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Chapter 28: We're All Monsters
Elena sat in his room in the centre of the bed, tears staining her cheeks, waiting for Damon to come back. It had been over an over since he'd left 'for air' and she couldn't help but feel the heavy weight of guilt on her shoulders, and the bundle of anxiety on in her belly. Her head shot up when she heard the someone in the doorway, but her heart sank when she saw her friend instead of Damon. Her eyes dropped back to her lap. "Hey Care." She mumbled.
"I get why he's mad." she started as she stepped into the room. "In fact, I'm surprised he hasn't ripped anyone's head off yet." she said with a huff of a laugh that held no mirth.
"Really don't need the guilt trip right now." Elena grumbled; her voice hoarse from crying.
Caroline sighed, and plopped down on the bed across from her. "I'm not trying to guilt trip you, Elena. I think you just need to see it from our side. Not only were you planning on sacrificing yourself, but you weren't even going to tell us? And we're supposed to what; just accept it and move on? I've known you all my life…you're my best friend, and I say that knowing Bonnie is down the hall probably listening to everything I'm saying." That was enough to make Elena's lips curl in a weak smile. "And Damon…well, I don't think I want to see how he handles a world without you in it." Elena lip trembled; she knew the feeling, the thought of living in a world without him wasn't one she wanted to live in at all. "You know…being a vampire isn't that bad. I mean besides the blood habit, it's kind of fun."
Elena shook her head and crawled off the bed to pace the floor as her thoughts were finally given a voice. "It's not about that. I'd turn for Damon; if it means that I'd get to spend eternity loving him…I'd do it in a heartbeat." she exclaimed choking down tears. "If it means a thousand years of waking up next to him, I'd do it tomorrow, Caroline!"
Caroline turned to face her. "Then what's the problem?"
"All I've ever wanted was to be someone's mom; to carry on the legacy my parents left for me and make my mark in this world. Have something normal…if I turn, I close the door on ever having that. Isobel chose to be a vampire over being a mother, and she's the type of person that would look me dead in the eye and tell me I meant nothing to her."
Caroline offered her a sympathetic look. "You're not Isobel, Elena."
She threw here hands up in the air. "How do you know that? How can I possibly know what I'm going to be like as a vampire? What if it changes me? What if I can't control myself and kill someone! What if I can't handle it and turn off my humanity, I can't-I can't go through that Caroline, my humanity is all I have, if I lose that then I-I-I..." she trailed off in a rambling stutter as all her fears started pour out of her. She was panicking; her heart racing as her eyes darted around the room.
Caroline was at her side in an instant, resting her hands on her shoulders. "Look at me…you're going to be okay. I know it's scary, but you know what…so is dying. All I remember thinking was how it wasn't enough time, and how terrified I was of no longer existing." She canted her head with a reassuring smile. "You're a good person…and being a vampire only heightens those qualities. So, if something happens, you'll deal with it, if that's what you're really worried about. And when it comes to having a normal life…well I think it's fair to say that's not really in the cards for us, but if that's truly what you want…" Her eyes bore pointedly into Elena's, "if that's what's holding you back…then you should end it; now…before you get too invested."
Elena reeled back, Caroline's words literally staggering her. "What?"
"Come on, Elena…I'm not trying be harsh but you know I'm right."
Elena held back tears. "I'm already invested! Caroline, I've loved Damon my whole life. I can't picture my life without him!"
The blonde sighed sadly. "If you want kids, you know that Damon can't give you that, and it's not fair to either of you to drag this out until you decide you want more." She watched reality hit her friend in the face. She softened her gaze and her lips turned down in a sympathetic frown. "I want both of you to be happy, and if I'm being honest, seeing you with Damon…you've never been happier." She squeezed her friend's shoulder in comfort. "I hope you make the right decision."
Elena watched her walk out of the room, and threw herself back on the bed.
…
The next morning didn't greet them with any better news. Caroline sped back over to the boarding house as fast as she could and was met with Stefan's somber face on the other side. "Klaus has Tyler." she rushed out frantically, brushing passed him as she rambled on. "I got all these pictures from Tyler's number this morning." She held her phone up as Stefan followed her back into the house with concern, grabbing the phone from her hand. "I thought he was going to leave us all alone as long Elena cooperated?" Caroline was near tears.
Stefan's brows furrowed as the phone buzzed in his hand. "I don't think this has to do with Elena." He handed it back to her, and she read through the message as it came through, tunneling a hand through her hair at the crown of her head.
