Happy Sunday friends, this is admittedly a bit of a filler, but we're ramping up now, getting to where I wanted the story to move from the beginning so I hope everyone is excited for that.

I also want to say thank you again to everyone who reviewed the last chapter or any chapter, hearing from you guys really keeps my faith in the fandom and makes me want to write, it's so nice to see how active people still are XOXO

Chapter 9

"You are awake early" Caroline comments sleepily at the sight of her sister fully dressed and ready for the day

"I am going to see Stefan quickly before breakfast"

Caroline gasps dramatically "Elena Petrova spitting in the face of father's rules? Be still my heart"

"Actually… I asked father for permission last night." She pauses "it just feels different now, sneaking out doesn't seem worth it anymore."

"Yeah I know what you mean… I actually feel the same. It's time for both of us to just accept the future and be more responsible. Rebellion just feels like an unnecessary risk"

Elena nods "you look tired, were you up late thinking?"

"No I… I slept through the night, I don't remember anything after my head hit the pillow… but I do feel more tired than usual" her face scrunches up a little as she lets out a yawn

"It's been a long few weeks, things will calm down soon"

"After the wedding I suppose"

"How are you feeling about that?" the concern is evident in Elena's voice

"I think I'm okay with it." The words are out of Caroline's mouth before she even realizes it. After taking a second to pause, she realizes that she believes the words though, these words that don't quite feel like her own. "I won't lie and say I'm all of a sudden thrilled by the prospect, but he's a good man and I think the village needs this. I think we all need a celebration to… reset"

Elena smiles "good. That is good, I am so happy for you Caroline"

"I suppose that is the bright side of all this rushing. We both get to be happy for each other… at the same time"

Elena's smile doesn't quite reach her eyes and neither does Caroline's, but they're both happy… or close enough.

XXX

Caroline makes the decision to spend the morning at home, it dawns on her that she and Tyler will have to move into their own home very soon. If she knows Tyler at all she realizes he is probably about a hundred steps ahead of her in that department. It's a strange feeling of nostalgia walking around her house before anyone is awake. She just takes a few moments to remember the good memories she's had in this little wooden palace of sorts.

"I remember when you were six" her mother's voice startles her a little "you tried to slide down the bannister and fell half way, you rolled down at least seven steps, lost a tooth and jumped right back up afterwards"

Caroline laughs a little "I suppose I haven't really changed all that much then have I?"

"Not as much as you might think, I know I still see you as that little six year old with her wild curls and bloody smile"

"Maybe I'll slide down the bannister in my wedding dress" it feels like the words should be bitter, it feels like her brows should be crinkled in resentment, but they aren't and her voice sounds genuine, light, as though she is joking lightheartedly and she feels like she means the words, so that must be what she meant.

Her mother laughs, "I wanted to talk to you about that actually, it's part of the reason I convinced your father to let Elena go this morning. I was hoping we could have a few moments together" she reaches her hand up and strokes Caroline's hair lightly "I have something I want to show you"

"Father is not here?"

"No, he is… working" Caroline simply nods, not particularly caring where her father is.

Elizabeth grabs her daughter's hand and leads her slowly into the master bedroom

"I don't think I've been in here since I was a kid" she smiles looking around, stroking her fingers gently over the fur blanket

"Close your eyes" Elizabeth says as she bends down to an ornately carved wooden chest sitting at the end of the bed

"Why?"

"I know it isn't your strong suit Caroline, but just do as I say this once?"

Caroline laughs a little and places her hand over her eyes, waiting for a few moments listening to the sounds of rustling fabric and then her mother's voice

"okay, open"

Caroline inhales sharply; looking at her mother holding the most intricately embroidered white gown she's ever seen "mother is this-"

"My wedding dress" she smiles "and I'm hoping… your wedding dress"

Caroline can feel tears start to well up in her eyes as she gently reaches forward and touches the delicate material. It isn't the course wool or durable cloth she's used to, it's soft, delicate, and completely impractical. But it's her mother's wedding dress "what about Elena? She's the oldest she should really-"

"You are getting married first Caroline, I want you to have it. You know Elena, she will be happy to have a new one made"

Caroline takes the dress into her hands and immediately lays it out on the bed, pulling her mom into a tight hug "I love you mom"

"I love you too Caroline, so much"

And suddenly guilt washes over her. Guilt that she was planning to run away, guilt that she was going to abandon everyone, guilt that she had been so selfish. She knows why she was doing it, she was in love… was? Yes, she supposes it is past tense. It's time for her to let Klaus go. Something twists wrongly in her gut at the thought but she knows that it's what she has to do. Every thought in her mind is screaming at her to let him go, so she must want to let him go.

