Ok, so. Friendly reminder that my Silas and the S5 Silas have no affiliation to each other besides the way they speak and look. All motivations, abilities and weaknesses are limited to those described in S4 and what I add in this story. The reason being that I came up with the entire concept for this pre-S5 so it was just better for me to stick with that :) I hope no confusion arises from this and if it does, feel free to ask me questions.
Previously On: Caroline was tormented and nearly killed by Jesse at the Centenary Gala but was saved by the Original siblings. Jesse tortured Elena in a method that nearly killed her before Klaus killed him. 'Stefan' showed up at the Mikaelson mansion right before Klaus and Caroline were about to leave for a picnic trip and Caroline figured out that it was Silas.
Chapter 6: Sleepover
Klaus faltered, blinking.
It was all the confirmation she needed.
"Caroline," he started, but she shook her head vehemently.
She could feel everything crashing down around her.
Silas was alive. Like, alive alive. Not in the Salvatores' tomb but here, in this very house right now.
She needed to get out.
Caroline pushed past Klaus but he grabbed her wrist. "Caroline, let me explain."
"Explain what? Why you don't look surprised? Because you've been working with him?"
He recoiled, his grip slackening, and she snatched her arm away.
"Oh my god. You are," she barely managed to breathe out.
She left the room as fast as her weakening knees could take her.
This was too much.
She felt like she couldn't breathe; see. It was as if the only part of her brain still functioning clearly was the one putting pieces of the puzzle together. All Klaus' disappearances and strange behaviour and the massacre – it all fell into place.
Her chest constricted so painfully that she stopped, leaning onto the bannister as she desperately tried to pull air into her lungs.
Black spots crossed her vision and she closed her eyes, feeling Klaus touch her arms; pull her in to him.
Her body was trembling so violently that she was incapable of accepting or fighting the embrace.
Klaus ducked his head into her hair. "Caroline, I'm – I'm working… for him, not with him," Klaus admitted softly, sounding pained.
Her vision had cleared, meaning she could now see straight. And what she saw was Silas walking toward them with a smirk.
"Well that's encouraging to hear."
With all the strength she could muster Caroline pulled away from Klaus, stumbling down to the foot of the staircase.
In some part of her mind she acknowledged the front door being opened before her; recognised two familiar faces.
But she couldn't think any further, using the last of her energy to speed away.
Rebekah frowned at the blond blur that passed.
"What in the bloody hell…"
She stopped when she turned to see Stefan's doppelganger leaning onto the bannister with a smug expression.
"Oh my god. She knows?"
Her gaze skipped to where her brother stood, staring palely at the spot from where Caroline had fled.
"Nik, what happened?"
Her words seemed to break him from his trance and he looked up with a sneer.
"Why don't you ask him?"
With that he made to speed through the doorway too but she held out her arm, stopping him.
"I don't think that's the best idea at the moment."
He looked at her with so much contempt that for a second she felt a stab of fear in her chest.
"Let me go!" he growled.
Suddenly Matt spoke up. "Look, I'll go, ok? She needs someone… neutral."
Klaus glared at her boyfriend and Rebekah swallowed before nodding at Matt.
They shared a wordless understanding glance before he rounded the Originals and jogged out of the house, Klaus reluctantly watching the human go.
Thankfully - because Matt was pretty fast but still only had regular human speed on his side -– he saw that Caroline hadn't managed to get far.
She sat in the driver's seat of her car, folded over onto the steering wheel; shoulders shaking.
Matt took a second to pull himself together – figure out what to say – before going around to the passenger's side and climbing in beside her.
Caroline looked up in surprise then sighed in relief when she saw it was only Matt.
Still, she wanted to be alone.
"Matt, please. I need to go."
He put a hand on her back. "Care, you can't drive right now, not like this."
She gritted her teeth, knowing he was right. It was the reason she was still here – her hands were shaking so badly that trying to turn the key in the ignition had proved impossible.
So she nodded a little before putting her forehead back to the steering wheel, still trying hard to steady her breathing.
Matt shook his head guiltily. "I'm so sorry you had to find out this way."
She nodded some more, automatically, before his words crept through her veins and registered in her mind, causing her head to snap up.
"Wait. You know?"
He looked uncomfortable. "Yeah. I've known for a while."
"Oh, god," she blinked, her breath hitching. "Everyone knows, don't they?"
"Me and Rebekah; Katherine and Elijah."
She'd thought she couldn't possibly feel worse than she had two minutes ago but apparently she'd been wrong.
Caroline sat backwards, the betrayal an anvil on her chest, and she struggled to breathe her way past it.
