Then I love you,
then I hate you in vain because it is necessary to love.
After much internal debate, Caroline chose only two novels from Klaus' vast collection- The Giver by Lois Lowry, and Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery. She had read both books before, but chose them, not only because she was surprised to see them amongst Klaus' favourites, judging by how worn they were, but also because she felt the need for something familiar. It warmed her heart that she had copies of these same books on her self at home.
She spent the better part of the day reading the former, and despite how depressing it got at times, she powered through, seeking the light at the end of the tunnel. When she looked up at the clock on the wall, she was surprised to see it was minutes after nine in the evening. She had effectively spent the day holed up in Klaus' study, curled up on his sofa, reading, and she didn't feel the least bit ashamed. She gathered up both books and made her way out, making sure to lock the study room before going back to her bedroom.
Klaus had said that he would visit her, and Caroline had to admit that she was a little bit thrilled by the idea. She wanted to believe that he wanted to see her again for more than just to recollect her key, but she promised herself that she wouldn't read too much into it. So as she showered and dressed in a snug fitting, long sleeved, dark grey, knee length jersey dress, instead of her regular sleep shorts and vest, Caroline tried to remain calm and not build up any expectations.
She realised that as much as she didn't know him very well, Klaus didn't really know her all that much either. Their curiosity for one another was a mutual thing. Despite their differences, they had one thing in common- a similar taste in books. It was silly, but Caroline quite liked the idea of humanising Klaus. The less she saw him as this isolated spectre, the better chance of them actually getting along. Klaus looked like he could use a friend. She was only half joking when she said as much that morning in the library. Besides his family and Stefan, Caroline doubted that Klaus had anyone to just hang out with or talk to. It was kind of sad.
The rain had started falling again, even heavier than it had been the night before. The wind was blowing so hard that it made a chilling sound. But thankfully there was no crackling of thunder, or shots of lightening darting out the sky. Caroline never really liked the rain. She was never fond of cold autumn or winter nights. She very much enjoyed those long summer days and feeling the heat of the sun on her skin. Caroline sighed, suddenly feeling homesick. It was a shot of nostalgia that she would have rather avoided.
As much as Caroline wanted to go home... as much as she wished she could go home, she knew that she'd never be able to return to her old life. The day she died and woke up a vampire, her life had been forever altered. There was no going back. As the days went on, she was coming to accept that fact, but it didn't mean it hurt any less.
Looking up at the clock, Caroline saw that it was already half past 10. She frowned, wondering what was taking so long. In fact, she realised that it was a little bit strange that Genevieve hadn't looked for her all day, or that no one had bothered to call her down for lunch. Even Gabriel didn't call up, from downstairs, asking if she wanted to go for drinks and to play pool with the guys.
It wasn't her vampire fight or flight instinct that kicked in. Rather, it was the regular gut feeling that anyone with a sense of self preservation had. So when the door to her bedroom was thrown open, Caroline took on a defensive stance, her fangs dropping and her vampire features making a full appearance as she prepared herself to fight off whatever threat that was...
Caroline's whole world stopped spinning when she saw who was at her door.
"Katherine?" Caroline breathed, her vampire features all but becoming dormant once more, as she stared at her friend disbelievingly.
Katherine didn't hesitate even for a second, before grabbing Caroline's arm and pulling her along at vampire speed. "We need to get out of here," Katherine said, stopping at the top of the staircase, before continuing along the hallway, sounding panicked and out of breath. "Now," she breathed.
There was no humour in Katherine's voice, nor playfulness. Katherine sounded desperate... fearful even. She hadn't even properly looked at Caroline yet, and Caroline realised just what it mean't for Katherine to be here right now. Katherine had ran and hid from Klaus for over five hundred years, yet here she was at his house, in the middle of his Kingdom, to rescue Caroline. They had to get out of here.
"Okay," Caroline mumbled, allowing her best friend to pull her along. They started to walk at a human pace. Katherine released her hold on Caroline's arm, motioning for her to follow. An index finger at Katherine's lips were the signal that Caroline should stay silent. However Katherine had managed to get in undetected, they would get out the same way. There was no reason to start freaking out, Caroline tried to convince herself. Everything was going to be okay.
Katherine must have obviously thought things out. She was drenched from head to toe, and there was something masking her distinctive scent. She couldn't have chosen a better night. Despite the rain, there was no way everyone would be holed up for two nights straight. The compound was almost empty, everyone having gone out to party. Rebekah and Stefan usually left for dinner around ten. The only threat of being caught came from Gen, and Klaus himself.
Klaus. Oh no, Klaus was coming to see her tonight. Panic truly started to overwhelm her, and Caroline tugged on Katherine's jacket, causing the older vampire to turn around and look at her curiously. Whatever expression was on Caroline's face, made Katherine's eyes soften. "It's going to be okay now Care bear," Katherine said softly, forcing a smile.
