Chapter 24: A Bloody Valentine
It was very surprising for Kol when he found out that it wasn't really Stefan but Damon Salvatore who compelled Shanyra to stop loving him. He thought that Damon did it to get on his nerves as usual. After a good and proper beating he forced the Salvatore to de-compel Shae. She got really mad at first. Accusing Kol of hypocrisy. Shae thought he wanted her to suffer despite all his claims of caring about her. But then Kol took Rebekah's advise and spoke with Shanyra. He assured her that her love wouldn't go unrequited forever. And promised her that he'd wait for her to come of age and not get involved with anyone meanwhile. Not even for meaningless fun. That was more than Shae had asked for. She as well promised Kol never to attempt to push away her feeling for him again. In the end, all was well. Everything got back to normal again for the soul mates.
"Where's Shae?" Kol asked Rebekah as he came across her. He went to Shae's bedroom but she wasn't there.
"I heard her talking to Nik. Let's go see what they are up to." The siblings walked in the second living room which was closer to Klaus' bedroom. Shanyra was indeed there with the hybrid. However, the scenario both shocked and confused Kol to no limits. Klaus was standing with a red rose in his hand and Shae was blushing brightly as if feeling very shy. She even had her face lowered and could barely keep herself from giggling.
What the hell was going on? Kol asked himself in his mind. For that moment he felt burning jealousy in his heart and couldn't help but glare at Klaus. He forgot to be rational that time. Otherwise Kol would've known that Klaus would never show any interest in Shanyra. Not only she was Kol's soul mate but Klaus was well aware of the fact that Kol loved her. Besides, she was thirteen for crying out loud.
"Love-" Klaus said making Shae look up at him in a snap. She gave him an annoyed look.
"Caroline. You've to say her name Nik." Shae corrected Klaus with stern voice.
"She secretly might find your affectionate term endearing but avoid saying that while proposing to her." She advised wisely.
"Oh now I get what's going on. Klaus wants to propose to Caroline to be his valentine today. Shae is helping him practice. This is going to be hilarious" said Rebekah, preparing to get entertained. Kol did the same. Now that he knew what was really happening, he was willing to enjoy this little show.
"Let's start again." Shae encouraged. Her expression became shy again. Kol couldn't help but smirk at that. He wondered if that's how she'd react when the time will come and he'd make proposals to her.
"Shae, I don't think your cousin is going to be so shy with me." Klaus pointed out. She thought about it for a moment then agreed.
"You're right. Sorry." Saying that, this time she looked straight into his eyes. And not with affection either.
"Okay now do it properly this time." She said and tried to portrait Caroline's expression as perfectly as possible. Klaus cleared his throat and began.
"Caroline, would you be my valentine?" He asked with hopefulness in his voice. He even smiled a little and held the rose in front of Shae. She narrowed her eyes at Klaus just as Caroline would do it. The thing was her cousin knew that she loved the hybrid but didn't have the guts to admit it out loud. Mostly fearing what her friends would say about it. Klaus was after all the big bad villain. Therefore, she may have accepted his friendship but avoids any romantic gestures from the original. Shanyra obviously didn't condone this. She thought if Caroline wanted to be with Klaus then she should be. And speaking of her friends, if Elena was allowed to be with Damon after all the terrible things he has done, why couldn't Caroline be with Klaus. Besides, it wasn't a secret at all that Shae liked the hybrid.
"Get lost Klaus. I don't have time for this." She said with utter annoyance in her voice and turned away from him. The mimicry of Caroline was very perfect this time. Kol and Rebekah couldn't help but snicker at that. Klaus threw a glare at his siblings before closing his eyes tightly and sighed out deeply. He spoke up again after opening up his eyes.
"How about I make a deal-" Shae cut off the original immediately.
"Don't. Nik, you're asking out my cousin, not doing business with her. No, making any deal." She said at once.
"Then what am I supposed to do if she says no and we both know that she IS going to say no at first." Klaus said sounding frustrated. Shae however raised her eyebrows at him.
"Ever heard of the word please? When Caroline is going to say no, just say 'please Caroline. I love you. please be my valentine' and if that also doesn't work then go down on your knees and don't get up until she says yes." Anyone looking at her face could tell she was immensely enjoying getting to advise Klaus, the original hybrid.
"Love, this is real life, not a film." He said rolling his eyes at Shae.
"Seriously Kol, you should stop taking her to movies. Her head is filling up with these nonsense filmy ideas everyday." Klaus said to his brother. Kol wasn't gonna get involved in this therefore left it up to Shanyra to defend herself.
