3.
in for the kill
"I want to say a few words in memory of my mother."
No, I don't.
"Elizabeth Forbes was a strong woman committed her duty to protect people. She never gave up on any task and expected me to do the same."
Too bad she gave up on me.
"She taught me how to be independent and confident but humble, especially when life gave me some tough lessons. I owe her my every strength."
That's true. Her mother's tough love shaped Caroline's character quite painfully.
"During her whole life she was the sheriff first, then she was a mother, and the duty took her away from us too soon. But I hope she'll protect me from above like she used to do on earth - in her own way but without failing."
Mayor Lockwood sniffs loudly, Jenna Sommers wipes a tear from her cheek while Alaric Saltzman strokes her hair, Damon embraces shivering Elena, the sheriff's co-workers nod respectfully.
Caroline can't handle it even a minute longer.
"Thank you for coming." She joins Klaus' side while the coffin rests in the grave. He takes her by the hand and squeezes it reassuringly. She inhales deeply, and catches herself wanting him to never let it go. Her father notices Klaus and throws Caroline a questioning look. He's always thought she'd marry Tyler Lockwood. He liked Tyler, a tad boring and self-centered as he was, he would still provide for Caroline, she would never need to work. Now she's on her own, with only a small sum of money Bill can give her every month. Caroline will eventually run out of money Liz left her, too. There is much more than just grief and loss to cope with right now.
Before Caroline joins Klaus, Damon, and Elena on the way to the Grill to have a drink in the memory of Liz, her father takes her aside for a short talk.
"It's going to be hard for you now. Not only emotionally, but also financially." Bill says.
"I will be fine, dad. I've got a job, it's not that terrible, really." Caroline tries to smile, but her lips twist in a weird grimace instead.
"Before I go, I need to ask you something."
Her eyes look at Bill warily. "And what is that?"
"That man who's waiting for you by the cemetery gates..." Bill nods towards Klaus' figure leaning against the brick wall. "Is he someone important to you?"
Caroline blushes. Is he? It's ridiculous, they've just known each other for three days. She shakes her head and pats her father on the arm.
"No daddy, he's just a temporary housemate."
"He has bad vibes. And I still have hope for you and Tyler, you know?" Bill hugs her, ready to say goodbye. His daughter smiles bitterly.
"No, that story is over, dad. And Klaus helps me a lot, he's just reserved. Secretive."
"You trust men too easily, sweetie. I'm afraid it will ruin you one day." Bill kisses her forehead and with this kiss he leaves her heading to his car.
When she catches up with Klaus, he looks at her concerned.
"Everything's okay?"
"Yeah. Daddy issues." She shrugs, secretly wishing he would take her by the hand again. But he doesn't.
"What is your family like?" She asks Klaus earning a surprised look from him. He's totally taken aback.
"We're not close."
"Oh. I'm sorry. I didn't— "
"My father hated me his whole life, my mother died some years ago." He doesn't look at her. Caroline's silent for a moment. It seems that he's been through a lot more than her.
"Any siblings?"
"Three brothers and a sister, all of them scattered all over the world. Finn's a philanthropist so he helps people in Africa. Elijah's a gentleman, so he stays in London in his world of law and order. Kol's a looney, so I guess he's now stuck in a nuthouse, and Rebekah... She's a restless spirit around your age, she's probably having siesta somewhere in Spain, then she's going to East Europe to drink some vodka, and after that she would take a belly dance lesson in Egypt."
Caroline can't help but laugh heartily at his words. When he talks about his parents his eyes darken, but there's something warm and tender in them when he's talking about his siblings.
"You miss them, I guess." She smiles at him understandingly.
"Sometimes."
They get to the bar so their trip down memory lane ends there. Still, Caroline realizes he must feel as lonely as she does now, without anybody close, without a family.
Damon does everything to stop himself from biting Klaus' head off, and vice versa. Klaus still stares at him with distrust and isn't shy about it. When Klaus goes out for a smoke and Damon hits the bar to get another drink, Elena turns to Caroline with curious eyes.
"So, it's Klaus now, huh?" A creepy smile appears on her face.
"Lena, for goodness sake!" Caroline's fake indignation doesn't affect Elena. They've been friends since kindergarten and Caroline can't deceive Miss Gilbert in that matter.
"Hey! I'm just trying to keep you distracted. So?" The brunette prompts her.
"He's just a housemate."
Elena rolls her eyes at Caroline's evasive answer.
"Right. Every housemate holds your hand and looks at you like a hungry wolf."
"He doesn't!" Caroline's cheeks go from red to purple.
"He does!" Elena doesn't give up. "Damon doesn't like him which is a good sign." She laughs. Damon's known for his bad taste in people. If he doesn't like somebody, it usually means that the person is better than him.
