Breathing ∞ Kol Mikaelson [1]

[60]

Despite what Emma initially thought, Kol hadn't left the house. He wasn't leaving. No, instead, he made his way to the kitchen, his determined steps quickly carrying him into the spacious room and his sudden appearance making Marissa send him a curious look.

"All that, and I'm the one you want to talk to?" The woman couldn't help but ask, watching the vampire's face and trying to figure out what in the world he was doing here instead of remaining in the living room with Emma. "This is bound to be good." She sighed, putting down the cookbooks which had been in her hands and leaning on the counter as she fixed him with a questioning look.

"I understand you don't like me, Mrs Park." Kol started, doing his best to maintain a calm tone. He would let out his rage later. At the appropriate target. "But you don't need to like me to be able to listen to me." He added on, making her face change, an eyebrow raising as she took in his assertive tone. She wasn't about to be intimidated by him, not yet realizing that wasn't his goal anyways.

"And what would I be listening to, pray tell?" She asked, wanting to see what he had to say. She didn't care for his opinion on whatever he heard. Emma was her child and Marissa would be damned if she let some vampire man-child give her parenting advice.

For a moment, their conversation cut short as the sound of footsteps approached, Emma appearing at the door after having heard Kol's voice coming from the room. She regarded him with a somewhat surprised look, wondering what in the world he was doing. She thought he was angry with her, but now, as his eyes finally met hers again, there was something entirely different in them.

"All this time you've been running, you've been doing it alone." Kol spoke, talking to both of them now. He knew Emma mentioned some unnamed allies helping in New Orleans, but his anger extended to them too. Who lets them go off with no protection in case of a situation like this? Maybe once the problem in Mystic Falls was dealt with, he'd kill them too. "The thing you both need to realize is that that has changed."

"What are you saying?" Emma was the first of the two women that spoke up. The question, however, was not only on her mind, but her mother's as well.

"I'm saying, you're going to tell me where your locator spell showed he was, and then I'll kill him." Kol said in a simple tone. All his life he'd been killing as a sport, a source of entertainment. But this time, there was a purpose to it, and surprisingly enough, it made him even more eager to do it.

"In exchange for what?" Marissa couldn't help but ask, regarding him with a suspicious look. It seemed too easy of a solution, too selfless for what she believed the Mikaelsons were like.

"Another thing you need to realize Mrs Park; despite my initial ideas of killing her, I've actually grown to care for your daughter." Kol said, not sugar coating any part of it and making the eyes of both women widen in surprise.

"Uh, I'm not sure which part of that to focus on first." Emma muttered. A sane person would focus on the kill part, by the look on her mother's face, it was obvious she believed that to be the better option. And yet... Emma wasn't too surprised by it. He did show a bit too much interest in what was seemingly an ordinary human.

"I'm not asking for anything in exchange." Kol said, eyes turning to Emma, a new softness in them as for a moment, the worry shone through again. "I just want... Need her to be safe."

"And so you're putting yourself in danger to ensure it?" Emma questioned. She hated the idea of something happening to him because he was protecting her.

"He's been a vampire for only six years, darling. There isn't much he can do to me." Kol pointed out with a small smile, trying to remind her that this would be quite an easy task.

"She's right, it could be dangerous. Samuel was a sergeant in the army, with a mind for strategy unlike I've ever seen before." Marissa pointed out. It was in this town that it became clear to the mother just how much Emma took after him in that aspect. "And, considering how quickly he found us this time, I suspect he might've gotten a witch on his side." She added on, knowing that if true, he was even more dangerous.

"Kol nodded his head as he listened. He had to admit, it wouldn't surprise him if there was a witch involved. Many may hate vampires, but he again remembered the stories they shared about siphoners. If allying with a vampire brought on the death of two, he suspected many would be willing to join Emma's father and his goal.

"If it will give you peace of mind, I won't go alone." Kol suggested, eyes turning to Emma since he doubted Marissa was very worried about his well-being. Kol, of course, meant he'd ask his siblings to join him. He wasn't sure how much Klaus would be willing, but he knew Rebekah wouldn't hesitate.

And it would give him a chance to rip them a new one too. Because now that he knew the whole truth, some of the things they said before in his presence were starting to make sense. Rebekah's worries that she may not be able to return to Mystic Falls in time back when Alaric was hunting them. Klaus' private jabs about Kol's time with Emma being a on a limit. He'd always thought those were taunts that he himself would kill her one day, meant to toy with him. But now, he wasn't so sure.

"These are your lives, and I'm not here to try and convince you not to run." Kol added on, knowing that that is what Marissa thought he came to her to do. "But I will kill him. And then, if you go, I'll follow." Then his eyes turned to Emma as he said the last part.

Yes, the new-found realization of just how much this woman has gotten under his skin scared him. And before, he would have simply killed her to rid himself of the fear. The thought did cross his mind. And when it did, he hated himself just for that alone.

Finally, Marissa nodded her head in acceptance. She remembered a time when Marcel made the same offer to take care of Samuel for them. But he'd never managed it. If Kol wanted to do it, well, she certainly wouldn't try and stop him. However, she did turn to her daughter, thinking the hesitation on her face may be because she wanted to.

"Emma, I know it's hard to think about him dying, but-" Marissa started, but her daughter finished even before she could.

"He's not the man I remember, I know." Emma said with a heavy voice, eyes staring at the marble countertop. She took in a deep breath, letting out a small cough right after as she gave it one last thought. By the time she looked up back to Kol's face, she'd missed the way he winced at the cough, understanding it fully for the first time. "Promise me you'll be safe." She demanded. She knew her father couldn't kill him, but that didn't mean he couldn't hurt him.

"I promise." Kol gave her hand a gentle squeeze, making sure to reach for the one that wasn't covered in a bandage. When he'd first seen it, he worried, but the explanation of the locator spell made it clear. He'd fix it easily later.

And then she finally nodded her head in acceptance. She pushed back the memories of her father, tucking her in and telling her bedtime stories or helping her with her homework. He wasn't the man who took her to the zoo and carried her on his shoulders so she could perfectly see everything. This man... He'd turned into a monster. And unlike others she befriended, this one she was actually scared of.