Caroline had always thought she had a fine grasp of what lurked in the darkest parts of herself. By the time she'd reached high school, she had a short but well defined list of her faults: her insecurity, her bitchiness, and her overbearing competitive streak.

Now, as she rearranged her blood stained clothing, Caroline almost laughed at her human self's naivety. She supposed she could blame it on her monster, but she knew better. She remembered how she had felt when she'd examined the marks on her body after her first night with Damon, and the impotent rage and despair she'd felt. It had opened up a wellspring of darkness inside her that begged to be released, and eventually it had been - the day she'd been reborn a vampire.

She was Caroline Forbes, a monster who inflicted misery and pain on those who wished her harm.

And those hunters wished her harm.

Caroline readjusted the strap of her sundress as she idly watched Klaus lean against the dining table and inspect his nails. "What now, love?"

Caroline allowed herself a smile as the first of the hunters began to awake. Creativity was the key to an effective punishment, she thought. They had burned Elena at the stake, it was only fair they should suffer a similar fate - but not before they flushed out the other survivors hiding in the woods.

"I think it's time for a little Karma," she said, as she approached the hunter and caught his eyes. "Find your friends in the woods, kill as many of them as you can before dawn, and then die in the morning sun.

"Very succinct," Klaus murmured, eyeing her with amusement as she sent the first of her victims staggering on their newly reborn feet into the night; her compulsion overwhelming their sense of self preservation."Are you sure you don't want to stretch it out a little while longer. I could show you how to make them really hurt."

Caroline shivered at the thought. "No," she said, reluctantly shaking her head, "Not this time." And that was the crux of it, she thought, the time would come when she would say yes, and she found herself almost anticipating it.

He pulled her into her arms and kissed her neck delicately, his fangs scraping against her skin. Caroline melted against him, biting back a moan as he nipped at her.

Kol stalked into the room. "I met your little messenger, love. Nice bit of work. Have you found Esther's records? It's best we dispose of their family lines before they fester into a problem for the future."

Caroline frowned. "I didn't look for them," she admitted, pulling away from Klaus's touch. "Do you have to hunt the families down? It seems wrong to go after the kids just because their parents are idiots."

"Give it another century or two, Darling, then you'll understand," Kol drawled condescendingly. "Hunters sprout back like weeds if you don't pull them out at the roots."

"Isn't that the truth," Rebekah said, from the doorway. "I found an appropriate accelerant in the garage. It should light up the house in a satisfactory manner."

"Where is Elijah?" Klaus asked, his hand trailing lightly down Caroline's spine.

"He found Esther's papers in the study. Apparently the Petrova bitch was in charge of recruitment. He is most displeased. Perhaps this time he will end her." A smirk appeared on her face, showing her satisfaction at this turn of events.

"We should go," Klaus said, his hand curving around Caroline's waist possessively. "We have plans to make."

"Elijah mentioned New Orleans," Rebekah piped up.

Kol rolled his eyes. "Of course he did, how tiresome."

"I liked living in New Orleans," Rebekah protested. "It was our home."

"Well, seeing as I spent most of my time there in a box, please excuse me if I don't have such fond memories."

Caroline felt a tug at her waist and looked up into Klaus's amused eyes. "Perhaps it's best if we leave them to it, love," he said. "They can meet us back at the house.

Caroline shook her head. "I still have a little more Karma to dispense," she reminded him, as another groan came from the heaving pile on the floor.

His eyes darkened, a glint of yellow gold betraying the purr of his voice. "Have at it, love."

Construction workers were crawling all over the facade by the time they arrived back at the house, and Caroline eyed them bemusedly.

"Why are you bothering with this?" she asked. "We're leaving."

"For now," Klaus said. "But one day we'll be back. We always come back. You have to readjust your concept of time, love. I have a team closing up your mother's house too."

Caroline didn't know how she felt about that. It was both considerate and intrusive. "Where are we going?" she asked instead, and he smiled down at her.

