{"id":587,"date":"2024-08-17T22:44:10","date_gmt":"2024-08-17T22:44:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/meekobuggy.com\/?page_id=587"},"modified":"2024-08-17T23:07:39","modified_gmt":"2024-08-17T23:07:39","slug":"chapter-01","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/meekobuggy.com\/?page_id=587","title":{"rendered":"Chapter 01"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Chapter 01<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

\u201cCan we talk?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Klaus looked up from his book to greet his partner, Myriam. Whenever she came home, she\u2019d greet him with a \u2018hello\u2019 or a kiss, but for her to storm into the courtyard as she had done, was something different. \u201cTrouble?\u201d Not that she needed Klaus\u2019 help when there was trouble at her brothel; she had an excellent security team made out of vampires and warlocks to keep her and the girls safe. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOh, don\u2019t worry, we\u2019re fine,\u201d she huffed as she poured herself a drink and sat down opposite of him. \u201cBut we need to talk. I think you\u2019ll want to hear this and take action.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On occasion, Myriam would hear rumors of girls in trouble and, without the rest of his siblings knowing other than him and her going out of town, they\u2019d help the girl in trouble and send her on her way. \u201cDoes the end of this talk cause us to leave town for a few days?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo, not us,\u201d Myriam grinned. \u201cYour brother Kol. I think he\u2019ll be excellent for this job.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He knew it. Myriam had made a humanitarian out of him. They\u2019d always loved humans in any way possible; for company or for sport, but these days the entire family treated the fragile beings with more respect than they\u2019d done previously. \u201cOh, so we are talking about a girl in trouble?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThat is unclear, but there is a girl involved in a very unusual situation and I think it\u2019s a good thing for Kol to go and see what\u2019s up,\u201d she took a drink of her glass and watched him, carefully. Myriam wasn\u2019t in the business of saving girls unless something strange was going on and this case, well, it required someone who knew a lot about a lot of things and an unfamiliar face in case the guilty party recognized Klaus\u2019 face. \u201cKol is an unknown for the most part.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Myriam was right about that, but now Klaus was even more intrigued. \u201cTell me more.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She let out a snort. \u201cWell, a Cold One strolled into my lovely establishment last night and security was just about to boot him out because we do not serve their <\/em>kind, but I intervened because this Cold One seemed to know about me and the ties I have to you. He knows of your reputation as a family and he believes we\u2019re this girl\u2019s only choice of some peace.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cA friendly Cold One?\u201d There were only a handful of Cold Ones that were actually decent to talk to. Elijah had brokered some sort of mutual understanding with the Cold One royalty hundreds of years ago – they\u2019d stay away from each other and not kill those from the other kind, but most Cold Ones they\u2019d encountered were incredibly dull and arrogant. Not worth their time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Myriam nodded. \u201cHe said his name was Peter and that he had the gift of simply knowing things. He knew of a Cold One family up in Washington who are keeping a human girl and the Volturi were powerless to enforce a change or her death.\u201d When Klaus remained silent, Myriam continued. \u201cI know, a vampire having a human pet wasn\u2019t unheard of in the dark ages, but in this day and age? And it\u2019s not just one vampire, it\u2019s an entire coven who are keeping her, all with various gifts of their own to keep her controlled.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAccording to this Peter,\u201d he pointed out. \u201cI don\u2019t find Cold Ones reliable.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI knew you were going to say this, and yes, based on this information there\u2019s no reason to get the girl to safety, especially since that coven has a tracker and they seem to be pretty obsessed with her. Now, no, there\u2019s a tribe of Native Americans living close by, shifter wolves, the guardians of the humans and they\u2019re not doing one single thing to protect this girl from the Cold Ones. They\u2019re not doing what they\u2019re meant for.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOkay?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhy?\u201d Myriam pointed out. \u201cWhy aren\u2019t they doing anything and fulfilling their duty? I want Kol to go there and find out. I mean, it\u2019s part of their history in Washington, isn\u2019t it? The wolves that are capable of dealing with Cold Ones who get out of line.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cPerhaps they have an agreement, a mutual understanding, such as we have with the Volturi, to protect the peace.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThat\u2019s bullshit, Klaus, and you know it. Wolves and vampires don\u2019t mix unless you\u2019re\u2026 well\u2026 you,\u201d she shot at him. \u201cIf you\u2019re not willing to send Kol to check things out, I\u2019ll go myself.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou\u2019re not going to mingle with magical wolves and Cold Ones, are you insane?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSend Kol,\u201d she said defiantly. \u201cBecause you know I will go and there won\u2019t be anything stopping me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

~o.O.o~<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If he had to pick the dullest place on Earth, Forks, Washington, would be a strong contender. Granted, it would be vampire heaven – taking your kills into the woods for a nice little chase; blood tasted so much better with an adrenaline kick to it, but it was so dull. There was no other word to describe the little town.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The hotels along the main road – two of them! – were rubbish. One had one star and the other one three, but they all looked they could do with a bulldozer to the face and a proper rebuilding. Not that Kol was a snob like that; not at all, he could easily sleep in a tent as he\u2019d done in the past, but the buildings were so old that he didn\u2019t think there was much privacy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

There was a lodge on the edge of town and after some compelling, the current guests left for one of the hotels and he moved in. He needed a place to stay, after all. He spent the first day getting his bearings; explore the town, listen. Observe. Kol wasn\u2019t quite sure why Nik had taken an interest in the comings and goings of the local Cold One coven. Nik didn\u2019t say anything other than Kol needed to draw his own conclusions. It was almost as if he was sent on reconnaissance, and if that was the case, it wasn\u2019t so bad. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

