October 8, 1995
Bill Forbes banged on the solid oak of the door in front of him.
"Sheila! Sheila!" He bellowed, knowing his increasing volume would help little beyond making him feel better.
The door suddenly swung open, the stoic form of the eldest Bennett witch in the doorway. Her age was only belied by the slightest of wrinkles at the corners of her mouth and eyes. Said eyes were dark and cold as the woman regarded the man before her, his cheeks flushed with exertion and temper.
"William," she intoned.
His lip twitched.
"Have you reconsidered your decision?" Bill managed to keep his tone relatively flat despite the emotions raging within him.
She tilted her chin. "No. The wise, witches especially, know better than to get involved in vampire business."
A snarl crossed his face. "This isn't vampire business! This is my daughter!"
His voice cracked on the last words and her countenance softened ever so slightly.
"I'm sorry, Bill, I'm sure she'll be a sweet girl, but with those words on her chest...vampire business."
He just shook his head, ashamed and angered by her callousness. "You stand there on your high horse, so assured of your superiority. And in one breath you condemn my daughter." He ran a hand through his hair and let out an aggravated exhale, more growl than sigh. "You know, Sheila, I respected you. Admired the type of woman I thought you were, one who didn't hesitate to take in her granddaughter and raise her. One who helped protect this town from unspeakable threats. And yet here you are. ...I know my daughter would grow up to be sweet. Lovely. Intelligent. Fierce. And thanks to you, Sheila. She never will."
Bill shook his head and turned away.
October 10, 1995
Caroline woke screaming in her bed, tiny limbs tangled in her sheets. She was senseless to it, her mind still flooded with visions of so much red and so much hurt. Her tummy twisted within her and she couldn't breathe. Sad, mad, scared. She felt them all and more. Everything hurt so much.
Why couldn't she breathe?!
"Caroline! Caroline! Honey!"
Caroline gasped a breath, hiccuping. That was Daddy's voice. She felt a hand on her shoulder. Mommy?
"Mommy? Daddy?" Her voice shook and her cheeks were wet, but Mommy and Daddy made everything hurt a little less.
"Yes, sweetie, we're here." Mommy's fingers were soft and warm on her cheeks as she dried her tears and pulled out the yucky hair she felt in her mouth.
Caroline jumped up wanting to be closer to Mommy. She hugged her, pulling at the soft cloth of Mommy's dress and held on as tightly as she could. Mommy was soft and warm and smelled good. Rubbing her cheeks into the dress felt nice, and more of the red and hurt left.
"Shhh. It's okay." She felt Mommy's arms around her and she felt safe. It was nice, the hand she felt rubbing her head and back, the back and forth rocking as Mommy held her.
A larger, equally warm hand settled on her back. Daddy. She felt when his arms went around her too, as he held both her and Mommy. It was even warmer and safer. No more red. No more hurt.
Bill and Liz were relieved when their daughter drifted off into a quiet slumber. They remained for several more moments, cramped and awkwardly curled around Caroline on her tiny bed, waiting to see if the visions would return.
Thankfully they didn't, and both gingerly rose from the bed, making sure they didn't rouse Caroline from her well deserved rest. Liz gently re-tucked the covers, smoothing out the wrinkles with trembling fingers and laid a kiss on her daughter's brow. Bill bent down to retrieve a fallen teddy bear, snuggling its soft form against Caroline's head and shoulder, laying his own kiss on the girl's hair.
As one, the two turned to set hard eyes on the woman loitering in their bedroom doorway. The woman seemed to be bracing herself with the door-frame, her fingers clawed and white against the wood. Neither Forbes spoke, having long said all they could to the woman. They let the weight of their glares and judgement speak for itself and waited to see if their gambit would pay off.
"B-Bill, Liz, I-" The woman swallowed thickly as she cut off, unsure what she could even say. It was one thing to suspect or even be told what was happening to Caroline. It was quite another to see it. See how even placing the child where she should be safest, tucked into her bed in her parent's room, did little to dull her torment. See how a small, innocent three-year-old thrashed and writhed and screamed as if she were dying.
The woman half-stumbled into the room to stand beside the bed. Looking down she could make out the streaks of dried tears, the puffiness beneath her eyes. The little girl's face was swollen from crying and from exhaustion. She flinched and couldn't help but picture a different little girl, one with darker skin and hair. She knew that she wouldn't be able to bear it if it were Bonnie in Caroline's place.
Involuntarily, her eyes drifted to the girl's chest, to the spot where she knew that beneath blankets and cloth laid a damning soulmark. Her breath rattled in her chest as she inhaled a fortifying breath. Straightening up, the woman turned to look at Bill and Liz, knew her eyes were glassy with guilt and regret.
"I-I'm sorry." Seeing their forms tense, she rushed to reassure them as remorse clawed at her stomach. "I'm sorry it took me this long to help."
January 19, 2000
Her fork scraped against porcelain as Caroline flicked around a clump of now cold scrambled egg. It was the lone piece left on her plate beside toast crumbs and tiny flecks of yellow-white. She could feel her mom's eyes on her, but she knew the sheriff was a patient woman. Her mom could wait for her to speak up about what was clearly bothering her.
Biting her lip, Caroline wondered how she could phrase her question. It seemed so crazy and random. Flicking her eyes up from her plate, the blonde continued to absently fiddle with her fork.
"Mom?"
The older blonde lowered the newspaper in her hands. "What is it, Caroline?"
"Have um, have you ever heard of d-dames blanches?" Her tongue stumbled over the foreign words of her dream.
"Where did you hear that?" The question unexpectedly came from behind her, Dad's voice sounding sharper than usual.
She twisted to look up at him.
"My dream?" She half-asked a bit taken aback by his tone and the odd expression on his face.
She watched as he seemed to sag a bit, and he rubbed a tired hand down his face.
"Dad?" She started to rise from her seat, concern blossoming in her chest, but he just waved her back. He walked over to the table and sat, more collapsing than lowering himself into the chair. Her mom set down the newspaper, shifting concerned eyes between her husband and her daughter.
"Why don't you tell us about your dreams, okay?"
Caroline shifted in her seat, unsure where all this tension was coming from. She licked her suddenly dry lips, letting her eyes linger on her dad's face, though her mom had asked the question.
"Well…"
And she told them.
How it all started with an odd boy in her dreams.
May 16, 1998
Caroline beamed as she looked around, eyes taking in the explosion of colors. Wildflowers rustled as a breeze swept through the clearing and she giggled as the plants tickled the exposed skin of her arms and legs.
Throwing her arms out, Caroline spun in delight, the skirt of her dress twirling around with her.
A sudden voice called out to her, startling her. She frowned (pouted) angrily from where she had fallen in the grass, rubbing at her sore butt and turning her gaze to the source of the voice.
It was a blonde haired boy.
She stood with a huff, planting her hands on her hips. "Meanie! Didn't your Mommy ever teach you not to scare people?"
The boy just blinked at her, before opening his mouth to say something back.
This time it was Caroline who blinked, having not understood a word he had said. Her stance relaxed in her confusion, and she cocked her head.
"What are you saying?!" She finally yelled feeling a bit frustrated as the boy continued to say something to her.
