08. We Have History Together

"Hi" Damon greeted, currently sitting in the middle of a support group, "I'm Damon, and I have anger issues".

"Hi, Damon" everyone in the support group greeted.

"Why don't you tell us about what brought you to the meeting today?" the leader of the support group asked.

"Well, I got my best friend this job" Damon started.

"Wrong" Kol said, sitting next to Damon, "He didn't get me anything, I got it myself".

"Yeah, through my connections" an annoyed Damon reminded, "Anyway, our boss gave Kol new orders, and now, we're supposed to push people to make evil choices, and only then do we kill them and send their souls to the devil".

Kol looked at Damon, "What happened to going with a veiled analogy?" he asked.

"Oh, they're all compelled" Damon informed, "Clarity over cleverness, that's what I always say".

"I've never heard you say that before" Kol said.

Damon ignored Kol and turned back to the support group, "Anyway, since he got this new job, he's been difficult, full of himself".

"Why don't you say the actual truth Damon" Kol said, "The fact that you're jealous that I'm better at this then you, let me show you an example of how good I am, so all you compelled people, tell me, who is the worst person in this room? Is it you Meg? Or maybe it's you Elizabeth, I mean those some pretty awful things that you two admitted to, I'm sure when given the right push, one of you will crumble and make an evil choice".

"Small potatoes, I don't even think they made the cut" Damon said.

"Uh--".

"Uh! Elizabeth, quiet" Damon interrupted a terrified Elizabeth, he then looked at an equally terrified Meg, "You too, Meg".

"What about you?" Kol asked the support group leader, "If you had to pick for one person in this support group to die, who would it be? Meg or Elizabeth?".

"Wait, stop right there".

"Fine, let's change the choice, now let's make it between you and Meg" Kol stated, "Do you want Meg to die so you can live?", both Kol and Damon leaned forward and Kol started compelling the leader, "Answer the question honestly".

"Yes, I would want her to die instead of me".

"Woah" Damon said.

"Another scenario, what if we kill both Meg and Elizabeth for you to live?" Kol asked.

"Then I'd want them both to die".

"Whoa, what if we threw in everybody?" Damon asked, gesturing towards the circle of people sitting around them, "Choose between yourself and these people".

"I want to live, I don't care about any of them".

As everyone around them let out shocked gasps, Kol and Damon looked at each other with smirks on their faces, having found the next victim for Cade.

"Well, that's enough share and tell for one day" Kol said.

"I agree" Damon said, he looked at the support group leader, with veins forming under his eyes, suddenly he speeded over to him and bit into his neck, draining his blood, once he was dead, Damon turned to face Kol, only to realise in the time he had killed one person, Kol had killed the entire support group, "Woah, woah, woah, woah, I thought we were only giving Cade the worst of the worst, like this guy".

"He's for Cade" Kol confirmed, "But the rest are for me, but don't worry, I don't plan to rip off any heads this time".

"That's a very fine line" Damon stated, "Or a very fine neck membrane".

"Okay you know what" Kol said, standing up and glaring at Damon, "This whole lack of faith thing, is really starting to get on my bloody nerves".

"I'm just saying, you have a ripper history" Damon reminded, "Are you sure you want to keep testing the blood-soaked waters?".

"History doesn't always repeat itself, Damon" Kol retorted, "I'm perfectly fine", Kol sat back down and started drinking the blood of a unconscious girl.

"Yeah, I can see that" Damon said sarcastically, while looking around at all the dead bodies.

***

Dear Salvatore Triplets,

I know it's been a while, three weeks to be exact since I last wrote to you guys, I've just been busy trying to get rid of this writers block that refuses to leave me, it's actually one of the reasons I agreed to help Caroline with some of her work projects, hoping to find a new story somewhere that will be worth telling. Speaking of where epic stories began, today is a day where your mother visits her past, Mystic Falls High School.

Aria sat on top of a bench, she looked around and a small smile formed on her face seeing students rush into schools with their friends, she remembered the time her, Caroline and Rebekah used to do the same thing.

Coming back to my old high school isn't the weird part, it's the fact that Mystic Falls High School has not changed one bit, while I can't seem to find the girl who once used to go here. Now that we've talked about that, let's talk about the real reason I've been avoiding writing to you three, the truth is I didn't know how to tell you guys that Kol and Damon are gone, I tried looking for them but I can't seem to find any trace of them anywhere, I don't know where either of them are or what the hell they're doing, all I know is that it isn't anything good.

Caroline thinks it's in my best interest that I think about anything but Damon and Kol, knowing it will bring me nothing but pain, but letting go is easier said then done, but I'm trying to forget them, at least till this year ends, which is why I'm here, back in the past.

