Disclaimer: Not Mine.
2. Savior
The scent of rotting flesh filled Bonnie's nostrils jarring her into consciousness. Her eyes fluttered open, taking longer than usual to come into focus. Suddenly, pain ripped through her body causing her to buck involuntarily. She roared trying to release the hurt. After an eternity, it seemed, the pain began to dull. Bonnie lay there numb, frozen in position, afraid her movements would trigger another round of tortuous sensation.
Ayanna warned her it would hurt, but she had no idea it would feel like this. The night of witch's sacrifice didn't even register on this scale of pain. When she was certain that she could move without dire consequences she cautiously looked around trying to place her whereabouts.
She was in the cave, where she had died. She glanced down at her body, and was instantly rewarded with shooting pain and creaking bones. Her clothes were in tatters.
Qetsiyah had sent her back to her body. Bonnie didn't even know that was possible. She gagged realizing that the putrid smell must be coming from her own reanimated body. I guess death doesn't wear off that easily. Considering she had been dead for almost two weeks, she looked fine, she was stiff and creaky, but her skin glistened.
She rose lethargically and was immediately accosted by a new smell, seared flesh. The charred remains of about thirty rodents and insects lay around her. Qetsiyah's spell must have fried them. This time she couldn't stop the upheaval of her stomach. She crawled away from the carcasses and her own vomit, resting her head on a cool rock. It was there that he found her.
"Oh my God. It reeks… Well aren't you a site for sore eyes." Bonnie looked up at Kol. He too had been sent back to his body. He was covered in his own dried blood.
"That bastard brother of mine locked me away in a coffin and left me in the basement of his abandoned mansion. The prat didn't even bury me." Bonnie groaned.
"At least you got a coffin." Kol shook his head, reaching down to help Bonnie up.
"And whose fault is that love? Oh God…First item on the agenda. A bath. A long hot one." She wavered on her feet. Her limbs were atrophied. She slowly tried to put one foot in front of the other.
"This won't do." Kol lifted her in his arms.
"Hey" She objected weakly. She was suddenly very tired. She was unconscious before the original had made it out of the cavern and into the sunlight.
-o0o-
Bonnie woke up in strange bed. She sat up suddenly. It took her brain a moment to process what had happened. She was in clean clothes and she felt wonderful. He didn't. Bonnie thought looking down at her skimpy nightgown. It looked oddly familiar. The door to the room opened. Kol walked in with food piled high on a tray.
"Did you give me a bath? Change my clothes? And why do I feel like this. Did you feed me blood?" Kol smirked.
"Nope." He said putting the tray on the bed beside her.
"Well someone did." Bonnie said eyeing the original that was currently trying to feed her a strawberry. Bonnie slapped his hand away.
"I did." Tears welled in the witch's eyes. She turned meeting blue ones.
"Caroline," She whispered, jumping off the bed, and bounding towards her sister. She stopped abruptly when she saw Caroline's expression.
"You died and didn't even tell me? You killed yourself to bring Jeremy back? I have been worried sick. I felt like something terrible had happened and I couldn't figure out what it was. But it was you. My best friend sacrificed herself and didn't even think it was important to let me know." Bonnie moved towards her.
"Caroline." Caroline moved backwards.
"I'm so mad at you Bonnie Bennett. I can't even think. WHEN WERE YOU GOING TO TELL ME? After a month?" Caroline said wiping at her tears.
"AFTER A YEAR OF NOT HEARING FROM YOU AND BEING PANICKED?" Bonnie was crying now too.
"You were so happy, I-" Caroline put her hand up.
"I was so happy because I thought we were so happy. Apart from Tyler, the people I love most were finally together and safe. That includes you." Bonnie just stared at her friend unsure what to say to make this okay.
"Well your back now. Your okay, all clean. I'm going home." Caroline turned to leave the room. Bonnie followed her into the living room.
"Caroline, I'm sorry. I did it for Elena and Jeremy. I didn't think it through." Caroline shook her head and wiped more tears.
"It's always Elena isn't it? And what about after?" Bonnie looked confused.
"When you were hugging me at graduation and telling me you loved me on the phone, did you think about how I would feel then? Or was Elena and Jeremy's freaking happiness still at the forefront of your mind? Forget about your happiness or your Dad's or anyone who actually gives a damn about you and didn't cheat on you with a fucking ghost." Bonnie just looked down. Caroline shook her head reaching for the door.
"I need some space. I know why you're here. KOL told me everything." Bonnie turned, glaring at the original vampire. He just stared back at her, with his brow raised.
"Kol has asked me to keep an eye on Silas. When you all need help with Stefan, let me know, until then, pretend I don't exist. It seems like it's pretty easy for you." Caroline slammed the front door.
Bonnie rounded on the original. Pressure slammed into his brain. He grabbed his head falling to his knees.
"You had no right," Bonnie screeched.
"Booonnniiiieee. STTTOOPP." Kol said through the searing pain. Bonnie looked down at Kol taking in his pained expression and thought about everything he had done for her. She released the magic. Kol splayed out on the floor.
Bonnie flopped on the couch. Tears sliding down her cheeks. Kol sat up slowly. He was a little dizzy. He closed his eyes, listening to the witch whimper. He rose to sit beside her, trying to pull her into an embrace. She slapped at his arms and pushed him away. He sighed, inching in closer to her.
"What was I suppose to do? You would have burned me alive if I gave you a bath. You needed clothes and food. She was the only person you followed around like a puppy. I thought I was doing the right thing. How was I to know she would react that way? I thought she would be overjoyed to see you." Bonnie collapsed into her grief.
