Damon calls a familiar face back to Mystic Falls, while Bonnie finds she can't leave the confines of her hometown.
When you truly love someone, no one else can ever come close, no one else will ever compare, no matter how much time has passed.
***UPDATE: On reading this back I realized that Bonnie was initially more upset with Kol over the Davina thing so I had to work that out from her perspective when she'd found out that they were a thing. And I added the details of Esther's final demise, it kept getting away from me I looked back and felt it made more sense to include that here and close out the Esther arc.
Songs for this chapter
Forever -by Papa Roach
U Got It Bad -by Usher
Untouched -by The Veronicas
The Only Exception -Paramore
Kol and Damon's POV
The next day
Stefan followed Damon into the foyer. "Damon, are you sure this is a good idea?"
"What else am I gonna do Stefan? I can't protect her and this siphon freak is obsessed with her! And knowing Bonnie she won't want to risk putting anyone else in danger. She will put herself on the line, over and over again just to keep all of us safe even if that means ending up dead or worse- back in a prison world hell with that freak where he can torture her and rape her on a loop! She already brought me and Elena back and we got her back just before he actually defiled her. He won't waste time if he gets his hands on her again. The Original psycho can only be killed by a white oak stake, so if he's siphoned, he'll come back. Bonnie's not a witchy 911 battery. The more she uses their magic against him, the more it drains her because, surprise surprise, his magic won't let her betray him. And if she has to keep bringing us back she's going to exhaust herself and we won't have our Bennett witch and I won't have my-my best friend. I love her, Stefan. So you tell me, what the hell am I supposed to do at this point?" He shook as he spoke that last sentence.
"I understand Damon but calling an Original Vampire, the most volatile one when we don't even know where the last white oak stake is?" Stefan tried. "What if Kai somehow-"
Damon's eyes widened then narrowed and he walked around his baby brother, both of their vampire senses picking up a presence at the door. "He's here. He can at least help protect her." True, it was an impulsive decision to call back Kol to Mystic Falls, but the decision had already been made. There was no going back now.
As Damon left to answer the door, Caroline and Elena came into the foyer to stand with Stefan.
"Hey," Stefan said quietly as he wrapped Caroline in an embrace. "How's Bonnie?"
"She's resting," Caroline said. "And I lit more sage, too, it sounded a little intense down here. I know you guys hate this idea but I think Damon's got a point. This could help us save Bonnie from that Gemini psycho, Stefan!"
Elena chimed in. "She's right Stefan, Kol always said he used to run with a lot of witch covens. And he's got a few centuries of experience with different types of magic. With Kol here it's our best chance. We can't keep..."
Elena didn't get to finish her sentence about how they couldn't keep exhausting Bonnie's magic when it came to Kai because she was interrupted by Damon being sent flying into the room and crashing against a grandfather clock. It shattered and fell on top of him. Damon groaned a moment before getting up and shaking himself off.
Kol Mikaelson then stepped into the room. "Well if it isn't the Mystic Falls gang come a calling!" He smiled a wide grin at everyone and clasped his hands behind his back.
"Thank you for that!" Caroline glared at him. "Good thing the rooms are saged so she could get some uninterrupted sleep!"
"Damon, what did you say to him to piss him off already?" Stefan asked bored.
"I just opened the fucking door." Damon grunted. Kol had likely heard his declaration of love.
Kol rolled his eyes. "Well it's been lovely chatting with you lot, but I've got a witch to see." Kol turned to the stairs at a normal pace but Elena flashed in front of him, Damon at her heels. He scowled. "Doppelgänger," he warned but Elena held her hands up in peace.
"Just hear us out Kol, Bonnie's resting right now. She's been through a lot. You can see her in a while but we need to talk."
"Elena Gilbert, the day I trust you or anyone from the Petrova line will likely be the day I meet my true death!" He spit out. He flipped Elena around and out of his path with vampire speed, then flashed up the stairs. Listening for the only beating heart in the boarding house led him to the room she was sleeping in and gently opened the door. With his bionic vampire hearing he heard the vampires downstairs arguing about just giving him a minute. He smirked and tuned them out. As if they could stop him from seeing his witch.
Kol's breath caught when he saw the slumbering witch. He went to stand over her, taking in her beauty amidst her tattered state, and she stirred in her sleep. He stepped forward, placed a gentle hand on her cheek and closed his eyes, clearing his mind. He focused into her mind to see her dreams. She was plagued with nightmares of a tall young man with jet black hair, tormenting her and chasing her. Everywhere she tried to hide he would find her and start draining her magic. Oh it was bad, whatever this siphon wanker did to her. Kol shifted her dreams to one where he and Bonnie were practicing illusion spells. On the outside stroked her hair and her eyes fluttered open gently and she locked eyes with him for a second. Then her eyes rolled closed, she shifted, and fell back into her dreams, with a smile forming on her face. She did indeed need her rest, as her dreams were draining and he would respect that. He just wanted to see his little love.
He kissed her cheek and headed back downstairs, murder in his eyes.
Elena and Damon's POV
Back in the foyer, Damon glared at Elena. "Excuse me for trying to keep the peace!" She said. "He would've thrown you around again and Bonnie really doesn't need a commotion right now."
"You're right, Gilbert. I should be thanking you." He made his crazy eyes at her.
"But you're not."
He smiled something evil. "Nope!"
God, he could be such a child . She rolled her eyes and pushed past him. "You're an ass. We should've just let her go home." She looked at Caroline and Stefan. "Stefan, Care I'll be outside if you need me."
"Elena, she's not safe in a human home. It's better that she stays here, Psycho siphon won't be back anytime soon. Well, as long as crazy eyes doesn't do anything else stupid!" Caroline announced, giving Damon a pointed look.
"Hey, hey all I did was come up with an actual solution to Bonnie's obsessive siphon problem while you all sat around and came up with Jack squat! It seems like I'm the only one who actually cares about keeping the witch safe." Damon's nostrils flared. He was getting sick of everyone doubting his ability to help Bonnie and coming down on the one thing he could do to help, even if it meant bringing Kol onboard. All that mattered was that she was safe. He had grown enough during his time with Bonnie to know that if you love someone, sometimes desperate times call for desperate measures in order to protect them.
"That's not true, she's our best-" Elena argued.
"Damon there has to be-" Stefan implored.
"Oh puh-lease, don't act like you really care about-" Caroline snorted.
After Damon's accusations of being the only one who truly cared about Bonnie's safety, everyone began talking at once, bickering. Damon was tempted to throw a vase just to shut everyone up but they were right. Bonnie needed her rest and he didn't want to cause any more commotion. Even if it was the fault of the crazy Original Vampire.
"Enough! Kol will protect Bonnie. He's unkillable and he can kill Kai or he knows someone who can. In the meantime, Bonnie stays out of it, out of Kai's reach." Damon nearly shouted.
"Damon, he'll take her away! You know what that means. You won't get her back." Stefan stared at Damon, searchingly.
"Bonnie won't have him, Stefan. Not anymore," Damon spoke with no emotion, having already reconciled the fact that Kol was going to attempt to reclaim Bonnie as his girl. The keyword being attempt . He was counting on the fact that Kol is basically a psychopath and Bonnie hates psychopaths, especially having to deal with one as of late. Plus, she was still salty over his little tryst with Davina and the fact that he hadn't shown up lately. She wouldn't have him, he was almost certain, things had changed dramatically.
