"… I need to know who is on my side."
At the square Bonnie recognized Stefan's voice but everything felt different about him, she made her way through the crowd of the living unable to see her.
"I'm not sure what's happening…" Rudy spoke, he looked down on a man bleeding on the ground and then at Liz who should be doing something but looked as dazed as the rest of them.
Bonnie came near Caroline's mother. "Sheriff Forbes?" she called aware that it was of no use but still she tried to touch the woman.
"Bonnie?"
The voice startled her, he was able to see her. "Stefan?" she called choking on her first tears, it was so good to be seen.
"Now, wouldn't you like that?"
Bonnie knew instantly that he wasn't the real Stefan. "Silas..." she said certain that he was playing with her mind.
"Has this summer been kind on you?" he asked with a dark smile.
Bonnie stroked her arms, she was shivering just remembering the pain that The Shadows inflicted on her. "What's going on in here?" she glanced over to her father.
"Every big bad needs an army." Silas moved his hand like a General admiring his soldiers.
Bonnie's throat closed up in panic, Liz and her father were here. "Leave them out of this…" she begged him.
Silas grew solemn. "Only if you do something for me."
Bonnie looked around, no one moved, they just stood there staring blankly ahead. "What do you want?"
"A little help from your side."
She narrowed her eyes. "I'm dead, what could you possibly want from me now?"
"All in good time…"
Bonnie shook her head. "You can't possibly hurt me anymore. The creepy smoke hurts at first but I will get used to it."
"Audacious but petulant and ultimately demanding an example." Silas said plunging a blade that she hadn't seen in his hand into Rudy's chest.
Bonnie screamed in agony. "Noooo..."
Silas smiled and snapped his fingers, Bonnie was now in the woods with him. "For now that was just in your head but if you fail me, I will make his death painful."
Bonnie covered her mouth beginning to cry when he disappeared before her eyes.
Caroline was closing up the last box that she was taking to college when a tiny rock came through the open window and smashed her lava lamp, one of the very few things that she was leaving behind.
"Sorry." A very apologetic voice echoed from outside her window.
Caroline came to the window quickly. "Elena?" she was surprised to find the brunette there.
"I'm still getting used to the strength thing…" she touched the back of her head followed by a purse of her lips.
"I needed a new lamp anyway." Caroline shrugged the damages quickly.
The two friends faced each other silently before Elena took initiative.
"Would you go for a walk with me?"
Caroline wasn't too at ease with the invitation but it had already been a dreadful summer that she wanted to put behind her so she swiftly jumped over her window, smiling a bit at Elena once she landed on the ground.
"Thank you." Elena said suspecting how much of an effort Caroline was making.
And right she was, because Caroline was hurt but she was also determined to listen to what Elena had to say and she went with her friend unaware that the phone that she left lying on the bed was vibrating and that the name on the screen was Tyler's.
New Orleans
He got a bubbly tone announcing the voicemail signal, very different from the one that left him an ultimatum on his messages. "Care… I know that you're mad but I don't have my phone with me when I'm shifting, my wolf suit doesn't have a pocket." he attempted a silly joke. "Call me when you hear this, I miss you." he wanted to add the rest he had in mind but the black Sports car was approaching and he ended the call before telling Caroline that he loved her.
Hayley left the car as soon as she stopped the engine, she wrapped the long cardigan around herself, the baby bump was a nice little belly by now and she was by no means at ease with it. "What did you find?" she went straight to the point, they didn't have much time anyway.
"Not much… the clan that you are looking for is almost extinct."
She shook her head vehemently. "Klaus told me that they were in New Orleans and that they were a very important clan, so there has to be someone left besides me."
"Oh, so now we trust the one who knocked you up?" Tyler snapped.
Hayley pulled the cardigan closer to her bones. "I need to find my family Tyler." she fought back a set of fresh tears. "I need them..."
"To protect you, I know. But I've spent all summer searching for any trace of them and the best I could come up with was a bunch of loose names. If there is someone still left from your family, they are hiding really well."
"Maybe they are hiding from Klaus." she refused to believe that they were hiding from her instead.
Tyler sighed because she looked tired and scared, it was surreal for him to find Hayley like this, she was not the same girl who helped him fight the sire bond to Klaus and he softened up. "I have a new lead. Someone mentioned that a few werewolves are living secluded on a mountain near the border with Canada. I can check on it, if you want me to."
