Hey everyone, hope you're all doing well... Here is my gift for the amazing ABBY! 3tinkgemini for the recent KlarolineVacayExchange over on AO3...
There's a time and place to die, but this ain't it.
Klaus held yet another monthly faction meeting since he came to New Orleans over a year ago. He had come to seek powerful witches to raise his brother Kol, who had died back in Mystic Falls at the hands of the Gilbert hunter, and to reacquaint himself as King of New Orleans after leaving the city in safe hands in Marcel's care. The witches were a bit wary and cautious of his demands but nonetheless, his baby brother was brought back to the family, causing carnage in his wake.
Klaus suddenly stopped talking mid speech, mid pace, and dropped to the floor, the echo of his knees colliding with concrete filling the silence of the room. His right hand came to his chest, clutching at his grey henley, panting hard, gasping for breath. Trying to fill his burning lungs with the very air he didn't even need to survive anymore. He felt every ounce of life, of light, of love leave him in the piercing cold darkness.
The blood rushing in his ears drowned the concerned voices of his siblings, so much so that he only managed to see blurry figures flash over to him, Rebekah holding on to his shoulders, mouth opening and closing but he couldn't grasp on reality enough to hear what she said.
The room was growing heavy and dark, and the little he could see was a swirling spiral of colours.
As quick as it came over him, the darkness left him, bringing his hearing and life back into a dull existence. The light in the room was the same but his long life and artistic attention to details told him that the tone of colour he once knew was a few subtle shades more bland.
Klaus finally heard his sister's and brother's calls of concern, the 'what's going on?', 'what's happening to him?', 'help him' finally reaching him, calling him fully out of whatever had overcome him.
He went to stand up, to tell them he was okay, to demand to know what witch dared try to cast a spell on him, to kill them in retaliation, when his femur cracked under pressure.
Crashing back to the floor, he looked up at his sister in confusion, who stared back at him in horror. His other leg broke into pieces before his shoulders arched in pain, his answering howl bouncing around his home.
He was transforming into his wolf.
Determined not to go through the agonizing change, he tried to will his bones to change back, to stay in his human form. He was in a battle within himself, his mind demanding to stave off the change, but his wolf was stubborn and wanted to protect him.
To protect his heart.
His soul.
He finally put the pieces together, he understood what was going on.
She was gone.
Dead.
His wolf was turning from the death of his mate and he managed to croak out her name to Rebekah before letting go, growling in torment. His clothes tore into pieces, claws elongated from his fingertips and soft, grey fur covered his bare skin, his eyes becoming golden as his wolf was finally set free.
There wasn't much that had scared Rebekah throughout her long existence, her immortality ensuring she was the bigger threat. But watching her brother collapse without warning, no stench of magic in the air, had her own heart clutch in fear for him. She watched helplessly as his pain-filled eyes dimmed of all life, much worse than if he were turning the ever-elusive switch off that young vampires liked to pretend they had.
She stood back as soon as she saw her brother change into his wolf, enough to be there for him but far enough to flash away if she needed to, not sure if he would recognise her. Nik surprised her though, looking at her sorrowfully before fleeing, Elijah hot on his heels like the ever dutiful brother. He would clean up after their brother while she would hold the fort here.
"Well I take it the meeting is postponed. Off you go." She dismissed the witches, needing the seclusion to phone for information. She had no idea why her brother would mention her now - after all, they had left that awful, cursed town a year ago and to her knowledge he'd had no contact with the residents. The witches started to leave but Marcel and the wolf girl, Hayley, held back. She knew Marcel was just as curious as he was concerned for her brother but Rebekah had no idea why the wolf would stay.
"I think I know what may be going on with Klaus."
"Tell me," Rebekah demanded. She needed to know what was going on, and if the little wolf pup could shed some light, she could be more help to her brother.
"It's rare-" Hayley started.
"What is?" Rebekah butted in, her impatience showing. She had no time for stories.
"Mates. Wolves are gifted with mates. Alphas mainly, but some betas and omegas are lucky enough to have them."
"What does that have to do with Nik?"
"If you let me finish," she paused, "whoever she is, he just felt his mate die."
Rebekah was shocked.
How had she never been aware that her brother could not only be susceptible to having a mate but to have one too. Could the blonde, baby vampire be his mate? She needed to find out if she had indeed died before she could have her proper answers.
"Thank you for your information, but if you..."
"I would never. No matter how many wrongdoings he has done, wolves would never go after mates or sell them out. We are as protective to other packs as we are to our own. Like I said, they are rare and we don't take them for granted. No matter the sins of the wolf who had one." She stood defiantly, her words ringing with truth.
"Clear off then, I have a brother to help."