The tears on her cheeks were scalding - like Klaus' lips.
She felt Matt pull her head onto his shoulder and listlessly she let herself be moved.
People spoke of out of body experiences. She wished she could have one right now – float away to see everyone and everything they'd been doing and saying behind her back; see what she'd missed.
But she was stuck in her body, weighed down by all the lies; nailed in. And it hurt. It hurt so much that she struggled to think in anything more than strangled accusations.
"Why didn't anyone tell me?"
Matt rubbed her hair. "Care, I'm sorry."
She let that slide for a few minutes, let it be enough, but then anger overtook the exhaustive sadness and she pulled away to glare at him.
"Why didn't anyone tell me, Matt?"
He looked guilty; scared. "Silas and Klaus, they–they didn't want you to know."
She scoffed. "But Silas was fine with you guys knowing?"
Was it vampirism? The way the pounding sorrow instantly turned to icy anger that quickly spread throughout her body, rendering everything crisp and clear.
She could see the particles of dust floating through the air in the approaching dusk; the rise and fall of Matt's chest. Wildly she took it all in as she searched for answers.
Matt shook his head. "Klaus told Elijah and Rebekah against Silas' orders and they told us."
She laughed and it was bitter; manic.
"Right. So he could tell everyone but me, right?"
Seeing the fear multiply in his eyes, she looked away, trying to calm herself down. If Klaus had been here, that would've been different. But Matt was breakable and this wasn't his fault.
So she breathed against the itching at her gums and the burning in her eyes and slowly but surely got herself through it.
Still, she didn't look back at him, staring out the window as she spoke again.
"What's going on?"
She was proud of how stable her voice came out. Cold and empty, but steady; calm.
Matt sighed heavily, hesitating for a long moment before he finally spoke.
"Silas has this big complicated plan that he's been getting Klaus to help him with and has us all sworn to secrecy."
"And you haven't told anyone?"
"I wish. We have these meetup things with Silas so he can root around our minds and make sure we're still being his good little puppets."
Matt was mad. Good.
"What's the plan?"
He hesitated again, longer this time, and she turned to look at him pointedly. He sighed.
"Listen, Care, I really don't wanna be the one to tell you." His gaze flickered then left hers. "Besides, it's pretty… crazy. I don't think I can really explain."
She nodded slowly, the nod of someone who was doing no agreeing.
Matt took the hint, continuing: "Look, Silas is here so maybe that means he's fine with you knowing now. Or he's just playing some kind of sick joke, I don't know. But either way it means you can go in there and find out what's been happening."
Been happening.
Memories of viewing the aftermath of that massacre came back to her. There'd been teeth everywhere, the white shining through the bloody clumps they'd been left in.
Sixty two people.
"Silas' plan – are people gonna die?"
"Care – "
"Are people going to die?" she repeated, raising her voice.
"Yeah," he breathed.
She faced the steering wheel again, gripping it as she rested her forearms onto it.
It was one thing to know that you were sleeping with someone who was willing to do whatever it took to get what he wanted but that you were there to temper his fury. It was another to find out that he was willing to be some archvillain's lackey in killing what was probably hundreds of people all while keeping it a secret from you.
"He's there, I can't go in."
"Now that you know, Silas is gonna wanna meet with you anyway, Care."
She shook her head quickly. "Not Silas." She took a breath before continuing, but her voice broke anyway. "Klaus."
Matt said nothing and she didn't blame him. Maybe it was pathetic – she felt pathetic.
But she was used to handling villains; had stores of hate built up inside herself to hurl at them at will. She could deal with Silas.
But Silas wasn't who she'd spent the past few months with all while he'd been lying to her. Silas hadn't let her buy the lie hook, line and sinker all while letting her think that she was safe with him. Silas hadn't made her feel indescribable happiness that had turned out to be a sham.
Silas hadn't let her believe that he loved her.
"Look," Matt began, sounding like he knew he was fighting a losing battle but moving ahead anyway, "I know you're mad at him. And the Klaus I know – I wouldn't go back in there for him either. But you're the one who once told me that there's another side to him, and I'm pretty sure that guy wants to do some explaining."
Caroline let out a breath. She wasn't sure that man had ever existed after all.
Matt sighed. "And if you don't go back in there for that then do it for yourself. You know if you leave now all you're gonna have is questions, Care."
Caroline nibbled at her lip in consideration as she stared out the windscreen, her grip clenching the steering wheel.
She breathed deeply, checking and re-checking her decision, then mentally put up every wall; every shred of contempt she'd ever felt for anyone ever.
"Ok."
She reached for the door handle but Matt put a quick hand on her arm, stopping her.
