Phew.
Wow, okay...umm... this chapter is quite challenging for me. *blink in bewildered*
Nevertheless! Hope you, amazing readers, will like this chapter!
Don't own Vampire Diaries and Originals.
Enjoy~! :)
Mystic Falls
Forbes' Residence
Caroline's Bedroom
Morning...
The morning rays of sunshine peep through the window, dancing across the bedroom in an alluring manner. Caroline and Bonnie are both sleeping on the bed. The blonde beauty curled in a ball as her hands tucked underneath her chin while the petite witch lays on her stomach with her cheek resting on a pillow. The Prince Original rolled his shoulders lazily while stepping close to the window.
Kol has been watching over his girls the entire night, like a silent guardian. To make sure that there is no danger anywhere near them. The transparent Original examined the outside with a calculating glint in his eyes.
Suddenly, the alarm clock starts ringing waking the vampire and the witch up. Caroline rolled over and tiredly reached her hand toward the alarm clock. Bonnie lifted her head with sleepy halfway open eyes. "...hmm?" Kol's lip twitches with amusement.
"...illumination day...remember?" Caroline muttered before she yawned.
Bonnie mumbled unintelligibly as she dropped her head back on the pillow. The blonde beauty sat up lazily and started combing her messy hair with her fingers. "We signed up to be the volunteers so we can have extra credits for our history class." she helpfully reminded the witch.
The petite witch made weird noises since her face was covered by the fluffy pillow. Somehow, Caroline understood Bonnie's answer which made Kol impressed. "I know, I know... at least we don't have to go to school today." Caroline's face lit up happily. "Now, let's get ready."
Kol fondly watched his vampire jump off her bed gracefully and walk to her dresser. "There are some clothes you left here when you slept over last time." Caroline informed her best friend, merrily.
Bonnie made weird noises on the pillow once again.
"Fine, I'll wake you up in five minutes." Caroline replied with slight amusement while grabbing her choice of outfit for the day.
Prince Orignal ambled his way toward his vampire and gently feather-like touched her cheek with the back of his fingers. Caroline shivered when she felt the icy-cold touch. "Good morning, Kol." she whispered with a sweet smile.
"Morning, my darling." Kol greeted his lovely vampire with gentle eyes. He wonders what kind of festival of this day will be like in a small cursed town.
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Only You
Chapter Forty-Six
"Ghost World"
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Mystic Falls
Town Square
Moment Later...
Caroline wrapped her arms around the ladder while Bonnie hung the lanterns from the trees on tiptoe. Kol made a judgemental face when he listened to the speeches from the mortal man. "What a bullshit speech. After a war, this town created a celebration with the newfound prosperity of the first illumination? What is with this stupid backwater small town that has so many events?" he grumbled.
"Looking good!" Caroline approved when Bonnie finished setting up the white lantern. The petite witch hummed in response with a soft smile.
Bonnie carefully stepped down the ladders until she reached the bottom. She placed her hands on her hips and studied the lanterns from the tree. "Not bad." she commented.
Caroline glanced over at the box of lanterns. "Just a few more left and we can take a break." the blonde beauty picked up a ball-shaped of navy-blue lantern. "So..." her blue-green eyes glanced at her witch best friend. "...I spy with my eye of a certain Gilbert standing over there in front of the stage."
Kol made a face while Bonnie sighed heavily. "I am aware of that." she stated, indifferently.
"Still upset with him?" Caroline asked, worried.
The Bennett witch grabbed a couple of ball-shaped lanterns. "Of course, I'm still upset Care. Jeremy hasn't even bothered trying to come up to me and talk. If he thinks he can only talk to me through the phone, he has another thing coming."
"Just break up with him already." the Prince Original groaned as he tipped his head back, exasperatedly.
Caroline flicked the stray of her hair away from her face with her finger. "I feel like you are dealing with the consequences after you saved him."
Bonnie huffed out with a dry chuckle. "I am paying the consequences." she dragged her olive-green eyes from the lanterns and scanned around. "Now, where's the next tree?" she doesn't want to talk about her boyfriend right now.
The best friends sauntered to the next tree. Caroline grabbed the ladder easily with her super strength and carried it. When she placed it down, Bonnie started climbing the ladder and carefully hanging one of the lanterns.
They've been doing it for a while as Kol has been making comments and judging the humans who set up lanterns from the trees everywhere. His vampire and his mentee are doing wonderful jobs, unlike these boring humans.
He doesn't care if he is being biased.
The wild Original paused when he saw someone walking toward them. "Ugh. Why are you here?" he grumbled, crossing his arms.
"Caroline, Bonnie." Elena greeted them when she approached their direction.
Bonnie turned her body sideways while standing on the ladder with a raised confused eyebrow. "Hey, Elena." Caroline waved at the brunette with a friendly smile.
Elena smiled at them in response then turned her gaze to a blonde beauty. "Caroline, do you still have contact with Lexi?"
"Lexi?" Caroline blinked. "Yeah, we're still in touch." Lexi and Lee are her good friends. Kol narrowed his eyes at the doppelganger suspiciously.
"I've been going through Stefan's old journals—" Elena unzipped her satchel bag and took out a couple of old leather-bound journals. "—every single time that he's gone off the rails in the past, his best friend, Lexi's been the one to bring him back." Her eyes filled with hope.
The blonde beauty hummed with understanding. "You want me to call her and ask if she can return here." Elena nodded her head, confirmed that Caroline was correct.
"Wait a second." Bonnie climbed down the ladder and faced the brunette with perplexity. "You want to ask —" she turned to Caroline with a silent question.
"Lexi." Caroline helpfully answered.
Bonnie nodded her head with a thankful smile and glanced back at Elena. "—Lexi to... detox Stefan?"
"To detox a Ripper vampire?" Kol snorted loudly, incredulity with a humorless smirk.
Elena's fingers slightly dug into the leather-bound journals. "It's the only way. I just can't stand knowing that Stefan is being an emotionless asshole. He is better than that." she explained with a sad frown.
