"Have you ever experienced a moment of complete and utter déjà vu? That moment as you look into another person's eyes and while they are a stranger there is just something about them that tugs at your mind as if to say, 'we've met before' as though that's possible. That feeling that you've seen them before, if only in a dream. In a world of strange occurrences and fanciful things, the most beloved and yet most misunderstood is that of the creation of soulmates.
While it is believed that soulmates are the creation of separated souls who had shared a love so great that in every life they are drawn to one another, as though by a magnetic pull in the night. Through careful study though that belief is known to be false; those are just blessed or cursed souls who are drawn to one another in a cyclical loop. Soulmates though are souls who are tied together; whether by fate, god, or happenstance it is not certain. Through the research of our coven we have uncovered that many soulmates had dreams in which their soulmate would appear first as a silhouette and later after the two souls had met, they claimed that their dreams became interconnected. Further study needs to be done to understand why not every soul has a soulmate."
-Excerpt fromthe Hallowell Coven Grimoire
Mystic Falls 1999
"I dreamed about him again," Caroline said as she pulled her Polly Pocket play house that Bonnie had asked her to bring over. Smiling at her best friend she started to set the house up in Bonnie's grandmothers living room. Her mom had asked Mrs. Bennett to watch her for the day as her parents had another counseling meeting in Whitmore.
"The prince one?" Elena piped up looking up from the dress she was pulling onto her Polly pocket doll.
"Yea, this time we were walking through New York city and he was showing me the sights, well what my mind thinks are the sights from Sex in the City," Caroline giggled looking at her friends as she set the house up and started choosing which dress and which doll she wanted to use.
"My mom and dad would never let me watch that," Elena said shrugging as she finished dressing her doll. Caroline looked down and nodded slowly. Quickly Elena cleared her throat, "What are we playing today? Prince and Princess or Spies?"
"Spies, we played Princesses last time," Bonnie said as she set up her doll as she wanted and looked at her friends.
"I'm down with that," she said smiling at her friends as she set her doll in the front room of the Play house.
Bonnie set her doll next to Caroline's and looked at her friend. "I wonder who the Prince is though."
"Mommy says that its just a dream and he's probably a mal-magl-," she struggled to repeat the word her mother had used, "just made up of all the princes from the movies I watch."
"Enough dream talk, I wanna play Spies," Elena said giggling looking at her friends as she moved her doll as though she was running up to the other two. Quickly the talk of dreams and imaginary princes was pushed to the side and the morning was spent playing with dolls. They played together all day, switching to hide and seek after the dolls got boring, Caroline had found such a good hiding spot that she had fallen asleep in her spot only to be found by Bonnie an hour later. Then they went to the park. Caroline grinned and raced her friends to the swing set laughing as she ran through the grass and enjoyed her day with her best friends.
Bonnie took the mugs of hot chocolate from Grams and walked with them carefully out to Caroline. Grams was on the phone as she handed the mugs to her granddaughter. It was Sheriff Forbes; a vampire had been spotted in Whitmore, she and Bill were going to be out for most of the night. Caroline was sitting in the living room watching for her mom and dad. It was dinner time. They had promised that they'd be back in time to get dinner at the Grill as a family instead of the frozen pizza at the house. Caroline took the hot chocolate from her friend and smiled at her. Bonnie placed her own hot chocolate from Grams who had followed her in to the living room.
"Your mum called, there was an animal attack out by Whitmore so your mum and dad are going to be back tomorrow, you are welcome to stay the night here though," Grams said softly looking at the young blonde and kneeling so she could place a hand on her knee and Caroline tore her gaze from the window to look into the kind eyes of Bonnies grandmother.
"Uh-I think I'm going to just go home, Daddy will probably be back before Mommy, and I didn't pack anything to spend the night," she said softly and blinked a few times trying to put off the tears that had started to sting her eyes.
"Well we'll bring you home, after the three of us eat something," Grams said patting both girls on the knee and turning to the kitchen. "Pasta will be ready in ten minutes can you girls set the table while I finish cooking?" Grams asked standing and giving both girls a raised eyebrow. Both girls scrambled to get into the kitchen without spilling their hot cocoa. Grams chuckled and followed the girls into her kitchen.
Caroline waved from her front door as Grams and Bonnie pulled away from her house. Turning to face the door she sighed and bent to grab the fairy sculpture that her mother hid the key in. Unlocking the front door, she carefully put the key back in its spot at the base of the sculpture and crept into her house. Dark and cold she raced over to the alarm system as it started to go off. Sighing she turned it off and looked around. No one was home, a simple fact of her life.
Walking into the kitchen she made herself a cup of cocoa deciding that she deserved extra marshmallows from her mother's secret stash. Moving, a ghost in an empty home up to her room. Changing quickly into her pajamas, she brushed her teeth and then her hair was brushed out and braided not quite like mommy did it but close enough for bedtime. She picked up her book of fairy tales that she kept by her bed. Caroline had always been a quick learner and was already reading at a third-grade reading level while in the first grade. So, the book of fairy tales wasn't super challenging on her own. When the marshmallows were gone, the hot cocoa was almost finished, the book forgotten beside her; Caroline slipped off into dreams and rest.
Spinning around Caroline found herself in an empty home devoid of warmth or love. Scared she started searching from room to room. Calling out for her parents or grandmother. Anyone, the search yielded no results and she started to shake. Hugging her sides, she felt the warm trails of tears down her face as she stood alone in a kitchen that looked just slightly off to be her own kitchen.
Swiping her cheeks in anger she moved backwards looking for a way out of the empty lonely house. As she passed through what should have been the front hall the door didn't seem to get closer no how quickly she ran at it. Hours drifted past in a manner of moments in her dream and she collapsed on the floor. Sobbing she pressed her head against the wall and prayed that she could wake up soon.
As she lay crying her heart heavy and broken at the feeling of loneliness surrounding her, the door that had seemed unreachable blew open. A tall figure stood ahead and looked at her before running to her as though she were mere meters from the door. Plucked from the floor she was encircled in a stranger's arms as they held her tight and pulled her from the horrible house.
"Shhh little bird, you're safe now," a familiar English accent said as hands wiped at her cheeks and she sniffled.
"I couldn't get out, the door just kept getting farther and farther away every time I tried," she whimpered clutching to the shirt of her strange prince.
"You aren't trapped anymore, no one will ever hurt you again," he whispered as he rocked her, his warm hands holding her tightly to him. As they stood, and he held her the young Caroline calmed down, the scenery around them bloomed into a strange and distant meadow that Caroline figured had to come from a fairy tale. No place on earth could be so beautiful. Pulling away from her prince she wiped at her eyes. As she glanced up to look into his face, the dream came to an end.
Caroline woke in the morning, the book on the floor and her parents hushed voices in the hall. Scrambling out of bed her nightmare forgotten as she raced through the hall to her parent's room. Wrapping her arms around her mother's waist she smiled at up at her parents.
"How was work Mommy?" Caroline asked inquisitively looking between her mom and her dad.
"It was alright pumpkin, can you get your teeth brushed and make a bowl of cereal? Your Daddy and I have to finish talking about something," her mom said hugging her daughter back slightly. Caroline nodded and took off to go take care of getting ready for the morning.
She had already cleared her bowl and walked back upstairs to change when the shouting started. Her mother was upset that her dad was choosing to leave early for his business trip. Caroline chose her favorite jeans and a comfy sweater to wear for the day as her dad come to her door.
"Darling, I have to leave earlier than planned. I'll see you when I get back from Atlanta," he said giving her a kiss on the head. Caroline just nodded and continued braiding her hair as her dad left again.
Twenty minutes later her mom appeared in the door way no longer in her sheriff's uniform. Dressed in jeans and a t-shirt, Liz looked more comfortable and less stressed. Smiling at her daughter she walked over and knelt by her little angel and started to rebraid the long blonde locks. Caroline leaned into her mothers touch and sighed in comfort.
"Mommy why does Daddy always have to leave?" she asked biting her lip, "does he not love us?" Caroline asked looking at her mom blue eyes wide and inquisitive.
