Have YOU ever left a notebook on your enter key and come back to find your 150ish page document is now 2,650 pages and giving your browser a stroke?! BECAUSE I HAVE! I was completely locked out, no workarounds, confusing/nagging the hell out of Google tech support for DAYS trying to recover my work for this fic.
It was a good time. But it's fine now. Everything is fine.
Since this is a SUPER long chapter, a lot of changes are affecting the immediate plot:
- Because Klaus doesn't have a stockpile of Elena's blood to play with right away (and doesn't trust anyone else to watch over collecting it), he and Rebekah are still in Mystic Falls. Klaus has some contacts scouting for news of wolf packs so he can begin recruiting ASAP.
- Despite his efforts to uphold his bargain with Elena, Klaus has managed to personally piss off the entire Mystic Falls gang (even Matt) in completely different ways. Except kind of Bonnie, who's largely uninformed and too distracted by ghost drama to care.
- Speaking of ghost drama, let's just… not worry too much about that because it is SO far off the rails. Things more or less end up the same (no more ghosts, Bonnie and Jeremy break up, the group finds the cave drawings), with different steps. Agreed?
- Damon picks up pretty quickly on Stefan being compelled.
- Katherine found Mikael on her own because she's Katherine and we all know she can get shit done without anyone's help. It takes her a little longer, though.
- Desperate for a way to free both Elena and his brother, Damon tries calling Katherine for a team up. She's been freshly drained, so Mikael picks up instead. Mikael pretty much thinks Damon is an idiot, so he pumps him for information without giving much back. All Damon knows is that something will happen at Homecoming.
- Damon doesn't tell Elena because he doesn't trust her not to let something slip with Stefan by accident.
- Out of the loop, but still struggling for her freedom, Elena tries to turn Rebekah on Klaus using the cave drawings that reveal Klaus killed their mother Esther. Rebekah chases her off and that's where their conversation ends.
Something was seriously wrong with Tyler.
When he showed up to their first day of school all full of himself and wearing a bloody breakfast that he didn't even need, even Elena knew there was something wrong. Elena, who was obviously distracted! She wouldn't talk about whatever fresh hell Klaus had cooked up for her, but Caroline knew the replenishing-blood-quick diet when she saw it. Elena swore up and down no one was drinking from her and that she was fine. She even wore a new, expensive-looking vervain necklace and submitted to an inspection for marks in the locker room, so Caroline had agreed to drop it. For now.
But Tyler.
While Caroline warmed up with the rest of the cheer squad, she watched disapprovingly as her boyfriend's eyes roamed the field like he somehow owned it, taking extra time to linger on the cheerleaders. All of them. Very, very slight points for the fact that Caroline caught him watching her bend with so much interest he got hit in the face by a pass, but still!
So much for this being our year.
"Has anybody seen Dana?" The cheer coach's question pulled Caroline out of her stormy thoughts.
"Sounds like you have an opening on the squad," a british-accented voice observed cooly.
Just like that, a perky blonde ponytail swished next to Caroline, the space was filled, and that was suspiciously that; no one else questioned it. Caroline narrowed her eyes at the new girl. She was pretty and met Caroline's gaze with a confident smile, but something behind her eyes seemed… old. A little, actually make that a lot, too comfortable in her own skin. Kind of like Stefan and Damon.
A vampire?
There, on her middle finger! A lapis lazuli ring. Ah-hah! Gotcha!
Caroline wasn't sure how to feel about this. Another vampire in school… On the one hand, it might be nice to have someone else like her who wasn't a Salvatore. Then again, the only other female vampire she'd ever met was Katherine, and that just turned out great.
Through their basic warmups, the new girl seemed to catch her staring, and Caroline did her best to wipe her concerns from her face. "I'm afraid I've never done this before," new vamp girl said, "Can you let me know if I do something wrong?"
One thing Caroline always prided herself on was her ability to weed out the recruits who were just in it to flirt with the football team. And, despite new vamp girl's cool exterior (and Caroline's suspicions on what happened to Dana), she seemed so honestly excited Caroline couldn't bring herself to burst her bubble by pointing out she wasn't officially on the team. "Um… sure, I guess."
"Thanks. I'm a quick learner, so I'm sure I'll be out-cartwheeling most of these girls in no time."
Oh great, she was full of herself. Seriously, this had better not be like Katherine.
The other girl exhaled loudly as the two of them reached down to touch their toes (too easy; both had to modify the move to reach through their legs instead- Caroline made a conscious effort to stretch further). "I'm Rebekah. I just transferred here from private school. Unfortunately, the paperwork took longer than I expected, so it seems I missed my first day of class…"
If by "paperwork" you mean "compulsion," and by "private school," you mean "doing whatever older vampires do when they're not in high school," sure.
