Chapter Nine – The Backlash

The day after prom, Damon and Elena had a date. It wasn't officially called a date, since Caroline wasn't doing anything — Elena told Damon it was a 'non-date.' He picked her up in his car, but she requested that they make a stop at Caroline's first, before going to the Grill. She wanted to check up on her friend. Damon agreed. Elena found Caroline sitting on her front porch, staring at nothing in particular.

"I brought you a tea," Elena said. Caroline looked up at her friend, then noticed Damon sitting in his car, waiting for Elena.

She gave Elena a weak smile as she accepted the cup. "Thanks."

"Damon and I are going to the Grill to shoot some pool. You can come with us. It'll be fun."

Caroline shook her head. "No, I'm fine. Enjoy your date."

"It's not a date, Care. We're just hanging out, you know, as friends."

Caroline managed an actual smile at that. "Nice try, but you're definitely on a date."

Elena opened her mouth to speak, but Caroline stopped her. "It's okay, Lena. Go and have fun. We'll still be friends, I promise. We both know our 'agreement' has been over for a while. And it was pretty stupid to begin with."

Elena laughed, relieved.

"Look, I don't know if I ever thanked you for going to the prom, but it really meant a lot to me."

Caroline nodded. "I'm glad."

"You looked beautiful last night, Care."

"So did you."

Elena gave her friend a hug before leaving.

"Is she going to be okay?" Damon asked as Elena got back into his car.

"I think so." She gave him a slight nod. "Or, at least, I hope so. She's stronger than she realizes."

Sheriff Forbes came home an hour later. Caroline was still sitting on the front porch.

"Hey, sweetie."

"Hi, mom."

"I didn't see you at the prom last night."

Shocked, Caroline lifted her eyes up to her mother's face. "You were there?"

Liz nodded. "We were called in to break up a fight. Between Tyler Lockwood and Damon Salvatore."

Damon and Tyler were fighting?!

Caroline shrugged off her shock. "I must have left before the fight broke out."

Liz sat down next to her daughter. They weren't close enough to be touching, but they hadn't sat this close to each other for no apparent reason in a long time. "It appeared to be long over when we arrived; Damon wasn't even at the prom anymore."

"So you ended up making an appearance for nothing?"

Liz tilted her head slightly. "Not exactly. A lot of people recorded the fight on their phones, so we had tons of witnesses. It was very clear that Tyler instigated the fight; we had no need to speak with Damon, but we hauled Tyler down to the station."

"Was he arrested?"

The sheriff shook her head. "Just detained."

Even though she was hurt and angry, a part of Caroline was glad that Klaus's name was never mentioned; he didn't need to get into trouble over Tyler Lockwood.

"You two used to spend time together, didn't you?"

Caroline rolled her eyes. Of course her mother would remember something like that. "That was a long time ago, mom."

"Good. I don't want you hanging around someone who throws punches and instigates fights, Care."

"No worries there," she mumbled. She directed her attention back to her mother. "What'll happen to Tyler?" Caroline was pretty sure she already knew the answer, but she asked anyway.

"He has a few bruises. And he'll be suspended for a week. But other than that, he's basically off scot free, since his father is the mayor." Caroline nodded; that was what she had expected. "The suspension will go on his school record," her mother continued, "And it may affect his future football career."

"But probably not," Caroline said. Considering Tyler is a Lockwood, and with that family name comes money and a reputation, he will probably never face up to the bad deeds he has committed.

"Probably not," her mother agreed.

She noticed the look on Caroline's face. "I wish it were different, Care."

She met her mother's gaze and nodded. "I know you would do all you could."

Caroline shifted her gaze to the trees at the edge of their property. Why was it always the worst ones who got the easiest ride through life?

"I know we're not that close, sweetheart, but you know that I love you, right?"

Caroline looked at her mother, shocked again. They didn't have heart-to-heart moments like this. "Yea, mom. I know. I love you, too."

This was the closest moment these two had shared in years — maybe even ever.

