Chapter 20
A/N : Hi! Sorry for the late update due to the lack of inspiration. But I update two chapters this time. Hope you still like this story. ;) By the way, I will be super busy the month for settling my first job, I might have no time to update soon.
Elijah had observed in shadow to get more information about the current situation, he figured out that Marcellus had gifted a few vampires daylight rings as his inner circle. Most of the vampires didn't have daylight rings, and they fed only on tourists at night. Witches are afraid of vampires which is quite odd. He could tell that the witches' power was weakening but not too weak to perform magic. He gained the information from a witch that Marcellus would always know when they use magic, once he knew, he would kill them in public. So that they didn't dare to risk their lives against his rule.
Honestly, he's impressed by Marcellus' power over the witches and werewolves, even when the time they ruled New Orleans, witches and werewolves were also big problems for them.
"Elijah Mikaelson!" The deep voice called Elijah's name from behind. Elijah turned around, seeing Marcellus came along with his vampire follower.
"Where's Klaus? I thought you two are inseparable." Marcel smirked cockily.
"Marcellus," Elijah answered calmly, "its bee a long time." not knowing Marcel's intention, Elijah kept his answer simple.
Then he saw two of his vampire minions marching toward him with a woman. The woman tried to struggle free from them, "Jane-Ann Deveraux, you practiced magic without my permission, thus you should be punished." Marcellus waved his hand in the air, sentencing her death.
The blood running out from her neck like a waterfall, Jane-Ann covered the wound with her hands but it didn't work, she just kept bleeding. she knelt down in pain with her face became paler and paler. Finally, she left her last breath. Elijah stood still watching the show going on, he didn't care who the witch was or why would Marcellus kill her, he knew that it's just a show. Marcellus was here to show off his power over the city. Little confused him that why the witches in New Orleans are so weak? She didn't even try to fight for her life.
Elijah smirked coldly, after knowing his intention, 'he just like Niklaus' he thought. "I see you run the city well."
Marcel remained his cocky smile, "Of course. It's my city." he emphasized the word 'my'.
Elijah didn't buy his little tricks. He's an original, he couldn't be killed. Maybe Marcellus has run the city well for decades, but now the real founders of this city are coming back. He gave Marcellus one last glance then disappeared with his vamp speed. The other minions of Marcel's shocked by Elijah's speed. They're still young, the oldest one is still one hundred younger than Marcel, to their knowledge, Marcel is the oldest one among them, but this vampire is stronger than Marcel. Some of them didn't know Elijah or the Originals, they just felt the fear from their instinct.
/
"Can you stop? " Hayley hissed in annoyance. Seeing Sophie pacing back and forth repeatedly made her dizzy.
"Shut up!" Sophie yelled back, she knew her sister had been killed by Marcel as their plan. She felt sorrow and panic. They had sacrificed so much for their big plan, but Jane-Ann was her sister!
"What are you going to do?" Hayley arched her brows, knowing they had cast some creepy spell on her to control her, she couldn't run away. They're in the same boat now. And it felt suck. Really suck. She didn't like them at all. First, they didn't even tell her what's going on now; secondly, they bided her and Sophie together which means Sophie could hurt her or her child by hurting herself.
"I heard there's an original in New Orleans." Sophie turned to Hayley with a vicious smirk. "We can use him to get Klaus," she said.
"What in earth do you think he would believe you?" Hayley retorted with a sneer.
Sophie didn't burst out anger, instead, she smirked which sent the shiver down to Hayley's spine, "That's your job to make him believe."
/
"Do you find anything useful?" A tall athletic brunette with long wavy hair asked.
"No." Answered by another muscular man with dark brown hair. After searching for hours around this area at the Bayou they didn't find anything that could use as another lead to track down whom they were hunting.
The woman groaned in annoyance, "Where does that bitch hide?" Not even bothering to cover her hatred.
"We have a more important thing to deal with, " the man walked out from the abandoned house, "Anastasia found our princess..." the woman's face lightened as she heard t what did the man said, "but from what she told me, she's a vampire now." the man finished his sentence with a frown.
The woman's mouth opened in a big 'O' shape by the shocking news. "What?" she yelled. "Why?" then she asked with high pitch tone.
"I don't know. They've been stuck in Mystic Fall for her adopted mother's funeral." The man took out his phone texting while explaining to the woman.
The woman pouted. "Jackson!" she called, "When can we meet her?"
The man furrowed his brows, thinking their next step, "I don't know. I'll inform you when the time comes." there walked away leaving the woman behind. The woman rolled her eyes at his behavior and took out her phone to text.
