Chapter 22:

Mari leaned against the railing on the balcony, looking down at the bright lights and listening intently to the music playing in the distance. It had been two days, and Kol hadn't come out of his room. The only interaction she had with him was when she knocked on his door and heard him ask to be left alone on the other side.

It hurt her, in a weird, unexplainable way, that he refused to see her after the near sacrifice she experienced at the hands of Marcel and his witch. Klaus tried to balance his time between his daughter and Mari as best as he could, but it still left her alone more than she cared for.

Finally, he came knocking on Klaus' door. Of course, as soon as she opened it and saw his eyes darken, she knew why.

Mari barely had time to say hello before he came into the room, kicking the door closed behind him. He grabbed her by the shoulders, pushing her all the way back into the wall opposite of the door. She let out a slight oomph as her back hit the brick wall, then gasp sharply as Kol leaned down to sink his eager fangs into the skin of her throat.

She closed her eyes calmly, letting him drink his fill without protest. Part of her was just relieved to see him, to be near him again. Her arms slowly lifted to wrap around his upper body, her palms resting against his back just under his shoulder blades.

"You can have as much as you want, just don't leave." She sounded desperate, sad, and lonely all at once. It nearly broke his heart in two because he knew that he was the cause of it. Kol pulled back slowly, lifting his gaze to hers.

"Mari, I know I've let you suffer."

"Kol..."

"You can't possibly understand-"

"Kol, shut up," she cut him off, tears welling in her eyes. "Please, stop talking." She brought her hands up to rub at her eyes with the back of her hands. She looked so much like a small child that he wondered if he had made a terrible mistake.

"Mari..."

"I do understand," she sniffed, collecting herself as best as she could so she could look him in the eyes. "Davina. She's the reason you stayed locked in your room all this time. You... you feel guilty for saving me instead of letting Marcel save her."

"Mari-"

"I was a rebound," she interrupted again. "I knew that. I still know that. I guess I thought for... for just a minute that maybe..." Mari had to pause to fight back tears. She didnt want to cry anymore, or for him to think he had devastated her, even if he had. "I thought maybe I could be more."

"Damn it, Mari, stop," he shouted, taking her small face in his hands. Her eyes widened a bit, like a deer in headlights or prey that had been caught by a predator. "Please, stop spewing this madness. I can't take another second of that look in your eyes."

"Is it possible at all for you to stop loving her?" She asked him directly. "Or to... love me as much as you loved her?" Kol opened his mouth to speak, but his words caught in his throat. He took a step back, reaching up to pinch the bridge of his nose.

"I can't answer that the way you want me to because I don't... I don't know if I can get over her as quickly as you need me to. I've lived for centuries, and few women have touched my heart in such a way. It makes them hard to forget."

"I'm not asking you to forget her," Mari grimaced. "I'm asking you to move on with me. I want to be with you, but..." She shook her head. "I'm sorry. I need to go." She snatched her purse from Klaus' nightstand, then brushed past him to get to the door.

"No, Mari, wait," he pleaded, following her out of the door. The two of them subsequently ran into Klaus as soon as they got out into the hallway. Klaus noticed the look on Mari's face, then moved his attention to Kol.

"What have I missed?"

"I am just going to go for a walk," Mari tried to smile. "I'll stay within earshot and scream if something happens." She pushed past Klaus as well, trotting down the steps and hurrying to the compound's front gate.

Within an instant, Kol was in front of her, blocking her from leaving. She paused in her tracks, looking back at Klaus who was walking in their direction. She wanted him to help her in this situation, but he didnt even know what it was.

"Mari, love, please don't go."

"You must forgive him, Mari. Kol has always had a stubborn heart," Klaus said on his brother's behalf, though deep down he really only cared that he was able to keep his own relationship with Mari. If she and Kol were to part ways, it wouldn't bother him too badly.

"Klaus, you're not helping," Kol warned with a low growl.

"I'm trying, but you're making it difficult," Klaus glared back. "Your little witch is gone and has been for some time. The only way to bring her back is to let someone sacrifice this beautiful woman who loves you. It seems simple to me."

