Chapter 003

Nudging Everyone

Friday, December 03, 2010, just before 8:20 a.m.

The Basement in The Salvatore Boarding House

Bonnie's heels click-clack on the cement floor of the basement when she walks to the locked door that is keeping Damon from going and killing Jeremy. Damon's thoughts clearly tell us that Jeremy called and warned Stefan, who informed his brother, that their side has come to a truce with the Mikaelsons. Stefan also told him that Kol was going to come to remove the compulsion he placed on him, so he at least knows why they're here. Even still he snidely thinks, 'Yeah, I'll believe it when I see it, but I know what the pretense is at least.'

Henri frowns and asks me, "He does not trust our family to keep its word? Even after all the examples of how we never break our word, he still doesn't trust them to do what they say they will?"

Nodding I explain to him, "I think it's because he and his group are always so quick to break their word that they assume everyone else is the exact same way most of them are. I think Bonnie, Caroline, and Jeremy are the only ones who not only don't break their words daily but go out of their way to avoid doing such a thing."

He nods deeply and says, "I know I've watched too, but I didn't think of that. It makes sense, now that you've said it, that they would expect others to behave how they behave. His own deviousness and willingness to stab people in the back without any warning has made him a distrustful man."

I nod at about the same time Bonnie steps to the side of the door. Damon turns his head looking at the window just before she waves her hand towards the window and tells Kol, "Have at it, but no funny business or I'll fry your brain and break your bones like I did yesterday."

Henri giggles when Kol clucks his tongue at her, brings his hand to his chest over his heart, and tells her in what is probably his most pained voice possible, "Darling, I'm hurt that you would lie to me. I can clearly see that your aura is clean of all that dark shit, but it's still not balanced, so I know that you don't have any magick to fry my brain with. Never the less, I gave my word, so I will only do what I said I would, no funny business today."

Now I chuckle again. He'll keep his word. He won't do any funny business today, but he made the promise so freely because he already did his funny business last night before she warned him off. He and his siblings may all keep their word, but their family either is extremely specific or incredibly vague when giving it so that they can later dance right through any loopholes that specificity or vagueness might provide them.

Damon's eyes widen though when he hears that Bonnie doesn't have any magick right now. He can't believe that she still agreed to meet with Kol where he can kill her and Damon without anyone being able to stop him. He wonders, 'Has she completely lost her mind?'

He decides a moment later, 'I need to play it like I'm not worried.'

He calls out, "Some of us are actually trying to sleep here, so could you take the cutesy flirting and the speculation about my very annoying little brother and his out of control feeding habits and move them elsewhere, preferably somewhere that's not my house?"

My granddaughter stands on her tip toes and looks at Damon through the window. Finn whispers, "My God, she really is a tiny thing, isn't she? Kol could squash her without even blinking. I mean I know he wouldn't dare. She's too valuable to him. He wants her forever and wouldn't dare risk jeopardizing that plan by harming her or by allowing anyone else to do it, but she's tiny compared to him."

We all nod, and we can hear that Kol is observing the same thing his brother just did, 'God she's tiny. Perfect size for me, but oh so vulnerable to those who might wish to do me and mine harm.'

He sighs to himself and thinks, 'She's a warrior, though, so no matter how badly the caveman inside me wants to lock her up in a tower and protect her I can't. It would stifle who she is and cause her spirit that I appreciate so much to wither and die. No, she's a warrior like me so I'll just have to take all the steps I can to ensure her continued survival without trying to keep her from protecting herself and those she cares about.'

Kol nods to himself at the same time Bonnie puts her hand on the window sill to steady herself while she balances on her tiptoes before she says, "Kol promised he'd remove the compulsion he placed on you. So, stand up and come make eye contact so that we can get this over with, and I can go to school."

Mine and my companion's shoulders shake slightly while we chuckle at her bossing a vampire around with so little care for her safety especially because Kol has already acknowledged, out loud no less, that she doesn't currently have any magick… I suppose that door gives her the illusion of safety. Kol's silently chuckling at the same thing before his chuckle becomes audible when without moving a muscle Damon asks from his spot sprawled out on the floor, "And we believe him?"

Henri shakes his head and tells his two oldest siblings and me, "You'd think even with their group's penchant for betraying others that they'd be able to recognize that that's not how our family works. He will remove the compulsion to make Damon kill young Jeremy, and while he probably won't remove all his compulsions, he will be doing exactly what he said he would. Just like each of our siblings have since they all arrived here. He really needs to pay closer attention. He shouldn't be asking if Kol is going to remove the compulsion, but rather he should be asking if that's the only compulsion that's been placed on him and whether or not those other ones will be removed too."