But, it was probably best to just play along for now. Before Caroline could respond with her own name, the football coach's shouting caught their attention. "It's not the ballet, ladies! Let's move, move!"
The boys all hustled to reset the play. All but Tyler. "I think we're done here, Coach."
What the hell does he think he's doing?
"Did you have a mental breakdown, Lockwood? Get back in line."
Tyler looked like a predator as he swaggered right up to the coach and stared him down, noses barely an inch apart. Still, he spoke at the same volume as if he were all the way over on the next yardline. "I have a better idea. Shut the hell up so we can go get drunk at the bonfire." Caroline felt sick as she watched his eyes dilate.
Please be on vervain, please be on vervain, please be on vervain. Caroline really, really wanted to see Coach knock some sense into that stupid, thick skull of Tyler's before this got too far out of control.
"Hit the showers, gentlemen."
Of course he's not.
Astounded football players chose not to look too far into a good thing. They stuck around just long enough to give Tyler those weird congratulatory bro-mance slaps on the back and he basked in the attention.
Rebekah watched the scene with her lips pursed. "Hm," she commented. "Someone seems a little full of himself today."
"Yeah. Excuse me, I have to go deal with that." Not even waiting for a response from her new acquaintance, Caroline stalked off to put her boyfriend-gone-bad in his place.
"Try not to break him," Rebekah called out after her. "I'd rather not have to explain why I let you."
If Caroline weren't so furious at Tyler, so terrified of losing him, so beyond confused about what was happening in that brain of his and trying to ward off images of what else he might compel people to do if he thought so little of using it like that, she might have wondered at that statement. But she was, and all of her attention was focused on this massive problem unfolding before her eyes, so it didn't even register.
"Hey," she hissed, not even trying to keep her irritation from her voice. "You've gotta be a little bit more subtle, Tyler."
He just met her with an amused smile that curled unpleasantly. "Coming from the queen of subtlety? Relax. I'm in total control."
Seriously, Caroline just wanted to punch that expression right off his face. "Then why are you acting like this?"
"Drop it, Caroline. I'm fine. I've never been better. Klaus has given me this…" He seemed to search for the right phrasing. "Gift." The way his tongue cradled the word told her it was exactly how he felt.
Her worst fears confirmed, Caroline choked over her own response. "This… what?!"
"I never have to turn again. I don't have to break every bone in my body unless I decide it's worth it. I'm not stuck choking down wolfsbane and chaining myself down like a dog every full moon. Best of all, I never have to wake up naked, full of bullets, and wondering who's between my teeth. Do you have any idea what that's like? What that night was… And then having to live with that. Seeing Elena all the time and knowing what I did. Wondering how much longer I can go until it happens again."
"... No. No, I don't have any idea what that's like." At least when I woke up with blanks in my memory I didn't hurt anyone.
"I didn't think so." The hard stare Tyler turned on her made her want to shrink, but eased a little at her apparent guilt. "Look, you helped. I know you put yourself in danger every month for me, and it meant a lot. Still means a lot. But Klaus made my problems go away. So yeah, being a hybrid now is a gift."
"..." She couldn't think of anything to say. What could she say? "Are… you coming to the bonfire tonight?" The question came out small. Needy. An echo of what she was starting to feel. I'm losing him.
"Of course we're going to the bonfire." He raised an eyebrow. "Unless you have some kind of history assignment on Sparta to finish instead."
A light jab. It made her wince and smile at the same time. It told her he was still her Tyler. She let out a breath. "Okay. I'll see you tonight."
Things would be fine.
Caroline had made her rounds at the party site, chatting disinterestedly with every single guest, but Tyler still wasn't there.
Thankfully, there was a keg. And apparently, a lot of guys wanted to see her drunk, so she didn't even have to fight her way through the throngs of highschoolers for refills. She wasn't sure if that was flattering or creepy. Maybe both.
He ditched me, she couldn't help but think. He invited me here and then he just… didn't show up. Is he okay? Did I get stood up for Klaus? What would they even be doing right now?
There were definitely a few ideas coming to mind after what happened to her mom and dad, but she pushed them down. Caroline might be clingy by default, but she wasn't going to let herself be that girl; the one who automatically assumed cheating every time her relationship hit a bump. Talk about pathetic. Besides, she might not know a thing about Klaus, but she was pretty sure Tyler was straight? Even if he wasn't, that didn't necessarily mean he was cheating…
"What's with the long face?" Elena asked.
"Oh!" Caroline must have been really caught up to be snuck up on like that. "Um… I'm just… uh…" Elena watched with those doe eyes of hers and Caroline couldn't stop thinking about her iron-heavy diet. Did she really have the right to complain about silly relationship drama? "Nothing. What's going on with you?"