"Your father has a job that takes him far away and he hates being away from you. He loves you very much," Liz said slowly smoothing her daughters braid and kissing her forehead. "Never doubt how much we both love you. Now I promised that I'd take you to see Toy Story 2 today. Let's finish getting ready and then we'll head over to the movie theatre." If young Caroline could see at the moment the twists and turns her life would have in store she might have held her mother just a tad bit closer.
3,000 miles away, someone else woke from slumber with the feeling of panic and sadness filling his heart. Disturbed and intrigued about who or what the young child that had been in his dream could be he picked up a phone, dialing a trusted coven, he demanded a meeting. This was the seventh dream that he'd had were the focus had been on a small girl whose face he could never see. Hanging up he walked over to his easel which held a half-finished painting of a blonde girl spinning in a busy city street. Her face obscured by the hair that had covered it as she had spun.
Picking up a detail brush he stepped over to his paints and started to finish the painting that had burned into his mind. He'd never known someone who was so fascinated by life from such a young age, filled with such light and hope. Hopefully the witches could provide an explanation for him.
Nice, France 2003
Klaus was glaring at his brother, Elijah was being obstinate and an imbecile. He'd arrived home from a meeting with the local vampire community, to find his brother standing in his villa reading his notes. In Elijah's hand were the witches notes on soulmates and mates in general. He was reading it, the only sign that he'd heard Klaus enter was him holding up a finger. Klaus rolled his eyes and growled stalking forward to steal it back. Elijah deftly slid over to the roaring fireplace holding the only copy over the flames.
"Really Niklaus, you're behaving like a child who's just had their favorite toy taken away," Elijah tutted as he flipped the page. "What spurred this search for information on soulmates?"
Snarling Klaus flashed forward and stabbed his brother in the kidney with the fire poker and snatched the notes back. Flashing away to his room he shoved the notes onto his desk and slammed his right fist into the wall in front of him. Three different covens had been contacted and so far, the only evidence that this girl wasn't a threat was that she was in fact a weakness, something he couldn't allow. He was the Original Hybrid, he didn't do weakness.
The three covens had all said that they couldn't find the last remaining member of the Hallowell Coven. The only coven to exist who had written the book on Soulmate magic, and that since they had tried every possible dispelling magic to get rid of the dream child, that was the only answer they had for him. This child was his soulmate which meant that somewhere in the world was a threat to him and his family. Aside from a frustrating lack of information. The only other thing they could agree on was that strong emotions seemed to be what pulled their dreams together.
Taking a deep breath Klaus pulled himself together and walked back down to the drawing room of his French villa and glared at his brother who had helped himself to the wine.
"Why are you in France?" he asked pouring himself a finger of whisky and sitting across from Elijah.
"I can't visit the only family alive?" Elijah said slowly the wine swirling in the glass in his hand. Klaus made a face at his elder brother.
"Considering that in the seventies you called me a waste of potential," Klaus murmured looking at the whisky in his hand he shook his head. Maybe they could mend that fence, maybe they could move past the rift. Shooing the thoughts from his mind he downed the rest of his glass and stood up to refill it.
"Yes, and I'm fairly certain you'd just stabbed my favorite suit," Elijah said shrugging as though the words hadn't torn through Klaus. "Is that really the reason that I haven't seen you for almost thirty years?"
"No, and I had things to take care of, looking for the next fucking doppelganger," he snarled slamming the decanter on the end table.
"Brother, they always turn up, you'll find another soon," Elijah said not as concerned, he finished his glass and stood as well. "You know though, I have to ask. What's peeked your interest in soulmates or mates in general. It's not like werewolves actually have mates."
Klaus watched his brother with a discerning eye and tried to tell if his brother knew more than he was letting on. None of the Originals had ever really given much thought to soulmates, or if they had none had voiced any interest.
"I figure it makes little sense to know nothing on any subject matter," Klaus said slowly and diplomatically. Setting his glass on the drink cart he walked out of the room to the front door. "I'm afraid I have some business to take care of, but you are welcome to make use of the house."
Elijah stood in the drawing room in the now empty villa and tapped his chin. Taking the bottle of wine, he wondered the large home and wished he'd been around more the last thirty years. As he neared Klaus' art studio he paused long enough to double check he was alone. Pushing the door open he was in awe. The room was filled with what could only be the same girl through various stages of her life, in all of them her face was out of view. Elijah was curious, could the fates or nature had found a way to temper his brother. Resolving to help his brother find this girl he left the room quickly, calling the Strix and ordering them to research soulmates as discreetly as they could.
Mystic Falls 2003
Four hours of grueling dance practice and then two hours of gymnastic practice had Caroline blurry eyed and tired as she walked up to her porch. Three months into the new year, and her life felt drastically different. About this time last year, Caroline and her mom had sat together on the couch as her father told them that he was moving to Atlanta and on top of that, he wanted a divorce. Now as she shut and locked the door behind her the house was just empty.
Walking over to the alarm system she punched in the code and sighed, cracking her neck she looked around for a sign of her mom being home at all in the last two days. The front hall was littered with boxes that had yet to be mailed to her dad and his boyfriend in Atlanta. Personally, Caroline was more in favor of burning them instead of mailing them to her father. He hadn't even wanted shared custody, saying that she would be safer in Mystic Falls what ever that meant. No what had caused the divorce to drag on over the whole of 2002 was that he didn't want to pay child support because why should he support his daughter.
Caroline moved through her house and rubbed her eyes as she looked at the note on the fridge that said her mom was sorry for missing her and that there was Chinese in the fridge. Honest she didn't begrudge her mom from wanting to not be in the house. Caroline was working on being in the house as little as possible, it just made life easier. The memories in the house were just to hard right now.
Taking out the left over fried rice she walked upstairs her backpack still on her back. Once she got upstairs she started working on her honors homework. Sighing she pulled her blonde hair into a bun and stretched out on her bed. She had six chapters total to read and three pages of math homework to finish. She would only get two pages of the math homework done and all the reading, before sleep dragged her out of consciousness.
She was standing in front of a door, the rest of the dream- it had to be a dream- was white. Devoid of anything no walls, nothing, just one single door. Caroline reached out slowly feeling a little like Alice in Wonderland as she slowly pushed the door open. It resisted for a moment but as she pushed harder it swung open. Walking cautiously through the door she looked around and was in awe. The room looked like it came straight out of Gone with the Wind. Glancing around she heard a crash and banging coming from another room. As she followed the sound the setting shifted slightly, suddenly she wasn't in a mansion but a hut and then in front of her was her prince. He was sobbing, if the shaking of his shoulders was anything to go by. Running up to him she hugged him. As they stood in the middle of the room, Caroline realized it was changing before her eyes. In place of the hut they were in an empty dance hall.
"Don't cry Prince, I'm sure it's not that bad," she whispered softly hugging him tightly.
"Oh, my little bird, you have no idea," he murmured placing his hands against hers and giving them a gentle squeeze. She pulled away and moved to stand next to him looking around the empty dance hall.
"What could be so bad?" she asked softly, reaching out to touch his side gently and loop her arm with his. Resting her head against his arm she imagined that they were by the Falls on a clear summers day. The Falls always made her feel at peace and safe. Something about the beauty of being surrounded by nature just made her relax. Maybe it would help him feel better too. Suddenly right before her eyes the Falls appeared all around them. His breath caught next to her.
"Little bird, did you do this?" he asked softly not turning to look directly at her, over the last seven years they'd realized that trying to see each other's face only caused the dreams to end. So instead he wrapped his arm around her and gave her a side hug. Klaus was in shock, how had the falls appeared.
"It's so pretty isn't?" she asked hugging him back before running forward to the edge of the cliff side looking down at the rushing water pushing past.
"How do you know this place little one?" he asked again following her and looking around for any indication what year this was. If it was drawn from her memory or his.
"I come here all the time, well more so before the divorce, their yelling couldn't reach me here," she said softly throwing a stone into the fast-moving water and watching it get swept off by the current. "It's my favorite place in the world, it's like the dangers of the outside world can't touch me here."
"You'll never know the dangers of the world little bird, you'll be safe all your life I promise," he said chuckling as she spoke.
