Chapter 26: The Epic Reunion
The Woods:
There was a bonfire happening in the woods. It was to celebrate the beginning of another new school year. Everyone wanted to catch up with everyone after a long break and what better way to do that than having a bonfire party near the falls. It became more like a town's tradition now since kids have been doing it for years.
"Are we really gonna stay here till the end?" Sam asked hoping against hope that Shanyra would say that they'd only stay for a while. He really gets bored in parties. More because he didn't really have a lot of friends.
"You are already getting bored, aren't you? You poor thing." Shae patted his cheek while giving him a pitiful look. But didn't say anything about leaving early because unlike Sam, she liked parties and socializing with people.
"Can you really blame me? There's nothing to do here other than drinking" complained Sam.
"And dancing and hanging out with friends and competing with your rivals on who looks better." Shae could've given a longer list but stopped because someone just arrived at the party.
"Speaking of which, Tania and Allison are here. Now, they're gonna come over here and be all snotty like usual."
"Great!" Sam muttered under his breath. He didn't like them all that much and for valid reasons. Just as Shanyra said, Tania and Allison came over to them.
"Hello, Shae- looking good. Though you're dressing a bit casually, don't you think?" Tania said with condescending tone of voice.
"Maybe that's what I was going for. But you two are looking gorgeous." Shae said trying to keep sarcasm out of her voice as much as possible. They were as usual putting on way too much make up. Truth to be told, Shae didn't remember how their real, make up less faces looked like.
"It's understandable though, why you'd dress casually" said Allison. Shae knew a degrading comment was coming up. After all Allison was famous for belittling people. Tania used to be Shanyra's friend once but her jealousy with Shae made her join Allison's group at one point.
"I mean when your boyfriend is practically invisible, how could you possibly afford to be under spotlight? I mean that would create distance between you which will lead to misunderstandings and then break up. Yes, for the sake of your relationship, it's best that you always look boring, I mean casual." Allison said with a saccharine sweet smile.
"Listen Allison-" Sam was about to give her a piece of his mind for insulting his girlfriend but Shae stopped him.
"Hey, do you have another dress with you?" She asked. Allison frowned in confusion. Why was Shae suddenly asking her that question instead of retorting back on her comment?
"No, why?" She asked.
"Good" said Shae and then she threw her drink on Allison's dress. Staining it with beer.
"Oh my god!" Tania shrieked out loudly, making everyone look at her way. She couldn't believe Shae really pulled this on Allison. Sam and many others started laughing at the look on her face. But Shanyra wasn't laughing. She was giving Allison a very deadly look.
"Next time, you say anything insulting about my boyfriend, not to mention on my face, think at least ten times before opening your mouth. Do you get it?" With that Shae walked away from the girls with Sam.
"That was awesome" said Sam feeling very happy about how Shae defended him.
"But honestly the look you gave her, it scared even me." He said that more to himself than to her.
"Well it was meant to be scary." She said rather proudly. Their conversation stopped when their friends finally appeared at the party. Emily and Maggie came over to Sam and Shanyra and they hugged each other.
"What's this guys? You're showing up now. What got you hold up?" Shae asked her best friends.
"Don't ask me, ask her" said Emily gesturing towards Maggie.
"She changed exactly ten dresses before finally selecting one."
"And as expected she chose a purple one. Why don't you go for the purple ones at first Maggie?" Shae asked. It was a bad habit of her friend's. Whenever there's an event going on, Maggie would try many different dresses of different colors and designs but in the end she'd always choose something of purple color.
"That's because I want to try different colors but you know how much I love purple. It's my favorite color" said Maggie defending herself.
"Yes, Maggie we know that" said Emily.
"I'd never understand girls' obsession with favorite color." Sam muttered that under his breath but Shae heard it anyway.
"Of course you don't. You don't even know what your girlfriend's favorite color is. You know I asked him that the other day and guess what? He couldn't answer." Shae told Emily and Maggie who shook their head at Sam with disappointment. But they were really just pretending and trying to make him worried.
"Yes, I couldn't but in my defense, I don't even know my own favorite color." Sam defended himself right away.
"Who the hell cares about your favorite color? But you not knowing what Shae's favorite color is, that's just terrible man, a crime actually." Maggie gave him an accusatory look. Pulling his leg more. Sam thought of something to himself for a second, then said-
"It's pink?"
