AN: Hey everyone! I am so sorry for the delay, I have no excuses... I was just blocked when it came to this! Thank you to all of you who have stuck with the story….I honestly wouldn't have got this far without you! To all who have faved and/or followed and the amazing motivational reviews, seriously thank you…you guys keep me going! : ) I hope this is alright, It feels like it's been forever since I wrote for this story. Please let me know and again….I am so sorry!

To Lady Syndra: I am so sorry for the wait. I so try to keep people interested so I am so glad you are! : ) Thank you so much for reviewing! 3 Hope you enjoy ?

To NatalieLynn: So sorry for not writing this for a while. Thank you so much! I love reading your speculations and ideas about this story, they're really great! I hope you enjoy this next chapter and thank you so much for staying interested! ?

To Anon: Thank you so, so much for reviewing. In all honesty, it was your review that drew my attention back to this story and piqued my interest to keep writing it, so thank you so much! ?Your comments were such amazing compliments and I can't help but smile from ear to ear each time I read it! I totally agree with you about Kol's character, I was always so fascinated with it that I couldn't help but write about it and I am just so delighted and humbled that there are people out there who want to read it. I am so glad you like the plot, I was always wondering did I have too much of the past story, did people just want to read about the 1800's storyline but I am so happy that you like both.

Oh my gosh you are totally welcome! ?Thank you for reading it! I really, really hope that you like the next chapter….please let me know your thoughts!

Mystic Falls

1864

After his unnecessarily animated discussion with Kara, Giuseppe, unable to continue with his work decided to go back into the dining room and indulge in another glass of bourbon this time minus the vervain. He leant on the sideboard bowing his head, the scent of fresh furniture polish filling his nostrils.

How had his life come to this? He had once had a loving wife, three perfect children, a respectable and distinguished surname, admired throughout the county. A successful estate. Now what did he have left? A secret mistress in another town, a love-child who wasn't allowed to call him Father, an heir who dropped out of college and was now thinking of leaving the army in the midst of a war, a younger son that had soiled his good reputation around the town by bedding a woman who was not his fiancée and then showing no grief at the death of his actual fiancée, a daughter who was sickly and frail and who was now clearly deranged in some way. He sighed again. Frustrated and unsure of what to do.

'How on earth was he ever going to get through this?' A fleeting thought went to his late wife and how she would have taken all of this in her stride. How she would have sent him to his office and by the time he would emerge late into the evening she would have sorted everything out. He had not thought of Georgianna in some time and it saddened him to think that he could not remember the details of her face anymore.

"Excuse me sir?" a familiar voice came from the door. Giuseppe, still slightly irked looked to see the footman Harry standing there.

"Yes, Harry what is it?" he asked irritated at being disturbed as he turned to face the young servant. Harry looked a little unsure but continued.

"Forgive me for the intrusion sir but Sheriff Forbes is here to see you".

Giuseppe nodded with a long sigh.

"I'll be right out"

He brushed his hair back in an effort to make himself look even a mite more presentable and followed Harry out into the entrance hallway.

"William" Giuseppe greeted in a tone more upbeat and cheerful than he was feeling "I wasn't expecting you today".

William Forbes nodded.

"Yes, I know Giuseppe and I apologise for the disturbance but I must speak with Kara about what happened today".

Giuseppe frowned.

"I thought we agreed that you would talk to her tomorrow, she has been through a great deal William"

William sighed and almost looked embarrassed.

"I know Giuseppe but on further on reflection I feel that it would greater help the case if I spoke with her now, while the details are still clear in her head".

Giuseppe let out a strangled breath.

"Unfortunately I can't help you" Giuseppe spoke. William looked confused.

"She's not here, we eh, we had a disagreement and she went for a walk".

"Oh" William exclaimed getting steadily more and more uncomfortable "Do you know when she'll be back?".

"No" Giuseppe answered "She left just moments ago so it may be a while".

William nodded.

"So what did you argue about?" he asked.

Giuseppe looked at him sceptically before letting out a breathy laugh.

"Are you asking as sheriff or as my friend?"

William shrugged.

"As a father myself I suppose" he smirked "Kara is a good kid, you two don't seem to argue much, not as much as I argue with my Maggie anyway".

Maggie was William's fifteen-year-old daughter. Younger than Kara in age but much older in mindset. She was notorious for having suitors and going to parties in large cities, something her father clearly did not agree with.

Giuseppe didn't know how much to tell him. As a friend William was loyal but as the sheriff he could have Kara sectioned in an asylum in a matter of hours. He knew that that would not be likely, especially with William but he had to be cautious for the sake of his daughter.

"We just had a disagreement of sorts. She said some things to me, some things I find difficult to believe I suppose".

William nodded clearly in deep thought.

"Has she given you reason to disbelieve her before?" he asked.

Giuseppe shook his head.

"No. She has always been truthful, even to a fault".

"Well I suppose therein lies your answer" William spoke matter-of-factly.

Giuseppe smiled and ran a hand through his hair shaking his head.

"If you only knew the things she was saying. Such…nonsense….such insanity. She had me drink some vervain liquid in my bourbon; tasted like crap"

William nodded, as a member of the council himself he knew what Kara was trying to do. How she was trying to protect her father from the bloodsucking demon she believed to be living in their home.

"Did she say why she had you drink it?" William asked, curious as to how much the youngest Salvatore had felt the need to disclose to him.

Giuseppe let out an exasperated breath.

"Some balderdash about 'Finally knowing the truth'. Whatever that means". He went to smirk but it fell short and instead his face formed a grimace.

William paused a moment before replying, choosing his words carefully.

"Well, if she has given you no reason to not trust her before then maybe you should give her the benefit of the doubt now?"

Giuseppe narrowed his eyes at his friend.

"Do you know something about this?".

Giuseppe watched as his friend visibly paused. There was something William wasn't telling him.

"Perhaps you should speak to Kara about this my friend" William spoke trying to stealthily avoid the question.

Giuseppe held up a hand.

"No, no, no William. If you know something of this matter, then I insist that you must tell me".

William sighed.

"I cannot" he spoke lowering his voice to almost a whisper afraid of who may be listening in the house. "Not until your daughter can prove that you can be trusted and the consumption of the vervain will help in that my friend"

Giuseppe looked almost infuriated.

"Of course I can be trusted. I am a member of the Founder's council for heaven's sake!" Giuseppe raged.

William turned back to the door in almost a rush.

"Perhaps I should take my leave I've said too much already. I don't want to put your life at risk".

Giuseppe scoffed, making his friend pause at the unlatching of the door.

"Surely my life is more at risk if I remain ignorant?"

"Come and see me when you discover the truth" William spoke clearly "You will understand why I must remain silent now then. And direct your daughter to the Sheriff's office when she returns". With that, much to Giuseppe's dismay and continued

calls for him to remain, William departed.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

~TVD~

Kol moved up the dark mahogany staircase of the Benson estate, drawn by the unaccustomed sounds in the home of laughter and delight. As busy and hectic as his household was, the staff were compelled to be as efficient as possible and trivial boisterous activity was not characterised as efficient. Despite himself though, he found himself to be not angry at the activity, just curious. He moved over the dark, knotted hard-wood and down through the ever-lengthening and sparsely decorated hallways until he stood outside the room Natalie was housed in. He couldn't help but chuckle lightly at the scene. Natalie and a clearly reluctant Sam were waltzing to non-existent music, Natalie giggling delightedly and Sam unable to hide the smile drawn from her infectious humour.