Kol slowly wrapped his arms around her, expecting any minute to feel pain tearing through his frontal lobe. It never happened. She just leaned into him and let the tears fall. They stayed like that for a long while, Kol stroking her hair.
"For what it's worth kitten. She was angry when I told her, but she still bathed, fed and clothed you. She refused to leave your side. I had to pry her out of your room to eat. I was afraid her vampire nature would take over and she might bite you if she stayed much longer." He looked down to see if what he said had registered. Bonnie just snuggled in closer. After a while the tears slowed and she rose, looking around at her surroundings.
"Where are we?" Kol smiled.
"We needed a home base. Silas can't know you're alive. So I borrowed a cabin." Bonnie shook her head.
"Borrowed? Where are the occupants?" Kol rolled his eyes.
"Their alive. They had the sudden urge to play the slots in Las Vegas." Bonnie snorted, then laid back against the original.
"Thank you," is all she said for the rest of the night.
-o0o-
Bonnie was sitting at the kitchen table eating when Kol walked in with Caroline in tow. It had been two days of Kol and Caroline following Silas and Bonnie meditating trying to harness the power Qetsiyah had given her. Bonnie face perked up when she saw her friend. She hesitantly offered a smile. Caroline huffed and rolled her eyes.
"I'm here to help find Stefan." She said to the room. Kol looked between the two friends and shook his head. For Heaven's sake, Kol thought. Great, I'm the poor sap stuck in a room with two birds having a row.
"Let's get this show on the road, shall we? The good news is Caroline has gotten us a map of the beautiful forest and bodies of fresh water surrounding this quaint little town. Along with my stellar memory of this area it should take days and not weeks to find Salvatore." Bonnie looked at Kol confused.
"Fresh water? How do we know it's fresh water?" Kol smiled.
"Actually I picked up quite a few things from observing the ripper while he was puking up his lungs. The water was fresh, I could tell from the smell of hyacinth and duckweed. If I was Silas I would have dumped him at the bottom of a fairly deep pond or lake, so that narrows the field quite a bit." Caroline looked at the map.
"Well clearly he has to have him trapped by something. Stefan could have used his vampire strength otherwise." Caroline submitted.
Bonnie frowned and added, "It would have to be something sturdy then to withstand a vampire." Kol tapped his chin.
"Sturdy usually means heavy. Heavy and small crafts don't go together. Unless he stole a large boat, which I highly doubt, too high profile in this small little town." Caroline nodded in confusion.
"Could he have used magic? How else could he get him to the water?" Kol alighted.
"Mystic Falls. I bet he chucked the old boy off a cliff or into a waterfall. Knowing the water would get him to where he wanted him. Why waste valuable energy and resources on magic when nature will do it for you." Bonnie and Caroline searched the map.
"Ugh! That still leaves over ten sites." Caroline said frustrated.
"And they're all miles apart. Maybe we could split up." Bonnie suggested. Caroline and Kol looked at Bonnie like she was crazy.
"No." They both said in unison looking at each other. It was clear they didn't trust her to her own devices.
"I actually won't be able to help much. I can still keep an eye on Silas some but I got freshman orientation at Whitmore next week." Caroline said throwing a daggered look at Bonnie. They were supposed to be roommates. Bonnie looked down. She had forgotten all about it.
"That's great Care. Kol and I can concentrate on finding Stefan." Caroline stared at her friend, and shook her head. She couldn't believe the way Bonnie was acting, like everything was fine, like she just didn't sacrifice her life and her future-their future. She was supposed to be experiencing all of this with Bonnie… and Elena. Caroline had half expected Elena to flake but this with Bonnie. Caroline just couldn't deal.
"I have to go. Kol, let me know what else I can do to help." Bonnie sighed. She could feel the tears forming as she watched her friend walk out the cabin. A thought suddenly came to her.
"Did you compel her? Is that why she is like Kol this and Kol that? I mean why would she even believe you in the first place." Kol narrowed his eyes, getting up from the table carrying the map with him.
"No I didn't compel her. Don't try to force your sins on me love. I have enough of my own." Bonnie came and stood in front of him.
"How did you get her to the cabin in the first place?" Kol sniggered looking at Bonnie incredulously.
"I pulled her to the side as she was leaving the boardinghouse and said 'Bonnie is in trouble'." Kol said eyeing the witch. Bonnie began crying thinking about what it must have took for Caroline to trust Kol, and Kol to convince Caroline to trust him and come alone.
Kol looked up and said softly, "She followed me here. I showed her your body. I explained what happened, she stayed by your side, ate supper and then you woke up."
Bonnie looked at the original searching for any sign of deception. She sighed. She had done this to herself, to their relationship. What the hell was she thinking? She could blame it on Silas, but no, this was all her. Kol took in her expression. As much as he enjoyed having her wrapped in his arms all night, he didn't want another night of her crying. It made him upset, and when he was upset he wanted to murder people.
"Snap out of it love. Stefan remember?" Bonnie eventually sobered, remembering their purpose. She joined the original on the couch. He was marking all the places they would have to search.
"Why are you here? Why are you doing this?" Bonnie asked after a few moments. Kol glanced over at his witch.
"Come now Kitten, I think you already know the answer to that." She did indeed.
"Don't you want to seek revenge on Klaus, Rebekah, and Elena?" Kol scrunched his face, like what she said was outlandish, like he hadn't fantasized about ripping out Elena Gilbert's heart, and draining Jeremy Gilbert dry. The truth was some things were more important than revenge or in this case someone.
