Chapter 4 - To Know
Edited 29/08/2017
"You insolent son". The sharp masculine voice cut off all their laughter as they all stood frozen in their spot. Their eyes slowly moved to the voice and shuddered as they saw the glare directed at them, more precisely at Nik.
Ah oh
Caroline felt Nik stiffening under her as he slowly slided her down until her feet reached the floor and she turned around to face Mikael's stern expression. "Father" Nik breathed and for a moment, Caroline could see fear in his eyes.
It made her feel guilty and angry all at the same time, she didn't like the fact that she got them in trouble but she looked up head strong at Mikael.
"You poor excuse for a man, you all are here at this forbidden hour of the night with your loud laughter. What would the villagers think?" He looked between his three children who lowered their heads in shame but Nik kept his eyes on Mikael while Rebekah and Kol avoided his eyes.
"And you" He pointed to Caroline, who felt paralyzed with fear, "I offer you a stay in my home and this is how you repay me? With scandalous actions and direspect?"
"Father she is not-"
"Silence" Mikael's yell cut Rebekah off as it echoed loud in the night.
"But I wasn't-" Caroline tried to talk but he cut her off with another yell and she gulped down as she looked up at him.
"And you" He pointed to Nik, "Is that how I taught you to treat a woman? With direspect and holding her in such a compromising position?"
"Hey now" Caroline started to defend, feeling slightly offended and mad at his words.
"Keep quiet, woman" He said.
"Do not speak to her like that" Nik said, growing angry. He doesn't know why, but he feels his anger rising as Mikael stares more at Caroline.
"Oh, you defend her when you cannot defend yourself, boy?" Mikael's sarcastic voice taunts Nik and Caroline can feel how his words hit every wall Nik has shielding him and she just knows his words are effecting him, much more than he is showing.
"You are weak, boy. You are nothing but a weak, pathetic, worthless little boy" Mikael taunts further and his words cut deep, as always. You would think he would be used to it by now, that the words would one day become irrelevant but he is always disappointed in himself with how much his words still effect him.
Though he always hopes.. but you know what they say about hope: It breeds eternal misery.
Mikael scuffs when Nik doesn't answer him, "You will always be weak, boy" he says. "Now who was responsible for this idiocy?" He asks.
Caroline steps forward and opens her mouth only to run into a hard wall. She opened her eyes and realized she ran into Nik's muscular back. "It was my idea" Nik says confidently.
"What?" Caroline says as she goes to protest but Nik pushes her back discreetly and nodding at Rebekah in silent communication and she nods.
"Of course it would be your idea. Where there is trouble a worthless son like you can never be too far behind" Mikael taunts, he doesn't look at Rebekah and Kol when he says "Go home and take Caroline with you, Niklaus and I are in need of a talk".
Caroline feels a soft hand on her elbow and turns around to see Rebekah pulling her away, Caroline doesn't move "No, Rebekah let go of me, it was my id-" her words are muffled by Rebekah's hand over her mouth as Kol helps Rebekah drag Caroline away, kicking and screaming in protest.
Once they are far enough, Rebekah let's her go and Caroline immediately pulls her arms away, "Why did you do that? It was my idea, he shouldn't take the blame for me".
"Stop this Caroline, you taking the blame would not help Nik, quite the opposite" Rebekah says angry.
"What do you mean?" Caroline asks, dusting imaginary dust off her.
"Father doesn't need a reason to be angry with Nik and you involving yourself would only lead for his punishment to be more.. prolonged" Rebekah says.
"That's stupid, why would he punish him? We only made a simple mistake which was not his fault, it was mine" Caroline insisted as she went to go back to Nik and Mikael.
"Listen darling, I know you want to help but you cannot help him, anything you think of, we have already tried and it leads to nothing good so simply trust us and stop being so bloody stubborn" Kol says seriously and Caroline sighs.
"Nik trusted me too" She mumbled to herself under her breath with a sigh remembering when she told him to trust her about going out when they were in his chamber, she looked back at them and asked, "So what happens now?"
"Father will most likely want to.. discipline Nik for his wrong actions" Rebekah says.
"What?" Caroline screeches, "You mean hit him?" she asks mortified.
"Well if you like to think of it that way" Rebekah starts, a little sheepish.
"Is there any other way to think of it?" Kol scuffs with sarcasm edging his tone. "Yes darling, hit him" He says, ever the blunt one.
"But we have to help him" Caroline protests more.
"No darling, we have to get you home, now come on" Kol says as he pulls her and she grumbles. Fine they don't want to help her, so be it. She doesn't need them, she can stop Mikael on her own. She just needs a good plan.
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The sound of the whip cut through the silence of the night with each strike, making Caroline's heart sink alongside it. The only thing she could hear from the two was a few grunts from Mikael as he let his whip tear through the fabric of Nik's clothes, grazing his skin as it makes its mark.
Which did nothing to calm her scared heart's beats, in fact, it did the exact opposite. She didn't hear a sound coming from Nik, not a grunt of pain or a scream of suffering or even a plead for mercy, he kept quiet. Probably too stubborn and prideful to admit feeling pain.
