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1390—Italy

"Kalia! Look at me."

The newly turned Kalia turned around and faced Kol, who was wearing a pleased look on his face. At their feet was a dead young man with two vicious, bloody holes in his neck. He had stopped struggling a while back when Kalia, who had learned from Kol, compelled him to keep silent as they did not want to attract attention from the crowds of people that were roaming the streets. The Original pushed off of the wall he had been leaning against and made his way toward the blond, who's expression was unreadable as she stared at the man she had drained. Her satisfied look that she had earlier wore after draining him had been replaced with a look of horror. She had mastered how to feed, but what she hadn't controlled was how to gain leverage over her self control, which was all over the place really. Kalia looked up at him, her human face now visible. Her blue eyes were watery and she shamefully wiped at the blood smeared across her face.

"Sorry."She whispered, blinking sadly as she tried to keep herself composed."I didn't….i did not mean to-"

"You did well. You are not breaking down in tears like you have been, which, to me, is progress. Your compulsion had an effect, another task you have gained control of."

"Really? I did good?"

He nodded at her, pulling the shaking blonde into his embrace and she obeyed, finding comfort with him near. Kol smiled down at her, thumb wiping blood from her chin before he licked his finger."It is your self control that you have to become used to, which you will be able to claim dominance over within tine. You will still be able to enjoy it, but you with also have that little voice in the back of your mind telling you when you must stop and all you must do it listen to it. As much fun as it is for myself, I cannot go around killing people because it brings far too much attention and I do not fancy my brothers hunting me down and daggering me."

He took the handkerchief out of his jacket, knowing earlier that he would have needed it when Kalia had gazed at the crowds of people with a hungry look."But, darling, self control is more easier to deal with than another factor you must acknowledge."

He paused as Kalia rid of the blood and her angelic-like features returned, making him smile at how innocent she looked yet she was just as dangerous."It's the killing part you have to deal with. The guilt and living with it. I, myself, never truly suffered from that as i embraced my nature. But Elijah did, as did Rebekah. Niklaus, to some extent, did as well. You mustn't allow guilt to control you because it will ruin you and it will put a damper on your mood, something I cannot deal with because I do not want to have another Elijah in my life. You, my darling, are a vampire. One of the most dangerous creatures in the world but that does not mean that you cannot enjoy it. It is your nature just as it is mine."

"If you do not want to kill when you don't have to, that is your choice, I will kill for you. But do not deny your nature. This is who you are now and it doesn't have to change every aspect of you. Sure, it has changed some of you, but you are still you. Just think of it as a new journey. But instead of getting older, you will remain beautiful forever and instead of being unable to fight back, you will be able to defend yourself. I will be around forever to protect you, but that does not mean that you can not learn how to handle yourself with grace yet let others know just how deadly you are."

He held out his arm and Kalia accepted it, following Kol as he guided her away from the scene of her crime and down the street, nodding politely at people that passed them. He had taken her out earlier to explore the place they hadn't been since she had been a child, but as soon as she had been around humans, all she could hear was the sounds of their heartbeats. Kol had happily helped her find someone to feed from, but she hadn't meant to kill him. She had been ashamed, but Kol saw it as progress for some reason, because she hadn't been breaking down like she usually had been over the past while, which meant she was doing better. Kalia looked around, finding herself feeling overwhelmed as the sound of breathing and heartbeats echoed in her ears. Women and men walked away from them, beside them and around them, making Kalia feel as if she were drowning. She moved closer to Kol, the only thing keeping her on her feet.

She swallowed the lump in her throat and looked up at him.

"What if I can't control myself?"She whispered to Kol, gripping his arm."What happens then?"

Kol stopped walking after leading Kalia far enough from the dead body and cupped her face. Kol shook his head before he kissed her temple."Nonsense. You have me and that is all that matters. You are still you and, to me, that is all that matters. So long as you have me, you cannot go wrong."He smirked and pointed at the crowds of people."Those around us? They're nothing but food and entertainment. If you wish, you can slaughter them all and it doesn't change anything. They will all die some day, but we just cut that short. Like I said before, it is just nature."