Hayley smiled. "Thank you Tyler. I can't leave New Orleans with the witches breathing down on me and with Klaus around, then there's Elijah…" she couldn't bring herself to even name the long list of people suddenly watching her every move.
"But if this is another dead-end Hayley, you are on your own. I have to go back to Caroline, she's important to me."
Hayley raised her eyes from the ground like the words jolted sudden life into her. "I understand Tyler." she gave him a small smile but didn't even turn away when he left in his car.
Hayley's mind was racing. Of course, why didn't she think about this sooner?
Hayley searched inside of her pocket for that piece of paper with his number, for months that she had been trying to come up with something that she could use and now here it was, the simplest way out of her pressing problem.
She dialed the number that she got from the blonde at the bar with a trembling finger.
"This is so awkward…" Elena played with her bracelet as the girls walked through the woods.
Caroline stopped clasping her hands. "This shouldn't be awkward Elena, we grew up together. Somewhere in these woods, there is a tree that we climbed when we were 11 and from which you fell scaring me to death."
Elena smiled enchanted with the memory. "And I asked you to run all the way to town for help. You came back with your mother, my father and the entire fire department."
Caroline laughed. "I've always been very diligent." she made a fist with her hand.
Elena's smile faded a bit. "You've been a wonderful friend and I sort of took for granted."
"I became a selfish skunk who was jealous of everything you had." Caroline sadly admitted crossing her arms and looking at the ground.
But Elena smiled warmly and rested her hands over Caroline's arms. "You got killed because of me Care… I dragged you into this mess and you were caught right in the middle of a crossfire. And then…" Elena squeezed Caroline's arm a little so that she would face her. "I tried to kill you in these woods and no matter how much I want to blame my inability to feel back then, I still remember everything that I did, and all the awful things that I said to you."
"You stole my prom dress…" Caroline said slowly digesting the grudge that she still had for that precise act.
"A crime, I know." Elena tried to keep out a smile that would be misunderstood. "But you looked stunning in that other dress."
"I looked like a princess." she said crumbling into a reminiscent smile, she loved that dress and how amazing she looked in it.
"Care… I'm sorry for everything and for hiding in my perfect bubble with Damon so that I didn't have to face all the horrible things that I did."
Caroline moved her hand covering Elena's. "I miss my friends."
"I'm the worst friend ever." Elena said miserably.
"That would be Stefan who decided to go on a road trip alone without a single call for months."
Elena pressed her lips together. "That would be on me again..." she nodded once. "He must be so hurt because I chose Damon."
Caroline released Elena's hand and subtly moved away as well, she started walking slowly and Elena touched her wavy hair with a squint.
"You really don't like Damon." she said in a low voice.
Caroline laughed wrapping an arm around some random tree. "I don't have to like him, I'm not the one dating him now."
"Ouch, old Caroline strikes." Elena forced a smile.
While Caroline's grew. "Stefan might have helped me become a better person after I was a vampire but his older brother made sure I loathed the human me. I'm happy that your sexual relationship with Damon is enough to make you forget about all the bad things that he did to all of us, but I can't."
"I think you just ended our talk." Elena turned her back on Caroline gravely but before giving two full steps she faced the blonde again. "No, you know what? I'm not going to do this. I love Damon and yes, I chose him but it's not for the sex or the crappy sire bond that everyone tried to pin on us. I loved Stefan, with all of my human heart Caroline." Elena pressed her chest hard like someone in torment. "But Damon… he is the passion and the fire that I want, that I crave. I need him and I want to be one with him, to have his blood running through me and to have mine in him. I can't explain it with words, just that it's not sweet and innocent like I was before. Stefan was the love of my pure human life and Damon is the love and the passion, the excitement and the raw desire of my vampire life."
Caroline watched her friend walk away with clasped lips and a tight heart, she slumped against the tree hitting the back of her head hard against it.
The cruel truth was crawling under her skin as she was left alone surrounded by darkness, she only attacked Elena because she was having doubts about the easy life that she envisioned for herself and she was terrified to open that door that led to all the things that Elena was experiencing with Damon.
New Orleans
"Rebekah called, she just arrived in Zurich." Elijah walked into the room keeping his phone inside of the dark blue suit.
Klaus dropped the glass that he hadn't touched and quickly motioned to leave the room but Elijah held his arm as he was about to rudely leave him alone.