"My, my!" Kol spoke, the words formed with his smile as he leant on the doorframe watching the odd pair "Shall I leave you two alone?" he continued with a light joke.

Sam broke from his dance partner immediately, embarrassed that he had been caught out. Natalie however continued to dance, alone.

"I'm sorry Kol" Sam apologised straight away moving to where his sire was standing "I was just making conversation and telling her about the Founder's Day ball and she insisted that we practiced our dance". His voice then turned to a whispered hush.

"I think she may believe that I am to escort her to the festivities".

Kol looked at his loyal protégé sceptically before the gaze turned back to one of humour once again as he watched Sam, the good man that he was looked extremely uncomfortable with the situation he seemed to be in.

"Relax my friend" Kol began walking into the room in clear ease with the scene "You deserve a bit of fun after what you did for me today".

Kol patted his friend on the shoulder.

Again Sam looked shyly at the floor.

"I just did what anyone of your followers would have done Kol, any man with a conscience for that matter"

Kol digested this sentence for a moment. Deciding in that minute to speak uncommonly cordially, he continued.

"Maybe, maybe not. Some may have chosen not to save her. Thought our quest here unnecessary or unentertaining. Perhaps they would have let her die to punish me, now knowing it would be the only way to hurt me. I wouldn't have known any different and she would be gone. Forever. I would have lost her all over again and no matter how hard I searched, I would never see her again. Some burden for an immortal man don't you reckon?"

Sam looked at the man he idolised, the man that had saved him from a boring and dull existence. Doomed to live the same life as his father and his father before that, and had shown him the world. He realised that at this very moment that that man, his hero for the lack of a better word had finally begun to trust him. He thought that maybe this was how Tahlia felt we he had begun to trust her. Or maybe she had not known the exact point that he had begun to entrust her with his inner most thoughts, maybe he always had. Knowing Kol and his personality however, he thought this to be unlikely. He made a note to ask Tahlia more about her past at another time.

"Kol dance with me" Natalie cried excitedly as she pranced over to where the two men were standing, snapping both out of their deep thoughts. She held her arms outstretched to him, much like a child would to a parent who wanted to be carried.

"Perhaps another time" Kol nodded at the dejected women but smiled good naturedly at the offer.

"Like at the ball?" Natalie asked excitedly. She squealed in delight as she turned on her heal to dance the circumference of the room, clearly not allowing the absence of a partner to hinder her mood.

"See what I mean" Sam said to Kol, indicating at Natalie as evidence "She assumes she is going, what do I do?"

Kol smirked.

"Maybe she will go. She is a seer after all"

Sam whipped his head back to Kol.

"Surely not?"
Kol shrugged and clapped his friend on the shoulder.

"We'll soon see won't we?"

Heavy footsteps broke them both out of their conversation.

Kol turned to see his heavy-set, greying butler whose name had escaped him walking towards them.

"Sorry to intrude Sir but there is a lady in the downstairs drawing room, she's asked to see you".

Kol looked to Sam curious.

"Expecting anyone?" he asked.

Sam shook his head, looking just as confused as to who it may be as his mentor was.

"I'll be right there" he told the butler who promptly left with a small bow.

"Maybe another neighbour inviting you to more parties?" Sam asked speculating as to who it may be with a smile.

Natalie grinned and danced to the corner of the room.

"You better run if you are to catch her" she spoke using the tone the men had gotten used to her using when she was using her inner eye.

"Who?" Sam asked "Who is it?"

Natalie stayed silent but gave Kol a knowing look. In a split second the Mikaelson was gone.

Kol didn't wait for Natalie to confirm, instead he used his vampiric speed to run down to the entrance hall and then across to the drawing room. It was empty but he could tell she had been here for her perfumed scent still lingered. She hadn't waited long and Kol wondered about this.

"Kara!" he called out into the empty room only to be greeted by the reverberation of his own voice. He turned back into the entrance hall and spied a stout maid making her way to the kitchen from the dining room, clearly after finishing setting up the table for dinner.

"You there" he called to her.

"Yes sir?" she asked calmly, clearly compelled and a Kol had a fleeting thought to ask Andrew whether he had compelled the entire household. Right now he had a much more important matter to see to.

"The woman that was just here, where did she go?"

"She left sir, just seconds ago".

Kol nodded to her and sped out the door. If she had only left seconds ago then she couldn't have gone very far. Why she had decided to come and see him he didn't know but he felt warmed at the fact she had sought out his home to see him. It felt personal, that she was finally coming slowly into his life again.

He turned his head to see her walking briskly towards the large iron gate the separated his estate from the road. It took all of his restraint to not use his abilities to speed after her but he had to remain calm.

"Kara!" he called, turning and running at a human speed after her. He could see that the sound of his voice and caused her to stall but she didn't turn around, instead just seemed fixed on the spot.

"I'm sorry" she told him as he caught up, slightly embarrassed to have been caught "I know your note said seven but…I'm not sure, I went on a walk and found myself here". She closed her eyes and internally scolded herself.

"You're no doubt busy, I'll go and we shall meet again later as planned" she finished as she turned to move away.

"Nonsense" he exclaimed forgetting himself and reaching out automatically to grasp her elbow in an effort to turn her back to face him. She looked from his hand on her arm up to his face pausing as his eyes captured her gaze.

"You're here now" he spoke softly, his hand unconsciously trailing from her elbow down her soft forearm to her wrist. Unbeknownst to him leaving a trail of fire in its wake. "Why not stay?".

She felt lost but secured by the power of his gaze, his eyes seeming to almost bore into her heart, her soul.

"Alright" her lips answered before her brain had even had a chance to acknowledge the question.

Kol gave her a smile that almost made her go weak at the knees and that she couldn't help but mirror before his hand moved from her wrist to grasp her hand in his, tugging her towards the house.

The gravel driveway, which had felt so long to travel down before seemed to end before she knew it and suddenly she was re-entering the ornate and highly beautiful entrance hall of Kol's home.

They moved into the front room. A large room with cream coloured walls and a dark wood border that seem to extenuate the cosiness that the curtained windows were trying to portray. A piano, dusty and unused sat in one corner whilst a table, housing several bottles of spirits sat in the other. Their destination was to one of two patterned couches in front of the fireplace.

"Would you like something to drink?" he offered her as they situated themselves in front of the blazing fire that he was thankful that one of his servants had felt the need to light earlier in the day. Normally she would say no to such an offer. It was deemed unladylike to drink bourbon in glass tumblers with men she barely knew, she knew her tutor as a child would have burst a blood vessel if she thought her student would even entertain such an idea but Kara knew she was never one to quite follow the rules. She glanced at Kol, his question still unanswered but his face seemingly open and kind in appearance. She swallows slightly, unsure if it was the heat from the blazing hearth or the attention from Kol that was causing her to feel so warm.

"Sure" she finally replied, a smile gracing her face as she sat on the dark sofa that sat directly in front of the fireplace "That would be lovely, thank you".

Kol turned and poured the two beverages whilst Kara took a deep breath. Her feelings were conflicted, she felt unsure and out of her depth, never feeling anything like this for another person before yet also never feeling as comfortable and attracted to anyone before. She trusted Kol, she had never met him before yet she felt she had. He almost felt more familiar to her than her own family. She shook herself out of her many skewed thoughts and attempted to ignite a conversation.

"You must thank your servant for me" she told him as he turned with the two glasses "He saved my life".

He handed her her drink, his hand brushing hers for a fleeting moment before sitting beside her, close enough that she could smell the scent of his cologne.

"Yes. You must be sick to the teeth of people asking how you are" he said taking a sip of his drink but his eyes never once leaving hers.