Aria turned around and glanced at the Mystic Falls High School sign, a determined expression on her face, today she was determined to help Caroline with her work, while finding a story worth while her time, all while not thinking about Damon and Kol even once.

"I've got this" Aria whispered to herself, trying to motivate herself, "I can do this, I know I can".

And with that Aria jumped off the bench table and made her way to her sister, determined to make today a good day.

***

"Yeah, I'm, like, an embedded journalist, only in history class" Caroline explained to Aria, as they walked down the school hallway.

"History class, where all the scandalous news comes from" Aria said sarcastically.

"The school's doing a big ramp-up for Founder's Day" Caroline informed, "They specifically requested me, for the alumni angle", Caroline then looked at her sister, a worried expression on her face, "So, I know you said you don't want to think about those two today, but I just wanted to know if you're okay or not?".

"I'm--", Aria hesitated for a moment, "I'm okay" she finally said, "All of this is only for one year, after that both Kol and Damon will back and all will be well", the school bell ringing cut Caroline and Aria's conversation short, which Aria was really glad for, "Yeah, I definitely don't miss that sound".

Caroline chuckled, "Yeah, me neither" she said, as students started piling the hallway.

"Come on Care, let's start your embedding" Aria said, looping her arm with her sisters.

"Let's" Caroline laughed.

***

Aria and Caroline sat on two desks in the history class, listening to a student gush about the history teacher.

"And on top of everything she does, she even volunteered to organise Miss Mystic Falls".

"Wow!" Caroline said, sarcasm evident in her voice but the girl didn't seem to notice, "Your teacher sure does have a lot on her plate".

"Yeah, but I help her out with projects, we all do, everyone loves her".

"Good morning, everyone" the history teacher greeted, entering the classroom and to both Aria and Caroline's shock, the history teacher was Sybil.

"Good morning, Miss Sybil" all the students greeted in unison.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Aria asked, glaring at the siren.

With her hands, Sybil gestured for the class to sit back down, which they immediately did.

"Well, yesterday, we finished the Revolutionary War so today we're gonna start on the 1800s" Sybil informed Aria.

"That's not what she means" Caroline snapped, as both her and Aria stood up from their chairs, "She means, why are you masquerading as a history teacher?".

"I'm not masquerading, I give a lot of homework, and pop quizzes, right?" Sybil asked the class.

"You're the best teacher at this school".

"Aw" Sybil cooed, sending a wink towards a furious Aria, knowing she was getting under her skin.

"You're mind controlling these kids" Aria realised.

"I made them love history, is that a crime?" Sybil asked, both Aria and Caroline immediately took a step forward to attack Sybil, "Woah, woah, woah, before you two try to attack me, or call the police, or ask anyone for help, just know that if you do, none of these kids are gonna make it to their next class".

"Can we just skip to the part where you tell us what you want?" an annoyed Caroline asked.

"Sure, if we can skip to the part where Aria admits that she would rather be doing anything except think about what Damon and Kol are doing right now" Sybil said, picking up the history textbook in her hands, "Who they're murdering while both their emotions are off, and in answer to your question Caroline", Sybil showed the textbook to the two sisters, "I want to teach you two history, why else would I have told Caroline's boss to send her here on an assignment and to tell her to ask her sister to help?".

"Of course this news assignment came from you" Aria mumbled, wanting to rip Sybil's heart, but knowing it will do nothing but make her angry and put the students she's controlling in danger.

"I just said that" Sybil said, "You mustn't have been a very good student Aria, we're gonna have to try to remedy that, students, please turn to chapter three, Antebellum Virginia".

"I was an honors student" Aria snapped, "I'm much more intelligent then you ever could be".

After giving Sybil another glare, Aria turned around and sat down, and Caroline quickly followed, both the sisters wanting to know what Sybil was up to.

***

Damon and Kol sat outside a café, looking for the next victim for Cade.

"How about her?" Kol pointed towards a lady who paid the bill without tipping the waiter.

"That rich lady?" Damon asked, "Nah, if we sent people to Cade just for being bad tippers, there'd be no room left in hell".

"Fine, how about the waitress who served her?" Kol asked, looking at the blonde pixie cut waitress, "She has a angry look on her face, we can definitely use that to our advantage".

"We just did anger" Damon reminded, "Besides, judging by the pool of candidates we have here, she's probably the only one that already worships the devil, she's hardly a challenge Kol".

"A challenge, huh?" Kol asked, looking around for someone who looked like a challenge, suddenly his eyes landed on someone and he had to double take to make sure she wasn't someone he knew, but it wasn't, Kol looked at Damon and then at then girl, a sinister smirk forming on his face, "I found her".