Caroline was sitting alone in the cafeteria on Monday at lunch. Since prom — the final dance of the school year — was now over, the dance committee was disbanded and the members no longer had a need to be around her. Elena and Bonnie had gone off campus for lunch, but Caroline didn't feel like going with them.

She was working on her English assignment, jotting down some notes and ideas about how to rewrite Shakespeare's Sonnet, when someone sat down at her table. She expected Bonnie or Elena, back from lunch early perhaps, but was surprised to look up from her work and see it was neither one of them. It was Damon's little brother, Stefan.

"I'd like to express my apologies, Caroline." Stefan was so nervous about speaking with Caroline that he forgot to greet her first.

Caroline raised an eyebrow as she asked, "For what?" She had never spoken to Stefan Salvatore before, and those were odd first words that had just come out of his mouth.

"I didn't mean for you to get —" He paused, let out a breath, and tried again to speak the words he had rehearsed. "When I set out to find someone to date you so Elena could go out with my brother, I had no idea that it would turn out so… ugly. I'm really sorry, Caroline."

Caroline needed a moment to process his words. "Wait, did Elena ask you to find me a date?" She was truly hoping that his answer would be a 'no.' She didn't want to believe that her friend could be in any way involved in the embarrassment that she had experienced.

"Yea," he replied with a nod. He spoke more to his clasped hands, as they rested on the lunch table in front of him, than to Caroline. "I'm tutoring her and she mentioned how she needed to find someone for you to date so she could date and she thought maybe an outside opinion would …"Stefan trailed off when he glanced up and realized Caroline had picked up her books, shoved them into her bag, and was now storming out of the cafeteria, leaving only the remnants of her lunch behind her.

Bonnie and Elena had just arrived at the latter's locker, back from an off-campus lunch.

"So, you never told me why you and Damon left the prom so early."

"I just…" Ruined Caroline's life? Messed up everything, hugely? Elena sighed, disappointed in herself and her actions, but also trying to find the appropriate words to let Bonnie know what she was feeling without telling her all the gory details. "…I just didn't want to be there anymore."

"You wanted more privacy, huh?" Bonnie raised her eyebrows and wiggled them suggestively.

"Not like that, Bon," Elena said with an eye roll. "I just wanted to go home. I was done with prom."

"Oh. Well, that was probably for the best, anyway. Things might have gotten awkward if you had stayed."

"Why?" Elena asked as she grabbed her History binder.

"You missed the crowning of king and queen." Bonnie said that in a particular way that made Elena think there was something more important here than the simple high-school-dance-coronation.

"How is that awkward? It happens at probably every prom everywhere."

"Yea, but not all winners are you and Matt."

"What?!" Her first thought was: Me? They voted for me as Prom Queen? But her second thought was the one she gave voice to. "But we've been broken up for a few months; why would people still vote for us?"

"It wasn't a couple nomination; you were who they wanted for queen, and Matt was who they wanted for king. Separate entities." Bonnie gave a shrug as she thought of another possibility. "Either that, or your people think you two should get back together."

"My people?" Elena asked with a laugh. "It's not that kind of coronation."

Bonnie continued speaking as if Elena hadn't said anything. "It's not a huge stretch, though; the quarterback and the cheerleader as prom king and queen? Could this school be any more like a cheesy high school movie? I mean, really?"

They laughed, but before either could speak again, Elena's locker door suddenly slammed shut. Both girls jumped back a bit.

Caroline was suddenly next to them; she slowly removed her hand from the front of Elena's locker.

"Caroline!" Bonnie said as she jumped.

"What the hell?" Elena asked. "You could have taken off my hand?"

Elena froze when she saw that Caroline was livid. The blonde had her hands at her sides, curled into fists. She said nothing.

The bell rang then, but none of them moved an inch. Bonnie and Elena could see that Caroline wanted to speak with them. You don't spend practically your entire life with someone and not know how to read her body language.

Once the hallway was clear, Caroline spoke. "You set me up." She looked to Elena. "How could you?!"

