{"id":591,"date":"2024-08-17T23:07:29","date_gmt":"2024-08-17T23:07:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/meekobuggy.com\/?page_id=591"},"modified":"2024-08-17T23:07:30","modified_gmt":"2024-08-17T23:07:30","slug":"chapter-02","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/meekobuggy.com\/?page_id=591","title":{"rendered":"Chapter 02"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Chapter 02<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

They had moved out of the compound to an apartment across the street, because Tessa didn\u2019t like it that Niklaus liked to have the gates unlocked, but she also didn\u2019t want to have to pull chests of drawers in front of the door every time she went asleep.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Granted, Dorothy hadn\u2019t shown herself for months and Tessa admitted that it was because of the run in she had with Klaus while she was out and painting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tessa liked the apartment because it had two bedrooms, and Kol would lock the door every night and take the keys into his room with him. It was great to see the progress of the Bella system as the weeks and months passed. Tessa remained on the forefront and there were no interruptions from the rest of them. He wasn\u2019t sure why, but he was grateful for that. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Was it strange that he liked Tessa that much? Wouldn\u2019t it be incredibly weird if he\u2019d start dating her, loving her, like a woman should be loved? It were things he obsessed about. But he wouldn\u2019t care about what other people would think, and Tessa herself said that every alter could have a relationship with someone if they wanted to, if she\u2019d allow them to come forward and live their own lives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But she didn\u2019t.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And he was grateful for that. Because he wasn\u2019t sure if he could see her with someone else even though it wasn\u2019t her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This sucked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How long could he be friends with someone and not kill them or fuck them senseless? He\u2019d started to resent Myriam for roping him in for her saving the girls scheme, but she kept saying that this was his own fault, because they never took saved girls home with them. Ever.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shot himself in the food then.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He woke up to hearing giggling in the living room. Dressing quickly, he left his bedroom to see what was going on, and he found not-Tessa sitting on the table munching on popcorn while watching the television. Cartoons. \u201cUh, good morning, Dorothy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMorning!\u201d Dorothy replied with a mouthful of popcorn, not taking her eyes off the TV. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

He sat down on the sofa, looking at her back and scratched his head. Why would Dorothy be out? Tessa had been with him for the last few months, what was going on? \u201cHow long have you been awake?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cUhhhh. No idea, but Tessa left you a message,\u201d she said as she pointed at the kitchen counter. \u201cShe told me I can be here all day and no one is going to stop me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He quickly retrieved the note and sat back down again. \u201cThat\u2019s unusual.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI like it,\u201d Dorothy grinned. \u201cDo you have pencils? Paper?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo,\u201d Kol replied as he started to read the note. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sorry to spring this on you without any warning, but my full attention is required in the system. I trust that you will be alright with Dorothy, but there are a few rules you need to follow because she\u2019s so precious to our system.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  1. Do not take her outside. You can take her to your brother\u2019s home across the street but other than that, don\u2019t get any ideas.<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. Do not talk about the system unless she offers, but she doesn\u2019t know a lot and things might be inaccurate anyway. She\u2019s a child.\u00a0<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. She\u2019s a child. Treat her as such.<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  4. DO NOT TAKE HER OUTSIDE.\u00a0<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  5. DO NOT LEAVE HER ALONE.<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    Tessa.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cDarling, why aren\u2019t I allowed to take you outside?\u201d Kol asked Dorothy as he scratched his head.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Dorothy sighed and turned around on the table to face him. \u201cI\u2019m seven years old. This body isn\u2019t. Obviously. The system doesn\u2019t like us in the outside world because we can\u2019t pretend we\u2019re Bella. Or Tessa.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cAh, ashamed then? Afraid of funny looks?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Dorothy shrugged. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cThat\u2019s alright, darling,\u201d Kol smiled at her. \u201cWe\u2019ll give you the best day of your life at Nik\u2019s house.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

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

    \u201cI don\u2019t like him! He yelled at me for painting!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cAll the more reason to go over to his home so he can apologize to you, and as our revenge, I\u2019ll have Myriam get things you like. Get a pony for the day and paint that you\u2019re allowed to use. A trampoline? Sugary sweets?\u201d When Dorothy\u2019s eyes grew big in excitement he nodded. \u201cVery well, that\u2019s a plan.\u201d He texted the plan to Myriam with some explanation before he looked at Dorothy again. \u201cHave you had breakfast yet?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cI had popcorn,\u201d Dorothy giggled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cNot good enough, not to worry, Niklaus has excellent cooks and the breakfast table will be set up soon,\u201d Kol smiled at her before getting up. \u201cNow, you continue to watch your cartoon, I need to do something by myself for a few minutes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cOkay!\u201d Dorothy turned around again and started humming to herself while she watched the cartoon. Kol went to his bedroom and grabbed a bag of blood. He and Tessa were going to have a word if she\u2019d come back later. There was no way in hell that he was equipped to take care of a 7-year-old all day long, when she wasn\u2019t supposed to go outside. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Myriam\u2019s texts were nothing but laughing emojis before she said that she\u2019d arrange something and that breakfast was served.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

    Dorothy froze when she saw Kol\u2019s brother and basically refused to walk into the courtyard. Sighing, Kol lifted her up and continued to walk. Dorothy had absolutely no choice in the matter, if he was going to take care of a child, his brother and his wife were going to help him. \u201cNiklaus!\u201d he called out. \u201cYou\u2019re a big meanie!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cI\u2019ve done a lot of mean things in my life, Kol, you\u2019d have to be more specific!\u201d Klaus said as he leaned over the balcony to see his brother walk in with the rescue in his arms. Tessa. Bella. Whoever she was today. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cA few months ago, when Dorothy here was out roaming the compound and stumbled upon your study and started to paint, you reacted like a spoiled brat. A meanie. This is the first time Dorothy has come out to play again and she\u2019s scared of you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cGood.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cNik!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Klaus hopped down and walked to his brother and the girl. \u201cA lot of people shake in their boots in fear when they hear my name, because they know that I can be really mean to them,\u201d he had some difficulty trying to make things as simple and not awful as Kol had requested. \u201cBut that also means that my name keeps you safe as long as you\u2019re here. You have nothing to fear from me, little Swan, just don\u2019t touch my paints again. Instead\u2026 why won\u2019t you come with me to the study after we\u2019ve had something to eat? I have a surprise for you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cYou do?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Klaus nodded slowly. \u201cI\u2019m not going to spoil the surprise for you, so let\u2019s have breakfast. I believe we have some pancakes and waffles this morning.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Dorothy wiggled herself out of Kol\u2019s hold and darted to the area where Klaus pointed to. \u201cI love pancakes!\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cCan Tessa do this to you?