Damon looked in the direction Kol was looking in, "The old woman?" he asked, "Spilling stuff everywhere? What are we doing, mercy killings?".

"Not the old woman" Kol said, "The girl next to her, the writer helping her".

Damon looked back towards the old woman, only to see a young woman helping her pour some milk into her tea, immediately seeing the women, something in Damon stirred, just like Kol he was reminded of someone, but unlike Kol, the memory affected me a lot. Kol watched as Damon put his hand into his jacket pocket and a clinking sound was heard, he didn't know what Damon was holding, but whatever it was, it was helping Damon gain control of himself, something Kol did not like one bit.

Damon stared at the women for a moment, "Well, how do you know she's a writer?" he asked after a moment of silence.

"Look at her hands Damon, they're full of pen ink, the notebook in her hand means she has a habit of going around and taking notes, hoping she'll find a good story somewhere, and let's not forget her laptop that has a bunch of stickers that quote classic books" Kol put together, "I was engaged to a writer Damon, I know how they act, and she's acting just like a writer out to find a new story, from the looks of it, seems like she is really passionate about her work, why do you think that is, Damon?".

"I don't know, Kol" Damon said, "Maybe she had a best friend that bored the crap out of her?".

"Or maybe there's something dark inside her that drives her forward" Kol said, "Something painful in her past".

"Not everybody's a big ball of angst like you" Damon retorted, "Maybe she's driven by something good".

"Is that a bet?" Kol asked.

"You're on" Damon said.

Kol smirked, "Great, so let's find out whose correct" he said, before Damon could say anything, Kol injected vervain into his leg, immediately causing Damon to groan in pain, "Shh" Kol said, as Damon fell unconscious and Kol placed his head on to the table, he then stood up, a pretend panicked expression on his face, "Oh my god, somebody help me! My friend just fell unconscious, I need help taking him to the hospital!".

***

Damon slowly opened his eyes, immediately he let out a painful groan, looking around he realised he was currently laying in a hospital bed, with a smug Kol sitting by him, eating chocolate pudding, Damon then looked at the IV bags and realised Kol was pumping vervain into him to keep him weak.

"Vervain?" a weak Damon asked, "Come on man, don't you trust me to play along with your attempt to corrupt the good writer?".

"I had to sell your hospital stay and for that you needed to show actual weakness" Kol explained, "Anyways, guess what, I did some internet stalking, turns out Ava's parents were both murdered ten years ago, someone broke into their house and stabbed both of them while Ava was at school, and of course, our incompetent police force could not find the killer, therefore my point proven that she is driven by something dark".

"All I've heard is sad, Kol" Damon whispered, "I haven't heard dark, maybe your spidey-sense is wrong about her pal".

"My spidey-sense is never wrong" Kol retorted, "Listen to this, the police started suspecting that Ava's dad orchestrated this robbery for insurance claim, but something went wrong and in a scuffle with each other, Ava's parents ended up killing each other, the reason Ava became a writer was to get her parents true story out to the world".

"Really?" Damon asked.

"She wanted people to know the truth, not what the police put out after realising this was another case they couldn't solve" Kol continued, he looked at Damon with a smirk, "Like I said Damon, I found the perfect feed for Cade".

***

"The doctors can't find anything wrong with you friend" Ava informed, walking over to Kol, who was looking at Damon through the window.

Kol sighed, "I don't think the doctors will find anything wrong with him, I think this is just god punishing him".

"Why do you say that?" a confused Ava asked.

"Because Damon isn't a good person, he's made too many dark choices in his life to be saved or redeemed now" Kol replied, "A lot of people got hurt because of his choices".

"No offense, but I don't think you should be spilling such secrets to a stranger" Ava said.

Kol looked at Ava, "What if all of this is happening for a reason?" he asked, "Just today, I was going through an organ donor web site, and there was just so many people on that list who deserve to live much more then Damon does".

"Is Damon an organ donor?" Ava asked, Kol nodded his head, "Look, you shouldn't be so quick to jump to conclusions, maybe this isn't anything bad".

"There's this girl on top of the list, her name is Kassie Fowler" Kol informed, "According to her profile she wants to go to developing countries and build wells and help them get clean water, but she can't do all that because of kidney's failing, how is fair that a guy like Damon gets to waste his life but she doesn't get to live hers?".

"You shouldn't think like that" Ava said, "Everyone is important to someone out there, we can't trade one life for another".

"Despite everything he's done?" Kol asked.

"I don't know his past but--".

"Damon's the one who killed your parents" Kol revealed.

A wide eye Ava looked at Kol in shock, "Excuse me?" she asked, "My parents were killed by a robber, why would you say that?".

