Chapter 012

No Longer Plagued

Friday, December 31, 2010, 10:00 a.m.

The Mall

I chuckle when my granddaughter asks for the tenth time in as many minutes, "Tell me again why we're shopping in a crowded mall on New Year's Eve."

Rebekah and Caroline giggle at about the same time Henri, who decided to accompany me while I shadow the girls and Mikaelson men at the mall asks, "My new sister asks an excellent question. I know the modern world is far more entertaining and honestly far easier than life was when I was human, but one thing I cannot bring myself to enjoy is the crush of people at places like the mall. People can't bump into me, and the sheer number of people still bothers me. Poor Jeremy doesn't even have arms to help him keep his balance, and Kol has been keeping hold of my new younger brother's shoulder to steady him while they go from store to store. Tell me how that's fun?"

I laugh and tell him, "It's not fun for any of us, but the payout should be!"

He turns and walks backward not even paying attention to the people he walks through while he asks me, "Oh? Do tell? I know Nik and Kol are tux shopping with Jer on the other side of the mall with Finn and Freya acting as silent spectators, but what exactly does my youngest blood sister and my new blonde sister have planned for my middle sister that they think will be so fabulous?"

I laugh. He only just recently began referring to them like that, and I find it's a cute little brother kind of thing for him to do. I'm touched that he already considers my granddaughter and her friends, well Caroline and Jeremy anyway, to be part of his family. Finn and Freya are much the same way, and they and Henri are convinced that Rebekah has growing feelings for Jeremy. I have to say based on her thoughts that I tend to agree. It's still funny, though, to hear prim and proper Finn Mikaelson refer to someone as his 'newest and youngest little brother'.

I think that it would please Rebekah if she could hear her siblings discussing the newest members of their family, though. I know it certainly pleases me and I'm just the grandmother slash surrogate grandmother to all of them.

I have plans to mother the Mikaelsons if what I think is going to happen happens because the fact of the matter is they all deserve to have a mother figure who gives a damn about them and their wellbeing.

Esther is a disgrace to all mothers everywhere, and I have often had to hold myself back and not go find her and beat her silly for the pain and heartache she's caused her own flesh and blood. What she's done to Finn alone is enough to send my blood pressure through the roof.

I might be falling for Finn, but even if I weren't, I can't abide by a mother compelling her own child and especially not to betray his siblings and kill himself and them all in one fell swoop. She does not deserve the term mother, and I fully intend to make sure they all know that. However, Esther has friends here, so I need to be careful and not do anything to put my granddaughter or her friends and their new family in jeopardy.

I'm brought out of that thought by Caroline and Rebekah rolling their eyes before Rebekah tells my granddaughter, "Caroline and Jeremy let slip that you've never been to any of the grander balls our town holds. You told me yourself that Esther had you tucked away the night of her ball so that you and Elena couldn't compare notes, so we thought we'd all dress up and have a mini ball for New Year's Eve. Only our family is invited so you, Caroline, and Jer don't need to worry about disapproving stares or snide comments directed your way."

The two blondes both bump Bonnie's shoulders at the same time before Caroline tells her, "It'll be fun, Bon, plus, just think, Kol will be dressed to the nines. I was kind of preoccupied with annoying Klaus at Esther's ball, but even I noticed that Kol cleans up surprisingly good. Well, actually that's true of all of the Mikaelsons."

Rebekah smiles and tells her new friend, "Thanks Care. You looked amazing in that blue dress. I think we need to find something blue for you tonight. I'm going to look and see if anything pops out for me otherwise I'll wear my beautiful Christmas gift, which, by the way, it fits perfectly so thank you for that."

Caroline smiles and then grabs Bonnie's hand and veers off towards the first store.

The girls spend four hours shopping, and they each find something to wear and shoes to match before they then go get their hair and make-up done at a salon in the mall. When they are done the boys meet them by Niklaus' SUV. Niklaus and Kol both whistle when they see 'their' girls all prettied up.

Bonnie's hair is twisted and braided and piled in intricate loops on the back of her head with two antique combs helping hold it all in place and two little curls framing the sides of her face. Kol takes my granddaughter's hand and tells her, "You look relaxed, and your hair looks lovely like that."

She blushes, and she will never admit it to anyone, ever, but she chose the elaborate hair-do because of the conversation she had with Kol that first morning about how much he misses the intricate hair-dos of the past.

He smiles gently and teases her, "Let me know at the end of the evening if you need any help untangling your hair because I'm sure you remember how much fun I find from that particular past time."

She blushes even harder but smiles at his boyish grin and tells him, "I'll keep that in mind, thank you. I was surprised at how relaxing the whole thing was. I mean I usually enjoy getting ready for smaller events, but I wasn't sure if this would be different. Usually, Elena and Caroline are stressing so much that I just assumed getting ready for the fancier things causes stress, but once we all had our dresses and shoes there was practically no stress involved."

Caroline laughs and tells them all, "I'm usually stressing because I've helped plan the event, so I want it to go off without a hitch. I was forbidden from trying to plan anything today, though, so there was no stress in sight."

Niklaus smiles indulgently at her and says, "Good, you should have a night off every now and then."

She just nods, so everyone gets into the car, and they drive home. When they arrive, they get out, and the girls stop in their tracks when they walk into the foyer. Elijah is coming down the stairs while they stare at all the pretty little blinking fairy lights strung up over most surfaces.

Rebekah smiles widely and tells him, "Elijah this is just lovely."

He smiles back and tells her, "Thank you. I called the same company that did Esther's ball and arranged for the house to look quite similar so that Bonnie and Jeremy can experience it for themselves."

Bonnie smiles and says, "It's beautiful Elijah, thank you."

Rebekah links arms with her two friends and tells her brothers and Jeremy, "We'll be upstairs getting into our pretties. See you boys soon."

I follow the girls up the stairs into Rebekah's room where they hang their dress bags and flop down onto the bed together.

Bonnie just stares up at the ceiling fingering the locket she's wearing. Caroline looks over at her and then sits up before reaching over and gently taking hold of the necklace. She smiles while she peers closer at it then says, "That's really pretty Bonnie. Does it have anything inside it?"

Bonnie blushes and turns her head looking away before saying, "Maybe."

Caroline laughs and asks, "Why are you blushing? Does it have a naughty picture of Kol in it maybe?"

