Warning: Graphic violence.
Crimson waves splashed haphazardly by an artist's angry brush. Ligaments and cartilage crisply snapped. Inhuman howling. The metal top of the streetcar had been peeled like a ripe banana; the jagged strips curling under the force of the powerful blows. Shattered glass from broken windows littered the pavement. Miscellaneous limbs tangled with each other, carelessly tossed about during his feeding frenzy in the streetcar.
Caroline stood on top of the ruined streetcar, along a narrow strip of metal his powerful claws had missed in his excitement to get to the innocents. Klaus clearly had grown disinterested by the lack of challenge a packed streetcar offered, and quickly moved on to more exciting pursuits.
Woldenberg Park lay beyond the destroyed streetcar. Normally at this time of night, the park would be empty, but fate was a determined bitch and spitefully placed as many obstacles as possible in Caroline's way. She shook her head in disbelief as she surveyed the shredded, blood-splattered remnants of the banner that once proudly proclaimed, "Rob Zombie Movie Festival — Stay Up 'Til Sunup with the Zombies". A large crowd had gathered in the park to binge-watch horror movies. She shuddered, wondering if at first the participants had believed the giant werewolf had been part of the festival.
When Caroline and Elijah had arrived, the grisly scene stopped them cold. Angry snarling. Terrified screams torn from throats. Ripping skin. Wet choking. Small clusters of people had tried to run, but the werewolf gleefully pursued them, golden eyes full of malicious intent as he stalked his prey. Others cowered before him, begging for mercy.
Elijah had flashed off to save and compel as many as he could. Once Bonnie arrived with Caroline's followers, Caroline was able to give them a spell to harvest the souls so that the people felt no pain as they died. From her vantage point, Caroline surveyed the massacre, calling out commands to Bonnie and her followers as she watched Klaus target another victim. Arms raised, voices booming as they chanted with one powerful voice; the helpless human immediately became silent and limp as the spell severed the soul. The werewolf began feasting on the empty shell until he had eaten his fill. Countless times Caroline watched this process, wondering if her own soul had fled her body as she was left feeling cold and empty. Her rage at the senseless violence did nothing to warm her and she despised her powerless human state.
Klaus glanced up from his fresh kill, the mangled meat falling from his powerful jaws as he appraised the lone blonde figure atop the destroyed streetcar. His gray fur matted with crimson splashes, he casually moved away from the remains of his latest meal; his golden eyes never once leaving Caroline's. The air crackled all around him as his bones snapped into place and his fur retracted, leaving him a naked, blood-splattered mess.
From her perch, Caroline put her hands on her hips, glaring down at Klaus. "Eaten your fill, have you?"
Klaus growled, taking a menacing step toward her. "My enemy has taken my daughter and killed her mother!" Fists clenching, he continued, "I don't know where Hope is or how to save her!"
"There's no excuse for what you've done!" Her blue eyes were ice as she addressed him, "You are selfish. You take and you take — and damn the consequences as long as you get yours."
Enraged, Klaus leapt to where she was balanced precariously, towering over her. "I am the King of New Orleans! I answer to no one!" A wicked thought suddenly struck him, if his growing smirk and dangerous tone were any indication. "Who are you to judge, little witch?" His eyes returned to their steel gray as he accused, "Your precious followers didn't try to stop me — not once. You have a small army at your disposal; not enough to hinder my wolf, but they could've saved a few, and yet they didn't — because of you. Why is that, hmm?"
"Because the moment your wolf came here, I knew there was no plea, no action I could have taken to stop your despicable destruction. You hurt; therefore, you needed to cause hurt. You craved it." She bitterly surveyed the blood-soaked vista before them. The street lamps illuminated the piles of gore staining the grass, and she could still hear the phantom screams; she knew they'd never fully leave.
Caroline thought back to their first meeting in this park, when she'd taken him to the exclusive blues club underneath the Mississippi. It felt so long ago, and she choked on tears that she refused to shed in his presence. "These dark things are a part of you, and I will not hide from them." Her voice caught painfully on her words as she struggled to remain calm. "I instructed Bonnie and her followers to strip the soul from each victim you took. The instant your fangs or claws sliced flesh, their souls were harvested so that they'd feel no pain as they died."
Klaus' eyes softened at her broken confession and he looked out onto the park, evaluating the damage he caused. He bowed his head shamefully. "Save them. Please," he asked with a humble tone she never thought him capable of producing.
With intense effort, Caroline managed to wrench her gaze away from the bodies on the lawn. She looked him in the eye and said firmly, "No."
"But they're innocents," he sputtered, clearly taken aback by her refusal. "And you have the bodies to perform the resurrection spell," he added in a bewildered tone.