"Because you need an opportunity to bring out your inner darkness" Kol said, before starting to compel the girl infront of her, "So here's the new story that you believe, Damon is a robber, Damon is the one who sneaked into your house that night and sliced your parents open".

While a shocked Ava looked at Damon through the door, Kol entered Damon's room, a smirk on his face.

"Stack the deck, why don't you?" Damon snapped, as Ava walked away.

"There was no rule in Cade's handbook about shortcuts" Kol retorted.

"I told you she'd be a challenge" Damon said.

"What the bloody hell are you so pleased about?" Kol asked, "If we fail to corrupt her, we fail to deliver to Cade".

"All I'm saying is that maybe some people can't be corrupted" Damon said, "Maybe she's just plain good".

"No one in this world is plain good" Kol stated, "Just wait and watch".

"What are you doing?" a confused Damon asked, watching Kol walk over to his IV bags.

"Upping your vervain intake" Kol informed.

"What? No" Damon complained.

"We need a medical emergency to see if this writer is plain good or all this time she's been hiding the darkness inside her" Kol said.

"Can you stop cheating for just one second?" an annoyed Damon snapped.

"Nope" Kol said, "I work for the devil, there's no playing fair when working for him".

Damon glared at his best friend but he couldn't say anything to him as because of the vervain he was knocked unconscious.

***

"Who can tell me when Mystic Falls officially became a town?" Sybil asked her history class, and immediately a lot of hands went up in the air, all except Caroline and Aria "Aria? Do you remember anything you learnt in this incredibly ugly building, all those years ago?".

"Mystic Falls was founded in 1860 by a Lockwood, a Forbes, a Fell, a Gilbert and a Salvatore, who signed the town ship charter" Aria replied.

"Name-dropper, and wrong" Sybil stated, making her students laugh.

"She's not wrong, those are the founding families" Caroline retorted.

"Your ancestors took credit, yes" Sybil said, "But long before they picked up turkey feathers to write that silly charter, there were other people here, a group of men and women who were different, misunderstood, ultimately, they burned to death because of who they were".

"Is this about the hundred witches who were burned at the stake?" a confused Aria asked.

"1790" Sybil informed, "I remember it like it was yesterday, it was the most delicious smell, the smoke lasted for hours".

"How could you know that?" a confused Caroline asked.

"Who wants to go on a field trip?" Sybil asked, ignoring Caroline's question, all the students put their hands up, "Me too, the bus is outside, and Miss Forbes and Miss Connor, you two can sit with me".

"Not happening" Aria stated, as all the students started rushing out, Aria speeded over to Sybil and held her in a choke hold, and suddenly a student fell to the floor unconscious, Caroline quickly rushed over to the student and tried to feed her blood to him.

"Oh, look at that, I've perfected my long-distance technique" Sybil said, a smug look on her face as Aria was forced to let go of her, "Your blood isn't gonna save him, I've told his mind to shut down" Sybil informed Caroline.

Caroline let out an annoyed sighed, she stood up and walked over to Sybil, "If anyone dies here, your little apple for the teacher act gets blown".

"It might be worth it" Sybil said, "But for now, get up", Aria and Caroline watched as the student got up like nothing happened to him and walked out the classroom, "Consider that a warning" Sybil told Aria, "Any deaths today will be your fault, and will go on your scorecard for hell Aria", Sybil grabbed her jacket and turned to the furious sisters, "Coming?".

***

"This place has gone downhill since 1790" Sybil said, as they arrived at the old witches house.

"I always forget you're so much older than you look" Caroline taunted.

Sybil chuckled, "Talk to me in a couple thousand years, we'll see how you're holding up".

"Are you going to tell us why you visited Mystic Falls at the same time hundred witches were burned to death?" Aria asked.

"I had been travelling the region with my sister, looking for tasty souls to feed to Cade, and the witches took exception" Sybil replied.

"Are you saying it's your fault the witches were burned at the stake?" Caroline asked.

"Clearly, you two don't know the full story, how the hundred witches really died" Sybil realised.

"Please don't break into a song now" an annoyed Aria said.

"Don't tempt me" Sybil said, "The witches gave some magical help to a local metalsmith who was making a church bell for them, this bell had a special purpose, but what no one realised was that Seline and I had befriended this metalsmith, we threw a little wrinkle into his plan".

Caroline looked around and saw all the students hanging up wooden stakes, "Wait, what are they doing?" she asked confused.

"Call it extra credit" Sybil simply said.

***

"Peter Maxwell was the last one to have his hands on that witches bell" Sybil revealed, "Right up until he threw it off a bridge, some 20-odd years ago, I looked into his mind and I saw the whole thing, some kind of a parade, a bell hanging on a float".

"That will be the founder's day parade" Aria concluded, "Every year they ring the charters bell to commence founder's day".