Caroline waited for Rebekah to fall asleep which surprisingly didn't take long and she sneaked out of the chamber. When she reached what could be considered the Mikaelsons's Back yard she gaped at the sight. Mikael wasn't just beating him, no, he had him straped to a big wooden cross of some sort.
She saw him, head bent down but his eyes furiously and stubbornly staring up at Mikael with a 'Is that the best you got' kind of look, he was panting, finding difficulty to breathe, he was covered with sweat, injuries and blood oozing out of him, his clothes torn and the sight made her heart clinch.
Guilt consuming her as she stared more at the sight and then suddenly all she felt was anger. Her eyebrows furrowed as a glare formed on her lips and she turned around and purposefully dropped a bucket then started running. The sound of whips stopped and she hurried to the bushes, making noises as much as she can to attract Mikael away.
Surprisingly it worked, he stopped his beatings and turned around, looking for the source of movements causing the noise. Caroline took a small rock and threw it at the other side when Mikael came close to her, distracting him to go to the other side. She looked and saw a bucket with a few berries in it, (who is the idiot who left food out here again?) and she dropped it, making it seem like it was an animal searching for food and when Mikael stumbled over a wooden plank, she ran.
Mikael growled in annoyance and Caroline could hear the sound of metal scratching metal which made Caroline believe he took out his blade. She took other objects and threw them at the far away bushes and he grumbled as he looked at the far distance of it and sighed.
He looked back at Niklaus with clinched teeth, "This time, I will spare you but try anything again boy and I won't be so kind".
Nik raised his head to give him a toothy croocked grin "Tired, old man? Age is not in your favor" he mocked and Caroline would have smack her forehead if it wasn't for the sound it would attract.
Stop provoking him! He was almost out of the way.
Mikael punches Nik in the stomach, drawing out a small sigh from him, "You know, any man can make a mistake but it takes a true idiot to persist in his error" Mikael says finally and then takes long strides to leave.
The asshole will just leave him there? What a d-
Her thoughts are cut off as she remembers Nik. She can hear Mikael telling Esther inside the house to not heal him tonight, which only proves her point: This heartless asshole is just bat shit crazy.
"I'm not sure I fully understand that sentence, love, but I am certain it's not proper for a lady to say" She hears Nik's teasing voice tell her and she gasps.
Did I say that outloud?
"Yes you did" Nik says with a shrug of his shoulders and he grunts as the movement causes him to flinch but he hides it.
"Here let me" Caroline says as she tries to untie the rope around his wrist but it doesn't budge.
"You are wandering far aren't you, love?" He says with a smirk and she huffs.
"Seriously?" Caroline says angrily and he chuckles.
"Now don't give me that look and go back inside before someone sees you" He says surprisingly serious.
"I will.. as soon as I untie this stupid rope" She says as she goes back to untying the rope but it was tied well and so her hand slipped slightly which made her elbow hit him lightly and he hissed a little which was followed by a low growl.
"Sorry, sorry" she said sheepish as she put her hand on his chest softly where her elbow hit him, "Sorry" she repeated as she looked up at him.
For the longest while, they didn't say anything as he was shocked by the tingles the brush of her hand caused and she, by the way his dark blue eyes pulled her in like a sailor to the sea and she can't find any words to say.
Something about looking in her eyes overwhelmed him, his pain fading a little as all his senses are consumed by her and he turns his head away, overwhelmed, breaking the conection and he heard her cough as she took her hand away and he immediately felt the loss of her warm touch and mentally cursed himself.
"Go inside, Caroline" He says, more strongly now as he stared down at her with a growl.
"Just give me a minute to help you" She said as she struggled with the rope some more.
"I do not need your help" He said, growling in warning so that she would go. He didn't want her to see him at his lowest point. Because when people see him like this, they pity him and he hates the feeling of being pitied, so he doed not want to see the pity, in her eyes especially.
She scuffs as she turns her head "Well I didn't need you to take the blame for me earlier so I guess neither of us is getting what they need tonight".
"Caroline, leave" He said in a warning tone as a growl escaped his lips, trying to make her leave.
She ignored the way her heart clenched at his dismissal. She hated herself for always wanting to be wanted, everytime she thinks she overcame this, she is disappointed with herself yet again. And it hurt even more that he was the one to do that.
"Now don't use that tone with me, I am helping you" She said as she left the rope and started looking around.
"I do not want nor need your help, I can do this on my own" he says, "Now I will not tell you again Caroline, Leave".
"Oh good, so you will finally be quiet and let me do this" She said as she moved a few barrels and looking under and over and around for something.
"You are the most insistent bloody stubborn woman I have ever met" He growls at her, "And what are you looking for?"
"And you are the most hot headed, impulsive, narcissistic ass I have ever met" She said glaring back at him with daggers of her own, "And I am looking for something sharp because I will help you so either help me find a knife or shut up".
He narrowed his eyes at her bluntness, though amusing and refreshing, irritating. "Back pocket" he said in a low growl through gritted teeth, keeping his glare.
"What?" She furrowed her eyebrows confused.
"My back pocket, there is a blade" He said, annoyed that he was actually agreeing to this.