"Daddy's gone, he and mom finalized their divorce two months ago," she said softly as he stood next to her on the cliff side.
"I'm sorry Little Bird I'm-" she shook her head interrupting him.
"I thought of the Falls to make you feel better, why were you crying Prince?" she asked softly taking his right hand in her left one.
"Because Little Bird, I've seen a lot of the bad in this world," he said squeezing her hand in his and sighing. "Never lose that hope and love of life."
His little bird giggled and shook her head. "You talk funny Prince."
"Maybe because I'm not a Prince, little one," he said chuckling.
"I'm Caroline," she said pulling away to take a step closer to the edge. Klaus felt his heart jump to his throat. She couldn't be more than ten or so and she was so fragile. Grabbing her hand he pulled her into his chest away from the edge.
"Hello Sweet Caroline, I'm Nik," he said holding her close and a few steps away from the possible danger.
He looked down and as he smoothed her hair she glanced up and they felt their conscious' pulling them apart.
Klaus shot up he'd been stabbed through the heart with a stake and while that didn't kill him it did render him unconscious. Groaning he pulled the wooden stick out of his chest and growled. He had some vampires to kill. Who did they think they were to fuck with him. The warmth of the dream stayed with him though and now he had a name to give his little bird. Caroline and she knew about the Falls from his village. Stowing his thought for a while longer he set off to kill those who had defied him.
Mystic Falls 2010
Blood, the room was filled with blood. Looking around and trying to focus her new vampire senses she whimpered. Her brain was being overloaded by blood. Groaning she reached out to touch the pool of blood, and as she did a hand met hers reaching up through the pool of blood. Carter lay in the middle of the pool his head at a horrible angle. Quickly walking backwards away from a pool she felt her heels hit something. Spinning around she screamed, Elena, Bonnie, Matt, even her Mother were laying against the wall all their throats ravaged. Stumbling back her hands over her mouth and the fangs that were protruding she sobbed. Her panic started to swell and consume her brain as the carnage she had contributed to pushed in on her. A monster.
Suddenly arms grabbed her from behind and she gasped as she was suddenly in a spacious clean apartment looking out onto the ocean. Large broad hands encircled her waist and on instinct she lashed out. Her elbow jabbed hard backwards into the squishy abdomen of someone. A gasp for breath before a chuckle filled the air had her nerves settling quickly. It was Nik, over the last seven years, their dream time encounters had been sporadic and often at the worst moments of her life. Though she liked to think that she helped him too.
"Who did this to you?" he asked concern dripping from each syllable as she tried to stop crying.
"I did it, I'm a monster," she sobbed wiping her eyes and taking a deep breath trying to match her breathing to the sound of the steady heart beat behind her.
"Little Bird, I very much doubt that you could ever be a monster," his smooth British accent filling her ears.
"But, I am. I killed a stranger. I was so hungry and all I wanted to was feed and feed," she whimpered rubbing her face as she tried to stay the panic.
"What do you mean you wanted to feed love?" he asked stepping away as he thought about the room he'd just pulled her from. At roughly a thousand years old, he'd never seen such bloodshed not caused by his own hand.
"I-I'm a vampire-," she whispered whimpering as she moved to stand in the fake sunlight of the window.
"Surely, you're joking, vampires aren't real?" he said sitting in a chair watching as she gravitated hesitantly towards the sunlight filtering through the window sighing in relief when it didn't hurt.
"No, they are. They've moved into and taken over my home," she said softly looking around at the scene before them.
"Are you alright?" he asked slowly as the danger that his soulmate was in came front and center in his mind.
"How can I be alright Nik, I'm a monster. I murdered a man, my friends hate me," she said sharply wrapping her arms around herself. She felt small and terrified.
"I'm sure that you aren't a monster love, because you haven't lost that love of life and people," he said slowly taking a deep breath.
"I haven't been outside since I woke up like this, I'm trapped in my home and I'm remembering all of these awful things that happened," she said softly, "I-I was compelled." Klaus felt his stomach lurch and his fists clench.
"By who?" he snarled which caused her to shrink away from him. Quickly realizing that she was scared enough he backtracked. "Who hurt you little bird?"
"My friends brother, he fed off of me and used me for sex," she said softly looking at her hands.
Klaus had his arms around her in an instant, the thought of someone defiling his soulmate had his blood boiling. How dare someone destroy such a lovely person as his soul mate. Taking a deep breath, he smoothed her hair and just held her close.
"Remember when you found me standing in a hut?" he asked softly thinking back to that single dream from seven years ago. It was one of the few times she'd found him
"You were hurting, and I just wanted to help you feel like the world wasn't so bleak. I wanted to make you feel the sense of peace that place brought to me," she whispered softly as she buried her face against the soft fabric of his Henley. She'd recently teased him in another dream that he always seemed to wear Henley's.
"Let me then be the first to tell you that you aren't a monster, because to believe that someone who helps children study, spends all of her free time just trying to get everyone to laugh, makes sure her mother is eating healthy and has a cooked meal in her home when she comes home after working a double shift. You aren't perfect, but you believe that everyone else is," he said softly looking out over the ocean view that was the scene from his home in Spain.
"Stop, Nik you are being far too kind," she said laughing as she hugged him and relaxed.
"You're feeling very calm for the fact that I just told you that I'm a vampire." She said her heart in her throat.
"Would you believe me that I'm also a vampire and I've been around for a long time," he said softly tearing his gaze from the scenery of the dream to look down at her. This caused her to burst out laughing and pull away completely.
"You are officially the best dream manifestation in the world," she said laughing as she walked around the room avoiding looking directly at him. While she was aware that it was odd to dream of the same person repeatedly she just assumed her brain like most things to do with the muscle wasn't explainable yet by science.
"You still think I'm just a dream figment to you?" he asked slightly hurt, but considering she was new to the supernatural world, he wasn't offended. Never in the last twelve years had he ever tried to be anything more than here for her in the dreams they shared every so often.
"Yes, and I'm glad that I have had such a dashing prince and protector in my dreams if I haven't had one in life," she said chuckling before walking over and giving him a kiss on what would be his cheek her eyes closed. "You've made life at the hardest and the brightest moments better."
As he closed his eyes at her kiss his eyes opened at her statement and felt the dream fade. Caroline blinked as she felt the world around her fade to gray and her alarm started wailing near her head.
She finished calling the school and sighed as she leaned against the wall in her bathroom. It had been six days since the carnival. She'd had met her mom at the house and almost cried when she was able to enter easily. Slipping into the home she had raced upstairs and hid from the world. Sighing she rolled her neck and pulled her laptop close and started working on her homework and answering committee emails and well wishes from distant relations and members of the community who she dealt with on a regular basis.
She was grateful that Stefan had convinced Bonnie to come over and spell her a ring that would allow her to reassume her normal life. Caroline had already started to strategize how to handle her 'urges.' Never let it be said that Caroline Forbes was anything other than a survivor.
Bonnie had denied spending any more time in her presence than she absolutely had to and that hurt. It seriously hurt. Yet as Caroline followed Stefan out into the woods she prayed that she'd actually like the taste of bunnies though honestly, she still thought the whole animal diet was just a bit extreme. Turns out it also wasn't enough, great. Caroline smiled at Stefan and nodded as he talked about how it would take a while to get used too. She wasn't sure this was going to work for her.
Caroline looked around the city as she sat on a bench in the park and relaxed for the first time since the carnival two weeks ago. Today had been her first official day back in school and she hadn't wanted to rip into any of her classmates or friends. Stefan was still talking about how it was all the bunny diet, and if Caroline had the heart she would tell him that it had been bagged blood, it was easy to gain access too and kept her full longer than the animal diet. She had forgotten about a blood drive she'd organized until the Red Cross planner called to see if she would be stopping down.
It had been the perfect opportunity, no one was going to get hurt. The blood was already being stored. So, when she'd arrived she had asked if she could manage the logs and then compelled a volunteer to put a separate cooler to the side so that she could take twelve blood bags of assorted blood types and had changed the numbers as she went. It was at least worth a check to see if she could handle human blood from a bag. Then she'd asked if she could go to the blood bank and see the full process. Once at the blood bank it had been a cinch to compel an employee to store a section of blood away for her to pick up once a week. Twelve a week should work just fine.