Kara nodded. In truth, she was sick of people asking her that her entire life. She knew she had gone through an ordeal, that was certain but she was stronger in mindset than people gave her credit for. She was not one to swoon or faint at delicate or grotesque conversations. Perhaps that made her less lady-like and more boisterous than people would have hoped she would have turned out but she knew that it also made her stronger, determined and now determined to avenge Rosalyn and save her family from Katherine. Maybe the whole town if she and the council were lucky in their plans.

"But allow me to ask once more" Kol finished, his eyes searching hers but for what she did not know.

Kara gave him a small smile. She was fine but would telling him that portray her as heartless? Rosalyn was a friend after all, a friend destined to be a family member at that but what she felt currently was anger towards the person that did this. She instead decided to answer the man literally

"I am quite well" she told him "Your servant, Sam, rescued me before any serious damage was done, I was quite lucky that he was around".

"He has already and shall be well rewarded again" he told her "You have my word".

She nodded, taking another sip of the liquid.

"Thank you" The air was becoming tense but it was from a tension Kara had never felt before, as if the they were waiting for something to play out, to happen as naturally progressive as a leaf falls from a tree in autumn and a bud appears again in spring.

Kara looked through her lashes at Kol who's eyes seemed to be reflecting the flames of the fire.
"Why did you wish to see me this evening?" she asked referring to the letter which was passed to her.

Kol cleared his throat as if stalling to attempt in finding the correct words.

"I felt something, between us in the carriage earlier. I guess, I just wanted to try and get to know you a little better, spend a little bit more time with you". He scoffed at his own sentence. "Was that extremely presumptuous of me?".

Kara let out a soft chuckle herself, her heart hammering hard in her chest.

"Yes" she breathed out, Kol giving her an understanding yet embarrassed smile whilst tilting his head downwards a little dismayed "And no".

He glanced back up at her, confusion written on her face as if urging her to continue.

Kara swallowed, she wasn't used to these types of conversations.

"I would like to get to know you better also" she replied speaking the sentence slowly as if trying to sound out each word to ensure they displayed the exact meaning they had expressed.

"But" she started, kicking herself immediately that she was putting him at arm's length "There is so much happening right now, so much that I have to deal with…" she trailed off, somehow the stress she had been hiding from everyone especially herself apparent in her voice. Kol took a chance and took her hand that had been sitting in her lap and clutched it in his. The warmth of the action sent a shiver up her spine and caught her breath in her throat but also gave her a sense of comfort.

"Kara" Kol began, his voice low and soft "I know you don't know me very well or for very long but if you need my assistance with anything, you have it".

She looked into his eyes and smiled warmly. She didn't think he realised how much event the suggestion of such an offer meant to her. She grasped his hand tighter.

"Thank you" she spoke in a small whisper, a grateful smile of sincerity adorning her face.

She moved the glass tumbler to her face, inhaling the scent of the alcohol before taking a small sip. A hint of amusement and surprise etched on her face when she took the glass away and swallowed the amber substance.

"What is it?" Kol asked with a smile, watching each of the small movements she was making with great interest.

"This is truly quite lovely" she spoke inspecting the liquid as if it would reveal itself to her "The brand my father uses tastes quite bitter and truthfully burns a little bit in the throat, but this is nice".

Kol's smiled deepened as he watched her drink more.

"Well this is my own recipe so thank you" standing and retrieving her glass to pour them both more.

Kara swallowed the large gulp that was in her mouth before turning on the couch to face him.

"You own a distillery?" she asked in surprise, the alcohol in her system making her feel a lot more at ease at the intimacy of their situation.

"One of my many investments" he replied nonchalantly. He turned to her, stalling the flow of his decanter to take her in again "And one, that today, you have made worth every cent".

She smiled, her eyes locking with his and the warmth of her feelings now overtaking both the warmth of the alcohol and the blazing heat of the fireplace. She tilted her head downwards as he continued pouring, the scents of smoke from the fire and the varnished wood of the many furniture pieces in the room filling her nostrils with unwavering feelings of homeliness.

It was without warning when the coughing began. She shouldn't have been as surprised as she was, that was how it usually began. Slow at first, tickling the back of her throat until she couldn't ignore it and had to cough with the next breath. She should have known that it was inevitable with her pushing herself lately. It got progressively worse until suddenly she couldn't stop and almost struggled to gain any air with the spluttering and gasping. She cursed herself, both for it happening now in front of Kol, most likely scaring him away for life and for forgetting her tonic back in her bedroom. After what felt like an age it slowly began to subside, her heart racing in her chest almost paining her from the strain. It took her a long minute to realise that Kol had come to sit beside her during the episode and was rubbing her back with one hand in a soothing motion while gripping her free hand in comfort.

"Are you alright?" he asked her, a look of worry covering the strong, handsome features of his face.

She sighed, now looking at him with weary eyes.

"I'm so sorry you had to see that" she managed to croak out, her voice hoarse and her throat sore.

He hushed her calmingly, the hand that was on her back pulling her towards him so that she could lay her head on his shoulder and the other hand tracing comforting patterns on the space between her knuckles and her wrist.

"You don't need to apologise for anything" he told her, leaning over naturally and placing a small kiss on the top of her head. She closed her eyes, both in comfort and in tiredness before conjuring all of her energy and sitting up to look at him. He had kissed her, albeit on the forehead but she had felt the emotion in it. She smiled at him, the gesture warming but the force of it accentuating the dark bags under her eyes. He swallowed, forcing a smile back in reply. She was sick and he had to do something about it.

"I should go" she said, her tones attempting to be strong but regret lacing the words. She didn't want to leave, not now "My tonic is at home and it's a long walk back". Before she could stand up, however she felt a strange metallic taste in her mouth and then a liquid substance trickle down the side of mouth. Self-conscious, she went to wipe it away but Kol got there first, using his thumb to wipe the crimson liquid that had emerged from her mouth from its destination to back along its trail and erase it from existence.

"All of that coughing must have torn the blood vessels at the back of your throat" he assured her through narrowed eyes as her mind went to the worst possible reasoning for that blood, that her lungs were becoming diseased.

She nodded, suddenly his explanation easing her worries and smiled. She went to stand, to regretfully say her goodbyes, to leave and mull over that kiss for the rest of her life but Kol stalled her again.

"Let me make you a deal" he began, a playful smirk now adorning his features as an idea graced him with its presence "One more drink and if you still feel unwell after I'll ferry you home myself, deal?"

She smiled at his expression, his confidence, him, a thousand thoughts rushing through her head at once. The main ones, that he had seen her illness up close and personal and still he wanted her to stay and the other, that she, herself, didn't want to leave.

"That sounds fair" she replied back "Deal".

Her smile was addictive, as too was her draw, being in her presence, in range of her scents. At that moment, they both realised they were still connected, still clutching one anothers hands as if it were the most natural feeling in the world.

Reluctantly he squeezed her hand and moved off to get more drinks.

"So" he started, in a dual effort to distract her from what he was about to do and to genuinely engage her in a deep conversation "Will you go to Mr Lockwood's ball? I believe he said it was for your Founders day?" He waited until Kara had changed her direction so that she was facing more towards the fire before he bit deeply into the vein in his wrist and allowed some of the deep red liquid to fall into her glass.

Kara shrugged slightly.

