Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters.
This was Athena? The one who just attacked Klaus' mouth? He failed to mention this would be her greeting. Maybe she should have been looking for him all along instead of Rebekah.
Neither woman offered a hand for a handshake. Klaus moved to Caroline's side and pulled one of her hands free to intertwine their fingers. She didn't make a fuss, but twisted her fingers free of his grasp. He gave her a look and recaptured her hand.
"While I appreciate your enthusiasm Athena, it's been a few centuries and things have changed. I'm not looking to rekindle a flame that's long been extinguished."
Looking between the two women, they couldn't be more different. Athena was short and had dark hair and eyes. She was also vicious and selfish. Caroline was tall and blonde, looking for the best in people, even him. One woman was good for him. The other wasn't.
Athena wasn't looking to get involved with Klaus again, but they parted on a good note after a very brief fling. She didn't think it would hurt to get him on her side. However, it appeared he'd moved on with the baby next to him. She lost Katrina and was focused on getting revenge. If that meant backing off of Klaus she would do so.
An elegant man entered moments later, the infamous Miguel. Klaus greeted him with a hearty handshake, not letting go of Caroline. She nodded at him, determined to be pleasant.
"What are you doing here, Klaus?" Athena asked.
"Oh you know, Caroline's mother here is still a mortal and not a fan of mine. We find new places all the time." He gave them a suggestive look. Caroline squeezed his hand hard in return. They hadn't talked about this.
"Klaus, that's just not true. Klaus here is trying to woo me. I'm making him work for it. You wouldn't know anything about that, would you Klaus? Don't women throw themselves at you all the time? I feel sorry for them." She admonished them both, not willing to be the silent, secret girlfriend, letting his hand go. She gave him a fake smile. She was also sending a message to Athena who turned slightly red.
"Please, have a drink with us," he invited, pulling out Caroline's chair and sitting himself next to her, keeping his back to the wall.
Miguel went to the bar and returned with drinks for Athena and himself.
"What are you two doing in Mystic Falls?"
Athena was still smart enough to fear Klaus. They were on good terms, but people who weren't didn't last long and he could change his mind in a heartbeat.
"Passing through. I heard Rebekah was in town and wanted to see her."
He didn't say a word for a moment.
"How long are you staying?" Klaus asked as he laid an arm along the back of Caroline's chair. She knocked it loose with a smile.
"Since we haven't seen her, probably not much longer," Miguel offered.
"That's a good idea." The tone he said it in brooked no argument. "You have noticed Mystic Falls is unavailable, have you not?"
They nodded.
"I've set up shop in a place near Caroline's school myself when I'm not in New Orleans," he offered affably.
Caroline needed them to bring up Kol so they could address it and move on. She wasn't sure Klaus' presence was enough to deter them and keep them from ever coming back.
"Have you met all the Mikaelsons?" she broached.
Miguel and Athena both looked at her sharply, trying to gauge how much she knew.
"Klaus and I knew each other pretty well at one point," Athena responded with her own tight smile.
"Yeah, I got that," Caroline snarked.
"Ancient history, love," he said to Caroline, trying to soothe her.
"I'm not worried. I know it's me who you would do absolutely anything for. Isn't that right?"
He gave her The Look once again and kissed her hand. He'd try anyway.
"Will you get me another drink?" She took her glass and finished what was left.
He had no choice after her proclamation but to do as she asked. He started this game. He kept with the conversation as he went to the bar to get her a refill.
"Miguel knew Elijah back in the day. I'll send your regards to my dear brother," Klaus noted graciously.
"Please do," Miguel nodded.
"I do enjoy Rebekah and admire Elijah's impeccable dress, but really it was Kol who reminded me the most of Klaus." Caroline tried to get this conversation going the way she wanted. "The mischievous twinkle in his eye. The inappropriate flirting."
She smiled as Klaus returned to the seat next to her, pushing a flute of champagne in front of her rather than the wine she had been drinking. She pretended not to notice the significance and took a sip.
"Oh, I don't like this one. Can you try another?" She held her glass out to him. He gave her a tight smile, clearly annoyed, and did as she requested. The others watched in shock at what was happening.
Miguel leaned back in his chair, wary of a trap, and Athena moved forward, unable to hide her interest.
"How well did you know Kol, Caroline?" Athena asked.
"Not in that way. Athena, is it?" She waved her hand as if what Athena said had been a double entendre. Athena nodded at the name verification, trying but failing to hide her annoyance with the blonde who seemed to have Klaus wrapped around her little finger. "Not very well, really. I attended a ball at the Mikaelson home. All of the Mikaelsons were there, even Finn and Esther, their mother."
She could have added she watched Mikael die the day before, but that was overkill.