So, there she sat relaxing and enjoying the feel of the sun against her skin, well the imagined feeling on her skin. She no longer felt temperature. As she sat there, eyes closed and the world passing her by the children laughing six blocks over, the cook of the Grill shouting at his dish cleaner. It was almost peaceful. Until someone sat next to her.
"You bounced back fast," a familiar voice came from her right.
"Elena?" Caroline asked opening her eyes to look at a familiar face except the hair was wrong. Elena had naturally straight hair which she always passed through a straightener every morning, not these flowing curls.
"Ugh, no I'm Katherine and the lovely avenging angel who turned you two weeks ago," the brunette said as though that name was supposed to mean anything to her.
"Oh! so you smothered me with a pillow?" Caroline snarked glaring at the brunette next to her.
"Yes, and your welcome," Katherine said smugly crossing her legs and leaning back on the bench. "Now I need a favor from you."
"Oh no! I'm not helping you with anything," Caroline said hastily and grabbed her bag going to get up. Stefan and Damon were strong, but the grip in the woman's fingers around her arm were more than she could have imagined.
"Sit your preppy blonde ass down, or I can take away my gift," Katherine purred as stake sitting out of the inside of her jacket. Caroline looked at the stake and the grip of the woman's fingers around her left arm and sat back down.
"What do you want?" Caroline huffed testing the woman slightly and pulled her arm out of her grip. It was clear the woman just let go. Caroline took the victory and crossed her arms and glared at the Elena look-a-like.
"I need you to keep tabs on what Stefan and Damon are up to and just give me reports back," Katherine said slowly looking at her nails and flicking a piece of lint off her coat sleeve.
"Why do you want that?" Caroline asked distrustful that it would be that simple.
"Because I do, and you know," Katherine shrugged and looked at the blonde for the first time, "I asked you too."
Before Caroline could come up with a response the brunette was gone as fast as she'd appeared. Caroline looked around the city and groaned. Great so much for an easy transition. Now she had to play Mata Hari. Shaking her head, she rolled her eyes and slipped her sunglasses back on. She was late for cheer practice and Caroline didn't do late.
September 4, 2010
"Are you serious?! This took us an hour to set up," Caroline said jumping up from behind the teacher's desk.
"What are you guys doing here?" Matt asked looking around the room eyes wide as he stared at his four friends all crouched on the floor of the class room setting up mouse traps. Mouse traps he'd just set off.
"I take it you forgot about Senior prank night?" Tyler asked leaning against the TV cart and looking at his best friend like he was an idiot, which Matt regretted.
"Come on how can you forget about senior prank night, we've only been looking forward to it since Freshman year!" Caroline said throwing her hands in the air and groaning.
"I'm a little surprised that you guys remembered," Matt admitted looking at his friends in surprise, between vampires, werewolves, ghosts, and witches; he was impressed that they were doing something as mundane as Senior Prank night.
"God Matt, it's Senior year, and if we don't do these things we won't have the memories and if we don't make the memories-" Caroline started to say looking at her friend.
"-what was it all for?" Elena asked giggling as she finished a saying that Caroline had been saying for the last three weeks as she convinced her friends to partake and give the Senior year activities a chance.
"Make fun all you want, but guys I just want this year to go great," she said softly looking around the room at her friends.
"I still have three classrooms to do, you guys have fun," Tyler said grabbing a bag of supplies as he moved around his friends and out the door. Elena followed him towards the door happy to leave the room.
"Where do you think your going?" Caroline asked looking at her best friend and bit her lip.
"I'm off to superglue Alaric' desk shut," Elena said laughing at how worried Caroline looked. As she spoke the smile came back to her friend's lips and she felt bad about mocking her on trying to do something normal.
"See I knew you'd get into the spirit," Caroline said giggling as she looked at Bonnie and Matt. "Normal might help you feel better, Matt. What if you go with Bonnie and tee-pee the pool?"
"Yea Matt, lets go," Bonnie said smiling at her best friend and moving over to the other blonde and together they left the blonde vampire alone in the classroom.
Once she was alone Caroline let out a breath and leaned against the desk and looked around the room and rubbed her neck. She just hoped that tonight could finish without anything fucking it up. The last three months had been hard on everyone what with the whole Original Sacrifice and Stefan taking off with him to allow Elena a few months of freedom. Caroline had been dealing with a break up and helping Tyler with his transition the night of the apparent sacrifice. She was sorry that she hadn't been there to help, but Bonnie had told her she would have just been used as a sacrifice.
Tonight, was supposed to help everyone start to heal. Matt had been hurt the hardest, his sister was dead. His mother was never home and honestly, she felt awful that she couldn't help her friends more than she was. Looking around to make sure that no one was watching she sped around the room resetting all the mouse traps and the prank for the following morning. Grabbing her little bag of supplies she sped through the halls to another area of the school to start setting up.
Klaus was furious, he'd been killing and rekilling Stefan all day in the trailer while Rebekah had watched bored before it had clicked, the only thing left in Mystic Falls that Stefan would protect was the stupid doppelganger. She was dead, though if that was true, he should be able to make hybrids. Sighing he ran a hand over his face as he looked at his dead old friend and then to his sister.
"The doppelganger lives," he growled throwing the limp body against the side of the trailer and had sped off to the grave yard and there in the cemetery was a missing plot. No Elena Gilbert. Growling he punched a tree. Groaning he glared around the empty cemetery and wished there was someone near to decapitate. Sadly, there was no one around. Flashing back to the trailer he found his sister snooping on his phone as she looked at the changes the world had gone through since he'd daggered her in the twenties.
"She's alive," she said not looking up as though him coming back was confirmation.
"Yes, and you're on traitor duty," Klaus snarled gesturing to the limp body on the floor of the 18-wheeler trailer.
"Boring, but alright, what are you going to do?" she asked as she glanced at the setting sun.
"I'm going to the high school. I heard some teens talking about Senior Prank Night," he said slamming the sliding door of the trailer down and leaving his sister and Stefan in the dark. He got in the driver's seat and sped the 18-wheeler towards the high school. Tonight, he took care of unfinished business.
Caroline had met back up with Tyler a few hours later and was pouring honey on the door handle of the physics classroom as she felt him wrap her arms around her waist and start kissing along her neck. Giggling she leaned into the feeling of his lips on her neck.
"I'm worried about Matt," she said softly as she finished pouring enough honey to coat the handle but not drip annoyingly.
"I'm kissing your neck and you're talking about your ex-boyfriend," Tyler said pulling away which had Caroline spinning to look at him a little annoyed.
"No, I'm voicing concern about a friend that we both love. Do you think he's actually okay?" she asked softly looking at her boyfriend eyes wide with worry. Tyler sighed and smiled gently at his girlfriend. She was just as insane as he'd always thought, but her heart was so much bigger than she let on.
"I think that he doesn't have a ton of people he thinks he can talk to and he's struggling more than he lets on," he said slowly rubbing her arms gently trying to reassure her. "I think I love how crazy big your heart is."
Caroline leaned forward and rested her forehead against his and sighed softly. "I just want this year to be great you know. I just want everyone to be happy, even in the midst of all the crazy unhappy bits."
"I'm happy," Tyler said grinning as he looked in to her eyes hoping he'd made her feel even a little better.
Caroline laughed and pulled him into a kiss and soon he was pushing her against the side of the door. Wrapping her arms around his neck she pulled him into a deeper kiss and she moaned as his hands started to slip into her back pockets cupping her ass.
"Well aren't you two cute," a smooth British voice pulled them out of their moment. Standing in the hall looking bored was a blonde.
"Uh-do we know you?" Caroline said looking at the blonde annoyed that her impromptu make-out session had been interrupted.
"You're Caroline, Elena's friend," the stranger said before training her eyes on Tyler, "which makes you Tyler. The werewolf."
Caroline was now officially starting to get angry at the woman ignoring her question and stepped in front of her boyfriend her eyes wide. "Who are you."