"New York and then London," he said. His hand trailed down the curve of her back as they steered their way through the construction workers and towards the stairs. "You're going to love it, Caroline."

Caroline tried to imagine it. The centuries stretching out before them as they travelled the world. She had to admit it held some appeal, but surely there would come a time where they would have to do something more than just sightseeing? Klaus had always struck her more as her a doer, they had that in common.

She gave a mental shrug as they entered the bedroom. It was a problem for another day. Right now, she just wanted to celebrate surviving the battle. With a smirk, she pulled at his arm, steering them both towards the shower. "Join me?"

In a blur of movement, Klaus was undressed and he raised an eyebrow as she slowly pulled the sundress up over her head and slipped out of her shoes before lingering at the catch of her bra.

"Practising your striptease, sweetheart?" he asked, as she undid the delicate clasp.

"Why, is it working?"

He pushed her under the shower head and turned the water on, grinning as she flinched under the initial cold spray of water.

"That was mean," she spluttered.

"That was Karma," he said, pulling at the waistband of her panties. "Leave these on, love," he murmured as the water grew hot. "They'll look very pretty on you when you're on your knees."

The water was now searing hot and just what Caroline needed. It coursed over her, washing away the smell of blood and smoke, and it felt like a baptism into a new life as she slid onto her knees and took Klaus's cock into her mouth.

His eyes were hot and possessive as she hollowed out her cheeks and sucked hard, revelling in the way his face went slack with pleasure as he pushed against the back of her throat A moan left his lips as she curled a hand around the base of his shaft and he began to fuck her mouth in earnest.

Caroline's eyes fluttered close as he tugged at her hair, her core aching for relief as he arched against her mouth. Caroline savoured the taste of his precum, He was so close, all she needed to do was give him a little push. Klaus's breath hitched as her fangs brushed against his shaft and, with an involuntary jerk of the hips, he was spilling down her throat, her name pouring from his lips.

"Caroline," he gasped, and she barely had a moment to recover before she found herself flat on her back on the bed, her shower soaked body ruining the sheets as he ripped off her panties and latched onto her clit, pulling her towards an orgasm with tongue and teeth

"Fuck, Nik!"

He grinned slyly as he slid a finger inside her, sending her rocketing over the edge, his hand clutched at her hip as she rode the sensation, and holding her to him as his fangs sank into her thigh.

Caroline let her fingers curl through his hair as he fed, glorying in the blissful intimacy that only blood sharing can give. She tugged at his hair and he lifted his head and crawled up her body, offering her his throat.

"That's it, Sweetheart," he said, stroking her hair as her fangs broke through his skin "We are one, now"

Caroline wasn't sure what entered her first, his fangs or his cock, but it was a lethal combination. She felt herself losing time, recognising only the grip of his hands and the thrust of him inside her. Blood sharing had always been an intense experience for her, but this felt even more intimate than usual. Was it because she was now an Original? No, Caroline suspected the truth was much more prosaic. She was just more vulnerable to him now that her newly exposed feelings were chipping away at her defenses.

Klaus's fangs broke free from her throat, his body trembling as his control slipped. He pistoned inside her, cradling her head against his throat as his lips ghosted over her ear.

"It's you and me, Caroline."

It was too much. All her reservations fell away as pleasure swelled up inside her and they came together with a synchronicity that Caroline found almost terrifying. Klaus's fangs found purchase in her throat again as he shuddered and spilled inside her and, as they curled around each other, Caroline felt a sense of rightness that had to be wrong.

"What was that?" Caroline asked softly, after they both came back down to earth.

"Do I really have to explain the birds and bees, love?"

She punched his shoulder. "You know what I mean."

Klaus shrugged. "I think we may be developing a blood bond," he admitted. "It happens sometimes when there are feelings involved."

Caroline sat up in the bed and frowned down at him. "Why haven't I heard about it before."

"You knew that blood sharing between vampires is considered both intense and personal," he reminded her. "Blood bonds are a private matter. Slow to form and even harder to break.