He backed up, startled by her shouting, and she softened, feeling a little bad for scaring him too.
"Sorry," she mumbled as she stepped closer, extending her hand to shake his. It would only be polite, just like Mommy taught her.
The boy looked at her weirdly, but reached out his own hand. He gripped just below her elbow, which was odd, but Caroline shrugged and went with it, wrapping her own fingers around his arm.
With her free hand she pointed to herself. "Car-o-line."
He seemed to get it as he repeated it back to her before resting his own hand on his chest. "Nikulás." 1
April 29, 1999
Caroline giggled as she ran threw the forest, listening for footsteps. She muffled her gasp as she heard rustling from her left and quickly ducked behind a tree to the right. Holding her breath, she strained her ears to catch the sound of an approach, but the woods were quiet.
"I found you!"
Caroline screeched in surprise and offense as Nik appeared out of nowhere and half tackled her to ground.
He laughed from above her as she scowled and puffed out a breath. She swatted at him, annoyed.
"Alright, alright. Get off me!"
He snickered one last time, but obeyed and stood up, extending a hand to her.
She glared, but begrudgingly accepted the gesture, letting him pull her to her feet.
"I demand a rematch!"
"Wait," her mom held up a hand, her newspaper dangling largely forgotten in the other, and interrupted her babbling about how she and Nik met. "What does this have to do with Dames Blanches?"
"I was getting there!"
Caroline wilted a little as both her parents leveled reprimanding looks in her direction.
"Sorry, but I thought you wanted to know the backstory too. You're the ones who always say the full story is important!"
"That's true, honey, but if you could tell us the Dames Blanches part first and then come back to this?"
"Fine," Caroline muttered a little sulkily, having been enjoying getting the opportunity to talk about Nik with someone.
January 17, 2000
Caroline huffed, crossing her arms and legs as she floated in the sky. These were her least favorite dreams. She couldn't interact with anyone, couldn't touch or speak to them. And they didn't seem able to see, hear, or touch her either. The few times she had tried she had fallen through them like some kind of ghost. It was rather annoying!
Still, Caroline could admire the pretty blonde woman that sometimes appeared in these dreams. This time she was wearing an elegant white gown as she stood by the side of a bridge. There was a taller blonde man standing in front of her. As he looked down at her, he muttered something too quietly for Caroline to hear.
Floating closer, she watched as the man turned to peer over his shoulder. He turned back to the woman.
"Essayez de ne pas faire trop de gâchis, ma sœur." 2
Caroline grumbled. She really hated these dreams. Why couldn't they just speak English?! Learning one language to talk with Nik was quite enough, thank you very much! (Who was she kidding, though? She knew she would run to the library when she woke up to find language dictionaries and try to parse out what was said.)
In a blur, the man vanished from sight just as a carriage appeared in the distance, and just as quickly the blonde woman's face shifted from looking annoyed to looking worried.
When the carriage finally arrived at the bridge where she was standing, a well dressed gentleman stepped out.
"Pardonnez-moi, mademoiselle. Est-ce que vous allez bien? Où sont vos gardiens?" 3
Caroline watched, unsurprised, as the woman's eyes seemed to shift oddly a smile curling across her face. The ghost dreams always followed the same set off people (creatures?) and their more odd traits had long ceased to unnerve her.
"Oh, je vais bien. Je cherche juste un gentleman avec qui danser. Voulez-vous danser avec moi, mon seigneur?" 4
Although, she couldn't understand a word, Caroline still had the sense the other blonde was mocking the man. And said man look oddly pale and fearful, though he stumbled forward to take the blonde's extended hand.
"Mon Dieu. C'est vrai. Dames Blanches." 5
The two swirled around the bridge in a mockery of an elegant waltz. The steps were perfect to Caroline's untrained eyes, but the man still looked pale and horrified. And it seemed to be the blonde leading the dance.
The woman leaned closer, her eyes darkening as black veins crawled down her face, fangs appearing in her mouth.
"Non, je suis quelque chose de bien pire." 6
Harpa 7 981 AD
Nikulás had been startled by the strange blonde girl that had appeared in his dreams a few moons ago. She seemed to babble nonsense when she first appeared, though it didn't take him too long to teach her some of his own language. Though he did often have to suppress his laughter at her accent. The one time he didn't quite manage she had smacked him for it. Which was deserved, he supposed.
Still, thanks to her regular appearances, he had gotten quite good at noticing when he was dreaming. Like he was right now.
The clearing they always seemed to start in looked as calm and bright as ever. And although he looked around, he couldn't spot his new friend anywhere so he settled down to wait.
"Got you!" A voice shouted in his ear as small arms wrapped around his shoulders from behind. He tumbled sideways with a soft oomph from the unexpected weight. It didn't really hurt though and any lingering pain quickly dissolved in light of her giggles.
He turned to playfully scowl up at her which didn't dim the beaming smile spread across her face. She stuck her tongue out at him. "Hah! Pay back!"
Cracking a smile, he gently pushed the girl back a bit so he could sit up.
"Such a fierce shield maiden, Karoline." 8 He was mostly teasing and he laughed when she scrunched up her nose at him.
Though she shook it off quickly and leapt to her feet, pulling him with her.
"Tag you're it!" She shouted before sprinting off into the woods.
Karoline could still startle him with her bursts of energy and it took him a second to take off after her.
"That was a dirty trick!"
August 30, 2014
Klaus opened his eyes slowly, staring up at his ceiling in vague puzzlement. He wasn't sure why he suddenly had such a vivid recollection of his boyhood. After all, Karoline hadn't truly been in his thoughts in centuries.
Oh, he had long figured out she was his soulmate. They were one of the rare few connected to each other with multiple tethers to his dismay. Though even he wasn't sure how dream sharing worked through time.
His thoughts were disrupted as soft fingers traced circles on his chest.
"Hmm, you're up already?" A woman's voice cooed.
Klaus felt a flash of annoyance. He had been in a rather celebratory mood last night after word of a doppelgänger reached his ears and he had picked up several women and a few men for blood and sex. High off his pending success he hadn't even drained whichever one he last took to bed. Something he planned to rectify.
Not dignifying her words with a response he wrapped a hand around her neck, tugging her throat to his lips. The start of her moan quickly died into a strangled scream, his fangs piercing deeply as he silenced his interruption.
He carelessly flung the corpse from his bed, catching the slight trickle of blood from his lips with his thumb. At least his palate had still been intact last night, as her blood was quite delicious.
August 30, 2014
"Are you sure about this, Gorgeous?" The man watched, eyes filled with traces of concern as they tracked the pacing of their blonde friend.
"When else am I going to have a guaranteed meeting with my soulmate? It's a miracle that I heard anything at all about his movements."
"Well…" Caroline whirled and jabbed a warning finger in the man's direction.
"Shut it, Enzo! You know why I won't use the bond."
Enzo lifted his arms in surrender, unfazed by her outburst. Stepping closer he rested his hands on her shoulders, giving them a reassuring squeeze.
"Relax, Gorgeous. You've planned this extensively." His lip quirked. "I'm sure your backup plans have backup plans."
