Caroline wrapped her damp hair in a towel and glared into the closet as she tried to decide what to wear. Living with the Mikaelsons was beginning to wear her thin. The morning had consisted of a series of arguments that had ended in broken furniture and bodies, and then the tension had ratcheted up a few notches more when Rebekah had suggested they kill Katherine before they left for tea.

Making her excuses, Caroline had fled upstairs, and the privacy spell was a welcome relief when she shut the bedroom door. How did vampires survive without it?

Eventually, Caroline's eyes fell on a pale blue knee length tea dress tucked in at the end of the rail. It had a lace overlay and capped sleeves, and was semi-formal without being over the top, perfect. She found a pair of pale blue strappy high heel sandals to go with it and rooted around her underwear drawer for something suitably...tempting. She settled on a pale ivory Sarrieri set that allowed her to wear stockings and was guaranteed to make Klaus drool.

She set them aside before rooting around in the boxes from her mother's house. It didn't take her long to find what she wanted - a thigh holster. Liz Forbes had spent most of her adult life in uniform so what she used this for, Caroline didn't want to know, but she did know it fitted the glock like a glove. The one good thing about wearing a dress was that people didn't expect you to be wearing armaments underneath it.

She looked around, trying to find something else to do before she descended the stairs again but it was too early to dress and her hair was still too damp to curl. "Back into the lion's den," she muttered to herself.

The drawing room was rife with tension when Caroline sat down beside Klaus. He and Rebekah were still still bickering over the Grimoire, and Elijah and Finn had their noses in their respective newspapers. Never one to be upstaged, Kol had a groupie kneeling on the floor beside him, shirtless and waiting, while he was reading a book.

Bonnie sat on the couch and glared at Kol like he was a snake, which Caroline couldn't find fault with, to be honest. Elena and Katherine sat on either side of her. There was a bandage covering Elena's throat that was new, and Caroline wondered what she had missed. Katherine, as usual, seemed to have eyes only for Elijah, who she watched from below eyelashes. The tension in the room was nearly enough to make Caroline regret her life choices.

"I must say, scandalous literature has evolved somewhat in the last century," Kol said looking up. "There was a time when Lady Chatterley's Lover was considered the height of taboo. Has sister fucking become socially acceptable again in the 21st century?"

Caroline sighed as she realised what he was reading. Why, oh why, had she mentioned Flowers in the Attic?. "It's a work of fiction, not fact," she said.

Kol smirked at her. "It's been my experience, darling, that works like this don't arise unless there is a taste for it.". He reached out to stroke the groupies hair, who seemed to take it as some kind of cue, as he rose to his haunches and offered his throat.

"Not yet, darling," Kol said, giving him a condescending pat. "I need to finish this chapter. I think Chris may be about to make a move again."

"Oh dear god," Bonnie muttered. "Spare me."

Kol grinned at her gleefully. "Oh now, don't pretend to be shocked. We both know you've read this. What teenaged girl wouldn't? I bet you passed it between yourselves like it was contraband, naughty little things."

Caroline caught Bonnie's eye and they both grimaced. The awful part was he wasn't wrong. Elena had found it in her mother's stash of erotica when they were fourteen and had of course shared it with her best friends. She still vividly remembered the sense of shame and arousal she'd felt when reading some of the more purple passages.

"What trash are you reading, Kol?" Rebekah asked, pulled from her argument with Klaus by the sudden turn of conversation.

"Oh, just a tale about evil mothers and jealousy ridden siblings with a deep seated lust for each other, Rebekah," he said. "Nothing you would know anything about.".

Rebekah tossed her hair back, and smiled at him evilly. "I think we may be discussing your weaknesses rather than mine," she said. The tension rose again, but was swiftly dissipated by Elijah, who slapped his newspaper onto the table.

"Now is not the time for old grievances," he said. "We should prepare for the battle at hand."

Kol sighed dramatically. "I think that's our cue, Finn," he said. "Time to kill our mother.

A thousand years old, Caroline reminded herself, feeling a little queasy as she watched them leave. She couldn't take anything for granted.

"So Rebekah and Kol were lovers?," she asked, a little while later, as she watched Klaus change into his suit. It was charcoal grey and single breasted, and he'd paired it with a blue shirt that echoed her dress. He looked amazing, as always.

