AN: GYB: A strange visitor comes to Mystic Falls to issue Bonnie a warning

Mine: Kol is shown a world in which his actions whether or not he means well have tragic consequences for Bonnie.

Song for this chapter:

Gone away -by The Offspring

'I reach to the sky

And call out your name

Oh, please let me trade

I would'

I had to get this out or I'll do that thang where I keep going over it and adding to it until eventually the whole chapter changes and according to the rules of this universe, I don't have the luxury to do that, and I don't want to distract too much from the GYB plot.

So here we see Kol is brought here and shown a different version of Bonnie. The focus is on how he comes to terms with what's going on and how he chooses to respond to it because that's going to be important for Bonnie as she figures out who's stalking her, also important for Kol when he returns to his own Bonnie.

In chapter 19 of Mine, post a magical battle with Kai that incapacitates him, Kol finds himself in a strange place with a faerie named Autumn, who pulls him into another world.

Bonnie lowered her eyes as she recanted the moment she perceived where things began to go terribly wrong. "I got a call the last night I was with Damon. And it was the same number that messaged me in the hospital,"

"Why exactly were you hospitalized?"

"Overwhelming grief threatened to consume me from the inside out," she replied thoughtfully. Kai searched her face for what seemed like too long. She blushed, thinking she must have sounded like an overly dramatic sort of mourner. "Losing my boyfriend hit me hard, I passed out, hit my head, the doctors just wanted to make sure I was ok," Bonnie rubbed the side of her head behind her ear tenderly.

"You're fine," Kai assured. "I'm just trying to understand the full picture,"

"I get you. Can I ask you one question though, that's been bugging me?" Bonnie said curiously.

Kai raised his brow and waited for her to continue.

"When I met you at Damon's funeral, you said you worked in photography and journalism. Why did you say that if you're actually a private investigator?"

"My work actually does consist of both of those, but obviously in most cases, I need to be discreet about it. That's my cover story since I can't just go around advertising what I do,"

"That's clever," Bonnie said with a smile. She supposed that made the most sense, and it would allow him the free time and access he needed to do his job.

Kai stood up and went to sit next to her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "You have the most gorgeous smile," he said, pulling her chin towards him. She bit her lower lip before she brushed her lips against his. Kai kissed her softly before he slipped his tongue between her lips, showing her what that tongue did. He leaned into her, pushing her on her back and he hiked her skirt up.

Bonnie broke his gaze when she reached for another water bottle. It snapped Kai out of his fantasy and he cleared his throat.

"It's good to see you smile, Bonnie. You looked so somber the other day," he said from his seat across from her.

Her smile slowly faded. "I have every reason to be. I'm sorry. Can we just-"

"Right, sorry. So are there any known enemies to you or Mr. Salvatore?"

"I wouldn't say an enemy but there is one person I can think of that may be harboring a grudge against him. And me, I suppose, though I don't know why she'd want me in her arms. I guess that takes her out of the running."

"I need to explore every possible avenue, even if it doesn't seem likely. Through my work, I've learned that there are people you can spend every day with and find out that the inner workings of their minds are more twisted than you could imagine," Kai said contemplatively.

"Yeah, no kidding," she sighed. "Her name is Katherine, she's actually who I called Stefan about who was flipping out about an alien attack. It had to be the drugs though; I definitely think she's messing with me but there's no way she could know…" There was no way Damon would have told anyone about Abby's history. It didn't make a lick of sense why Katherine was spouting that bullshit. "She's so spun out, I don't think she's even in the right frame of mind it would take to fuck with me like this…"

Kai peered at her, waiting for her to continue. She didn't, she paused and gazed out the window, deep in thought, likely over some past trauma. "Bonnie," he called softly. "Are you okay? Do you want to do this another time?"

"Another time?"

"We could set up a meeting at my office, and I could interview everyone privately instead. Especially since the information is so personal," he offered. Bonnie couldn't tell how tight he was clenching his notepad as he proposed the offer.

She waved towards the living room entryway. "They're family, it's fine. I just haven't talked about it in so long. My mom was an addict and she used to shriek that an alien invasion was coming. It triggered some bad memories," Bonnie raised her brows. "Was she ok?"

He nodded. "She'll be fine. Stefan called her sister to help her out,"

Bonnie looked relieved at that. Kai didn't understand why she was concerned about this woman who was awful to her, yet he admired her tender heart.

"So tell me more about your mother," he said.

"I don't know much about her since she left me when I was a kid. Last I heard she was still on drugs a couple of years ago after a brief period of sobriety. She relapsed when my grandmother had a heart attack and we haven't seen her since,"

"I don't mean to be presumptuous at all, but logically it stands to reason that being an addict, for- sorry, how many years again?"

"My whole life," Bonnie sighed in response, with a lingering blink.

"She may have pissed some people off and acquired some enemies since then,"

"I've always been afraid of that,"

It was hard to admit but Abby led the sort of life that Bonnie felt deep down, she'd rather die than emulate. The fond memories she'd had of Abby before she left wasn't enough to warrant a relationship with her little one. If her mother was a disappointment to her, Bonnie could only expect she'd disappoint the baby as well. As far as she was concerned, there wasn't anything she needed Abby for.

