"There is a perfectly lovely room for you upstairs." Klaus said.
Caroline shot him a dirty look as she yanked her suitcase handle from his grip.
"There aren't words for how incredibly not interested I am," she spat as she backed away from the door of the basement bedroom so he could close and bar it shut, effectively locking her in.
"That's not what you said earlier," Klaus's gazed flicked past her and he smirked wickedly, "in bed."
Caroline gapped after him in shock as he slammed the door leaving her alone so suffer Bonnie's condemning stare.
"You slept with him?" Bonnie said, her voice shrill with disbelief.
"No," Caroline backpedaled, "I didn't sleep with him, I just kissed him."
"You kissed him?" Bonnie's volume steadily climbed, "As in you kissed him, not the other way around?"
"Okay, it's more complicated than that."
"So simplify it." Bonnie said, she crossed her arms and her gaze made it perfectly clear that there was not possible explanation she'd find satisfying.
"Can you just accept that I've had a really strange day?" Caroline asked, rubbing her aching temples.
"You had a strange day?" Bonnie asked, "That monster killed a man in front of me."
"I'm sure he did what he thought he had to do."
"Now you're justifying his actions?" Bonnie backed away from her, "What's happened to you, Caroline?"
Caroline felt herself bristling under the accusation, "I'm trying to save Elena. I'm trying to save all of you, actually. But you wouldn't see that. No, you're too busy being pious and self-righteous and pretending that you're less of a monster than the rest of us."
"I'm not a monster," Bonnie snapped.
"But I am?" Caroline couldn't control the hysteria in her voice. "Is that what you're saying?"
"You don't want to do this with me right now." Bonnie said, turning away from her.
"No, I think I do." Caroline grabbed her friend's shoulder and yanked her back around, "you see me as a monster, don't you? You have ever since I changed, haven't you? You see me as a rabid pet to be leashed or put down, whatever's more convenient."
"Caroline." Bonnie backed away, her eyes wide in fear.
"I'm a monster." Caroline said, she felt her fangs descending and her eye going black, not with bloodlust, but with rage, "You see me as a monster. Just say it."
She shook Bonnie and dropped to the ground screaming as crippling pain attacked her head. It stopped as quickly as it started and she found herself cradled in Klaus's arms. She looked up at him in confusion. Overwhelmed by the pain she hadn't noticed him come back into the room. His eyes were wild with rage as he glared at Bonnie.
"Care, I'm so sorry." Bonnie started, her hand fluttering to her mouth in horror at her actions.
Seeing that Caroline was no longer in pain, Klaus rose to his feet. Caroline grew cold with fear and caught the front of his shirt to stop him from doing something rash. He was snarling, but he stopped at Caroline's pleading expression.
"Don't," she whispered softly.
His eyes calmed and he sank back down to his knees. Tenderly, he brushed her hair from her face, studying her for any sign of lingering damage.
"I'm okay," she assured him, she shot Bonnie a cold glare, "Just get me away from her."
Klaus helped Caroline to her feet and guided her out of the room. She waited until the door was secured behind them before she let out the sob she'd been holding at bay. Klaus cupped her face in his hands.
"Are you hurt?" he demanded.
"No," she shook her head, "it's just, for the first time, I actually do feel like a monster."
"Caroline Forbes," Klaus said calmly, "I have seen plenty of monsters in my time, I can tell you one thing for certain, they were nothing like you."
Stefan opted to stay with Matt and Jeremy. Sure Jeremy might try to stake him in his sleep, but it was still better than going home. He couldn't bring himself to face Damon and Elena, he wasn't sure if he'd ever be able look at them again. He hoped he'd be able to bring himself to forgive them someday, but not now. He shook out the blankets that Jeremy had grabbed for him from the closet, making the couch into his temporary bed.
He jumped, surprised by a rap on the front door. He made his way to the door and looked up the stairs. Jeremy stood at the landing, a stake in his hand.
"You gonna get that?" Jeremy asked.
Stefan flipped the deadbolt and pulled the doorway. Kol stood on the front porch, the lights casting a halo on his dark hair. He stood with his hands clasped behind his back and his lips twisted in a confident smirk, he didn't seem to care about the stake in the hunter's hand.
"What are you doing here?" Jeremy asked, slowly descending the stairs.
"What? No hello for your old friend?" Kol teased. "Truly, I'm hurt."
"I'm not going to ask again," Jeremy said, slapping the stake against his palm threateningly.
"What are you going to do?" Kol mocked, "Give me a splinter?"
"I'll think of something."
"Jeremy," Stefan warned.
"Yes," Kol said, "listen to Stefan. After all, I come under a white flag."
"Is that so?" Stefan asked.
"Indeed," Kol said, "you see, my brother has recently come by some sensitive information regarding the cure. He requires a hunter to obtain it. Since you're so eager to cure your sister - so, you know, you can stop trying to kill her - he thought you might be interested in lending a hand."
Jeremy's lips pressed together as he mulled it over, "I'll think it over."
"Fine," Kol shrugged, "We leave at eight in the morning. Don't be late."
Kol turned and hopped down the front steps.
"I didn't agree." Jeremy called after him.
"You will."
Klaus watched Caroline sleep, nestled safely into the couch in front of the dying fire. She'd refused to go to her room, not wanting to be alone, so he allowed her to follow him into his study while he made arrangements for their travel. A down feather had worked its way halfway out of the throw pillow and it danced about with her every breath.
She was always lovely, but she was never more perfect than in the moments when her pretenses slipped away and she surrendered her every care. Gently he sank down beside her on the couch. He reached out and brushed a blonde curl away from her lovely face. She was beautiful. It was her beauty which he noticed first, but in a thousand years he'd seen many beauties. However, he had never seen a girl made up so entirely of contradictions. She was strong and weak, timid and fierce, perfect and broken.
He saw her beauty first, but it was everything else about her that made him fancy her.
He sensed someone watching him and stiffened. No one but his family could sneak up on him like that. Kol wouldn't return for some time and Rebekah was safely tucked away with a dagger in her chest where she couldn't cause any more trouble. She'd be in a terrible rage when he woke her up, but it was better for everyone that she remain exactly where she was for the time being. With his other siblings accounted for, that left only…
"Elijah." Klaus turned to see his older brother standing in the doorway, an unreadable expression gracing his face.
"Niklaus," Elijah replied.
"What are you doing here?" Klaus glanced at Caroline. He wasn't sure what to do. Elijah was far too intuitive for Klaus's liking. He was wondering how much his brother had seen and he was afraid that Elijah would read more into it if he moved away from Caroline than if he stayed where he was.
"Kol called me."
Klaus growled, "Of course."
"You should have called me yourself."
"I would have," Klaus said, "if I wanted your help."
"Niklaus," Elijah said, "I have stood by you all this time, do you really think I would turn my back on you now?"
"Yes," Klaus said, "I do." He felt bitterness rising in his words, "We both know the only reason you're here is because you want something from me. So what do you want?"
"I want to help you get the cure." Elijah said.
"And then?"
"And then, we'll talk." Elijah shrugged casually.
Klaus rose to his feet, pacing in front of the fire, struggling to keep his eyes from straying back to Caroline and betraying him.
"I don't trust you," Klaus said.
"I never thought you would."
Sorry for the wait!
If anyone is still reading, please review!