"I want to go to it" she began "My father usually never permits me but this year he seems distracted by other matters and so I believe that there is hope". She turned to him, her genuine happiness displayed in her expression so beautifully that he was thankfully that he had turned in time to catch it. He attempted to mirror it back to her, still not being able to believe that after all of these centuries, a simple smile from her stirred feelings in him that he couldn't even begin to describe. Allowing the small puncture wound to heal and adding the extra bourbon to both their glasses he turned back to the couch and handed Kara her tumbler, their hands brushing, this time, deliberately. Kol tried to supress the tingles that were now running up and down his spine whilst Kara visibly shuddered. She took a deep sip in an effort to hide her reaction.

"Well then" he began sitting down beside her "If you would be so kind as to permit me, then it would be both my honour and pleasure to escort you to the ball". Kara just looked at him, her mouth moving slightly agape.

"You want to go with me?" she questioned gripping her glass hard in suspense "You want to escort me?".

"Is that alright?" Kol asked with a small chuckle again both bewildered and amused by her modest thinking of herself. How could she not hold herself in the high regard as he did?

She just stared at him for a moment, too surprised to even begin to react.

"Well?" he asked quickly, another chuckle now turning nervous. He was centuries old but right now he was acting just as he had done when he had first confessed his feelings for her, all of those old memories of what he had been feeling now twinning themselves back into his body and mindset. The doubt and anxiety, the worry that she wouldn't feel the same. He unconsciously gulped, watching her every movement as if they would give some sort of indication as to what she was feeling and thinking. Yes, this was Kara but as much as she was the same as she was before in appearance, personality and empathy, she had been raised differently. She had been raised without him or his family as friends. In another period of time which held different morals and codes to the ones that they had lived by. Had different parents and a mother whom she had both loved and lost at a young age. Fought a childhood illness that could have and may even now take her life at any moment and been made to suffer the stigma and prejudice of having that illness in a small town with a notable surname. Stealthily he wiped his sweaty palms off of his trousers, now realising that as much as this was Kara and God knows that his feelings for her had never once wavered, she might not feel the same for him.

"Are you certain?" she finally asked him breaking off his worryingly self-conscious train of thought "I mean, Kol, you could ask any girl to accompany you and I have no doubt that she would say yes but me? I am a poorly skilled dancer and not much to look at on the arm, why would you settle with me?".

Kol sighed, his eyes refusing to look anywhere but at hers.

"Kara" he began grasping her hand more securely "What did I tell you in the coach?"

Kara smiled at him and then again at the memory as her gaze on him warmed substantially.

"That I was far too beautiful to live my life in the shadows?" she asked teasingly, her tongue poking slightly through her teeth in jest. Kol could help but laugh with her, at her swift change to playfulness.

"Well yes that" he told her with a wide smile, his heart hammering wildly at the sight of her mouth gesture. He cleared his throat.

"Certainly that" he told her his tone more enrapturing as his eyes flicked from her eyes to her mouth and back "And…?"

She had known which sentence he had meant straight away, only saying his first sentence to tease him but it seemed to have backfired as she was now moving closer into his space, feeling more tingles, shivers and foreign sensations all at once than she had ever thought possible. A quiver went down through her spine seeming to rattle each of her bones in its wake but she just focused on the warmth of her hand in his, of the feeling of him looking at her the way that he was, that no man had ever before.

"That I am more important than I know" she managed to mumble out, desperately sure that she had not even come close to saying it as literate as Kol had.

Kol gave her an impressed smile.

"You have a good memory Miss Salvatore".

Kara laughed slightly at the way that her name sounded so proper coming from his lips.

"Yes, well it isn't very often that a mysterious and handsome stranger pays me a compliment" she told him, her voice steady but her eyes showing the humour "I must hold onto these things when I can".

Kol smirked, his ego inflated by this small sentence.

"Handsome huh?" he bantered boastfully causing Kara to chuckle slightly at his behaviour.

She laughed at him, attempting to let go of his hand and push him away playfully but he held on and instead he pulled her closer towards him.

"Well" he began, looking up at her through hooded eyes and downward gaze "Be prepared to receive a lot more compliments in the future". A hush came upon them as Kara's thoughts deepened.

"Where on earth did you come from?" she whispered almost as a silent question to herself after a full half-minute, unconsciously leaning forward, closer to him. This man had seemingly come out of nowhere and in the midst of a terrifying nightmare that now befell her town, was like a dream to her.

They were a little less than a breath away from one another, Kol's free hand now moving from Kara's to travel slowly up to her cheek. He trailed the back of his index and middle fingers lightly over the pale skin of her cheek, for Kara, leaving a hybrid of both fire and goose bumps behind them. He turned his hand gently, cupping the side of her face gently as she inwardly shivered at the intensity he was searching her face. It felt like they were both magnetised, drawn together and the closer they became, the harder it was to stop. Her heart hammered in her chest, Kol strongly stirring such fierce carnal feelings within her, feelings she was certain she had never experienced before. She inhaled deeply in an effort to calm herself which only yielded the opposite results when all could she taste in the air was his scent. She licked her lips unconsciously her eyes darting to each of the corners of his face as they both found themselves leaning in. His strong gaze trailed from her eyes down to the moistened path she had just made. They came together, their lips meeting in a strong, searing and pulsing kiss.

In the split-second amount of time she had had to think about it, Kara had expected the kiss to be light, hesitant even. Kol had intended it to be so, in an effort to not scare her away but in reality, it was anything but. They met in a feverish exchange, their lips sliding and their tongues caressing one another in such a way that sent both fire and chills through their bodies. Kol's hand still cupped Kara's face but she almost felt as though he was pulling her forward in a welcoming attempt to bring her closer to him. She complied, sliding forward towards him on the couch and lifting her free hand up to gently stroke the small stubble on his face, never once breaking their kiss. Their faces moved in a slow dance of lust, his hand caressing her cheek and moving downwards along the side of her face to the nape of her neck whilst hers scouted upwards and tangled pleasantly in his dark locks. He went to move his second hand to the other side of her face, when the glass tumbler, which he had somehow forgotten that he had been holding, tumbled to the floor with a crash, spilling the small about of liquid onto the wooded floors and breaking them out of their spell. They pulled away lightly, their lips reluctantly moving apart whilst their eyes searched each other's in silent questioning.

"You are so amazing" Kol told her in a whispered voice, he, watching her green eyes sparkle as it gazed upon him with specks of uncertainty and worry. His hands still caressing her cheeks and brushing delicately through her blonde strands. She moved her free hand to trap one of his on her face.

"What on earth do you see in me, Kol?" she asked him, her face curious and insecure.

Kol leant forward and kissed her again, this time powerful and pure. She didn't know why but it was almost like she was feeling a barrage of emotions, strong and intense breaking through her dam and causing her heart to pound even harder than it already had been and warm shudders pulsing through her sporadically. He pulled back far too quickly for her liking but lay his forehead against hers.

"Everything" he told her, replying to the question she had almost forgotten she had asked "The future".

She swallowed hard. How could she feel so strongly for this man? A man she had met a little more than a day ago? It seemed so truthful and pure in ways Kara wasn't sure she had ever felt before. She didn't want to ruin the moment, a moment that was so power and intense that she was sure even the minute details would be etch in her minds-eye forever but she had to say something.

"Kol…" she began breathily, pulling back ever so slightly but enough to make his hands reluctantly fall from her face "Please don't do that, do not put me on a pedestal because, whatever you think of me now I am sure that I will be a disappointment to you". Kol shook his head and attempted to speak but Kara began again, this time her eyes fixed to the glass of bourbon on her lap.

