Chapter Text
Klaus put Lana in the master bedroom. He had the feeling she was a little warmer than she had been when he found her. He turned around and saw his sister standing in the doorway. Rebekah's eyes were huge and she was clearly upset about seeing Lana like this. She wrinkled her nose. “What is that smell?” “She is, as I presume, in forced hibernation.” “What have you done?” there was venom dripping from her every word. Klaus started pacing the room aggravated. “I, dear sister, didn't do anything. I found her like this and I am as displeased by this as you. We need to find a way to wake her up.” “Niklaus, what did you do? Why was Caroline looking for you? What. Did. You. DO?!” She was yelling at him, standing only a few inches away from him now. “I snapped.” He looked away. It was unusual of him to avoid a confrontation, especially with his little sister, but this time he really felt guilty and wanted to fix this more than anything. “I snapped and she saved all of you. And then she left me.” She huffed at him. “YOU were the one getting busy with that little tramp. You betrayed her. Can you blame her for leaving you? Again?” He didn't answer. Suddenly he felt as if he was talking to Elijah rather than Rebekah. “Your irresponsibility brings all of us only pain and misery, Nik! You ruined our home, again. How many times do you want to tear down whatever we built up?” She screamed in frustration. Her gaze dropped to the sleeping vampire on the bed. “And you Lana...” she whispered. Tears glistened in her eyes. “You promised you wouldn't leave.” She turned around and attempted to walk out. “Wait.” Rebekah turned around and looked at her big brother with a mixture of pain and pity. “What is it that you still want from me Niklaus?”
In a flash, he stood before her. “I want your help. I need to get her back.” “How?” “I need that witch. Bonnie.” “Then why don't you go and get her?” “Because I overheard Caroline talking to Bonnie on the phone and apparently she dropped Kol of there. I don't want to run into him.” he grunted. Rebekah sighed. “What is it with you and your urge to kill your family? Really... This is the last time, Niklaus.”
Kol stood in front of the door, his hand raised to knock. But he hesitated, not sure why he even wanted to talk to her. He sighed and ruffled his hair. “Madness.” he whispered. Kol almost turned around and went back to the guestroom but his hand seemed to think differently, he knocked. His eyes widened. Why had he done this? There was no turning back now, that was for sure. The door opened and Bonnie's big green and brown doe eyes stared back at him. “Yes?” her voice was hesitant as if she wasn't sure what to expect. He could hear her heart beating rapidly. “I...er....you...um..Are you hungry?” He had a look on his face which proofed that he couldn't believe he actually just said that. Kol felt uncomfortable doing nice things and being grateful, it was something he didn't bothered for most of his life. But then again he had spent most of his life in a coffin so his being-nice skill-set was rightfully a little … rusty. He could see Bonnie was trying, unsuccessfully one might add, to hide her smile. But instead of making him even more uncomfortable it relaxed him. Kol huffed out a laugh. “I didn't know I had an occasional stutter.” Bonnie's smile widened. “Well, since you've asked... I'm actually starving.” And easy as that his confident was back, he couldn't quite explain what it was that made him nervous as soon as he was being nice to her but he would find out. “Well, let me invite you to dinner. It's the least I can do.”
Kol waited for Bonnie in the hall. He heard a car stop but he didn't put much thought to it. Bonnie exited her room in black skinny jeans, a red and white plaid button down over a red tank top and brown boots with fringes. Just as she grabbed her bag, there was a knock on the door. Both of them looked to the door startled. How could he have missed someone approaching the house? This witch was highly distracting, and he wasn't sure if that was a good thing because when he looked out he saw Rebekah with a smug grin waving her fingers at them. “Hello brother.” Kol hesitated to open the door. He didn't want to get pulled into this. He knew he was part of whatever it was that his sister wanted but he much rather wanted to go take Bonnie out and find out what was so special about her. Bonnie opened the door. “What?” She was annoyed and not just because she couldn't stand Rebekah. “You're much nicer in school, Bonnie. I am shocked.” Rebekah was mocking her. Bonnie rolled her eyes, turned around and started towards her room. “Just tell me when you're finished, Kol.”
