Chapter 6 -Reluctant Alliances Part I

Last time...

While the events on the Other Side take place, Katherine and Caroline become frenemies after 2 months on the run when Katherine's original plans fall through with Celeste and Katherine realizes that Klaus wants her dead for kidnapping Caroline. During their world tour stop in Australia, Klaus and Elijah catches up with the girls.

A/N *sniffs deeply* Do you smell that? THAT is the smell of 100 reviews on the horizon. You...GUYS! I just...I just love you all. I totally put my other stories in hiatus for the moment because of the tremendous love this story gets. I would LOVE for this chapter to be the one to send us over so I can have ANOTHER thing to celebrate and have a reason to double update AGAIN! Wouldn't that be cool? :D

I believe in you all, so I broke this chapter up (it would be super long otherwise and you'd be waiting for awhile) so I can give you this update now and the other part containing Klaus's POV by this weekend hopefully so DON'T SHOOT ME because there is no Klaroline this chapter (though they are mentioned), but it was necessary for the plot to develop. You will get Klaroline for the rest of this fic though so I hope that makes it better (nervous chuckle)?

Still want a fabulous cover for this story by the way. I will be forever grateful! Just PM me!

Special thanks to those who started:

Following last chapter:Belle Donne, Deblee987,ElizabetaPB, Karone16, MinnieLoves, TereJustSmile, Twisted Willow, aeoc94, christyy94, klarolineloover, merope xs, sparksfly19, suzypyong (OMG, like if you haven't read Destined to Love You, which she is the author for, do so. Good story with great smutty goodness!), swtkajal, thecoulourofhapinessed, xox-CountryGirl-69, Niiissaann, Asinareads, PiperKitty86, vvlexivv, walahever, KimElizabeth33, klassykels, melissah87

Favoriting: Belle Donne, ElizabetaPB, Karone16, swtkajal,thecoulourofhapinessed,walahever, ygnee, elijahlover

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Fun facts -

*Second only to chapter 1(35+ reviews), chapter 3 - From Bliss to Heartbreak (the debut of Manning), is the most reviewed chapter so far (20+)!

*Perth, Australia is actually the birthplace of Heath Ledger. So it's a shout out to him even though he's dead :(.

*Manning's name is actually derived from an old Norse word - manningi - meaning a brave or valiant man. Perfect name I thought for the vision I had for his character.

Answer to guest reviews, as always, at the end of this!


Kol POV

I have only been truly frightened of death two times in my life: When I first turned vampire and when that damn White Oak stake pierced my heart thanks to Jeremy Gilbert.

On the Other Side, however, I am constantly in fear of my true end and destination. All of the supernatural dead are once they find out the Other Side is the equivalent of death row and the Man of Shadows, is the Executioner.

The same man who is casually sitting in a chair next to me, smiling with the air of casual professionalism as he turns his attention to me, the Bennett witch and the recent doppelganger.

They saw what he could do, or maybe they didn't, now that I think of it. Even with my own Original vampire senses, I had a hard time tracking him as he murdered everyone with a finesse that I would ordinarily admire if I wasn't silently praying to whatever God that would listen that I wasn't next.

That the executioner, Manning, this creature (because he definitely was far from a man), this...demon that just happened to be Niklaus' father, didn't decide my time in the Other Side was done too.

With all my feigned bravado, hidden behind my ever present mischievous grin, I. Was. FRIGHTENED.

And that dark mist that looks like its eating the dead bodies off the floor does not inspire confidence either.

I am not the only one that feels that way.

"What...IS it?" says the doppelgänger, her face twisted into a grimace. The delicious looking Bennett witch didn't look thrilled with what she was seeing either, her eyes never leaving the darkness doing its work.

Manning, final death incarnate, closes his eyes, pained.

"It is what is left of my pack."

I glance at the dark mist with a new perspective. I certainly wouldn't have guessed that.

"Your pack?" says Elena, her eyes wide. " You mean the werewolves Mikael killed when he found out about your affair with Esther?"

"One in the same, Ms. Gilbert," he says smoothly.

Then they start throwing questions at him like rapid fire.

"Why are they eating the dead bodies?" says Bonnie.

"Why aren't they in human form like everyone else?" Asks Elena.

"Why did you kill everyone?" asks Bonnie accusingly with a glare.

I look at Bonnie, awed that she would take such a tone with him. She is either fearless or really stupid. Did she not know he could kill her in ways that would make the devil jealous?

But Manning's smile stays in place, unfazed by her judgmental tone.

"I truly believed you would rather discuss saving your friend."

"Oh, I do," says Bonnie with a hand on her hip, "but I want to know who I'm dealing with and honestly, I don't think I feel comfortable 'discussing'" she says the word with air quotes, "anything with a being who obviously kills without remorse or regard to life."

