December, 1911

"Sweetheart, if you don't stop moving I will very literally stab you with this paintbrush between your fourth and fifth rib."

Kol let out a snort from where he was laying on his stomach below Bea, but only a moment later once more started squirming.

Bea let out an exasperated sigh and leaned back. She was straddling Kol's tailbone and couldn't exactly blame him for his ticklishness. He was doing her a bit of a favor at the moment, and to be honest it was immensely entertaining to see him so out of sorts.

"You are enjoying this far too much, darling. Here I am, being such a devoted fiancé, and you do nothing but mock me. How utterly evil."

Bea laughed and leaned down to quickly peck him on the side of his neck, avoiding the paint coating his shoulders. An anatomy textbook was opened beside them on the bed to a page detailing the muscles of the human back, so she had asked Kol to lay down and let her attempt to label them on his own body.

Maneuvering carefully, she lifted herself up and off of him to grab another jar of paint from the desk in her bedroom. When she turned back around she saw that Kol had dozed off with an expression of complete contentment.

Bea immediately felt a smile cover her face. She never would have imagined that a person could love this much. It was all consuming – the love she felt for Kol had become a part of her very identity.

Bea set the paint down on the desk once more and walked back over to the bed, curling up beside Kol. Still sleeping, he let out a low groan and threw his arm over her, pulling her into his side. Just moments later her mind became hazy as his body heat warmed her and she drifted off into a light sleep in his arms.

What could have been minutes or hours later Bea awoke to the feeling of Kol's lips ghosting the side of her neck while his fingers aimlessly traced her lower stomach. They had both moved to their sides in their sleep and her back was pressed tightly to his front.

Bea wasn't entirely awake just yet, but regardless reached down and laced their fingers together.

Kol let out a low hum and nuzzled into the crook of her scarred shoulder before he said in a mockingly serious tone, "Your bedspread is very likely ruined."

She laughed in response and pulled away from his embrace to prop herself up on her elbows. When she looked over to his other side she saw her blankets were indeed covered in black paint but was surprised to see her anatomy book undisturbed and still open to the same page.

For a moment Bea was silent as her thoughts whirled about. There had been an idea eating at her for the last two weeks and she didn't know how to bring it up. She supposed now was as good a time as any.

"I think I'd like to attend university after I've become a vampire."

Kol turned his head to look at her, a surprised expression on his face. Bea knew that Kol had grown up in a time when women were not equal to men, and she was nervous to see how he would respond to the dream she had been contemplating recently. His tone didn't betray his thoughts when he asked, "Really?"

Bea started speaking quickly, trying to explain herself as soon as she could.

"Its just that women are gaining more and more rights everyday. In a few decades I hope that women will be able to attend university. I think someday there might even be schools only for women. And you know how much I love learning –"

Kol snorted and for a moment her heart dropped, but then the corners of his lips quirked up and he said in a light tone, "The very last thing this world needs is you becoming even more clever. I like it. University is necessary for your plan to be queen of the world within two centuries."

Bea's smile stretched across her face and she launched herself at him, kissing him soundly before pulling back and whispering against his lips.

"Less of a queen, more a benevolent dictator. And you could be my second in command."

Kol rolled onto his back and propped himself up on his elbows, meeting her eyes before raising his eyebrows in what she hoped was only mocking offense.

"Of course I wouldn't. I'd be a kept man. You'd bring home only the most delectable of humans for me as I maintained the household. I am far more ornamental than you and must be treated with the utmost-"

Bea couldn't keep a straight face and as she burst out laughing he couldn't maintain his composure either.

"You can do as you like, darling. It is not as if we will be short on time together."

Bea grew excited as she contemplated possibilities for her future. Kol had done so very much in his life time and now he could show her parts of the world he'd only described to her when he was in a nostalgic mood.

"So we can go to Paris? Italy?"

Kol cut her off with a fake growl and tackled her, pinning her to the bed and settling between her legs. He looked down at her with an amused smile on his face before he began to answer her in a wistful tone.

"Yes. I'll show you everything. The best parts obviously, can't have you thinking my life has been anything but optimal."

Bea threw her arms around his neck and pecked him before letting her head fall back against her paint stained pillow.

"We're going to have the best life together."

Present Day

"What do you mean he's dead?"

Bea rolled her eyes at her dramatic exclamation, but really, if Rigby wanted to take her anger out on the perky little bitch who picked up the phone in Slater's apartment she might as well get it out of her system. Slater was exactly the right person to go to when information needed to be dug up. The fact that he had an enormous crush on Rigby was useful when they had to go through his contacts. Him being dead was quite an inconvenience, and the sniffling of the apparently heartbroken human was loud enough for even Bea to hear over the phone while sitting beside Rigby.

It was quickly growing annoying.

The conversation evidently wasn't getting anywhere productive and finally she heard Rigby shout, "Fine then. Watch your back, airhead."

Rigby hung up and nearly threw her phone back into her bag. Bea let her stew for a minute or two before she finally burst out laughing.

"You – oh my god, you lost your cool with a human! Probably an itty bitty one! For once I'm not the raging bitch between us. But points for haunting her for the rest of her life. Unless you want to drive down to Virginia anyway and kill her."

Letting out a derisive snort from the passenger seat, Rigby muttered, "No. We're only a few hours from Juliette, it'd be a waste of time. I want to reach Juliette's before it gets too late and we have to wait until tomorrow. And like you can talk about maintaining tempers, Grandma."

Bea turned up the radio once more and started humming along.

After the song ended Bea paused for a moment. Deciding to take offense to Rigby's last dig she reached out her right arm to flick her on the shoulder. Hard.

"I am not your grandmother, Eleanor Jane Morris. At least keep your insults accurate. Bitch, liar, nag, etcetera."

Rigby rolled her eyes, clearly annoyed by Bea's use of her real name, before slapping Bea's hand away in a rare show of immaturity.

"Sure thing, Great Aunt Beatrix."