"On your way out?" he asked looking at his brother.
Klaus smiled insolently. "On my way out to buy diapers and toys for the devil's spawn."
"This is your child, perhaps a little more contain on your tongue would be required." Elijah quietly scolded him.
Klaus pulled his arm returning the scowl. " I won't be naming him my son unless this unborn child comes out and starts slaying hybrids by the dozens on his birth, if that's all right with you and the pesky peasant who claims to be carrying my seed in her."
"Such shameful ways to treat a lady you once invited to your bed." Elijah touched his tie with a quiet admonish.
Klaus laughed from the door opening his arms disdainfully. "She invited me, it was on the table and I assure you that I did not treat her like a lady because she is not one."
Elijah shook his head deeply aggravated with his brother's actions and words.
Klaus paced to his car with anger, not only Elijah decided to stay in the house with him, he kept reminding him of the monumental mistake he made that day with the wolf.
He came to his car finding the odds shifting every two hours and by the scent that reached him, his day was only improving.
"If you were trying to sneak up on me, this is saddening me." Klaus turned his head to Marcel. "I thought that I taught you better than that."
Marcel smiled without showing his white teeth. "You taught me well because I was watching you for the last five minutes. You seem troubled."
Klaus raised his chin to face his rival stoically. "Perhaps I could tell you all about it over a drink."
"I know a bar." Marcel led the way.
Klaus took a careful look around before crossing the street.
The flames on the fireplace were dancing before his eyes, he had his vintage bourbon with a smile when he heard the front door, he turned expecting Elena but the deep curls on the other girl wearing tight leather leggings and a sexy blouse threw him off. "What do you want Katherine?" he coldly asked.
Katherine ran her finger along the leather sofa with a shrug. "I was bored stiff and who better to cheer my mood than Damon Salvatore?"
Damon clenched his jaw unable to have the drink in his hand. "I don't want you near this house Katherine."
"Why don't you compel me to stay away?" she whispered with a wicked smile. "Or kill me."
"Elena will be back soon, maybe I'll leave the honors for her." he beamed.
Katherine held her own and came around the sofa to sit down, she rested her black thin heel against the little table in front of her. "So the town gossip is true after all."
"What do they say about the most handsome vampire in town?" he took the bait.
"That you became her lap-dog. Tell me Damon, how did you go from spending all those years pining over me to become Elena's little tamed dog? Do you roll over when she snaps her little virgin fingers and shake your tail? Or do you have to beg for the cookies?" she smiled darkly.
Damon dropped the glass and before it shattered against the floor Katherine was left fighting for air as he crushed her throat between his fingers. "I'm one of those who bites and then barks."
She managed a dry laughter under his harsh hold. "Not anymore. You are domesticated now and a step away from becoming a soccer dad for her precious brother."
Damon snarled on her face.
After a flirtatious smile Katherine sneaked her hand inside of his shirt after opening a few buttons. "Don't you miss being bad Damon? Draining a few girls here and snapping a few necks there…"
He grabbed her hand making her cringe in pain. "Stay away from us." he pushed her against the sofa before releasing her. "That's going to leave a bruise." he said without a smile while closing his shirt.
Katherine rubbed her wrist while walking to the front door. "Maybe but unlike your girlfriend, I like it when you're rough." she said opening the door bumping into Elena who was just arriving.
Elena slowly looked at Damon, he popped the collar of his shirt hating human version of Katherine even more than the vampire one.
New Orleans
Marcel poured a drink for Klaus. "You've been settling down in NOLA. My men say that you bought a house, killed a few of my vampires and asked around about the witches."
Klaus moved the hand resting on the table showing his palm. "I like knowing what I'm up against."
"We don't have to be enemies Niklaus."
"Who spoke of such harsh terms? I was thinking more along the lines of nemesis. A worthy opponent." he raised his glass to Marcel.
Marcel slowly raised his. "In a battle for what?" he spiked Klaus with a smile.
"For the throne." Klaus had his drink in one take and dropped the glass bottom up, tapping the glass with a sadistic smile so peculiar in him.
"Bring it on my Sire." Marcel faltered in his smile but not on his bravery.
"Patience Marcel, one does not go into war without being prepared to win it." Klaus left the table and the bar with a confidence that Marcel knew too well and feared.
One of his vampires tapped his shoulder. "She's here."