Caroline shook her head, unconvinced. She opened her mouth to tell Katherine that this was a bad idea... that Katherine should run far away, and hide... hide so that Klaus would never find her and hurt her. Caroline wanted to tell Katherine that it was too late... that for some strange reason she and Klaus had become friends. He wouldn't hurt her... not yet. And maybe if he ended up killing her, it would be better that way. But Caroline never got the chance... as soon as she opened her mouth, she felt him, every single nerve ending in her body coming alive, and for the first time, Caroline was truly afraid of Klaus.
"I don't think so," Klaus said, his voice sounding deceptively calm. It chilled Caroline to the bone. Too fast for Caroline's eyes to follow, Klaus had Katherine pinned against the wall, one hand wrapped tightly around Katherine's neck. Klaus pulled her towards him, before slamming Katherine against the wall, her head bashing against the wall hard enough to crack the plaster.
"Stop it!" Caroline screamed. "Please, stop!" she cried.
But Klaus ignored her, smashing Katherine against the wall two more times, before letting her body collapse to the ground. There was blood trickling down the wall and a deep indent where Katherine's head had been. The vampire wasn't unconscious, but after two attempts to get to her feet, she stayed down. Caroline made a move to help her, but Klaus flashed inches infront of her, stopping her short. "If you help Katerina," Klaus snarled, his voice full of malice, "I will kill her."
A pained sound left Caroline, but Klaus didn't falter at all. It was like he was a completely different person from this morning. It tore at something in Caroline's heart, seeing him acting this way. "Klaus, please," she cried, trying to plead with the human parts of him that she knew existed deep down. He wasn't this evil, unforgiving creature that he was pretending to be. He was capable of kindness... Caroline had seen it.
"Please don't hurt her," Caroline begged, tears streaming down her face. "I won't go... I'll stay. I'll never leave, I promise," she tried to bargain with him. She would do anything in exchange for Katherine's life. Katherine was her best friend.
Klaus smiled then, but it wasn't a pleasant sight. It was mocking and spiteful. "You'll stay," he said resolutely, and relief began to flood her. But then, "I plan on making Katerina suffer. You'll stay anyway," he stated. In a less than a second, he had flashed away from Caroline, made a makeshift stake with a chair leg, and staked Katherine through her shoulder, pinning her to the wall. Katherine screamed in pain. It was a chilling sound.
The relief that filled Caroline cut off so suddenly that she felt like part of her had died. God, she was so stupid and naive.
"I'll do anything you want," Caroline cried, shaking her head. "Please Klaus... please!"
But again, he completely ignored her. Staking Katherine twice more. Once through her other shoulder, and again through her stomach. Katherine coughed up blood, trying in vain to pull out the stake in her stomach. Klaus had staked Katherine against the wall a few inches higher than where her feet in high heels could touch the ground. Silent tears were falling down Katherine's face, but she didn't cry. The glare she directed at Klaus should have set him on fire. "Let her go Klaus," Katherine growled. "She's not going to remember anything... not here anyway," Katherine continued, and she levelled Klaus with a look that told him that she knew so much more than he did.
Klaus was upon her in an instant, pulling the stake out of her stomach and driving it back in. Katherine groaned in pain, but she forced a laugh out. "Sucks huh," she continued to provoke him. "Not getting everything you want... poor Klausy not..." her words were cut off and replaced by a shrill scream, that had Caroline putting her hands over her ears hoping to cover the sound. Klaus had driven a stake through Katherine's chest cavity.
"Hush now sweetheart," Klaus said, her voice taking on a seductive lilt. "I'm simply bleeding you out." He smiled, turning to Caroline, allowing his gaze to travel along the length of her body. Caroline shivered, wrapping her arms around herself. "Let's hope the process doesn't take too long... you know how I get when I'm bored," he said, playing for nonchalance as he turned back to Katherine.
Blood seemed to flow out of Katherine's mouth for a moment, choking her. But then she coughed, tremors racking her body. "That's the thing, Klausy kins," Katherine cooed, her voice sounding so weak and broken, but the fire in her eyes was blazing. "Elijah compelled me to forget," she said, throwing her head back to rest on the wall, and started to laugh. The sound felt like ice chipping away Caroline's heart. It was the sound of someone who was broken beyond repair... someone who had nothing to lose.
Katherine lifted a shaky hand, and wrapped it around the stake in her chest. Her jaw clenched, as she yanked it out, a blood curling scream escaping.
"You're lying," Klaus snarled, starting to pace. He ran a hand through his head in frustration, before stopping suddenly. Caroline's eyes were on Katherine, but she could feel Klaus' gaze on her. Whatever sort of friendship they had developed was null now. This wasn't the man... this was the monster.
