Chapter 20

Stepping inside the manor, Caroline was met with silence. It was quiet, way too quiet for a house which was just an hour ago hosting the one of the biggest function this town had seen. Caroline bit her lip and looked around. She couldn't see anyone but she was sure Klaus would know she was there.

So much had happened in her life, she wasn't even sure how to react anymore. On one hand, she blamed herself for everything that happened but then again how was she supposed to know that she was attracting monsters not sweet, high school boys who would love her. Sometimes she just wanted to leave Mystic Falls and never look back but she had friends who weren't damned to eternity. Matt, Bonnie, Elena and her mom. Even after her mom had handed her out to the devil, she was sure her mother would have good reason for her actions. She could excuse her mother, Tyler (because of the sire bond) but she couldn't excuse Klaus for everything he was doing. She trusted him in a moment of weakness and shared her past with him and he exploited that at very moment. He did not need to take revenge for her. She could handle herself just fine. She was not some damsel in distress.

Lost in her thoughts, Caroline didn't realize she walked until she stood right in front of the room where all the revenge marathon took place. She dreaded going into that room. She could only imagine what Klaus would've done to Stefan and Damon. Closing her eyes shut and clenching her fists at her sides, Caroline took just a minute to pray to any higher power there was to help her out of this alive. Well dead-alive but just as much as she was now.

Right on cue, she felt a slight tap on her shoulder. Her eyes flew open suddenly and she whipped her head back. She almost squealed when she saw it was Elijah, not any one of the other three crazy originals. Elijah wasn't her friend or enemy but Elena always said he was a reasonable man and he could be of help.

"Oh my God. You almost gave me a heart attack" she spoke casually placing her trembling hand on where her dead heart used to be. She sighed in relief at which Elijah smiled.

"I suppose you are hiding from my brother. May I ask why?" he asked with a fond smile on his face and warmth his eyes. Nothing like what she saw before.

Caroline narrowed her eyes, "You don't know do you?" she asked unsure whether he was playing her or genuinely out of the loop.

His eyebrows knit together and he shook his head, "I am not sure if I follow you Miss Forbes" he said. Caroline shook her head and sighed, 'Of course he wouldn't be told of this. He might've stopped Klaus from his crazy plans'

Caroline filled Elijah in on everything and she was actually surprised Klaus hadn't come for her yet. He would've known she was there but he didn't come and it wasn't like the atmosphere was so light that she could come by and chat with one the most deadly, oldest creatures on Earth.

To say that Elijah was shocked was the understatement of the century. He opened his mouth to say something but only gaped like a fish out of water. He couldn't understand why his brother would be so reckless after specific instructions from his mother to lay low and not to harm the locals of Mystic Falls. Miss Forbes was genuinely a special girl for his brother. But he didn't think being special to Klaus was a good thing. Those people always ended up being hurt the most.

"I believe the term you're looking for is OMG" Caroline told him casually but this time he didn't laugh. "So will you help me?" she asked hoping he would help her deal with Klaus. He nodded and gestured for her to move forward into the room.

Caroline only felt a little reassurance when Elijah offered to help. There was still not guarantee that Stefan or Damon would be alive till now. Klaus could've killed them off and that is one thing she couldn't fix.

She breathed in slowly and turned the knob and entered the room. Upon entering the room, she was met with a site she couldn't forget. Damon and Stefan both tied up again but this time they weren't alone. Rebekah was standing beside Stefan with a stake in her hand pointed pinned in his chest, pointing towards his heart slowly.

Her eyes widened and she took a step forward, "NO!" she cried out and almost pulled out her own hair. Rebekah turned to her and glared her. The original sister removed the stake from Stefan's chest and threw it to the other end of the room. Caroline breathed in some air only for a minute until she saw the person she was dreading to see. Klaus.

This time, though, he said nothing and just stood there glaring her. He had sensed her coming a long time back but he wasn't sure why she hadn't made an entrance yet until he saw his elder brother standing behind her. Of course, the noble Elijah to rescue while he played the villain. He was doing this all for her. Why couldn't she just be grateful to him? Instead she had to hurt him and stand with those ridiculous people she called friends. They were just as bad as he was but she could forgive them but not her. Now he was losing his patience. She was testing him and he didn't like it one bit. He might as well, take her away, lock her up with him instead of watching her judge and refuse him at every turn.

"Niklaus, give Miss Forbes her friends back." Elijah said calmly as if he was asking for a newspaper instead of two people. Klaus rolled his eyes annoyed by his brother's interference. How dare his brother command him?

At the precise moment as Klaus was about to reply him, Kol spoke up making his presence known to everyone. "Oh come on brother. What would be the fun in that? After all we need leverage for asking some questions now." He said and stopped to smirk in Caroline's direction. "Did you know their Bennett witch just took on the three of us? Too much power for one witch" he stated confidently and moved to stand right in front of Damon, twisting a stake in his stomach until he heard Damon groan in pain.

