Breathing ∞ Kol Mikaelson [1]

[36]

"Filthy rich vampire family living in a mansion, but what's the one thing they don't own? Food!" Emma grumbled to herself in disappointment as she placed some of the bags into the passenger seat of her car. Well, it wasn't that they didn't have any food, but nothing that could really make for a full meal. Human meal, that is.

And, of course, since both Mikaelsons were preoccupied, each with their own prisoner of the day, it was Emma who had to go out and get the food. She thoroughly debated smacking Klaus when he requested a steak for himself. 'Since she was already going' as he said.

Slamming the passenger door shut, Emma checked her phone as she felt it vibrate in the back pocket of her jeans. A text from her mom telling her when she'd be home so Emma could come back. The surprising part in it was for her to return if she wanted to. Implying she could spend more time or possibly even the night at Rebekah's. If there was one good thing to come from her embolism, it was the fact that her mother seemed to finally understand that the Mikalesons weren't a danger to Emma despite their reputation.

She circled her car, about to jump in and drive away without a care, but her ears catching the sound of crying coming from the alley in the back of the Grill had Emma's brows furrowing. For a moment, she debated just ignoring it and moving on. And yet, something inside of her pushed her forward. Keys still clutched in her hand, car remaining unlocked, Emma made sure she could make a quick escape. But still she hoped the worst danger she'd find herself in was needing to find an excuse from staying behind to comfort some heartbroken teenager.

However, as she came to stand on top of the stairs leading down into the narrow alley, Emma was faced with only one half of that. It was heartbreak, for sure, but not that of a teenager. Instead, she easily recognized the flaming red hair of the 900-year-old vampire as she cried over a badly charred body. Although, despite the burns, Emma still had an easy time realizing who it was that Sage was crying over.

She'd seen Finn just that morning when Klaus basically threw him through the door of the Mikaelson home. And now he was dead. Elena and her group had made a move, a successful one. Which could only meant they had more of the white oak. What Sage had shown Rebekah wasn't the last of it. The only reason Finn was in town; all Klaus needed from his older brother was some blood for Bonnie to use during the unlinking spell.

The unlinking spell... Just the thought of it filled Emma with panic. Because when she'd left the house Bonnie still hadn't succeeded and all five siblings were still linked. Her hands started to shake as she once again reached for her phone, pulling it out as she ran back to her car.

Putting the call on speaker phone as she dumped the device in her lap, the first number Emma dialled was Rebekah's, but no answer came. Then Klaus', the pattern repeating itself. Emma tried again with both numbers as she speed away from the Grill, but there was no response. She did the only other thing she could think of. She dialled the number she'd memorised just that morning. One ring. Two rings. Three-

"Hello?"

The first thing she could do was give out a heavy sigh of relief. He answered. He was alive. Meaning the rest of them were too. "Thank god." Emma muttered more to herself than to the person on the other end of the line. But it was enough for him to recognize her voice and know who the unknown number on his screen belonged to.

"Emma? What happened? Are you alright?" Kol's questions came soon after her own words. She could hear the shuffling that had been sounding off in the back suddenly stop as he spoke.

"I'm fine, I'm fine. I was just worried." Emma replied, finally slowing down her car and adjusting the phone which had by now been dangerously hanging off her lap where she'd thrown it in a hurry.