Forever

The Motel

The door to my motel room had been torn off it's hinges, and the smell wasn't promising. I was almost afraid to look. The air, it was too still, as if the world itself was holding its breath.

"Josh?"

Kol stepped into view, covered in blood, his fist was dripping in it, and two lines dribbled down his chin.

No.

No.

I was too late. I covered my mouth, biting back a sob. The last time we'd spoken, had been a fight. I provoked Kol.

This was all my fault.

Another death added to the growing tally. All because of the Mikaelsons' sick obsession with family.

It was a small mercy that there was a bit of a distance between me and Kol.

The man who was my soulmate.

He had a look in his eyes I didn't recognize, I didn't recognize him.

This was what it was always going to be like, wasn't it?

"Dear sister-"

"Don't."

I loved Josh.

Kol was staring at me.

"I um-" my jaw trembled and my throat felt like it was closing. "I need to get my stuff." Heat felt like it was searing my face.

I needed to swallow my fear, find the courage to even look at either brother.

"Just like that?" Elijah asked suspiciously.

"There's no point anymore." I didn't have to fake my voice breaking.

"I'll get it." Kol went back into the room.

Elijah set his hand on my shoulder. "It wouldn't have lasted."

Anger boiled under my skin, searing at the point he touched. "Why do you all get to decide my relationships? The second you don't like who I'm with, you kill them!" Siblings, friends, Josh.

"Because above all else, you are part of this family. We will all take care of you." Elijah was so stoic, as he always was.

I hated it.

Josh didn't deserve this. "I have to see him. One last time."

"No. It's time we took you home. You have a niece to meet."

"Ah. Good to see you've caught our sneaky, in-law." Klaus appeared not too far away from where we stood, drenched in blood. I didn't know whether to be relieved or not that Kathrine was finally dead.

Kol approached us, my duffle bag in hand. "Let's leave."

"I'm not going until I say goodbye." My chin lifted. "And then I promise I won't try to run."

"You said the same weeks ago. When I appeared in that pretty head of yours. Clearly I cannot take you on your word." Kol frowned.

"Then Elijah can stand guard." He was the most likely to keep his thoughts to himself. "I didn't get to say goodbye to Jenna or my siblings. You all owe me this." My hands shook and I clenched them into fists.

If anything this solidified my decision to stay on track. They deserved to be hunted by their father.

Kol and I held eye contact. "Fine. Say your goodbyes."

Elijah gently nudged me forward and I ran toward the destruction.

Josh laid on the floor, body broken in a gruesome picture. His neck bore the marks of a vampire bite.

I knelt next to him, carefully brushing the hair off his forehead. "I'm so sorry." I whispered, uttering apologizes over and over, while I cradled his hand and fought tears. His skin hadn't even had enough time to cool yet.

He must've died a little bit before I arrived.

If Klaus hadn't- maybe I could have talked Kol out of this.

Why couldn't I just accept my fate. Why'd I have to run?

I took the ring off Josh's finger. I didn't know why he wore it. Just that he'd never taken it off, now I wouldn't either. It helped, to keep a small part of him. I slid it onto my necklace chain where it hit the pendant Elena had given me.

Bonnie even spelled it to make sure it wouldn't hurt me. I still kept vervain in it, despite how ironic it was that a vampire wore the herb.

It felt right at the time.

Why had I allowed this man into my life? Why had I let him follow me? I think deep down, I knew the risks. Kol would always come for me, what did I really think would happen? That he would just be okay with it? It seemed almost laughable now.

I suppose I've finally got a glimpse into what Kol is actually capable of. He'd hidden it from me for so long, I almost didn't want to believe he had the capacity to be so cruel.

But here was the truth, laid bare for me to see.

Now I knew.

Kol's true colors.

The fire that was in his eyes, he enjoyed it.

"Sister."

"I know, it's time to go." If anything, the local police would be here soon and it would be better for everyone if we were long gone.

"You're unusually subdued."

I closed Josh's eyes, forcing away that horrible look of fear in what must have been his last moment. "I'm tired Elijah. Why fight anymore?"

My phone buzzed in my pocket. Who the hell was texting me? There was a very short list of people who even had my number. I checked it on impulse, ignoring the way his blood smeared on my screen.

What I found was something that filled me with a sense of relief, a glimpse of hope in a dark tunnel. The Salvatore brothers had done their part.

"We found him."

All I had to do was mine.