First of all - thanks so much for favorites, following and the wonderful reviews - it's such a great feeling to see others like the story, thanks!
But. Now.
Are you excited? It's time to let our favorite Hybrid make an appearance...
Let me know what you think!
As usual - I don't own them, characters are not mine. I am only playing with them a little bit, really.
Chapter 7 - Abbatoir
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The first week at work flew by. Caroline had many meetings and met the mayor, the council and representatives from the emergency services, police and fire departments in the French Quarter. It was an exciting week and she was usually happily exhausted in the evenings. She didn't see Sandy for the rest of the week since she had college classes and only worked at the guesthouse on Mondays, Fridays and the weekends. However, the girls texted a few times and Caroline looked forward to Friday night out.
After getting home from work she usually took a stroll around the quarter or the neighboring districts. She went to a few boutiques and shops and bought postcards to send to Bonnie, Elena, Stefan and her Mom. She also bought a New Orleans gift set for Miss Butler which she wanted to mail her as thanks for arranging the internship.
Come Friday, Caroline had been in New Orleans for almost a week and she felt right at home. Yes, she missed her friends and her Mom but she had great colleagues who already invited her for several upcoming parties, dinners and other events, and she was looking forward to seeing the college girls in the evening and on Sunday for Pub Night. She enjoyed her work immensely, and by being so busy all week, she had realized the night before that she hadn't thought about Tyler at all since Rebekah had mentioned him on Sunday. This was refreshing - at Whitmore so many things had reminded her of Tyler, not at last Elena who, though probably meaning well, had mentioned Tyler often.
Someone she had thought about more often than she wanted was Klaus. The Original Hybrid had just popped up in her mind in the weirdest situations.
She had to think about him when she was in the Mayor's office and had admired the artwork on the wall. Without consciously realizing it, he had just sprung to mind and she had wondered what Klaus would tell her about the artwork and if he'd approve of it or not.
She was reminded of him when she caught a British television show on TV the other night and then again when walking down a particular beautiful street during one of her evening strolls: had this maybe been the street from which he had called her, when he had told her that he was in his most favorite city and he had wished she'd be there with him?
It was ridiculous, the more she tried not to think about him the more he just came to mind, like an annoying pop-up reminder on her computer. Why was that? She hadn't been thinking that much about him over the summer, had she? Of course not. It must have been her fear of Rebekah telling him, what else.
When she got home from work on Friday Sandy was already working and signaled her from the reception desk to come over. "Hey, girl! How was work, are you ready for paaaarty tonight?", Sandy said enthusiastically. "I was wondering - I'm working till 9 tonight and we should leave straight from here, do you mind if I get dressed in your room?"
"Sure, that's not a problem, Sandy,", Caroline said. "I'll grab a shower and get some rest and I should really call my Mom and send a few emails to my friends. But once you are done just come upstairs and we can get ready together, that should be fun. What about the others, who else is coming?"
"Ah, well, it's gonna be only Marie tonight with us - the twins have some kind of workshop tomorrow and I didn't have time to call the others, to be honest. But Marie's living in my dorm so I asked her when I met her in the hallway. She'll meet us at the street corner at 10."
Caroline did as she said - she grabbed a shower and called her Mom and Elena. Stefan didn't pick up his phone so she left him a message, telling him about her plans for tonight and how much she missed seeing him.
Sandy knocked at her door at 9 sharp and brought a bottle of vodka and some mixers with her as well. "You know, we got everything downstairs in the kitchen, I think Peter likes to have a few nightcaps, hehehe. I thought we could have a drink while we decide what to wear. I brought options."
The night started already great. Caroline found a music TV channel and they laughed a lot while trying out different outfits and putting on their makeup. Caroline decided for a classic look with a black short dress and red heels; chic but not too crazy. Sandy, on the other hand, picked a dark red short dress and black accessories. With the difference in their hair and skin color and the matching clothing colors the two looked fantastic, they decided.
As promised, Marie met them at the corner at 10 and the girls walked in the direction of the club. It was still early for clubbing so they made a detour over Jackson Square. The Square looked completely different from what Caroline had seen during the day. There was a huge crowd of people and they stood in groups around street artists, performance artists, musicians and even some kind of wizard showed some tricks. They bought some street food from a vendor and shared a soda before checking out the different performers.
They made their way to ABBATOIR after 11. Without the address and knowing that the name stood for a club they wouldn't have found it. From the street, there was only a small sign and an open iron gate leading a narrow way between two buildings. A few guys standing outside checked them out and one of them promptly asked them if they'd been invited. Sandy showed the flyers and they were sent in. The narrow way led towards a rectangle courtyard with 2 floors and balconies around it. There were already a lot of people around, loud music was playing and Caroline saw at least 2 bars on each floor. The crowd seemed mixed - most of the girls were dressed up a lot and many of them already danced in the courtyard. Around the courtyard she could see several small alcoves, possibly leading into rooms or other buildings or just being dark corners.
