Chapter Text
Wanda Maximoff felt the moment her twin died, the moment her other half left the world. The heart wrenching scream that came out of her led to the red energy of her powers to destroy every single minion robot of Ultron; including Ultron himself. What Wanda didn’t notice in her all-consuming grief of losing her twin was that her magic came rushing back to her as fast and violent as it came out of her. Instead of hurting or killing her though, it teleported her and her brother out of the area; not just the area, but the realm.
It brought them both to a town called Mystic Falls in the state of Virginia. Wanda’s magic easily slips back inside of her and leaves her sobbing over her twin's body. Having no idea that she isn’t even in the correct realm, but rain is pouring out of the sky as a storm rips through that atmosphere and Wanda doesn’t care to know. She doesn’t care to know where she is or that the people she had just gotten to know would not be there with her.
Wanda doesn’t care because she just lost her twin and the sky is crying and screaming in grief and fury with her. She doesn’t care that she is in the middle of the road with her dead twin and she doesn’t care when a certain sheriff's car screeches to a stop right in front of her. With the headlights spotlighting her and her grief.
Wanda barely pays attention to the fact that the female sheriff is on the radio calling for backup and an ambulance. She doesn’t pay attention to the out of place British accents from a certain original family questioning why there are police and an ambulance vehicle(s) outside of their home. She only comes to her surroundings when there are people in uniform trying to rip her brother from her.
Wanda’s mind goes straight to HYDRA and her fight or flight instinct comes up hard and fast. Although, she isn’t thinking straight so it doesn’t even occur to her to use her abilities. All it seems that she is able to do is kick and scream and clutch to her brother's body as tightly as she can.
Wanda can vaguely hear a males voice say, “Bloody hell...” and then that same voice “Back the hell off Nik, can’t you see the girl needs help? Not people surrounding her and her loved one. Give her some space!” Wanda hears what sounds like a bit of a scuffle, “Bloody idiots, the girl is obviously grieving! Leave her be.”
She tunes out after that and continues to cradle Pietro and brush his hair as she quietly sings in her mother tongue. Wanda doesn’t even realize that she is slowly rocking herself and Pietro’s body back and forth. She hazily takes notice of her surroundings when she hears, “Come on darling, you're in shock. I promise you that they’ll take good care of your brother. You just have to let him go.” Kol carefully puts his arms around her body.
Wanda hazily realizes that yes, she is in shock. She also realizes that any strength or fight that she had has completely left her being like her twin has left her. That thought causes a fresh wave of tears to run down her face.
So, Wanda allows for the mysterious British man to pick her up and carry her towards what looks to be a mansion. Wanda can vaguely hear people protesting the man carrying her away from the scene. They are quickly stopped by people that she is guessing are the man's family members. She allows her eyes to close as she feels the shock overtake her body and shivers of the icy cold rain hitting to her very core.
Wanda can feel the exhaustion of using so much of her energy in the battle and her grief over losing her brother finally pulls at her. Wanda’s awareness becomes less and less. Although she is aware of being wrapped up in a towel, the movement stopping, and the warmth of the man holding her along with the heat of a roaring fire wrapping her up. She allows for her body to shut down and sleep, as her mind slowly goes dark, all she hears is the crackling fire, the man's breath, and his steady heartbeat.
Kol looks up from the young woman after taking notice of her state of rest. He raises a brow upon seeing his siblings standing in front of him with Liz Forbes right behind them. Right as Kol goes to open his mouth to tell Sheriff Forbes off. She stops him by raising her hand and slipping between two of his siblings to the front.
“I’m not here to arrest the poor girl, in fact I’m planning on letting her rest. She looks like she desperately needs it... It looks like she’s been through hell and back. I just wanted to ask that once she is awake and ready that you call me so that I can ask her some questions about everything.” With that Liz Forbes, sheriff, mother, and all around caring person. Turns and leaves; her words seem to hang in the air between all of the silent siblings.