Klaus turned to look at her. "They were for a time, when they were younger," he said. "They quickly grew bored of it, though, and I believe Rebekah took up with a painter soon afterwards."

"Uhuh," Caroline said, and found herself unable to ask the next question. She ran her hand through her hair, and turned to look at herself in the mirror as she tried to gather the courage.

A hand squeezed her shoulder and she looked up into Klaus's face. "Elijah and I used to share lovers in our bed," he said. "We shared everything in those days, but then Katherine entered our lives and things became more complicated. There is too much bitterness between us now for such things."

"I see," Caroline said, unsure where this was going. He pulled her to her feet and smiled as he tucked a curl of her hair behind her ear.

"We're going to live a long time, Caroline," he said. "And who will share our bed will be something we'll have to address eventually, but it will be our bed."

Caroline felt something inside her relax. "Not Elijah," she said.

"Not Kol," he countered, and Caroline raised an eyebrow. "He was flirting with you, love," he explained.

Caroline snorted. "Yeah, right."

Klaus rolled his eyes. "Don't say I didn't warn you, my love," he said. "Are you ready?"

Caroline threw him a flirty smile as she took his arm. "Always."

"I've got a really bad feeling about this," Caroline mumbled as they stared up at the Lockwood house.

"We need to find out what she wants," Klaus said. "There must be a reason she's playing nice."

"Our father wasn't playing nice," Rebekah reminded them. "And I'd feel better if Finn or Kol answered their phones. Their lack of contact cannot be a coincidence."

"Maddox was stiff as he surveyed the area. "There is a lot of power here," he said, with a suspicious sniff. "We should have brought the Bennett witch with us."

"Our mother is the Original witch," Elijah said."We already expected to find power here. It's best we keep the Bennett in reserve."

The door opened before they reached it and Caroline sighed. That was not a good sign. The honeyed blonde that stood in the doorway looking like a well preserved woman in her forties. She didn't have the deep dimpled chin of her children but she did have the cheekbones. They were a ridiculously attractive family, Caroline thought ruefully.

"My children" she said. "I'm so happy you could make it. Kol and Finn are already waiting for us in the drawing room." Caroline leaned into Klaus's side as the witch's eyes rested on her.

"You must be Caroline," she said, her hands reaching out to catch hers, and Caroline suddenly felt very afraid, freezing in her tracks.

"Mother," Klaus interrupted, his voice was as cold as the arctic as he brushed Esther's hands aside. "You're looking remarkably alive for a women who had her heart ripped out."

"Oh Klaus," his mother said, with a cloying sweetness. "Do you think I don't understand why you did that? I forgive you."

Caroline watched as her hand rested on Klaus's cheek and there was a flash of vulnerability on his face before it shuttered. Caroline grew worried. It seemed she had found the Mikaelson weak spot - their mother. She stepped back and smiled, the picture of maternal benevolence. It was definitely a front, Caroline thought, she knew her family, after all. A family doesn't get this dysfunctional without a good dollop of help from mother dearest.

"Come, she said. "Our tea is getting cold."

The drawing room had a table set up prominently in the middle of it, laden with Carol Lockwood's best china and a bakery's worth of little cakes. Caroline resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Did the Vikings even drink tea in the middle ages? Shouldn't it be mead or something?

"Look who's joined us, brother," Kol said, to Finn, raising his china cup in an ironic salute. "It's a regular family reunion - well, without the father figure of course."

"Yes," Esther said. "I saw how you dispatched Mikael from the other side."

"Mother dearest had apparently been keeping tabs on us from beyond the veil," Kol said. "Isn't that delightful?"

"Positively wonderful," Elijah murmured as he took a seat. The others followed suit and Caroline reluctantly sat by Klaus on the couch. She eyed the room and noticed the two women sitting with Abby by the bay windows. They weren't vampires but something told her they weren't truly human either. If she had to guess, she would say they were witches. Form the baleful look Abby was giving her, she doubted she was willing to forgive all.

Smiling, Esther picked up the teapot. "Shall I be mother?" The steaming brew that poured from the spout had the perfumed scent of Darjeeling and one of the witches handed around a plate of sliced lemons to accompany it.