They could get rid of the coven and claim their home as their own, that is, if the house was comfortable enough to live in. But why would they want to live in this stupid town, anyway?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He had found the wolf reservation, but didn\u2019t set foot on it; magical or not, they were still werewolves and while a wolf bite wouldn\u2019t be fatal, it\u2019d still mess him up for a good few hours. Not a chance. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As it turned out, it wasn\u2019t difficult to find this coven; the Cullens<\/em>. The leader was a doctor at the local hospital and the \u2018children\u2019 were well known at the local high school. Seriously? Looking young forever and doing school over and over again? Granted, he and Rebekah were technically the age of a high school student themselves, but to go to school indefinitely? Did these Cold Ones like to torture themselves?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oh, he understood why his sister liked it so much; the dances, the cliques and the raging teenage hormones, but at least she did something good with her educations as well; she was a fully trained nurse and whenever she felt like it she worked as one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kol just got bored easily and was glad that he wasn\u2019t sent back to school for this one. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Cullens had a big house with windows everywhere in the middle of the forest. Pompous asses – they sparkled in the sun but he supposed that the trees gave them enough cover as not to sparkle indoors. The trees did give him cover enough to observe the coven through the windows. The statues. And the human girl. She was human, because she moved like one – delicate and clumsy. Her pale face not showing any emotion and her smile didn\u2019t reach her eyes. She stared blindly out of the window, straight at Kol, when she was pulled into one of the vampires\u2019 laps and didn\u2019t flinch when they took a bite out of her. It was almost as if she wasn\u2019t there. Didn\u2019t their venom hurt like hell? Wasn\u2019t one drop of venom inside of a human body enough for them to turn? How did this girl survive for so long?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Narrowing his eyes on the vampire, he saw that he was a regular vampire. Okay, the girl allowed herself to be used as a blood bag, no big deal. Perhaps that\u2019s all she was; a vampire groupie. He had encountered a lot of them on his travels. She was likely not in any danger at all and his trip had been for naught. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, it didn\u2019t hurt to interrogate that vampire later after he\u2019d leave. Perhaps he could learn some valuable information off of him before killing him when the information was too disgusting. Maybe have the vampire kill himself and watch him do it. Oh, the entertainment for that evening was sorted!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kol tried watching the girl from the trees as she moved around the house like some sort of drone. Who was she trying to fool? She didn\u2019t look alright, did she? As she went into a room where he couldn\u2019t see her, she was being followed by one of the Cold Ones coming for her at high speed, and she didn\u2019t come out for quite some time so he watched the regular vampire\u2019s interaction with the remaining Cold Ones. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Come to think of it, he looked familiar. Yeah, wasn\u2019t he part of Myriam\u2019s security team? Dialing his brother\u2019s girlfriend, he retreated a little in the woods to make sure his voice wouldn\u2019t be picked up from inside the house. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHey, any news?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAre you missing someone at work tonight?\u201d The silence on the other end of the line spoke volumes. \u201cDo you make a habit out of hiring folk who like to hang out with Cold Ones?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHe wasn\u2019t supposed to go. I explicitly told him not to go!\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kol huffed. \u201cWell that\u2019s settled then, this one\u2019s not returning to New Orleans,\u201d he said before he disconnected his phone and moved back to his perch. It wasn\u2019t like Myriam to have a lapse in judgement, nor for her seers to make a mistake. He didn\u2019t want to jump to conclusions but maybe the guy got scared after the Cold One visit at the brothel the other day and decided to tell on them in exchange for money. Or maybe he wanted to save the girl himself. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even if that was the case, Kol was still going to rip out his heart. That girl was obviously in trouble.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It took a couple more hours for the vampire to leave, a bag full of money with him and Kol tackled him easily before pulling him deeper into the forest and slamming him against a tree. \u201cWhat are you doing?\u201d Myriam\u2019s team wasn\u2019t on vervain; mainly so that Nik could punish them whenever they stepped out of line, they never did, but just in case. Compelling the vampire to speak was easy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI wanted to save the girl,\u201d the vampire replied. \u201cI swear. That\u2019s all.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThen why the big bag of money?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe girl isn\u2019t in any danger and I was rewarded for my concern.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kol snarled. He could smell her on him even though the feed had been hours ago. He must have spilled some of her blood on his clothes. \u201cAnd you believed them?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOf course not,\u201d the vampire huffed. \u201cSomething\u2019s not right but I\u2019m not going to pick a fight with a coven of Cold Ones! I was going to return to New Orleans and tell Myriam to send her boyfriend over!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAre you lying to me?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He narrowed his eyes on the vampire. \u201cWhat\u2019s the girl\u2019s name? Tell me everything you\u2019ve learned.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHer name is Bella and according to them, she\u2019s in a polyamorous relationship with most of the coven; mainly with this Edward and that Jasper fellow. Both gifted vampires, and I do believe that they influenced me and read my mind when I was there.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSo you\u2019re compromised and you\u2019ve compromised Myriam\u2019s business.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019m not saying that!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am,\u201d Kol growled. \u201cThey might send people over to New Orleans now to tell Myriam to mind her own business because hey, you\u2019re working security for her and you went over! Good job.\u201d He slammed the vampire against the tree again. \u201cTell me more.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThere are seven Cold Ones in that coven. At least one of them is stronger than an ordinary Cold One and as I said, one can read minds – it will be difficult to fight them all and live. They have a big guard dog in the yard, the size of a pony.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now that was interesting. It was likely that it wasn\u2019t a dog, but one of the shifter wolves, but why would they be working together? The Cold Ones and the wolves were supposed to be enemies, the wolves were made for one purpose and that purpose was to destroy Cold Ones. What was going on? \u201cAnything else?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGood,\u201d Kol said before he pushed his hand through the vampire\u2019s ribcage and extracted his heart, instantly killing him. The kill hadn\u2019t been satisfying, but this guy should have known better. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

He took the bag of money and headed back to his tree. Cold Ones didn\u2019t sleep, and, because he was still observing them, he wasn\u2019t going to either. Tomorrow he\u2019d go into town and find out more about this Bella. Surely someone in town must know her? All Kol knew was for sure right now that Myriam needed to train her staff better and not have them go off on their own. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

He still hadn\u2019t established that this girl was in trouble; only that she was involved with Cold Ones and the wolves had something to do with it. Why would he get this girl away from this? She seemed alright. Vacant, sure, but perhaps she had hardened herself against the Cold One\u2019s touch as it was indeed that, cold.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even so, he could get the girl out – likely against her will – and then what? Have her run for the rest of her life because the Cold Ones would still come after her? No, he\u2019d have to kill every single member of that coven for her to be free. And for that, he needed to have some fresh blood. Good thing that there was a town just down the road then, wasn\u2019t it?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Better yet, why would he care? This was Nik\u2019s thing on occasion, not Kol\u2019s. He could just as well go back to New Orleans and say nothing\u2019s wrong before leaving the country for a while to travel. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

He watched the house for the rest of the night, but the girl didn\u2019t emerge from the room until the first sign of the sun. She was being dragged along by the pixie Cold One who was saying something to the girl causing her to stiffen for a moment before lashing out and connected her fist with the vampire\u2019s marble skin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kol unwillingly winced, it must have hurt so bad for a human to hit a statue as hard as the girl had, no doubt her knuckles were broken now, but the girl hadn\u2019t flinched. Impressive. It told him that the girl wasn\u2019t willingly at the house after all, especially after still trying to put up a fight after being flung across the room by said pixie. She was restrained by another vampire, a blonde with half long hair, and the girl seemingly calmed down. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It was likely that guy was the one who could influence other people around him. It was certainly worrisome, even for Kol. He could withstand some influence, but he was nowhere near as good as it than his brothers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The doctor came out, scolding the pixie and the girl before checking the girl over and injecting her with some red substance, her injuries seemed to heal and Kol cursed. Of course. Myriam\u2019s former employer donated some of his blood in return for a sip of the girl and some money. Kol felt rage bubble underneath his skin. Today, he was going to end them all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But first, he needed to feed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kol was on his third compelled victim near the local high school when his phone rang. \u201cI\u2019m eating!\u201d He replied as he put the phone on speaker and continued to feed. \u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWell?\u201d<\/em> Nik\u2019s voice sounded from the phone, causing Kol to drop the young girl and sighing deeply. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMyriam needs to find a new security guy; a part of me thinks that his heart was in the right place, but he left his blood behind to heal the girl and received money from that transaction. I killed him.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYes, I figured as much, she wasn\u2019t happy at all and entertained the idea to fire everyone and hire new ones, the vampires under compulsion.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMight not be such a bad idea.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat about the girl? Is she with the coven willingly?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI don\u2019t think so. I\u2019m even thinking there\u2019s a connection to the shifter tribe here. I need to do a little more digging to know for sure. I don\u2019t fancy fighting them off at the same time as I try to extract the girl.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cRemember what we said, Kol, she needs to be given a choice. If she wants to leave and find her own way, we\u2019ll set her up to do just that and leave her alone.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019m not a kidnapper, Nik,\u201d Kol snapped. \u201cRight now I just want to take them out for hurting her this morning. I\u2019m itching for a good kill.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDo you require assistance?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kol scoffed as an answer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cVery well. Good luck.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

When his brother hung up on him, Kol picked up the human from the ground and continued to feed. Oh, he wanted to kill someone so bad, but wasn\u2019t actually killing his food right now. There was a time and place. This wasn\u2019t it. Dead kids in a small town would definitely raise the alarm and make things harder on him. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kol figured the girl was around twenty years old, it was likely that he was going to find some people of her age in the local coffee shop, bloody millennials and hipsters, and perhaps he could find out more about the girl there. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

He hit jackpot right away, a small friends group had been in school with Bella. They were quick to tell him that she had tried high school, but at some point during the first year she was taken out of school and sent to a clinic in Switzerland for some illness by Dr. Cullen. The Cullen children who went to school back then didn\u2019t say a word on her progress because they weren\u2019t allowed to and then again, those kids were \u2018weird\u2019 anyway. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bella was mostly raised by a Billy Black from the reservation. She lived with him and his son Jacob after a nasty accident killed Bella\u2019s father, an accident she\u2019d be in and she witnessed her father die when she was about eight years old. There was no word about Bella\u2019s mother, although rumor was that she\u2019d died when Bella was five – also some sort of accident.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While they all would go to the beach at La Push for relaxation and entertainment, they never mingled with the people living on the reservation – including Bella – because there were stories floating around town that there were strange shenanigans going on there, and after hearing one of those stories, Kol wanted to kill the entire tribe as well. He might even start with them because they were easier targets. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bella had had not an easy life and quite a sad one, it was very likely that she\u2019d never known happiness or freedom and now Kol felt determined to get her that. But it had to be her choice, so he needed to find a calm way into the house first. She needed to be given a chance; a way out, and not her entire world being taken away from her by force if she didn\u2019t want the help.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He had quite the work cut out for him. It would be easier if Cold Ones could be compelled. Could they be? Taking his phone out, he shot that question over to his brother Niklaus and he replied with a \u2018yes but only when well fed\u2019. It was going to be easier than Kol anticipated! He could the girl instruct him how the coven would die, have her get her revenge at the same time as her rescue. Oh, brilliant – it would have been easier to start with if Niklaus had shared this information with Kol to begin with, it wasn\u2019t as if he had that much experience with this particular kind of vampire!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now he had a decision to make. To get the girl first or to slaughter the wolves first? Perhaps the girl would like her revenge on the wolves as well – yes, to get the girl first was an excellent idea. He just hoped she wouldn\u2019t run away from him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It was easy enough to get inside the house; the \u2018mother\u2019 figure opened the door and her mind was easy to get into to compel her to let him in and show him around. The house was too modern, too clean, on the inside. Kol would never be able to live in this house. No. Maybe he\u2019d set fire to it when he was done. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