Kol allows his eyes to fall back to the red haired young woman and takes notice that she is no longer shivering from the cold. So, he cradles her as he stands; getting her to a comfortable bed is the only thing on his mind. “Kol, where are you taking her?” Kol stops in his movements and rolls his eyes as he turns to face Finn.
“Dear brother, if you think I’m going to harm her... I’m not. I figured that she would be more comfortable in bed. So, I’m taking her to my room to rest.” Elijah raises a brow and puts one hand in his pocket. “I didn’t realize that we didn’t have enough guest rooms to put her in one...?”
Kol scoffs at his brother and can feel his control slip as his vampiric face comes forward for a split second as his annoyance gives way to anger. It causes his siblings to tense up. “She’s staying in my room where I can make sure that she rests. I’m not going to do anything harmful to her. I thought all of you knew me better than that.” Kol shakes his head and then turns away, hoping that his siblings didn’t see the hurt in his eyes at them constantly thinking the worst of him. He makes sure that he is gone before any of them can say anything.
Kol’s siblings all have varying frowns of worry and disappointment (in themselves) on their faces. Elijah eventually lets out a deep sigh and disappears, leaving Rebekah, Klaus, and Finn to their own devices. Klaus speeds off to his art room, Finn leaves for the library, and Rebekah heads for Kol’s room; knowing that the young woman would feel better knowing that it was another woman that changed her clothing.
Rebekah quietly knocks on Kol’s door and then walks in without waiting for an answer. “Okay brother, out. I’m going to change her clothes so that she can at least know that she still has her modesty.” Kol doesn’t even bother to argue her words, in fact he looks relieved that she was taking this part over for him. He quickly kisses Rebekah’s cheek and then he is gone. Rebekah quietly snickers to herself at his reaction.
She takes notice that Kol picked out his own clothing for the young woman to wear (sweatpants and a random long-sleeved dress shirt). Rebekah allows herself an eye roll even as a soft smile graced her lips at her brother's willingness to care for the random young woman. Rebekah moves as quickly and as respectfully as she can to change her clothing. When she’s done, Rebekah gently tucks the young woman into Kol’s bed and quietly closes the door behind her as she leaves.
As Rebekah heads to her room Kol is walking by and she gives him a nod to let him know that he’s good to enter his room again. When he enters, the almost full moon along with the light coming through the cracked doorway to the bathroom are the only things lighting the room.
Kol pushes out a breath while shoving a hand through his hair. Now that the young woman is resting safely... he feels aimless; he doesn’t know what to do himself. As he studies the young woman, his lips twitch as he takes notice of the fact that Bekah had covered the pillow with a towel (seeing as how the young woman’s hair is still sopping wet). Which reminds him of the fact that he desperately needs to shower, seeing as how he is still wet from the downpour that came out of nowhere.
As he comes out of the bathroom freshly showered he shakes out his hair and sneaks a glance at the young woman; making sure he didn’t wake her. He takes notice that she’s in a different position, curled around herself with her head buried in the covers. He can only see her red hair and part of her body, the rest is swallowed by the covers.
Kol shakes his head and decides to start a fire in the fireplace that seems to be in every single bedroom. Once he is satisfied with the warmth coming from the fireplace, Kol allows himself to sit down on one of the sofas. He knows that he is going to have to settle in for a long night.
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When it finally comes around to 3 AM Kol is pacing as quietly as he can with his eyes firmly on the red haired woman. She’s still sleeping peacefully and she is still curled in on herself, but her face is now showing. Kol can’t stop himself from getting agitated, he just wants her to wake up so that him and his family can get the story behind her appearing in the middle of the road with a dead body (of which he assumes is her brother).
His agitation also brings up his blood lust which helps nothing. Kol lets out a quiet snarl and practically rips his hand through his hair, then he’s gone from the room. Before he knows it, he’s in their kitchen ripping through four blood bags. “Brother, what’s causing you to act like a newly turned vampire?”