Stefan tried again. "Mystic Falls is her home, you can't let him take her away from her home without it being her decision. You know she won't want to go,"
"Kol won't care about that," Elena said quietly.
As if on cue, Kol strolled back into the room. "You're right, doppelgänger, I don't care. Bonnie will be safer with me, where she belongs, but we cannot be here." After his confirmation, Elena couldn't listen anymore. She was going to lose her best friend, again. All because Damon had called on Kol Mikaelson to clean up his mess, as attempting to take on Kai had truly backfired. Bonnie's use of magic was already taking a toll on her, as Damon instructed her to use the power of the Gemini against Kai. Now he brought Kol on and it only seemed to make matters worse. She finally left the room in a huff. Caroline followed her.
"That's not what we talk-" Damon began but he was immediately cut off by Kol.
"You shouldn't have called on me then, Salvatore. If you want to keep Bonnie safe, she'll be much safer with me." He said resolutely.
Damon grimaced. Damn, maybe this wasn't such a good idea. He was originally counting on Kol having a temporary stay in town, until they got the siphon issue under control, not expecting Bonnie to leave town with Kol.
"So, this siphon bloke," Kol addressed the elder Salvatore again. "Who is he?"
Damon spent the afternoon giving him the rundown of how he and Bonnie went to Kai's prison world after the other side collapsed. He explained how he got an early release due to Bonnie's sacrifice and how she was stuck there with the sadistic siphon witch and his obsessive harassment of her, up to his rise as the leader of the Gemini, as well as Kai being the only surviving member. He also informed him of the greater power Kai mentioned, that he was trying to access. Damon made sure to leave about the part about Kai's attempted rape of Bonnie, feeling it wasn't his place. He also was in no mood to get thrashed by Kol as he knew the Original naturally had an unreasonable temper, but when it came to Bonnie, he'd rather not fan the flames.
"The Gemini are full of bad seeds," Kol murmured, shaking his head. "There is a greater power he speaks of, apparently he's too unhinged to have access to that. Being a leader of his coven, he should be equipped with the history that comes with being supernatural. Luckily I know of it, and I just need to figure out how we can use it against him. For now, sage will act as the best means of protection, but it needs to be properly enchanted, or it can be washed off. Only a power beyond a witch's capabilities can enchant it,"
"I figured you would. Any chance you're willing to share that piece of information with us for the sake of our precious Bonbon?" Damon asked.
"There are some preparations that need to be made. I need to make some calls but you will only be informed of what is necessary at the time. I can't have your affections for my little witch clouding your judgement and sabotaging our shot to rid the world of the world's most dangerous coven leader. You're on a need-to-know basis." Kol stated as a matter of factly.
Damon's fists clenched and he ground his teeth. "And I need to know what the plan is, Kol!"
"Damon," Stefan started.
"The more you know the more danger Bonnie will be in. And you've put her in enough danger already, exhausting her magic. Don't you think, mate?" Kol eyed him curiously.
"So what's the plan, Original Psycho?" Damon was nearing the end of his patience and regretting calling on Kol. If it wasn't for Bonnie, Damon would have made his best attempt to temporarily kill him by now. To be spiteful, he also decided Bonnie could tell him about her witch nuptials.
"I know someone who can help. We need to harness a sort of magic that can't be siphoned, it's the only thing that can be used against this sort of enemy. I'll make arrangements to depart tomorrow." Kol said.
"What kind of magic, Kol?" Stefan asked.
"I can't tell you, not yet at least. But it is the very power the siphon spoke of,"
Damon nodded. "Right, the less we know."
"I shall return with the source of power we need, meanwhile Bonnie will be safe with me, and untraceable at that as well. Here's what you'll do in the meantime.." Kol got to work explaining how it was all supposed to go down.
Damon's POV
After Stefan excused himself to go fill in Caroline and Elena, Damon poured some bourbon for himself and Kol.
"What is this, a peace offering?" Kol mused.
"More like making your presence more tolerable," Damon said as he handed Kol his drink.
Kol smirked. "I suppose we are allies now, we do have a common purpose in protecting Bonnie." Damon nodded. "Although you should say your goodbyes, Damon."
"You're not leaving yet."
"I think you know what I mean, mate. There has never been, nor will there ever be anyone else for me and I never intended to stay away from her. Add to that the fact that we swore our own precious vow to each other, nothing will come between us. Not even you." He took a long drink and let out a breath, giving Damon his best shit-eating grin.
"I don't know man, Bonnie did cloak herself from you. For what, like three years give or take?" A smug acknowledgment crossed over Damon's face and he wondered what Kol's face would look like once he found about the time Damon was almost Bonnie's first. He couldn't yet confess that out loud, not yet at least, but it did give him some satisfaction that he almost had Bonnie. "And I've been right here the whole time. I'd say I'm already between the two of you."
"Yes, she does have that self-sacrificing martyr complex that has put a damper on our courtship. I intend to fully rectify that. Three years time is but a drop in an ocean of the eternity we'll have together. You better make peace with the fact that Bonnie is my forever mate and you have no claim to her. Not that you particularly did in the first place."
Damon rolled his eyes and shot him daggers with his eyes. Bonnie was not a pet nor territory to be marked. "Bonnie's no pet! All I know is you'd better take care of her Kol. If anything happens to Bonnie I'll see to it that you personally that you suffer for the rest of your miserable existence." He said in a quiet but deadly voice.
In a flash, Kol twisted his arm back so hard it dislocated. Apparently, Damon needed to be reminded that Kol doesn't take kindly to threats. "May I remind you that I can tear you apart in a millisecond? Bonnie is everything to me as I am to her and you have failed her time and again, in my absence. I should remove your head just for your incompetence in protecting her. No doubt she has sacrificed for you and this miserable lot of so-called friends more times than was warranted, nevertheless the attachment she harbors for you lot is the only thing keeping your head intact at this very moment. Bonnie chose me and I'm here now. We're not going to fight over what's already mine, so show some respect will ya lad? Thanks darling." Kol released him and threw him to the floor and Damon struggled to stand up as he healed.
He glowered, ready to strike at Kol, who cocked his head to the side. "The little witch has risen from her slumber. I'll leave you to bid her adieu."
Without a moment's hesitation, Damon flashed to the room Bonnie was staying in. He found her sitting up in bed.
"Bonnie, how are you feeling?" Damon asked as he took her in his embrace.
"Damon," Bonnie whispered softly. She squeezed him tightly. "I'm better now. I've been having such terrible nightmares. K-Kai. He was chasing me and-and I couldn't escape him and he-he-" she choked back a sob and buried her face in Damon's chest.
He shushed her. "It's ok Bon, I'm here now. You're safe, we got you out in time. You know I'd lose my mind if anything happened to you?"
"I know," she sniffled. "But then my dream changed, suddenly. One minute Kai was gaining on me and the next I was with Kol, in the woods practicing our favorite illusion spells. It made me feel safe and happy and I haven't felt that in so long. But I know it was just a dream, I know he's gone. It's been two months and I know he felt me but he hasn't come." She smiled, sadly, fresh tears marking her face. Damon cursed silently. Kol got in her head while she slept. Of course he would try that. The original vampire thought he was real smooth.
He took a deep breath. "Speaking of Originals," she looked perplexed. "Bonnie, you know how I feel about you. You know I love you. So much."