The whole situation was unnerving. What were they missing?

"Well, mother, we're here," Rebekah drawled. "What is it you want of us?"

"What I want is what's best for this family," Esther said. "A new beginning with a clean slate."

Caroline bit down on her sigh. Nobody else was buying this hokum, were they?

"We should listen to her," Finn said suddenly, and Caroline felt a jolt of surprise. The eldest Mikaelson rarely spoke. What had happened before they arrived that had prompted this?

"As you can see, Finn is our mother's first convert," Kol said darkly and Klaus let out a snort.

"No surprise there," Rebekah said. "He was always a bit of a Momma's boy." Finn narrowed his eyes at her but said nothing and Caroline restlessly took a sip of her tea. At least it hadn't been laced with vervain.

"Please, children, I brought you here because I need your help," Esther said. "I have watched you from beyond the veil and I have seen the darkness grow within you, the things you have done. It's time for you to move beyond that." She turned to Klaus. "Just look at your friend, how you've changed her. She tried to hold onto her humanity but you ripped it away from her. Do you think that was right? Don't you care for her?"

With a jolt of surprise, Caroline realised she was talking about her. She narrowed her eyes and squeezed Klaus's hand as he looked thoughtful.

"Please tell me you're not falling for this bullshit," she burst out, not able to stop herself.

Elijah took a sip of his tea before placing it down and getting to his feet. "Thank you for inviting us, Mother, but I think we need some time alone to discuss this matter further." Caroline felt a rush of relief as the others began to stand, and she scrambled to her feet beside them."

"You're not coming, Finn?" Rebekah asked, and they all turned to look at the Eldest Mikaelson.

"No," he said slowly. "I think it's best if I stay here."

Esther got to her feet and gave them a sad smile. "I was hoping we could discuss this in a civilised fashion but it seems it's not to be." She paused, shaking her head. "I'm afraid I can't let you go yet," she said. It was almost a relief to feel the penny finally drop, Caroline thought, as the doors suddenly slammed shut with a gust of ethereal wind.

"The ancestors have charged me with restoring the balance," Esther declared. "And I cannot let you stop me in my quest.".

"Still a windbag, mother," Kol declared, as he picked up an armchair and threw it at the witches. They ducked, and the chair smashed through the window panes and onto the manicured gardens. "Oh look," he said. "An exit."

Pain ripped through Caroline's mind and suddenly she felt herself being bodily lifted. The world blurred around her, and she was on the driveway again. The aneurysm spell was unrelenting and she pressed herself into Klaus's chest. Why weren't they moving anymore?

"A bloody barrier spell," she heard Rebekah say. Well that explained it. She tried to open her eyes, but the pain was too much. How were the Originals still standing?

Latin filled the air, and Caroline recognised Maddox's voice. "It's a salt circle," he suddenly said in English. "It's going to take a few minutes"

"We don't have a few minutes," Rebekah said, and Caroline felt herself being laid on the ground.

"No, don't leave me," she said hoarsely, clutching at Klaus's arm. For the first time in weeks she felt weak and helpless.

A kiss fell on her forehead. "I'll be just a moment, Caroline," he said, and the air became scented with blood, both human and other as voices screamed and died. The pain began to ease, and Caroline struggled to open her eyes. Blood was soaking into the gravel in front of her face and she tried to lift her head to see what was happening.

Klaus's arms wrapped around her, pulling her onto her feet. Desperately, she held onto him as she looked up into his face. He was covered in blood and gore, and there was a grim coldness in his eyes that Caroline struggled not to recoil from. She looked around, trying to make sense of it all. There were at least a dozen bodies, some human, some vampire, and even a couple of werewolves.

"Mother's welcoming committee," Klaus said.

"Did you kill her?" Caroline asked. He shook his head and Caroline swallowed her disappointment.

"She escaped into the woods with Finn and the witches," he said, as Maddox pulled up a SUV beside them. "We need to get back to the house. I don't think this is over."

Lies and more lies, it was all his mother was capable of, Klaus thought, as he looked down at the dead witch in the Foyer when they arrived home. He had a snapped neck, like he'd been thrown from a great height.