I smile, watching her stare down Manning who looks more amused than angry.

If he were Niklaus, poor girl would be dead, or up against a wall being drained or choked to death, but Manning is obviously different, seemingly owning unlimited patience.

"You're making assumptions, which truly isn't a trait befitting of you, young one."

"I'm still waiting for you to set us straight."

I laugh loudly while Manning's smile broadens. "Oh Darling, your sharp tongue is quite endearing."

She rolls her eyes, disgusted. "I'm not here to turn you on Kol."

"Yet you do it so flawlessly," I say with a sigh, locking eyes with her to take enjoyment in the blush that flushes her cheeks. So, not totally immune to my charm after all dear witch...

"Bonnie's right," chimes in Elena, breaking the moment between us. "We need WAY more information if we're going to trust you. You're Klaus' Dad for God's sake! That doesn't exactly make you the ideal best friend for life. More like the father of the devil."

Manning's smile finally falls. His voice taking on serious, measured tone when he speaks next. Deadly even.

"There is much I will tolerate Ms. Gilbert, but misgivings about my son is not among them. I suggest you stifle yourself or I'll do it for you...permanently."

Elena swallows deeply at his change of demeanor, fear evident in her eyes. Smart girl. She should be scared.

"I hope you just didn't threaten my friend in front of me," says Bonnie coldly.

He gives her a dark smile. "It's not a threat young one. It is a promise."

"We asked you some questions," she presses.

He continues to deflect. Obviously, the answers did not sit well with him.

"You're very bold in demanding me, a being who is over a thousand years older and a supernatural assassin."

"Oh I think I'm safe," says Bonnie cockily. "No one wants to make deals with people they don't need, at least temporarily, and it's clear, since you knew Elena and I were here, that you allowed it or brought us here because you do, you know, need us so..."

She steps up to him, taking a seat, "...answer our questions or you can forget us helping you. "

"Even if it means Caroline's life?" He asks with a penetrating gaze as Elena takes a seat as well.

"I'm think I can figure out a way to save Care without you," she says with a sneer. "I've been saving my friends on my own for awhile."

He sighs with slight impatience. "Yes, young one. I am well aware. At what cost though? Your friend Matthew has the Gilbert ring but everyone else is vulnerable. Unless you plan on killing yourself again to bring another back which you cannot do anyway because you no longer have magic, or have you forgotten? How can you save them from whatever Esther has planned? You are useless in your current condition as Qestiyah's anchor for the Other side."

Ah, alas, I think, watching Bonnie's face fall and her lips press into a thin line when she has no more words for him. Manning - Checkmate.

He smiles at her, dimples and all. "Do not despair, Ms. Bennett," he says in a comforting tone. "I've been bartering and manipulating others far longer than you. You hadn't a prayer, though I must say, valiant effort. However, my goal is not to exasperate you, or cause an unnecessary rift between us, therefore, I will answer your questions."

He turns, looking at the dark mist with a far away look in his eyes.

"When we all passed through the anchor, Amara, we met the spirits. Not the group of dead witches that magic taps into from the land of the living, but the real beings in charge. The higher powers, whatever you wish to call it. After all this time, I have yet to see them, but I digress. My pack died honorably, in loyalty to me, sacrificing themselves, so they had earned automatic transcendence..."

"Transcendence?" interrupts Elena, confused.

But I understood. "So it is real then..." I say quietly. "The final destination. Heaven, Hell, Oblivion..."

Manning tilts his head in my direction. "Oh yes. It is quite real. But I..." he turns his head away, "...Was denied. I couldn't move on."

As I'm wondering why, Bonnie speaks up in a quiet, sympathetic voice, her eyes widening in revelation.

"The Eternal vow. It bonded you to Esther. You're stuck here because of her."

The look on his face says she's couldn't be more right. With a slight nod, he continues:

"Yet again, my pack, seeing this, in their undying loyalty to me, made a deal with the spirits to stay and not move on, agreeing to become this..." he gestures to the mist on the ground, "transports for spirits to their final destinations, so I wouldn't be alone," he whispers quietly.

So they don't eat the dead here...I think.

"Oh my God," says Elena, her sudden astonishment not letting me linger on my thoughts more than a second. "You were going to kill Esther just now! If you had, wouldn't it have meant, because of the weird vow thing, that you would of died with her?! Like...Permanently?!"

We all whirl at him at that in shock and he greets us with a sad smile, his eyes trained on Elena. "Not instantly, but yes. I would finally transcend, as would my pack."

Oh wow. The doppelganger is actually right, I think, shaking my head in disbelief.

"Why?" Asks Bonnie, her former distaste now replaced with pity.