"Thanks" She mumbled, as she extended her arm and put it back awkwardly, and tried from the other side to get his blade without directly touching him but awkwardly putting her arm back and finally sighed as she wrapped her arms around his body and let her hand down to his pocket, almost timidly and she heard him chuckle.
"Don't get shy now, love" he said chuckling.
"Don't make me hit you" She growled in warning, fighting her blush.
"Oh I never pegged you for the sort who enjoys violence, oh well I do not mind, love" he says and ended his sentence with a chuckle.
She blushed harder, red staining her cheeks, as she tried the other pocket and finally found the blade, not bothering with a response. She got the blade to his wrist and started cutting thr rope, finding difficulty to do so as the blade cut millimeter by millimeter.
His body fell from one side to lay on her when his right hand was finally freed and he took the blade from her and cut the rope off his second wrist with one move and almost dropped on top of her as he struggled to get to his feet.
"Show off" she mumbled to his hair as he chuckled, she put his arm around her shoulders and her other arm around his torso and helped him up to get him away from the spot.
"You have done what you wanted, now you can go Caroline" He said.
"Look I think we already established it is pointless to argue with me so stop fighting with me on this" She said as they reached the house, he growled and she shushed him and told him to keep quiet because they can hear them.
She slowly opened the door and as quietly as possible let him in to the kitchen to sit on the chair. She huffed as her foot hit the corner of the table and groaned low in her throat, "I can't see anything" she whispered in annoyance.
Suddenly a light turned on and she looked up to see Nik holding a candle and putting it on a plate, giving her what could be described as his version of her 'Seriously'.
"Shut up" Caroline whispered.
A smirk turned on the corner of his lips, "I didn't say anything".
"Whatever" She said as she looked around and found a cloth and took a bowl, filling it with water then put it on the table by his side. "Take off your shirt" She said.
"Well actually I was thinking of a night's sleep but I wouldn't mind sharing a bed with you, love" He said smirking.
She blushed at his words and scuffed "Just take it off, I'm cleaning you".
He sighed "Huh, women" she smacked him on the back of the head and he chuckled as he tried to take off his torn top but winced at the pain it caused in his arms and torso so he took his blade and cut the shirt so that it would fall with ease and she dipped the cloth in water. She held in a breath at the sight of his naked chest, his strong muscular tempting ch-
Focus Caroline!
"Now this might sting a bit" She said and as slowly as possible put the cloth on one of his wounds and he hissed as he moved away from her.
"That does not sting Caroline, it plainly hurts" he said as he glared at her.
"Well I'm sorry, I can't make wounds not hurt" She said, her snarky comment accompanied by sarcasm in her tone.
"Then do not clean it, mother will heal me in the morning" He said.
"You'll get infected" She argued.
"I have spent countless nights with far more open wounds, love" he said.
"Well people around here seem to be stupid but I am not so I am cleaning it, now stop complaining" She said as she took her hand out, expecting and he sighed as he gave her his arm. She started more gentle this time, as she cleaned the wounds on his arm and he hissed at first but the stinging subsided a bit.
Her touch left a trail of tingles as it moved on his skin and he found himself inhaling sharply to stop his impulsiveness from overtaking him. "You don't have to do this, you know" He found himself saying.
"I know" she simply said, focusing on each wound instead of his face or his chest as a whole, fully knowing she would get distracted again.
They didn't say naything after that, they often stole glances at one another but would turn away before getting caught. When she finished cleaning his wounds and drying his chest he went to get up when she asked.
"So is your face okay?" She asks as she crosses her arms over her chest.
He chuckles "Yes, my face is as handsome as it always have been" He says as he turns back to look at her.
"Good" She says then approaches him and flicks his forehead with her finger, quite harshly.
"Ow" He says in an immediate reaction as his hand goes up to smooth the skin of his forehead, "What was that for?"
"For taking the blame for me, I could have handled it just perfectly and you didn't have to butt in" Caroline said, annoyed as she crossed her arms over her chest.
His eyes narrowed as his anger rised, teeth gritted as a low growl left his throat and he turned away from her, ignoring her.
"Hey, don't turn your back on me" She whisper-yelled, angry by his actions as he continued to ignore her.
"We are not discussing this, Caroline" He said through gritted teeth.
"I can take care of my problems and when I make mistakes I can pay the price, I don't need you or anoyone else to take the blame for me" Caroline said as she walked after him stomping her feet angrily yet quietly, careful not to wake anyone.
He turned around abruptly and she accidentally hit him and stumbled back a little, he held her wrist to balance her and his fist held tightly "Caroline, this conversation is over".
Her eyes soften a little as she looks up at him in the dim light coming from the kitchen, holding a shimmer in them.
She opens he mouth to say something but is interrupted by the opening of a door, Rebekah came out of her room and stopped as she saw them both turning around to face her, "Oh so you were just.. well I suppose I'll just.. Uumm yes, goodnight" Rebekah closed the door abruptly.
Caroline and Nik look back at each other again, "Thank you" she says as a whisper but she is sure in the quietness of the night he heard her clearly.