Talking about her mother rendered Bonnie emotional so she and Sarah decided to take a break, by heading to The Grille while Kai interviewed Stefan at Sarah's. The unsettling feeling of being silently watched came over her as she entered the restaurant. The sentiment didn't subside even when she was led to her table. Bonnie looked around and her chest tightened when she realized the creepy Englishman was there.

This was no coincidence and it became clear to Bonnie this guy wasn't going to let up. The fear she formerly possessed gave way to frustration and the urge to demand what the hell he wanted from her bubbled over.

She tapped Sarah's shoulder. "Sarah, that's him!" The cops should have arrested him when they'd picked up Katherine, Bonnie thought. "How is he here?"

*Magic swirls a few minutes prior*

Kol Mikaelson's (of Mine) POV

When the winds subsided, Kol found he was standing in Mystic Falls. Nothing looked out of the ordinary. Except he turned to the right and met Autumn's beaming smile.

"What the bloody are you wearing?" he asked, giving her form a quick sweep from head to toe. Autumn donned a long sleeve crop top that had buckles down the front, spaced so wide apart they showed an excessive amount of cleavage. The pants she had on went up high on her waist but were cut out from the mid-thighs on up, held in place by another set of wide buckles, revealing her form. It was a vivid scarlet-hued ensemble that threatened to call far too much unwanted attention.

"It's 2021, Kol. I must blend in, mustn't I?"

Kol looked around and began to notice subtle changes. The Mystic Grille where he'd first encountered Bonnie wasn't undergoing renovations as it had been in 2013, it was completely intact with its original architecture. The hands of the clock tower were still black instead of red and there was now a fountain in the middle of the town square. Additionally, there were other women here and there who were dressed as oddly as Autumn.

He looked down at his own attire, thankful to find he was still in his powder-blue Henley and black jeans.

"Come, we have lots to see. Starting with that lovely vision there," Autumn gestured across the street and there was Bonnie Bennett walking towards The Grille with another young woman, who had pin-straight, jet-black hair. Except she didn't look like the Bonnie Bennett he knew so well. Instead of her short and straight, dark auburn bob, this woman had long cascading hair curled into beach waves that was dark at the top and faded into a light honey as it fell halfway down her back. She wore immaculate navy dress pants with a matching fitted blazer and pointy-toed high heels. Still incredibly stunning but there was something in her eyes. They were empty and somber. She was hurting and Kol didn't understand why, he just knew he needed to go to her.

"Bonnie," he gasped before he zipped over to her.

"Duratus!" Autumn shouted. As Kol neared Bonnie, he found she was frozen mid-stride, as well her companion. He looked around and the entire scene of the town had come to a halt, save for Autumn, who had her palm up in a silent demand. She disappeared into a beam of light. Kol squinted at the space she had occupied.

"You must not try that again," she said from behind him. She surprised him so suddenly that again, he used his vampire speed to flip around and capture her by her throat, only the contact with her incinerated his hands.

"Bloody hell!" he cried, shaking his hand.

"You mustn't lay your hands on me either," she reminded him as Kol glared at her.

"I only want to speak to her,"

"Kol, there are no vampires here. If you suddenly appear to her, you will frighten her more than the sight of you is already going to,"

"Why would she fear the sight of me?"

"You shall see. But you must not utilize your vampire abilities while you are here. Her already fragile human mind will implode if she is exposed to something that unfathomable and incomprehensible, for all the humans here. It will incite mass panic. Be warned," she replied with an ominous inflection.

"What is going on? I can feel her pain," Kol said, looking at the frozen, statue-like Bennett.

"She is mourning the death of her unborn's father,"

Surprised, Kol leaned in and inhaled, sucking in Bonnie's scent. Sure enough, the aroma of an expectant mother was present, devoid of his own scent. He knew this wasn't his Bonnie but the knowledge of her in any scenario laying with another- being impregnated, was unsettling. It was taxing to wrap his head around. "Will she be alright?"

"Someone is stalking her. It is why her beloved Damon Salvatore had been slain," Autumn said with a smile. Cripes! The idea of Bonnie and Damon didn't sit well with him at all. Making matters worse was when the little fae assaulted his mental vault with fond memories this Bonnie shared with Damon.

Kol groaned and gripped his hair, trying to shake off the mental images. "Why am I seeing this?!"

"The one who is after her, knew of the bliss she shared with Damon, yet still claimed his life so he could take Bonnie for himself. He has a deadly fixation with her. You know who this is,"

"The siphon," Kol stated.

"In this world, he is the private detective hired to help protect her. He wields no magic but he has the same despicable traits that make him dangerous to Bonnie. Only she thinks him a savior, unwittingly falling victim to his depraved agenda by employing him. Much in the same way he siphons witch magic for power and personal gain in your world, he has penetrated her inner circle in order to absorb all the information he requires to ultimately drain her life of everything she holds dear. Once she is hopeless, he will be seen as her only hope, becoming his third victim. Quite demented here, his only lovers are based in obsession. I suppose that is what happened as a result of his upbringing, considering the way his pa-"

Kol gave not two shits about Kai's psyche or upbringing, he only cared to keep Bonnie safe from the monster in any world. "We must help her! That is why you've brought me here?"