I chuckle again and ask him, "Were you sneaking peeks while dealing with Esther?"

He shakes his head, narrows his eyes, and asks, "No. Why?"

Grinning from ear to ear I tell him, "Kol visited all of my granddaughter's friends last night and compelled them to keep the truce, but he also compelled Damon to try to make Bonnie cry this morning so that your brother has an opportunity to show his softer side."

I frown and then say, "I don't know that I approve of him making my baby cry on purpose, but he already regrets it. However, he also knows there's no way to undo it without giving away that he compelled Damon to remain Vervain free even after today, so I imagine Kol is going to word himself very carefully so that he only removes the order to kill Jeremy and not the others. Then when Damon follows the compulsion to make her cry Kol will comfort her and based on everything I've seen of him both here on The Otherside and on the living side of the veil I highly doubt he'll set up another situation like that ever again."

Finn and his siblings nod and Henri says, "That sounds like our brother."

Bonnie nods at Damon's question and just looks at him lying on the floor for a minute. He's still in the same clothes he wore when Kol compelled him in the walk-in freezer. There is a tear in his shirt, and he's bloody and in need of a good shower from all the dirt on him that he's gotten all over him by laying on the dirty floor of the cell for a few days.

Bonnie's eyes narrow when they spot the bloody hole in his shirt however she doesn't comment on it and instead a moment later she ever so slightly squares her shoulders and nods to herself before she then says, "Jer and I have made a peace treaty with Kol and his family. We leave them alone, and they'll leave us alone. He chopped Jer's arms off, so there's no hope of finding The Cure anymore. Plus, I killed the only person who knew where the tomb was, so Jer's no longer a threat. If none of us attack the Mikaelsons, they won't attack us. It's not ideal, I know, but it was the best Jer and I could do on the fly."

Their deal with Kol is about the best any of them would have been able to get out of any member of his family, so she's not giving Jeremy or herself nearly enough credit and certainly not the amount they deserve especially given it was, as she put it, done 'on the fly.'

It takes a moment, but a few seconds later Finn pulls up short when he catches what else she said, so he asks. "She killed the only person who knew where the tomb was?"

I nod and tell Finn, Freya, and Henri, "I stayed with Bonnie after Kol left the Gilbert house both times and only went to spy on your brother after Bonnie was fast asleep. After she and Kol parted ways the second time, she went to the Sheriff's office and used the very magick Atticus was teaching her to end his life. Then she went home, and her mother's witch friends cast the spell removing Bonnie's addiction to the dark magick. When that was finished, and every time she has a free moment since she replays how she killed my former friend."

I pause and take a breath I don't need then I continue telling them, "When I arrived at your family's home Kol was plotting so I know that Atticus was still in custody and physically unreachable when Kol went looking for him yesterday afternoon to do the same thing she did. She knew Atticus would be suspicious of everyone when they released him, so she improvised and used the very magick he taught her to kill him. It was an unexpected development, but necessary. I'm still not sure if it pleases me that it was Bonnie who ended his life or not. On the one hand, if she hadn't killed him, then Kol would have done it for her, but then she would be suspicious of your brother and less trusting of his offer of help. This way Atticus can't cause anyone any more harm, and she can't blame Kol for his death."

My companions nod so I tell them, "She clearly will do whatever is necessary to protect those she cares for. If Kol plays his cards right, he and your family will soon be at the top of that list. The fact of the matter is that Atticus needed to be stopped and no one else would have been able to do it so easily and without anyone in authority suspecting foul play. On the other hand, I don't want my granddaughter to become numb to killing, and I know Kol doesn't want a cold, hardened woman by his side either."

I look at her closely for a minute. She's shifting about on her feet and grimacing not to mention biting her lip rather hard, so I let out a sigh. I tell my companions, "Good, she's obviously feeling the pain and not closing it out. While I regret that she needs to feel the pain, it's much healthier than blocking it out, though I'm sure she's trying to do so anyway."

They all nod at me once more so I continue, "Her soft little heart just won't let her let go of the guilt just yet but given time and your brother's help it shouldn't hurt nearly so much as it currently does."