My grandbaby looks back at her before giggling and saying, "No, no naughty pictures of anyone. It's got a picture of Grams and me and one of the shots we all took over Christmas. One of the group shots. Anyone who doesn't already know who's in it would have trouble making out the faces because I had to shrink it so much to fit, but I wanted to remember this Christmas. The only way it could have been better is if Grams was still here."

Oh, Baby Girl. You will see me again soon. Trust in God, and he will provide.

Caroline nods and asks, "Can I see?"

My granddaughter smiles and sits up before opening the locket and showing Caroline and Rebekah the photos inside. Rebekah smiles and says, "That is a lovely locket. Did it belong to your Grams?"

Bonnie blushes again but then says softly, "No, Kol gave it to me for Christmas."

Their eyes widen before Rebekah says, "I thought he gave you bookshelves."

Bonnie giggles again and says, "Don't knock my bookcases, I went to the guy's workshop early Wednesday morning with Kol and picked out the style. They're going to be so pretty with leaves engraved into the sides and edges, and they are super sturdy looking because they're handmade to order. The guy who makes them said he'll use slightly thicker than normal wood to make sure they can hold the heavy books without any strain."

The two girls nod but Caroline giggles a moment later and says, "Don't think we don't notice, Bonnie Bennett, that you haven't answered the mystery of you having more than one Christmas gift from Kol. A mystery gift no one knew about until just now."

Bonnie smiles but looks away from her and quietly says, "I knew, and that was all that mattered to me."

Rebekah smiles and says, "Aww, so when did he give it to you, and how did he present it?"

Bonnie smiles fondly and tells her, "It was lying in a little box on my pillow when I came upstairs Christmas Night. It had a note with it, but I'm not telling you what it said because it was private."

Caroline nudges her shoulder, "Like naughty private or just…"

She laughs and asks, "Why does everyone assume that there is something naughty involved when Kol's around."

Rebekah laughs and asks Bonnie, "Have you met my brother? Even when he's behaving, he usually finds a way to stick innuendo into his conversations."

Bonnie nods but says, "I know, but there is nothing naughty going on between Kol and me."

Caroline smiles again and tells the original, "I think we need to have a girl's only night at my house soon so we can talk to Bonnie about whether she wishes there was something naughty going on between her and Kol,. I know Kol is listening to every word we say right now so I'll drop the subject, for now anyway."

Rebekah nods and says, "We'll make plans later."

Caroline nods before Bonnie covers her face with her hands and says, "The note was sweet. He just said he was glad he hesitated and that he's gotten the opportunity to know me better. He said he thought of getting Caroline to get a picture of Grams and me to put in it but then decided he'd let me choose what to put in it, and he said he looks forward to knowing me for the rest of my existence."

Rebekah frowns and asks, "When did he hesitate?"

She looks up from her hands and smiles before she says, "The night of my premonition. He confronted me in the school hallway and said that if I were dead, they wouldn't be able to access the cure and risk raising Silas. He boxed me in, but then he hesitated. He told me later he hesitated because he knows Grams, or he did while he was daggered right after she died but before Elijah took the daggers out of all of you. They were friends, and he didn't feel right harming someone his friend obviously cared about. So, he let me fight back and escape. He said he planned to try to keep me out of it as much as possible so he wouldn't have to harm me if he could prevent it. Ultimately, I have Grams' love for me to thank for so much goodness in my life, including my friendships with you and your brothers."

Rebekah smiles and says, "I knew her too. She spent most of her time watching you and your friends. We had been watching Nik and Elijah when they first came here, so we kept running into her, and we became friends. She loves you very much Bonnie, and I know she's immensely proud of you."

My precious girl frowns and whispers, "Maybe before the dark magick crap I got into."

Rebekah, bless her soul, grabs hold of Bonnie's hand and looks her straight in the eyes and tells her, "Even with that I know she's enormously proud of you. You made a mistake, Bonnie. Everyone does. You're not unique in that sense. What makes you unique is that you learned from your mistake instead of repeating it over and over until it got you killed. Kol's been friends with two dozen witches who got involved in dark magick and instead of learning from the mistake they kept touching the dark until it killed them. I may not have seen my friend in months now, but I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that Sheila forgives you for your mistake and loves you anyway, and I know she's proud of the young woman you've become. God knows I am proud of you, and I only just met you."

Caroline nods and says, "You forgave me when I killed Carter, right? So why would you think Grams wouldn't forgive you for touching the dark. What I did was way worse, and you still love me."

Bonnie frowns and whispers, "But I killed Shane, and I didn't have the excuse of an out of control bloodlust. I was cold and calculating. I went to the jail with the intent to murder him, and then I did exactly that."

Caroline hugs Bonnie and tells her, "Lucy was right when she told you that his death saved the world. Sometimes we must do terrible things to protect the people we love. If you hadn't killed him everyone we love would be dead right now. You know I've killed in self-defense or in defense of others, and that's exactly what you did. Your grams won't think poorly of you for protecting others. In fact, I think she'd be even more proud of you because you made a hard choice and did it even knowing you'd suffer the guilt of that decision for the rest of your life. Most people would have balked and done the easy thing, and now the world would be destroyed if anyone other than you had had to make that decision. We still love you, and I'm certain your grams still loves you, too."

I'll have to remember to thank Caroline for that. Bonnie nods and wipes away a tear while Rebekah smiles gently and says, "Well said, Caroline. I don't think I could have said that any better, but my family loves you, too, Bonnie, and God knows we've all made mistakes, but you still love us, right? I mean Nik killed Elena's aunt, and I killed Elena, and you still love us, right? So, we love you, too, despite whatever mistakes you have made or whatever ones you will make in the future."

They take turns hugging my granddaughter, and I can hear in her mind that they got through to her for the time being. I'm sure they'll need to repeat themselves at least a few times more, but for now, her mind is at peace.

A few hours later my granddaughter is laughing while she dances with Kol. Her ball gown is cut in an Edwardian style. The fabric is a black overlay on top of a gold shimmery underdress. The overlay has little crystals sewn onto it that adds to the illusion that she's sparkling in the light while she moves.

Caroline squealed when she found it and told Bonnie, "It looks just like the dress Kate Winslet wore in Titanic at the dinner Jack went to. Hers was dusty pink and maroon, but this will look even prettier on you with the gold against your skin tone."

Bonnie nodded and practically skipped into the dressing room. I don't recall the scene, but I remember the dress and I tend to agree about the similarities.

Rebekah's dress is another red number with a mermaid tale. Caroline did, in fact, get a blue gown cut in a princess cut that reminds me of the gown Cinderella wore in the classic Disney movie minus the poufy shoulders as Caroline so eloquently put it when she found the dress.