She nodded, stifling a sob and feeling a twang of guilt in her chest. It was no secret that Damon was in love with her, the way he was with Elena and Katherine, if not more. It was also no secret that although Bonnie cared for Damon, she didn't return his affections. There was something different about Bonnie that made him fall for her. The way she demanded respect, challenged and stood up to him, even occasionally gave him aneurysms to let him know she's not the one to fuck with.
Bonnie worked out by now that they were something slightly more than friends, slightly less than lovers. It was complicated, yet it wasn't going anywhere. Literally, anywhere, it wasn't lessening or furthering. Especially when her heart was already complete somewhere else, her heart was where she knew it belonged, even if he wouldn't come to her.
In the prison world, they'd shared a kiss and it was over for Damon from that moment on, even now. That was four months in and Bonnie had given up all hope of ever going home. As far as she was concerned they were trapped in Damon's own personal hell for eternity or until she died her truest death. She had begun to really see Damon in a way she never had before that gave way to her letting her feel something more than platonic for him. She knew that he desired her but her heart was with Kol. At the despair of never being able to see her Kol she opened herself up to Damon and she shared an amazing lip lock with him late one night. Being a virgin she wasn't ready to do anything else but she was content to go on kissing him until they were interrupted by Kai.
Kai ruined their moment but he also brought the reality of the situation. Bonnie could only ever see herself with Damon if he was the last man on earth, if she was never going to see her love Kol again. That much was clear. She knew it hurt Damon and it hurt Bonnie to have to do him like that but it was the truth.
"Damon please," she begged. "I adore you but you know I can't. I can't go there, Damon."
"It's ok Bonnie, I know I've been selfish and impatient with you. I've been a plain asshole and I haven't listened to you and what you need, I get that now. All I've done was scare you off, and I'm probably going to spend the rest of my life regretting it. This is the most selfless thing I'm ever going to do but I need to do right by you." Damon knew he didn't have much time before Kol showed his face and he wanted to get his moment in. He closed his eyes and kissed her forehead and then lingered by her ear, whispering softly, "I don't want you to forget that I am in love with you and I will always be. We have company.." a teardrop fell from his eyes and landed on her cheek.
Bonnie's breath hitched and she trembled at the revelation. "He's here." She asked breathlessly. It wasn't a question, it was a fact. Damon nodded solemnly.
Bonnie and Kol's POV
"We've got a plan. It's the only way to keep you safe."Damon said.
He had to be fucking kidding. There was no way that Kol was around because if he was, she'd be able to feel him. And even if he was here, why did it take him so long? He was probably off with the harvest witch. Two months ago, Davina acted like Kol was her everything, and why wouldn't he be? He had to go on with his life as Bonnie had. Frustrating was the fact that Davina kept talking about Kol and Bonnie didn't mention him once, she didn't need her judgment clouded with memories of her lost love. It was bad enough she had to work with his new smitten girlfriend.
"I'm not going anywhere with him or the harvest bitch but he can help as long as we can bring down Kai for good ."
"Bonnie, he's taking you away from here for a while,"
"What, no! Why? We have to fight Kai together!" Bonnie nearly yelled.
"I'm afraid we have no other choice, love." Bonnie looked past Damon and there he was standing in the doorway, tall and handsome as she remembered him.
"Kol!" Bonnie let out a half-laugh, half cry. She was in disbelief.
"In the flesh, my favorite little witch." Her heart took a leap whereas Damon's dropped. Damon rolled his eyes and looked away.
"Yeah, I'll let you two catch up." He grumbled as he walked out.
Kol hadn't even noticed, his eyes were fixated on Bonnie. "Kol, I" she marveled at him and couldn't find the words but he seemed to understand as he inched closer.
"I know, little love. I feel the same."
"The same?" She frowned, probing with her magic. She couldn't feel him at all, she hadn't even sensed his presence. That had never happened before, with her inherited magic and even expression, she'd always come to feel his aura from the inside out. "I don't feel you, Kol, how's this…" she trailed off realizing it was probably Kai's doing. She could feel Kai instead since their matrimonial magic was merged. Anger then seized her guts.
"You feel the same? That's why it took you so long to get here when I know you- felt me ?" She thrust her hand up in a silent spell, preventing Kol from coming any closer. The same, my ass!
Her eyes welled up with tears as Kol frowned. "Darling, I came as soon as I could find a way to come to you safely,"
Bonnie looked away. "You were just too busy with Davina then? She wouldn't shut up about you when she helped cloak me again,"
She was beyond pissed that memories of how she found out about Davina intruded her mind at that moment.
After two days of being the anchor, Bonnie recognized the signs indicating someone was about to pass through her. A cold feeling of dread would last from three to five minutes before she saw the recently deceased, half an hour later. Since it had been a few hours without that feeling, she figured she ought to let the witches in New Orleans know they'd be meeting her on their way out of life. She decided to call Davina, reasoning that if she called Klaus or Abby, there was a chance Kol could be around. She knew neither he or her needed the heartache that would cause.
"Bonnie?" Davina whispered when she answered after two attempts. Bonnie figured she woke her as it was almost two am, but this was important.
"Davina!" Bonnie called on her end. "Hey, I'm sorry to call you so late, I needed to let you know the other side-"
"Bonnie? Bonnie, my love, it's me," The sudden sound of Kol's voice made Bonnie's heart plummet instantaneously. "Where are you? What is going on? Hello?"
Damon walked into the room holding up a notebook that had 'what the hell are you doing?!' scribbled on it. She stared at him with watering eyes while Kol continued calling for her.
"Please answer me, darling. I just need to hear your voice, to know that you're ok. I dream of you every night, you haunt me, even in my sleep,"
She covered her mouth and wept at his confession. "Oh my God, Kol!" She sobbed, knowing he couldn't hear her. "I'm here,"
"Bonnie, please,"
Pleading eyes looked at Damon who shook his head. " Bonnie. Hang up! " he gently peeled the phone out of her hands and hit the red end button. "You called Kol? Why the fuck would you do that, am I gonna have to start monitoring you overnight?"
With shuddering gasps she shook her head. "No I called Davina, I didn't wanna call Abby in case Kol was around but he was with-" Damon's eyes widened when he realized what only just occurred to her. "Her,"
"Fuck," Damon murmured. "Bonnie,"
"It's late,"
"Maybe they're dealing with some emergency hybrid shit Bonnie, don't-"
"He's sleeping with her," she stated, remembering the way Davina looked at Kol when she first met him. And she was a powerful witch as well. Everyone used to always remind her that Kol had a particular fancy for witches.
Multiple lights in the boardinghouse began to shatter as her heart shattered at the revelation that Kol was with someone else. He was probably in bed with her at the moment and Bonnie was here just living a lonesome life without him…
It made her chest hurt and she didn't think anything could hurt more than losing the love of her life yet here she was, broken all over again.
Damon, in his usual fashion got her drunk as a skunk. The next day when each supernatural passed through her, she didn't even remember who was what but the pain of their death felt like nothing compared to the devastation hearing from Kol and his new girlfriend caused. Bonnie decided the ring he'd given her was better off in its box under her bed at her Gram's, if Kol was going to move on then she had no choice but to do the same once she collected her heart and pride from the floor.
Bonnie felt if she weren't so depressed back then she would have probably given it up to Damon just to feel something, still, she knew she could not handle the guilt it would cause in her heart. She didn't understand why Kol appeared to be guilt-free.