"Right, my idea is stupid. Then go ahead and tell Caroline 'Love, be my valentine or there is no shortage of people you love who I can easily kill'. Yeah that's going to work so well." She said glaring at Klaus who glared back at her for saying that. Unlike Kol, his sister couldn't not get involved in it anymore.
"Calm down both of you." Rebekah said to them both before looking at Klaus.
"Shae is right, you can't threaten Caroline into going out with you. Try and be nice with her."
"I am nice with her. More than I'm with anyone else." Shae rolled her eyes at Klaus as he made it sound like it was a huge favor he was doing Caroline by being nicer with her.
"I don't know about nice but you do act pathetically around Caroline." Kol quipped in smirking at his brother.
"Just like a love sick puppy."
"Oh don't make me spill your beans little brother. We both know how you act around a certain someone." Klaus was obviously talking about Shanyra. Kol was going to retort back but Rebekah interrupted them.
"Enough. All of you." She said shutting up everyone before continuing-
"Now Nik, go to Caroline, ask her out like a gentleman. And absolutely no threatening."
"And don't give her any expensive gifts. Just the flowers." Shae added, finally a helpful advise. After getting some more tips from the girls, Klaus walked out of the mansion. Rebekah and Shae sighed out to themselves.
"Do you think he's going to screw it up?" The thirteen year old asked the original.
"Absolutely." Rebekah said with certainty while shaking her head to herself. She glanced at Kol and they shared a look. She understood he had something planned and wanted to speak to Shae about it. Rebekah left them alone to give them privacy.
"So, Nik is taking Caroline out on a date. How about we go out on a date too?" Kol said. Obviously it wasn't going to be anything romantic. It'd be just them hanging out like usual. But since it was a day of love, Kol called it a date. Shanyra however raised her eyebrows at him.
"Kol, it's Valentines day. Not April's fool." She said rolling her eyes at him.
"I am serious Shae." Kol assured.
"Then you're just five years early to ask me out on a date because this morning I checked I'm still thirteen which you said and I paraphrase 'too young for you to romance with'. " Shae gave him an innocent smile that was anything but innocent and full of mischief.
"And here I thought you'd be excited to go out on a date with me considering your feelings for me." Kol said with his famous roguish smirk; attempting to make her blush but sadly that didn't happen. Instead Shae smirked back at him.
"Oh I'm absolutely flattered that you're asking me out but since you've declared YOUR feelings for me too, I've decided to take a page out of my cousin's love life book and play hard to get. I already enjoy watching Klaus pine after Caroline. Imagine how much fun I'd have watching you pine after me." Shae really couldn't stop herself from grinning widely.
"You little minx" said Kol shaking his head at her. He knew he was gonna regret confessing his feelings for her so soon.
"But aren't you forgetting something darling?" He asked getting closer to her.
"What?" Shae asked.
"That I maybe Klaus's brother but I'm Kol Mikaelson. I don't do groveling love." He then leaned closer and whispered in her hear.
"I do what I want." Shae's heartbeat skipped a beat right then. The original had no idea what kind of affect he was having on her. Kol pulled away a little to look into her eyes.
"And I want to take you out on a date today." Shanyra couldn't stop herself from blushing this time. There was a shy smile playing on her lips.
"Let me get changed." She said. Shae just wanted to go back into her bedroom and do a little happy dance. Her wish was coming true after all.
"You are looking fine" said Kol rather hastily. He knew it wouldn't take less than two hours but more for her to get ready and he really wanted to start their date soon.
"Fine?" Shae asked quizzically.
"I'm wearing shorts and a shirt Kol."
"So? You look perfect to me no matter what you wear" said Kol, trying to flatter Shae out of her lengthy preparations. She obviously realized that and narrowed her eyes at him.
"Unfortunately, I'm Caroline Forbes's cousin and it's literary forbidden for me to go out; on a date nonetheless in shorts. I must wear a dress. It'd only take me five minutes." Saying that Shanyra left to get ready leaving a defeated Kol behind.
"Wish your five minutes meant the same as mine." He said shaking his head to himself.
A Few Hours Later:
Klaus and Caroline were walking together by the fountain right outside the restaurant. Klaus picked the place so it was obviously very fancy. Surprisingly it wasn't very hard for the hybrid to persuade Caroline to be his valentine. And they were really having a great time.
"I honestly didn't think you'd be so understanding about Kol and Shae" admitted Klaus. He really thought Caroline would disapprove.
"Perhaps I would've but I kind of saw it coming from miles away. I got time to come in terms with it. Besides, no one else would ever love Shae more than Kol" said Caroline.
"It is true." Klaus agreed.