There were six of them at home and he compelled them all to sit and shut up. No doubt the doctor one was working and would come back later. Which was alright, this gave Kol enough time to befriend the girl and discuss options with her. But where was she? He hadn\u2019t encountered her during his tour through the house and he didn\u2019t see the fake wolf in the back garden, either.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhere\u2019s the human girl?\u201d He asked of Edward – he had made sure he knew all of the names so it would be easier to give them commands. Edward was a twat, oh, how he reminded Kol of vampires that were sired by his brother Elijah. Or even Elijah himself. Stuck up, arrogant and no doubt a manipulative asshole. \u201cCall for her. Tell her it\u2019s safe to come out.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Edward was reluctant, Kol could tell. He could also feel him try to get inside his mind, but for now, his defenses held. \u201cBella, come here.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A door opened and Kol turned to see the girl emerge. She was wearing a skirt with tights underneath them and some sort of shirt on top of it. It didn\u2019t look awful, in fact, she looked amazing looking like that, but something told him that she wasn\u2019t feeling comfortable in it. She looked a little hesitant, but curious to their new visitor. \u201cHello darling,\u201d Kol greeted her with a warm smile and his heart sank when her eyes remained vacant as she returned a smile. \u201cMy name is Kol Mikaelson and I\u2019m not here to hurt you. Feel free to speak as you wish, them lot can\u2019t hurt you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She cocked her head then, curiosity growing as she looked from him to the Cullens who were all sitting in one line, quiet, watching her. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI told them to shut up, you see,\u201d Kol said pleasantly, casually waving over to the Cullens. \u201cAnd they\u2019re not able to move unless I instruct them to.\u201d He then slowly got to his feet, careful not to frighten her, but she was more interested than fearful, he could sense that. \u201cHungry? Surely they have human food in their kitchen,\u201d he then marched towards the kitchen and started to look around for something to make. \u201cOh, how about eggs and soldiers?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cExplain yourself,\u201d the girl spoke from behind him after having followed him. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s your name?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe\u2019re called Bella<\/em>,\u201d she replied before repeating her statement. \u201cExplain yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It was odd that she referred to herself as \u2018we\u2019, but perhaps that was something this coven wanted her to refer to as. \u201cWell, Bella, I\u2019m a different kind of vampire, sort of like the one who came to visit yesterday but I promise you, I\u2019m one of the nicer ones. I\u2019m here to help you if you so wish.\u201d Kol replied as he started to make her something to eat. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHow?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWell, first, by seeing if you are in need of help. Are these Cold Ones hurting you, darling?\u201d He looked over to her as he was pouring water into a saucepan and it looked as if she was in inner turmoil with herself before she finally responded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe never imagined this life,\u201d her tone was a little bit softer now, the raw edge slightly gone. \u201cBut we can\u2019t leave. We have tried before but they will always find us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWell, I can change all of that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo doubt,\u201d she said as she sat on one of the bar stools. \u201cBut then we\u2019d have to return to the reservation where there are more people who like to do things to us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ah, so he had been right. \u201cI can take care of them as well.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDeath?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf you so wish,\u201d he smiled at her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She was quiet for a moment as she watched him. \u201cWhere would we go?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He put the eggs in the water on the hob and started to make toast. He found her speech pattern curious, but it was likely due to the life she\u2019d lead before he appeared. \u201cThat\u2019s entirely up to you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSomewhere warm with good food,\u201d she replied as she watched him with a faint smile on her lips as if she was remembering something.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kol leaned against the counter as he waited for the eggs to boil and smiled at her. \u201cThat can be arranged. Tell me, how did you end up with them?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She slightly narrowed her eyes on him. \u201cIs that relevant information to you?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMaybe not\u2026 What matters is what you want to do with these Cold Ones and the wolves.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019ve always wished to see the insides of the Cold Ones. Of course, I wouldn\u2019t be able to touch it but\u2026 yes. Slice one open with his head still attached so we can hear him scream.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He was taken slightly aback by her response. Not only was she using \u2018I\u2019 to refer to herself, but she sounded excited about the prospect of making these vampires pay for her predicament and he was strangely excited for this, too. \u201cWhich one?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bella seemed to think for a moment. \u201cI want Emmett to slice open Edward and keep slicing him so he can\u2019t heal. Maybe attempt to replace the venom with salt to dry him out or sand. Or\u2026 hot water! Everything! Let\u2019s experiment with everyone watching! Carlisle keeps a medical room in the house, let\u2019s play doctor!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBefore or after some food?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOh, definitely after. We\u2019re hungry,\u201d she nodded. \u201cTell us how you differ from them. You say you\u2019re a vampire, but of a different kind.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI bleed, like the fella who visited you yesterday.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYour blood heals?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAnd you can control other vampires? People too?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWell yes, but I\u2019m not doing it on you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhy not?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou haven\u2019t deserved it,\u201d he simply said. Bella was smart. For someone who\u2019d been in the situation she\u2019d been in, he\u2019d expect her to be more reserved, more broken, but she hardly seemed that way. \u201cLook, I\u2019m not going to deny that in my years on this Earth that I haven\u2019t done something evil or stupid or morally questionable; it\u2019s in our nature.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHow old are you?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI was turned when I was 18. I think. We never really kept track of our age. Might have been twenty.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This caused Bella to smile a bit warmer now. \u201cWhen was that?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOh, a thousand years ago, give or take.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWow,\u201d she was impressed. \u201cAre you going to hurt us?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Either she was so damaged that she was keeping him talking because she thought he wanted her to, or she was fine. She seemed fine. Slightly underweight, but fine. Alert. Especially with her interrogation. \u201cNo? I\u2019m here to free you, darling. Allow you to take your revenge through me. Whatever you do afterwards is your choice. Your decision.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe will adapt to any situation you\u2019ll take us in.\u201d Her voice had changed back slightly, as had her intonation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kol drained the eggs and shocked them before removing the lids and offered Bella her meal. \u201cWhat situation you\u2019re going to end up in is your choice.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She dipped a piece of toast in the egg as she thought and took a bite from it. \u201cWhere do you live?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCurrently my home is in New Orleans with my siblings.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHow many?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThere\u2019s Niklaus and his partner Myriam at the moment. Elijah is off on business. Rebekah is off looking for love in the wrong places and we sent Freya off to a witches retreat to detox from all the magic she\u2019s been using in the last few years to protect us all.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMagic? Witches?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou live with a bunch of Cold Ones and magically induced wolves, how can you not believe in witches or magic?\u201d Kol laughed as he watched her devour her meal. \u201cRemind me to give you something proper to eat when we\u2019re done, can\u2019t live on eggs.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She polished off her plate and used the spoon to eat the remainder of the eggs. \u201cWe will come with you to New Orleans. It\u2019s our choice,\u201d she stated. \u201cUnless you don\u2019t have a spare room.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He blinked at that. She wanted to stay with him? \u201cBella, I— Uh\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe will stay with you until we feel confident enough to brave the world as it is, once we\u2019ve adapted. We trust you in not being a threat to us.\u201d She then cheekily grinned. \u201cAnd if you are, trust that we will fight.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t plan on taking you back with me,\u201d he said as he scratched his head. \u201cI can\u2019t take care of you, Bella.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou won\u2019t have to take care of us, we take care of ourselves. We merely need a place to adjust,\u201d she then jerked her head towards the still silent Cold Ones. \u201cCan we take one apart now and see what makes it tick?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kol listened to every step she wanted Emmett to take when dissecting Edward and instructed him. Even the crazier ideas such as trying various liquids inside of the open torso were met, as long as the liquid was available in the house. Of course, it wasn\u2019t surprising that nothing seemed to hurt the statue, and eventually Bella got angry and fed up; grabbing one of the modified electric saws in the home exam room to saw off Edward\u2019s head. The amount of strength she exerted surprised him, but then again, these assholes hadn\u2019t been the nicest of people to her. She almost had a delirious look on her face when she was working on severing the head from its torso and all he did was lean back and make sure that she wouldn\u2019t be splattered on. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But she was so turning him on right now. His mind wandered in the wrong – morally wrong – direction as he headed to the garage to grab some of the baseball bats that he had seen on his tour. She knew that the Cold One venom could hurt her, and she was being safe as she was still sawing through Edward\u2019s neck while Emmett watched. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When he returned, she was still cutting, but nearly done, and he decided to test the density of the baseball bats on Emmett. He wanted to do something, too. It was a good thing he got a few of the bats because they all broke or bent on his exterior. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYeah, okay, pull his head off,\u201d Bella motioned to Emmett, after having had her victory on Edward and seeing Kol use Emmett as batting practice. \u201cCan we do something horrific to the girls?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDepends,\u201d he said as he jumped on Emmett\u2019s back; the Cold One built like a quarterback not moving an inch, because Kol had told him so. \u201cI generally don\u2019t torture women.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bella smirked then as she eyed Kol curiously as he ripped off Emmett\u2019s head. \u201cWell, I was thinking we could make little cuts on Alice, in the tub\u2026. And then light a match and have her burn alive.\u201d She was quiet for a moment before her smirk turned wider. \u201cHave Jasper light the match and throw it at her.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By the time they had dismembered the six Cullens, the patriarch returned home and Kol told him to walk into the burning house. The fire was enormous; no doubt the fire department would come soon to extinguish the fire but by that time, there would be nothing left of the vampires. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