"But they can be broken?" Caroline asked slowly.

Klaus grinned, his dimples showing, and Caroline felt a flutter inside her. Stupid feelings. "Of course, love. A blood bond is just our vampirism latching onto our human side and taking it to another level…now, if this had happened before I turned you, it might be another matter. Sire bonds get messy."

"So it's our feelings causing the bond, not the bond causing our feelings," Caroline asked uneasily.

"I'm afraid so, love," Klaus murmured, his eyes studying her.

Caroline relaxed against him. "You have feelings for me,' she said aloud, testing it out. "I have feelings for you."

The grin was back. "That's what you screamed, yes."

"Oh God, you're going to be insufferable, aren't you?" she muttered, as she laid her head down on his chest.

"But you love me anyway."

"Shut up." With a smirk, Klaus sat up and looked down at her, a heated look in his eyes and Caroline was tempted to pull him down on top of her again. They still had a few things to take care before they left, though. ""How long do we have?" she asked, coyly.

"Not enough, unfortunately," he said, stroking her thigh. "Elijah has already arrived."

Sighing, Caroline pushed his hand away and rolled out of the bed, ignoring his pout as she rooted around in her underwear drawer. She turned to look at him, scowling as she realised he hadn't moved from the destroyed sheets. "Nik, move it, I don't want to give Elijah another opportunity to point out my terrible influence over you."

He rolled his eyes. "It'll be fine, Sweetheart, Elijah will come around, he usually does...eventually."

Caroline turned away so he couldn't see the expression on her face. Something told her Elijah wouldn't warm to her anytime soon, and she doubted Klaus truly thought that either. She suspected it was one of the reasons why he'd performed the Original spell on her. Until now, Elijah had been distracted from her presence by his homicidal parents, but now he had all the time in the world to concentrate on getting rid of her.

She heard Klaus shift behind her and turned to see him pull on a pair of jeans.

"You're worried," he said. "Don't be; I know how to handle Elijah."

But Caroline couldn't help it. How could be sure that Klaus would pick her if it came to choosing between them? A thousand years of family and blood was a difficult thing to turn your back on. Biting her lip, she tried not to think about it as she threw on a camisole and jeans, pulling up her still damp hair into an elastic band. It wasn't up to her usual standards, but there was nothing she could do about it now.

"Relax, love," Klaus said, dropping a kiss onto her shoulder before pulling her through the door. Caroline blinked as a cacophony of sounds wrapped around her. The spelled rooms were both a gift and curse; they granted them privacy but also stripped them of any situational awareness. There could have been an army waiting for them and they wouldn't have noticed.

And where have all these workers come from?

Elijah glared at them from his spot beside the fireplace when they eventually made it to the drawing room. All trace of his experience at the Lockwood house had been scrubbed away, and he wore his customary three piece suit once more. "So kind of you to join us," he said. "I'm having most of our personal items shipped to New Orleans and the plantation property is already being aired. I'll join you there once I've successfully located Katerina."

"I'm afraid Caroline and I have made other plans, brother," Klaus drawled. "We're going to New York."

"Sounds delightful, much more interesting than fusty old New Orleans" said Kol, bursting through the doors behind them, and Caroline barely stopped herself from jumping. Kol grinned at her knowingly as Rebekah entered the room after him, rolling her eyes.

"Yes, Kol, we've all heard your opinion of New Orleans before."

"And yet nobody seems to pay me any heed," Kol sighed. "The tragedy of my life."

"Has the Lockwood property been taken care of?" Elijah asked, and Rebekah threw herself into an armchair.

"It went up like a roman candle," she said, satisfaction colouring her voice. "The Bennett witch took care of the Doppelganger's remains."

Caroline felt a pang of guilt. She had forgotten about Elena - and who would take care of Jeremy now she was gone? Something told her Bonnie wouldn't really appreciate her input in the matter, especially as she also had to bury her mother.

