A car honked as it passed her walking by the side of the road, and she turned off, into the woods, swaying slightly. Her heels were long since discarded, right around the strip beer pong game that had gotten going on the Salvatores' pool table.

The prom had ended in Elena inviting the entire class and their dates back to the boarding house. Luckily there was always enough alcohol floating around in that house to pull off an impromptu house party, and Caroline had left it in full swing. The prom had been good, in the end. She had taken pictures, danced with her friends, drank too much and made wild declarations of love, and promises to meet up every year with people she would definitely never see again.

Yet, there was a pall hanging over the whole thing, and she knew exactly who was responsible. She should have been there with Tyler, and Klaus had taken that away from her. They were supposed to finish high school together, and go to prom, and bring her slightly tattered, a little battered high school fairytale to a close. But, the reality was such a screaming horror, such a bloody mess that if she met her human self now, she would try her best to kill her dreams... because losing them, one by one, person by person, was almost too much to take.

And he... him... he got to lord over them, like judge, jury and executioner. It was not fair. And now, he kept her in suspense, drawing out her sentence, making her miserable. Well, not anymore, tonight she would find out what he mean to do with her. Forget his commands. She would have her answers tonight.

She finally came close to the Mikaelson property, it sat, dark and impassive in the night. She saw a slight flickering from one room. He was still awake then, she thought, starting up the gravelled drive. The door was unlocked, and she pushed it open, without knocking. She knew he would have already heard her coming by now. She wandered through the grand, empty house. It was cool, and dark, moonlight shining through the huge windows that punctuated the long hall. She could see the source of the light coming from a room at the end, which, is memory served her from the ball, was his study.

She walked quietly, her bare feet hardly making a sound as she moved toward the light, her sensitive hearing picking up the crackle of a fire, and the clinking of ice in a glass. He was definitely awake, and she suddenly had the impression that he was waiting for her. She wasn't sure if it was the alcohol, which had most definitely been consumed in massive amounts, but as she walked down the hall, her dress swishing around her legs, moonlight sliding over her as she went, she felt a super heightened awareness of everything around her.

The room was dark, shadows and flames, the only backdrop. She didn't wait for an invitation to enter, once again, and slowly walked toward the fire. He was sitting, regarding the flames, a glass in his hand, slouched back in the old leather armchair. He was still wearing his tux, with the bow tie untied, and top buttons undone. He looked almost demonic in the half light, as he looked up at her, his eyes reflecting the firelight, his expression inscrutable.

The floor by the fire felt nice after the cold woods, and she spread her toes on the warm wood. Her silhouette in front of the fire cast a long shadow across him, as he sat directly in front of the fire. Wanting to see his face, she moved to another chair, across from him, settling comfortably into it, crossing her arms, she realised his eyes had not left her since she had entered. He continued to watch her, and she stared back.

"I couldn't wait." she said simply. He watched her for a moment longer, and then turned his face back to the fire, taking a drink, and gestured with his free hand to the table beside her, and she saw another glass, shining with amber liquid.

"You were expecting me" she surmised, picking up the heavy crystal tumbler.

"I must say, you are earlier than I'd expected." he murmured, his attention still lost in the fire. She sipped her drink, feeling the whiskey warm on her tongue, the soft flavours melting in her mouth, oaky and deep.

"Why are you here, Caroline?" he asked suddenly, and she was taken aback by his quiet tone.

"If you were expecting me... you must know" she said. He dropped his eyes to his glass, which he now held to the light and swirled.

"I suppose it has to do with our deal... perhaps you think you can change my mind... play on my feelings for you... let you go." he said, suddenly glancing over at her. She shook her head slowly.

"I'm not that dumb. You won't let me go" she stated.

"So, why are you here?" he asked again.

"Because... I need to know...what your going to do with me." she admitted.

"You sacrificed your life for Tyler's... what do you think I'm going to do with you? How do you think my vengeance will be sated?" he asked, and his eyes moved to hers and held them on the last word.

"You won't hurt me" she said, her words sounding surprisingly sure. He looked at her moment longer, his eyes dropping, sweeping over her face then he turned back toward the fire, a pensive frown clouding his face.

"No, I won't hurt you" he finally conceded, and then turned to her, his face darker than before.

"But I will hurt Tyler, and you won't risk that... you will stay by my side because of it... because of your love... for him" his face was was stripped bare for a moment and she saw how the words hurt him.

"Why... why force me to be by your side? It isn't real... doesn't it matter?" he didn't respond, just tightened his grip on his glass and looked at the fire again. He was so remote tonight, unreachable.

"Why are you here, Caroline?" he asked again, this time, almost a whisper. She stared at him, not knowing what to say, not willing to beg to know her fate. She held her silence, watching the unfathomable man in front of her, wondering what was going through his mind.

"Tonight will be your last night in Mystic Falls. This tragic little town needs to be left behind, forgotten. Pack your things, say your goodbyes. We leave tomorrow." he spoke quietly, sealing her fate. It was better, and worse than she could have imagined. At least she would live, but it would be with him, far from home and everything she knew.

"We?"

"My sister and brother shall be accompanying us, for a while at least." she swallowed the lump of fear that had formed in her throat.

"Where are we going?"

"New Orleans." he said shortly.

OK you guys... what do you think? That is the last part! Thanks so much for the reviews, gosh, I can't believe the response from just this little story, so thanks so much.

I think it has potential also, however, I'm scared of my Devil In Me readers if I devote too much time to it! However, the idea is not totally off the table, I will see what time allows... this would be the prequel to a new story - 'The Originals'.

Let me know what you think!