Eleven hours and fifty two minutes earlier:
"Really? You had to put them in there?"
"Well Bonnie it was the first room that came to mind."
"Really, my Grams' study?"
"Well it couldn't be anywhere that people, like my mother, could find them. And I mean they just appeared out of nowhere in a big blue box. I panicked okay."
"Man I heard Silas got inside you're head, but this is a bit much Caroline."
"Really? The witch is telling me that two people appearing out of nowhere in a blue box is crazy?!"
"How do you know you didn't just lock Silas in my house?"
"Because why would Silas bring a friend along?"
"To make you think that it wasn't him!"
"Well I rang Stefan when it happened, but he was out dealing with an escaped Elena. He just told me to deal with it, so I dealt with it."
"Well call him again."
"You call him! I'm listening." Caroline said as she tried to tune out Bonnie's voice and catch what was happening inside the study.
Bonnie just shook her head. She knew it wasn't Silas in there, but she still wasn't happy that two strangers were occupying her study, her Grams' study to be specific. She hadn't really been in there since her death. It was odd. She wasn't distraught anymore, but just not going in there meant that she could imagine deep down that her Grams was still alive.
When she realised Caroline had finished talking to her, she left the house and under the pretence of looking for Elena went in search of Katherine.
Caroline had been listening in for around an hour, and she was getting slightly bored with the obscure conversation going on in the next door room. Okay, so maybe she'd been wrong about them being a threat, maybe they were just two very strange people - very being the operative word. Maybe that was what Silas wanted her to think. But where was she going to get thinking like that? She tuned into the conversation again 'You know Clara? I like the word ramifications.' and tuned out.
It was a little irritating that Katherine had chosen this moment to let Elena out. She couldn't really imagine anyone coming to help her while precious Elena was on the loose. Well, that wasn't exactly true, but she wasn't all that happy about who her last resort would be. She didn't really despise Elena, she just wasn't in the best mood at the moment.
She pulled her phone out of her pocket and called Klaus. Although how his number had weaselled it's way into her phone was beyond her.
"Caroline, I thought you'd never call." A delighted voice spoke on the other end of the line.
"Yeah well, so did I. But I need your help, or your advice. Actually I just need you to stand here and look tough while I let some potentially dangerous crazies out of Bonnie's study."
"Right, well I'm a little busy here in New Orleans love."
She hated it when he called her that, although at least he seemed to say it to other people as well.
"Okay here's the thing, Elena is on the loose without her humanity and everyone who could possibly help me right now is out looking for her, and if I could ring anyone else I would but I cant! So I am asking you, Klaus. I am asking you to come here because this might well be the last time in my life that you are the one person who can help me." She took a deep breath.
There was just silence.
"Well?" She asked.
"I'm on my way." He said less enthusiastically.
"Thank you."
He hung up.
Which she was a little annoyed at to be perfectly honest, although she couldn't tell why exactly. Maybe she wanted to be the one holding the cards, or attempting to.
She flopped down on the couch wondering how many spirits were watching her right now, if that was what spirits did. It took that damn original nine hours to get up to mystic falls. Up until that point Caroline had been picking the dirt out from under her nails, listening in on the strangers conversation, and wondering whether she should've opened the door and let them out already.
When Klaus showed up at the front door all Caroline could do was glare at him. She nearly spat on him until she remembered she needed his help.
"So let me get this straight you want me to - and I quote - 'stand here and look tough', is that right?" He laughed.
"You know you're a-" She nearly said a string of words she'd regret but she restrained herself to "you're a real jerk."
"Maybe try insulting me after I've helped you."
"Nine hours, you took nine hours!"
"Well I was in the middle of business, I couldn't just dash up here."
"I'll remember that the next time you ask me for a favour."
"Let's just get this over with."
"Why? So you can hurry back to the latest town you've decided to torment?"
"No, my brother asked me to stay." He said tensely.
"Why couldn't he just come here? Why New Orleans?"
"Why do you care?"
"I always liked the sound of Louisiana, but I certainly wont be going there anytime soon if you and your deranged entourage are taking up residence."
"Is this about Hayley?"
The glaring intensified.
"Do you really think I care what you get up to in your spare time? I have a life you know, I don't spend all day pining after you, I have school, and friends, and things to organise, and strangers to let out of friends' grandmas' studies, and all this is besides the fact that I have a boyfriend!"
"A boyfriend who left you."
"Well right now that's not the point, the point is that we need to let those people out so that they can help me murder you for taking nine hours!"
"You know you're not being particularly persuasive love."
"Just stand there while I open the door." Caroline said as she walked over to the draw where the key to the study lived.
But it was gone.
"Looking for this?" Said Bonnie's familiar voice behind her.
She was holding it on a long chain that allowed it to sway back and forth with the air.
A pulse of relief ran through Caroline.
"So they found Elena?" She asked.
Bonnie didn't answer.
She looked at Klaus who had gracefully sunk down into a crossed legged position on the floor. Things were beginning to seem a little off.
"Bonnie, can I have the key please?" She said hesitantly.
"Why?"
"So that I can let those people out."
"Why would you want to do that?"
It was beginning to feel very cold, like a winter breeze was seeping in from somewhere.
"Because I've been listening to them and they don't sound like a threat."
"How do you know one of them isn't Silas?"
Caroline took a breath.
"Because you are."
Bonnie smiled as she shook her head.
"Ah well, the plan never needed you convinced I was Bonnie anyway."
In a flash Silas had thrown up his arm and sent Caroline soaring back into an old wooden sideboard that con-caved under the force and rendered her unconscious.
Silas looked down at Klaus on the floor who appeared to be off in la la land, he patted his head as if he were a dog and whispered.
"You'll do nicely. Are you ready for what we have yet to do?"
"Y-yes S-Silas."
Silas just smiled again and went over to unlock the door to his salvation.
It'll improve as time goes on, I promise. :)
Please review kindly, with any suggestions you wish.
