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Somewhere in Maine
Woods
Meanwhile...
The ray of sunrise breaks the horizon over the peak of woods. The birds chirp their early morning songs. Bugs are buzzing somewhere. The faint sounds of running from animals in the woods. In the middle of the woods, there is the unusually large semi-white tree with silver cherry blossoms that continues glowing.
In front of the unique tree, Harper is currently sitting on the ground with his eyes closed, meditating. His chest heaved very slowly while enjoying the morning cold nature that greeted his senses. The soldier vampire has been guarding Emmanuella's tree for a while.
Harper truly enjoyed his peaceful time while protecting the grave of Child of Nature's tree. He had recalled how the tree acted slightly strange that he knew it concerned Emmanuella's descendant. However, it wasn't too alarming since the tree calmed down.
He wishes he could always rush and save Lady Caroline whenever she is in trouble. However, he also knows that he can't always save her from danger. After all, that's what a Bennett witch is for.
To protect the Sáõ creature.
Harper thought about Bonnie Bennett. His descendant has the heavy burden of carrying the responsibility for Sáõ. However, he has faith in her. He knew she was a strong and capable young witch.
The soldier vampire's mind went to other surviving Bennett. He has been traveling around the states to keep track of them. To learn who is alive and who is dead. Harper was silently surprised when he learned Bonnie's mother was alive. He doesn't understand why the woman didn't stay in Mystic Falls and raised her daughter.
That was when he learned that she had lost her magic. Or so, that she believes. Harper knew she had magic lurking inside of her veins. He could sense it just by smelling her blood from the distance.
Harper silently shook those thoughts away as he opened his eyes. He lifted his head at the tree with fondness and respect. Someday, he will bring Lady Caroline and meet this glorious tree.
He had a feeling this magical tree would absolutely adore Lady Caroline. He hummed softly. "I should check on Lady Caroline and Bonnie Bennett soon." he mused out loud, wondering how strong their unbreakable bond has grown.
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..
...
Only You
Chapter Fifty-One
"The Ties that Bind"
...
..
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Mystic Falls
Forbes' Residence
Caroline's Bedroom
Later...
It took a moment for Kol to calm down while Caroline put the box in one of the drawers. Bonnie already grabbed a couple of coffee mugs for herself and for Caroline. The petite witch told her best friend that she added a bit of blood just the way Caroline liked.
Currently, the supernatural best friends are sitting on the bed with a duvet covering their legs while resting against the headboard. Bonnie took a generous sip from the warm liquid coffee in her mouth. Her olive-green eyes glanced at her vampire best friend with wonder. "So...you can hear him? It wasn't some kind of fluke or hallucination?" she questioned, curious.
The transparent Original turned his attentive dark eyes at his vampire who silently shook her head as she sipped her blood coffee from her mug. "And it's a very nice change." Kol commented, although he prefer to talk to her in person. It would be so much easier and nicer because then, he can touch her.
A bright smile appeared as Caroline lowered her mug to her lap. "It's really a nice change." she agreed with her ghost friend. "No more miscommunication and figure out the random words." she said, excited and delighted. Kol smirked at her with an adoration glint in his dark eyes.
"I wonder how that happened?" Bonnie musted out loud, speculation and interest.
Kol walked to the end of the bed and sat near his vampire. "I have a theory." he said, thinking back to how Caroline couldn't hear a word from him when she was human. When she was a vampire, she somehow heard his words. And now that she could fully hear him, it was because she was very close to greeting the death. He told Caroline what his theory was.
Caroline shared the information with Bonnie who looked very deeply contemplative. "I wonder if I can find info in my grimoires."
"I doubt that you will find the knowledge of this, little witch." the wild Original stated, confident that Bonnie won't find the answer.
The blonde-haired beauty tilted her head with curiosity. "He said he doubted it. There won't be any information you can find in your grimoire." Caroline said to Bonnie.
Bonnie frowns, bemused. "Why?"
Kol blinked, both perplexed and joyful that Caroline could finally pass his words easily to his mentee. It was really nice change and relief too. "Because in my all thousand years of living—besides getting daggered on and off, thanks to that stupid paranoid arsehole brother of mine—I have never seen or heard this happen." he explained, coolly. He watched Caroline pass the words to Bonnie, who used to play a messenger.
"But what about Jeremy? He died and came back alive with the ability to talk to the dead." Caroline pointed it out, puzzled. Bonnie's fingers curled tightly around the mug as her olive-green eyes darkened with guilt, sadness, bitterness, and slight betrayal.
"Because he was being resurrected by Bonnie's magic along with your magic that resulted the Gilbert gaining the power of mediumship." the Prince Original explained. He had thought about this a while ago and concluded how the human boy gained the ability.
Caroline repeated Kol's words to the petite witch. Bonnie's eyebrows furrowed, thinking. "And that is different because your soul is bound to Caroline's. A curse, right?" the Bennett witch queried with interest. She recalled this piece of information from Caroline months ago.
Kol put his elbow on his knee and leaned his chin on his palm. His dark eyes glimmer with causal interest. "That is what your ancestor told me—Emily Bennett." he said.
Recognized appeared in Caroline's blue-green eyes. "Wait, so Emily Bennett is real?" she turned her eyes to Bonnie with guilt. "I'm sorry I didn't believe you—I mean, I had a suspicion that she could be real but I wasn't sure." she said, apologetic.
Bonnie was surprised to hear one of her ancestors' names. "Uuh...it's fine, Care. It's a long time ago." she waved her hand in the air, brushing Caroline's apology away as there wasn't any need. "But what about her? The last time I communicated with her was at that old witch's place months ago." she uttered, inquisitive.
The wild Original briefly explained what occurred when he met Emily Bennett during the séance last year. Which caused the supernatural girls to exchange thoughtful glances. "A vengeful witch cursed the Original, linked his soul to yours." Bonnie commented, astonished and awed by the mystery witch's bravery or stupidly. "...wait." her spine straightened and moved around to put the empty coffee mug on the nightstand.
Bonnie adjusted her sitting position while she displayed her analytical face. "How does that work, exactly?"
