Short and a bit of a filler, I wanted to 'clear the air' and set the mood for the next action-packed chapters!

Let me know what you think?

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Aftermath

Klaus

After leaving Caroline, Klaus walked through the French Quarter before sitting down on a lonely bench. It may have been the same spot where Elijah had convinced him to stay in New Orleans and to fight for his town. Had this really been only a few months ago?

Klaus was not even angry. He felt numb. He had saved her life, several times. He had saved her friends' life, several times - for her sake only. He had given her what she had wanted most - her annoying little puppy back. He had told her that he fancied her, he had left nothing to imagination - it had been clear to anyone that he had felt something for her. He had warned her, he had fought to keep her safe.

But that all was not what bothered him, what made him numb inside.

The others had been right. He had been wrong.

Everyone had laughed at him and told him that she did not care for him. Tyler, his brother Elijah, Rebekah, Damon, and even Stefan had implied had so much. He didn't know why but he had always held the belief that she would come around, that she just hadn't realized yet that there was something between them. He could not have imagined this all by himself.

But he had been wrong.

With Tyler, he had been jealous, sure, but it had been different. They had been equals, in age, in life, in experience. Tyler had been with her when they both had discovered the supernatural world. They have had their friends and life in common, it had been easy for her to mistake the comfort for love.

Marcel. Now, Marcel was a different story. Marcel had nothing in common with her. Marcel, she had just met. He was a vampire, an old(ish) one, he had done his share of horrible things. He ruled this city with a strong hand and he had a considerable number of enemies for it. Marcel was not better than him.

But given the choice she had chosen Marcel.

After a thousand years, he had to admit defeat. For the first time, he had lost a fight.

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Caroline

For hours that night, Caroline had thought about calling him. She wanted to apologize but the problem was; she didn't know what exactly to apologize for.

She only ever had felt like this once before, when Tyler and his pack of hybrids had wanted to desiccate Klaus. She had known about it and she had met him knowing about it, and she had not said anything. She had regretted it. But back then, she have had a reason; she had known his life was in danger and although he had saved hers only months before, she had not told him - because of Tyler, because of her friends. Because of what he had done to others.

But tonight?

What would she tell him, if she was to call him?

Sorry for telling you that Marcel kissed me?

That sounded just ridiculous, especially since she knew that the kiss had no meaning, that she not even had kissed back, that she did not fancy Marcel. She did not initiate the kiss nor did she return it - so what would she be apologizing for?

Sorry for telling you that Marcel kissed me, for trying to make you believe I cared about it?

Why did she have this strong urge to set things right with Klaus, to see him? Why did thinking about the hurt in his eyes make her feel so sick to the core?

How did this ever get so complicated, how did this all turn into a story of deceit and mistrust?

Sorry for not trusting you?

How did she become the 'bad guy'?

Klaus was right. He had hit home, straight on. Everything Marcel had told her so far, she had not questioned it. She had never asked Klaus if it was true. Did he turn Marcel? Did he rescue him from a slave life? Did he leave him behind?

Why would you rescue someone, raise them and spend years on making them your equal to then turn around and leave them alone, leave them behind?

It didn't add up.

Klaus had always wanted to protect her, she believed him that and she knew that. He would have happily sacrificed all her friends and all her family if this would have meant to keep her safe.

But in this case, it was only Marcel and herself in the mix. So, if Klaus was warning her to keep her safe, then this would mean that Marcel was the collateral damage, that he would happily sacrifice him. But did this make Marcel the bad guy?

Sorry for not listening to you?

This was all confusing. No matter if right or wrong, she knew she had to show Klaus that she was sorry.

How to do this without starting a new drama though?

And what was Marcel's role in all this again?

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What do you think?

Back to the action in the next chapter!