"This place looks amazing! I can't believe we haven't been here before. Wanna head upstairs and check it out from there? I think there's a staircase over there at the other end", Sandy said trying to speak up over the loud music. The DJ was situated on the ground floor and it was clear that the dancing area was downstairs; if you wanted to talk you probably had to move to the upper levels.
Caroline had the feeling she's been watched and turned around slightly. One of the guys from outside was standing nearby and he clearly had been looking at her just a few seconds ago but now was turning away. Something was off about him and while Caroline was still trying to figure out what it was Sandy had already grabbed her and the girls walked towards the stairs.
When Caroline saw the guy again to the right side of the staircase before they even had reached it, it finally dawned on here what had bothered her. Although he had been standing right in front of her, checking the flyers and smiling at all three of them, he had not had a heartbeat. 'He's a vampire', Caroline realized. 'That's why he had moved so quickly. And he probably realized straightaway that I am one, too'. Remembering what Rebekah had said, Caroline paid more attention to her environment. She couldn't make out if there were any more vampires around; she was not old enough to know instantly who was vampire and who was not; something Rebekah seemed to almost feel. The club was busy and she heard enough heartbeats to be sure that at least half of the guests were human.
Reaching the top of the stairs, she saw that the alcoves indeed were little dark booths - and a few of them seemed occupied. 'This would be the perfect place for vampires, really, lots of good places to have a quick bite', Caroline shuddered. She suddenly didn't feel too comfortable anymore. "Hey guys, do you really think this place is great? Don't you think it's a bit creepy? It's also much darker than the other places we've been so far, not really a good place to see if the guys are cute, no?," Caroline tried to convince her friends. "Maybe we should head for a drink somewhere else?"
Sandy shook her head vehemently. "Oh no no no no, believe me, this is great! I've seen enough places in New Orleans to know that this here is special. And I was rather hoping that the promoter would be here again, you know? And see, over there, a few of the guys seem cute. Let's just head to the bar right over there and have at least a drink and if it's boring in an hour then we move on, okay?"
"Okay, sure", Caroline nodded and smiled. "Let's see if your beau is showing his face!"
They made their way to the bar and Marie decided to pay the first round of cocktails. While she'd been ordering, Sandy remembered that she's the only one with an 21- ID and so she moved over to help her friend. Caroline looked around. The balcony was busy but not as crowded as the dance floor downstairs. Groups of people were standing around and again, she noticed that most of the girls were dressed up a lot. She could spot at least three or four groups that were clearly tourists and a few that seemed to be too young to be in a bar like this, barely out of high school, Caroline decided.
Across from the courtyard at the other end of the balcony she saw another bar set up just the same way as the one they were standing it. A crowd of people was gathered over there and Caroline spotted the dark-skinned guy from the open-mic night earlier in the week. Again, he seemed to be the centre of attention. He was standing to the left of the bar, drink in his hand, and animatedly telling a story to the group around him. There were at least 3 girls and 5 guys standing around him, almost in a circle.
'He's really good looking but he must be a total arrogant ass, the way he seems to be basking himself in the attention around', Caroline thought.
As if he felt her eyes, the guy looked up and looked her straight in the eye. It just lasted a second and, seemingly not further interested, his gaze kept wandering and soon returned again to the fan club around him. Just when Caroline wanted to turn away again and return her attention to her friends she saw the promoter standing in the crowd around the singer from last time. Again, he was wearing that silly cap and he was listening intently to whatever his friend had to say. Caroline turned to the girls who finished at the bar and made their way back to her with three cocktails in their hand.
"Sandy, I think I have spotted your beau! He's standing right over there at the other bar, you see, to the left? That's the guy with the flyers from Monday, right?", Caroline asked her friend. "His singing friend is there as well, you see?" Sandy looked up excitedly and scanned the room. "Oh yes, that's him! The guy with the hat, right over there, you see Marie? The one standing in the crowd around the cute one with the leather jacket?" Marie looked interestingly across the room, searching for the boys.
"Oh yeah, I see him. He's the only one with cap, is he not? Cute, you are right. And I think, I know the guy with the leather jacket, the one talking?", Marie said, narrowing her eyes to have a better view. "Yeah, I am quite sure that's the guy. "His name is Marcel and I think he's rich. He owns a few bars and restaurants in the quarter. I was at that one bar the other night, with the twins, and he was there as well drinking really expensive champagne and stuff, and Nina thought he was really cute. And the bartender then told us that he owned the place and several others and that he usually dated the model type, you know, not such a nice way of telling Nina that Marcel was out of her league, no..." Marie told them.
