Apologies

Her bones felt heavy and her muscles ached but she could feel the sun kissing her face. Persephone shifted her head on the pillow, wiped her hand over the soft bed covers, and sighed. She stayed like this for a while, almost falling back asleep until she was jolted wide-awake by the memory of what had happened.

And she opened her eyes and Kol was seated beside her, there, just like he said he would be. He hadn't noticed she was awake, instead staring out the window pensively. Persephone watched him; watched him clench his jaw, squint his eyes at the sun, watched him run his hand through his hair, lick his lips, watched him meet her eyes and return the small smile that tugged at her lips.

She sat up a little bit, as much as she could move her force her tired body to move, and then rasped, "you're here" before finishing off in a hacking cough because God she was thirsty.

Kol knew, lifting the glass of water from the nightstand and bringing it to her lips, allowing her to drink, while he said, "of course I am."

And when she was done, when he placed the glass back on the table, when the silence returned, he regarded her and she him. Persephone was looking for any signs of worry, anxiety, fear. She knew the spell had worked, but she didn't know the aftermath, and she was almost too scared to ask. She didn't need to.

"They've planted the beacon, all we can do now is wait."

Persephone nodded, looked down at her hands, let out a shaky breath, feeling something grip her heart in an iron fist, and then- "what if it doesn't work?"

There were seconds of silence that grated her skin, and then she saw, she felt Kol's hand over her own, bringing her attention to his eyes, so earnest and sure. "It mightn't." he shook his head, shrugged his shoulders. "But there is no point in worrying about it, you know that. All we can do is wait and see."

She did know it; that didn't stop her from worrying. But she nodded at him, she laced her fingers through his, she smiled when he brought her hand to his lips and kissed it. And she tried as she to just be, something that she hadn't done in a while and something that was harder than she would've like to admit. Yet with Kol there, it was all that she wanted. She could have it.

"It's weird, isn't it?"

Kol's quiet voice broke her train of thought with those words, and tilting her head to the side, she watched him questionably, trying to gauge his meaning. But he was looking at their hands, eyes intent and avoiding.

"Being… together, after so long. A lot has happened, I've changed, and so have you."

There was a long pause, and she let his words sink in, and she felt and saw what Kol felt and saw. Then, Persephone found her answer, licked her lips, and admitted, "it is", and then, "but it feels right."

She couldn't help the dumb small grin that surfaced on her features, not sure if it was because of how she felt or because of her overly-cliché words, and soon his stare met hers. It was then that she saw it; the reluctant look in his eyes, and an icy cold dread cut through her blood because there was something there, something in those reluctant eyes that meant more than what they showed. The sigh that Kol let out confirmed her fears.

"…What-"

"We need to talk."

A beat passed. "Okay," she said, almost impatiently, "is there anything you wanted to talk about in particular?"

"Yes."

She raised her brows, and was about to throw her hands up in the air when Kol suddenly pushed her sleeve further up her arm and held the crook of her elbow, tracing his fingers over it.

"What are these?"

And she froze, staring down at the track marks on her skin, at the black vessels that extended along the middle of her arm, at the hard red sores that scabbed along them. Then, coming back to herself, she wrenched her arm away from him and pulled the fabric of her shirt back down.

It didn't matter. Kol had already seen them. But it didn't stop the words that instinctively left her mouth.

"Nothing."

He leaned back in his seat, stared at her stony-faced for a long moment, then rose up and walked across the room. "Okay," he started, lifting a bag up and tossing the contents over her bed before she could even realize what was happening. "What are these?"

The used needles, the clean needles, the containers of pills, the powders, the spoons, the lighters, the bottles, the dollar bills- all of it was out in the open before her eyes, before Kol's eyes. The room was spinning, and she wasn't sure if it was because of how tired she was or something else. But she stared at them all, now no longer able to even try and deny anything because the evidence was all there, and words were stuck in her throat.

Then she looked up at him, and they dislodged themselves.

