England, 1417
"Don't look so disgusted, darling," Kol told her as he dropped the woman he had drained dry to the ground. He wiped the remainder of the woman's blood from his lips, and grinned. "I'm a monster. Humans are inferior to me in every way."
Artemis shook her head. "You are inferior to humans," she countered, taking a step closer to him. "We both are. We are strong and immortal, but both of those qualities depend on humans. Without human blood, a vampire would cease to exist. Ye forget that ye were once human as well, just like them. Are you really a monster, Kol Mikaelson, or are ye just angry?"
The vampire scoffed. "And how do ye suggest that I drink the blood of a human without killing them?"
Her eyes lit up with an idea. "Come to Africa with me," she said, excitement edging into her voice. "There's a coven there that hath taught me many wonderful things. They understand the spells that created us, and made us the way we are now. They taught me how to feed off people without killing them, and blend into society. I also think they have this special potion, ye would probably recognize it as frëma blödh, that will instantly replenish blood. Ye wouldn't have to kill a single human to feed ever again."
"Thine solution is witches?" Kol questioned, stepping towards her until they were nose to nose. "Witches, darling, the ones who hunt our kinds to the ends of the earth?"
"This coven follows a different philosophy," she whispered. "Just come with me."
Slowly, he nodded. He had never been to Africa, and had known Artemis for all of three months. But something about her had gained his trust, and suddenly packing up everything and heading to Africa didn't seem so crazy after all.
"What were the 1920s really like?" Bonnie asked as Artemis started to fix her hair.
The older woman sighed. "There was so much to marvel about, so many wonderful things around," she said. "Electricity was becoming big, and it made life so much easier. You could go to theaters and watch moving pictures, go to speakeasies and live on the criminal side, and women were finally allowed to vote. That was a big change." Artemis smiled as she remembered living in New York City in the early twenties, before she left for the great frontier. "There was a lot of darkness lurking under the surface. Organized crime, everyone purchasing on credit, and rampant poverty, but the lights were beautiful."
"Did you ever wear your hair like this?" Bonnie examined the intricate pinned-up curls that Artemis had arranged her hair into while she asked her question.
"I never got to," Artemis said with a sad smile, which Bonnie was too distracted to notice. "I never had the occasion to wear my hair like that, but I saw it styled that way by all the hot movie stars of the time. Mary Pickford, Greta Garbo, Theda Bara… they all wore their hair like that. And now you get to." She moved the last strand into place, and pinned it down. "There. You're all ready for your dance now. Go on, and have a good time."
Bonnie turned to thank her, but could barely contain the grin that she was trying to hold back. "I have a surprise for you," she told Artemis, before grabbing her hands and pulling her out the door and down the stairs. Standing at the bottom of the stairs was Kol, looking as though he had just stepped out of the 1920s. Buster Keaton, her mind went to, as her eyes traveled up and down his form.
"What are you doing here?" she asked. "Not that I don't want to see you, but I didn't expect that you would be here, at Bonnie's house, before a school dance."
Kol shrugged. "I might have pulled some strings with Rebekah, and gotten her to agree to me chaperoning the dance for the night," he replied casually, swinging around a garment bag that had been sitting on his shoulder. He held it out to her with a smile on his face. "The only thing I'm missing for the night is a date, and Bekah helped me out with that too."
Artemis took the garment bag from Kol, and unzipped it to reveal the most beautiful dress she had ever seen. "Why?" she asked softly.
"It didn't seem like the 1920s was your favorite time," he told her with a smile. "I wasn't there for you then, but I'm here for you now, and the least I can do is try to make some happy memories from that unhappy time. Come on now, Bonnie has agreed to help you with your hair and makeup. The dance is only an hour away."
She looked stunning. Although Kol hadn't actually seen the 1920s, he had looked at photographs. The woman in front of him looked like as though she had stepped out of one. The emerald green dress she wore fell just past her knees, and was enriched by black lace detailing. Her hair was pinned up in curls, held back by a band. Theda Bara, she had told him, was her inspiration for the night, her crimson lips smiling as she recounted all the details she knew about one of her favorite actresses. Artemis patiently attempted to teach him the Charleston, before a waltz came on over the speakers.
"I know this one already, darling," he whispered in her ear, pulling her close.
"Thank you, Kol," she replied, a smile on her lips. "This is the most fun I've had in a while. I really appreciate it."
"Of course," he said. "It's getting late, though. What do you say we slip out a little early, head home, put on a kettle, and watch one of those movies you so enjoy from the 1920s?" He leaned in closer, so that his lips were touching the shell of her ear. "There's something else I think we can do too," he whispered, sending shivers down her spine. "You look ravishing in that dress, darling, but I think you look more ravishing without it."
Artemis gasped dramatically, clutching her string of pearls. "Why, Mr. Mikealson, what a rascal you are!" she exclaimed, before smiling and placing her hand on his cheek. "Will your sister mind greatly if one of the chaperones dips out?"
Kol shrugged. "I'm not sure," he replied honestly. "I haven't seen her all night."
"That's because she doesn't appear to be here," Damon said, suddenly appearing at their side, with Nik standing just behind him. Kol and Artemis both raised their eyebrows at the strange pairing. "It seems mama Original is back, and more powerful than ever. We need your witchy expertise to help out our favorite witch."
Kol sighed. "It looks like that cup of tea will have to wait, darling," he said softly, before taking her hand and following Damon and Nik through the mess of teenagers in the gymnasium.
Artemis and Kol stared down at the map that Bonnie had ripped on the wall and thrown down on the desk. After hearing that there was a boarder spell placed around the entire school, they suspected that Esther had found some new source of power, one more powerful than the broken Bennett line, and that it was going to be difficult to find her. Damon had already offered up a vial of blood from Jeremy, much to Artemis's surprise.
