Heyya Bon," Elena greeted.

"What do you want?" she sighed tiredly.

"Oh wow, okay… um…" Elena actually paled at Bonnie's request.

"She's here…" Caroline started.

"No, um, I did this so… Bonnie, I came to apologize," Elena said as she stood. "It's… it's taken a lot of time, and I know everything you did do for me. And I'm sorry, for everything, for all the cost, for all the pain, I'm sorry, Bonnie. I didn't know the cure wasn't a cure, or that Expression would destroy you, or that everything bad would happen."

"What did you think would happen?" Bonnie asked tiredly.

"I don't know, but I didn't think I'd lose my best friends," Elena admitted.

"Come on in, I'm cold," Bonnie muttered as she walked in. Elena hesitated but followed.

"What is that smell!?" Caroline demanded when they walked in.

"Oh, the potion we were brewing, I was coming to dispose it," she answered.

"Smells divine," Caroline murmured.

"Ew, smells like… that musky scent," Elena muttered as she wrinkled her nose.

"It's not that bad," Bonnie sighed. "But it's definitely smelly."

"Smells like sex," Elena muttered.

Bonnie just waved it off. Walking into the potions lab she was surprised to see the vials were still neatly lined up and sealed. There was a raven in the corner who squawked, it's mate swooped through the room as they both left.

"Ravens?"

"Kol's familiars, I think, he's got a way with animals. He calls them Huginn and Muninn, for Odin's ravens."

"So they really are Vikings?" Elena asked.

"Yeah," Bonnie nodded. She looked over a note left on the instructions of how to dispose of the potion. Kol had written if she didn't do it, he would when he finished with a few things. "They were Vikings."

"That's… that makes the rune Alaric found makes sense," Elena said.

"It does, surprised we didn't guess it earlier," Bonnie chuckled. "Careful with that Care," Bonnie said as Caroline was examining a vial.

"What is it?"

"It's a fertility potion, a potent one," Bonnie said.

"Why did they need this?"

"I can't say but it's potent, so be careful."

"Smells good," Caroline admitted.

"That's disgusting," Elena muttered.

Bonnie shrugged as she turned to the supply cabinet for a heavy pair of rubber gloves she had bought last weeks for working on this potion when it had started getting more potent. She turned around and started collecting the vials to take them out to burn them in salt in iron.

Curiosity had gotten the better of Caroline as she pocketed the vial she had picked up. It had smelt too good for her to want to throw it out.

Jo walked into the Grill and looked around. She saw the waiter, a teenager who was at the counter going over the books. The place was quiet, but the pouring rain was probably a deterrent for people being out and about.

"Morning," the blond teen greeted her. "Welcome to the Grill."

"I'm here to meet…"

"Corner seat with the window," the boy stated before she could finish. Jo nodded as she saw who he meant.

Whatever she was expecting with Kol, she didn't know. The man was young, messy, dark auburn hair, dark eyes, chiseled features, and a cleft chin, he was very handsome. His mouth was in a line, and when she neared, she felt a shiver of fear ooze down her spine when his ancient gaze came on her and his lips curled into a mischievous smile that reminded her of Kai, and it terrified her for a moment. He was radiating magical power she had never felt before, he made every witch she had met and known seem like a candle flame while his power was like a raging wildfire. She figured he did look like the wily old fox he was so often equated to.

"Kol Mikaelson?"

"That'd be me, darling," he offered playfully. "Now that you know me, I'd like to know you," he said as she sat. Pulling off her coat she draped it on the back of the seat.

"Dr. Josette Laughlin," she greeted.

"A pleasure, darling," he said with a tilt of his head. She smiled tightly, he wasn't a vampire, she noticed it now, not only because of the magic he radiated, but vampires were steeped in the dark magic which kept them alive. Kol radiated life, power, a raging storm of magic, his magic was unlike anything she had ever felt before.

"I wish I could say the same. You're the wily old fox," she pointed out blandly.

"Ah yes, I do so love that reputation, but I am here on business darling," he stated.

"My Coven wants to know what you and your Coven knows about the Travelers."

"My Coven, I do believe that's presumptuous," he mused. "I work with witches but we three are not a Coven by any means."

"My Coven sensed a Bennett witch in the area but no others," she stated.

"Of course, my little witch is shy," he said with a dangerous smile which did not remind her of Kai. Kol smiled like a dangerous predator, he had probably mastered this smile in his time as a vampire, it was all teeth and very dangerous. "I wouldn't look to hard for her or I'd have to eliminate you and your Coven."

"I'm not looking for her," she acknowledged tightly. She sensed that Kol meant it, whoever was under his protection was not going to be harmed, or hunted, or found as long as he was there, and unlike other witches he was probably unbeatable. Thousand years of knowledge was in that head, she remembered her great-grandmother babbling about how knowledgeable he was.

"Good. I'm here because I would like information on the Merge, and how it works."

"I'm here for the Traveler's information."

"I have a whole trunkful of information for you and your Coven and even a current lead which I'm happy to forward," he stated dismissively.

"How do you know the Travelers?"