"After being on the other side your priorities change. You realize what you missed out on. I'm where I want to be. Besides, the lives those three lead is the best revenge. Let's find Stefan, so I can take you away from these people." Bonnie smiled looking over the map.
"We don't know if this is permanent." Kol marked another site for them to search.
"It doesn't matter. Here or there, you're stuck with me darling." Bonnie's brow raised.
"Kol you know how I feel about Jeremy." Kol smirked.
"And Caroline, and Stefan." Bonnie went to object. "I'm not worried about Jeremy Gilbert." He said with finality and confidence that made Bonnie uneasy. She shook her head, circling a site on the map. Kol glanced over at her. She was so determined to find Stefan. No, the Gilbert boy wasn't his real problem.
-o0o-
It was their third day searching lakes and ponds around Mystic Falls, and the fifth site. The woods surrounding Mystic Falls was treacherous. Kol spent most of his time fighting off wild hogs, mountain lions, and bears. It would be faster if he could go it alone. He could use his speed to make it to all the sites, but he needed Bonnie in case there was magic, and for the holy water.
He had never touched holy water before. He had heard that it was one hundred times worse than vervain, and could instantly desiccate you. Unfortunately the only way Bonnie and him could come up with to know if they had the right place was for him to touch the water. He thought about desiccation now as the pond came into view.
"Wow, this is pretty," Bonnie declared. Kol rolled his eyes.
"You say that about all these places." Bonnie raised a brow.
"What's wrong with you?" Kol shrugged.
"I don't know… maybe the thought of being desiccated for some prat who plotted to kill me twice and who was stupid enough to get chucked into a lake." Bonnie just began setting up camp. He had a point. She wasn't going to force him into the water.
Kol dropped the cooler full of blood and water. He moved to help her set up camp. They were pretty far out and had brought supplies to stay the night. After the tent was up and Bonnie was skimming through the grimoire Kol had taken from her bedroom, the vampire got up and moved towards the water. Bonnie watched him slowly making his way to the edge of the lake, and rose to follow. For a being that was immortal Kol looked terrified. She wished there was another way.
He knelt at the shore and slowly dipped a finger in the water, flinching when the liquid touch his skin. Bonnie was behind him with the cooler, there to fill him with blood the minute his skin began to wither. He turned and smiled, splashing her.
"Kol!" He flashed over to her, picked her up, and dunked her in the water.
Bonnie swam to the surface, and using her power shot a geyser of water into his face. They played in the water like this until it was dusk and their stomachs were rumbling. Kol built a fire and made dinner while Bonnie meditated. When she was done she joined him by the fire.
"Well Kitten, looks like we struck out again." Bonnie nodded.
"We start again at sunrise."
-o0o-
It was day seven and Kol and Bonnie had searched twelve sites. There were only two more possible areas on the map. If those didn't pan out they would have to widen the search to other locations surrounding Mystic Falls. It could take weeks even months to find Stefan unless they bring in help, Jeremy and Damon. Bonnie had purposely kept their circle small to not arouse Silas's suspicions. She also didn't want to deal with the blowback from Jeremy or explain Kol. She knew Caroline was dying to interrogate her but she was being stubborn.
At this point, Bonnie was making up reasons to call her hoping she would come around. Caroline reported Silas's movements everyday without fail. She brought Bonnie clothes, toiletries, and food, but she wouldn't speak directly to her. Kol was their go between. The witch didn't know how many times she would have to apologize but she would keep trying until the blonde gave in. Kol said she was wavering but Bonnie didn't believe him. They had never gone this long without talking. Bonnie tried not to think about the fact they may have never spoken again if it wasn't for Qetsiyah. She had messed up big time.
"How much longer Lord Mikealson?" Bonnie said, making fun of his proper title. She had learned over dinner one night that the originals were noblemen several lifetimes ago. No wonder Klaus was so entitled.
They had been walking for hours in extreme heat.
"It should be up ahead, Lady Mikealson. I can hear the water." He said turning to smile at her. She grinned rolling her eyes. Bonnie strained to hear what Kol did. He started laughing at the face she was making.
"Don't hurt yourself darling. I have to live with that face for the rest of eternity." Bonnie laughed.
"Do you ever stop flirting?" He turned to face her completely, smiling mischievously.
"Only when I'm shag-" Bonnie mouth dropped open, as she pointed to the trees ahead. He turned quickly expecting a bear or mountain lion, and was surprised by what he found.
They stood staring.
"What is this place?" Bonnie said amazed. Kol remembered most of the county from his time as a boy.
"I have never seen anything like this. It's like…" Bonnie took in the tall trees with their lush perfect leaves as green as emeralds. Birds chirped happily. Rabbits scurried at their feet. Deer leapt over the thicket. Flowers bloomed in excess. Every color imaginable dotted the landscape. It was odd considering the rest of the forest was suffering from sweltering temperatures. A lot of it was brown.
"It's like the Garden of Eden." Bonnie said finishing his thought.
"Kol…" Bonnie started, walking towards the crystal clear glistening waters.
"I'm already ahead of you, Love. We found the holy water."
He dropped the supplies he had been carrying. Bonnie did the same. He walked to the shore and slowly dipped his finger into the water.
"Fuck!" he screamed removing his digit. His flesh was melting away. He could see bone. Bonnie yanked open the cooler scooping up blood and ran over to him. Kol was waving his hand around and yelling obscenities.
She waited for his skin to turn grey, instead his hand just healed. Bonnie pursed her lips.
"Well that was uneventful." Kol rolled his eyes looking at his finger it still stung like hell and was red.