Kalia smiled up at him, his words making her feel better.

She was still her, but was different and that thought made her giggle.

"There's my girl. Always with a smile."

The sound that Kol had been familiar with for nearly twenty years made him grin. Her laughter was a sign that everything was falling back into place. The way he liked it. He brushed her blonde styled ringlets from her face, telling her to keep smiling and leaned down, his lips brushing hers for a moment before he pulled back, grabbing her hand again.

"Now, come, i'm sure you want to dance before we head back."

Morocco—One Year Ago

"It's going to be weird, y'know, dealing with having you around again. Ordering me around like i'm a child."

Kalia looked down at the urn in her hands, which held Kol's ashes, with a small smile on her face.

The infamous Mikaelson crest had been engraved on the front, something Klaus had done while Kalia had been looking for spell-books on their travels. He had given it to her just before he had to leave for New Orleans with Rebekah after leaving Mystic Falls. Witches, who had heard about Kol's death and were angered by losing deals they had made with him over the years, were rumored to plan to declare war on Klaus, who had no respect for witches at all. Kol was popular with New Orleans witches and when a war broke out a hundred years before, he had made deals with them in his favour and when he died, those were lost.

Klaus had left for New Orleans to check it out and it turned out that they had just used this to lure him there to help with another problem of their own.

Kalia didn't really care, she was too focused on her achievements on bringing Kol back.

So, now she was waiting for the clock to strike midnight so that she and the witches could begin the spell. The witch was the infamous Margaret Kleigh, one of the most powerful witches of all time. Six hundred years before, she had lost her family in a fire which threatened her bloodline, so she had called upon dark magic as well as her dead ancestors to bring them back. She was successful and, because of her devotion to keep her bloodline alive, her ancestors had allowed her to live a long life. But Margaret hadn't lost all her family in the fire. Her children had been saved by Kol, who had been looking for a new bloodline to make friends with in order to search for a way to be connected to magic again. Because of his deed, Margaret had sided with Kol and had made a deal with him.

If he declared her bloodline under his eternal protection, she would make it so that he would have access to their magic if needed.

That continued until the day he died.

Margaret had been dead a few centuries but Elijah had stepped in. He had swore to join Kol in his promise to protect their bloodline if they resurrected Margaret, the only person who had enough power to bring him back. But she was also the only person who had access to the spell that could achieve that. They had succeeded and because of Elijah's promise, Margaret had agreed to do the spell, even if it meant dying once again in the process.

She owed not just her own life, but her bloodline's lives due to him keeping his word.

Kalia glanced at the clock on the wall, smiling when she saw the time.

23:45

"I've missed that, anyway. I guess I still need to be looked after. This year has been horrible. You were right. Silas returned and Klaus got the hell out of dodge just in time, y'know but not after he got his mind screwed by someone much scarier than him."She laughed for a moment, her smile falling as she traced the crest with her fingers."He hasn't been that bad but not good enough for me not wanting to kill him. I don't know how Rebekah puts up with him, he's a dick. Sure, he kept me from breaking down and stuck with me the whole year. But he's not...he's not you, Kol. He's not mean enough but not in a cruel way, just not in a Kol-way."

Kalia blinked, trying to rid f the tears in her eyes."They love you, y'know, even though don't show it. Just like you with them. You are all stubborn. But it's the Mikaelson way, isn't it? If you don't try to kill eachother, it means you don't care but if you do and almost succeed, it means you love eachother so much you'd kill eachother to prove it. You are a brick wall and even I can't express emotions well because of living with you."

She laughed once again, but a tear slipped down her cheek, proving that she was far from ecstatic."It's been hard. For all of us. Rebekah has nobody to do her dirty work, Klaus has nobody to drink his sorrows with and I can't tell you how many times i've had to tie Elijah's tie for him because he can't focus. And me? Well, not only have I not been able to sleep properly without you next to me, mumbling about how handsome you are, but i'm...i'm a mess. I guess when you've been practically glued to the person who raised you, cared for you, protected you for almost seven hundred years, it's almost impossible to live without them. It feels impossible to live without someone who was your world, right? It's like being daggered. You're not dead, but you need the dagger gone to be able to live."

