klarolineepiclove - Aw thank you sweetie, that means so much! I can't wait to keep exploring them more. This chapter was so much fun. :)
Cabin6Girl - Thank you so much! I adore Enzo too, and Caroline, and it bothers me how destroyed their characters are getting. I hope this story will continue to suffice. :)
flipped - Yay I'm a favorite! *does a dance* Love ya.
LilyRosaly - Sorry this took so long. I hope your patience lasted! :P
My loves! Thank you all for reading and reviewing. I'm so thrilled you enjoyed the first chapter and I apologize profusely for taking so long to update. I'm not going to say I'm going to kick the habit because I have a couple fics in progress at the moment and a few drabbles to finish, not to mention reality. But as with all my other fics I will just put out a disclaimer that I will NEVER abandon a story without saying so. So even if it takes a couple months to crank out an update, never think I've given up on it if I haven't expressed as such. That said, I really enjoyed writing this chapter and I hope you love reading it just as much! ;)
Chapter 2
Three hours into the drive Enzo's patience had finally worn its thinnest. It was one thing to put up with the endless Taylor Swift misery she'd forced upon him. And another to listen to her raffle off the ground rules he was expected to abide by - no making her turn her humanity back on; no mention of any of her friends or, especially, her mom; exclusively use pseudonyms wherever they went to avoid being found; and don't even think about sleeping together because it was so not happening. At least as far as she was concerned.
It was shortly after the sun had set and they'd surpassed the North Carolina state line into the city of Greensboro when he made a small, protesting groan.
"When are you going to tell me where the bloody hell we're going?"
Caroline rolled her eyes. "You have asked me that four times in the last three hours."
"And yet somehow you've managed not to give me a straight answer all four times."
"Oh come on. I thought you liked a little mystery."
"Make that five."
She glanced at him dully and he returned it with a sweet smile. She let out a heavy sigh, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear.
"Why does it matter where we end up? It's an adventure. Just...take it for what it is."
"You know most women who've recently been dumped just change their hairdo, buy some chocolate, go out dancing with their friends..."
"I am not most women. And I was not dumped. Stefan and I were not even a thing, so just – " She cut herself off with a flustered laugh. "What am I even explaining myself for? I don't owe you anything. Besides, this isn't about Stefan. This is about me wanting to finally live my life the way I want and have some fun."
"Which leads me to my next question, what kind of 'fun' is this little road trip of yours supposed to entail for me?"
Her lips lifted in a tiny smirk. "If you're seriously asking, you're not as smart as I thought."
"Caroline Forbes, are you attempting to seduce me?" He flashed her an irresistible grin.
"Not that I really have to, considering you've had eyes for me since we met."
"That's rather presumptuous."
"So you weren't flirting when you called me judgy and accused me of having a thing for accents?"
He smirked. "Actually I was just stating facts that were relayed to me. You, however, proceeded to confirm them with no fight whatsoever."
"And then when we took that road trip to Atlanta," she continued over him, "where you murdered Stefan's doppelganger for me. What was that again? Oh right. Your deluded way of trying to woo me."
"That was an act of kindness. I knew you wouldn't do it."
"Because I used to be a good person?"
"No." She looked at him then and his lips lifted in a cheeky smile. "Because he reminded you too much of Stefan and your little crush on him was blurring your vision." She rolled her eyes, narrowing them slightly. Enzo leaned forward, smile growing. "What's this? Have I hit a sore spot? Here I thought you'd had your humanity off."
"Don't do that."
"Do what?"
"Act all cute and pretend you're not a giant pain in the ass."
He laughed. "I wasn't acting, gorgeous. That's the beauty of being around you. I don't have to act like anything but myself." She shook her head and rolled her eyes again, looking ahead determined not to smile. But Enzo caught the corners of her lips twitching and made a small sound of understanding. "You're blushing."
She scoffed and it came out more of a laugh. "You know, you just - " She turned her head to look at him then stopped herself, shaking her head and focusing her eyes back on the road with a heavy, frustrated sigh. "Forget it."
"No, no. I want to hear this."