He could hear some snarling coming out of the woods behind them and, turning to Bella, who looked at the fire with fascination, he smirked. \u201cWant to play with the puppies now?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She sat down on a rock, still watching the flames in silence, deep in thoughts, contemplating his question. She looked so pretty as the color of the fire illuminating her face. Despite the fact that she was quite thin and the fire highlighting the bags underneath her eyes. She was gorgeous and he was one twisted fuck for thinking like this. All evidence of her being hurt, gone, due to the \u2018well meaning\u2019 security vampire from Myriam\u2019s brothel, but there was no doubt in Kol\u2019s mind that she must have gone through a lot to have him inflict this much damage on the Cold Ones as he had.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While he had only an inkling of what she may have had gone through over the years, she seemed rather\u2026 stable. No damsel in distress. No tears. Normal. She looked normal, and in his experience that meant that she was at least a little bit of a psycho. Then again, she was a psycho, he had already seen that inside the now burning house. Maybe it was because of the trauma, right? He\u2019d never experienced humans<\/em> to be this\u2026 unhinged. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe\u2019re tired,\u201d Bella eventually said quietly. As she looked up to Kol, he saw some<\/em> humanity in there and for a moment, he was relieved. But then again, she\u2019d gone through a lot and she was going to need time to even out. Hell, it took him centuries and even now he was still considered to be unstable and unreliable. \u201cThe wolves know what we\u2019ve done, you and us, and they won\u2019t come after us or alert the authorities.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo, they\u2019ll be mounting a defense if we leave them now,\u201d he countered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She smiled warmly then, the smile almost reaching her wearily looking eyes. \u201cThey\u2019re the only tribe that can shift. Now that the Cold Ones are gone, they won\u2019t create new ones, so to say. There aren\u2019t many wolves, likely two handfuls. We are only interested in one family. It\u2019ll be alright if we go to sleep now and go back later. We need containment, we need rest to do that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Everything in him screamed that she was mistaken and that if they wanted to do more damage, they would have to go now. \u201cOr, you stay here and I will take care of the puppies.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhy would you do that?\u201d She blinked at him. \u201cAnd why did you do all this?\u201d Bella pointed at the burning house. \u201cWe are no one. You don\u2019t know us so why did you do all this? Why are you here?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI told you while you and I were having fun with the Cold Ones before we killed them,\u201d Confused, he ran a hand through his hair. Had she already forgotten? \u201cAre you alright?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She paled then. \u201cOh fuck,\u201d she muttered under her breath as she looked at the floor, her eyes looking for something, likely hoping he hadn\u2019t heard that but there was barely anything that escaped him. Bella got up from the rock and dusted herself off as she composed herself. \u201cExcuse us,\u201d she lifted her head to look at him, her eyes locked onto his. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhy, darling? It\u2019s alright if your mind is a little fragmented right now, how long did they have you?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOh, quite a couple of years,\u201d she said with a slow nod. \u201cWe\u2019ve never truly been free of them and we appreciate you for having entertained and engaged our dark side.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAre you truly free though? Something tells me the wolves have something to do with this, too. They were created to take the Cold Ones out and they didn\u2019t. Hell, one was sleeping in the backyard when I arrived, like some guard dog.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf you had given us a little more time before setting the house ablaze, we would have been able to get one of their credit cards to stay in a hotel for the night,\u201d she said, her tone accusatory. \u201cWe need rest so we can sort us out and start adjusting to a life without them.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou wanted to come to New Orleans with me, yeah?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe said that?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYes, yes you did. Now, I trust you on your word that you do want to make the puppies pay for what they did to you but that that you\u2019re now too tired to continue. I\u2019m renting a lodge, it has an extra bedroom, you can sleep there.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cStill, we could have used one of their credit cards, the Cullens had money.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDon\u2019t worry about that, okay? As long as you\u2019re around me, under my protection, you won\u2019t have to worry about money. And if you do decide that you\u2019re ready to face the world on your own, I won\u2019t leave you without, either.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She seemed to think then. \u201cIf you turn out to be like the Cullens —\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019m not,\u201d Kol sneered. \u201cI\u2019m a bloody vampire but I\u2019m not like them. We don\u2019t keep pets – not anymore, haven\u2019t had pets for centuries and we\u2019ve never treated them as poorly as the Cullens have treated you. Now, trust me and allow me to pick you up to take you to the lodge so you can rest.\u201d Oh, that sounded harsh, but she was testing him now. When Kol saw the hesitation on her face, he tried to calm down; he had been sent here for a reason, Myriam and Niklaus wanted him to get this girl out of harm’s way and he was losing his patience with her. \u201cYou can trust me, if I wanted to do you harm, I wouldn\u2019t ask you or tell you what I need from you. I\u2019m not out for your blood, nor your body.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThen what are your motives again?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cTo help you,\u201d he reminded her, finally hearing the fire alarms. Kol held out his hand for her to take. \u201cThe way I see it, you have three options right now; one – You come with me to get the rest you want, two – We go after the puppies now rather than tomorrow or whenever, or three – I leave you here and you get taken into a hospital because you look like a walking skeleton and are acting confused and no doubt they\u2019d like to keep you there and poke you with needles.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She took his hand with a scowl and he lifted her up before speeding off to the lodge as she held on tightly to him. He was surprised by how alright she was with the speeds he was going at; then again, she had lived with Cold Ones for so long, no doubt they used to transport her like this often enough. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