"I also gathered mother's remains as well as Finn's daggered body." Rebekah said, ploughing on. "He's in a bit of a state but, all things considered, he's probably better off sleeping though the next few centuries. They're in the dining room"

Kol slouched down into the couch. "I doubt a few extra centuries of sleep are going to cure his ennui, Bekah," he said. "We should probably put him out of his misery. Where was it you found that stake again, Klaus?"

"Wickery bridge," Klaus said absently and Rebekah sighed, getting to her feet. "It seems I need to find more accelerants," she said.

Kol caught Caroline's eyes and smirked. "Bekah is our family's arsonist. She likes watching things burn." A chair leg blurred through the air and Kol snatched it out of the air before it staked him in the chest. "Tut, tut, Rebekah, that's rude. For that, I think I'll come along and annoy you for the afternoon...and make sure you don't try to stash away any White Oak for future use."

Elijah tapped his fingers on the desk as they departed once more, bickering all the way. "We should seal their coffins," he said abruptly. "Perhaps your Bennett friend could help with that?"His eyes rested on Caroline and she felt immediately suspicious. Elijah always preferred to act as if she wasn't present.

"I'm not sure if she'll come here," she admitted. "And she's probably going to be busy making funeral arrangements for Elena and her mother."

"I'm sure Miss Bennett will realise it's in her best interest to make sure our mother isn't resurrected again," he said idly. "And we're going to move them to Klaus's other property to place them with the other coffins, so she'll have no need to come here."

Caroline tried to pick his words apart to see the catch, but she couldn't find any. "Okay, I'll do it."

Elijah nodded. "Very good, I shall transport the bodies there before I start tracking Katerina."

"You know, I do believe they call that stalking nowadays," Kol mused aloud.

"Very amusing," Elijah said. "However, it does behoove us to find her as soon as possible. She knows too much now. Who knows what mischief she may get up to if left to her own devices."

"That's a delightful thought," Rebekah muttered. "Try to remember you're supposed to kill her this time, brother."

"If you're so keen to see the job done, perhaps you should go with him, Bekah," Kol teased.

"Oh please," Rebekah said, rolling her eyes. "I've wasted enough of my time on Doppelgangers and, besides, it's Elijah's mess, he should clean it up."

The tension in the room was rising, and Caroline decided to make her escape before the furniture went flying again. "I'll find Bonnie," she said, turning to Klaus. "I'll meet you at the other property?"

"I may need a while longer to wrap things up here, love, " he said, dropping a kiss on her forehead, and Caroline could almost feel the eyes of his siblings burning a hole into the back of her head. Finding a way to coexist with Mikaelsons might be her greatest challenge yet. You'd think her literally pulling them from a burning pyre would cut her some slack, but apparently not.

But as awkward as the Mikaelson family were, it was the next bit she dreaded the most. She didn't think she was up to seeing Bonnie again, especially after killing her mother, but she didn't really have a choice.

Caroline stepped out into the sun and straightened her spine. She was an Original now, it was time she started acting like it.

"Caroline," Bonnie said stiffly, leaning against her doorway. "What are you doing here?" She looked exhausted. There were dark circles under her eyes and a tightness around her mouth that hadn't been there before. Caroline wanted nothing more than to turn around and leave her be, but she didn't have a choice

"I need your help," she said reluctantly.

A line appeared between her eyes as she looked over Caroline's shoulder warily, checking to see if she was alone. "I think I've given you enough help, don't you? It's probably best if you leave. I have a lot to do today."

Caroline didn't know what to say, so she went with the truth. "We need to seal Esther's coffin" she said. "Elijah seems to think there is a possibility she still might come back if her coffin isn't properly taken care of."

Bonnie's shoulders slumped. "You said you'd be gone today, Care," she said. ""And I have my mother's funeral to take care of and Elena…" She gulped, blinking back tears, and Caroline felt something in her chest wrench. She hadn't allowed herself to think too much about the devastation she was leaving in her wake. Her own mother's own death still loomed too large in her mind.

