A/N Welcome, readers! I wrote this darkness for Klaroline AU Season 2021, Week One: Rebellion. One of the many things that bothered me about TVD canon was the way everyone just forgot that Damon was a rapist. I decided to fix that. This is dark but also has lots of fluff and smut with a proper ending for Klaroline. It takes place after the eighth episode of season four but before the hybrid massacre. Please let me know what you think! (No concrit please!)

NOTE: I decided to break this up into five chapters, each from 2.5k-4.5k. I did this so anyone who wants to skip the torture and smut can just omit those chapters. I'll be updating every day for five days and posting warnings in the author's notes. Enjoy!

This story is dedicated to my dear friend, Srishti, the bravest rebel I know and my light in the dark.

Chapter One – Take Arms Against a Sea of Troubles

To die, to sleep. To sleep, perchance to dream—ay, there's the rub, for in that sleep of death what dreams may come when we have shuffled off this mortal coil, must give us pause. There's the respect that makes calamity of so long life.

Hamlet, Act III Scene I – William Shakespeare

Was there anyone on the planet more selfish and sanctimonious than Elena Gilbert? If there was, Caroline Forbes hadn't met her. What had begun as a fun girl's night spiraled into a shit storm with a few words out of her alleged best friend's mouth.

"So, what exactly was it about him that made you jump right into bed with him as soon as you met him?"

That bitch.

Compulsion. That's what made her jump into bed with Damon Salvatore… And when she'd tried to escape, he'd held her down, bitten her, terrorized her, used her and then compelled her again to keep her mouth shut and smile all the while. As if that wasn't bad enough, in rare moments of lucidity when she'd cry and ask if he was going to kill her, he said yes. And then he'd compel her to smile again. The worst of all was how he made her forget it all ever happened.

And then, she died.

And now, she remembered.

Oh sure, she'd called him out on it right after she'd turned, but then she'd let it go for the sake of her friends. That was when the nightmares started. Because living through all over again after her death wasn't brutal enough, she'd wake up with the feel of his skin on hers. Her neck burned like he'd sunk his fangs in her all over again as he drained her nearly to the point of death before having his way with her body. Covered in sweat, she'd shake her head and remind herself that it was over. She wasn't weak anymore. She never had to go through that again. But she still had to see him. All. The. Time.

And then Elena fell in love with him.

Not only that, but she threw it right back in Caroline's face. That bitch. Her words that night had been enough. The baby vampire had finally reached her breaking point. She'd gone home and completely fallen apart, tears threatening to choke her as she once again relived every degrading, horrifying, disgusting memory of all that her own personal monster had done to her. And how no one had cared.

Once her sobs subsided, her mind started spinning. She imagined all the ways she could keep him away from Elena, keep what had happened to her from happening to the doppelganger. And it would happen because Damon Salvatore couldn't help himself and that would never change. There was only one man who could help make her fantasies a reality. After all, he'd asked to hear about her hopes and dreams. And her dreams were dark indeed.

Some would have called it revenge; she called it justice.

"Hello, love." Klaus Mikaelson held the door open as he greeted her pleasantly, welcoming her inside with an arrogant smirk plastered beneath his gruff stubble. "Come to distract me for your friend's next little plot of treachery?" he asked lightly with raised brows, as though he was happy to see her regardless of her intentions.

Caroline walked into the freshly renovated mansion with purpose, chin held defiantly high. "Actually, no. Elena and Damon are too busy fucking and Stefan's too busy moping to plan anything. They don't even know I'm here." She took a step forward, cleavage clearly visible in her little black dress as she stood chest to chest with the mighty hybrid. "This visit is our little secret," she whispered seductively, voice a sultry whisper as she stared up at him coquettishly.

Klaus let his eyes fall to her chest and linger on her breasts for just a moment too long before meeting her sapphire eyes, searching for any sign of deception. Finding none for a change, he quirked a curious brow, upper lip curling into a sly smirk. "Well, now I'm intrigued. Care for a drink?" He held out his arm, inviting her to follow him to the living room.

"Love one." She walked ahead of him, the heels of her strappy sandals clicking against the marble floors. She definitely needed a little liquid courage to get through this.