Caroline stood perfectly still as Klaus flashed behind her, his hand reaching into her curls to roughly pull her head to the side. His other arm wrapping around her waist, to prevent her from escaping. But there wasn't any need to do that. Caroline wasn't going any where without Katherine. And she knew better than to fight him. Maybe if he bit her, he'd be sated, and then just maybe he'd be lenient to Katherine.
"Don't you dare," Katherine ground out, a fresh wave of panic seeming to have hit her. She grabbed on to the stake in the left side of her shoulder, and tried to pull it out. It was planted deep in the wall behind her. Katherine tried to pull out the stake in her other shoulder, but she must have lost too much blood...
"Don't you dare hurt her Klaus!" Katherine shouted, her tone full of emotion. "I'll kill you, you fucking bastard! Don't you dare hurt her! Let her go!" she screamed at him, tears running down her face.
When Klaus' fangs skimmed the skin on her neck, Caroline shuddered violently, tears trickling down her face. One hand reached up to rest on the hand he had wrapped around her neck, but it wasn't to try to pull away. No. Caroline needed something... anything, to ground her. To give her the strength to bite her tongue and not beg for her life. Even if that strength had to come from Klaus. As soon as Caroline's hand touched Klaus', she felt his grip on her neck loosen infinitesimally.
"Klaus please," Katherine cried. "Please let her go, Klaus... please," she begged.
"Reduced to begging Katerina," Klaus chuckled, his voice full of pure satisfaction and victory. "I never thought I'd see the day," he breathed against Caroline's neck. He rubbed his nose along the curve of her jaw, breathing in her scent.
Caroline closed her eyes.
"No, Klaus... please!" Katherine screamed at him.
"Let her go," a soft, but strong, musical voice came from behind them.
Caroline felt Klaus' body tense, and it seemed as though time was frozen for a moment.
Klaus quickly recollected himself, masking his surprise. "Think very carefully about what you about to do," he said softly, not making a single move.
"I won't let you hurt her," Genevieve said, her voice wavering slightly. But there was something in her tone that spoke of Gen's true power. She was challenging Klaus, and she was not afraid. Caroline couldn't pick up on any fear at all... only a firm resolve, and a little carefully hidden rage spilling over.
"I will kill you," was Klaus' reply, his voice steely.
"I know," Gen said, as though it was a fate she chose for herself.
It all seemed to happen in slow motion, or perhaps that's just how Caroline felt. Accepting the hopeless situation she was in, she had closed her eyes, but at hearing Gen's voice, she felt hope spring up in her heart.
"I won't let anything happen to you," Gen had said, breathing the promise into Caroline's hair and pressing a kiss on the crown of her head.
Caroline didn't have to see Genevieve's hands outstretched. She didn't have to hear the words the witch was chanting. When Klaus released Caroline as if he were burned and crumbled to the ground, his hands holding his head, jaw clenched, she knew that Genevieve was hurting him. A lot.
"Go," Genevieve commanded, snapping Caroline back to reality, from where she stood staring at Klaus. Then the witch proceeded to mumble something else, and Klaus groaned out in pain this time. A growl escaped as he clawed at something in his chest.
Caroline stumbled back, the tears in her eyes blurring her vision.
Klaus growled again, shaking his head as if trying to shake off the spell. He looked up at her, his eyes shown with so rage. Pure, unadulterated rage.
Caroline flashed backwards, slamming into Katherine who was pinning against the wall. The vampire cried out in pain. Caroline turned around, not hesitating before pulling each stake out. Katherine all but collapsed in Caroline's arms. She didn't know where Katherine found the strength, but she tried to pull Caroline away, but Caroline wouldn't budge.
Genevieve was shaking. Her entire body was trembling terribly. There was blood coming out of her nose, the corners of her eyes and mouth, her ears. The witch was dying... she had to stop, but when she stopped Klaus would kill her anyway. Klaus would kill them all.
"We have to go," Katherine said, her fingers digging into Caroline's arm.
Caroline shook her head, trying to pry Katherine's fingers off.
"Listen to me," Katherine said, shaking her roughly. "Listen to me Caroline!" Katherine screamed.
Caroline tore her eyes away from the witch, and looked at Katherine with unseeing eyes. There was white noise ringing inside her head. Caroline was right... she was better off dead. If Klaus had killed her from the very beginning then...
"She's going to die," Katherine stated, as though it was an indisputable fact. "That witch is going to die, and if we don't leave now, her death will be for nothing."
Nothing? No no... that couldn't be right. Gen's sacrifice couldn't be for nothing.
Caroline nodded harshly, her head bobbing up and down, before wrapping one arm around Katherine's waist and flashing them out of there. She didn't stop when Klaus' growl stopped echoing in her mind... full of so much anger, and pain.
Klaus was in pain.