Kol glances to Finn as he tosses the used blood bags into the garbage as he gives him a sarcastic smile. “Whatever do you mean Finn? There is nothing causing me to act like a newly turned vampire... as you put it.” Finn just stares at Kol and Kol stares back. He hates when Finn gives him this look; it’s the same look Finn gives all of his siblings. It’s this look that has - without fail - made each and every one of his siblings spill whatever it is that is bothering them; it surprisingly works on Nik too.
“Well, brother... If you must know, I’m just a tad irritated with waiting for the young woman in my room to finally awaken. So that we can all figure out what the bloody hell she is doing here. With her clutching a dead body to her no less. And why is it that a violent storm ripped through the sky... Causing people’s possessions to be thrashed.”
Finn just quietly listens as he slowly nods, agreeing with what Kol is saying. Although, he continues to study him. “There is something else... isn’t there brother?” His words cause Kol to make eye contact with Finn once again and Kol curses when he notices the realization in Finn’s eyes. “The smell of her is testing you... Isn’t it? There is no shame in struggling with control brother. It is rare that we have ever completely lost control of ourselves. It is even more rare that we ever come across people that just the smell of them causes a struggle in control.”
Kol can’t stop the scoff from escaping him; out of all of the siblings, Kol struggled the most. Not just because his magic was ripped from him in the transition, but because he didn’t want to put the work into truly exercising restraint and learning control. “Finn is right Kol, it happens to all of us.” Kol looks to Elijah when his voice pulls him out of his thoughts. He studies his expression for a few moments before he nods; only when he sees that Elijah is not lying.
A hand landing on his shoulder causes him to look at Nik. “When there are people like that... that test our restraint it also causes us to become extremely possessive over them. Which would explain why you weren’t happy about the idea of putting the young woman in one of the guest rooms.”
Understanding and realization dawns on Kol’s face... but confusion quickly takes over. “Then how the bloody hell are you two,” Kol waves his hand between Nik and Elijah. “sharing the little witch?” Kol makes equal space between himself and his three brothers as mischievousness lights his eyes. “While we are on the subject, why is it that Bonnie Bennett is even okay with the sharing? At least the witch isn’t like those doppelgänger bitches.” A scoff escapes him, “Ruining bonds between brothers the moment they spread their legs for one of them.”
Klaus lets out a huffed laugh, while Finn rolls his eyes and leaves the room, and Elijah lets out a long suffering sigh and adjusts one of his cufflinks. “And he is back to being the Kol we all know and love.” Kol just laughs, “Oh, come now Elijah, I really am quite curious. If what Nik says is right, how is it that you two haven’t been at each other's throats?”
Klaus’s lips twitch, “Okay brother, I’ll humor you - not that I believe you’ll end up having to share the young woman with anyone. When a vampire or werewolf comes across a person that smells in the way that the woman does to you and Bonnie does to us. They can be seen as - for lack of a better word for it or explanation - the other half meant for you. Obviously it would be a different feeling and reaction for wolves than it is for vampires. Since, it brings up the blood lust. Before you ask, yes it gets easier to deal with. It will eventually get to the point where you don’t have the blood lust affecting you from her smell.” Kol allows the information to sink in as he stares off into space.
Klaus and Elijah exchange looks, they can’t remember in their long lives a moment when Kol has ever looked as serious as he is right in this moment. “We’ll leave you to think brother.” Elijah quietly says, getting a mindless nod from Kol. Both Elijah and Klaus are gone by the time Kol stops his nod. Kol doesn’t know how long he’s been standing in the kitchen, completely still, and lost in his own mind thinking through the information given. It’s 8:30 AM when Kol finally comes back to himself and glances at the time. He decides to make his way to his room to see if the young woman is awake.
When Kol gets to his room door he pauses and listens for the young woman’s breath, heartbeat, and hopefully movement. He takes notice first of her elevated heart rate and hears her faster breathing pattern. He can hear her slowly trying to shift off of the bed. He knocks on the door softly to announce his presence, he hears her suck in a breath and go still. The her hesitant, almost silent voice, “He- hello?” He takes her response as an invitation to open the door and walk in.