Caroline bit her inner cheek thoughtfully then sighed. "I guess this could technically be an emergency. I know that Lexi is busy with whatever is going on with her friend somewhere." she took out her smartphone from her back pocket. "I'm sure she can return just to help Stefan's blood addiction problem." she blunted, which made Kol amused.
When the blonde beauty pressed her phone to her ear, waiting for the call to answer. Bonnie leaned against the ladder quietly while Elena fidgeted her feet anxiously.
It didn't take long when a familiar voice picked up.
"Linnie? Is everything okay?" Lexi's worried voice was heard.
A bright smile breaks out on Caroline's face. It's been a while since she has talked with her good friend. "I'm good here, Lexi. Promise."
An obvious relief sigh was heard from Lexi. "That's good. Not that I don't miss hearing you, but why did you call?" she questioned, curious.
Caroline glanced at Elena who stared at her, slightly impatience which made Kol scowled at her. "It's about Stefan."
"Stefan? Did something happen?"
The blonde beauty made a grimaced face. "A lot has happened but to make a long story into a short version is that Stefan is now on blood-holic." Kol sent his brief amusement look at his vampire when he heard her word-play. "Hello?" Caroline didn't hear any reply and even had to double-check in case she didn't accidentally hang up. Then flinched in surprise when she heard a sharp loud curses through the phone.
"—idiotic moron with ridiculously hero so-called hair! I'm going to kill him the second I put my hands on him!" Lexi curses out loud furious at her stupid best friend.
Caroline perked up, excitedly. "Does that mean you're coming?" Elena's eyes widen with hope.
"Oh yeah. I'm coming to kick his ass. I'll be there as soon as possible." Lexi promised. They exchanged their farewell and hung up.
Caroline smiles widely at her friends. "Lexi will be here soon." the brunette doppelganger's shoulders slumped with relief while Bonnie crossed her arms with a thoughtful face.
"Thank you so much, Caroline." Elena shove the journals in her satchel bag. "I gotta go and make sure everything is prepared when we get Stefan into that cell." she said, turned around, and marched on with a goal in mind.
Kol glares at the brunette doppelganger and flips her a bird. "Rude twat bitch." he grumbled, not liking the fact that Elena is using Caroline just to contact Lexi.
The blonde beauty turned her head to her witch best friend. "Well... guess we can return and finish setting up lanterns now."
Bonnie sigh, turned around, and grabbed a lantern but paused when she noticed her bag was lying on the ground. A puzzled frown appeared on her face. She reached down to pick up her bag however, when she pulled it up, the strap came off and it fell open. Her grimoire slides out of it. The petite witch huffed with slight frustration and just as she was about to pick it up, it opened by itself.
"Whoa." Caroline stared at it in surprise while Kol narrowed his eyes with pondering. "Did your grimoire just—" she halted when the pages kept turning until it stopped.
The petite witch lowered while setting the lantern down and picked up the spellbook with warily. Her eyebrows furrowed deeply. "It's a manifestation spell. It's used to reveal veiled matter." Kol hummed with contemplation.
"What's veiled matter?" Caroline asked while trying to read the grimoire with curiosity sparks from her blue-green eyes.
"Ghosts, darling." Kol answered without thinking as Bonnie turned her olive-green eyes to her best friend. "Ghosts."
The blonde beauty made a noise from the back of her throat with acknowledgment. "And why this book—" she waves her hand over the grimoire that sat between Bonnie's palms. "—showed you that spell?"
"I'm not sure..." Bonnie trailed off, thinking deeply as she turned her gaze back at the spell. "...but maybe if I ask, they might tell me."
"Tell you what?" Caroline asked, confused.
The transparent Original frowned at his mentee and had a feeling where she was going with this.
Bonnie shut her grimoire with a soft thud. "The dead witches. They might have answers." she stated, grabbed her bag, and glanced at her best friend. "C'mon." she jerked her head in the direction of where the parking lots are. She did power-walked beeline without waiting for Caroline's reply.
"A-ah, wait! Bonnie!" Caroline hurriedly dropped the lanterns and followed the tiny witch, leaving the duty behind.
"I don't like this." Kol muttered, suspicious and cautious while jogging after his vampire and his mentee.
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Old Witch's Plantation
Later...
"I don't like this." Caroline blurted it out as she stood in front of the abandoned mansion with a cautious and suspicious glint in her eyes. She is standing on the porch with wary eyes while Kol shoved his hands in his pockets with intrigue. Bonnie briefly explained how the witches died inside of this old mansion. Instantly, he knew that this place belonged to the dead witches and the fact that he could somehow sense the old power over the plantation.
"Come on." Bonnie fearlessly strode inside the abandoned mansion. Caroline made a face and carefully followed inside. Her skin was covered with goosebumps when she felt the chill presence in the air.
The blonde-haired beauty hurriedly went after Bonnie who was ahead of her. "I really don't like this." she mumbled, discomforted.
"You're not the only one, darling." Kol grumbled, not liking this as well. He doesn't have a really good feeling about this.
Caroline noticed the petite witch descending the stairs that led to the bottom floor. Bonnie halted, and turned halfway as she opened her mouth but blinked in surprise. "What?" Caroline questioned as she paused in the middle of the stairs.
"You can come down here?" Bonnie blurted it out, confused. Caroline raised her puzzling eyebrow at her. "I mean—when I came down here, no one can follow me in the basement. Not even Jeremy. I had to use the ritual to bring him back from the dead on the upper level of this house. And he was dead." she explained, mixed with guilt and curiosity.
Kol hummed softly with contemplatively. Probably because she is an Sáõ? he mused, thinking just how special Sáõ truly is?
"Maybe because I'm a vampire?" Caroline said, unsure.
Bonnie shakes her head thoughtfully. "No. Not even the Original can come down to the basement." she said, recalling Elijah couldn't follow her to the bottom level of the old mansion. And how she had to fetch the amount of grimoires to the upper level and how they both searched for answers. Her heart beat a couple of times faster when she thought about the Noble Original then shove it back in her head, focusing on the present time.