"Too bad. Because I'm not telling you." She raised her brows adamantly for emphasis. "And to be clear, I am done thinking about Stefan Salvatore, okay? As a matter of fact, I am done thinking about any and all men. This is my time. And I'm not going to let a guy ruin it. Even you."
"Not to split hairs but you did invite me."
"Yes. Because I needed someone who knew how to have fun and wouldn't make me flip my humanity switch back."
"Speaking of which, you still haven't told me your reasoning for turning it off in the first place. Just don't tell me it was Stefan's influence. I couldn't bear to think so little of you."
"Are you hungry? I'm starving."
"Deviation. So this was a rejection fueled switch flip."
She scowled at him. "My mother just died. You think I would let something as minuscule as Stefan drive me over the edge before my mother's death would? How pathetic do you think I am, Enzo?" She looked ahead again and tightened her grip on the wheel. "Like I said, I'm starving. So the next sign you see for a pit stop, please let me know."
He looked out the window dully, his mood eviscerated. "Whatever you say, bossypants. Aren't any blood banks for miles, though."
She rolled her eyes, bitterly. "There are people."
"Now you're just pulling my leg. The girl who lives and breathes sobriety?"
"Believe it or not, I can snatch, eat, erase. Even sans humanity. Whether I want to, on the other hand, is questionable."
He smirked slowly. "Easy there, Jolly Jane."
"What? You said you needed a new murder buddy."
"Obviously I was joking."
"Well obviously I'm not." He looked out the window unamused and she laughed snidely. "Oh come on. Besides Stefan at his Ripper worst, you're the most guiltless killer I know. Don't go all moral on me now."
"One of us has to have a conscience." He smiled grimly. "I just preferred when it was you."
"Is that even possible for psychopaths like you?" She tilted her head with a coy grin and narrowed eyes.
"I like to think my tendencies border more on sociopathic." Caroline snorted. "What?"
"You're, like, textbook psycho." She straightened her shoulders and began a list, "Artificial and/or shallow relationships designed to manipulate people to your benefit? Check. Erratic and impulsively violent behavior? Check, check. Lack of guilt regarding any and allbehavior?"
"Who says I don't feel guilt?"
She scoffed. "Please. You don't care if you hurt someone, so long as it benefits you."
"Glad to see that drama major is going to good use." He sat up a little. "But if we're going for accuracy, most psychopaths can hide what they are fairly well. Hold normal jobs, come off charming and trustworthy, engage in seemingly loving relationships."
"Like Maggie?" She lifted a brow coolly, smiling with an edge of spite. "I mean, that's as close to a relationship you ever came, isn't it? And even that didn't work out."
He face tightened, their eyes meeting in an intensely dangerous gaze. "The point is, I don't try to hide what I am. Besides, true psychopaths only engage in criminal behavior with minimal risk to themselves. They make sure not to get caught, have contingency plans. And we both know I don't have the patience for planning." He lifted a brow and his devilish smile reappeared. "You, on the other hand, are an expert precision planner."
She laughed in disbelief. "Now you're gonna turn this around on me? Because I'm the crazy one."
"I don't have to. Just go back to that little textbook definition of yours." She cut her eyes to him dangerously but he only smirked wider, fueled by her annoyance. "Face it, gorgeous. It's you to a tee."
"And what does that make you?"
"A dashingly handsome vampire who is currently on the most bizarre road trip of his supernatural life."
Caroline hummed, her amusement returning. "You should consider yourself lucky. I have plenty of other options I could have gone to for companionship."
"And who would that be?"
"Don't worry about it."
He smirked to himself knowingly, catching her grip on the wheel tighten out of the corner of his eye. "You're the one who brought it up."
She rolled her eyes and stared ahead until he got the hint and quieted again, all the while kicking herself mentally. Maybe it was just a white lie. Or maybe she secretly wanted to see what it would be like to be around Klaus without her humanity. He was, after all, the first person she thought of when she decided to do it. Maybe it was a spite thing. Because he'd thought so high of her. What would he think of her now? Not so strong or full of light anymore, was she? But it didn't even matter. He was just another one of her failures and she was beyond caring.
Needing a distraction, she pulled her phone from her bag and started to swipe in different directions on the touch screen to pull up a window but when she glanced down Enzo's fingers blocked her view.