"Why? Because she's a girl, so pink?" said Emily, joining in the fun that was 'torturing Sam'.
Outside Mayor's Office:
After the day's work, Caroline was walking down the parking lot to get to her car and go home. Stefan who was her boyfriend now, is supposed to come over and they've planned on enjoying a nice dinner together. Suddenly she felt like being watched. As if someone was following her. Caroline being a vampire didn't fear getting attacked by horny stranger men or purse snatchers but what if it was something else following her. Something supernatural and powerful. After all strange incidents were happening in Mystic Falls nowadays. She picked up her pace and got very alert. Suddenly her phone started ringing. She picked it up quickly.
"Stefan hey, I'll be home in twenty." Caroline informed but knowing her whereabouts wasn't why Stefan called her.
"Caroline, they are back." Stefan said anxiously. Before he could clarify who he was talking about, Caroline spoke up.
"The originals, yes I know." It got Stefan confused.
"How do you know that?" He asked.
"Because one of them is standing right in front of me" said Caroline, not sounding happy about it at all. Stefan also got worried. He didn't know why the originals were back this time therefore couldn't trust them not to cause any harm to anyone.
"Tell me where you are. I'll come-" Caroline didn't let Stefan finish.
"No, I got this. I'll see you soon."
"Caroline be careful. And call me right away if you need me." Saying that Stefan hung up the call. Caroline slide her phone back inside her jacket pocket. Then she looked up at the original.
"So, Klaus finally let you out." Caroline wasn't that surprised to see Kol Mikaelson back in Mystic Falls. She was kind of expecting it to happen.
"What made him pull the dagger out of you?" She asked with mild curiosity.
"Dead people somehow coming back. Klaus thinks it has something to do with Zuriel" explained Kol. Caroline understood now, why he wasn't a corpse locked in a coffin anymore. Klaus needed Kol to protect Shanyra now more than ever because if Zuriel comes after her again and this time succeeds in taking the soul, she'd become powerful enough to bring everyone back from the darkness. Caroline could see that being a huge inconvenience for the originals as it would mean the return of all their enemies together, all at once. Of course if that wasn't that matter then the originals wouldn't have given a damn about Shanyra. And Kol would still have a dagger in his heart.
"It's good to see you Caroline." Kol said and he really meant it. Caroline however didn't know what to say to that because she certainly wasn't that thrilled about his return.
"Is it only you or the others are back as well?" She asked sighing out a little. Kind of dreading to hear the answer but couldn't help but know either.
"Everyone's here." Kol replied shortly before saying-
"Caroline, where's Shanyra?" He asked, desperation evident in his voice.
"She's at the bonfire by the falls. It's a back to school thing" replied Caroline.
"Shae is a junior this year." She said feeling that Kol needed to know that.
"Take me to her, please." He requested. It wasn't everyday that Kol Mikaelson is requesting but Caroline had to refuse him.
"Kol, about that- I don't think it's a good idea for you to meet her, at least right now. Let me talk to her first." She said, making the original furrow his eyebrows at her in confusion.
"Talk about what? Is she mad at me for leaving? Didn't you tell her that I didn't leave her on my own? That I had no choice but to go away from her life as my family betrayed me once again." Hearing Kol talk, Caroline understood that he didn't know about the compulsion.
"They didn't tell you, did they?" She said.
"Tell me what?" Kol asked being absolutely clueless.
"Shanyra doesn't remember you Kol." Caroline dropped the bomb on him.
"What?!" He exclaimed with shock.
"You should ask your brother about it." She said but Kol needed to know right away.
"Tell me what happened Caroline." He asked with force in his voice. He wasn't gonna take anything but the whole story for an answer.
"Before Klaus left Mystic Falls with all of you, he compelled Shae to forget everything about the originals. Right now, she doesn't even know you exist."
A moment of silence engulfed them. Kol was simply standing still as if a statue. He was too shocked to react. Caroline on the other hand, hoped that the original wouldn't lose control on himself and do something regrettable.
"Kol? Look, let me talk to her and tell her everything about you first before you meet her." She said being practical here. Truth to be told, Caroline wished Kol wouldn't come back in her sister's life. She was happy in her life the way it was. Kol would just complicate everything for her. But Caroline also knew that because of the soul mate bond between them, there's nothing that could keep Kol away from Shanyra while he's not daggered dead.