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Kol shrugged at his brother\u2019s question. \u201cShe\u2019s been pretty stable in not switching, especially after Bobbie \u2018retired\u2019. Whatever is going on, it\u2019s serious enough for her to allow Dorothy out all day. She needs her focus in her inside world, apparently. Can\u2019t share.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cDo you reckon she can live on her own by now?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cI suppose, it depends. She can take care of herself, which is what we want, but I am not sure if I want to let her go.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cKol.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cWhat? I like her.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cShe\u2019s a little kid right now.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cNo, that\u2019s not Tessa, that\u2019s Dorothy,\u201d Kol pointed out as he walked after the girl and saw her devour a pancake as she was sitting on her knees in her chair. \u201cEasy, darling,\u201d he sat down next to her and poured her a glass of orange juice. \u201cGood morning, Myriam,\u201d Kol smiled at his brother\u2019s wife.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cGood morning you two,\u201d Myriam said as she crouched down next to Dorothy with a hairbrush in her hands. \u201cTessa dressed you, but what about your hair? What would you like? Because I know that Kol is not good in that department, either.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Dorothy giggled. \u201cI\u2019m feeling like a princess today!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cBut that\u2019s because you are,\u201d Myriam replied as she softly started to brush her hair. Of course, it was strange to have a child on your hands while the body was 20 years of age, but Myriam was going to take the opportunity anyway. Kol asked for help, she was definitely going to stick around and help him out.  \u201cHow about a braid? Make your hair really pretty?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Dorothy looked at Kol with a hopeful look on her face.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cYou\u2019re safe here, darling, if you don\u2019t want Myriam to touch your hair, just say no.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cBut I want to!\u201d Dorothy replied as she stuffed her face with another pancake. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    After breakfast, Klaus took Dorothy to his study where an extra easel with paint and canvas was set up. After making her promise that she\u2019d only use her own canvas and easel to paint on, she painted for an hour with his brother, a big smile on her face as she kept humming songs. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Myriam had arranged a trampoline, and later a pony as Dorothy loved ponies and by dinner time, the girl was passed out on the sofa in the courtyard with a big, satisfied smile on her face. \u201cJob well done,\u201d Myriam grinned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cI\u2019m so glad we won\u2019t ever be able to have children of our own,\u201d Kol replied as he lifted Dorothy from the sofa. \u201cAlthough I do have to admit, I\u2019m glad she\u2019s a good little girl.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Myriam hummed for an answer before finding the words. \u201cBe careful with your words. There might be more children hiding inside of her and they might not be as easy going as Dorothy should they choose to come out.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cIt\u2019ll be fine,\u201d Kol beamed at her. \u201cI\u2019ve got you!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    She bit her lip then. \u201cShe\u2019s been with you for months, and don\u2019t get me wrong, but you\u2019re not\u2026 I mean, isn\u2019t it time you find her somewhere safe to live?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cShe is safe,\u201d Kol countered angrily. \u201cI\u2019m fine, she\u2019s fine. Never been better,\u201d he said before picking up the sleeping child. \u201cYou sent me to get her, if you\u2019re not happy with how we\u2019re doing, it\u2019s your own fault. Thanks for helping me with her today, but we\u2019re going home.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Myriam sighed and stopped him. \u201cKol, what I\u2019m trying to say is that you\u2019re\u2026 volatile. Like the rest of us. What if you snap and accidentally kill her? All that saving for nothing. That\u2019s why we don\u2019t bring them back home with us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cWhy is it that whenever I act like you lot want me to, that eventually you regret coaching me on that behaviour and you\u2019re waiting for me to snap?\u201d Kol hissed, not wanting to wake Dorothy. \u201cYou\u2019re unbelievable!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cKol,\u201d Klaus called from his position on the balcony before jumping down to join his wife. \u201cDon\u2019t get angry because Myriam\u2019s worried. Your history—\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cIs what YOU helped create, Niklaus. Don\u2019t be a hypocrite,\u201d Kol replied, not even bothering to lower his voice. \u201cIf you can change, why can\u2019t I?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cBecause you\u2019re you!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cThat\u2019s not a good enough reason!\u201d He quickly looked at Dorothy who was stirring and blinked when Dorothy opened her eyes, recognizing the look immediately. \u201cI\u2019m sorry for waking her.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cThis is awkward,\u201d Bobbie said as Kol let go of him before he turned to Klaus and Myriam. \u201cWhatever sick and twisted game you\u2019re playing with Kol, it ends now. From what I can tell he\u2019s making us feel safe and takes care of us. If Tessa hadn\u2019t trusted him, Dorothy would have not been allowed out today,\u201d he said evenly. \u201cNow, we\u2019re going to fuck off and you\u2019re going to leave Kol the hell alone.\u201d Bobbie then dragged Kol with him towards Kol\u2019s flat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cYou didn\u2019t have to do that. We often fight.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cThis was because of us,\u201d Bobbie said as he watched Kol open the door. \u201cAnd you. They have no right telling you what to do, or not to do, but that might change,\u201d he replied as he sucked in a breath. \u201cWe need to talk.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cYeah, I thought you were retired.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cI was,\u201d Bobbie replied as he followed Kol up the stairs and immediately headed to the fridge to grab himself a beer. Opening it, he took a big gulp and let out a belch. \u201cOh, that\u2019s so good.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cYou\u2019re disgusting, mate,\u201d Kol said as he scrunched up his nose before pouring himself a bourbon. \u201cFor you to leave retirement, there must be something going on.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cYeah, you could say that. And you\u2019re not going to like it. After I\u2019m telling you the story, I\u2019m going to give you two options.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cAnd what\u2019s that? Either you stay or you go? Yeah, not going to happen. Whatever\u2019s going on, you\u2019re staying, if you want.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cWe don\u2019t want to be a burden.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cYou\u2019re not,\u201d Kol said as he downed his glass in one go before pouring himself another. \u201cSo, now that\u2019s out of the way, what\u2019s going on? Not that I didn\u2019t like hanging out with Dorothy with Tessa\u2019s rules, but I\u2019d like to have a head\u2019s up next time, I wasn\u2019t prepared.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cTessa taught you all about us. You should have been prepared, even if Tessa\u2019d been in control for most of the time. So that\u2019s the first thing you\u2019re going to do tomorrow; you\u2019re going to buy crayons and shit that kids like,\u201d Bobbie took another sip of his beer and moved to the couch. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Bobbie had been the strong, silent type. Taking most of the torture, abuse, that the Cullens threw at them without as much as flinching, and occasionally fighting back. Ever since Kol brought them back from Forks, and before Bobbie retired, he figured out that Bobbie only talked if he, or Tessa, liked someone enough, trusted someone enough, to open up to. And he was pretty much a black or white kinda guy. \u201cConsider it done.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cI mean it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cSo do I. I merely hadn\u2019t thought about it because Dorothy hadn\u2019t come out.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cExpect more littles to come out,\u201d Bobbie sighed. \u201cNot just Dorothy. There are several others. And several other big ones.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cWait, what?\u201d Kol blinked. Alright, he didn\u2019t think it was just Tessa, Bobbie and Dorothy. He had met Lynne before, and maybe Sparkles at some point, but Tessa had told him that that\u2019s all there was, aside from the two gatekeepers Dorothy told him about. \u201cWhat happened?\u201d Had he done something stupid? Had he mistreated the system somehow for other alters to be formed? Had Nik and Myriam been right?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cRelax,\u201d Bobbie saw the panicked look on Kol\u2019s face. \u201cIt\u2019s not you, it\u2019s\u2026 us,\u201d he took another gulp from his beer. \u201cSo those fuckers placed two gatekeepers inside our mind, in our world. Usually people can\u2019t mess with our world, so we don\u2019t have a clue what happened there, but Paul and Mellie were there. And they looked like Jasper and Edward, as a reminder of who we were with.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cThat\u2019s fucked up.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Bobbie shrugged. \u201cIt\u2019s smart. We were likely switching too much. It was another way of control. Problem is\u2026 Lynne broke free and killed the gatekeepers. While Tessa and I are usually in control\u2026 the control is gone. Tessa pulled me out of retirement to be the main protector but with the alters loose, it\u2019ll be a transitional period and you might see people you haven\u2019t seen before.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