"Why were you going through my stuff, Kol? Who said-"

"-Oh my God! Persephone!" he shouted, turning away from her in exasperation before facing her again. She crossed her arms, sat up a bit straighter, feeling stupid just sitting there, half under the covers, but unable to move any more. "Don't try- I- If it makes the matters any better, I was looking for your clothes to get you dressed and the bag was open. But don't try and turn this on me, Persephone!"

"But it is about you!" she yelled back before she could control herself, feeling her dumb heart leap up her throat, smacking her hand against her forehead as she took in a few sharp breaths. Persephone could see from the fringe of her vision that he was still, that he was watching her, that he was waiting. Instead of looking at him, she wrapped her arms around herself, as tight as her tired limbs could take, and stared at all the stuff on her bed, the stuff that had once been her salvation but were now the bane of her existence. Humiliation that had been creeping up on her now came in waves. She would've cried if she hadn't been so exhausted.

Kol walked forward, pushed some packages to the side, and sat on the edge of her bed. She could feel his eyes on her, searing her skin, yet he remained quiet.

"I missed you so much, Kol…" the words were thick but watery, and she could hear his breath catch in his throat. "I was so, so lonely and… They helped me."

A sharp breath came out from Kol's lips and the embarrassment she was feeling must've burnt her face by now.

"I… I wasn't addicted, not like a human gets addicted, at least. My body wasn't dependent on them. But I did need them."

He was silent, and she made the mistake of glancing at him because the sight broke her heart; Kol was hunched over, eyes gleaming like shattered glass and wide to stop the tears from falling, his jaw wound tight and nostrils flared. It wasn't anger, though, she knew what he was like angry and it wasn't that, it was something else, something darker, something deeper, something crueler; something like shame.

She took a breath and leaned over, took his hand in her own, and he looked up and before she knew it she was smashed against his chest as his arms looped around her.

His hand was gently stroking her hair and she was relaxed into his touch until she heard those three words leave his lips; "I'm so sorry."

At them, she pushed him away roughly and took his face between her hands, feeling his cheeks damp. "No," she forced out, shaking him a little. "Why are you saying sorry, Kol? Why?"

"I gave you the opium first, I forced it down your throat, I caused you to-"

"-It was my choice Kol, to- to use drugs. Mine. It was a choice I continued on making. You may've forced me to use it at first, but I wasn't addicted, I chose to continue using. Okay? It's not your fault. I don't want you to apologize."

And with that, she pressed a short, hard kiss on his lips and wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him. They stayed like that for a while, his hands in her hair and hers drawing gentle patterns on his back. It was peaceful, serene, the air quiet around them. Persephone felt like fire was welding her heart back together but it didn't hurt, it was healing. And at the same time, she could feel her heartstrings tie themselves back into Kol's but it didn't scare her, it made her feel stronger.

He pulled back, eyes bleary, and tugged her arm towards him, pushing the sleeve up. He stared at it for a while, at the hideous crawling veins and red crusts of blood that were stark against her pallid skin. She stared as well, feeling her face become hot at the marks of her weakness because it all seemed so long ago, all that pain, and yet it'd hardly been a day since they were what she was. Persephone had let it go, she had, but they were there to remind her and-

"I used to binge on the blood of drug addicts," he said, not meeting her eyes, his gaze still glued to her arm, his fingers tracing the skin. "Drugs don't really affect me, my metabolism goes through them too quickly, but the blood did. It probably didn't have the same effect on me as they did on you but…" his eyes, withered and dark, drifted up to hers, and it was a stare that she knew too well from her own reflection. "They were something more."

She said nothing, instead, clasped his hand and squeezed it as much as she could. He knew.

"I did other awful things, of course. I just really couldn't help myself. I'd never been able to… well, until I met you. And then those things I used to find so much amusement in, just didn't really mean much anymore."

Kol let out a hard breath and Persephone herself could feel the weight pressing down on his chest. His fingertips were still soft on her skin and her hand was still laced through his. "We can only go forward now."

And he nodded, a fondness washing out his eyes. "We can only go forward."

"It's…" she took in a heavy breath, willed her voice steady. "It's not going to be easy."

A small smile cracked across Kol's face. "It never was, Persephone."

"We…"

Won't have much time.

"I…"

Will probably die soon, with or without you.