He lets a mirthless chuckle. "I have been doing this," he gestures to the remaining bodies on the ground not taken by the dark mist, "for a thousand years! I am...fatigued. So very weary I simply want to end. Never mind my pack who do not deserve to spend eternity like this. Even if oblivion itself awaits me, I must die. Trust me, Ms. Bennett, you will tire of your role as well, which brings me to my offer, if you so incline to agree to help me with your friend and Niklaus."

Bonnie's eyebrows furrow with confusion. "What...What do you mean?"

He folds his arms. "You truly haven't figured it out have you young one? Tell me, when you came back and Qestiyah made you anchor, did you return to your body?"

She blinks rapidly, flustered. "I...I..."

"No," he interrupts her gently. "You did not. You simply became corporeal, able to be seen and touched. You no longer have flesh Bonnie. Which means you cannot age, you cannot die."

She gasps, covering her mouth, her eyes filling with tears as the doppelganger comes to her side to soothe her. Unexpectedly, I feel a pang in my chest witnessing the witch's predicament.

"And why you cannot do magic. You have no body. You are essentially immortal," he finishes.

"Jeremy..." the doppelganger says with concern, and I scowl at hearing the boy's name who killed me. "Does it mean..."

"No," says Manning. "The magic that made Bonnie anchor was simply transferred from Amara to her by Qestiyah. The magic that brought back Jeremy was simply strong enough to bring him back, not make him immortal. His spirit will eventually lose its physicality and Bonnie will forever linger, unless..."

"...I help you," Bonnie says quietly.

He arches his eyebrows, smirking in response before he gets up, hands behind his back as he paces in front of us.

"Ms. Bennett. Our alliance will be mutually beneficial. I give you the ability to use your magic at the land of the living again and, as a sign of good faith, I will give you the ability to transcend at will. With this."

He takes off the gold chain hanging around his neck with the wolf medallion, holding it in his hand.

"It has many qualities, this trinket," he muses, staring at it as he fingers it. "Supposedly, the the wearer is guaranteed entrance to Heaven or it can bring someone back to life once."

Elena and Bonnie break into a grin.

"So," I say slowly, "she can either use it to die someday or save her friend."

"Actually, no. It does not work on the undead."

"Then how can Bonnie save Care?" Demands Elena.

He smiles. "By turning her into an Original of course."

We all gape at him incredulously. I'm the first to recover.

"You're mad..." I manage.

"How? Only Esther..."

"...Or a witch commanding as much power as her," Manning cuts in, enjoying how "smart" he thinks he is. Too bad it can't work.

"Where the hell can she get that?" I challenge him openly.

"Did I mention that this medallion will allow you channel me?" He throws the medallion at Bonnie, who catches it. "What stronger energy is there than the one that can destroy souls on the Other side?" He says smugly. "Consider the medallion your new moonstone. Would that suffice Kol?" He asks with a mocking tone, noting my doubting Thomas demeanor.

I glare at him. "Fine. Perhaps drawing from the medallion, the sun at its peak and doing the spell with a Bennett witch might do it but what about the white oak tree?" I ask, my voice dripping with doubt. "Human doppelganger blood?"

"Well," he says casually. "There is the indestructible White Oak stake that Esther made. As for human doppelganger blood, isn't Katerina human?"

"But she stole my body somehow so she wouldn't die!" Elena points out. "Meaning her body is dead somewhere useless to us."

And there it is again, that sinister look on his face that I have now come to realize shows up when he's about to do something devious.

Unfortunately, it's directed at the doppelganger.

"I wouldn't say useless Ms. Gilbert. Far from it."

In a flash, he closes the distance and rips Elena's heart from her chest.

I refrain from clapping in approval as Bonnie screams.

"You...You BASTARD!" she raises her hand and the whole Grill shakes under the magic she evokes. I stand behind her, smiling widely at Manning who now I would willingly vote as Baddie of the Year for killing the doppelganger. I wait for the magic that Bonnie summons to make Manning fall over, anything.

He turns around, his dark brown curls whipping across his eyes. Other than that, he stands before us stoic, unwavering.

"Relax Bonnie," he says softly. "I am immune to magic young one. Elena is fine..."

Oh bollocks, I think, disappointed for a moment before Bonnie, with a loud sob, drops her hand and suddenly collapses. Without thinking, I catch her before she falls, ignoring how soft her body feels against mine as I hold her up. She leans on me subconsciously, making my breath catch in my throat.

"No..." moans Bonnie, looking down. I turn my attention to where her eyes are locked on, seeing the dark mist approach Elena's body.

My smile makes a quick return. Oh yes. "...Or will be as long as you agree to my terms," says Manning coldly. There was no smile, no humanity. Just the executioner.

"I knew we couldn't trust you..." she sneers.

"You can Ms. Bennett," he says. "But trading, bartering, manipulating is in my blood. Furthermore, executing justice is my duty."

"Justice?! JUSTICE?!" She bellows. "How is killing my best friend justice?!"