"Don't tell them this though. I still have to play the role of a strict big sister." She said making the original laugh. Suddenly Klaus's phone went off. He received a call from Hayley.
"Happy valentines day love." Klaus said with a smirk.
"Klaus, you need to come over here right now." Hayley yelled over the phone. She sounded very troubled.
"Hayley, slow down. What happened?" He asked getting worried right away. Something must have happened. Caroline got worried too.
"It's Hope." Hayley cried out. Klaus didn't need to hear more.
"I'm on my way." He looked at Caroline.
"Go, I can get myself back to the dorm. Let me know what happened." She kissed Klaus quickly but strongly.
"Be careful." Saying that she stepped away and Klaus left in a blink of an eye. He drove to the house where Hayley was living with Hope and Elijah as fast as possible. When he got there, he saw Hayley sitting on the porch, crying hard while Elijah was trying to comfort her. It seemed he got hurt while fighting off someone. There was a lot of blood on his clothes.
"What happened? Where is Hope?" Klaus demanded answers as he approached the couple. His voice dripped fear and worry.
"Markos took her" replied Hayley in between her sobs.
"What!? Why would Markos take Hope?" Klaus asked getting enraged. He felt like breaking everything that moment.
"Because I want something from you." Spoke up a stranger's voice.
The trio looked up and found a woman standing in front of them. Her clothes were of ancient fashion. Clearly she wasn't from this era. Hayley stood up immediately along with Elijah. They looked at the woman with hostile eyes.
"Who are you?" Hayley asked with both alarming and threatening tone of voice.
"My name is Zuriel. I am the mother of travelers."
Whitmore College Dorm:
Caroline was pacing restlessly; worried about Hope. She hasn't heard anything from Klaus yet. She really hoped the baby was alright. Suddenly the door opened and a worried looking Stefan barged inside.
"Caroline." He sounded very tensed.
"Stefan, what are you doing here?" She asked getting confused.
"Caroline, where is Shanyra?" Stefan asked with anxiousness.
"She must be with Kol. Why?" She asked frowning at him with confusion. Wondering why Stefan was suddenly inquiring about Shanyra.
"They are not in Mystic Falls, I've checked. We need to take Shanyra somewhere far away. Somewhere secret. Otherwise, she won't be safe." He said with urgency. Caroline got worried hearing this but she was obviously still clueless about what was happening. And she needed to know everything since this matter was related to Shanyra.
"Stefan, what's going on? Tell me." Caroline asked with force this time. The Salvatore sighed out heavily. He knew he had to explain everything for Caroline to understand the danger of the situation.
"Markos resurrected Zuriel." Stefan informed her but Caroline had no idea who this Zuriel was. The only people who knew about the mother of travelers, meaning Damon, Stefan and Elena, they didn't tell Caroline anything for obvious reasons. Until now of course. After all it was Damon who made Markos aware of Shanyra's existence. Both Stefan and Elena just wanted to keep him safe. But Stefan couldn't do it anymore. Not when Shae's life was in danger now. Telling Kol anything would be suicide so, Stefan came to Caroline instead.
"Zuriel is the mother of travelers Caroline and she's coming for Shanyra. We can't let Zuriel have her. No matter what."
A Valentine's Day Party:
"Kol, why isn't anyone looking at our way? It feels as if we are invisible." Shanyra said to him feeling a little confused. They were a rather odd couple among the crowd. People should've been staring at them. Not that she wanted them to but it didn't make any sense.
Kol and Shae were actually in Whitmore, attending a Valentine's day party near the college campus. They would've visited Caroline but they thought she was away with Klaus. Therefore Shae didn't even inform her cousin that she was in town.
"You compelled them, didn't you?" Shae said figuring it out. Kol only smirked at her.
"I didn't want you to feel uncomfortable." He said.
"Right, as if you would have felt nothing if people were staring at us." She said rolling her eyes playfully.
"I wouldn't have. Why would I care what a bunch of stranger people thinks?" He swirled her once before bringing her back to him.
"But knowing you, you'd have cared and I care about what you feel" said Kol. Shae put her head against his shoulder and inhaled a deep breath.
"I wish I could grow up over night." She said with melancholy in her voice.
"Time will pass at its own pace. You'll be grown up one day. And when that day comes, you'd want to look back at this time and smile at the memories. But memories are created only when you live through each day. Time jump may fascinate you now but take it from someone who has more than one experience of that, it's- for the sake of using a nice word, rather unfortunate." Shae was well aware of Kol's hatred of getting daggered.
"You don't need to worry about getting daggered again. You behave now. Most importantly you have me now. I'll never let you stay daggered. I promise." Shae promised from the bottom of her heart.