"Klaus wants to meet with me?" she exclaimed in disbelief.
Damon stormed into through the front door, looking worse for wear and still a little drunk. "Out of the question." He sauntered into the living room, avoiding eye contact with Stefan altogether, as if he wasn't even there, and kept his focus solely on Caroline. "There is no way you're meeting with Klaus. We can't afford the consequences of another secret Original meeting." he grumbled sourly.
The blonde rounded on him. "Well, what about Tyler? I know you don't care about him, but I do!" she threw back his words from last night in his face.
Damon rolled his eyes skyward. "I didn't really mean that. I didn't have you spend all this time preventing him from turning just to let him die. Listen, I will make sure we get Tyler back, okay, but the last thing I need is you getting caught in this mess. You're safer if you just stay out of it."
"He's threatening to kill him if I don't meet up with him tonight." She handed Damon her phone so he could see for himself.
Stefan stepped forward. "I'll come with you."
Damon's response was the read the message out loud. "Meet me at 2050 Fulton Way at 8:30pm. Come alone, or Tyler dies. Sincerely Niklaus. I don't like this, Caroline. This has trap written all over it."
She threw her arms in the air. "Well, what am I supposed to do, call his bluff? He doesn't seem like the kind of person to not follow through on a promise. And according to him, he loves torturing people." she added bitterly.
A frown pulled on Stefan's brows. "When did he tell you that?"
"The other night, after the meeting in town square. He basically ambushed me at the Grill while I was waiting for Tyler." she explained recalling the moment.
"What did he say to you? Did he threaten you with something?" Damon pressed; concern written on his face.
Caroline shrugged. "No actually…he was trying to be nice. Wanted me to get to know him. He called me fascinating." Her words came out awkwardly and sceptical, but her gaze snapped up when she heard the two brothers snickering to themselves. "What?" she demanded.
Stefan tried hard to hide his smile. "He likes you, Caroline."
Her eyes nearly bulged out of her head. "What! no! No way…why?"
Damon chuckled. "I guess you left a good impression on him. Maybe he has a thing for blondes."
"Ew, Damon!" she slapped his shoulder.
"Hey! This could work in our favor." The wheels in his head started turning, and he tapped a finger on his mouth thoughtfully.
"How exactly?" Caroline asked, crossing her arms, and glaring at him.
…
After Caroline left, Damon opted for keeping the buzz going by pouring himself another drink. He'd probably polished off the best that the dive bar he found himself in last night had to offer and then some, but the thoughts that ran through his head while sober was enough to make him want to bathe in bourbon. It didn't help that Stefan was boring holes in his back. The tension in the room was so tangible they could hear it; pulled taught like the hum of a violin bow.
Stefan broke the silent between them. "Elena's still here, if you were wondering." he started lowly, watching as Damon's back rippled with stiffness when he brought the glass to his lips. "She hasn't left your room since last night. I'm worried about her." Damon responded with what could only be described as a grunting sigh before finishing off his bourbon, letting the glass hit the surface of the credenza behind the sofa loudly. Stefan walked with purpose further into the living room, forcing Damon to acknowledge him. "Are you going to just keep ignoring me?" Damon's icy blue glare snapped up, staring at Stefan coldly through his eyebrows before slowly topping up his drink. "Are you mad about what I said or the fact that she told me about her plan before you?"
Damon's jaw clenched. "Do you really want to have this conversation with me right now, Stefan? Because I can guarantee you don't like what I have to say." he grumbled resentfully.
The younger brother shrugged. "Well, maybe I need to hear it. Come on, Damon; let me have it! We've been beating around the bush for weeks now, why don't you finally tell me how you feel now that it's all out in the open!" He encouraged boldly.
"Stop it, Stefan." He countered with warning.
"Tell me! It's not like we haven't been in this position before, brother. We both know how this plays out." Stefan continued to push, forcing him to the edge.
Damon's eyes darkened and in less than a second, he had Stefan pinned to the wall, a hand gripping his brother's throat. "Stop. Talking." he ground out between clenched teeth.
"All this time…" Stefan started, forcing out his words through the stranglehold. "you've been acting like how I feel about Elena doesn't bother you; trying to be understanding, accommodating…" Damon's grip tightened and he snarled. "I wish for once you'd just tell me the truth."