"I really care for you" she told him causing Kol's emotions to peak "My feelings may even be stronger. I've known you for no time at all but I already feel our connection. You seem a good man, which I daresay is hard to come by and I do believe your feelings for me genuine so I know you deserve someone better than me" she paused, emotion suddenly filling her throat "I cannot gaze so easily upon my future because it is not a certainty that I will have one. I shall die Kol, sooner rather than later and the only consolation that I have from that is that I shall leave very few people to mourn me and that list will not include you. You deserve to be enjoying life with a love that can travel to far off places with you, give you a long lineage of children, help you with your investments and hell dance with you at a ball. I wish whole-heartedly that this disease had never touched me and that I would be describing myself right now but it did and I'm not". Kol stayed quiet for a moment, seemingly hundreds of thoughts rushing through his head at once. If he had had any doubts that this was his Kara then that was now squashed by her rant. In her last life, she had told him that she thought herself evil and that he deserved someone that could give him children and a normal life and now she was roughly saying the same thing but this time it was her illness making her feel unworthy. He had managed, back then, to somehow get her to accept herself enough to allow him to love her. They had been intense and in love and so perfect and then she had died for him and a thousand years later they were having the same conversation. How was this woman so selfless? He would almost laugh at the consistency of the topic of their arguments were the situation not so serious.

"What if I don't want that?" Kol asked her, his tone firm "What if I told you that I have been waiting my entire existence for you and that when I am with you I feel more alive and at home than I have done in such a very long time" He moved towards her, his hand traveling up her arm too her shoulder and to the nape of her neck and he was both grateful and hopeful that she was allowing him. "What if I told you that I would give up everything I have in this world for you?" He paused, assessing about telling her of his next sentence with great thought.

"What if I told you that I was already in love with you?". Kara didn't think about her next action with rational thought, she more felt the decision with her heart and instinct. Swiftly she leant up, her arm embracing his neck as her lips met his in a fiery, fervent exchange. This surprised Kol so much it took him a couple of seconds to respond giving Kara ample time to explore the delicate reaches of his mouth. When he finally regained control of his body, the hand that had been gently grasping the nape of her neck went to caress her upper back through the fabric of her dress, Kol wanting to feel and reacquaint himself with as much of her body as he could, still remembering each tiny freckle and small scars that had once adorned her body. His second went to her waist, his entire hand engulfing her small torso which had been made tiny from the uses of a corset, which, knowing his Kara she would have found uncomfortable and unnecessary. He pulled her closer, so tightly that he began to feel her body brushing against his. He moved back, knowing that if he didn't then the rest of the conversation wouldn't not get said. The sight that greeted him was one that he had not seen for a very long time. Kara, with swollen lips, flyaway hair and a longing, lustful gaze. He swallowed hard in an attempt to reign in his own yearning thoughts and regain control of his body.

"Alright" Kara told him in a small, shaky voice.

"Alright?" he asked her with somewhat slurred speech and hooded eyes, his tone bemused.

She smiled thoughtfully at the cute but confused look that had appeared on his features.

"I would be delighted to go to the ball with you".

Kol's look of confusion morphed into a wide smile.

"Good" he told her "Because I was only intending to go to be in your company".

Kara eyed him incredulously. Kol caught on to this and responded.

"No, seriously" he told her, his finger trailing up and down her neck almost unconsciously "It would have been filled with boring men in their finest attire who would have wanted to have the same dull conversation about my businesses or how I made my fortune or what I was doing here in Mystic Falls and a lot of young women trying to best each other on how to snare the better husband who they would eventually come to resent in a loveless marriage anyway". He stopped, watching as she giggled, never hearing a person describe the social scene in the town so accurately before. The sound warmed him to the core. As she stopped he leant towards her ear, his finger tracing it ever so lightly before he whispered into it.

"This way, it'll be about you and me".

"That sounds good to me" she replied, her beaming smile evident again.

Silence overtook them once again as they both inspected each other in silent thought. It was Kol who became animated first, realising for the first time since he had poured it that Kara had not drank much of her drink and in turn, his blood within it.

"What do you say" he began in an intimate voice tucking a stray hair behind her ear "You finish your drink and then I take you on a tour of the estate?".

Kara smiled, inwardly beaming at the thought. She had secretly wanted to see more of his home, perhaps curiously in an effort to learn more about him without the questioning. She downed the amber liquid in one, both surprising Kol and causing her face to scrunch up in a cute, uncomfortably as she swallowed it. Taking a minute moment to recover she turned to him, standing up and holding out her hand to him.

"What are we waiting for?" she asked him playfully, wiggling her fingers in invitation.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

~TVD~

The New World

997AD

The foliage crunched under Kara's foot as she trudged through the forest. She was angry but not at Kol, at herself for stupidly still feeling some sort of love or loyalty to her family. After all they had done, to her, her brothers, to the people of the village that somehow, she still wanted to protect them.

Kol was right, if she asked for help from Ayana then this whole matter would be resolved within the month. She and Kol would be free to be with one another. But could she subject her family to exile? To probable death? The answer was no, yet it sickened her to think that if any of her brothers were in her position then they would sell her out in an instant. She sighed as she took a breather on a large rock. She had been walking for a little under thirty minutes and as the anger was dissipating the more she felt the fatigue settle in. She had been foolhardy to venture out here alone, she knew that but she also knew that in that moment she needed to be away from Kol. She was stubborn and he knew that, he would understand that she just needed space, time to come to terms with what he already had. That they needed to tell Ayana. She stood to move again, knowing the beach was less than fifteen minutes away and that the majority of the rest of the journey would be downhill.

It was less than five minutes later when the figure in front of her began to come into view, a person, a man up ahead and angrily hitting the bark of the tree in front of him as if his life would depend on the outcome of the fight. She took heed and slowed her pace, cautiously moving slowly as if to not disturb and startle whoever it was. It was strange to see people out here but not unheard of. Often the watchmen who spied incoming ships at the cliffs moved down to the beach this way or children from the village escaping their daily lessons and chores but it wasn't a fruitful hunting ground and so scarcely used. The man, she had determined just that, let out a strangled sob causing several different kinds of small birds to scarper from their nested trees.

As her gaze lowered, the profile of the man came into view.

"Nik?" she asked, determining the identity of the man to be that of Kol's older brother Niklaus.

Slowly she moved towards him, as if, like a frightened animal, that a sudden movement may cause him distress.

"Kara?" he asked, his tone one of both of surprise and shame. Shame at allowing someone to catch him this off guard, this weak and vulnerable, He portrayed a demeanour that suggested much of what other people did made no matter to him, yet evidently someone had upset him.

He glanced up at her through recently wiped eyes, reddened around the rim and still glassy.

"What are you doing out here?"

She sent him a small, warm smile. One of friendship and caring and took a few small steps closer to him.

"I could ask you the same question" she told him "Yet I doubt either response will tell me why you are in such a state".

She rounded the tree, Klaus standing fixed with his front pressed against the bark, using it as some sort of stable material that would allow him to mimic its appearance, its strength somewhat and prevent him from floundering in the dead leaves and twigs of the forest floor.

She smelt it before she saw it, the metallic taste of blood in the air and when she found the courage to take another step, the sight that greeted her was not pretty. The back of Klaus's shirt looked like it had been shredded, crimson blood seeping through the slashes wherever it could.

Her eyes went wide at the sight but she moved to it regardless.

"Who did this to you?" she asked, alarmed as she went about pinching pieces of the material away from the wound to prevent it from sticking to it during the drying of blood.

"It doesn't matter" he spoke through gritted teeth, awaiting the inevitable increase of pain.