"Talking about my family is boring, Caroline." Klaus wanted them hooked and Athena was close.
She shrugged, willing to play it off and see if they would bite.
"How is Kol?" Athena wanted to know.
Caroline gasped and raised a hand to her mouth. Drama 101. "You don't know?"
Klaus was sure to harden his countenance as he sat back down with her replaced champagne. It wasn't hard. Thinking about Kol's unnecessary death still burned.
"This is obviously a sore subject, Klaus. My apologies," Miguel tried to free them from the quicksand he could sense. He also looked up as the rest of the vampires from their little party arrived, all loud and jovial as they headed to the bar. They waved at Miguel, Athena, and their little group. However, one recognized Klaus Mikaelson, in person, and word spread. At that point, they all kept quiet so they could listen in.
Klaus desperately wanted to get up from his chair and pace back and forth. That's how he did his best speechmaking. He resisted though. He would make it short and sweet.
"My brother Kol was killed," he stated very loudly.
Athena could not resist. She would finally get the true story.
"Who did it?"
"It doesn't matter, Athena. I've dealt with him. I don't take slights against my family lightly. In fact, there is nothing I take more seriously." He was thinking of Hope in that moment. "No one will remember his existence soon enough. I've made sure of it." He sat back in his chair.
They could hear a couple of the vampires at the bar talk amongst themselves.
"Forgetting his existence? What does that mean?" a man whispered. Another added, "I'm not leaving until I finish the job. Who is Klaus Mikaelson anyway?" A third agreed. "I'm not afraid of Klaus. We'll inflict our own revenge."
This is what Caroline had been concerned about, someone willing to rattle Klaus' cage. She sat back, crossed her arms, and plotted her escape route if necessary. She would see if any of what she said sunk in or if these vampires were insane.
"In fact, I think you need a little demonstration," Klaus said after the others quieted. He whooshed over to a male vampire sitting at the bar. He looked deep into his eyes, starting the compulsion, watching the man's pupils enlarge. "You will never remember the name Damon Salvatore."
The rest of the vampires were shocked. Compulsion was something they used for convenience, never considering its use on themselves. They didn't use vervain. Klaus could hear a few of them testing if it worked. It did.
"Would someone else like to say a word? No? I didn't think so."
Caroline hadn't seen him like this since he ripped Oliver's heart out.
He slowly sauntered back to their table. Caroline saw the look in his eyes and realized they were done. She finished her drink and stood by his side.
"Rebekah is not here. Kol is not here. Elijah is not here. I am the only one here. I get territorial, so Athena, love, as much as I can stand you and you're a pleasant sort, it might be time to shove off. Before you know it, I'm sure Rebekah will be back causing trouble with you like in Morocco."
His reference was to a time where Klaus slaughtered a town along with the lovers Rebekah and Athena had taken.
Klaus and Caroline stood waiting for the others to leave.
When they saw he was serious and not moving, Miguel was the first to get to his room and pack quickly. He encouraged the others to do so as well. The last thing they needed was to battle the Original Hybrid over something that was resolved. Klaus took care of Kol's killer. His punishment would be worse than what they could come up with. Miguel's best friend's death was not unavenged after all.
Miguel stood in the front area of the hotel, sweeping his arm out to get everyone out faster. Athena was slowly making her way to her room. She didn't want to show anyone she was afraid. She was the one who knew Rebekah and Klaus. Miguel would rather her have some hurt pride than have her heart ripped out.
Waiting for everyone to leave the bar and start making their way outside, Klaus sent the bartender home after giving him a generous tip.
He went behind the bar to get the bottle of champagne Caroline's glass was filled from. With the sound of the glass being freed from the shelf, she saw him take a flute himself.
Cocking his head he listened a foot away from their table and then said, "I think that went rather well. It deserves a toast."
She waited until he sat down and clinked his glass with hers. "Other than the part where you made me your girlfriend and oh, made me watch you make out with that woman, I agree."
"She kissed me. I didn't kiss her."
"I didn't notice. Once my brain recognized how gross it was, my eyes automatically shut." She wanted to change the subject. He was enjoying it too much. "No violence. No bloodshed. For you, a minor threat. Thank you, Klaus."
He smiled, feeling proud, and she gave him a small one in return.
"Compelling that vampire to forget Damon was pretty clever. I wish I thought of it myself," she said.
It identified Damon as Kol's killer to Athena. It let Klaus threaten them without actually threatening them. It also furthered his purported plan to remove all evidence of Damon's existence from the planet, his eternal punishment.
He looked down bashfully, pleased with her compliment.
"When will we know if that actually worked?"
"Didn't you say Enzo was seeing one of them? She can confirm what their plans are."