She should let him go. She should marry Tyler. That's what she wants to do; it's what will make everyone happy. It's what she wants. Really, it is. She keeps repeating this over and over in her mind until it makes sense, but she still can't stop the strange tugging feeling in her chest.

XXX

"You should really be getting home" Stefan smiles into Elena's hair, trying to bring himself to let her go

"Are you trying to get rid of me?" she teases, turning around with his arms still around her so she is face to face with him

"Never. I just don't want you to be late for breakfast. Besides… in a little more than a moon cycle this will be your home, so surely we can wait"

Elena smiles, pressing her lips gently to his cheek, she is still dreading what their marriage will mean for her, what will be expected of her, but she has to admit that over the last few weeks she has realized the importance of keeping the ones you love close, of not wasting time. "You know as well as I do that you will be moving in with me and not the other way around"

Stefan hums "I like to think of it as though we will live in both places, I will still be here most days for work and with your parents in the palace I feel like we might accidentally fall asleep here every now and then"

"Is Damon really any better than my parents?" Elena whispers, careful not to let the Salvatore in the other room hear her

"No" Stefan admits "but he does stay out later"

"Do you think he will ever stop hating me?" she is still whispering

"I don't think he ever started hating you, not really"

"You overestimate him"

"No, I just know him very well. He hates that he can't be with you, but he doesn't hate you. Just give him some time"

"Somehow I feel like the wedding isn't going to help him come around"

Stefan's brow furrows a little "Are you upset that we are getting married?"

Elena raises her hand to his cheek and looks into his eyes "of course not. I would be married to you tomorrow if we could. I am just trying to be sensitive to what he is going through"

"And I love you for that, really I do, I love how compassionate you are, but honestly… you know how much I appreciate you telling me what happened between you and my brother and you know that I have forgiven you, but… it might help if we could not talk about it"

"Of course, I'm sorry. I am so so sorry, I know how hard it was to hear all of this I shouldn't keep bringing it up" Elena sighs "I don't deserve you" she fits her head onto his chest and his hand comes up to stroke her hair

"I will always love you Elena, no matter what. I will always love you"

The words should comfort her, they should make her feel better, except that she can't help think maybe love shouldn't be that unconditional. Elena shakes her head, determined to make it so that he never has to forgive her for something this big again. Because she wants to marry him. She doesn't know much, but she does know that.

XXX

It is late evening, Caroline and Bonnie are sitting in the Bennett's kitchen with steaming clay mugs of tea grasped in their hands "wait, so you are teaching magic to Kol Mikaelson?"

"I am or I don't know, I was. I haven't seen or heard from him in weeks. I know that it was bad what happened but-"

"But that isn't an excuse for him to ignore you completely" Caroline sighs "yeah, that's a thought I can relate to"

Bonnie raises an eyebrow "you still haven't heard from Klaus?" she asks and Caroline's eyes cast downward in a clear 'no' "that's so much worse. I mean Kol and I we barely-"

Caroline raises an eyebrow "Were you… like… with Kol?"

"I wouldn't say I was with him in the same way that you were with Niklaus, it wasn't spoken, there were no decelerations of love or plans to run away, but we cared for each other and we both knew it. We snuck out after sunset as it appears everyone has been the past months, perhaps it was not what I thought it was"

"Well even if you make those plans it still might not be what you think it is" Caroline says slightly bitterly

"I'm so sorry Care-"

"Honestly, don't be. I'm glad this happened. I mean honestly what was I thinking? Running away? Leaving everyone behind for a man I barely knew, a man who clearly did not care for me as I did him. I think this is for the best. I will be happy with Tyler and I will be here with you and Elena and we will all raise our children together and in the years to come we will laugh as our daughters almost make the same failings in judgment that we did"

"hmmm so we will all create a pact to keep our children away from anyone named Mikaelson"

"We shouldn't have to keep them away if the family just stays in their home for the rest of eternity as it appears is their plan"

"Actually that isn't quite our plan, darling," a voice drawls loudly from outside the door and both girls look up at each other in shock, recognizing the voice.