Frowning, she looked back at him questioningly.
"Look, I gotta warn you – Silas really likes doing this… thing to your mind."
"What thing?"
He winced as a painful memory seemed to surface in his thoughts.
"He just has this knack for finding the thing you're most insecure about then using it to play with you."
"What do you mean?"
Matt shook his head, seemingly struggling to verbalise the experience.
"He gets something that he knows will mess with your head and then he just digs his heels in, you know?"
She shook her head and he sighed in frustration.
"It's like… he tries to make you believe things that you know aren't true but you also know he has unlimited access to your mind and suddenly you don't know what's true anymore – it just really messes with you brain, and the asshole gets off on it."
Caroline found herself wondering what Silas had done to Rebekah and Matt that was causing him these clearly painful memories; wondered if he'd done anything to Klaus.
"Silas is a psychopath who can get into my crazy mind – got it."
He smiled a little. "Just be careful."
With that he climbed out of the car and Caroline watched him approach the house then go inside.
Great. Now not only was she dealing with having to be in the same room as Klaus but she also had to have full control over her mind while doing so.
In all honesty she was glad for Matt's warning but it also scared her a little. She'd already felt the effects of Silas' mind control and she still didn't think she'd ever been as terrified as the day Silas had taken on Klaus' face before near murdering her mother.
Closing her eyes, she took one last deep breath.
Klaus made questioning eye contact with the quarterback as he re-entered and Matt nodded almost imperceptibly.
The hybrid wasn't sure whether to relax or tense but when she walked in his body acted of its own accord, rushing forward before being abruptly halted by her withering gaze.
"Don't talk to me, don't touch me and don't even look at me if you can help it. I'd ask you to leave if this wasn't your house." Her arms were folded and she cleared her throat, breaking eye contact. "I came for answers."
Klaus froze at her reaction and Silas stood from where he'd rudely plonked himself down on an antique chest.
"I'm sure we can help you out with that."
"Yes, he's quite fond of hearing his own voice," Rebekah noted icily.
Caroline paid neither of them any attention, passing Klaus without another glance to enter the living room and he followed immediately behind, everyone trailing after them.
She didn't sit so he didn't either, though the rest did. Silas took his place atop a coffee table – in a better state of mind Klaus would have reprimanded him for the act. Now he focused on Caroline, the way she spread her arms and looked anywhere but him.
"What the hell's going on?"
"Klaus, want to take this one?" Silas asked, without turning around.
Klaus said nothing, watching the way the corner of her eyes twitched at the mention of his name but she didn't dare look up at him.
It was amusing in the most morbid of ways – a few hours ago Klaus would have gone to great lengths to spend the day in any way other than the one they'd had planned. Now all he wanted was the opposite – desperately he wanted the sleepover and the bloody road trip and the picnic, and most of all he wanted her back.
She'd asked him not to speak so he was silent and she'd asked him not to touch her so he stood on the opposite side of the room. But he couldn't keep his eyes off her, even as she avoided his very direction while everyone else's eyes were on him.
Silas cleared his throat. "Right. We'll be here all day soaking in the angst if I don't get started then. I'm sure you remember my original plan?"
Caroline folded her arms again, looking annoyed.
She was unaware but it was an action Klaus ordinarily took great enjoyment from. Not only because it made her chest more prominent but because he liked the challenge; liked the thought of her relenting to him and spreading those stubborn arms to wrap them around his neck instead.
"God, you're not still obsessed with your stupid one true love, are you?"
"I was in a coma-like state for two thousand years with only one thing to think about, Caroline. What do you think?"
"I think you need a hobby," she snapped.
Klaus smirked. Silas glared.
"We ruined your first stupid plan because Katherine took the cure so what's next?"
Silas stood, beginning to pace the room.
"See, that's the kink. You did ruin my first plan. Which, honestly, was inconveniencing, but I'm sure you'll see in the long run that it really wasn't the smartest thing to have done."
She tapped her foot. "Why?"
"Because it means that I've put Plan B into action. Which on the whole is far less cheery."
"Less cheery than bringing every dead supernatural being ever back to life? What, are you gonna send us all over there?"
Klaus winced at that.
He didn't want to see her reaction to what Silas had planned, but still he kept his eyes trained on the blonde as the immortal smiled a little, shaking his head, and she raised a questioning brow.
"Not a bad guess but you're still thinking too small."
"Well I don't have all day," she bit out.
He smiled slyly, revelling in the drama of the reveal.
"You see, there were two doors: door one – bring back all the creatures. But as you said, you and your friends ruined that one. Unfortunately for everyone who isn't... well, me – door two was the exact opposite of door one."