"I'm the new girl," the blonde said her lips stretching into a smirk, and Caroline felt her monster face breaking through. Suddenly the girl was standing next to her and her hands were around Caroline's neck. Eyes wide Caroline blinked once before she felt the tell-tale sound of her neck snapping.
Caroline had woken up on the floor of the hall way her neck throbbing, as she looked around for a sign of what was going on she got nothing. Standing she opened her senses and allowed herself to listen to everything around her. She could hear Elena and Bonnie at different ends of the school both panicking. Stefan was apparently back and as she stood there listening she heard two voices, one she recognized and another familiar though she couldn't place it. They had Tyler though. Deciding that Stefan would never hurt Elena and that Bonnie could handle herself she sped off to find her boyfriend.
Getting to the Chemistry classroom she saw the familiar blonde sitting bored going through a phone. On one of the lab tables was Tyler unconscious-no she tried to hear a heartbeat- nothing. Gasping she covered her mouth and sped over to his body. He was dead. The other blonde looked so bored as she appeared in the room and Caroline honestly didn't care.
"Why?" she asked softly taking one of Tyler's hands in hers.
"Excuse me?" the other blonde said looking up at her eyebrow raised.
"Why did you kill him?" Caroline asked again looking up at her.
"Oh, I didn't my brother did, we're checking to see if the Bennett witch, can figure out how to make him into a hybrid," the blonde said shrugging and going back to flipping through her phone.
"Wait Klaus is here?" she asked confused, no Klaus was gone. Elijah had promised, he was never supposed to come back.
"You know another Original looking to make hybrids?" the blonde snarked.
"What is your name, OG Bitch doesn't really suit you," Caroline snapped as she ran her hand over Tyler's face praying that Bonnie could figure it out for his sake.
"Rebekah, you cow," the blonde who now had a name to go with her attitude said snapping her eyes at the blonde.
"Well Rebekah why is your brother using my boyfriend as a fucking science experiment," Caroline snarled glaring back at her.
"Because he's the only werewolf that goes to Mystic Falls High," Rebekah laughed and shook her head at the stupid question.
"Awesome," Caroline said rubbing her forehead as she grabbed a chair and pulled it closer and sat down. Never letting go of Tyler's hand. Maybe he could feel her presence.
Rebekah was uncannily correct and about two minutes later Tyler gasped awake his eyes wide as he struggled to sit up. Caroline helped him and rubbed his back as he looked at her confused.
"Care what's going on," he asked his throat burning with a need he didn't recognize.
"Tyler," she paused biting her lip. Unsure how to tell him he was most likely going to die.
"Come now don't sugar coat it darling," Rebekah sneered actually looking like she was enjoying the moment between them. Caroline glared at her and the Original bitch just smirked and waited.
"Your-you're in transition, Klaus is-he's trying to turn you into a vampire. A hybrid," Caroline said softly tears creasing her make up as she looked at her boyfriend of four months.
"Bravo, what a performance," Rebekah said giggling as she went back to checking the timer on Stefan's phone. She was hoping the doppelganger could die this time.
Leaning back, she waited while Caroline tried to help her boyfriend stand and rubbed his back as the desire for something he couldn't name became stronger and overwhelming.
"Looks like your boyfriend is going to die," Rebekah chirped as the timer went off and Klaus was no where in sight.
"Not necessarily sister, I think I know the answer. Call it a hunch," Klaus called out as he rounded the doorway. Caroline was in shock, she knew this voice. She couldn't place it but something about the way he moved, and that voice was so familiar.
"Mother says that the doppelganger has to die for me to make hybrids and I'm thinking it's not that straightforward," he said as he approached ignoring the blonde girl who went to stand in front of his possible hybrid, thankfully Rebekah ripped her away holding her tight to her chest.
"Come on mate, drink up. Elena's blood. Let's see if I'm right?" he snarled holding up a tube of doppelganger blood. Tyler shook his head and the blonde in Rebekah's arms started to squirm and shout.
"No, no, no! Tyler don't!" Caroline cried out knowing that this was an impossible choice but if it worked then Elena was going to be a blood slave and she wouldn't wish that fate on anyone.
"If he doesn't drink it, he'll die anyway luv. Consider this an experiment," Klaus said looking up at the blonde vampire. As he focused on her, something was trying to click into place. She felt familiar as though they'd met before and he knew that voice. Not worrying about it now he refocused on Tyler and raised an eyebrow. "What's it to be mate?"
Tyler looked at the tube of blood in the assholes hand and then to Caroline who looked torn and panicked. Taking a risk and not wanting to die he grabbed the tube of blood and downed it. Caroline struggled against Rebekah's hold on her and screamed as Tyler started to convulse and throw up the blood. Klaus was interested though, had it worked? This didn't look like the other rejections of normal blood. Giving one last look at the semi familiar blonde he crouched down in front of his first hybrid as Tyler through his head back and his eyes glowed yellow.
"Well that's a good sign," Klaus chuckled as he stood up and gestured for Rebekah to snap the blondes neck. They had what they needed.
Bonnie and Matt found Caroline laying in the Chem room her neck snapped. Matt scooped her up and the two of them took off for Caroline's house. Once Caroline was laying in her own bed she stirred and looked around. Bonnie and Matt were looking down at her and she scrambled up rubbing her neck as she glanced at her friends.
"Where is Tyler?" she asked her voice horse and she realized that dying twice in less than three hours had shortened her blood bag for the week and walking over to the mini fridge in her room she pulled a blood bag downing it.
"We don't know he wasn't in the room with you," Bonnie admitted avoiding watching her best friend drain the blood bag.
"That mean's Klaus has him," she said sadly glancing at Bonnie and Matt.
"What do you mean?" Matt asked raising an eyebrow as he looked at her confused.
"Elena's blood that's what makes hybrids," she admitted looking at her friends as she rubbed her neck feeling better already as the blood raced through her veins.
"Wait but the Original Witch said that she had to die for Klaus to make Hybrids," Bonnie said confused looking at her.
"Obviously she was lying," Caroline said sitting on her bed and shrugging. Looking up she noticed that Matt was wearing wet clothes and his hair was drying. "What happened to you?"
"I tried to kill myself," he admitted and groaned as Caroline hugged him just slightly too tight.
"Why the fuck would you do that?" she said after hugging him and she'd pulled away.
"I wanted to tell Vicki that I was sorry for not protecting her better," he said avoiding meeting her gaze.
"So, you tried to drown yourself?" she snapped barely restraining her urge to smack her best friend.
"Bonnie already yelled at me for being a dumbass," he snapped back finally meeting her eyes.
"Matt, we're your friends if you need to talk you should come to us, the world and its problems aren't worth losing you," she said softly looking at one of her oldest friends.
"Seriously Care, I figured that you guys didn't the extra issues," he said defeatedly and annoyed that she made him feel bad about not opening up.
"What are we going to do about Tyler and Elena?" Bonnie spoke up finally breaking the tension silence that had settled over them.
"We can figure that out in the morning, I am in desperate need of some sleep," Caroline said slowly looking at her friends and then offering them a smile. "We will figure it out though."
Matt and Bonnie didn't look like they shared her optimism, but they promised to come back over before school to figure out what they were going to do. Caroline walked them to the door and then locked it behind them. Walking back upstairs, she tried to figure out how or why she had recognized Klaus' voice when she'd never seen him before. Changing into her pajamas she laid down in her bed and ran a hand over her face. Rolling over she let sleep consume her as she took one last look at her alarm clock.
It was the school gym. She was standing in the gym alone, the cups of jelly strewn around the floor. She was alone as she moved through the halls she tried to figure out why she was dreaming of her high school. It's not like it was anything special she was here all the time for cheerleading practice and school functions.
"Hello Little Bird," a voice rang out behind her and she spun, quickly her heart in her throat. Nik, that voice was the voice her brain assigned to Nik. Standing behind her, she spun around to look at him, she gasped. Klaus.
"No! No! I'm not having dreams of the homicidal mass murder who kidnapped my boyfriend and my best friend," she said shaking her head backing away and then flashing out to the track course and relaxing before she felt the tell-tale swoop of someone arriving behind her.
