Okay, it has been the most unbelievably long hiatus for this story. Sorry everyone. I had to go back and re-read it all again to be able to pick up where I left off. I intend to finish this without another break, however I am writing a lot of Klamon and Defan at the same time. I will bring this to a conclusion though, before the show starts again. Thanks for continuing to read!

Chapter 37 WHN

Caroline folded her arms across herself protectively and she waited outside of the door. He knew she was coming around, why was he making her wait god damn it?! He was doing this intentionally. She felt her blood boil and she had to take a few calming breaths as the door swung open. She was here for his help, she had to be civil. To her surprise Klaus answered the door himself. She raised her eyebrows in surprise and opened her mouth to speak when she took in his attire – he was wearing low slung denims and a white shirt open to reveal his muscular chest. She closed her mouth again and he gave her an innocent smile and tilted his head shyly. God he had cheekbones that could cut glass. She shook herself out of the appreciation for his features.

"No slaves to answer your door today?" She asked sounding annoyed already and he grinned and held the door open for her, gesturing for her to come inside.

"Come in love. Long time no see." He chucked to himself confidently as she strode past trying not to be affected by him. She sat down at the fireplace and lifted a glass of his wine sitting on the table. She needed to hold herself together, prove that he didn't ruffle her feathers. He raised an eyebrow and smiled at her confidence as she drained his glass of wine before him. She looked over to him as he sat down across from her and crossed his legs sighing.

"You said you helped us find Elena because I was upset." She blurted out and he dropped his smug expression to a genuine one. She wasn't exactly sure how to go about this conversation. She didn't really know enough about what was happening. Bonnie had simply clued her in on the plan to speed up Jeremy's mark and therefore retrieval of the cure as fast as possible and behind everyone else's back. She felt out of her depth, but as usual everyone looked to her to deal with Klaus.

"I did." He said calmly, giving her his full attention. She felt a little uncomfortable under his gaze. It was as though no one else existed in the rest of the universe but her and it felt so…overwhelming. She took in a breath and clasped her hands looking down at her fingernails.

"If I asked you for help…"

"Anything." He replied immediately cutting her off and she looked up at him in surprise and anxiety.

"There's…something wrong with Elena. There's something inside her head, like a surveillance bug or something." She stumbled trying to recover from his willingness to help even though he knew nothing of the circumstances.

"A bug?" He frowned and leaned forward steepling his fingers in front of his mouth.

"Something the witch put there, she's been having nightmares, hallucinations…"

"About what?" His eyes burned into hers. She swallowed and he raised a bottle of wine from the floor beside him and re-filled her glass. She took another sip of wine.

"Damon. Except it isn't him. The Damon she keeps seeing or thinks she sees tries to hurt her, watches her. The Professor thinks it's a worm put there to find out what she knows about the cure."

Klaus stood up and Caroline drank another large gulp from the glass of wine she'd stolen from him as she tried to steady her nerves. He walked around the room silently thinking it all through.

"Bonnie and the Professor want to speed Jeremy's mark up and try to find the cure without Elena knowing what's happening so whoever is watching her won't have the upper hand." She explained and he turned around still looking thoughtful.

"Bring him to me. I'll grow his mark."

"But you can't kill anyone." She blurted apprehensively and he raised his eyebrows challengingly and she realised this wasn't the best way to negotiate with him. Klaus didn't negotiate. "I mean, please…there has to be a way to do this without killing any innocent people."

"Vampires don't grow on trees love, people plus vampire blood equals new weak vampires for Jeremy to kill. There's no way around that. You're smarter enough not to fool yourself into believing otherwise."

"Please, can't you find some vampires who maybe…aren't…?" She stumbled trying to think of options and he gave a small chuckle and shook his head.

"You want me to go and source some bad vampires for your friend to kill? You know a facebook page where we can shop?"

"This isn't funny Klaus." She scowled, angry at his mocking and he dropped his expression to a serious one.

"No it's not." His voice was a little cold and she gulped and looked down at her hands.

"I'd love to be able to tell you that we can do this the nice way, but the fact is that people have to die to make this happen. If you want to, I can take care of it so you don't have to know." He offered and she grimaced in discomfort. "Of course, that's why you're here isn't it?" He gave a chuckle to himself and looked up at the ceiling. She frowned and looked to him.

