A/N: To those of you who have been confused, yes this story was originally Klaroline. I know some of you like the way things are going with Daroline, and I know some like the Klaroline…so yeah, I don't know. I'm still unsure if it will remain that way or not, just keep reading and you'll see. Who knows, I may surprise you in the end. Anyways, please read and review.
"..Hm….what?" she asked, finally coming to her. Her eyes opened slowly, and she groaned. Her body was sore, aching more like it. Caroline felt completely drained and an exhausted, though that's what vervain did to vampires. Sighing, she sat up slowly and looked around. "Where…am I?" she mumbled, mostly to herself.
"You, my dear, are in a house." Came a male voice.
"…Jim?" Caroline asked, vaguely remembering his name.
"Actually, my name's Marcus, but whatever works for you." He growled. Taking a step towards her he smirked, "You vampires think you're so smart, thinking that you can pull one over on a hybrid?" he shook his head in disgust. "It's sad actually."
"What do you want from me?" she questioned.
"Me? Nothing. I'm just the delivery boy. We have to wait until he returns."
"He? Who's he?" she asked, though the aching in her stomach told her, she already knew. If the timing couldn't be anymore perfect, Klaus chose that moment to walk into the room.
"Marcus, I see you can follow a simple order."
"Yes, I can. Thank you for giving me such a task."
Caroline watched on in disgust, this poor man, once was probably human, now being treated like a dog by Klaus due to the sire bond, and he had no idea.
"No, thank you for bringing me what's mine." Klaus responded, his gaze drifting over to Caroline, a smirk tugging at his lips. "I'm no longer in need of your services though." He shrugged, walked over and ripped out Marcus's chest. Caroline gasped in horror, as she watched the scene in front of her.
"See something you don't like?" Klaus asked, mocking a caring tone.
"I see many things."
"Watch your attitude, I still can kill you, you know."
She ignored that comment and huffed annoyed, "What do you want with me?"
"I think you already know."
"I told you, no. No, I will not go on a date with you."
"Psht, you think I'm still on about that?" he growled, crouching down so that he was eye level with Caroline now.
"No, I want you. Your real love, that's why I'm asking you to give me a chance." He said, the cold glare in his eyes softening.
"So you kidnap me to do so?"
"Seeing as your with Damon all the time, and always around those Salvatore's, so protective." He commented. "I saw no other way."
Caroline sighed, and stood up wearily. Surprised, she looked around the house. She'd been here before, when the Mikealson family had held a ball. Nothing much had changed. "Listen, please, can I just go home?"
"You think it's going to be that easy?"
"No. I know it won't."
"Good."
"May I make a deal with you?"
"A deal? What kind of deal?"
Caroline sighed, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear. "I'll give you a chance, one date. If afterwards, I feel nothing, then I go back and you leave Damon and I alone. And everyone else. Got it?"
"And if you feel something?"
"We'll cross the bridge when it comes to it." She said.
Klaus nodded, "Well, then you must be on your way. I'm sure, Damon's worried sick about you." He said, though there was a tinge of hurt in his voice. Almost like he knew he couldn't win.
"Thank you." Caroline whispered, as she brushed past him, their shoulders touching.
" I'll pick you up tomorrow night, 7:00."
Caroline just nodded as she walked out, and headed back to the Boarding House. One thing she knew for sure, was she had a lot to think about. Would she be ready though, to make the final decision though?
"Where could she be?" Damon growled, angrily pacing. Stefan and Elena stood there, watching him. Caroline had been missing since 10:00AM this morning.
"Damon, I'm sure wherever she is, she's fine. She's a strong girl." Stefan commented.
"Yeah? What if Klaus has her?" Damon challenged.
"I don't think it's a good idea to fight," Elena said. "Listen, if I know Caroline at all, she'll find her way out of this mess."
The brother's exchanged death glares, before the tension in the room lessened a bit. "I've never been so worried in my life." Damon said, throwing his hands up in the air in frustration.
