The Prince of Mystic Falls

177. Worse than Death

No Pairing

"To me, the thing that is worse than death is betrayal. You see, I could conceive death, but I could not conceive betrayal." – Malcolm X

Mystic Falls, Virginia

Mikaelson Mansion

Thursday, February 3, 2011

11:19am

"There you are, Brother," Rebekah said finding Kol staring out the glass door into the backyard in the kitchen. "Why so glum?"

"I was just thinking about how someday...Sadie is going to die. She's kinda my best friend," Kol said as that caught in his throat.

"Oh Kol, we're never really had any pets before. Well, Nik had that damn horse in Spain he loved that Father killed. But as kids, I suppose pets didn't exist," Rebekah mused.

"I always liked the pigs, but around festival time and yule, it was bye bye, Wilbur!" Kol revealed.

"What's really bothering you?" Rebekah said. Kol looked at her sharply and she realized that she had spoken in Old Norse. She was thinking about the pig pen, too. How she hated that smell. Farm life was never for her, but she didn't know any different then.

"Was it really 98 years ago that our brother killed my girl and then whipped me raw for what? Her siphoning Marcellus? Elijah, too. They had no mercy on me that night...you were the only one who cared," Kol said slowly.

"Kol, when I found they got that witch to tamper with your mind, I was livid. But I allowed it, too. I didn't know what to do. That week after, you scared us all. You weren't yourself. Maybe it was the curse, maybe it was the siphoning, or the shock,-" Rebekah defended.

"Or maybe it was the betrayal? You know, Nik was always so terrified of Father. He was Father to me that night. And Elijah, he held me down. My noble, older brother...he chose to help Nik rather than help me. God forbid they would have listened to the girl. She was trying to save her mother!" Kol explained. "I am surprised Nik didn't dagger me that very night. Maybe it would have been better if he had?"

"We know that now, that the witch wasn't as evil as we thought, but at the time, tensions were high. The witch children were missing...Oh hell, Kol, I cannot defend them. I am sick of defending them. The years we spent in a box because we disappointed NIk, we'll never get that back. I tell Marcel that I've forgiven him, but I think that I won't marry him to punish him for choosing his precious Papa over me," Rebekah said bitterly.

"You could have turned him yourself," Kol agreed.

"But I was not the one who found him in that orchard after Nik tossed Emil to his death, was I? Sorry, Kol. You suffered more than I have. I let it go, really," Rebekah said with false confidence.

"Don't lie, Sister," Kol said as he let Sadie back in.

"Maybe that is why he was so quick to dagger you, Kol. You always told it like it was. You reminded them that deep down, we are the monsters we fear we are," Rebekah whispered.

"What should I do, Sister? I am not sure I can forgive this time. I am not sure I can plaster the smile on my face and dissolve into mirth. Where do I go?" Kol said leaning down to adjust Sadie's collar.

Rebekah nodded, "Freya. She's the only one who can help. Let her give you counsel. If you can't say here, come home with me to New Orleans."

"But Davina?" Kol said questioningly.

"Kol, the Compound is your home as much as it is mine. Promise me that you won't run off again, like you did when you started making dark objects. I can't chase you to Arabia," Rebekah smiled