"New Orleans driving license," Elijah said, looking up at him. Klaus's mouth twisted. Of course, they were from New Orleans, a place they had called home until their father had burned it down. Another opportunity for their mother to turn the knife.

"You're back," said a voice from the landing, and Klaus looked up to see the Bennett witch, with the Doppelganger leaning heavily against her. There was a cut on her forehead but he didn't smell any other damage. The Doppelganger looked a bit battered and bruised but, other than the bandaged bite, her skin wasn't broken.

"Bonnie," Caroline breathed, pulling away from him and running upstairs. "Are you okay? Elena?"

"We're okay,"Bonnie said. "But they took Katherine."

"And the Grimoire?" Kol interjected.

Bonnie rolled her eyes. ""I still have it," she said, and then nodded at the dead witch. "He wanted to take Elena and wouldn't take no for an answer."

"You did what you had to do," Caroline said. "How many were they?

"Five, including him. "Two witches, two vampires and a wolf," Bonnie said tiredly. The other witch and the vampires took Katherine and hightailed it out of here. The werewolf went into the basement and never came out."

Klaus smirked, despite himself. Something told him the werewolf wasn't expecting the hybrids to greet him.

"She'll be back," Elijah said.

"Yes, thank you, Captain Obvious," Caroline muttered. "C'mon Bonnie, let's get you back to your room."

"We're okay, Caroline," the witch said, brushing her aside, and Klaus caught the look of hurt on Caroline's face as Bonnie and Elena limped back to their rooms.

"So what do we do now?" Rebekah asked.

"We kidnap a minion," Kol said suddenly. "Abby Bennett seems like a good target. She'll talk if we threaten the daughter."

"You're not going to hurt Bonnie," Caroline hissed, visibly upset, and Kol grinned at her gleefully.

"Of course not, darling, she's a Bennett witch. She's actually useful." he said.

Rebekah snorted. "Unlike some around here."

A stillness fell in the air and, for a brief moment, Caroline looked at him as if she were searching for something. What it was, he didn't know, but he knew she didn't find it. "I need some air," she said, looking trapped.

"Now is not the time, Caroline," he said.

She stalked down the stairs. "It's never the time, Klaus." Her face crumpled. "That's part of the problem. I need to go." She stalked out of the house, not looking back, and Kol sniggered.

"I think your new girlfriend might be doing a runner," he said.

"Good riddance," Rebekah pronounced.

Klaus stared after her, his mind reeling. What had he done wrong? He shook his head. It didn't matter, He needed to go forward with his plan...and now that Caroline wasn't in the house, he could corner the witch without her knowing.

It was all for her own good, after all.

He stalked up the stairs after the Bennett witch

Fries, she needed lots and lots of fries.

The Grill was nearly empty when she arrived but still serving food . Matt's replacement was behind the counter and kind of cute, and Caroline couldn't help herself. She cornered him in the storage room and sank her teeth into him. Unlike the groupies at the house, this one was afraid, adding a spike of adrenaline to his AB negative cocktail.

Caroline pulled her fangs from her throat and looked into his terrified eyes. "You are not afraid," she said, as his eyes dilated. "It's just a little hickey. You're going to have an orange juice and then go back to work and serve me my bourbon and Fries."

Feeling a little better, she slid into a booth and waited for her order. She was beginning to think she'd over reacted back at the house but it still seemed like a good idea to have some time to herself. She had let Kol and Rebekah get to her, and that had been a mistake. She'd shown weakness, a fatal flaw in the Mikaelson world.

She knew it was only a matter of time before they made their next move, and she needed to know if she and Klaus were on the same page when it happened.

"Penny for your thoughts, darling."

Caroline glared at Kol as he slipped into the booth with her. "Shouldn't you be back at the house, plotting to kill someone?" she asked.

"But this is so much more fun," he said, raising an eyebrow as her bourbon and fries arrived at the table. She slapped his hand away as he tried to steal from her plate.

"Go bother someone else," she said. "I'm not interested."

"Liar," he said. "You need an ally in that house. One that isn't Klaus." Caroline rolled her eyes as he smirked at a passing girl, who obligingly flipped her hair and giggled.

"And you think that you could be that ally," she drawled. "Do I look stupid?"