Caroline picked up her phone to call Elena with the news. Elena was still concerned about Jeremy and asked that he stay inside for a while longer, but it might all be over soon. Caroline also called Stefan to get Enzo on the trail.
Putting down her phone, she looked at Klaus who had been silent as she made her calls.
"When do you have to leave?"
"Soon."
Oh.
He didn't bother getting up to leave. They each worked on the bottle of champagne.
"If I call because they've come back, will you return?"
She couldn't believe she said that. She wished the words back, but it was out there now though.
"Yes."
No qualifications. No additions. No gloating, a simple yes, he would return if she asked.
The first bottle turned into a second and then third. The prior vampires weren't much interested in the champagne apparently. They finished the bottle Caroline made Klaus ditch the first time around. She wiggled her brows at him when he mentioned it. It tasted pretty good to her now.
Floating. That's how she felt, as if she were floating. Everything was hazy, but bright. Klaus made her laugh and she couldn't help the giggles that bubbled up. A blonde who would perpetually look like a teenager shouldn't giggle if she wanted to be taken seriously, but Caroline couldn't help it and just then she didn't want to.
He wasn't as drunk as she was, but he was relaxed, enjoying the short time left with her.
She leaned forward, hooked her fingers onto his necklaces, pulled, and let go. "Why do you wear these?"
"Don't you like them?"
"I want one."
He smiled, put down the bottle he started to drink straight from, and pulled one of the necklaces off and placed it over her head. She smiled down at it and slipped it under her shirt.
"I don't have anything to give you." She looked up at him through her lashes.
Was Caroline Forbes flirting with him?
"I think you've had enough to drink," he said sadly, not ready for this to end, knowing she wouldn't ever say such a thing sober.
"The room is spinning a bit, but I wasn't sure if that was because I'm spinning in my seat."
She was sitting still.
"That's one sign you've had enough to drink."
She started to laugh, thinking he was hilarious.
He stood up and helped her out of her chair.
"Should I take your back to your dorm?"
"No, silly. I'm tired. I want to lay down."
"So, I'll take your back to your dorm and you can sleep it off, my little lightweight," he teased, enjoying this loose side of her, putting an arm around her shoulders.
"I am NOT little," she pointed her finger at him. "I'm almost as tall as you with my shoes on. Let's go back to back."
She spun around to back up into him and made a production out of feeling the top of her head and moving it over his. She was wearing flat sandals so he was taller. He got her moving again when she didn't come to a conclusion. "Two out of three," she said with a giggle.
As he led her down the hallway towards the exit, she stopped and dug her feet in when he tried to keep her moving.
"I want to go in there."
They were in a hotel. There were beds everywhere. She just wanted to close her eyes for a minute and then she'd have to say goodbye to Klaus.
No one was around so he put his shoulder into the door and it opened. He'd leave a little cash for any repairs. He closed it behind him, making sure it actually shut.
It was a generic hotel room with a queen size mattress.
Making her way gingerly to the bed, she pulled back everything down to the fitted sheet.
"You know all the dirty stuff is on everything but the sheets. I read that once," she said knowingly. He had no idea what she was talking about.
She flopped back and kicked off each of her shoes high into the air, watching as each fell to the ground with a thud.
"Dirty stuff?"
She pulled a pillow under her head and snuggled into it. Her clothes would be a mess, but that wasn't important. Sleeping right then was.
"Yup. Sex stuff," she said as her eyes closed.
"Ahh, thank you for letting me know." He bit his cheek to keep from laughing. "I'm going to stay until you wake up, Caroline. Ok?"
He did ask this time.
"Ok," she mumbled and then was off to dream.
When did he actually acquire this sleep fetish she accused him of for real?
He couldn't leave her like this and just leave Virginia, a little curled up ball of blonde hair in a hotel by herself. He had to return to New Orleans. She had to return to school and her friends. What was different from the last time when she asked him to stay away?
Slouching in the room's armchair, he watched her and drank some more. He played games on his phone. No new messages from Elijah. He was going to drive back to New Orleans, taking the SUV Mikael and Davina used. It would remove the last trace of them. Caroline would have to return his rental car.
At one point, he snuck out of the room and found a housekeeper to snack on, compel, and heal. He also compelled her to avoid the room Caroline was in.
With a long drive coming up, he decided it would be a good idea to get some sleep now so he could drive as far as possible without stopping. When he returned to see Caroline still asleep comfortably, he laid down on the other side of the bed and let sleep take over.
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Comments?
I have more chapters written, so I'll bribe you by updating soon if I get a good number of reviews. I want to finish this before the shows come back so they don't depress me with their lack of Klaroline.