"Oh no. No, no, no, NO, sir. This is merely an observation mission. Intervention is forbidden, it would shatter the very reality of this world. I will return when the message is clear," Autumn began to fade from view but her singsong voice still rang out in the air around him. "Remember, do not utilize your supernatural abilities or you shall render her insane and this world will crumble,"

"Wait!" Kol exclaimed as she faded away. He glanced around, and realized he was back across the street where he and Autumn first landed. The street scene as well as Bonnie and her companion were still frozen. As if someone pushed play on a film that was paused, the scene spurred to life again and everyone resumed their dealings.

Bonnie and the woman were about to step into The Grille. Kol hurried across the street, passing in front of a car, who honked their horn at him. The Original had to resist the urge to flash his fangs at him, compel the bloke to drive into a tree at a hundred miles per hour, and instead made his way into The Grille, where he slipped into a booth wielding all the discretion human speed would allow and disappeared behind a menu.

Almost as if having a sixth sense for his energy, Bonnie noticed him right away.

"Sarah, that's him! How is he here?" He heard her say. He focused on the menu in front of him, hardly glancing her way.

Sarah, the young woman in Bonnie's company, looked over and scowled at Kol before she pulled out a taser, powering it on. "Why don't we go talk to him?"

Out of the corner of his eye, he witnessed Bonnie look at Sarah and her taser, then back at Kol. He turned to meet her gaze head-on and Bonnie worked up the courage to confront him.

"You again!" She hissed as she walked up to him. "Shouldn't you be in police custody by now?"

Bewilderment crossed his features as he pondered why that would even be a remote possibility. Then, remembering Autumn's words, he chalked it up to the notion that the Kai of this world could likely be framing him.

"Why would that be, love?" He asked innocently, gazing up at her.

"You think this is funny? This is my life you're messing with!"

Sarah rubbed Bonnie's shoulder.

"I've done no such thing. We've never formally met darling, but I can see my presence here has disturbed you. Perhaps you should leave my company," he suggested lightly.

Bonnie fumed at that. "Perhaps you should leave, I was here first! And I don't know why you're following me but you should know, you're not going to get away with it,"

"Why don't you just leave?" Sarah zapped her taser, in a silent promise.

Kol's gaze shifted to Sarah , acknowledging her presence for the first time. Then he rose slowly, towering over each woman as he stepped out from the booth. "I neither know nor care who you are, however, I do not take kindly to threats," he said, deciding to break it down clearly for this random woman.

"Neither do I," her eyes challenged him and the fact both irked Kol to no end, as well as fascinated him that Bonnie had someone on her side who was loyal and fiercely protective and it wasn't a doppelgänger. On the other hand, he could easily rip this girl apart for sticking her nose in places it didn't belong. But that was back in his world.

Kol decided this wasn't worth the warning Autumn had given him, if Sarah deigned to make a scene. "Do you two attempt to intimidate all the patrons here? Or is that a gesture solely reserved for me?" He stood up, stepping out of the booth.

"Oh shit," Bonnie murmured, looking past him. "There's two of you?"

Kol turned to where Bonnie's eyes had settled and saw an exact replica of himself, entering The Grille. Seizing an opportunity, he said, "You have clearly mistaken me for someone else. As I've said, I've never laid eyes on you before. Excuse me,"

Kol stepped around Bonnie, who looked perplexed as ever, and lowered his head, avoiding his carbon copy as he walked to the men's room. Instead of actually going into the men's room, he leaned up against the wall in the small hallway near the restrooms. His acute vampire senses enabled him to be privy to Bonnie's conversation, which he focused on.

"Who are you?" He heard Bonnie demand to his human counterpart.

"I mean no harm, I promise," he said.

"Why are you following me? Why do you keep popping up?"

"You don't remember but we've crossed paths before and I haven't been able to stop thinking of you,"

Kol silently cursed the fool for making whatever the hell he meant sound so stalkerish. Bonnie was clearly convinced he was the culprit, he realized as Autumn's words rang true; the sight of him did terrify her. The bloke was only exacerbating her fears. He decided Human Kol needed to be out of the way. As a vampire, Kol had the means to amend the situation and take the heat off the idiot human. He didn't know how long he'd be here but he resolved he'd make sure at least his human counterpart and Bonnie were safe. Bonnie from the private investigator, and the daft Kol from Bonnie siccing law enforcement on him.

Kol stepped out from the hallway and made his way back to where Bonnie, Sarah, and the other Kol were standing.

"So it was you who's been sending me those fucked up messages, isn't it?! Calling and not saying anything?"

"What?"

"Yeah, since you accosted me two weeks ago!" She snapped in a low voice, likely to keep from making a scene.

"I'm talking about the day you met Damon Salvatore,"

Kol watched as Bonnie's face went from confused to angry. "Yeah you would know all about Damon, wouldn't you?"

An intervention was needed before the moronic version of himself was slapped with a restraining order or wound up in jail. Thinking and walking up quickly, he clapped his hand on the other Kol's shoulder. "Brother! There you are. Stop talking," he stared him down in subtle compulsion.

Thanking his more often than not unlucky stars as he realized the compulsion had taken effect, he turned to Bonnie and Sarah. "You must forgive him, he does this to everyone he encounters. He's not from here, he's from the English countryside where they drink like fish," he leaned closer for a whiff and scoffed. "Why, he's drunk right now! This must be who you've met? I assure you, he was likely drunk then, as well,"

"Are y'all twins?" Sarah asked as each human frowned at him.