"What?" Bonnie asked, genuinely confused.

"This isn't about you, Bonnie." Caroline kept her eyes on Elena.

Elena started to explain. "I just wanted —"

But Caroline was too angry for explanations, so she cut Elena off. "What? To completely damage me? To send me into therapy forever?"

"No!"

"Then what was your grand plan here, Elena?"

"I just—" Elena sighed. She wasn't sure how to explain this. It had gotten so out of hand.

When Elena didn't continue, Bonnie spoke up. She felt very out of the loop at the moment. "What do you mean 'set you up,' Care?"

She finally looked at Bonnie, but her face lost none of its anger. "She got Tyler to pay a guy to take me out just so she could date Damon Salvatore."

Now Elena was confused. "What?"

"Elena," Bonnie was shocked and disgusted. "You did that?"

Elena looked quickly to Bonnie. "No." Then she shifted her gaze to Caroline. "Care, I swear I had no idea about the money. I didn't even know Tyler was involved. I told Stefan and he said he'd look into it. He offered a new perspective on the student population."

"That was a bitchy move, Elena."

Elena ignored Bonnie and spoke only to Caroline. "I would never intentionally hurt you, Care. You have to know that. I'm so sorry. I never thought you would get hurt in all of this."

Or you just never thought period, Elena.

Or maybe you just didn't think about anyone except yourself.

Caroline crossed her arms and just stood there, not giving voice to her thoughts.

"Care?" Elena asked.

She snapped her head up. "Am I supposed to feel better now? Elena Gilbert apologizes and all is right in the world. Is that what you're expecting?" Elena didn't respond. "Well, too bad." She carefully and forcefully enunciated each word.

And without saying any more, Caroline walked away. She left the school and went home.

Rebekah walked by her older brother's open bedroom door shortly before dinner that evening, but stopped before she had walked by completely. She turned and stood in the open doorway, eying Klaus. "What are you doing here?"

He gestured to the room he was standing in. "This is my bedroom, Bekah."

She rolled her eyes at him, annoyed that he was being so literal with her. "Obviously, but you're never home when it is still daylight out."

He shrugged. "I'm being whimsical; I'm changing the norm."

She suddenly took notice of what he was wearing. "And what has you all dressed up?"

And it was true; he was. Sure, he wasn't sporting the tuxedo he had worn the other night for prom, but he was dressed up — or at least as dressed up as Klaus Mikaelson could get, without wearing a suit and tie. He had on black dress slacks, a white button-up shirt, and he was just in the midst of putting on non-combat-looking footwear.

He shrugged, trying to be nonchalant. "I'm going to talk to Caroline this evening."

"So she's speaking with you?"

"No, but I will make her listen."

Rebekah didn't know much about Klaus's latest drama — he couldn't tell his sister. But she did know that he had been spending time with some Caroline from their school. When Klaus returned home from the prom at a ridiculously early hour and looked so dejected, Rebekah had been concerned. But all she could pull from her brother was that he had done something foolish and it had driven Caroline away.

Rebekah didn't know the details, so she wasn't sure how to respond.

But Klaus hadn't been looking for a response from his sister. He hadn't even intended to say anything to her, but Rebekah had a way of making him speak; she could always make him open up, even when no one else could. Before he even realized, he had said more than he wanted her to know.

And now Caroline was avoiding him. Rightfully so, but it still hurt. She would occasionally give him a glare when their eyes would meet around school, but generally she just ignored his existence. He had tried to speak with her — on more than one occasion — but she would only speak to him long enough to tell him where to go.

But that kiss — at the prom; he could still feel her lips on his.

That kiss was the roughest kiss they had ever shared. It was pure desperation. She was walking away from him — out of his life — and he was scared to lose her. He didn't want to admit it, but he could see that now. He actually enjoyed spending time with her.

A part of Klaus — somewhere deep and foolish — kind of thought that if he could have found the best way to tell Caroline of the scheme and the money and everything — if he told her in such a way — she wouldn't hate him for it forever.