"For you maybe, that hurt." Bonnie looked embarrassed.
"Oh. Sorry about that." Kol grinned.
"It's okay kitten. Why don't you kiss it all better?" Bonnie ignored him placing the blood back in the cooler.
"Well I guess the desiccation part was a myth or you're not affected being an original and all." Kol shrugged.
"Do you think we can make it back to road before nightfall?" Kol was still examining his finger.
"Absolutely. We can leave most of our supplies here. There was a cave a ways back that should hide everything from hikers. We can string the food up in a tree, and only take what we need to get back to the road." Bonnie's face wore doubt.
"This place is so far off the beaten path, the only people who will be out here in this heat are us, Silas, and probably some lost hiker. The stuff will be fine back at the cave. Besides we'll be bringing more supplies with us, not to mention a canoe. We're going to have to make camp. Do you want to carry all of that for 15 miles in this heat? It's going to take days to search this lake especially with my skin being boiled." Bonnie shivered at his words.
"I can dive for Stefan." Kol mouth flattened into a line.
"Do you know how to dive in deep water?" She just looked at the original.
"Sense I'm the one who doesn't need to breath, and am basically a god. I will be doing the diving." Bonnie shook her head.
"But the Holy Water-" Bonnie started.
"Let me worry about that, love. I've been in worse situations." Kol said winking, earning a smile from the witch.
"I believe you." Bonnie said, picking up her knapsack.
Kol was going through a lot to help her. She looked back at Kol he was still playing with his finger.
"Let me see." She walked over to him grabbing his hand. She rubbed his finger softly whispering an incantation. "Better" He smiled at her.
"Much. You know darling we could spend the night and make like Adam and Eve." Bonnie dropped his finger and headed back the way they had started.
"There's always tomorrow. Don't pretend you don't want to see me in just a leaf." He called after her scooping up the supplies he had dropped.
-o0o-
Bonnie watched in horror as Kol skin sizzled as he thrashed in the boat. It had been his tenth dive today, and a very long week. She worked quickly to get blood into his system. It always took him an hour to fully recuperate. They tried scuba gear to shield him from the holy water but when he was completely submerged its powers took effect. Bonnie had tried spell after spell but it was useless. She could only speed up the healing a little.
After a lot of trial and error they found Kol could search under water for about eight minutes before it became unbearable. He had perfected his technique they had covered a lot of ground today. His skin had completely healed but he was still covered in several angry red bruises. He calmed but was perspiring. Bonnie wiped at his brow, then picked up the paddles to row towards shore. The vampire lifted his hands to stop her.
"One more dive," Kol croaked out. Bonnie looked at the position of the sun in the sky.
"Kol you've had enough. It will be dark soon." He sat up slowly.
"I saw something. It was big and black but I couldn't get to it. Row towards that way." Kol pointed. Bonnie hesitated but did what he said. She thought he was going to wait a while but Kol immediately rolled out of the boat back in the water.
"Kol" she screamed after him. She could tell he was still weak. She peered in the water. Five minutes went by. Bonnie looked all around the boat using the underwater flashlight to see if she could see anything. He was down too far. After ten minutes she started pulling on the wet suit he had "acquired" for her. She had been snorkeling and was a trained lifeguard but she didn't know how far down the bottom was. She was about to roll into the water when Kol's hand appeared on the side of the boat.
The teenager helped him into the boat. He was coughing up blood. That was new.
"I found him." Bonnie punctured the blood bag putting it to his lips. He drank greedily. She had another one waiting when he finished the first. He went through their entire supply, after a few minutes Kol spoke.
"He's locked in a safe below us. I tried to rip the door off its hinges but it didn't budge. Silas must have use magic to seal it."
"How do you know he's in there?" Kol sighed. He didn't want to tell her this.
"I could hear his skin sizzling." Bonnie looked at the diving gear.
"Don't even think about it. It's too deep and you don't know have the foggiest of how to break that spell. I'll just have to push the safe closer to the shore eight minutes at a time." Bonnie rolled her eyes.
"Or I could drag it to the shore with magic." Kol's brow rose.
"Can you do that Bonnie?" Bonnie shrugged.
"I have the entire Bennett line's magic flowing through my veins. Qetsiyah told me to practice. Well I say this counts as practice and practice makes perfect." Kol shook his head.
"Kitten, that thing weighs a ton, and magic and water don't mix well." She waved her hands over his torso casting a healing spell.
"I'm going to eat and wait for you to heal completely. Then we are bringing Stefan home."
An hour later…Kol watched as Bonnie meditated in the canoe under the stars. She opened her eyes.
"I'm ready. Send me visions of what the safe looks like." Kol closed his eyes and pictured himself swimming around the safe below them. He pushed those images to Bonnie. Bonnie's eyes popped open.
"Why are you naked in these visions?" Kol grinned.
"I wanted to give you something memorable." Bonnie sighed.
"Can you be serious? Concentrate. What does it look like?" Kol closed his eyes still grinning. Bonnie followed suit, a small smile forming on her lips. The safe dimensions began to materialize in her mind. She grabbed onto that image and an image of Stefan and began to chant. Kol rowed the boat gently a few feet away from their previous position.
He watched amazed as the wind picked up around his witch and the water began to swirl creating a funnel extending to the bottom of the Lake. Kol rowed furiously trying not to get caught up in the spinning waters. He beamed as the safe began to rise to the surface, elevated by the waters movements. Not only was Bonnie powerful she was smart. Why let magic do all the work, when the momentum of the water would do it for her. The safe buoyed on the calming surface then snapped to the back of the boat. He looked back to check on Bonnie. She still looked strong. He began to row as she had instructed him earlier during dinner. Sure enough the safe followed them. The witch had basically made the boat a magnet. He began to row towards their camp on the shore.