"You don't want to get your own hands dirty, none of you, but it's ok to let me. I'm the bad guy anyway right? Make me a deal and wrap it up pretty enough…" He looked over her body in desire before continuing, "…and I'll happily play the villain so you can all rest easy and convince yourselves you're not every bit as responsible for it as I am."

"That's not fair and you know it." She whispered.

"No? You're a vampire love. You didn't become one by playing with kittens." He said coldly and she tightened her expression and held herself together.

He was right after all wasn't he? She'd killed someone too. She was hardly innocent. Stefan and Damon had killed so many people between them that she doubted whether they even knew how many, or they even remembered half of their faces. Yet still, she suffered daily for her one loss of control. She'd never forget his face and in truth she never wanted to, because it kept her constantly remembering who she was, who she wanted to be and she didn't want to be a killer. Klaus watched her expression change and his bravado slipped as he exhaled in guilt and moved towards her. She stood up abruptly and he stopped in front of her, aching to hug her, to apologise for his harshness but he knew she wouldn't allow it. She took a deep breath and stared him out.

"Maybe you're right. I don't want any of this. I don't want to have to help the murder of innocent people. I can't live with that, but you can. You don't care who you kill, who you hurt as long as you get what you want. I thought you wanted this cure for Elena. Guess I was mistaken." She stepped around him and he caught her arm pained.

"Caroline…" He struggled, his face splitting with emotional that was so raw she had to release her arm from his hold gently rather than tug it away to avoid making him more upset. She felt herself begin to soften. It wasn't fair for her to ask him to do this because it would benefit her friends when they chastised and blamed him for the same behaviour of his own accord. It was so hypocritical.

"What do you want me to do?" He asked gently.

"Bonnie has been helping Jeremy train up at the Lake house. She wants to be there to help with the Professor. If you can go there and help…" She said, losing confidence in the rest of her request as guilt began to bloom inside of her.

"And you?" He raised an eyebrow at her.

"I have to keep Elena distracted. If she knew what we were doing to Jeremy…"

"He's a big lad. Hunter and all."

"He's just a kid and he didn't ask for this."

"Well, I'm sure he'll show his hunter colours. Don't worry love. I'll make sure we get the cure."

"And when you do?" She looked directly at him, holding herself tight.

"Those of you who stand with me will be safe and those who don't…" He let the sentence hang in the air and she nodded tightly. He leaned forward intensely to look down at her. "I won't do anything to hurt you."

"It's not me I'm worried about." She mumbled. "My friends are my family." She added and he gave her a nod of understanding but didn't say anymore. She pulling her purse over her shoulder and he walked with her towards the door, opening the door for her. She blushed slightly at the etiquette of that and sighed.

"If I protect your friends, what will I get in return?"

"What?" She asked frowning and he gave her his sexy smile. Her cheeks reddened with anger and he gave a chuckle in response.

"You never can do anything because it's right can you?" She shook her head in disgust.

"I wouldn't be much of a villain if I played fair now would I? And you wouldn't be half as interested." He smirked and she shook her head again and huffed. He smiled at her lack of retort and dismissal of his suggestion she could have feelings for him and she left, bouncing along the gravel as she strode towards her car angrily. He laughed to himself as he watched her go and went upstairs to pack for his new mission.

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"Please stop!" Charlotte begged crying as Damon burned her with the poker again. He'd been torturing her for hours now and she still wouldn't fess up about what was going on in Elena's mind.

"Then tell me what I want to know and I'll stop sweet pea." He cooed as she recovered, her skin slowly healing as she panted. She looked up at his face sobbing. He had tried utter brutality, it was time to use his charms now. He put the poker down and stroked her face lightly, giving her his nicest sweetest expression of concern. She closed her eyes and sobbed harder.

"I thought you loved me but you're a monster."

"Charlotte, who could ever love someone as crazy as you?" He cooed and she opened her eyes again. "We had fun though, didn't we? We had great sex."

"Please let me go."

"Just tell me how to undo what the witch did to Elena and I'll be happy to." He kneeled down in front of her so they were at eye level and she calmed herself.

"You promise?" She whispered and he nodded. She took a deep breath and chewed her lip. "Only she can pull it out and I don't know where she went. I swear."