What an idiot!

Now she wanted nothing to do with him, right as he realized he wanted everything to do with her. He could not imagine returning to how things were before he made that stupid deal with Tyler because he never had anything to do with Caroline back then. Nothing at all.

(Oh, how things have changed.)

That kiss — that desperate and hopeful kiss — was Klaus trying to make up for his inability to say the right thing. He knew he could never say anything that would make her listen to him or not walk away from him, so he tried to show her through his actions, through that kiss.

But she pushed him away and left anyway.

"Oh." His sister's voice brought Klaus out of his head and into the present with Rebekah. "You'll make her listen to what?"

"Everything," he said, more to himself that to his sister. He was still largely caught up in his own thoughts. "I plan on telling her everything."

"Everything? Really? Is that wise, Nik?"

He caught his sister's gaze with his own. "You know everything about me and you still like me."

"That's different." She gave him a look. "I'm your sister; I'm stuck with you. But this Caroline is probably not like me. This could scare her off, even more so than whatever foolish thing you did to her on prom night. Which, by the way, was an incredibly lame evening for you to choose to be an ass."

Klaus sighed; she was right about the truth pushing Caroline away. She wouldn't want to know about his crappy personal life. But it was a part of him, and she had said that he never opens so; this would definitely be him opening up and being honest — he'd never told his story to anyone before.

Klaus gave his sister a quick nod. "I think I have to take that risk, Bekah."

He left the house then, before she could talk him out of it and before their father came home.

Caroline was still fuming with anger that night. She was angry with Elena, with Klaus, with Stefan, with Damon, with Tyler, and with whoever else was involved. But mostly, she was angry with herself for falling for everything and playing right into their stupid plan. She couldn't focus on her homework, so she left the house and found herself at the Grill. She would angrily shoot some pool, or maybe see if an oblivious bartender would give her a drink.

She needed something to help her calm down.

She entered and walked straight over to the bar. She saw an open section at the far end and bee-lined for that spot. But just as she reached the bar, she heard her name spoken with a very familiar accent.

"Caroline."

She halted her steps and turned to see Klaus standing there, leaning slightly against the bar.

"Oh, it's you." She tried to act cool and distant, not angry and annoyed.

"Join us for a drink?"

That was when Caroline noticed Klaus was not alone. He was standing next to another guy, one she'd never seen before. He wore a smirk that was eerily similar to the one she'd seen several times on Klaus's face. This must have been his brother, Kol.

Caroline instantly and internally reprimanded herself for remember something so specific about Klaus.

She gave Klaus her best I-hate-you smirk and said, "I'd rather die of thirst, but thanks." She turned on her heels and walked out of the Grill.

I guess I won't find my anger-relief here, Caroline thought bitterly to herself as she left.

Klaus watched Caroline walk away from him. True, he had left his house this evening hoping to speak with her. But he stopped at the bar first, for some liquid courage. Then Kol decided to tag along. But now, having seen more of Caroline's anger in person made, he was even more hesitant to speak with her again. He wanted to, but he wasn't ready.

"So that is the lovely Caroline? She is certainly stunning, brother," Kol said, drawing Klaus's attention away from the door Caroline had exited through.

"What are you going on about?" Klaus was unaware that Kol knew about him and Caroline.

"Oh, don't think I haven't noticed your actions lately, brother. And I may have been within hearing distance when you returned from the prom the other night."

Klaus rolled his eyes. Little eavesdropper.

"But you'd better be careful, Nik. You might actually be smitten over this girl."

"Hardly," Klaus said with a scoff.

"Don't bother lying to me, brother; you're rather transparent."

Klaus ignored his brother's words. They were only a taunt. Kol loved to press buttons.

Not that it matter, anyway, whether he was falling for her — which he was not —because she very clearly hated him and wanted nothing more to do with him.