"Of course we are," he said looking at his human mirror. "This is my brother… Niklaus! Right, is the resemblance not uncanny?"

"And you are?" Sarah asked, not bothering to mask her skepticism.

"I'm Fff… Henrik," Goddammit, why am I throwing little Henrick under the bus?! There was a chance his baby brother lived in this world, Kol wouldn't risk slandering his name.

"Fennrick?" Bonnie asked, with a doubtful lip curl.

"Enrique!"

Sarah cocked yet another skeptical brow, then sneered. "So now you're Spanish?"

"Si,"

She scoffed. "Yeah right,"

When did this become an interrogation on me?! Kol waved off her sentiment. "So you see, we've never met and my brother is quite bonkers."

Bonnie nodded slowly. She seemed hopelessly confused. "Well, then apologies for the confusion, love. We'll be going now,"

Taking the human by his shoulders, he led him out of the restaurant and behind the establishment to the parking lot.

"It's uncanny," he said as he marveled at his very own doppelgänger once they'd stopped between two random cars. "Who are you?" He asked the human. "Speak now. Tell me who you are,"

"I'm Kol," he said.

"Interesting. I'm Kol,"

"What do you want?"

"I'll ask the questions, here mate. You will answer them honestly," his eyes compelled once again. "Why are you following Bonnie Bennett?"

"I just wanted to apologize to her. I've ruined her life. Only we haven't gotten on well,"

"And why is that? What have you done to her?"

"It was an accident," Human Kol shifted uncomfortably. "I've paid for it, only she doesn't know how close she came to…"

"What was? " Kol pressed, impatience getting the best of him.

"She was in the middle of the road, about a year ago. I lost control of the van I was in and I almost hit her, until someone pulled her out of the way. I wouldn't have had time to stop,"

"How was it that you lost control?"

"I was up for days, drinking, partying. I shouldn't have been driving that day, the van was totaled hours later,"

Kol gasped. This person that was him had some serious substance abuse issues. Kol could smell the alcohol on him from the moment he'd encountered the bloke. Bloody idiot! Kol cursed fate for making him an imbecile in this world. Matters would have to be taken into his hands, despite what the crimson sprite said. Kol figured he was here for a reason, not just to get a message across, but to make a difference in Bonnie's world. If he could help it, Kai would not take Bonnie for whatever evil he had planned. If he wasn't already aware, he'd soon be aware the human was tailing Bonnie because of his near accident with her.

Human Kol had almost done something awful but Bonnie was fine and she had been. Kol didn't see a reason why he was inserting himself into her affairs now, it only made him look like the guilty party that was stalking her. There had to be something deeper triggering his guilty conscience.

"She's fine. Shouldn't you just leave her be and get on with your life?"

"I told you I totaled my van. Two women died that day, over at Whitmore,"

Kol rolled his eyes. That had nothing to do with Bonnie and he deemed this reaching unnecessary. It was time to compel him to finally fuck off. "Again, Bonnie's fine . I'm sorry mate but it's for the best that you-"

"One of them was her mother. She's never found out,"

His eyes widened in shock. "Abby?

"Yes, Abigail Bennett. I crashed into her and her companion while they were parked, getting high in the front seat. The girl doesn't know her mother has been dead for over a year,"

Everything Kol learned about his double only seemed to make matters worse!

"How is it even possible-"

"I've just completed a rehabilitation program and my curiosity got the best of me when I saw her. She thinks her mother is a junkie, lost on her addiction. It's not right, she deserves to know," he shook his head with an air of remorse. "Do you know her? Why the curiosity?"

Kol gripped him by his very stupid button-down (plaid was never acceptable and he was pissed that this human version of himself thought it appropriate) and growled in his face, the smell of alcohol exacerbating his ire. "And yet you're still drinking, perpetuating the cycle! But why on earth would you tell her that? It only makes you look guilty. Do you want her to hate you forever?!"

"But I am guilty!"

That was so no the point, this fucking idiot! Of course he'd be missing it if he was constantly drunk. She only had a tizzy every time she saw him and accused him of following her.

"Abby had her daughter and a mother. Now she is no one and has no one because of what narcotics did to her. They nearly did the same to me," his face fell in desperation. "One thing my family feared was that I'd end up dead and it would go unnoticed. I feared that as well. In life, peace was not granted to Abby but maybe in death she'll find peace. Maybe her family will have some peace in knowing she's no longer out here living this unholy life. She has an unmarked grave, no one knows or cares that she's dead. I'm sure Bonnie may not care at first but one day she may want a place to visit her mother. It would give her peace as well, stop the constant worrying. It's the least I can do for them,"

Kol released him and glowered at him before he paced, trying to think quickly. This was completely fucked. There was a clear path implicating him as Bonnie's stalker and the damn fool just fanned the flames on that shitfire. His history with Bonnie surely wasn't going to gain him her favor in any form in this world. But clearly the goal here wasn't to make sure human he made nice with Bonnie. It was to keep her safe from Kai Parker, moreover out him as her obsessive stalker.

Lord, he hated that guy in any world. The loathing he had for him would likely induce a stress stroke if he were human.