Damon released him roughly, and Stefan keeled over, rubbing his neck and coughing. "You want the truth, brother?" Damon's chest heaved as he narrowed his gaze of Stefan, watching as he glanced up at him. "I saw this coming months ago! From the day you showed up at my doorstep. Because I know you; this is your pattern! Every time you set your eyes on something I want, on something that's just mine, you have to worm your way in and take it from me!" he yelled, the veins in his neck bulging. "Ever since we were kids, Stefan! Everything I had I had to share with you! Everything I loved, you loved more! Even with Katherine…" he sighed in frustration. "Just when I thought that I had her to myself, you had to swoop in and do what you always do." he grumbled in disdain, his upper lip curling as he gestured to him. "But not this time…not with Elena." he stated, almost pleadingly.
"Damon…" Stefan began with foreboding.
The elder Salvatore pointed at him menacingly. "Don't you say it, Stefan. I don't want hear it!" he backed away putting space between them.
Stefan offered him a sympathetic glance, pushing off that wall and closing the distance between them again. He knew how much this would hurt his brother, but it was killing him too, and he was willing to deal with the consequences that followed. "I'm in love with her." Damon turned his back on his brother, his eyes wild with fury and his fist clenching at his sides. Something in him snapped, and he spun around throwing his fist square across Stefan's jaw sending him flying into the wall behind. The painting came crashing down and Stefan followed, rolling onto his back looking up as Damon sped over to him, his eyes dark red with rage. Stefan sped to his feet and grabbed him by the shirt slamming him to the wall. "I'm sorry, Damon." Damon pushed him back roughly, but Stefan pinned him back forcing him to hear him out. "You have every reason to hate me…I've taken so much from you over the years, and I know that you resent me for making you turn only to turn my back on you when you needed me."
Damon swatted his brother's hands off him and forcefully pushed him back and pinned him the to opposite wall with a resounding crack. "See that's my problem, Stefan!" he growled in his face. "Is that despite all that, I don't hate you, which is why I let you do this to me time and time again. But you know what…" he leaned in closer, fixing him with an icy penetrating glare. "I'm done." he whispered.
The ruckus must have woken Elena, because she came barreling down the stairs stopping a few feet from them, her eyes darting between them nervously. Stefan was still pinned to the wall by Damon's forearm against his chest. "What's going on?" Stefan's eyes swung to her which only seemed to anger Damon more and he grabbed him and slammed him against the wall again, earning a groan from him and a gasp from Elena. "Damon, what are you doing?!"
She rushed over and his low voice stopped her with a warning, although his eyes never left his brother. "Get out of here, Elena."
"I'm not going anywhere!" Her gaze settled on Stefan, silently asking if he was okay, and he nodded in response. "Damon…" he ignored her, so she cautiously stepped closer; putting her hands over his arm, and pulled down, which he resisted at first, but soon complied. "Look at me." she turned his head to face her. "I'm not going anywhere." she repeated, emphasizing her meaning. "Let's talk, okay?" Damon let her guide him upstairs, and against her better judgement, she risked a glance back at Stefan, who was watching them go with a dejected look on his face. She didn't know how to handle this; she never wanted to hurt him and yet, she ended up forcing him to let down his walls, effectively making him vulnerable to her rejection…and now the rejection of his own brother.
She cast her eyes down, and tried to get her racing heart under control as she followed Damon up the stairs. Once they were behind the door of his room, she let out a deep breath. Caroline had left her with a lot to think about, and while either decision wouldn't be easy, she had to make a choice. Elena had no idea where to start, but she figured the beginning was the best place.
"When I was a little girl, I had this image of what my life would be like. I'd grow up, get married to Mark-Paul Gosselaar and have a bunch of kids." she chuckled. "I was going to follow in my dad's footsteps…go to med school, be his legacy." Damon's head bowed, as if even the mention of his friend brought with it all the guilt and pain of losing him. "But all that changed one day when some dark, mysterious man showed up at my house. He was handsome, and his eyes were this amazing shade of blue…" Damon's gaze snapped up, and he offered her a lopsided smirk. "And his smile…made me weak in the knees. He was everything but normal, and a part of me was fascinated by that. Then my parents died, and he made it his life's mission to protect me, and I knew then that no other man would ever measure up. Damon...I have been in love with you my whole life, and I'll love you for lifetimes to come."
He stepped towards her hesitantly, his eyes wide and imploring. "What are you saying?"
She shot him a beaming smile. "I'm saying that you are everything to me, and if turning into a vampire means being with you forever, then I know what my choice is going to be." He closed the gap between them and lifted her into his arms earning a laugh from her.
