Prompt: CAROLINE GOES TO COLLEGE SOMEWHERE ELSE
"You're really doing this, huh?"
Caroline looked up from the box she was trying to tape shut over the books bulging out. Elena was leaning in her doorway, glancing at all the clothes and mementos already packed and ready to go. "Yep," the blonde answered, trying not to crack. "As amazing as it would be to go to Whitmore and stick around here, it doesn't feel right without Bonnie and Tyler."
"But I'm still going," Elena said, tears welling in her eyes.
"I know," Caroline said, nodding. "But maybe this is the world telling me to let go of home, at least a little bit. It's time for my own adventure."
Elena looked lost for words, and Caroline quickly wrapped her in a hug. "Thanksgiving will be here before you know it," she whispered. "And I'll be sending so many pictures about my fabulous New York lifestyle that you'll be sick of me by then."
Laughing weakly, Elena pulled away and picked up a box. "I guess that's fair, then."
It took them two trips, but they finally managed to get everything in the U-Haul Liz had rented to drive Caroline up to school. She had been hesitant to let her baby girl go so far, but Caroline deserved a chance to become so much more than this town. And as a vampire, well, at least she would be more than able to take care of herself.
Turning to Elena, Caroline worried her lip. "You'll call if you need me," she asked. The inevitable supernatural drama had already claimed too many of her friends, and leaving the few remaining felt like the worst abandonment.
"Only if you do the same," Elena answered with a final hug. "Have fun, and be safe."
"You, too," Caroline sighed. She took a deep breath and shut the trailer. They were ready to go. "Start it up, Mom! We're going to New York!"
She hated to realize it, but Caroline was getting really good at being alone. Sure, she made friends with the people in her dorm and classes; her teachers both loved and hated her tenacity and thorough work ethic. She even found a part-time job organizing some old lawyer's outdated file system.
But she didn't have people.
Elena called every once in a while. Stefan visited after his whole Silas and memory loss debacle, which had Caroline fuming since no one decided to make her aware of anything. Liz made a point to send care packages, candy and fuzzy socks for when her little girl needed some comfort.
Caroline hated that it wasn't enough to replace them being around all the time.
It had nothing to do with New York at all; the city vibrated with energy that called to Caroline's every cell. If she had dared to put a name to her anxiety, she might have had to choose "humanity."
Caroline Forbes was a vampire. Sublimating her hunger for blood was one thing; denying her actual self was quite another.
After a psychology class during freshman year taught her exactly that, she decided to find herself a new supernatural support system like the one haphazardly created back in Mystic Falls. Surprised she had yet to meet any other vampires in such a big city, Caroline had no idea how to go about finding a friendly one. Her cell phone might have burned in her pocket, considering the potential that came from dialing just one particular number. After all, the Original Hybrid was sure to have acquaintances all over the world.
But no, Caroline wasn't ready to reach out to him yet. She held no illusions he let her move up to New York by herself without putting some informants in place; he was a much worse control freak than her. Still, she didn't want to use him in her search for friends when he would have been more than happy to fill that void in her life.
More concerning, she couldn't know if his name would help or hurt her when meeting a new vamp.
Thinking back to the vampires she did know, Caroline tried to remember how she met them. Of course, most of them were just loitering around town in hopes of kidnapping Elena. Without a doppelganger handy, though, Caroline went with her next best option: publicly feeding at a seedy bar to see who reacted and how. Just saying the name Katherine Pierce might be enough to intrigue anyone who might kill her, but she hoped it never came to that.
Leave it to Caroline Forbes to catch the attention of New York City's most powerful vampire. Was it the perfume she wore? Seriously, the whole thing was a bit much. After feeding on a douchebag who drugged his own girlfriend's drink, Caroline was approached by a pretty vampire named Irina.
"Your technique leaves much to be improved," she noted, her refined Spanish accent making her seem like a foreign princess deigning to spend time among the common folk. "Despite his horrid behavior, you could be smoother on the removal."