"It's a replica" Sybil informed, "The real one went over something called Wickery Bridge in 1992, anyway, I have spent the last three weeks sending people into that river to look for that bell and they haven't found a thing--but I know it still exists, because it can't be destroyed".

"That's not ominous" Caroline commented.

"Blame the witches" Sybil said, "No wonder people found them so annoying".

"Hey!" Aria snapped, glaring at Sybil, not liking her disrespecting witches.

Sybil ignored Aria and clapped her hands, gaining the attention of all her students, "Now, please" she sang.

Aria and Caroline watched in shock as all the students tied each other to the stakes and dosed each other with lighter fluid.

"No" Caroline said, as her and Aria realised Sybil was about to burn all the students at stake, "No, you can't be serious".

"Use the whole can children, thoroughness is important!" Sybil yelled.

Aria turned around and saw a girl coming towards them with a branch in her hand, she quickly rushed over to the girl, "Violet, snap out of it please" she pleaded, but Violet ignored her and walked over to Sybil.

"No, everybody stop!" Caroline yelled, but no one listened to her.

"Uh, hello" Sybil said, "They're sirened, oh, you brought the lighter, of course you did, good girl", Sybil took the lighter from Violet and lit the branch she was holding on fire, "Ooh".

"Sybil, let these students go, now!" a furious Aria demanded.

"Any other useless demands?" Sybil asked, "I'm not gonna release them until you two bring me that bell".

"What do you even want this bell for?" an annoyed Caroline asked.

"I'm sentimental, I want it" Sybil replied, "And I need both of your help to find it".

"And if we don't find it, everybody dies, right?" Aria asked.

"Well, you can't save them all" Sybil said, "I mean, torches, lighter fluid--poof".

"Yeah, we know how fire works" Caroline snapped, "How exactly are we supposed to find this bell anyway?".

"Well, I didn't expect it would be easy" Sybil taunted, "That's why I've given you two an incentive, hmm?".

"If anything happens to these students, you will lose any leverage you have over us, Sybil" Aria reminded, "So keep them alive, because without them, I will bury you six feet under!".

Before Sybil could say anything to Aria's threat, Aria turned around and walked away to find this bell before anyone died.

***

After being forced by Kol, Ava stood by Damon's bed, staring at him.

"Ava, listen to me" a weak Damon said.

"Please don't talk to me" Ava said, finding it hard to be in the same room with Damon.

"Please" Damon pleaded, "Come closer, please", after a little bit hesitation, Ava went closer to Damon, and he tried compelling her, "Look at me, I was never a robber", but Ava simply glared at him and turned her back to him, "Oh" Damon whispered, realisation his compulsion didn't work on Ava.

Kol chuckled and walked over to Damon, "Sorry buddy, you're too weak to convince her of your innocence" he whispered.

"Ava" Damon called out, "Show him I'm right about you, give me a chance to redeem myself".

"Redeeming yourself won't bring her parents back, Damon" Kol retorted, as a conflicted Ava's eyes darted between him and Damon, "You can never undo what you did".

"My life is worth something to someone" Damon told Ava.

"So is your death" Kol stated, walking over to the IV bags and highering the vervain intake, "Trust me Damon, you dying will be better for everyone".

"Woah, what are you doing?" Ava asked Kol, as Damon's heart monitor started beeping, "I'll call the doctor".

Before Ava could leave, Kol blocked her path, "It's too late Ava, his heart is failing, we should just wait it out".

"This is wrong" Ava snapped.

"Fine, say you call the doctors in here and they fix Damon's heart, he's back on his feet again, and then he goes back to his old ways" Kol said, "One night he goes into another house, kills more people, someone else is left all alone in this world".

"We don't know that he's going to do that" Ava defended, "We don't know what the future holds".

"But we do know the past" Kol retorted, "I mean, how many times does Damon have to show us his true colors before we start taking him seriously? I get what you're feeling, this facade of being good and perfect for the world when in reality you just want to be selfish and make a choice for yourself".

"This has nothing to do with me" Ava argued.

"Yes, it does" Kol said, "Because I'm not going to call the doctors Ava, whether Damon dies or not is on you, don't think about what's morally right or wrong, but do what your heart is saying is right".

"Ava, I'm sorry" Damon whispered, "Did you hear me? I'm sorry for what I did".

Ava looked at Damon, then at Kol, then back at Damon, "But that's not enough".

"I wish I could go back and change it, but I can't" Damon said, "I'm so sorry for all that I've done, killing me won't change the past".

"No, but maybe it will save someone else's future" Ava said, she then looked at Kol, "Let him die".

As Ava walked out the room, Kol looked at Damon with a smirk on his face, "I win".