Caroline frowned, the cogs in her brain clearly turning as Silas watched in delight he didn't even attempt to conceal.
Klaus knew the exact moment Caroline figured it out. Her face twisted as she recoiled and took a step back – Silas grinned.
"Kill all the humans."
She shook her head vehemently and for the first time she looked at Klaus again, her eyes full of the worst betrayal anyone had ever looked at him with.
If there were anything in the world Klaus Mikaelson could do to stop her looking at him that way, he would. The look sent ice through his bones and glass into his heart because he knew that it ended everything that had ever been between them.
Until that moment he'd had hopes of getting her back.
"Hey, you ok?"
It was Matt, lightly rubbing her back as she leaned her head onto her arm, propped up by the mantel above the fireplace. It was the only reason she was still standing.
"I'm fine," she lied.
"So, no questions?" Silas asked from behind her, sounding amused.
He sounded amused.
That sent her spinning to face him, still shaking her head.
"You can't do that; it's not possible."
He spread his palms. "You know, there are so many of them I don't blame you for thinking that, but it turns out that if you can get the right amount of witches on your side, using the right kind of magic, you can just about do anything."
She glanced at Rebekah and Matt, who had re-claimed his seat beside the Original. They were both avoiding eye contact.
"You're serious."
"You know that beautiful little afterlife humans pass on to?" Silas said, still pacing relaxedly. "Turns out they don't like overcrowding very much and unlike airlines, they don't do double bookings."
Caroline hung on his every word, trying to figure out this crazy plan. She still couldn't wrap her head around the fact that Silas was going to kill off seven billion people. That just wasn't possible; it couldn't be real.
"Get on with it," she bit, her voice strained.
Silas glared but stilled. "Basically, in case of something, oh I don't know, catastrophic or epically destructive – that's me, by the way – there's a contingency plan to make space upstairs for incoming souls."
Caroline frowned. "Which is?"
"The Other Side," he answered with a flourish, grinning.
Caroline's stomach sank. "So you're not only gonna kill seven billion people but you also want to move the souls already in heaven to what is basically purgatory?"
Silas tutted. "Heaven, purgatory – it's all so… biblical, don't you think? Maybe we should go with upstairs and not-quite-downstairs?"
She glared. "Why?"
"To get a foot in the door," Silas replied like it was obvious.
She shook her head, perplexed. "What?"
He sighed. "You remember my true love we were just discussing?" He looked pleased when she nodded. "Right. Well, she's stuck upstairs. Since you and your clever friends stopped me from being able to join her, I need her to be able to join me once I'm on the Other Side."
"Wow, so you're sending your true love to purgatory – romantic," Caroline muttered dryly.
Out of the corner of her eye she noticed Rebekah smirk.
Silas looked affected but he continued: "The problem is that, as you can imagine, there's a boundary between the two… areas of afterlife, shall we say. And that boundary is very difficult to bypass. Unless you get a foot in the door."
Caroline processed everything he'd said, filtering the idiocy, and frowned.
"So you're killing the entire population of the human race to open an imaginary door in some magical boundary?"
"Just a crack, but yes, that's the general idea."
"How can you be sure your true love will be one of the ones to cross over?"
He laughed. "I wouldn't. Nor would I leave it to the Fates. I've learned they can be quite the gang of vindictive harlots. No, that will be a different spell you don't have to worry your pretty little head about."
She scoffed. "I don't get it. How are you getting any witches to do these spells for you?" Thinking of Bonnie, she winced. "Witches are good."
He smiled evilly. "But some of them are smart. And they realised that no humans means the world would be theirs to populate. A world of witches with pure bloodlines – imagine the power they'd have."
She shook her head in disgust. "That's not right. Witches aren't supposed to be power-hungry, they're supposed to look out for humans; maintain the balance of nature!"
"They're also supposed to stay alive to do so," he quipped, his eyes gleaming with the veiled insult.
It was such a cheap shot, and the acute pain of loss churned in her stomach along with the million other emotions spinning around in there.
"I hate you," she snarled. "And if you think I'm going to let you get away with this then you're even crazier than I thought."
Silas smiled. "Ah, the inevitable part of the conversation. Always the fun part – for me, anyway."
She opened her mouth to ask what the hell he was talking about but all of a sudden Klaus dropped to his knees, his face twisted as pained grunts escaped his lips, his hands grasping his head.
Panic shot in her stomach but she dragged her eyes away, looking back at Silas.
He looked pleased with himself. "You're not going to say a word of this to anyone and you're not going to do anything to stop me."
She tried to scoff but Klaus' grunts were getting louder and from the corner of her eye she could see his body slumping.