"Why Damon, Elena?" Caroline picks up the topic. "He's the worst boyfriend I could imagine."
Elena shrugs but her dreamy eyes give her thoughts away.
"I don't know, Care. When I'm with him, it— " She stops because Damon arrives holding two glasses.
"Mojito for the lady," he puts one glass in front of Elena, "and whiskey for the boss." He grins, taking a sip of his Jack Daniels.
"And what for his brother?" A shadow falls on their table. Their eyes land on a tall, handsome guy with brown hair and dark eyes. Strong jaw, sharp nose, menacing stare.
"Stefan?" Damon stands up, looking like he's just seen a ghost.
"Surprise, surprise, big bro." Stefan smirks. Caroline and Elena gasp. Damon's brother?
Damon almost jumps to his brother and pulls him into a tight hug. His little brother's back. He's back! Then something about Damon changes and his fist connects with Stefan's jaw, sending the younger Salvatore to the floor.
"Where have you been? !" Damon spits angrily, panting. "Do you have any idea what I was going through? !"
Stefan rises from the ground and throws his hands up in the air in a gesture of capitulation.
"Easy, brother. All in its due time, okay? Now, why don't you introduce me to the lovely ladies you're sitting with?" Stefan's cheeky grin makes Caroline's stomach turn. Elena, on the other hand, seems enchanted. What's wrong with those girls who fall for bad boys, Caroline muses, isn't life complicated enough without the bad guy drama?
"I'm Stefan." He shakes Elena's hand, his hypnotizing eyes never leaving her face. Then he turns to Caroline. Just when his hand lets go of Caroline's, Klaus walks to their table, already alarmed seeing Damon's pissed-off face.
"What's going on?" He growls. Then he realizes it's no one else but Ripper standing in front of him with a smug grin on his face.
"Meet my little brother. Stefan." Damon hisses and goes to the bar for another drink.
Stefan reaches out to Klaus, "Stefan Salvatore."
Klaus shakes his hand, confused. "Klaus Mikaelson."
"Pleased to meet you, Klaus."
"Likewise."
Klaus sits down next to Caroline. The way he looks around Caroline — and at her— doesn't escape Stefan's notice. Look who gets all territorial, Stefan laughs to himself.
Stefan and Damon entertain the others with funny stories from their past, well, at least Stefan's having fun, because Damon doesn't look amused at all. Caroline and Elena laugh at every word that leaves Stefan's mouth, while Klaus is wondering what Ripper plans to do now.
When Klaus and Caroline leave the Grill, Stefan sends Klaus a knowing look, talk to you later. Caroline wouldn't change places with Elena now — two bad boys, one seems to be even worse than the other. Those brothers!
They cook dinner together. That means, basically, that Caroline cooks and Klaus chops something from time to time almost cutting his fingers off once while fantasizing about the blonde. About them, together, on the kitchen table. When she licks her fingers, his heart starts beating faster, pumping even more blood to the certain place below his waist. Not being able to stand the familiar tingling, he excuses himself and goes out for a smoke again.
Hopefully, with Stefan finally in town he would finish the business they're both into and leave as soon as possible. If he stays any longer, he will either kill or fuck somebody. He's afraid it could be the same person.
"Nice house." Stefan admits while entering Damon's mansion.
"It turns out to be a family heritage, brother." Damon shrugs and heads towards his liquor stash.
"I've heard that the Salvatores were one of the founding families. Are we, like, the nobility here?" The younger brother plopped himself on a luxurious leather couch in front of a fire place.
"Not likely." Damon hands him a glass of scotch.
"Too bad. I would love to throw lavish parties and invite beautiful women. Speaking of, is the brunette your girlfriend?"
This makes Damon's eye twitch.
"Don't you think you owe me an explanation first before you start hitting on my... maybe-girlfriend?" The more Damon rages, the more Stefan laughs.
"I traveled around the world a bit."
"A bit? Three motherfucking years Stef! I thought you died!"
"No disaster can befall a wicked person, brother." Stefan downs his drink.
"What now?"
"What now? Well... I might stay here for a while. You know, to restore the brotherly bond." Stefan flashes Damon a nasty smile.
"You've changed. You weren't so obnoxious and cynical before." Damon sees Stefan's different. He never was an easygoing type, but whatever happened to him, it turned him into one son of a—
"Maybe I needed to find a way to release my true potential." His brother winks at him, spreads his arms in a playful 'I-don't-know' gesture, then goes upstairs.
"You should have gone to Dancing With The Stars instead. Less damage." Damon mutters angrily, pouring himself another glass.
Klaus tosses and turns on the couch. Another sleepless night is killing him. His hands shake because he's just run out of cigarettes, but all stores in the town are already closed. Maybe he should drink some herbal tea. He rises from the couch and trudges to the kitchen, absently scratching his neck. When he turns the light on, somebody screams and he hears a loud crash.