"Are you sure you want this?" he whispered ardently.
Elena wrapped her hands around his neck, threading her fingers through his hair. "I want you. I was scared of what turning meant for me…I was afraid of who I'd be, but I realized that I'd never stop loving you, and as long as I had that I'd be okay." Damon heard the door slam beneath them, and slowly lowered Elena back to her feet, with a deep frown. "What's wrong?"
"Stefan." He plopped down on his bed, and Elena followed, sitting cross legged in front of him. "Katherine was right…we're doomed to repeat history." he mumbled sadly.
She grabbed his hands. "No, you aren't. Because I'm not Katherine; I'm not going to let Stefan come between us. I love you, Damon. I don't love Stefan."
He seemed to be relieved, and she watched the weight come off his shoulders. "I know. I'm worried I'm going to lose him all over again. He won't be able to handle it, and he's going to leave. It's what he does. I just got my brother back, Elena."
She crawled to his side, and rested her head on his shoulder as she wrapped her arms around him in comfort.
…
Later that night, Caroline looked at the address again as she stood in front of the building. This couldn't be right. Hesitantly, she pushed the door open and glanced around when someone walked up to her with a bright smile.
"Hi, you must be Caroline. Right this way." The woman led her through the empty restaurant and to a table in the middle of the room, where a smirking Klaus sat, dressed immaculately in a suit; his elbows resting on the table, hands clasped in front of him.
Her jaw dropped. She had to admit that he cleaned up nice. As she approached, he stood, pulling out her chair and tucking it in as she sat down. "Thank you for coming." he whispered by her ear, before taking his seat across from her.
She did her best to collect herself, and cleared her throat before responding. "Well, it's not like I was left with much of a choice." Her eyes darted around, feeling very nervous as he stared at her openly. "Feeling a little underdressed…could have warned me that this was a formal thing." She grumbled with annoyance; she had opted for a floral pink baby-doll blouse, black jeans, and a tan leather jacket with matching ankle boots.
He chuckled, bowing his head almost bashfully. "I think you look beautiful. Drink?" he called the waitress over, and she offered Caroline her arm, which already had puncture holes. Caroline's eyes reddened and her fangs protruded. Forcing her self control, she turned away and shook her head. "Ah…" he grabbed the arm of the waitress and forced her to look at him. "Bring us some of the blood bags from the back will you…and the finest cabernet sauvignon you have."
She eyed him curiously. "Where's Tyler?"
"I'll tell you everything you want to know about Tyler at the end of the night. But other than that…I'm an open book. Ask me anything you want to know. I'm sure you have questions." He leaned back in his chair, smiling easily. They waited as the wine, and blood was poured for them, and Klaus raised his glass to cheers her. She did so tentatively, trying to figure out what his angle was.
The waitress left, and she narrowed her eyes at him. "Why are doing this? Why do you want to kill Elena?"
He leaned forward. "My mother was a very powerful witch. Over a thousand years ago, she had an affair with a man in their village…a werewolf. I was born a bastard; a secret she kept for decades from our father, Mikael. When she turned us into vampires, and I had my first kill, I triggered my werewolf curse. I was unstoppable, insatiable…and a threat to my father who hated me so. In an effort to contain me, my mother and father worked together to suppress my werewolf side, and in doing so, killed the one woman I'd ever loved to seal the curse. Her name was Tatia Petrova."
Realization dawned on Caroline. "The doppelganger." Now her interest was piqued. She leaned in. "Wait…so your parents killed the love of your life?"
He stared off, seemingly lost in the memory. "Without a second thought. You see…my mother didn't realize the curse she placed on us when she used her magic to turn us into vampires. It was only meant to make us stronger…faster, so we could protect ourselves against the threat of the werewolves. But with dark magic, comes dark consequences." he continued forebodingly. "We never asked for this, my siblings and I. It was forced upon us by our creators and now Mikael hunts us like vermin, set to fulfill my mother's tasks."
She swallowed. "Which is what?"
His eyes fixed on her intently. "To fix her mistake…and eliminate her children."
"How could she do that…to her own kids?" She couldn't believe any mother would be willing to kill their own children for any reason.
Klaus sipped his wine, savoring the taste. "To her we were an abomination, and the destruction we caused left the blood on her hands. She couldn't even stand the sight of us."
Caroline sipped her wine too with a hum of approval. "What happened to her?"