Still, she couldn't let it get to her. She cleared her throat.
"No."
Silas narrowed his eyes at her, the wind clearly taken out of his sails a little bit, and suddenly Klaus groaned loudly before he fell forward and began spitting up clumps of blood.
"I think those were his lungs," Silas smiled pleasantly.
Caroline tried to even her breathing, dragging her gaze back to the immortal.
"I said no."
Klaus began choking and she couldn't help looking again, feeling fear well up inside her as she watched the Original suffocating on his own organs.
"You're going to break and you know it, sweet little Caroline. May as well spare your boyfriend the pain."
She gritted her teeth, experiencing Klaus' suffering as if it were her own, then looked back at Silas.
"Fine. But I want something."
A quick laugh borne from sheer surprise came from his lips and for a second Caroline swore Silas looked impressed. Then he switched straight back into sinister mode.
"I'm not sure how, but I think you've managed to misunderstand – this isn't a negotiation."
Tuning Klaus out, she stared at Silas evenly, lifting her chin.
"It is, now."
They stared each other down for moments that felt like forever as Klaus struggled, but finally Silas smiled lazily.
"What do you want?"
"This town," she replied immediately. "I want you to exclude Mystic Falls from the sacrifice."
He cocked his head, looking half amused and half thoughtful.
"No."
She drew a shaky breath, stepping closer in to him. "Then try and stop me from telling Damon and Elena and us working to stop you," she growled through her teeth.
He kept eye contact with her for a few seconds before his smile widened.
"I don't need to."
He stepped aside, forcing her gaze back to Klaus.
"You're going to give in right now anyway," Silas finished smugly.
A pool of gloopy blood had formed in front of Klaus and he was now bent over, awaiting each new round of Silas' attack as he stared down at his kidneys, lungs and god knew what else.
But she pushed away the fear the image invoked; the feelings that would hold her back – like he'd taught her. Instead she drew on others, pulling on the betrayal and the hurt; crystallised anger. She brought it to the forefront of her mind and watched his convulsing form for a few long moments, letting it please her instead of scare her.
He deserved it, after all. He'd caused her pain and now he deserved pain.
It was when she heard a gasp from Rebekah that she realised her lips were curved into a wide depraved smile.
"Well well well, aren't you just full of surprises?" Silas noted, sounding shocked but still amused.
She averted her gaze to smirk back at him.
He stared at her solidly before grinning again. "Then again, so am I."
Immediately screeching came from Rebekah's lips as she fell from the sofa to her knees. Her arm was wrapped around her stomach as she screamed and Matt watched on in frozen terror, knowing there was nothing he could do.
Caroline looked back at Silas. "I said I want the town."
He looked stunned and for the first time acutely annoyed as he took a few steps closer.
"You know, Caroline, I have access to Klaus' mind. Which means I know exactly where the White Oak stake is."
Klaus' head lifted and for the quickest of seconds their eyes met. Then she turned back to Silas.
"Then kill them."
She'd never seen the immortal look as flummoxed as he did right then and she took great pleasure in it, smiling as she was the one to approach him this time.
"But you won't, will you? Because you wouldn't have let any of us in on your crazy secret plan unless you needed us."
For a few seconds he didn't seem to know what to do with his face as it passed through several emotional states.
Then he took a step back and let out a breath.
"Fine. Mystic Falls is safe. No human within the borders will be harmed during the spell."
She tried not to issue a breath of relief so as to keep up the façade but she thought: My mother's safe.
"Good."
Rebekah slowly moved back onto the sofa and Klaus was motionlessly bent over, breathing heavily.
"Then we have a deal," Silas nodded, smiling but seeming slightly less pleased with himself. "There's much more to you than meets the eye, isn't there, Caroline?"
She scoffed. "Where's Stefan?"
He frowned for a second before realising what she meant.
"Wherever you think he is. See, I got a little bored of pretending to be my mind-numbing shadow self, so it's been a bit more difficult skulking around town, but infinitely more entertaining than having to deal with those morons he calls a brother and an ex-girlfriend."
Carline folded her arms. "How long have you been here?"
"Long enough," he shrugged. "To get something to eat – what some may call a massacre – and to throw you off a balcony."
The blonde's eyes widened. "That was you?"
He looked delighted. "That was me."
"Oh my god," she gasped. "Jesse didn't do anything, did he?"
"Besides involuntarily lending me his face? No."
"What did you do to him?" she growled.
He grinned. "Nothing good."
"Oh my god," she whispered, her mind spinning as she looked around the room.
She remembered that night, the way Klaus and Rebekah had saved her – but the hybrid had really been a part of the plan all along.