"Removal," Caroline asked archly, not liking the reminder she was very much a baby vampire.
"Of your fangs, darling," Irina whispered in her ear. "You must be new."
"To the city," Caroline answered honestly. Even months in New York hadn't taught her everything about the place. "I've been removing fangs for a while, though."
Irina shrugged, laughing heartily. "Not from human necks, I'd assume," she said. "Tell me, Caroline. Would you like to learn more?"
Well, she had asked for people.
It turned out that Irina really worked for the arbiter of vampire life in New York City. Rather than establishing a kingdom like some people she could mention, Caroline appreciated that Andrew Solomon preferred to consider their vampire community more a civilized society than a rigid caste system. He encouraged mentorships like the one Irina proposed, and Caroline felt like a part of their group.
Once a cheerleader, always a cheerleader, she supposed.
Though she easily kept in touch with the Mystic Falls gang, Caroline also felt above the fray. She had her own goings on in New York with Andrew and Irina, and she took pride in being someone they could rely on. Caroline never even considered leaving the city upon graduation, and she soon folded into the family full-time.
Andrew often used her scheduling prowess to organize major events and his daily business. As arbiter, he was responsible for settling disputes among the vampires. The position required focus and solemnity, which is probably why he appreciated having Caroline around. Her light demeanor was enough to brighten the day, but she could turn on a moment and cower even the eldest vampires with a withering glare. Her pure emotion brought a welcome change to dreary administrative duties.
He was so impressed with her, and Andrew would never let an opportunity pass without mentioning it to everyone who might not have noticed. Irina had enjoyed the perks that came with discovering such a talent, but those perks soon paled in comparison to the preferential treatment Caroline received.
She watched as the blonde bounced into the lavish party being held for Andrew's birthday, and the attention showered upon her aggravated Irina to no end. Mouth pinched, she reached for her cell phone. She could hardly complain about New York's golden girl inside the city, so Irina sought comfort in her friends abroad.
"Marcel," she spat once the call connected. "You would not believe the amount of praise a silly cake selection has received here…"
Marcel chuckled as he hung up with Irina. Pouring a couple of drinks, he waited for his sire to arrive for a status update on the city.
"What's so funny?"
Smiling, Marcel swallowed another laugh. "Think of the devil, and he shall appear," he joked. "No, I just got off the phone with a friend up in New York. Andrew has a new favorite vamp, and Irina is not pleased."
"Ah," Klaus replied. Petty politics never seemed far from the high school antics he encountered back in Mystic Falls all those years ago. Shaking his head clear before he could wander too far in those memories, Klaus happily accepted the glass of scotch. "I hadn't realized Andrew was still of the living," he said, thinking back to the man he had met centuries earlier. "Surely someone would have killed him out of sheer boredom by now."
"A big place like New York needs the consistency," Marcel answered. "Plus, this new girl's apparently a big draw. They haven't had such an active community in ages, and it's not even about the blood like it is here."
Klaus raised an intrigued eyebrow. He didn't like that New York was getting a better reputation than New Orleans. And, if a certain blonde he happened to know was still in residence allowed him the indulgence of her company, then all the more reason to visit. "Perhaps it's time we paid a little attention to diplomacy, Marcel," he said with a smug smirk. "Get me on the first flight to New York."
He checked in with the vampire he had in New York, reporting on Caroline's status and safety throughout the years. Marie gave over the address she had on the feisty blonde, only for Klaus to compel the memory of all she had told him since Caroline moved. Strategically, meeting with Andrew ought to have been his first priority.
But Caroline Forbes was so close and his decision was made; Klaus hailed a taxi to take right to her.
He could imagine Marcel's laughter at realizing Caroline and Andrew's addresses were one and the same. Ill thoughts filled his head as his hands clenched into fists, but the doors opened for him automatically. He was greeted politely by a receptionist, Andrew's annoying preference to treat supernatural business like any other.
"Mr. Solomon will be down shortly," the receptionist said, leaving a glass of blood on the table in front of Klaus. "Please let me know if there's anything else I can do for you."