"How's Jeremy?" she asked softly.

Bonnie shrugged stiffly. "Alaric is staying with him," she said. "They're both messes of course, but at least they're messes together." Unlike Bonnie, who had nobody left except an absentee Dad who barely remembered she was alive. Once again, she and Bonnie had way too much in common…except for the fact Caroline had Klaus now.

"I know this is a lot to ask right now," Caroline said. "But the Mikaelson's are leaving. They're just taking care of some loose ends first.

"Like their mother," Bonnie said dryly, and Caroline nodded silently. With a sigh, Bonnie nodded too. "I'll get my coat and Grimoire."

They drove in separate cars to the coffin's location. Bonnie made some excuse about having to make funeral arrangements afterwards, but Caroline knew why she'd really insisted on driving separately. Her childhood friend didn't want to spend more time in her presence than she had to. She wasn't going to lie, it definitely stung.

Bonnie made a face as they stepped over the threshold. "I can't say I'm happy to be back here," she said.

Caroline sighed, remembering the delight Kol had taken in compelling Stefan to kill Bonnie. She could understand why her friend wouldn't want to revisit here. "I thought it'd be better than Klaus's place," she said apologetically.

Bonnie glanced around warily. "Let's get this over with, before one of your psychotic in-laws decide to join us."

A polite cough came from a doorway and Elijah stepped into the foyer. "I'm afraid one of us is already here," he said, gesturing into the room he had just come from. "I shall endeavour to have you on your way as soon as possible, however."

Caroline crossed her arms. "I thought you'd be looking for Katherine by now."

"It can wait," Elijah said evenly. "Our mother is a very resourceful witch. I'd prefer to see the deed done with my own eyes."

Is, not was, once again Caroline was reminded that, for a Mikaelson, death was not necessarily the end. She turned to Bonnie, who shrugged.

"The old sealing spell needed the linkage of two generations to work," she said, as she opened her satchel and pulled out a handful of crystals and a huge wax candle. "Mikael used Abby and Lucy to open it the first time around but as I'm the last Bennett left alive, I'll have to use a workaround. It should hold until Klaus finds a coven to seal it properly, though," she said.

"There are many powerful covens in New Orleans," Elijah declared. "It should not be too difficult to procure their services."

Bonnie gave him a wary look as she passed him, and Caroline followed closely behind. Esther's coffin was on a pedestal, placed above the others.

"Don't you think it's kind of creepy that he keeps coffins for his siblings?" Bonnie muttered.

Caroline threw her a grin. The truth was, she could understand why Klaus kept them. In the world of vampires, where emotions run high and impetuousness could fuel bad decisions, a time out was a very tempting option.

"Will this take long?" Elijah asked, from behind them, and Caroline turned to see him frowning at his phone.

Bonnie placed the candle on the coffin and, with the wave of her hand, lit it. "It's not a complicated spell," she said, as she placed the crystals at the four points of the compass and closed her eyes. Latin, rather than her usual Greek or Aramiac, fell from her lips and the crystals flared with light. The air around the coffin shimmered and the candle flickered out. Bonnie opened her eyes.

"It's done," she said, as she gathered up her crystals. "The coffin should remain safely sealed for a number of years but it's probably best if you get your Nola witches on the job as soon as possible."

Caroline tried to ignore the lurking presence of Elijah. "I'll walk you to your car," she said, ignoring his sardonic nod as they left the room. The elder Original was up to something and she couldn't figure out what it was. All she knew right now was that she wanted to put as much distance as possible between Elijah and Bonnie.

Bonnie glanced back at the house warily as they reached her car. "I guess this is it," she said, with a tremulous smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. It began to dawn on Caroline that this was probably the last time she'd ever see her friend.

"I don't know what to say, Bonnie," Caroline said. "I tried to keep you safe but no matter what I did, things just got worse."