She sighed knowing all too well that the Mikaelson men were hard-headed and wilful and she would get nowhere in yielding an answer from him now.

"Bear with me" she told him releasing the fabric but ensuring it was loose enough now to avoid the wounds "I'll get you something that will ease the pain until we can get you back to the village". He nodded his head and she moved away towards a clearing she had passed moments before which contained a plant that the villagers regularly used as a painkiller.

Taking orange-coloured flowering leaves in her hand she knelt to the ground, digging down a few centimetres before her hand came in contact with water-logged mud and using a large dock leaf to hold the substance, mixed the two into a semi-solid paste. She quickly returned to Nik and saw that he had completely discarded his tunic in favour of allowing the wound to greet the chilling air. His eyes were closed and it was this moment that Kara wished she could know what he was thinking, what he was feeling.

"This will sting but only for a moment" she told him as she became a step away from him "You'll feel the relief almost instantly".

Klaus nodded and took a small glance at the pasty medicine.

"You're good at all of this herbalism stuff" he spoke through gritted teeth as Kara applied the healing paste.

Kara shrugged.

"I have to pass my time some way" she spoke with mirth "We can't all be expert hunters, farmers, bakers, healers and woodsman like the members of your family".

Klaus chuckled.

"You forgot lovers" he told her.

She let out a hearty laugh.

"My mistake".

He hissed as she hit a particularly sensitive part.

"Sorry" she apologized, making sure to place the ointment more delicately.

Silence overtook them as she concentrated on finishing her work.

"So" he began "Are you all the way out here alone or is Kol lurking around here somewhere?"

"I'm alone" she told him without missing a beat. In a way, she wasn't lying. Yes, she had come out here with Kol but she had walked through the woods alone. She had been alone before bumping into Klaus.

"I know" he spoke suddenly, looking at her to gauge her reaction to the fact "About you and my brother".

Kara sighed, pausing her work and leaning against same tree Klaus was leaning on.

"Yes, well it seems to be a trend today, people finding out"

"It's a small village, things tend not to stay secret for very" he told her with a smile but stopped when he saw her expression, an emotion somewhere in-between panic and shock.

"I haven't told anyone, not even of my suspicions if that's what you're worried about" he told her trying to decipher what was causing her expression.

She nodded, looking somewhat relieved but not entirely. She knew Nik was right, things did not tend to stay secret for very long in this village, her family was bound to find out sooner rather than later.

"I don't blame you for wanting to keep it quiet" Klaus began in a tell-tale 'trying to cheer her up' tone "I mean, he isn't exactly the best looking of us Mikaelson brothers, that great burden of a title goes to me of course but I guess he doesn't fair too badly in comparison to the other men in the village".

Kara laughed.

"I'll be sure to relay all of this back to Kol".

Klaus smiled.

Kara promptly stood up straight again, continuing the treatment of Klaus's back.

"Is it easing at all?" she asked him when she had covered most of the surface area.

Klaus nodded.

"Yes" he spoke in a relieved exhalation "Thank you".

Kara swallowed hard before she spoke again.

"Are you going to tell me what happened?" she asked, her voice asking with more confidence that she felt. She had a sneaking suspicion of who the culprit was, especially as Nik wasn't being so forthcoming with information.

Klaus swallowed nervously and Kara could tell from her position behind him that his stature sagged.

"I slipped and fell down the Hill over by the Connelly's farm, this time of year the ground has a lot of exposed rocks. I guess I got scraped pretty badly".

She knew he was lying but in almost an effort to humour him she took in his appearance. Apart from the small lines and spatters of blood his clothes were almost immaculately clean, certainly no evidence of grass stains or mud. Apart from all of that the wounds on his back were too deep to have been caused by sliding over jagged rocks,

Kara cleared her throat before asking again.

"Let me rephrase that" she started with causing Klaus's frame to droop even more "Who did this to you?"

Klaus stood up straight, suddenly becoming defensive. He grabbed his tattered tunic from a low tree branch and attempted to move away.

"It was your father, wasn't it? He hurt you" Kara blurted out unthinking about what this type of revelation would do to him. He stopped mid-step and waiting a breath before turning around to face her.

"Kol told you?" he asked, his tone steady but his eyes narrowing.

She gulped, deciding that she didn't want her love to get in trouble with his brother so she shook her head.

"I guessed a long time ago, what he was doing, treating you unfairly for almost all of your life. It seemed apparent to me. Kol just confirmed it, that's all".

Klaus nodded, the anger and defensiveness visibly melting away before her.

The chirping of the birds above were the only things that could be heard for a long moment before Kara spoke.

"I guess we both know a secret belonging to each other now"

Klaus sent her a weak smile.

"I guess so".

Wearily he sat down on a tree stump, rubbing his face with his hands before looking at her.

"So" he began, his tone changing considerable back to the confident one she had come to know from Klaus "Since we're sharing secrets, was there any reason why you decided to take a long, dangerous walk through the woods without my brother's company or do you just like playing with your life. You do know that there is a murderer roaming these lands, don't you?"

The mention of the murder surprised her so much that it hit her like a punch in the gut.

"Kol and I" she paused thinking how to phrase their encounter at the picnic "We had a disagreement. I wanted some space to, to think I suppose. I'm to meet him down at the beach, there's a new ship coming in".

This seemed to pique Klaus's interest. He stood with greater energy than Kara had seen through their entire encounter.

"I see you're excited then" Kara joked subtly eyeing Klaus as he plastered on a smile.

"Of course, a ship means new people to this godforsaken land, that has to be a good thing. Think of all of the celebrations the village elder will hold". He excitedly moved towards the path that lead to the beach.

"Now you sound like Finn" she grinned "Are you sure that you don't want to return to the village first, get your mother or Ayana to see to your wounds?"

"Its fine" Klaus assured as she followed behind "You did an expert job patching me up, I'll be fine. Kara nodded in understanding. The pain was gone and right now he needed a distraction from his everyday life and a new ship from old-world Europe was certainly a good a distraction.

They had been striding for a few small minutes when Klaus piped up.

"What exactly did my idiot brother say to you then that caused your disagreement?" he asked, clearly curious but looking on at their destination instead of her "It wasn't serious was it?"

"No, not really and it wasn't him, just me being stubborn" Kara admitted with shame, a trait she usually did not share with others.

"You're far too honest for your own good, do you know that" Klaus told her with an upturn of a smirk.

"That's not something I ever thought I would be accused of, not with all of my secrets".

"Hmm, now you have me intrigued. What would the quiet, little Shepherd girl have to hide?" Klaus taunted with humour "Apart from her romantic liaisons with my little brother of course"

"I'm afraid nothing I'll tell you anytime soon" Kara bantered back, a small smile appearing on her face for the first time since they had started this conversation.

"I'm hurt, truly" Klaus joked, holding his hand up to his heart for good effect "I suppose I'll just have to douse Kol with ale and see what secrets he spills after five or six".

Kara scoffed good-naturedly.

"That wouldn't work, Kol would never betray my trust".

Klaus nodded.

"Unfortunately, I believe you to be right. That method would certainly work with Finn, Elijah, perhaps, if he were in the right form but Kol? With you as a topic, I do not believe so".

Kara smiled at this, tilting her head downward so to hide the small victory of confirming Kol's love of her from Nik.

They walked for a moment longer before conversation struck up again.

"I'm not sure what he has told you" Klaus began "But I am sure my brother has been in love with you since infancy".

Kara giggled.

"You're being silly now" she told him, allowing her boots to trudge further through the long foliage.

