Chapter 34 – No More Rash Actions
Caroline felt like if it were possible, she would hyperventilate and die from the panic she felt gripping her heart. Not only was Mikael back and controlling Tyler, but now he had kidnapped Stefan, Rebekah and Damon. She was so worried about how this was all going to end and Caroline really didn't think they could all get out of this alive.
Katherine was standing in front of them looking the perfect mess. She claimed that she had not been home when Mikael attacked, and only showed up as he was loading Damon into a van. She was confused as to what Tyler was doing and choose to follow him instead of attacking, noticing a few more hybrids around the parameter. She knew the way to Mikael and Esther secret lair, and was more than ready to show it to them. The group was currently debating on how to best handle the situation.
"How can we be sure what Katherine is really saying is Katherine's own words?" Caroline asked suddenly, breaking through all the arguments with her clear voice, "Mikael could have gotten to her."
"I take vervain every day." Katherine sneered in return, looking at the young blonde on the couch.
"You and Damon were gone for weeks, you only got back four days ago. How do we know that he didn't get to you then? Mikael has been in Tyler for at least a month." Caroline rebutted, standing up so she could look Katherine straight in the eye.
"There is a simple way to find out." Kol said suddenly. He quickly flashed behind Katherine and pulled her flush against his chest. He pushed her hair to the side and bit into her neck, drawing her blood into his mouth. He retracted his fangs slowly, "There is no vervain in her system."
Katherine's face took on a relieved form of panic at Kol's words.
Kol threw Katherine into a chair as they all circled around the doppelganger, and said, "What do we do with her now? Or with what she told us?"
"I have more to tell you." Katherine said suddenly from the chair, "If I was discovered, I am to warn you that if you do not come before dawn, Damon will die, if you don't come by dusk Stefan will follow him, and Rebekah will be dead by the next morning. Also, none of their deaths will be easy, on both the one who dies and those who witness it."
"Why are you being cryptic?" Elena screamed at her ancestor, "What does that mean?"
"My guess is it means he will force Stefan to kill Damon, and then have Stefan kill himself in front of Rebekah." Klaus suggested, his hands squeezing the back of the chair Katherine sat in, "It will be the worst thing he could do before killing them."
"Then you have to go, and go now. There is eight hours left before dawn, if you don't save Damon, and you are right with Stefan being forced to kill him. It will destroy Stefan, and in association Rebekah." Elena said, looking between the vampires, she knew better than to suggest she come along, "You have to save them."
"We can't just go in there without a plan. He wants to lure us out, go where he wants us to be. We have to think about this." Elijah replied, looking at his love with sadness.
"Elena's right. We might not all like Damon, but we can't just let him die. He is family." Caroline said, standing next to Elena, her arm circled around her friend's waist.
"Damon Salvatore is not family." Kol muttered, his eyes glancing to Bonnie, before resting back on Caroline.
"He became family the moment that Rebekah decided to love Stefan." Caroline told him, glancing at the other two Originals, "Just like we accepted Jeremy and April because of their connection to Elena. We can't pick and choose who we call family."
Bonnie took the moment to stand on Elena's other side, "We have two hours to come up with a plan, or Caroline and I will go by ourselves."
"The hell you will." Klaus groaned at them, glaring at Caroline, who just glared right back.
"You know how to fix it." Caroline replied, her voice offering no question to what she was thinking.
Elijah looked back between his brother and his brother's fiancé, and though he knew that Klaus would never harm her, he decided to get this over with quickly both were far to stubborn at times. He turned to Katherine, "What is Mikael's plan?"
"I don't know, he didn't tell me, and even he had, I probably wouldn't be able to tell you." Katherine replied, looking at Elijah full on she lowered her voice and said, "Please hurry."
"Is there anyway for you to be override the compulsion that Mikael put on her by a compulsion of your own?" Bonnie asked, looking over Katherine curiously.
"No, we would have to know exactly what words he used." Klaus answered, staying behind the chair that Katherine resided in, "We should lock her up while we figure out the plan, we can't trust her."
"I agree. I am sure she has been compelled against sharing any information outside of the house's location." Kol said, agreeing with his brother, "Once we get rid of Mikael the compulsion will wear off and we can let her out."
"But you aren't going to hurt her, right?" Elena confirmed, she didn't want Katherine punished for something that she was doing against her will.
"No, we will not her." Klaus promised, and then looked down at the woman in the chair, "Are you going to come without a Katerina or do I have to drag you?"
"I will not fight you." Katherine assured him, and slowly got out of the chair. Klaus indicated for her to start walking and led the vampire from the room.
They all remained silent as they awaited Klaus' return. The women took up the couch while Kol and Elijah seemed okay with pacing, both looked deep in thought. Caroline's eyes shifted to the door immediately as soon as Klaus walked through it, "We only have a few hours to come up with a fail proof plan. I would suggest we get started."