Caroline and Rebekah are standing off to the side talking and sneaking peeks at Niklaus and Jeremy in their tuxes when the girls think the boys aren't looking. The boys are doing the same thing in reverse.

Caroline's phone rings a moment later, and Rebekah looks at her and asks, "I thought I told you to leave that upstairs?"

Caroline rolls her eyes at her and repeats herself, "And I told you that my mom is going to call at midnight, so I need it with me because with her job the term midnight could mean anywhere from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. Now shut up because it's actually Stefan."

Rebekah tries to steal the phone, but Caroline dodges her expertly and answers the phone all in one movement, "Stefan, hey can I call you back? I'm kind of busy tonight."

His frown is evident when he tells her, "It's important, Caroline. Do you know where Bonnie or Jeremy are? Elena can't find them, and we're worried."

She straightens her shoulders and snorts before she tells him, "As if any of you actually care. They've been with me off and on since Christmas Eve, and none of you thought to call before now."

Niklaus walks up to her and whispers, "Just hang up on dear ole Stefan, Luv."

She swats at him, but the damage has been done, and he knows it while he grins unrepentantly when Stefan nearly shouts, "Is that Klaus? Caroline, have you lost your mind?"

She frowns and tells him, "No, I haven't lost my mind, and if my other friends could remove their heads from their asses long enough to actually pretend to care that Bonnie is spending a lot of time with the Mikaelsons I wouldn't need to be here putting up with Klaus. But as it stands most of my friends do have their heads up their butts so I'm babysitting as it were to make sure Bonnie and Jer are as safe as possible, not that you actually care."

He's very obviously frowning when he asks snidely, "And what do you think you, a girl who hasn't even been a vampire for two years can do to protect them from the Mikaelsons? We need strength in numbers, not renegade lone wolves."

She laughs loudly at that and tells the pompous ass, "Oh how you've forgotten the damage Katherine did to you and your brother with nothing but a little smile and the flip of her hair. While I'm not about to stoop to her level and spread my legs for him, I'll have you know that I am far better at managing Klaus than Katherine ever was with you and Damon. Now as I said, I'm busy doing damage control because you all are too self-involved to do it yourselves. Don't call back. I won't answer."

"Caroline think about this logically."

She smirks even though he can't see it and tells him, "Oh, I am probably the only one of us thinking about this logically. You seem to forget that your brother fed me enough of his blood that he needed to feed twice afterward, and then your ex-sweetheart smothered me less than half an hour later. I have wiped the floor with my sire's ass on more than one occasion because he gave me so much of his blood, so while I might only be two vampire years old I am far stronger than Damon, and I'm especially stronger than you because unlike you I feed on humans regularly. Now I repeat, I'm hanging up, and I won't be answering any more of your calls tonight, so you'll have to wait until school on Monday to begin berating me. Goodbye."

Then she hangs up. She turns back to face the room and then promptly blushes when she notices all eyes on her. Slowly Niklaus, Kol, Elijah, and Rebekah begin clapping and then Bonnie joins in. Jeremy walks to her and tells her, "If I had arms I'd totally be clapping too. That was awesome, and I only wish I could have seen his face when you tore him a new one."

She giggles and then walks the three steps to Niklaus and leans up to his ear and whispers, "I'm sorry for implying I'm using you for my own purposes, but it was the only way I could think of to get him to leave me alone long enough to enjoy the evening. I'll have hell to pay for it come Monday, but you promised me three dances, and I'm planning to finagle more than three out of you, so I need not to be dealing with Stefan freaking Salvatore and his lofty opinions all night long."

He grins and laughs before he takes her hand in his and tells her, "Oh, no worries, Luv, I knew the game you were playing even before I told you to hang up. It's why I spoke loudly enough for him to hear me and distinguish my voice from the others despite his sub-par senses."

Just then her phone rings again. She sighs, so he takes her phone from her hand and looks at the caller ID before telling her, "It's your sire. Would you mind terribly if I answer this one?"

Before she can steal her phone back he presses send and speaks into the phone, "Damon Salvatore, Caroline is otherwise indisposed at the moment. Can I take a message?"

Damon's frown is evident when he says, "I don't have time for your shit Klaus. Elena is MIA, and I have a bad feeling she's going to try something stupid. So, if you could put the one person who stands any chance of talking Elena down on the line, I'd much appreciate it, and you and I can tussle some other night."

Niklaus loses his smile and asks, "When was she last seen?"

Damon bites out, "As if I'd tell you."

He frowns and tells Damon what he already knows, "You should know me well enough by now, Damon, to know that I won't leave Caroline's side while you talk to her, so I'm going to be hearing everything anyway, so be a good boy and just answer my bloody question."

He sighs and tells him, "I took her to the mall this afternoon to practice being around so many humans, and she happened to see her brother and two best friends playing nice with the enemy in the parking lot. I got her out of there as fast as I could before she caused a scene but when we got home, she spent two hours screaming at me and then stormed out after screaming that I was allowing the evil originals to steal all her friends. She's clearly not in her right mind, and I would appreciate it if you or Caroline would call me if she makes an appearance, preferably before any blood is spilled."

Niklaus frowns but tells him, "First, it's her own bloody fault because she's spent the last month pushing those who love her farther and farther away. She has also completely overlooked the fact that no one in her life, her brother, Bonnie, and Caroline included, asked to become the creatures they are, and they don't act like spoiled brats about the unfairness of it all. She's the only one in this town who isn't acknowledging that her plight is common for most new vampires. I don't think I've ever met a single vampire who chose this life."

He pauses then adds, "I take that back, Sage is the only one I know who chose this life, and she did that to be with the man she loved for all of eternity. I've met hundreds of thousands of vampires in my long life and out of all of them only Sage chose this life. Don't you think that says something about Elena's lack of uniqueness, and yet she acts like only she had her life stolen from her completely overlooking that young Caroline got smothered to death by a woman who wore her best friend's face only to wake up alone and craving something she couldn't name? Elena Gilbert had every one of her loved ones at her bedside when she woke in transition while Caroline woke alone and then had to deal with the ramifications of killing someone by herself, well unless you count Stefan's condescending lessons on hunting venison and hares. I will call if Elena shows her face here but make no mistake I will put her in her long overdue place before you get here to coddle her into further brat-hood."