Kalia wiped her tears and her sad expression was gone when a wide smile appeared on her face.

"Well, that's all going to change in,"She glanced at the clock again."seven minutes."

"Everything will fall back into place once your back."Kalia grinned, her blue eyes getting lighter."...and i'll finally be able to sleep properly. Not only that. Your birthday is in a few days and i'll make sure it'll make up for last years. We won't let them get away with what they did to you."

"...and not only that, you will finally believe that your family love you."She whispered before she looked down at the ground, as if ashamed."I just hope that you can forgive me for not being able to save you."

Kalia let out a long breath, holding onto the urn tighter, as if afraid her chance to get him back would disappear. He was coming back, he was returning home and Kalia promised herself that she would, despite being weaker than him, never let him go. She didn't care what she had to do, but she would never allow anyone close enough to even threaten to take him away. In just a few moments it would be time to bring Kol back. Everything was prepared, all she had to do was show up with Kol's ashes and Margaret would begin the spell.

Her world would mend soon.

Just then, the door was opened and in walked Elijah.

His expression was one of pain, even though he had been smiling earlier because of Kol's near return.

"Elijah, what is it?" She asked, confused."What's wrong?"

Elijah walked over to Kalia and sat next to her, grabbing her hand.

"I am afraid that I have some horrible news."

23:55

Her world shattered once again.

Present—New Orleans

"What do you mean you cannot come? We have not seen you in over a year, Kalia!"

Rebekah, who was sitting across from Klaus, rolled her eyes and leaned forward attention on the mobile that was in between them on the table on speaker-phone."He's right, 'Lia! I agree, but with a little less of the yelling. She's not deaf, Nik!"

"I'm not sure of that. I remember ordering her to be by noon and-oh look."Klaus paused, looking at his watch with an irritated expression."It's now four.p.m and the private plan I sent to you in Spain came back empty. I recall you promising that you would be here in time to celebrate Thanksgiving with us!"

"Yeah, that watch thing would be more funny if I could actually see you, jackass." Kalia growled from the phone.

Klaus opened his mouth to, no doubt, yell again, but Rebekah swatted at him, her voice softening."Kalia, we haven't seen you in ages. Are you just going to go around and around the world all eternity looking up pointless leads?"

The blonde on the other end of the call went silent.

Kalia had almost went out of her mind when she had found out that the other side had collapsed.

She had already spent the year before going around the world searching for witches to bring back Kol and when she had finally found the bloodline that had contained the witched she and Kol had watched bring back their family that had died in a fire, Klaus had called Elijah and told him to tell her that the other side was no longer. It was a harsh blow to her. Kalia had already been preparing for Kol returning. The bloodline had been devoted to Kol when he had saved Margaret's children from the fire centuries before and were willing to bring back the lead witch who had done the spell to bring back her family. She had Kol's ashes and was actually just about to leave when Elijah had came and told her.

Kalia had been devastated beyond words. She had almost drove a stake through her heart but had been stopped by Elijah who had accompanied her to help bring back his brother while Klaus and Rebekah had went to take back New Orleans for their home. He had stopped her just before the stake had pierced her heart. Actually, Klaus and Rebekah had traveled to where they were and the three Originals had kept her on lock-down until they were convinced that she was not going to do it again. Klaus had actually been helpful with the search, weirdly enough. He had actually helped her find the bloodline that had been keeping a low profile for the last few hundred years due to their power. Klaus had taken her word and had actually smiled when she had told him that everything had been set in stone.

Kalia had refused to believe it. She had everything prepared.

Kol's ashes, which Klaus had given to her.

The resurrected witch who was willing to die once again in order for the spell to work.