    \u201cI will ask you again—\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cNo need. If you want to stay, you\u2019re staying. You\u2019re safe with me and if the others want to learn that they\u2019re safe with me, then so be it,\u201d Kol let out a sigh and nodded. \u201cHowever, I was thinking of taking Tessa with me and move somewhere else, away from my siblings.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Bobbie was quiet for a moment as he took another swig from his beer. \u201cI\u2019d advise against that for the time being, but I do suggest adding another lock to the door, one that this body can\u2019t reach.\u201d He then nodded to the door leading out to the balcony in front. \u201cAnd there too.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cAre you creating a prison for yourself?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Bobbie let out a chuckle. \u201cDude, I don\u2019t know what to expect. It\u2019s suddenly become really crowded inside our inner world and while I have confidence that you\u2019ll keep us safe when I can\u2019t, it doesn\u2019t hurt to take extra precautions.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cYou\u2019re scared?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Letting out a grunt, he took another swig of the bottle. \u201cIt was just us for over ten years. In all honesty I had forgotten about the rest of us, and had it been in any other situation, I would have taken us out from it but this isn\u2019t what you signed up for, Kol. It\u2019s unfair.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cWe\u2019ll make do,\u201d Kol said as he sat down next to Bobbie and got his mobile phone out. \u201cWhile you\u2019re here, let\u2019s get some stuff for the kids, and something Tessa really likes. And you. And whatever else we need.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cStart with a notebook and a pencil,\u201d Bobbie smirked. \u201cI\u2019d like you to document who\u2019s coming out and anything else you can find out about them. Just in case Tessa and I can\u2019t remember them. And whomever is coming out, you explain the rules to them, just so they can hear it from someone else.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Kol thought for a moment. \u201cTessa keeps a notebook where she writes stuff down in. Maybe you all should write in that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cI like that idea.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    He and Bobbie talked for a few hours, coming up with a game plan, until Bobbie became tired and retreated to the bedroom. Kol placed the order at Amazon for all the stuff they had spoken about for at least the littles and shot off a message to one of his allies in New Orleans that he required blood bags. He wasn\u2019t going to give his brother the satisfaction of coming back to pick it up from the compound. He was an ass.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

    \u201cNice touch,\u201d Tessa said as she walked out of her bedroom and pointed at the note on the door saying where they were and who they were with, all in Bobbie\u2019s handwriting. \u201cMorning,\u201d she smiled at Kol. \u201cIt\u2019s Tessa,\u201d she pointed to herself before joining Kol at the table. \u201cDorothy was really happy with yesterday, you guys spoiled her!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cIt was a bit last minute, but we did what we could. How are you feeling?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Tessa shrugged. \u201cTired, I suppose. Headache. Scared. Anxious. Unsure,\u201d she reached for the coffee pot and sighed. \u201cBut safe. I suppose that\u2019s what matters.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cHow bad is it?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cI don\u2019t know,\u201d Tessa replied honestly, as she poured the coffee into her cup and added some sugar and milk to it. \u201cI mean\u2026 it\u2019s a mess, we\u2019re trying to create new accomodations for everyone, and I doubt that you\u2019ll meet everyone. Some are content where they are and actually didn\u2019t mind being locked away, but we\u2019re in the same boat, you and I. I don\u2019t know what to expect. I do feel less secure in this body though, with Paul and Mellie gone, gone is also the control we had. Somewhat. Not even sure we were ever in control. And now we need to make friends and see what\u2019s what.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cI see,\u201d Kol replied. This was nuts. This was a bad decision, it was insane and he wasn\u2019t cut out for it but both Tessa and Bobbie trusted him and they had offered to leave and he didn\u2019t want that either. \u201cWell, we\u2019ll make do. And if all fails, I could do something stupid.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cLike what?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Kol shrugged. He had given it some thought after he couldn\u2019t sleep. If the Cold Ones could place people inside the system, then maybe he could figure it out too. It was easier for his kind of vampire to walk around in people\u2019s brains and manipulate dreams, memories. Seeing as this was a different case, he wasn\u2019t sure how. \u201cI could get a few books about what you\u2019re ailing and read them to help you better or, I don\u2019t know, I could see if I can get inside your inner world like the Cold Ones have done and help you sort it out. Nothing invasive like they\u2019ve done, but yeah. I don\u2019t know. Sounds stupid.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cIt does,\u201d Tessa smiled as she set her cup down and reached for a pastry. \u201cIsn\u2019t that cheating, though?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Kol shrugged. \u201cI\u2019m not even sure I can do it. Nik, maybe, but me? No idea. Besides, you\u2019ve gone through enough. And I\u2019d never try getting into your inner world without your permission. Maybe even Bobbie\u2019s. But you\u2019ve earned your right to cheat. However, maybe this is part of your healing process, too.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cMaybe,\u201d Tessa shrugged. \u201cIt just sucks. I\u2019ve been taking care of this body with Bobbie for years, why should we share it?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Kol shrugged. \u201cI don\u2019t know, but you\u2019re all inside that body,\u201d he replied as he took out the notebook he\u2019d ordered. The delivery of all the things had come earlier that morning, but he wasn\u2019t going to overwhelm Tessa with that right now. He also produced the different color pens. \u201cWrite down your rules. Those you\u2019ve lived by or lived by since you came home with me. And anything else you want other people to know. I know you and Bobbie are close, but what if someone comes out who\u2019s not in tune with the both of you? If you can\u2019t remember?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cI know,\u201d Tessa sighed, taking a bite out of her pastry. \u201cI\u2019ll try.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cIn the meantime, I need to clear an area in my flat for Dorothy or any other little that might come up, any idea where I should do that?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Tessa hummed and pointed to the corner furthest away from any doors, but close to Kol\u2019s room as she took another bite. And another as she stared off in space, hardly chewing. \u201cHmm.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cWhat is it, darling?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Tessa sighed as she started to chew again and looked at Kol with a confused look on her face before looking around as if they saw the flat for the first time, observing what was in front of them. Kol knew that this was someone else.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cHi, I\u2019m Kol. Don\u2019t be afraid, you\u2019re safe here,\u201d he said as he looked at them. \u201cAre you alright?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cY-yes,\u201d they replied, blinking at the sound of their own voice before trying again. \u201cYes, of course, thank you,\u201d they replied before continuing to eat what Tessa had been eating. \u201cWhat were we talking about again?