"I need more than that from you love" said Kol and he pulled away a little to cup her face affectionately and gaze deeply into her eyes.
"I need you to be mine. Always and forever." He spoke with such intensity it took Shanyra's breath away. She could only nod her head but she meant it strongly nonetheless. Though a thought came into her mind that made her doubt her own promise.
"Always and forever. It's not for mortals Kol. I can only promise to love you as long as I live. As you said, time will pass at its own pace and one day you'll have to let me go."
"So you don't want to turn anymore?" The original asked.
"It's not about me wanting it. It's about would it really work? I only had a theory Kol. What if me turning into a vampire puts your life in danger instead? Either way always and forever doesn't look like for us." Kol only pulled Shae back into his embrace and said nothing. Though in his mind he already started thinking. He never got any always and forever with his siblings. Kol wasn't about to give up on it with Shanyra too. At least not without a good fight.
Before they could engage into another conversation with different topic, Klaus suddenly appeared on the dance floor out of nowhere. The hybrid looked worried as hell.
"You need to come with me right now. Something happened." He said to Kol anxiously.
Outside, In The Parking Lot:
Stefan pulled over the car. He and Caroline quickly got out and started walking towards the party with fast steps.
"Damn it! Kol isn't picking up." She said with frustration. They found out from Rebekah that Kol has actually brought Shanyra to a party at Whitmore near the college.
"If Zuriel takes back her soul from Shanyra, she's going to destroy witch magic in this world completely. And unlike Markos, she'd be impossible to defeat." Stefan said anxiously, getting worried as hell.
When Markos wiped out witch magic from Mystic Falls, killing one of the doppelgangers stopped the spell immediately. However stopping Zuriel's spell would be far too difficult. Not to mention, letting the travelers become the most powerful supernatural beings would mean, Armageddon for witches, vampires, werewolves and hybrids. So basically everyone. Because with Travelers being dominant on this world, even humans wouldn't live in peace.
"Yes, Stefan. I got that." Caroline snapped at him angrily. Stopping in her track in the process.
It wasn't everyday that Caroline Forbes was mad at Stefan Salvatore. She was already very worried for her cousin and also mad at Stefan for not telling her anything about Zuriel this entire time or about what the travelers were planning to do. He should've told her everything right away, not when things got out of control. Stefan sighed out heavily, understanding Caroline's anger and knew it to be just.
"Caroline, I know you are mad at me. I'm really sorry for not telling you about Zuriel before. I know I should have. But Elena and Damon made me promise. Kol can't find out about Damon's involvement in this mess, Caroline. Please- he'd most likely kill him." Stefan pleaded with her. He obviously didn't want Kol to kill his brother. Caroline sighed out heavily and nodded her head.
"I won't tell Kol anything about Damon." She promised. Then sighed out heavily once again before continuing.
"How did Markos resurrect Zuriel anyway?" Caroline asked, her worry and frustration growing every second.
When the other side got destroyed and Damon and Bonnie vanished along with it, they were able to come back thanks to Bonnie's grams. She sacrificed herself for Bonnie and made sure that she returned to the land of living once the limbo is destroyed. Bonnie brought back Damon with her. But unfortunately because of that pavement that was created for them, Markos found his way back to this world as well. Kol came back too but in a different way which required him having a soul mate in order to continue living here.
"I don't know Caroline and it doesn't matter anymore. We must stop Zuriel and sent her back to where she came from." Stefan said with determination.
Right then both of them heard a scream. They immediately recognized the voice and realized who has screamed. Stefan and Caroline looked at each other before they dashed towards the way the scream came from in vampire speed. When they got to the exact spot, they saw Shanyra looking horrified and Kol lying on the ground with a dagger in his chest. And Klaus, Elijah and Hayley were standing right there.
"Klaus what the hell is going on?" Caroline asked as she quickly got to Shae and embraced her tightly. The poor girl had turned pale with fear. Her eyes were fixed on Kol's neutralized body. She was too shocked to give any reaction. Shae was sweating too, as if feeling too much heat all on a sudden. Her breathing had quickened and so had her heartbeat. But everyone else was too caught up with the moment to notice those things.
"I didn't have a choice. Markos has Hope." Klaus could barely speak. No doubt terrified as hell for his daughter. Caroline was shocked to hear that.
"What?" She gasped out with fear.
"But why did you dagger Kol?" Stefan asked feeling extremely confused.
"She asked me to kill Kol if I ever wanted to see my daughter again. An original is dead as long as he is daggered." Klaus explained. The look on his face said he was really regretting doing everything he was doing.