"What do you mean?" Caroline, also put her empty mug on the nightstand as well, facing her witch best friend with curiosity. Kol raised his questioning eyebrow at his mentee.
The Bennett witch licked her teeth as unanswered questions popped into her mind. "A witch cursed Kol and bound his soul to yours—but, he was daggered decades ago, right?"
"Nineteen-fourteen to be exact." Kol said, bittered.
Caroline leisurely nods her head with interest. "Nineteen-fourteen." she repeated her ghost friend's words easily.
Bonnie's eyes lit with speculation. "But you aren't born in nineteen-fourteen."
"Because I was born nineteen-ninety-two." the blonde-haired beauty stated, now just realized. The wild Original lifted his head from his palm to contemplate deeply.
The Bennett witch nodded her head while her eyes dazed off in the distance, thinking out loud. "According to the grimoires... when I read the jinxes, hexes, and curses... most of the ingredients of the spells always involve blood. I remembered this one nasty curse from Emily's grimoire—Falsum Oculos, which basically roughly translates as false eyes. It's a curse to put on whoever is targeted to become paranoid for a period of time. And that you need a target's blood for that to work." Caroline made a face when she learned a nasty curse while Kol had a thoughtful face.
"Anyways... what I'm trying to say is that, how can a witch from nineteen-fourteen cursed Kol that involves with your blood when you aren't even born yet?" Bonnie was perplexed and bewildered.
Caroline opened her mouth but hesitated for a moment while Kol rubbed his mouth, silently pondering. "...maybe it was the blood from my relatives?" she guessed, uncertain.
"I doubt it." Kol answered. "If it's your relative blood, then one of your parents would've seen me by now."
The blonde-haired beauty passed on Kol's words to Bonnie without thinking. "What does that mean, then?" Caroline asked, confused.
Bonnie runs her messy hair with her fingers. "It means that it was your blood."
"How?" Caroline challenged, disblieved.
The Prince Original narrowed his eyes at his vampire for a momentarily and opened his mouth. "Maybe it was the blood of Sáõ?" he wondered, if that is true then how did the mystery witch get to hold of the blood of the Sáõ?
"Kol said it could be my blood—the Sáõ." Caroline said, interested.
Bonnie nodded her head with understanding. "That would make a lot of sense." she agreed with her mentor.
The blonde-haired beauty perked up with an idea as her blue-green eyes brightened which caught Kol's attention. "I just remember!" she hurriedly shoved the blanket away from her legs, swung over the edge and power walked to her desk.
Caroline jerked one of the drawers and carefully took out the ancient journal from it. "Harper gave this to me months ago." Kol's dark eyes lit up with understanding. "Maybe we can find answers from my ancestor's journal." the blonde-haired beauty walked back to her bed, sitting across from Bonnie. "I prefer Kol to be here physically but at least I can hear him now." she added with a small smile yet a bit disappointed.
"I'm flatter, darling." Kol flirted yet appreciated. It made him feel so warm when Caroline freely admitted that she wanted him to be here with her in a real body. The blonde-haired beauty huffed softly, ignoring the small pink flushes on her cheeks. The wild Original smirks smugly when he notices her pink cheeks. He brushed the back of his fingers against her cheek which made her shiver by his ice-cold touch.
Bonnie leaned forward with enthusiasm and interest. "I recalled that you mentioned this book." her fingers gently touch the old leather book with awe and amazed. "It looked so venerable."
"Yes. It is a very antediluvian." Kol commented, impressed with how good well-care of the leather journal was. He had owned quite ancient grimoires and journals in his collection for centuries. Kol knew how challenging it was to take good care of old fragile books.
Caroline opens the cover of the journal carefully. She pointed to the very elegant lovely cursive written on the parchment. "These are the names of my ancestors—Lovisa, Solveig, and Emmanuella." Bonnie scooted closer, trying to read upside down with her curious eyes.
"This one, it said The Tree of Life, translated from Kol." Caroline briefly recalled after she turned the page to reveal a beautiful drawn majestic tree. She lifted her hand and grabbed her pendant lovely. She rubbed the curve, texture, and wires on her pendant with her thumb.
The Bennett witch hummed with amazed. "It's marvelous." Bonnie praised at gorgeous drawings on the old page.
Caroline beamed with pride and turned the page. "These pages were written in old languages but Kol knows them."
"It is an old language. Old Norse." the Prince Original informed, shifted forward as his body was very close to Caroline. The blonde-haired beauty could feel the wintery-cold touch on the side of her torso.
"Anything worth in here, Kol?" Caroline moved the journal a bit deliberately for the ghost Original to read.
The wild Original's dark eyes skim over the parchment pages. "It's an introduction, the beginning of the Sáõ. Five hundred years ago, the First Sáõ." Kol tilted his head, interested. "She was the platonic soulmate of Qetsiyah. Qetsiyah and the First Sáõ are both magically bonded as soul sisters. Which resulted in that the Βασίλισσα Qetsiyah of the Μπένετ Clan—" Kol halted as he snapped his eyes at his mentee with astonished yet intrigued.
Caroline helpfully passed on information after she heard Kol's reading. She made a face when she mispronounced the name of the clan. "I have no idea what that word means?" Bonnie shakes her head, clueless as well.
"Μπένετ in Greek which roughly translates of Bennett." the Prince Original explained, wondering.
The blonde-haired beauty gasped in amazed. "Oh my God!" her eyes widen in stunned. "Bonnie! This Qetsiyah was your ancestor!" Bonnie's blinked in surprise. "Kol said that name of her clan, when I obviously couldn't pronounce it, translated to Bennett!"
"Whoa." the petite witch was amazed. She did not expect that information. Caroline nodded her head, shared the feeling with her witch best friend.
The Prince Original trailed his dark eyes back to the pages and continued reading. "Which resulted in that the Βασίλισσα Qetsiyah of the Μπένετ Clan and the First Sáõ are both royalty within the magic society. The mighty blood of the First Sáõ was the reason why the Μπένετ Clan became the most powerful and ancient coven. Sadly, there is not much more information since a precious friend of mine, Antoinette of the Bennett Clan, only had a couple of Dead Sea Scrolls. They were very difficult to read but at least it was something to learn of my blood as a Second Sáõ."