Caroline hummed thoughtfully while scanning around for a brief moment. "So—this place... was this where you got the extra power from the dead witches?" she questioned, uncertain and slightly disturbed by how eerily the basement was.
"Uh, yeah." Bonnie snapped out of it and nodded her head. She turned forward and reached the bottom of the stairs. She stepped into the room while Caroline cautiously scrutinized the creepy basement that was covered with suspicious items.
Kol starts poking around with neutral interest.
The petite witch set her bag down in the room full of candles. "I know it's creepy. But this is where the dead witches haunt." She grabbed her grimoire while kneeling on the ground.
"Hmm..." Caroline eyed disgusted at the large cobwebs that covered the entire window. "...there's no chance that they're going to curse us just because they were horrifically burned to death in this very spot, right?" her voice slightly went high-pitched with anxiety.
The Prince Original glanced at his vampire with mirth dancing in his dark eyes. "You do realize that you have a curse Original ghost—" he pointed at himself. "—bound to you, darling?" He reminded her with amusement.
Caroline made a face when she heard her ghost friend. "I am aware that you are haunting me, Kol. But that's different." she said, figuring out what he was trying to say by some few words that she caught.
Kol smirked at her, pleased how she could understand him just by a few words. He loves how intelligence she has shown.
"Care, can you please light the candles? I need to read these before I start casting the spell." The Bennett witch asked while turning the pages of the grimoire and stopped nearly halfway when she found it.
"Of course." the blonde-haired beauty looked around for a moment until she found an old matchstick box on one of the broken shelves. Caroline grabbed it, took a matchstick, and hit the side of the box. The fire lit up on the matchstick and she started lighting candles.
Kol ambled toward his mentee and watched the tiny witch with calculating eyes. Bonnie mumbled the Latin carefully while putting the grimoire on the ground. "...okay. I think I understand what to do."
"Oh, good. 'Cause this is the last...candle...and done!" Caroline waved the sixth matchstick as the fire vanished with a beaming smile, happy to help her witch best friend.
Bonnie smiled with gratitude at Caroline then closed her eyes. She took a deep breath while feeling the magic inside of her. Remembered the trick from her mentor's lesson—from Caroline being interpreter—and wisely did not use too much energy. She also double-checked not to accidentally use her best friend's magic energy from the talisman bracelet. Bonnie refuses to make that mistake that harms Caroline.
The Bennett witch opened her mouth and started chanting in Latin of one of the spells. Kol stood in safe distance as he crossed his arms while narrowing his pondering eyes at his mentee.
Caroline watches quietly. A breeze blows through the rooms and her blue-green eyes glance over the thick cobwebs swinging and the stray leaves dancing across the ground. Not even a minute and the sound of wind howling arrived. Caroline frowns deeply, troubled and worried. "I really don't like this, Bonnie..." she muttered, nervously watching the candles dancing, small chandlers swaying, and some fabric cloths fluttering around.
"It's alright." the transparent Original instantly rushed to his vampire's side and gently brushed his finger against Caroline's cheek.
The blonde-haired beauty shivers yet there is relief sparkles in her blue-green orbs when she feels familiar icy-cold touch from her ghost. Her intense shoulders relax a bit. If Kol is not alarmed, then that would mean Bonnie is safe, using the spell.
Bonnie continued chanting in Latin—
Suddenly, someone grabbed Bonnie's hands. Bonnie's eyes snapped open as Caroline's eyes widened in shock when she recognized the elder woman. "Oh my God! Is that your—"
"Grams." Bonnie uttered in stun, seeing her grandmother who smiled at her with gentle eyes. Her olive-green eyes started to watery. "I...I can't believe you're here!" her eyes hungrily memorized her grandmother's face. It's been so long since she has seen her wonderful grandmother.
"Now stop your crying." the elder witch firmly said yet her eyes remained gentle. "We don't have time for tears." then she glanced at the blonde-haired beauty who was still in shock. "Nice to see you again, Caroline." She said with a warm smile.
"Hi, Miss Sheila." Caroline uttered, astonishedly with a light chuckle.
Then shifted the elder witch shifted her gaze to the wild Original as her smile turned flat. "And I cannot say it is a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Mikaelson."
Bonnie and Caroline gap at the elderly woman in shock.
Kol raised his perplexed eyebrow. "You can see me?"
"You can see Kol?" / "You can see him?" Caroline and Bonnie in unison said, stumped.
Sheila nods her head. "Of course, especially when you made a fine mess, honey." she turned her attentive eyes to her granddaughter. "The witches never want to talk to you because of the consequences of bringing Jeremy back and the fact that you almost drain sacred ancient magic from her—" she tilted her head at Caroline who blinked at her while Kol's spine straightened up with new information about his darling vampire. "—they are not happy with that."
"I-I didn't have a choice. I love him and I-I couldn't just let him go... a-and..." Bonnie glanced her guilty eyes at her vampire best friend. "...I d-didn't mean to hurt her. I didn't know it would hurt her so badly." she sobbed and lowered her head, a mix of guilt, sadness, and distress.
Caroline touched the talisman friendship bracelet gently with softened eyes as she already long forgave the tiny witch. Kol frowned as he didn't like remembering how his vampire was in terrible agony at the time when Bonnie used dangerous highly-skilled magic of a spell.
Sheila silently sighed and gently propped her granddaughter's chin up, wordlessly ordering her to look up. Bonnie looked into the elderly witch's eyes. "I understand. I know you, Bonnie. I know you didn't mean to hurt Caroline." she said with an assuring smile which made Bonnie relief. "...however, you cracked open the door to the other side. There's an old witch over here. She took advantage of it. She took advantage of you, honey. When Jeremy kept calling out for a ghost, it left a gap in the door. She wedged the door wide open, giving a free pass to anybody with unfinished business."
"How do you know this?" Bonnie questioned, curious.
"Witches talk. Even on the other side. Who do you think makes all the rules?"