Rebekah was staring at Silas with hatred in her eyes, a hand between both of Matt's.
"Why?"
Silas stuck his hands in his pockets. "Well the night itself was one big test for Klaus' siblings. We needed to know if we could trust them, and they passed. You, on the other hand, were just a bit of fun," he shrugged. "I need to let off some steam sometimes."
Ignoring the last bit out of necessity, she analysed the information Silas had just given her.
He definitely needed them. Possibly only the Originals, but still. He needed them for some reason.
"Why do you need us; the Originals?"
Something flashed in his eyes and for a second she swore it was fear.
"You know what's fun about your mind?" he asked rhetorically, beginning to circle her slowly. "It's like a hamster high on cocaine trying to find its way through a maze. Now I know that sounds bad but it's really quite entertaining," he laughed. "For instance: do you really love Klaus?"
A surprised breath left her lips and though the entire room had been staring at them since they'd entered the lounge, now was the first time it felt like their eyes were boring into her.
"What are you talking about?"
"I mean really. See, I know you think you do, but all it really is is an insecure little cheerleader being with the only person who ever put her first, isn't it? Even if that person is a psychotic cold blooded murderer, as long as you feel happy and wanted – that's how pathetically desperate you are."
Her heart beat erratically, her mind racing, and suddenly she remembered Matt's warning.
"Get out of my head," she growled.
He smirked. "You know, Klaus said that when I accused him of something similar. Well, loosely applying the term 'accused', of course, since it would imply I don't already know the truth, which I obviously do."
She glared but he seemed to be enjoying himself, getting back to his pacing.
"It's funny you know, in my day, when you were with someone it meant you both actually loved each other. Maybe I'm just old-fashioned."
"Or just old," she sniped.
He laughed at that. He laughed like he knew she was covering up what was really going through her mind – which, of course, he did.
It had really all been a lie.
Yes, there was the possibility that Silas was just playing with her mind by telling her that Klaus didn't love her; trying to get her to break.
But after everything she'd just found out it seemed less like a trick and more like the truth. She'd been an alibi; a convenient reason for Klaus to cite for his return.
"Can I go now?" she bit.
"No," Klaus finally spoke, his voice husky from disuse as he began scrambling to stand.
Silas smiled. "As long as you keep my secret – feel free."
Klaus opened his mouth to stop her – beg her – but all at once she was gone.
"He still calling you?"
Rebekah glanced from her phone to Matt, nodding.
"Manically."
He shook his head slowly. "Beks, you know better than anyone how much I can't stand the guy but, I gotta admit, I feel kinda bad for him." She raised a brow and he smiled a little. "Maybe it has something to do with having had a front row seat to watching him spit up his insides."
He held out his arm and she pulled off her silk gown before joining him on the bed, snuggling into his body.
"That was not a fun sight," she agreed evenly, before her voice changed. "Except for to Caroline, apparently."
Matt sighed. "You know why she did that."
She craned her neck to look at him.
"She wasn't just smiling, Matt. That wouldn't have affected Silas. He must have seen in her mind that she was truly enjoying the experience."
There was silence for a few moments before he drew a breath.
"You think Silas was telling the truth about her not loving him?"
"I think that he can read minds and he certainly did make a good case. Perhaps she doesn't even know her true feelings and the reasoning behind them."
He didn't reply and she frowned, settling back beneath his arm.
"What do you think?"
He sighed heavily. "All I know is that he played with our minds and we got through it."
She opened her mouth to say something but her phone began to vibrate insistently, no breaks between calls, and Matt sighed again.
"Guess he still hasn't found her."
Elijah looked up when Katherine entered the study with a groan.
"Apparently the one thing your sister and I have in common is annoyance with your brother."
He smiled, albeit tightly so considering the situation. "He has yet to locate Caroline thus he continues to call periodically, ensuring that we are indeed working toward remedying the situation?"
"If you apply the word 'periodically' loosely. And me and Rebekah are bonding over different ways to phrase the word no," she nodded, her tone irritated. "What about you – any luck?"
Elijah sighed at the laptop before him. "All I've been able to discerm is that she hasn't been in contact with any of her friends nor has she used any of her cards."
Katherine sighed too, rounding the desk to plop herself down in his lap.
"Do you think she's ok?"
He took her hand into his.
"Inform me why I'm keeping you alive if you yield the same results now as you would if your heart were at your feet?"
The other end of the line was silent and Klaus hoped it was because the subordinate was choked in fear.
"Sir, we don't know where else to look."
"Have you searched the woods thoroughly?"
"Considering the circumstances – "
"Have you or have you not?"
"We'll do it again."