Bonnie sighed, and looked from the map to Damon, who stood far too close for comfort. "Do I have to do this with you two lurking over me?" she deadpanned.
"You're still mad at me for what happened to Abby," Damon replied with a huff, clearly annoyed with Bonnie already. "Let me apologize. I'm sorry Elijah forced us to turn your mother into a vampire to save Elena's life. Didn't exactly have a choice."
"You call that an apology?" Kol snorted, looking from the map to Damon. "Passing the blame off to my brother, saying that there's no choice… There's always a choice. But I guess, the other choice wasn't exactly favorable to you."
"Kol's right," Bonnie agreed. "There's always a choice. It seems like whenever you make one, someone else always suffers."
Nik huffed from his spot on the wall. "Let's cut the dramatics and begin, shall we?" he said in a bored tone, walking over to stand next to the desk.
Bonnie sighed, and uncapped her cork of blood, pouring it onto the map as she began to chant in Latin. The locator spell that she used was a relatively simple incantation, but it became clear that Bonnie was struggling. The muscles in her neck and face tensed, as the blood froze on the map. "Esther's fighting me," she told them, surprised. She looked up to Kol and Artemis.
"There's no way she could have that much power," Kol murmured. "Unless she's channeling something. A supernatural hotspot of sorts." Suddenly, his face went blank, as if something clicked in his brain. "I know exactly where she is."
Bonnie sat on the edge of the desk, her eyes closed as she delved into the boundary spell that Esther had created. With her powers, she could watch as Esther performed the spell, but only bits and pieces, as the source Esther channeled was too strong to allow for a full image.
"What do you see?" Artemis prompted softly.
"Sage, lavender, and witch's blood," Bonnie replied.
"How was the incantation performed?" Kol asked.
"In Latin…" Bonnie said softly, before gasping. Her mind suddenly produced a spell that she had memorized long ago, one that might be similar enough to the spell used by Esther to create the boarder. In that spell, the backdoor was…
And suddenly, it was gone. The resistance that Esther had been pushing in her direction was gone, and replaced with a bright beacon that seemed to point directly at where the spell's loophole was. Bonnie recited the incantation that her mind had pulled up, and broke through the boundary.
"Something happened," Bonnie whispered. "Esther, the resistance that she put up, it's gone now. She's not fighting me anymore."
"Do not concern yourself with it right now," Artemis urged. "If the spell is broken, then go and find your friend Elena. Kol and I will probably head home. You know where to find us and how to reach us if you need us."
Bonnie nodded, and headed off to go find the Salvatores and Nik, while Kol and Artemis slipped out one of the side doors of the school and into the night.
"Wake up. Now."
Artemis stirred, lifting her head off of Kol's shoulder. The only light from the room came from the flashing logo of the DVD player, the movie they had enjoyed earlier long since finished. They were comfortable, dressed in their pajamas, with a throw blanket wrapped around their legs. Half-empty tea cups rested on the coffee table.
"Who's that?" Kol murmured, not opening his eyes.
"Damon?" Artemis asked, squinting. "What are you doing here? Who do you have with you?"
Damon stood in their living room, with Bonnie in his arms, blood still flowing from the wounds she had. "It's Bonnie," he replied. Those words seemed to spring Artemis and Kol into action. They both jumped off the couch, tossing their blanket to the side, and allowed Damon to gently settle her on the cushions. "I saw her walking towards this tomb that Ric was locked in, after Esther tried to turn him into a vampire," he said, watching as Artemis and Kol got to work. "He was trying to stop the transition from completing, but she walked in, as if she were in a trance. Next thing I know, I wake up, Ric is gone, and she's bleeding out on the floor of the crypt."
Artemis's hands went to Bonnie's neck, where she had clearly been bitten by Ric. There was a large, gaping hole where the flesh had been torn away, which bled freely down onto the girl's dress. Her fingers outlined the hole smoothly, stimulating the cells that had been broken to begin to repair themselves. Kol tore a strip of fabric off of the bottom of the shirt he was wearing, and wound it around the wound on her hand.
"She's lost a lot of blood," Artemis whispered, as the neck wound slowly began to heal. "She would never accept vampire blood as an aide. Do you still have that potion?"
Kol nodded, and turned to Damon. "Upstairs, third room on the right," he said urgently. "There's a white set of drawers. Top drawer, little blue bottle labeled frëma blödh."
Damon flashed upstairs and back in an instant, the little blue bottle in his hand. Kol uncorked it and dropped a few drops into her mouth. The effect was almost instantaneous. Color returned to the girl's cheeks, as her eyes began to flutter open.
"Bonnie?" Artemis whispered softly. "Are you alright?"
Bonnie only sobbed in response, the memories of her actions from that night flooding back to her. Artemis slid onto the couch and pulled Bonnie up so that her legs were across her lap and her head rested on Artemis's shoulder. Kol sat down next to Artemis, one arm around his wife's shoulders, the other hand rubbing soothing circles on Bonnie's back.
"It's alright now, Bonnie, you're safe here," Kol whispered.
"We're here for you," Artemis murmured. "Take your time, sweetheart. We'll still be here."
Damon left the young witch on the couch, sitting between the succubus and the vampire. In that moment, he knew that he had been right to bring Bonnie here. His heart ached as he turned away from them. There was a part of him that still believed that it could have been him with Artemis. At one point, both of the loves of their lives had disappeared. But Artemis and Kol were a family, something that he still desperately longed to have. And that would always make him jealous.