\u201d She then devoured the pastry and took a sip of the drink as if she hadn\u2019t had anything to eat in a while.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Kol sat down in the chair opposite her and smiled. \u201cI was talking to Tessa about her writing down some rules for the system so that you all know what to expect and stuff like that. But seeing as you\u2019re not Tessa, I don\u2019t think it\u2019ll work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cI\u2019m Bella.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Was she, tough? Possibly not. \u201cAlright, nice to meet you, Bella.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u2018Bella\u2019 looked around after finishing her drink, this time with bigger eyes, trying to listen to all the sounds outside. \u201cWe\u2019re not in Forks?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cNo, we\u2019re in New Orleans. I rescued you a few months ago.\u201d This was strange, this alter didn\u2019t remember anything. It was a possibility, of course, but for it to actually happen was certainly strange.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cI didn\u2019t need rescuing. Did I agree to this? Isn\u2019t this just kidnapping?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Kol took his phone and showed Bella the footage from the fires in Forks. \u201cThat was us. Me, and those with you. And you chose to come with me instead of going to some safe house.\u201d He then scrolled through his phone and found videos of Tessa being happy, and even the footage of Dorothy of the day before, jumping on the trampoline with a big, stupid grin on her face. \u201cYou have nothing to fear from me. You\u2019re safe here and you can be yourself here. You don\u2019t have to pretend.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    She took hold of the phone and started to scroll down the images, which Kol wasn\u2019t exactly too pleased about as there were some images on there that he didn\u2019t quite want a new alter to see. Mostly some of his kills, he had left Tessa alone for a few hours and he went creative and needed to share them with Myriam. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Then again, she was raised by vampires.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cInteresting art,\u201d she eventually noted before nodding and handing him his phone back, satisfied. \u201cYou can tell Tessa that I merely wanted to see if the outside world was any better than our inside world and it\u2019s not. I\u2019m happy to stay inside as there\u2019s no real function for me anyway. I don\u2019t know why I exist and I don\u2019t want to find out.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Kol nodded to the notebook. \u201cYou can write that down for Tessa yourself, with all of us not knowing what to expect, I want her to read it from yourself, and not hear new experiences from me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cBut I\u2019m never, ever, coming back out again.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cYou don\u2019t know that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cYeah, I\u2019m not going to write anything in that stupid notebook,\u201d she said defiantly. \u201cAnd you\u2019re not going to make me, I can do whatever I want.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cI\u2019m not making you, I just said that I don\u2019t want to have everyone else hear about you from me. It\u2019s only fair.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cFair!\u201d Bella exclaimed as she got off the chair and started to pace around like a madwoman. \u201cYou think life is fair? Life isn\u2019t fair, the only thing that makes you believe it\u2019s fair is the delusion of life being fair. You\u2019re fooling yourself by thinking that!\u201d she spat. \u201cJust because you didn\u2019t eat the lion doesn\u2019t mean it won\u2019t eat you instead!\u201d Was that a hint of a Middle-Eastern accent?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Her response was interesting. He took his glass of orange juice and looked at her as he sipped it. Life wasn\u2019t fair, but he made it fair for himself and those he cared about. That lion analogy was an interesting one. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cPeople feel entitled to things because they\u2019ve done good in their lives, or because they\u2019re innocent. Well boohoo, life isn\u2019t fair, deal with it!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cSo you think it\u2019s fair that the Cold Ones and the Shifters did what they did to you and your family?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cI don\u2019t see life as fair. Angels are fair, HaShem<\/em> is. But life? Life is just one big mess and others might seem to have it better. Don\u2019t mistake better for fair.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    So, he was right. HaShem<\/em>. Judaism. For some reason Kol couldn\u2019t believe that there was a Jew in the system. What did the system need them for? \u201cYou didn\u2019t answer my question.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cLife was never fair and it never will be. Having a fair life is a lie. I could have easily done something about the situation we were in but I didn\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Kol shrugged as he took a sip of his drink, forcing himself to remain calm. He didn\u2019t like debates or confrontation, he usually killed the opposition. \u201cAnd what do you think about the punishment we gave them when I came to get you?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cAgain, I didn\u2019t need saving! Y-you vampires are all the same! Unable to get what you want? Kill it. Manipulate it. You thought that we were in danger and you killed everyone so that you could feel better about taking a girl away from the scary Cold vampires. And nothing\u2019s changed anyway, seeing as you\u2019re a vampire. I\u2019m surprised you didn\u2019t kill us already, or do you like to play with your food?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Provoking. Was this girl a warrior? Or did she have a death wish? \u201cI\u2019m not like them.\u201d He was getting thirsty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cOh, come on, all vampires are the same. Every supernatural being is the same. Out for blood. To mess with ordinary humans and use them. Abuse them. Toys. Pets. Isn\u2019t that what I am to you? I was to the Cullens and the Shifters. To the Shifters even way before I lost my parents. Always their little play thing,\u201d she stopped pacing then and tugged on her shirt. \u201cSo tell me, Kol, what would you like me to do? How would you like to use me today?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cYou need to stop.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cWhy? Am I grating on you?\u201d Bella smirked as she tugged some more on the shirt Tessa decided to put on them. \u201cIt\u2019s because I\u2019m right, aren\u2019t I? This body and everyone in it is just a toy to you. A pet. Entertainment.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cStop it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cNo,\u201d she said curtly. \u201cI\u2019m merely doing what I\u2019m supposed to be doing. As your pet.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cStop that right now,\u201d Kol growled as he pushed her against the wall, causing Bella to giggle. \u201cYou are not my pet. Nor my entertainment or a toy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cFood?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cNot all vampires are the same, darling, my sister-in-law likes to help those who have been hurt by the supernatural and I was sent to help you. You decided to come back with me. I have been nothing but caring and respectful towards all of you and I\u2019ve been trying to help. Do not test my patience because it\u2019s wearing thin.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    She caught him off guard then as she pulled her knees to her chest and kicked him away from her. She pushed herself off the wall and tackled him to the ground, sitting on top of him, straddling his waist. \u201cI can take care of myself,\u201d she jabbed him in the chest with her index finger. \u201cAm I free to go?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cYou\u2019re not a prisoner, Bella,\u201d Kol sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose in annoyance. \u201cTessa merely likes it if I accompany her outside in case something happens. In fact, if it hadn\u2019t been for your current crisis inside your world, I would have taken her on a river cruise today because she expressed interest in it last week.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Bella seemed to think about it for a moment. \u201cCan we go, instead? I don\u2019t think there\u2019s anyone coming out any time soon and I\u2019m stronger than Tessa, I\u2019m holding her off.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cWe could go next week, I suppose. Bobbie thought it\u2019d be best if we didn\u2019t stray much from home for the next few days.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    She shrugged as she shimmied down his body and when she found the right spot, she wiggled her ass. \u201cI know a way to kill some time\u2026 I can feel you\u2019re interested.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Kol narrowed his eyes on her. \u201cI don\u2019t know you.