Chapter 2
Caroline had been lucky that morning when she went home; she had just made it on the porch and opened the door when her mother told her to come inside the house and help her. Secretly glad she got an unintentional invitation into her own house she had entered and seen her mom trying to move some boxes around. She didn't know what overcame her but she told her mom to sit because she needed to talk to her. Seeing her mom's worried face she struggled to form the words she needed to say, but her mom cut her off.
"Please don't tell me you're pregnant…" Liz asked and she gave a short laugh at how she wished it WAS that case instead of having to tell her mom she was a hybrid.
"No mom I'm not pregnant… but something happened last night. And I'm afraid you're going to hate me for it." Caroline started and saw Liz's face scrunch as she tried to come up with a thought of what had happened before Caroline could explain.
"Did you kill someone?" Liz asked and Caroline shook her head before answering.
"No I didn't."
"You're starting to scare me Caroline…" Liz stated with a tremble and Caroline knew her mom was slowly rising to hysterics from waiting.
"Just give me a minute to say everything and I'll tell you."
"Okay…" Liz answered and Caroline took a minute to collect her thoughts and find the courage to tell her mother the truth; although she hadn't been this terrified the night before and she found that rather ironic.
"First off… I had NO control in this… I didn't choose it. I was ready to die last night… and if you don't want me here after I tell you I'll understand. But I want you to know I love you and daddy so much… and I would never hurt either of you or let anyone hurt you if I could stop it…" Caroline rambled through her nervousness but Liz stood and cut her off before she could blurt out what had happened.
"Just tell me Caroline…" Liz begged and looking at her mother, all Caroline could do was whisper the rest.
"I got turned last night."
"What do you mean turned? What are you talking about?" Her mother asked confused and Caroline took in a shaky breath as she prepared to explain everything further.
"There's a hybrid; a vampire and werewolf. He came to town last night and he figured out how to turn a wolf into a hybrid like he is."
"And he turned you?" Her mother asked looking at her as Caroline fought the tears she felt forming while nodding and waiting to find out what her mother would say. "Did he turn Tyler too?"
"Yeah… neither of us chose to turn though…"
"Have you told your father?" Liz asked and Caroline shook her head. She was starting to get scared that her mother would just kill her and be done with it, but she saw her mother start crying. She stood to wrap her arms around her but stopped, not knowing whether or not her mother would accept it.
"I'm still me mom… but if you don't want me here I'll go and…" Caroline offered not knowing what else to say or do to make things better. What would her mother do now that she learned the truth? Would she kick her out, kill her, or send the council after her?
"This is your home too Caroline… we'll figure something out."
"You don't hate me?" Caroline asked confused, and a little hopeful that maybe things wouldn't be as bad as she thought.
"I don't hate you… I hate what you are." Liz replied and Caroline felt some of that new relief disappear.
"If you want me to go I will…" Caroline offered again as her fear of what her mother would do grew and she knew it would be safer for her mom if she did leave.
"I don't… I just don't know what your father is going to do when he finds this out."
"Do you think he'll kill me?" Caroline asked in a small voice; she was more afraid of her father's reaction than her mother's and as much as she hadn't known what her mom would do, her father was even more unpredictable.
"No but I can't guarantee he won't make sure you're still in control of yourself… I've seen Stefan and Damon and they've both explained a few things."
"Stefan told me once that being a vampire doesn't change you… it just amplifies who you already are. But if they turn their emotions off they aren't in control." Caroline stated as she tried to give her mom some kind of comfort through this ordeal; even if it was accepting how she was now.
"Then your father will want to make sure you don't turn it off after he makes sure you're in control."
"When are you going to tell him?"
"I'll take off work today… he can get here by the time you get off of school if you're still going…" Liz answered but trailed off in thought; apparently Liz was just as worried as she was regarding her classmates' safety.
"I'm going… I refuse to lose school because of this." Caroline insisted with a determined nod and looked at her mom to see her worried face.
"How are you going to keep from killing one of the kids at school?"