“Actually, I wanted to talk to you Bonnie. We need your help.” Rebekah raised her voice only a tad, but enough to make Bonnie stop dead in her tracks. They all knew when an original called for specifically Bonnie's help then it wasn't because they were up for a round of beer pong. She sighed heavily, not turning around. “What is it?” “It's Lana. She needs your help.” Rebekah's voice was small. Bonnie turned to face Rebekah. “And why isn't she here herself?” “Because she can't. Look, I will explain everything on the way but right now I need you to come with me. Please.” Bonnie looked from Rebekah to Kol as if she wanted some explanation from him. But he just shook his head, a worried look on his face. “I am serious, please. Lana needs your help. She did some thing called forced hibernation and now she is not waking up and we don't know what to do. Bonnie, she told me that you know who she is.” Bonnie sighed again. “Alright.” turning to Kol once more she said with disappointment “I'm sorry.” She walked back into her room, to her bookshelf. The past years had inspired her to collect as many spell books, grimoires and other witchcraft books as possible. There was a whole section dedicated to “Vampires”. She didn't know which one to take so she just took as many as she could carry, then she hurried past Kol and Rebekah to her car. Over her shoulder she said “I'm driving by myself.”
Klaus waited for Rebekah and Bonnie pacing the room, looking at Lana's motionless body. “Why? Why did you do it?” He shook his head. “Of course I know why you did it. I was selfish. How could I do to you what I did? I am sorry. I know you won't forgive me, but I didn't to it on purpose. You were gone, you left me. What was I supposed to do? You couldn't have expected me to wait, did you?” It was as if he could hear her answer him in his mind. Imagination, for sure but he know her too well. He knew what she would say. She'd tell him, she never expected him to wait but falling in love and sharing blood the way he did... He knew he had broken her heart. “I don't know if we can be like we were, but promise I won't give up on you. On us. You deserve better than that.” As he sad those words to her lifeless body, he knew they were genuine. However he also knew that things wouldn't be easy. He didn't want to lose Caroline either. “Oh Lana, what are we supposed to do...” Klaus could count the times he had felt this desperate in his life on one hand. She had been his life, his lover, his very best friend. He wasn't even sure if she wanted to be with him anymore. But life had changed both of them. He wondered f maybe their love had come to the point where it was just not going to work anymore. What he used to love her about her, her stubbornness, her way of making his blood boil with anger, lust, love in a matter of seconds, all these things suddenly seemed to fade away. He still loved everything about her, but differently, calmer. The fire had died down, he realized. “It's been a while since you were truly happy with me, hasn't it? My love, promise I won't hurt you anymore if you only wake up.”
In this very moment he heard Rebekah and Bonnie come in through the front door. They were carrying books when they entered the room. Bonnie dropped her stack on a nearby table and rushed to Lana's side. For her it was a strange sensation, had she only known so very little about Lana, but it broke her heart to see her like this. “What did you do to her?” She glared at Klaus. “She did that herself. Can you help?” “I don't know yet. I'll try.” She got up and started looking through the books she brought. “What do you know about this forced hibernation?” “It's a through meditation induced level of, for a lack of a better word, unconsciousness. I have only heard of it through Lana. She once told me that only a few vampires have ever done it. A lot of practice s needed and if not done correctly the subject might die. It's supposed to keep you asleep for a longer period of time. She told me a story about it. “
“There was a young girl, deeply in love with a prince. She was only a servant but the prince loved her still. One day, his mother, a mighty witch, caught them close to each other. She cursed the girl with a powerful spell. The girl's life was now tied to her own. The evil witch told her son, to get his lover back he would have to kill her or wait until she died. Unable to kill his own mother, the prince left the kingdom. On his travels he met a vampire. He knew as a vampire he could surely outlive his mother. The vampire asked him “Why don't you wait until she dies? It shouldn't be more than a few decades.” The prince shook his head in a sad manner. “My mother is a mighty witch, the human lifespan means nothing to her. She'll be here when I'll be long forgotten.” He made a deal with the vampire, that if he were to turn him into one of his, the prince in return would keep him company. And so they roamed the world for a few decades, but the vampire died at the hands of hunters. The prince went back to his kingdom only to see his mother still alive, young and vibrant. In his desperate mind he knew no way out, he wouldn't kill himself but he knew he had to find another way to make the wait for his love less agonizing. When his mother sensed his presence she sent her best huntsmen after him. He hid deep in the mountains, too deep for humans to reach. He stayed there many weeks, hunger pained him and the loneliness was slowly derogated his mind. In his darkest hour, the prince remembered what