"I wont let anyone sacrifice her!" Kol snapped angrily. He took a step towards Klaus, but Mari put her body between theirs, pressing her palms into his chest to keep distance between him and Klaus. Kol looked down at her. "Mari, I love you. I do."

"Just not as much," she said softly. "You don't need to keep explaining yourself. Please, Klaus. Take me to the hotel. I want to stay there."

"It's not safe, Mari," Kol warned desperately. "Stay here."

"I can't, Kol."

"Please," he begged with a desperation she had never heard from him before. There were tears in his eyes now, and it shocked her to see them. "Please, Mari, don't leave me all alone and miserable again. I made my decision when I rescued you. I can let go of Davina. I just need time. Just give me time. Don't abandon me."

Klaus knew that Kol's feelings for Mari were genuine, even if they were clouded by his past feelings for Davina Claire. As much as Klaus would have loved to have Mari all to himself, he couldnt stand to see Kol suffering so much. It was why he brought Mari into their lives to begin with.

"I know it hurts to feel like you have to compete," Klaus said to Mari softly, taking her small hand in his and brushing his thumb over her knuckles, "but please understand something. Kol loves you. He wants you. His pain comes from the obligation to save her as she saved him once. While he may feel guilt for leaving Davina to suffer, he doesn't regret saving you."

Mari looked up at Klaus, then over at Kol, who was wiping away tears in frustration. Maybe she should stop being enveloped in her own pains and try to understand his. If he didnt care about her, he wouldn't be begging her to stay or crying because he fears losing her. She knew that logically, so maybe it was worth it to stay and give him the time he needed.

"I won't... leave you alone, Kol," she finally said, her voice small and shaky. She opened her mouth tp say more, but Elijah's voice echoed through the courtyard.

"Niklaus! Kol!" He called to them. They both turned their heads to see him and Freya approaching them quickly. Something was wrong.

"Someone has taken Rebekah," Freya announced as they got closer. "Or she woke up, I don't know. She is still cursed and very dangerous. We have to find her."

"I doubt she just got up on her own," Kol grimaced. "Someone took her."

"I think I know who our culprit is," Klaus sighed. "Love for love."

Kol was ready to kill Marcel. After searching the city for hours, he finally caught the scent of his cologne at the old church he used to lock Davina away in. He stormed into the building, kicking the doors inwards. Marcel didn't own it anymore. It was up for sale as of late, so Kol could walk in without an invitation.

He trekked up the stairs to the attic, following the cologne. He should have known it was a trap, or a ploy, rather, to get him up those stairs. Marcel was a smarter man than Kol often gave him credit for, and he knew Kol would find his way to that church.

His heart stopped in his chest as he caught sight of brown waves of long hair by the window. Kol's eyes widened, and his feet stopped in their tracks. The brunette turned around, and as he thought, it was none other than Davina Claire, in the flesh.

"Kol Mikaelson," she smiled softly, but Kol could see the pain behind it. "I was starting to think that I would never see you again."

If Kol could have had a heart attack in that moment, he was sure he would have. It was pounding away relentlessly against his ribs, and the air had left his lungs and left him breathless. It hurt so badly to see her, like someone had their hand squeezed tightly around his frustrating heart.

"Davina, how...?"

"Marcel found a way. A loophole to a spell. It was dark magic, but... it worked." She took a couple steps towards him. "He used Rebekah. In order to bring me back, he had to kill her. Since she's a vampire and original, she was able to come back. She'll be fine, Kol. She is fine."

Her hands reached up to touch his face. Kol wanted to pull away, but he was still frozen, wondering if this was a dream. Part of him hoped it was. After he just begged Mari to stay, it was cruel to have Davina suddenly appear back in his life.

"Why do you look so scared?" She asked him, dropping her hand away. "Kol, I've thought about nothing but coming back to you for nearly a year. It was... hell in that place. I thought youd be happier to see me. Is this what Marcel meant when he said things weren't the same with you?" She wrapped her around his waist and hugged him tightly.

"I didnt think you would come back, Davina." He let out a sigh. "Things have changed."