\u201d So tempting, he was so tempted and wondering why he hadn\u2019t thrown her off of him yet. She was playing with fire. Or had Sparkles come out to play without him noticing?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cSure you do!\u201d Bella smiled widely. \u201cI\u2019ve been in your house for months! Come on,\u201d she wiggled her ass over his hardon again. \u201cYou like this body. You\u2019re a vampire. Take me. Take whatever you want, seeing as you already took me away from what I knew.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cNo,\u201d Kol said as he lifted her off of him and got to his feet. Not like this. He respected her too much. He never even brought it up with Tessa. He was still coming to terms with feeling more than lust for the entire system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cThe rest of us won\u2019t mind,\u201d Bella said as she got up and walked over to the kitchen. \u201cYour loss though, I\u2019m pretty sure that having sex with you would be mindblowing,\u201d she smirked then as she started opening drawers in the kitchen until she found what she was looking for. \u201cYou must be thirsty,\u201d she remarked, a devious grin on her face as she turned around with a knife in her hand. \u201cAs your pet, it\u2019s my duty to make sure you\u2019re well-fed. Take a nibble,\u201d Bella sliced open her hand with the knife, watching it in fascination. \u201cEh, it doesn\u2019t even hurt. Sharp knives are a good thing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cWhat the bloody hell!\u201d Kol bit his hand and rushed over to have the cut heal, but Bella\u2019s blood\u2026 it was so sweet, so tempting. Extraordinary. He wanted it. All of it. Before he knew it, he had his teeth in her neck and he was greedily drinking from her. He wanted all of it, the more the better. Forget about moderation. About control. He\u2019s been tightly wound for what it seemed like forever. Behaved. Because of the girl.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The girl\u2026 The one who he truly cared about because she saw him, whoever was out in front, he was seen. By her. By them. And the girl who he was drinking from right now and her heart had slowed down and she was slumped over in his arms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cNo!\u201d he quickly stopped drinking, realizing what he\u2019d done and started feeding her his blood as he sank to the floor. \u201cNo, please,\u201d he cradled her in his arms as he kept pressing his wrist against her mouth. \u201cPlease. Please drink. I\u2019m sorry, I\u2019m so sorry,\u201d he wanted to throw up. Kol felt disgusted by himself, she didn\u2019t deserve this. He didn\u2019t deserve her. He had done exactly what she\u2019d been telling him ever since she came out after Tessa. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    He took. No control. None whatsoever.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Myriam had been right, too. And Klaus. He wasn\u2019t cut out for this, to take care of someone. The Bella-system was too much. Too much. And his feelings for her were too much.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    He was a monster. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Once he was satisfied that she wouldn\u2019t die, he gently put her down on her bed, wrote in the notebooks to Bobbie and Tessa, or at least tried to. He disappointed the both of them. He disappointed himself, and he simply couldn\u2019t find the right words other than \u2018I\u2019m sorry\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Kol then ran across the street straight to Myriam\u2019s hiding place for the remaining dagger, grabbed it and went looking for his brother, who was painting in his study. \u201cNik.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cWhat\u2019s all the ruckus, brother?\u201d Klaus asked before he turned around and saw the state his brother was in. Dishevelled. Bloodied. Tearstained eyes. Concern about his brother filled him and he immediately dropped what he was doing. \u201cKol?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cYou need to dagger me, Nik. Please. Dagger me. Remove me from her life until she grows old and dies. Please, I\u2019m begging you,\u201d he said as he fell to his knees in front of him and held out the dagger. \u201cPlease. I almost killed her because one of her new alters pushed my buttons and knew exactly how to push them. Please.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cIs the girl alright?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cYes, she\u2019s fine, she didn\u2019t die, but I don\u2019t think she\u2019ll be that lucky next time and I can\u2019t\u2026 I can\u2019t do this. You and Myriam were right. I can\u2019t do this and she\u2019s too sweet of a person and\u2026 Please, just dagger me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cNot that I\u2019m pleased that I have a reason to put you in your box, but what of the girl? She can\u2019t stay in your apartment by herself with no help.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cFind her the best care facility where they can help her so that she can live on her own, grow old, be happy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cYou can do that yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Kol grabbed his brother\u2019s hand and pushed the dagger in it as he got to his feet. \u201cI can\u2019t be around her. I don\u2019t deserve her in my life, and I\u2019m certainly not the right person to be in her life. I\u2019m a monster, Nik. Dagger me. If she comes asking, tell her I went away.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Klaus looked at the dagger and then his brother. \u201cShe\u2019s just a girl.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cNo, Nik. She\u2019s not just a girl and as much as it\u2019s strange or not right or whatever you think that she may be, I can\u2019t do this. You were right. I\u2019m not the right person. I\u2019ll kill her next time. So for the sake of her remaining alive, you dagger me, yeah? She\u2019s not in any shape ready to have me ask her if she wants to be turned and I really do not wish to make that choice for her. She deserves a happy life, away from us. Sane and safe.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Klaus knew what this was. Part truth, proof that his brother was still the happy homicidal maniac he was in the past, but mostly his brother being Kol. Too many emotions and he didn\u2019t know how to handle them. He was afraid, he was heartbroken, disappointed in himself, hungry, and everything else that made him act this way. \u201cMyriam won\u2019t like this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cMyriam can go fuck herself. The system has a better chance without me. My choice. I don\u2019t care to live with the pain of being daggered for the rest of her life. It\u2019s what I deserve after what I\u2019ve just done,\u201d Kol looked at his brother, who still had that hesitant look on his face. Grabbing the hand with the dagger, Kol propelled his body forward and daggered himself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

    \u201cWake up.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    It hurt hearing his brother\u2019s voice, especially when he followed it up by tossing blood bags into his coffin. It couldn\u2019t have been that long already, Kol would have known that. Felt it. The dagger was gone. Groaning, he reached for one of the blood bags and instantly felt better upon drinking some. His brother wasn\u2019t amused.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cIt\u2019s been five years, before you ask. And no, Myriam\u2019s not too happy with you but she promised to bite her tongue until our guest has left.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cFive? Nik!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cYou have a visitor. Clean yourself up, get dressed, have some more blood and then join us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cI don\u2019t—\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cYou want to see this visitor yourself. They\u2019re very important so you\u2019d best be on your best behaviour.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Kol grumbled as he climbed out of his coffin, now realizing where he was; his room at the compound. Nik woke him likely because he wanted to parade his entire, his complete, family in front of some idiot he was conniving with. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    This was stupid. As always.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Klaus left, a servant walked in and Kol drained them but the blood didn\u2019t taste good. Neither had the blood bag, to be honest. He didn\u2019t want to be out. He was going to be too tempted to go and try and find Bella. And that wasn\u2019t a good thing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    On his way to the bathroom, his eyes fell upon the painting Dorothy had made when his brother took her to his study while they were setting up things for her and his heart broke. It wasn\u2019t fair. He used his vampire speed to get clean, get dressed and stumble out his room to find Nik with their visitor who was apparently so important that he needed to be awake for. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    But he wasn\u2019t expecting this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Sitting in the drawing room, sipping a nice cup of tea, was Bella, and she looked good. Healthy. Happy. Why was Nik doing this to him? Why? She hadn\u2019t noticed him yet, so he turned to leave. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cAh! There he is!\u201d Klaus exclaimed, causing Kol to turn back around and letting out a breath. \u201cKol, this is miss Bella Jenkins, she was desperate to meet you,\u201d he said as he got to his feet. \u201cI\u2019ll leave the two of you alone,\u201d Klaus said and pat his brother on his shoulder with a smirk on his face. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cYou can\u2019t do this!\u201d Kol hissed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cI didn\u2019t. Myriam and I kept an eye on her from afar to see how she progressed, but her coming here is all her doing and you\u2019ll find it interesting to find out how,\u201d he squeezed Kol\u2019s shoulder before leaving.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Kol just looked at Bella, didn\u2019t move an inch from his spot. \u201cUh, hi,\u201d he eventually said, running a hand through his hair and looking at his feet. He couldn\u2019t do this. His brother was an asshole, this wasn\u2019t what he had wanted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Bella looked at him. \u201cSo\u2026 this is so not awkward\u2026 I thought I knew everything that happened between you and Tessa or anyone else, but apparently they missed something out?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    What? \u201cCome again?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    She got to her feet and walked over to Kol, her hand extended out to him for him to take. \u201cHi, I\u2019m Bella Jenkins, formerly known as Bella Swan, but seeing as I apparently died in a huge fire in Forks, they helped me get a new name,\u201d she smiled at him. \u201cAnd I know that you know that I have various personalities in my system, but I can assure you that I don\u2019t remember anything. All those memories are with my alters. They dug me up in the pits in the inside world. They thought I\u2019d died, but who knew?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cYou\u2019re\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cThe original. Yep. Or you know, the assigned host at birth,\u201d she nodded. \u201cAnd I\u2019m still worried that I don\u2019t know everything about you\u2026 that someone missed a story somewhere.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cThey might have. Why are you here?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cCome,\u201d she motioned for him to follow her over to the sofa. \u201cI\u2019ll show you.\u201d When Kol didn\u2019t move, she turned around, a questioning look on her face. \u201cWhat? Look, whatever whoever did—\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cIt\u2019s what I\u2019ve done.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cYou made sure we got the right help.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

    \u201cAfter\u2026 what?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Kol let out a breath and shook his head. \u201cNothing. Why are you here.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    She eyed him curiously and sat down on the sofa, patting the empty space next to her for Kol to sit down while she grabbed something from her bag, and Kol recognized one of the notebooks he had given her. \u201cTessa and Dorothy wrote about you. Shared their memories of you with me. So I know we\u2019ve met before, I just can\u2019t remember it. I can\u2019t really communicate with Tessa, but I feel when she\u2019s close and when she wants to come out, but these notebooks, that you\u2019ve started us on, truly help with talking to everyone in my system.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    He didn\u2019t say anything as he quietly sat down next to her as she flipped through the notebook, there were drawings of him and his family. Of him and a little girl he could only assume was Dorothy and of him and a young woman that could only be Tessa. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cYou made quite the impact on them, and I wanted to seek you out years ago, but Tessa didn\u2019t think we were ready for that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cYou should have stayed away.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Bella ignored him as she kept browsing through her notebook. \u201cMyriam did bring us to a great facility where they helped us with each other. I was found after a year or so in therapy, after some of the alters integrated with each other. There were a lot of them. Not all friendly, either. I moved out of the facility into a wonderful home here in New Orleans and Bobbie integrated with Tessa last month and then Tessa told us that we were ready to meet you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cShe\u2019s stupid.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cMaybe. Myriam said you were traveling and wasn\u2019t sure when you\u2019d be back and that we should continue to live our lives, but we felt that there was something missing. We\u2019ve felt that for a long time now, like a part of us wasn\u2019t there, and I got curious,\u201d Bella shrugged. \u201cMyriam didn\u2019t want to tell me where you were in the world, so\u2026 I did a locator spell.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cA spell?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Bella grinned as she looked at him. \u201cAs it turns out, every part of the system is different and can have abilities. Or allergies that someone else doesn\u2019t have. My magic is basic. I mean, the moment I found out I could do some magic I went and found a witch, but it\u2019s just casual. Very low level magic stuff. I figured I\u2019d do a locator spell to see where you were, based on the drawings Tessa made of you and I was shocked to find out you were here in New Orleans.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cAnd here you are.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Bella nodded. \u201cCan\u2019t say I\u2019m disappointed, I just hoped you\u2019d be more enthusiastic to see me, that\u2019s all. Where did you travel to?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cPlaces,\u201d Kol replied as he got back to his feet. \u201cYou\u2019ve met me, you\u2019ve seen me, now I\u2019d like you to go. Or you know, stay, I\u2019m certain Myriam will be home soon.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cI don\u2019t understand\u2026 is it me? Is it something I did? Or have you changed your mind about us?\u201d Bella asked with a thin voice as she looked up at him. \u201cTell me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cYou\u2019re incredibly stupid to walk into a home filled with vampires.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cYeah, I know, but Tessa assured me you were to be trusted.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cI can\u2019t be trusted!\u201d Kol blurted out. \u201cI sent you away to have a good life. To get better. To be happy. Grow old.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cBut that\u2019s not what Tessa says, nor Dorothy. Or Bobbie, even, before he integrated with Tessa. They think the world of you, you helped us and I want to be friends with you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cDarling, I would love that, but it\u2019s a bad idea.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Bella sighed and nodded. \u201cI understand. I wouldn\u2019t want to try and be friends with someone like me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cIt\u2019s not you, Bella,\u201d Kol sighed as he defeatedly sat back down next to her again. \u201cYou\u2019re not safe around me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    She huffed then. \u201cI wouldn\u2019t be here if Tessa didn\u2019t trust you. And before you tell me again that you can\u2019t be trusted, I\u2019d like to experience that for myself. So, the first step for you would be to tell me what got you feeling like you do. Or tell me about your travels.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cI can\u2019t,\u201d he said as he looked at his hands and sighed. \u201cI didn\u2019t go anywhere. I didn\u2019t want to be around while you lived your life for your own safety so after\u2026 what I did, I had Nik dagger me. Didn\u2019t give him much of a choice, really. I spent the last 5 years in my box.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Bella was quiet for a moment, Kol could hear her breathing, but she was likely going to ask \u2018why\u2019 and he didn\u2019t want to tell her. If she truly didn\u2019t hold memories, then he didn\u2019t want to upset her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cYou fucker.\u201d He looked up to see that Bella\u2019s entire demeanor had changed. This was Tessa. \u201cYou hate being daggered, why the fuck did you do that?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cYou don\u2019t know?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cNo? We woke up, saw your notes and thought you\u2019d left us because Bobbie and I told you that it was going to be rough and we believed you\u2019d given up.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cNo,\u201d he sighed, shaking his head. Myriam must have cleaned her up before she came to. \u201cA new alter came out to play for a while. Middle-Eastern, I think. Called herself Bella. Very provocative and she pushed my buttons.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cAnd? I do that too.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cYes, darling, you did that too,\u201d he smiled at her. \u201cBut I happen to like you and you know your boundaries. She was very anti-vampire, pretty much saying that we\u2019re all the same and to prove it, she cut her hand. I went over to make sure that the wound would heal but\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cOh.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

