Caroline awoke in a cell in the basement of a building that reminded her of the Boarding House. She was chained with heavy chains that with all the vervain in her system, Caroline could barely move her arms.
"So, you're the reason Klaus was in such a good mood a couple weeks ago," a dark-skinned man with a flirtatious smile almost cooed at Caroline, "Just based on looks, I can sort of see why. Although he seems to have moved on with another blonde, a human named Camille."
Caroline detected some slight resentment in the last comment, so she decided to let her mean girl out a little.
"If she's human, it's not an improvement," she rasped, glaring at him.
"You don't know her," The guy laughed lightly.
"A human doesn't last long when involved with a vampire," Caroline pointed out, "Sooner or later, the human becomes collateral damage."
He snarled at Caroline before snapping her neck, plunging her into darkness.
"...sure this is a good idea?" A hesitant male voice asked as Caroline regained consciousness, "I mean, if she means so much to Klaus, why would you want to provoke him?"
"I want Klaus out of my city! If I have to use this girl to do it, then so be it!" The guy from before yelled passionately.
"Marcel…," the first guy started.
"You do this or you suffer the consequences, Josh," Marcel emphasized, before he flashed away.
"This your first torture session?" Caroline asked dejectedly causing Josh to jump.
"Uh, hi?" Josh asked awkwardly.
"I don't suppose I could get a blood bag from you?" Caroline joked causing Josh to wince.
"I really wish I could but," Josh started, looking sick.
"I understand," Caroline sighed, resigned, "But it won't help you get Klaus out of your town. My friends and I tried to drive the Mikaelsons out of our town by repeatedly trying to kill him. Needless to say, it failed."
"But he's here now, so he obviously left," Josh pointed out, hoping to find out how to get Klaus to leave, "What did you guys do?"
"Nothing," Caroline sighed as Josh deflated.
"What?"
"We couldn't get him to leave. Klaus left on his own," Caroline said tiredly, "Wait, no. Stefan got him to leave temporarily when he stole Esther's coffin, I think."
"Thierry and Diego were told that you were important to Klaus, that's why you're here," Josh said.
"I was just his next obsession after breaking the hybrid curse and killing Mikael," Caroline countered, "If I was so important, why was I not with Klaus? Why would I be taking classes at a college thousands of miles away?"
"Josh!" Marcel barked, flashing back into the room with Thierry and Diego behind him.
"Marcel!" Josh cowering as Marcel advanced on Josh.
"Why are you talking to the leverage?" Marcel spat, roughly pushing Josh against the wall, "You were supposed to start prepping her."
"Not chatting like girlfriends," Diego laughed crouching next to Caroline, running a finger down her cheek.
"Why aren't you using my human version? She's the newer version," Caroline said trying to control her shudder at the look in Diego's eyes.
"Is she talking about Cami?" Thierry asked confused.
Camille O'Connell, a human, was the niece of Father Kieran O'Connell who was apart of the NOLA Council and leader of the Human Coalition. Cami had come to NOLA after 1 semester as a Psych grad student to investigate the death of her twin brother, Sean. She'd gotten a job at a local pub, Rousseau's, that was run by 2 sisters, Jane Anne and Sophie Devereaux. About a month after starting, Marcel started showing up specifically to talk to Cami.
A couple months later, Klaus showed up and compelled Cami to be his eyes and ears with Marcel. Davina managed to release Cami's memories of Klaus compelling her but was not able to release the compulsion. So Cami would be able to remember everything but still have to fulfill the compulsion until Klaus released her from it.
When confronted by Cami, Klaus was able to play on Cami's sense of family to sooth Cami and simultaneously turn her against Marcel. Marcel gained a little insight into why Klaus seemed taken with Cami with the arrival of Tyler Lockwood and the mention of Tyler's (former) girlfriend, Caroline. While in the Garden, Marcel was able to peek into Tyler's mind and see Klaus' interactions with another blonde.
Instantly Marcel could tell the differences between how Klaus was with Cami and how he was with this Caroline. A plan started to form in his mind and was solidified when Klaus came back from Mystic Falls practically giddy. Marcel had tasked Thierry and Diego to bring this Caroline to NOLA in any way they could. Damon Salvatore had unwittingly helped Thierry and Diego by regaling them with stories of how they used Klaus' obsession with Caroline to their advantage.
Diego had cornered Caroline in the Skull Bar near Whitmore before vervaining her and using the excuse she'd drank too much to get her out of the bar. During the entire ride back, Caroline was kept vervained. Once in NOLA, Caroline was put in the basement/dungeon of the Abattoir. Marcel was planning on using a battered Caroline to 'negotiate' with Klaus and get him to leave with his family.