Little beads of sweat began to break out on Bonnie's brow. Kol wasn't waiting around for a nosebleed. He used his vampire strength to pull the oars. The boat cruised along at 20 mph until they were only a few feet away from shore. The bottom of the safe hit the lake's shelf. Bonnie was shaken out of the trance and subsequently released the spell. Kol rowed the rest of the distance. When he had Bonnie on dry land he dove back in the water heading towards the safe.
Bonnie waded in the water as well. She was awed by the fact that the water started feeding her strength and warding off the headache she had forming, but it ate through Kol's flesh like acid. Kol pushed the safe the rest of the way to the shore. He didn't want her using any more power than she needed to. He collapsed on the grass next to the metal box. He needed blood. As soon as the pain subsided in the slightest he took off in the woods in search of nourishment.
Bonnie knew what state he was in. She prayed he would find a deer, or bear before he crossed paths with an innocent hiker. They would probably not survive the attack otherwise. Vampires were dangerous. A wounded one was terrifying. The guilt settled over Bonnie. Kol was here because of her, no other reason. The thought of everything he had done just because she wanted it was new and unfamiliar. It also felt wonderful, which in light of the events was wrong.
Tap Tap Tap. The noise drew Bonnie back to the task at hand. Stefan. She grabbed her Gram's grimoire and set to work on opening the safe. Two hours and three nose bleeds later she had had very little luck, and she was starting to get worried about Kol or rather what Kol was doing. Bonnie decided to meditate to clear her head. She was following the light in her mind when it came to her.
She's been trying to break the wards to deactivate the field around the safe. That would take forever without knowing what Silas used as the base of his spell. Besides whatever it was it had to be strong to withstand water for that long. Maybe she could expand the existing field enough to open the safe. Hopefully the spell is on the safe and not its contents, namely Stefan.
Suddenly the wind rustled around her. Bonnie knew what that meant she turned to find Qetsiyah standing behind her marveling at the beach.
"Water blessed by the messengers of God is a powerful resource. You should take some back with you. Take that wolfsbane as well." Qetsiyah said pointing to a plant near the forest line.
"Qetsiyah… what are you doing here?" Bonnie said surprised, watching Qetsiyah methodically search her surroundings. Her ancestor was identifying all the ingredients that could be used in potions and charms.
"Your incompetence called to me. You were about to torture Silas's shadow more than he had already experienced, which is not necessarily a bad thing, and most importantly make freeing him infinitely more difficult, which would have further deterred you from capturing the wizard." Bonnie's eyes bulged.
"So…are you here to free him?" Qetsiyah smiled at her descendent. It pained her that she was so talented, but knew so little about magic. Her own regrets started to haunt her again.
"I cannot, Daughter of Abigail. I have no magic in this realm. None of the Bennett witches do anymore. Our magic, our lineage rests with you." Bonnie was overwhelmed by guilt and terror.
"Take ease little one, we have no time for your self pity. You have already gone down that path with the original. Action is what is required. I am here to guide you, but I do not have much time. The veil will close for me soon so open your mind's eye."
Bonnie looked at Qetsiyah confused. She vaguely remembers Grams's saying something about the mind's eye but she wasn't paying that much attention. Qetsiyah sighed deeply clearly communicating her disappointment.
"Close your eyes and reach for your magic as if you are going to start a spell. Do you feel it there coursing through your blood?" Bonnie nodded too ashamed to speak. "Good. Call to your magic let it surround you like armor. Then open your eyes holding your armor in place."
Bonnie opened her eyes slowly looking at Qetsiyah. She could no longer see her features just a bright purple orb of light with orange spots at its center.
"Good little one. You can see my aura. Before you ask the spots are what happens when you betray nature. Mother Gaia is to be respected. When you create abominations, bring back the dead, or align yourself with expression she takes it out on your soul. Before you allow guilt to take hold it may help you to know that there is not one Bennett Witch with a fully violet aura. The difference with you Daughter of Abigail is you refuse to heed her laws. You learn from your mistakes little one. You fix them… even centuries later. Now use your mind's eye to examine the safe. What do you see?"
Bonnie turned to the safe. It was covered in an intricate pattern. It looked like woven water. Bonnie was stunned.
"It's water. He's binding the safe with water. How?" Qetsiyah smiled. The little one was talented and smart. She just needed training.
"He used a water base to withstand water. How do you get rid of water?" Qetsiyah questioned.
"Fire" Bonnie said automatically. Qetsiyah sighed.
"At least you are familiar with the four elements. Water extinguishes fire. Water's power comes from its fluidity and its ability to flood and overpower. How do you make water less fluid?" Bonnie was unsure.
"You…you make it hard." Bonnie said unsure. She never got to learn any of this from Gram's. Sheila tried but she was so wrapped up in her friends. Qetsiyah just watched her, waiting for her to work it out herself. She didn't believe in coddling children.
"The other side calls to me little one. I have given you what you need. Besides meditation you need practice on using your mind's eye. What I have shown you today is for toddlers and witches with a fraction of your talent. You need to learn how to focus your magic. Sometimes you will need to be clothed in your magic, and other times, like today, you just need to see through it. Work on focusing your energy to different parts of your body. This will also help with you expending so much of your energy and life force. Also, Emily tells me you lean heavily on ancient incantations, they are indeed the most powerful, but they are also taxing to the body. With the power coursing through your veins sometimes a simple prayer to Mother Gaia will do. Take heed little one. I will come when I am needed most. Be well, Daughter of Abigail." Bonnie watched as the purple light faded to black.