Marcel nodded standing up, he pushed the tingly chains that hung from the threshold as he came to the back of the bar, the alley was discrete and narrow and the girl was hidden in the shadows where it was hard to see her. "I was surprised by your call." he called her out.
Hayley stepped into the part of the alley that was bathed by the lamp light. "I can't be long, the witches and Elijah are probably looking for me already."
"Klaus just left, perhaps to look for you as well."
Hayley bitterly chuckled. "That one probably went home to sharpen the knife that he will use to carve this baby out of me."
"I have enough problems as it is, I don't know what you want but I can't help you with anything." Marcel quickly ended the conversation unable to connect to the pain or fear that the girl was conveying.
"The witches want to use Klaus as a weapon to rebel against you."
She had his interest now and he faced her hungry for more information.
"But using me as leverage is only going to work until he finds a way to get rid of Elijah."
"Is that why you have been searching for your family?" Marcel asked with a smile. "Nothing happens in this town without my knowledge."
Hayley nodded expecting it. "I need protection."
"Against Niklaus Mikaelson?" Marcel laughed loud and with will, he even clapped a few times. "Why don't you join the circus? They could use the naive clown." Again he turned his back on her.
"If you help me, I will give you the perfect weapon to use against Klaus."
"Something that can actually hurt him?" he narrowed his eyes.
Hayley shook her head. "Not something, someone."
"This is where I tell you that I've heard all this before and unlike silly witches who can tell when someone is pregnant, I do know Klaus and he does not back down for anyone, not even for a baby that might be his."
Hayley took a step closer. "I guarantee that you have not heard this one before."
"Go on." Marcel gave into his curiosity.
"Niklaus Mikaelson fell in love with a girl he left back in Mystic Falls."
Marcel chuckled. "Fool! Klaus doesn't care for anyone besides his family and even those can't be used against him."
"Well... you haven't met Caroline Forbes, there's nothing Klaus wouldn't do for that girl."
Marcel smiled happy with the talk, now this was worth his time. "I'm not a fortune-teller but I see a deal in our future."
"Grant me protection against him and the witches and I will help you get rid of Klaus." Hayley said coldly.
Caroline crashed on her bed facing the ceiling with a huff, she felt awful because of the silly fight with Elena, if the weird talk could even be called that.
When her phone started to buzz she searched for it on the bed, she held it above her face already knowing who was calling, with a swift move she took the call. "You are a terrible influence on me, your calls are slowly altering my sweet perfect vampire improved personality." she said with a grumble.
Klaus laughed, how could he not? "I'm certain I just briskly interrupted the torture of some puppy."
She smiled twirling a streak of hair. "No need to flag me as a psycho just yet but I was a total bitch to Elena today."
"I sense a scene that I was not there to stop this time."
Caroline rested her arm over her forehead. "We were alone in the woods but my glorious human bitch Caroline made an appearance. I have no idea why the thought of Damon and Elena together makes me so angry that I lose it so much. I mean, I know that he would never hurt her the way he hurt me but still..."
There was a moment there where she only heard Klaus breathing on the other side and she wondered about the heavy silence between them, it wasn't until he spoke that she realized the magnitude of what she just told him.
"How did Damon hurt you exactly?"
Caroline pressed her lips beginning to touch them very nervous. "Oh well, you know... typical Damon stuff. The occasional fight and snarky comments that... hurt." she tried to ease the damage.
"It happened while you were still human." he wisely deduced.
"No..." she said slowly.
"Caroline."
His voice was grave and she closed her eyes covering them with her hand, why had she just spoken about Damon with Klaus of all people?
"Yes?" she asked with her eyes closed.
"What happened with Damon?"
"Nothing..." she chewed on her lip.
"You are a poor liar, I can read you effortlessly and we are not even standing inside of the same room."
"That's because you are an expert torturing and killing people." she said with a pout, knowing that she was the child just caught with her hand in the cookie-jar. "So you have this super ability to read people."
"I'm going to find out eventually."
Caroline touched her forehead with a fist repeatedly, why did she have such a loose tongue? "Let's change the subject, what did you find out about Bonnie?"
There was a very long sigh from his side. "I'm only allowing the deflection maneuver because I don't have much to inform."
Caroline frowned sitting up. "What do you mean?"
"There is nothing on Bonnie."
"What use is this friendship that I have with the mighty Klaus if you can't find one girl when I need you to?" she snapped upset.
"Bonnie vanished, literally. Either she doesn't want to be found or..."