"I get it," Bonnie said. "I don't like it but I understand. The things I did to try and keep Elena alive...Jenna…" She bit her lip. "I know how it feels like to be cornered, to have no options but bad ones, but Caroline…" She blinked away tears and Caroline could feel her own eyes fill up in response.

"I get it Bonnie, I do, you want to have a normal life and I don't fit into that world anymore." Caroline opened the car door for her and smiled. "Bye Bonnie, I'm going to miss you."

"Care," Bonnie sighed, and threw her arms around her, hugging her tight. "Don't get killed, okay?"

"Technically, I don't think that is possible anymore," Caroline murmured into her hair as she hugged her back.

Bonnie let out a snort of laughter. "Not quite true," she said, under her breath. "But perhaps this is not the best moment to bring it up."

The sound of rubber on gravel caught Caroline's attention, and she extricated herself from Bonnie's arms and turned to see Elijah leaning against the doorway, a speculative look on his face. "Can I do something for you, Elijah?" she asked.

"I was hoping to get a lift back with you," he said. "The transport van has long left."

Caroline didn't try to hide the roll off her eyes. "Sorry about this," she muttered.

"Hey, they're your in-laws, not mine," Bonnie said, and smirked at Caroline's sudden frown as she got behind the wheel and started the engine. "Good luck with that."

Caroline watched as Bonnie sped away, her heart clenching as she realised she's just said goodbye to the last part of her human life.

"You have known each other long?" Elijah enquired.

"Since kindergarten," Caroline said softly.

"It's probably for the best then, mortals don't last very long in our world, even the ones with power." And that was when she felt a fiery blade strike through her back and into her heart. Caroline fell to her knees as she felt her consciousness slip away, and Elijah's hands fell like vices onto her shoulders. .

"I'm sorry Caroline, you did save our lives, but you're not family, even if Klaus did see fit to make you an Original. Don't worry, I'm not going to kill you, I owe you that, but I'm afraid you'll have that dagger in your chest for a very long time. He needs to forget about you and remember who his family truly are -always and forever…"

The world fell away and Caroline closed her eyes.

The pain was agonising as she awoke. The dagger was still piercing her heart through her spine, but seemed to have worked its way out of the main muscle. Silk rubbed against her cheek, and she opened her eyes. She was lying face down in a padded coffin but she still could see. Elijah hadn't attached the lid yet. Perhaps he wanted to have one final gloat before he stashed her away.

She reached behind her to grasp the dagger, her vision whiting out as pain ripped through her torso. Thankfully her arms still seemed to be working, although her legs were disturbingly numb, Caroline suspected the blade had severed her spinal cord and she needed to get it out before her heart stopped again. The last thing she wanted to do was wake up at the bottom of the ocean. She'd seen that episode of Angel.

Clutching at the dagger, Caroline pulled, shuddering as it came free. She bit down, trying to hold in the scream that threatened to escape her, as the muscles in her back began to knit together again. After a few moments, she took a deep breath, then two, before lifting her head to look over the edge of the coffin. The walls were cold stone, and a single bare bulb lit the room from above. Racks of wine bottles lined the wall and a narrow set of steep stone steps led up to a steel door above. He'd hidden her in the basement, away from the other coffins. If there was ever a sign that Elijah considered her nothing more than the hired help, this was it.

Caroline almost snarled at the thought. If he thought she was that easy to dispose of then he was in for a nasty surprise. She knelt up in the coffin and looked around. The coffin lid was propped up against the far wall by the foot of the steps and, on the lowest step, was a stoppered bottle. As quietly as she could, she lifted herself out of the coffin and crept across the room, her eyes trained above. She had no idea what Elijah was up to but she knew he wasn't the type to leave without nailing the coffin shut. .

She opened the bottle and took a wary sniff. The grey substance smelt of wood and ash and was familiar. It was the same stuff that coated the dagger in her hand, along with her blood.

Not believing her luck, Caroline wiped the dagger on her jeans and dipped it into the bottle before carefully placing it back on the step. She looked around for a place to hide. She didn't have many options and, in the end, she crouched down in the cramped space between the wine rack and the shadowed corner behind the coffin and settled in to wait.

