Pray For The Wicked : Kol Mikaelson [2]

182: Exquisite Corpse

a/n: I am somehow still ill (Fresher's Flu is out for me), and Uni work is picking up, but imma try and update once a week

Love you all, comment and vote - Bea xx

Being back in New Orleans...well, it was something else.

Driving into town from the airport caused a slow panic as MJ contemplated getting on a flight right back to Virginia. She'd been a sorry excuse for a person in Mystic Falls, but at least she'd been in Mystic Falls.

She could snap at people and have it semi-justified.

Now, MJ was back in her city. And she wanted nothing more than to be back in her city. Except, now she had to face everyone, including Kol, and she didn't know what she was going to do about Kol. She'd missed him like crazy, but she still didn't feel settled in herself. But she also wanted to be there for him in the fallout of almost dying.

At this point, Caroline, Stefan, and Jeremy knew that Kol was back, Enzo did, Tyler did, Ric did – which probably meant Jo and Damon did, and Bonnie did. Once Damon knew, Elena would know too.

Kai had known.

Her meltdown on Bonnie's birthday sat heavy in her stomach, and part of her wished she hadn't let herself be vulnerable with him.

Kai was officially out of reach, unable to hurt her, yet, MJ still hadn't been able to sleep on the flight. Getting rid of him was supposed to fix everything – even though she knew recovery didn't work like that. She was supposed to feel like she was back in her own body, and in control, and free of the constant threat he brought into her life.

Kai had said he was going to help her. He'd said he'd keep pushing for her forgiveness because he wanted her to be the best. Because he'd never judge her. And now he was gone.

MJ just wanted to sleep.

She wanted to shut her eyes and drift away, without lashing out unintentionally, or dreaming of him hurting her, or her brother dying, or the burning pain of killing herself, or the guilt.

Guilt that they'd left him in another prison world.

MJ hated herself for feeling guilty.

Bonnie was home, and that was something to feel happy about. A reminder that they'd won.

It just didn't feel like winning.

And Stefan and Caroline had turned their humanity off, and, as the person who'd mastered helping the pair over the years, it should've been MJ's job to bring them back, but she just couldn't. Snapping Caroline out of it, for a moment, hadn't been enough, and it meant her defences would be more up than ever. Eventually, the words she'd say would start to cut MJ like a poisoned blade, and her psyche couldn't deal with that.

The panic about being back in the city did dwindle slightly, each street that brought her closer to the Mikaelson Compound chipping away at it.

She'd been gone for over a week, and though she wanted to get back to the house, she needed to see Cami first. A human friend as a toe-dip back into the chaos.

Walking into a closed Rousseau's led her to see the last face she wanted in her eye-line.

Finn.

There was a moment, the door closing behind her, the slight jingle grabbing his attention, underscoring her frozen state.

He dared to look confused.

"You're dead."

She shot her arm out and his body slammed into a wall, blood pouring from his mouth as he couldn't breathe, screeches and squirms the only proof of life.