A little bit of tension bled away at Enzo's teasing. It was true, she really did have plans A-F. And G-K just to be safe. However, confronting someone like Klaus over the doppelgänger ...it was daring to say the least. But Bonnie was her friend. One of her best friends. So, while Caroline didn't care much for Elena, Bonnie did, and that was enough for her. Besides using a clueless young woman as your army creating blood bag was pretty abhorrent, regardless of Caroline's personal feelings.
She shook her head, refocusing her thoughts on her plans.
"Right, let's head over to Bonnie's."
August 31, 2014
"Hey, thanks for inviting me, Caroline." Elena tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "I know we haven't really gotten along in the past."
Caroline gave an easy half-shrug. "Yeah, of course, you're Bonnie's friend too. We can be adults about this even if we never become friends."
Elena offered a little smile and a nod before ducking further into the house.
Elena snorted, her drink probably stinging painfully as it almost came out her nose.
"Stop! Stop!" She laughed. "Tell me you didn't?"
Caroline smirked into the rim of her glass, pausing dramatically as she took a sip.
"Oh, I did."
The brunette parted her lips, about to demand details, when the doorbell rang.
"I'll get it," Elena shouted, already on her feet and heading down the stairs. "I'm grilling you when I get back though!"
Caroline and Bonnie exchanged pointed looks, both listening to Elena's receding footsteps. Considering the handy alert wards Bonnie had on her house, they knew it wasn't their pizza at the door. They nodded to each other.
Show time.
Determination filled the witch's eyes as she quietly slipped down the stairs after her friend. Caroline held back. It wouldn't be wise to show all their cards, so while she flitted down the stairs as well, she blurred to a hidden vantage point in the kitchen.
There was a crinkle of bills as the door swung open.
"Hey, thanks for- oh, sorry you're not the delivery man. Um, are you a friend of Bonnie's?"
"I am actually, may I come in?" The voice was male and British, which admittedly took her aback. She had heard it shaped by Old Norse, French, Italian, and several dozen more languages. But rarely had she heard him speak English. She supposed she understood why he picked it though, villains, rather unfairly, often came with enticing accents.
"Oh, um yeah, come in."
"Elena don-!" That was Bonnie, playing her part flawlessly. So far, so good.
"Bonnie, what's going on?" Caroline could hear the trepidation in Elena's voice and she tensed in preparation.
"Well, I've been invited in. Thank you, Elena." The British voice practically purred and Caroline had to shove down an involuntary shiver. God, not the time!
Her vampiric senses easily caught the ensuing scuffle. There was a sound of rustling and rapid movement as well as a grunt of pain.
"Elena, get behind me!"
"A Bennett witch," she head the man hiss. Although she knew Bonnie was purposefully holding back for the sake of the plan, the vampire was still recovering rapidly. A feminine yelp of pain reached her ears and she figured that was her cue.
In a blur, Caroline rushed between Elena and the intruder, taking advantage of his surprise to remove his grip on Elena's arm.
She regarded the man before her, with his golden curls and crystalline blue eyes. His seemingly angelic features complete with a pair of dimples and everything. She looked at this creature and knew. Knew he was a nightmare masquerading as a dream.
This was Klaus.
Her soulmate.
And he only further proved it when his eyes darkened, a smirk curling across his lips though there was nothing pleasant about it. Every inch of him promised pain as he eyed her and Bonnie in turn.
Her trips with her father to hunt, rumors through the supernatural grapevine they all taught her about this Klaus, the monster. Her dreams taught her of Klaus the man.
And she realized it hurt a little as she took in the arrogant twist of his lips, the devilish glint in his eyes, the lack of recognition in his gaze. He was taught nothing of her. She was just another stranger. Worse, an insignificant obstacle as far as he was concerned.
"My name is Klaus. Perhaps, you've heard of me?"
Caroline felt the burn of the words on her chest and cut off whatever threat was sure to follow. She looked him dead in the eye.
"I know who you are."
Klaus smirked a bit amused as his Lexus ES9 passed the Welcome to Mystic Falls sign. He can admit that he laughed when the witch tracked his latest doppelgänger's location. Gods were no longer things he believed in but if they did exist, then at least they had a sense of humor.
Although, he didn't know what to expect seeing as he hadn't stepped foot in his birthplace since the day he left it centuries ago. But it was doubtful he was missing much based on the population count. And indeed, the actual town was small and quaint; it didn't take him much longer than ten minutes to pull up to the correct house.
Said house was as equally small and quaint as the rest of the town, and his keen senses picked up the sounds of his doppelgänger's voice in the house. She sounded a little tipsy if he wasn't mistaken which really made everything much easier. She was practically gift wrapped for him.
Sauntering up the front steps, he pressed the doorbell, listening with mounting anticipation as his doppelgänger offered to open the door.
A few moments later the girl pulled the door open, several bills in her hand. Evidently she was expecting someone else, takeout judging from her little spiel. He wasn't paying much attention to her words, distracted by the perfect mirror image she was of Katerina and Tatia before her. 500 years and at last his latest doppelgänger was in his grasp.
"-are you a friend of Bonnie's?"
He took the presented opportunity, smiling in a hopefully innocent fashion as he blatantly lied.
"I am actually, may I come in?"
Amusingly, no one had informed this girl of the supernatural or even just basic personal safety as she barely hesitated to extend an invitation. A subtle check of the threshold revealed the barrier was indeed down, and he waltzed across it without issue.
One of the other girls rounded the corner just as he entered the house, a warning on her lips. One that came far too late.
The room's new addition shot daggers at him with her eyes. Paired with the magical aura that surrounded her, he easily concluded she was a witch. One with a much better idea of what he was than his poor, confused doppelgänger.
"Bonnie, what's going on?" As much as he hated to admit it, Katerina was intelligent and cunning. Something the latest edition clearly lacked, as she only now seemed to pick up on the tension.
He smirked down at the girl, reveling in the blooming fear he could see in her eyes.
"Well, I've been invited in. Thank you, Elena."
He reached for his doppelgänger, while his eyes remained locked on the witch, silently daring her to interfere.
Which she did.
Typical.
The aneurysm she inflicted was impressively painful, though not the worst he'd faced. But he reacted just enough for the witch to herd his doppelgänger behind her and out of his immediate reach.
The gesture would be admirable if it weren't vexing.
"A Bennett witch," he acknowledged, wondering how much of a fight she would put up.
Unfortunately for them his speed alone allowed him to slip through her guard, snatching his doppelgänger by the arm. The girl yelped in pain or alarm, he neither knew nor cared for yet another decided to interfere.
The last of the voices he had overheard apparently belonged to a vampire, made evident when a blonde suddenly appeared, rushing between him and his doppelgänger.
He was amused by their daring, a baby vampire and a baby Bennett witch defying him, The Original Hybrid. But since he was in such a magnanimous mood today, he would give them one chance to rethink their actions before he tore them apart for their insolence.
The violence he was known for shone in his eyes, and he gazed at each of them allowing them to witness it for themselves.
"My name is Klaus." He absorbed their reactions, a bit surprised that recognition shone in both their eyes. Apparently, his legend had spread even farther than he expected. A dark smirk curled on his lips at the thought. "Perhaps, you've heard of me?"
The audacious blonde stepped toward him, her blue eyes burning.
"I know who you are."