Caroline flinched and wandered only what Klaus would do to her. "Just stop! Please I'll tell you everything you want" she pleaded gritting her teeth. She hated begging and pleading anyone and now that she had to do it in front of the people she hated the most, it was unnerving.

Kol smiled, stopped his ministrations and moved back to wipe his hands with a clean towel. He turned to Klaus who was constantly glaring the baby vampire. A thought crossed his mind and his smirk widened. As if Rebekah could sense her brother's meddling thoughts, she smiled deviously and turned to her elder brother Elijah.

"Fine. After Caroline answers all the questions she can leave with the Salvatores." She said and just as Caroline thought her punishment was going to end she began again, "Nik, after you're done here, why don't you join us in parlor?" she asked innocently and walked out of the room. Elijah nodded in Caroline's direction reassuringly and left with Kol, leaving Caroline and Klaus to stare at each other.

"What do you want to know?" Caroline asked bravely wanting to get this all over as soon as possible. Before she could even comprehend what was happening, Klaus snapped Damon and Stefan's necks causing Caroline to gasp.

He smiled coldly at her and moved closer to her, "Wouldn't want any interference in our conversation now would we?" he asked like she actually had a choice to answer. She gulped thickly and looked away. Klaus took notice of her uneasiness and smirked. 'Good she wasn't allowed to be at ease after hurting him repeatedly.'

"So tell me how your friend Bonnie could harness so much power? And where did she get this much power from?" He asked her. Taking down one original was a big thing and the Bennett witch took on three of them. Sure she belonged to a powerful bloodline of witches but still she could only take down 2 originals maximum but she managed to best the lot of them.

Caroline shook her head, "I don't know. But ever since your mother's back, Bonnie's been feeling more powerful. She said something about the bloodline being strengthened. But she almost killed herself because of it so you don't have to worry about it" she added the last part bitterly. She didn't need to feel weak and oppressed. This was all Klaus' fault and not hers. It could be anyone's fault for that matter but hers. She had every right to be pissed at him.

Klaus smiled and moved closer to her until he stood only meters away from her face. "Why is it that you can forgive Damon but not me?" he asked the one question that was haunting him since the past two hours. She could forgive the person who took advantage of her in her weakest but she couldn't forgive him for the things he had done to her friends.

Her eyes immediately shot up and she looked at him with such intensity and hate, he could swear his heart broke. "Because you are evil and you will always stay evil. You do bad things and you hurt the people I love and care for…" she was cut off by Klaus' cold voice.

"And he hurt you" he said pointing towards Damon. Caroline shook her head, desperately trying to fight off the tears welling up in her eyes. "It's not like that anymore…" she whispered in a small voice.

"You know what Caroline? I understand that you were upset because you didn't want to be reminded of your past but what I don't understand is your hypocrisy. You can forgive him for your friends who won't forgive you if you choose to be with me" he said pacing and running a hand through his dirty blonde curls.

"You have NO right to speak of this!" she shouted at him. How dare he do this to her? He had no right to tell her what she did was right or wrong.

He looked back at her and stopped pacing. He pointed his finger at her and moved closer to her, grabbing her by the shoulders and shaking her, "I DID THIS ALL FOR YOU! Why can't you understand this? I do everything for you still you can't forgive me." His voice loud at first but then settled down as low to a whisper.

For a moment Caroline could swear he saw hurt and betrayal flash through his eyes before they turned cold and detached again and he stepped back. "Klaus I can't … I can't just forget everything you've done. You killed Aunt Jenna and tried to kill Elena and you killed Tyler." She said. Her thoughts wandering to her boyfriend who was out in the mountains suffering hell of pain to get rid of this freaking sire bond. He was going through so much for her. What would he think if he found out about her sympathizing with Klaus? She shook away all these thoughts and focused on Klaus.

"I loathe you Klaus. Just stay away from me!" she spoke up harshly. He needed to hear that otherwise he'd never let her go. Maybe he might even kill her now but it was better than being worried of being the object of Klaus' affections.

Klaus squared his jaw and clenched his hands into fists so hard until his knuckles turned white. "As you wish sweetheart. Honestly I am rather tired of your hypocrisy. At one hand you can forgive Damon and what he did but you can't forgive me. You and me we're the same Caroline. We do anything for the people we love. The only difference is you haven't lived as long as I have. But regardless, I will stay away from you" he stated coldly and turned on his heel and began to move towards the door before throwing her one last glance.

"You can take your friends and go" he said as he walked out of the room, leaving Caroline alone with her thoughts.

A/N:

Just a shout out. I posted my other story, 'kingdom wars'. Please check it out. It is a Klaroline fan fiction so don't worry but Klaus will have a lot of competition as usual. Hope you enjoyed. No Klaroline loving for this chapter. Sorry!

Thank you so much for your continued support. Follow, favor & review. Love you all.