"Good. And Ralf – considering the circumstances, you can go ahead and thank your lucky stars this conversation is happening via telephone."
The vampire on the other end swallowed audibly.
"Yes, sir. Thank you."
"Find her."
"Holy shit – I'm not a religious person but thank god!"
The blonde in front of her smiled a little. "You, religious? Don't make God laugh, Kat."
"Caroline it's 1am, where the hell have you been?"
She shrugged. "Driving around."
Katherine sized up the woman standing outside her front door.
"Well you look like shit."
"Pretty much feel like it."
Katherine's face softened and her gaze lowered.
"I heard about what happened."
She nodded slowly, blowing out a breath.
"Yeah."
"We hoped you'd come here but honestly, we didn't think you would."
"I don't blame you, Katherine," Caroline said sincerely, causing the brunette's gaze to rise again. "It wasn't your responsibility to tell me and besides, you and Matt are human. Rebekah and Elijah had to do what they had to to take care of you, I get that."
Katherine's eyes widened. "That's mature of you."
She smiled but it only contained a shadow of her normal self's spirit.
"I've had a lot of time to think."
Katherine nodded understandingly then watched Caroline pull a face.
"I kinda need a place to sleep though."
The brunette slapped a hand to her face.
"Right. Sorry, I knew that, I just forgot that you need inviting in."
"Seriously? You're a terrible human," Caroline teased and they grinned at each other for a moment.
"Caroline Forbes, please come inside my home."
"Aren't you formal," Caroline smiled as she stepped inside, her foot tentatively crossing the threshold.
"You're our first vampire guest so you better appreciate it."
"I could celebrate the occasion by… digging into your carotid."
The brunette scoffed and Caroline smirked before they were both quickly distracted by Elijah jogging down the stairs.
The first thing Caroline noticed was that he was in only pajama bottoms. The next thing she noticed was that Katherine was wearing the matching top.
Just yesterday she'd scoffed at Katherine teasing about the fact that Klaus slept but now she had to admit she was having a moment – a pretty awkward one – realising that these two people wore pajamas. Not least because one had killed her and she'd lived with the other for a few weeks without ever seeing him in this state.
"Caroline," Elijah greeted, a bevy of emotions flooding his features.
"Elijah," Caroline reciprocated, her gaze absently drifting over his impressive chest as she realised how weird it was to see him in anything but a suit.
"Katherine," Katherine mocked, before clearing her throat pointedly. "Eyes up top."
Caroline's cheeks burned as her gaze quickly shot upward but Elijah seemed to take no notice, looking only a mix of concerned and relieved.
"I am overjoyed you came here."
Not knowing what to say, she nodded then looked around.
"Your home is really lovely."
"Thank you," Elijah said with a gracious smile, before it faltered. "I do, however, regret that these are the circumstances under which you are becoming acquainted with it."
Right. Because her and Klaus were supposed to have slept here tonight; had breakfast here before their big road trip and picnic.
"And I'm sorry we kept everything a secret from you, Caroline," Katherine said, her voice for once not containing a hint of mocking or insincerity.
"Thanks, guys," Caroline nodded before sighing heavily. "I just really need some sleep."
"I'll show you your room," Katherine nodded, gesturing, before shooting Elijah a meaningful glance.
He nodded and headed upstairs to call Klaus as she led Caroline up to the bedroom they'd originally prepared for the couple.
"It's pretty," Caroline noted once they were inside. "Your whole house is really nice. Pretty much exactly the way I'd imagine you and Elijah to furnish a place - all tasteful and stuff."
"Well you should've seen the godawful desk I stopped him from buying."
Caroline smiled before sitting down on the bed, absently running her hand over the duvet and noting the bedside table and lamp as Katherine watched from the edge of the room.
It didn't take long for the crying to start and Katherine approached tentatively, seating herself on the other end of the bed as Caroline put her head in her hands.
Uncomfortably she sat on the corner of the bed, watching the blonde cry.
Gradually the intensity of her sobbing increased and Katherine crossed her ankles, blowing air out through her mouth slowly.
"Look… I'm not really a hugger but -"
She was interrupted by the blonde launching herself at her and enveloping her in a hug.
"I was going to say I could go get Elijah for you if you really needed one," Katherine drawled.
Caroline was silent for a second before she began to giggle into Katherine's shoulder through her tears. The brunette rolled her eyes but wrapped an arm around Caroline, albeit reluctantly.
After a few seconds Caroline frowned.
"You're not saying anything."
Katherine blinked, confused. "I'm supposed to say something?"
Caroline pulled away a little, squinting up at the brunette.