Hayley nodded and walked out of the house, leaving Rebekah, Kol and Marcel alone. Rebekah swirled in Marcel's direction ready to dismiss him, threaten him, or both - she hadn't decided yet - but he beat her to it.
"I'm here to help. I've told Joshua to keep the vampires at bay, not to attack any wolves and that if they see him, to let me know of his whereabouts. Hayley knows to do the same for the wolves. It's just the witches you need to be careful of, but I'm sure your very own witch siren could play his part," the vampire said.
"Very well." She was grateful for his quick thinking while she had Hayley talk her ear off. "Kol, you know what to do. And should you kill anyone, you're dealing with both Elijah and Nik. If whatever that wolf said was true, Nik will need as much power to bring her back as he can. Be careful."
"I'm always careful, dear sister." Kol flashed off, ready to seduce his way to find any signs of betrayal and uprisings.
Rebekah bent down towards the pile of tattered fabric that was once on her brother to find his phone, hoping he didn't have a passcode on it, and luckily enough, as she turned the device on it was unlocked. She flicked through his contacts to see a number under CF. Clicking the contact, the phone rang and rang before reaching voicemail. Hanging up, she scrolled through to find Stefan's contact details and she thought she could chance reaching out to him.
"Not now Klaus, we have too much going on here to deal with you too," he answered. She could tell he had been crying by the tone of voice he was using.
"Well aren't you lucky it's me then. I need to speak with Caroline."
"You can't at the moment."
"Why not?" She pressed.
"Um, she's kind of not here right now." He tried to avoid the question. He knew she could detect lies and she knew he was trying to avoid the reality of the situation.
"No worries, I can wait for her to return."
"You may be waiting a while." His voice quieted a few notches, thick with sadness.
"I know. I just needed confirmation. You're going to have to bring her down to New Orleans as soon as possible. We have covens upon covens that can band together and bring her back. The sooner the better, Stefan."
"How?"
"Nik and his little spies everywhere. Don't make him tear your tiny pathetic town to pieces to get her."
"But we have a lot going on here.."
"No excuses. We don't need the whole rag team. You'll do just fine. I'm sure your brother can hold the fort for a little while," she mocked, hanging up on the younger Salvatore, not giving him a chance to argue.
Her and Marcel worked around each other in silence. He had gone to set up some fresh clothing and some much needed alcohol for when Klaus changed back into his human form. She needed to prepare the guest room for her brother's arrival.
And his mate's.
Elijah had followed Niklaus to the Bayou. He kept his distance as the wolf hunted deer, rabbit and some fox; thankfully no humans were about for them to become target of his brother's callousness.
After a few hours of hunting, his brother's hunger dissipating, the wolf settled down and began to whine at the rising moon. A few bobcats and coyotes responded in kind, not that most humans nor vampires would be able to hear. Elijah's hearing had been tuned in to detect anyone coming near.
Elijah waited patiently as the sun began to rise again when his phone rang, disturbing both the peaceful nature and Niklaus. Rebekah was calling to let him know the Bennett witch was nearby and he needed to get the wolf to change back into their brother.
Upon hearing some kind of news, Klaus, still in his wolf form sprinted his way back to their home, Elijah in pursuit. He was met by his siblings and Marcel in the family room, trying not to listen to the cracking of bones, and growls turning into human whimpers of pain. He poured himself and his brother a glass of bourbon in time for said brother, clothed, to receive his glass.
Downing the drink, he reached for his phone from Rebekah and dialed a contact, reaching the voicemail of Stefan Salvatore. Pacing, the whole room was eerily quiet except the echo of Niklaus' footsteps and the phone ringing.
Calling Stefan, yet again with no answer, a knock sounded through the Mikaelson's home, revealing Bonnie as Klaus eagerly opened it.
"Where is she?" Niklaus demanded.
"Right here mate. Thought it be best not to draw attention our way." A British, male, voice spoke up instead of the Bennett witch. He stepped into their home cradling a body close to him, wrapped up in a soft blanket, blonde hair covering her face. To anyone it looked as if she was cradled in a lover's embrace, sleeping.
Niklaus instantly took her body away from the dark-haired vampire and stepped back further into the house in order to let the two new guests enter. He flashed off up stairs for a brief moment, reappearing without the girl.
"Now explain who you are and what took you so long to get here."
"Name's Enzo," the male introduced himself, bowing ever so slightly with some semblance of respect.
"I needed to prepare her body for the spell. I needed to make a healing salve for her heart to heal in preparation for the spell to bring her back," Bonnie explained.
"And you couldn't do that here?"
"And make you wait longer for her return?" she bit back. "I thought with the long journey ahead of us to get here, the healing would nearly be complete. It only took us an extra hour. Was it wrong of me to give us the head start?" The witch raised her eyebrow in question, stopping his brother from replying. Obviously he was in agreement with her methods.