This human Kol needed to get the hell out of dodge if he wanted to protect his innocence. Apparently Kol could compel tasks to be completed but he was certain he couldn't change a person's will. This was evident when he tried to compel the human to stop drinking and he only returned a blank stare. He sighed, trying another way.

"Does any of your family reside in town?"

"Only my brother Elijah,"

"Where are the others? Let me guess: New Orleans, is it?"

He nodded slowly. Kol scoffed and issued a final demand. "Go see Elijah, tell him you want rehabilitation,"

"And sort your life out, mate!" He muttered under his breath.

After his human self walked away, Kol attempted to zip over to the Salvatore boarding house, only to find his ability to do so was disabled. Damn little sprite! He cursed her mentally. He ended up compelling someone out of their work car and rode over instead.

Outside of the Salvatores, his vampire senses made him privy to an unwelcome guest lurking in the nearby woods. Malachai Parker! Kol knew he had to be stealthy so as not to be seen. Watching from the vehicle, he observed as Kai strolled up to the edge of the walkway where there were two stone boulders framing the pathway, one of which held a vintage mailbox built into the stone. There he paused and Kol was compelled by universal justice to video record his actions. He witnessed Kai pull a miniature spy cam that was inconspicuously attached to the side of the mailbox.

Kai then ascended the walkway and pulled another hidden cam from above the doorframe before he rang the doorbell. The door opened to reveal the younger Salvatore.

"Hey,"

"Stefan, I hope you don't mind, I've cased the entire exterior of this place and I've noticed you don't have any security cameras," Kai said, so very casually as if he didn't just remove the evidence outing him as the very culprit they seeked.

"Yeah, we never had a need to, besides the doorbell one,"

When Kai so causally and conveniently suggested Stefan add video surveillance to the exterior of the boarding house, Kol had heard enough of the snake in the grass that was Kai Parker, a reprehensible human of this universe. Since compulsion to sway his mind wouldn't work, compelling him to be otherwise occupied with mundane tasks would have to go a long way, and not just for Bonnie. For anyone else who was unfortunate enough to cross paths with the blatantly unhinged excuse for a human being. He could compel him to leave town and by the time he got back, Bonnie could be well taken care of. Problem solved.

If that didn't work Kol felt beating him senseless would provide amazing tension relief. It kept him sharp, fit, and on his toes when it came to foes. Maybe even beat him to death.

With resolute determination, Kol opened the car door and stepped out, only to realize the Salvatore and Parker duo was frozen in time.

"I may have misled you earlier," The irksome voice of the young sprite declared from behind Kol.

He spun around, locking her in his glare. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"You can compel the humans here, the way you did to Human Kol,"

"I had to, the bloke is an entirely misled imbecile as well as an addict,"

Autumn picked a rosebud from a nearby rosebush and held it in her hands, studying it carefully as she waved her hand around it. Nothing happened. "Hmm, you try it," she said as she handed it to him.

"I no longer possess any sort of magical resuscitative abilities,"

"Are you sure about that?" She took his hand and gently placed the bud in his palm. "Your vampire blood certainly does. Maybe you just need to… concentrate," she whispered, leaning in close.

Concentrating to get his magic back was something he'd tried when he'd first turned, only that was ages ago. Suppose it was possible now that he had Bonnie in his life? She had a way of making him feel abundantly more powerful than he'd ever felt and when she was learning expression magic, he felt it so much that it manifested in his vampire form and emotions. Expression magic was a step away from fae magic, so it was possible Autumn was onto something. Kol leaned in as well and began to focus his thoughts and energies on life, birth, and blossoming. He closed his eyes.

After a few moments he opened his eyes to see that- nothing happened.

"Hmmm, guess not. Oh, that is right. You cannot usher forth life, you can only destroy it," Autumn huffed a nervy laugh. Kol snapped his eyes up and glowered at her. "Think of the incomparable Bonnie Bennett as a rosebud you have picked. She cannot blossom with you, your path is darkness. You want to altar Parker's mind to your liking; that is a dark path for Bonnie here."

Autumn's demeanor was whimsically cocky and bold, until her expression soured as she began to circle him the way a predator would its prey. "Do not choose the way of darkness. You cannot hypnotize your will unto humans, especially those who are already prone to the dark path. They will only find a way around it due to how deep their true intentions lie. You send him away, he will come back with a heightened strategy. There is no swaying his will,"

"What the hell am I supposed to do? You've stated he harbors a deadly fixation with Bonnie. I can't let him harm her! Or her child," his expression darkened. "She will be safe,"

"Select an alternate path. Channel your humanity, vampire,"

With a blink of Kol's eyes, Autumn was gone and Kol was back in his car. She had reset the moment he was in. Frustration became rage coursing through his veins as he realized he was powerless in a way he'd never before been. His instructions were to channel his humanity. What fucking humanity? The only humanity he had was Bonnie and he'd burn the world to the ground to keep her safe.

Maybe that was Autumn's point. In this world, any retaliation against Kai would only make human him look as much of a madman as Kai appeared to be. Human affairs were exhausting. He sighed. Think, you idiot!What do humans do when they suspect someone is untrustworthy?

