"Are you sure you know how to captain a ship?" Juniper asked unsurely as they boarded an empty ship left abandoned by some of the now-dead witch hunters.

He looked back at her, glaring slightly, "I'm 800 years old, darling. Of course I know how to captain a ship."

She watched as he powered up the steam engine before moving to the wheel. Her chuckling caused his movements to stop, "What?"

She grinned as she shrugged, "Aren't you forgetting something? The lines perhaps..."

His eyes refused to meet hers as he moved from the wheel, "I- I was getting there."

Juniper chuckled as she sat down on one of the benches and pulled her knees to her chest, "Sure you were."

As the boat slowly left the docks she stood once more, this time standing near the edge. She peered down and watched as the water flowed beneath them, appearing almost black in the dark of the night.

"If you're going to jump please reconsider. This journey may be long and I need entertainment."

She bit her lip as she held back a laugh and turned to him, "Well if that's the case I think I'd rather jump."

A grin tugged at his lips as he spun the wheel to the left, "Well if you do, wait till it isn't so deep. I wouldn't want my favourite witch to drown or die of hypothermia before reaching 20."

A light breeze caught the canvas sails moving them forward at a faster pace as Kol pulled out a chart. He stared at it for a moment, muttering quietly to himself as Juniper joined his side.

"You can't read it, can you?" She teased.

He glanced up at her, "I can read a map. It's- It's just dark out."

"Don't vampires have enhanced vision? Meaning... you know, being able to see in the dark- at least better than humans."

He rolled his eyes, "Why don't you read it if you're so knowledgeable? We're going to America."

"America?" She asked as she pulled the paper from his hands and marked out a path with ease, "Why there?"

"Supernaturals are more accepted there," He answered shortly, not letting on the truth as he glanced down to watch as her hands moved along the paper.

"South, east or west coast?" She asked after a moment.

"South. Louisiana."

She frowned as she glanced up, her fingers stopping, "Isn't that where that vampire king is? What's his name again? It's something stupid like Klaus."

His eyes widened slightly as he turned his head to face the other way, "Do you know his surname by any chance?"

Juniper glanced over, "Never heard it personally. Only his first. He has a brother, doesn't he? Eli or something... I'm dreadful with names. It's a miracle I haven't forgotten yours."

He peered back at her with a small smirk, "So touched."

"You should be," She told him with a smile, causing him to laugh.

— — —

Many hours had passed since they left Portsmouth. They were deep in the True Sea, nearing America.

Juniper had fallen asleep quite sometime before which left the Original to his thoughts.

He was alone as the storm began. He felt as rain poured down onto his skin as waves crashed against the wood.

His fingers fiddled with a small key as he thought of the woman who lay still beneath the deck. His mind was filled with the sight of her as he cuffed her limp hands to a wooden pole.

He glanced ahead and sighed before leaving the wheel and walking towards the door leading to the lower level. On his way, he grabbed a piece of bread and a small cup filled with water.

Kol walked further inside and to his surprise, she was sitting on the floor, hands behind her back as she stared at him.

"I should have known not to trust you," She started.

Water which had dripped through the wooden ceiling fell onto her face as he hooked a lantern on one of the wooden beams.

"Where are you taking me?" She asked after a moment of his silence.

He didn't answer.

"You don't speak now?"

He glanced back at her as he lit another lantern, "I don't know what to say."

"Was this all a plan? Get close to the last Grisha and take advantage of her? Did you stage that whole witch burning? Why not let me die? That is where you're taking me, isn't it? To die?"

He chewed on his lip as he kneeled in front of her, "It's you or me, darling. I can't let it be me again."

She scoffed as she moved a few inches back, her body hitting against a wooden beam stopping her from moving any further, "You're with him, aren't you?"

"With who?"

"Klaus. The Original. You're working for him, right? The hybrid desperate for power. What's he giving you? I- I can double it. Whatever it is."

"I don't work for Klaus. I'm his brother."

She stayed silent as she stared at him, her lips parted slightly in shock, "So all of this- this past month... Was it all a scheme to take me to him? It meant nothing to you?"

He didn't say anything. Instead, he held up the bread to her unmoving lips, "I brought you food."

She glared at him, "It's likely poisoned."

Kol sighed before taking a bite of it, "I'll keep eating it if you prefer."

Juniper tilted her head, "Alright, so not poisoned. But I'm no fool. You want something from me."

"Are you so used to deceit, you can't accept good manners?"

A chuckle escaped from her lips, "Manners? Oh, you talk of manners when you have me in chains, starving."

"I'm trying to feed you."

"Why?" She demanded.

"Alright. I do want something from you. Answers. How did you survive the war?"

"How did you survive your pure idiocy?"

"Were you born a Grisha or was that by choice?"

"Were you born a prick or was it a choice?" She paused as she watched his eyes change slightly, "What have they told you about me?"

"That you kill men at any chance you get."

"Because they all want me dead!" She breathed out, her eyes leaving his as she stared at her dress, "Why am I even arguing with you? You're not here to change your mind on anything. Only to make yourself feel better about sending me to my death."