Once they were seated in front of his fireplace, sitting only a few feet apart on his plush sofa, the hybrid took a sip of his bourbon and studied her closely. She was dolled up and sexier than he'd ever seen her, appearance clearly meant to entice him in nothing but a tiny scrap of fabric posing as a dress and shiny black stilettos. And yet, she'd said her friends had no idea she was there. It could have been a lie, of course, but there was a certain defiance in the way she carried herself that told him if she was plotting something, it wasn't against him. "Since I'm not flattering myself that you're here on a sudden whim to see me, what can I do for you, sweetheart?" he asked in his smooth British accent.

The blonde turned to face him, crossing one knee delicately over the other. She swirled her bourbon in her glass as she smiled at him seductively. "Actually, you're exactly who I need to see." He raised his brow at her use of the word 'need.' "I'm here to tell you a story."

Klaus leaned back against the couch, one arm thrown casually across the back so his fingers were just inches from her golden curls. He looked her over curiously. She seemed genuine, if a little bit anxious and less composed than she usually behaved around him; and he'd be lying to himself if he said he wasn't interested in hearing anything she had to say. She could have been there to read him the phone book for all he cared and he'd have memorized every number just to prove he'd paid attention. Trying to remain aloof, he shrugged one shoulder and tilted his head to the side. "I'm listening."

Caroline inhaled a shaky breath and finished her drink, setting down the glass. "It started when Stefan came back to town." She looked down at her hands fiddling in her lap as she steeled herself to open up to Klaus. She didn't think he'd judge her for telling the truth, and he deserved to have all the information if he was going to do this for her. And she wanted to be honest with him. She never had been before, but maybe this was her chance to change that. "I was insecure and jealous that he liked Elena more than me. And then, I met his brother."

For the next hour, she recounted every degrading horror Damon had put her through in as much graphic detail as possible, willing herself not to cry when she revealed that she'd been sixteen and human. She had to pause several times to rapidly blink moisture out of her eyes, but he didn't comment or make her feel childish for being vulnerable in front of him. Never once did he interrupt or tell her she'd done anything wrong, or suggest she should have done something differently. The more she talked, the more she felt comfortable sharing. Before long, she held nothing back until there were no secrets left between them.

Throughout her tale, she watched with secret delight as Klaus' rage began to grow. It started with a slight tightening of his jaw and progressed to the point that he gripped his glass of bourbon so tightly that the crystal shattered in his hand. He ignored the pain as his skin knitted itself back together, his eyes never leaving her face even when she had to look away. His irises bled with burning gold by the time she finished, black veins spreading uncontrollably down his face.

It was exactly what she'd been counting on.

Caroline finally stopped talking and waited patiently for the hybrid to respond. He inhaled a deep breath as he willed his monster back into its cage. To aid in that endeavor, he grabbed the nearby bottle of bourbon and chugged several shots, the burn of liquor down his throat soothing him. Setting it back down, he folded his hands in his lap and tilted his head to the side as he considered the woman sitting next to him. He already knew the answer – they both did – but he asked the question anyway. "Why come to me?"

The baby vampire narrowed her eyes. "You know why."

Klaus chuckled darkly, his smirk more predatory than ever; it gave her chills and a thrill of excitement, the air suddenly warm against her barely covered skin. "I do, but I want to hear you say it. What exactly is it that you want from me, sweetheart?" His voice was silk and held no trace of judgment but plenty of excitement. Whether she said it or not, she knew he would never let this go. And he knew she knew it, too. She was the one person on the planet who could play him and live to tell the tale. Although, in all fairness, he knew what she was doing and allowed it, making him complicit. She could get up and leave, but why would she? He was the one person on the planet who could hear her story and still see Damon as the bad guy. Whatever she wanted, he would give her. All she had to do was ask.

"Elena is sired to him," she shared with a grimace, hoping he wasn't actually going to make her voice her request aloud.

"I'm aware."

Caroline rolled her eyes with a huff. "Of course you are," she muttered under her breath, irritated how he always knew more than he let on. He couldn't help but smirk at her annoyance. "I can't let what happened to me happen to my best friend."

Klaus flashed her an angelic smile, dimples creased into his cheeks. "And what would you like me to do about that?"

Realizing he was not only not letting her off the hook but thoroughly enjoying watching her squirm, the forever teenager inhaled a deep breath and squared her shoulders, straightening her spine and crossing her arms over her chest so her breasts would pop. "I want him gone."

The hybrid quirked his brow at her candor. "You want me to kill Damon Salvatore?" he asked with an amused smile playing about his raspberry lips, as though this was some new game he couldn't wait to play.