He couldn't just torture him, that was the dark path. Humans. He supposed thinking like a human would help when he took Bonnie to California. That supposition reminded him how reports of the siphon's killing spree was circulating in the media, in his home world. The fool was tactless in his endeavor to get to Bonnie, but since his influence was going widespread, law enforcement had no choice but to get involved. Better they intervene than the summit.

Unsure of how much time he had in this world, though he was eager to get back to his own Bonnie, Kol figured he needed to collect evidence that Kai was the devil in disguise. Counting on law and order was a very human way of handling things, though the monster in question was imbued with such inhumane values. Because of that, the revelation that the investigator was the culprit would need to come at a time when Kai was at a disadvantage with Bonnie, safe and out of his reach. For now, he already had video of Kai removing the cameras he'd already placed in hideaway areas.

Luck was on his side as he realized the vehicle he'd commandeered was used to capture photos for the Global Positioning System. There was an alibi somewhere in there, on the chance that any humans became suspicious.

Public records and compulsion were Kol's saving grace that night, as well as a means of shelter and information gathering. A visit to the property Sarah currently resided with a man he recognized as Enzo St Paul or whoever filled him in on some intimate details about Kai that public records didn't carry.

Kol used the night to indulge himself in research about Kai and his background, taking care to only access public's records so as not to rouse any suspicion. He needed to understand his methods and motives, ironically thinking like a private investigator. There was some bloody history where most of his family had all but been completely butchered when the scourge was a teen. His mother, four siblings, and live-in aunt and uncle, along with a cousin were all found dead, apparently the father went on a rampage and killed the whole family, only Kai and his twin managed to run him off. There was speculation as to what happened to the youngest pair of twins as they weren't found, neither was the father.

Everything Kol had learned was clearly a gateway to the sort of life Kai had decided to live. The trauma of whatever happened with his upbringing no doubt fucked up his psyche and complicated connections, the restraining orders and sentences served in his youth were further evidence also evidence of that. Kol also found that Sarah was familiar with Kai in her teens. Ironically, she was related to the Salvatore's, a long-lost relative, sharing a sorted history with Kai. There were things about her that no one, not even her evil familiar knew. It ruled her out as an accomplice to Kai, which put Kol's mind at ease as seeing how fiercely protective she was of Bonnie, he'd have hated for there to be another wolf disguised as a sheep in Bonnie's camp.

Disturbing about the charade was the mask he wore. This man was pure evil, yet he masqueraded as a savior, acting as the one who would be the one to assuage all her fears and ease her mind. It may have been the level of grief Bonnie was experiencing that blinded her to what was obviously no coincidence, a blatant red flag flapping vigorously in her perspective from Kol's point of view. The chain of events leading to another chance meeting with Bonnie. The man was a private investigator hired to find the Salvatore's and now Damon was dead as soon as Kai was involved after their initial meeting, how was she not connecting the dots? Must have been the grief.

Kol compiled an envelope with all the records on Kai and photos he'd taken himself of the lurking lurker.

Before leaving in the morning, he compelled Sarah and Enzo. "Sarah Salvatore. You are to keep record of every instance where you find Parker to be untrustworthy," Kol knew enough about the Bonnie here that her pregnancy was under wraps so he'd protect that. Sarah was like the sister Bonnie never had and would have her back in anything and he only wanted to strengthen her suspicions on Kai. He also compelled Enzo to take up weapon-wielding training. He couldn't bend their true will but he could task them to learn better defenses.

Very carefully, Kol tailed Kai to the local cemetery. He was stalking Bonnie's every move from the moment she'd left her job early, even anticipating her next move. He was implanting himself as having been 'in the neighborhood' so he could chance a meeting with her.

The fear that Kai was working on an accelerated timeline plagued Kol's peace of mind. He had to go to her, warn her somehow. There was a funeral service going on at the other end of the cemetery, all the parties attending would be out of range to notice a possible kidnapping; the evildoer could very well make it seem as if he was comforting her while he made off with her from a distance if they were noticed.

If Kol could help it, he would prevent her abduction at all costs, save for imploding this world. In an instant, he changed his mind about that. Fuck it all to hell, if this world needed to implode to save the life of the sweetest and most innocent soul he knew, then so fucking be it. All of this madness could crumble, it would mean no one would have to suffer any tormented fate again.

Bonnie drove up to the cemetery gate and parked her car outside. When she left the vehicle, both of the front seat windows were left rolled all the way down, though Kol did hear her car alarm activate. Hoping this would go over well, he slipped the envelope he'd prepared into her car, underneath her sun visor, which had some sort of pregnancy pamphlets stuffed into it.

Kol heard tires screech a ways behind him. When he turned around he saw a woman with the face of Davina Claire accosting Kai, whose back was turned towards Kol. She looked out over his shoulder and grinned a warm smile at Kol and a small, subtle nod of encouragement. It seemed divine intervention was at play here, which was strange given what Autumn had issued regarding the rules.

Then he made his way into the graveyard.

He found Bonnie at the gravesite of Damon Salvatore. A memory of when he first returned to Mystic Falls to be reunited with his beloved reminded him that at the time, he wanted nothing more than to kill Damon Salvatore. Though he didn't want or need any further details, what he had learned about Bonnie and Damon here, witnessed in the visions Autumn plagued his mind with, Kol understood that for this particular setting, the pair was very dear to each other. They were in love, the sort of love that was unforgettable and moved one deep inside their soul. A piece of her heart left the earthly plane when his life had been ripped from him. Though maybe she would bring herself to once again love again someday, love and her life wouldn't ever be the same without him.