"...wow." Caroline finished repeated after she and Bonnie learned the history of their ancestors. "I didn't expect that our ancestors are royalty."
Bonnie lightly huffed. "And I didn't expect that it was your blood that made my Bennett magic so powerful." she stated, awestruck.
"These words were written by Lovisa." the mischief Original acknowledged after he spotted the old language of a name at the bottom of the page. Then he thought about just how far this timeline was.
Caroline's eyes brighten. "Kol said this was written by Lovisa." she studied Lovisa's calligraphy which was beautifully formal and elegant.
"Darling, will you turn a few pages?" the transparent Original asked which made Caroline raise her curious eyebrow but obliged. Kol waited until he opened his mouth. "Right there." he gently stopped her. He easily translates on the pages that he is very familiar with his old native tongue. "This is a different woman who wrote these words. Solveig. The Third Sáõ."
The blonde-haired beauty lifted her eyes to Bonnie who just glanced at the book and at her back and forth with questioning eyes. "He said this was written from Solveig. The Third Sáõ."
Kol skimmed over quickly with interest and he found unexpected information. "Solveig was a witch. Her mentor was Ayana of the Bennett Clan." he announced, shocked. Ayana was also his and Finn's mentor as well. Not to forget, Ayana used to be his mother's mentor.
This is strangely odd because he doesn't remember a witch named Solveig during his human time. Was it before Ayana met his mother or before he was born? What happened to Solveig at that time? Or was she kept in hidden, protected by the Bennett witch?
"I noticed that each of my ancestors knew yours." Bonnie pointed it out, dazed. She snapped out of it when she recalled something. "Wait—did you say Ayana?" why does that name seem vaguely familiar to her?
Caroline just nodded with a confused glint in her blue-green orbs.
"Ayana was my mentor." Kol blunted.
The blonde-haired beauty tilted her head in surprise. "Kol said Ayana was his mentor."
Bonnie's eyes glimmer with comprehension. "Elijah told me a bit. He knew my ancestor—Ayana. We didn't get a chance to talk about my ancestor because..." she trailed off with a disgruntled frown.
"Because he was daggered." Caroline finished it, sympathy.
Kol scowled with irked. He wishes he could destroy the daggers, unfortunately, his happy-go-trigger dagger brother refuses to give them away.
The Bennett witch narrowed her eyes at the journal, thinking. "Ayana... She was Kol's mentor and Elijah knew her. Why would she be Kol's mentor? Isn't that the other way around?" she asked, confused.
"No. A thousand years ago was when I was a human. I was a warlock." the transparent Original stated, emotionlessly.
Caroline blinked in astonishment. "Kol said he was a warlock." she didn't know that at all. But it made so much sense why he is so strict and very intelligent as a mentor. He knew what it meant to be a warlock with magic.
Bonnie gasps in bewilderment. "Seriously?" Caroline nodded her head in response. "And he chose a vampire over magic?" she asked with slight judged yet incomprehension how could anyone give up their magic?
"I didn't have a choice!" Kol snapped defensively. "I was killed and became an immortal Original without my consent!" he will not have his mentee be disrespectful to him. Ayana's descendant or not, he will make sure Bonnie learns some manners.
The blonde-haired beauty made a winced face, she could hear how offended and angry his voice was. "Kol said that he was forced to become an immortal Original after he was killed. He didn't give his consent. I don't think he appreciates your tone, Bon."
Bonnie's eyes filled with guilt and apologetic. "...sorry." she muttered, sheepishly.
Kol huffed and closed his eyes, attempting to calm his temper. He just needs to remember that his mentee is learning and soon, she will not be so judgemental and naive witch once he is done with her training.
Caroline's lips pressed together. She shifted her gaze to the pages of her ancestor's journal. She gently turned a few pages until she reached halfway through the book. "This is where English and Latin joined in..." Caroline subtly changed the topic.
"May I?" Bonnie offered and Caroline turned the book around carefully. Kol opened his eyes, and stared at the leather book blankly. "...I can somewhat read these... oh!" she pointed at the words with her finger. "It said here that Emmanuella was the Fourth..." she trailed off, couldn't say the word but Caroline and Kol understood.
Kol shifted his dark eyes from the book to his vampire. "Which means you are the Fifth Sáõ." he recalled how Harper Rolfe knew Emmanuella, and Caroline was the Sáõ of this timeline.
"He said I'm the Fifth Sáõ." the blonde-haired beauty said, intrigued.
The petite witch hummed thoughtfully. "Solveig was a thousand years ago... from what we learned was that Lovisa was five hundred years later after the First..."
"Two thousand years ago." the wild Original did a quick calculation. "Every five hundred years, a new Sáõ comes into exist." he remarked, confident of his answer.
Caroline shakes her head in disbelief amazed. "Our ancestors knew each other two thousand years ago." she uttered, shocked. "He also said that Sáõ popped up every five hundred years."
Now Kol understands why the soldier vampire said that Sáõ was a scarce species. They are very rare creatures in the supernatural society. Just what does it mean for her to be a Child of Nature? Kol wondered, he kind of wished he didn't tell his darling to skip pages but he could wait. Learn more later.
Bonnie bit her lip while mulling over the information they had learned so far. "Then it's possible that vengeful witch gotten a hold of your ancestor's blood and used it to curse Kol." she said with a theory.
"But—" Caroline's nose wrinkled with confusion. "—can blood last long? If it's decades, a century later?" she asked, unsure.
The transparent Original released a heavy exhale. "With the right spells, blood can last a very long time." Kol muttered then glanced at the tiny witch. "Do you know what spell for that, little witch?"
"Ah, Kol said with the right spells, blood can last a long time. He also asked if you know what spell it was?" Caroline didn't expect her ghost friend to do a little pop-up quiz question for Bonnie.
Bonnie hummed contemplative. "...the preservation spell."
