August 1912

Kol didn't return to their house until fifteen days had gone by. Bea had needed that time and was thankful that he at least knew that. If he had come any sooner she wouldn't have been able to face him.

The sound of Kol knocking on their front door startled her out of her silence. She'd been sitting at their kitchen table, staring at the cup of tea in front of her.

Bea didn't raise her voice, knowing he would hear her anyway as she said, "Come in."

It was strange, inviting him into their home. The place that she had always felt safest. Where they had begun their lives together as a married couple who planned on spending eternity together.

Kol didn't use his vampire speed as he walked over slowly and sat down across from her somewhat hesitantly. Bea's grip tightened on her mug and she didn't look up at him, instead focusing on the steam rising off of her drink.

She saw out of the corner of her eye that he had extended his hand slowly toward her, but pulled it back and instead folded his hands together in front of him. Bea didn't speak, and the two of them sat in silence for a minute.

Kol's voice was barely more than a whisper when he spoke, as if scared he would scare her off.

"I hurt you."

Bea nodded, not sparing his feelings when she said equally quietly, "You did."

She finally looked up and met his eyes. Seeing him looking so serious with bloodshot eyes and altogether looking disarrayed for some reason made tears rise in her own eyes, though they didn't overflow.

"I hurt you inconceivably. I vowed I would protect you when you became my wife, and I was – I was the one who caused you pain. You were terrified of me –"

Kol's voice became choked up and she saw that his eyes also become wet. Bea surprised herself when it was her who hesitantly reached her hand across the table. He looked nervous when he reached out to hold her hand, clearly worried about touching her after the last time they had been together.

Kol lightly placed his hand over hers, and she turned their hands over and began tracing the lines of his palm.

Bea looked back down at her absentminded actions and let herself think deeply. She had spent the last two weeks considering what to do. And honestly, she was still conflicted over the notion of where they could go from here. What she did know was that there felt like there was a gaping hole in her life when Kol wasn't there. He was more than her husband. He was her best friend, and the first person she wanted to share things with.

"You were going to take away my free will."

Kol didn't answer right away, but when he did whisper it was incredibly hoarse.

"Yes. I wanted to compel you to agree with me and become a vampire."

Bea once more lifted her head and at the same time laced their fingers together loosely.

"I need you to tell me why. And you need to tell me if you have ever compelled me apart from our first date."

Kol winced but answered right away.

"I have not compelled you. And you know why. I wanted you to be immortal immediately. I didn't take your feelings into consideration, and had decided that what I wanted was more important."

Bea took a few deep breaths and ran her hands through her hair nervously. She had never been so scared in her life that night, and the prospect of something like that happening again was horrifying.

"Let me – let me think about this. I can't forgive what you did right away. But –"

Bea paused and squeezed his hand lightly. Fuck. She had no idea if what she was about to do was the right choice.

" – I think we can get past this. Kol - it can never, ever happen again. I want to start drinking vervain, because to be honest I'm scared to trust you right now."

Kol's own grip on her hand tightened and his breath hitched slightly.

"Can I come home?"

At this Bea looked up at him and saw the incredible vulnerability on his face.

"Yes. You can come home."

Present Day

Rigby was staring at Bea and looked utterly incredulous. She wouldn't have been surprised if Rigby's mouth had actually fallen open. When Rigby had finally pulled herself together she spoke in a partially amused but mostly doubtful voice.

"A teacher? You, who has absolutely no patience and doesn't particularly like kids?"

Bea huffed, mildly offended, and tossed her hair over her shoulder to make a dramatic gesture.

"It's a brilliant plan. Even you have to admit it."

Rigby snorted but didn't disagree, so Bea continued.

"We've got the doppelganger under our thumbs. But she told us all about the absurd amount of drama her little gang get into. If I'm around them every day it'll be infinitely easier to keep an eye on them."

Rigby rolled her eyes but ultimately shrugged and said in a resigned voice, "At least it's just art class. You would slaughter an entire classroom of kids if you had to do math."

Bea punched her on the arm, but the other woman dodged and laughed at her. Suddenly however she nudged Bea and motioned to the apartment complex in front of them.

"I like these. Are we going to actually buy one, or compel the real estate agent?"

"Compel, clearly."

Rigby nodded, and the two of them stood outside in silence for a minute, looking around at the town. Bea had been incredibly tense since they had interrogated the doppelganger and learned about the atrocities Klaus had committed. The fact that Elijah had been in the town as well had her on edge.

Rigby threw her arm over Bea's shoulder and squeezed her in a quick sideways hug.

"We're getting closer to your husband. We are two brilliant and bloodthirsty women who are on a mission. And having the doppelganger as a spy will be immensely helpful."

"I know, I know. I'm sorry, I've been a buzz kill."

Rigby smiled lightly however and said, "C'mon. Lets go a few towns over and you can binge on a few teenagers. It might emotionally equip you for the demons that are modern high school kids."