his lover had told him about meditation. A thing she always did when her father used to hit her in his drunk anger fits, before she came to his castle. The prince tried to remember everything she said. Breathing was important, a comfortable position and then you have to empty your head. And so he did. Day after day he spent in meditation. Weeks passed and he slowly grew stiff and tired. At some point, he had lost track of time, he felt a warm, soft and fuzzy feeling around him. Without much thought put to it, he embraced the feeling and fell deep.. and deeper...and deeper. Then he hit the floor, but it wasn't scary nor did it hurt. His mind was clear and calm, time wasn't a thing he worried about anymore. He just enjoyed the warmth all around him. The eternal comfort of darkness all around him. At some point, minutes, hours, days, years or centuries later he heard a small voice in the back of his mind. “My love, where is my love? Did he leave me? Did he forget me? Where is my love? It's dark and cold and I can't breath. Where is my love?” He recognized this voice as he would always, it was her. She was waking up. The prince panicked, how was he supposed to leave this state? How long had he been asleep? Suddenly the voice grew louder and louder he followed her in his mind and suddenly he opened his eyes. He was awake. The prince was weak, he crawled out of his cave and sniffed around. Somewhere close he could smell the blood of a predator. Slowly he got up on his feet and walked around on shaky knees. There was another cave. Carefully he made his way into the darkness. There was a bear hibernating. Without a second to hesitate he jumped on it's back and dug his fangs through the thick fur. It took him a few moments but then he had an artery between his teeth and all the wailing and moving the bear did, did nothing to shake him off. He was hungry and he wanted blood. With a bear-hug he crushed the bears neck and the moving stopped. When he had finished he left to find a stream. With the blood washed from his face, he made his way to his former home. The witch's castle. It was night, so no one saw him scale the walls and make his way to the dungeons. He killed a few guards on his way, but only because he realized they didn't know him. They had been born when he had already gone. Thus they attacked him. The coffin his mother put his lover in was still where he last saw it. In the deepest and darkest dungeon. He could hear a faint heartbeat, no more than a flutter. She was about to die. He hurried to her side, breaking doors, necks and locks along the way. He ripped the massive stone lid off of the coffin and pulled her up. She coughed and felt cold and limp in his arms. But she was breathing and alive. He took her away in that same night. She became his queen of the night. When life bored them too much, he taught her how to force herself into hibernation and it is said that somewhere there are two sleeping vampires in a cave, waiting for their time to wake up.”
“So you're saying, Lana is lost in darkness until her lover calls for her?” Bonnie remarked sarcastically. “So to say.” “Well then call for her.” “I can't. We're not … as connected as we used to be.” He turned away, running his hands through his hair, in a desperate attempt to do something, anything he started pacing again. Bonnie was going through her books and they stayed silent for what felt like hours. “Nothing.” She said at last. After Klaus had told the story, Rebekah had quietly left the room. Now she was back with a book in her hand. “Don't ask me any questions.” She simply said as she handed Bonnie the book. Klaus shot her a look but she just shook her head and said “I need to get this back by nightfall.” Bonnie started reading and soon found a small passage about forced hibernation. “It says that only a bond strong enough can force her to wake up, otherwise we'll have to wait until she decides to wake up.” Expected a fit of anger, Bonnie was surprised to see Klaus slump down in a chair, his face in his hands. But only for a few moments and then he was Klaus in all his Original gory glory. He climbed onto the bed and cradled Lana's head in his lap. With a deep sigh he bit his wrist and forced her to swallow as much as he could give her. “What the hell?” Bonnie was about to give him seizures when he calmly said “It's the only way to strengthen our bond again. Can't reach her anymore. The blood bond is too weak.” Bonnie gathered her stuff and marched out. She wasn't going to stay for the rest of the gory details of this procedure.
It was way past midnight when she came back home. The light in the kitchen was on. She went n and t smelt delicious. “What...” Kol was standing with a big grin on his face in front of her. “I just reheated some take out I got. I hope you like Chinese.” She stared at him in disbelief. “Why?” She was tired beyond words but right then his presence was like a caffeine shot straight to her heart. It began pumping wildly as she stared into those dark eyes. “Because you deserved it. You're good and you always help everyone. Just wanted to say thank you. For me, for Caroline... And for my family since I doubt any of them have said something remotely close to thank you.” “Well I wasn't much help but this s nice. This is very nice of you Kol.” After awkwardly standing in front of each other they went took their food to the living room and as peculiar as it seemed to them and as it would to anyone else, but they just enjoyed a good meal and each others company.