"We are not using Cami," Marcel growled, his vamp face coming out. Both Diego and Thierry stepped back while Caroline scoffed.
"Whatever you plan to do to me won't work," Caroline said looking straight at Marcel.
"And why would that be?" Marcel asked, letting Josh go, "I've seen how he looks at you, via Tyler's memories, and Damon Salvatore was oh so kind to elaborate on your usefulness to Thierry and Diego."
"This is Klaus you're trying to manipulate," Caroline said, mentally cursing Damon and his inability to keep his mouth shut.
"Girly, Klaus raised me from the age of 10," Marcel spat.
"Then you know what happens when someone tries to force Klaus to do something, especially if he doesn't want to do it," Caroline said, hoping to capitalize on Klaus' impulsiveness and his viciousness.
"Apparently impending fatherhood has evened him out a little more," Marcel smirked, then outright laughed at Caroline's confusion.
"Fatherhood? Klaus is a vampire, hybrid technically. He's been dead for over 1,000 years, that's not possible," Caroline countered, perking up a little.
"Well, according to the witches here, because Klaus is the Original Hybrid he can father children with female werewolves," Marcel laughed.
"But that doesn't track. I mean it could sort of make sense, if Klaus had been a werewolf before becoming a vampire. But he activated his werewolf gene after becoming a vampire, that was what tipped Mikael off to the fact that Klaus wasn't his kid. It's why Klaus was cursed, why he created the Sun and Moon Curse, why I was turned into a vampire, and why he killed my best friend in order to unlock his werewolf side," Caroline explained in a huff.
The four vampires were silent at her outburst. Thierry and Diego looked to Marcel while Josh looked confused.
"Hayley's definitely pregnant, I've heard the baby's heartbeat numerous times," Josh confirmed.
"Wait, Hayley's the one knocked up?" Caroline almost shrieked, "As in Hayley Marshall?"
"Uh, yes? I think so," Josh said, suddenly scared as Marcel, Thierry, and Diego slowly edged away from him.
"Brunette hair, pouty lips, slight trailer park look?" Caroline asked angrily.
"Uh, yes?" Josh said in a quiet voice, drawing in on himself.
"I would highly suggest bringing in an outside witch to confirm not only the pregnancy but the paternity," Caroline instructed.
"She's pregnant," Marcel confirmed confidently and slightly condescendingly, "I've been around enough pregnant women to know the difference."
"Last time I had to deal with Hayley, she promised she had a witch waiting to help take down Klaus. All she did was snap my neck when I found out that she didn't have a witch and then went straight to Klaus to tattle on us," Caroline almost snarled.
"Did Tyler have any part in this?" Marcel asked calculating a new plan on the go.
"Yeah, he and Hayleywere breaking the sire bond of the hybrids when she offered them up to Klaus just so he would kill them. Because she needed 12 dead hybrids to get information on her family," Caroline huffed.
Marcel motioned for the others to leave before he left himself. There was a lot to think about, although he made a mental note to have Josh give Caroline a bag of blood. If what Caroline told him was true, and Marcel was inclined to believe her, it might be easy to get Klaus out of NOLA and still be on his good side.
Marcel texted Davina that he needed to see her, instructed Diego to keep an eye on Hayley, and threatened Josh with silence about what Caroline just told them and the fact that she was here. Josh agreed and was thankful that he was no longer compelled to be Klaus' minion. Klaus had uncompelled him to gain favor with Davina, also providing her the spell to make daylight rings.
"What do you mean Caroline's missing?" Sheriff Elizabeth Forbes asked pausing in her paperwork to pay more attention to her phone call.
"She was supposed to meet me at a diner to go over what could be done to stop the spread of the barrier," Enzo repeated, "She never showed. I couldn't get on the phone and believe me I tried. Sent some text messages that were guaranteed to get responses."
"Did you ask Bonnie or Elena about her whereabouts? She might have told them something," Liz asked. For some reason beyond her, Caroline had become friends with the newest vampire in town, Lorenzo "Enzo" St. John.
"They haven't even talked with Caroline for at least a week, too busy dealing with Elena's Salvatore drama with the brother of the week," Enzo quipped, rolling his eyes.
"I thought you were buddies with Damon?"
"Damon helped me through a rough time and got justice for what happened but then he dropped me for Elena," Enzo said drily.
"Hold on, let me check the locator app," Liz said, pulling out her personal cell phone. She hadn't told Caroline but she'd had her people put a tracker in Caroline's phone in case of emergency, after the incident with Logan Fell.
"Ok, she's in New Orleans?" Liz said after a moment.
"New Orleans? Never mentioned anything about going there. Damon's mentioned it a couple times, the 'Originals' went there didn't they?" Enzo stated causing Liz's stomach to drop.