The petite witch frowned, troubled. "What does the witch want?"
"I want to say that's Original vampire business and not want you to get involved with that mess." Sheila said, resigned. The transparent Original seemed to be really interested and curious while Caroline made a noise from the back of her throat. The elderly ghost closed her eyes for a brief moment and opened to study her confused granddaughter. "Apparently you are Kol Mikaelson's mentee. Him being your mentor means you are involved. Especially now that even Caroline is smack in the middle of the chaos mess in supernatural society. Soon, they will inform of her existence." she sent concerned glances at Caroline who pointed at herself with a perplexed face.
"Me?" The mischief Original made a made, he does not like that at all.
Sheila nods her head grimly. "Yes, dear. It's because of your magic and blood." she emphasized the words which made the others understand. "Which is why I'm here—" turned her eyes back to Bonnie. "—to help you. You upset the balance of nature. And it's your duty to set it right. You need to close that door."
"How do we do that?" Bonnie asked, confused.
The elderly Bennett's lips pressed together and glanced at Kol solemnly. "The old witch's talisman." Bonnie and Caroline exchanged confused looks while the wild Original almost immediately thought of a few hints from Sheila.
Original vampire business. Old witch. Talisman. Kol mused, his mind went through all the puzzles and clues for a moment until it clicked in one place. He closed his eyes with a heavy sigh. "Bloody hell... it was my mother." he stated, reluctantly acknowledging. Honestly, he was not surprised that his mother caused so much hassles from the Other Side. After all, she cursed and bound Nikalus' werewolf side. And she was the one who ruined him, and took his magic away.
"Did you just say mother, Kol?" Caroline tilted her head, puzzled.
Bonnie raised her baffled eyebrows at her vampire best friend. Sheila calmly nodded her head. "The Original Witch. She is drawing the power from this side because of her talisman and you need it to destroy it." she informed the girls.
The blonde-haired beauty held up her index finger with bewildered wide eyes. "Hold on—I just—wait a second." she shakes her head, processing the information in her mind. "Kol said mother and you just agreed with him meaning that his mother was an Original Witch?" she squeaked the last two words, completely appalled. Even Bonnie looked speechless.
"Lovely, isn't it? Having a mother as a witch who was responsible for ripping my magic away from me—violently, I might add." the Prince Original bitterly said. Sheila's eyes glimmered with sympathy for a few seconds then concealed with calmness.
Suddenly, Bonnie gasps. "Wait! The talisman...could it be Elena's necklace?" she guessed it when she just recalled how Elena's necklace burnt her and how it also levitated on its own. Caroline's mouth made an 'o' shape as her blue-green eyes lit up with realization as well.
"Correct." Sheila confirmed while Kol made a noise from the back of his throat, understanding why the necklace was so familiar to him now. "Oh. It belonged to that old bitch." How the bloody hell did he forget about that? Rebekah wore that necklace for centuries.
The blonde-haired beauty furrowed her eyebrows thoughtfully. "But didn't you mention that Katherine was the one who stole the necklace?"
Bonnie grimaced at the reminder. "I don't know what she did with that necklace." she shrugs, she honestly has no clue what happened to the Original Witch's necklace.
"Well, I could call Elena and ask her if she got the necklace back?" Caroline offered, unsure. Her witch best friend just waved her hand as if gesturing her to 'go ahead'. The blonde-haired beauty took out her smartphone from her back pocket and dialed in.
Luckily, Caroline didn't have to wait long when Elena answered the call. "Caroline? Please tell me you know why I can see ghosts now?"
"Aah, well..." her blue-green eyes glanced at the dead Bennett witch who quietly tutted at her granddaughter, wiping Bonnie's tears gently. "...that is because the door between our world and the ghost world is opened because Bonnie brought Jeremy back to life. Because of the gap in the door, and now that is wide open thanks to Jeremy who continues using his ghost power thing. And we have a powerful old witch and possibly a bunch of enemy ghosts who will create havoc in town if Bonnie doesn't shut the door soon." Caroline blurted out everything in a short version of the story which amused Kol.
Shocked silence from the brunette for a brief moment then cleared throat. "Wow. Okay...umm... so how do we do that? To shut the door?"
"Apparently the old witch can draw power from this side because of her talisman. Meaning... your necklace." the blonde-haired beauty simply replied.
"Talisman...my necklace? The one that Stefan gave me?" Elena's voiced in disbelief.
Caroline nods her head. "Yeah. It's some ju-ju power source. And I know you're not going to like this, but Bonnie needs to destroy it."
"Honestly? I am completely okay with that because I just walked in on Jeremy kissing Anna." Her jaw dropped, startled as she quickly turned around, not wanting Bonnie to see her reaction. However, Kol noticed it and stared at her with a curious glint in his dark eyes.
"What?!" she hisses so low in the phone. The transparent Original wanted to know whatever the doppelganger said that caused his vampire so surprised. "Are you kidding?"
Elena scoffed was heard from the phone. "I wish. Look, I don't have the necklace. Maybe Damon has it. He did mention that he met with Katherine a while ago. Text him. Right now, I'm in the middle of talking with Jeremy so I'll call you later."
"Right, okay. Talk to you later." Caroline hung up, still shocked. Kol poked his vampire's forehead with curiosity. "What is it, sweetheart?"
The blonde-haired beauty blinked a couple of times and mouthed one one. "Wow." Prince Original easily read her lips. Now, he is truly curious as he wants to know what is it that shocked her.
"Care?" Caroline turned around and displayed her faux-charming smile on her face. Facing Bonnie who already stood on her feet while waiting for her. "Did Elena say anything?"
"Well—" the blonde-haired beauty cleared her throat. "—she said I should give a try to text Damon since he might know. He met Katherine a while ago."
"Why the hell do you have to text him?" the mischief Original scowled.
The petite witch shook her head and grabbed her phone from her satchel bag's pocket. "Nope. I will text him." She is perfectly aware that Damon is one of the biggest problems for Caroline. Bonnie will do anything to make sure that her vampire best friend doesn't have contact with the older Salvatore. Caroline sends her gratitude smile while Kol nods with pleased and satisfied with his mentee's action.
