Chapter 2

Weatherman called for a twister

She prayed blow it down

There's not enough rain in Oklahoma

To wash the sins out of that house

There's not enough wind in Oklahoma

To rip the nails out of the past

~ Blown Away – Carrie Underwood

A crisp autumn wind blows through the windows in the Gilbert house and a small, black and white kitten lies in a corner, curled into a ball, purring softly as it sleeps. The screens in the windows rattle each time a gust of wind swells up, but the kitten continues to sleep as peacefully as before. It is just after four o'clock on a Sunday and Alaric Saltzman in sprawled out on the brown leather couch, snoring incessantly. He's had a long, miserable week. It was the end of the first quarter at Mystic Falls High School, and that meant tests, which, in turn, meant grading. He had one more class to finish, but he granted himself a reward in the form of a nap. After all, he deserved it.

In his sleep, he kicks off the thick afghan that lies over his body. The cool breeze hits his skin and he jolts awake. He sits up, his head spinning wildly, his eyes wide. He's certain he heard something by the back door. He sighs in relief when he sees Elena move across the kitchen with a glass of water in her hand. He lays back down and resumes his much-needed reward.

Elena finishes the rest of her water before rinsing the glass out in the stainless steel sink and leaving it on the rack to dry. She heads upstairs to finish what little homework she received for the weekend. She sits at her desk and pulls out the necessary materials to finish her Psychology. They're talking about different mental disorders. She knows she shouldn't enjoy it as much as she does, but what can she do? She's fascinated by the way in which the mind can form such vivid hallucinations, distort reality. It's as she writes down the definition for schizophrenia that she hears a noise outside. It's disconcerting and altogether out of place. There's someone out there, someone that doesn't belong there. She creeps to the window, adrenaline pumping through her veins, and sees. . .

Nothing.

Maybe it's all this talk of mental disorders that's made her so paranoid, but she could swear she heard something. She shakes her head, trying to clear it, and moves back to her desk to finish her Psychology.

Humans, thinks Klaus with a shake of the head, so quick to write their suspicions off if it means they can go back to ignorance.

Is it really bliss? Caroline chimes inside Klaus's head.

Couldn't tell you, love, he answers silently, smirking at her underneath the darkening sky. Can't even remember what it's like to be human.

Neither can I, she muses as they settle in the thick branches of the oak tree outside the doppelgänger's window. Is that strange?

Not at all, he assures her. Besides, I much prefer this way of life. An eternal existence in which we do whatever we please without fear of consequence.

She grins widely at him from her perch. He can see her eyes shining in the near dark, crystal blue in color, lit up with excitement. As long as it's with you, I have no complaints, she thinks, and he sends her a wordless, abstract thought that has no name.

Have I thanked you yet, he asks, for doing such brilliant work with Miss Donovan?

Caroline chuckles in her mind. I think so, she answers, but you can thank me again.

I might just take you up on that offer.

Elena sleeps restlessly, tossing and turning constantly. She never enters a true sleep as the breeze permeates the screen on her rattling window. The comforter she is curled up under flaps gently in the breeze. It's not enough disturbance to wake her fully, but enough to keep her from sleeping soundly.

In her dream, she is walking in the woods as dry lightning cracks in the dark. She can see no more than a foot in front of her, so her steps are careful, deliberate, cautious. The forest canopy is so thick that not even the lightning can brighten her way. She takes her time, and slowly her eyes begin to adjust to the darkness of the woods. She stops for a moment and looks up, trying to envision the scenery around her. It's almost as if her mind is so desperate for reality that it is coloring the world, creating pictures that aren't truly there. In the darkness, she can see only one thing. She doesn't know why, but she shouldn't move toward it, should turn back on the path. Yet, she cannot seem to stop her feet as she moves closer to it with each step. She doesn't know what it is, just that it is dangerous and she has to get away. Captivated by the blue irises and pitch black pupils, she continues moving forward until she is in its grasp. Arms encircle her and something sharp pierces her neck.

