It's dark when she texts Klaus that she's thirty minutes away from the place he wanted her to be. She would have driven into the city and seen Elena first, consequences be damned, but he had convinced her not to. The city was a broken war zone. Humans had no idea. She drives, and parks as she sees two familiar faces in the car next to hers. She rolls down her window and they do the same. She looks at them for a moment before anyone speaks.
Kol and Klaus. She had met Kol at the ball their mother had thrown, that seems like ages ago to her.
"Hello, Caroline." The hybrid says and she just rolls her eyes.
"So I'll just follow your car into New Orleans?" She asks. The brother confirm it, and she rolls her window up. She can hear Kol making comments to his brother. Caroline has to bite back a laugh more than once. She follows them, into the city.
It's gorgeous. The house they're staying at is gorgeous too, and she parks next to Klaus. When she gets out, they offer to help her with her boxes. She agrees. Klaus tells her the history and leads her to her room. She drops her bags when she sees Elena. She has an IV in her arm, and it's odd to see her so peaceful. Elijah is next to her, his hand in hers.
She looks at Klaus, confusion on her face.
"It's easier to get into someone's head with physical contact. You haven't missed anything, love." He assures her, and with a huff, she picks up her bags and she and the two brothers fill her room with her things. It's a lovely blue that she appreciates more when she's lying on her bed.
She needs to unpack, she can't talk to Elena, Elijah is in her head. She can't even sit and pretend like Elena's listening with him there. He'll teach her to talk to Elena soon. But she wants to clear her head, she needs other noise. She can hear Rebekah and Kol in the kitchen talking, and she can hear Klaus's heart, but he's not doing anything. He's the only one unoccupied, she tells herself. It's not because she wants to see if his eyes match her walls.
"Caroline." He greets. She find him on the balcony.
"It's beautiful up here." She says and he nods.
"Indeed." He agrees, and she stands with him, watching the street below, the people hurrying and the lights making everything look interesting to her. She doesn't know how long she stands next to him, each time she thinks about the time, she tells herself she'll go in when she wants to. She doesn't have anything pressing to do. She already told her mom and Bonnie that she was in New Orleans, safe and sound.
She doesn't leave the warm night air and the beauty of it all and the balcony until Klaus does.