It didn't take long. Elijah Mikaelson was a busy man, after all. He had a vampire Doppelganger to track down and kill. She heard the supple leather of his expensive shoes come to a halt outside the door and a key turning. So he hadn't been completely oblivious to the fact the dagger hadn't worked as it ought, probably because her skin hadn't greyed when it entered her heart. .

He paused in front of the empty coffin, his eyes flicking up just as she rushed him and the next thing she knew she was flying through the air. So much for the element of surprise. The dagger went flying, falling onto the rough floor with a clang and then skimming across the wood until it came to rest under a wine rack. Great, just great. She scrambled to her feet and glared at him.

He readjusted his suit, not even bothering to look at her. "Miss Forbes, you're still among us it seems. I may have to pay a visit to Miss Bennett and find out what your weakness is."

A chill ran through her. "Leave Bonnie out of this," she said."It's not her fault you have boundary issues."

He raised an eyebrow at her. "Boundary issues?" he echoed. "You have no idea what it's like to have lived as long as we have. We have no one to rely on but each other. Sacrifices must be made to maintain the integrity of our family, we've all paid the price at one time or another, now it's the turn of Niklaus. Always and forever."

He blurred, his speed impossible fast, and Caroline threw herself to the ground, screaming as he grabbed at her ankle, nails digging in and drawing blood. Her hand scrabbled under the rack for the dagger and she kicked at his face, the heel of her shoe making contact with what she suspected was his eye. He let out a roar of pain and anger and Caroline risked a glance over her shoulder. His jacket was ripped and blood was flowing freely from his left eye socket,The scent of it was almost suffocating in the confined space, and his lips peeled back into a rictus of a snarl. His fangs were on full display as their eyes connected, Elijah the gentleman had left the building, the monster was definitely in charge right now.

Her fingers made contact with the cool iron of the dagger's hilt and she clutched at it in vain as Elijah swept down and grabbed her by the throat, lifting her up until her feet dangled in the air. She pulled at his fingers but he just tightened his grip, closing her airway. Her vision began to blur as she felt herself losing consciousness. No, no, she could not let that happen.

Remembering her self defense classes she pulled her feet up and shoved at his chest. He stumbled back but didn't let go and, desperately, Caroline reached around for something, anything, to use as a weapon. Her hand found a wine bottle and she smashed on his head, before goring his throat with the broken remains of the bottle neck.

It worked. Caroline fell to the ground and scrambled back as Elijah clutched at his neck and glared at her, the veins of his monster creeping around his eyes. He had over a thousand years on her, and there was no way in hell she was going to beat him in a fair fight. She felt around behind her for the dagger hilt again and this time she had a firm grasp on it as he rushed her

The dagger went up under his ribs and into his heart, and Caroline couldn't help the gleeful triumph she felt as his faced greyed. She waved her fingers at him in farewell. "Goodnight, Elijah," she crowed, as she rolled him off her. "I think it's time Klaus moved on."

A slow clap echoed against the stone walls and Caroline jumped before she swung around. Kol was in the doorway above, a wide grin on his face. It seemed she was a dagger short.

"That was delightful, darling," Kol said, slowly descending the steps. "You are a vicious little thing, aren't you?."

Caroline straightened her back and shrugged, there was no point in trying to run. "He tried to make me disappear," she said. "I returned the favour "

Kol blurred, slamming her against the wall, his hand wrapped tightly around her throat, and Caroline braced herself. The elder Original couldn't kill her but he could hurt her badly, she had learned that lesson from Elijah. He looked down at her, as if trying to find something there, and then he smiled. "Oh yes, you'll do nicely," he murmured, before stepping back and sauntering away. "Welcome to the family, sister, I'm sure we're going to have a grand old time."

Caroline tentatively touched her throat, watching as Kol bent down and picked up the ash bottle before blurring up the steps. This family was just way too weird.

Wickery Bridge was on fire.