"No, I have to meet her now." Saying that the originals left in a blink of an eye. He needed to see Shae more than ever.
"Damn it." Caroline cursed out loud. She quickly speed dialed Stefan's number. She needed to get to Shanyra before Kol.
The Woods:
Sam and Shanyra were dancing just as everyone else. She had her arms wrapped around his neck and they were moving with the beat.
"So, I was thinking, tomorrow is weekend and my sister's out of town and won't be back till Monday. How about you stay at my place tonight?" Sam said coyly with an innocent smile on his face.
"And what would we do at your place tonight?" Shae asked, smiling mischievously.
"Oh nothing much, just watch a movie or two and then have a lot of sex." Was his straightforward reply.
"Oh my god, that sounds so exciting. I've never done anything like it before." Shanyra exaggerated with sarcasm in her voice, making Sam give her a look for that.
"Come on be serious." He said pouting a little.
"Alright but I'll choose the movies" said Shae.
"How about we watch that Japanese film tonight that you've been wanting to watch?" Sam asked but she shook her head right away.
"No, that's a horror film. I'm not watching a horror film with you." She stated at once.
"Come on, Shae." He tried to give her puppy dog eyes but it didn't work.
"The answer's still no. First of all you keep your eyes closed most of the time during the film so I don't get the point of you watching it in the first place. And then I've to keep telling you what's happening so I can't enjoy it either."
"Hey, there's no shame in feeling scared seeing a terrifying looking ghost onscreen." Sam defended himself.
While the love birds chatted away with each other and kept dancing amongst the crowd, someone arrived at the party. It didn't take long for Kol to find this location. He stepped inside the crowd and started searching for his soul mate. He scanned every face with keen eyes. Kol knew once he sees her, he'd recognize her, no matter how much she must've changed. And even after hearing what Caroline said, Kol hoped that once Shanyra sees him, she'd remember something, or at least feel something. A part of him even dared to imagine that upon seeing his face, her compulsion would just melt away and she'd come running into his arms.
"Shae!" Suddenly Kol heard someone saying the name. He immediately searched for that person and found a girl walking towards another girl. That girl wasn't Shanyra but looked familiar to Kol. She was approaching another girl who had her back turned towards him. His heart immediately skipped a beat seeing her and though he couldn't really see her face, Kol knew she was the one. She was his Shae.
He walked closer to her to see her face properly. And when he did, there was no doubt left anymore. On one hand it was hard for him to believe that this was the same girl he used to take care of but on the other hand, he knew it for sure. Kol couldn't stop staring at her or look away even though he was being a little creepy here. He just couldn't help but observe every bit of her carefully. Her face got prettier. Her lips, eyes, cheeks, nose everything developed beautifully. Her hair reached the small of her back in loose curls. And Shanyra no longer owned a lean body. She got curves now, in all the right places. Honestly she turned out way better than his imagination.
"Your sister called me since you aren't picking up." Emily said to Shae.
"Oh my phone's on silent." Shae said remembering putting it on silent mode and then not taking it off. She immediately pulled out her phone and saw several missed calls and texts from Caroline and Stefan.
"She wants you to go home right now." Emily informed making her confused.
"What? Why?" She asked. Only if she knew why.
"She didn't say anything. Call her back" said Emily. Shae nodded her head.
"Be back in a minute." Saying that to Sam she started walking away from the crowd and the music so that she could call Caroline and find out what happened. However, on her way, Shae bumped into someone as her eyes were on her phone screen, trying to read the texts.
"I'm sorry." She quickly apologized and as she looked up her eyes met with a pair of brown ones. Suddenly Shae felt a twist in her stomach. Those eyes were looking at her with such intensity that it kind of unnerved her. And for some unknown reason she couldn't look away from them. As if she was trapped by that powerful gaze. Deep down in her heart, those eyes looked so familiar to her but Shanyra couldn't remember where she has seen them before. The owner of those intense mysterious eyes was handsome without any question. She didn't remember laying eyes on someone so beautiful and perfect. Whoever this stranger was, he was definitely new in town but Shae felt as if she knew him. That she got a connection with him. Not to mention the yearning she was feeling of going somewhere and finding someone, it suddenly ended as she met the stranger.
Everything felt confused to Shanyra. For a moment, she felt very dizzy in her head. It took her a moment but when she could think straight again, Shae wondered what this guy whoever he was, was doing in this party. He definitely wasn't a high schooler. He looked like a college going young man.