"No!" she circled her finger cutting through air. "There is no or in this scenario. You have to find Bonnie for me." she closed her eyes and her hand for a second. "Well... not to sound too demanding or anything... but do your sire villain thing and find her."
"I have a few matters on my hands right now sweetheart, I can't search for her myself."
Klaus sounded uneasy and even tired to Caroline. "What has you in such a workload out there anyway?"
She asked him too sweetly for his cold chest to handle. "Preparing the city for Queen Caroline for when she decides to grace us all with her presence." he answered shifting the conversation back to her.
"Ah ha. Very cunning of you." she saw right through him. "You always do that, we always end up talking about me."
"I wasn't deceiving when I said that I wanted to know all about your hopes and dreams."
Caroline rested back on the mattress. "My hopes and dreams consist of having my friends back. I feel like everything is changing Klaus and slowly spinning out of my control..." she confessed in a low voice.
"Change doesn't have to be a traumatic event Caroline."
She smiled. "You made me think of Stefan just now."
"Do I have to search for him as well? I suppose I could start by tracking down the Bon Jovi tours."
Caroline rolled on her side and grabbed her pillow laughing. "How did you know about that?"
"I spent an entire summer with Stefan." he solemnly answered.
Her laughter was a teasing one now. "Yes... the summer when the two of you went all Brokeback Mountain..."
"I'm ending this call now."
He tried to sound upset but she picked up on the laughter that he was holding back on her. "Two strong men all alone in the mountains, traveling by day and snuggling by night..." she made a lazy pattern on her pillow.
"Goodnight funny girl." he said with a softness that she knew very little had seen in him.
"Goodnight Klaus..." she replied sweetly and with a nice shade of guilt.
She rested her phone against her chin with a smile after the call ended, now she was left with her loud conscience.
It was such a different kind of guilt that pushed her to stop thinking about the man in New Orleans and had her calling her boyfriend almost desperate to hear his carefree young voice.
She smiled clutching her pillow tight when she heard Tyler's voice, he was the love of her human life, part of her constant will to stay in touch with her humanity but everything was changing and she had no control over it.
It became alarming to her that she began to miss the wise, calm and deep voice of Klaus who held so much mystery and all the secrets of a man who had lived so much.
New Orleans
Klaus noticed the black SUV parked on the other side of the road, he took the key from the engine and looked at the rearview mirror, another SUV was parked not far from his car.
As he stepped outside, he was ready for anything, even for the pretty petite girl with wavy long dark hair that ended below her shoulders and a thick fringe that framed her small features nicely.
"Good evening Master Mikaelson." she politely greeted him.
He noticed the hint of French in her accent. "I don't greet strangers." he glanced behind him as two other girls left the other car.
"Forgive my rudeness, I'm Leah." she gave him a small nod.
"Your parents were the rude ones by not providing you with a surname."
The other girls smiled at ease without fearing the dangerous man and one with short hair came closer to him.
"We belong to a coven, surnames don't exist within the circle."
Witches, how wonderful. "Sent by Sophie?" he looked behind him annoyed. "What news will you try to impress me with now? Is the wolf delivering twins?"
Leah chuckled. "She warned me that you would be witty."
Klaus squinted. "You are not here in behalf of Sophie..."
"Our leader sent us with a request that will be delivered by her in person but I can tell you that her name is not Sophie."
Klaus was listening to the girl who obviously was good at her job as a messenger, she was concise and kind enough to not waste his time.
"Marcel has banished the witches he couldn't kill into exile, forbidden to ever return we live for news of home. Rumors have spread out of the city that there is a new contender for the King's place."
"I do not own New Orleans yet, I cannot grant permission for anyone to return and even if I had it within my reach, I'm not sure I would want more witches around."
Leah smiled. "You will want my leader by your side."
"Why so sure of yourself?"
"She wants Marcel's head, heart or any other vital organ for that matter, detached permanently from his body. Call it a shared interest if you must."
"And what's the name of my new partner?" Klaus asked with a malevolent happy smile.
"Selene." Leah answered with a big smile. "It's a wonderful night to make alliances, wouldn't you say?"
Klaus looked around, suddenly he was surrounded by a dozen girls wearing all black.
Soundtrack:
Everything has changed - Taylor Swift ft. Ed Sheeran
Run this town - Jay-Z ft. Rihanna & Kanye West