a/n: Thank you for all of the wonderful reviews! And here's a fair warning for this chapter. Bear with me okay. Happy reading :)
He hesitated before pulling away. It was quick and she hadn't noticed the way he lingered, how his mouth slightly pressed into hers before pulling away. Klaus was not normally a man of hesitation. He was a man of action. But for once in his very long and tumultuous life, he was the one to pull away from something that he wanted so desperately.
So why did he?
He was angry with her for making assumptions. Granted, he could have gone about his actions in a more proper way and at least given her a warning. The anger didn't last long. The trouble came from how her words had affected him. Even though the anger softened the moment she thanked him, her words still rang in his head, telling him to keep his guard up.
I could never want a monster like you.
It played as she moved closer to him, as she brought her palm to his cheek, and then as she brought her lips to his. For a moment, he thought he could have it. Have her. But then her words rang repeatedly. So he pulled back. His face softened, full of regret before walking away from her, every word she spoke repeating in his head.
She had said more than once now, that she believed he was a good man and oh how mistaken she was. He wasn't sure which was more bothersome. Whether he was becoming softer, or whether he was showing only Caroline a side that had only been seen by his family.
He walked in the forest angry at himself with hopes to forget. In the distance, he heard a frantic male voice and made his way toward the sounds.
"Who's there?" A male voice called out shakily. "Hello?"
Klaus stepped closer and saw one man lying unconscious on the ground, his heart not beating. The odor of fresh blood was in the air. Next to him, there was another who kneeled beside the carcass. His hand covered the pool of blood on his friend's chest.
He turned his body towards Klaus with a look of relief. "Please. You have to help me. My friend, he-" The man paused and choked on his breath. "He's been shot."
Klaus took another step and stared at the corpse below him. "He's dead." He said, keeping a calm voice.
The man's eyes widened with shock. "No." He whispered softly, shaking his head, clearly reluctant to believe this.
"You said he was shot?" Klaus looked around to see if there was anyone else in the forest that he hadn't noticed earlier. The man nodded. "None of your instincts told you to run for fear of the same fate?" Klaus spoke with a careful, yet threatening tone.
The man stood up and eyed Klaus warily. "Everyone else, my troop, they kept moving."
"Allow me to ask you a question." Klaus said slowly, as he showed his fangs and the veins below his eyes became clearer. "Are your instincts telling you to run now?"
"What-" He started and reached for his gun holding it against his shoulder, ready to shoot at Klaus.
Klaus grabbed the barrel of the gun and pulled it out of the man's hands, throwing it against a nearby tree. It made a loud crack as it hit the tree and the man backed away in fear.
It happened quickly. He tried to run but was no match for the vampire. Klaus' fangs sunk into the man's neck. He quickly drained him of his blood before dropping him to the ground, leaving only a devilish grin on his face as every thought of him being a good man left him.
Caroline wakes up the next morning with images from the previous night. She sighs, pushing her thoughts back and pushes herself up off the ground. She came here for many reasons and none of those reasons were to fall for a vampire, let alone sulk over the man.
Vampires are manipulative. It was something her parents always told her. So she was foolish to assume that his kindness was authentic. She was foolish to assume that his gentleness was authentic. She was foolish to assume anything at all.
She buttoned her dress up and tied the laces on the front of her white shoes.
"Are you all right, Caroline?" She turned to see Elena staring at her. "I mean, are you sure you're well enough to go back?"
Caroline nodded, adjusting her nurse's cap. "I'll be fine. It's not possible for me to catch it a second time." She made her way to the opening of the tent and smiled at Elena. "Besides, at least we now have the same shifts."
"Are you trying to tell me something good came of your near death?"
"At least it's something." Caroline shrugged, trying to see the bright side of her days here and kept walking.
"You still haven't even answered how you've been miraculously cured. What did they do differently with you?" Elena was overjoyed to have had her friend back. She was beginning to feel hopeless believing that Caroline was heading to her imminent death. When she saw Caroline up and walking upright last night she nearly crushed her in her embrace. But as overjoyed as she was, she still had a few questions of her own.
"I'm not even sure myself." Caroline lied, avoiding eye contact with Elena. They stepped into the infirmary and she looked around hoping to avoid seeing Klaus. And when she didn't seem him she released a quiet sigh of relief. Although still, she could not help herself from feeling a little disappointed.
She moved another step forward only to be met with one of the doctors there. "Miss Forbes."
"Yes sir?" She says meekly, already fearing the questions he'll be asking her.
He pulled her to the side and away from Elena who went straight to work. "I wanted to ask you a few questions." She swallowed and nodded, waiting for him to continue. "Can you tell me anything the nurses did differently with your treatment?"
She shook her head. "Nothing I'm aware of. They all did the same practices that I've been using with others. Everything we were taught in training."