"That isn't what I said." Caroline shook her head, golden curls swaying side to side. "I admit that I've thought about it; but his death will bring me no peace. I want justice," she clarified firmly, more to herself than to him. "Karma may be a bitch, but sometimes, it needs a little nudge. I want him to know what it's like to have nightmares about a monster that can't be killed. I want him to live the rest of his life looking over his shoulder the way that I do." She looked away, gulping down her emotions for the fiftieth time that night.

Klaus moved closer, his face softening for the first time since she'd begun her story. He wanted to tell her that she would never have to look over her shoulder again, that he would always be there to protect her, but how? He reached for her hand, but she pulled it away to pour another bourbon, blinking the moisture out of her eyes. She finished it in a single gulp before turning back to him. "How you do that is up to you. Will you?"

Klaus leaned back against the plush cushions, picking up a fresh glass off the table behind them and pouring himself another drink. He took a sip and licked the liquor off his lips, noting the way her breathing hitched as she watched him carefully. He slowly brought his gaze up to meet hers, dragging his eyes over her legs, tiny black dress stopping high on her thighs with a slit in the side that went ever higher. "What's in it for me?"

Caroline stiffened. She hadn't considered that he would want something in return, had assumed he'd be so filled with rage that he'd run off right then and there. The feral gleam in his eyes told her he had other plans. "What do you want?" she asked with faux confidence in her voice, a slight blush warming her cheeks as just the slightest tingle of anticipation filled her lower belly.

Klaus held her gaze as he lay all his cards out on the table. "Spend the night with me and-."

"Seriously?" she spat out, eyes widening in shock as she cut him off. "That's your price? Sex?"

Something dark passed behind his eyes, all signs of flirtation lost from his handsome visage. "After the story you just told me, do you really think I'd bargain for your body?" The look of confusion on the baby vampire's face told him that was all she could think of. "I may be many things, but I'm not that particular breed of monster. Do you really think that low of me?"

Caroline could hear the hurt in his voice; she instantly felt guilty. Shaking her head, she admittedly quietly, "Actually, no. That's why I came to you. That kinda caught me off guard." She tucked a golden tendril behind her ear and peered up at him sheepishly. "I'm sorry."

Klaus settled back against the couch, satisfied with her answer. "I meant it literally. What I wish is for you to give me a real chance. Spend an evening with me. Get to know me." She hesitated, sucking her lower lip between her teeth as she tried hard not to think about how much she wanted to say yes for reasons she wasn't ready to admit to herself, let alone the man sitting next to her. "Part of you must already trust me if you came to me with this," he pointed out. She looked down at her drink, both of them knowing it was true. In fact, he was probably the only person left in Mystic Falls she could trust. The only one who never saw her as second best. The one who would do anything to spend time with her, up to and including breaking a man so thoroughly that all that remained was the ghost of a shell. He would buy her a dress, and he would sacrifice a hybrid, and he would run Damon Salvatore out of town.

"One night is all I ask. Just you and me, alone. No movies with seats between us. No beauty pageants. No balls. If there are anymore nights after that, it will be up to you." He watched her shrewdly and could see the wheels spinning, smiling to himself at how obvious it was that she would accept. "So, what do you say, sweetheart? Do we have a deal?"

A deal with the devil. Could she do it? Could she really do something so dark as to sign a man's, well, not death warrant per se. Torture warrant? Yes, Klaus would most definitely torture Damon for his sins, and he would revel in the misery he wrought without a shred of remorse or an ounce of regret. Caroline had no illusions that they would simply have a little chat, that Damon would see the error of his ways and leave town quietly. No, it would be dirty; it would be ugly; and Klaus would prolong it as much as possible. Could she agree to that? To rebel against her friends so thoroughly?

"I have one condition." She looked over at him, holding back a sigh as she forced herself to be strong. "Never tell me. I don't want to know what you did, or how you did it. All I want to know is that he's gone. And I want him alive."

A devious smile curled the corners of his lips. Oh, his Caroline. So innocent and pure as she fought against her own darkness. As if not knowing the specifics would make her less complicit. It was a beautiful lie she'd spun for herself, and one he couldn't help but indulge. If there was room for only one angel and one devil, he would gladly keep the horns to grant her a halo. He picked up her tiny hand and gently brushed his lips against the back of her knuckles, his breath hot against her skin as her cheeks flushed.

"We have a deal."

A/N Please let me know what you think! (No concrit please!) See you tomorrow!