Elena sat down on her bed, she had just finished checking on her sleeping children. They had a long night under the watchful eyes of Jeremy and April as the rest of them came up with a plan to save Rebekah, Stefan, and Damon. She looked up as the door slowly opened, and smiled at Elijah as he entered.
"You promise me you'll be careful." Elena said, keeping eye contact as he moved to sit next to her on the bed.
"I would never do anything that would prevent me from coming home to you, or our children." He assured her and pulled her in for a hug, her head resting on his chest.
"You can't promise that." Elena whispered, feeling the tears in her eyes, "I know that you need to go, but at the same time I wish you wouldn't."
"Do you remember what I told you the day the babies were born?" Elijah asked her, running a calming hand over her spine.
"Yes. You promised to never leave me, or do anything I did not approve of, for keeping me and our children happy would be your number one priority." Elena replied, remembering as she told her that while they watched their hour old children fall asleep in their arms. He had compelled the hospital staff to allow them to keep the children with them in Elena's room, instead of taking them to the nursery.
"I meant what I said. If you do not want me to go help rescue my sister and the Salvatore brothers, then I won't go." Elijah informed her, his voice completely serious.
"I could never ask you to do that. Rebekah, Stefan, and Damon need you. I would feel better knowing that you were there to cover Caroline, Klaus, Kol and Bonnie." Elena told him and pulled away so she could look at him, "I can't be selfish here, I could never forgive myself if they died because I asked you to stay with me."
"I promise to never leave you under my own control." Elijah told her, probably for the hundredth time in his life, but it didn't bother him at all.
"I know that Elijah. Mikael just scares me, he scares me more than Esther ever did, or more than Klaus when he first came to town." Elena confessed, and brought a hand up to cup Elijah face, "His only goal in life is to kill all of you."
"He won't get a chance." Elijah insisted, and put a hand on each of her cheeks, wiping away her tears with his thumbs, "I will return to you and all of this will finally be over. We can start our life together, with our children and live whatever life we choose."
"I hope you are right Elijah." Elena whispered, her eyes locking on his.
"I love you Elena." Elijah told her and brought her in for a long, lingering kiss.
Elena deepened the kiss and pulled him on top of her as she fell back on the bed. She had decided that if by some vengeful act that this was the last she was ever going to see Elijah, she would make sure he died knowing how she felt.
Kol held Bonnie close against him as they rested on his bed, he was so worried that one or both of them could die in the upcoming battle.
"Are you worried?" Bonnie whispered, leaving her head resting on his chest.
"Of course I am. There is so much to lose if we fail." Kol replied, surprised that this woman could make him admit such insecurities.
"I wish I could say with confidence that we won't, but I can't. Esther has been one step ahead of us from the very beginning. They gave Katherine a message to give to us, if we questioned her loyalty. How can anyone be so well prepared?" Bonnie said, her voice having some desperation to it.
"She has had a thousand years to do nothing but plan this all out. She watched each of my siblings intently, she knows us better than we know ourselves I am sure. You and Caroline are the wildcards." Kol explained, hating that she had to be a part of this at all.
"I think Mikael is the ultimate wildcard. This entire plan hinges on me being able to get Mikael's soul out of Tyler, what happens if I fail?" Bonnie asked, moving so she was sitting up and looking him in the eye.
"I know you don't want to hear it, but if we cannot get Mikael out of Tyler, we will have to kill him." Kol informed her.
"Won't Mikael's soul just jump into another body?" Bonnie questioned.
"No." Kol assured her, "If the body in which the soul is in is killed, the soul would be forced to jump back into its own body. And, since Mikael doesn't have his own body anymore…."
"He will simply return to the other side." Bonnie finished, glad that they at least had something that was in their favor.
"Killing Tyler will be our last resort sweetheart." Kol guaranteed the woman sitting on his bed. He was convinced that she was some sort of miracle that he did not deserve.
Bonnie nodded and moved to lay back down as the waited out the remaining time until their planned departure. Kol stalled her, and she looked at him, "Is something wrong?"
Kol took a deep breath, "No, there is just something that I want to say to you encase I lose the chance. I love you Bonnie."
Bonnie almost swore her heart skipped a beat at his words. She quickly turned her shocked face into a happy, smiling one, "I love you too Kol."
Kol's face lost all signs of concern as he lent forward and pulled Bonnie in for a passionate kiss. He had never heard a woman say those words to him and feel such emotion at the same time. Bonnie's hands instinctively wrapped around his neck, giving him better access to her mouth and the rest of her waiting body.
"What do you think you were doing offering to go try a half assed rescue on your own?" He asked/yelled at the beautiful blonde woman in front of him as they walked to their bedroom.