"My friends will be there, and I'll drink a blood bag or a bunny before I go in." Caroline thought out loud in answer and hoped it would be enough; she'd hate to give up her life because of the night before.
"You know I don't like this at all, right?" Liz asked and Caroline pulled away from the beginnings of her inner monologue.
"I know."
"But I'm glad you told me… instead of hiding it or running away."
"I was scared to… it's why I stayed at Bonnie's last night." Caroline explained truthfully and saw Liz give a small nod before wiping her face and standing from her seat.
"Alright… well go change and get to school. I'll call your dad and he'll come by the time you get out of school." Her mom spoke and Caroline rushed forward to give her mom a hug, but then stepped back when she thought her mom wouldn't want her to. She saw her mom's face looking a little tense but not angry and she nodded before running up the steps to change.
Once she was changed she exited her room and heard her mom talking on the phone with her dad. She stepped in the kitchen long enough to wave bye to her mom before she walking out of the house and getting in her car; thankful she had rode with Tyler to the school the night before. But thinking of Tyler angered her and she had to take a few calming breaths before starting her car and driving to the school. When she got there she saw Elena, who was sitting with Matt and Bonnie, and then she saw Tyler talking to some of the members on the football team. She closed her door and started walking over where Elena, Bonnie, and Matt were sitting, but halfway there she was stopped by Tyler.
"Come on Care… just talk to me…" Tyler begged and Caroline whirled around to face him angrily.
"Don't you dare Tyler… you forced me to finish the transition last night. You don't get to talk to me right now…" Caroline stated as she moved closer with her finger held up for emphasis.
"I'm sorry… but I couldn't just let you die…"
"Yes you could have, which was my choice… but instead you listened to a complete psychopath and forced me to swallow my best friend's blood. So just leave me alone…" Caroline ranted, but didn't want to talk to him so she chose to just ask for some space.
"Care…"
"I said leave me alone." She repeated firmly and was a little shocked when he backed down. He looked just as surprised as her but she ignored it and walked around him towards her destination. Once she sat down Matt asked her how she was doing before excusing himself to go to his locker before class started. They sat there in silence for a few minutes, all of them stressing over their own issues before they heard the first bell; signaling they had 10 minutes to get to their first class. So they stood and stared at the school. Elena mentioned it was exactly one year before when she met Stefan and now he was emotionless, Bonnie brought up the problems she had with Jeremy, and Caroline voiced her frustrations about getting turned by Klaus and Tyler helping him do it; following orders like a little puppy. But ultimately she told Elena she won since everything started with her being the doppelganger.
So they went inside, parting ways as they headed to their classes and Caroline paused outside the gym; half expecting when she looked in she would see Dana and Chad still on the bloody floor, but they weren't. She continued walking down the hall, pausing again when she saw the room she had died in the night before as it filled up with students placing their things down on the table she had woken up on. Shaking her head she continued until she got to her class and pulled her schedule out to make sure she wouldn't have class in that room, and luckily she didn't.
The day seemed to pass slowly for Caroline as she sat through class after class, fighting back her emotions and the craving she would have whenever someone got really close to her. She made sure to go to the bathroom during the times she was worried whether or not she would remain in control, but eventually made it through the day. When the final bell rang she went to the vending machine and loaded her purse full of chips so she could get through the next day, stopping at her locker to cram all the bags in but one, and opened it as she walked out of the school. She knew her dad would be waiting on her and she wasn't looking forward to it. Luckily Matt spotted her before she could drive away, asking her how she had managed the day and then applauding her when she joked about wanting to chomp on an annoying classmate but didn't. She remembered how Matt had told her how hard it had been to resist when he came back to school, so she had been expecting the day to be worse than it was.
They kept talking until Caroline's phone rang as she received a call from her mom. When she heard her dad was there waiting on her she said she would be home soon before telling Matt that she had told her mom. He looked at her worriedly, but she said her mom was trying to accept it; she just didn't know how her father would take the news or what he would do. He offered to come as back-up but she declined, thanking him for the offer, before saying she'd see him when her father was done with her and got into her car.