He shakes his head. "Child. In what universe do you think aiding in killing thousands of souls for the purpose of an attaining a cure originally meant to destroy a great evil is condoned? A cure you lot only wanted so she can become human again. Was it truly worth sacrificing so many, nearly destroying the very fabric of the supernatural after life for a doppelganger who can't choose between two brothers who, sadly, love her endlessly? Do you truly want to convince me how NOT damning the doppelganger is fair?"

Bonnie looks down from his gaze ashamed, while I just can't help but want to kiss the man for FINALLY telling the truth about that self-righteous group in Mystic Falls.

"Can I engrave your name over my heart?" I say. "Because bloody hell..."

A small smile spreads his features as Bonnie elbows me harshly, cutting me off. She speaks up, looking at him.

"You're right. We're...We're not innocent, but she's my friend! Do you really need to kill her? Please..."

Manning raises his hand, silencing her. "Firstly, in making any deal, you must always let your partner, you in this case, know that you aren't to be trifled with, besides establishing common interests which here is the survival of Caroline and now Ms. Gilbert. I need Caroline to live and to become an Original so Niklaus can finally have a chance at happiness. Elena's blood will be needed for that, so I am willing to give her a pass. Also, Esther isn't a fool and will try to stop all this of course, making her a common enemy that we all readily will ally against. Secondly, in a deal, you always protect your investment and my investment in this is you Bonnie. Your magic. Kol being your protector. "

My mouth drops. "Wait. You can't mean..."

"Oh yes," says Manning. "You get to walk out of the Other side with Ms. Bennett as long as you protect her with your life. Bonnie may be immortal but your mother is notorious for finding loopholes and I need insurance."

He walks up to us and stares down at Bonnie, who looks at him warily. "Do we have an accord?"

"Do I have a choice?" She spits out. "How do I know you won't change your mind about forgiving Elena, and let that..." she snaps her head in the direction of the dark mist, "...Take her?"

"Call Damon. Tell him to go where he hid Katerina's body. That will give you my answer."

I take in his determination and I can't help but be in awe of how far this man is going to ensure Niklaus' well being. How long have any of my siblings, including myself, longed for someone, ANYONE to care enough to fight for us?

"You really love him..." I say aloud in realization, more to myself than him.

His face softens then, the monster that was once before us, gone. "He is my blood," he says as if that explains it.

"We both know how little meaning that can hold in my family," I say bitterly.

"Good thing I'm not your family," he responds, making his way to the exit. Before he goes out the door, he adds without turning back:

"Let us say that no child should be held responsible for the foolish mistakes of their parents. Not just Niklaus, but you and your siblings as well. Mikael is dead. Esther will be next and then you all will be free. Free to be happy. To live without fear..."

"And so will you. Free I mean. Once mother is dead," I say, talking to his back.

He inhales deeply. "If," he turns to Bonnie, "Ms. Bennett joins our alliance. What say you young one? Are you ready to save your friends yet again? Have magic, control over your own destiny?"

I see her take a deep breath, then nods.

He smiles at her broadly, the rising sun beating on his back bathing him in ethereal light that is majestic and looks to steadily swallow him whole. "Do not hesitate to call me Ms. Bennett," his voice fading.

"I wouldn't bet on it," she bit out.

I smirk at her sass.

"Unfortunately young one, You will..." he ends in a whisper

Before the light envelops us all, my heart clenches in my chest when I see the dark smile of my mother's face, coming through one of the windows...


When we come to, and I adjust to my surroundings with Bonnie in my arms, I gape at what I'm seeing, incredulous.

"Where are we?" she asks disoriented.

I had seen these sights before through my many rendezvous with witches here over the years, and when I visited my siblings from the Other side, the smell of gumbo slightly permeates the air, confirming me thoughts.

"New Orleans darling. We are in New Orleans."

Her head snaps up at me, bringing our faces dangerously close to each other, making me aware how easy it would be for me to meld my lips...

She jumps up and steps away from me, right when a ear piercing scream slices through the air, and my heart stutters in my chest, tearing my attention away from the tempting Bennett witch to what sounds like...

"Who..." she starts.

"Niklaus. That was Niklaus," I say gravely, not looking forward to confronting anything that would make my brother scream in agony in such a way.

Especially after witnessing my dear Mother eavesdropping on our plans...

A/N Klaus POV and the start of heavy Klaroline from now to the end of this fic! (so excited!). Please review and let a girl know what you are thinking (ie. "Really? Cliffhanger? What happened to Elena? Kennett team up? Who are the alliances? What the HELL is happening with Klaus? And Esther?! What is she going to do now she knows their plan)? You know. Stuff like that ;).

Answer to guest reviews:

Guest - Hope this update was soon enough :).

Teagan - Glad you liked the wording. Totally accidental!