"But the guy with the cap was not there? You don't know his name?", Sandy asked. "I think I am not drunk enough - I can't just walk over there, can I? What do you girls think?"
Caroline was just about to open her mouth and suggest that they all should slowly move over to the other bar and just set up there to see what the promoter would do, when she felt herself forcefully being turned around. It happened so quick that she would have lost her balance if the grip on her arms wouldn't have been so strong, and she didn't have a chance to get in a defensive mode - being a vampire or not. Inches away, she found herself suddenly face to face, or rather nose to nose, with a very pissed off looking Klaus.
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His eyes were narrowed slightly and Klaus clearly was angry. Karoline couldn't take her eyes off his face - possibly for fear, possibly because she just couldn't believe seeing him here.
"What. Are. You. Doing. Here?" Klaus hissed.
As quick as the shock had appeared Caroline's emotions changed into anger. She felt offended, really. His tone left nothing to her imagination - he clearly didn't want her to be in New Orleans.
"What am I doing here? Excuse you but I do not need your permission to come to New Orleans! I know that's something hard for you to grasp but you are not the boss of mine, " Caroline hissed back.
She moved her arms with force and once he let go of her she folded her arms across her chest.
"And not that you get any wrong ideas in that big head of yours - I am so definitely not here for you and I haven't even thought about you a single time since we met last. I am here for university, or an internship more exactly, and this has not a thing to do with you."
Caroline huffed.
"And what's your problem anyway? If you don't want to see me then just don't speak to me! I didn't ask for you to come up, grab me and ruin my night out with my friends." Caroline glared at Klaus.
From the corner of her eyes she saw with terror that her friends of course had noticed her little outbreak and they had stepped a few steps away and were now whispering, most certainly about her.
Only after a second, Caroline realised that Klaus hadn't said anything and when she focused on his face again she saw that he was smiling. Caroline got even angrier if that was possible but before she could continue with her rant, Klaus moved a few inches closer.
"You misunderstood me, Love. I didn't ask what you are doing in New Orleans - that is one of the better surprises of this week. I asked you what you are doing in this bar." He leaned in even further and spoke very quietly near her ear. "Even for such a young vampire as you, I assume that you have enough vampire senses to realize that this bar is not the place for you - on the contrary, this is the last place in New Orleans where you should be, Caroline. You really should leave."
The sudden proximity made Caroline sweat and she briefly wondered why. She didn't fear him since she knew he would not kill her, he proved this too many times. But why did she always have the feeling she'd have a heart attack whenever he came this close? Before Caroline could react and reply to Klaus' warning he moved away again a few inches and continued, in a normal voice.
"And we both know, love, that you are always welcome in New Orleans and I am happy to see you. Not that I didn't expect it, I always knew you would come to your senses at one point. Small town life, not your thing now, isn't it? So, please don't be upset about our little misunderstanding. You are welcome any time, but next time, maybe visit my house first, love?" Klaus smirked at her.
Caroline heard her friends whispering again and this time she could clearly make out what they said. Sandy was rather intrigued by the "hot British guy" and she wondered why Caroline had left out the information that she apparently knew someone in New Orleans. And Marie suggested that Sandy and herself should probably leave and leave those two alone, they clearly had some kind of history?
Caroline seethed." I. am. not. upset. You are the one who rushed over here interrupting my evening. And anyway, even if you tried, you could not upset me with this. I am not here for you and you can think what you want but I will now go back to my friends."
The same instant she turned on her heels to walk back over to her friends she felt Klaus grab her arm again and whisper in her ear.
"Do not push my patience, Caroline. I urged you to leave so you should leave. Now. We both know that I can always make you leave - one way or the other".
"I am NOT leaving my friends here alone and since my friends want to stay for another drink I will stay for another drink. And didn't you just say that you are happy to see me in New Orleans? Well, apparently, if the Original Hybrid is so happy to see me here then nothing bad could ever happen to me, right?" Caroline hissed right back at him.
At the same time she tried to smile at her friends and signal them that she'd be right with them. Both of them looked very curious by now.
'I wonder what kind of show we are giving here right now, they probably think he's the ex boyfriend I told them about, urgh"', Caroline thought.
Klaus increased the hold on her arm and turned her around slightly. Moving closer to her ear he murmured "Okay. One drink. I am an understanding man after all. But Caroline, do not mistake my generosity - I will know if you are still here after that drink and I will make sure that you leave. The easy or the hard way."