I giggle just a little when Finn bends at the waist he's laughing so hard. He gets out between fits of laughter, "God I've missed him all these years. There is a reason he's feared by everyone with half a brain, and it's not just because he's stronger and less vulnerable. He has a knack for putting brats in their proper place in a matter of seconds, and if you think for one second that he didn't know where Katerina was from the moment she woke in transition, then you clearly don't know my brother yet. She's survived all these years only because he chose to allow it. He could have destroyed her at any time, but he's far shrewder than that. He built up his reputation while feeding her terror, and Elena Gilbert is about to anger my brother in a wholly unhealthy and unwise fashion."

I just nod before Niklaus hands the phone to Caroline and tells her, "Make sure he understands that I have completely lost any patience I had for my former little blood bag."

She nods with wide eyes and then says into the phone, "Uh, Damon?"

He sighs and says, "I got the message, Vampire Barbie. If Elena shows up stall her and have someone call me and I'll break every speeding law on the books to get there before she gets herself killed."

She nods and tells him, "I will."

He sighs again then says, "Good, now where are you, so I know where I'm headed if she shows?"

She sighs this time and tells him, "I'm at the Mikaelsons' Mansion, but think twice before you show up unless you get a text from me saying she's here. We're enjoying the holiday, and one thing I know for sure is that the Mikaelsons will not put up with party crashers. Wait to be invited or risk suffering the same fate as Elena if she shows and you don't get here in time to save the day."

He growls and tells her, "Watch it, little girl, I'm your sire. I deserve a little respect."

She laughs and asks him, "Right, remind me which part I'm supposed to respect you for again. Should I respect that you used me as an unwilling blood bag for months, or that you compelled me to sleep with you when I refused? Or that you abused me while I was your blood slave? Or maybe I should respect that you tried to kill my dad and have tried to kill me on multiple occasions?"

She pauses, and when he doesn't respond, she tells him, "Tell you what, I'll let you continue to live simply because my best friend loves you, and you'll start acting like I don't owe you for abusing me. Otherwise, I will end you and not think twice about it, and don't think I can't or won't. I've already kicked your ass twice, and I certainly wouldn't mind adding a third and ending the event with a stake rammed through your cold, dead heart. Now if you'll excuse me, I was having fun before you and your brother called and pestered me. I'll text you if she shows, but you might want to check with your brother because I have a feeling she's with him, now good night."

Then she hangs up again before looking up and finding every eye on her. Niklaus asks her dangerously, "Did you embellish any of what you just said?"

Her eyes are frightened, and she's trembling, so he walks to her and strokes her cheek, "Relax Luv, I'm not angry with you, and I respect Bonnie too much to risk breaking the truce even if Damon does deserve to be strung up by his entrails and fed on by rats."

She leans into his touch but then bursts into tears. He gently takes her phone from her hand and gives it to Bonnie before he sweeps his love up into his arms and then tells my granddaughter, "If my doppelgänger shows up, text Damon that she's here and stall her as long as you can while staying safe yourself. If Caroline feels up to it, we'll be back down in a bit."

Bonnie just nods and watches him carry a bawling Caroline up the stairs. I follow curious to see what he'll say and how he'll handle this situation.

He doesn't take the still bawling teen to her room. Instead, he brings her to his and walks to his bed before laying her down on it. When he tries to pull away, he finds that her little fist is tightly clenching his tuxedo shirt. He gently peels her fingers away and then faster than even she can see he has her shoes off and then his own. He takes off his jacket just as quickly and lays it over the back of one of the chairs in his bedroom. Then he lays down beside her and has her in his arms before he strokes her hair and tells her, "Shh, Luv, I will never let Damon Salvatore mistreat you again. In fact, if I can help it no one on earth will ever treat you that way ever again."

She snuggles into him and he tells her, "You were stunning dealing with both Salvatores. I'm proud of you. I doubt either of them suspects that your conversations with them upset you so much. You presented a strong, independent, brave front and it's not contradictory to break down after the fact. You and Bonnie are quite similar in that respect. Both of you are beyond strong and brave, but you have both been treated terribly by less deserving vermin. I know Bonnie currently wishes us to maintain the truce, and I'll honor that wish for as long as she has it, but if he ever tries to so much as lay a finger on you again, I'll consider the truce broken by him first, and I'll end him faster than he can blink."

She looks up at him from her cheek's resting place on his chest and asks, "You'd do that for me?"

He smiles and leans down and kisses her forehead, "Luv, I would start wars for you, or end them. I would move heaven and earth to protect you, and if you let me, I'll spend the rest of forever making you happy. I know you're not ready to commit to that yet, so don't say anything. Just know that the offer stands indefinitely, and if it takes you five centuries to come to me, I'll still be here patiently waiting."

She frowns and tells him, "I'm still sleeping with Tyler."

He chuckles and tells her, "I know. I can smell his stench on you. If I'm correct, you slept with him this morning before going to the mall with us. But for the record, I have not been celibate either, and I won't be until you accept my offer. Once you accept, you will be the only woman I will know that way until you tell me to leave, but until then I am a man with needs just as you have needs that are being met by another."

She nods and asks, "Can we just lay here for a while. I don't want to face everyone just yet. Bonnie knew the finer details of what all Damon did. It's one of the reasons she hates him so much, but I didn't really want anyone else to know I used to be so pathetic before."

He tips her chin up and tells her, "You were not pathetic, Luv, misguided perhaps, and abused definitely. Victims aren't pathetic, in fact, most victims I've known have been quite the opposite. You just stood up to your abuser in front of your family who loves you despite any flaws you think you might have. You are the epitome of strong and brave, Caroline, never forget that."

She leans up and kisses his chin before telling him, "Thank you, Nik."

She settles back down with her cheek resting against his chest, and I watch while she slowly falls asleep in his arms. A few minutes later I leave to see what I've missed downstairs.

When I get downstairs, I see Kol and Bonnie having a conversation and Elijah and Jeremy are over in the corner talking to Rebekah. Henri, Freya, and Finn are nowhere to be seen.

I decide they're probably trying to see what Elena and Stefan are up to, so I leave them to it and focus on Bonnie and Kol.

She's frowning while he tells her, "Don't worry, Little Bella, Nik will take care of Caroline, and we'll take care of each other if Elena or Stefan show up."

She nods but then frowns when he tilts his head in a way she knows means he's listening to things she can't hear. He frowns back and says, "Tell Damon that Stefan and Elena are outside and he should hurry because they come bearing the only White Oak Ash Dagger not controlled by my family."