"Correct, sweetheart." Kol approved with a small smirk. Caroline confirmed that Bonnie was right with a positive smile.
The Bennett witch smiles with a bit of eager and proud glint in her olive-green orbs. She shifted her attentive eyes back to the leather book. "This book has so much knowledge of your blood and history." she mused out loud and softly traced her finger on one of the small drawings on the old page. "This symbol is everywhere."
"Oh, yeah. That was because it is connected between the Earth and the Other Side. It ties the ancient blood with a witch's blood from a powerful Bennett Coven." Caroline briefly remembered that piece of information months ago. Her blue-green eyes glow with new knowledge. "Which means our ancestors' blood ties to the Tree of Life."
Bonnie squints her eyes at the drawing symbol. "...that tree reminded me of that glass coffin from my witch vision." she explained, slightly troubled.
Kol made a grimaced face while Caroline leaned her chin on her palm as her elbow rested on her knee. "You think that maybe someone in the glass coffin could be my ancestor?" she inquired.
"It's a possibility." the transparent Original commented.
"Maybe?" the petite witch shrugs her shoulders. "All I just know is that it was your ancestor's blood that cursed Kol, probably from Emmanuella's blood." Bonnie guessed it with a sigh. "Not to mention—"
A stomach growl is heard.
Bonnie and Caroline exchanged blinks then burst out in amused giggles while Kol huffed with mirth dancing in his dark eyes. "Wow! We've been at this topic for hours." Caroline exclaimed when she saw the digital clock on her nightstand. "It's almost one o'clock."
"Geez." the Bennett witch rubbed her hungry stomach. "No wonder my stomach has been giving me pain." she made a face.
"Well, take a break and go eat." Kol said, amused.
Caroline rolled her eyes playfully. "Our ghost had oh so kindly told us to take a break and eat." Bonnie snorted with light humor. Kol poked his vampire's forehead out of childishly merrily.
"I hope we have that spicy chip." Bonnie voiced out, hopefully with shining eyes.
The blonde-haired beauty carefully pulled her journal to her and closed it gently. "Mom recently bought new food a couple of days ago. I'm pretty sure there is your favorite bag of chips in the same spot." Caroline said with amusement and Bonnie squealed with excitement, jumped off the bed, and hurried out of the bedroom. "Don't eat it all, Bonnie!"
"Then you better hurry up!" Bonnie shouted in the distance.
Caroline slid off her bed with a shaking head yet a fond glint in her blue-green eyes. She grabbed her ancestors' journal and put it away safely back in the desk's drawer. "Kol?"
"Yes, darling?" the transparent Original shoved his hands in his front pocket while standing by the open door.
The blonde-haired beauty bit her inner cheek with slight hesitation and then whispered but loud enough for Kol to hear her. "Do you think you can tell me what it was like for you to be a warlock later?" she shyly yet considered asked.
Kol was taken aback by her question. He scrutinizes his nervous vampire for a moment then his dark eyes soften. "Yes. I'll tell you about it later." Once again, a beautiful bright smile appeared on her face as her eyes sparkled happily.
"Great! I better go before Bonnie eats all those spicy chips!" Caroline used her vamp-speed out of her bedroom.
The transparent Original's lips twitched when he heard loud squeals and happy giggles between his girls downstairs. "My silly girls." he whispered, affectionately and strode out of the bedroom to head the first level.
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Monroe, North Carolina
Abby Bennett's Residence
Meanwhile...
Abby hiking across the large wood field of solemn atmosphere. The trees are surroundings around the small fences that she recognized almost immediately. It was a small cemetery of the Bennett family. Her eyes went to one of the gravestones and her heart sank when she read the name.
SHEILA BENNETT — BELOVED GRANDMOTHER
Her mother. She remembered that her ex-husband left her a voice message about the death of her mother. Abby's watery eyes shifted to the other gravestone.
AMELIA BENNETT — SHE WAS WELL ESTEEMED AND LOYAL TO ALL WHO KNEW HER
A sadness hit her at her aunt's name. Abby shook her head sadly while continuing walking and saw another gravestone that made her heart bitter.
THE MEMORY OF ERNESTINE BENNETT — REST IN PEACE
With direct loathed glared at the tomb and moved on. Ahead of her, there was an oak polished coffin sitting above the large rocks. Abby sauntered toward it with wary yet curious sparkles in her eyes.
When she reached the mystery coffin, she gently touched the wood with her fingertips. Slowly, she opens the heavy, wooden lid. A shocked gasp left her lips when she saw a young beautiful female dressed in a pearl-white sundress.
Tears started to form in her eyes. "No...Bonnie." Abby wept when recognized the face of her daughter. Her shaky hand lightly touches motionless Bonnie's face, almost as if she is afraid it will crack underneath her touch. Her little girl, her baby is dead.
"You want to save her?" an unfamiliar voice speaks out from behind. Abby whirled around and saw a young handsome man with short curly blonde hair, cornflower blue eyes, and a red cruel smirk displayed on his face. "Then return to Mystic Falls and open the coffin. I dare you." A malice lit in his tone.
Abby glares suspiciously at him and opens her mouth to demand who he is—
A pair of eyes snapped open and she sat up quickly as the old quilt blanket fell from her shoulders to her lap. She blinked a few times as she realized she was in the living room. 'That's right... I was taking a nap after I finished planting my flowers...' she mused, trying to calm her fast-beating heart.
Abby thought about the dream she just had. 'No. Not a dream.' Her eyes trailed down at her hands, considering.
It has been fifteen years since she left Mystic Falls. Fifteen years since she left her daughter behind. Fifteen years since she had a witch vision.
...and her daughter is in danger.
With fierce determination appeared in her eyes.
Time to return to Mystic Falls.
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Mystic Falls, Virginia
The Grills
Next Day...
"Kind of sucks that Lexi had to leave." Caroline pouted childishly as she crossed her arms on the table while Bonnie was sitting across from her. Kol lounged on the chair nearby with his ankles crossed and his arms folded behind his head.