She stopped a couple blocks away and drained about 3 blood bags knowing she would need it; not just because of her father but for how the day had been. When she was finished she put them in a trash bag in her trunk and headed home, pulling the chips from the passenger seat to munch on instead of her family. When she walked in she put her backpack in her room and went into the kitchen, knowing it would be where her father was. He looked up at her and she put the chips on the table but remained standing.
"This shouldn't have happened. I never thought I'd see the day my daughter turned into a vampire." Bill said angrily as he kept his gaze away from her and Caroline closed her eyes to fight the tears that were forming from her thoughts before looking over at him again.
"I know." She whispered in return not knowing what else to say.
"Did you kill anyone today?" He asked and she was glad to have an answer for that; one she was proud of.
"No."
"Did you drink from anyone?"
"No I drank from a blood bag and last night I drank from a few animals." Caroline stated so she could put her father at ease at least a little bit and his anger would die down before they continued; yet it didn't work and he stayed tense.
"So far you've stayed in control?"
"Yes."
"Did you want to drink blood from anyone? Did you get angry with someone?" He interrogated further and Caroline felt the beginnings of frustration come up at his questions; she may have been turned into a vampire but she was still herself.
"I got annoyed with a few people… but I could smell everyone's blood. I went to the bathroom a couple times so I could make sure I stayed in control." She offered and saw her father finally turn to look at her.
"So you did want to drink from someone?" He asked as he gave her a look that left her feeling scared.
"Only when someone got really close…"
"We'll have to fix that… I can't have you living here with your mother if you don't have complete control of yourself." He cut her off from explaining further and she felt a small amount of relief come up when he said "living with your mother"; maybe he wasn't planning on killing her.
"I wouldn't hurt her…" Caroline insisted, but her father cut her off again.
"You're a vampire! Until you learn control I will work with you every day to ensure you don't have any 'accidents'" He screamed and she quieted down so she wouldn't anger him again; yet she knew she'd never hurt him or her mom, even if they hurt her.
"I understand." She whispered and looked up to see him watching her reactions intently.
"You know where you used to lock me up before I started locking up with Tyler?"
"Yes."
"Every day when you get out of school you are to go there. Have you turned into a wolf yet?" He asked and she was about to just say no, but she thought he might need to know how she ALMOST did.
"Almost… it was before I got turned into a hybrid."
"Who did you kill?" He asked evenly and she could see his anger coming out again so she knew she'd have to explain everything quickly.
"Nobody…"
"DO. NOT. LIE. TO. ME." He cut her off as he stood and banged his fists against the table. She knew she had to get everything out at once about her almost-shift or he'd likely do something before they got to the cells.
"I'm not lying… Tyler got changed before me. When I saw him die and everyone afraid I got angry and I started shifting, but I didn't kill anybody." She explained and saw him take his seat again before releasing a breath and looking back at her.
"Do you know what that means?"
"The hybrid said it was because I was an alpha." She said and saw him nod in agreement. She briefly wondered if her dad would explain more about being a wolf now, or if he would just make sure she had her vampire side in control.
"You are an alpha; an alpha female and the first one our family has ever had."
"What are you saying exactly?" She asked when she couldn't figure out the significance behind his little statement.
"A long time ago a witch told our ancestors that when our family had an alpha female there would be a change, and the girl would need to be ready for the challenges."
"What challenges?" She asked worriedly as she wondered whether or not being a hybrid was the "changes" the witch had meant.
"She didn't specify the challenges Caroline. But that's why I've always been strict with you. I made sure you couldn't be compelled so your mind would be your own, and then I made sure you were in control of yourself. But now that you're a vampire… we have to reteach you."
"I still can't be compelled…" She offered and hoped he wouldn't be as hard on her as he must have originally planned; at least she wouldn't have to be retaught that particular lesson.
"Are you sired to the man that made you?" Bill asked and Caroline felt her confusion come up again; she hadn't heard anything about sired before.