He would admit that he was fascinated with her, though. Caroline was unlike any woman he'd ever met: she was fiery and smart and kind and considerate — though she did have her selfish moments; she was also driven and refined. And she was rather enigmatic to him: there were moments where he could easily read her and know just what she was thinking, but then there were moments when she put up such strong walls around her that he wondered if he could ever breach them. (It also sounded rather familiar to him; he knew the word 'guarded' could be used to describe him as well.) She was becoming familiar, yet she was still very much a mystery to him.

And she was complex; she had a complexity about her that pulled him in, no matter how hard he fought against it.

Without even fully realizing it, Klaus left Kol at the bar and followed where Caroline had disappeared through the Grill's main entrance doors. He was going after her.

Luckily for him, she had only just made it into Mystic Square, which was right across the street from the Grill. He easily gained on her.

"Caroline!"

"Are you serious?" She didn't even stop or turn around to face him as she spoke. "Take a hint."

He was in-step with her, but he remained behind her, letting her lead. "Don't be angry, love. We had a little spat. I'm over it already."

"Well I'm not. That was hardly a little spat."

He groaned inwardly. He should have known she would make this difficult for him. "How can I acquit myself?"

This time, finally, she did stop and turn to face him. "You can't; just leave me alone."

He offered his counter-proposal. "Hear me out."

"No!" She pivoted and resumed walking away. "Seriously, just go away. I don't want to hear your apologies."

He continued following her step for step. "Good, because I wasn't planning to apologize."

"What?" Caroline stopped walking, giving Klaus the opportunity to step in front of her and hold her gaze.

"While it is unfortunate that we met because of Tyler Lockwood's direct influence, I'm not sorry." He tilted his head lower. "I never would have spoken a word to you otherwise. And now I cannot imagine wanting to not speak with you, or to hear your voice, or even merely to see your face. I'm not sorry."

Caroline was too stunned to respond.

"Caroline, I'm trying here. I miss spending time with you."

She rolled her eyes. "That sounds like bull."

"Well it's not!"

"Prove it."

Now he was confused. "Prove what, exactly?"

"Prove that you want to spend time with me because of me— or because of you— and not because of the money, because right now I'm seriously doubt—"

Caroline had started to turn away she spoke about her doubt. Klaus watched as she began to turn.

Was this really how it's going to be then? Was he so unable — or perhaps unwilling — to explain the motivation behind his actions to her, of all people, that he was going to let her walk away from him? He was always telling her to take a chance; he now realized that he needed to take his own advice.

Screw it!

Before she had completely turned away from him, he reached out and grabbed her by the elbow, spinning her around. She stopped speaking, mid-word. She looked down at his hand on her arm and back up at him just in time to feel his lips press against her own.

Her head was spinning as his mouth devours hers, and she sank deeper into the kiss, parting her lips and inviting his tongue to meet hers. They mingled together. He wrapped his arm around her waist and ran his other hand through her hair, pulling her closer so their bodies fit together.

Caroline moaned into his mouth, as welcomed vibrations rumbled through her body. She could get used to being kissed like this. Aggressive but soft as well, as he kissed her fiercely and held her tightly.

But eventually she pulled back, panting a little, and she shoved him away from her. She was no longer within his reach.

"There is no money now, Caroline. Yet here I am, facing your wrath and risking bodily harm in the process. So how exactly do you expect me to prove it any other way?" He was beyond frustrated, but he tried to hold his emotions in check.

"I don't know," she replied with a shrug. "Maybe you can't."

"What are you expecting here, Caroline? Grand gestures that make you swoon, like something you'd watch at the cinema?" He stepped closer to her, intimidatingly so. "This is real life, Caroline; stop playing out fantasies in your head, because no one can live up to that. Or is that the point?" he asked with a tilt of his head. "Do you purposely set up these illusions that no mortal can live up to so everyone can only disappoint you, further proving your points to yourself?"

He didn't pretend not to see the shock and then the hurt expressions cross her face.