Her eyes widen, but she dutifully sends the text. A moment later Damon texts back, "Be there in 15."

Kol rolls his eyes, "If he had half a brain, he'd leave his vehicle home and get here on foot in three minutes."

My grandbaby giggles but then jumps back when one of the French doors suddenly breaks into so many shards of shattered glass. Kol reaches out and catches the rock that would have hit Bonnie moments before it can make impact.

Moving between her and the French door he gently pushes her behind him when Elena and Stefan walk through the remains of the door.

Elena sneers and says, "It figures she's here. Bonnie, did Kol buy you a pretty dress to get you to betray me?"

Bonnie moves to stand beside Kol, which worries him, but he decides he can move faster than they can, so he'll let her show them that she is his equal.

My granddaughter frowns and tells Elena, "Actually I bought this dress for myself with the money my dad gave me for Christmas, and, for the record, I haven't betrayed you or anyone else for that matter. We have a truce with the Mikaelsons, and I decided to use that as an opportunity to get to know them better. You might say I'm doing my homework in case they break the truce. After all, it never hurts to know everything you can about your opponent. Now care to explain why you are dangerously close to breaking the truce yourselves."

Elena frowns but tells her, "We're not breaking the truce. I've been looking for you. I need you to do a spell for me."

Bonnie frowns but says, "Uh huh and what exactly would this spell do?"

Elena sighs and tells them all, "Well, you know expression, right? You said Shane said it's the only way to wake Silas. That means the witch who trapped him used expression. If she used expression for that, maybe she used it to make the cure, so I want you to try to make a cure from scratch."

Kol is seething, but he wisely keeps his mouth shut and lets Bonnie take care of Elena. To that end, my grandbaby shakes her head slightly and tells her, "Expression is dark magick, and I've stopped using dark magick."

The brat shakes her head back and takes a step closer before she says, "One little spell won't hurt anything, Bonnie."

My granddaughter raises her eyebrow and asks, "Everything you know about magick you learned from me so how would you know? For the record, and not taking the fact that the spirits would punish Grams into account, doing any dark magick, even one little spell, upsets the balance and should be avoided at all costs."

Elena takes another step closer and says, "Says who, him?" and she points at Kol.

Bonnie shakes her head again and tells her, "Says Grams and me."

Elena takes another step closer, and Kol tells her, "If I were you I wouldn't get into my personal space, especially with a White Oak Ash Dagger in your possession or I will consider the truce broken and react accordingly."

Her eyes widen at that, and she turns to look at Stefan who shrugs.

Finn who showed up when the dynamic duo did laughs and tells me what I can clearly hear for myself, "Neither of them knows how Kol knows they have the dagger. Kol's senses including his hearing are almost as good as Niklaus' so he heard them from two blocks away."

I nod and smile at him before Henri asks from behind Elena, "If Kol compelled them, then how are they even here with the intent to use that dagger."

I tilt my head and really think about that, and then the truth occurs to me, one I should have thought of sooner, "Kol died and was physically on The Otherside for several minutes. If being daggered technically temporarily kills an original and nullifies any of that originals' compulsions, and Kol was technically dead for a few minutes last week then…"

Freya finishes my thought, "All of Kol's compulsions have been removed."

I nod and tell her, "Exactly."

A moment later Elena rushes Bonnie which prompts Kol to step between them and get stuck in the heart with the dagger. The moment Bonnie realizes what happened, she freezes and then gives Elena and Stefan mind-numbing headaches.

I smile pleased that she doesn't kill either of them with the aneurysms, but she knows she can't tend to Kol and keep control of her power, so she doesn't turn to look at her love while Elijah and Rebekah grab Elena and Stefan and then Bonnie lets go of them with her ability.

As soon as she lets go of the power, she rushes to Kol's side, but he's still wide awake. He smiles when she brushes his cheek with her soft hand. He looks at her and says, "She missed my heart. I'm fine," he frowns then says under his breath "My death last week must have nullified the compulsions I placed on them."

Um, maybe he should have waited to tell Bonnie that because she frowns and asks, "What do you mean your dying undid your compulsions? What compulsions?"

He pulls the dagger out of his chest and then frowns and sits up pulling her into his arms before he tells her, "Just as I compelled your father into not trying to harm my family or me I also compelled your friends into keeping to the terms of our truce. My dying the other day must have undone the compulsions."

Bonnie's eyes widen at that knowledge, but she nods and says, "Can you do it again?"

Now, his chocolate eyes widen, and he frowns deeper before asking her, "You'd let me?"

My grandbaby nods and pulls back to look him in the eye before she says, "Obviously they can't keep the peace on their own so this once I'll let you compel my friends, but just this once and only to keep the peace. Promise me Kol. I need reassurance that you won't abuse the ability."

He pulls her back to him and tells her honestly, "I can live with that requirement and give you my word that I will not abuse the ability to compel your friends."

Henri asks me, "If his compulsions wore off then what guarantee do we have that his compulsions will stick this time. I mean what's to say they haven't been taking Vervain all this week."

Finn grins and tells him, "I know the answer to that question. Kol's not the one who compelled most of them to stay Vervain free. Except for Jeremy, whom Kol compelled, the others were all compelled by Niklaus to abstain from taking or wearing Vervain. I don't think Kol needs to compel Jeremy again, so it should still work for everyone who needs to be compelled."

Henri nods the same time Kol stands and then helps Bonnie stand too. Elijah is holding Stefan in a firm grip while Rebekah has Elena in a crushing hold. Elena has tears streaming down her face and begs Bonnie, "How can you be friends with him if he compelled us. He took our freewill Bonnie, and you're just going to let him do it again? I thought you were my friend?"

She at glances at Elena and then looks at Kol for a moment before telling him, "You can make them forget any of this ever happened, too."

Kol nods and catches Elena's eyes then tells her, "My previous compulsions are hereby reinstated, and once you leave this house you will not recall that I have ever compelled you. You will also believe that you only came here tonight to speak with Bonnie about creating a cure from scratch but that she told you no and while you're not okay with that, you will leave the subject be after tonight."

While Elena repeats his words to him, Bonnie frowns and asks, "Compulsions, plural?"

He grins at the fact that she misses nothing and tells her, "I may have also compelled all of your supernatural friends into not trying to threaten or harm you in any way."

She nods and says, "Oh, okay, that's fine I suppose."