He narrowed his eyes at her and sighed. "Are you positive? We can't afford to lose anymore soldiers. If you know anything, let me know now."
She hesitated and looked down at the ground. When she looked back up she noticed Elijah eyeing them just a few feet away. He was leaning against the bars of an empty bed with his arms crossed. He wore a careful, yet warning look in his eyes so she nodded quickly. "I'm positive. I'm very sorry, I just-"
"Miss Forbes here informed me of her family's history." Elijah said uncrossing his arms, placing one hand in his pocket as his other hand moved as he spoke. "They have all had great health and she's had a strong immune system since she was a child. There's no magical cure that you're insinuating she knows about. It's simply in her genes." He looked at Caroline with a polite smile. It was polite, but it still held the same warnings and the same danger that he hid so well.
The doctor sighed, defeated and nodded, walking away.
Once he was out of hearing range, Caroline turned to Elijah. "Thank you." She said quickly.
He looked at her with a questioning stare and commented on her well being. "It's good to see you up and well again." She nodded. "I'm sure my brother had something to do with it. While we're on the subject, have you seen him?"
She looked to the side and shook her head. "Not since last night."
Elijah hummed quietly to himself and nodded. "If you do, let him know I'm looking for him."
Caroline huffed, closing her eyes. "I doubt I will."
Elijah laughed softly, amused. "Oh but I don't. Niklaus always finds a way to see you when he pleases." She turned to look at him and furrowed her brows at him before watching him walk away with a smirk on his face.
The rest of the day went by slow. She was healthy and being questioned by every doctor in sight. They each asked her what she did differently than the others. They questioned Bonnie, Elena, every nurse who aided her. If she was healthy, why weren't the others? Each of their answers was the same. It must be a miracle. Even Elijah was questioned a few times after he had made up the story about her family's health history and he also agreed with the others, brushing it off as some kind of miracle.
She thought of what he said about Klaus before walking away and scoffed. For all she knew, he could have been just as manipulative. Caroline stopped next to a sick man and aided him with a faraway look. The more she thought about it, part of what he said was true. She had grown accustomed to seeing him every day for the past few weeks so it was strange not seeing him today. Maybe he wanted to avoid her as badly as she wanted to avoid him.
Enough about him. She thought to herself. She had more pressing matters to worry about. Like the fact that Bonnie knew about vampires and was working on something for Elijah. But what was it? What could vampires want with a nurse?
When she spoke with Bonnie, she spoke as if she had known them for some time.
She tried her best to make the sick man comfortable as she contemplated everything Bonnie had said. He kept his eyes closed, clearly falling asleep. When she pulled his blanket over him she walked away.
The sun was setting when she saw Bonnie for the first time that day. Across the room, she saw her bandaging up one of the wounded soldiers.
When she walked closer to her, Bonnie looked up and quickly turned away, walking to leave the infirmary.
"Wait, Bonnie!" Caroline called out and in spite of being ignored, she followed her outdoors.
She followed Bonnie into the camp's kitchen which was surprisingly empty. There hadn't been much use of it lately. Most of the soldiers still alive ate canned rations that were passed around.
Bonnie sighed and turned around to stare at her. "What do you want, Caroline?"
A flash of confusion crossed Caroline's face as she looked at Bonnie. "I think you know."
"I can't tell you anything." Bonnie said looking up at all of the pots and pans hanging on the rack above her head.
"Listen, I know. My family raised me, teaching me everything about vampires and now out here," She paused and swallowed. "I'm learning new things about them. That's how I knew about Klaus. But I don't know enough. Bonnie, you can't say such vague things and still leave me in the dark." She stared at Bonnie with pleading eyes, hoping that she would tell her what she knew.
"It's complicated. There's too much going on." Bonnie shook her head. "You wouldn't understand."
Caroline shrugged. "Start from the beginning. At least tell me how long you've known Elijah?" Bonnie looked at her confused. "I overheard you talking. It sounded like he wanted your help with the disease."
Bonnie sighed, reluctant at first before opening her mouth. "He found me when I arrived at this camp. After all of the soldiers started coming down with their fevers he came to me."
"But why? Why would a vampire ask for a nurses help?"
"Because I'm not just a nurse." Caroline raised an eyebrow and waited for Bonnie to continue. She watched as Bonnie turned to the stove, giving it a hard stare before the flames started rising on their own. "I'm a witch." She whispered.
Caroline scrunched her brows, creating creases in her forehead. "How did-?" She whispered placing her hands on her forehead and began pacing back and forth in front of Bonnie.
"Before you say I'm crazy, just consider it. If there are vampires in this world, who is to say that other supernatural beings don't exist?" Bonnie gave the stove another hard stare as Caroline watched the fire go out.