"Well, you love her. That's natural." Elena said, walking over towards Damon.
"I do, love her, Elena. I just…I want to know she's okay." He said, a tinge of sadness in his voice.
"I know you, I know you do."
Silence took over the room then as Damon turned to stare at the flames intently, and Elena took her place once again next to Stefan, their hands interlocking. Suddenly, there was a noise towards the front hall. Both brother's rushed over, Elena tailing behind them.
"Hi," Caroline said softly, brushing hair out of her face.
"Caroline." Damon said, before rushing over to her and wrapping her in his arms. Pulling away he kissed her gently, "Where were you? I was…worried." Damon said.
"I went out…to feed this morning." Caroline began explaining to everyone, as they migrated into the living room. " I met this guy…named Jim, it turned out that he was really a hyrbid's of Klaus, as I fed on him, he took advantage and stabbed me with vervain. I was out before I even realized. I woke up, and then, there I was. Talking with Klaus." She said, then thought for a moment. "No, making a deal with Klaus."
"A deal?" Elena piped up, curious.
"Yeah."
"What did he want?" Damon asked.
"He wanted me to give him another chance. I said no at first, but then…I thought of making a deal with him. If he let me go, I'd go on a date tomorrow with him. If after the date I felt nothing, he'd have to leave us all alone, and if I indeed felt something, I told him we'd cross that bridge when we came to it."
"See," Stefan commented. "Caroline can get herself out of a sticky situation."
"I was the one that said that!" Elena whined, making a mock pout face.
A small laugh escaped Caroline's laugh, and she looked over at Damon. He seemed, sad, worried, broody. Very Stefan like. "Damon?" Caroline asked. He looked up.
"Yes?"
"Can we talk….in private?"
He nodded, and they walked over to the front hall, far enough away. They knew their would be the chance of Stefan listening in, but at this point, Caroline highly doubted it.
"What's wrong?" she asked him gently.
"I'm…worried."
"Worried, about wha-"
"About tomorrow, Caroline!" Damon hissed. "Because, come tomorrow, you could feel something for Klaus. Hell, how am I even sure you don't feel something for him now?" he growled.
"Damon! Damon, stop! Calm down." Caroline said, trying to reassure him.
"No, ya know what Caroline? I was stupid. Stupid to think you could love me, and it'd be real. Compelling you had been so much easier."
That? That hurt. Caroline looked down at the floor, listening to blow after blow, letting him carry on.
"Just,…tell me something."
"What?" Caroline asked, looking up as tears fell down her cheeks. Though she could tell Damon had been crying slightly while he had been talking, his cheeks stained with fresh falling tears.
"Look me in the eye, and tell me you don't love him. I need to hear it."
"I…" Caroline began. She knew it was now or never. She never wanted it to come to this, for anyone to get hurt. "Damon, I…"
"No."
"Damon? What? I…Damon, plea-"
"No, that's all I needed to hear. I knew it Caroline, you love him, but you also love me. You just couldn't decide." He hissed.
Caroline raised her hand, and brought it up and made contact with his cheek. The sound was sharp, and she knew he'd felt the sting of it. "Don't. You. Ever. Say that. Again." She growled.
"Why? It's true." Damon said, challenging her to continue on.
"No. NO IT'S NOT." She said, her voice raising. "I loved you, I loved YOU, Damon. Not him. I…I felt sorry for him, okay. That was it."
"That doesn't change how you feel now though." Damon responded.
"What do you want to hear Damon? Huh? What is it that you want to hear?" Caroline shouted.
"Do you love him?" Damon asked, his eyes locked with hers, searching.
She took a moment, almost as if in thought, looking at him, before answering.
"Yes."
A/N: OOOHHHH, CLIFFHANGER ENDING. Haha. Hope you all enjoyed this update, it's so long due to all this information. Hope you enjoyed!