"That's not much help to me is it?" He said coldly and she flinched.

"It's watching her thoughts."

"What is?"

"The person in her head – it's the witch. She watches."

"That just sounds like a whole lot of crazy Charlotte." He warned and she began to sob again. He lifted the poker and ran his fingers over the tip.

"She wants something. She thinks Elena knows how to get it." She sobbed and Damon looked up in interest.

"What is she looking for?"

"Some kind of spell or potion. She wouldn't explain it to me because she said it'd put me in danger knowing."

"That's another thing I'm confused about. Why the hell does she care about you?"

"She's my friend." Damon snorted at her and gave a small chuckle. "She helped me!"

"And look how well that's worked out for you?" He said and she began to sob again. "Even being able to break the sire bond to me doesn't stop you from doing what I say anyway."

"I love you."

"And it's been really inconvenient." He said and stood up again. She hung her head and he sighed thinking of how best to dispose of her. He could remove her heart but he was tired of replacing rugs from all of the damn blood spillage that happened in here so frequently. He should take her outside of the house and do it there. It would save him the cleanup.

"Are you going to kill me?"

"Of course I am. Wouldn't want you to have to live like this any longer. I'll put you out of your misery finally." He said conversationally and she looked up at him in fear.

"You said you'd let me go."

"If you told me how to undo this but you've just blabbered on at me. You don't know anything of any use." He broke her chains around the chair and she stood up shakily watching him. He gave a small smile and grabbed her throat as she screamed. He kept his face blank as she struggled, gasping. Maybe he would just break her neck and then throw her in the boot. He could drive out to the woods and finish her there. It'd be easier than having to carry the body a distance to bury her. He was deliberating with his plans when Elena came in the front door.

"What are you doing?!" She shouted in surprise and came rushing forward. Charlotte looked to her begging for her aid and Damon sighed.

"I thought she might know something but she's useless."

"Damon put her down!"

"Elena she almost got you killed."

He was so calm. Elena's eyes widened and she shivered. This was the Damon that had frightened her when they'd first met – the one with no emotion, no humanity. Right now he was more like her hallucination than ever before and she put her hand over her mouth as she choked in horror. That finally got an expression out of him and he frowned, trying to understand why she was so distressed. The wheels turned in his head and he dropped Charlotte suddenly as he realised. Charlotte fell to the floor gasping for breath and he moved over to hold Elena but she stepped backwards in fear.

"Elena…" He said unsure and pained by her body language. "It's me." He reassured and she shook her head.

"I don't recognise you right now." She said and he moved towards her again.

"It's me, you're not hallucinating." He said as he stroked her arms comfortingly.

"I wish I was." She said and he breathed in pain.

Stefan came through the front door and halted, sensing the atmosphere. He opened his mouth to ask what was happening when he noticed Charlotte still gasping on the floor. He looked to Damon.

"What did you do?" He asked and Damon spoke never taking is eyes from Elena.

"I thought she might know what was going on with Elena."

"What are you talking about?" Stefan said and Elena turned around to look at him feeling deflated. She wanted to keep this from both of them, knowing how much they would worry and now the cat was out of the bag. Stefan looked to her, awaiting a response and she sighed.

"She's been hallucinating that I'm hurting her still, but it's more than a hallucination. Charlotte says it's watching her, trying to find out about the cure." Damon said and Elena gasped and looked over at Charlotte.

"The cure?" She said and Charlotte looked to her grieved. "Why would she want the cure?"

"That's what I would like to know and I could probably have found out by now." Damon said feeling frustrated and annoyed.

"By torturing someone who doesn't know what way is up?" Stefan said disapprovingly and Damon huffed. Stefan and Elena exchanged glances and Damon bit his tongue angrily. Of course, Saint Stefan wouldn't think of doing such a thing. That was why he always ended up getting people sacrificed at alters. Someone had to do the dirty work and it always fell to him. Funny how no one complained when he got the results they all wanted but they still looked to him as though he was a savage. He folded his arms as they fell silent.

"Charlotte how do we get rid of this hallucination?" Stefan asked gently and Charlotte stood.

"Only Rebbi can take it out, it's part of her mind." Elena turned to her.

"Is it in your head too?" Elena asked and Charlotte shook her head. Damon walked away into the kitchen, ignoring the rest of the conversation and Stefan folded his arms and sighed, watching him leave. He shook his head slowly.