    \u201cDid I at least taste nice?\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Kol looked at her in shock. \u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Tessa shrugged. \u201cWe\u2019ve had Cold Ones and regular vampires snack on us before, which we didn\u2019t like but I trust you. It was inevitable, and that\u2019s okay. We choose to stay with you even after trying to push you away because we trust you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cI could have killed you. And it will likely happen if I remain around you and you don\u2019t deserve that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cThen you can feed me some of your blood every single day and if you do end up killing us at some point, we\u2019ll turn. Not sure how that will go with the rest of the system, but the majority of us wants to be with you. Some as friends, me, not so much. I want more,\u201d she grabbed one of her notebooks and playfully smacked him on the head. \u201cYou\u2019re a jerk for allowing yourself to be daggered and hide from us. You\u2019re part of our system and if you\u2019re hurting, I want to help. And I want you to get to know Bella. We\u2019re keeping the bad memories from her, she can\u2019t really communicate with the rest of the system apart from these notebooks and this works. And while she doesn\u2019t really feel what we\u2019re feeling, she does feel that a part of her is missing and that stopped the moment you walked into this room.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cDarling, I—\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cCome live with us. We don\u2019t even have to stay in New Orleans, we can go anywhere. Away from people who think that you\u2019re not good enough. Away from people who\u2019ll think that you\u2019re crazy for having feelings for a crazy person. We all have our issues and ours happen to be that we can be different people, and yours happens to be that you\u2019re a vampire. Who cares.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cYou deserve better.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cWe don\u2019t want anyone better, because to us, you\u2019re the best. We\u2019ll be very happy with our life with you in it, and you deserve happiness too,\u201d she gently took his hand and squeezed it. \u201cDon\u2019t be afraid to hurt us, okay?\u201d She grabbed another notebook out of her bag and thumbed to a page where the system talked about relationships. \u201cI want you. I want you to get to know Bella so that she\u2019ll fall for you as much as I have. We feel safe and protected by you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cAnd you don\u2019t think to stop to think about what I\u2019d want?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cNo, because you already made that abundantly clear with your little stunt with the dagger, and it\u2019s time you stop fighting it. We\u2019re two fucked up beings and we\u2019re an awesome match. Now, let\u2019s go home. Either your place or mine, and let\u2019s plan and talk some more,\u201d Tessa grinned as she started to pack up. \u201cYou\u2019re going to love Bella. She\u2019s a witch.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cYeah, about that, I thought she was dead?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cWe thought so too, but Jasper had put her deep down in our mind, as it turned out. We don\u2019t know if it\u2019s for safe keeping or because they knew Bella could do magic and were afraid of what she could become,\u201d she got to her feet and smiled at Kol as she pulled him up. \u201cAnd before you ask, no, I don\u2019t mind sharing the body with her. She\u2019s the original. The first. I\u2019m still here, primary protector and all that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Kol took her bag for her and scratched his head. \u201cShouldn\u2019t you discuss all of this with the rest of you?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Tessa smirked then. \u201cAlready have. They know you\u2019re a part of our system,\u201d she nodded at her bag. \u201cIt\u2019s all in those notebooks, if you want to read them and catch up.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cThose are yours, darling.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    When they were in the courtyard, she stopped him and looked up at him. \u201cPromise me you won\u2019t do anything as stupid as getting yourself fucking daggered because you got scared ever again.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cI wasn\u2019t—\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cBullshit. Don\u2019t run away again.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Kol let out a snort and shook his head. \u201cWho are you and what have you done with Tessa?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    She crossed her arms over her chest and seemed to think for a moment. \u201cHuh,\u201d Tessa seemed impressed. \u201cI guess having Bobbie integrate with me has a bigger effect than I originally thought,\u201d she then grinned. \u201cCool! Let\u2019s go.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

    Kol had to give Tessa, and Bella, some credit. Behind their visit and stuff like that was a reason of their therapist moving to another city and they wanted to keep her. And they also wanted to keep Kol, so they moved not that far away from New Orleans, but to Mobile Alabama.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    He wasn\u2019t quite sure when he found out about her elaborate plan. Bella wasn\u2019t even sure if she wanted to share their reasoning and private thoughts with him but she did. Where Tessa wanted to share everything with him and he refused, Bella was a bit more closed off, as she should be. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    I feel something\u2019s missing – B<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Kol. – D<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Kol? – B<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Tessa likes him very very much. – D<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Shut up. – T<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Can he be trusted? – J<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    He\u2019s part of our system. He\u2019s a vampire and before you get your panties in a twist, yes, he can be trusted. – T<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Let\u2019s find him and see if that\u2019s the missing piece. – J<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    I can\u2019t believe they\u2019re leaving us to get a new practise somewhere else – T<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Any therapist is fine. – B<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    NO THEY\u2019RE NOT. – J<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    I LIKE JERI. OH AND SORRY FOR SMASHING THAT VASE – D<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    We were set up with this fully furnished apartment by Myriam. It gives us a false sense of independence. We can\u2019t move to Mobile like that. It\u2019ll destroy us. – B<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    FIND KOL. – T<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    We can\u2019t rely on him to help us out. – J<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    He likes us and I miss him. – D<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Kol lets us keep our independence. He knows us and knows when we\u2019re not good to do something. We need to find him. – T<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    This doesn\u2019t sound healthy, at all. – J <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    We\u2019re not healthy and neither is he. We\u2019re perfect together. Two pieces make one whole being. – T<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    I told you Tessa really really likes him. – D<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cWho\u2019s J?\u201d Kol asked as he put the notebook down and started to unpack Bella\u2019s bag. There were a few boxes still in the truck, mostly the things he bought 5 years ago for the littles and things for the grownups. They didn\u2019t need much, especially since he had found them a home and had compelled some vampires to make it habitable for them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cUh, you don\u2019t know?\u201d Bella asked as she looked at the guy who had caught Tessa\u2019s eye. He was hurt, she could see that, she had seen that back in New Orleans, and here he was, helping them. \u201cOf course you don\u2019t\u2026 Uh, J is for Jamie. He and Tessa don\u2019t like each other much, going off of the notes and all, but he\u2019s a bit of a yin to Tessa\u2019s yang, a bit like Bobbie but a lot milder. He takes care of the littles now, after Bobbie and Tessa integrated.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cGood to know,\u201d Kol replied as he started to put Bella\u2019s clothes into her closet, in her own bedroom with the door still open so she could see and hear him. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cHe\u2019s easy to spot, really. He\u2019s deaf.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cDeaf. He can read lips though, and he can communicate with you through writing, if you don\u2019t know sign language.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Kol sighed. \u201cI\u2019ll go and teach myself some sign language.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cYou don\u2019t have to do that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Once he was done with her bag, he made his way back to Bella with a smile on his face. \u201cDarling, Jamie is a part of you and he\u2019s his own person. If he prefers to communicate in sign language, then I shall learn sign language. Same goes for you, if you want to learn more about magic, I\u2019ll be more than happy to teach you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Bella furiously blushed. \u201cYou don\u2019t have to.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cWhat if I want to?\u201d He squatted down in front of her. \u201cMagic is something to be celebrated. It\u2019s magical and fun. I won\u2019t teach you anything you can hurt others with if you don\u2019t want to. I\u2019m here to keep you safe.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cI have Tessa for that. You have Tessa for that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cTrue,\u201d he let out a snort. \u201cBut I\u2019m faster and stronger than Tessa, and nobody is ever going to hurt you again,\u201d he playfully nudged her knees. \u201cSo I\u2019m going to teach you fun magic. Make things pretty. Or sparkle or explode in butterflies. Whatever you want.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cWhat if I want to protect this house a bit more?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cThen I\u2019ll teach you how to do that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cWhy are you being so nice? What\u2019s in it for you?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    He let out a sigh and sat down on the table in front of her. \u201cYou know the story of how I came to Forks and how I gave your system a choice of where to go?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Bella nodded. \u201cYou weren\u2019t expecting them to say they\u2019d come with you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cI wasn\u2019t supposed to agree to that,\u201d he let out a small chuckle. \u201cBut we became friends and I really like your system, and I want to get to know you, too. I want to work hard on making sure I know you all and making sure you\u2019re all safe and happy,\u201d he replied. \u201cI don\u2019t know what happened there. I\u2019m not really a caring person. I care about one person and that\u2019s me. And then you walked into my life. And it\u2019s a frightening thought, that you have so much influence on me but\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cIt feels right.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

    \u201cI feel that too, and maybe that\u2019s Tessa\u2019s influence as I can feel she\u2019s close to the surface but something was missing, and now you\u2019re here and it feels better. So I\u2019m just as curious about you as you are about me, but this is all really overwhelming.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cI understand. How about I go to the little corner shop and get us something to eat and drink and you take it easy? Perhaps think of how you want to redecorate. Take as long as you need to decide, I can\u2019t wait to see what you\u2019ll come up with.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cBut the apartment is decorated!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Kol shrugged as he looked around. \u201cI don\u2019t like it much, aside from the furniture. Maybe we can paint the walls together. And, of course, should you desire different kinds of furniture, then we can always go shopping for it too.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cYou\u2019re insane!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cLook who\u2019s talking!\u201d Kol laughed. \u201cIn all fairness, this apartment is habitable, but it doesn\u2019t scream either one of us who needs to live in this place,\u201d he then got up and grinned. \u201cI\u2019ll be back in about fifteen minutes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cCould you lock the front door?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cOf course.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

    He was rudely awakened by a knee to the groin as Bella turned around. Then again, Bella or Tessa would be delicate, even in their sleep, this was someone less refined. \u201cMorning, Dorothy,\u201d he groaned before quickly getting out of bed to pull on some underwear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cMorning,\u201d she giggled. \u201cIt\u2019s my day today!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cThat\u2019s right,\u201d Kol nodded. \u201cHow about you take a shower and get dressed and I\u2019ll take care of some breakfast?\u201d He was relieved to find out a few months ago that Dorothy could now get dressed and shower on her own. Just because she was a little, didn\u2019t mean she had to stop doing the basic needs that a human needed, and she could safely take showers without scalding herself. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    And yes, it was only with Dorothy that he quickly got dressed if he\u2019d wake up with someone else because she was a child. A little. He had some common sense, buried deep inside of him. Dorothy, of course, was currently naked because he went to bed with Bella the night before.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cWhere we going today?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cWe\u2019re going to do a boat tour. And we\u2019ll have some food, wherever you want, and after that, we\u2019re going to see a movie.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Dorothy\u2019s eyes grew big. \u201cThat new Disney one?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cMaybe,\u201d Kol laughed as he pointed towards the bathroom. \u201cGo, get cleaned up.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cYay!\u201d Dorothy giggled as she hopped off the bed, ran to the dresser to get her clothes and went into the bathroom. Kol took a quick shower in the other bathroom, and got dressed before he started to make pancakes in the kitchen. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Kol had made it his duty to get to know everyone in the Bella system. There was some control over who came out, and especially when avoiding any negative triggers. Dorothy had wanted to spend time with Kol for a very long time now, so with the proper communication with Bella and Tessa, they had planned a day for Dorothy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    His general anxiety about being around Bella and everyone who shared her body had gone away for the most part after moving away from his family. His blood lust was something he still didn\u2019t quite have under control, but it was manageable. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    And Bella\u2026 she was so good to him, her – and Tessa\u2019s – influence was so calming and he wondered how he got so lucky.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cPancakes! You\u2019re burning them!\u201d Dorothy called out as she came running into the kitchen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    He quickly turned off the stove and pushed the plate to a different hob, seeing that it was ruined. \u201cWell then,\u201d he smiled widely. \u201cGood excuse to have a naughty breakfast,\u201d he winked at her. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cMcDonalds?\u201d Dorothy wondered out loud. \u201cAlthough Jamie says we should have something healthy or as healthy as pancakes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cThey have a breakfast option at McDonalds,\u201d Kol grinned as he took his keys and his money and offered his hand to Dorothy. \u201cJamie has nothing to worry about, it\u2019s your day out, after all. If we\u2019re going to eat horrible, greasy food for breakfast, then we\u2019re going to have horrible, greasy food.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cHe really says \u2018no\u2019,\u201d Dorothy pouted. \u201cIt\u2019s better to clean the pan and make new pancakes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cWell, isn\u2019t he the party pooper,\u201d Kol said as he lifted Dorothy up to sit on the kitchen counter and started to scrub the pan. He had quickly learned not to go against Jamie\u2019s wishes, and for Jamie to be so close to Dorothy meant that Dorothy time could be over in an instant. \u201cPancakes it is.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    They had a lovely day out and Dorothy really liked the movie in the cinema. As expected, they had tickets to see the new Disney movie and afterwards, Kol took her to a toy store where she could buy herself a new toy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    As Dorothy had become tired, he had food with Jamie at a small and quiet restaurant, and then they spent the evening playing video games. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    It had been a good day. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Good days were good. <\/p>\n\n\n\n