"Oh, come on little bird, that's a bit harsh," he said now feeling a little offended and maybe some anger at the fact that she was dating a simpleton of a werewolf. He didn't get closer though, something told him that this was more stressful than it seemed.
"Stop!" She snarled flashing forward and shoving him with all her might. "You don't get to call me that, that is Nik's. I don't care how this dream was supposed to go, but you don't get to corrupt that nickname." Her veins were showing, her fangs descended, Hair curled and falling around her shoulders. Klaus could honestly say, that even though this was the first time he'd properly seen her face, she'd never looked as beautiful and alive as she did right now. His wolf raised it's head and Klaus had to restrain himself from reacting to her pushing him into the chain link fence.
"Fine Luv, I won't call you that," he said slowly and slipped from her grip and walked around and away from the blonde vampire.
"Good, if that is all I think I'd like to wake up now," she snapped and started pinching herself and groaned when she couldn't wake herself up.
"So how did you get wrapped up with a doppelganger and a werewolf?" Klaus asked looking at the blonde who was busy ignoring him.
"I grew up here, they're my friends," she snapped and closed her eyes trying to change the scenery or something. Suddenly they were in her living room. Caroline groaned and dropped onto her couch and let out a scream of frustration.
"Still though they both seem a bit selfish and self-absorbed," he commented looking around the home and raising an eyebrow at her. It was just how he imagined a house with her influence, bright and inviting.
"If anyone in our group is selfish and self-absorbed it's me," she bit out and ran her left hand over her face in frustration.
"Come now luv, you aren't selfish," he started to say, and she snorted.
"To quote myself, "I'm the depth of a kiddie pool," she whispered and leaned back into her couch.
"Through twelve years of dreams I refuse to believe that you could be selfish," he said softly and sat down in a chair near her.
"Well you aren't real so what would you know," she said feeling less anger than she showed and curled up onto her couch. "Why do you want to make hybrids, your sister seems like lovely company."
"Because I think greatness should be shared," he said, avoiding the question, and looking at her. She looked so small and alone on the couch. He longed to hold her and tell her that the world was going to be all right.
"I think it's because you don't want to feel alone," she whispered looking at her nails and then at him dead in the eye. Normally this would be when the dream would fade but instead Klaus just felt a slight tugging on his mind.
"Well considering I'm just a figment of your imagination I guess I always have you for company," Klaus said smirking as she scrunched her face and pretended to throw up.
The two of them descended into a tense silence and suddenly the dream started to slip away from her and Caroline was blinking as her mother shook her awake.
September 5, 2010
Caroline was sitting in her kitchen, Bonnie was on her way over with all her grimoires and Matt had been called into work for an emergency cover. She couldn't get the dream out of her head. His voice was Nik's, but his face was Klaus'. Why now, why was her prince gone and replaced by the demon hybrid dick that was Klaus Mikaelson. She finished her mug of blood and rinsed it out before walking to the front door. Bonnie grumbling outside reaching her ears.
"Can I help?" Caroline asked trying not to chuckle as she looked at her best friend trying to carry two boxes of books away from her car. Bonnie laughed and gestured to the boxes in her hands. Caroline sped over and took the boxes and moved into the house and set them in the dining room.
"That still weirds me out," Bonnie admitted looking at her best friend as she moved into the house.
"Well it is an adjustment, and I'm just glad that you're talking to me again," Caroline said smiling at her friend and then her smile faltered. Putting some space between her best friend and her she started filling the kettle with water for hot cocoa and bit her lip. Not turning to look at Bonnie she took a deep breath.
"Bonnie I need to tell you something, I don't know what it means and I'm scared," Caroline said softly her voice a whisper as she looked at the kettle as she flipped the switch.
"Caroline, you can talk to me what ever is scaring you we can put it on the list to solve it," Bonnie said slowly looking at her friend who looked so tense. Caroline took another deep breath and turned to face Bonnie.
"Klaus was in my dream last night and I don't think he was just part of a stress dream. I knew his voice Bonnie," she ran her hand through her blonde curls and groaned, "remember those dreams with the Prince that I've been having since I was a kid, well that voice in my head was his. I swear when I saw him in the chemistry room I didn't know that it was him, but I knew that voice."
Bonnie had rounded the kitchen island and was holding Caroline's hand in hers and gave it a firm squeeze. "Hey rambler, slow down, we'll figure out why Klaus has been in your dreams since you were a child."
Caroline nodded slowly tears in her eyes and she hugged Bonnie close before wiping at her eyes and steeled herself. Together they dove into the troves of grimoires that Sheila had collected over her life. Two hours later they were two pots of coffee in and forty books deep. Being a vampire came in handy when it came to speed reading. Caroline had just reached for a small tome when Bonnie gave a groan. Looking at best friend she raised an eyebrow.
"I think I found it, and I'm not sure it'll reassure you," Bonnie said slowly holding an old grimoire and handing it over to her blonde friend. It didn't look like a big book, but the page Bonnie had held it open too was number 344 and titled soulmates.
"I don't understand," she said softly looking at the writing on the page. It detailed the ins and outs of how it seemed soulmates worked.
What stood out to Caroline was the connection through dreams. The chapter talked about how the souls seemed mildly connected through dreams from the first memory through till they met in person. There was a speculation that the faces were obscured in dreams before a conscious face to face meeting because that allowed growth and understanding past the superficiality of looks. The grimoire discussed how strong emotions like panic, pain, love, excitement, and happiness, could bring the souls together. It discussed how this differed from doppelgangers, and cursed souls. This was the universes best possible match for each soul. The grimoire didn't seem to know why or how the souls were connected, just that they were and that to ignore the connection seemed to drive one or both mad.
"Wait, so you think that my soulmate is Klaus Mikaelson?" Caroline asked softly looking at her best friend the fear that she'd been keeping at bay came back two-fold.
"I think that seems to match everything you described," Bonnie said slowly looking at her best friend.
"So, for some reason the universe believes that we're the two souls most suited for each other in the whole world?! Does this mean that I'm actually a monster, but I," she broke off running her hands over her face, "wait we could use this!"
"Not to be a contrarian but how could we use you being the apparent soulmate to the worlds darkest force of evil ever to walk the earth?" Bonnie asked slowly looking at her best friend in disbelief.
"If I go on the run and disappear, he'll have to focus on finding me and not Elena," Caroline said slowly thinking this through slowly. "Then in a dream I'll tell him that if he wants to catch me he has to promise to leave Elena and all future doppelgangers alone."
"Right, and don't take this the wrong way, but why would he give up the key to his goal to chase you?" Bonnie asked slowly looking at her best friend.
"Because otherwise I'll lock him out and drive him insane," Caroline said smugly and looked down at the book that outlined the problem with soulmates avoiding and ignoring each other.
"Okay, but maybe getting his Hybrids is worth going crazy," Bonnie argued slowly looking at her best friend.
"Bonnie, it's a risk I can take to help save Elena," Caroline said slowly biting her lip.
"Elena wouldn't want you to risk yourself to save her though," Bonnie argued half-heartedly knowing that while Elena might not, the Salvatores would definitely sacrifice Care for her.
"It's my choice and if I stay he's just going to take me when he leaves anyway. We have to assume that he knows about us being soulmates by now," Caroline rationalized looking at her best friend and offered a small smile.
"But you wanted us to have a normal senior year and to be happy," Bonnie argued looking at her best friend tears brimming in her eyes.
"Which you guys will be able to after I leave," Caroline said softly rubbing Bonnie's arm and stealing herself not to cry.
"What are you going to do if they catch you though," Bonnie asked softly looking at her best friend.
"You're going to spell another ring for me that will allow me to disappear magically and I'll take care of the rest of disappearing." Caroline flashed upstairs and grabbed her grandmothers Claddagh ring and flashed down to Bonnie.
"I'm going to anchor the spell to the magic that makes you a vampire, that way you won't need to have it respelled," Bonnie said softly as she smiled at Caroline and started working on the cloaking spell. Caroline smiled back and pulled out her phone. She went to text her mom, but decided that this was a phone conversation, she called the station.