Sheila watched them silently. As Bonnie starts texting Damon on her phone. Caroline turned her gaze to the elderly witch with curious sparkles in her blue-green eyes. "So... you can see Kol?" she asked, with hope and a very, small slight of longing.
"Yes." Sheila answered, coolly while studying Prince Original warily. "Never in my entire life and afterlife would I expected that Kol Mikaelson would take my granddaughter under his wings."
Kol smirked at her. "Little witch is talented, it was shameful that she hasn't been trained properly by a Bennett witch." Yet his eyes darken with a disapproved at the elderly ghost.
"You do not get to castigate me, Mr. Mikaelson." Sheila warned the wild Original.
Caroline and Bonnie stared at her, flabbergasted and puzzled. Bonnie had no idea what her mentor said to her grandmother as she recognized the hard tone in Sheila's voice, meaning her grandmother was angry. Caroline could only hand random words from her ghost so she has a slight idea but she is worried that she might be wrong. So, the supernatural girls stayed quiet.
"I apologize. I mean no disrespect to a powerful witch from the famous old Bennett Coven." Kol surrendered his hands, playfully with a sarcastic smirk. "However, you must understand why I am feeling a bit...exasperated. My mentee had to start her magic lesson from scratch. If it wasn't for me, she would've wasted tons of magic and energy by doing spells. She could've gotten herself in danger doing stupid reckless spells. Without even understanding the serious consequences. I had to ask my vampire to repeat constantly and drill the words into Bonnie's head. All magic has a price. Thanks to me, she no longer feels faint every time she uses a spell nor gets a nosebleed. I don't understand why you have not started training her while she was a little child. This whole mess that she caused and all the mistakes she made, could have been avoided." Kol lectured the elderly witch with intensity yet remained polite.
Sheila narrowed her eyes at him with hard firm lines of her lips across her face. The wild Original huffed loudly. "You know I'm right, Bennett. Little witch had her magic locked by a powerful warlock months ago because the warlock's son was dead. She had to deal with tough consequences. Now she knows not to mess with witches and warlocks whenever she wants. It is fortunate that warlock unlocked her magic before he died. Now, I am teaching her how to be a proper witch, a Bennett witch who she is meant to be. If I don't continue teaching her, next time, she'll get herself killed." he said, emotionlessly.
"What is he saying to her." Bonnie hisses to Caroline while watching her grandmother struggle with her anger and conflict internally.
Caroline just shrugs her shoulders, unsure and uncertain. "I...I think he is...scolded your Grams." Bonnie jerked her head to her vampire best friend with befuddled. The petite witch wanted to know more however, she was interrupted when her phone alerted her with a new text message. She glanced at her phone and responded to the message to the older Salvatore.
"Umm... Miss Sheila?" Caroline called out, almost shyly. Sheila glanced at the blonde-haired beauty blankly. Caroline awkwardly smiles. "A-ah... how come we don't see Kol?" she asked, genuinely wanting to know why she and Bonnie didn't see the wild Original.
Sheila crossed her arms. "Because Mr. Mikaelson is not dead. He did not come here from the Other Side."
"Oh." Caroline mumbled, disappointed that she wouldn't see her ghost friend. Kol noticed it as his undead heart swelled with longing, sadness, and warmth. He is pleased to know that his vampire wants to see him. To meet him. One day, darling. We will meet one day. he silently vowed.
Bonnie shove her phone in the back pocket of her jeans. "Damon said that he took the necklace back from Katherine. It was in his bedroom."
"And is he going to bring it to us?" Caroline raised her eyebrow, doubting that the older Salvatore would do it.
"No. Since he is too busy fighting a dead werewolf chick. Something about revenge for her packmate's death."
The wild Original perked up with interest with a gleeful grin. "Think she'll finally kick his arse?"
"Ooh, hope she knows I'm cheering her on." Caroline said with a small mischievous smirk. Kol appreciates seeing a bit of vindictive coming out of his darling vampire's side.
Sheila examined the basement with a pondering face. "You girls need to get that necklace. As soon as possible since we do not know what kind of chaos the ghosts will cause in this town. I will stay here and prepare for the spell." she said, calmly.
The supernatural girls understood as they hurriedly half-jogging to the stairs while Kol eyed the elderly witch for a brief moment. He has questions he wants the answers to, however, he can feel the tug as the distance between him and his vampire is getting too long. The transparent Original turned around and rushed after his girls.
Sheila released a heavy sigh from her lips. "To think that Bonnie is the one who will be carrying the deep responsibility for Caroline..." she muttered under her breath, concerned.
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Mystic Falls
Street
Meanwhile...
The sunset sky displayed a beautifully colorful and the people were slowly getting crowded as they arrived at the Town Square. Among the crowded people, Stefan easily and smoothly maneuvered his way toward his car.
When he reached his vehicle, his eyes flickered down at the keys and picked the right key to his car. He glanced up but paused in surprise when he saw a familiar reflection from the window. Stefan turned around to face her. "Lexi."
A blonde vampire smiles cheekily at him. "Hi!" she wiggles her fingers at him underneath the shade of the trees, protecting her from the weak sunlight.
"What are you doing back here?" the young Salvatore questioned, confused.
Lexi entwined her fingers together in front of her. "Am I not allowed to visit and see my best friend?" she asked, instead.
Stefan eyed her cautiously. "...normally I would say that's just you being Lexi. However, you are not with Lee or Caroline right now which means, you are not here to visit me."
"Aah, true." the blonde vampire happily agreed. "You see, a pretty birdie informed me something that caught my attention that I just had to get here." Her smile dropped. "You're off the rails. Big time." she stated with knowing eyes.
The young Salvatore scoffed and he scratched his eyebrow lightly with his thumbnail. "Of course. I am not surprised she called you." he commented with a shaking head. "You are wasting your time to be here, Lexi. Just... leave me alone, okay?"