***

Aria stood by her car, talking to Matt on the phone.

"Matt, where's your dad?" Aria asked, as soon as Matt answered her phone.

"At the armory with me" a confused Matt replied, wondering why Aria was asking about his dad, "We're helping Dorian, you sound stressed, you okay?".

"No I'm not fine" Aria snapped, "Sybil is threatening to burn a bunch of students if I don't find her the antique bell your dad threw off Wickery Bridge".

"Wait, slow down, you lost me after, I'm not fine" Matt said.

"Matt, listen to me carefully, a bunch of lives are now in your dads hands" Aria said, "When Peter Maxwell lived in Mystic Falls, he took the Mystic Falls charter bell and threw it off Wickery Bridge, and now for some stupid reason Sybil wants the bell back, according to her it has some kind of sentimental value, personally I think it's a lot more then that but I don't have time to figure it out".

"Wait, when was this?" Matt asked.

"1992, according to Sybil who went into your dad's head" Aria informed.

"Yeah, that makes sense" Matt realised.

"How so?" a confused Aria asked.

"Wickery Bridge is where Elena's parents drove the car off the road" Matt reminded, "When the sheriffs dredged out the car, they found something else, the old charter bell, it was broken, but they saved it".

"Okay, so where is that bell now?" Aria asked.

"Your mom, the sheriff, she had it in storage" Matt replied.

"Meaning its in one of those many boxes Finn and Elijah had brought over to the Forbes house after mom's funeral" Aria concluded, "The boxes are still sitting in the garage".

"Take me there, now" Sybil suddenly said.

Aria quickly turned around and saw Caroline and Sybil standing there, realising Sybil had been listening to her conversation the whole time.

"Aria, don't do it" Matt warned, having heard Sybil's voice, "You need to get away from her".

"Like I said before Matt, if I don't help her then these kids are going to kill each other" Aria snapped.

"What kids? Where are you?" a confused Matt asked.

Before Aria could answer Matt, Sybil walked over to her and snatched her phone from her hand, "Matt, hey, if you try to stop her from helping me, I send a psychic command, and my students die anyway, if you come over to the Forbes house, my students will die, if I find out that anyone is trying to interfere--".

"Ugh! God, we get it" an annoyed Caroline snapped, snatching Aria's phone from Sybil's hand and handing it back to her sister after hanging up on Matt, "You really should have been a teacher".

"Hmm, maybe that'll be my second career, after you two get me that bell" Sybil said.

***

"Hey" Kol greeted, leaning against Ava's car and watching her exist the hospital and walk towards him, Ava looked up from her phone and saw Kol standing infront of her, "I just wanted to say goodbye and to let you know that Damon is gone".

"Sorry for your loss" Ava said, though she didn't care about Damon, she felt for Kol.

"Don't be" Kol said, "Because he's not really gone, gone".

"Are you in shock?" a confused Ava asked, wondering what Kol was on about.

"Nope" Kol replied, "I'm not in shock, I'm just here to tell you that all that happened to you since the café has been part of a very twisted game, a game in which your morality is put to the test".

"You sound insane" Ava stated.

Kol shrugged, "Insane or not, in one way or the other, my best friend is dead".

"Oh, god" Ava whispered.

"Because you decided to let him die" Kol continued, taking small steps towards the now terrified girl, who was wondering what was happening.

"This is not just my fault" Ava snapped, "You also wanted him dead", realisation suddenly drew on Ava, "That was all a trick?".

"Kind of" Kol admitted, "I just wanted to bring the darkness in you out, and I succeeded".

"Oh, Kol" Damon sing songed, walking behind Ava.

Ava quickly turned and looked at Damon in shock, "You're supposed to be dead" she whispered, having heard his heart go flat herself.

"Technically, you're not wrong" Damon said.

"And here I thought you would still be sleeping through that vervain hangover, Damon" Kol taunted.

"Oh, fortunately, I got a little pick-me-up from an orderly that came to get my body" Damon informed, he then looked at Ava, "Thanks for nothing, by the way".

"You were in on all of this?" a shocked Ava asked.

Kol forced Ava to face him and once she did, he started compelling her, "Keep quiet, don't try to run, just stand still".

"You really think Cade's gonna want her, man?" Damon asked, once Kol was finished compelling Ava, "She's not even evil".

"But she has done evil things, that's good enough for me" Kol replied.

"Maybe she deserves a second chance" Damon argued.

Kol shook his head and stepped towards Damon, "You just keep disappointing me, Damon".

"Well, that's your resting state, Kol, so what?" Damon asked.