Elena awakes with a start, panting, and her hand flies to her neck. She comes in contact with nothing but smooth, cool skin, and she huffs out a sigh of relief. She knows it was a nightmare, but it was so real, so vivid, that she can scarcely believe her subconscious could formulate something like that. Then again, she is forever fascinated by the inner workings of the human mind.

Nicely done, commends Klaus, squeezing Caroline's hand with his own.

Thank you, giggles Caroline. She's done this plenty of times before, but it gives her a new satisfaction now that she's used her dream-walking technique on the doppelgänger.

Klaus, on the other hand, cannot believe how surreal this all is. He's here, in Mystic Falls, where it all began, no more than fifty feet from the doppelgänger. He's so close he can taste it, so close that he can barely resist attempting a jump through the window, but he knows better. All that's left is to get her to invite him in.

Klaus and Caroline spend the night in the oak tree despite the cold temperatures and fierce winds. They are both impervious to the weather, and the wind only serves to irritate Caroline as it blows her hair in front of her face. Finally, she breaks down and puts it into a pony tail, only to realize that there are pieces of dead leaves clinging to her hair. She grumbles as she tries to comb it with her fingers, and Klaus antagonizes her by laughing, enjoying every moment of it. After spending nearly ten minutes on her hair and only cleaning one side, Caroline is irritated and tired, so her arm flies out and shoves Klaus right out of the tree. He rights himself before he hits the ground, and glares up from the ground at her, and now it's her turn to laugh.

As Klaus is climbing the tree, the sun begins to rise over the horizon, painting everything in the vicinity with a bright, yellow glow. Caroline's hair seems even blonder, Klaus's more auburn. They wait for a few more hours as the sun settles in its place in the sky, only to be covered by dark, ominous clouds. Klaus feels certain it will storm today.

And storm it does.

Elena gets up at six and dresses for school. It's Monday morning and all her routines are gone through slower than usual as she faces the long week ahead of her. She makes her bed and moves to the bathroom to shower. When she emerges, she is fully dressed in black jeans and a red halter top with a black leather jacket placed tastefully over it. She is astonished when she looks out her window. In the span of the forty-five minutes since she awoke, rain has been falling non-stop. The street is nearly flooded and her window sill and the carpet beneath it are soaked. She groans and slams the window closed, hollering for Alaric to help her close the rest. He shuffles around the house, muttering something about damned weather and shouting. Elena gets downstairs and turn the television on to the local news station. An emergency bulletin is being issued for Mystic Falls and the surrounding areas. The weatherman is telling everyone to stay indoors as he rattles off school cancellations.

"Mystic Falls High School is closed due to flooding. Again, I urge everyone to stay inside . . . ."

Elena groans again and plops down on the couch, annoyed that she got up at the crack of dawn (or thereabouts) for nothing. Alaric is in the kitchen making his morning coffee, which may or may not consist of a little scotch.

"I'd hold off on the coffee, Dad," Elena calls and she hears him dump the coffee out in the sink. He comes to join her on the couch and they both doze off immediately.

I look like a drowned rat, seethes Caroline from her perch in the oak tree. Klaus refused to leave his vigil on Elena's house, and Caroline felt obliged to stay. She's regretting that at the moment.

You look beautiful, love, Klaus thinks, looking at her lovingly.

She rolls her eyes. Right.

It is now nine-thirty and Caroline is getting antsy. While the cold and wet don't particularly bother her, she can't say she wouldn't prefer a nice day by the fireplace with Klaus, rather than in a tall oak tree.

Klaus looks at her and nods. It's time, he thinks.

Couldn't agree more, she answers, but I'm starving, Nik. We need the doppelgänger alive, and right now, I can't promise that I wouldn't rip her throat out.

Klaus has to admit, he's hungry, too. Fine, he concedes and they hop down from the tree.