Klaus' blood, salt to heal him. Everything had been ready. A year. 365 days of searching, making deals, almost begging put to waste when the other side collapsed.

Her hope had almost been shattered but Kalia had refused to believe that Kol was just gone.

"Kalia?"

Klaus' hard tone brought her back to earth and they heard her sniff, which meant she was shutting down.

"Love, you need to come home. It's been a year. The other side is gone which means..."Klaus paused, letting out a long sign before he continued."which means that Kol is gone, too."

"I can't just-"

I can't just give up.

"You can."Klaus growled. Not in anger, but because he was feeling exactly how she was.

"Not because you want to, none of us do, love, but we have no choice. We have no power over this. Believe me, I have done everything I can and if I have no power with this, then you certainly do not. You have done everything you can. There is nothing more you can do."

"Just come home, Kalia. Please."Rebekah begged her friend, her eyes glassed over."Do you really believe that Kol would allow you to drive yourself batty over this? Allow you to run around in circles with no way out?"

He wouldn't.

Kol was more stubborn then all of them put together but even he knew when to give up. Not just because you wanted to, but because you had no choice, was what he always said to her. That was the second lesson he taught her. The first had been to never let anyone else see weakness because if they saw weakness, they knew that you had something to lose. Kalia knew that he would have never let this happen to her. Kalia had changed and not for the better. She knew full well that if Kol wouldn't have let that happen, he would have scolded her because she hadn't listened to the rules he taught her, rules to live by.

To always know that she had choices.

"Giving up is not a choice in most matters, love. Sometimes you have to but it is not because you want to, it is because, if you want to keep your sanity, you have to. A dead end is called a dead end for a reason. There is no way forward and if you cannot move forward, why would you want to live? Sometimes you have to move backward and decide which way you want to go. Left or right? Because you cannot carry on towards the dead end once again because that will do you nothing good….

"...So, yes, sometimes I give up because I want to choose a different path. But that does not mean that you have to forget your dead end, because it had to be in important for you to pursue it. You just have to move on and find another way to achieve that goal. If you move backwards, you are not giving up, you are just choosing a different path because you have a choice. Just make sure not to choose the dead end again."

He just never told her what to do if he was no longer there to help her choose.

"Kalia!"

They heard her inhale sharply and they knew that they had startled her.

Rebekah went to speak once again, but Klaus cut her off, grabbing the phone and holding it to his ear. Rebekah mouthed at him, telling him to go easy on Kalia, but he didn't care at that moment. He knew he was being harsh but that the only thing Kalia responded to—when she was given no choice. Like Kol before her, the only way to stop him was to dagger him, even though Klaus didn't want to. Kalia, like Kol, had covered her hurt with vengeance since he died. Kol was never one to get angry, instead, he got even, which was what Kalia did when she went after the Salvatore brothers. After that, she focused on nothing but bringing him back. She had cried the whole day after Kol had died, but after that, she had almost shut down and since she couldn't turn it off, she used that pain to focus on bringing him back.

She was just like Kol in many ways and Kol was never one to show what he was feeling, neither did Kalia after that day. So the best way to gain a reaction from her was to be tough and since Rebekah didn't have the heart to do that, the job came to Klaus.

"You have no say in this matter. Either come home willingly in the next twenty four hours or I will come and get you myself. Trust me, you do not want it to come to that. Call me when you land."

He paused for a moment, voice less angry."Oh, and Elijah says hello. He'll be picking you up at the airport."

With that, he hung up, tossing the phone aside, running a tired hand over his face. He knew that Kalia didn't doubt his words, she knew not to cross Klaus when he meant something. She had witnessed it with Rebekah more than once over the years. Klaus was ruthless, sometimes worse than Kol himself and she knew that he would drag her to New Orleans kicking and screaming if he had to.

Rebekah, across from him, shook her head and let out a sigh."You do realize that she's never going to give up, right?"

"I know."Klaus nodded.

"So what do we do?

"We let her work that out for herself. But when she reaches the edge while pursing this, at least we'll be there to catch her when she falls. That is what family does."

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