The question bothered her and her breathing quickened. Vampires and witches. What other fairytale monsters existed?
"But-" Caroline said breathlessly as she slowed her pacing down.
"Caroline, stop." Bonnie said walking out to Caroline, placing her arms on her shoulders to stop her. "You're going to have to believe me if you want to know more."
Caroline stared at her, still bewildered from the new information but still wanting to find out more. "Okay." She whispered.
"I recently met them, but they've known my ancestors which is why Elijah came to me after finding out my last name." Bonnie paused looking away. "My ancestors, the Bennett's, they've had a very long and stormy history with the Mikaelson's."
"How long?" Caroline asked.
Bonnie looked at Caroline with a grave look in her eyes. "Nearly a thousand years."
Caroline breathed out shakily, trying to calm herself. Klaus is a thousand year old vampire. Elijah is a thousand year old vampire. And Bonnie was a witch. She paused, taking a few more breaths before asking her next question. "This disease, is it supernatural?"
Bonnie's eyes were grim as she nodded slowly.
That's why there was no cure. It didn't originate from any virus or bacteria out here. There was no way to save them because no one even knew that the reason for it existed.
"And they want you to stop it." Caroline whispered and Bonnie nodded once more. There were noises of footsteps outside of the kitchen that startled them both.
Bonnie began walking towards the exit. "I'm sorry. I can't say anymore. You'll have to ask Klaus or Elijah." She whispered hurriedly, before quickly making her exit out of the door and leaving Caroline with a headache from the new information, and a queasy feeling in the pit of her stomach.
She walked out of the kitchen to come face to face with Elijah who was staring at her with a calm and patient look. Regardless of his demeanor, she still jumped, startled by his presence.
Caroline mumbled an apology before trying to walk past him but he sidestepped, blocking her path.
"I was wondering, since we last spoke if you had seen my brother." Elijah asked.
Caroline shook her head as she looked up at his eyes seeing a bit of frustration cross his features. He turned to look to the side mouthing a few choice words to himself. "Is something wrong?" She asked, with a slight worried tone.
There were shouts by the infirmary and she looked over seeing a man being carried in on a stretcher. She saw the blood that was soaked up in the sheets that rested over him. Caroline went to rush over to help but was stopped when Elijah outstretched his arm in front of her. "What were you and Bonnie discussing?" He asked.
"Did Klaus do that?" She whispered frantically, ignoring his question.
He sighed and shoved his hands into his pockets. "Maybe it's best you go back to your duties in the infirmary."
She stared at him questioningly before nodding slowly and rushed over to the infirmary. When she turned around and saw that Elijah was gone, she stopped in her tracks. Looking around to see if Klaus was nearby, she grunted when he was nowhere in sight. And then impulsively, she ran away from the infirmary and back into the woods where she had last seen him.
The sun was nearly setting as she found herself in the woods leaving a gloomy blue light with hints of orange in the sky. She looked around as she walked quietly and deeper into the forest.
It was her impulsive actions that always got her into trouble. Her neurotic personality that endangered her. Always wanting to be in control, wanting to know everything that happened around her whether it involved her or not. But she had to keep telling herself that she became involved the moment she found out about Klaus being a vampire. The moment he tried to compel her and the moment he let her keep her necklace.
A snap that sounded like a twig breaking broke her out of her thoughts and she turned to look behind her only to find more trees.
"Caroline." She heard someone whisper and she saw Elijah stepping from behind a tree. "Don't move." He said with a warning tone. She backed up, fearing what he might do to her. "I said-" Elijah started but stopped when he watched her stumble and fall backwards.
Caroline's heartbeat raced as she pushed herself up on her elbows, shuffling her feet, she pushed herself backwards and further away from Elijah. She stared at him with a look of fear and resentment.
She stopped though. She stopped moving and the fearful look turned into a worried and imploring look after she heard a low growl behind her. She turned her head slowly and saw a dark grey paw, claws outstretched, resting on the dirt and dried leaves behind her. Another growl sounded as she looked up to see the face of a mean wolf. Its sharp teeth protruding from its mouth, its large golden eyes meeting her blue ones.
Elijah's hands were on her shoulders in an instant pulling her further away from the wolf. They were only a mere twenty feet away from the wolf.
Her knees were on the wet ground as she clutched her stomach feeling the bile rise up. She grabbed her head, which now ached and stung worse than it had the other day. There was a ringing in her ear as the wolf stared at her and Elijah, its nose slowly contorting into what looked like a human nose as the rest of its body began convulsing. Before she knew it, she violently coughed up the bile that forced its way out. But it wasn't bile she was met with when she looked at the ground below her.
It was blood.
a/n: Bear with me guys! Bear with me! Please review and tell me your thoughts! I'm hoping it wasn't completely horrible. Thank you for reading. :)
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