His gaze does not move from her as she approaches him slowly and ever as quickly brushes her lips against the skin of his cheek on the corner of his mouth. He stands frozen, in awe of the beauty before him, when she pulled away her cheeks were as red as rose and hurriedly walks away to her room, a soft "Goodnight" falling from her lips.
He stands there in the semi darkness for what could be hours or maybe mere seconds before a smile breaks on his face and he mumbles in the empty room "Goodnight Caroline".
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The next day, Caroline woke up to the sound of loud ruckus when the sun's first light broke into the room, her hair a dishelved mess, her eyes almost closed and maybe a bit of drool on the side of her mouth but she hardly cared as she narrowed her eyes willing them to focus on the figure in front of her.
"Morning, sleepy head" A feminine voice spoke out before her vision claeared so she figured she'd just roll to the other side and put the pillow over her head and hope she goes away.
"I have let you sleep this late, you should awake now" Rebekah said as she took the pillow away from her over Caroline's moans of protestation.
This late? Was the sun setting instead of her earlier assumption that it was rising? Because that could be the only explanation.
"What time is it?" Caroline mumbled.
"Break of dawn" Rebekah answered as she took the blanket away from Caroline and started pushing Caroline out of bed. Caroline avoided her hands which smacked her lightly every few seconds by sliding to the side until she fell off from the other side of the bed.
Rebekah's laughter rang loud to her still sleeping ears, "Rude" Caroline mumbled as her head whipped up from the floor.
"Come, Caroline or you will mess breakfast" Rebekah whined.
"So just wake me up at lunch" Caroline said as if it was obvious, then took the pillow and laid it on the floor before Rebekah took it away.
"Please Caroline I need your help with my chores, well not really I have been doing my chores for years but I can use a companion for the way, you are the first girl I have as a friend and I-"
"You talk as much as I do" Caroline mumbled, annoyed "Now I know how annoying I sound like to others".
"Caroline" Rebekah whined again and Caroline sighed as she picked herself off with closed eyes and yawned with an open mouth and arms spread wide then scratched the back of her head.
"That's attractive" The most sarcastic male voice she has ever heard speaks up and her eyes open wide as she looks at the door where Kol stood.
"Kol, get out of here" Rebekah said as she threw a nearby shoe at him over the sound of his chuckles which hit the door missing him by a few inches because he moved.
"Missed me" Kol said smugly but then groaned in pain "Aw" as the other shoe hit his face and Caroline and Rebekah broke into laughter.
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After Caroline readied herself and had her breakfast, avoiding Nik's eyes at any cost, she didn't know if it was because she was embarrassed or she knew if she looked at him she would blush so many different shades of red.
Henrik, the youngest, missed breakfast because he was apparently sick and Caroline felt more curious of the littlest Mikaelson because he seemed to hardly talk, he didn't even look at her or talk to her or the others, which was so weird.
She was now in the what could be considered a living room when she heard a knock on the front door.
"Caroline, be a dear and open the door, will you?" She heard Esther's voice call from the kitchen and she called back her response as she went to open the door.
Her eyes widen at the face of the girl knocking on the door, the familiar brown eyes stared back at her with confusion. "Elena?" She asked suprised.
"Uuumm no, I believe you have me confused" She said with a slight accent that almost made her sigh. A doppelganger, here, in the eleventh century, bloody wonderful. As she studied this new (or old) doppelganger more she could see the difference between her and Elena.
Her hair was naturally curly, unlike Elena's straight hair or Katherine's wavy one. Her eyes held more innocence than Katherine's but definitely darker than Elena's. She looked so confused, probably matching Caroline's confusion.
"Oh I'm sorry, you just look really familiar" Caroline said lamely, with a slight smile.
"I don't believe we have met" The doppelganger said with a slight frown but quickly smiled. With Caroline's expierence with girls she knew her smile was as fake as hell and her eyes were calculating as her mind was judging.
She smiled nonetheless and said "No we haven't, I'm Caroline, I'm new here. A guest of the Mikaelsons".
"Which Mikaelson?" The doppelganger asked.
"Rebekah" Caroline said quickly and the doppelganger hummed in understanding.
"Oh how rude of me, I am Tatia Petrova, I am sure they told you quite a bit about me" She said with arrogance and the corner of Caroline's smile dropped a bit before smiling again.
"Yes. Pleasure" Caroline said. Of course it would be Tatia, Nik's.. ex? The girl he and his brother were both seeing? She really wasn't clear on that subject but it seemed fitting. She lost a lot of guys to Elena so it would seem convenient to lose Nik to that face.
Wow, losing Nik? What was she talking about? Nik was not hers and she definitely didn't want him so she really couldn't be losing him if she didn't want him.
"I am here to see Mister Mikaelson" She said.
"Which Mikaelson?" Caroline asked throwing Tatia's words at her, her tone knowing, taunting and a little sarcastic and Tatia's brow twitched at the insinuation but kept a smile on her face.
"Tatia" A masculine voice said from behind Caroline and she recognized it at Nik's. She saw Tatia's smile turn wide and a little mischievous as she greets him, "Nik".
"Caroline, would you allow me a moment with Tatia" Nik said and Caroline ignored how her heart dropped and kept a smile on her face as she nodded once and left, willing herself not to think of it, that it was none of her business.
