Deep Water ▹ Kol Mikaelson

15. Coming Clean

"Do you really think going back to Mystic is smart?" Quinn's gaze was filled with confusion.

Lynn nodded, hiking up the strap of her backpack further onto her shoulder. "I've got some unfinished business I need to take care of."

Quinn shook his head before picking up his duffel bag. "Well, if you need anything I'll be Hawaii. Always wanted to go but never thought to do it."

Lynn felt her smile waver. Neither had ever realized, really, what all they had clung to in Maine. Between graduating together, dealing with her mom's death and solving the murder to becoming vampires and surviving Castine; the pair told themselves Maine needed them. 

The truth was, Maine never needed them and they never needed Maine. With Arden dead, the last thing fully tethering them to the darker part of their past, it was as if light bulbs had went off in both of them.

Sure they still had uni to finish up but they could do that online or any other time in their long lives. Claire and Dev understood and assured them they'd be there for them any time. So, Quinn was going off to explore the world, to figure out where he wanted to go from the past.

Lynn herself would walk that road but only after she explained in person to Caroline what was going. The future was different, it was shrouded in bleakness as they were haunted by the past and both were looking forward to it.

"I might join you." Lynn smiled. "We still have to see the Tower of London and the Great Wall of China."

"Don't forget that castle Klaus promised us." Quinn grinned before pulling her into a tight hug. "I'm only a phone call away, little sister."

"As am I, big brother." Lynn returned the hug before pulling away. 

Quinn nodded, turned and headed toward his terminal. Lynn nodded before turning and going to hers. She had every bit of faith in Quinn; they had survived so much and distance wouldn't change anything between them. 

Facing eternity alone was something that horrified Lynn, facing eternity with Quinn, Klaus on the occasion, Caroline is she wasn't angry and just maybe Kol, well, that wasn't as terrifying.

~~~~~

"Caroline?" Lynn called, closing the front door and dropping her keys onto the counter. She dropped her backpack by the door as Caroline appeared.

"Lynn!" Caroline shrieked, lunging forward and jerking her into a tight embrace. The oxygen expelled from her lungs and all she could do was wheeze. After a moment and black spots appearing, Caroline released her, glaring and folded her arms against her chest.

Lynn coughed. "Okay, so obviously you're wondering what happened."

"I know what happened." Caroline snapped. Lynn blinked as relief filled her cousin's eyes.

"Klaus told me that you were going to be late and I knew that if you said you'd be here you would be, being late wouldn't stop you and if it did you'd at least tell me!" Caroline explained.

"So I knew he was lying and after some convincing and apologies about the stakes and his brother, he told me that some dude from your past kidnapped you and that some other guy from your past, your friend or whatever and Kol was going to save you and that I shouldn't worry because Kol or that guy wouldn't let anything happen to you." Caroline breathed deeply.

Lynn clicked her tongue. "Yeah, that about sums it up. But the friend is more like a brother and his name is Quinn; he's a vampire, you'd like him."

"And Kol? You're still wearing his ring." Caroline gestured to her left hand. "Oh, oh my god! You totally plan to marry him! What? Did he rescue you all Rapunzel?"