The bonds of family

26

He managed to take Caitlyn home before speeding to the compound. He went to the boundary, testing it.
"Kol?" He called. "Kol?!"
"Alright, alright, I'm coming." He soon popped into view. "Hey little brother."
"You just came back from death. Are you really so eager to go back?"
"Save the lecture-"
"You're a human now, trapped with a bunch of really thirsty vampires. You could do with a lecture."
"Nik shoved me in here." Arkyn tensed. "He didn't tell you?"
"Why would he shove you in here?" Arkyn frowned. "Because of Rebekah? Wherever she is, I'm sure we can get her back."
"I might have... hijacked the spell and placed her in a completely different body than I let Nik believe."
"Okay... and where is she?"
"Someplace she can't leave."
"I need an actual location."
"I'll have to hold on to that for now. As soon as I'm out of here and safe, I'll sing like a bloody canary."
"Is she okay?"
"Of course she's okay. Her mood's probably going to be a little sour, and she's used to being spoiled so it'll be a bit of an adjustment but she's alive and well."
"Okay."
"Seriously?" Marcel said, coming in from another room. "You're going to let him off with an okay?"
"Marcel. I knew that stench of depravity and insecurity was familiar."
"He admitted to locking your sister away and your reaction is 'okay'?"
"Nik might have raised you but that doesn't mean you're entitled to get between my family business."
"Rebekah-"
"You chose this city over Rebekah. You don't get to worry about her."
"Well someone's got to, and it obviously ain't going to be you."
"Don't question my loyalty to my sister. I just trust that she can take care of herself until this barrier spell goes down. And then I'll go get her."
"Problem. Finn plans to lower the boundary at sunset when everyone's out there marching with the festivities."
"Why didn't Finn trap you along with your brothers?" Marcel asked.
"Who knows? He's lost his mind. One moment he's kidnapping Cami's sister the next, he's helping me save her. One moment he's singing our mother's praises, the next he condemns her actions."
"Isn't he supposed to be your dear brother?"
"You've never had a family- Nik doesn't count. Don't talk about family to me." Kol chortled.
"What are you doing here?"
"Checking up on you. Your girlfriend's worried."
"Is she okay?"
"She's watching over Klaus in case he wakes up."
"Didn't Klaus have you go talk to Finn?"
"I don't see how it concerns you."
"Considering he's the reason my guys are in here, it's my business."
"Do you think he'll be able to survive long enough for a cure or do you think the bite'll kill him. I bet the wolf bite'll kill him."
"Wishful thinking. He could survive the next couple minutes." Kol said. Marcel snarled and advanced on Kol as Arkyn broke the leg off a nearby table and throwing it at Marcel. The sharp wood impaled his stomach and he groaned.
"If I recall correctly blood loss isn't good for a wolf bite. Go near Kol again, the next one'll go through your heart."
"You're taking this 'embrace being a Mikaelson again' thing seriously, aren't you?"
"Would you rather I let him kill you?"
"Touché." Marcel pulled the makeshift stake out of his abdomen, groaning in pain. He stalked off with a glare.
"So what exactly happened for you to want to screw Rebekah over?"
"Long story. Bex screwed me over first. I'm just getting even." Kol shrugged. Arkyn nodded in understanding. "So what are things like with the blonde."
"I know this is a foreign idea to you but people can sometimes be just friends."
"You can't still be hung up over Bonnie. Look, you fell for the wrong person this time. That's okay, it happens. It's a part of life. What you can do is move on."
"Your longest relationship lasted about ten minutes."
"I've been technically dating Davina for a couple of hours now." He said and Arkyn laughed.
"My bad." Kol smirked at his brother. Arkyn stopped and Kol frowned at his brother's change in attitude.
"Everything okay?" Kol asked.
"Looks like the vamps found out Marcel's suffering a bite."
"That's a bad thing why?"
"Because now they're all descending into chaos and you don't really need that."
"Good point." Church bells began to ring outside signalling sun set. Arkyn raised his hand testing the barrier to found it had dropped.
"Barrier's down." He said, and grabbed his brother speeding him further away from the compound.

"Aren't I supposed to be the one protecting you?" Kol asked.
"I can't always be a damsel in distress. Figured we could switch it up every once in a while."
"My life in your hands. I wonder why that's not very comforting."
"Relax, brother. I'll make sure you don't die. I think I'm capable of at least keeping a mortal alive." Kol grinned, before his face turned serious.
"What did Finn do to you?"
"I'm fine." Arkyn dismissed.
"That's not what I asked."
"It was just a spell. He figured he could rally me against Nik."
"What else."
"Kind of ended up making me want to kill everyone. I almost killed Caitlyn, and I don't think your new girlfriend is all that fond of me, now."
"Ark, you got the same look in your eyes as you did when Mikael killed Esme. There was a reason you left the last time."
"Kol-"
"Elijah, Rebekah and Nik? They have their Always and Forever. You are not bound to that. Neither of us are. Don't let Nik manipulate you into thinking you owe him for anything. You deserve to be happy. So if you're in this town because you feel like you owe it to Nik- because he lost his daughter... you don't." Arkyn looked away. It wasn't up to him to tell Kol Hope was alive, but he'd never kept things from Kol before.
"Even if I wanted to get away. Turn my back on Nik and our family. I don't want to leave you behind, Kol. I'm not going to leave with you as a mortal, smack in the middle of a Mikaelson war."
"You don't owe it to me to stay here either."
"For a thousand years, you've had my back. I owe you a lot, but that isn't why I'm here. I'm here because I want to be. I can run away from everything that comes with being a Mikaelson, but that would include you. And I admit, life kind of sucks without my best friend. Because as selfish and maniacal as you can be, you were always looking out for me. Rebekah, Nik and Elijah had Always and Forever. I had you."