Of course that didn't help, so she busied herself with helping Rebekah prepare to go out for chores.
"Who was it?" Rebekah says.
"Tatia" Caroline answers, as indifferent as she could muster.
"That wench? Ugh, I heard Nik was going to break off his.. relationship with her" Rebekah said.
"It is his affairs, not my business" Caroline shrugs. Lies, her mind screams.
Rebekah stops what she is doing as she looks Caroline up and down and smirks as she says "Which means he is available for other women.. say.. you?"
The cup in Caroline's hand falls as she chokes on air, her cheeks becoming red as her eyes turned wide at Rebekah, "Rebekah, I- I don't like him like that".
"Sure sure, and I can't recognize infatuation when I see it" Rebekah said with a sarcastic tone, "Will you clean that or should I?"
"What? No, I'll pick it up" Caroline said, fighting her blush as she took a broom and started sweeping the pieces of broken cup, "I don't like him, Rebekah".
"Fine, have it your way" Rebekah says and Caroline narrows her eyes as Rebekah mumbles "If your way is denial".
"Rebekah" Caroline sighs.
"Rebekah" Another voice calls her and the two girls look up to see Esther enter thr room, "Rebekah, I have reasons to believe Henrik's illness is much more than it seems, I can make the proper treatment recipe but I need some herbs that do not grow here, Your father and I will travel to a nearby village. Take care of your brother, and your other brothers and the house and your chores".
"Not to worry mother" Rebekah said, "How long will you be away?"
"It is essentially a four days trip, we should return well before the full moon" Esther said, giving Rebekah a look and Rebekah nodded.
"I will take care of it all, mother" Rebekah says with a reassuring smile.
"That is my daughter" Esther says as she kissed Rebekah's forehead and left.
"What's with the full moon look?" Caroline asked Rebekah as soon as they were alone.
Rebekah forrowed her brows "The wolves turn at the full moon" she said as if it was obvious.
"Wolves turn at the full moon? Like Werewolves?" Caroline asked confused.
"Call it what you wish" Rebekah said.
"Those things aren't real" Caroline said and Rebekah raised an eyebrow at that, "Are they?"
"You mean to tell me there are no wolves in the future?" Rebekah asks, surprised.
"Not that I know of" Caroline said raising an eyebrow.
"They are very much real, every full moon we reinforce the caves and stay there at night" Rebekah said with a shrug.
Well to be fair, she is (or was) a vampire turned back human when her witch best friend sent her back in time a thousand years before when trying to help her doppelganger best friend from her exact look alike, so werewolves existing doesn't really seem like that far fetched.
"I suppose we have the house for ourselves for four days, I will go check on Henrik" Rebekah said as she turned away and headed to Henrik's room.
Caroline takes a seat as she waits for Rebekah and then Nik walks in as his conversation with Tatia probably ended. Caroline wills her mind to think about something else, anything else.
He takes a seat across from her and Caroline tries to avoid his gaze but she constantly fails as she tries to sneak a peek at him and he is looking back at her. He looks at her as if expecting her to break the silence but she won't do it.
No she won't talk about-
"So.. Tatia is beautiful". Dammit. She couldn't help the slight jealousy edged with her tone and hoped he wouldn't pick up on it.
Rebekah was walking back to Caroline but stopped once she heard her say something about Tatia, she stayed behind the wall and listen to her words, who was she talking to? Well she had to admit the wench was pretty.
Nik looks up at her, in a raised eyebrow "She is" He confirms.
Idiot. Rebekah comments in her head as she hears Nik's voice answer Caroline's.
"But you are even more beautiful" He says smoothly and Caroline's heart skips a few beats as her cheeks blush red and she stumbles over her words, her eyes wide open as she strugles to find words.
Rebekah's eyes are wide as she listens carefully, having not expected that.
"Uuumm I uh I- " Caroline doesn't know what to say as she mumbles unfounded words and she hears Nik chuckle slightly with amusement.
"Yes, love?" he teases her baffled state and her eyes narrow.
She is Caroline Forbes, She never stutters. Caroline told herself as she realized he was playing her, her eyebrows furrowed, eyes narrowed as she said "Don't patronize me" She says.
"Apologies, love" He hid a smirk but his tone was unapologetic.
"Stop that" Caroline said as she crossed her arms over her chest.
"Stop what, sweetheart?" He feighed innocence as he furrowed his brows as if confused.
"Stop it with the petnames. It's annoying" Caroline said agitated.
"Is it really, love?" Nik teases her more as he smirked devilishly at her and she couldn't help but slightly blush under his gaze but she scuffed and rolled her eyes.
"You're annoying" Caroline corrected herself, her right eyebrow twitching.
"What have I done to upset you so, love?" Nik asks, not bothering to hide the amusement in his tone as he looks at her angry state.
"You- Yo- Never mind" She says as she gathers herself to leave but a hand on her wrist stops her and she turns around, only to hit in Nik's muscular chest and she looks up at his smirking face.
He bends down slightly to whisper "Jealousy is a lovely shade when you wear it, love". And with that he lets her go and walks away, leaving Caroline in a baffled state until she collected her thoughts.