The Original Vampires, the Mikaelsons, had left Mystic Falls as abruptly as appeared. Liz wondered if Caroline being missing was retaliation for what happened to the family while in Mystic Falls. Two brothers were killed by Caroline's friends and they suffered no immediate effects for that. The mother and father were also killed but by Klaus himself, so Liz didn't think they'd get any retaliation for that, unless Caroline's friends had been in league them before they were killed.
"Sheriff? Liz? Elizabeth!" Enzo called out snapping Liz out of the panic attack that had started.
"Give me 30 minutes and I'll be at the town line," Liz said gathering up her paperwork and putting it in her desk drawer, "Then we'll head out to New Orleans."
Liz didn't give Enzo a chance to respond before ending the call. There was too much for her to do in a short time period. She made sure to lock the drawer where her paperwork was, Liz didn't want anybody to ask any awkward question. At least until the guy was found and Liz talked to Caroline about him.
The Mystic Falls Town Council hadn't reformed but all the anti-vampire modified weapons were still in the Sheriff's Station. Taking a couple department duffle bags, Liz filled as them as much as she could.
Quickly, Liz changed into some civilian clothes she had stashed in her locker before heading out, telling her deputy that she had a family emergency to take care of. With the Spirit Magic Barrier still up, Liz wasn't too worried about leaving the town shorthand end anymore. It was amazing how fast the crime rate dropped once vampires were unable to inhabit the town.
"You expecting Caroline to be in trouble?" Enzo commenting as he took in the duffle bags odd shapes.
"Caroline isn't contacting anyone, is someplace where she probably shouldn't be, and in the city where the Mikaelsons ran off to? It has to be trouble," Liz reasoned as she drove off once Enzo closed the door.
"Have you tried call Klaus? From what Damon had been telling me, the bloke was quite smitten with your daughter," Enzo smirked. Damon had quite gleefully told him of Klaus's obsession with Caroline.
"I think that might be part of the reason Caroline's gone. Got a call from Matt that there were 2 strange Vampires hanging around Damon just before the Spirit Barrier went up around the Grille. I think they took her," Liz said gripping the steering wheel tighter.
"Hold on," Enzo said getting his cell phone out, "There were 2 vampires in the Grille with you before the Barrier got that far."
"Thierry and Diego, good guys. Had fun with them while I was in New Orleans before Augustine," Damon said easily.
"Any reason why they looked you up?" Enzo asked, hoping what actually happened hadn't actually happened.
"They were lamenting the fact that Klaus had taken over their city. Told them they should find a blonde baby vampire to distract him," Damon laughed even though Elena smacked him in the arm.
"And now Caroline is missing," Liz spat, knowing Damon, and subsequently Elena, could hear her, "If they harm her because of your big mouth, the Spirit Barrier will be that least of your problems!"
Enzo ended the call on Elena's gasp, before starting another.
"Who are you calling now? Please don't say Stefan," Liz fumed.
"Who is this and how did you get it?" An accented voice growled.
"Lorenzo St. John, most call me Enzo," Enzo smiled, "I got this number off of a mutual blonde vampire, without her knowing of course."
Liz's eyes widened, Enzo had called Klaus and Caroline had had his number.
"I'm calling because of said mutual blonde vampire," Enzo continued, "It appears that 2 vampires from your town, a Thierry and a Diego, came and took Caroline."
The phone went silent as the call ended abruptly. Enzo had to stifle a laugh, the Hybrid must have crushed his phone.
"What happened?" Liz asked interested in Klaus' reaction.
"I think he crushed his phone," Enzo smirked, "Hold on, think he's calling again. Hello?"
"When did this happen?" Came Klaus' growl.
"It's been almost a day," Liz said after Enzo put it on speaker.
"You only noticed her absence after a day of silence from her?" Klaus asked slightly incredulous. Caroline didn't seem like the type to not contact or not be in contact with someone for at most 1 hour.
"Kai Parker and his Gemini Coven is trying to collapse the Other Side and have a bubble of non-Spirit Magic slowly growing in Mystic Falls," Liz countered.
"Gorgeous and I were supposed to meet earlier and discuss ways to reduce the Barrier without killing off both lines of Doppelgängers," Enzo added, smirking when he heard a growl at Caroline's nickname.
"What do you mean 'both lines of Doppelgängers'? There's only 1, the Petrova one," a female accented voice demanded.
"It's a long, complicated story, Rebekah, but both Silas and Amara had Doppelgängers," Liz explained, "The Petrova line is Amara's while Silas' line is the Salvatores."
"Damon's a Doppelgänger?" Both Klaus and Rebekah said at the same time causing Enzo to bust out laughing and Liz to groan.
"Wrong Salvatore," Enzo gleefully said to utter silence.