Kol ached to be near her, to feel her touch and her embrace. Only he could tell she was livid right now with the wrath of a woman scorned. He knew Davina would somehow be trouble with her tempting ways. Damn harvest witch! She was now the wrath standing between he and his heart's only desire. He could kill her. "Bonnie, she's irrelevant, I have been through hell and back just to return to you. When have I ever given you a reason not to trust me, love?"
Bonnie glared at him as her magic flickered the dim lighting in the room. "Why should I? You've been killing time with Davina the past few years, I guess it wasn't that important to you when my shield came down,"
Arguing over Davina was not how Kol intended to spend their reunion. Bonnie was mistaken on the level of attachment he had to the harvest witch since there was none, he'd not seen her in years, only recently reentering her company to ensure she'd help take down Esther. " Davina had to learn the hard way that my heart is forever yours. Why sully our reunion with petty quarrels of things long past? My, aren't we the modern couple." He tsk tsked. "Let's not, shall we? Little love, I'm here now. You must know I came as soon as I could. The things I've done to get back to you would haunt you and turn your cheeks red. It took some time but I have made certain nothing will keep us apart again."
"You mean Esther is dead for good?"
"Yes. And that's all you need to know."
"She has a legion of witches that'll-"
"I'm an Original Vampire darling. There are only two things I care about- well three, counting young Hope, but my magic and you. I no longer have access to my magic and I haven't had you. You left me but I've found my way back to you. The things I've had to do and will continue to do in order to keep you safe, Bonnie as I keep saying, is to ensure we don't ever have to be apart again. To even know what was going on in your life, I regret nothing . Esther won't be back, and you can consider her cult followers disbanded,"
"If you've hurt innocent people Kol, I won't condone that."
"Collateral damage, as you should well know. Though it was painful not having you with me, I've kept my promise and spared the blood of innocents as much as possible."
Bonnie beamed at that. "What about the cure?"
"Nothing you need to worry about right now. We've got a siphon problem to take care of. So, I ask you again: do you trust me little witch?"
"You broke my heart. How could you with Davina? You were really seeing her?"
Anger flashed in Kol's eyes. "You broke my heart,"
He would flip it back on her. It was her fault, she pushed him into the arms of the harvest witch. She was already living a life of regret for leaving him in the first place. "Trust me when I say I wouldn't even remember her name if she didn't aid in the magic that brought me back to you,"
"I nearly lost my mind, I almost…" she sighed when Kol gazed into Bonnie's eyes with a look she knew was reserved for her and only her. It made her blush, knowing he'd literally do anything for her, even work on tempering his homicidal tendencies.
"I did lose my mind for a spell,"
Bonnie shook her head softly. "How are you even here, how is it possible? The magic in me is sooo strong and it should be affecting you,"
"I'll explain later, but right now I just want to hold you," his heart pounded with the need for her affection, being that he was unable to feel her power either. He needed her heart right next to his. "Please allow me to hold you, love. I can't bear for you to push me away any longer,"
Bonnie wanted to smartmouth him and tell him to go hold Davina, but even though she could no longer feel him as she used to, she saw the sincerity in his eyes. She reasoned that as long as he didn't try to touch her, since she was still salty over his Davina era, it was something they could discuss later. Though she couldn't deny she was aching to kiss him once again.
She clicked her tongue and released her spell holding him back. "Get over here," she did her best to look annoyed and it warmed Kol's heart. His little love could be an absolute spoiled brat when she knew she could no longer refuse him.
In less than a split second, Kol was seated next to her on the bed, pulling her into his arms. "I do require an-it's-been-years-and-I've-missed-you- quite-terribly kiss."
Bonnie turned to face him, laying on his chest. "Oh do you?" She murmured, rolling her eyes. "That's too bad, you said you wanted to hold me. Begged me, in fact," she turned back around, facing away from him.
The way Kol was pressing his body against hers and hardly breathing, she could tell he wanted so much more than an embrace.
She knew what she was doing, the more she refused him, the more he had to have her. And she was only pretending to refuse him, at the very least he could detect her raging desire for him. Still he loved bringing it out in her, making her admit that yes, she wanted him too. "Bonnie, love," he whispered in her ear. "What's one innocent little kiss?"
Hot, moist heat threatened to leak from within her and Bonnie crossed her legs, pressing them together. Kol chuckled softly and kissed her neck. Nerves frazzled her mind as she turned back around to face him and puckered her lips, knowing damn well there were no innocent kisses with Kol. Hell, their first kiss had him taking her down in the dirt!
He halted a finger to her lips. "You have to say the words too,"
Bonnie raised a brow.
"You don't understand how much I've missed your voice and your lover's whispers."
She beamed a heartfelt smile. Of course she couldn't refuse her only love, what the hell was she doing thinking she could try?
"It has been years and I have missed you, oh so terribly , Kol." She said in a breathy and sultry voice and Kol hardened at her words as he pulled her into a kiss.
As their lip action began to build up and their kiss deepened, a searing pain began to tear through Kol's heart. As if someone was crushing his heart.
Downstairs, the same pain was shooting through Damon as well.
"Kol! Oh my god!" Bonnie cried after breaking the kiss.
The pain subsided slightly but Kol was heaving deep, ragged breaths.
"What's wrong, what happened?" she asked.
"It's a spell, to keep you from intimacy,"
"What in the actual fuck?!"
Bonnie reached for Kol again but halted when he let out an agonizing holler. He flashed to the wall, pressing his back up against it.
"Bonnie love," he said, catching his breath. "You have to stop. You can't come near me."
The gravity of his words and the regret in his eyes elicited a sinking feeling in Bonnie. Her heart was breaking.
"This can't be happening!" She cried.
Kol quickly deduced that this was the doing of the siphon witch Damon had spoken of. He'd tormented Bonnie repeatedly in the prison world and since they'd been out of it.
"Believe it, love. Every intimate moment you have will be suffered by your lover. The siphon will feel it too, he'll be able to spy on your romantic encounters."
"Why can't I feel it too?" She asked.
"Only those who harbor romantic feelings for you will feel it. Once it's activated, the pain grows immensely and rage eventually takes over because being in your vicinity as the symptoms grow will become unbearable. It will drive me mad not being able to touch you. The only way to sate the pain is to have the spell removed or I kill you." Kol stated, his eyes glowing with a slow-building rage.
Bonnie gasped. Years ago, she and Kol envisioned this very moment. At the time, they figured it was Esther's doing. Now that Esther was gone, Bonnie hadn't anticipated anyone else would attempt to come between her and Kol, but of course if anyone was the mastermind behind the task, it would be none other than Kai Parker. "So you or Kai are eventually going to kill me?!"
"He's the one who cast the spell so only he's immune to the side effects besides using it as a way to track your encounters."
"Oh no. That fucking bastard! He said I belonged to him, that I was his." Tears welled in her eyes.
Kol narrowed his eyes. "Bonnie, did he touch you? Defile you?" he looked like he was about to lose his fucking mind again.
"He's obsessed with me, Kol he wants me for himself. He's sick!"
"That's not what I asked you, Bonnie." Kol stalked towards her but when he got within five feet of her, the pain started again. As he staggered back out of reach he also heard Damon screaming downstairs. "And why the bloody hell is the toddler vamp screaming too?"
"Kol, you need to calm down," Bonnie pleaded with her eyes as Kol put two and two together. At that Kol raised his eyebrows and Bonnie threw an immobilization spell at Kol before he could flash downstairs.
"Bonnie, let me go!" Kol snarled. Damon was going to die and he was going to die that very day.