Bonnie heard rustling behind her. She turned to find a monster standing near the forest line. The beast had horns, fangs, and talons. Its skin was leathery and grey. It had red eyes, and massive wings. She was about to scream when it spoke.
"Bonnie love, why are you looking at me like that, and who were you talking to?" Kol, Bonnie thought disgusted. This is what vampires look like through magic. No wonder Qetsiyah called them demons. She released the spell.
"Are you okay Kitten? Okay I may have drunk from two teenagers having a shag, but I dropped them off at the hospital. If they get to them right away they should be fine in a week or so. I tried really hard not to kill them. That's more than I can say for the three bears, and deer I found. On the bright side, we're having steak tonight." Bonnie was woozy. She couldn't tell if it was from Kol's confession, his magical form, or her spell casting. And damn she still didn't know how to break the spell. She collapsed in a heap.
"Bonnie. Bonnie. Bonnie, Love, can you her me? Kitten. For fuck's sake, you're burning up. Damn it, you probably have heat exhaustion." Bonnie could hear Kol fussing over her but for some reason she couldn't open her eyes. She was so drowsy. It's a side effect to the magic baby. Once you get used to it, you'll be fine. Gram's voice whispered. Now that you have learned how to open your third eye the veil between the two worlds is less concrete. Get up baby. You have work to do. Bonnie felt something extremely cold touch her head. Her eyes flew open. Kol was startled by her sudden recovery.
"Well you gave me quite a fright." Bonnie reached to her head pulling the baggy full of ice from her face.
"Geez that's cold," She said groggily. Kol wiped her head with a nearby towel.
"Yes darling, Ice is cold." Bonnie sat up suddenly.
"Ice. That's how you make water less fluid. You turn it to ice. Then you can break it." Kol was confused.
"What are we talking about? Did you hit your head while I was gone? You haven't been making a lot of sense since I've returned." Bonnie jumped up heading to the safe.
"Kol get ready to open the safe." Kol looked her like she had gone mental, but did as she asked. She thought about everything Qetsiyah had left her with and she knew what to do. Bonnie closed her eyes again, reaching for her magic. Instead of armor she went for a helmet, and then opened her eyes slowly. She could once again see the intricate pattern flowing over the safe. She was about to start chanting in Latin until she remembered the other thing Qetsiyah had told her. Okay Mother Gaia, lend me your might.
I call to wind
Frigid as winter's frost
I require the cold
To reclaim a friend that's lost
Artic wind whip whistle and howl
Set this lost being free
Freeze what is currently fluid
So mote it be.
The wind kicked up delivering a chilling breeze, encircling the safe. Bonnie watched as the spell on the safe slowly turned crystalline.
"Okay Kol, try to open the safe now." Kol turned to the safe, trying to wrench the door open. On his third tug the spell cracked, and then Kol ripped the door off its hinges. Kol turned back to his witch smiling.
"Someone's been busy while I was gone." Bonnie heaved a sigh of relief. He had no idea. She released her mind's eye. Kol was unnerving through it. And a part of her didn't want to see Stefan's true nature. Kol reached into the safe and pulled Stefan out.
Bonnie turned away at the sight of him. He was severely burned all over his body. What skin he had left was desiccated. Kol went back to the forest line dragging a duffel bag back with him.
"I got these while I was at the hospital. I knew the ripper would need them and I didn't know how long it would take you to break the spell." Bonnie smiled at Kol. She went to get blood from the bag.
"I don't think so darling. You're not stepping foot towards the ripper until he is a satiated rosy pink. Why don't you go have supper, while I tend to the patient?"
"He needs to see a friendly face." Kol rolled his eyes.
"I'll smile like a ninny the second his eyes flutter open if it will make you happy, but you're not going near him." Bonnie didn't like his tone.
"I could lay you out you know." Kol smirked.
"You know I like it when you talk like that, and honestly I would love to see you try, but we're wasting precious time. You won't do it because you know I'm right. Never mind this little crush you have on Salvatore, you know the truth about him. When he's lusting for blood he will rip you apart in seconds, only later will he realize it was you while he's putting your corpse back together."
Bonnie's heart sped up. Kol was right. She looked down at her friend, he was mumbling inaudibly. What Silas had done to him was cruel. She winced, turned and walked towards the fire pit to start dinner.
A few hours later, Kol walked over to the tent, and kneeled at the entrance. Bonnie had long gone inside to rest.
"We have a problem." Bonnie peaked her head out the tent. Her hair was wild.
"What is it?" Bonnie looked over towards the safe. Stefan was still lying on the ground. She could tell some of his wounds had healed but he still looked bad.
"He's not eating. I've been trying for hours. I even offered him some of my blood. I'm taking him in the woods to find a deer or something. You stay here." Bonnie nodded.
"It's almost sunrise. I'll pack up the camp while you're gone. I am also going to reseal and bury the safe back in the lake. In case Silas comes looking." Kol rose.
"Sounds like a plan."
-o0o-
Kol flashed through the woods darting between trees. He was close to where he wanted to be, but he stopped when he sensed a deer near. He slowly lowered Stefan's body to the ground. He looked down shaking his head at the vampire. He wouldn't even know he was alive if he didn't mumble nonsense and moan every five minutes.