Thoughts of the doppelgänger actually escaped him as he processed the burn of the words scrawled across his back.
Well, that changed things.
February 27, 2009
Caroline tottered in her five inch stilettos, swaying awkwardly as she staggered down the dark street. She came to a stop at a light-post, where she leaned against the cool metal. It felt soothing against her heated skin and it also made an excellent brace as she bent over to rub at her sore calves and ankles.
She was still fiddling with the straps of her shoes, debating whether it was worth it to remove them, when a voice addressed her.
"A bit too much to drink, eh?"
Caroline straightened to take in the owner of the voice, shifting her weight a little. The man had shaggy black hair and icy blue eyes, nothing about him particularly noteworthy one way or the other. Though she would say he was moderately attractive if asked. Still, there was something about his eyes and smile that seemed mocking, malicious even.
Holding up a hand and pinching her fingers together, Caroline giggled. "Only a bit."
The man took a step closer.
"Well, why don't I walk you home?"
Caroline tilted her head, brow scrunching in thought. "Oh, I don't know...Daddy, said never go home with strangers."
The man sneered apparently fed up with her antics. "Hmm, you should listen to Daddy, little girl."
In a blur of speed, he closed the small gap between them. His hands reached for her ass beneath her skirt, his fingers harsh as he groped her. Their gazes locked and she watched his pupils dilate.
"Don't scream. You will obey my every order."
Caroline let her features turn blank as disgust settled in her stomach. She parted her lips as if she were about to repeat the orders, but instead threw her weight backward and out of his hold. Moving with the force, Caroline spun to keep the momentum and swept the vampire's feet out from under him.
He was startled, but his features quickly shifted into a snarl, fangs and veins bared. He lunged a second time, but it was predictable. Stance firm, Caroline targeted his knee cap with the deceivingly strong point of her heel, the combined forces breaking it easily.
The vampire fell again with a howl, apparently not used to pain. Wasting no time, Caroline took ruthless advantage as she pulled out the stake holstered on her upper thigh. In one smooth, swift motion she stabbed it between the 4th and 5th rib just as she was taught. The body shriveled and greyed as expected, and Caroline let out a breath at the successful blow.
March 6, 2009
Bill sat stoically, fingers laced on the table. The blond across from him looked up from the video footage captured via a hacked street camera. Footage now carefully altered of course.
"It was certainly impressive, William. Your daughter takes after you I suppose?"
Bill nodded, allowing a hint of pride to shine through. "She does indeed."
The other man drummed his fingers on the wood in thought. After a few more moments, the man nodded to himself.
"Well, I supposed I should welcome her to Augustine then."
Mission accomplished, Bill stood and extended his hand to the other man.
"Thank you for your time, Dr. Maxfield."
June 3, 2009
"Caroline, you've been one of our most effective agents. Truly, you do the Forbes name proud."
Caroline offered a small smile, proud of what she'd accomplished even if the compliment was coming from Maxfield. He'd been perfectly genial to her, but she couldn't help the odd vibes she got from him and she had long learned to trust her instincts. Still, her mother didn't raise her to be rude.
"Thank you."
Standing from his desk, the man walked around it to half-sit half-lean on the edge in front of her.
"So I think it's time I showed you the true purpose of Augustine."
Caroline quirked a brow, hiding the way alarm bells rang in her head.
"True purpose?"
Rising again, the man gestured for her to follow him.
Caroline kept her face carefully stoic as she absorbed what was before her. The room Maxfield had taken her to was an underground laboratory. In its center a metal examination table stood, the walls lined with cabinets and shelves filled with various tools. She didn't focus too much on those, more concerned with the man bound to the table.
Metal shackles encircled his wrists, ankles and neck. IV drips were inserted in both of his arms, and she was a bit startled to note that they both looked like they contained blood rather than the usual saline solution.
Caroline half-turned to face Maxfield, making sure her tone was level.
"What is this?"
More animated than she had ever seen him, Maxfield all but pranced forward, spreading his arms like a showman as he boasted, "This is the true Augustine! And this," the man maneuvered a bit closer to his captive, "is subject 12144."
"A vampire." Tone flat, it wasn't really a question. But even if she was wrong, she would be equally appalled if the man ended up being a human, wolf, or witch.
"Of course." The man had the nerve to sound vaguely offended. "The research generated is invaluable. The advances in human medicine and weapons against vampires? They're countless, thanks to this."
Caroline stepped closer, eyes flicking down to look at the captive vampire. She carefully didn't react as his eyes caught hers, the hatred emanating from them palpable. Frankly, it was justified.
Looking up again at Maxfield, she found the mania in his eyes to be much more disturbing. Deciding to get to the heart of the matter, Caroline latched onto something Maxfield had said earlier.
"12144? There are others?"
The man sighed, crossing his arms in disappointment. "There were. Unfortunately, none have been as durable as 12144. Sixty years ago, we also suffered a terrible blow when the facilities went up in flames. At least one escaped while the rest burned, except for 12144 here."
Caroline pursed her lips, eyes drifting to the IV bags filled with blood. "You lace it with vervain," she realized.
"Clever girl!" Maxfield was once more filled with inappropriate glee. "Yes, I don't want him desiccated at the moment, but we can't have him strong enough to escape either. And it's actually more vervain than it is blood, 12144 has gained quite the resistance unfortunately."
Caroline debated her options. Licking her lips, she asked one last question.
"Seems like a large operation. Surely you must have help between your work here and your teaching duties?"
Maxfield shook his head. "Unfortunately, I've had to cut back since there hasn't been anyone else to help me with it. That's where I'm hoping you will come in actually, Caroline."
"I assure you I will be very helpful." A smile on her face, Maxfield didn't register anything wrong until his vision went black and his consciousness left him.
Turning her attention to the vampire, Caroline took a moment to thank the universe that someone else also believed in clear labeling. Dropping the syringe she had palmed, she asked, "Do you know where he kept the regular blood bags?"
The suspicion in vampire's gaze was understandable, but he answered all the same, wariness lacing his tone. "The cabinet on the far left wall."
Caroline nodded. She removed the vervained blood from their lines before doing the same with the needles. Although she tried to do it as carefully as possible she was still glad vampire healing would negate any problems that could arise from doing it wrong. That done, she turned to examined the cabinets on the left side of the room. Maxfield's labeling again came in handy and Caroline easily found the cooled storage of blood bags.
Returning with an armful, she set them down and dug out her phone.
It rang. Once. Twice.
"Hey, Dad, I'm going to need your help."
Caroline surveyed the lab while she waited for her dad to arrive, her lips curling with revulsion as most of the cabinets revealed numerous instruments of torture. The computer files were a bit more interesting, revealing some admittedly fascinating findings. And if she hadn't known how they were obtained she would be more impressed.
Circling back around the room, she kneeled by Maxfield's slumped body and tested his pulse. Based on his thorough notes, it didn't seem like she would need to re-inject him anytime soon, but she prepared another syringe just in case.
Throughout all of this, she could feel the eyes of the vampire on her as she moved about. She had figured out the table could be maneuvered to allow him to sit up, and the man took full advantage of the opportunity to scrutinize her every action.
"Planning to take over from our dear friend Maxfield after all?"