He set her down inside the lodge once getting there and she looked around in surprise. \u201cOh, don\u2019t worry, I don\u2019t own it, just renting it for a few days,\u201d he said dismissively. \u201cYou see, I was sent to see what was up with you considering you lived with Cold Ones and they have their \u2018turn or kill\u2019 policy and all.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAnd instead of observing you decided to get us out of that situation.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cExactly,\u201d he smiled at her and showed her the bedrooms. \u201cChoose one. Once you\u2019re asleep, I\u2019ll go into town to get us some food and something to drink. You\u2019re safe here.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bella hummed as she entered a bedroom, turned around and nodded. \u201cThank you,\u201d she said before closing the door on him and he could hear some movement on the other side of the door, it was the sound of one of the chests being dragged across the room, sounds of effort coming out of Bella and he couldn\u2019t help but laugh.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNeed some help, darling?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The dragging stopped. \u201cWhat\u2019s the use of barricading ourselves in when we need your help to do it? Wouldn\u2019t that trap you in here with us?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMerely offering some assistance,\u201d he said with an amused smile on his face. \u201cAre you going to barricade the window too?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDarling, you do know that if I wish you harm, I could easily kick down the door, no matter how well you barricade it,\u201d he replied, shaking his head. \u201cWill you be alright if I go to the city now?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAlright,\u201d he said as he looked at the closed door as more dragging sounds could be heard. \u201cI\u2019ll be back shortly.\u201d This girl was definitely entertaining. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As soon as he got out of the lodge, he ran for a short distance, and stopped when his phone rang. \u201cWhat?\u201d He said a little annoyed – could he seriously not do anything without being checked upon? Then again, it was his brother and his sister-in-law who sent him out in the first place. They still didn\u2019t quite trust him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI believe congratulations are in order, brother,\u201d <\/em>Nik\u2019s voice sounded. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cExcuse me?\u201d Kol blinked as he scratched his head, looking at the flames coming over the trees from the spot where he was. He never thought that Cold Ones would be such great kindle!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDidn\u2019t you start the greatest fire Forks, Washington has ever seen?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOh.\u201d Now that Nik mentioned it, he could hear the television on in the back, a blow by blow detailed report from somewhere close to \u2018the scene\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cTell me that you at least had some fun while taking care of the Cold Ones? Were they that terrible to the girl?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNik, you were the one who told me that humans and Cold Ones don\u2019t mix. I merely did what you wanted me to do, to extract her.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cVery well, what\u2019s her name and birthdate? Allow me to set her up with a bank account and other details so she can start her new life.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThat won\u2019t be necessary,\u201d Kol said dismissively, but it felt good to know that his brother did<\/em> indeed help others with their money. \u201cI already gave her some choices and she\u2019d like to come back with me so she can adjust to normal life.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He didn\u2019t like Nik\u2019s silence on the other end but waited patiently. \u201cWe never bring them back with us, Kol. They\u2019re not lost animals, there are plenty of institutions, charities, that could help her with getting her life back. Besides, we\u2019re hardly normal.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI don\u2019t think that\u2019s possible in this case. She was eight when she watched her father die and was raised by the wolves and somehow ended up with the Cold Ones. I don\u2019t know how, she hasn\u2019t told me and I doubt she will.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kol could hear Nik\u2019s sneer on the other end. \u201cWe are not equipped to take care of people like her! Nor do we want to!\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou don\u2019t have to. I will.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou?\u201d<\/em> His brother scoffed. \u201cKol, you are the least capable of all of us!\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf you really believed that, you wouldn\u2019t have sent me to Forks to check out the situation. Face it, Niklaus, you and everyone else got fed up with me hanging around doing nothing of importance<\/em> and Myriam wanted me to have a project. I now have one,\u201d Kol angrily responded. \u201cI don\u2019t know for how much longer we\u2019ll be here, she\u2019s resting now and I was about to fetch us something to eat. We still have to take care of those puppies, there is no way I will allow them to live.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kol could hear the television again, a lot clearer now, Nik must be holding the phone up to it. \u201cThe latest update – Sources within the police department say that Bella Swan lived at the house. Bella Swan was the daughter of the former police chief who died in an accident over twelve years ago. Chances are that she perished in the fire, a fire that the fire department still has no control over while more departments are coming from around Forks and that could take time. Weather forecasters believe this fire could take out half if not 75% of the woods surrounding the fire making this the worst fire since 1951. Should the winds change, the fire could spread to the historical town center.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBrilliant,\u201d Kol grinned. \u201cI doubt she had a passport anyway, we\u2019ll drive down from here.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAnd where will you be staying?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAt the compound, of course, Bella can have the room next to mine!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another silence at the other end of the line. \u201cWe\u2019ll find you something.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI think you\u2019ll find her fascinating, brother,\u201d Kol smirked. \u201cIs there anything else I can do for you? I\u2019d rather not have her be alone for long and I was supposed to get food.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDon\u2019t get attached to her, Kol,\u201d <\/em>Nik warned him, but that was likely too late. Bella was different and interesting, something Kol immensely liked and wasn\u2019t going to give up on her that soon. Besides, there was a reason why she wasn\u2019t turned into a Cold One, wasn\u2019t there? She was special, and he was wondering just how much. He didn\u2019t think her to be a witch, and if she was one, she was untrained and unaware of her abilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kol hung up on his brother and quickly went shopping. When he returned at the lodge, he checked in on Bella, but she sounded to be fast asleep. Well, she did say she was tired! He turned on the TV and lowered the volume before making something decent to eat for Bella for when she\u2019d awake again. Something told him that she was used to short stints, and he truly hoped that once she\u2019d be in complete safety, and would feel safe, she\u2019d sleep for longer; like a normal human being.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He wasn\u2019t much of a cook; he could do the basics, such as eggs or toast, but thankfully, the internet was a wonderful invention and he had found a recipe for a full chicken roast with all the trimmings; it would keep him busy for at least a few hours as he listened to the news coverage of the fire. Oh, he could have gone to a restaurant and fetch food, or compel someone to prepare it for him like Niklaus usually did, but he needed to keep himself occupied. Stave off the boredom, he didn\u2019t like waiting. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Did he feel any remorse for starting the fire? No. Would Bella? Doubtful. How would she react that they assumed her dead? The little that he knew about her was that she didn\u2019t have any family left, that both her parents had died under dubious circumstances, but Bella only remembered her father\u2019s accident, or did she? She\u2019d been fairly young when her mother died when she was in Phoenix with her, according to the people he had spoken to before deciding on taking the girl away from the Cold Ones.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He heard the sound of Bella falling to the floor, her incredible dirty mouth as she swore, her scrambling to her feet and starting to drag her barricades away from the door. She was pushing her hair out of her face as she opened the door and looked at him, curious for a moment before seemingly remembering what had happened. \u201cHello,\u201d she greeted him before the smell of Kol\u2019s cooking made her smile widely. \u201cOh, that smells amazing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDoesn\u2019t it just?\u201d Kol beamed at her. He just wished it tasted that too, but from what he could tell, this recipe had been foolproof. \u201cCome, sit at the table, it\u2019ll be ready in a minute,\u201d he said as he switched off the television. \u201cDid you sleep well?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe did, thank you,\u201d Bella replied as she sat down, eyeing him curiously and he found himself looking at her the same way. With a sigh, Bella ran a hand through her hair. \u201cThe Native American tribe here are called the Quileute. Many years ago, a bunch of Cold Ones crossed their land, wreaked havoc and some of the tribe started to change into big animals, destined to kill every Cold One on their land, until Carlisle Cullen managed to sign a treaty with them. As long as Cold Ones didn\u2019t cross a certain line, the wolves wouldn\u2019t kill them.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThat\u2019s what I heard,\u201d Kol nodded as he set plates on the table followed by his complete dinner. There was roasted chicken, mashed potatoes, greens, some yorkshire puddings – they had been fun to make, and something to drink for them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhen Bella was eight, she was in a car with her father and they were in a terrible accident. The details\u2026 still enrage us. It was caused by a Cold One, a Cullen, and another one ripped Bella\u2019s father into pieces right in front of her.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And now Bella was talking about herself as if she wasn\u2019t there. Was she possessed by a spirit? \u201cYou\u2019re kidding,\u201d Kol said, not missing a beat. He wasn\u2019t going to address Bella\u2019s strangeness, he didn\u2019t know what was going on yet and didn\u2019t want to upset her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWish we were,\u201d she said with a slight shrug as she eyed the food on the table and only started to pile on the food when he did. \u201cBella was in shock; almost catatonic and didn\u2019t speak for quite some time as her father\u2019s best friend took her into his home; a Quileute. She was soon moved into the barn, chained to a post and well\u2026 let\u2019s just say that the stories about them being kind are untrue. When the Cold Ones responsible for Bella\u2019s accident heard of her survival, they managed to convince the Quileute to release her into their custody – humans aren\u2019t supposed to know about the Cold Ones. They hide amongst the humans, but Bella had seen them for who they were; monsters. It was the law that they took her in as not to spread the word and endanger them. They weren\u2019t much better than the tribe had been, and as she matured, so did their treatment of her.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He wasn\u2019t squeamish, but this story made him lose his appetite, while Bella shoved mouthfuls into her mouth. \u201cRemember to chew,\u201d he pointed out, causing her to slow down. \u201cAnd yet, here you are, relatively sane after your entire ordeal,\u201d he continued. \u201cI have seen victims who were tortured and abused by vampires, and they are a lot different than you are.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s the reason why the Cullens never turned us,\u201d Bella said with her mouthful. \u201cHuman life is finite, eventually we\u2019d die. They didn\u2019t want to have us on their hands for the rest of infinity.\u201d She took a sip of her drink and looked at him. \u201cAre you in the business of hurting people?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yes. No. Well\u2026 \u201cOn occasion,\u201d Kol eventually said. \u201cI tend to play with my food. My siblings find me erratic and a maniac, but over the years I have significantly calmed down and they don\u2019t seem to notice. I met this girl a while ago and she showed me that there\u2019s more to life than rejection and anger.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cShe sounds like a good person.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cShe was,\u201d Kol smiled bravely. \u201cShe died.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOh, sorry,\u201d Bella said as she swallowed another piece of chicken. \u201cWe didn\u2019t mean to make you feel bad.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019m not feeling bad at all,\u201d he replied. \u201cI feel lucky and fortunate to have had her in my life, she taught me some valuable lessons and I\u2019m a better person for it. I honor her memory by not reverting to who I used to be.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She smirked then. \u201cUnless you\u2019re allowed to kill some bad people.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOh, I love me some monsters who have their hands on people they shouldn\u2019t have in the first place,\u201d he grinned as he rubbed his hands together in glee. \u201cAfter your story, I really want to go after that tribe now.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s stopping you?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWell, you, of course. I want to kill them for you, so you can have your revenge. You need to watch, obviously. You liked it very much to instruct me on how to kill the Cullens.