"I was forcing your hand." Caroline said with a smirk as she turned to face him, "We are both very stubborn people but I know how to make you do what I want."
"You put yourself in danger!" He responded, hating his ability to fall for her simple ploy.
"No! I said I would if you didn't try to save Damon, but we are saving him." Caroline pointed out, "I never actually left the room."
"You had every intention of following through." Klaus reminded her, "I saw it your eyes. You might be able to easily manipulate me, but I can just as easily read your every emotion love."
"Nik, I would really rather not fight right now." Caroline sighed with a large huff, "It is over and done with. Decisions have been made, nothing can change that anymore."
"It doesn't mean I have to agree with the decisions." Klaus muttered under his breath and turned to look out the large window that overlooked the grounds, "I would still much rather have you stay here and protect Elena and the babies."
"They will have more than enough people to protect them, plus a few of your hybrids. They don't need me, you do. Esther and Mikael don't know what I am capable of, hopefully they will underestimate me and that will give us an opportunity to get the upper hand." Caroline insisted, running a hand over his shoulders, "I know what I am doing Nik. We will win, do not worry."
"All I do is worry love. I have never had so many souls to care about before. It used to just be Rebekah and my brothers, but on some level I never had to worry about their lives. At the time there was only the one stake and Mikael had every intention of saving that for me, but now, there are so many ways for those I love to die. He has more than one stake, or has figured out to keep the stakes from burning. Elena and those beautiful children are human, and so fragile. Bonnie may be a witch, but she is still human and that makes her vulnerable, and I can see how much Kol loves her. You and Stefan are also at great risk, there are so many different ways for them to get to either of you. I don't know how I would be able to continue on with my existence if you were to die Caroline." He turned around quickly and pinned her face between his hands, "I can't lose you."
"You won't Nik, only a force greater than your parents would be able to accomplish such a thing." Caroline promised him, reaching up and putting her hands over his, "We haven't even really started to live our life together. And this ring," She held up her left hand, "Is the proof that we will be together forever."
"I want to believe you but you don't know what my parents are truly capable of." Klaus replied, turning away from her once again.
Caroline stalled his movements, "Niklaus Mikaelson, look at me." She said her voice full of determination. She waited to continue until his blue eyes locked onto her own, "Do not let your parent's negative words against your character infect you again. Throw them out of your brain and let the words I am saying settle in their place. I love you, Rebekah loves you, Kol loves you, Elijah loves you, and those babies love you. There are so many people that love you Nik, and you love them. You are not a monster that needs to be put down. We have all done terrible things Nik, there is nothing that makes us better than you."
"I really don't deserve you." He whispered, trying to keep his tears from falling, no one ever made him feel as wanted as the woman holding him did on a daily basis.
"Yes, you do." Caroline whispered against his lips before planting her own on them firmly.
Klaus responded quickly, his lips knew the movements to make without him even having to think on them. His hands glided over her waist as they moved to her back, pulling her body flush against his own. Even after all of this time he was still amazed at how perfect her body felt when pressed against his. He didn't even care that they were both still fully clothes, having her in his arms in any capacity sent joy surging through his body. Caroline seemed to have other ideas though as she ran her hands over the hem of his shirt, pushing it up as she did. Klaus pulled away just far enough so he could remove his now constricting shirt. Caroline used the moment to get rid of her own shirt, leaving her in nothing but her bra from the waist up. Their eyes reconnected as each began the task of removing their jeans. Klaus was able to do it much quicker, and grinned as he watched Caroline struggled to get out of her pants.
She looked at her pants with a frustrated sigh and then moved to sit on the bed, her jeans bunched around her knees, "I should kill whoever invented skinny jeans and those that decided it should be a fashion statement."
"They do make you look absolutely stunning though." Klaus replied and kneeled down in front of her, and stripped the pants off one leg at a time. He slowly began kissing up her legs and with each kiss she let out a sigh. Klaus placed a firm kiss over her purple silk panties before looping his finger around the edge and tugged it off of her body, leaving her open to him.
Caroline unhooked her bra and threw it off into the room, leaving her completely naked on the bed. She moved back as her crawled onto the bed with her. Klaus kissed whatever skin he could reach. Klaus hovered over her and used his hands to push her blonde curls out of her face. He gave her a long, sensual kiss as he gently eased into her.
Stefan groaned as he slowly come back to consciousness, his eyes roamed around the lightly lit room, there was a single lamp on a table about three feet from him. He was chained to the wall by his wrists, vervain soaked chains by the awful burning feeling that was associated with them when he moved. A small moan come from a corner across from him, he could not make out distinct features but the long blonde hair gave him a good idea, "Rebekah, are you alright?"
He didn't get answer with words, only another soft moan.
He tugged on the chain even harder, but that only resulted in him straining his muscles and more burning around his wrists.