He shook his head slowly as if he was trying to convince himself, "I feel nothing about you."

She chuckled, "Well I guess that makes you a good brother. And a terrible person. Tell me, what's it like being your brother's bitch?"

Kol scoffed, "Terrible? I may kill people for the sake of it but at least I don't use magic to stop a man's heart."

She adjusted her hands as she fought against the restraints, "Do you even know what a Heartrender does?"

"Yes. A witch who can boil blood."

"Do you know we can also soothe tempers? Calm someone in pain? Ease their mind..." He moved away slightly causing her to hold back a laugh, "Relax. I can't do anything to you as long as my hands are in these."

She shivered slightly, glancing down at the food in his hands before meeting his gaze as he sighed, "You don't have to do anything for me. Just take it," He spoke as he lifted the bread to her lips.

Juniper stared at him unsurely for a moment before leaning forward and taking a small bite of the bread.

"You see? That wasn't so bad," He started before the food was spat on his cheek.

"I will not take scraps from the likes of you."

"Hmm," He paused as he grabbed his lantern, "You will."

She tiredly watched as he left, darkness filling the room once again.

— — —

More time had passed and a storm raged around them. Water slowly filled the lower deck, puddling up to Juniper's knees.

The Heartrender scoffed, she shouldn't have been so trusting. If she hadn't, she wouldn't be here, about to drown.

Above her, she could hear Kol cursing as he fought against the powerful waves in an attempt to keep control of the ship. Clearly, from his vulgar language, the water was winning.

Juniper's eyes glanced around the floor until she saw the cup of water Kol had brought down hours before. It was floating beside her, bobbing slightly as the boat swayed.

She grunted as she pulled against the chains. She turned slightly, sticking her hands behind her as far as she could as she reached for the chipped metal.

Her fingers were just inches short from it until another wave crashed against the side of them. The cup floated towards her as a few wooden boards fell from the side, letting mass amounts of water inside.

Juniper quickly grabbed the cup and smashed it against the wooden pole behind her. She shoved it between the lock in her chains and fiddled with it, watching as more water filled the level, just reaching her nose.

Kol either hadn't noticed they were sinking or had fallen off. Juniper wasn't entirely sure if she cared as she slipped out of the chains before diving out of the large hole.

— — —

She had passed out from fatigue, resting on a floating plank of wood which had luckily stayed intact.

In her slumber, she slipped from the plank, her body submerging in the freezing water for a moment before she resurfaced, gasping as she did so.

She coughed loudly, water falling from her lips as she glanced around, waves splashing against her face.

Her eyes met a large piece of wood, presumably from the side of the ship where Kol lay, completely passed out. She quickly swam toward him, fighting against the whitecaps as she grabbed onto the sharp, jagged edge.

She weakly pulled her body out of the water, her eyes on him as he lay on his stomach, eyes closed.

Her hands grasped at his shoulders as she shook him. She grunted loudly as she shook him harder, trying to wake him, "Come on you miserable lump of muscle! Wake up!" She shouted as she slapped her hand against his face.

Her voice went weak, "Wake up, Kol."

She forced herself to her knees as she held her hands out, crossing her fingers against each other before pushing them to his back. Her hand rested there for a moment as his heart accelerated before his eyes slowly opened.

Kol glanced up at her confused before his mind came to. He quickly moved away, his body falling off the wood from the quick movement.

He surfaced, coughing as he treaded against the water, "Stay away from me."

She scoffed as she leaned against the wood, "It was my power keeping you warm, stupid vampire. You won't get far out here without it. If you'd rather stay away from me while you freeze and drown, that's your choice."

"You're tricking me," He shouted, "You're not to be trusted. You intend to kill me."

"If I wanted you dead, I would have slowed your heart instead of speeding it up."

"Why would you save me? I was taking you to be killed."

"'Cause you're you. And despite what you've done, I still think of you as a friend," She spoke as water splashed against her face.

"You need my strength to swim to shore."

"And you need my power not to freeze to death. I do believe Originals can still turn to ice cubes and lay frozen at the bottom of the ocean. Am I wrong?"

He grunted, glaring at her for a moment, before grabbing onto the side of the wood.

"So there is a brain inside all that muscle," She teased as she moved slightly, giving him more space, "I can't swim and keep both our bodies warm."

"I'll swim. You... I'll swim."

His chest lay flat on the wood as he moved them against the waves while Juniper placed her hand on his back, sending warmth through his body and her own.

— — —

"Where are we?" Juniper asked as she rested against a snow covered beach, panting as she stared up at the sun which had risen hours before, "I- I've never been to Louisiana but I don't think this is it."

He grunted as he closed his eyes, "Looks like Fjerda. The boat must have turned in the storm."

"Oh for Saints' sake. I really hope not," She paused as she glanced to her right and noticed something, "There is something over there," She spoke in Scandinavian, "We only have a couple hours of sun left. We need to find shelter."

She grunted as she pulled her dress, moving it as she weakly moved to stand.

"Where did you learn how to speak Scandinavian like a native?" He asked, remembering speaking the language as a child.