The day was coming faster than Caroline's expect. It was her mother's funeral. She didn't remember how she went through it. She locked herself in her bedroom, not sensing the time passed by until Anastasia knocked on the door and told her tomorrow was the date.
The tugged her Teddy bear tighter, it was her first birthday gift after her father and her mother's divorce. At that time, she was frightened, knowing that her father was leaving her and mother for another man, her happy family was broken. Her mom gave her the bear, telling her that it would accompany her through the darkness. Since then, she held the Teddy bear every night when she's sleep.
But this time, the darkness seemed to be forever.
She caressed the bear, finding there's something odd. It was a small nick on the bottom of the bear. She dug with her finger, it was filled with cotton, of course, then she found something. She carefully picked it out with two fingers. It was a paper. She unfolded, figuring out it was a letter actually.
A letter from her mother.
She felt her hear lost a beat when she read the first line of the letter.
My dearest sweet angel,
The time finally comes when I saw Evangeline entered my office. I know I may be a dutiful sheriff, but I'm not a devoted mother. I've buried myself in work since my divorce with Bill. It was not your fault but mine.
I've been absent in many important moments of your life, and I will not be missing any one of it.
I know you're so different at the moment when I lay my first sight on you. And the truth is, you are.
You're bright, loyal and kind. Your smile can melt any cold hearts. Your strong will can always prove people who wrong you.
You are strong and faithful like your father; beautiful and loving like your mother. Although I'm not your biological mother, I'm still so proud that I have you as my adopted daughter.
I'm sorry I didn't tell you the truth earlier because I was afraid that you would not forgive me. You didn't belong to this small town, you belong to a bigger world. A world full of surprises and adventure.
You have more families than you think. Evangeline is your aunt, sister of your mother. When she gave you to me and asked me to protect you, I promised her that I will, I will protect you with my life.
But I failed you. The day when I found out you became a vampire, I felt guilty and shame that I didn't be there for you. I didn't hate you for being a vampire, I just felt ashamed to face my fault.
I love you.
I knew that I do at the moment you came into my life. I know you're immortal and I only have few decades left. But I want you to know I will love you no matter what you are and I will love you forever.
You are not alone. You have your families and me. I am your mother if you want me.
Please forgive me for hiding the truth from you. No matter what, I will always love you and this house will always be your home.
Liz
Caroline couldn't stop crying after she finished the letter. She tried so hard to make her mom notice her, she really tried. She thought her mother hate her because she's a vampire, or because it's her fault that led to her divorce.
But now, she knew. For most of her life was a lie. Liz wasn't her real mother, and who is? Is that why she didn't like her for all time? Or did she ever love her? Why did she keep this from her for so long?
All the doubts kept hovering in her head. She didn't know whom she could turn to. Wait! Evangeline? Is she her aunt? And why wouldn't she tell her she's her aunt?
A knock broke her train of thoughts, "Come in." she raised her voice.
"Hey... " Anastasia spoke shyly as she opened the door. "Do you feel better?" she asked cautiously.
Caroline didn't answer, her face was unreadable. She opened her mouth, uttered some noise that didn't sound like a word. Her mind was totally blank, how does she feel now? Honestly, she wanted to know the answer. "Yup. I guess." she finally uttered a vague answer. She folded letter back carefully. She signed inwardly, she can't handle this right now.
She just can't.
"Okay... I will be downstairs, call me if you need any help." Anastasia added before she closed the door.
Caroline lay back to her bed, shutting her eyes tightly.
"I fancy you. Is that so hard to believe?"
"Yes."
"Why? You're beautiful, strong and full of light. I enjoy you."
"But I'll let you in on a little secret; there's a whole world out there waiting for you. Great cities, and art, and music. Genuine beauty. And you could have all of it. You could have a thousand more birthdays, all you have to do is ask."
"I never really been anywhere."
"I'll take you; Rome. Paris. Tokyo?"
Memories flashed through her mind. She remembered her birthday, she thought she's going to die and Klaus just came to her room to save her. He sat on the edge of her bed, leaning so close to her and telling her these words. She was so desperate at that moment, but he made her feel the hope. For the first she really eager to discover the world after she became a vampire. Mystic Fall, the town she thought it was so-called hometown seemed so unfamiliar to her now. She didn't know where she originally came from, who her parents were and why the hell her family sent her away. All the past seventeen years living in this small town seemed to be a joke, a cruel joke.
"What are you doing here?" She said without any emotion. Like a simple state.
Klaus swirled her golden curl on the pillow playfully. "To elope with Juliet I guess." he joked, arching his eyebrows amused.
Caroline didn't retort like she usually did, she just kept silent and staring at the ceiling.