"I killed her."
For some reason that didn't come as a surprise. She thought it best just to push passed the family drama. "So, you want to retrigger your werewolf side. Why? So, you can be the most powerful creature on the planet? You can't just settle for being supernatural?"
"I don't settle, love. For anything. If I want something I usually just take it." he added with a shrug and a quirk of a smile. He could tell she wasn't impressed, so tried another tactic. "Full disclosure? Mikael is the one thing I'm most afraid of." he explained humbly. "He's stronger than me, and all my siblings. We have never been able to gain the upper hand on him. The killing of Mikael is of the utmost importance, now more than ever that he's free. If he's successful in killing me or any of my siblings, vampires will seize to exist." He could sense the sadness in her face. "You're worried about your friend. She's making a valiant sacrifice."
She crossed her arms defensively. "Yeah, I just don't see it that way. I see it as you taking her life prematurely for your own selfish reasons." her brow arched high on her forehead. "You can't convince me otherwise." She grabbed her glass of blood, and slammed it back. "Are we done here?"
Klaus chuckled. "Not even close. Relax…settle in. We have all night." Soon, the food came out and it was five-star cuisine; by far the fanciest she'd ever had the opportunity to indulge in. "Enjoy."
They ate quietly, with Caroline risking glances up at him every so often. Halfway through, she put her fork down and waited for him to look up at her. "What are we doing? Is this a date?" she asked bluntly. He laughed with amusement but didn't answer. "The wine, dinner, the romantic lighting, the closed down restaurant…come on. Why are you doing all this?"
His eyes bore into her deeply. "I fancy you."
A flushed waved over her and it stole her breath. The only way to hide if was to make a joke. "I don't know whether to be flattered or deathly afraid." she laughed awkwardly, flicking the hair out of her face.
"You should be flattered. I haven't told a woman that since 1878." he laughed again when her eyes widened. "One thing is for sure, pet…you need not be afraid of me."
"Why?" her voice was raspy and whispered, her insecurities bleeding through. "You hardly know me, and getting the dish from all the townies doesn't count. They only know the basics…the girl I used to be before I turned. I'm not that person anymore."
Klaus sipped his wine, looking down into the bottom of the glass, letting it roll over his tongue as he thought through his words. "Do you know how I spent my evening last night? Tyler was kind enough to let me into his inner most thoughts. I walked in his shoes…saw you through his eyes. That boy is quite taken with you, Caroline."
She shook her head in shock. "H-how…how can you do that?"
He waved a hand flippantly. "Parlor trick…any vampire can see inside the mind of someone weaker than them, but it takes years of practice to see deeper than the forefront."
He had her rapt attention. "What did you see?"
"I saw a woman who suffered great loss, but still managed to put a smile on her face every day. Someone focused, strong, brave…a woman who deserves a lot more happiness in her life than what she was given. But do you know what I figured out on my own?" He paused watching as she blinked through the tears forming. It warmed her heart that Tyler thought those things about her, but it was frightening to know that Klaus had stolen that from his mind. What scared her more was him knowing something about her she didn't want anyone to know. He continued somberly, his eyes never leaving hers. "You're terrified someone will never love you. You want it…but it never comes. Those you feel for, reject you, planting seeds of doubt about your worth. But you smile and you pretend like you're okay, all the while a piece of you crumbles…"
Caroline's lip was quivering, her short panting breaths barely keeping the tears from her eyes. "How could you possibly know that?" she whispered painfully. She hadn't even acknowledged those feelings to herself, yet Klaus saw this in her plainly in such a short period of time.
"Because, I myself fear the same things, Caroline. We're not so different, you and I." His blue eyes shone, and he was sure that he felt the spark of electricity when her eyes met his. In this moment, she was so bare before him, all her carefully built walls reduced to debris.
Caroline wiped a tear that fell. "But we aren't the same either…I'm not a monster. I don't kill people." she snapped hoping her words cut him.
However, Klaus seemed to take no offense at all; instead, his lips curled up in a small smirk. "We're all monsters on the inside, love."
…
AN: Hi everyone! Sorry for the delay in getting this chapter up; it's been a busy couple of weeks. I hope you enjoyed this one. I know so people were asking about a Klaus/Caroline ship and I did always think that it should have had a bigger arch on the show than it did. Well, see a bit of a triangle forming in the next couple chapters. What did you think of Damon's fight with Stefan? And Elena finally made her choice! leave a review and let me know your thoughts 😊