Klaus could see the all but healed cut on her wrist, and he was thoroughly tempted in his agitation to reopen her wound and drink freely.
"If you kill my receptionist, I'll have to kill you," a familiar voice threatened from his blind spot.
Turning, Klaus took in his first real sight of Caroline Forbes in over five years. Her hair was shorter and her clothes more sophisticated, but she was still the same stubborn girl with crossed arms and a cocked hip.
Some vampires milling about instantly froze at her presumptuous comment, but Klaus just smiled. "I'm sure you took great pains in training her to your needs," he answered, smugly revealing he still knew plenty about her character.
"Months, Klaus," she jokingly groaned, stepping closer. "Please don't ruin this visit by making me break in new staff."
Standing, Klaus brushed a loose curl back behind her ear. "Does that mean you're happy to see me, love?"
Caroline bit her lip, swaying forward. As though making up her mind, she laid a swift kiss on his cheek. "I'm happy," she answered instead, leaning back as Andrew walked in.
"Klaus Mikaelson," he greeted stoically. He didn't seem surprised by the intimate moment he just broke up, meaning Caroline must have warned him about her history with the Original Hybrid. "Welcome back to New York."
"Yes, I was surprised to see you on the schedule," Caroline said, raising her eyebrows. "New Orleans not enough to keep you busy?"
Smirking, Klaus kept his focus on Caroline. "Friendly relations among supernatural communities can be important, sweetheart," he said. "Or is Andrew not fulfilling your needs as a vampire mentor?"
He had expected her to flash her fangs in retort, but Caroline just rolled her eyes. "You boys are so territorial," she muttered before taking Klaus's hand. "I'll bring him around tomorrow, Andrew," she called, dragging the hybrid out of the building with her. He should object to the manhandling, but he had more than accepted long ago that he would follow Caroline Forbes wherever she wanted.
"Answer me honestly," she demanded as they stopped on the busy street. "Are you here to bully Andrew and the rest of New York?"
"That depends," Klaus mulled, rubbing his chin playfully. "Are you the favorite vampire making New York such a bustling hub of supernatural activity?"
Rolling her eyes again, he could tell she was barely restraining from yelling duh. "I like it here, Klaus," she said, reigning in her temper. "If you're only going to ruin everything again, please don't."
Klaus narrowed his eyes at the accusation. "I did not ruin everything in Mystic Falls," he maintained.
"Just Elena's life and anyone who dared to protect it," she countered stubbornly.
Holding his hands up peacefully, Klaus nodded. "Fair enough," he said. "I merely wanted to see if Andrew's rise in popularity would be a threat to New Orleans, and I should have realized it was only due to your presence."
"That's it," Caroline asked warningly. "No other, nefarious ulterior motives?"
"And to see you," he added, playing with the curl that came loose yet again. "It appears if I succeed in luring you to New Orleans, all my problems would be solved."
Sighing, Caroline leaned into his slight touch along her ear. "Like I said, I like it here," she replied honestly.
Resigned, Klaus was ready to take a step back, until Caroline spoke again.
"But," she said warily, "if the need for diplomacy really is dire, a visit wouldn't be out of the question."
He could see the triumph in her eyes at the shock plain on his face. Moving his thumb from her hair to graze her cheek, his own cheeks dimpled in a small grin. "Tomorrow," he asked in a hopeful whisper, leaning closer.
Caroline let him close the distance between them, stroking his nose with hers when he was close enough. Breathing him in, she finally kissed him full on the lips. They lingered for a long moment, taking in their first real kiss. When he pulled back, she only leaned her forehead against his. "Let me show you New York, first," she offered. "Explain why I'm not ready to leave yet."
Yet.
To Klaus, that was practically an oath signed in blood. She would be ready for him and New Orleans, just not yet. But someday, eventually, she would be ready to take that chance he had teased her with years earlier.
Smiling, Klaus nodded against her forehead. "You have a deal, love," he answered.
After all, he'd follow her anywhere.