Finn nods and says, "I regret that she had to kill him, but the man's death really was the only way to protect the world from Silas."

Henri, Freya, and I nod. Then despite obviously being weaker than usual Damon is on his feet and speeds over to the window before he tries to catch my baby girl's ever-shifting eyes and asks, "He chopped Jer's arms off, and you're making a deal with him? Are you nuts?" He pauses. Then his blood-starved brain finally catches up to her words, so he adds, "And did I hear you right? You… Miss Judgey… killed someone?"

She releases her lip from between her teeth and frowns before ignoring his question about Atticus and saying, "I'm probably completely off my rocker, but we had Jer's permission, so it isn't like he forced it on him. Kol even compelled him so that he wouldn't feel any pain until after he finished healing, and then he gave Jer his blood three times, healing him up. Now, do you want the compulsion to kill your one true love's brother removed or not?"

Henri giggles again and says, "Hell yes, he wants it removed. There is no way in hell the selfish Ms. Gilbert will ever forgive him if he kills her brother even if it is the result of one of Kol's compulsions, and he and Kol both know that."

I nod just before Damon smirks and states what he thinks should be overly obvious, "Trusting him is a bad idea, Bonnie."

Finn frowns and tells us, "Like trusting him is such a better idea? Our brother is not intending any harm towards her, and because of that fact, all her little friends including Mr. Salvatore here will get free passes, repeatedly if their prior bad behavior is any indication. Harming any of them would hurt her emotionally and mentally, and that just won't do so Kol won't be harming any of them. Hell, that's part of the reason he went and compelled everyone last night to keep the truce."

I just nod, so he continues, "It's also why he compelled those who weren't already compelled to abstain from taking or wearing Vervain to remain Vervain free. If they're free of the herb, then he can compel them whenever he wants or more specifically whenever he needs to, so he can prevent them from trying anything stupid, if necessary. This way they won't force him into harming any of them, so really Ms. Gilbert and her little friends are infinitely better off trusting Kol and our siblings rather than the Salvatore brothers whom according to our brothers have almost gotten your granddaughter and her friends killed multiple times since Elijah and Niklaus arrived."

I nod again once and respond, "I agree. I may not have been around the Salvatores for long, but even I know that more often than not they get themselves and their friends into more trouble than necessary when they're trying to get themselves out of some situation that they usually caused for themselves in the first place. Really if it weren't so sad and hadn't put my granddaughter into so much danger, I'd think their ability to find trouble without even looking for it is incredibly funny."

Henri smiles and nods. "It is pretty funny if you don't take into account the threat they pose to not just your granddaughter but young Ms. Forbes and Kol's friend Jeremy, too."

I incline my head, and we focus back on the live people in the room about the time Bonnie smiles in response to Damon's warning. The smile has an edge to it that makes it a really not nice or comforting smile. She cuts her eyes over towards the vampire in question and looks him in the eye before she breaks the looming silence and asks Damon, "Who said anything about trusting him? I will get payback if he double-crosses us, even if I have to delve back into the blackness Shane showed me."

My companions and I all gasp and so does Kol. Henri frowns and says, "She means that. Even knowing the risk, it would pose to herself she would risk it all to protect or avenge her loved ones."

We nod so Henri continues, "She's not all that different from our family after all is she?"

I shake my head and tell them, "She's exactly like your siblings in that respect. Honestly, she shares most, if not all, of their positive traits and only a few of their negative traits."

Freya nods and says, "Well, fortunately, Kol doesn't plan on double-crossing her or her friends, at least not so much that she'll know about it, and really compelling her friends into behaving will ultimately save their lives, so it's not really a double cross, even if she probably wouldn't approve of his methods."

I nod. However, despite Kol having the best of intentions where Bonnie is concerned the mere idea of her delving back into that black crap makes my stomach churn in protest.

Damon gasps at her proclamation and thinks, 'Well damn, I hate underestimating people, but she clearly means that and would actually do it if it meant stopping him. On the one hand that makes me more comfortable about letting him compel me again. On the other hand, despite what everyone thinks I'm not stupid or so hell-bent on doing evil things like most people believe. I know, better than most of our other friends, what would truly be at risk if she touches the dark again. Please if anyone up there actually listens to vampires let Kol be on the up and up so that Bonnie doesn't end up killing herself with that dark shit.'

His thoughts cause my eyes to go wide. I would not have expected Damon Salvatore to offer up a prayer for anyone's safety, but especially not my granddaughter's safety. Nor would I think that he cares about anyone other than himself, his brother, or Elena.