"STEFAN!" Bonnie screamed. To Kol, she said, "You're mad at the wrong person Kol! I can't let you do this!"
Bonnie grabbed a black candle and searched for a lighter.
Stefan appeared in the doorway three seconds later. "What's going on, Bonnie? Damon's-"
"I know. I need you to get him out of here, NOW."
"He'll kill you, Bonnie, the spell will drive him to it!" Kol yelled, struggling to move his feet.
Stefan raised his eyebrows.
"I'll explain later, please just go before Kol kills him. NOW Stefan!"
Stefan nodded and flashed away.
Bonnie finally found the lighter and lit the candle just as she released Kol, who took the opportunity to flash to the door. Unfortunately for him there was a barrier, similar to the threshold of a human home preventing him from entering. He turned around and glared at Bonnie with his vampire face before screaming at Damon while banging on the barrier.
"DAMON! GET BACK HERE AND FUCKING FACE ME!" He bellowed so powerfully that Bonnie winced. Then he turned to Bonnie, glowering at her as his writhing veins faded. "Let me out of here Bonnie, now ,"
As Kol fumed, his nostrils flared.
"Would you stop it? This isn't helping anything Kol. We all have a common enemy so that's what we should be focusing on." Bonnie tried, palming her face.
"And yet, you have another lover, not to mention the siphon bloke, suffering the effects of the anti intimacy spell. I know all too well what that means. I'm supposed to turn a blind eye to that?" Bang! Bang, bang, bang! The barrier was still intact.
Bonnie rolled her eyes. "If you would let me explain. God Kol, you ask me to trust you but you clearly don't trust me? I'm not the one who was sleeping with the harvest witch who helped cloak you from me!"
"Trust you? You want me to trust you when you're the one who left me for years with absolutely no way of contacting you, no way to know if you were alive or dead. I had to be resourceful to keep tabs on you and I came to find out you nearly perished when the other side collapsed, trapped in a word alone with Damon of all people. The very vampire who is notorious for pursuing women who are clearly involved with someone. He now suffers from the same intimacy curse as me. I know how the spell works, Bonnie. It wouldn't affect him if you didn't harbor mutual feelings for him too!" This time Kol punched the barrier, to no avail. He turned back towards Bonnie.
"What am I to think? As far as I can see, you let me think you were dead so forgive me if I'm having trouble trusting that you even cared to let me know that you still breathed and for what, the toddler vampire?!" He shook as he spoke, part of him wanted to shake Bonnie for her shortsightedness.
Bonnie wiped her hand slowly over her face.
"I had to stay cloaked, Kol, Esther would stop at nothing to finish what she started. I won't apologize for trying to keep you safe."
"Clearly it's you who needs to be protected." Kol bit out.
"I couldn't risk it Kol, as painful as it was I didn't want to live in a world without you in it. When I thought I was dead and stuck in Damon's personal hell, I was broken. I thought my worst fears had come true and I would be without you forever. It took me a while to accept that and I warmed up to Damon. He gave me a kiss once." Kol growled at that. "Just once, I swear. It was a saying goodbye to the part of my life that I would never get back kiss because that's what I really thought had happened. My old life was gone and I could never get back to it, and Damon was all I had. It's no different than you moving on with Davina,"
Kol almost crossed the threshold of pain again, but Bonnie pushed him back with her magic. " Never compare the two! I have no feelings for the witch, I never did, and I never will. The mission was always finding a way back to you,"
"So you didn't sleep with her?"
He rolled his eyes. "Of course I did, she was one of many distractions that helped appease my loneliness."
Many distractions?! Bonnie huffed and crossed her arms, turning away. Kol always absolutely hated when she would turn her back towards him and she knew it, but petty emotions drove her. Even if they weren't together at the time, it still hurt, especially with the way Davina turned out, like Kol was a god and didn't deserve the way Bonnie treated him. She wondered if the sex was that great, it made her a little crazy.
She wiped a tear away and turned back to him. "Well, at least I didn't sleep with Damon," I haven't slept with anyone. The only distraction from her pain was trying to live her life, keeping her friends safe.
Kol avoided her eyes. He wasn't happy that she'd been cavorting with the baby vamp and that she'd been avoiding him all these years. Just a kiss! No wonder Damon had started his pissing contest. One kiss and the fool thought he'd conquered Bonnie's heart. It was fortunate that Bonnie was still a virgin because if Damon had deflowered her, nothing would stop Kol from delivering him the most gruesome end fathomable.
The cherry topper to his discontentment was that he couldn't even touch his girl now. He couldn't hold her let alone go near her and part of him wanted to blame her for this, if she'd only foregone her cloaking spell and hadn't run from him, they probably wouldn't be in this situation. The longer he was denied her affections the crazier it would make him until he eventually killed her. This disheartened him.
"But as far as I knew I'd never see you or anyone I love again, so yes I kissed him. I was completely numb, I needed to feel something. And I squashed those feelings as soon as I knew there was a way back here. Please Kol. You have to know how I feel about you. And how much I've come to regret my decision to be cloaked from you, that was the stupidest thing I've ever done." Bonnie pressed, more tears escaping her water ducts.
"I'm serious. The spell only affects those who reciprocate your affections. Otherwise, any bloke who's ever been attracted to you would suffer the pain I do."
"I don't love him, Kol. Not like that. I know he feels for me and he's very protective which I appreciate so much. But I could never, you don't understand," tears would not cease to fall from Bonnie's downcast eyes. She seemed ashamed for some reason, as if having affections for the younger vampire disgusted her.
"Don't you know you're the love of my entire existence? You're literally the other half of my soul Kol. The slightest chance at being with you again is what kept me going when I found there was a way out of the prison world, when I was trapped alone with Kai..I'd wait a thousand years for you to come back to me, just like you did for me."
That did it. Kol couldn't stay mad at her, not when he knew she believed everything she'd said and did was true. And she finally admitted it was a foolish idea to even let anything keep them apart. That was what he needed to hear.
Kol inched forward slowly, locking his eyes on his little witch.
"Speak your heart. Tell me how you feel about me, love." He needed to hear her say how much she loves him.
"I love you Kol. So much," she placed two hands on her heart. "I always have and I always will. I won't ever stop loving you."
Kol sighed. He wanted to hold her in his arms, to kiss and touch her and he fucking couldn't. Torture ! "Bonnie, you've no idea how badly I want to kiss you and show you all the ways I love you, right now."
"Well, I've got an idea. You can enter my mind, right? The spell can't penetrate our minds can it?"
Kol thought for a moment, then shook his head.
"I don't think so, it's a physical barrier. I must say I like where you're going with this, little witch." He finally grinned his signature smirk.
"Hey mister, remember I'm still innocent, so no funny business!" Bonnie smiled.
"I can't promise I'll behave," Kol said, the heat in his eyes darkening his gaze.
"Before we begin, I need your word that you won't try to kill Damon."
His face faltered. "What on earth could have compelled you to bring him up at a time like this?"
"I'm serious Kol, please. He's been my friend through all of this…"
He stared at her hard. Bonnie stared back, determined to keep her resolve. He sighed in defeat. She was lucky he loved more than he hated Damon.
"If you stop mentioning him, I'll be on my best behavior when it comes to the bloke. Will that appease you?" This felt like coercion to try and not kill the bloke, but he'd do anything for his love.
"That's all I ask, babes!" Bonnie did a little curtsy.