He'd heard it the day before, back when he was too deafened to understand the truth of it. Now Kol sat there, listening and patient, only inches away, looking calm and happy, and Persephone found she didn't want to cast doom over the rest of whatever time they had left together; she wanted to know him again, hear of his thoughts and feelings and about the past she'd missed out on. She wouldn't say it all, she couldn't say it.

So she pushed those thoughts into the oblivion of her mind, and returned his small grin.

"Help me up."

They left her room, just left it, drugs and destroyed furniture and all, to go downstairs. A part of Persephone almost wanted to stay there in that little bubble that were the four walls of her bedroom, but she couldn't live that way anymore, they couldn't.

So, leaning on Kol's arm for support, as she still felt weak from everything, they went downstairs, pragmatically for food, yet really to hear news, if there was any, on what was happening. The courtyard was derelict, but when they entered the dining room, well, that was when they were stopped in the doorway by the stares of Kol's three siblings.

And what stares they were. Rebekah's was blatantly gawking as though she couldn't really believe what she was seeing, while Elijah was more stiff and reserved, and Klaus just curious. Neither of them said anything, instead, they seemed hesitant, as though they were fearful of what would happen. Kol and Persephone remained quiet as well, and this lasted for a very long moment, and then Kol let out a huff, tugged on her arm as he moved forward towards the bar.

Persephone could feel their eyes on her back but she just held onto Kol tighter. Piling toast onto her plate as Kol poured some blood from a crystal decanter into a glass, she heard someone clear their throat.

"How are you?" It was Elijah who asked the question, and Persephone could see the almost pensive look on his face as she turned around to take her seat, her muscles groaning.

"Okay," the words were a whisper from her lips and she swallowed a couple of times as Kol pulled out a chair for her. Persephone's eyes flickered up to the three, who seemed to be watching her and Kol's every move in trepidation. "Just tired."

There was another extended silence. Persephone stared at the table as she ate, Kol coldly at his siblings as he drank, his siblings at them as they just stood there, waiting for whatever it was they were anticipating. Her skin crawled under their eyes and she could feel the pressure of whatever it was they wanted thickening in the air around her and no matter how much she wanted to ask them how the aftermath of the spell was going, she felt like she couldn't, there was just something so uncomfortable in the way they were just there, in their odd behavior.

And she could feel Kol was tense beside her. So she reached out and took his hand in her own, and they glanced at each other, small smiles coming to their faces despite all the weirdness of the foreign situation. And that seemed to be enough because-

"-Well if no one's going to ask then I will!" Rebekah blurted out, taking a seat across from them and sprawling her hands out on the surface before her, looking at them with a frank expression. "What the hell?"

A bitter leer pulled at Kol's lips and he leaned forward in his seat. "What 'what the hell', Rebekah? Are you a bit confused about what's happened? Do you feel like you're missing something?" even though he practically spat the words out, there was a cool calmness in his voice that almost made shivers run down Persephone's spine.

Rebekah, and Elijah behind her back, had the decency to look ashamed. "Okay, Kol, I'm… regretful about what we did. But we just thought it was for the best."

His grip around Persephone's hand tightened and she could see the muscles in his jaw working. "Okay," he said, and it sounded painfully restrained. "Okay. Rebekah, Elijah, please do tell. What did you think you knew about my relationship with Persephone that caused you to come to the conclusion to invade my brain and erase my memories?"

Persephone felt her heart sink and her throat dry up, because she hadn't known that they had done that, that they'd wiped his memory. While maybe she didn't know it and condone it, she was still complicit in it because she was the one who didn't want him around. Turning, she looked to Kol, feeling vomit scratch the back of her throat and guilt weigh heavy in her stomach, but Kol only had eyes for his siblings. And their silence was telling. Persephone looked at them, then, unsure of if she was angrier with them or herself.

"Hm," it was after the long moment that Kol let out the sound through his closed lips, and he suddenly slammed his hands down on the table, rising from his chair. "You have no excuse because you knew nothing, you know nothing. And do you know why? Because you never actually saw Persephone and I in the same room, awake, together, until yesterday. And do you know why that is?"

Persephone's head snapped up to Kol.