Kol quietly closes the door behind him, but makes sure that she notices that it stays unlocked. They both take a moment to study each other; Kol can’t help but notice how heartbreakingly beautiful she looks, with her red hair tumbling down her shoulders, his clothing practically swallowing her, her eyes slightly red from her crying, and very faint tear tracks on her face.
Wanda is too busy being wary of him, confused as to where she is, and wanting to know where her twin is to really look at the man standing in front of her. Her eyes flicker around the room, looking to the door he entered from, then to the windows, to him, then looking around the room again. As she shifts a bit she feels different material - softer material than what she is used to - brush against her skin. She takes notice that the clothing seems to completely swallow her; she allows the sleeve of the shirt to cover her hand as she raises it to her face. As she carefully brushes wisps of hair away from her face she catches the scent that clings to the material and a shiver goes up her spine.
Wanda’s eyes flicker back to the man standing in front of her as he watches her curiously. Kol can’t stop the pride that he feels rush through him at her response to his scent. He could tell that she thought she hid her reaction, but he noticed. He can also tell that she is uncomfortable with the silence and even though he could spend the rest of the time just watching her... he decides to put her out of her discomfort. “My name is Kol Mikaelson, I can promise you that no one here will harm you. I can also explain to you what I know about you being here. You most likely know more about it than me. Care to tell me your name darling?”
Kol’s lips twitch at her body jolting towards him in reaction to his voice (he just barely hides his joy at her reaction). He watches as she hesitantly goes to say something and pauses. Then she tries again, “I’m Wanda.... Maximoff.” He watches as her eyes fall from his to her lap as she fidgets with the sleeves of the shirt. “I don’t really know what I’m doing here... or where here is. You probably won’t even believe me if I tell you...”
Kol can’t stop the twinge of worry that touches him as he watches and listens to her. But he doesn’t move toward her in worry of scaring his W- Wanda. When her hair falls to curtain her face, Kol watches as her body harshly jerks. Causing him to take a step forward. “What... What happened to my hair? I-- it wasn’t this color before...? I...”
Kol furrows his brows as her breathing picks up and her movement becomes broken and jerky. His eyes widen as he realizes that Wanda is having a panic attack. He assumes that everything that must have happened to her is coming to a head and causing this. He doesn’t know if doing what he is about to do will help or if it will make it worse, but he wants to try. He moves toward Wanda and quickly pulls her into his lap and cradles her. “Calm down darling, you’re okay.” Kol unconsciously runs one of his hands softly through her hair and tightens his hold. “Breathe lass, we’ll figure it all out, just breathe.”
Wanda’s response is to grab his one arm that is wrapped around her and curl into him. Eventually her breathing evens out a bit, but neither move away from each other. A small smile makes its way onto Kol’s face when he feels Wanda (his Wanda) actually clutch onto him tighter; while burrowing closer to him.
Wanda knows that she shouldn’t be trusting the man - Kol - so easily, but right now she needs someone to help ground her. To help comfort her and since her twin brother won’t be here to do it anymo-. Wanda finds herself choking on a sob as tears rush to her eyes and her hands clench so hard on Kol’s arm that her knuckles go white. with the pressure.
Kol takes notice of her violent and fast change in state of being and frowns, but before he can ask what’s wrong... Wanda’s cracking voice fills the room before he can open his mouth. “He’s gone... my twin brother - Pietro - is gone. He’s gone and I couldn’t stop it! I wasn’t there for him when he needed me, I wa--” Her voice breaks off. “Here I am having a panic attack over a change in hair color and my tw-”
Kol cuddles her closer and softly shushes Wanda as he carefully moves them both to a more comfortable position. When Wanda finally quiets into a restless sleep, Kol pushes out a breath, shaken with how much her pain affected him and presses his eyes tightly closed. Trying to ignore the answering tears that wanted to come out at his other half's tears. The silence that filled the room once everything fully quieted... was full of the dead, the left unsaid, and the questions left unanswered.