Bonnie moves to the side of the door and waves her hand again before she tells Kol with a bit of an impatient air, "Any time now, Kol, I do have school to get to after all."

He just nods and moves in front of the door smiling his version of a not nice smile. Damon can't keep himself from flinching, but he stands still and allows Kol to compel him because this is the only other option if his friends won't kill one of them.

Kol's pupils dilate just before he tells Damon, "All of the compulsions I placed on you at the bar are hereby lifted, and you will no longer try to kill Jeremy Gilbert."

Damon repeats his words back to him even though he quickly realizes, even while Kol is placing the compulsion, that he hasn't released all his compulsions. After he's released, Damon tries to open his mouth and tell Bonnie that Kol hasn't removed all his compulsions, but he finds that he can't form the words. 'Well damn, that means one of the compulsions he's artfully not releasing is making me unable to tell her that he's not on the up and up.'

When Bonnie smiles at Kol obviously pleased and utterly clueless about his well-intentioned deviousness Damon sighs at the fact that the teen didn't catch that Kol didn't release all his compulsions but only those he placed inside the bar. Once he releases Damon from his current compulsion, Kol nods once before he then looks at my granddaughter and asks, "So Darling, have you given any thought to my helping you get your powers back?"

She frowns, but I'm sure she will do just about anything to gain her powers back even trust an original vampire with a highly questionable reputation. Still, she goes through the motions of being wary and her eyes narrow as if in pain before she says, "I want them back, but I'm not so sure you're the best or safest bet to getting them back."

Damon did a bit of research into Kol, Rebekah, and Finn, when they were all initially released from their coffins, so he knows that Kol has an excellent reputation among the witches of the world. He has never once been known to advocate anyone using dark magick, so Damon finds himself hoping that Kol is going to keep to that reputation and isn't really planning any harm towards my grandbaby. Damon knows that Kol has actually been known to befriend teacher-less witches and teach them everything he knows, so Damon thinks, 'It might actually be better for her that he takes her under his wing. It means we'll all have to keep the truce, but ultimately it might turn out beneficial for all of us.'

He shifts inside the cell bringing Kol's attention back onto him before Damon frowns and asks, "Uh, could one of you possibly open the door now and let me out? I need to feed because Stefan bled me multiple times."

My baby girl's hazel eyes widen before she turns and looks at him and then asks, "Why would he do it more than once?"

Damon frowns while he shifts back and forth on his feet and tells her, "He thought I was getting too much strength back."

Kol smiles softly when she turns and looks at him for confirmation. That is an excellent, yet unexpected, development. Does she already trust Kol's word over Damon's? Damon isn't sure if that's a good thing or not. Her earlier curiosity about sires and their progeny, however, shows me that she already considers Kol qualified and trustworthy enough to guide her through The Supernatural World.

Kol smiles gently and nods before he tells her, "Even if he were only fed small vials of blood about every six to eight hours to prevent him from desiccating they could give him back too much strength. Therefore, bleeding him repeatedly could have been necessary because I'm sure Stefan wouldn't have wanted to discontinue giving his brother the vials or wait too long in between feedings because desiccating is incredibly painful."

Bonnie's hazel eyes narrow and her frown deepens before she asks, "And being bled isn't?"

Finn frowns and tells his siblings and me "In comparison, no it's not."

Kol smiles and both of the live vampires in the room shake their heads slightly before the original says, "Not nearly as much. Being bled only hurts where the knife cuts and only for a moment whereas the pain of desiccating lasts until you get blood back into your system and it feels like your insides are slowly trying to eat themselves. If you think about it, that's an incredibly accurate description of what occurs while you're desiccating because his body was consuming all the blood inside of him to help keep him from dying. While he can't die from starvation, his body doesn't realize that."

He pauses and then after rubbing the back of his neck and sighing he adds quietly, "I've personally wished I could actually die at one point or another while I starved because the pain is so severe. In fact, once while we were fleeing from Mikael we went too long without feeding, and it hurt so much my siblings and I resorted to eating animals until we could find some humans to feed us properly. So, no, being bled causes nowhere near the severe pain that desiccating usually does."