His burns were healing slowly. If Kol could get some blood in him he should heal physically, but Kol was certain that Salvatore had gone mental. Just what he needed a psychotic ripper around his kitten, especially since she had an obvious crush on him. He didn't care how much she went on about the doppelganger and their friendship. Kol knew Bonnie could technically handle herself if the ripper attacked, but her heart always got the best of her.
"What do you say mate, you hungry for some deer blood?" Kol crouched just as the creature bounded over a fallen log. The buck stopped looking around. Kol watched and waited. When the animal turns to leave, Kol pounced, breaking its neck. He dragged the carcass over to Stefan. Kol used a pocketknife to sever its neck. Blood dripped over the vampire's mouth and nose. His eyes slowly opened.
Kol was surprised. He was convinced only fresh human blood would work. The original figured somewhere along the line of being trapped in that safe Stefan Salvatore had given up. Why else would he refuse blood? His blood. Kol was certain the only way to save Stefan was to awaken the ripper. He would fight for his life, or so he thought. Kol watched waiting for him to clamp down on the animal's neck. Instead the vampire turned his head. Kol sighed throwing the beast to the side.
"What a pity. He was a beautiful stag." Kol wiped his hands on the grass below. He hoisted Stefan over his shoulders and took off again heading for his original destination, 1312 Cypress Avenue.
"Listen to me Salvatore, I know your girl cuckold you, your brother betrayed you, and you got locked in a safe, but you need to snap out of it. If you don't I'm going to have to bring back the ripper. And from what my brother told me you spend centuries crying over the mess he makes. I'm trying to be a better version of myself. Live a different life; I kind of want my life to mean something you know. So I need you to pull yourself together and take this blood bag." Kol punctures the bag and put it to Stefan's mouth.
"For Fuck's sake Salvatore fight for it." Kol said throwing down the blood bag. Kol let Stefan body hit the ground as well. He was terribly frustrated with the whole situation.
"Okay Ripper let's see who we have on the menu," Kol said flipping through his phone.
"Stewart Lane. He is a known pedophile and has been accused of raping his younger cousin. You hear that mate, eating him would be a service to society. No need to ball your eyes out later." Kol glanced over a few more names on the sex offender registration list. At first he was going grab the first person they ran across, but his kitten was so moral, which made him think of the immoral. Let's see her defend these cretins.
Stewart was just the appetizer. Kol had a seven-course meal planned for Ripper. It would take at least that to heal the hurt he had gone through. The original picked up the ailing vampire.
"Dinner is served mate."
Kol went around to the back of the dilapidated Victorian home, and laid Stefan by the door. On the side of the house Kol extended his fangs, tearing into own arm. Blood gushed, soaking through his shirtsleeve. He ripped the other off covering it messily until it to was covered in blood. By the time he was walking up Lane's front steps, his wound had healed but the illusion was already in place. He knocked furiously on the door. The balding man came to the door looking at Kol with Suspicion. He cracked his door slightly.
"Can I help you?"
"Yes Sir, Me and some friends were just camping in the woods. I got separated from the group and then a mountain lion attacked. I barely got away. I dropped my knapsack and all my belongings. Can I come inside to use your phone?" The balding man glanced down at the bloody cloth, looking up and down the street.
"Please Sir, I'm losing a lot of blood." He slowly opened the door.
"Sure man, come on in." In seconds, Lane was compelled to the stay put while Kol retrieved the ripper.
The terrified man was bent over Stefan. Kol took out his knife and slit his throat, but before the blood could hit Stefan's lips, the Ripper had clenched onto his jugular. Kol stood back disgusted as the ripper tore into man. "Well someone's a messy eater. And I'm supposed to be the murderous lunatic. Salvatore is a hero." Kol said shaking his head.
Kol sat in the chair watching Stefan play with his food. It looked like it was going to take a while. Stefan drunk his fill, ripped the body to shreds, and then rebuilt the man from the chunks of flesh on the floor.
"His other eye is over there, mate." Kol said yawning. This was taking forever. When the gore and guts roughly resembled a human figure again. Stefan's humanity took over. Kol observed the younger vampire's horror at the realization he had ripped again, and then ten seconds later the emotion drained from his features. If you had blinked you would have missed the transformation. The ripper had come out to play.
"It's time to go." The ripper turned his mouth covered with blood.
"Well at least you look infinitely better, Salvatore." Kol said watching the vampire licking his fingers.
"I have more toys for you to play with."
-o0o-
"I'm not sure what to do with you, mate," Kol said walking back towards the camp. He had compelled the ripper to never be 20 feet away from him. After the fifth victim, the ripper decided he wanted autonomy. Kol had to show him what it meant to be an original. A quick neck snap and compulsion set things right.
"You could let me go. I'll go off on my own. I won't ruin you and Bonnie's plan." Kol chuckled.
"Yeah, what do I tell her when I show up with you nowhere in sight? I set the ripper free to roam the earth and massacre villages." Stefan laughed.
"You eat one village and no one let's you forget it. If I remember my vampire history correctly, the originals had a crazy younger brother who ransacked a few villages of his own." Kol smiled.
"Aw the good ole days, when villagers kill the love of your life and you eat their friends and families for fun. No… I think you're coming back with me. But I can't have you in this state around the Bennett witch. I think I'm going to need you to turn your switch back on."
The ripper stopped walking as Kol moved forward. He had just gained his freedom. He was also quite aware of the mental state he was in before he shut it all off. He had no desire to be under the original's boot or paralyzed by fear. After a few minutes Stefan felt the pull to walk forward.
"Why do you need my switch back on? Why are you so concerned with the witch? Is she doing a spell for you or something? I mean you're alive right? Shouldn't your foot be up Klaus's ass or your fangs deep in Jeremy Gilbert's neck?" Kol kept walking.