Miss Bennett proceeded to send the male vampire, Enzo, to grab her items from their car and was led into the family room. There she explained what transpired to lead to Miss Forbes' untimely death and a few options she had in mind for her resurrection.
"My magic won't allow me to bring her back as she is, of course, a vampire. If she were human, I could have done it with some consequences like with Jeremy. Also, if the Other Side was still there and I were still the anchor, then I could have had someone else do the ritual and open the rift enough to let her pass back," the witch carefully explained, trying not to set off Niklaus' temper. "That limits the already limited options. So if you have any idea of a powerful object to tie her spirit, her life to then we can use that."
"How powerful?" Kol questioned her. He knew the most elaborate spells and types of magic out of the family.
His knowledge would be helpful indeed, Elijah thought to himself.
"Extremely, and very stable too. Her life would be tied to it. If that powerful object is destroyed, then so shall she."
"Me." Niklaus whispered. "I'm the most powerful creature to roam the Earth, immortal at that. Even more so if you find a way to destroy the spell my mother cast on that stake."
"You have a lot of enemies though. You die and she'll go right with you," Bonnie said, her voice raised at Klaus' idea.
"Do you not forget she'd die anyway? What with sirelines and all."
"But if I tie her life to yours, she can't die until you die. Or the object is destroyed," Bonnie voiced her concerns.
"Not even a stake to the heart, head chopped off?" Kol enquired, a curious glint in his eyes.
Bonnie nodded her confirmation.
"Even better then. Tie, her life, to mine." He demanded.
"I need a place of power to do the ritual, a graveyard, or a site where there's been a massacre?"
"Lafayette Cemetery. I can ask D to let us in," Marcel chimed in with his suggestion, taking his phone out of his back pocket after Niklaus nodded.
Before Bonnie headed over to do the ceremony, she needed to check to see if Caroline's heart had healed fully. The other flesh could heal once she'd returned and blood was in her system. Bonnie had asked for Rebekah's assistance, surprising them both, but she needed the vampire strength to turn the body over.
She had been right to wait the extra hour to start on the healing balm, the journey had given them the head start they needed and the organ was now healed.
Rebekah had brought some fresh clothing and suggested they change her outfit, one more fitting to be seen in front of others. Bonnie thought it was more for her brother's emotional state than anything, but she didn't mind. She was actually glad she didn't have to see any evidence of her best friend's death, so she helped tug on the white, flowy dress over the grey, ashen skin.
There hadn't been enough time to register what had happened before Stefan had a phone call from the original sister demanding Caroline's body. Damon didn't want to risk leaving Elena alone with the heretics around town and Stefan needed to stay to keep his mother distracted. Stefan had asked Enzo to take her to New Orleans, not that Bonnie minded, having grown closer to the vampire. He had really been a good friend to Caroline lately in her absence in the prison world, so she knew he wanted to be there for whatever Klaus wanted to do.
Knowing the power that Louisiana drew, the amount of covens that lived in the state, and the fact of Klaus' obsession with her friend when he had been in town, Bonnie deduced that he wanted to bring her back to life. So on the drive, she studied her grimoire for any ways to revive Caroline. It wouldn't be easy, but she didn't want any other witch to do this job, someone she didn't know, didn't trust. As much has she hated Klaus and the Original family, other witches could loathe him more, enough to destroy any sort of happiness he could have, and if messing with brining Caroline back could hurt him, they probably would intervene.
Knowing she would have a long, draining night ahead of her, Bonnie, under Enzo's orders, had made sure she caught a few hours sleep on the way.
Gathering her strength to prepare for the long day ahead of her.
She made her way downstairs where the dark-skinned vampire, Marcel, escorted her and Enzo, her box of supplies and grimoire in hand, to the cemetery. He mentioned there would be a witch there to help her set up the ritual site for tonight and to invite Enzo inside.
As soon as she stepped onto the site after introductions were made, she was instantly hit with a wave of power. The young witch, Marcel's friend - Davina - eyed Bonnie.
"Can you feel the ancestors?" She asked, curious.
"No. The tragic deaths that has happened on the grounds."
Even though it was a cemetery that held mainly witches, it was the raw power of devastating deaths that had happened on the grounds itself that she was more consumed with. She knew this was a great place to bring her friend back, just as long as the local covens didn't interrupt or interfere.
Davina implied that they would be left alone tonight, only her and another warlock, Vincent, who was also the regent of all the covens to observe. Obviously not trusting the Mikaelsons, but not wanting to stop a fellow witch, even if it would help Klaus in the process.