But this was how he reacted. It was his defence mechanism. He was hurt, so he lashed out, trying to make her pain worse than his. And now he had hurt the only girl he truly cared for with his carelessly spoken words. It was cruel of him, and he shouldn't have done it. Who else did she have, really?

Elena, who was in on the plan, who was the reason there was a plan at all?
Bonnie, who was ignorantly unaware of what was happening with either of her friends?
Stefan, the one who had orchestrated the entire endeavour?
Matt, the supposed life-long friend who willingly gave information about her and wanted to be second-in-command on all this idiocy?

She had no one, Klaus realized. Caroline was alone.

"Yes, Klaus. Bravo! You have me all figured out now, don't you. I so love it when nothing happens how I had envisioned it. I enjoy setting up these standards that no one can fulfill because I enjoy being lonely!"

Her anger, and her volume, stunned Klaus into silence.

She scoffed. "If you believe any of that, then you really don't know me at all."

She was shocked that those words had come out of her mouth. This was what happened when she let her anger have too much free reign.

She didn't want to say anything else that she might come to regret later, so she turned and walked away. But as she left, she saw — rather than noted — that his hands were clenched into fists at his sides.

Klaus watched Caroline leave; then he turned around and went back to the bar. He definitely needed another drink.

"I must say, Nik," Kol said with a smirk, by way of greeting, when Klaus returned to the bar. "You have changed in the short time you've spent with her. You're less broody and less of a loner and — dare I say it? — cheerier, even." He smirked.

Klaus rolled his eyes. "How would you know? You never take your attention away from yourself long enough to notice those around you."

Kol laughed. "I've noticed that being in a relationship suits you."

"Relationship," Klaus snorted. He furrowed his brow. "I believe the drink is going to your head, brother." He took a sip of his drink. "Or, you've actually lost your mind as we've been speculating all these years."

"You aren't going to admit it, are you?" Kol realized with a scoff. He sighed and shook his head as his older brother refused to look up from his glass.

Before Kol could tease Klaus any more, Rebekah joined them.

"Why do you two get to drink and I don't?" she asked, with her hands on her hips. Ever the cheerleader.

"Because we're older."

"Oh shut up, Kol. You're barely even a year older than I am."

Kol scoffed. "My age is still one number larger than yours, dear sister. And it always will be."

Klaus rolled his eyes; his siblings had this exact argument every chance they could.

"Enough, the both of you!"

"None of us are even of age," Rebekah continued, ignoring Klaus.

"Yes, but unlike you, we don't go around advertising that fact. We don't have time for you; Nik and I were discussing something important."

"And what's that?"

"Nothing," Klaus growled.

"Ooo." Rebekah's eyes sparkled, forgetting her annoyance with Kol. "With Nik angry like that, Kol, you must have really struck a nerve."

"I'm in the middle of telling Klaus how he's falling for the lovely Caroline." He turned back to face Klaus. "I've never seen you, dear brother, in such complete and utter denial of something before. This is truly fascinating." Kol shrugged and took another sip of his drink when Klaus sent him an irritated glare. "Just face it brother: you're smitten. Deny it all you want, but your eyes deceive your words. And understandably: Caroline is quite the stunning little creature."

"Watch your tongue." Klaus spoke through gritted teeth.

"Wow," Rebekah said with a laugh. "He clearly cares enough about her to hurl threats. And at his own brother, no less? You might actually be right about this, Kol."

" 'Actually'?"

Rebekah shrugged. "I suppose it had to happen eventually, you getting something right."

Kol gave Rebekah a slight shove before he turned to face Klaus. "See, Nik. Even Bekah here can tell that you're besotted by Caroline Forbes."

"Wait. Caroline Forbes is who you're pining after?" Rebekah was in shock— sure, she knew that Klaus had been spending time with a Caroline; she had no idea that it was the Caroline Forbes: cheer captain, Miss Mystic Falls, head of nearly every social planning committee at school, and basically the person Rebekah wanted to be in her senior year.

"No one is pining, Rebekah," Klaus mumbled.