Bonnie plays the ice cubes with her straw in her lemonade drink. "Well, she did say that she'll come back here with her friend."
The blonde-haired beauty sighed loudly but nodded her head. "I know. At least I will get to see Lee again." she commented, a bit disappointed because she wanted to spend more time with Lexi. Oh well, the dark-blonde vampire promised to return and took Ray with her to help with her friend's situation.
An amused smile displayed on Bonnie's face and scanned around the semi-busy place until her eyes landed at the door. Her smile fell in shock when she saw a familiar figure walk inside through the door. "What the hell?" Bonnie blunted in astonishment shocked.
Caroline followed Bonnie's eyes in the direction while Kol did the same. They both saw a grown woman who was searching around with determined eyes. "You know that woman?" the blonde-haired beauty turned her head back to her witch best friend with curiosity.
"...that's...my mom." Bonnie blurted in baffled.
Kol straightened and studied the Bennett woman with casual interest. He assumed that his mentee's mother had passed away because she never said a word. Kol also remembered not seeing any pictures of Bonnie's mother in her house at all.
"Your mother?" Caroline whispered, perplexed with wide shocked eyes.
Then Bonnie's mother's eyes landed on them and she froze for momentarily. She shakes her head and strides in their direction with resolve and confidence.
Caroline shifted in her seat while grabbing the napkin and started playing with it with a faux-innocent face. Bonnie darted her eyes at her drink with intensity, pretending she didn't notice her mother.
Kol just watches with amusement and curiosity.
When the Bennett woman reached to them. She idly glanced at the blonde-haired beauty disinterested then moved to Bonnie with conflicted emotions flashing in her eyes. "Bonnie." she said, hesitant and wonderment.
Bonnie slowly lifted her olive-green eyes to her mother. "Abby." she greeted, detached as her blank mask covered her emotions.
Caroline and Kol looked back and forth at the mother and daughter with nosey interests as the uncomfortable silence appeared between them.
"I need to talk to you, Bonnie." Abby asked, neutral polite. Bonnie's eyes narrowed at her with firm line lips. "Please."
The Bennett witch shifted her gaze to her vampire best friend who is shamelessly watching them. Caroline tilted her head with concern and questioning eyes. Bonnie nodded her head, confirming that she was alright for now.
The blonde-haired beauty purposely moved her eyes to the door and to her, silently asking her if she wanted to leave. Bonnie seems to be indecisive for a brief moment however, Abby opens her mouth.
"I just need your moment of time to talk with you." Bonnie and Caroline turned their eyes up at the woman who looked serious. "Alone, please?" she asked, again with politeness.
Bonnie clenched her jaw for a few seconds, internally argued herself then sighed heavily. "Fine." she said, coolly. Abby's tense shoulders relax a bit.
Caroline cleared her throat. "Well... I'll just go and head home." she dropped the napkin on the table and grabbed her purse while standing up to her feet. Kol quietly moved and stood near his vampire with casual interest.
"I'll see you later." the petite witch informed her vampire best friend, letting her know that Bonnie would be stopping by.
The blonde-haired beauty nods her head with an acknowledged smile. Her blue-green eyes glanced at the indifferent woman. "Umm...it was nice to meet you, Ms. Bennett."
"Wilson." Abby interjected, calmly. "It's Abby Wilson." she corrected.
Caroline nods her head with a charming faux-smile. "Right, of course. Mrs. Wilson." then she sent her supportive and sisterly love to Bonnie who looked grateful. The blonde-haired beauty turned around and bounced away toward the exit while Kol followed her closely.
Abby took over the chair where Caroline used to sit and pulled her purse from her shoulder to her lap. The woman observed Bonnie who leaned back with an intense and stiff body as she crossed her arms over her chest.
"What brings you back to Mystic Falls?" Bonnie asked, suspicious. "Thought you are excited that you get to abandon your life here fifteen years ago."
The woman dug her nails into her purse. "My best friend is why I left. Fifteen years ago, a vampire came to town. Looking for Elena—a doppelganger. No one could manage to kill him, so I lured him out of town and cast a spell to desiccate him in a crypt in Charlotte."
"Mikael." Bonnie stated as she was silently surprised to learn that her mother was a witch. This made her bitter because if Abby had stayed, Bonnie might have had someone she could share magic lessons. Someone who can teach her. Not only that, Abby could actually help her and Grams with a spell. Grams could be still alive and here.
Abby nods her head with a solemn face. "It took every ounce of power I had. Almost killed me. I recovered. But my magic didn't. My powers never came back." she admitted.
"And neither did you." Bonnie retorted with a bitter glint in her olive-green eyes.
The woman shakes her head. "It wasn't that simple."
Bonnie scoffed. "It wasn't? You cast a spell, put Mikael down, and then...what? You found someone, married whoever, and probably living in a nice house with a white fence and a lovely family?" she sarcastically said.
The petite witch released a frustrated and old pain sigh from her lips. "You know what? I don't know why I'm sitting here and listening to you." she pushed herself up before she shoved the chair back.
"Bonnie, wait, please." Abby jerked forward and grabbed Bonnie's wrist with her fingers as she stopped Bonnie from leaving. "Don't go. Talk to me... please?"
Bonnie stared at her for a moment with calculating eyes then nodded stiffly. Abby reluctantly dropped Bonnie's wrist and moved back. The Bennett witch returns to her seat while silently wishing Caroline didn't leave her alone with her mother. Bonnie already regrets it.
Next time, she is going to have Caroline stay by her side.
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Mystic Falls
Road
Meanwhile...
The sun peeks through the cloudy sky, playing with the land as Caroline is driving her car down the road while her fingers drum against the steering wheel. The popular music from the radio was turned on but very low enough to act as the background noise. The blonde-haired beauty had been listening to her ghost friend chatting non-stop about magic when he was a warlock a thousand years ago before he became an immortal vampire.
A soft smile displayed on her face as she noticed how happy he was when he spoke of magic. She also noted that there was nostalgia and longing mixed in his tone. Caroline had wondered what it was like to see Kol doing magic to prank people for laugh. To see Kol so focus and concentrate on spells. To watch how he trains Bonnie with the magic lessons. And witness him doing impossible yet beautiful magic with his genius prodigy mind.
