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two: i was born sick, but i love it,
command me to be well
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He places a hand on her knee (a silent don't screw this up) and rolls down the window. She inhales sharply and plants a smile on her face. A chubby white face peers through the window.
"Is there something wrong, Officer?" he shines his dimples and the man with the badge adjusts his glasses.
"Would you mind stepping out of the vehicle for a moment?" the man pushes his glasses further along his nose.
Klaus' eye twitches but then he slips an easy grin onto his face, "But of course."
He squeezes Caroline's thigh in warning before stepping out of the car. She breathes a sigh of relief when the door shuts then opens her own. She could just out him. The opportunity is perfect. But maybe she doesn't have to, if he's escaped from prison then this guard is bound to have been informed. All she has to do is sit back and wait.
"Now, we don't want any trouble," Klaus states as he watches the guard search Caroline's car.
"Don't worry, sir. We mightn't have any," The Officer inspects the holes between the front and passenger seats.
"Well, surely I have a right to know why you are searching her car," Klaus absentmindedly clenches his fists and he looks to Caroline who scratches the back of her head guiltily. He raises his eyebrows and she sends him a sheepish grin.
"Uh, the term 'mine' may be used a little loosely in this situation," she whispers and he closes his eyes and lets out a long sigh.
"Please tell me I did not hijack a stolen car," he stares at her and she smiles bashfully.
"Technically, yeah," she admits, "With a hostage."
"Brilliant," he blinks at her and she flutters her eyelashes at him. The Guard huffs and holds in his hand the little booklet she prayed he wouldn't find. Klaus struts off toward the parked Police car.
"And how would you like to explain this?" the Guard holds up 'her' car registration and ID and Caroline licks her lips nervously, "Unless your anti-ageing cream has worked wonders on your deceased face, Miss Wallaby."
"Um, have you ever played truth or dare?" she giggles nervously and he squints at her.
"Listen, Miss. This will only get worse for you if you don't confess, so if there's anything you want to say in your defense, do so now," he leans closer to her and whispers, "If that boyfriend of yours is pressuring you into things—"
"Boyfriend? Does it really look like we're together? I mean, really?" she squeaks.
"Yes, Miss," he says, exasperated, "You make quite a cute couple but if there's anything you want to—"
"Cute? What do you mean cute? I haven't been cute since High School! Just look at my ass, I've moved straight up to the Hot Plateau!" she jabs her index finger at him, "I did five internet quizzes and seven magazine questionnaires that confirmed it!"
He opens his mouth to speak but is cut off by Klaus who swings from behind. The Guard's head bounces off the back seat window before landing on the ground with a thump. Caroline stares open mouthed as his body wobbles then collapses.
"Hot Plateau?" Klaus questions with a lazy smirk.
"Seriously?" she exclaims, waving her hands dramatically, "It's the middle of the day and you just murdered someone!"
"On a deserted highway, so it's fine."
"Oh my God, Klaus! That is so not my definition of fine!" she groans and slaps her palm to her forehead, "What am I suppose to do?"
"Get a new dictionary?" she gapes at him.
"I'M COVERED IN SOMEONE'S BLOOD!"
"Don't be dramatic, sweetheart. You're not covered in it," he drops his weapon and it lands noisily on the ground. He grabs a tissue from her glove compartment and begins to dab at the blood splattered across his face. She watches him, flabbergasted.
"MURDERER!" she sputters.
"Thief," he states calmly, with a smirk on his face, "You know, love. Most people don't tend to hold on to stolen cars. But, then again, most people don't steal cars."
"Yeah, well," she huffs. "Most people don't murder either, so," she crosses her arms over her chest and he just stands and watches her. Caroline puffs out her cheeks and tries to ignore him but his eyes dig into her skin, "What?" she demands harshly.
"Nothing," Klaus raises his eyebrows, "I'm just glad you were late for work."
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She says nothing when he gently wipes the blood off of her face. She says nothing when he places his jacket around her shoulders to cover the red stains as they walk into the hotel lobby. She says nothing when he signs for their room as Mr and Mrs Brandon. She says nothing but almost sighs as he pulls out the actual Mr Brandon's credit card (because yes, he stole from a dead body, but isn't it worse that he was the one that killed him?). She says nothing as he leads her into their room, hand rooted to her lower back.
"Do I have to bind you to the bed while I shower?"
She says nothing.
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Caroline changes into the nightdress that appears from God knows where and lays in the bed. Her head aches from all that's managed to happen to her in not even a full day. She breathes in the smell of the sheets. Freshly washed, unlike the rest of the mangy hotel, but hostages can't be choosers, she guesses. She wonders who'll notice she's missing. Matt might bring it up, Matt's always been nice to her (but he's nice to everyone so she learned it didn't count). 'It's just Caroline, she'll be back when she's hungry', Damon will say and everyone will listen to him (because everyone always listens to him).
The bed creaks and a warm body presses into her back. She bites her lip as strong arms wrap around her waist. But she lets them, mostly because she's too emotionally drained to fight, but also because she doesn't want to anger him and how long has he even been in prison? They lay in silence, his breath tickles her neck. He seems to relax when she shows no sign of pulling away. She thinks now would be a good time to ask the question, while he is seemingly content with her.
"Why were you in prison?" she whispers and he shifts slightly, his leg pressing against hers.
"You said it yourself," he matches her low tone, "I'm a murderer."
She takes a deep breath and tries to think of another situation appropriate question, "How did you escape?"
"Pretended to have a heart attack. You'll find there's quite a lot of people who yearn to earn favour with me," he says smugly, "They were taking me to my funeral in that van. Suffice it to say I surprised them," he smirks into her hair and she rolls her eyes.
"Why did you escape?"
"I didn't particularly want to spend the next seventeen years in a straight jacket."
"Seventeen years? Wow, they let you off easy didn't they?" Caroline furrows her eyebrows because straight jacket.
"Oh, sweetheart," Klaus strokes circles into her stomach and looks at her like she's the most adorable thing in the world, "That's how long until my execution."
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