For as long as they've been alive, Klaus and Caroline never cease to be amazed by the foolishness of humans. There are still plenty of them out in the town square, using umbrellas or hiding underneath the canopies of restaurants and businesses. Caroline zeroes in on a muscular, blonde boy with vivid blue eyes sitting underneath a sign that reads "The Grill". Klaus moves off in the direction of a bar, where he spots a long-legged, black-haired woman. As Caroline nears The Grill, the boy says goodbye to the few friends he was sitting with and pulls out his phone. He's looking at it intently when Caroline walks up and places her hand on the table. His eyes follow her arm up until they fall on her face and his jaw falls open.

"Uh, hi," he stammers.

"Hello," she replies in her best British accent. "I'm Caroline. And you are. . .?"

"I'm Matt, Matt Donovan," he says, offering his hand. She shakes it and feels his blood pulsing in his veins. Donovan. Could things get more perfect? "Can I help you with anything?"

"Yes, actually. I saw this poor little dog in the alley, but I didn't want to move him in case I hurt him," Caroline pouted, her eyes filling with tears.

Pity filled Matt's eyes and he gestured for her to lead him to the animal.

"Where is it?" he asks, his voice suddenly shaking as she leads him deeper into the alley.

"It should be . . . right . . . around . . . here," Caroline breathes.

Suddenly, she spins around and grabs Matt by the shoulders and throws him up against the wall. Her fangs descend quickly and she bites into his neck, controlling the flow of blood easily. He cries out loudly before Caroline slaps a hand over his mouth as she drinks deeply. A young woman bursts out of the back entrance to The Grill and Caroline throws Matt to the ground. She doesn't think he's dead yet, but the girl has already seen too much. As she advances on her, she begins chanting something in a strangled Latin derivative.

Caroline feels a piercing pain in her skull and she rushes out of the alleyway before anymore harm can come to her. She blurs across the square and seeks out Klaus. He senses her before he sees her, and he immediately knows something is wrong.

"Caroline," he gasps as she grabs his hand.

They arrive home in less than three minutes and Caroline is still clutching at her head.

"Caroline, tell me what happened," Klaus urges, lowering her down onto the couch.

She shakes her head, but she feels the pain starting to dissipate. A few minutes later, she feels normal, but utterly exhausted. She opens her eyes to see Klaus looking at her in concern and worry.

"I was feeding and someone came out of The Grill. I was about to drain her when she started . . . yammering and I just got this overwhelming pain in my head. I haven't felt anything like that before. It was horrible."

Klaus took her in his arms. "We'll find her," he assured her. "Do you want me to go to Elena's alone?"

"No," Caroline shook her head, a mischievous smile lighting up her face. "I'm coming with you."

"Bonnie?" said Alaric, answering his phone. "Bonnie, calm down? What's wrong?"

"The Originals are here. The woman was feeding on Matt. I'm with him at the hospital – he lost a ton of blood."

"You've got to be joking," Alaric said, exasperated. "He'll be okay, right?"

"Yeah, but they'll have to keep him overnight for observation. But make sure you and Elena don't invite anyone in. The woman has blonde hair, blue eyes, and the man has curly brown hair and blue eyes."

"Will do, Bonnie, and thanks for letting me know. Tell Matt to get well soon."

"Thanks, Ric," said Bonnie, hanging up her phone.

They walk through the still-pouring rain to Elena Gilbert's home at a human pace. When they arrive, they go to the door and knock insistently. Finally, Elena comes to the door and looks at the two, soaked people standing before her with pity.

"Our car broke down just down the road, and we don't have any cell service," Caroline let out in a choked sob while Klaus rubbed her back.

"Well, please come –"

Alaric flew into the room and slammed the door in the Originals' faces.

"Dad, what –?"

"Elena, we need to talk," said Alaric. He'd been dreading this day ever since he and Isobel adopted Elena. His wife was now deceased, but he'd vowed to take care of Elena until the day he died. She didn't know she was adopted, and she certainly didn't know she was the doppelgänger. He had planned to tell her sooner, but he'd never found the right time. And now the Originals were on their doorstep. It had to be done.