"Yeah. You hug someone and say comforting things that'll make them feel better."
Katherine heaved a sigh. "Thank god Elijah never gets sad."
Caroline stifled a giggle in the other woman's shoulder as she settled her face comfortably there again.
"Ok, well, let's see."
Katherine stared down at her fingernails, mentally snorting about Elijah's little jab last night about her having motherly instincts. She was the woman who always had something to say and right now, when those supposed maternal impulses should be kicking in, she was drawing a blank.
"So… yes, your boyfriend is a lying bastard... but on the bright side he's also super hot, super rich, and you have him all to yourself because nobody else wants him."
Caroline was silent for a moment, then her body began shaking against Katherine as she burst into laughter.
"Oh my god, Katherine," she snorted, pulling away.
The brunette shrugged. "You asked for it."
Wiping the last of the dampness away from her cheeks, Caroline pulled her knees up to her chest and laid her face on them thoughtfully.
"You think Klaus is hot?"
Katherine shot her a glare. "Considering I'm with his older brother, I'm going to decline to answer that." She smirked. "But we all have eyes here."
Caroline grinned. "Elijah's really good-looking."
"Don't even think about it," the other woman warned throatily, teasing. "And you better have been thinking about your grandmother when you were staring at his abs."
Caroline began giggling then abruptly stopped, her spine straightening as her head popped up.
"Oh god, he heard all of that, didn't he?"
"Elijah? He's way too noble to eavesdrop," Katherine rolled her eyes. "Not without me there to hold his hand, anyway. And even if he had, he'd probably just be happy to hear you not crying."
Caroline smiled gratefully before thoughtfully laying her head on her knees again.
"Hey, you know how you said I'm the only person who wants Klaus?"
"Yeah?"
"Do you know who Mia is?"
"Klaus' personal assassin? I've heard of her. Enough to know to stay away. Why?"
"She's in love with Klaus," Caroline shared confidentially.
Katherine's eyes widened. "What? How do you know that?"
"She told me," Caroline shrugged.
Katherine shook her head in amused disbelief.
"That would've been some pretty useful information to have somewhere in the five hundred years I spent running from that maniac."
Caroline liked how proud and impressed Katherine sounded at her having earned such important information and the blonde felt pretty awesome about herself for having one-upped Katherine in the knowing everything about everything department.
"In love, you say?" Katherine said thoughtfully. "What a sad little person she must be. I mean, it takes a special kind of crazy to fall in love with Klaus."
Caroline's jaw fell open in a gasp and she reached behind her to grab a pillow but Katherine was already at the doorway, laughing.
"Still too fast for you even when I'm human," Katherine taunted, pulling a face.
Caroline rolled her eyes, not having the energy to do what she really wanted, which was to launch the pillow right at Katherine's smug head. Instead she laid her head on her arm, laughing a little. She definitely felt way better than she had ten minutes ago.
"Thanks, Kat." She snorted. "You seriously give comforting someone a whole new definition, but... it works."
Katherine smiled, winking at the blonde. "The worst thing anybody could ever say about me was that I was just like everybody else."
"I'll remember that for your eulogy," Caroline teased.
The two women smiled at each other before Katherine turned away and reached for the door handle.
"Get some sleep. Elijah makes a kickass breakfast but serves it an ungodly hour like we live in the freaking Dark Ages or something," Katherine complained.
Caroline smirked. "Eight?"
"Ten-thirty."
Caroline almost laughed but settled for rolling her eyes as she watched the brunette exit the room.
She should've laughed though. Right now all she wanted was to laugh. She wanted to go online and pull up every single open mic performance of every single comedian ever and just laugh and laugh until her stomach hurt and she fell asleep, spent.
It was better than the only alternative, which was crying her eyes out.
But really, she just needed something that would take her straight to sleep. If she were human she would have reached for sleeping tablets, because she knew. She knew what she'd see on the backs of her eyelids.
So Caroline laid down but she didn't close her eyes. And she didn't switch off the bedside lamp for fear of watching their love story play out in the dark like some twisted cinema experience.
Eventually she fell asleep, spent, anyway. And she didn't close her eyes until the very last second but she'd forgotten about dreams.
She dreamed and it was worse than the kisses and the comforts she'd feared would fly across her covered retinas.
In her mind she got to rewatch each time the man she loved had lied to her.
I hope the mythology and Silas' plan made sense. Again, feel free to ask me if it's confusing in some way.
In case it wasn't clear enough, the thing Matt told Caroline about and that Silas did to her was what Silas was did to Klaus in Ch30 of Part 1. But does that make it untrue…?
;) Leave me reviews, let me know what you think, thank you for reading!