"I ran into them some eight hundred years ago, interesting methods for magic, I killed their freshly resurrected leader when they sacrificed a witch I knew for his life. But you know that, you're in the Gemini Coven," he said simply.

"It's nice to have confirmation."

"They're active, and I'm happy to work with your Coven as needed to stop them entirely. But I need information," he stressed. "The Merge."

"The curse of my coven" she exhaled.

"It's still complex magic, even if it is a curse," he countered.

"True," she hugged herself.

"I'll look into breaking the Merge entirely if you tell me about it."

"Why do you need to know?"

"A friend of mine has a bit of a problem, and I think the Merge will help her out."

"What sort of problem?" she asked.

Kol groaned but ran a hand over his face. "She's a witch from the French Quarter."

That got Jo's attention entirely. "A French Quarter Witch?"

"Yes, it's complicated, but somehow time magic is involved, I don't know how, I'm still trying to sort that bit out, but now there's two souls within her body. The older version of herself which has traveled back to now, and the current version of herself. The souls currently work in harmony and coexist within her body, but I don't know how long that'll last especially with the amount of magic she already generates and is currently storing. I have no account of time magic beyond its relativity theory, but the soul thing concerns me in her current state," he admitted.

"Why?"

"She was involved with a ritual, which has granted her more power than a witch normally possesses, I can't share the entirety of the ritual," he said carefully.

"Um…" she bit her lip. "I'm not… fuck," she grumbled as she rubbed her brow. "Look, I'm not a practicing member of my Coven," she confessed.

"Then why?" he started as his entire demeanor changed to dangerous and cagy.

"Long story, but my twin was a siphoner, and because of that I kind of stopped practicing, I put my magic in a knife. However, my younger siblings are coming this way, for college, they're graduating back in Portland, I'm a faculty member of Whittemore College," she explained rapidly. "My brother is in a prison world so we can't merge, anyways, I can examine your friend to get a better sense of if a Merge is possible for her, or wise."

"I…"

"I'm a doctor."

"We have a doctor."

"I'll work with your doctor, but outside of my Coven… I don't know, I don't know if we can help her Merge with her souls or what, and you said she's channeling more power because of a ritual. New Orleans practices so much magic, so much more than anywhere else in the world, it'd be best I know what this ritual was, and to do that I'd have to talk to her and examine her. Luke and Live might also know more about the Merge than I do, they've been… they've been preparing for it, I mean, they're babies still, and they aren't ready but…"

"Children?" he guessed.

"They're going to be twenty-one in June."

"About two years until they have to Merge," he concluded.

"Yeah," she muttered miserably. "I don't…"

"You help me, and I'll help you break the Merge, as well as stop the Travelers."

"That's a lot to offer to a stranger," she observed.

"We'll add it to the 'Honey To-Do' List," he muttered as he pulled a piece of battered paper out of his pocket and grabbed a pen as he jotted down more on it. Jo peeked at it and blinked at the two handwritings there.

"Busy?"

"On a time crunch, darling."

"Why?"

"Part of why I need the Merge on my friend," he said as he finished writing.

"Well, then… um… I can help now," she said.

"You don't have magic," he pointed out.

"I was an Army Medic, am a doctor, and do have witch knowledge," she countered.

"Mmm," he nodded as he sipped his coffee.

"Mind if I ask, how are you human? Last I heard you were an Old One."

"Age is all relative, darling, and I have no bloody clue how I'm human, however, let me talk to my partner in crime and then we'll get back to you on examining her. I'll also talk to our current doc, because she'll have to have an input."

"Okay."

"Here's my number, darling," he said.

"You can call me Jo," she stated briskly.

"Is this about the 'darling'?" he asked.

"Yes, I was in the Army, I don't like…"

"Look, darling, I'm a thousand years old, I'm not breaking old habits to appease your modern feminist sensibilities or military worth, I call everyone darling or mate," he shrugged. "Terms change with languages, but it's a habit."

"You…"

"You're also not my type, darling, any way I treat you will be with respect, I was raised to respect women."

"So you're not calling me darling because I'm a woman?"

"I am, but not because of any reason your era thinks," he quipped.

"Here's my number," Jo said as she offered him the paper.

"I'll give you the information," he said and gestured for her to follow. It was now that she noted how large he was, he moved like the special forces' guys too, quiet, purposeful, but unobtrusive despite his size. Kol opened the trunk of his care and her eyes widened at the sight of an actual trunk.

"It's not all translated to English," he warned.

"Um… do… do you just want to work together?" she asked as she opened the trunk and noticed the detailed drawings and notes that littered stray pieces of paper.

"It'll be easier."

"Want to show me where you work?"

"I'll have to ask my partners, but if the owner agrees I'll send you the address and we'll get set up," he decided.

"That'll work, I'll get Luke and Liv out here sooner," she muttered.

He nodded as she shut his trunk and he shut his car then.

"I'll be in touch then," he decided.

"Very well, a pleasure to meet you Kol."

"You as well, darling Jo," he smiled. It was a charming smile and then he got into his car. She jogged to hers and pulled out her phone to call her Coven.