Finn is nodding while his brother speaks, then when Kol pauses again Finn tells his siblings and me, "I can still vividly recall the agonizing pain of going for two days without blood, the resignation as I hunted a deer, and the incredibly bitter taste of the animal's blood after I caught and killed a buck. Worse than all of that was the fact that Rebekah complained for weeks afterward that she could feel fur stuck in her teeth. I tended to agree with her, but I didn't need to hear about it constantly for weeks on end."

I smile and nod. I may have only known Rebekah for a brief time, but she is very much the kind of person to complain when she doesn't like something. I think she might be particularly good for Bonnie who is always a little on the reluctant side to complain unless it's on someone else's behalf.

Bonnie's eyes are wide, and her mouth is forming a little 'o.' She nods slightly before Kol turns and looks at Damon. I send up a prayer, 'Please let Kol realize the danger he would be putting my grandbaby in if he opens that door before Damon has fed.'

I doubt Damon would move fast enough, especially in his starved state, to prevent Kol from stopping him from harming Bonnie. However, the whole point of compelling everyone was to ensure The Original Family wouldn't need to defend or avenge themselves so it would be stupid to release Damon when he's so obviously a threat to Kol's mate right now.

Damon is still shifting back and forth on his feet every few seconds and eying my granddaughter like she's a T-bone steak. Even he recognizes the danger here however he doesn't want to admit a weakness in front of Kol. Thankfully, without his needing to prompt the older man, Kol asks him, "Now, Damon, where do you keep your blood because despite your usual control over the bloodlust I don't quite trust you in your starved state not to attack Bonnie. I will give you several bags through the window and then let you out when I'm sure you no longer pose a threat to her."

Good, because the longer Damon goes without feeding, the less sure he is that he can resist pouncing on her the moment that door opens, and he really doesn't want to give Kol a good reason to kill him. Therefore, he doesn't argue with Kol and just tilts his head away from the stairs before he tells him, "There's a freezer down the hall."

Henri and I both smile before I tell my three companions, "I once gave a series of aneurysms to Damon for attacking Bonnie, so I have to admit that the fact he actually admits to himself that he doesn't want to hurt her surprises me. I don't think it's just because Elena would possibly object either."

Finn and Freya nod before Henri shifts beside me and adds, "He hides it well, but he actually cares." Pausing he probably thinks over what he just said and then shifting again he says, "Well, let me clarify, he cares about those in his group, specifically the people he's saved and who have saved him in return. Thankfully, Bonnie seems to be one of those individuals he secretly cares for."

I nod. I agree entirely with Henri's statements.

Kol hurries down the hall and opens the freezer grabbing four bags and then hurries back to my granddaughter's side before he hands one of the bags to Damon who barely manages not to tear the whole bag to shreds in his haste to feed.

Realization dawns in my grandbaby's hazel eyes and she figures out that although Damon would have regretted it after the fact and wouldn't have wanted to harm her he would have anyway he's that hungry.

Kol nods at her once before handing the second bag to Damon which he drinks slightly slower but still too fast for his own comfort. Kol turns his head and looks at Bonnie before continuing his conversation from earlier while Damon drinks, "I understand you don't trust me yet, Darling, and that's understandable and advisable even. You have a good head on your shoulders and strong instincts from what I've seen of you. In fact, I think your problems with the professor sprung from you not listening to your instincts when they warned you of trouble, no?"

I'm nodding deeply. Bonnie frowns but also nods though not as deeply, so he continues telling her, "Okay, so there is absolutely nothing wrong with your instincts. Therefore, I am perfectly happy with you questioning everything I or anyone else says or does. That means predators will be less successful at leading you astray, especially if you work on further honing your instincts and then resolve to listen to them, when they try to tell you something, even if, especially if, they tell you something you don't want to hear."

She nods more deeply, and I tell Kol's brothers, "The one major flaw my granddaughter has is that she's stubborn. If she gets something into her head, she rarely lets it go, and Atticus knew that, so he lured her in by promising that she'd be able to see me again. Her instincts told her there was something wrong about him, though."

Henri, Freya, and Finn nod in response. Their brother smiles slightly, and he tells her, "The good news, Darling, is that you're a witch, so I can't compel you without your consent. I don't have magick of my own anymore either, so I can't spell you or compel you that way. That means you and your instincts should be able to be very certain that what you think and feel regarding me or anyone else are your own thoughts and feelings on any given matter."

Damon is aware enough that at Kol's words he thinks, 'Wait, he doesn't have magick of his own anymore? That means he used to be a witch. No wonder Kol takes young witches under his wing. He used to be one himself. Well, damn.'