"Yes, they were innocent. And you killed them. Having me in your life does not grant you infinite do-overs when you think you should feel guilty." She folded her arms in front of her, adding, "If you feel any shame for your disgusting display here — good. Remember this feeling, fuse it to your soul so that you make a better choice the next time you feel powerless." With a final icy glare, she commanded, "Now go find some clothes so we can discuss strategy." Without looking at him again, she hopped gracefully off of the ruined streetcar, joining Bonnie and her followers on the ground.
Klaus called after her, somewhat awkwardly, "Aren't you going to help dispose of the bodies?"
Caroline kept her steely gaze on the wake of Klaus' destruction rather than on the man himself. With a careless wave of her arm she commanded, "Clean up your own mess; I have a war to win." As she followed her group back to her house, she reflected on what she'd told Klaus and found it to be true. She wasn't his conscience and wouldn't be used to fix his mistakes. The depth of their feelings demanded that she'd carve a place for herself in his life as he would in hers. Together in the spaces of calm, between the chaos, they would make their home.
Once Caroline arrived home, she changed out of her charred clothing, looking longingly at her shower as she realized she didn't have time to take one. They needed to be in place before sunrise. When she came back downstairs, Bonnie was leading the Originals into the living room to strategize.
"Where's your army of minions," Rebekah asked, surprise coloring her tone.
"I sent them away. No one else will be hurt because of me," Caroline said forcefully. "Unfortunately, Bonnie is quite possibly the most stubborn human I've ever met and refuses to leave my side," she added fondly.
"Caroline," Bonnie said, her voice trembling, "My place is at your side — always. Besides, what happened to Davina wasn't your fault. She made her choice."
"But I should've done more to make her see that it was the wrong choice!"
"It wouldn't have mattered," Rebekah said softly, patting her hand gently. "The girl fancied herself in love, and any path you showed her that would've taken her further away from Kol was always a path she'd reject. You did your best, Caroline."
"You did. You were the best friend she could've had and Davina's the one that failed to value what you gave her. I hate that it had to end like this, but I'm eternally grateful that you're okay," Bonnie said, wiping away a stray tear.
"As am I," Klaus nodded in agreement, pulling Caroline to him hesitantly, as though afraid she would protest the connection so soon after the ugliness that had transpired. He relaxed slightly as she returned his embrace, only somewhat reluctantly.
Elijah spoke up impatiently, "Regardless of Davina's involvement, it's safe to assume that Dahlia clearly released Lorenzo to kill Caroline and distract us all while she carried out her plans."
Bonnie shook her head mumbling, "I should've realized something was wrong when my locator spells worked so easily. Dahlia used me to lead the group there. She wanted us there."
Caroline smiled sadly. "You couldn't have known, Bonnie. We were all fooled."
Rebekah sighed dejectedly, closing her eyes for a moment. "So many horrible things have happened. I don't know how we're going forget it all and focus on a plan to save Hope."
Bonnie bluntly interjected, "When I was a kid, I kept shoving tampons in the wrong hole." She noticed everyone's incredulous expressions and shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly. "What? Tampons are confusing to first-timers."
Taking in everyone's scandalized reactions, Caroline said wryly, "Thank you for that, Bonnie. We are sufficiently distracted now." Squaring her shoulders, she launched into her strategy. "The good news is that while I was unconscious, Abby paid me a visit. She gave me useful insight into Dahlia's plans. First, Dahlia is planning for the ritual to take place in an abandoned house in the Lower Ninth Ward at sunrise. She'll use the added boost of the area once devastated by a natural disaster to perform her spell. Plus, she can take advantage of the power the sun releases to renew its energy at dawn."
"You saw Abby," Bonnie choked out, hardly believing her ears. "How is she?"
"She's Abby. She's wonderful as always." Caroline smiled, fighting back her tears. "She misses us and still enjoys snooping on our personal lives." She arched an eyebrow and said playfully, "Try staying in the mood now when you and Marcel are 'baking'."
Klaus hugged her tightly, the tension in his body loosened as he seemed comforted by Caroline's information. "Did Abby mention the ritual itself? What is involved, or how Hope will be…used," he trailed off, the disgust in his voice apparent.
Caroline nodded slowly, averting her eyes from his. "Dahlia will need to perform a ritual using Hope's blood. She'll prepare a potion using the blood and then will drink it, absorbing Hope's future powers. Then, she'll sacrifice Hope to seal the spell and ensure her powerful ascension."
The group was silent as they absorbed Caroline's difficult words. "What about you, love," Klaus suddenly asked, "How do you get your powers returned?"
She smiled brightly and explained, "That's easy. I'm going to create a potion to counteract Dahlia's hold over my necklace, and once I'm in its presence and we release the potion, I'll be able to reclaim my power and subdue Dahlia."
She watched the group, tension leaving their faces as relief settled over them like a comforting blanket. Everything would be okay. They would save Hope and defeat Dahlia.
Caroline felt her heart grow heavy with her lies.