It was the first time he had spoken since she asked about the blood bags, bags she had set in an ice bucket bar the single one she had given him. It was a gamble, as she was uncertain how much strength he could scrounge from even just one bag, but he had looked near grey before she handed it over. Torture wasn't something she was ready to abide so she had to take her chances.
With that in mind, their gazes were equally wary when she turned to regard him. "Not at all," she declared, tone firm and steady. "However, I'm also not an idiot. I'm one semi-trained human against a weakened, but desperate vampire. That's a bit too much of a wild card for my tastes."
Something like bitter approval flashed in his eyes as he fell silent once more.
"You have a knack for getting into trouble."
Caroline startled slightly at the sound of her dad's voice having not heard his approach at all. She turned to face him, absently noting that the vampire already had his eyes trained on the doorway. Her stomach twisted as she noted her dad looked disturbed as he surveyed the room, but not surprised.
"Wait, did you know about this?!" She withheld a wince at the pitch she reached by the end of the question, the answer far too important.
Her dad grimaced. "Care…"
Incredulity and shame competed for being the forerunner of her emotions as she stomped forward and jabbed her finger into her dad's chest. Repeatedly.
"Um, no, 'Care' is not the correct response. It's a yes or no question. Did. You. Know?" Caroline stared her dad down, noting the apparent turmoil in his eyes. The man sighed.
"I had my suspicions, Caroline. But did I know? I didn't."
She processed his answer, not sure how she felt about his "suspicions".
"Well, this is nice and all, but if someone is interested in releasing me anytime soon…" The vampire drawled from behind them, interrupting their little standoff.
Caroline turned to face him again, a bit sheepish that she had shuffled him to the back of her mind.
"Right…"
June 4, 2009
Caroline had never felt more awkward at her own dinner table as the dark haired vampire eyed her suspiciously from across it. Her eyes darted around the room, landing on his heterochromatic pair before looking away again.
He had reluctantly introduced himself as Enzo after she had freed him. Considering how he seemed to be withholding a twitch every time she used his name, she had to assume he only gave it her so she wouldn't address him by a number.
See, calling her dad ultimately ended in calling Sheila and reinforcing the protective magics over the Forbes family. Which led, to her dad's not so hidden dismay, to her freeing Enzo who then proceeded to follow them home.
"Ummm, so why did you come here? Surely you'd rather be off enjoying your newfound freedom?" Caroline waved her arm trying to encompass a general sense of everything. "I mean, I've never really been anywhere, but if I had been trapped for decades on end, the first thing I would do is book it for the other side of the world."
Enzo's expression had smoothed out during her awkward attempt to break the silence, looking a bit amused which she bristled at.
"Noted. I'll be sure to book your trip should I ever need to break you out of somewhere." His expression grew more solemn. "And that's why I'm here. You broke me out of that hell hole and I pay my debts."
Caroline blinked in surprise, not really having expected that answer though maybe she should have. Older vampires came with codes of honor? Who knew. Although, her expression turned wry as she informed him, "Yeah, I don't know how the whole 'vampire sticking around idea' is going to fly with my dad."
"Oh, it just barely gets off the ground."
This time Caroline didn't startle, having heard her dad's footsteps. He stood behind her, hands resting on the back of her chair as he stared down the vampire across from her.
"Enzo, was it?" He paused knowing full well it was, making sure he had the vampire's attention. "My daughter can be too kind for her own good so until your debt is paid you're going to watch her back." Caroline opened her mouth to object, but her dad anticipated it, squeezing her shoulder and giving her a warning look. She crossed her arms and sat back, waiting to see what he would say. "And should you need some added incentive…" A folder slapped onto the table, sliding across the smooth wood finish to Enzo. "I had some contacts track down the rest of Augustine."
Barely refraining from gaping, Caroline darted her eyes between Enzo and his immediate perusal of the folder and her dad's face. He still looked cold as he regarded the vampire, but also triumphant. Turning, the man moved to exit throwing one last parting remark as he left.
"And just a reminder, there's some ownership paperwork, witches, and an arsenal all waiting in the wings should you step a toe out of line."
"No way! He said that?" The other girl looked shocked, but also a bit impressed. Her eyebrows raised and green eyes a tad wider.
Caroline nodded from her position sprawled in one of the beanbags.
The girl whistled in response. "Damn, your dad's a badass."
Caroline snorted with laughter, appreciating Bonnie's frankness after her strange day. "Yeah, he kinda is."
June 13, 2009
Bonnie scowled, kicking at a small rock in front of her and sending it flying.
"Your dad's a badass and mine's a deadbeat."
Caroline watched on in concern, biting her lip as she struggled with what to say. She wasn't one to offer empty platitudes, and Bonnie wasn't one to accept such things either. Mystic Falls was a small town that really embraced the stereotypes, so it was a bit of an open secret that Bonnie's dad had never been the greatest, flitting in and out of her life after her mother absconded. Still, she wondered what he must have done to warrant such a strong reaction, since, as infuriating as it was, Bonnie had grown fairly inoculated to her father's shitty parenting.
"What has he done this time?"
It seemed impossible for the other girl's scowl to get any deeper, but she managed. "He left," she hissed.
Caroline waited for the rest of the story, as leaving was the guy's MO.
Bonnie's rage melted into despair, tears beading at the corner of her eyes. "He left," she repeated, voice breaking. "And he's not coming back this time."
Shock washed through her, for all that she thought poorly of Bonnie's father, somehow she still thought he wouldn't go that last extra step, wouldn't actually cut Bonnie out of his life.
"None of his things are here anymore. What he couldn't put in his car he had shipped. He's really gone, Care."
Caroline laid on her side, a thin sheet haphazardly draped across her in deference to the summer weather, the warm heat of her friend beside her.
Ben & Jerry's, some smuggled Captain Morgan, and mindless gossip was exactly the remedy Bonnie had needed. A throwback to their old slumber parties with the handy edition of alcohol. Something familiar. Something easy.
And in the dark, Caroline whispered her own confession.
"My dad's gay."
There was silence. A beat. Two. Sheets rustled as Bonnie turned over.
"What?" The question was a tad groggy and filled with confusion.
Caroline shifted onto her back, stared up at the ceiling, eyes tracing whatever markings she could make out.
"Yeah, he's not as subtle as he thinks he is. Some guy named Steven." She let out a heavy breath. "And it's not that I'm upset he's gay. I mean I feel terrible for Mom because there's no way she doesn't know, but it's because there's no clean break." Caroline rubbed at her chest. "No chance for distance or closure. And I know it's because of me." Her eyelids fluttered closed as she stared hard at the new darkness, faux sparks of dim light flashing. "Because he's terrified of leaving me alone, without his protection."
Bonnie sat up, reaching over to turn the bedside lamp on.
"Caroline, you're not making any sense. You're almost seventeen not seven, why would he be afraid?"
Caroline's eyes were still closed, her fingers still toying with the neckline of her tank top.
"I have a soul mark, Bonnie." Wordlessly, she hooked a finger on the edge of her shirt and tugged it down slightly. She didn't need to open her eyes to know what marked her skin in black script, letters sharp and elegant.
My name is Klaus. Perhaps, you've heard of me?