"Ah ah," he snatched he phone from her grasp. She scoffed, gaping at him in disbelief but he only winked with a snarky grin. "No texting while driving, gorgeous." He peered down at the screen and his brows raised. "An invitation to a rave?"
"Don't judge me."
"I thought you were hungry."
"Well, what better place to feed than a massive dance party where no one will notice a thing?"
"If you like that sort of thing. But it's been my experience that feeding on people with hallucinogens in their system never ends well for anyone."
"I'm so touched you care. But do me a favor and don't."
Enzo sighed and sat back against his seat with a defeated expression while Caroline smiled to herself. An out of state rave was the perfect plan. No one there knew her and anyone who did wouldn't think to look for her there. It was new and exciting and the perfect way to let off steam. Not even Enzo was going to ruin this.
The Limelight was hidden away in an industrious section of the city. To the naked eye it was just another grey, shabby building amidst the miniature concrete jungle. Inside, it was anything but.
The first whiff of air upon entering was chokingly thick with accents of alcohol, mildew and sweat. Aesthetically, it was a feast for the eyes. Colors splashed every inch of the club, the laser light show reflecting off the mirrored ceiling bathing everyone in neon. Circular tables were clothed in a sheer fabric that looked iridescent under the flashing lights. They sat off to the side near the staircase that led to the rooftop, strings of twinkling bulbs lighting the path.
The DJ was lost in his own world, hypnotizing the crowd with a mix of electronic dance music reflecting a torrid love affair with heavy bass, thunderous beats and haunting melodies. Energy exuded from the avid ravers, their black lit warpaint and amalgamation of fishnet, corsets, tutus and tie-dye paying tribute to their lifestyle of party and music. And, without fail, every raver wore glow sticks illuminating their wrists and necks as if in mockery of the two vampires who had just entered.
"You've got to be kidding me," Enzo muttered.
Caroline giggled, walking in briskly and spinning on her heel to face him, arms spread. "Isn't this awesome?!"
He lifted a brow, briefly taking it all in with a certain distaste and disinterest. "It's something," he shouted back. "But not what I pegged you for."
She shrugged and offered a little minx-like smile over her shoulder as she turned. "Exactly." She started to wade through the crowd and called out, "Meet you on the dance floor!"
He shook his head as he watched her weave her way in, bemused by her new persona and growing increasingly bored of it. This wasn't the light, bubbly Caroline he had come to know and grown fond of.
On the one hand, the situation could be all kinds of fun for him. If he worked the right angle. On the other, did he truly want to have fun with this version of her or would it be considered taking advantage? And did he really care that much? He watched her as men gravitated towards her like it was nothing, and she let them. It wasn't the healthiest grieving process but she was a consenting vampire, he decided, so who was he to spoil her fun? Sparing one last glance, he turned another cheek and wandered off in another direction to seek out some fun of his own.
Caroline watched Enzo disappear, her face falling in disappointment and resentment. Fine. She didn't need him to have fun. She was enjoying herself already. Her hips rolled into her current partner's and he responded just as she'd hoped, pulling her close enough to him that she could see his pulse throbbing. He smelled like beer and sweat but it wasn't enough to repel her from his blood. She grinned up at him as her eyes veined and she captured his gaze before he could pull away in fear.
"You're not afraid. And you're not going to make a sound when I do this."
He blinked and nodded obligingly and Caroline bit into his neck savagely, blood flowing past her fangs and down her throat, dripping down the corners of her mouth.
Holy crap. Drinking directly from the vein was so good. It was warm and tasted so much better than bagged blood. How could she have forgotten and why hadn't she just done this sooner?
She clutched him tighter and began drinking deeper, the craving incredibly insatiable. She could feel her adrenaline rushing as his energy dwindled, his body beginning to lean against hers. She could kill him. And the temptation to was oh so real. She didn't care. He was nothing to her. And the idea that she could do it without consequence thrilled her. Every drop of blood was more delicious than the next, sweet and salty and nourishing. She let herself be engulfed her her blood lust, head spinning, everything foggy, body buzzing and tingly. She felt euphoric and like nothing mattered, nothing except blood and more blood.