Caroline finds herself wishing to bring the magnificent magic back to Kol. She recalled how Bonnie came to her with tears and broken of how she lost her magic months ago. Losing magic as a witch/warlock must be so devastating.
"—where you go, sweetheart?" Caroline snapped out of it when she felt the familiar ice-cold touch on her cheek.
Feeling sheepish and apologetic as she smiles. "Sorry, Kol. My mind just wandered for a second." she slows her car down and pauses at the stop light in the middle of the street.
Kol tilted his head, and observed her with calculating eyes. "What is on your mind?" he asked, curious.
Caroline bit her bottom lip while flickering her gaze over at the street and the buildings. "Have you, like...umm—" she hesitant.
"Like what?" Kol probed her, gently.
The blonde-haired beauty cleared her throat. "—like...try to do magic?" she questioned shyly and softly, didn't want to cause any pain and open the old wound.
The transparent Original stared at her blankly for a few seconds then his dark eyes went gentle. He recognized that she was being careful of asking him questions that could potentially open the old pain. Which shows how much she truly cares about him and his feelings. Normally, Caroline would say what's on her mind and be straightforward. It seems that she is making expectations for him. It warms him as it makes his undead heart feel affectionate for his vampire.
"In a way. I had witch colleagues and they used a distinct form of magic. To create magic objects, allowing me to wield some of the magic. They are in my Playhouse."
Caroline perked up as she pressed the gas when the red light turned to a green light. "Really?" Her eyes brighten with curiosity. "What's a playhouse?"
"Playhouse is a place where a lab that would combine magic and science. There are dozens of magic objects and also practiced Kemiya." Kol briefly explained as he thought about ancient grimoires, dark objects, curse items, magical tools, science laboratories, and rare ingredients. Then he thought about how he plotted against his brother, and allied himself with some of the witches of New Orleans to create a special dagger.
The blonde-haired beauty turned her car around the corner of the street. "Kemiya?"
"It's an Arabian form of witchcraft that allows a witch to physically destroy the elemental foundation of an object in order to create another or to magically imbue said creation with harmful, supernatural properties. It crosses the boundary between magic and science, utilizing aspects of both and the chemistry and connection between witches. Thus it is able to physically and magically alter the properties of the object."
Caroline took her moment to process the information in her mind. "So...combine both magic and science to create something?" Kol confirmed when he tapped her cheek in response. "I think I read something like that when I was a little girl. A story about someone who can do alchemy—I think that's the right name?" she wondered.
Kol raised his impressed eyebrow at his vampire, even though her knowledge of magic may be limited and small, however, she is smart once she figures it out. "Kemiya is a bit like alchemy."
Mixed with intrigue, curiosity, wonder, and excited sparkles in her blue-green eyes. "That's so cool! What magic objects do you have?" she questioned while the car headed down the familiar road that leads to her home.
"There are many objects that were created using Kemiya. To name a few—A Death Star, Obedience Bracelet, Mad Rosary, Anti-Magic Shackles." he said with the top of his head.
Caroline's eyebrows raised when she heard the interesting names. "Sounds...dark." she let out an awkward chuckle. "Umm, isn't there, like...a fun object? A positive name? You know, something you can use and enjoy?" she easily spotted her house in the distance.
Kol blinked and thought about it. Was there an object that wasn't dark? He attempted to recall anything he had in his Playhouse that was an innocent and fun item. However, nothing comes up in his mind. "I'm not sure, darling." he muttered. Kol had been so focused on using Kemiya to create a special dagger for his stupid paranoid brother.
"Then—" Caroline arrived at her house and parked her car. "—when you undaggered, maybe you and Bonnie could make a new magic object that is purely for enjoyment?" she suggested with a soft smile.
"Maybe." Kol hummed. He didn't really think of it that way but it might be fun. Especially since he wants to show the wondrousness of the beautiful magic. It's the closest to the use of magic as a vampire.
It would be a nice gift for his vampire.
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Mystic Falls
The Grills
Meanwhile...
Bonnie leaned heavily back against the chair with a weary sigh. "You never bother coming back here after all these years. No phone calls, no emails, nothing."
"I..." Abby trailed off, trying to figure out how to explain for a moment. "...when I realize that I had no magic. I wanted to take a chance to be somebody else. To be Abby Wilson, the woman. Not Abby Bennett, the witch. I'm not proud of what I did, Bonnie. I ran. I know I ran. But you had your dad." she said, quietly with soft guilt in her eyes.
The petite witch narrowed her eyes. "You didn't mention Grams." she pointed it out.
Abby closed her eyes with slumped shoulders. "Your father sends a voice message. I learned that she passed away."
"And you couldn't attend her funeral?" Bonnie scoffed, with incredulity and anger.
Abby shakes her head, sadly. "No. I didn't have the courage."
"Then why are you here?" Bonnie questioned with a bitter glare at her mother.
The woman opened her eyes and stared at Bonnie thoughtfully. "After fifteen years of having no sign of magic... I got a vision." Bonnie's olive-green eyes glint with interest. "It was our family cemetery, and then there was an oak-wooden coffin. I opened it and you were in it." Abby said, troubled when she remembered the details of her daughter lying inside the coffin. "And then, there was a man with a British accent. Blonde hair, blue eyes, handsome but so cruel."
"Sounded like Klaus." the Bennett witch stated with a puzzled frown. The oak-wooden coffin made her think about the ones in the warehouse that Stefan had stolen and hidden from the Original Hybrid.
Abby furrowed her eyebrows, perplexed. "Who is Klaus?"
Bonnie just shakes her head. "There's no need to concern yourself with that."
"Bonnie—"
The Bennett witch pulled herself up to her feet by pushing her palms on the table. "I've been dealing with a lot of supernatural drama for months. I don't need your help nor have you to save me. I am fine. I have my magic."
"Yes. you do have your magic. But you do not have a mentor." Abby protested, not wanting to let her daughter go.