He nods and then catches Stefan's eyes and repeats his compulsions. When he finishes compelling him, Kol releases him and tells them both, "I believe Damon is on his way if you wish to wait for him to arrive, so he may give you both a ride home."

They both nod and just stand there looking awkward. Elijah turns to his brother and says something in Proto-Norse which Finn translates for me, "He says he will go visit Bonnie's father and mother, Mr. Lockwood, and Mr. Donovan now if Kol likes to replace those compulsions on them as well and Kol can do the same to Damon when he arrives. We are incredibly lucky that my siblings backed up Kol's compulsions on your former son-in-law and that he has not hit Bonnie even without Kol's compulsion being in place. I think mostly it's because all my siblings compelled him. Rebekah compelled him the same day Kol did when he refused to let Bonnie sleepover. She made it so he wouldn't oppose Bonnie in any way, be it verbal or physical. Still, it will be good to replace the original compulsions just to be safe."

I nod my thanks and smile but tell him, "Abby also compelled Rudy not to ever harm Bonnie again, so the four of them combined probably kept her safe."

The three Mikaelsons on The Otherside with me all nod and then a moment later the doorbell rings. Rebekah frowns but says, "I will let Damon in."

Everyone nods so she goes to answer the door. The moment the door opens, she catches his cerulean eyes and tells him, "All of the compulsions Kol placed on you except the one to kill Jeremy are hereby reinstated. You will not try to harm Bonnie, Caroline, Jeremy or any member of my family, ever."

She pauses to let him repeat everything back to her then she says, "You will forget that I just compelled you and what the compulsion entailed."

Then she releases him, and as soon as he finishes repeating her compulsion to her she smiles and says, "They're in the Ballroom, come in."

He follows her inside but pulls up short when he enters the room and sees his love and his brother just standing there looking everywhere but at the other occupants of the room.

He looks at Bonnie who now has a dustbin in her hand and is picking up shattered glass from the floor.

Rebekah frowns and asks Bonnie, "Why don't you use Magick to repair the door?"

Bonnie looks up from what she's doing and asks, "There's a spell for that?"

Rebekah laughs and tells her, "There is a spell for most things."

She takes the dustbin from Bonnie's hand and tells her the words to say, so she says the spell and smiles when all the glass swirls around in the air before returning to its proper unbroken state in the door frame.

Damon looks at Elena and then his brother and asks no one in particular, "What happened?"

Kol is the quickest to answer, "They broke our door and then demanded that Bonnie try to create a cure from scratch and claimed that one little dark magick spell won't hurt anything. Never mind that the last time Bonnie did dark magick Sheila was punished."

Damon rubs the back of his neck and tells Elena and Stefan, "I already told you that dark magick is a bad idea and that I would not support Bonnie performing the necessary spell if only because of the risk it would pose to her health. I will not trade one friend's wellbeing for the wellbeing of another friend."

Bonnie's eyes are wide, but she smiles and tells him, "Thank you, Damon."

He smiles fondly at her which just causes her eyes to widen even more before he tells her, "You're welcome. Lord knows you've done enough for all of us through this last year that we shouldn't repay your kindness by getting you killed… or your grams punished."

She smiles and nods again. He looks around and asks, "Is Caroline still here?"

Bonnie frowns then and tells him, "She was upset, so she went upstairs to lay down."

He nods and says, "Then I'll wait to apologize to her for, well, everything." He looks at his brother and then Elena and says, "I think you've overstayed your welcome so let's get out of here before you get any of us killed. Bonnie, Jer, Mikaelsons, Happy New Year and thanks for not killing my family even though you probably would have been well within your rights."

Kol, Rebekah, and Elijah all nod and then the Salvatores and Elena leave. Elijah follows behind them to run his errands.

When Rebekah shuts the door behind her brother and the party crashers, the grandfather clock in the living room chimes telling everyone in the house that it's now 2011.

The four people in the ballroom all hug each other wishing each other a Happy New Year. When Bonnie and Kol meet up, he smiles and leans in and pecks her lips which causes her eyes to widen dramatically before he pulls back and tells her, "Happy New Year, Little Bella."

She decides to pick apart what his kiss means later and instead smiles and tells him, "Thank you, Kol, and to you as well."

He pulls her into his arms and hugs her tight before breathing in her scent. She correctly guesses what's prompting his behavior and tells him, "I'm fine, Kol. You taught me how to protect myself and others without accidentally killing anyone, and I did that, and I'm not hurt, and my friends aren't dead. Epically stupid, yes, but they're not dead, or permanently dead anyway. You protected me Kol. You gave me the tools I needed to keep us all safe, myself included."

Her fragility takes his breath away, so he tightens his hold on her ever so slightly, but he nods into her shoulder where his face is pressing into her neck and shoulder.

Before he can pull away, she snuggles into him and asks, "Can I sleep with you tonight?"

He pulls away abruptly and looks at her. She smiles and tells him, "Just sleep, but I don't want to be alone. I'll even let you undo my hair if you can live with not getting to do anything naughty with me after you untangle it."

He laughs and tells her, "You have yourself a deal."

Just then Caroline's phone which they forgot on the floor begins to ring and vibrate across the floor. Bonnie giggles at the 'Mamma Mia' ringtone and picks up the phone before pressing send and telling the caller, "Sheriff Forbes I wound up with Caroline's phone, let me go get her for you."

Liz asks, "Why do you have Caroline's phone?"

Bonnie smiles and nods before she tells her, "Everyone's safe, but there was an incident, and Caroline was upset, so Nik took her to a quiet room to help her calm down."

She grabs hold of Kol's hand and drags him behind her when she leaves the ballroom and heads up the stairs. She walks them to Niklaus' bedroom door and then softly knocks.

Kol hears his brother say, "Come in," so he opens the door and lets Bonnie in who looks at him sideways.

He laughs at her look and taps his finger against his ear and says softly, "Vampire senses remember? I heard him say come in when you couldn't."

She nods and then enters the room where she pulls up short at the picture Niklaus and Caroline make lying on the bed in their party clothes. Caroline is fast asleep, so she whispers, "Should I have her mom call her back tomorrow, or later today I guess?"

The two brothers both hear Liz ask, "Why can't she talk to me now?"

Bonnie quietly tells her, "She's asleep on top of the covers, and you'd probably actually laugh because I think she's drooling on Klaus."

Liz laughs and says, "Tell you what, I've got an accident I'm dealing with so have her call me when she wakes up in the morning."

Bonnie nods and says, "Okay, Sheriff. Happy New Year."