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bella winced then. \u201cYes, about that, that shouldn\u2019t have happened, but we were too tired to stop ourselves.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAh, admit it, darling,\u201d Kol nearly purred. \u201cYou loved it to take your revenge.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s well deserved, yes,\u201d she had given it some thought. \u201cAnd necessary in various ways, but not great for adjusting to a life without vampires and werewolves.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDarling, if you wanted a life without vampires and werewolves you\u2019d have not told me you wanted to come back with me,\u201d he let out a snort. \u201cMy family is the worst and shouldn\u2019t be considered a halfway point. You\u2019re human. You could get hurt when one of us has a temper tantrum.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bella shrugged and continued to eat her food in silence. Kol saw her expression change for a few moments here and there, but she didn\u2019t seem to be bothered by it. She polished off her plate with ease, before she looked at him with a faint smile on her face. \u201cThat\u2019s like the best food we\u2019ve had in years, can we have some more, please?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEat as much as you want, darling, but I do have to warn you, you might have to spend hours on the toilet after you digested it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe can\u2019t wait,\u201d she giddily responded and piled up some more. \u201cApart from chasing your prey, what do you like to do?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI love music and magic,\u201d he replied as he took a sip of his drink. \u201cOr the movies. Videogames. Just because I\u2019m over a thousand years old, doesn\u2019t mean I can\u2019t appreciate modern technology. Oh, and fast cars,\u201d he grinned widely. \u201cAnything that goes fast, really, gets your heart pumping and of course, most fast cars are beautiful. Speaking of which, how are you with cars? Get car sick or anything?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGood, because you and I will travel to New Orleans by car, seeing as I don\u2019t fancy waiting for you to get your passport and all.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A thoughtful look appeared on her face as she continued eating. \u201cWe don\u2019t think we have one, will we need one?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe\u2019ll see,\u201d Kol smiled at her. \u201cIt all depends what you want to do once you\u2019ve adjusted to a life without the Cold Ones, away from here. You don\u2019t have to think about that now.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDo you think I could do magic?\u201d She barked out a laugh. \u201cOh, that would actually be a very bad thing if I was in any way magical, let\u2019s not discuss that matter any further because damn, that would really get interesting.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHow so? Magic is beautiful. When we get to New Orleans, I\u2019ll ask someone to test you if you\u2019d like.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo,\u201d she was now hiccuping with laughter. \u201cOh, no, that would be really bad. No, we like tools. Engineering. Mechanics. Cars. Taking them apart and fixing them. Sabotage a few cars on occasion\u2026\u201d She scraped her plate empty and finished her drink. \u201cWould you like to kill the puppies now? We could kill Mr. Black ourselves. He\u2019s in a wheelchair, you see. A nice rake through the chest will do.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMaybe tomorrow, they\u2019re still trying to get the fire under control and I don\u2019t want us to attract more attention.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBut now there\u2019s chaos, we could easily slip by.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou wanted rest to get yourself together, you\u2019re getting it,\u201d he countered as he started to clear the table. \u201cWe\u2019ll go first thing in the morning, which is in 8 hours.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bella quickly got to her feet and took the dishes from him. \u201cFine, but you cooked, we\u2019ll be doing the dishes,\u201d she replied as she put the dishes on the counter and started to clear the rest of the table. \u201cWhy won\u2019t you ask us what you\u2019ve been wanting to ask since we\u2019ve started to speak to you?\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cExcuse me?\u201d He said flabbergasted. Well yes, he was curious but he didn\u2019t have to know. She was harmless, that\u2019s all that mattered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve seen the way you\u2019re looking at us when we speak. The way we use our words. No doubt you\u2019re wondering where the girl that liked the torture of the Cold Ones went,\u201d she said calmly as she rinsed off the plates. \u201cAnyone who visited the Cullens were immediately told about us, how defective we are.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI don\u2019t see why you\u2019re defective,\u201d Kol replied as he leaned against the counter, looking at her. \u201cYou\u2019re fully functional and not in the least bit traumatized by what you\u2019ve been through. Does that surprise me? Sure, it\u2019s unusual, but I find that amazing. We all have our quirks. Me? As I said, I have some control issues from time to time. I like to pick fights with my siblings and wouldn\u2019t hesitate to betray them if it serves me better. I\u2019m narcissistic and have a blood addiction. It would be boring if we were all the same, wouldn\u2019t it? No, Bella, you\u2019re not defective. You\u2019re an unusual human being, but I dig it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBut I need to warn you —\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWarn me?\u201d He laughed and shook his head. \u201cDarling, relax. You\u2019re not around uptight Cold Ones anymore. We normal vampires tend to be a lot more flexible. Unless you\u2019re a weapon of mass destruction capable of killing me, which I highly doubt, there\u2019s no reason to warn me.\u201d He then sucked in a breath as he continued to watch her clean the dishes. \u201cI like surprises.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She hesitated for a moment, but didn\u2019t stop doing the dishes. \u201cYou\u2019re a remarkable person, Kol. Thank you for making us feel normal.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNormality is overrated,\u201d Kol huffed. \u201cYou know, I could do the dishes a lot faster.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAnd then what would you want to do?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He shrugged then. \u201cI saw some boardgames in the closet.\u201d He was surprised that she agreed to that; he wasn\u2019t one for boardgames normally, but anything to keep her inside the lodge and away from the television to see the news. They played a couple rounds of Set and Fluxx before she informed him that she needed to sleep again. This time she moved less things against her door. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This time, she slept for longer. Kol kept an ear out, just in case she had a nightmare, but she seemed to be having pleasant dreams, small giggles coming from behind the door on occasion. No, he feared that in a day or two, when she\u2019d fully realize that the Cullens were dead and she truly had to start a new life, she\u2019d have a break. He merely hoped there wouldn\u2019t be tears. He didn\u2019t do tears.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He fully believed that she\u2019d be able to take care of herself, as she had told him, but how could she be self-sufficient after the life she\u2019d had? On top of that, she didn\u2019t have to tell him her life story but she did. She was so brave. Braver than he\u2019d ever be. Bella kept him guessing. This was fun. She was fun. It was too early to tell, but he really hoped she\u2019d stick around after she got used to living without people manhandling her. Bella was interesting, she was kind, she was insane and she\u2026 well, perhaps she was magical. He wasn\u2019t going to ask Freya to perform a spell for that, it was unlikely that she\u2019d be back by the time he and Bella would be in New Orleans. If Bella were a witch, he was going to have so much fun tutoring her!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He must have dozed off somewhere during the night, because the smell of coffee and bacon being cooked woke him up. \u201cHow are you so quiet?\u201d He muttered as he tiredly rubbed his eyes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou must have needed that nap,\u201d Bella greeted him. \u201cAnd we were really quiet.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou were,\u201d he agreed as he stretched and got to his feet. \u201cYou didn\u2019t have to make breakfast,\u201d he continued as he saw that she had set the table with the breakfast staples that he had gotten the day before. \u201cI would have done it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou cooked dinner last night, breakfast is easy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He snorted as he held up the slices of bread. \u201cNo crusts?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She briefly paled before composing herself as she brought over the bacon. \u201cDidn\u2019t fancy them today. Too chewy,\u201d Bella replied after setting down the hot pan and started to make herself a peanutbutter and jelly sandwich, carefully cutting it in small triangles. A small smile appeared on her face then, almost as if she had satisfied a child inside of her, before she rolled her eyes and started to eat it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The changes were subtle, but Kol noticed. Oh, he noticed. How could he not notice? She was beautiful and now that she was more rested, she seemed to be a lot more alert, there was life in her eyes now. He couldn\u2019t wait until he\u2019d get her away from Forks and see her grow more comfortable and have her feel safe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After breakfast Kol found them transport to Seattle – at least – where he would be able to get a better car for roadtripping them back to New Orleans and drove them to the reservation to kill the pups. \u201cYou don\u2019t have to do this, I can do this on my own,\u201d he reminded her. \u201cI\u2019m itching to kill flesh and blood, it means less chance to get burned by venom.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAs I said yesterday,\u201d Bella\u2019s voice sounded deeper for some reason. \u201cI\u2019m going to push a rake through Billy Black, you can do the rest if you want, but they don\u2019t all have to die.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOh, they are all going to die, darling,\u201d he said determined as he parked the car. \u201cWe\u2019re going to rid you from your nightmares for once and for all, then you can start your new life.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bella told him that she wanted the Blacks to watch everyone die, so he herded everyone in their community building and killed the entire tribe. This included the women and children. Heartless? Overkill? Likely, but this tribe was a plague. Was he afraid of a Native American curse? Nah. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It was easier than expected to kill the shifted members of the tribe, especially after drinking so much blood during his spree. However, it didn\u2019t mean that it was easy<\/em>. They were strong and their skin was nearly impenetrable. Nearly. Not impossible. He made sure nobody came close to Bella, promising her that she\u2019d be safe. He could have fed her his blood, yes, but not without her consent. He still believed that she believed that she\u2019d be leaving him once she felt strong enough to face the world on her own, but he knew better. As much as she intrigued him, he could tell the feeling was mutual. And if not, well\u2026 then she\u2019d leave. But he believed that she wouldn\u2019t. Something good was going to come out of this, for the both of them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bella stood there quietly, watching him, an occasional thin smile across her face. The last of the wolves was Jacob Black and Kol held him down while Bella tried to drive a rake through his body. After several attempts and her cursing up a storm, Jacob lay there, bleeding. \u201cThen fucking watch your father die, asshole!\u201d She yelled at him before turning around and drove the rake through Billy Black\u2019s chest. Blood splattered everywhere as the older Black coughed and spluttered, bleeding out as his body spasmed and jerked while Bella kept driving the rake into him. Once he stopped, Kol snapped Jacob\u2019s neck and pulled his head off his torso.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bella looked down on herself and started laughing. The walls of the building were covered in blood. The floor had turned into a red river. Both Bella and Kol were covered in blood. \u201cWhat a mess!\u201d She kept laughing as she stepped away from Billy Black. \u201cWhat a pretty mess!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou know, darling,\u201d he said amused. \u201cSome people would think we\u2019re sick because we find this pretty.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSick? We\u2019re not sick. We\u2019re twisted.There\u2019s no cure for who we are!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He grinned widely then. \u201cExactly!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHow about we steal some of their clothes from their homes and take a shower before we move on?\u201d Bella responded as she carelessly gestured towards the bodies. \u201cWouldn\u2019t want to ruin the car or have people look at us as if we\u2019re covered in blood\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSure, darling, whatever you wish,\u201d he replied as he lead her out of the building. \u201cShall we start another forest fire? Mind you, they still haven\u2019t got the other one under control.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHell yeah, let\u2019s burn the place down!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There was absolutely not a hint of remorse there. More the sound of freedom in her voice and it sounded like music to his ears. They did as she\u2019d suggested and after turning the building in tinder, he set the thing ablaze with all the dead Quileutes inside. And while the flames became bigger and bigger, they drove away towards Seattle before driving home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