"You met Zuriel." Stefan stated with shock.
"Why would she ask you to kill Kol?" Caroline wondered out loud. She was still holding Shanyra tightly who was on the verge of passing out. Shae had her face buried in the crook of Caroline's neck. She couldn't look at Kol anymore. It was traumatizing for her.
"That I don't know." Klaus said truthfully. Zuriel didn't exactly give them any details.
"And that's not the only thing she asked us to do." It was Hayley who spoke up this time. Her voice was heavy and of course laced with worries. Caroline and Stefan looked at the trio with questioning eyes. What else they needed to do?
"All the originals must leave Mystic Falls and never come back no matter what. Only then Markos would give back Hope to us." Elijah said with rather emotionless voice. He was always good at hiding his feelings. But without any doubt he was too sad and worried about everything that was happening.
"We are all leaving Mystic Falls right away." Klaus informed particularly to Caroline.
"Shanyra is staying back." He answered her unasked question.
"Of course." Stefan exclaimed.
"Without the protection from the originals, it'd be much easier for the travelers to get their hands on Shanyra." He figured, feeling the urge to curse out loud.
"And I think I know why Zuriel asked Klaus to kill Kol. Remember Markos tried to break the bond between Kol and Shanyra. He wanted her to possess the entire soul and not have it share with anyone. Now that Kol is dead, well dagger dead. I think Shae is possessing the entire soul now." Saying that Caroline glanced at the girl in her arms. The way she has numbed, it only confirmed her suspicious more.
"The bond between them perhaps isn't broken. And if Kol wakes up now, he'd be sharing the soul again. But for this moment, Shae has her entire soul. That's what Markos wanted, didn't he? He didn't succeed though but Zuriel has. She didn't even need Shanyra's consent or break the bond for that matter and found another way to make the soul whole again."
Caroline's own explanation, got her more scared. If the travelers could kidnap Hope, it was obvious there was nothing else they wouldn't do or couldn't do for that matter.
"But Zuriel would need Shanyra's consent to have the soul for herself." Stefan pointed out, still having a little hope that they might get out of this mess alive.
"Yeah but what if she finds another way to do it too. What if she wouldn't need Shanyra's consent? Besides, the travelers could threaten me or mom to make Shae give into them easily." Caroline ran a hand through her hair out of frustration. Shanyra was hearing everything but she was unable to react to anything. Her mind has jammed since the moment Klaus daggered Kol.
"Klaus, I know that your daughter is in danger but if you all leave town then Shanyra and Caroline would be in grave danger. You can't abandon them like this." said Stefan. Before Klaus could say anything Hayley spoke up.
"I won't let Klaus risk my daughter's life because them." She said straight away.
"If the travelers succeed in their plan then all of our lives would be in danger including your daughter's because Zuriel is going to destroy all other supernatural beings in order to rule over the world. And believe me the entire original family is one of her main targets." Stefan said while getting in Hayley's face. Elijah immediately went protective.
"Stand down Stefan. You don't want to get into trouble with us right now." He threatened with calm tone of voice which sounded more dangerous. Caroline looked at Klaus with hopeful eyes but he lowered his gaze from her. His love for Caroline wasn't greater than his love for his daughter. She understood that and nodded her head inwardly before looking away from him. She didn't feel hatred because Klaus was doing right by his daughter which he should but Caroline was hurt nonetheless.
"We are sorry." Klaus apologized and he really meant it.
"Just leave us alone." Caroline said quietly but with anger too. Tears rolled down her face, nonstop. She embraced her cousin more tightly.
"There is one more thing we need to do before we leave." The hybrid said using stern tone of voice now.
He didn't want his emotions to overwhelm him at that moment. Klaus walked closer to Caroline and Shanyra. He put a hand on Shae's little shoulder and turned her around so that she faced him. She still looked very shocked and shaken. Her eyes remained cold still and unblinking even when she looked up at Klaus. The original looked deeply into Shanyra's eyes and his pupils dilated. He was compelling her.
"I am so sorry for this sweetheart. Believe me, I don't have a choice here. But you're going to forget everything about Kol and everything about other originals. You never met us. You don't know anything about us. You're going to forget every moment you spent with us. From now on you are going to live as Caroline's cousin only, not as Kol Mikaelson's soul mate." Saying that Klaus kissed her forehead and stepped away from her. Elijah got Kol's daggered body and left first with Hayley. Klaus looked at the Forbes cousins one last time with sorrow in his eyes.
"Farewell Shanyra."
"And Caroline." Then he left.
AN: This is it for now. Please review review review. Love you all. Kisses and Hugs :)