Klaus sensed it didn't fit her usual characteristic reaction, there's something wrong. "What's wrong love?" he asked, sitting on the edge of her bed like he owned everything here.
There are moments of awkward silence. Klaus played hair, waiting for Caroline to tell him patiently. And she let him.
"What if... One day you found out most of your past life was a lie?" Caroline turned over to face him, looked straight into his eyes. She didn't know why she even asks for his advice.
Her question caught Klaus off guard. He noticed there's a paper lying beside her pillow. He calculated all the possible reason why she asked that question in mind, soon he figured out the answer. "What did you know?" he asked softly, stopped swirling her hair.
Caroline frowned at his question, "What do you mean what did I know?" she sat up to confront him. She studied his face to find some clue. Klaus cupped her cheek with his big warm hand out of sudden caught her off guard and broke her train of thoughts.
"Caroline... " Klaus licked his bottom lip, "I know what you're going through..." he paused, feeling a little bit nervous. The all mighty big bad hybrid felt nervous in front if this blonde baby vampire. This is how Caroline Forbes has power over him.
Caroline widened her eyes in surprise, "Oh my God! You know..." she whispered in disbelieve. "Why you know this before me?" she huffed. She knew Klaus knows that Liz wasn't her biological mother before her.
"Because I need to be sure they won't be a threat to you since they literally live with you." He explained slowly, giving her enough time to absorb the news.
"They? Who?" Caroline frowned.
Klaus signed, "Evangeline, the witch living downstairs with you."
Caroline shoved his hand off, "What! She told you before she told me first?" she hissed. Feeling betrayed again. "Why do you even care?" she just almost screamed at his face.
"I told you I care about you!" Klaus also raised his voice, the feeling of being rejected made his stomach twisted.
Caroline froze when she heard Klaus. Seeing the sincerity in his eyes, her rationality just snapped, all the mixed feeling for him erupted. She didn't want to hold back anymore. She felt the urge to kiss him, to bruised him with her lips. She leaned toward Klaus, attacked him with her rosy lips without thinking.
Klaus was taken aback by her, but he kissed back immediately and took over the control. One of his hand cupped her cheek, and the other hand traveled down to her waist drawing patterns on her bare skin under her nightgown with his fingertips. Caroline tangled her arms around his neck, pulling him closer to her, brushing his sandy gold hair with her fingers and opened her mouth to let Klaus get the better access. The air heated; tongues tangled together. She can smell his woody scent, and she wanted more. She wanted to forget everything for a second, to escape the mess and hurt.
And she wanted him.
"Caroline..." Klaus stopped and pulled her away, "you don't want this." if he didn't stop now, he couldn't promise he would be able to stop for what he's going to do.
Caroline pouted, "No. I want this." she tried to co continued but Klaus stopped her. She frowned. Did he just reject her?
"Caroline you don't think clearly." Klaus' voice was husky and low. "You're hurt now. I don't want to take advantage of you." he stroked her cheek with her thumb softly.
Caroline looked into his eyes; tears building up in her eyes. It was so wrong but it felt so right. Of all people in the world, she found he's the only who really knows her, she could relate to. He was supposed to be the massive murderer and big bad wolf who always get what he wants by any means including killing innocent people. He was supposed to be pure evil. But she saw the other side of him, maybe just only for her. He made her feel special, wanted and deserved.
"I'm leaving Mystic Fall ..." Klaus gazed at her, taking her every tiny reaction into his eyes, "Join me to New Orleans Caroline." he invited her sincerely.
Caroline felt a bolt from the blue, was he leaving her too? The first thought came to her mind was that she didn't want Klaus to leave. When she heard Klaus invite her to New Orleans, she chickens out. She opened her mouth, wanting to utter some words but failed. She saw the pain in Klaus' eyes; realizing that he might take her silence as a rejection. But it was not. She just couldn't decide yet. At least not now. Her mind was totally a mess.
"I..." She struggled to say something but was cut off by Klaus.
"I know you're not ready." Klaus removed his hand from her. And Caroline felt the loss of his warm. "Maybe one day or century you would join me. Let me show you the world." he stood up and ready to leave.
Caroline felt the urge to stop him, wanting him to stay. But she can't. It would be so selfish to keep him hanging around. She used his feeling for her to against himself for her friends; turning him down multiple times, and now he's about to move on. Maybe he's going to have a new life in New Orleans; maybe meeting a new girl there. She would be left behind. She will be alone again. Nobody would love her. Like it always to be.
Tears finally dropped down alone her cheeks after Klaus left. She felt so cold. Vampires won't feel cold, will they? Then why she felt like she was soaked in icy water.