"Hello" said the stranger man. Still giving Shae that intense weird unnerving look.
"Hi, I apologize for bumping into you. I wasn't looking where I was going." She apologized once again.
"It's quite alright love." Love? Who calls a stranger that? Sensing something off about this guy, Shae decided to get away from him quickly.
"Excuse me I-" She began to say but the stranger didn't let her finish.
"I'm Kol Mikaelson." He extended his hand towards Shae. She noticed that when saying his name, he looked at her face or rather her expression very carefully, as if hoping for something. Kol obviously wanted to see if hearing his name had any affect on Shae. Unfortunately, it didn't. She simply shook his hand rather reluctantly.
"Shanyra Forbes." She was about to take her hand back but Kol didn't let her. He kept a strong grip on her hand, not a bruising one but not a gentle one either.
"Do you really remember nothing Shae?" Kol couldn't help but ask. But it confused Shae to no limits. And his behavior started scaring her too.
"What are you doing? Let go of my hand." Shae said but the original pretended as if he never heard her. Thankfully Sam noticed what was happening and came over to her quickly.
"Shae, what's going on?" He asked, immediately noticing her hand in the stranger's grip.
"He isn't letting go of my hand" said Shae. Sam immediately stepped in between her and Kol and tried to push him away from his girlfriend.
"Hey man, back off." His push but obviously did nothing to Kol. The original remain stood as a brick wall. He let go of her hand though, however didn't stop staring at Shae.
"Stop looking at her or I'll-" Sam was about to make some stupid threats to bore Kol, so he interrupted him before he could say more.
"You will what? If you wish to live, I suggest you walk away right now. This is between me and her" said Kol. But since he didn't compel Sam, it gave him the freewill to retort back.
"Well since she is my girlfriend. Whatever 'this' is, it has become my business too. So, tell me who the hell you are and what do you want from Shae?" Instead of answering the questions, Kol said-
"Did you just say she is your girlfriend?" The original asked with dangerous cold tone of voice. He was no longer looking at Shanyra but glaring daggers at Sam.
"Yes, so you can-" Sam started to say but Shae interrupted him. She could tell this man, Kol Mikaelson was someone dangerous. The way he held himself, screamed strong and powerful. She wanted to get away from him more desperately now since Sam was about to get into a fight with this stranger. Sam usually was a very nonviolent person. It was doubtful he ever punched anyone. But that didn't mean he wouldn't fight or more likely get beaten up to defend Shae.
"Sam, let's just leave. Come on." Kol watched as Shanyra held the boy's hand and tried to pull him away from him(Kol). He saw how their fingers intertwined. It broke something in Kol and he lost control. Before anyone could realize what was happening, Kol separated their joint hands and crushed Sam's hand with only one squeeze. The boy cried out in pain. Shae was shocked to no limits. She couldn't believe her own eyes. Before she could even make a single sound, let alone cry for help, Kol sank his fangs into Sam's neck. He screamed once again. Everyone in the crowd saw what was happening but stood speechless due to too much shock and fear.
Kol on the other hand obviously couldn't careless that he vamped out in the middle of a party. He had every intention of killing off Sam, therefore kept drinking his blood quite brutally. But Sam had no appointment with death today. Before Kol could finish his job, someone else came there and saved him.
"Kol!" Rebekah pushed his brother away from Sam in a blink of an eye. Caroline and Stefan appeared there as well. Stefan immediately attended to Sam while Caroline got to Shanyra. There were so many people there but the only thing that could be heard was Sam's painful groans. Everyone's heart was beating terribly fast that time and no one moved a single muscle or made a single sound. Rebekah dragged Kol away from the party. Once the original siblings were gone, the crowd slowly started to panic. Obviously no one there saw a vampire before, let alone an attack by a vampire.
"No body leaves." Stefan said to the crowd as a few girls and boys tried to run away. He and Caroline needed to compel everyone to forget everything they saw. On the other hand, Shanyra forced herself out of the shocked state and she got to Sam. His wounds were healed thanks to Stefan's blood but he was unconscious at the moment. Shae still couldn't believe what just happened all on a sudden.
"Is he going to be alright?" Shae asked worriedly. Holding Sam's head in her lap.