"...Okay, I still win the shitty dads contest, but you definitely get the shitty soulmate prize."
Caroline barked out a laugh.
August 30, 2014
Caroline and Enzo blurred together to Bonnie's front door, halting with only the slightest displacement of air. Near instantly, their witchy friend was pulling open the door. Her initial expression of pleasant surprise quickly fell into something more solemn and concerned.
"He knows about Elena." It was a statement not a question, though Caroline voiced a quick affirmative.
Lips pursed, Bonnie pulled the door open wider and stepped aside to let the two inside.
"I already called Sheila," Caroline announced as she moved farther into the house. "But I hope it doesn't come to that." Stopping suddenly in the middle of the room, she whirled around on her heel and clapped her hands together, nodding to herself. "Right. Bonnie did you figure out the house ownership thing?"
Despite the seriousness of the situation, Bonnie's lip twitched a bit at Caroline's demeanor and naming ability. House ownership thing, indeed. "I did." Cocking her head slightly, the witch proved it as both Caroline and Enzo felt a sharp jolt. They jerked, though she released the magic immediately.
"Fantastic. The protection and barrier spells?" Caroline continued, ticking them off on her fingers.
Bonnie nodded. "As soon as Elena arrives I can cast it. All the components for a barrier are also ready should we need it."
Turning the blonde arched an eyebrow at Enzo.
He smirked. "Don't worry about me, Gorgeous, my part is easy. Grab the girls and run like hell."
Her eye roll was half-hearted, but well-deserved in her opinion. Taking a deep breath, Caroline regarded her two closest friends.
"Thank you for this. I know I don't say it enough but I really appreciate it. This isn't exactly a small thing I'm asking for."
Bonnie walked over, bumping her shoulder with hers. "Of course, Care. Besides I know you'd have my back if the situation were reversed."
Enzo too stepped closer, throwing an arm over their shoulders. "Couldn't have said it better myself. Besides," he added eyes twinkling, "your dad would eviscerate me if I didn't have your back."
Caroline did not regret the elbow she dug into his stomach, warm affection bubbling in her chest. Unfortunately, she had to break the moment of levity as she pulled out her phone, feeling it vibrate in her pocket. Her eyes quickly scanned the message.
"Right so good news, we got really lucky and the witch Klaus asked for a location spell from was Lucy, and she managed to stall a bit and delay him. Bad news, he was close enough that he'll still get here by late tomorrow evening at the latest." Her thumbs flew across the touchscreen, tapping out first a thank you to Lucy before pulling up a text to one of the last people she thought she would message.
To Elena: Bonnie and I are having a girl's night tomorrow. ...Do you want to join us?
From Elena: ...Really?
Caroline blew a lock of hair out of her face.
To Elena: Yeah, I guess it's time to bury the hatchet, maybe? Bonnie's friends with you too.
From Elena: Wow, that's really mature of you. (Caroline scowled, God, could she be anymore condescending?) Thanks, when should I come over?
To Elena: 6?
From Elena: Alright, I'll be there.
Looking up from her phone, Caroline announced, "Well, that's Elena taken care of. Now, we just have to negotiate with the Hybrid. Easy."
August 31, 2014
Caroline watched a flicker of shock cross the Hybrid's expression. It was satisfying to confirm she had the upper-hand, especially considering he was a thousand years old. But for that same reason, she could feel the rush of anxiety coursing through her, along with a tinge of, perhaps inappropriate, anticipation. A part of her reveled in the challenge, the opportunity to see her plans come to fruition against such a foe.
She braced herself as she watched his expression clear, a calculating glint in his eyes.
It truly did seem to be a good day to be Niklaus Mikaelson. Who could have predicted that a sleepy, one-pony town like Mystic Falls would be home to both his soulmate and the doppelgänger. The words on his back continued to prickle as his thoughts rapidly assimilated the new information, plans being formed and discarded by the dozens.
He could feel the bond settling into place. But despite the romantic drivel Rebekah was hung up on, his world didn't suddenly shift on its axis or incorporate some other equally ridiculous sentiment. Instead, he could feel a new awareness for his supposed soulmate, a tiny kernel of warmth. It was troubling, after a thousand years, to find himself so uniquely bound to one person. And yet a part of him was also greedy longed for it, for someone that could be utterly his, someone that shouldn't be able to betray him.
His eyes narrowed as he buried such sentiments, raking his gaze over the figure of his soulmate, her body still posed defensively in front of the brunette. She was certainly beautiful, he could admit, and fierce if her willingness to go against him was any indicator. It was brave, but foolish. Something to work on.
Shifting, Klaus adopted a less threatening posture, his features seeming a bit softer.
"Well, you're certainly a surprise, sweetheart."
She lifted her chin defiantly, her blue eyes still boring into his. "It's Caroline not sweetheart."
He suppressed a smirk, a bit charmed despite himself. With a slight nod of acknowledgement he purred her name, rolling the syllables across his tongue.
"Caroline, then, I'm afraid I still have some business with your friend. I don't suppose you'll stand aside?"
She scoffed, shifting to shield more of the brunette that still looked confused and fearful as she cowered behind her.
"No. What do you even want from her anyway?"
"That's a long and rather tedious story."
She looked utterly unimpressed by his half-hearted evasion, her tone wry when she countered.
"We're vampires. Time is something we have in spades."
The clueless girl let out a gasp at the word vampires, staggering back a step or two. Klaus didn't bother to suppress his derisive snort, his eyes darting over the blonde's shoulder. His gaze locked with shocked brown eyes, not bothering with compulsion as he could detect the sharp scent of vervain. Instead he let a slight smile cross his face, the expression mocking and lacking any warmth.
"I would advise that you make less noise, lest you continue to draw my attention." To her credit, the girl quivered, but seemed to understand his point. Her lips pressed firmly together and he thought he could detect a hint of rationality surf from her panic. Unconcerned, he returned his attention back to his daring soulmate.
Her face didn't reveal what she thought of his, frankly mild, threat. She seemed to be ignoring it altogether, waiting for him to answer her questions. She really was something, demanding answers from him, but he decided to indulge her.
"You see, love, I'm the only one of my kind, and to turn more I need the doppelgänger's blood." He tilted his head toward said girl. "Your little friend there."
He eyed the blonde speculatively as he noted she didn't seem surprised by his confession.
She just shook her head. "You don't get points for attempting such delicate phrasing. I'm not going to let you use Elena," she looked at him pointedly as she emphasized the girl's name, "as your personal blood bag."
Klaus could feel his features tighten with the first tendrils of irritation. Soulmate or no, he was growing tired of her attempts to stand in his way.
"Let?" He repeated, tone deceptively light. "Oh, sweetheart, no one lets me do anything."
She sighed.
He thought it was in resignation. A mistake.
A split second later he found himself on the floor an inescapable wave of pressure and pain pinning him down. It was stronger than any he had felt before and no matter how he fought, it wouldn't dissipate. From the corner of his eye he saw another vampire rush off with the other two girls, but even his reflexive snarl was smothered by whatever force surrounded him.