Why everyone left her? No one would ever stay by her side.
/
The weather was cloudy but cozy. Caroline put on her makeup to cover her swollen eyes. It was her mother's funeral. Now she's alone in the church, checking if everything is in the right place. Today, most of the town would come since Liz was the sheriff, she wore her Mystic Fall smile for the most of the time during the preparing. She didn't want to be seen as a weak, vulnerable teenager. Because she's not weak.
"I will take care of myself. " Caroline stood beside Liz's casket, Liz was in her sheriff uniform with her badge. She looked so peaceful. "I love you." she had sworn she would not cry again. She would stay strong.
The ceremony went smoothly. Liz's colleague came, sending their condolence and sympathy. When Evangeline gave the eulogy, she's sitting beside Matt, Stefan, Bonnie, and even Damon. Elena didn't show up, she didn't sure if she wanted her to show up at Liz's funeral. She didn't catch up on them since Liz's death. For the first time in her life, she didn't care about what other people think.
"Elizabeth Forbes, a dutiful sheriff, a loyal friend and most of all an excellent mother. She's an amazing woman who shone others with her bright attitudes, she's also a tough cookie who kept people safe from criminals." Caroline watched Evangeline gave her eulogy on stage. All her colleague shed a tear when they heard it.
"Of course, she's a dutiful sheriff because she devoted herself to her work." She thought. She didn't blame her for that.
"She raised a beautiful angel well. She will spread her wings and explore the world with all the sweet memories in her heart. Liz will always in our memories, in our heart. She just free from the limit of time. All her kindness, sweetness, loyalty will be well-preserved within our living."
"We have to adjust your perception of time when you become a vampire. Celebrate the fact that you no longer bound by trivial human conventions. You're free." Strangely, Caroline remembered the night on her birthday when she thought she's dying. Klaus told her that she was no longer bound to the time and she could have more a thousand birthdays. She died once and then she became a vampire. If she didn't have Damon's blood in her system when Katherine suffocated her, she would literally die. Like forever gone. But now, she was immortal. Watching her beloved ones died one by one, it's killing her inside. It's so lonely and painful to be immortal. Now she learned it.
"No wonder Klaus doesn't want to connect with people because they would leave him eventually." She wondered mentally.
"She will be proud of her little angel grown into an amazing woman. Child, You are not alone. You have more family than you think. We will be there for you. You will learn it one day, death won't separate the connection of love. She will rest in peace and you will be loved and protected."
The word 'child' stroke her, with her motherly tone and words warmed her. Oh! Wait, she's her aunt, that means she has a cousin. Although they didn't reveal the truth to her yet, somehow she knew that she could trust them. Maybe that's what she needed now. Someone she could rely on.
She also noticed Klaus and Rebekah attended as well. They stayed in the back of the crowd. It did surprise her, she thought Klaus had already left Mystic Fall; also she and Rebekah weren't actually friends or anything like that, yet they still came. Caroline broke her train of thoughts when Matt squeezed her hand gently.
"Are you Okay?" Matt asked with a concerned look.
"Yah." she lied. "I'm just tired." another lie. She knew Matt is the most caring friend, that's why she didn't want to worry him.
After Evangeline gave her eulogy, they had a break before they moved on to the last part. She felt suffocating, needing some fresh air she went out to the garden.
"Hiding here sobbing and weeping?" A female came from behind.
Caroline turned around, already knowing who exactly she is, "Elena. Why are you here?" From the way she talked and acted, she knew that Elena hadn't switched her emotion back. Then why would she come here?
"Gloating over your misery?" Elena smirked sarcastically, folding her arms over chest.
Caroline's face hardened, it's not the best time to confront Elena, not until she turned her switch on. "You should leave," she stated firmly in low voice.
"I thought I just do Liz a favor, " Elena shrugged carelessly, "since you're so clingy and needy. Always wanting to be noticed and attention." her lips curved into an irony smirk. Caroline felt the rage fuming inside, but she didn't want to ruin this important moment because of her. The Salvatores and Mikaelsons heard the uproar and gathered in the garden with their vamp hearing.
"I thought you locked the cellar." Stefan frowned, looking at Damon.
Damon rolled his eyes, "I did!" he retorted. "Elena you should go," he said, grabbing her by the forearm.
Elena shoved him off, "Oh, see your little boyfriend is coming to rescue you." she taunted, eyeing between Klaus and Caroline. Caroline huffed in annoyance. "You're not on your right state of mind. You should leave now." she took a deep breath, trying hard to tame her anger.