"That's not your concern is it?" Stefan chuckled.
"You know what I noticed. You haven't had one drop of fresh blood. You just have been drinking out of blood bags." Kol snorted.
"Watching you in action Ripper is not exactly appetizing." The younger vampire laughed.
"You have also been impatient and anxious to return to Bonnie. You don't have a thing for her do you? Admittedly the witch is hot. A little buttoned up. But I would be lying if I said I haven't thought about her myself a couple of times. You know it's always the quiet ones that-"
Stefan was on the ground in seconds with a branch piercing his chest, mere inches away from his heart.
"You know Salvatore… despite my desire to be a better person, I've been aching to kill something. One more word ripper and I'll give you a free history lesson, show you why they call me the lunatic brother. When I'm finished what Silas did to you will seem like a love tap." Stefan just smirked, taking note of the fury in Kol's eyes. He lifted his hands in acquiescence. Stefan laughed when Kol withdrew the branch from his chest.
"Seeing that I'm going to be stuck with you while we try to kill Silas, you should know Bonnie is very important to me. As I have demonstrated, murderous rampage important. So while the ripper act may frighten everyone including my big brother, it does nothing but amuse me. I know what darkness is. I revel in it. I'm not afraid to go back there, half the time, I long to go back." Kol said continuing towards the campsite. He turned when Stefan started laughing.
"What is with you Originals? One pretty teenage girl and the big bad immortal becomes a fool spouting poetry. Here I thought there was something in this for you, but it really is only Bonnie isn't it. I bet you haven't even kissed her." Kol started laughing with the vampire.
"Says the git who has lost his heart to not one but two Petrova doppelgangers. No Salvatore, I haven't kissed Bonnie but at least she hasn't kissed my brother. Oh and she is one of a kind. An original, not some carbon copy of someone I used to know."
The ripper stopped laughing. Kol chuckled at the sudden silence.
"Yeah I'm the silly one. And by the way…" He said turning to stare into the ripper's eyes.
"You will not hurt Bonnie, you will protect her at all cost. And since you pissed me off, turn your switch back on. Let's see what a real fool looks like."
-o0o-
Bonnie was beyond livid. She had buried the safe, packed the whole camp, and still no Kol. She eventually had to unpack food. She was about to unpack the tent as soon as the sun fell a bit lower in the sky. There was no way they were hunting deer or bear. It had almost been sixteen hours. If he wasn't hurt or captured she was going to kill him. Just wait to she saw Kol.
The Ripper heard Kol's command but tried with all of his might to defy him. He had done it before for Elena, he could do it now for himself, damn it, but it was no use. At the thought of Elena, sorrow ripped through his chest. Fear, pain, and anguish settled over him like a wet blanket.
His body jerked forward, as the youngest Mikealson moved ten feet away from him. I need to calm down. I'm free. She freed me. He thought, but Stefan couldn't. Anxiety crawled across his skin as he watched the shadows grow longer, and the sun lower in the sky.
He didn't know how long he was down there in the cold wet dark, but he never wanted to go back, never. Images of Elena and Damon invaded his mind. Tears streamed down his cheeks. It was too much. His breathing grew rapid, was it possible for him to hyperventilate when he didn't need the air to breathe? Yet his lungs labored. Painfully contracting. Stefan paused growing dizzy. He was trembling with fear.
Kol kept glancing back at Stefan. The cool confidence of the ripper had melted away into palpable fear. The ripper had stayed just close enough to be within his 20 feet perimeter, but now, with his emotions turned back on and as dusk grew closer, Kol could feel the vampire breathing down his neck. Kol turned again and found the vampire doubled over shaking.
"Come along Salvatore. We're almost there. Bonnie's probably is going to roast me alive." The vampire didn't move. Kol walked forward knowing the compulsion would make him move, but his steps became labored. He turned. Salvatore was on the ground crawling. He sighed.
"Oh get up." Stefan wouldn't move. Kol walked back to the suffering creature, threw him over his shoulder, and sped back to the campsite. He was happy when he could see orange embers glowing through the tree line.
"You better not breathe a word of this to anyone Salvatore." He dropped him just beyond the trees and walked out onto the beach.
Bonnie was picking herbs and wild flowers at the edge of the woods when she felt their presence. She looked through the trees at the two familiar figures, barely recognizable in the twilight. Is Kol carrying Stefan? Oh no. The blood didn't work. She looked harder and realized that Stefan's skin was healed. Was he hurt? She walked out onto the beach. Kol came out onto the beach as well a few feet away.
"What's wrong?" Bonnie said panicked. Kol shrugged.
"Nothing Lovely. You're boy is a bit mental but he's physically fine. " Bonnie looked at Kol confused.
"But-" She began, only stopping when she saw Stefan stumble out onto the shore with tears streaming down his face. Her heart dropped, her own eyes growing moist. She rushed toward him. He looked up as she grabbed him. Stefan felt her arms encircle him and the dam broke. He collapsed into her sobbing audibly.
"It's okay. I'm here. You're okay." She stroked his hair trying to calm him down, looking up at Kol bewildered. The original was at a loss. He didn't know which version of the vampire was worse.
He could admit that what Silas did to him was horrific…and genius. Salvatore was beyond tormented. Bonnie sat there with Stefan waiting for him to calm, but the sobs were endless. Her heart was breaking. It came to her suddenly to do an incantation. She mumbled Latin into his ear until his eyes grew heavy. Stefan slumped over lost in bewitched dreams.