Bonnie smiled coldly at Abby. "Actually I do. He is an outstanding mentor. Has all the wealth of knowledge in his head. If anyone can actually teach me how to use magic properly, it's him." she said with confidence.
Abby narrowed her eyes suspiciously at this new information. "Who is he? Does your Grams know him? Do you trust him?"
"None of your business, Abby." Bonnie blunted with a frown while pulling the strap of her book bag over her shoulders. "It's best that you return to where your peaceful life was before you get dragged into the supernatural mess, considering that you have no magic."
The petite witch ambled around the table but halted when Abby caught her forearm. "Bon—"
Bonnie voiced over her mother. "For your information, Grams knew who he was. She didn't forbid me to learn from him. And I trust my mentor with my life." she declared with a strong tone as her olive-green eyes shone to emerald that crackled softly with her magic. "Now, if you excuse me..." she took her arm back from Abby's hand not unkindly. "... I'd rather go spend my free time with my best friend."
Abby watched her daughter leave with a defeated face. When Bonnie left the Grills, a disappointed sigh released from her lips and placed her forehead on her hands.
Suddenly, a figure took over the chair across from her and cleared their throat. Abby jerked her head up from her palms with cautious eyes. She blinked at the young male who smiled politely at her.
"Hi, I'm Stefan Salvatore and I couldn't help but overhear that you are Bonnie's mother?" Stefan asked, casually interested.
Abby glares at him as she recognizes face from the old family photos from the historical society party years ago. "How is that any of your business, vampire?" she challenged.
The young Salvatore entwined his fingers and landed it on the surface of the table. He tilted his head and displayed his charming smile. "It's my business when you talk about the coffins." Abby is cautiously eyeing him with a contemplative frown. "Please, tell me more about that vision you had?"
"Why?" the woman questioned, bemused.
"'Cause I happen to have oak-wooden coffins."
And that caught Abby's attention.
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Mystic Falls
Forbes' Residence
Outdoor
Meanwhile...
Caroline smiles merrily as she gracefully bounces down the path toward the porch while Kol watches his vampire with adored and fond eyes. The blonde-haired beauty skipped over the stairs to the porch but halted as her smile fell when her blue-green eyes landed on Tyler.
"The bloody hell are you doing here?!" Kol scowled angrily as he sent his stink glares at the Lockwood hybrid. Silently wish he could drag this fucking git and throw him out to the street.
Tyler stood up from the outdoor chair when he saw her. He wipes his jeans nervously. "Hey."
"Why are you here?" Caroline snapped, defensively with her guard up and alert.
The young Lockwood took a step forward but Caroline stepped back and held up her palm, gesturing to him to not go anywhere near her. "Don't." she warned him, coldly.
"I came to apologize." Tyler answered with guilty eyes.
Kol scoffed incredulity while Caroline stared at him in disbelief. "Apologize?! You bit me. I could've died. I think we're way past apologies, Tyler." She retorted with an upset frown.
"That's the problem." Tyler defended himself. "Klaus told me to do it and I said no. And then... just happened anyway. Like, it was completely out of my control. I didn't know what to do. So, I talked to your mom about it after I apologized to her for what I did." he shoved his hands in his jacket's pockets. "Your mom gave me his number and told me it was my decision. And I called him."
Caroline furrowed her eyebrows in bemused. "Call who?"
"Caroline."
The blonde-haired beauty stiffed when she heard a familiar voice behind her. Kol jerked his head around and cursed darkly under his breath when he saw him. "Fucking hell!"
Caroline slowly turned around and her eyes widened in stunned. Bill steps across the threshold from the front door and nods his head at her. "Hi."
A rush of fear chilled down her spine as her undead heart sank with apprehension and anxiety. She didn't expect to see the man who tortured her for days. A man who was her father.
A father who willingly tortured his own daughter.
And a father who disowned her because she is a vampire.
Tyler explained his reasoning, unaware that Bill was one of the fears that triggered inside of Caroline. "I explained to him what happened and he told me that he can resist compulsion. So, I thought, maybe he could teach me to resist the sire bond."
"Breathe, darling." Kol gently feather-like touches her cheek, to ground her. Caroline instantly clings to that freezing cold touch. She gulped anxiously while her shaky fingers curled into tight fists, refusing to let them see how troubled and scared she was.
"I...honestly don't want either of you here." Caroline barely concealed her fear tone while eyeing her former father and Tyler. "Please leave, and don't come here or anywhere near me again."
Tyler's shoulders slumped with a crestfallen face. He opened his mouth but then changed his mind and shut his jaw closed. He nodded wordlessly and turned to Bill.
"I will meet you in my car." Bill calmly said. Tyler tipped his head, took a last glance at Caroline who didn't meet his eyes, and strode down the stairs to the path and out to where Bill parked his car in the distance. Kol happily and shamelessly flipped his birds at the young Lockwood.
The vampire hunter turned his blank eyes at Caroline. "He made a mistake and now he wants to make good. Because he wants to control his own life instead of letting the beast control him."
"You are a nitwit arsehole." the wild Original snapped, resentful and indignant at the hunter who caused his vampire so much trauma and pain.
Caroline crossed her arms, defensively and turned sideway. Her gaze stared at the windows across from her on the porch. "I don't care. Please leave."
"Just like that?" Bill said with a hint of disappointment in his tone.
Kol's chest rumbled with lividness while glaring darkly at the hunter.
The blonde-haired beauty closed her eyes, inhaled for a bit then exhaled shakily. She tilted her head to her father and opened her watery eyes. "You hurt me. Tortured me for days. Ignored me. And left me. You chose that I am no longer your daughter." And she had cried that day after her father disowned her. Caroline didn't tell anyone about how Bill disowned her except Bonnie. And Kol already knew as he was there when it happened. And she has a feeling that her mother has her own suspicions but Caroline doesn't confirm nor deny it. "Please... just go." Caroline whispered, bitterly and hurt.
Bill stared at her with blank eyes then nodded his head. He sauntered down the stairs and down the path to head back to his car where Tyler was waiting inside the passenger's seat.