"What do you mean?" She asked as her mind took off in a million directions. What is being sired? How does it affect you? How would I even know if I was sired or not?
"When he tells you to do something, do you do it?"
"No… but Tyler… oh my god…" Caroline realized and spoke her thoughts as everything the night before made sense; Tyler was sired to Klaus.
"Tyler listens to him?"
"Yes." Caroline answered and wondered why Tyler had been sired and she hadn't.
"When I'm done working with you I'll help him, but you can't say anything to anybody about Tyler being sired. If he hears that he is he might tell the one that turned you both and it could turn things from bad to worse."
"Okay… but… does that mean that Tyler was just following orders when he made me finish turning into a vampire?" She asked needing to know the answer, but afraid to hear it as well; even if she figured her theory was correct.
"He could have been, but without knowing if the vampire influenced his will there's no way to be sure."
"Another thing… I told Tyler to leave me alone today… and I don't know what happened exactly, but he listened; almost like he had to." She spoke up as she noticed her father scooting around in his chair about to stand and she wanted to stall as long as she could; plus she REALLY wanted to know what was up with Tyler obeying her.
"Tyler isn't an alpha and you are; he has to listen to the orders given by the alpha of his pack. You two considered the three of us a pack of sorts so he would have to listen to you."
"So if our sire told him to do something, could I tell him not to and he would follow it?" She asked hopefully and saw her dad look away as if to think of an answer.
"How old is the vampire?"
"Centuries and he's a hybrid."
"He's an older alpha… his order would be stronger than either of ours. The only way to give Tyler his freedom would be to find out the bond that created the sire bond to begin with and remove it." Bill stated and Caroline felt her shoulders sag with the weight of everything.
"How?"
"Did either of you meet this man before last night?"
"No."
"My guess is he's grateful he doesn't have to turn unless he wants to. That gratitude would form a bond. He could also be grateful he won't grow old and die like a normal wolf. Either way… it'll be hard, but the first guess would be easier to break."
"How would you do it?" Caroline asked as she wondered how difficult it would be, and if she could get Tyler out of being sired herself.
"Tyler would have to embrace the pain that comes from turning… so he would have to turn over and over until he wasn't grateful anymore."
"Would I develop a sire bond if I turned?" Caroline wondered out loud a little fearfully since she knew without a doubt that she didn't ever want to go through that.
"No… if you don't have one now you won't have one."
"If my sire's orders overrule ours, then how do I not have to follow his orders by basic instinct?"
"Because you're the first alpha female of our bloodline… being the first alpha or the first alpha female gives you a little more willpower than a regular alpha, and tons more than a normal wolf. There is another reason but you aren't ready to know it yet… I have it written down in a journal that will be given to you when I am gone."
"Daddy I need to know everything there is… my life as well as other people's lives depend on what we can figure out and get rid of this guy…" Caroline ranted desperately but Bill shook his head and held up his hand to silence her.
"On this you'll have to wait. It wouldn't help you kill him anyway."
"Daddy…" Caroline tried again but she found herself cut off again.
"It's time we get on our way… we have a long evening ahead of us." He stated and she looked at him for a minute before looking at her mom to see her with her face in her hands and stood to follow her father. "Now that you've triggered your wolf gene, and you're the first alpha female, did you notice you didn't automatically follow my instructions?"
"Yes." She answered as they stepped out of the house and got in his car.
"I can't make you control yourself anymore… this will be up to you. If you can't stay in control I'll be forced to kill you. Don't make me have to choose that path for you." He warned and she nodded. He started driving towards the ruins on the other side of town, stopping at the council building to pick up vervain, ropes, knives, and a small stash of wolfsbane to add to the materials he already had in the trunk. When they got there she helped him unload all the devices she would be tortured with, hoping she wouldn't mess up; she knew her friends would need all the help they could get.