Bonnie scrambles out of her chair at a million miles an hour, racing towards the door and leaving Caroline to think 'so much for the pact'

Caroline remains sitting, hoping to give Bonnie a few minuets with Kol alone. Perhaps he is different from his brother. Caroline shakes her head, unaware of when she became so bitter against Klaus.

Bonnie isn't sure whether she wants to hug Kol or punch him when she first lays eyes on him, but just like every stupid woman who has ever loved a stupid man her first instinct wins out and she wraps her arms around him "you had me so worried"

"You were worried about me?" his voice is genuine for a second and he can feel his arm wrap around her, holding her tight. He hates the part of himself that still wants to love her. That part of him is weak. That part of him is being just like the rest of his family, hiding in their home and in the shadows, acting as though what any of these pathetic villagers think about them matters, acting as though they still belong in this ridiculous village.

Kol grits his teeth and peels himself away from Bonnie "you really shouldn't have been worried about me my dear, but you should be worried about your little friend in there"

Bonnie blinks in shock "what do you-" suddenly her voice cuts out and all she can see is his eyes. She feels trapped inside of them, and not in the dreamy 'can't escape your gaze' young love kind of way that she felt before. This is scary, paralyzing and then he is speaking and his words are not comforting.

Bonnie walks back into the house; her eyes focused on Caroline "he wants to talk to you"

"Me? Why? I barely know him"

"Ouch, that hurts Caroline, I thought we rather hit it off" Kol says, a smirk on his face as he stands just outside of the open door. She can't help but think how different his smirk looks from the mischievous, lopsided grin she remembers him wearing by the lake. There's something in his eyes too, they look cold, dead, and somehow familiar

"Go outside with him Caroline, it's about Niklaus" Bonnie's voice is monotone and her eyes stare forward blankly and Caroline realizes that the thought of the message being about Niklaus actually makes her want to go outside and talk to Kol even less.

"I have no interest in hearing about Klaus. I have let him go"

"Bonnie" Kol growls

"Caroline please, just go talk to him" her friend is practically begging and she shakes her head

"Fine" she grits out, standing to meet him. The moment her foot passes over the threshold Kol has her upper arm in a crushing grip and he is clearly not letting go any time soon. She looks up at him in surprise, even more shocked when he turns to Bonnie

"Stay inside until the sun comes up" he murmurs slowly "lock your doors, do not invite anyone in. Be safe, my dear" there's a ghost of a smile on his face and then Caroline is yelling for Bonnie to help her but her friend just watches her with glazed eyes as she shuts the door.

"What did you do to her?"

"Same thing my brother did to you last night, princess" he pulls her arm and she trails behind him reluctantly

"What do you mean last night? I haven't seen your brother in weeks, you've gone insane!"

"Of course I have. We all have, the whole bloody family. Unfortunately I am the only one who realizes that. But I know exactly how to make my brother realize it as well" and then the dark smirk is back and a strange chill is going down her spine

"Kol" she says carefully as they come to a stop "what are we doing at your home?"

"Shhh" he says calmly, moving to stand behind her so that his hand strokes her hair softly, never letting go of her arm, keeping her in place "think of this as a sacrifice, Caroline. Once this is over we will be able to leave, we will move on and then everyone you love will be safe from the monsters we have become"

"What are you talking about?"

"My brother just can't seem to let you go, it has become quite inconvenient for me, but I think I know how to make him never want to see this tragic little village again-"

"Caroline?" a new voice joins their conversation, cutting off Kol's confusing words. Klaus says her name like it is a curse and a prayer at the same time and she can feel Kol smile wickedly into her hair

"Ah the guest of honour arrives. Welcome to the party Nik"

"Kol what are you doing? I took care of this last night. Let her go"

"But that's just it brother. You can't let her go. So allow me to help you"

Klaus flashes forward impossibly quickly and Kol swings out of the way, taking Caroline's whole body with him as he does "don't worry brother. You will thank me for this, in a decade or so"

And then the briefest flash of pain goes through Kol's eyes; he pushes it away, replacing it with a wicked grin that would stay on his face for centuries to come. His hand moves out of Caroline's hair and onto her neck.

Caroline takes a breath in, but before she can let it out in a scream and before Klaus can flash forward again…

Snap. Crack. Pop.

And everything goes black.