Niklaus and Kol can both hear the smile in Liz's voice when she says, "Happy New Year to you too, Bonnie."

They hang up a minute later, and Bonnie puts Caroline's phone on the bedside table telling Niklaus, "I'll just leave that there, so she can call without needing to wake me up because if she's already asleep that means she'll be waking up before everyone else. If you see her first tell her to call her mom when she's awake enough to handle being teased for falling asleep before midnight."

He smiles and nods, so Bonnie blows him a kiss and says, "Happy New Year, Nik." Then she drags Kol back out the still open door and shuts the door behind herself.

Pausing in the hallway, she asks, "Uh, whose room should we sleep in?"

Kol smiles and asks her, "Have you ever slept in a man's bed with him before?"

My grandbaby looks down and shuffles her feet while she shakes her head, so he tips her chin up and looks into her eyes before telling her, "Hey, that's not a bad thing. I wasn't asking to embarrass you. I was asking because my next question is which room do you think would make you more comfortable. We've slept in your room once before, so if that will make you feel less anxiety, then we can do that. I'm flexible Bonnie. I want whatever makes you most comfortable, okay?"

She nods as much as his hand on her chin will allow and then she says, "I think I'll feel better in my room." She pauses then adds, "If you could call it that."

He smiles and tells her, "It's never been used by anyone else, so it's definitely your room. Now you go to your room, and I'll go get my sleep pants because a bloody and torn tux isn't really proper sleepwear. Then I'll meet you in your room, okay? Leave your hair up though, and I'll deal with it when I come back."

She yawns but nods and leans in and kisses his cheek then she smiles and turns and walks to her bedroom. He grins at her retreating form and then vamp speeds to his room. About a minute later he vamp speeds back to her door wearing sleep pants and a t-shirt before he knocks on the open door.

She comes out of the closet and giggles before telling him, "I'm still getting used to vampire speed."

Smiling he tells her, "You go change out of your dress, and I'll turn down the bed, and when you come out I'll comb out your hair for you before we lie down."

She nods and goes into the bathroom. He does as he said he would and turns down the bed before sitting in one of the leather chairs in the corner of the room.

A moment later my baby girl comes back out still in her dress and blushing asks him, "Um, can you unzip me?"

His chocolate eyes sparkle when he tells her, "I would be happy to unzip you."

She laughs and tells him, "Get your head out of the gutter, Kol."

Laughing he stands, walking to her before he takes her shoulders and turns her, so she's facing away from him. He gently pulls her zipper down her back before stepping back and telling her, "There you go, Darling."

The flash of her bare back that he sees when he unzips her sends a thrill through him in much the same way I imagine those flashes of ankle used to back a few centuries ago.

Still blushing, Bonnie nods with her hand holding the top of her dress in place and says, "Thank you, Kol," then she hurries into the bathroom again.

He laughs at her hasty departure and smiles when the door closes behind her.

When she comes out, she's wearing a purple tank top and her matching purple, pink, and blue checkered flannel sleep pants. Smiling from his spot near the bed he tells her, "I need a comb and your brush."

She smiles and goes back into the bathroom before returning and handing him the items he requested. Taking them from her, he then pulls her into his arms and just holds her for a moment. She's stiff at first, but after a few seconds, she relaxes into the embrace.

He silently thanks God, 'Thank you, God, for keeping Bonnie and my family safe this evening.'

He whispers into her hair, "I'm sorry I did not realize sooner that my compulsions had been made null and void by my temporary death. It honestly didn't even occur to me."

She tries to pull away, but he holds on tight, so she snuggles deeper into his hold and tells him, "It's okay. As everyone keeps pointing out to me, no one is perfect. Besides, I know you've been daggered seven times but how many times have you been temporarily killed through other means?"

He laughs, "Not nearly as much as Elijah has. People tend to try to stake him and while it kills him for a few minutes it mostly just further angers him. I don't know that he's ever had standing compulsions in place when it happened though."

My precious girl nods and says, "See, so you had no way of knowing it would do the same thing to your compulsions that daggering you would have done." She pauses then says, "By the way, thank you."

He pulls away slightly and asks her, "For what specifically?"

She giggles and tells him, "You didn't come out and say it, but I know you compelled my friends to keep the peace more for me than for you. I know you all well enough by now to know you've all been very forgiving and haven't, how do I put it, you haven't shown us your true capabilities, not even close by my best guess. I just wanted to thank you for compelling them to keep the peace because I know now that you are the only reason my friends are all still alive."

Kol cups her cheeks and tells her, "For you, I would do just about anything, even let annoying Elena Gilbert crash our party tonight and not exact some sort of payback, but you're welcome all the same." He leans in and kisses her forehead for a long moment and then pulls away entirely before taking her hand and leading her to the leather chairs in the corner of the room.

My grandbaby sits in one of the chairs before using her hand to cover a yawn. Kol smiles and begins carefully extracting the first antique comb and then the other before handing both to her. Then he carefully sets about removing bobby pins and unraveling every curl and braid as gently as he can. The only words spoken while he does her hair are when she sighs and says, "That feels almost as good as it felt when the stylist was creating the hairstyle."

Laughing he smiles and says, "Good, it's been some time since I had the privilege of unraveling a woman's hairdo, so I worried I might be a little rusty."

She shakes her head no prompting him to grab the sides of her head and gently keep her from moving her head. He chuckles and tells her, "If you move, I'm more likely to unintentionally pull on your hair, and it won't feel good for long."

Giggling she tells him, "Sorry."

He smiles wider and says, "See that it doesn't happen again," which prompts another giggle out of her.

When he's finally done unraveling every loop of hair he gently runs the brush through her hair a few times before stepping back and telling her, "There you go, Darling. Ready for bed."

She stands and turns to look at him before telling him, "Thank you, Kol. I wish I could give you—"

He places his finger on her lips stopping her mid-sentence, "Stop that right there. I am perfectly happy with what you've already given me. I know I implied that my fondness for unraveling hair was tied to something sexual, but it's more than that. There is an intimacy shared when a man unravels a woman's hair. That's just as good as anything else you could have given me tonight. In fact, I'd go so far as to say it'd be pretty hard to beat that gift, and before you ask, making love to you would be a gift for sure, but it's not the act that appeals to me but rather the intimacy shared while doing the act. Don't get me wrong it would feel amazing I'm sure, but just being with me like this and letting me unravel your hair is more than I've had with a woman in a really long time. So, I don't presently require anything else but your companionship and if I'm lucky the opportunity to hold you while you sleep."