The first order of the evening was being strapped to a chair by vervain and wolfsbane covered ropes, and she scrunched her face when she felt the burning of her skin. When he was sure she couldn't move or break away he put water in three different buckets; one for mixing wolfsbane, one for vervain, and one for a combination of the two. Then he pulled a turkey baster out of his bag and sucked up wolfsbane in it since she was quite used to its effects and he wanted to start with the simplest.
She felt the wolfsbane poured onto her head and shoulders and grit her teeth, trying not to make a sound, but she noticed it burned more than it ever had before. She figured it was amplified because her wolf gene was activated and dreaded when her father would switch to vervain because she hadn't experienced it before. Pain she was used to she could deal with, but pain from something that hadn't harmed her before had her worried and she couldn't see which bucket her father went to next; if he switched at all. When she felt the burn again she sniffed the scent and picked up it was still wolfsbane, but she held back from showing her pain again.
It took over an hour before her father switched to vervain, and she didn't need to smell it to know he had; it burned worse than the wolfsbane and she had to grip the arm rests of the chair and curl her toes to keep from screaming. Her father noticed the difference in her reactions and explained she needed to adapt to the change and build up a tolerance. She nodded and he poured more on her, pausing only to let her skin knit back together when it started melting away. She wanted nothing more than to scream but she knew it wouldn't help her; it would only make matters worse. She couldn't help the little whimpers that would escape right before he would take a break, or the tears that leaked out every time the vervain would touch her skin.
When he had finished the vervain she had almost stopped healing and her hunger had returned. She felt the veins trying to surface so she pulled some of her focus into keeping them at bay. Her father pulled out a blood bag and held it in front of her, causing the veins to come out completely; screaming when she felt the wolfsbane/vervain mixture on her back. Her father told her to push her hunger back; to not let it control her. When he put the blood bag back in front of her the veins came back again so he poured more of the mixture on her. She tried to keep from screaming but she couldn't hold it back anymore; needing blood to heal and having two forms of liquid tortured poured on her was becoming too much for that day.
Her father carried on as she tried unsuccessfully to keep her face from changing and to not scream until he was out of the mixture. He pulled the tube open on the blood bag and she sucked in a breath, knowing her face would change but couldn't stop it. When she felt a knife stab into her leg she almost felt bad for Klaus; almost. Her father jerked it out and held the bag in front of her again. With her reaction being the same he stabbed her other leg. He kept going with that exercise until it was dark and she had stopped healing, knowing she needed blood badly. When her father placed the tube against her mouth it took all her willpower not to suck the blood into her mouth, but her father told her they were done for the day and she could drink.
Once he had fed her two bags he untied her and let her feed herself another bag before they left. He let her know they would start with the blood exercises the next day and kept at it until she could control both her hunger and own her pain. When she passed they would move on to shifting so she could learn to shift quicker; and being a hybrid meant she would need to learn friend from foe so she wouldn't attack anyone in her wolf form. She almost groaned with everything her father was telling her but she knew it was better than them hating her so she accepted it.
When her father dropped her off she trudged inside and saw her mother sitting in the living room waiting for her. She told her she was alright but she knew her mother could tell she wasn't. She supposed she looked awful from the day and dreaded looking in the mirror when she took her shower. She told her mom she was going to shower before she ate dinner and walked to her room to gather her clothes; pausing when she saw her reflection; she looked completely ragged and could barely recognize herself in the mirror. Out of curiosity she allowed the veins to creep up under her eyes and looked to see what she looked like, but pushed them back almost immediately; it reminded her too much of Tyler the night before.
After her shower she grabbed her homework and took it to the table to work on while she ate. Her mother followed her, asking her how it had gone and what he had done. She didn't want to go into specifics so she gave her a quick summary, as well as what they would be working on the next day and so on. When she looked up at her mother again she saw she had been shaking in an effort not to cry so she told her she really was fine; just tired. She never really could lie worth anything so she wasn't surprised when her mom scoffed and left the table. So she finished her dinner as quick as she could and took her homework back to her room with her; stretching out across the bed and fighting her exhaustion so she could finish. But as soon as she was done she put everything up and hollered to her mom goodnight before turning the light off and going straight to sleep.