"All right, gorgeous," a familiar voice echoed in the distance, yet somehow close. "Let the nice man go. You've had your fill." She turned her head and hissed at him, vampire features full on. Enzo's eyes dulled and he pulled her away harshly but effortlessly. "I said enough."
She shoved away from him and whipped around, glaring with regular blue eyes now. "What the hell, Enzo?"
He ignored her and grabbed the man's shoulder before he could fall, compelling him, "Go on and get to a hospital mate. If they ask, you were attacked by a drugged up harlot trying to get her kinks."
Caroline scoffed and gestured as the guy walked away, her shoulders slumping in disappointment. "Thanks a lot. That was my dinner. And by the way, I am not some kinky harlot."
"Fair enough, but you were on the verge of murdering an innocent man."
"Oh and since when are you so high and mighty?"
He tilted his head with an amazed stare at her callous attitude. "You have your humanity off. You kill someone and right now you may not care but later when you're you again, you'll be a sobbing mess and I really don't want to have to clean that up. So do me this one favor, gorgeous. Spare me and don't kill anyone."
She lifted a brow challengingly. Another guy was walking past, clearly inebriated. Seizing the opportunity once he'd made it beyond Enzo, Caroline grabbed his head, snapping his neck with ease and without remorse. As he dropped to the ground she crossed her arms and gave Enzo a defiant look, daring him to chastise her.
"You get in my way again and there will be plenty more where that came from."
She turned on her heel and walked off to the bar, leaning over gratuitously as she spoke to the bartender. When he walked off to fill her order, she sat in the stool and turned back halfway to look across the room at him with a sassy smirk before she spun around turning her back on him completely.
He set his jaw and let out a little laugh to himself. Well if that was how she wanted to play it...
The bartender set her drink down and she flashed him a sparkling grin in gratitude. Just as she reached to take the glass another hand swooped it up. Her head jerked in the direction of the culprit and found herself face to face with Enzo's snarky leer. He toasted her with her own drink and downed it in one go, grimacing a little.
"You can take the humanity out of the girl, but not the girl out of 'girly drinks'." He paused with a small hum. "That sounded better in my head."
She smiled thinly, eyes narrowed. "What are you doing?"
"I've just had this moment of eureka," he divulged, taking a seat on the stool beside her.
"Oh really."
"See, I've been going about this...other you...all wrong."
"You don't say."
"At first I thought, I'll just humor her. She'll be back to herself before we even exit Mystic Falls, go running back to her friends begging their forgiveness."
She hummed a laugh, her irritation growing. "You're right. You are are so wrong."
"Yes, but, you like wrong these days. So I figure I've got a leg up in the competition."
"Competition?"
"Why else would you have invited me to tag along?"
"Wow. You really are full of yourself, aren't you?" His smile widened as he peeked up at her, digging the cherry from her empty drink glass. But her amusement was short-lived. "I invited you because I thought you'd be fun. Clearly that was a mistake."
Caroline pushed away from the bar to get up but Enzo was already blocking her path when she turned around. She scoffed, shoulders slumping.
"Here's the thing, gorgeous. I could sit here and try to appeal to the Caroline I knew all along. But what good would that do me? Why not embrace this new perky blonde angel of death persona you're sporting and have a little fun?"
She crossed her arms, impressed. "I'm glad you see it my way."
"Mm." He smirked, biting the cherry off its stem.
She let out a short laugh, shaking her head. "Seriously?"
"What? Too cliché?"
"Trying too hard. No one is attracted to desperation."
She bumped his shoulder as she brushed past him and he smiled vindictively to himself out of sight.
"Maybe that's why Stefan wasn't interested."
Caroline stopped, eyes widening as her whole body tensed. She whipped around with a look of fury. "Excuse me?"
He turned to face her slowly, shrugging nonchalant. "Just taking an educated guess."
She hummed with a tight smile, her rage bubbling just beneath the surface. She stepped forward, invading his personal space to flick her eyes to his from beneath her lashes. Before he could blink her hands had grabbed his head and his neck snapped, body slumping to the ground.
Caroline crouched down over him, crooning seductively, "Who's the desperate one now?"