"You know what, I get why you are confused, when I saw her for the first time, even I mistook her for the girl whose slowly starting to crawl back into your cold dead heart" Kol said, Damon immediately put his hand in his jacket looking around for Aria's bracelet, "Missing something?" Kol asked, pulling out the bracelet from his back pocket, having stolen it from Damon when he was in the hospital, "I found this in your pocket, you've been carrying around the memory of the two women you ever loved, one who was your first love, and the other who is your last".

"So what?" Damon asked, "It's a re-gift from Aria, I forget I even had it".

"And why don't I believe you?" Kol wondered, "Don't think I haven't noticed the change in you ever since you and I have hit the road Damon, there's just something about you that's been off".

"Yeah, my emotions" a frustrated Damon stated.

"No, it's actually your sense of fun" Kol retorted, he then walked over to Ava, "Why do you think I targeted Ava? Because she reminds me of someone, and I know she reminds you of that someone as well, a writer, brown eyes, brown hair, orphaned by murder, she reminds both of us of Aria, and so does this bracelet you've been carrying around, it triggers something in your conscience, the memories that Sybil erased, are slowly but surly coming back, it's causing you to hold back, Damon".

"No, it's not" Damon stated.

"Fine, if that is the case, kill Ava and send her on her way to meet the big guy" Kol said.

***

"Not seeing anything bell-shaped" Sybil said, looking around the Forbes garage, "Looks like neither have you even bothered to open half these boxes".

"We didn't have the heart to, but you wouldn't understand that, would you?" Caroline taunted.

"No, I wouldn't" Sybil said, throwing a box of stuff on to the ground, "Never had a garage".

Aria rolled her eyes at Sybil, she then started looking around for the bell, wanting to get rid of Sybil's presence when suddenly her eyes landed on a note stuck on the wall.

"Wait" Aria said, gaining both Sybil and Caroline's attention, "Someone left a note".

"Who?" a curious Caroline asked, as Aria ripped the note off the wall.

"What does it say?" Sybil asked.

Aria read the note and immediately started chuckling, "Oh she is good" she whispered, before turning to Sybil and reading her the note Seline left behind, "Hey sissy, looking for something? Seline".

A shocked Sybil snatched the note from Aria's hand and re read it to make sure this was her sister.

"Now I know why she kept organizing this house" Caroline connected.

A furious Sybil scrunched the paper up in her hand and glared at the two smug sisters.

"I'm suddenly feeling the need to vent" Sybil said, she closed her her eyes and started humming, once she opened her eyes she was confused seeing the smirk on Aria's face, "What are you smirking for?".

"Because you failed Sybil" Aria said, she looked down at her watch, "If my calculations are correct then by now Nik and Elijah would have saved those kids, I messaged them as soon as you took me and Caroline there".

Sybil glared at Aria "You--".

Suddenly Aria put her hands out infront of her and let out a loud banshee scream, immediately causing Sybil to fall backwards, unconscious.

"Just because I don't have my magic anymore, that does not mean, I will let anyone try to control me" Aria stated, glaring at the unconscious siren.

"Hell yeah" Caroline cheered for her sister, "Come on Aria, let's get out of her".

"Let's" Aria agreed, walking out the garage with Caroline.

***

"I think I finally got it" Kol said, sitting in Damon's car as the oldest Salvatore drove, "You're not purposely trying to screw things up".

"Thanks" Damon simply said.

"It's more your subconscious messing things up" Kol concluded.

"What are you talking about?" a confused Damon asked.

"Despite everything, your humanity keeps flickering through, all because of one girl, Aria freaking Connor" Kol said, "I mean, I get it, there's a lot to love there, but your love is causing problems for me Damon, and you know what, before you had this stupid bracelet you were fine, but then of course little miss stubborn Connor, had to go ahead and give you this bracelet, a reminder of your love, but you know what Damon, reminders cause problems".

"I told you it doesn't mean anything to me" Damon argued.

"Yeah well I don't believe you" Kol retorted.

"Why not?" an annoyed Damon asked.

"Because you're starting to question everything" Kol replied, "You're less fun and more morals".

"Oh, my god, you are so full of crap" Damon said.

"Okay fine then, if this bracelet really doesn't effect you, then throw it away" Kol said, "Prove to me Damon, that you don't care about Aria or the past you two used to share once upon a time".

"I don't" a frustrated Damon snapped, before snatching the bracelet from Kol's hand and rolling down his window and then throwing the bracelet out, "Happy?".

"Not just yet" Kol replied, "Now it's her turn".

Damon looked through his rearview and saw a terrified Ava sitting in the back seat of his car, still compelled by Kol to not say a word and not to run away.

Damon let out a frustrated sigh, "Fine" he finally said, "Fine".