Caroline is standing by the kitchen window, a shattered cup is lying on the floor at her feet. She's breathing hard.
"Oh my God, you scared me!" She tries to calm herself.
"Why are you sitting here in the dark?" Klaus tilts his head to a side.
"I couldn't sleep. What's your excuse?"
"The same."
"Plagiarist!" She sticks her tongue out at him and hops on the table. She sits there, her legs loosely hanging down.
"What do you do to fight off insomnia?" She asks him, dangling her legs. The only thing Klaus has to fight right now is not insomnia but the urges that awake in him when he sees those long, bare, slender legs dressed only in thin cotton shorts, and those breasts visible under the thin fabric of her tank top. God, she's not wearing any bra!
"I— I sketch." He mumbles and takes an instant interest in the tiles on the floor.
"Right. Artists." She knocks herself on the head. Klaus would love to laugh at her scattiness, but he happens to be struggling with a very serious erection right now.
"Do you have any of your sketches with you?"
"Yes, I always carry my sketchbook with me." As well as my penis, bab— Damn, what's wrong with me? !
"Show me." She jumps off the table and looks at him expectantly. He doesn't have a choice so he leads her to the room he's staying in. A sketchbook is lying on the small coffee table. Caroline looks through all of his drawings. They are... breathtaking.
"Wow. Impressive. You didn't lie about being an artist." Her eyes are fixed on his perplexed face.
"Um. Actually one of my landscapes hangs at the Hermitage, not that anyone would notice. Have you been?"
The girl shrugs, looking a little hurt. "I've never really been anywhere."
"I'll take you. Wherever you want." Klaus winks at her. Caroline laughs at the joke.
"Yeah, sure."
"Rome."
Caroline looks intrigued.
"Paris!"
Her eyes light up, mirroring her excitation.
"Tokyo?" He rises his eyebrows playfully.
She lets an enthusiastic sigh. It's good to have dreams. The vision of them in all those places still thrills her, even though it's simply impossible.
One particular sketch draws her attention. It's a beautiful galloping horse.
"God, this is... Just— I can't even— "
"So it's yours."
Caroline eyes widen in shock. "What?"
"You can take it if you like it." He likes that feeling of making her happy.
"Really? Thank you!" She pulls him into a tight hug. Klaus is so surprised that at first he goes completely still. Stiff. But then his arms move up on their own accord and wrap around her body.
"Thanks. For everything." She whispers, her voice weak and trembling. The emotions and frustration pent-up after those stressful days finally burst the dam like a flood. She leans to leave him a light peck on the cheek, but at the same time he turns his head and she meets not his cheek but his lips instead. Their lips lock for a brief moment making Caroline close her eyes. Before she can break the kiss Klaus deepen it with his tongue, and she lets him in. She lets him do it as well as she lets his hands wander all over her back.
The whole world cease to exist.
He wants her. He can no longer deny it. He feels her hesitation, he feels she wants to push him away. He knows she's afraid.
It doesn't stop him, it never has before.
That's how the fear of a prey turns the hunter on.
Caroline thinks she's making a mistake, but his lips are so soft, his hands so warm, and his whole body affects her like a magnet. She just can't pull away.
He wants to have her. He wants to mark every inch of her body with his tongue. It travels down her neck so that she whimpers under its touch. He plants a rough, possessive kiss on her neck and she gasps for air. His grip on her waist gets tighter — a moan escapes her mouth which makes him shove her hips roughly against his own as to make her feel the bulge in his jeans. Oh yes she does feel it.
His lips never leave her skin, now traveling down her collar bone straight to her breasts. The tank top she's wearing lands on the floor, leaving her chest bare and free. Her breasts react instantly, hardening under his touch, then her eyes flutter when his lips close around one of the nipples.
She gasps, "oh God— ", and it brings a wicked smile to his face.
"I'm just starting, love." He breathes against her breasts, sending her to the edge. His hands slide down her sides and stop on her round butt, squeezing it. That makes Caroline dig her nails into his back, grab his t-shirt and take it off him, pulling it over his head. He kisses her again forcefully, his kiss so demanding that it leaves her breathless. Klaus pushes her backwards till they hit the couch and fall down on it, his body landing on top of hers, claiming his dominance, overpowering her. The familiar heat in her abdomen burns her from inside. When his hips grind against hers, she pulls him into another deep kiss to feel him even closer against her, if it's even possible.
He needs her. He needs her right here, right now. It's like a daze, like a trance, he doesn't think. All he feels is lust, a powerful animal urge to take her. He doesn't want to make love to her. He want's to take her, possess her, claim her.
