SEEING AS I WENT OFF SCRIPT FROM THE ACTUAL TV SHOW, I'M GOING TO JUST DEVELOP MY OWN STORYLINE WITH MY FAVORITE CHARACTERS, MAKING A FEW REFERENCES BACK TO WHAT IS ACTUALLY GOING ON, BUT KEEPING THINGS GOING IN THE WAY I WOULD LIKE THEM TO GO…..
"Why would he leave Elena behind?" Stefan wondered aloud, drumming his fingers on the wooden table top. Gathered at the Grill was a most particular group of people. Caroline, squished in between a lounging Tyler and a tense Bonnie was having trouble focusing in the subject at hand, instead scrutinizing Elena, who was sitting in between the Salvatores, wondering which one she was truly in love with. They were discussing in rather vague detail, in order to put off any prying ears of Mystic Falls gossipers, the events of a week ago. Klaus had up and disappeared, evidently fleeing town with his sister Rebecca and dismissing his threat to take his doppelganger with him, and forcing Alaric to follow in the dark that same night. Caroline had awoken in her own room that day after having been tortured in the school, later being told that Klaus had insisted he be the one to carry her as neither of the Salvatores had been in any condition to argue with him. Things had been nothing short of awkward. Tyler had been moving boxes at the mansion and had gotten no word of her peril until long after the fact, and even then Bonnie had had to clue him in. As it was, he seemed to be avoiding the subject all together apart from a brief inquiry after her health and a tight lipped nod when she'd replied "yes, I'm fine now." So she tried to be cheerful, alert Caroline because right now they needed to focus on Elena, who was in constant danger. How could Caroline even begin to feel sorry for herself?
"Because he's a psychopath." Damon replied to his brother's earlier query. "Klaus can't be assumed to have any logic behind his actions." Caroline lowered her gaze to the floor, remembering once again how tightly he'd held her while saving her life.
"Look," Tyler stated, "as far as I'm concerned, the further away Klaus is, the better. Let's just forget about him and move on with our normal lives."
"Dude, you're a vampire-werewolf hybrid." Damon pointed out dryly. "You're the opposite of normal."
"And what if Klaus decides to come back?" Elena interjected, glancing around the faces at the table. "We need to be ready for anything."
"Why can't we just let it be? I want to be done thinking about Klaus every waking moment!" Tyler slammed a fist into the table.
"Tyler," Caroline hedged, laying a hand on his, "I know it's hard, but—" he jerked away, effectively cutting her off.
"But what? I broke the sire bond so I could be done being messed with by him. And that's what he's doing, Caroline. Messing with us! you just don't understand what he's done to me." He strode out, brushing by Matt as he meandered over, dirty dishes in hand. Caroline half rose in her seat, undecided over whether to give chase, when Bonnie pulled her back with a small shake of her dark head.
"So what are we going to do now?" Bonnie asked, her real question being what would she, as the resident witch, be expected to do?
"What can we do?" Damon replied with a sigh, picking up his drink.
"We'll wait." Stefan finalized. The group nodded and mumbled their agreement. "Now let's get inside. Even if Alaric stays away chasing the Originals, we should take every precaution." They all stood. Caroline hitched a ride with Bonnie, trying not to dwell on the fact that Tyler had left her behind once again.
"Do you think they will all stay gone." Elena, left at the table with the vampire brothers, brought herself to voice the unspoken fear turning in the back of everyone's minds.
"Probably not." Damon stood, stretched. "But it's nothing we can't handle."
"Don't be too confident, Damon." Stefan warned darkly. "Things could go bad really quickly. It's best to stay safe."
"Yeah. Safety first and all. I promise to wear a helmet, and all that good stuff. Come on." He held out a hand to the girl they both would lay down their lives to protect. "I'll take you home." She allowed him to pull her to her feet and took the jacket that Stefan handed her.
"Be careful. Both of you." She paused to meet both of their eyes before turning, leading the way out.
Matt crossed to their now empty table, loading their dishes into his black container to carry back to the dishwasher, smirking at the attempts Caroline had made to stack hers into a neat pile for him. Sometimes, he relished that he was the only normal person of the group, stressed only by his job, and below the notice of the worst of the creatures that always seemed to find their way into Mystic Falls. On that thought, he made a mental note to stop by for a chat with Tyler. The guy had been through a lot, no doubt, but even as his best friend, Matt had to wonder if Tyler could ever look passed his own struggle to those around him. Caroline, for instance, who was the very girl he had put himself through the werewolf change for, had just been through hell and the guy hadn't even stopped to consider that in his rant. Caroline had to be hurting too. Matter noticed a purse, Caroline's, slung over the back of the chair she'd been occupying. Shaking his head with a smile for her forgetfulness, he grabbed it and went to put it by his jacket to remember to return it to her on the way home.
There was no one else in the back area, where only employees were allowed. He swung open his small cubby of a locker, pausing when he heard the latch to the door leading outside life. He called out a greeting, squinting in the dim light provided by an overhead bulb.
"Hello, Matt." A voice, husky and low, replied from the opposite corner of the room. He turned slowly, his shoulders and neck tense.
"Ric." He said the name in a monotone, unsure whether to showing terror would jeopardize his own safety. Alaric took a slow step in his direction, the silver laced white oak stake clutched in the palm of his hand at his side. The skin on his face and back of his knuckles was blistered and peeling, burned by his contact with the sun without the protection of a daylight right like most other vampires in town had.
"You were a good kid, Matt. How'd you get caught up in all of this?" He started circling. "The deaths they cause, it's all around you. Like your sister Vicki."
"Leave her out of this." Matt's deep voice rang through the small space.
"Doesn't it tear you up inside? Everyday, you walk with, talk with, clean up after," he indicated the dishes outside, "your sister's murderer."
"My sister was becoming a murderous monster, trying to hurt Elena. That's not who she really was though, and not who I choose to remember her as."
"You're right." Alaric acknowledged. "Then again, they are all like that. Killers." He spat, his knuckles going white around the stake.
The door to the Grill dinged, a customer strolling heedlessly in for a late afternoon snack, no doubt. "Matt?" A feminine voice carried into the room, causing Alaric to bear his fangs. "I forgot my purse and—" Caroline gave a sharp cry as the spotted the two. She was back out the door in a second, Alaric hot on her heels. Matt took the opportunity she had afforded him and slipped out the back door, into blinding sunlight and safety.