"Mom, it's me. I need to tell you something and I need you to not interrupt me okay," Caroline started and as Bonnie anchored the cloaking spell to her vampire nature Caroline outlined the plan she had to her mother. Liz in her sensibility understood the importance and the need for her daughter to leave as soon as she could pack.
Caroline and Bonnie plotted her course and Caroline hugged her tightly. Bonnie gathered her things and together they went upstairs to help Caroline pack her things. She was grateful that her mother and father had bought her a car, that was in good enough condition to get a decent trade in. Once she'd packed up the important pieces and clothing, Care gave Bonnie one more hug tight, she whispered words of encouragement to Bonnie and told her to keep her head down.
Caroline had never been farther than Whitmore and as she drove past Richmond, she drew a long slow breath and cranked the volume as Britney Spears came on over the radio. While anxious to put as much possible distance between her and Mystic Falls she had decided to drive to D.C and from there trade her car in. Then with the money she'd use it to disappear into the mass foot traffic at Dulles International.
Klaus wasn't shocked to find that she'd left but considering her mother didn't know and the witch couldn't be compelled he was growing frustrated. His sister's witch was trying locating and tracking spells one after another. All to no fruition. Growling his fist was through the bloke's chest cavity before he could think to not murder the idiot. Rebekah huffed and then started laughing.
"This is rich, you the one who views love the weakness and detests it with all your great might, you get a soulmate," she chortled and pulled out her new cell phone as she looked at her distraught brother.
"Silence sister, I don't know why she fled, but having a soulmate is a threat to our family and our safety. I was hoping to shuffle her off with her doppelganger friend and the pup," he snarled using a towel to clean the blood from his right hand.
"Nik, you have to admit that its rather funny that you have a soulmate, while I who have desperately sought love and companionship do not," Rebekah said her eyes pools of mirth.
"Laugh it up Rebekah, but while she's galivanting around the world. My weakness is free to be caught by our enemies," he snapped glaring at his sister and hoping his anger hid the hurt that his little bird had flown her cage with out him.
Glancing at his watch he tapped his finger on the table. Deciding it was worth the shot of seeing if he could connect their dreams. It was almost nine at night. She might have stopped for a quick nap. Flashing up to his room he closed his eyes and took a deep breath settling among the pillows. Sleep quickly overcame him.
"Please take your seats and please buckle in. We will be taking off as soon as the tower gives us the go ahead," the flight attendant said smiling out over the sea of passengers on the plane. Caroline had checked her baggage and compelled the extra bags for free. While she felt bad about doing so she needed to get on a flight. It was now seven hours since she'd left Mystic falls, it had taken three to get to Dulles, and then she'd traded in her car and with the money she had cut her credit cards up and was grateful that her father and mother had made sure to get her a passport. Slipping it into her purse she settled into her seat on her flight to Montreal.
As she smiled at the passing flight attendant she raised a hand, "I was wondering if you could not disturb me, I'm oh so very looking forward to sleeping the two hours to Montreal?"
"Oh of course, busy work day?" the flight attendant said smiling as she continued her way down the aisle. Caroline smiled softly and plugged her headphones into her phone. Thank God, she had downloaded her favorite Spotify playlist. As the gentle guitar strums of Brooke Fraser filled her ears she closed her eyes and willed herself to fall asleep.
Caroline was sitting in a coffee shop, from the looks of it was from the set of Friends. Looking around she relaxed and tapped her fingers against her chin. She closed her eyes and willed the connection to Klaus to open. As her eyes were closed, she didn't notice him seemingly strolling in through the café doors.
"You thought you could fly away little bird?" he sneered looking around the empty coffee shop looking for any discerning characteristics.
"No, I knew I could," she said blinking and looking up at him.
"Why though? I haven't harmed you or your mother," he asked taking the seat across from her.
"You are hurting my friends," she said simply her finger tracing a pattern on the table top.
"Oh, the doppelganger you mean?" he asked raising an eyebrow.
"I'm not hurting her. In fact, she's quite safe at the hospital. I just need her blood," he said shrugging as though it was a rather great inconvenience.
"She can't live a normal life like that though Klaus," Caroline snapped looking at the stormy eyes of the original Hybrid.
"Normal is overrated, and I'd much rather talk about you," he said shrugging leaning over the table to take her hand in his.
"Why did you run Caroline, you have to know at some point I'll find you," he said softly, though the undercurrent of steel was clear.
"Probably, but if you don't leave her alone. I'll drive you mad. I can lock our connection off and over time, you'll lose your mind," she said looking up into his eyes.
"How do you know so much about the workings of soulmates love?" he asked his anger flaring at the threat.
"Bonnie's grandmother had the Hallowell's grimoire and now I have it," she said shrugging and pulling out of his grip.
"You've known all these years haven't you," she asked softly looking at him.
"Yes," Klaus answered and at least at that moment he had the decency to look sheepish.
"If you hadn't run into me on your quest to torture my best friend and steal her blood, would you have ever revealed yourself to me?" Caroline asked her voice growing soft as she gazed into his eyes.
"No." He leaned back and shrugged.
"You didn't want to know me?" the hurt clear though she tried to hide it.
"I am not a good person Luv, I'm the Original Hybrid and we were safer not knowing about the other," he said honestly suddenly feeling uncomfortable.
"Then you don't have to worry about finding me," she said shrugging and started to stand up.
"What do you mean I shouldn't find you?" he asked following her to stand up.
"I'm not your precious doppelganger, and you obviously care more about hybrids and conquering the world than maybe exploring the it with me," Caroline said simply looking at her nails and flicking imaginary lint off her shoulder.
"You'd really explore the world with me?" he asked eyes widening at the offer.
"Well, I've never really been anywhere," she said and suddenly a globe appeared on the café table. Caroline trailed her fingertips over the globe and smiled as it spun under her touch "So, I'm going to explore the world and what it offers and stay out of your way."
Klaus stared at the blonde standing confident and sure of herself looking at her in a new light. She was stronger than he'd ever thought a baby vampire could be. Here was a vampire of less than six months standing confident and sure of her power. How her the strength had slipped his notice, he was unsure. Suddenly his pride took over and Klaus shoved her into the wall of the café and Caroline gasped at the impact.
"You are nothing, you are insignificant. How dare you suppose that you could pull me from my goals. Who are you to defy me?" he snarled his eyes flaring gold and the veins descending down from his eyes.
"I'm your soulmate. I'm the one person who has seen you. The kindness and the compassion that you've shown me these last twelve years. I must believe that those parts of you are just as real as the rest of you," She huffed and pushed against his grip and gently reached out to cup his cheek gently. "I have to believe that the parts that you hide from the world, are just as real as the parts you display with pride."
Klaus glared and shook off her touch, no matter how much he wanted to lean into her touch. Caroline offered him a small smile and placed a piece of paper in his hand. Slipping past him she turned, opening her mouth to say something, the dream started to fade. Someone was shaking her awake and she faded from view. Klaus was left in the dream world, the piece of paper in his hand. Looking down he raised an eyebrow. It was just a phone number. Maybe the offer was sincere, her friends for herself.
Berlin, Germany 2025
"Why are we back in Montreal?" Katherine groaned glaring at the blonde standing next to her. How she'd gotten roped into helping the blonde Miss Mystic Falls avoid the detection of one arch enemy, she sincerely couldn't say. Yet here she was four years later looking at the blonde smart ass.
"We're going back to Montreal because I miss it, and it's two weeks before Christmas," Caroline said looking at her mentor and friend. While Katherine and Elena may share a face, Caroline found that after ten years, she preferred the snarky, speaks her mind Katherine. While she might not always do the right thing, she did what she needed to do to survive. After a decade on the run, Caroline could understand that point.
"Forbes, what the fuck is the first rule of being on the run," Katherine said grabbing her arm and pulling Caroline to look at her.
"Always stay moving and never visit the same place in the same three decades," Caroline said back wrenching her arm out of Katherines grip.