"Because someone told her I abandoned her."

And Kol's stare lifted to Klaus'.

"Who do you think did that, Nik?"

Klaus' face was steely and his stance steady, and he maintained eye contact with his younger brother. "I did what I had to do."

Rebekah let out a rueful sign, gave Klaus a scathing look as she got to her feet and left the room, all the while shaking her head, because while she wasn't faultless, she was still far less guilty than him. Elijah sat back in his seat and wiped his hand over his face, remaining silent, neutral. Kol's stare ignited and his fingers curled into white fists.

And Persephone felt a hatred flower at the center of her chest and twirl and vine and tighten around her heart. Tears filled her eyes because before she had just wanted to forget it all, forget what Klaus had done, dismiss it all as his dumb damaged bullshit that just so happened to ruin her and Kol's lives; she had wanted to dismiss it because it didn't matter anymore, she had Kol back. But now, with Kol bringing it up, so obviously not letting it go, she felt the lost time stab her in the back over and over again, reminding her that this had all been Klaus. It hadn't been fate, it hadn't been destiny, it hadn't been written in the stars and a fixed future; it had all been Klaus.

And she hated him.

"You did what you wanted to do, brother. You always have." Kol spat out. "You just couldn't stand that I, for once in my wretched life, had someone who actually wanted me and not-"

"-You had burned half the city down!" Klaus yelled back, pointing his finger at Kol's face accusingly as he strode forward. "Mikael was on our tail and I presumed you were as insane as always and weren't going to willingly come with us! I wasn't about to leave you behind to die so I daggered you, but Persephone compromised that. Telling her what I said was the only way to stop her."

Kol stepped back in an instant, and then slowly, his eyes widening and shoulders slumping. "Oh my God," he said softly, incredulously, shaking his head. "You actually believe that? Or do you just think I'm stupid enough to believe such a load of bullshit?"

A laughing scoff left Klaus' lips and he shrugged, holding his hands up and backing away. "You know what? I don't have to convince you of anything. If you don't believe the truth then I can't force you, Kol."

And with that, Klaus turned and made for the door to escape.

"You don't feel any remorse, do you?"

He stilled at Persephone's unsteady voice as she shakily rose to her feet, leaning heavily on the table, feeling sick tears prick her eyes. And he turned back at her, his face expressionless, completely silent.

"By that, you don't feel any remorse for ruining our lives? For ruining your brother's life? For ruining my life?" With each raw word, she took a step further around the table to come face to face with him. He looked down at her, eyes dull, and she looked up at him, heavy breaths tearing through her and bile rising up her throat. "Because that's what you did, you destroyed my life with your unnecessary lies. I always thought it was Kol, but it was you who ruined me."

There was some minute weakening in his stare, but it wasn't enough. "You've recovered since, you both have. It's called collateral damage."

And at that easy, light sentence, Persephone found within herself a hysterical strength and she punched Klaus square in the jaw. But that wasn't enough, even though his head snapped to the side, so she did it again on the other side, and then in the stomach, then in the chest, and then again and again until tears streamed down her face and she couldn't really tell what she was doing just that she needed to get it out, she needed to hurt him. He took it for a while but then tired of it and soon enough he had both of her wrists in his fist in an iron grip and his jaw was jutted and his nostrils flaring and eyes furious and mouth snarling. And for a split second, she was scared.

Then Klaus was skidding across the floorboards and Kol was in front of Persephone, advancing forward on his brother who was sprawled on the floor.

"Don't you ever touch her like that again!" Kol's voice was a vicious roar, a ferocious and splitting scream, and Klaus was leaning on the ground wiping blood away from his nose and glaring up at his little brother in ire. Elijah was on his feet, ever tentative, concerned; yet still not intervening. But even from behind, Persephone, rooted to her spot, could see Kol was absolutely livid, his fists tight and back hunched and body almost shaking in anger. "You've already hurt her enough for a lifetime."

Klaus' eyes flashed yellow and Kol was slammed against the wall by his throat, his feet dangling under him and hands grappling at Klaus' that gripped around his throat. Persephone could hear the heaving breaths leaving Klaus' mouth and Elijah's steps as he moved towards his brothers and his voice as it called their names in a stern, commanding voice thatwasn't enough, and she looked down at her red wrists that that was it.