It left as quickly as it came, and Klaus wasted no time leaping to his feet. He was furious, his monster on full display. He lunged at her, though beneath the rage there was a tiny speck of hurt he refused to acknowledge and beneath that, even now, was a reluctance to truly hurt the blonde. Regardless of any feelings he may or may not have his attack was thwarted as he was repelled by a barrier.
He paced for a moment, now sensing the spelled dome that surrounded him.
"You're making a mistake." His voice was more growl than words and for the first time Caroline growled back at him, fangs bared.
"No, I'm not! I wanted to be reasonable, Klaus. But no, there was no room in your head after your giant fucking ego to hear what I had to say." Her vampire features faded away as she calmed slightly, voice taking on a more sardonic tone. "Well, now you have to listen to me."
Spreading his arms, Klaus was equally sardonic. "I'm listening."
Caroline inhaled a fortifying breath wondering what higher power/quirk of fate/mysticism bullshit thought it was a good idea to pair her and him together. He was violent. Condescending. Arrogant. Her fists clenched by her sides, a flash of laughter and the echo of Karoline ringing through her mind.
She exhaled. She really didn't know how to back down from a challenge, did she?
She forced herself to relax slightly, her fists unclenching. Peering into his eyes, dark and streaked with wolf gold, she allowed her own to soften slightly. Maybe he would interpret it as weakness, but she could afford civility.
"I've known about you for a long time." She rolled her left shoulder to displace one of the thin straps of her tank top, reaching up to peel the cup of her bra slightly downward. A reminder of his first words. If that hadn't been enough she tacked on a "Nikulás" to drive her point home.
The gold in his eyes flared brighter even as the rest of his expression blanked. Arms crossed behind his back as he cocked his head.
"And I suppose you've heard all kinds of tales."
She absorbed his stoic expression, part of her softening as she caught a glimpse of the boy in the monster.
"Hm, the Forbes are a part of the Council." She gave a slight shrug as she caught a flash of recognition in his gaze, absently repositioning the straps of her shirt. "Plus, I don't like being unprepared. I did a bit of research of my own too." She plowed on before he could comment. "And I am very thorough so I also knew you'd come for Elena eventually." Caroline moved to the edge of the barrier, making sure not to cross it as she kept her tone light. "Did you know she's studying to become a doctor? It made her very conscious of organ and blood donation numbers. In fact, she's a regular participant in blood drives." She smirked. "Shame though, that those donations never make it to a hospital."
This was the second time she managed to catch him visibly off guard and she couldn't help but give herself a mental pat on the back.
Surprise quickly faded to suspicion. "And you'll just hand the blood to me?"
Caroline nodded, pleased that Klaus finally seemed to be taking her seriously. "Provided it prevents you from tormenting her instead, yes." Her gaze hardened again, tone shifting from faux-nonchalance to dead serious. "So, I want your word, Klaus. In exchange for a human doppelgänger's past and future blood donations you will not interfere in anyway in said doppelgänger's life or the lives of any of their possible descendants."
Despite his lingering anger and wounded pride, Klaus found himself reluctantly impressed. Unlike some of the more romanticized fiction there was nothing that kept soulmates from harming or even killing one another. However, one thing they couldn't do was break their word once given. A Soul Vow or Soul Pledge. It was old magic. The kind that ancient ceremonies of soulmate unions, predating even him, were based on. And a little known fact that had been long forgotten for all that modern marriages still carry its vestiges.
An even lesser known fact was that the true force of this vow could only be used once. And she needn't have been so careful with her wording as the vow enforced the intent rather than the letter of the pledge. Knowingly or not, she was sacrificing her own guaranteed protection from him.
After a long moment spent scrutinizing her expression, Klaus slowly brought his right hand to his mouth. In one smooth motion he used his fang to cut a line down the length of his palm. Extending it in her direction, he waited to see if she would cross the barrier to take it.
Quicker than he expected, she mirrored his actions, only hesitating for a moment as she stepped toward him. Hands clasped, blood intermingling, he gave her his word.
Plans. Backup plans. They all fled from her mind as she took Klaus' hand in hers. It was warm. Strong. Not a hand one would associate with a monster. It was a foolish thought, only the monsters in stories had such obvious tells. But it didn't stop her mind from racing as she touched her soulmate for the first time. It was different from touching him in a dream or a memory or for a split second as she defended a woman she didn't even like. Part of it was likely the magic she was invoking, but that didn't stop the feeling of something shifting within her.
She was quick to release him once his word was given, half turning away as she pulled out her phone. Using her hair as a curtain, she made sure her features were composed as she held the phone to her ear, the repetitive ringing grounding.
It rang four times, their agreed upon signal that everything was calm on Bonnie's end.
"Caroline, is everything alright?" She could hear the slight tension in her friend's tone, the clear concern warming her.
"Yeah, all things considered it went pretty smoothly." She shifted slightly, feeling Klaus' gaze on her though she refused to look back. "He made the vow, so you can lower the barriers now."
"...Alright." Despite the clear reluctance, Bonnie trusted her and a few moments later Caroline felt the magic surrounding them fade.
"Thank you, Bonnie." Caroline tried to convey strength of her gratitude and judging by the warmth in the returned "you're welcome" she had succeeded. Still, she planned to lavish her friends with her affection for all their help in this.
Hanging up, Caroline strode past Klaus, still not looking at him. He followed on her heels and she whirled to face him.
"Why are you following me?" She could admit that it wasn't exactly a rational question as she doubted he would leave until he had his promised blood. But she was hyper aware of his presence and it was making her antsy.
In return, the Hybrid just rose an eyebrow at her and confirmed her prediction. She couldn't help but bristle a little that suddenly he was the calm one. Taking another deep breath she spun back around and marched out, trying to settle her nerves. This was stupid! Where had all her composure gone? Surely, he would take his blood and be on his way. Caroline steadfastly ignored the part of her that clenched at the thought.
A few moments later, Klaus stepped around her to open the passenger side door. The gesture was old fashioned, but it figured a veritable fossil like him could pull it off. She looked between him and his car, expression flat.
"You drive a hybrid." Caroline welcomed the amusement she felt as she watched his brow twitch. Despite his clear irritation his response was level.
"Yes. It pays to be environmentally conscious when you're going to live through the consequences." Okay, that was actually a good point. With a contemplative noise, Caroline slid into the passenger seat.
After giving Klaus the address to Bonnie's current location, Caroline settled back in her seat, peering out the window and letting her thoughts drift.
This hadn't been the first "official" meeting her younger self pictured having. Her older more cynical self, filled to the brim with the anxious whispers about the nightmare known as Klaus, was a bit more realistic. And yet even that version of her couldn't fully let go of her optimism, cherished memories still lingering in her mind.
Caroline tilted her head, quickly peeking through her hair at Klaus. He hadn't said a word after thanking her for the address, due to a lack of things to say or in deference to her clear need for space she wasn't sure. She looked away again.
She couldn't deny that he was handsome, but his appearance was hardly why she had qualms with him. Still, it wasn't exactly fair to judge him against the boy she knew he was a thousand years ago. And hadn't she interfered because she wanted to try or at the very least attempt to try? She could be as infuriated as she wanted to be with his atrocious attitude. What she couldn't do was hold the existence of their bond against him. Nor could she pit him in silent competition against his younger self. That wouldn't be fair to any of them, not to the current version of him, not to the past one, and not to herself.