"Excuse me?" She screeches and Nik's chuckle can be heard as Rebekah shakes her head in disappointment from behind the wall as she thinks: I was wrong, they are both idiots.
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Caroline jolted up in her sleep as she was roughly awoken by the loud cries breaking the silence of the night, her eyes were red and her hair was disheveled but she willed herself out of bed, running to Henrik's room.
She knocked on the door to be polite but didn't wait for a response as she bursted through the door. At first sight, she saw Henrik, half of his body on the bed while the other was leaning from the bed to the ground, his fingers were tearing into his shirt, his face red as sweat and tears mixed, rolling down his cheek, his screams were getting louder as he banged his head back against the bed.
Caroline hurried to him and put her arms around him, wrapping him in her embrace. She saw the bucket of cold water and a cloth Rebekah had left earlier, poor Rebekah stayed up with Henrik 'til midnight and she has to wake up early tomorrow, she came into bed so tired last night.
Caroline dipped the cloth in cold water and placed it on Henrik's forehead as she whispered soothing words to calm him.
"Caroline" He shouted through deep gasps of breath as helpless tears of pain scrolled down his face. "It hurts" he grunted and growled. His inner turmoil was evident, this sickness was tearing at his insides.
"Shshsh, I know, I'm here for you" Caroline cooed as she tried to remember what calmed her down when she was crying at his age and then she came up with it.
"Shshsh shshsh don't cry, don't cry, I'm here... come stop your crying, it'll be alright.. just take my hand, hold it tight, I will protect you from all around you... I will be here don't you cry".
Caroline remembered the lyrics of her favorite song as a kid, Phil Collins' You'll Be In My Heart, the one featured in Tarzan. It always stopped her cries when she was a kid and she sang. "For one so small, you seem so strong, my arms will hold you, keep you safe and warm".
"I will be here don't you cry". His screams calmed down to rigid breathing and soft sobs as Caroline repeated the words of the song and changed the cloth one more time.
"Caroline" He said so softly, she almost missed it.
"Yes, Henrik?" She was surprised he even knew her name.
"You have a lovely voice" He said, tiredly.
"Thank you" Caroline said.
"Caroline" He called again.
"Yeah, Henrik?" She asked.
"Tell me something" He said.
"Tell you what?" Caroline asked stroking his cheek, drying the last tears from his face.
"Anything. Distract me, please." He says, his tone pleading and my heart clinches.
"Okay when I was a little girl I had a best friend, her name was Naya and she was amazing.. every day after kindergarten we would go to my house and my dad would make us the most delicious cookies and she was always so funny, this one time she convinced me to have a picnic in the middle of a snow storm" Caroline started chuckling.
"Our butts were frozen and we were laughing so much when my parents found us, it was one of those nights you always remember" Caroline said with a smile.
"Are you still friends with her?" Henrik asks.
"No, she had to move away before school and we never talked again and I never saw her after that" Caroline says.
"Please do not be offended by this but you are bad at this" Henrik said and Caroline found herself chuckling and even Henrik let a few chuckles pass.
"I know" Caroline said with a sigh but she smiled as Henrik laid in his bed more carefully with her by his side.
"Why have you told me this story?" Henrik asks.
"Because I will never forget Naya, no matter how many years apart we spend or how little time we spent together, I will never forget her... and when I go back to my time, I don't want to forget you" Caroline said, shocked by the truthfulness in her tone, she noticed his eyes were shutting close every now and then and she realized he was getting sleepy.
"I do not wish to forget you either, Caroline" He whispered and Caroline smiled slightly "Goodnight Henrik".
"Goodnight, Caroline" He said as Caroline gathered herself to leave and closed the door behind her. Her eyes snapped up as she felt a presence, someone watching her and her eyes found a figure in the dark. Her heartbeat quickened as she readied herself to leave, which direction would she go? She wondered. She didn't want to be one of those idiots who died first in horror movies because they ran upstairs.
"It is me, do not be afraid" She calmed down as she heard his voice, familiar.
"Nik, what are you doing here?" Caroline asked.
"I was awoken by Henrik's cries" Nik said as he stepped closer to her and she crossed her arms over her chest, unrelenting.
"And you've been creepily standing there in the dark by yourself since then?" Caroline said and she heard him chuckle.
"Apologies, my intentions were never to be assorted as 'creepy' as you so charmingly put it" Nik said, slightly teasing, "How did you awoke before me?"
"Light sleeper" Caroline said and he raised an eyebrow remembering how Rebekah described waking Caroline up and Caroline said "Just because I'm lazy and don't get out of bed with the chickens like you, crazy people, doesn't mean I'm not a light sleeper".
He raised the other eyebrow and she sighed, "Nightmares" She answered, "You?"
"Nightmares" He said as well.
Every once in a while she would have nightmares of tortures, Damon or vampires or Katherine. It happened so many times that she doesn't wake up screaming and crying anymore.
"Well I can't sleep now so I am going to get something to eat or drink. Do you want something?" Caroline asked as she made her way past him, letting his manly musk take over her nostrils. He smelt good, raining forest, hot and-
Stop sniffing him, you weirdo Caroline told herself.