She was going to kill him.

She was faster than Elijah as she slipped between Kol and Klaus, feeling blood scream in her ears and her heart coiling tightly and Klaus looked down at her practically growling. And for a second she questioned what she was doing, then she slapped her hands on either side of his face, staring into the face of the man who had inflicted complete agony, complete destruction, on her life, and those words were the easiest things that had ever left her lips.

"Demiourgo pyr en-"

"-NO-"

It all happened in a snap. Kol's hands slapped her back, then that strained sound escaped his mouth, then Klaus let go of Kol, then Kol collapsed behind her as Klaus stepped back. And as all this happened Klaus' face twisted from anger to utter petrification, the snarl dropping off his lips and his eyes going wide as he stared down at her. He was completely still, hand slowly falling in front of him and his eyes fixed on hers, as though he was in a trance.

Maybe he realized he was only one word away from imminent death. Or maybe it was the slightest of glimpses he may have gotten of her eyes without their glamour. Or maybe it was the realization that he was not as invincible as he always thought. Maybe it was all of that. She didn't know, she didn't care, and it took every last ounce of strength in her to not whisper that last word and kill him for good, but she did it for Kol.

It was his coughing from the floor behind her that pulled her back from that edge, and she twisted away and knelt beside him as Elijah came up before his brother with a worried sounding "Niklaus?"

She brushed Kol's hair back from his face as he sucked air back into his lungs. Their eyes met, and she could see the pain in them, the pain from just being suffocated, from properly confronting his brother who had caused him so much emotional agony, the pain from having to save that brother from what he probably deserved because he loved him too much. Persephone felt regret bite the back of her heart that she even had to put Kol in that position, because she knew he must've wanted to hurt Klaus as well but not like that. She was stupid, getting ahead of herself and making heavy decisions with split seconds of thought.

So as she took his hand and helped him up, she whispered, "I'm sorry, I-" but was cut off by him bringing her into his chest and hugging her. Persephone didn't bother attempting to continue talking, instead she just gave him what he wanted and rested her head on his heart, knotting her hands behind his back. His chest vibrated as he let out a shuddering breath and she relaxed into him.

"I want you to make me a promise, Persephone."

His voice rumbled through her body, and she went to lean back but his arms were solid around her, so she just said, "what is it?"

"Stop apologizing for everything."

This time, Kol let her lean back, and she lifted her hands up and held his face between her palms. "Only if you do too."

There was a pause, he took a breath, and then- "I promise."

"Okay, Kol, then I promise too."

He nodded, kissed her forehead, and then pulled at her hands, holding onto one while letting the other fall by her side. Kol stepped back, eyes flickering over to his two elder brothers, who stood at the side conversing quietly. Persephone looked at them as well, feeling her regret resurface, but without any guilt. She was torn away when Kol gently tugged at her arm.

"We'll go to my room," he said, pressing her hand to his lips. Just as Persephone was about to respond, nod, follow after him, escape whatever hell the dining room was, a voice cut in the room.

"How… domestic."

Rebekah had appeared in the doorway, her arms crossed and a glimmer of amusement in her eyes. Kol rolled his eyes and said sourly, "why don't you piss off, Rebekah?"

Obviously knowing he was still angry with her, yet also aware it was justified, she held her hands up in submission, and responded, "I'm not here for you," and then turned to Klaus, who watched her warily, his hands on his hips and his back slightly hunched, "guess who just turned up on our doorstep?"

There was a long moment where he just stared at her, and everyone stared at him, the expectant silence hanging heavy. Then, he was gone, leaving Rebekah laughing, Elijah shaking his head, and Kol wondering what happened.

Persephone found she didn't really care.

"Well who is it?" Kol asked suddenly, impatiently.

Rebekah gave him a knowing smile, her eyes flickering from Kol to Persephone then back to Kol, before saying, "only the love of his life."

Hope you enjoyed. X

Next Chapter - Klaus' love meets everyone, and Persephone and Kol get to know each other again.