Title: Revelations
Rating: PG
Summary: Even the most honorable actions have the potential to reveal Caroline's darkest secret.
Notes: I always intend to write drabbles and they just get to long.
Caroline heard the screaming as she got to the door of the Salvatore's house. Elena. When she opened the door, what she saw, wasn't what she expected.
"No! No! Let him go!"
Caroline turned towards the voice, finding Elena restrained by some man she didn't even recognize. He had an idiotic grin on his face and scent alone told her he was a hybrid. Just as Caroline was going to move to rush him, she caught site of where the rest of the drama was unfolding.
Stefan was against the wall, a man's hand wrapped around his neck. On closer inspection she could see his feet didn't even touch the ground. Vampire eyes stared at his opponent, but Stefan was no match. Klaus. She would recognize him anymore, even if she couldn't see his face. The question of why Damon wasn't helping his brother was made clear quickly.
Damon was busy with his own struggle, one of Klaus' brothers. Whatever his name was.
"You're going to kill him!" Elena screamed.
"Hardy love, I'll be ripping out his heart to do that," Klaus responded, squeezing his hand tighter around Stefan's throat. "You have no idea how long I've wanted to do this."
First thing first, Caroline realized and rushed the hybrid, throwing him across the room easily enough. The hybrid's were stupid, brute strength and nothing else. She wouldn't kill it, not yet at least. She pushed Elena behind her, now restraining her friend herself. "Stop it!" Klaus turned his head to her slowly, his eyes daring her. "Just stop it! You can't just keep walking around here killing everyone!"
"Why not?" Damon asked from where he was on his hands and knees, trying to recover. "Isn't that what he does best?"
Caroline watched as the brother kicked him in the stomach. "Damon, shut up!" With that she turned back to Klaus and took a step forward. "You have your hybrids, you have your doppelgänger, you have your family! What could Stefan have possibly done?"
"Stefan will always be a thorn in my side." Klaus turned his head to face the vampire who was the topic of conversation. "Killing you now would save me decades if not centuries of headaches."
"You're a freaking Original!" Caroline yelled at him. "Aren't we like ants to you or something, insignificant?"
"That's an interesting way of putting it," Klaus said smoothly and peered up at Stefan curiously.
"Please," Caroline begged, feeling Elena's hand tighten on her arm in fear and worry. "What more do you want?" Klaus turned his head towards her, tilting it slightly as their eyes met. It wasn't that he was looking at her, it was the way he was looking at her. The anger was gone. Instead, a corner of his mouth turned up in a small knowing smile, which somehow still reached his eyes. It took her only moment to catch his meaning and she couldn't stop herself from inhaling sharply.
Klaus turned back to Stefan and slowly settled him to the ground, releasing his neck. "Let's not do this again anytime soon. What do you say?" He made a show of brushing off one of Stefan's shoulders and nodded to his brother.
Caroline stayed in front of Elena, watching the hybrid from the corner of her eye as he followed his sire. As Klaus walked passed her she met his eyes. Then he winked and she felt Elena's hand tense on her arm.
As the door closed, Elena rushed forward, checking on Stefan first. He quickly assured her he was fine and then she moved to Damon. Caroline sighed in relief, relaxing. Then she met Stefan's eyes. As usual, his face gave away nothing, he only stared at her. No one stopped Klaus without a means to threaten him or make a deal. No one. When Caroline had walked through that door she had nothing to threaten Klaus with, she made no deal, he simply just let Stefan go at her request. And now Stefan knew that.