"I speak six languages," She stared as she stood, moving her hair behind her as she glanced down at him, "It's part of being on the run for your whole life."

"I am a vampire. And you are a Grisha. You are my prisoner," He spoke back in the language as he followed after her.

She stopped in her steps and looked back at him, "That all depends on whether you want to live or die. Grisha science is stronger than nature's servants."

— — —

"There's firewood," Kol spoke as he attempted to start a fire, "A whaler was just here."

The sun had set two hours before. To their luck, they had found a whalers hut between two small mountains, both covered in snow.

He glanced up at her, his eyes widening slightly before they moved back down to the fire that had yet to start, "Put your clothes back on."

"My wet clothes will be the death of me. I know you're a vampire and can't die from such simple things, but I can. And I refuse to die after all that I've been through."

He shivered slightly. Even though he was a vampire, he could still feel the cold. He sighed before grabbing a large pelt of fur before wrapping it around his shoulders.

"Are all vampires so... prudish?" She asked as she pulled off her wet socks, holding a pelt of fur around her body.

"Are all Grisha so immodest?"

She chuckled, "I wouldn't know. They're all dead. And I'm just trying to stay warm. You should join me. Unless you swam all those miles just to turn into an ice cube in this hut."

He stayed silent, staring at the small fire that refused to get any larger as he shivered.

"Are you scared?" She asked.

"I'm not afraid of you."

She rolled her eyes at his stubbornness, "I have the body heat and the power to help keep you warm."

He looked at her for a moment before standing. He went to walk to the small bed only for her to speak, "Uh, no. Not in those wet clothes."

He glared at her.

"Off. Now."

"Fine," He sighed as he pulled off his jacket, "Turn around. Turn."

She did as told, turning her head to face the wall on the opposite side of him as her teeth clashed against each other, "I'm sorry to be the one to tell you, but I think you should know, there's really nothing all that unique about men. You don't have anything... special."

"Nothing you need to hide. You're just a man. Like all the others," She paused as she turned her head, her lips parting slightly at the sight of his bare chest. She swallowed deeply, "Besides, I much rather women."

He chuckled lightly, not noticing her stare as he wrapped the fur pelt around his waist before joining her on the bed.

They both shivered, cheeks tinted red as they held the fur to their bodies. Juniper sighed, glancing back at Kol, "Closer."

He breathed out, not moving.

"Vampire," She spoke once more before he moved closer to her, his arm grazing her back.

"Will you stop your wiggling?" He asked.

"You're cold and clammy. It's like lying next to a burly squid."

"You told me to get closer."

She lay there for a moment before sitting up and pulling the fur down to his stomach. He quickly grabbed her hands, "What are you doing?"

Juniper rolled her eyes as she pried her hands out of his grip, "God, relax, I promise not to ravish you."

She stared at him for a moment, her eyes softening ever so slightly as she stared into his warm brown eyes before they moved to her hands. She held them up, twirling her wrists before placing her hand on his chest.

His heartbeat fastened causing warmth to spread through his body. His hands came up, one holding the back of her hand and the other on her wrist as he breathed out.

Only seconds later did he push her hand away.

She moved slightly, turning around to face the other way, "You're welcome, you big idiot."

His lip twitched as a small smile formed on his lips.

— — —

When Juniper woke, she felt a weight on her waist. She glanced down, moving her arm slightly before a smile formed on her lips. Kol's arm was wrapped around her waist and his chest was pressed against her back.

She held back a laugh as she glanced back only for him to quickly move away.

He wrapped the fur around his waist as she turned, "Relax. This isn't where I have my way with you."

Kol rolled his eyes at her suggesting comment, "I can't wait to be back in my own bed."

She breathed out, "Yeah, I can just feel how much you hate sleeping next to me."

He sighed as he walked away, sitting down on a small stool, his back facing her, "Why do you have to say things like that?"

"I like it when you turn red."

He held back a smile, "You're so lewd. It's unseemly. The women I've met are modest and pious."

He turned, holding a stack of firewood as he moved to the fire pit.

"Oh, so, you speak for all women? Or just women from 1000?"

He rolled his eyes, "They are caretakers. They're venerated. Men are their protectors."

She sat up, "That sounds like a recipe for a lot of very unhappy people."

"We were very happy."

"In Ravka, the boys and girls trained and fought together. Side by side. We didn't waste time on maidenly blushing."

"That is precisely why you lost the war. It's not natural for girls to fight."

"No, it's not natural for someone to be as stupid as he is tall and yet, oh, there you stand," She answered, ignoring his comment on the war as memories fought to resurface.

"The women I've met... they don't want to fight."

"Have you ever asked one?"

"I don't need to."

Juniper smirked, "I can't wait until you get trounced by a girl."

He smiled as he looked up at her, "Not in this lifetime."

"I'll do it myself if I have to."

He laughed as he looked at her, "You?"

She smiled as a chuckle escaped her lips, "Saints, I didn't know you could laugh anymore."

He had tried so hard to push her away, to turn her against him, and yet, here he was, laughing at her jokes, smiling at her mere presence and wishing she was back in his arms.