****<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It didn\u2019t take long for Bella to fit in with the rest of them and adjust. As she started to feel more at ease around him and his siblings, he discovered more sides to her. Some sides were cute and adorable and then there was the side where he had to try to control himself and not to turn into a raging, jealous boyfriend because he wasn\u2019t a boyfriend. He wasn\u2019t her boyfriend, she hadn\u2019t shown any indication of wanting more than friendship at the moment and he wasn\u2019t going to claim her, but that was hard when they were out having fun and she turned into the biggest flirt ever. There were times that he took the guy aside and made a snack out of him. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kol wanted her to flirt with him, not with others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

His siblings and Myriam found her a curious creature too, but Kol knew that they were glad that she had taken to Kol a lot and wasn\u2019t in their way of doing things. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bella knew she was safe now, she had even said so herself, but he could still hear her try to barricade the door of her room every night for some reason. Habit? This strange habit hadn\u2019t escaped the attention of his siblings, either, so a few months after Bella had joined them in their home, Myriam and Freya dared Bella not to move anything in front of that door for a night. She was living in a home filled with well adjusted vampires who weren\u2019t going to hurt her, nothing could happen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bella had cautiously agreed, but only when the gates of the courtyard would be closed and locked. They had all found it sad and heartbreaking that she felt that she had to be locked in, one way or the other. Still, after the months of her rescue. Niklaus agreed, locked the gates when Bella went to bed, but unlocked them again after a few hours because he didn\u2019t like feeling like he was locked in. Ever.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kol decided not to sleep that night. He had a feeling that Bella wouldn\u2019t be able to sleep, either. She\u2019d been too anxious, too embarrassed in that anxiety, to get a good night\u2019s sleep, and he hated that he\u2019d been right. As soon as everything was quiet in the Courtyard, he could hear the door to Bella\u2019s room open as Bella quietly giggled. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWow,\u201d she said, amazed, sounding like a small child. \u201cOh, wow, pretty!\u201d She tiptoed around, looking at the paintings on the wall, smelling the flowers, sniffing the bottles of alcohol on the tables and headed upstairs. Her balance seemed off, unstable, she even placed her hands on the steps as she climbed the stairs. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