"Have a seat. Make yourself comfortable. And close your eyes." Kol directed.
Bonnie did as she was told and when she opened her eyes she found herself seated on a loveseat stationed on a veranda at the old Mikaelson estate. Kol was seated right next to her and was able to wrap his arms around her, pain free.
She embraced him and their lips met, losing themselves in the kiss. Kol deepened the kiss, pulling her cardigan down her shoulders. Then he moved to nibble on her ears and kissed down her necks and Bonnie moaned in response.
"I've missed you so much, Kol," she breathed into his ear.
"And I, you, my love." He said between planting kisses down her chest.
He pulled Bonnie onto his lap so she was straddling him and went for her lips again, kissing, biting, and nuzzling her lips with a demanding force. He wanted more of her, he couldn't help it. Kol slipped his hand under her shirt and rubbed her stomach before traveling upwards to fondle her breasts. Bonnie's breath hitched at this and she moaned in encouragement, running her fingers through his hair. Through her bra, he pinched her nipples between his fingers as she kept moaning.
"Darling, you are exquisite," he murmured, nipping at her neck again.
His hands slid down to cup her ass and he pressed her into him, grinding against her undercarriage. With Kol burying his face in her chest and Bonnie leaning back and pressing her chest into him, the heat between them was building up, unaffected by Kai's spell. Bonnie was grateful and didn't want to think of Kai at this moment so she pushed him to the back of her mind until Kol reached down between her legs. He was a lot more gentle but with a similar hunger to Kai, he pressed his palm against her and it brought Kai right back to the front of her mind. Bonnie yelped in surprise.
"I'm sorry," she said, shooting up out of his lap and planting herself beside Kol.
He took her chin in his hand and turned her to face him.
"Bonnie my sweet, I need to know what he's done to you so I don't overstep your boundaries." Her eyes shied away but Kol turned her back to face him. "You don't have to give me specific details but it would help me to know the gist."
Bonnie took a deep breath.
"When Damon got out of the prison world, Kai said he had me all to himself. I thought he was just being Kai and talking out of his ass. But every night he would make attempts to seduce me or torment me until I gave up the ascendant, it was this weird looking device that I did magic on to get us out of there. He tried to- but he never got so far as grabbing me because once he made physical contact, I did a last resort spell to unload my magic unto him. I would go unconscious and he couldn't siphon me or hurt me anymore. It was like that for eight weeks. He's killed Elena, not to mention his entire coven and then he tricked me into doing a spell with him. To bring out his more sentimental side; instead, he fooled me into believing he was Damon and Damon was him and so I-I killed Damon."
Tears welled up in her eyes. Kol didn't even make a snarky comment about that, he understood how Bonnie felt about her friends, even him . At least he was actually a friend, instead of a maniacal predator like Kai.
"He made me turn against my friends, he forcibly made me his supernatural bride," she held up her left hand and revealed the magic tattoo that was inked into her ring finger. "He keeps getting the upper hand and getting in my head. I'm scared, Kol."
Bonnie looked into his eyes with enormous green orbs that were truly terrified. "I'm scared he's going to finally get me. He's obsessed with me in each and every way."
This pained Kol to his core. His literal other half and she was terrified that someone else would ruin her. He held her close and stroked her hair in a soothing rhythm. It occurred to him how fucked up this was, that supernatural marriage was supposed to be for him and Bonnie. The siphon had fully tainted that opportunity.
"I'm here, darling. I won't let him harm you. We can get away from all of this if you want. He'll never find you."
"But he'll torture my friends to find me." Bonnie shook her head. "He said he would stop at nothing. What are we gonna do Kol?"
"I know of someone who can help, it won't take long. We'll leave tomorrow after you've gotten your rest."
"Ok. For now, I could use something to eat. Let's go to my house. This place reminds me of the siphon,"
"So how did it go with Esther?" Bonnie asked as they dined on fast food in her home, Bonnie sitting on a stool at the bar, Kol sitting at the table to maintain the distance for the intimacy spell. Kol initially insisted the lady should have the table seat but Bonnie wouldn't move from her spot, since he couldn't come any closer. She was adamant that he was a guest in her home.
"Oh, it was a team effort, most definitely. My long lost sister, your mother, Hayley, even little Hope, along with-"
"A rude little wench whom we shall not name, right?" Bonnie said, nodding her head suggestively until Kol agreed.
"Of course! That individual. Hayley and I also had an opportunity to wield magic once again,"
Bonnie's face lit up. "You have magic?"
"It's gone now," Kol said, regretfully. "But it was as marvelous using magic as it was a millennium ago. And it made me feel connected to you once again. I kept thinking what a rush it would be to practice with you. Since we do not have that opportunity, I thought I'd at least memorialize that moment in time. In there, the coffee table, you'll find a gift." He gestured with his hand and waited for Bonnie to go check.
When Bonnie left the room, he used his vampire speed to switch their dinnerplates and took a seat at the bar. There, that was better. It didn't sit well with the gentleman deep inside of him that the lady of the house couldn't sit at her own table. Bonnie walked back in and stopped suddenly when she saw Kol standing at the bar. She clicked her tongue.
"Dammit, Kol," she said as she took a seat at the table, placing a medium-sized box on it.
"I'm a true gentleman," he laughed. "Open it,"
Inside the box, under the tissue paper and wrapped in the glass paper, was a single but fully blossomed gardenia in a tall, rosy transparent vase, with a deep magenta ribbon wrapped around it.
"After you put it in water, it will go through the natural life cycle as a flower, but as the gardenia dies, it will immortalize by solidifying into partially silver, for you, and partially gold," he explained. "Undying like our love,"
"You remembered I preferred silver. But I thought you were most fond of orchids because they remind you of the old days,"
"I'm more fond of you and loving you is golden,"
Bonnie blushed. She wished with all her heart she could jump into his arms at the moment. Remembering she couldn't made her heart drop and she bowed her head. "This is such a beautiful gesture, Kol. I'm gonna put it in water now," she made her way to the kitchen as Kol stepped back so they'd maintain the needed distance. "I didn't even know there was a spell like that,"
She turned on the water faucet and filled a glass with water.
"It didn't until I created it. Just for you,"
Her eyes widened. "You're quite fond of me, aren't you?" she asked with a bite to her lip. Dammit! She didn't mean to make that automatic gesture.
"You could say that," Kol said softly and seriously as his eyes washed over her. He needed to hold off on those bedroom eyes, it would cause emotions in her that Kol's vampire senses would pick up on and he would be affected by the spell, albeit agonizingly.
Bonnie took her vase to the table and sat down with an air of prim posture. "So, Esther. You all teamed up?"
Kol attempted to stifle a grin as he reclaimed his seat. "Right, so as I was saying,"
Two days ago
Collectively fighting against Freya was a much more difficult feat to overcome than any of them had initially expected. She was under the impression they were all evil, threats to humanity and society with all the lives they'd taken and fed upon. Kol wondered how it made her any different, having her life preserved for all these years as he'd only ever known the blood of the innocent to be the one sacrifice that would allow one's life to be extended. Esther was channeling another witch family, but with every death she'd met, it would take the life of a witch when she resurrected. Fifteen witches had already died since 2010 in order for Esther to continue coming back to finish what she started.
To Kol's fury and dismay, he'd found out that the hex she'd placed on him was active whether or not she was alive. In order to rid himself of the hex, he needed to occupy the life Esther currently had, which couldn't be done unless he was able to wield magic. He would meet a temporary death after he took over her life and the hex would be linked to the magic in him, each destroying each other before he would reanimate as a vampire, which was his former life. The only thing getting in the way was Freya.