"I don't know where she went. Please don't let him kill me." Charlotte pleaded and Elena frowned in sympathy.

"No one's going to hurt you. Can you find her again?"

"Maybe." Charlotte said and Elena smiled.

"If you find her, bring her back here and I promise Damon won't come after you." Elena bargained and Stefan tightened his expression.

It wasn't right to make a deal like this, to manipulate Charlotte like this, but then, they had no real option. Using Damon's wrath as a tool to get her to bring the witch here so they could force her to undo this damage was the only way. He watched as she and Elena conversed, planning. He had known there was something she'd been hiding from them. The way she had reacted to Damon when they'd first found her in New Orleans, the way she'd screamed in her sleep when they'd brought her home – and she'd still be living through that for days? He should have known, he should have forced the truth from her, but then…it wasn't his place anymore. Damon was her boyfriend. He should have done that.

He walked into the kitchen to find an aggravated Damon drinking from a blood bag and sitting at the table. He was so like a child sometimes, pouting.

"You didn't think to tell me what was happening with Elena?" He asked and Damon stopped drinking and scowled at him.

"I thought I was the boyfriend. I thought it was my job now." He sneered and Stefan sat down across from him. "Thought I was to grow a pair".

"And you thought torturing Charlotte would help with that?"

"We know more don't we? Now we have a chance at finding the witch." Damon pointed out heatedly and Stefan sighed.

It was true. They sat in silence as Elena let Charlotte out and then returned to them in the kitchen. She took in the atmosphere and folded her arms around herself. Was it always going to be like this? She could feel the tension and rivalry roll off of them as she looked from one to the other. She'd always known this would be hard.

"Stefan can I talk to Damon alone for a minute?" She asked and Stefan rose slowly and left the room. Damon remained as he was, confident in his opinion that'd he'd done nothing he wrong. He was trying to protect the girl he loved and he'd happily have torn Charlotte's arms and legs off to do that. He wasn't going to apologise for feeling that way.

"You scare me sometimes." She said as she sat down across from him, effectively taking Stefan's seat and he softened a little. "I haven't seen you like that in a long time. It was the old you, before everything crazy happened." She added and he looked down at the table. She reached out and took his hand and he looked into her eyes, struggling to stay hard and sure of himself.

"I was trying to protect you." He said gently.

"And I love you for that, but that guy you were in there…" She tilted her head towards the lounge. "…he is everything I hate about vampires." He flinched as she spoke and tried to withdraw his hand. She held it firmly.

"Someone has to be the bad guy sometimes Elena. I can't stand here and watch you go crazy."

"I know, but I can't be with you if you're going to be him."

"What?" He frowned, angry and confused and she inhaled deeply.

"I need some space. I have to clear my head and fight this and I don't think I can do it with you around me." She admitted and he looked at her in horror and disbelief. He pulled his hand out of hers and sat back.

"You're breaking up with me? After all of the shit we've been through?" He couldn't believe his ears. She pulled her hand back regretfully and swallowed.

"I don't want to but I have…" She began to explain and he stood up abruptly.

"For years, you've kept me interested. You've played me when you needed something, when you wanted support and I've been here. I've loved you for years and had to watch you with my brother. Then after all of the shit that's happened lately, you said you wanted to be with me."

"Damon…" She pleaded, becoming emotionally but his anger was in full flow and he didn't let her interrupt.

"You tried to rip my limbs off in those woods and then ran off for days to New Orleans without telling me anything, leaving me to freak out and think you'd died. I'm not even doing anything other than looking after you because I love you so much and still I am being blamed for everything!"

She stood up and tried to go to him as his eyes filled with tears but he held his hand out and shook his head.

"You know what? Why don't you go to Stefan for help with this? Go and find a lovely torture free way of getting that witch to undo her mojo. Good luck because you're going to need it."

"Damon please don't be like this." She began to cry and he huffed.

"Just leave." He said and she stopped crying in disbelief as she stared at him.

"What?"

"Go." He said simply, staring back at her and she swallowed painfully and stood unsure as he calmed. He was serious. She took a deep breath and blinked some tears down her cheeks. He waited for a second and then moved around her, leaving the room as she stood shaking.