"So why are we breaking the one rule you promised you could follow?" Katherine asked eyebrow raised. While she knew that Caroline wasn't running from Klaus rather his deranged Father it was nice to keep Klaus' soulmate close. Over the last four years Katherine and Caroline had become as close as Katherine had ever let another person in. Caroline had a direct connection to Klaus and had promised that she'd work on getting Kat a pardon. There was after all a very dapper Original in a suit that Katherine missed.
Caroline felt her cheeks start to flush as the memory of the dreams over the last few months started to race through her mind. Over the last ten years, Caroline and Klaus had bonded through their dream moments. They'd learned more about each other over the course of the past decade than Caroline had thought they could have.
He had made good on her offer, and after freeing Elena and wiping her memory along with the memory of everyone minus Bonnie, and her Mom. Klaus had been about to set off to join her in Montreal, when Damon had reappeared in town to announce that he'd freed his father. So, gathering his sister, the doppelganger blood he'd collected from Elena before striking the deal with Caroline he'd sped out of Mystic Falls as fast as possible. According to the dream that they'd had last night, Mikael was finally dead.
"Hello-Earth to Forbes," Katherine's voice cut through her short walk down memory lane.
"Huh? Oh, Mikael is dead, I want to spend Christmas with Nik and actually see my supposed soulmate in person," Caroline said slowly looking at Katherine who was white as a sheet. Katherine started to back up and shake her head.
"Forbes, I'm not going anywhere near Montreal if Klaus is going to be there," Katherine said feeling a little hurt that Caroline was going to throw her to the wolves. Looking for an escape route she backed up a little.
"Stop panicking, I was going to save it till we landed," she paused her blue eyes glittering as she looked at her best friend. "There is a really stuffy older Original who is going to be waiting for you at our town house in Old Montreal."
Katherine felt like the wind had been knocked out of her, being able to be near Elijah and not worry about her life. She had been in love with that man since she was 17. Biting her lip, she looked at Caroline and tried to tell if the grinning, still agonizingly preppy blonde was fucking with her.
"You mean you got Klaus to forgive me?" Katherine asked softly wondering how after a decade Caroline had managed it.
"Well you did kind of watch my back these last ten years and I think that counts for more than either of us could have guessed. It was all Nik. He told me to tell you that you were clear and free to join us for Christmas," Caroline said taking her best friends hands in hers.
"Wow, I should have kidnapped you back when I first turned you," Katherine joked looking at her friend as she felt tears sting her eyes.
"Yea I don't think we would have ended up here if you had," Caroline teased back laughing and wrapping her prickly friend in a hug.
"I think that we need to go shopping," Katherine said pulling away from the hug quickly, "I want to look my best for Elijah and you darling need to do something about that volume. Can't show up to your first in person romp in the sack with flat hair." Caroline, laughed and allowed herself to be led out into bustling streets of Berlin to go shopping.
Klaus found himself pacing at the gate waiting for Katherine and Caroline to arrive. He was feeling rather annoyed that Elijah was standing there looking completely calm even though the self-professed love of his life was going to be in his arms for the first time in almost five centuries.
"Why are you so calm," he snapped looking at his older brother.
"I'm not, but I see no use in pasting like an errant child," Elijah said simply pulling his phone from the inner breast pocket of his Armani suit.
"You are increasingly more frustrating," Klaus growled and then suddenly his eyes locked on blue eyes he'd know anywhere. Caroline was walking towards him a carry on rolling behind her. Next to her was Katherine Pierce. Pushing aside his anger he flashed to his loves side and pulled her into his arms. "God, you get lovelier every year Little Bird."
"Nik," Caroline laughed as she allowed herself to be pulled up into the air, wrapping her arms around his neck. "I've missed you too."
Klaus chuckled and kissed her nose gently and then kissed her gently on the lips. He was scared that she would reject him and in all honesty, she still could. Dreams were not the same as reality. As they kissed in the middle of the entry way Klaus grinned as he felt his Little Bird deepen the kiss and his heart soared.
"Ugh, are they going to do this all the time?" Katherine groaned pretending to throw up as she leaned against Elijah. Her arm around his waist, and his around her shoulders. They would have a moment in private away from the staring eyes and crowds of strangers.
"We should be going Niklaus, Rebekah and Kol are waiting at the house, along with Miss Forbes mother and the Bennett witch," Elijah said after watching his brother react so strongly towards the blonde woman. "Miss Forbes, it is lovely to officially make your acquaintance."
The ride to the town house was quick and Caroline was clutching Nik's hand as the taxi sped through the town. Katherine and Elijah had decided to take their own taxi and allow Caroline and Klaus a moment alone together for the first time ever.
"You know this is our first actual Christmas together," Caroline said softly looking up at him as though he'd fade away.
"I hadn't in fact known that Little Bird," he chuckled when she jabbed him in the side. Teasing her in person was more satisfying than anything he could have imagined. Wrapping his right arm around her shoulders he allowed himself to relax.
"Why do you still call me Little Bird," she asked and looked at him.
"I call you Little Bird, because when I first entered one of your dreams you were imagining that you were a princess alone in a tower with only the birds to keep you company," he said honestly, and she scrunched her forehead trying to remember that dream.
"You were maybe four or five, I was so confused as to why I was in a dream with a child and you pointed to the birds on the tower window and told me that you wanted to be a bird," Caroline blushed and hid her face against his collar bone. "I started calling you that, and then as we had more dreams the nickname just made sense."
"I like it," she said softly as she looked at the familiar row of townhouses to the one, that she'd bought with Katherine back in 2010. They had spent two years in the house Katherine bring blokes over and letting them leave a little paler. Caroline had found a new blood bag distributer and taken classes at McGill. She had enjoyed the ability to study and learn what ever she wanted from the professors there.
"Your mom threatened me, and Bonnie backed her up," Klaus admitted, and Caroline snorted breaking out of her thoughts.
"I don't think that they're ever going to actually like you," she said shrugging. She had forgotten that her mother and Bonnie were going to be at this Christmas. It was the first time she wasn't in hiding and Caroline missed her mother and her other best friend. Skype and Whatsapp didn't do them justice. "I am excited to spend the next centuries with you Nik," she said softly leaning up to kiss him again. There was something about kissing in person that beat all the stolen moments in her dreams.
Christmas had been a lovely affair. Rebekah, Caroline, and Katherine burying the hatchet after Katherine and Caroline gave Rebekah her gift. It had been a work in progress, but both Caroline and Katherine knew that they'd get nowhere with Nik or 'Lijah if Rebekah hated them. So, they had thought hard on what to get her. It turned out that Rebekah and Caroline got on like white on rice.
Caroline had spent hours just talking to her mom and holding her. Being able to hold her mother was a blessing that Caroline was glad to have. She had talked with Bonnie for hours into the night on Boxing day. Her first two nights in Montreal, were spent breaking in her old bed and learning the spots on his body in person. Caroline learned that she was a major fan of the trick with his tongue in person.
Bonnie and her, discussed all that had happened in Mystic Falls after she'd left on the run. Tyler had taken off to live with a pack in the woods of Oregon and they hadn't heard from him since. Elena had finally married Stefan and Damon had lost it. The three had all left Mystic Falls after graduation and Bonnie had heard from them since.
Bonnie and Matt had both went to Whitmore College and graduated with different degrees. Matt had excelled in his major of business management. Bonnie had followed her grandmother's footsteps and majored in occult studies. She had just graduated Stanford with her Ph.D in North American and Caribbean folklore.
"What are you thinking about?" Klaus asked softly opening his eyes the night after new years to find Caroline sitting in the window looking out over the old city. Caroline turned to look at him and smiled as she rested her head on her knees.
"I was thinking that I am the luckiest vampire in the world," she said softly and cleared her throat. "Don't laugh but I had a song stuck in my head."
When she didn't finish her thought, Klaus sat up and looked at her eyebrow raised. "Come now luv, you can tell me."
"You know Ella Fitzgerald's Dream a Little Dream?" Caroline asked and then flushed as Klaus chuckled. "I told you not to laugh. Anyway, I was thinking that it should be our song,"
Klaus smiled lovingly and slid off the bed to pull her against his chest. "I think that it's the only song that fits, us love." Caroline started humming the song and slowly they rocked back and forth in the stillness of a new year.