"No love," he said. "You look desperate." He paused, and then turned in his seat, eyeing the girl that had passed them. The girl looked up and smiled shyly when she noticed Kol looking at her and Caroline watched incredulously as he beckoned her with a nod.

"Are you serious?" Caroline hissed, as the girl picked up her soda and made her way back to them.

"A vampire had got to eat, Caroline," he said. "And you've already had your snack." The girl slipped into the seat beside him. "I'm Alice," she said, before glancing at Caroline. "Is this your sister?"

"Sister-in-law," Kol said, scraping the girl's hair from her throat with his fingers. "Ignore her, she's a bit of a harpy." His fangs slid into her throat with ease, and Caroline felt her mouth water as the girl's blood scent filled the room. Grabbing another fry, she stuffed it into her face and pretended not to notice when Kol's hand slipped under the table, but it was hard to ignore Alice's arousal. He took his time, feeding languidly, and to a passerby he probably looked like an overly amorous boyfriend. Eventually, Kol retracted his fangs and Alice slumped against him with a sigh, a blissed out expression on her face.

"You still look a little peckish, love," he said, smiling at her as he stroked Alice's hair. "Want to go for seconds with me?"

Klaus had played this game with her too, Caroline realised, and he was a whole lot better at it. She stuffed another fry into her mouth before swallowing it down with her bourbon. "Sorry," she said. "Not interested." She put a little swing in her hips as she left, just to see what he'd do, but he didn't follow.

This family will be the death of me," she muttered to herself as she climbed into the SUV and pulled out.

It took a while for Klaus to convince the witch to leave the Doppelganger to her own devices, and he was tempted to just bodily drag her from the room, but he needed the witch to be compliant and that wouldn't happen if he antagonised her too much.

He eventually succeeded in prying her away, however, and pulling her into her own room. "I want you to perform a spell for me," he said, the moment the door was shut.

The witch crossed her arms and glared at him. "If you want my help to send your mother back to the other side, I should at least get something in return."

Klaus relaxed, if she was willing to negotiate with him, then he was halfway there. "I've already promised Caroline Elena's life back...well, mostly"

"This isn't about Elena," she said, as she sat on the bed. "This is about my freedom and my mother's life."

"I see" He sat on the bed beside her, not hiding his amusement. It seemed the witch had a spine after all. He leaned in and she stiffened in fear. She didn't flinch, though, which immediately put her higher in Klaus's estimation. "If that is your price, witch, I shall expect a larger return." He looked around for the Grimoire and saw it on the dresser. He blurred across the room and picked it up, turning the pages over until he found what he wanted, and placed it on her lap. Her eyes slowly widened

"This is the spell your mother used on you," she said quietly.

"I need a version that will work on someone already turned," he said.

"For Caroline," Bonnie realised.

"Do you have a problem with that?"

The witch leaned back and eyed him coolly. "I may not, but something tells me your family will."

"Then we're not going to tell them, are we?"

Her fingers began to tap on the page. Klaus was sure it was an unconscious tick. "Why are you asking me to do it, why not Maddox? He is a competent witch," she asked.

"Competent but not as powerful as a Bennett witch," he said, and she threw him a look that told him she wasn't buying his flattery. "I want a witch who will do everything in their power to keep Caroline alive."

"You don't trust Maddox," Bonnie realised.

"Not with Caroline," Klaus agreed.

The witch pursed her lips and leaned forward again to examine the spell. "Caroline needs to agree first."

Klaus smiled. "You think she won't do it?"

"Honestly, I don't know," Bonnie admitted. "I love her but becoming a vampire seems to have taken her competitive side to a whole new level. She might decide to do it despite the risk."

"The risk?" Klaus echoed.

"Yes, the risk, "Bonnie said brusquely. "A spell this powerful can take a lot out of the subject. She'll have to be completely drained of her vampire essence beforehand and only have Doppelganger blood in her system when she dies and….she's going to be hungry when she revives, very hungry. You better be serious about this"

Klaus bristled. "Are you suggesting I'm not?"

"I'm suggesting that an eternity is a long time to be alone," Bonnie drawled. "She won't have an out after it's done. A White Oak stake won't work on her."

A gleeful thrill ran through him at the thought. "Will you need anything else?"