Deep reverence and respect from his core went out to her because Kol was certain if he'd lost his Bonnie, he couldn't go on. He'd have to perish as well, being that he desired no future without her. The strength this Bonnie had to still carry on, despite the turmoil stalking created within her was admirably astonishing. The same strength his own Bonnie possessed since he would have rather died by her hand than ever leave her in New Orleans.

"Damon, I know I said I'd be strong, but it's so hard, Bonnie said in a shaky voice. "Every day is hell without you. The only peace I get is when I sleep, but when I wake up, I just wanna die. I miss you, babe. I need you, we need you," she broke down as she began to wail. "Why did you- you leave me!"

She laid in the grass, weeping on the grave.

The sight of sobs racking her body as hard as they did tore Kol apart with the grief he felt from her. Her emotions were damn near identical to his when Bonnie fled New Orleans with Damon instead of him three years ago. Anger, confusion, fucking done with life. Except he had to carry on, as did Bonnie.

This Bonnie was tattered down to her soul, Kol feared she'd truly die of a broken heart before Kai ever got his hands on her.

"I can't do this without you… I don't want to anymore,"

Kol could no longer stand aside idly. "Bonnie," he said evenly as he approached her.

She snapped to attention and quickly sat up, giving him a somber stare of tears. "What do you want from me?" She thrust her arms out in frustration. "Why are you following me? Can't you let me grieve in private before you do whatever the hell you're going to do to me?"

The light had gone out in her glossy eyes.

"I wanted to apologize. Almost a year ago, I nearly ran you down in a car. I was not living my life as I should and it nearly cost you your own life and the beautiful life you went on to share with your dearly departed. And the life of your seed," he looked down regretfully at her belly area.

Her eyes widened and she wiped her face with a shirt sleeve that was pulled over her knuckles.

"How do you know that? I haven't told anyone about my baby,"

Kol swallowed and maintained a solemn expression.

"Tell me! Goddamnit, why are you doing this?"

Kol heaved a breath. "I know a lot of things, most of which I'd rather not,"

She squinted her eyes. "You're the other guy, aren't you? Not the crazy one. Don't lie to me! Please," Bonnie asked as Kol began to shake his head. "There's already someone who knows too much about me, if you really want to make amends, please just be honest,"

"Not the inebriated one," Kol relented, assuring her.

"It was him, wasn't it? In the van,"

"He hasn't been following you. Well, only from a distance. But his guilt over that incident, you must know, is far-reaching. He only wanted to apologize, lest he spiral again. He won't harm you,"

"Did he accidentally kill Damon?"

"No. I can assure you that. It was-"

For some reason, Kol couldn't make out the word Kai, let alone the K sound. He frowned and tried again. Instead, he started choking. This has to be the work of Autumn.

Bonnie's tears had stopped and her brows shot up in skepticism.

When Kol caught his breath, he murmured, "Fucking crimson fae! My brother won't harm you is all I can tell you,"

Bonnie narrowed her eyes. "Uh-huh. You both should probably go to rehab and focus on that for now. Don't worry about me. You understand my heart has been ripped from my chest? One day I'll be ready to accept a proper apology from him for almost crushing me, one day. But right now… I can't. If he was there the day I met Damon, it's only going to hurt me. Everything that reminds me of him hurts right now."

He was losing her, the grief was taking its toll. There was still so much history to unfold, yet Kol understood it wasn't the time or place to inform her.

Gently, Kol placed his hands on her shoulders. "Bonnie," he said tenderly. "You were meant to prosper and be happy with your loved ones. It's unfortunate that things had to happen this way and you are being thoroughly tested, but that's only because there's so much greatness in you. A strong, powerful black woman with a generous heart and a light that shines like no other," that made her smile, though a lifeless one it was.

"There will be happiness on the other side of the storm, just keep your faith." He sucked her into his compulsion. Her will on whether or not to live couldn't be tampered with but if she was compelled to complete a task, she would have to do it. "When you wake up in the mornings, I want you to find one thing to brighten your day, no matter how big or small,"

Bonnie blinked and it was as if a switch turned on. She gazed at him, curiously while a mental question murmured out. "How did you do that? Are you sure you're not an angel?"

He smiled. She was too sweet. "Far from it. I just want to clear my twin's name and give you hope for when you inevitably run into him again. You remind me of someone, someone very sweet and dear to me," he admitted before he sighed. "I would do anything to protect her at all costs. If there were someone after her, I could only hope someone would do the same,"

She peered up at him now with an abundance of trepidation in her moist eyes and shaky chin. "Who is it?"

"They won't allow me to, darling. But, he's closer than you think," Kol warned, his eyes shifted to the private investigator heading their way. He guessed there would be an upheaval in the day-to-day of this universe if he just flat out went and gave up his name. Of course, Autumn wasn't going to make it easy.

Just then Kai walked up, too quickly, almost as if having missed his cue. He frowned when he witnessed Kol whisper in Bonnie's ear.

"Emily," he said as he took her hand, pulling her close. "Is this guy bothering you again?"

