Free of family

33

Hours later Caroline left to go home. Arkyn tried Bonnie's phone, but she didn't answer. He went out to the front of his house, and sat on the steps. The night sky was filled with stars. He stayed outside for a moment, before heading back inside.
The next day, Bonnie came to his house. Alexis answered the door.
"Hey, Bonnie." Alexis said. "Uh, Ark's in the shower."
"Right."
"You can go ahead if you like."
"There's no one quite like you, Lex." Bonnie laughed.
"I'll take that as a compliment." The younger girl skipped away, and Bonnie followed her into the living room.
"How are you?"
"I'm fine." She sighed. "So what happened between you and Ark the other day? He wouldn't talk about it but he watched high school musical without once complaining. He usually gets slightly annoyed when I start belting out to the songs, at least."
"Um, he didn't tell you?" Bonnie asked.
"Bonnie." Arkyn called standing at the doorway. "Everything okay?"
"Actually, no." Bonnie looked at him, almost regretfully.
"Klaus got them." He realised.
"Klaus got what?"
"Yeah."
"Again, Klaus got what?"
"Stefan stole Kol, Elijah, Finn and some other secret coffin."
"I thought my mom was the key. I kept getting these dreams leading me to her."
"That's where you went yesterday."
"Klaus got to her first. He got a hybrid to go to her and pretty much hold her hostage. He was going to kill her if we didn't tell him. I barely got the chance to warn Damon. He managed to get the locked coffin. Klaus has the rest."
"What do you mean Stefan stole your brothers?" Alexis said.
"Their bodies. The coffins."
"Including Kol?" Alexis asked.
"Yeah. Including Kol."
"And you knew where they were?"
"Yeah." Bonnie replied sheepishly.
"Lex..."
"You know what Kol means to Ark, right?"
"Lex-" Arkyn said, warningly.
"And that Finn has a vampire girlfriend who's been waiting for a chance for him to be undaggered for like, nine hundred years? Because he's been laying in that coffin for that long."
"Alexis, enough." Arkyn walked over, putting a hand on her shoulder.
"No, not enough. That's not cool, Bonnie. It is so messed up that you stood by, knowing where his brothers were, knowing how much Ark wanted them back. And now, Klaus has them, and he's not going to be undaggering any of them anytime soon."
"Lex, stop."
"Whatever." Alexis stormed out of the room, glaring at the other girl.
"She has a point."
"Let's just focus on right now. Your mother. She's okay?"
"Yeah. She's at Caroline's right now. Dad's home and it'd be awkward to explain."
"Okay."
"Damon undaggered Elijah."
"Why?"
"As a distraction. Just until Abby and I can unlock the last coffin."
"So you undaggered Elijah?"
"Damon did, but yeah." Bonnie frowned. "I know I really suck right now, but Stefan thinks whatever is in that coffin is a weapon against Klaus."
"I can't help you with that."
"I know. I'm not asking you to. I'm just asking for a little time and we can go back to normal. You can get your brothers back. Just a little time?"
"Sure." He sighed.
"I'm sorry, Ark." She cupped his face in her hands. "I'm sorry."
"Hey. Don't worry, okay? I'll get my brothers back. Even if I have to pull a Stefan Salvatore and steal the coffins myself to undagger them."
"I love you." She said. "You know that, right? I do love you."
"I know, Bon. And I love you too. We'll get through this. Okay?"
"Can't you get mad at me?"
"For helping your friends? Hey, I knew what I was getting myself into. I've known since you demanded you were going to kill Klaus if he came after Elena." He grabbed her hands and kissed them. "Everything is going to work out. And Alexis is just protective of me. I'll talk to her-"
"No. Let me." Bonnie said. Arkyn nodded.
"Okay." Bonnie slipped out of his grasp and headed upstairs. She made her way to Alexis's room, and knocked on the door softly.
"I don't care if Ark isn't mad at you. He has always put everything on the line for you. And look at how you're repaying him." Alexis said, not looking up.
"I know." Bonnie walked into the room. Alexis lay on her bed, on her phone. "I'm not trying to hurt him."
"Could've fooled me."
"He means a lot to me, too. This locked coffin- I really believe it houses a weapon against Klaus."
"Maybe you should've chosen not to go after Klaus. Things were finally getting better. With Mikael dead, Klaus would have no reason to keep Kol and Finn daggered."
"Klaus is always going to come after Elena."
"Ark would have protected her. Klaus has all the blood he needs. And he doesn't want her dead."
"As long as Klaus is out there he's going to keep coming after Elena. I didn't want to wait for him to make the first move."
"And in doing so, you're screwing over Ark. Good chat, you can go now."
"Lex..."
"Maybe the seer was right. Maybe you really will go after Ark. If you're capable of this, then I guess I don't really know you like I thought I did."
"I would never kill Ark. I love him."
"Downfall doesn't always mean death. Maybe you'll just hurt him in a way that is worse than death."