He starts to move away to unlock his car however, Lexi grabs his arm and stops him. His eyes met her determined eyes. "Now what kind of a best friend would I be if I didn't help you out of this mess you're in?"
"I don't want your help." Stefan refused.
Lexi rolled her eyes, skeptical. "You know, you say that every time." she dropped his arm. "I don't want your help. I don't want to get better. Leave me alone." Lexi mocked all the lines she was used to hearing in the past from Stefan.
Stefan chuckled humorlessly at her. "Well, maybe you should listen this time."
The blonde vampire hummed as she faux-thoughtfully nodded her head. "Or maybe I should do this." Suddenly, she slammed her best friend's head against a car window.
Stefan falls to the ground, unconscious. Lexi easily placed her hands on her hips. "I wish my visit back in town were a different reason, Stefan." she muttered, resigned. Now she needs to take her best friend to a holding cell Caroline had helpfully sent her an address through a text message. 'Thank God for Caroline.'
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Salvatore Boarding House
Damon's Bedroom
Later...
"We've been searching for the necklace in this room for twenty minutes and so far, nothing!" Caroline complained, exasperatedly while shutting the nightstand's drawers. Bonnie looked through the trinkets and knickknacks from the shelf with an annoyed frown. While the mischievous Original has been probing and poking through stuff indifferently while wordlessly judging the soon-to-be-dead vampire's horrible taste in furniture. "Did he really say that necklace was in his room?" she asked, just to be clear as she ambled around the bed.
Bonnie glanced over her shoulder. "I've checked his text a couple of times. He said that he put it in an open spot. Like, anyone who walks in here and could easily find the necklace."
Caroline scoffed and twirled around lazily while opening her arms. "I see absolutely nothing of an old witch's necklace anywhere." she sarcastically said as she dropped her arms, irked.
"Care..." Caroline hummed in response while she roughly grabbed pillows and uncaringly threw them on the ground, thinking the object might be hidden underneath the pillows. Kol watches his vampire with mirth dancing in his dark eyes. "...I am totally all for getting the necklace as fast as we could but, aren't you being too hasty?"
The blonde-haired beauty halted and made a face. She bit her bottom lip with heavy thinking as she could feel the guilt crawling inside of her. Caroline doesn't want to hide the information from her witch best friend. 'Bonnie deserves to know. We did promise to never keep secrets from each other.' she mused, with firm resolve. "Bonnie... there's something you should know." she turned her attentive eyes to Bonnie.
"Yeah?" Bonnie made a judgemental face at the weird mini-statue of a two-headed goddess with six arms dressed in a skimpy outfit.
The transparent Original realized that Caroline took a breather as her fingers curled into fists at her side. Just by looking at her, he knew she was going to blurt something that would shock the tiny witch.
"Elena caught Jeremy kissing Anna." Kol's eyebrows raised while Bonnie snapped her head around in astonished shock. "Bloody hell." he commented, not expecting that at all.
"What?" Bonnie barely comprehended what her vampire best friend just blurted out.
Caroline's lips pressed together as her blue-green eyes filled with empathy. "I'm sorry."
The Bennett witch stared at her blankly. "...he kissed her?" she repeated in a tiny voice.
"She's got a foothold now, so she probably thinks that she's here to stay." the blonde-haired beauty guessed it and watched Bonnie's face turn crushed and hurt. Caroline made a noise from the back of her throat and rushed to her. "But right now, you and I, Bonnie—" she gently grabbed her best friend's hands. "—we're going to find that necklace and you will close that door. Okay?"
Bonnie slowly nodded her head, wordlessly.
Kol watches his vampire and his mentee for a moment then sighs. "Told you that you're better off than with that baby Gilbert." he mumbled to himself.
Caroline just smiles sadly at the petite witch and returns to searching for the necklace. Bonnie closed her eyes, inhaled for a bit then exhaled through her mouth. She did it a few times and opened her unshed teary eyes. Bonnie walked to a dresser, opened the drawers, and ransacked through. Kol, once again, attempts to look for the object to the best of his ability as a ghost.
After a while of non-stop searching, Caroline slammed the bars of soap into a fancy jar while standing in front of the sink. "Agh! I give up!" she blew the strands of her hair away from her face, frustrated. "It's not anywhere in here! I even checked the stupid toilet tank!" she grumbled.
Bonnie huffed and threw a fabric inside the open trunk, disappointed. Before she opens her mouth to reply, her phone vibrates against the dresser. A curious frown appeared on her face. The petite witch strode toward it and glanced at it. The caller ID showed her boyfriend's name. Bonnie glanced at Caroline with pleading eyes.
Caroline instantly knew that it was Jeremy who was calling her. She sauntered toward the dresser and picked up Bonnie's phone. "What do you want, Jeremy?" she answered, not unkindly.
"Caroline?" Jeremy's voice turned confused. "Wait, doesn't matter who. Did you find that necklace? Elena told me you and Bonnie are looking for it."
"Not yet." Caroline's eyebrows furrowed when she heard the distance siren. "Wait, what's going on?"
Bonnie tilted her head, confused while Kol beelined toward his vampire with curiousity. "Ghosts of the tomb vampires killed Tobias Fell. You might want to find that necklace before they start going alphabetically through the founding families."
"Well, it's not where it's supposed to be." Caroline said, until she suddenly got an idea. Her frustration turned to a thoughtful face. "Unless... someone took it."
"Who?"
Caroline is starting to believe her idea might be true. "Who do you think?" she glanced at her witch best friend who stared at her for a short moment until her olive-green orbs filled with realization.
"She said she didn't take it."
The blonde-haired beauty scoffed. "Oh, and you believe Anna?" Kol hummed with understanding and he was impressed with his darling vampire's intelligence to figure out who had stolen the necklace.
"You know what, yeah, yeah. I do believe her."
Caroline chuckled humorlessly. "You know what, you're an even bigger idiot than I thought. So wake the hell up, Jeremy. Before you lose everything." she warned him, hung up and set Bonnie's phone on the dresser before she could damage it with her frustration and anger.