Damon stopped the car on the middle of the road and pulled Ava out of the car and Kol watched with a smirk on his face as Damon ripped into her throat, finally killing her and sending her soul over to Cade.

***

"You just don't learn, do you?" an annoyed Aria asked, getting out of her car and seeing Sybil standing on the driveway of the boarding house, "Did you not learn your lesson?".

"I'll give it to you Aria, you're smarter and stronger then I gave you credit for" Sybil said, "But I refuse to lose to you".

"But you are going to lose to me, Sybil" Aria stated, glaring at the siren infront of her.

"Are you sure about that?" Sybil asked, a taunting smirk on her face, "Will you really kill me before being one thousand percent sure that I'm not still linked to your children?".

"What the hell are you on about?" a suddenly worried and confused Aria asked.

"We spent a lot of time together on that little road trip we took" Sybil replied, "It was plenty of time for me to plant an off switch in their brain and I can drop them", Sybil clicked her fingers, "At any second, so you better not piss me off".

"You're lying" Aria said, refusing to believe her kids were in any kind of danger, "Kol and Damon made a deal with Cade to make sure the triplets will remain safe".

"Are you certain that Kol and Damon thought of every possible loophole when they were bargaining their soul away?" Sybil asked, "I mean, the only way you will really find out is if you try to hurt me again and roll the dice, is that what you want to do, Aria? You want to gamble with your children's lives? Hmm, you know, you seem so rational when it comes to your kids safety, except you let a serial killer and psychotic maniac into their lives as their fathers, how do you not see that as putting their lives in danger?".

Aria let out a chuckle, "That serial killer and psychotic maniac are dangerous to everyone except those triplets, both Damon and Kol love those kids with everything they have, Damon stayed away from them for five years just to make sure they were safe, despite knowing that they are a symbol of mine and Damon's love, Kol made those kids his everything, so don't try and play the they are dangerous for the triplets card on me Sybil, because no one in this world will keep them more safe then Damon and Kol, not even me".

Sybil chuckled, "Right, that's another thing I don't understand Aria, Damon has walked out on you twice, yet you still refuse to give up on him, do you know what the definition of insanity is? It's doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result, I just hope that the next Damon leaves you, he doesn't decide to take his children with him as well, leaving you all alone".

A smug Sybil then walked away, leaving behind Aria, who was suddenly terrified for her children's safety and doubtful of her and Damon's future.

***

Next morning, Damon went back to the place he threw the bracelet at.

"Psst" Damon called to the inmate who was busy picking up rubbish.

"Uh, if you got any questions, the C.O. can show you our permit".

"You find anything valuable around here?" Damon asked.

"Candy wrappers and fast-food bags".

"Well, that doesn't help my existential crisis" Damon complained, "I was driving through here last night with my best friend, we got into a heated moment and threw something out the window".

"Maybe he should help you look for it, then".

"Oh, he took the morning off from work" Damon informed, "Besides, he doesn't want me to have this thing, anyway, honestly, I don't even know why I want it, cause whenever I have it, I just feel, better".

"In that case, it sounds like your best friend's kind of a jerk".

"He can be" Damon confirmed, "You got any best friends?".

"No, sir".

"Lucky you" Damon said, bending down and searching through the grass for Aria's bracelet, "Never have to worry about other people's mistakes".

"Your best friend's a troublemaker?".

"He's keeping it together" Damon replied, "Relatively speaking, which is a good thing cause things are weird right now, my best friend takes a turn for the worse, all bets are off".

"Well, sometimes people bounce back".

"By doing penance, like you?" Damon asked, "One wrapper at a time?".

The inmate chuckled, "Beats leaving them on the ground".

Damon stared at the inmate for a moment, conflicted about whether or not to send him to Cade or not, when suddenly his eyes landed on a silver charm bracelet laying by a empty bottle of water.

"Hey" Damon called out, bending down and picking the empty bottle up, he then handed it over to the inmate, "Incase you're right".

Damon then looked back down at Aria's bracelet, he bent down and picked it up and stared at it, wondering what it was about this bracelet that he can't seem to part from it.

***

Damon entered the hospital Kol had told him he was at, entering a corridor he was shocked seeing headless bodies spread across the corridor, end of which sat the psychotic maniac, the original ripper, Kol Mikaelson, drinking out of another body, making Damon realise that Kol had given into his ripper side and once again fell off the wagon.

***

Presenting 8x08 of Cold Hearted!

How was the chapter?

Thoughts on Kol without his humanity?

Thoughts on the similarities between Ava and Aria?

Thoughts on Sybil threatening Caroline and Aria to find the charter bell for her?

Thoughts on Kol wanting Damon to kill Ava?

Thoughts on Damon not being able to part with Aria's bracelet?