"Aright so maybe not love as we as adults understand it but he was definitely besotted with you from an early age"

Kara chanced a glance up at him, unquestionably interested in hearing about this.

"I'm listening" she told him causing the corners of his mouth to lift even further into more of a defined smile.

"Years ago, when he was very young, mother was teaching him how to write his name out on the slate. He was so excited each time he got it right and when he mastered his own he wanted to learn how to write ours. Finn's, Elijah's, that one took him a while, mine, 'Bekah's and yours".

"Mine?" Kara questioned.

Klaus nodded, his eyes dreamy with memory.

"Except he didn't really understand the concept of family names yet, or he did and he didn't really care but he wrote your name out as Kara Mikaelson in his best writing beside ours".

Kara smiled at that, almost warmed by how cutely Klaus remembered Kol as children.

"When Mother tried to correct him and teach him how to write 'Shepherd' he became a little upset and asked her how you could have your name be Mikaelson"

Kara laughed, picturing a really young Kol asking Esther that.

"What did your mother say?" she asked "I suppose she was already quite tired of the young Shepherd girl paying visit to her house every day to ask if her children wanted to come out to play?"

Klaus too laughed at the memory.

"Not quite" he admitted after a moment "At first she told him that you couldn't. That of course made him even more upset but one day soon after. Probably after a day of escapades in the woods with you Kol came home reciting stories of daring adventure to both mother and father. Of course, you featured in all of his tales but it was when he finished and after he had had his supper that she told him that if he really wanted you to be a Mikaelson then one day, when both of you were grown then he would have to win your heart and marry you".

Klaus laughed and shook his head.

"Any other boy of his age would have feigned being sick at the thought of marriage, I know I would have but Kol just gave his usual boisterous smirk and said 'Alright' as if it were the best plan in the world".

The story warmed her heart to no end but also gave her a fresh sense of guilt for how she treated him, of how worried he must be about her right now. They were still roughly ten minutes away but she steadily picked up speed, ensuring the whole time that Nik was able to keep up.

"Do you think that this new ship came from the same place we did?" Klaus asked her curious. She, however was distracted inside the thoughts of her own head and only heard the end of the sentence. She looked at him confused and sighed when she realised she had missed a huge chunk of what he was saying.

"I'm sorry Nik" she breathed out apologetically "What were you saying?".

He shook his head exasperatedly, a small grin tilting the edges of his smile.

"It wasn't important" he told her before observing her as they moved "What are you thinking about?".

She sighed but almost in an effort to relieve the stress that had built up inside of her.

"A lot" she told him, a nervous laugh slipping out with the words "But mostly about what I'm going to say to Kol"

She took another deep breath, inhaling the scents of damp leaves and grass. Klaus smirked at her apprehension, knowing full well that Kol would forgive her for just about anything.

"Don't fret so much, it'll be fine" he assured her placing a comforting hand on her shoulder "You two are meant to be together, any idiot can see that".

"Thanks Nik" Kara smiled at him, her mind still racing but her heart now warmed.

After a few more moments of silent meandering through the wild of the woods they finally came upon the overgrown rush-fill field which sat adjacent to the beach front.

"Woah" Nik commented, eyeing the large ship which was now moving slowly towards the shoreline. It was long in length, it's pale canvas sail sporting a fierce swirling design of their clan upon it and looked to be holding a fair amount of goods.

'Probably to trade in exchange for sanctuary in the village' Kara thought to herself, allowing herself a moment to be carried away by another topic. She shook herself out of it and allowed the salty sea air to consume her as she eyed the beach for the crowds.

"Let's go" she suggested as she spied the silhouettes of the people in the below. They moved down the man-made worn path towards the sand, passing several neighbours and greeting as they went. She knew Klaus would get some strange looks as the walked, in regards to his lack of dress but once they saw the substance on his back she knew that they would understand. She viewed Kol nearby, standing next to Rebekah and Henrik, gazing at the ocean in the direction of the ship but not really watching it. She could tell that his mind was elsewhere.

"Kol!" she called as she got within a few metres of him, her voice breaking slightly. Unable to control herself any longer she darted towards him. He turned on his booted heal almost at the first accent of his name and couldn't hide the desperately relieved expression that emerged on his face. She could tell that he wanted to go to her, his arms flinching slightly but was restraining himself as they were so many neighbours around. She smiled at this and, making the decision for them both, ran to him and as she reached him flung her arms around his neck. He was surprised to say the least at the action, at her new-found confidence but was just calmed and thankful to have her back safe and well. Klaus directed his two youngest siblings away from the scene, deciding that they needed at least a semblance of privacy.

"Thank the gods" he whispered into her hair. More to himself or to the gods themselves than to her. His next sentence, however, was to her.

"I'm so sorry" he mumbled into the crook of her neck.

"No, I'm sorry. You were right and I was just too stubborn to see it" she gave him half a smile "You know I've never been one to admit defeat".

"No" Kol spoke shaking his head "This was about your family, I should have been more sensitive about that".

She reached her hand up to cup his cheek.

"Kara!" he whispered, attempting and failing to move her hand away "People might see".

She shook her head, her mind suddenly feeling free and clear in realisation. The feeling of it was liberatingly euphoric.

"I don't care, not anymore" she paused, the sound of the waves and the idol chattering of people nearby filling the void "You told me that I was your family, now I'm telling you that you are mine". Kol beamed down at her.

"You were right" she continued "We need to tell Ayana. What my parents are doing is wrong, I see that, I have always seen that. I guess that I just needed to find the strength within myself to do what needs to be done, what has needed to be done for a very long time".

Kol tried to stop the elation that he was feeling from forming on his face but failed miserably.

"Are you sure?"

Kara nodded but this time with determination.

"As soon as we get back to the village we will tell Ayana and your parents everything".

Kol nodded, smiling widely.

"Alright" he told her, grasping one of her hands in his "I am so proud of you".

Kara smiled back at him.

"Yeah?" she questioned, tilting her head feeling almost lighter at her decision "Prove it".

Kol looked at her surprised, his smile still fixed upon the handsome features of his face.
"Here?" he asked as if to make sure.

She nodded, pulling the ties of his tunic down for good measure.

"No going back" she whispered in a hushed voice before his lips captured hers. It wasn't as feverish and demanding as many of their kisses were and Kara knew it was because they had to keep some amount of decorum and dignity in public but she could still feel the vastness of his love through it.

"Oh, thank the gods you're telling people now" Rebekah barked loudly, interrupting them and forcing them to move apart "I don't think I could have held it in for another moment".

Kara broke away to see Nik, Henrik and Rebekah all walking closer to them. Kol scoffed.

"'Bekah, you only found out today"

Rebekah nodded.

"And I haven't told a single soul since then"

Henrik rolled his eyes feeling an internal sense of achievement as he kept the secret the longest.

"Bravo 'Bekah" Klaus began, sarcasm building on his tone "I daresay they will be employing you as the village secret-keeper any day now".

"Don't tease, Nik, you don't know how hard it's been" she turned to look at the couple, her eyes going glassy and doe-like at the view "I mean look at how perfect they look together".

Kara and Kol, now just realising that they were still embracing reluctantly pulled apart. Yes, they were throwing caution to the wind now but they didn't want to be caught off-guard by any member of Kara's family. Rebekah sighed dreamily, idly watching the ship and it sailed slowly, closer and closer towards the beach.

"Let's hope there is some strong and handsome man on there for me" she said, her voice high-pitch and wishful".

"Well good luck to him, whoever he is" Kol teased with a smirk causing Klaus and Henrik to snigger and Rebekah to send him a glare in punishment.