The Bennett witch shakes her head with incredulity and hurt. "I can't believe he..." she trailed off, couldn't even finish her sentence.
"Bon-bon..." Caroline immediately wrapped her arms around her best friend's shoulders. Bonnie leaned her head on Caroline's shoulder, hugging back for comfort.
Kol would not be surprised when Bonnie breaks up with the young Gilbert tonight.
Honestly?
Good riddance, his mentee deserves better.
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Mystic Falls
On the Road
Bonnie's Car
Moment Later...
Bonnie focuses on the road ahead of her as she is controlling the steering wheel while Caroline is sitting in the passenger's seat, talking on the phone with Jeremy. Kol is currently sitting in the back, in the middle as he leans forward between his girls. The transparent Original is examined with neutral interest in a hundred lit-up lanterns that hang from the trees.
"Okay. See you there." Caroline hung up and turned to Bonnie with a relief smile. "Jeremy's got the necklace. He's going to meet us at the witch house."
The petite witch released a soft huff. "So, Anna does have the necklace." she stated with a shaking head. "Okay. To the witch house." Bonnie narrowed her eyes, attempting to see ahead. "What's going on up there?" she asked, wondering.
All eyes darted when Bonnie slowed her car. The front of the car was horribly dented and busted as it crashed into one of the trees by the road. A driver is unconscious. Caroline leaned forward with a gasp. "It's Mrs. Lockwood's car."
Bonnie slammed on the brakes when a man walked across the road in front of her, heading for the car. One by one, the men are approaching toward Mrs. Lockwood. "Oh my God... those are the tomb ghost vampires that Jeremy warned us." Caroline quickly unbuckled her seatbelt. "Bonnie, I'm going to get out of the car."
"What?!"
"Pardon?!"
Bonnie and Kol stared at Caroline with astonishment.
"And you're going to drive the hell away from here." Caroline finished, as if Bonnie hadn't interrupted her.
The petite witch shakes her head. "No way!" she denied. "I'm not leaving you!" she grabbed Caroline's forearm, refusing to release her. Kol approved of his mentee's action.
"Bonnie, you've got your ghost boyfriend drama. Elena has her own problem that involves whatever is going on with her. And right now the mother of mine is about to be ghost bait. So go and send them all back to the other side, okay?"
The transparent Original groaned loudly as he dropped his head to his chest. "Bloody hell, darling. Why can't someone do this stupid shit of a mess that doesn't involve you fighting against the supernatural on your own?" he grumbled, resigned.
Caroline opened the door, and climbed out while Kol quickly followed. As soon as she shut the door, Bonnie left in her car as fast as she could down the road.
The tomb vampire ghost turned around and smiled coldly at her. "This is gotta suck." Caroline mused out loud as she shook her hands. Her blue-green orbs shifted to crimson-red as black veins popped around her eyes.
"Try to rip his heart out, darling. Very quickly." Kol helpfully suggests his vampire, hating feeling useless that he couldn't join in the fight with her. He watches his darling vampire rush toward the tomb of vampire ghosts and attacks them.
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Mystic Falls
Old City Jail
Meanwhile...
Stefan groaned as he slowly lifted his head and scanned around in the dark damp cell. His eyes landed on Lexi who had been leaning against the brick wall while playing something on her phone. "W-what? What is this?" the young Salvatore noticed the chains and the restraints that bound him to a chair.
"Oh, have a good nap?" Lexi said, cheerfully while focusing on tapping on her phone.
Stefan glares at the blonde vampire. "Let me out of here!" he demanded, struggles hard but it was futile.
Lexi hummed, nonchalantly. "Shh. Inside voices, please." after a couple of minutes, she put her phone in her leather jacket's pocket. "Now... ready for the Ripper detox one-oh-one again?" she pushed herself from the wall and stood in front of her best friend.
"Why are you doing this?" Stefan frowns angrily at her.
"Why?" the blonde vampire raised her baffled eyebrow at him. "You know why, Stefan. I will have to dry you out, starve away the blood lust, and strip away the temptation. It would take weeks, months to do this traditionally." she released a heavy sigh from her lips. "Unfortunately, I don't have time for that since I have some unfinished business I need to return soon."
Lexi lowered herself to Stefan's eye level. "You know I hate doing this. This ability of mine is a pain in the ass to work with." she whispered to herself and to him. Her black pupils started to shrink into small tiny dots and spread out to large dots. It repeated a few times very slowly while staring straight at Stefan's eyes.
Suddenly, Stefan starts growling in pain. His arms and hands start to desiccate. "What are you doing, Lexi?!"
"Doing what I do best, sweetness." Lexi said, calmly. "I'm saving your life." she has successfully trapped her best friend into an illusion.
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Old Witch's Plantation
Front Porch
Later...
The car door shut is heard across the empty outdoors and Jeremy runs up to the patio where Bonnie is waiting outside of the door. "Bonnie!" He stared at the Bennett witch, hesitating when he noticed how her eyes were dimmed. "Bonnie?"
Bonnie opened her palm and gestured for him to give her the necklace.
Jeremy's shoulders slumped. "Bonnie, please."
"No. I don't want to talk. Give me the necklace." Bonnie extended her open palm toward him with impatience.
The young Gilbert shakes his head. "I owe you an explanation." Bonnie closed her eyes as her teeth gritted angrily. "Please, Bonnie. Listen to me?"
"Matt moved on. His sister had been attempting to communicate with him but he learned to move on and accepted that life changed for him. His sister. You didn't move on. You did not let go of Anna." Her eyes open, revealing chill glares at him. "Owe me? You owe me respect for not making me listen to you explain yourself."
Jeremy just stared at her with guilty eyes.
"The necklace." Bonnie demanded, harshly. "I need to shut the door. Now." she jerked her hand forward, impatiently.
The young Gilbert sighed, took out the necklace from his sweater's pocket and held it up by the metal string with his finger. Bonnie grabbed the necklace not unkindly, turned around, and power-walked inside the abandoned house. Coldly leaving Jeremy alone on the porch without any word.