She released a breath, some of her lingering tension bleeding out of her. Right, decisions were good. Plans and lists were excellent.
The car rolled to a stop outside of the small house on the edge of Mystic Falls. Bonnie stood in the doorway, arms crossed as she waited for them. Her skin glowing caramel in the yellow porch light.
To her slight surprise, rather than rushing to Bonnie to get the blood, Klaus circled around again to open her door for her. This time she offered a tiny smile and a quiet "thanks" as she stepped from the car. They silently fell in step with one another as they walked the short distance to where Bonnie stood.
Caroline mouthed the word 'later' in response to Bonnie's quirked eyebrow, her eyes having darted between the two of them.
If Klaus noticed the byplay he ignored it, offering a polite smile. "Ms. Bennett, we seem to have gotten off on the wrong foot."
Bonnie snorted at the vast understatement, arms still crossed as she stared down the Hybrid. "No need to strain yourself, Caroline promised you the blood so you'll get the blood."
He gave a short laugh, a little smirk curling across his lips. "Contrary to popular belief I can be civil, Ms. Bennett."
Bonnie didn't look very convinced, but she pushed off the doorway to let the two of them in. "Right," she drawled.
Caroline noticed the subtle shift Klaus made with his foot, testing the entryway. He didn't show it this time, but she could almost feel his surprise when he was met with no obstruction. Perhaps, Bonnie guessed the direction of his thoughts as well or perhaps (more likely) she wanted the chance to express some threats of her own.
Stepping into the Hybrid's space, green eyes dark and intent, she looked fierce and fearless. "Caroline is one of my oldest friends, one of the best too. If you lay so much as a finger on her with the intent to hurt her…"
The witch trailed off, looking darkly satisfied as Klaus visibly grimaced in response to whatever magic she had inflicted. Though his eyes flashed in anger, there was also a trace of grudging respect in his expression.
"You have my word." He held eye contact with Bonnie for several long moments, and startled her when he suddenly flicked his gaze to her as well. There was a weight to his words. It wasn't a Vow, and yet some, perhaps naive, part of her believed him.
Caroline cleared her throat. "Right, it's this way." Without waiting for a response, she strode forward, leading the way down the hall and to the basement stairs. Wordlessly, she pulled several blood bags from the freezer, packing them neatly into a large cooler. Finishing quickly, she turned and half-shoved it into his grasp.
"That should be all of them. You can come here to collect them in the future or leave a contact and I can ship them to you."
Klaus let the cooler dangle by his side, hand loosely gripping the handle. "May I call on you, Caroline?"
That certainly wasn't what she expected him to say. The old-fashioned phrasing? Yeah, fine alright. His apparent desire to see her again, after everything? In what world did that make sense?! Okay, so fine she promised she would stop judging him so harshly, but since when did Klaus Mikaelson indulge in the idea of soulmates? Hell, earlier he was pissed that she got the better of him.
He seemed to read her with unnerving ease. "No tricks, love."
Again, she didn't know why some part of her was so quick to believe him. By all appearances, he looked sincere, but she doubted he survived so long without being an accomplished liar. And yet she found herself agreeing.
"I rent a place about half an hour away, 1092 Magnolia Crescent, Glenn Vista, VA 24416. ...I suppose you can come by."
"It would be my pleasure. Until then, Caroline." He dipped his head to kiss her knuckles before vanishing in a blur of speed. A split second later she heard a car door followed by its engine and finally the crunch of gravel as it pulled away.
She released the breath she hadn't even realized she had been holding, tipping her head back to stare at the dark wood beams crossing the basement ceiling.
What was even her life?
Snapping out of her pity party for one, Caroline yelled up the stairs as she flashed out of the basement.
"Bonnie, break out the vodka! I need a drink."
Sprawled among the piles of pillows and blankets, Caroline was glad to be a vampire. Her awkward position would not be comfortable as a human. She'd also probably be dead from the amount of alcohol she had downed in the last few hours. A spread of papers laid on the floor beside her, each containing a list of increasingly outrageous pros and cons of one Niklaus Mikaelson.
Some of the entries were admittedly ridiculous like, 'kicks at least one puppy before breakfast.' But others hit hard. 'Has no compunctions about using violence to get his way.' 'Capable of fanatical levels of devolution.' 'Uncompromising in his beliefs.'
Terrible as it was, the first point wasn't as much of a con as it likely would be for the average human. Violence was very much a stable of the supernatural world, and while Klaus was definitely one of the worst offenders and she was not defending the behavior, it couldn't be the point her argument rested on. Too hypocritical. No, one of the things that worried her the most was the combination of the last two. What happens if one day, Klaus thinks she too would be safer spending decades locked away?
Caroline grunted, irritated, as a crumpled ball of paper smacked her in the face. She turned her head to toss a glare in Bonnie's direction, the witch now standing in the bedroom doorway, two bottles of water in hand and several more levitating balls of paper.
"That's your dwelling face, Caroline. Do I need to smack you again?"
Caroline just grumbled. "No."
Green eyes softened as she stepped farther into the room, cleaning up all the papers with a sweep of her hand.
"I know you have a lot to think about, but don't torment yourself with this. Do you want to give him a chance or not?"
That was the question wasn't it? And she kinda already made up her mind didn't she? She chose to flash into the room. There were several subsets of plans that would have excluded her direct involvement, but in that moment she decided against it. There were even plans that would have prevented any confrontation at all, and yet she went out of her way to ensure their paths crossed. And then again, just a few hours ago, she gave him her address! Of course there were a billion other considerations to take into account, but for better or worse he was her soulmate. She owed it to herself to try to understand why him and if anything could come of it.
Caroline jumped to her feet, features determined as some of her previous turmoil settled. She turned to face Bonnie who had quietly sat, sipping her water, well used to Caroline's need to think and overthink.
"Thank you." She pulled her friend into her arms, making sure not to crush her with the force of her affectionate hug. Arms encircled her in turn, the witch chuckling by her ear.
"You're welcome. Now, go knock the Hybrid on his ass. He won't know what hit him."
Caroline pulled away with a grin, eyes sparking with anticipation and mischief. In a blur, the blonde rushed out the door in the direction of her house. Vampire speed far faster than her car for the relatively short 20 mile distance.
1. An older Norwegian spelling of Niklaus.
2. Try not to make too much of a mess, sister.
3. Pardon me, miss. Are you alright? Where are your guardians?
4. Oh, I am fine. I'm just looking for a gentleman with whom to dance. Do you want to dance with me, my lord?
5. My God. It is true. The White Ladies
5b. Dame Blanches were considered female spirits that might appear near caves, caverns, ravines, bridges etc and request that you dance with them lest they do something nasty
6. No, I am something far worse
7. Old Norse Summer month that spans ~14. April – 13. May
8. A Norwegian variant of Caroline. I promise it wasn't a typo lol. Also it fits TVD anyway. I mean have you noticed the lack of C's? (Mikael, Niklaus, Kol, Rebekah, Henrik)
9. I thought it was funny to have the Hybrid drive a hybrid. Yes, Kol totally laughed at his brother for it, and yes, Klaus totally snapped his neck for it.