"No. It's you not on your right state of mind." Elena fired back with Caroline's words, "I'm perfectly fine with myself now. Oh! And FYI, Liz tasted nice. Her blood was sweet, it's been a long time since I fed on a human. Maybe you should try sometime, you look so uptight." she taunted cruelly.
The rationality just snapped, Caroline was overwhelmed by the rage. Her eyes reddened, dark veins crawling beneath her eyes. She pinned Elena against the tree, Elena struggled free then punched Caroline in her stomach.
"She has the fire," Rebekah commented; standing beside watching Elena and Caroline fighting each other. Klaus rolled his eyes at his sister's comment. He didn't step into their fight because he had faith in Caroline, and she needed to vent her feelings.
"See! You can't even fight me. You're so weak and pathetic." Elena was about to attack again but stopped by Damon, "It's enough! Stop this Elena." he shouted. No one would want this happened, especially not on Liz's funeral.
Elena's words did not go unnoticed by Caroline. She wanted to fight and win. All of sudden, she felt something wrong inside her. A strange feeling bursting inside her chest. Suddenly, she knelt down and groaning in pain.
Klaus rushed to her; kneeling down to her level, observing her carefully. He saw the color of Caroline's eyes kept changing, from bloody red to amber then to ocean blue.
"Call Evangeline!" Klaus yelled at his sister, Rebekah knew it's something wrong and emergent.
She disappeared within a blink, following Klaus' order to get the witch here to check on Caroline.
"Caroline, look at me!" Klaus held Caroline by her shoulder, "Breath!" he tried to calm her down, he guessed it might be something about her wolf gene. He heard the bones started cracking, blood running down from her nose. Caroline clutched the edge of his shirt, looked so panic and terrified. She didn't know what's wrong with her, honestly, he didn't know either. The color of her eyes is still changing between amber and ocean blue in a trice. Like there's two different power played tug of war inside her body. By the symptoms, it caused the damage to her body.
Caroline whimpered, the pain was insufferable. She wanted it to stop. Then she smelled blood, where did that come from? She furrowed her brows, finally figuring out it came from herself. Panicked and terrified, that's all she going through now.
"Love, look at me." Klaus cupped her face with his hands; looking into her eyes, "You will take a deep rest and have a nice dream. You won't awake until I tell you so." he compelled her to sleep, he needed to take action before it 's too late. By the speed of her bones crack, she would transform into a wolf soon, and he didn't know why her nose is bleeding. By his instinct, it's not a good symptom so he needed to make her sleep. Compelling her is the last thing he would ever want to do to Caroline. But the reality left he no choice. Caroline slumped against Klaus' chest, being unconscious.
"What's going on now?" Rebekah came back with Evangeline and Anastasia following behind her with a concerned look.
"I compelled her to sleep. She's starting to transform." Klaus tugged Caroline's lost strand of blonde hair behind her ear tenderly. Rebekah was a little amazed by her brother's gentle gesture. She has stayed by his side for hundred years, she never saw her brother being so smitten by a woman. Not even Tatia, the original doppelganger he liked once when they were human.
A deep frown craved on Evangeline's forehead. "The spell is wearing off. We need to take actions," she signed.
"We should take her to New Orleans with us!" Anastasia cut her mother off, Evangeline agreed, cause they were lack of herbs. Klaus furrowed his brows, of course, he wanted Caroline came to New Orleans with him willingly. He knew Caroline well, she won't be too happy when she found out she's in New Orleans against her will. But he needed to do it, do her best interest.
"How's Caroline?" Stefan rushed to their side. Damon snapped Elena's neck and took her to the boarding house, he stayed here to clean up the mess. Most of all, he's worry about his friend. He saw something wrong with Caroline.
"Mind your own business and go back to your little doppelganger." Klaus spat, picking up Caroline in bridal style.
Rebekah raised her brows amused. It's not unusual to see the protective side of her brother, especially outside the family. The list of people that Klaus genuinely care are very few, only his family to be exactly. "She must be very special to Nik." she thought inwardly. "Maybe she could make his cold heart beats again." Yes, she cares about her brother, Nik especially. She knew what Nik had been through, she didn't blame him for the cold-blooded manner and great wall inside her heart. There are still moments that she hates him as well when he killed her lovers repeatedly. She guessed maybe it's a love-hatred relationship since they had grown up in a dysfunctional family. But she's happy to see her brother finding his love, she really feels happy for him.
"I would stay out of his path if I were you," Rebekah said from behind, crossing her arms over her chest, "We will take care of Caroline." said before she left. Stefan watched them walked away, he's worried about Caroline not that he thought Klaus would hurt her because he knew Klaus cares about her, but because of Caroline's physical condition. Maybe he should trust Klaus for Caroline's life.