Damon's tense shoulders relax ever so slightly at that realization. He understands now that Kol has only the best of intentions towards Bonnie, which Damon thinks is good because she's obviously listening and giving earnest consideration to the original's words.

Bonnie nods slightly, so Kol smiles wider and tells her, "Furthermore, I would allow, nay encourage, you to read over any spell I might propose you do and ask whomever you like for a second opinion before you go using any of the spells I might give you."

My granddaughter's eyes widen at his words, and I know he just said the absolute right thing by suggesting she get a second opinion. Damon agrees and hopes that Kol doesn't compel her mother to tell her what he wants her to hear. He thinks, 'Hmm, maybe I should go visit Abby and make sure she's taking Vervain. Shit, probably best not to. She's still pretty pissed at me, and the last time I approached her she threatened to stake me if I tried to contact her again, so I'll just cross my fingers that Kol doesn't compel her to give false advice. I will keep an eye on the situation, though, and approach her anyway if I suspect foul play.'

I smile and nod at both vampires' thoughts. Kol is thinking something similar to Damon, 'If necessary, I'll go visit her mother and make sure she's agreeable to giving opinions on the spells I give Bonnie. I really have no plans to lead her down the wrong path though so I won't compel false advice out of the woman. The compulsion will merely have her give advice at all, but we'll see if I need to step in or not before I go revisit the baby vampire.'

I frown slightly and tell Henri, Finn, and Freya, "It's a 50/50 chance that she'll willingly advise Bonnie. I recently discovered that my daughter is not the woman I thought she was because if I'm right, then Abby knowingly and willingly left my baby girl with Rudy knowing she'd be in danger and didn't even have the decency to call and warn me."

Finn's eyes are wide when he asks, "You think she knew he was abusive?"

I nod with hunched shoulders, "Yes, her thoughts anytime she's around him are memories of him hitting her. He caused the three miscarriages she had. I knew she had lost three babies, but I didn't know it was because Rudy kicked her in the stomach repeatedly, sometimes even though he knew she was pregnant."

Finn nods once and tells me, "It'd be best to hope Kol never discovers the finer details of Mr. Hopkins' crimes or your granddaughter will find herself burying her father in quick order."

I nod but admit my darkest desire, "I'm not a violent person by nature, but I almost wish Kol would find out. However, I know the loss of Rudy would gut Bonnie."

Henri frowns and asks, "But he hits her? Or am I misunderstanding?"

I nod again and tell him, "You're not misunderstanding."

He turns so that he's completely facing me and asks, "But if he hurts her, wouldn't she be happy he couldn't hurt her anymore?"

Finn shakes his head, and after placing his hand on his brother's shoulder, he reminds his youngest sibling, "We were all the same way. Several of us threatened Mikael but when push came to shove none of us could bring ourselves to end him."

I shrug and add, "I'm afraid it's more than that. Abby leaving has given my baby girl abandonment issues. Ultimately Bonnie fears being alone. Plus, her father has her so twisted around that she loves him despite the pain and fear he causes her."

Finn gently places his hand on my shoulder and tells me softly, "Your granddaughter will never be alone again, and she will find that out for herself in short order. As for her father, I will pray that Kol keeps his temper in check for Ms. Bennett's sake. I think if anyone would have the ability to cause him to reign in his short temper it will be your granddaughter."

I smile and tell him, "I think you can begin calling her Bonnie from now on. I mean, if your brother gets his way she'll be a Mikaelson soon enough."

He smiles and tells me, "You make a fair point, though I feel uncomfortable calling her by her given name when she has not granted me permission to do so, but if we're lucky she'll never end up on The Otherside, so she'll never have the opportunity to give me leave to call her Bonnie." He nods then before telling me, "Bonnie will most definitely be a Mikaelson if Kol has anything to say about it. I've never known him not to get his way unless Niklaus interfered in his plans by daggering him. Those are the only times Kol didn't complete the tasks he set for himself and ultimately get his way."

Henri, Freya, and I nod at Finn with smiles on our faces. We turn and watch their brother smile gently and tell my precious granddaughter at least part of his mission statement, "My goal with you, Bonnie, is to help make you stronger and more knowledgeable. That will allow you to avoid falling into the traps of predators like the professor in the future. The only way for that to happen is for you to have an open dialog between you, me, and your mother or some other witch or witches that you might trust implicitly not to lead you astray. That open dialog will allow you to not only learn what is safe and what is not but also why whatever spell is or is not safe."