Jeremy closed his eyes and dropped his head. "Shit." Knowing he made the biggest mistake of his life.
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Old Witch's Plantation
Indoor
Basement
Bonnie stormed toward the empty fireplace, suddenly with a free hand as she waved around her. The candles and fireplace lit up with blazing brighter fire, illuminating the room. The petite witch lifted the necklace with a determined glare and threw it in the fireplace.
Spat out Latin words from her lips while staring at the necklace licked by the hot flames. She felt the magic coursing through her veins as the energy of the spell filled the air. A warm hand grabbed hers, her grandmother joined with her as she also chanted the spell. The Bennett witches watch the necklace slowly burn into a hunk of metal.
Sheila smiles with pride. "You are stronger than me." she chuckled lightly. "Mr. Mikaelson was right. You do need a mentor. As much as I don't like you being involved with vampire business... at least I know you are not alone. Don't ever let anyone push you around, Bonnie. You are a Bennett witch." she squeezed her granddaughter's hand with maternal love. "I am so proud of you."
Tears shed over Bonnie's cheeks and Sheila disappears. Slowly, the fires calm down and she watches the flickering light of the candles and fireplace fill the room with a dim. She was motionless, her olive-green eyes transfixed on the flames as they moved in a mesmerizing rhythm.
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Mystic Falls
Street
Meanwhile...
The mischievous Original has been cheering on his vampire who has been kicking the tomb vampire ghosts' arses for a few minutes. Caroline threw one of the enemies over her shoulder effortlessly and twirled around to kick the other enemy's chest; fell back.
The blonde-haired beauty ducked when a different enemy swung his fist and she swept her leg to kick her enemy's knee; buckled down on his knees and she punched him in the nose.
"Nice punch, darling!" Kol cheered, gleefully. It was disappointing that he won't join in the fight but he certainly enjoyed watching his lovely vampire fighting. He wondered what it would be like to fight side-by-side together in the battle. He bet she would look absolutely glorious and beautiful on the battlefield. The transparent Original briefly thought that his vampire would make a lovely Viking warrior.
Caroline jumped up to her feet, turned, and attempted to block herself, however, the man managed to grab her neck, and before he squeezed—
He vanished.
Caroline stumbled back and scanned around in her empty surroundings on the street. The tomb vampire ghosts are gone. She let out a relieved sigh loudly. "Oh thank God! Bonnie did it." she said, happily.
Unaware that Kol nearly had a heart attack when he saw that disgusting foul almost choked his darling vampire. Only you would give me nearly a heart attack, even though it's impossible since my heart is undead. Kol mused, resigned. However, he is glad that the door is finally shut and is proud of his mentee.
The Prince Original strolled to Caroline and poked her cheek playfully. Caroline wrinkled her nose when she felt the icy-cold touch. "I'm all good, Kol." she assures her ghost friend with a soft smile.
"That's good, sweetheart." Kol muttered, carefully studying her face once again. He will never get tired of seeing her face.
Caroline turned her gaze over the car where Mayor Lockwood was in as she was slowly regaining her conscience. "Mrs. Lockwood!" The blonde-haired beauty went to check on the woman while taking her phone out to call the ambulance.
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Mystic Falls
Old Lockwood Cellar
Later...
The semi-dark cave is illuminated by the lantern as Damon is currently sitting on one of the large rocks, waiting quietly. He tilted his head when he caught the footsteps approaching his direction.
A vampire hunter arrived warily. "Why am I here?" he questioned.
"I need a non-vampire to get in the cave, and other than Elena, you're pretty much the only one I trust." Damon replied, calmly.
Alaric scrutinized the deep cave through the giant hole cautiously. "What is going on, Damon?"
The older Salvatore heaved out a sigh. The vampire hunter raised his eyebrow at him. "You know, you have a crappy way of showing me your trust. Plus, I thought you were too busy fighting that werewolf chick—Jules, was it?"
"Ah, that." Damon's eye twitched irritated when he thought about that troublesome werewolf ghost. "It took nearly half a day for her to calm down after she stabbed me with a broken shovel in my stomach a few times. And then she passed me a message about the answers I seek are in the cave in this location." he tipped his head at the cave ahead of him so that he couldn't go further.
Alaric frowned, puzzled. "Message?"
Damon nods his head. "I was skeptical at first but the werewolf said someone powerful wanted the Originals to be gone. Officially kill and never return kind of gone. So, I have been searching for whatever the fucking answers I need somewhere in here for hours until..." he trailed off with a dramatic yet frustrated wave of his hand at the giant hole that he cannot walk into.
"...fine." the vampire hunter ambled down further in the cave with a flashlight in his hand. He searched in his surroundings cautiously with attentive eyes.
The older Salvatore leaned heavily on the edge of the hole. "Did I waste my time or not? Is there something in there? Ric?"
Alaric slowly stopped when his flashlight shone on the wall. He stared at it with wide eyes in amazement. "I found something." he muttered, astonished awed.
"What is it?" Damon perked up, interested and curious.
The vampire hunter shakes his head. "I have no idea." he examined many different centuries of hand drawings on the wall.
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Old Witch's Plantation
Basement
Moment Later...
The petite witch wipes her dried tears away with the back of her hand after she finally stops crying. She had taken her alone time for a bit, wanting to take a break from the drama.
Bonnie decided to have another sleepover at her vampire best friend's house once again. Caroline always made her feel better just by being there for her. The Bennett witch was about to extinguish the fires however, there was a noise from the fireplace.
The loud cackles and popping in the fireplace spat out sparks. Bonnie jumped startled and stepped back warily as she prepared to use her magic to defend herself. She waited for a bit and the fireplace didn't show its unpredictable behavior.
Bonnie carefully stepped forward toward the fireplace and leaned over from a safe distance. A disbelief appeared in her olive-green eyes when she saw the necklace, somehow, perfectly intact.
"What the hell?"