"Sure, love" His accent makes her body tingle as he walks after her to the kitchen and sits on the couch.
She made herbal tea for two and hands him a cup as she sits besides him and his scent takes over her senses again and Cave people should not be smelling this good!
"You have a lovely voice" Caroline's eyes snapped up to his and widened, unsure if she said that outloud or not when suddenly she remembered he heard her sing and her cheeks flamed red.
"Oh you heard that" Caroline commented stupidly, "Thanks".
"It is a lovely song as well" he added and she chuckled remembering an earlier experience.
"Well the whole school thought so when I sang it on the table in a bar, drunk off my ass, they could not stop laughing" She chuckled as she remembered how embarrassed she was when she saw the video but the highlight of the evening was Under The Sea for sure.
He chuckled "I would have enjoyed that".
"Yeah yeah, it was funny" Caroline rolled her eyes, "My intelligence was so down I think I picked a fight with a cactus... The worst part is, he won".
He chuckled louder before Caroline smacked his shoulder teasingly and shushed him, "Be quiet, people are asleep".
"You are different Caroline Forbes" he says.
I'm different? Well isn't that what every girl wants to hear.
Note the sarcasm.
"What about you? Any drunk stories to tell?" Caroline asks as she sips her tea and immediately spits it out after it burned her tongue and she hears Nik chuckle again.
"Ow, I hate it when that happens" Caroline said. The worst part is: This ALWAYS happens.
Nik just chuckled "Be careful with that".
She fake smiled at him "Gee, thanks". Why does she always have to embarrass herself? When she sat upright again and composed herself he began talking.
"No sweetheart, no interesting stories" Nik answered.
"I'm sure that's not true" Caroline said and Nik just shrughed so she sighed, "Fine then, I'll make you talk some other time but now, what do you want to talk about?"
"I want to talk about you" Nik says and Caroline blushes immediately. "Your hopes, your dreams, everything you want in life".
Caroline looks away, ready to scuff when she glanced back at his charming expression. She bit the inside of her cheeks as she thought the idea over in her head.
"On one condition" Caroline said and he raised an eyebrow, "I'm not gonna be talking by myself, even though I love that. So how about this, we play twenty questions, each person has a turn to ask the other a question that the other must answer truthfully".
"Alright, I suppose I agree to your condition" Nik says, "Ladies first".
"Fine, I guess I'm gonna be boring and ask what's your favorite color?" Caroline asks the most common question.
"Blue" His answer is quick and immediate, he makes a humming sound as he thinks of a question, "What do you want to be? Your most desirable dream of becoming?"
Caroline thought the idea over in her head before she answered "I want to be... everything." He raised an eyebrow and waited for her to explain and she continued "I want to experience everything, I want to be everything I can. I want to travel the world, join a circus, learn new languages, get a puppy, marry someone I love, have kids, I want to be a sports expert and a travel expert. I want everything".
It's true. She wanted it all, to act, to sing, to join a broadway musical... Even if some of her dreams are too far fetched and she knows some will never happen (like having kids) she has eternity afterall.
Maybe I could be a spy.
"Very.. ambitious" Nik said and Caroline removed her gaze from him.
"Yeah, you probably think I'm crazy" Caroline said shrugging, "Everyone does. My mom says I shouldn't lose sight of reality".
"I do not believe you are crazy, Caroline." Nik says. For some reason, he wanted her to have everything, he wanted her to achieve all her hopes and desires and if said desires were everything, he wants her to have it all, "Caroline, if anyone can achieve that, it would be you".
"Thanks" Caroline smiled sincerely.
"Because you are so bloody stubborn" He teased and she hit him playfully on his chest as he chuckled.
She tasted the tea, carefully this time and once she was sure it didn't burn her she started drinking. "My turn. If you could go anywhere you want in the world, where would you go?"
Wherever you are. He thought, but of course he did not say that "Somewhere I could call home".
"You don't think of this as your home?" Caroline asked, confused.
"Home is where family is, love. But family is not home if they are not safe" He said and Caroline's thoughts ran immediately to the other night with Mikael.
"You deserve so much more than this, you all do" Caroline said truthfully. His eyes locked with her before turning away. She has come to realize that he doesn't like to talk about his father, understandably.
"One day, I promise you, you will all leave everything behind, start over somewhere far from him" Caroline continued as she sipped more of her tea.
"How do you know that?" Nik asked and she just shrugged.
"I believe in happy endings". She couldn't help it, even after all she has seen, all the horrors in the world, she still believes it. Blame Disney.
"I do not share your faith in that matter" Nik says as he sips his tea.
"Why not?" Caroline asks.
"Is it not evident? Life is not some fairytale, no one I know has had this happiness you proclaim is true" Nik argues.
"Maybe they just haven't found their happiness yet" Caroline fires back.
"Do you know of anyone having that sort of happiness?" Nik asks.
Caroline opens her mouth to argue but she quickly shuts it as she finds nothing to answer. Her parents didn't have that, her friends didn't have that, her friends' parents didn't have that. Who had that? She shrugs and sips her tea "Well the world is a dark place as it is, no need to add to it".