Caroline was fuming. She nodded at him curtly and turned on her heel to walk back to her friends.
"Drink, now. And let's move to the other bar over there, please", Caroline urged the friends. One look into her face and Sandy and Marie knew better than to ask her straightaway about the mysterious guy. Caroline completely ignored Klaus and stalked off towards the bar at the other end of the balcony. Sandy threw Klaus a last look and saw him still standing where they had left him, looking after Caroline with an unreadable expression on his face.
Once they reached the bar Caroline headed straight to the bartender and ordered a few vodka cocktails for her friends and herself. Returning to the girls, she had calmed down a little bit, or at least enough to put a smiling face on again.
She turned to her friends. "Look, I know you wonder what that just was", Caroline smiled. "But really, it was nothing. That guy over there, his name is Klaus, he used to live in my town and, well he had kind of a thing for me or something but you know I had my boyfriend and we never went out or anything. So I think he's probably just still upset or something. Nothing to talk about. Let's rather focus on Mr. Flyer, don't you think?"
She grinned at Sandy excitedly. While Sandy launched again into a discussion on all the pro and con arguments of her walking over there now, Caroline looked back to where she had stood just a few minutes ago. But Klaus wasa gone and nowhere to be seen. Looking back at her friends she saw the singer from Monday, Marcel, look at her. She quickly looked away and focused back on her friends.
Since Sandy couldn't make up her mind the girls finished their drinks and Caroline told them that she wanted to leave. Marie agreed. Sandy offered to return their empty glasses to the bar. when she turned she almost ran into the cute guy with the flyers.
Marie and Caroline looked at each other and started to giggle. They turned away a bit for a few minutes but when Sandy kept talking to him they decided it was time to say goodbye and head out. Sandy clearly had decided to stay on.
"Oh, hey girls, " Sandy greeted them with a wide grin on her face. "This is Thierry, I met him on Monday when he gave me the flyers for this great place here. Caroline probably remembers, right?"
"This is Caroline, Thierry, she's new to New Orleans" Sandy pointed at Caroline. Caroline smiled politely at Thierry and shook his hand. "And this is Marie, she's studying with me at Loyola", Sandy continued.
Thierry said hello to both and smiled. He then turned to Caroline and said with a concerned look on his face: "I hope you are not leaving because of that other guy? I have seen that, looked like quite the intense situation. You know, I am friends with the owner of the bar, we can have him kicked out here in an instant and you can just stay and party with us?"
Caroline suddenly had to fight back giggles. Kick Klaus Out. She kind of wanted to see that. But then again, this Thierry seemed to be rather nice and Sandy beamed. "It's quite alright, thanks, Thierry! I knew that guy, actually. He won't bother me again, I am sure".
Even while saying it Caroline wondered if she believed this herself. Would he bother her again? Would she see Klaus again?
"Seeing how Caroline tore him to pieces I am sure he got the message, hahahaha", Sandy chimed in. "You see, Thierry, he has a crush on her and apparently he didn't get it until today".
"It's nothing, really," Caroline added nervously. She really didn't want her business with Klaus to be public news. Who knew if he was listening in right now, it would fit to him, really.
Thierry smiled at her, his face seemed to be lit up even. "Not a problem at all! Marie, Caroline - it was great meeting you and please remember, you are always welcome to come back here. And if that guy bothers you again just let me know and I will be happy to help you out".
Sandy and Thierry stayed at the bar and he ordered a few drinks. Marie and Caroline left the bar and turned towards the guest house. Caroline was nervous if Klaus would turn up once she was outside but they reached the guest house without anyone bothering them. They said good bye and Caroline climbed the stairs to her room.
After getting ready for bed and texting Elena that she had a great night - a complete lie but she somehow couldn't bring herself to tell Elena about Klaus just yet - she walked to the mini fridge and grabbed a blood bag. Curling up in her bed with the TV remote control and the blood she put the TV on mute and thought about the evening again.
So, Klaus had not known that she was in town. That meant Rebekah really had kept word. He had been angry to see her and he hadn't offered to buy her a drink - a first, since she had met him, she realized. He usually tried to get her drunk on Champagne it seemed. But then again, he appeared to be just the same - smiling and smirking and moving into her personal space too often.
'He doesn't know where I work or where I live and I will make sure as hell not go to that bar again. There's no reason why I should bump into him again', Caroline tried to calm herself.
Just when she decided to turn off the lights and go to sleep something else sprung to mind.
Thierry. His cold handshake. Standing in a group of four but only hearing two heartbeats. She had just left her best new friend in New Orleans in a bar alone with a vampire.
Damn.
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Thanks so much for reading and sticking with me for so long!