"Aiming high, big brother."

"You know her?" Kol asked his sister.

She nodded. "She's the captain of the cheer squad."

"Oh, of course! Now I know why she looks familiar. I just didn't recognize her without the skimpy cheer outfit."

Klaus glared at Kol. "Say another word and I will tear out your liver."

Kol ignored Klaus's threat. "Honestly, Nik, you sure know how to pick them. The cheer captain? Talk about flexible."

"That's disgusting, Kol. I'm a cheerleader, too."

"Don't remind me, Bekah. You ruined nearly every cheerleader fantasy I've ever had the day you joined the squad. And that's saying something," he added with another smirk.

"Gross." She gave him a smack up the side of his head. Then she turned her attention back to Klaus. "I'm surprised Caroline Forbes would give you the time of day, Nik. Honestly, that girl is the walking definition of a perfectionist."

This did nothing to quell Kol's smirk.

"She's a bit off her rocker sometimes," Rebekah continued, "But she's really not half bad, Nik. You could do a whole lot worse."

Klaus shook his head at his siblings' nonsensical conversation about him as he clenched his teeth in irritation. He leaned further into the counter and rested his elbows on the bar top, trying to ignore them.

All this talk was foolish, Klaus thought, glaring down into his drink as his siblings chattered on around him. And about him.

This whole conversation was completely ridiculous to him.

Yes, he could admit that he was starting to care for Caroline. He'd become quite fond of her and all her quirks. She could make him smile and even laugh, quite an impressive feat. She could make him forget even his name with just a soft word and caress of her lips.

He enjoyed her. And she certainly challenged him.

But that was as far as it went. He didn't love her.

Love was a weakness. Love was a foolish notion reserved for fairy tales and cheesy movies. It didn't exist.

It certainly didn't exist in his world. He didn't love. Not in the way his siblings were insinuating with their highly unwanted opinions.

Hadn't she told him as much earlier? How he refused to understand anyone. How he never connected.

And he wouldn't now. Not like this. And certainly not under the circumstances under which they'd grown closer. Even though he never spent one cent of Tyler's money, it still hung over his head, like a descending noose.

Klaus cleared his throat, straightened up, and motioned to the bartender to refill his glass. "I can't feel anything for her; it would be unfair. My darkness would destroy her light." He wasn't sure why he'd said that out loud.

"Darkness cannot drive out darkness, Nik. Only light can do that. And hate cannot drive hate out. Only love can do that."

Klaus and Rebekah both turned their heads quickly to look at Kol. Klaus quirked an eyebrow at his brother; Rebekah could not close her gaping mouth. "Since when do you walk around quoting Martin Luther King, Jr.?" Klaus asked.

"Whenever his words become situationally appropriate," Kol replied, offhandedly, with a slight shrug.

Klaus's lips quirked up into his trademark smirk. "Think what you will," he said with a carefree shrug before lifting his glad up to his lips. "But keep those ludicrous assumptions to yourselves. Your yammering is hurting my head."

"And we're back to deflecting," Kol sighed, shaking his head.

"That's fine," Rebekah added. "Have it your way, Nik. But we know that sooner or later, you will come to your senses and admit it. Though first, you'd have to actually admit that people care about you."

"And I'll be happily loitering nearby, just waiting for the perfect opportunity to interrupt and say 'I told you so'." Kol smirked. "In the meantime, while you're deflecting and denying the obvious, I've noticed the pretty little thing over there," he mused aloud. "Playing billiards all alone. How sad. I think I'll go relieve her of her boredom." He winked at Klaus.

"You'll only add to her suffering, Kol," Rebekah said as he walked away from the bar and towards the pretty brunette. "She'll now be bored and with you."

She turned back to Klaus and sat down on the bar stool closest to him. "Caroline Forbes? Really?" He said nothing. "Honestly, what's going on with you, Nik?"

Klaus sighed as he thought about how to begin telling Rebekah about Caroline and everything that had happened. He knew he could no longer keep this from his sister.