"I haven't killed anyone that wasn't necessary for my own survival in years," Kol said, while he was a magical tug of war with his eldest sister. Drops of blood drizzled down each of their noses, as well as Hayley's and Davina's.
"And I don't feed on anyone! I drink the blood of people who've donated it! I'm trying to set a good example for my daughter!" Hayley added.
Good on Hayley for adding in the part about Hope. Kol got the feeling Freya was very sentimental when it came to children.
"How much blood have you spilled just to ensure you stand before us today? Is that not the same, all your sacrifices to preserve your life is what enabled you to be here today!"
"You know nothing of me! I never meant to hurt anyone, I just wanted my son!" Freya shouted, slightly lowering her upraised hand. Ahh, there it was. The reason she was so particular concerning children. She had lost a child.
"You had a son?" Hayley asked.
"I did," Freya nodded. "Until Dahlia took him away from me,"
Esther frowned. "Freya, your aunt took away your young, just as she took you away from me. She's tried to fashion you into a monster like herself, but you are the purest of hearts, my dear. Do not be corrupted as your siblings have become! Finish them!" she cried, eagerly.
Mother was so damned insufferable with her false words of praise. The fact that she'd led everyone to believe that Freya died as an infant, that Nik was Father's son; Kol wasn't buying it one bit. "Enough of your lies, Mother! You couldn't even remain loyal to your own husband. That Freya died in infancy was probably another of your tall tales, was it not?" he demanded of the wench who called herself a mother.
"Be quiet Kol, your lies have no merit here. Don't listen to them, Freya, they're all abominations! You must finish this!"
Davina was the first one to falter, likely due to the fact that she was the youngest and her magic was already holding most of the weight of various protection spells.
"That's not a lie!" Hayley cried. "Klaus and Rebekah told me the same thing, they said it's known throughout the world as their history! You died, you were a baby and when her youngest son Henrik died, she couldn't stand to lose another child, they never heard about any kidnapping!"
Freya then glowered at Esther, who looked visibly worried as her magic was already muted. "Dahlia said you gave me up!"
"My elder sister is the mother of all lies, Freya. You've always been my most favored child, my firstborn. I share in the grief of child loss with you, my daughter. But we must end this!"
Freya, panicked and confused, looked to Kol. With imploring eyes, he regarded her in hopes she would understand. Esther was not who she claimed to be. "She means to rid the world of abominations, dear sister. That you and I both live and breathe when we should be long dead, means you're considered an abomination too. She undoubtedly did give you up to her unequivocally vile sibling, letting us all believe infant death held you. Only this time, you will meet your death, if you continue to stand with our mother!"
"That's harsh Kol," Hayley said as she began to falter.
"But true,"
Freya turned another glare on her mother. "You lied to me,"
Esther shook her head. "I have always done what was necessary to protect my children, to the detriment of humankind, as it turns out," she turned to Kol. "You are a wretched, vulgar beast! A curse on this world once you ceased to be my sweet boy. My greatest regret is refusing to let nature take it's rightful course with your human lives. Maybe then, a mother's love and greatest sacrifice would not have been transformed into a deep hatred for what you've become,"
Kol just glared at her, her venom no longer affected him, but they clearly affected Freya. She yelled something in Latin before Esther fell backward, unconscious. At the same time, she released the magic that was grappling with Davina, Hayley, and Kol. Hayley immediately recovered and rushed to check on Davina.
Freya stepped around her fallen mother, glaring at her. "I would never speak to my little Erik that way," she snapped. Then she looked at Kol. "It's clear that she has ceased to be a mother, long ago,"
"Was that the name of your young one?" he asked.
"It was going to be. Dahlia incited a premature labor and he was stillborn. But the love I have for my baby is undying, to this day," Freya's voice was strained.
"Then you're already doing a hell of a lot better than her," he said with a nod in Esther's direction.
"What are you planning?
"To remove a hex she's placed on me. And in doing so, destroying her for good."
"I'm willing to help you on one condition," Freya decided. "I want to meet my family. All of you,"
Davina looked at him regretfully. He wished she'd stop with the doe eyes and understand he was not for her. "Kol, we have to do this now,"
Kol promised Freya a meeting with everyone still living, save for Elijah who was desiccated still. Then he leaned down towards Esther, placing his hand on her shoulder. He began chanting in French as Davina instructed, as he felt the life and power housed in his mother's body streaming into his through his point of contact on her person. When the transition was complete, his mothers body grew cold in an instant. Davina handed Hayley the gilded white oak stake.
"Straight through my heart," he said. "You'll want to step back, the flames flare quite far,"
Hayley winced before she nodded and took a deep breath. "I swear, if you don't come back, this wasn't my idea!"
Kol smiled sadly. This had to work or the pain of his relationship with Bonnie was all in vain.
Freya suggested staking him with magic, which Hayley agreed was the best route to go. Once the stake had pierced his heart, the last thing Kol felt was flames incinerating his flesh and then everything was black for a moment.
Opening his eyes, he found he was existing in a place where his vision was stained red as if blood spatter spotted his vision. It was a hot and humid, barren desert with the sound of strong winds howling, yet there was no sensation of gusts. Time appeared to stand still and mean nothing, for he knew not how long he stood there with a completely hopeless sensation in his being. Hopeless was not knowing where and how long he dwelled there, combined with the fact that all he wanted was to be with his love. In death there was no Bonnie, no peace, only the howling despair around and a cold, hollow empty feeling within. Suddenly, Kol found himself propelled through a black tunnel that seemed to never end until it started bleeding red all around the edges of his vision.
Kol woke up with a loud gasp as the life came shrieking back into him. He sat up and found he was on a slab in the mausoleum where he and Bonnie met up with Esther, years prior, with a white sheet covering his nude body.
Hayley flashed in, with a fresh outfit and leather jacket for him. "I'm sure you're hungry. We've got some of Esther's cult minions to annihilate, your hunger should help us get this done in no time," she put the clothes down next to him and tapped the slab. "Come on, no time to waste!" She hurried out of the entrance.
Kol realized then that he was starving with a hunger similar to his early days as a vampire. He only hoped Esther had enough minions to appease his appetite.
"Half of her vampire hating followers had an immediate change of heart when they saw their companions insides turned out. But I didn't let them get away, though I didn't slaughter those ones. Every life we extinguished excruciatingly slow aneurysms in honor of you and how you wanted to ensure she'd pay for it," Kol explained. "A little extra work on Hayley's and my part used every death to shred Esther's soul. I'd say that's payment with interest, ensuring she will not be back,"
That was gritty and gnarly to do to his own mother, but coming from Kol and the meaning behind it gave Bonnie a faint insight into why his victims often suffered. All that rage had to go somewhere. Now a huge part of it was quelled with Esther's demise. They were finally safe and free of her!
"I wish I could fucking kiss you right now," she whispered.
"The day I'm able to touch you again will bring you more than kisses,"
Bonnie could only blush in response, remembering what his touch once did to her. "Were you in Hell?" She asked as a way to change the subject.