She smiles but honestly tells him, "You're so different than all the boys I know. They'd be angling to get me into bed right now. I don't know how to handle you."

He smiles and tells her, "Oh I'm angling to get you into bed, but all I want to do when we get there is hold you. And there is an important word you used. You said I'm different than all the other boys you know. I'm not a boy, Bonnie. I'm a 1,029-year-old man, and over that thousand plus years I have refined my tastes and learned what the important things in life are. If those boys you know are lucky, in a few years, they'll mature a bit, too, but make no mistake I haven't been a boy in an exceptionally long time. In fact, I'd go so far as to say the boy I was died on the morning of October 05, 1001 when I woke in transition and then drained the woman I loved of all of her blood."

A tear slips out of Bonnie's eye, which he quickly catches with his thumb. He wipes it away and then sucks his thumb into his mouth savoring her taste before telling her, "Don't cry, Little Bella. For the most part, I've grown from my experiences and although I will always wish that I hadn't killed Eija I have accepted the fact that I did actually kill her and I moved on from it."

He smiles and cups her cheek with his hand before telling her, "I saw her briefly in 1345, the first time Nik daggered me. We talked, and I apologized, and she told me there was nothing for her to forgive. That blew my mind as the saying goes, but I could always tell when she was lying, so I know she meant it."

Bonnie's watery eyes are wide open, and he smiles softly and says, "We hugged and kissed, and we just talked for a few hours and then she slowly faded away when she found peace. I know now that she had waited all that time to see me and tell me she forgave me. That was far more than I thought I deserved, but it helped me overcome the immense guilt I felt over what I had done to her. She made it clear that she blamed Esther and Mikael, and her reasoning for that made sense, so I stopped blaming myself for the most part and started placing the blame where it really belongs."

Bonnie smiles through her tears and tells him, "That's beautiful, Kol. I can't tell you how pleased I am that you got to have those moments with her and get her forgiveness. Though I tend to agree with her that it's not you who needs to repent and seek forgiveness."

He nods and then pulls away before grabbing her hand and leading her toward the bed. He places the comb and brush on the bedside table and then asks, "I know I slept on the right last time, but do you prefer one side over another?"

She giggles and tells him, "I have no idea. You're the only boy, err man, I've ever slept with."

His eyebrow rises, and he asks, "You didn't sleep with Jeremy?"

She shakes her head but tells him, "I did, but it was always on the couch when we fell asleep watching movies. I never slept in a bed with any guy until you a few weeks ago. I've slept in the same bed as Elena and Caroline before, but Elena always claims the left side. Care usually claims the right, so I'm not sure I have a side."

He laughs and says, "Then if you don't mind, I'd prefer the right side. If you change your mind, let me know, but if you don't have an actual preference, then mine is the right."

My grandbaby giggles and then climbs into the bed sliding over to the left side. Kol smiles and slides in after her before gently grabbing her arm and pulling her into his side. She giggles harder and tells him, "I thought you wanted the right side?"

Smiling he tells her, "I have the right side, but mostly I want to share it with you."

Snuggling in closer to him she then closes her eyes when he turns off the bedside light. He kisses the top of her head and then closes his eyes before telling her, "I was proud of you for standing up to Ms. Gilbert and resisting the urge I know you had to give in to her request and help her regain her humanity."

I see my precious girl smile even in the dark of the room before she tells him, "You taught me enough that I know nothing good ever comes from dark magick, not even when the result seems like a good thing. Plus, I did like you told me to that first day. I thought about what Grams would say if Elena asked her to do the same thing. I know to the bottom of my heart that Grams would say no. She'd want to help Elena, but she would know that the danger to the witch would be too great to perform that spell. I feel bad though. I have the actual spell, so I could easily do it for her, but no matter how badly she wants to be human I want to live to see my 19th birthday too so…"

His kisses her forehead and tells her, "If I have anything to say about it you will see far beyond your 19th birthday. I regret that anyone has to be a vampire against their will, but as I told you that first day, generally speaking, that's how it is. Nik was right, the only one we've ever known who chose this life was Sage, and she only did it because she wanted to be with Finn for the rest of eternity. I kind of hope they're together on the Otherside, so they're not separated for all of eternity."

I frown at that. Finn and Sage were temporarily reunited when they both died, but she moved on a day later and found peace. I always felt sorry for Finn about that. He's pretty much all alone, well except for Freya, Henri, and now me. My heart aches for his pain though, and I wish there were something I could do to lessen his pain.

Henri enters the room and takes one look at me before he smiles and says, "You've got your 'I hurt for Finn's pain' face on Sheila. What's causing you such grief?"

I frown and tell him, "It's just that Kol wished that Finn and Sage are here together, but as you know she found peace shortly after arriving on The Otherside. I just wish there was something we could do to ease his pain."

He smiles and tells me, "He's not in pain, Sheila. He misses her for sure but the fact that she found peace brings him joy. That's all he ever wanted for her was for her to be at peace, be it as a vampire or as a ghost, and he got that wish. He's not tortured by her absence. Weirdly her finding peace has brought him a sense of peace too. He always hated that he broke down and did what she wanted and turned her. He always hated being a vampire, much the same as Kol and the one regret he never shared with her was that he did what she wished and killed her. Oh, she was still with him, unlike Kol and Eija but he always felt he had done the wrong thing by giving in to her request. He once likened it to Esther giving in to Mikael's demands that she do The Immortality Spell on our family. Now she's at peace, and he's no longer plagued by that guilt he harbored for 900 years."

I nod and look back at the now sleeping couple, smiling at the picture they make. They really are a striking couple, and the care they both share for each other well it's all I could have ever hoped for either of them to have. I stand and tell Henri, "I have a pretty good idea where their thoughts are going to go tonight, so I'd rather not watch my granddaughter and her love think about doing those sorts of things together."

Henri smiles and nods with a little giggle, and he follows me out of the room and down to the den where we spend the night each lost in our own thoughts. At one point I ask, "Where's Finn tonight?"

He giggles again and gives me a knowing look I'd rather pretend I don't understand before he tells me, "He and Freya are watching over Ms. Gilbert and the Salvatores tonight to make sure we know everything we need to for when we get to talk to our loved ones again. I still can't remember which book the two spells we need are in or who wrote them, but I know he got the book in Haiti around 1684, which should at least narrow it down a little.

I just nod and go back to staring at the twinkling lights of the Christmas tree.