"He should wake up soon" said Stefan. Caroline was couching beside Sam and Shae but she stood up to talk to Stefan.
"Call Elena and Damon or it'd take us entire night to compel everyone here to forget about the attack." She said sounding positively pissed off.
"Next time I see that asshole, I'll kill him" said Caroline speaking about Kol of course. Shanyra's head snapped up as she heard her sister say it. She looked at her with confusion.
"You know him?" She asked with shocked tone of voice. Caroline and Stefan looked at each other. They knew what has to be done now.
"Caroline take Sam and Shae home. You need to tell her everything. I'll take care of things here, don't worry." Stefan assured her. Caroline too knew that no longer she could avoid speaking to Shae about the originals. It was time for her to know about them. Again.
"Let's go home Shae." Caroline said to her.
"I'll tell you everything you need to know."
Caroline put Sam into the car and drove away with Shae. It turned out Sam would be sleeping over at Shanyra's, not the other way. The entire ride, Shae remained quiet. She was feeling very worried about Sam. However, once they got home and Sam was comfortably put to rest in her bedroom, Shae couldn't stop herself anymore.
"Who was he Caroline? And how do you know him?" She asked sounding very serious. Her sister sighed out heavily. Caroline knew she needed to tell her everything, just didn't know how to or from where to begin.
"His name is Kol. Kol Mikaelson." She finally started.
"Yes, that's what he said. You aren't friends with him, are you?" Shae asked hoping Caroline had no relation with that maniac.
"No, I'm not but then again- it's complicated Shae." Was Caroline's puzzling answer. There was a time when Kol was nothing but an enemy to her but afterwards things changed since he became bound to Shanyra. So now, he wasn't exactly an enemy any more.
"Well Mr. Complication tried to kill Sam. Why? And the way he was looking at me like-; I'm telling you something is wrong with him."
Shae certainly didn't understand her sister's involvement with this Kol guy. He seemed like the bad kind of vampire. And as much as she knew Caroline, her sister didn't associate with the evil kind of vampires. Also what was he doing at the party anyway? Was he looking for a meal or something? No, it wasn't that. He knew her. But how? Did he know about her through Caroline? Were they involved with each other in the past? So many questions were running through Shae's mind and she wanted all of them answered.
"Shae, I don't want to lie to you but honestly I don't know how to explain everything to you either." Caroline finally surrendered saying that.
"What are you talking about Care?" She asked with confusion and more curiosity.
"It's not the first time you and Kol met each other. You've a rather long history with him" said the older sister but the younger couldn't believe it.
"No, that's not possible. I'd have remembered him if I had seen him before." Shae said confidentially.
"You don't remember anything because you were compelled to forget everything four years ago." Caroline broke it out to her at last. It immediately made Shae more curious.
"What was I compelled to forget?" She asked sounding very serious.
"Let me tell you everything from the beginning."
The Mikaelson Mansion:
"Get off me Rebekah." Kol pushed his sister away from him.
"You tried to kill a boy in the middle of a party. Have you gone crazy?" Rebekah yelled back at him. They needed to stay in Mystic Falls until all problems regarding travelers are resolved. Their stay in town would become very difficult if Kol went on terrorizing the people here.
"Yes, I have gone crazy. Why didn't you tell me that Shanyra doesn't remember me? That Klaus compelled her to forget everything about me. Every moment we spent together, all the love we had for each other. WHY?" Kol shouted out loud.
"Because of this very reaction. I knew you couldn't have handled the truth if I had told you about it right after you woke up. You'd have gone murderous and I couldn't have done anything to stop you. But now, there is a way. You don't need to wreck a havoc Kol. Nik can take off his compulsion right away and make her remember everything again." Rebekah said but it didn't make the situation any better. It certainly didn't help with Kol's temper.
"I don't need any help from any of you." Kol said hatefully.
"Shae may not remember me or our past but I'd rather create new memories with her then go to Klaus and ask him for anything after what he did to me." Saying that Kol walked away from Rebekah.
She could only shake her head to herself. Somehow Rebekah predicted that Kol wouldn't take help from Klaus or anyone else for that matter but without the old memories and feelings, would he really be able to win Shanyra back? Time will tell everything. They just needed to wait and find out.
AN: This is it for now. Hope you liked it. Thanks to everyone who reviewed the previous chapter. The next chapter would come up soon. Please review review review. Love, hugs and kisses :)
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