"Be still little brother, you will only make yourself weaker by resisting." Damon's smooth voice said from a dark spot in the room.
"Damon, what is going on?" Stefan asked, staring intently at the space from which the voice came.
"I am so sorry Stef, I really didn't have a choice in the matter." Damon replied as he walked over and leaned against the wall direct opposite of Stefan, but he did not answer his brother's question.
"Again, what is going on?" He asked again, but he was pretty sure he had an answer.
"Esther and Mikael are using us as bait for the Originals." Damon responded, and Stefan was sure he had never seen his brother look so ashamed.
"I am sorry Damon. You should never have gotten involved with this. It is my fault that you and Katherine have to experience this." Stefan told his brother, looking away to see if Rebekah had awoken yet.
"We made our own decisions Stefan, don't flatter yourself with thinking that you could make either of us do anything we didn't want to. You forget, those psychotic excuses of parents are trying to kill their children, and if they die we all die. Kat and I saw this as a way to save our skins, so don't think you could have stopped us trying to do just that." Damon informed his baby brother, annoyed that Stefan always tried to take the blame for everything that ever went wrong, "Besides, no one could have seen this Mikael thing coming."
"We should have." A weakened feminine voice said, causing the brothers to snap their attention to the Original, "We should have prepared ourselves for this possibility."
"Bekah, no one could have even guessed something like this was possible." Stefan assured her, wishing he could wrap his arms around her.
"And that is our mistake." Rebekah replied, not caring if she sounded defeated because she was.
"Bekah, please, don't…" Stefan started to say, he wanted to comfort the woman he loved.
"I will do as I want Stefan!" Rebekah yelled at him, "Do you not understand what is happening here? We are the bait. My pathetic excuse for parents got to Katherine and Damon, which by the way gave them insight into our plans, and then used them to capture us. I am sure since she not here with us, that Katherine has been sent to deliver some kind of message or threat. My brothers will come for us, and it can only end with bloodshed."
"Nice to see that time has not clouded your intuition daughter." Esther said as she opened the door to the room, allowing more light to fill the space. She looked to Damon, "Dawn is rapidly approaching Mr. Salvatore, any last words?"
"What are you talking about?" Stefan asked, heaving against his restraints and looking at his brother with fear.
"They only have until dawn to save me, if they are not here by then Mikael is going to kill me." Damon responded, not looking at his brother as he spoke, and then he glared at Esther, "But they still have three hours."
"They are devising a plan I am sure." Esther told them, "How much do they really care about you I wonder Damon? You are not a member of the family, why would they risk saving you? If they let you die, that gives them nearly twelve more hours to come up with a plan to save Stefan and Rebekah."
"Maybe you are right. I have done nothing to be worth saving." Damon replied, and he kept his stare with the witch, "But I have faith in them, which is more than you can say."
"I think I know my sons better than you Mr. Salvatore. I watched them for over a thousand years toss people aside for less cause than you have given them. They will not come for you Damon, I suggest you spend the next few hours saying goodbye to your dear brother." Esther said with a confident smirk and existed the room.
Damon slumped against the door as it shut, returning the room to the semi darkness, the only light once again from the lamp. He placed his head in his hands, and let out a large sigh of defeat.
"They will come in time Damon." Rebekah said suddenly after a few minutes, both brothers turned to look at her, and she continued, "No matter what my mother says, you are family Damon. You are Stefan's brother, and Stefan has become a member of the family, by default so have you."
"Default makes me feel so much better, thanks Original Barbie." He sneered, letting his sarcastic nature take over in his anger.
"Be happy you even get that much consideration, especially after everything I have heard from Caroline." Rebekah rebuffed and saw the fear flood his eyes momentarily, "Oh yes. She told me everything and she has told Nik too, so you should consider yourself lucky to even still be alive."
"Rebekah, now isn't the time for this." Stefan said through clenched teeth, what his brother had done to a human Caroline was still something he regretted not putting a stop to when he had the chance.
"You are right darling." Rebekah replied with a smirk, and leaned back against the wall, trying to get comfortable with her hands chained above her head, "We will save this conversation for when we all get rescued."
"If you say so." Damon sighed, and leaned his head back, causing a tiny bang on the door behind him. He wanted to believe Rebekah's words, but he saw the odds of his luck suddenly changing at slim to none, he just hoped that Stefan could make it out of here in one piece.
AN: As usual I want to thank all my wonderful reviewers and followers for sticking with this story.
I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, I know it was a bit of a filler, but I promise you that the next chapter will have lot more action. Any guesses on what will happen when the Originals and their parents finally meet in battle?
A side note, I added the skinny jean thing because right before I wrote that part of the chapter I tried to change, and my jeans refused to come off until I sat on the bed. They might make you look good, but they can be such a pain sometimes.
Don't forget to leave me reviews, they make me super happy!