"There you all are" Esther's warm voice sounded to them as she, Ayana and a few of the town elders moved down the beach towards them. Each looked apprehensive but excited at the prospect of the new members of the village "I was afraid that you were going to miss greeting the newcomers".

"No mother" Rebekah began "We just had our chores to complete"

"Are Finn, 'Lijah and father going to miss it?" Henrik asked forlornly, somehow, he himself already knowing the answer.

Esther cast a quick studying glance at the town elders, all of whom had remained quiet at the question.

"Yes, I am afraid so Ricky" she told him lovingly "But they'll be home soon" she finished with a small.

"Indeed, dear one" Ayana continued, her smile too full of adoration for the youngest Mikaelson "Now that they have found the true culprit there is no need for them to stay away".

Kara's heart lurched half-way up her throat and the content emotions she has been feeling were gone, dashed, replaced with the mind-numbing fear and worry she had been trying all day to combat.

"The true culprit?" she asked, her throat dry and her voice stuttering at at least two of the three words in the sentence "You caught him?"

"Who is it?" Klaus asked in curiosity.

"Destin Adilsson, Vilgard's cousin" Ayana told them, making Kara's heart race and her palms sweat "He turned up this morning with no memory of what happened, covered in ale and his clothing stained with blood".

"How terrible" Rebekah gasped, her hands moving to cover her mouth "He killed his own cousin?"

"Are you certain that its him?" Kara asked, Kol eying her warily and clutching her hand tighter as it began to shake.

"Vilgard's own father told us that the last time he saw his son alive was when he was sitting on the logs by the fire drinking with Destin and he disappeared the same time as his cousin. Then he turned up with apparently no memory and he was covered in blood. That was far too suspicious for the town elder to overlook".

"What do you mean?" Kol asked his eyes narrowing "He's going to be exiled?"

The group of elders looked to one another unsure before Ayana spoke up, her tone low and slow.

"We each thought it best if the threat of Destin Adilsson be neutralized as soon as possible, especially with the newcomer's arrival. We wanted to make an example of him and so he was executed a half an hour ago".

Kara didn't hear what anyone else had to say after that. She could hear the mumbling of speech but no cognitive words could penetrate. She felt like the air had been knocked from her lungs, her head spinning. Destin Adilsson, an innocent man had been killed, murdered and it was all of her and her family's fault. She was the one that wiped his memory, had helped her family cover up for Drake. Her breathing was becoming more and more shallow and all she knew was that she had to get out of here.

"They're disembarking" Esther announced viewing the ship and the many people gathering at the end of the gangway "We'd better move closer". She indicated to the rest of the town elders and they began to trickle away.

Kara attempted to pull her hand out of Kol's but he was holding on tighter than she had expected.

"Kol I have to…" she began panicked and pulling away, her voice breathless and uneven.

"What? What is it?" he asked both confused and concerned as she wormed her way out of his grip "Kara?"

She looked up to see the many pairs of eyes on her. Self-conscious, she tucked a strand of loose blonde hair away from the front of her face to try and gather herself somewhat and took a step backwards.

"Sorry, I eh, I have to go" she said in the steadiest voice that she could muster before turning on her heals and briskly walking off of the beach towards the path to the village. She waited until she was a few steps away, counting to twenty in her head before the tears broke through.

Klaus, Henrik and Rebekah each looked with confused eyes towards Kol who, was still highly bemused about what had just happened but without even thinking took off after her. She had been fine, apologetic even. They were making plans to tell Ayana, it was something that had happened in the meantime that had made her upset, something his mother or Ayana had said. About Vilgard? The murder? About Destin being executed?

He found her not too far away at the edge of the field at the crossroads between the path to the village and the path to the woods. Her head was bent downwards towards her boots, her posture defeatist. His heart ached at the thought that she may be hurting, again, for some reason he didn't know. His fast-paced walk turned into a jog and his caught up to her just before she had chosen which direction to go in.

"Kara!" he called to her just as he nudged her arm and turned her around to him. She let out a startled cry but this was soon covered by her original tears as she recognised him.

"What is it?" he asked firmly almost scared but determined to know the answer. It was something she wasn't telling him and after all of the dark and dismal things she had told him, he knew that this had to be bad.

"It's all my fault" she exclaimed hysterically, her eyes downcast and her cries mixing in with the words "I'm sorry, I'm so, so sorry".

Kol pulled her towards him in one strong motion, embracing her, allowing her to break, to let the tears fall freely. He held her close, closing his eyes in distress as her painful sobs washed over him.

When she quietened after a few moments, he guided her towards the trees. The beach was the centre of all activity at the moment and the chances of someone walking passed them was a lot greater than it would have been on a normal day and he didn't want anyone to overhear their conversation. He perched her up against a large oak as she watched his form with eyes so swollen and tear-filled that he doubted she could see much out of them.

"What is it Kara? Tell me" he asked roughly. A thousand thoughts had been filling his head during their embrace of why she was acting this way and none of them were good. He grasped her shoulders firmly to try and ground her in the moment before doing the same to her face in an effort to get her to look at him in the eye.

This only caused more tears to fall.

"I'm sorry" she told him again.

She looked so lost, so hurt that it made Kol's heart ache for her. This was bad. Something had happened to cause her this much hurt, this much distress and she had kept to herself, bottled up until now. It was about Vilgard and Destin. That much he had determined on the beach, but what? Had she known that Destin had killed him? Had she seen it? Kept it quiet for him? Or maybe someone else had and her silence killed Destin, allowing the true murderer to be free? Or maybe…?

He swallowed the lump in his throat, his eyes searching hers for any silent answers to his unspoken words before he asked.

"Did you kill Vilgard?". He asked it all in one quick breath as if he was afraid that the words would burn him as they emerged.

Kara's eyes teared once again as she reached up to cup Kol's cheek. He too could feel the moisture welling in his eyes. She remained silent.

"Kara!" he demanded shaking her head with his hands in a frustrated attempt to get her to speak to him.

She shook her head slowly.

"No" she whispered out without any force "But I covered it up for the person who did, I helped him" She told him in an almost disbelief at her own stupid and selfish behaviour.

"Destin?" he asked, subconsciously knowing already that it wasn't him.

Kara shook her head, tears welling hard in her eyes as she tried tremendously to keep them in.

"Drake" she finally said before breaking into cries again.

Kol looked at her in shock.

"Your brother Drake?"

She nodded, then sniffed.

"Alistair came looking for me" she began, He deserved to hear the whole story. If she had listened to him in the first place then they wouldn't be going through this right now.

"He said that my family needed my help so I went with him. When I got there Destin was tied to a chair, Drake was trying to perform something on him, with our power and my parents were making a potion that would kill him. They told my what had happened".

She paused to swallow and allow new tears down her face.

"Drake and Vilgard had got into a fight and Drake just killed him, without even thinking. Destin witnessed it all so my choices were to let my parents kill him or…"
"Or"? Kol prompted.

She took in a deep breath.

"Or wipe his memory".

Kol closed his eyes and exhaled. He was worried and Kara knew that.

"It's all my fault" she began again forcing Kol to open his eyes "It was my idea to pour the ale on him. I thought that when he woke up that they would just assume that he drank too much but because he couldn't remember and couldn't account for his whereabouts they assumed that he killed his cousin and now he's dead. They killed him, they killed an innocent man and it's all my fault"

Thank you for reading everyone! I will update as soon as possible and I promise that I will not make you wait a year again! Hope you liked it. xxxxx