She started to hum some children\u2019s song to herself as she reached the next floor. A good thing about being a vampire was that Kol could be quiet and invisible if needed be, he wanted to see what was happening, was she sleepwalking? Was that the reason she locked herself in at night? When Bella entered Nik\u2019s study, he felt slightly hesitant about it, because Nik had been painting and he was highly protective over his art, what if Bella would do something to his painting while she was sleepwalking?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Deciding to wait it out, Kol got inside and not a second too late. Bella had already started to grab the paint and was now defiling Nik\u2019s painting with her hands and fingers. \u201cWhat are you doing?\u201d Kol whispered from behind her. \u201cNik\u2019s not going to like it!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019m making art,\u201d Bella replied as she looked at Kol. The statement almost sounded as if considering it art would make things alright in Nik\u2019s head. \u201cOh, you\u2019re Kol! You\u2019re the reason Bobbie thinks of leaving,\u201d she said as she turned back around and continued to make strokes on the canvas with her fingers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou\u2019re not sleepwalking,\u201d he said surprised and sat down in one of the chairs close to Bella and the canvas. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019m awake,\u201d Bella replied before squirting more paint on the canvas. \u201cIf you\u2019re the cause of Bobbie thinking of leaving, you must be nice to the system, are you nice?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am\u2026\u201d he said slowly, cocking his head in confusion. \u201cYou\u2019re not referring to yourself as we?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019m not. I\u2019m not really the system, I never get to go out in front and they don\u2019t tell me everything, either,\u201d she replied, not stopping her painting. \u201cTessa and Bobbie are usually fronting, so they\u2019re together, they\u2019re we. If Tessa\u2019s alone, she\u2019s I. Like me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It was as if pieces fell into place then. Bella had multiple personalities inside of her. Humans sometimes developed that after trauma and Bella\u2019s story was as tragic as they came. \u201cWhat\u2019s your name?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDorothy,\u201d she said with a giggle. \u201cAnd I\u2019m seven.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNice to meet you, Dorothy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bella\u2019s hands were now covered in paint and she stopped painting for a moment to look at him. \u201cYou can run away now.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhy would I want to run away?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She shrugged then. \u201cBecause I\u2019m seven and aware that I don\u2019t look seven to you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWell, I like your company, I\u2019m not going anywhere,\u201d he laughed. \u201cWould you like to tell me more about the system and yourself?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOh, I don\u2019t think I should,\u201d she shook her head as she turned back to continue painting. \u201cYou see, I\u2019m a bit of an outsider, they make sure I have fun at all times. Tessa never wanted me to be in the system because that\u2019d mean I hear everything they do.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe others communicate with each other?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bella sighed and shook her head. \u201cThey do, it\u2019s like telepathy. And I\u2019m cut off from that. I only know what Tessa tells me. Like how we moved here and that I never ever have to hide from the monsters anymore because we are okay now and she said that she trusts you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDoes she now?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cUhuh. Bobbie does too, which is why he\u2019s planning on hanging back for a while and have Tessa drive us. He still will stick around to help with Lynne.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWho\u2019s Lynne?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She giggled. \u201cLynne is a ps– psy– uhh\u2026 bad person.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cPsychopath?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYes!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Interesting. \u201cYou like to paint then?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cUhuh,\u201d Bella nodded as she continued to paint more stickfigures. \u201cAnd drawing, I like to draw. And to read, but I was never allowed to have books or crayons in the outside world, but in our home in the body\u2019s head? I have everything. Except for a pony. I\u2019m too young to have a pony and there\u2019s not really a lot of room in the head,\u201d she giggled again. \u201cAnd usually when I wake up and take over, I can\u2019t get out of the room because the things are so heavy to move away from the door, it\u2019s not fair. Tonight must be a treat day!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt sure is,\u201d he said amused as he leaned in his chair. \u201cDo you think I should ask the system tomorrow about how you guys work?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou could.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWill I get an answer though?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI think so,\u201d she said as she grabbed another tube of paint before a gust of wind knocked it out of her hands, causing her to yelp and jump back. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat in the bloody hell do you think you\u2019re doing!\u201d Klaus breezed as he scolded the girl and pointed at his painting. \u201cYou ruined it!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNik, calm down,\u201d Kol said as he got to his feet when he saw the formerly serene face of Bella – Dorothy – turn into sad and scared and oh, there could be tears there. Much to his surprise, Bella jumped into his arms and put her arms around his neck, much like a child would do and started to sob. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t mean to! I like to paint! I am sorry!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s okay,\u201d Kol shushed her, no doubt there were now paint splatters on the back of his shirt. \u201cNiklaus is just being a meanie, to whom I\u2019ll explain things later. Let\u2019s get you cleaned up,\u201d he said as he narrowed his eyes on his fuming brother and left his brother\u2019s study. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMy paint! My expensive paint!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNik, you\u2019ll get over it!\u201d Kol called back before taking up a slight job and bringing Bella to her room. He took her to the bathroom and started to wash her hands. \u201cIt\u2019s alright, darling, Nik is just a big meanie who doesn\u2019t like to share his things.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bella was sobbing still, but a lot less. \u201cI woke the others, they are coming.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThat\u2019s alright,\u201d he smiled at her as he continued to wash her hands. \u201cI do hope to see you again, though. It\u2019s alright to feel comfortable enough to come out.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThank you,\u201d she said before her hands were janked out of his and he was staring at the sterner looking Bella, who looked at her hands, slightly confused before meeting his eyes again. \u201cWell. I suppose we will be packing our bags.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She used the I to refer to herself. Single. One. \u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe secret is out, of course. No doubt you\u2019d want to get rid of us. Don\u2019t worry, we will be going.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo,\u201d Kol blinked at her. \u201cWait. Who am I talking to now? Bobbie? Tessa?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAnd to think that I was going to leave the girls in your capable hands,\u201d she replied as she pushed him to the side and continued to wash her hands. \u201cWe should have never agreed to not to barricade that door.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He frustratingly ran his hand through his hair. \u201cLook, the best place for you guys to be is here. Once we explain your unique situation to the others, they will understand. You\u2019ll have a hard time on your own out there.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe will adapt.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSure, but will you be safe?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAre you saying I can\u2019t keep them safe?\u201d Bella fumed as she slammed the edge of the counter. \u201cI\u2019ve been keeping them safe for years. Taken the torments. The abuse. For years<\/em>. Don\u2019t tell me that I can\u2019t keep them safe because you have no idea what you\u2019re talking about.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI can\u2019t make you stay, but\u2026 I\u2019d love it if you guys would hang around for a while longer. I can understand you don\u2019t want to stay here, but we could get a place for ourselves. A house. An apartment. A safe area for you to be who you are. I know what it\u2019s like to hide and it\u2019s no fun. However, trust that my family is a safe family and nothing like the Cullens or the Blacks. We don\u2019t abandon people. It\u2019s people who abandon us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou don\u2019t find the system weird?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEveryone has their troubles,\u201d Kol shrugged. \u201cGranted, I don\u2019t know anything about your system, like how you guys work. If the real Bella would ever come out\u2026 but I\u2019m willing to learn because I like you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou like us?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOh yeah, from the moment I saved you. I didn\u2019t want to let you go to be honest.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThat\u2019s lust.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMaybe,\u201d Kol laughed as he tossed Bella – Bobbie – a towel. \u201cStay. Teach me so I can teach my family. And before you say that you\u2019re fucked up, then I have news for you; my family is as crazy as they come and you\u2019ll fit right in. Please stay, don\u2019t run because my idiot of a brother scared the little girl. You don\u2019t have to hide who you are anymore, don\u2019t you know that by now?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWell\u2026\u201d Bella sucked in a breath. \u201cYou can stop hoping that you\u2019ll meet Bella, she\u2019s as dead as a doornail. We listen to Bella and named the system Bella because that\u2019s what this body\u2019s name is. We\u2019re usually consistent in who\u2019s up front – me and Tessa or just one of us. Our system doesn\u2019t allow switching without putting it up for a vote, but Dorothy has a tendency to escape while most of us are either asleep or doing other things during the night time when the body needs rest.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOkay, good to know.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAnd we\u2019ll stay. The majority of us wants to stay because they trust you. To be honest, I think Tessa carries a torch for you anyway.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBobbie, I understand the fight or flight feeling. We all do. I swear, there\u2019s no better place for you than here.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cVery well, but if I don\u2019t like what I\u2019m hearing, we\u2019re still gone.\u201d Bella held out her hand for Kol to shake it. \u201cDo we have a deal, Kol Mikaelson?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYes, deal,\u201d he said as he shook it. Bobbie had quite the grip! Kol was glad that it was quite easy to persuade the system to stay – he did want to learn and he did want to make sure that Bella was happy, every single one of them. If his brother wanted to kick the both of them out, then he\u2019d happily go somewhere with Bella so that they could be free without the fear of being damaged or ridiculed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dating was going to be a bitch, wasn\u2019t it? But, one thing he knew for sure, life was never ever going to be boring again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Chapter 01 \u201cCan we talk?\u201d Klaus looked up from his book to greet his partner, Myriam. Whenever she came home, she\u2019d greet him with a \u2018hello\u2019 or a kiss, but for her to storm into the courtyard as she had done, was something different. \u201cTrouble?\u201d Not that she needed Klaus\u2019…<\/p>\n

Continue reading<\/i><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":585,"menu_order":1,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-587","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"yoast_head":"\nChapter 01 - MeekoBuggy<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Chapter 01 - MeekoBuggy\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Chapter 01 \u201cCan we talk?\u201d Klaus looked up from his book to greet his partner, Myriam. 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