Dream-like state

Sweet

I was overlooking the ocean from a grassy knoll on the edge of a steep cliff. The sun was setting and the water and sky looked beautiful in the distance. I could see the earth's curve and I felt something I hadn't felt in so long. Peace. As I watched the sunset, I felt a hand on my shoulder, but I didn't turn. I knew who it was.

"You gave me this dream, didn't you?" I asked, not even looking at him. I heard him chuckle as he, too, looked at the sunset in the distance.

"How did you know?" He asked curiously.

"I haven't had dreams this peaceful in years." I replied, sadness setting in on my features.

"You have been through much more than a person of your age should have ever experienced. It is understandable why even in rest you are not at peace. Sometimes even a mind such as yours needs a break." He responded. His voice calmed me, even in my dreams.

"Where are we?" I asked, wanting to get away from a sad subject.

"This is the coast of Ireland, just one of the places I came across in my travels. I thought you would like the ocean." I took the opportunity to look over at him, seeing the reflection of the sunset in his eyes as he watched.

"It is beautiful. I've only been on vacation to Virginia Beach before. Since I've been a vampire, I've been more places, but still never far from home. New Orleans was the furthest I've been." I told him. It was the truth, I hadn't been very far from home, never on a plane, never across borders. Which reminded me of something. "We are leaving the country, aren't we?"

"Yes, darling, don't worry in your dreams, everything has been taken care of. Now relax." He said, moving behind me, beginning to rub my shoulders. I relaxed as he said so and only felt peace. I felt the sun beaming down on me, the sound of the waves crashing against the beach at the bottom of the cliff. I didn't even know how long I was there, just listening with my eyes closed, feeling his hands on my shoulders.

I felt myself being pulled back to reality as the plane began to descend. I was suddenly hyperaware of my surroundings as my eyes opened.

"It's alright, love. We are just landing." Kol said as he looked over to me, still holding onto my hand. At this point, I wished we were still in the dream he gave me.

"How long was I out?" I asked, trying to relax a little bit.

"About 15 hours. Almost the entire flight." He responded. I definitely didn't think it had been that long.

"Where are we?" I asked quickly, curious as to where we could possibly be that took over fifteen hours to get to.

"Look outside, darling." He said, lifting up the window cover for me to see. It was sunrise. And I couldn't believe what I saw.

"We are in ROME?!" I yelled excitedly. I had always wanted to visit Rome, seeing as I loved history.

"Yes, darling." Kol replied, smiling at seeing me so excited.

"Kol, do you think that they will find me here? I mean isn't it easy to track this kind of stuff? And what am I going to do? I don't even own a passport, can we compel the people at customs?" I asked, having a million questions running through my mind. He stood up and walked over to his bag on the couch of the jet, pulling something out and handing it to me. It was a passport.

"How did you get this?" I asked, taking it from him.

"Darling, I am an Original vampire, I can get whatever I want in minutes. And yes, it is easy to track passports, which is why it is not totally correct. And no, we cannot compel people here, Rome is a supernatural hotspot, they put vervain in the water supply. Which also means that we will probably be having a few run-ins with the people I put in charge of my city." I looked at him in shock. HIS city? I mean, I knew Klaus was like the king of New Orleans, but I didn't quite expect this. Wait, he said my passport wasn't correct? I flipped it open, seeing my picture, birthdate, etc. All of my information was correct- until I looked at my name, and marital status.

"Elena Mikaelson?" I asked, smirking at him.

"People in this city tend to frown upon unmarried couples living together, and I was not about to call you my sister, sorry love. Looks like you're part of the family now." He said, joking.

"I didn't even get a honeymoon!" I exclaimed jokingly, punching him on the shoulder.

"Hey now, I don't want an abusive wife!" He laughed. "But I think the honeymoon part can be arranged." He leaned down and kissed me sweetly, only to be broken apart by the plane landing. We had arrived.

Stepping off the jet, hand-in-hand, we were greeted by a group of men. Kol obviously knew at least a few of them, smiling as he saw them.

"Kol Mikaelson, bello vederti, amico mio. Marco sta aspettando." (Kol Mikaelson, good to see you, old friend. Marco is waiting for you.) The man standing in the front said, holding his hand out to shake it.

"Vincent, bello vederti. Aprire la strada." (Vincent, good to see you. Lead the way.) I looked at Kol, impressed. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I knew that he was over a thousand years old, and that many different languages came with that. But I had never witnessed it first hand, and it was sexy. Even if I didn't know what he was saying.

"Okay, I'm lost." I mumbled, standing next to Kol. He looked over at me and laughed.

"He just said that Marco was waiting on us, he is going to take us to him." Kol replied, roughly translating.

"Who is Marco?" I asked curiously. We began walking to the customs building with the men.

"He is the one I put in charge when I left." He told me. I was curious, if his bloodline died when he did, then I was confused.

"How is he still alive?" I asked quietly, not trying to sound rude.

"I didn't sire him, Elijah did." He responded. I immediately felt bad for bringing it up, knowing that at least some of the people he had sired must have been his friends. I stayed quiet until we were passed customs and in a large SUV that was waiting for us. The men stayed quiet the entire time. I couldn't lie, I was nervous.

When we arrived, I noticed we were at a large compound with the same 'M' on it as the plane. Kol put his arm around my waist as we walked into the compound, surrounded by vampires everywhere. I was really nervous now.

"Kol Mikaelson, I gotta tell you, I was surprised when you called. I heard rumors that you were dead, mate." A man who looked like he was in his thirties came out of the main doors, holding his arms in the air.

"Long story, mate." Kol replied.

"And who would this young bella donna at your side be, a snack for later perhaps?" Kol immediately took a protective stance in front of me, growling.

"Anyone who even thinks about looking at her will find themselves without a heart." He said coldly. I watched as almost all the vampires present turned their gazes away from me. The man held his hands in the air as a sign of surrender.

"No harm meant, though you haven't clarified who she is." The man, Marco, responded.

"She is a part of the Original family, and you will treat her as such. Is that clear?" Kol replied, asserting his authority. I heard someone off to the side whispering something.

"Grazioso giocattolo non è lei, Mi chiedo come si assaggia." (Pretty little toy, isn't she, I wonder how she tastes) I didn't even get a chance to blink and his heart was in Kol's hand. He held it up for the rest of them to see.

"Chiunque altro come a dire nulla di mia moglie?" (Anyone else like to say anything about my wife?) Kol asked them menacingly. I had no idea what he asked, but it made them shut up quickly. He dropped the guys heart next to his body and someone brought him a towel to clean off his hand. At least I could tell he had the ultimate authority here.