Caroline closed her eyes once again, waiting. Kol watches the car start the engine and drives away. The blonde-haired beauty shudders as she drops her knees on the ground. The wild Original jerked his surprised eyes at her.
The blonde-haired beauty felt her undead heart somehow squeeze so agony that it hurt. Her breathing became shallow and felt like she was suffocating. So full of overwhelmed with dread and fear as her body trembled.
"Breathe. You're having a panic attack, love." Kol dropped down next to her side and touched her cheek with worry. "You need to breathe, Caroline."
"K-kol...I-I can't breathe!" the blonde-haired beauty struggles to calm herself.
The transparent Original thought about his sister who had panic attacked centuries ago, remembering how Elijah calmed Rebekah down. He can physically do what Elijah did by embracing their sister. However, he can do this instead. "Close your eyes. Listen to me, Caroline. Close your eyes." it took a couple of tries for Caroline to understand what he was saying through her panic attack and she closed her eyes. "Now listen. You are Caroline Forbes. You are on the porch of your home. You have a best friend, Bonnie Bennett, who will come by later. And I am here, right here with you." Kol didn't drop his ice-cold touches on his vampire's cheek. "You are not alone."
Caroline curled her hands together and pressed them against her chest while trying to breathe and focus on his voice and the wintery touch. She has no idea how long she stays in that position. All Caroline knew was that Kol kept talking, grounding her, and touching her.
It felt like an eternity for her, when in reality it's only been ten minutes when she was finally able to regain some control of her panicked state. She still felt scared but was able to take a few deep breaths and start to calm down.
"Are you feeling calm now?" the Prince Original questioned, concerned while studying her face.
"...who would've thought..." Caroline choked as she opened her eyes halfway. "...I get panic attacked after seeing him, my own father who disowned me..." Tears swell in her eyes.
Kol's eyes softened with sympathy and leaned forward to lightly press his forehead against her temple. Caroline shivered when she felt the ice-cold touch from her hairline. "You are more resilient than you think, Caroline. You can get through this. You are not alone. I'm here." he whispered, so lovely and so gently to her.
"Kol..." Caroline's eyes shone with gratitude. For the first time since she became a vampire, her undead heart skipped a beat and butterflies fluttered in her stomach. She is starting to think that there's more to Kol than just a ghost friend to her.
Maybe, just maybe, she can give him a chance to grow more than friendship?
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Outskirt of Town
Warehouse
Later...
The older Salvatore paced back and forth inside the warehouse. There are at least a dozen lanterns on the ground, giving illumination as the sun is slowly setting through the old and broken windows.
He paused when he heard the footsteps. Damon turned his head and saw Klaus stroll in as if he owned the place. The Original paused and scanned around with unimpressed eyes. "You had a terrible taste for a meeting. This is an unattractive dusty warehouse." he blunted, uncaringly.
Damon sarcastically smirked at Klaus. "And yet..." he took a couple of steps back and the coffins revealed themselves. "They have not complained at all." he mockingly said.
Klaus glared at the Salvatore vampire and stepped forward. His blue eyes hungrily observed over the coffins to make sure they were all harmless. However, a displeased frown appeared on his face. "Where's the fourth coffin?" he demanded.
"Well, here's the thing." Damon smirked widely yet his ice-blue eyes filled with frustration and exasperation. "When there were photos of Jeremy in Denver showed up randomly in my house. Stefan found a couple and he just knew it wasn't enough time to take all—" he waves his hand over the coffins. "—of them. So, he decided to grab the fourth coffin, a locked one, and hide it somewhere."
The Original narrowed his suspicious eyes at the Salvatore for a moment and then, a realization hit him as he released a humorless chuckle. "He knew you would return my coffins to me the second you figure out that Elena's brother isn't safe like she thought he was."
"You made a deal. I thought Jeremy was off limit when you got your sister back." Damon said with a faux-polite smile.
Klaus lightly touched one of the coffins. "I said I would not harm Jeremy Gilbert." An indifferent smirk with smugness glint in his eyes. "Never said that my hybrid couldn't stalk him."
The older Salvatore grabbed a handful of photos from the inner pocket of his leather jacket. "I would appreciate it if you could stop planting these photos in my house. I don't want Elena to see them."
"Elena doesn't know?" Klaus finds this rather humorous. Damon glares at him which makes him chuckle with amusement. "Alright. I will stop. But one way or another—" his smirk dropped to a cold face. "—I will have that fourth coffin back."
"What a shame because I have no clue where Stefan hid the last coffin. I assume it was leverage and all." the older Salvatore said with a faux-charming smile. As much as he is angry about his little brother's reckless action, he can't deny that Stefan had a good plan to take away the locked coffin and hide somewhere.
Klaus stalked to Damon who stood his ground with a blank face. "I will tear your brother, limb from limb. And only then, when he is a riving mass of blood and flesh, I will rip his heart from his chest. And you will do nothing." he hisses darkly as the black-gold flashes within in his blue eyes.
The Original Hybrid and the Salvatore vampire glared at each other.
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Mystic Falls
Mikaelson Mansion
Moment Later...
Klaus watches the hybrid shove the coffins in one of the big rooms. Once all four coffins of his siblings are now together. The last coffin is somewhere and he wants it to return as soon as possible.
The Original Hybrid touches his sister's coffin thoughtfully and lifts his head when he hears the hybrid speak.
"You've got your family back. Finally." the hybrid said while examining the coffin with curiosity. "You're gonna open them?"
A calm smirk displayed on Klaus' face. "Not quite yet." he walked out of the big room and the hybrid followed him. "I still have some unfinished business to take care of."
"What business?" the hybrid watched Klaus' back with confusion.
Klaus turned around to answer—
Suddenly, the hybrid cried out in agony and squirmed for a few seconds then fell to the floor, dead. Elijah stood calmly with a bloody heart in his hand. Klaus stared at his undaggered brother in speechless shock.
"So, Niklaus..." The Noble Original stared coldly at his young brother, stepping over the dead hybrid nonchalance. "...what did I miss?"