"Is that what you believe?" He asks sipping his tea and eying her carefully.
"Yes. Now your turn, ask me a question or does your last statement count as your turn?" Caroline asks with a raised eyebrow.
"No, I'll ask" He says as she sips her tea and he studies her for a moment before asking "Did you mean what you said to Henrik?"
She looks up at him to find his eyes poring into her, studying her maybe as she answers "Yes, he seems interesting".
"He has barely said two words to you" Nik said.
"It's the quiet ones that tell the most interesting stuff" Caroline says and he nods as if she passed some sort of test she didn't know about.
"My turn, how come none of you are witches if your mother is one?" Caroline asks.
"We are" Nik says simply and she raises an eyebrow, he moves his hand slightly and her kinda-starting-to-get-cold tea turns hotter to medium-hot-drinkable temperature and her eyes widen, "Our father does not agree to using magic. Stop it with this jojo nonesense and pick up a sword, I believe he once said".
"But are you as powerful as your mom?" Caroline asks.
He shakes his head "No, magic is a fickle little thing, the longer you do not use it the weaker it becomes".
"Oh" Caroline said lamely as she sipped her tea.
"My turn" Nik says, "What do you miss most of your life from the future?"
"My friends" Caroline says without a doubt, "I sorta've left them in a situation when they really need my help. My mom as well, I'm the only family she has left.. even if she doesn't show it, she misses me a lot".
"What about your father?" Nik asks.
"He left us, for another guy" Caroline said.
"You have no siblings?" Nik asked.
"Nope, just me" Caroline said.
"I could not imagine not having all my siblings, they annoy me to no end but I can't imagine it any other way. Tried, though" He chuckled and Caroline laughed as well.
One question drags another which is followed by tens of them, they talk and laugh as the night passes and soon they find themselves in the morning having talked the whole night when Kol opens his door and finds them sitting together.
He smirks, "This seems intersting" he said.
"Go back to bed, Kol" Nik said.
"I cannot, it is the break of dawn, we should all be awake now" Kol said.
"Wait, it's morning?" Caroline asked surprised as she looks out the window to see, true to Kol's words, the sun is coming out.
"Oh, have you two spent all night awake, hmm, interesting" Kol says as he rubs his chin with his finger as if thinking.
"Shut it, Kol" Nik says, though he doesn't seem angry.
"Yeah, it's not like that" Caroline said, "It's not what you think, we were just talking".
"Well is that not just rude, Nik? Though I suppose you will have to go your rooms soon, you do not want the others to wake up and find you here, they would assume things" Kol said, raising his voice purposefully.
"Kol" Klaus warned but he was too late as Rebekah's door opened followed by Elijah and Finn coming out of the room they share with Kol.
"What is this?" Rebekah asks as she folds her arms over her chest, approaching the two with careful steps, trying not to read too much into it.
"Caroline and Nik did not sleep last night, they spent the night here together" Kol said with a smirk which he quickly hid it as he said "But it is not what you think, they were only talking".
"Is that true?" Elijah asked, standing next to his sister.
"Yes, Elijah, we were only talking and there is no need to question what you have no business in" Nik said.
"This family is my business" Elijah said.
"Are you sure? You do not seem to act like it" Nik said.
"What is that supposed to mean?" Elijah asked.
"Oh just go look for Tatia and leave us alone, why don't you" Nik said with a wave of his hand.
"Nik, do not speak to him like that" Finn said.
"And who are you? My father?" Nik said annoyed.
"No but sometimes I wish if I was" Finn said and Nik narrowed his eyes at him.
"Finn, Nik, there is no need to be mean about it" Rebekah said.
"Whose side are you on?" Nik said as he narrowed his eyes at her.
"There are no sides to this because this is not a debat nor a discussion" Finn said.
"Can I just say, I love our family spat" Kol said suddenly, "I always end up laughing".
"Or with a bloody nose" Rebekah commented.
"You'll be laughing through broken teeth today" Nik said as he started to smirk and they could see the smirks and smiles in each other's eyes.
"Oh, you old boogers are just intimidated by my looks... who could blame you though?" Kol said with a smirk.
"Yes as are the children of the village, whenever Kol comes they scream bloody monster" Elijah said and Nik laughed because that once happened after they had a fight and had to walk home with bruised faces.
"Do you remember that young girl, she threw her sister in front of you and screamed 'Eat her, eat her, she has more fat for you to chew' " Finn said laughing and the others started chuckling as well.
Caroline chuckled quietly, feeling like she was intruding on a family moment.
"Oh you will be seeing far more mosterous faces than this one" Kol said then he pointed to Caroline, "Just wait 'til you see her wake up in the morning".
Rebekah started laughing remembering how Caroline looked when she woke her up the day before.
"Hey, what did I do?" Caroline said half laughing half offended and they all started laughing.
Caroline cast a look at Nik who was looking back at her, she smiled and he returned it as they continued talking with the others having successfully changed the topic with a smug look.
So guys thanks for anyone who followed, fav-ed or reviewed, it's all appreciated and I hope you guys enjoyed this. See you all the next time