The four of them found a large enough space to draw a salt circle and pentagram that would hold both Caroline and Klaus inside. Candles had been placed around the circle on the floor and scattered on tombs ready for her to light when everyone was gathered.
Just as she opened the box she brought down with her to get her grimoire out to check over the spell the Mikaelsons found them. Klaus cradled Caroline in his arms. Bonnie hadn't noticed the sun had set, the cemetery encased in darkness, as she had been too busy focusing on preparations.
She gestured now to Klaus, steering him and Caroline into the circle and she told him to lay beside her. Stepping into the circle, she walked over to Caroline's body first, moving one of the hands placed over her chest and bringing it down to the floor, close to Klaus. Bonnie then took Klaus' hand and placed it next to Caroline's.
The Bennett witch took out the blade from her witch's chest and explained to Klaus that she would have to cut Caroline's palm, then his, to join them as one. That if the spell was working, his blood would be drawn into Caroline, leaving him dessicated and that Caroline would be brought back. Explaining the last detail would be the consequence. If Caroline didn't feed Klaus the blood that ran through her veins, then her spirit would wither away. If she did feed him her blood in return, the ritual would be complete and she would be bound to the hybrid.
Stepping back outside, Bonnie lit the remaining candles around the circle, the ones on the tombstones already lit.
She took a deep breath and started to chant lowly, absorbing the power around her more and more the louder she got.
Spiritus venti,
Spiritus sub pedibus nostris,
Spiritus animari!
Caroline's body was slowly obtaining its pinky colour, Klaus' turning grey in turn. The spell was working, taking its time, and Bonnie started to feel the power wear out. Her hand stretched in front of her, palms up and shaking under the strain of the spell. She knew the two bystanders wouldn't help her out, but a hand being placed inside hers firmly drew her attention up to hazel eyes.
"Channel me, darling." Kol prompted as she stood there staring at him.
With new vigor and added power, she continued to chant.
Spiritus venti,
Spiritus sub pedibus nostris,
Spiritus animari!
With a startled gasp followed by a strangled scream, Caroline was brought back to life.
She woke up screaming, eyes scrunched closed, clawing at her own skin before she could vaguely hear chanting. Hear the crackling of fire, felt its heat around her. Sense his presence next to her. Taking a few calming breaths, Caroline opened her eyes to a strange and terrifying sight. Klaus was dead, or as dead as the original hybrid could be. He had no blood, marks or holes in his chest after a quick glance over, but it seemed he was desiccated.
Instinctively, she pulled her wrist towards her mouth and tore into her pale flesh. She shuffled the small distance to his body and pushed her bloody wound into his mouth, feeling his tongue respond to her taste. His grey skin turned pink as his veins filled anew with her blood.
The top half of her body collapsed over his body, her hair covering her face from prying eyes as she tried to tame her inner turmoil. She had no idea where she was. No idea what had happened to Klaus. All she could manage right now was to feel his tongue against her torn flesh, pulling mouthfuls of blood until he was satisfied.
His trembling hand brushed through her blonde waves, parting them so he could touch her skin, see her eyes.
"It worked. You're alive," she heard him whisper in awe, drawing her eyes to his in shock.
What did he mean by alive? She thought. When did I die?
No sooner had the thought rushed into her mind when she remembered what had happened.
The gang had finally defeated Kai, a little setback with Elena being in a magical coma, but she had every confidence that the Salvatores and Bonnie would defeat the odds, as usual, and find the loophole to nature's balance.
They thought that they could concentrate on the spell, but the very next day, Mama Salvatore decided to wage war on Mystic Falls with her band of Heretics.
The town square was littered in dead bodies, blood staining the concrete under the victims she had grown up with. Had welcomed to the community. Had waved hello to in many of the town events.
She wasn't too concerned with all the Salvatore family drama, she was heart broken for her childhood town and she wanted the heretics gone, dead or alive, she did not mind at all.
That's what led Caroline to side with Damon, of all people, to help kill his mother, but like all plans the elder Salvatore concocted, it all went down hill.
Fast.
An unexpected stake to the heart and Caroline had watched the life fade away from her and descended into the cold.
The fiery heat that she first awoke to had faded at some point, and Caroline knew there were others around her. But all she knew, all she wanted, all she needed was to be wrapped up in Klaus.
She brought her face closer to his, and his lips met hers as she tried to convey how sorry she was. Sorry she was terrified. Sorry she hadn't come to him sooner. Sorry she'd died. Thankful he had somehow brought her back. Thankful that they could have that opportunity of being each other's last loves.
Caroline didn't realise she had started to cry until his thumb wiped away a tear that escaped. They had stopped kissing and she leant her forehead against his, still determined not to leave his warmth for fear she'd return to the piercing, cold, dark otherworld she'd ended up in, now that the Other Side was gone.