Its steel undercarriage groaned in the heat as the white oak railings burned brightly, and the Mystic Falls fire brigade, such as it was, scrambled over it in a vain attempt to save it. Caroline pulled up beside a familiar looking SUV and repressed a sigh as Rebekah hopped out and eyed her with resisted the urge to check herself in the mirror. She had tried to tidy herself up as best she could after dumping Elijah into the basement coffin, and she'd covered the gaping and bloody hole in the back of her top with her jacket, but she knew she still looked a mess. Hopefully the stench of smoke would cover the scent of blood.

"Elijah is looking for you," she said, without preamble, as Caroline stepped out of her car. That sentence alone told Caroline everything she needed to know. The two of them had been in it together.

"I thought he'd be looking for Katherine by now," she said. "Why is he looking for me?"

"Oh, you know, family stuff." Rebekah said, examining her perfectly manicured nails. "I'm surprised you haven't already bumped into him, honestly."

It was at moments like this, Caroline was very glad she had never mentioned the Wickery Bridge sign still in storage at the Mystic Falls Historical Society. Knowing she had a terrible poker face, she got back into her car. "Well, I guess I'm taking the long way around then. See you back at the house."

She had been trying to be casual but Rebekah's sharp look told her she hadn't quite pulled it off. Maybe she should have gone for bitchy instead. She gave Rebekah a wide fake smile as she started the engine and pulled away, her mind reaching for a credible story as to why she'd daggered Elijah. Maybe honesty was the best policy? That might work for Klaus, and Kol seemed more amused than anything else by her actions, but something told her Rebekah wouldn't take it lying down. Could she convince Klaus to leave town before his sister got back?

"Damn it," Caroline muttered, her grip tightening on the steering wheel, and the aluminium frame creaked under the pressure. Caroline scowled as she loosened her hold. She still wasn't used to the power boost given to her by Bonnie's spell.

If she had to second guess her every move, was there even a chance they had a future together? She had to tell Klaus the truth and hope she could convince him to see things her way. She wasn't looking forward to it. She was basically asking him to choose her over his family and she wasn't exactly brimming with confidence that he'd pick her.

In the end, the decision was taken out of her hands.

"What the hell were you thinking, Caroline!" Klaus said, the words exploding out of him as he stalked out of the house. He didn't even wait for her to stop the engine before he began his tirade.

"Rebekah?" she asked.

"Kol," he spat out.

Of course he did. Just because he approved, doesn't mean he wasn't going to have a little fun at her expense. "Things got a little out of hand," she admitted."But I didn't know what else to do. It was him or me."

"Is that so?" He said coldly, his eyes going flat, and Caroline resisted the urge to step back. He wouldn't hurt her, he couldn't hurt her. His hands swung to clasp behind his back, a smile curving his lips. Caroline knew him well enough to know it wasn't a good sign. He leaned in, looking down into her eyes. "Then why did you have a dagger on you, Sweetheart?"

"I didn't," she said softly, bracing herself. "Elijah did." This was it, this was the moment he chose his family over her. She would end up alone and forgotten, or dumped in a box at the bottom of the ocean.

His head tilted, studying her, and then something inside him shifted. He took her hand. "We need to get a move on if we're going to make it to London by the morning, best to forget about New York I think," he said simply, and Caroline let out a breath she hadn't known she'd been holding.

"Okay," she said, with a relieved smile. "We'll need to stop at my Mom's place to get my passport."

"Very well."

"And maybe a few other things."

"Caroline."

She pulled him to her, cradling his face with her hand. For better or for worse, this man was her future. "I love you."

Something peeked out at her from his gaze, something almost a little too human. "And I you, Sweetheart," he said. "But if we don't move now, my dear sister will burst both our eardrums with her screeching. I think it's best we skip town before she realises what has happened, don't you?"

Caroline laughed and reached for a kiss. "Alright, let's make our getaway," she said, against his lips, as he picked her up and carried her into the house.

London was calling.