Bonnie shook her head, not removing her curious gaze from Kol. "No, he was apologizing for how he came on a little strong before,"

Kai nodded and coiled her in his arms like the slithery serpent he was. A blatant glare was present on his face. "Who are you again?"

"Enrique," Kol nodded to Bonnie. "It was nice to see you again, Emily. I'm glad we could clear the air, finally,"

She nodded slowly and let Kai lead her away. On the way back to his compelled car, he spotted Human Kol lurking near Bonnie's car. This bloke was surely going to find the trouble he was so obviously seeking. Suppressing a growl, he stalked over to the former drunkard, only to find he wasn't formerly drunk, the man's drunken state was current! It wasn't yet noon and Kol could smell the whiskey from a distance.

"What the hell is it with you?!"

Before the lush could answer, Kol's sensitive hearing led him to audibly witness Kai ask Bonnie back to his place to calm her nerves. This incited rage of the Original caliber and he decided to end this charlatan charade needed to end now. Baring his fangs, he turned to rush over to Kai, only he was swept up in a white cloud of a whirlwind. All he could perceive was fog, powerful winds, and the reprimanding voice of the crimson faerie.

"Reckless and impulsive, you push her right back into the arms of the devil, once again! Must you insist on taking this path!" He heard her sonant sounding off through the winds.

"I only want to protect her!" He shouted right back. Kol had done no such thing, everything he'd ever done was to keep Bonnie safe in his home world, as well as here.

"We are leaving this place, Kol. There is more to see,"

A beam of light blinded him as the winds picked up. When the light dimmed and the winds calmed, it was plain to Kol they were no longer in Mystic Falls.

"Are you sure you're ok?" Stefan asked as he closed Bonnie's door.

"Yeah, I'm ok. The brother told me that guy won't bother me anymore, and he's a drunk who's on his way to rehab," she sighed as she sat down on her couch. "That's good and bad because now I'm back to square one,"

There was no way that man could have been talking about Stefan. Closer than you think. Could he have meant Kai? It didn't make sense because the anonymous texter seemed to know intimate details about her life, that Bonnie hadn't even disclosed to Kai yet. And everyone close to Damon had their own, full life. There wasn't time enough to stalk her! She considered Matt Donovan, who'd been with Katherine years ago, but again, he seemed too busy. But maybe he'd do anything for Kat still, even trying to intimidate Bonnie?

She felt it was a profound experience meeting that man, so there was no need to tell Kai about the history. If he was as good as his reputation hyped, she was sure he could figure that out on his own, only Enrique wasn't a suspect in her eyes.

"Bonnie, come home with me," Stefan's voice had been among the most soothing sounds as of late. At that moment and in her current confusion, she realized just how conflicted she was. Stefan had always been sort of strange towards her. But she attributed that to the subtle crush he had on her. He was the most respectful and gentlemanly person she'd ever met, it was almost hard to tell he'd carried a thing for her since he was sweet to everyone. "Sarah's going to stay there and you can have whatever room you want. I just want you to be safe. I need you to be safe. And my new little niece or nephew,"

He leaned down on the couch in front of her, taking her face in his hands. It was terrifying how tender he was with her. The feelings that stirred inside of her were the biggest internal struggle she'd ever felt. It wasn't like when she first began to fall for Damon, getting to know him better. She knew Stefan already, and she knew him well. At least she thought she did. She knew he valued those he invested his time in. Now here he was, focusing that energy on her. It used to be comforting, now she was slightly intimidated. Closer than you think. Was he right in front of her?

"I don't know what's going on between me and you. But whatever it is, I don't think it should be going on," she shook her head, slowly pulling herself out of his grasp.

"I'm not Damon, I'm not gonna pursue you relentlessly while you battle this internal struggle with whatever you're feeling. But… I don't… I can't pretend that I feel nothing for you,"

Her eyes welled up and she shook her head. So did Stefan. This was wrong! Her mind and body screamed from within. Only her heart didn't join the duo, a fact which further earned her frustration.

"Bonnie, I can't. I'm holding too much in already. I know it's selfish, and shitty, and- and I'm going to hell for it, I want my brother's girl, my brother's fiancée. But I'm more concerned about the baby and who's fucking with you. I'll do anything to keep you safe, I can't lose you,"

Bonnie gritted her teeth and stood up. This was too much. "Stefan, you don't even have me," she snapped.

AN: Bonnie is beginning to find Stefan a little sus! She should be considering Kai but as Kol suspects it must be the grief or how he seems to ease her mind so much. Her heart is broken and life sucks without her bae bae daddeh, we see her nearly succumb to a particularly rough moment.

There is a lesson Autumn is attempting to show Kol here, when that doesn't appear to work, she pulls him to Closer's universe.

Btw, it took me forever to come up with exactly how I wanted GYB's part to go because I was working out Closer. Then I finally came up with GYB and my ideas and outlines for Closer were incomprehensible I have no idea what I was thinking then but I'm working it out currently, I've got some clarity on where that's going.

Closer is the second part, then my guest chapter, then the Mine chapter to tie it all up before Kol returns to Bonnie in Mine.

I have no beta reader, so I hope this makes sense, please read, share, add comments or kudos and let me know if you are enjoying!

Find my work here, AO3, and on Wattpad, triplelmonamour :D