"Is your friend Maddox up to being my personal battery?" she asked.

Klaus smirked. "You really do not like him, do you?"

"Do you care?"

He eyed the witch and wondered what it would take to convince her to become his. Maybe Caroline could do it, the witch would be a valuable addition and Caroline was fond of her. "When can you complete the ceremony."

"As soon as I have all the ingredients and Caroline's consent," Bonnie said with a shrug.

Klaus's mind flashed to the predatory look on his mother's face as she noticed Caroline by his side. "It'll happen tonight," he said, getting to his feet.

The witch eyed him speculatively, and Klaus knew the question she wanted to ask, but Bonnie Bennett was not owed any answers from him. Only Caroline had that privilege.

Caroline sat in the SUV outside the house, trying to gather herself before she went inside again. She needed a game plan, a way to outmanoeuvre Klaus's siblings.

Option one was going nuclear on them. The White Oak of Wickery Bridge would make short work of them, and all she needed was a compelled human to wield the weapon, but Klaus would eventually figure out what she'd done, and he wouldn't take it well. Option two were the daggers. A better solution, Caroline thought, but she needed access to them to use them and lord knows where they are now.

The third option was to build an alliance within the family but Caroline was reluctant to do that because she knew Rebekah and Elijah weren't interested, which meant dealing with Kol. Caroline wasn't an idiot, she knew Kol's interest in her was only a means to an end, the end being Klaus.

There was, of course, one last choice. She could leave.

Part of her rebelled at the thought. The idea of leaving Klaus seemed preposterous...but what if she was left with no other choice?

She decided to do what she usually did when faced with impossible decisions. Break it down into smaller bite sized pieces: kill Esther, then deal with the rest of the family.

The house was quiet when she entered the house and that suited her just fine. It had been a mistake to leave when she did, she couldn't afford to be out of the loop, but she had needed that time alone to regroup.

She climbed the stairs and hesitated in front of Bonnie's door. She understood why Bonnie didn't want to see her at the moment but it still hurt. Reluctantly, she continued to her room.

Klaus was sitting on the bed when she arrived. "Hello, love, we need to talk.

Caroline felt her defences slam up. It was never a good sign when a guy wants to talk. Had she completely misread the situation? Had he already grown tired of her?

He stood and crossed the room, stroking away the hair from her face. "You've fed "

"Went to the Mystic Grill, bumped into Kol," she said automatically. "How about you?"

'I was thinking about making our arrangement permanent, ' he said, examining her face. His hand was on her back, tracing soothing circles He was afraid she would run. Caroline frowned, puzzled, Klaus was definitely not the proposing type.

'Permanent?" she echoed.

"The Bennett witch has agreed to perform the Original Immortality spell on you"

Caroline froze. "Is that even possible?" she asked disbelievingly. "I'm already a vampire."

"The witch seems to think so," Klaus said. "But there will be pain."

"How much pain?

"Nothing you can't endure, Sweetheart."

Which meant it would be a lot. Caroline wasn't a fool, she knew why he was doing this. Klaus couldn't bear leaving anything to chance. He needed to control everything, his family, his future, and even her. She clutched at his shirt. "Does my vulnerability really scare you that much?"

He titled up her chin. "Caroline," he said. "You were willing to claim me, and that has consequences. Let me make my claim on you."

And that's what this was going to be, a claiming. She would become a new Original, impossible to ignore as she stood by his side. "Your family are going to be livid," she murmured, but she couldn't help herself. She was beginning to feel excited.

He smiled down at her, as if sensing her capitulation. "We'll do it tonight," he said.

"Where?" Caroline asked.

He paused. "Your home," he said. "We'll have privacy there."

Caroline let him pull her to the bed. "Thought you'd get a quickie in beforehand?" she asked

"I have chains," he said. "You'll enjoy it."

Caroline paused, a mischievous smile crossing her face. They still had a few hours to kill after all. "I think I'll enjoy chaining you up even more," she said coyly, and the hand on her spine trailed lower, cupping her ass. Caroline felt his hardness press against her.

"Undress for me," she said. "I want to see what I'm signing up for."

"He leaned down, his lips brushing against hers. "Whatever you say, my dear."

TBC