Kol looked away. "There has been no greater torment than being away from you. Being stuck in a timeless despair, not knowing if I would ever hold you in my arms again… I know no Hell other than the torture that is being apart from you. Now that I've got you in my sights again, I'd prefer not to dwell on it,"
"I'm here. And I'm not going anywhere, ever again,"
"Everything I need and want is in you, Bonnie. You are my peace,"
"I know," she smiled tenderly, knowing she could never willing put him through losing her again. If a desolate place of suffering was in store for him, she wouldn't dare contribute to making his life a living Hell.
Damon's POV
Damon was sitting on the porch swing at 8am at Sheila Bennett's house. He was thinking of the first time he was here when Bonnie was still in high school, a novice witch. Back when he used to boss her around and use intimidation tactics to get Bonnie to do whatever witchy magic he needed at the time. All that for someone he wasted his love on, and then only to have a repeat of wasting his love on someone who would never feel the same way. Wasn't he doing the same damn thing now?
No, he told himself. This time, things were different. With the doppelgängers, Katherine was obsessed with his brother and when it came to Damon, Elena having never quite forgiven him for killing Jeremy or turning her into a vampire at Klaus's ritual, was too obsessed with revenge to even consider looking his way. It was too real of a fact that it was never going to happen with either of them. Things were different with the witch. She saw him for who he was, with everything he's done to her and her friends and she gave him hell for it. Not that she expected him to change but she challenged him to do better if he knew better. She was as blunt with him as he was with her and they each respected one another for that. She was his match in almost every way.
Damon was certain that under different circumstances, he would have Bonnie. He'd come so close and it was obvious by now she cared about him but if circumstances were altered, he would have not only her respect and her friendship, but her love as well. This made him hate the Original family all the more. If they hadn't come to town to shake shit up, he would've ended up with Bonnie, he was sure of it. Now he had to sit here and watch her go off with her Original psycho. It honestly didn't make sense to Damon how Bonnie could fall for the one who was impulsive and unhinged for over a thousand years and still love the dude especially after her ordeal with Kai. Especially considering how his and Bonnie's whole relationship dynamic started off. They could've quite literally killed each other. But that was her prerogative, he supposed.
Damon was there early to say his goodbyes since Kol was taking her to get help. Damon wanted to see Bonnie off in private, not wanting to appear vulnerable around their group of friends. It was also hard for him because he couldn't come within five feet of Bonnie without feeling pain and he knew it pained her deeply to see him suffer. The spell stipulated that the more pain he got from being near her would turn his affection for her into a violent loathing and before long he would be attempting to kill her to alleviate his pain. He would have to say everything he needed to say to her in the privacy of her mind and he'd need some alone time afterward.
He heard her coming outside and stood up and went to go stand at the other end of the porch.
Bonnie opened the screen door. "Hey, you're early."
"Hiya, witchy. Have a seat," Damon gestured towards the porch swing. "Close your eyes."
Bonnie did as instructed.
"Think of-" Damon began before being interrupted by Bonnie.
"I got it!" She closed her eyes and waved her hands for him to proceed. "Go ahead,"
Bonnie was thinking of the decade's dance where the sixties was the theme as Damon entered her mind. Bonnie was dressed in her gogo outfit with her beehive bun and Damon was clad in his sixties playboy garb. The gym was outfitted in the same decorations that were present the night of the actual dance in question, though it was empty of dance-goers save for Bonnie and Damon.
"The decades dance, huh?" He smirked. Bonnie giggled
This particular decade's dance happened when Damon was still pining after Elena, but he was moved by Bonnie's devotion to keeping her friend safe at any cost. For whatever reason Bonnie deemed it a fond memory but it only gave Damon's heart a pang remembering how selfless his witchy was, willing to sacrifice herself for Elena.
"This was our first dance! Don't you remember?" Bonnie laughed as she grabbed his hand and pulled him to the dance floor. Bonnie snapped her fingers and the music started. They spent the next 15 minutes reminiscing on their history together and dancing. Then they were just silent, still swaying together as the last song finished.
Damon spoke first. "Bonnie, I don't know what to say and I don't know how to tell you I'm gonna miss you."
She smirked at him. "I think you just said it."
He made a face. "Well, my work here is done then."
They both laughed.
"You don't need to say anything Damon. Just promise me you won't do anything stupid, crazy, or impulsive while I'm gone." She looked at him seriously.
"No can do. Stupid, crazy, and impulsive is my middle name."
"I mean it!" Bonnie shook her head and looked at the ground. "I can't take much more of Kai hurting my friends."
"And I can't take much more of his obsession with my best friend."
Bonnie's eyes grew large. "Did you just admit that I'm your best friend?"
"I may have realized that you're the smartest of the town riff-raff."
"And here I was thinking you were paying me a compliment, now I'm reduced to fellow town riff-raff." Bonnie shrugged and feigned disappointment.
"I specifically said smart riff-raff. Don't forget the part about smart. And don't tell that to Ric or Enzo." He waggled his brows and emphasized his baby blues.
Bonnie smiled at him with such adoration. "Your secret's safe with me," she whispered.
Damon couldn't take it, she was being too cutesy and he had to tear his eyes away from hers. He pulled her in for one last hug.
"Hurry back, witchy." He rasped in her ear.
When Bonnie opened her eyes, Damon was gone.
Bonnie's POV
Hours later, after subtly saying her farewells to the rest of the Mystic Falls gang, Bonnie headed out of town following Kol's car in her own. She didn't know exactly where they were going but she knew they were heading out west. She didn't know how long it would take but she hoped not long. She hated the idea that Kai was practically running her out of her own hometown since she couldn't seem to escape him. She guessed he had been laying low the past few days since all noise about Kai had been particularly quiet since the last time she got away from him, somehow he wasn't frozen solid yet. Uncertain if that was good or bad but she wasn't worried too much about her friends.
The leaving Mystic Falls sign came into her view and she watched Kol zoom past it. She smiled to herself thinking how just a short time ago, she and her friends couldn't even enter Mystic Falls without-
What could only be described as an invisible brick wall slammed into Bonnie's chest, causing her car to swerve as she slammed on the brakes, sliding slightly until she was on the side of the road in the opposite lane. She couldn't breathe, she unbuckled her seatbelt as Kol appeared in an instant at her driver's side door, yelling her name in agony as he was too close.
"Get back!" She yelled as she shoved him backward with a silent spell and wave of her hand as she stumbled out of the car. Her body, acting of its own accord, stumbled back across the Mystic Falls city limit border. As soon as she was across she gained control of her body and she could breathe again. She took deep breaths.
Kol flashed as close as he could without crossing the boundaries of the intimacy spell. "Bonnie, love what's wrong?"
"The border," she gasped out with her chest still heaving. "I got to the town barrier and it wouldn't let me cross the border."
"Bloody fucking hell," Kol said in a low growl. He began pacing. Bonnie certainly didn't see this coming but with everything Kai has done, she felt she should've anticipated something like this.
"Kol, take me home," Bonnie said, standing up. He nodded in agreement and drove Bonnie's car across the border for her and waited for her to get into her car before he flashed to his own.
Now, how is Bonnie going to be safe from Kai if she can't even get away? We will see. Next chapter or two will finally introduce Toni Topaz to Bonnie Bennett. I'm way too geeked for it!
Also wanted to note that Bonnie and Damon's relationship is all complicated because Bonnie can't bring herself to admit she'd ever consider Damon, not even to herself, which is why she insists it was just a kiss.
And we are coming up to our fic crossover in a few more chapters, like two or three! But we need to meet Toni first and find out how she's relevant here.
Forgive me for any errors in grammar or continuity, will correct as I read back!