I nod again at his words and tell my companions, "My one regret, well other than not realizing what Rudy was doing to Bonnie, is that I died before I could finish her training, or really even get it started."

The three other ghosts nod back before their brother continues, "I think part of the problem that led to you using dark magick is that although witches often talk about keeping the balance and working within The Laws of Nature very few individuals ever actually tell their students what any of that looks like."

Kol pauses and then with a smile on his handsome face he tells my grandbaby, "Based on what I know of your mother's training I'd say that if your grandmother hadn't died when she did she would have taught you everything you needed to know. However, her untimely death hurt you not just emotionally but also in the sense that your very competent teacher could no longer lay the proper foundation that would allow you to guide yourself away from predators like the professor who only want you to use your magick for their own gain."

Her eyes widen, so he nods and tells her, "Everything I've heard about Ms. Sheila Bennett says she was very competent, an amazing teacher, and an excellent role model for those she taught. Everyone I've spoken to about her says she was one of the greats in that she was incredibly patient with her students, had a solid head on her shoulders, a well-honed moral compass, and a complete understanding of The Laws of Nature and The Will of God. I think I'm a poor substitute for such an exceptional witch and teacher, but I'll do my best to honor her memory and her purpose on this earth by helping to make you stronger, more knowledgeable, and more inclined to listen when your instincts tell you something isn't right."

I'm nodding and surprisingly so is Damon of all people. He thinks, 'Apparently Kol and I have at least one thing in common: We both do our research when it comes to our enemies.'

Damon wonders, 'Is Kol's interest in Bonnie a good thing or a bad thing? No one else on the planet can teach her what Kol knows, but if Kol teaches her, she'll befriend him, which will either pit her against our side or pit Kol against his family.'

Damon sighs to himself, 'Not much would cause Kol to turn against his family,' which is incredibly accurate. I can't think of a single thing that would cause him to side with someone other than a member of his family.

Damon frowns slightly before he thinks, 'We may very well be about to lose Bonnie to the other side.' He pauses then thinks, 'She might be able to win all of them over if we're lucky, though,' so he sends up another prayer, 'Please don't let this come back and bite us all in the ass.'

Bonnie meanwhile is frowning, so Kol guesses at the cause and tells her, "I think that part of your problem is mostly to do with your age and your late introduction to witchcraft. When anyone ages they grow to listen to their instincts more and trust in them completely. You also have only been practicing a short time, so naturally, you know far less than someone who has been practicing even just a few years longer than you have. Unfortunately, the professor likely knew enough about you and what you had endured with the sudden death of your grandmother that he was able to exploit the weaknesses that your youthful age and overall inexperience come with."

He gentles his smile when her frown lessens some and tells her, "If you allow me, when I'm done with you, your instincts will be finely tuned. You won't question or decide to ignore what they tell you ever again. I hope you will also have a much more solid understanding of what it means and actually looks like keeping The Balance and precisely what witches mean when they say the term, 'The Laws of Nature.'

My granddaughter nods and smiles slightly before she says, "I have to think about whether I'll let you fill that role for me, but I'll listen and hear what you have to say and read whatever you want me to, but I'm not making any promises that I'll actually do any of your spells."

Everyone in the room over 20 nods deeply before Kol smiles widely and says, "Good. I will feel infinitely better if you begin questioning everyone's motives when they suggest you do anything, even the most mundane things."

She nods back before Kol hands Damon the third bag. Damon slowly and without his previous twitchy movements or hungry gaze opens and begins drinking from the bag. Kol watches in silence while the other vampire drinks and then he hands Damon the last bag when he finishes the third.

When Damon has drunk the fourth and final bag in its entirety, Kol looks at him for a minute. His movements are no longer quick and jerky, and he's not eying Bonnie like the predator he really is, so Kol nods before taking the key to the cell off the wall to the side of the door and inserting it into the door, turning the key and unlocking, and then opening the door.

Damon just stands there without moving, which causes Kol to nod once before Damon follows an urge that has him inwardly groaning again because he realizes it's got to be another one of Kol's compulsions that he didn't lift earlier. Regardless of that knowledge he can't resist the urge, so he follows the compulsion, and despite his best efforts to keep the question to himself he asks my granddaughter, "So if Kol cut off Jer's arms, how's Elena handling it? I don't figure she's happy about that or the fact that you're suddenly taking lessons from the original who tried to kill her last living relative."