Caroline's sex philosophy is as follows: the way you act during sex reveals your true colors. Tyler was a selfish lover — and a selfish man. Damon was, of course, plain crazy. And Klaus... She admits, she was wondering how it could be. When you lie in your bed alone while a hot guy sleeps downstairs, you can't just turn it off. You can't stop your mind from thinking. Wondering. Fantasizing. She thought he would be a true artist — gentle, caring, suave.
Yet, he seems to like it rough. He is rough. Not that she complains when he — oh my!— when he slides her shorts and underwear down her legs impatiently, breathing heavily, and her hands do their work on his pants. She lets her hand slide down his shaft to feel his arousal. It stirs her inside, it makes her shiver. He awakes something primal in her. Something wild.
His ardent kisses burn her lips so much she's afraid her face will go numb. He's like a hungry wolf, indeed, feeding on his prey. He's eating her up, crushing her with his body, grazing his teeth against her skin.
Without any warning he pushes inside her and she cries aloud eliciting a guttural growl from him, too.
"Shhh, love." He whispers, his breathing irregular, hasty, his lips cover hers, muffling her cries. He fills her totally, and after the first shocking experience she gets used to his length.
"That's— "
"What, sweetheart?" He pants out, pumping in and out, sucking at her neck.
"— good!" She moans. He pushes even harder into her, feeling her walls tighten around him. Her hips meet his for every thrust he makes, her legs wrap around his waist.
"That's it, love." He showers her with quick passionate kisses as their bodies rock together in unison, getting closer and closer to the release. She arches her back while her fingers play with his hair, then she groans and clings to him like her life depended on it.
"Yes, don't stop— "
He listens to her body and quickens the pace, moving even faster, and with the last fierce thrust he joins her in the blissful numbness that follows the orgasm. Caroline freezes in ecstasy, feeling euphoric and complete. She shivers one last time when he pulls out of her and rests by her side, his heartbeat still erratic, just like her own. His fingers brush over her side. ''Good girl.''
She's misjudged him, for the first time in her life she's been wrong. He isn't a delicate, artistic lover, no. He is savage and absolutely unpredictable. She finds it... Exciting. Liberating.
Dangerous! A voice in the back of her mind screams at her. It means he's hiding something! But she blocks those thoughts effectively, reveling in her bliss, slowly drifting off.
A lifeless body falls into the muddy waters of the river Thames.
The only traitor he can bear is a dead traitor.
What a pity, he sighs, she could have it all. Of all the men she could cheat on him with, Tatia had to choose his brother. She had to! Hatred flows through his veins. Elijah is a fool firmly believing in the goodness of people's hearts, he thinks the inner human nature is good. Klaus' fists clench. The only good thing about that girl was the way she used to sway her hips while walking. Now he doesn't need her treacherous hips. How could he be so blind, foolish, naïve?
Klaus is about to leave the bridge when he hears the sound of hands clapping. He turns around, his gun already aiming at the stranger who's enveloped in the shadows. When he takes a few step forward, Klaus' jaw drops.
"Professor Maxwell?" It's his University teacher, an extraordinary art historian.
"Good evening Mr. Mikaelson." The figure drawls, a thick Scottish accent still audible. "Crime has its beauty, doesn't it?" The man smiles wickedly.
Klaus stands there, speechless, but doesn't lower his gun.
"I've been watching you. Your work, the way you discuss art and music, the way you paint." Mr. Maxwell approaches his student slowly.
"There's darkness inside you, young man."
"What do you want? Did you come here to die?" Klaus' eye doesn't even twitch as he puts the barrel to the professor's head. Maxwell cackles at his student's determination.
"That's the spirit! No, Mr. Mikaelson, I'm not here to die. I'm here to make you an offer you can't —you won't— refuse."
"Why so sure?" Klaus frowns.
"Because the spark in your eyes when you fired the gun at her gave you away. You like that adrenaline boost. You crave blood. You long for disaster, yearn for destruction." The vicious, ominous grin on the man's face is one of the many things that will never leave Klaus' head.
"I hope I made myself clear and poetic enough. Now, let's take a long night stroll and discuss the details."
That night Klaus becomes a professional hit man, an art forger, a thief, and a man you would never want to meet in a dark alley.
A/N: I know it is an intense chapter. The funeral, Stefan, Klaroline sex, memories. Like I said before — everything here happens for a reason. Secrets, secrets. And even more to come!
This chapter is up so fast because this week is going to be really tough for me (and no matter how much I love writing this, I need to sleep sometimes), so the next chapter will have to wait a few days to be done. I hope you won't give up, and that you'll leave me some reviews so I can check them while working, get some motivation, and squeak with joy ('they are talking to me!') making my boyfriend fall off the chair ('wth? are we under fire or sth?').
Make some noise, my Dear Readers! :)
(For any fic spoilers check my tumbrl.)