While the blood drains from Bonnie's face, Kol's chest tightens, and a sharp pain radiates from the center of his chest after her eyes tear up slightly. She sniffles quietly before she tells Damon, "When I left last night, she was willing to keep the truce, but you and I both know after a good night's rest she's probably pissed off again that I essentially helped the so-called bad guy cut off her brother's arms."

Damon frowns slightly at her use of the phrase 'so-called,' which indicates that she's already questioning what she knows about Kol from other people. Damon thinks, 'That's probably bad, but I'm hoping it's actually good.'

Still, he can't stop himself from nodding and saying, "No so-called about it, Bonnie, Kol isn't a nice man, and he's probably killed more people than you've ever met, and you helped him chop off Jeremy's arms." No probably about it. I know he's killed more people than Damon has ever met, so he's definitely killed more people than my granddaughter has known. Damon knows that too but can't keep his mouth shut when he says, "Plus, by chopping off Jer's arms you effectively removed all possibility of Elena ever being human again."

Damon thinks, 'I can't say I'm too upset about that to be honest because I'd prefer not to watch the love of my life grow old and die. I know from mine and Stefan's experiences that eventually Elena will come to terms with the turn her life took. That will allow the two of us to have an opportunity to be happy for the rest of eternity that we wouldn't have if she turns back.'

He frowns, 'Of course, she explicitly didn't want to live forever, so it'll take even longer than it would for a vampire who wasn't aware that eternity was a possibility before waking in transition. I can make her see the benefits of her new life expectancy, though, so I'd rather she be forced to get over the idea of turning human again sooner rather than later and help her get on with accepting the hand life has dealt her.'

He nods once and thinks, 'Ultimately, Elena will be better and happier now that she's a vampire. She just has to allow herself to be happy.'

He doesn't say any of that, though, and the tears that had been pooling in my granddaughter's eyes fall when she nods in response to his previously spoken words. Kol's eyes narrow and the pain in his chest deepens before she tells Damon, "I know that, but I was willing to do whatever it took to protect everyone even take away my best friend's hopes of becoming human again. It hurts that she'll hate me for the rest of her now exceptionally long existence, but I had no other choice. The alternative was everyone we love dying gruesome and painful deaths."

Finn turns to Henri and me and tells us, "I wish I had been present when she had her premonition, so I could know for certain what it entailed."

I frown but then explain, "I saw it." I then quickly describe Bonnie's vision and how vivid the details were.

When I finish the tale, Finn tells me, "No wonder she was willing to upset Ms. Gilbert."

I just nod, and the prolonged silence the three living people in the basement have been perpetuating finally ends when Bonnie, who has been studiously avoiding eye contact with both men since Damon began talking, quickly wipes at her wet cheeks and then runs from the room with her eyes trained on the floor.

Kol turns and looks at Damon and despite his having compelled Damon to make my baby girl cry Kol says, "You're an arse Salvatore, she didn't deserve that."

Damon frowns and tries to tell him that he knows Kol compelled that whole little scene out of him, but he can't. All he can say is, "It's true, and you know it just as well as I do."

Kol shakes his head before Damon tells him honestly, "She's good people, so original or not, if you hurt her, I will find a way to end you and your entire family."

Kol's eyes widen at that proclamation because he wouldn't have thought Damon would care enough about my grandbaby to threaten him. The fact is Damon respects my granddaughter, more than he respects anyone else, even though he is wholly unwilling to admit that to anyone, ever.

He absentmindedly bobs his head in response to Damon's well-intended threat, and then at vampire speed, Kol runs down the hall, up the stairs, and out the door of the house. Damon and the rest of us follow him, and when we get to the still open door, Bonnie is standing in the driveway hugging herself and crying.

Kol slowly approaches and then wraps his arms around her and pulls her soft and very vulnerable body into his chest. He smiles slightly when she doesn't fight him. Stroking her hair over and over he allows her to cry out all of her fear, anger, frustration, shame, and guilt before he tells her, "It's okay, Darling, everything will work out the way it's meant to. You'll see."

He means that too. Everything will work out the way it should even if he needs to help by nudging everyone in the correct direction.

Damon turns and heads back into the house leaving the pair to figure it all out on their own. He gently and quietly closes the door and moves to the side window to watch without Bonnie knowing he's there.