"Not too much."
"Aren't you here with Stefan?"
"Well… Yes, and no."
"What's that mean?"
Elena nodded toward the treeline, where an obviously brooding Stefan stared right back at them without even trying to hide it.
"Woah! Um… What the heck? Stefan, I love you and all, but creepy, much?"
He frowned even deeper, which Caroline didn't think was possible until she saw it.
"He has his reasons." Elena let out a little sigh. "This was supposed to be our anniversary, but neither of us really feel like celebrating. He insisted we at least come to the bonfire."
"Well, it would help if he would stop stalking you and come hang out like a normal person," Caroline said pointedly, making full eye contact with the vampire in question, knowing for a fact he could hear her.
He just lowered his eyes.
What the heck is up with these two?
Elena sighed. "We just… aren't that close right now."
"What?! No. No!" Caroline clutched her shoulders. "You and Stefan are epic! Whatever's going on, just push through it, okay? I promise everything will be fine."
"You can't know that."
"I do! Look, I might have been jealous and all at first, but you two are just… perfect. You're great for each other, so don't let whatever's going on mess that up!"
Elena put a hand on Caroline's and smiled. "I'll try."
"Good. Now take this," Caroline forcibly inserted her beer into Elena's hand, "and go spend some quality time with your boyfriend."
"But what about-"
Caroline pushed her lightly. "Go! Shoo!"
"... Thanks, Care."
Stefan flashed her a smile, too. Caroline took that as her cue to go somewhere else.
Eventually, she found her way to the marshmallows. No full smores kits, so someone was seriously slacking (who did end up in charge of this anyway?), but beggars couldn't be choosers, and it wasn't a bonfire without roasting at least one marshmallow.
Caroline had a system for this, where she found some hot coals and held her stick at just the right distance, twirling it at regular intervals for some even, toasty goodness. While she was mid-process, Rebekah joined her, holding her own stick directly over the flames.
"No date?" Rebekah asked. "Dates are part of these events, right? It's my first party of this sort."
"… I think I got stood up." It felt kind of nice being able to talk to someone with no allegiance to anyone else. Caroline didn't feel like she had to mince her words. "What about you?"
"I asked, but he had to work."
"Oh. Who?"
"I haven't gotten his name yet. He's on the football team. Quarterback, I think? Blonde, blue eyes, works at the Grill?"
"So sweet he makes you think of a golden retriever?"
"Yes!"
"That would be Matt Donovan." Caroline eyed her new acquaintance up and down. She may be a vampire, and kind of conceited, but she seemed nice enough. "He's a really good guy, but he wants a normal life, so… be careful with that. Oh, and if you hurt him or use him as a blood bag, I'll stake you."
The corners of Rebekah's mouth turned up. "So, you figured it out."
"The daylight ring was kind of a dead giveaway."
"You'd be surprised how often it goes unnoticed."
"Really?"
"Not many know about daylight rings, even amongst our kind. You must be friends with a powerful witch to have acquired one."
Caroline wasn't sure what to say to that. She didn't want to out Bonnie. "Where'd you get yours, then?"
"My mother was a witch."
"Was?"
Rebekah's lips formed a tight line.
Oh! Not the best question to ask someone who can live forever, is it? Now that Caroline thought about it, she was probably in the minority having a mother who was still alive."I'm sorry."
"No, it's been… long enough to forget most of the time." Caroline watched Rebekah watch the fire and wondered exactly how long it would take for her to say the same. Still, that wasn't the expression of someone who didn't miss their mom. Thankfully, Rebekah moved on quickly. "So, who turned you? It was obviously recent."
Caroline focused extra hard on her marshmallow. It was getting to that critical stage where it was just about crispy and perfect on the outside. If she wasn't super careful, it would burn and she'd have to start all over. "... I guess that depends on what part you mean."
Was it weird that she would rather give the credit to Katherine than Damon?
"Ah." Rebekah adopted a similar tone to Caroline's after asking about her mom. "I take it I should be calling the vampire participant your blood donor rather than your sire?"
"Oh my God! I'm so calling him that to his face next time he decides to be a jerk." Which is all the time!
Rebekah rolled her eyes. "Of course it's a man. Never taking responsibility for their actions, but sure to take all the credit when things turn out for the best. I'm guessing he tried to kill you when he realized what happened?"
"How'd you know?"
"It's a common enough story, unfortunately. Even without a direct threat on their life, most baby vampires abandoned by their sire end up dead within the year." The Original seemed to re-appraise Caroline, who fought her nerves to stand still. "Yet, you seem just fine. A little underfed, maybe, but fine."
"Thank you?"
"Hmm."
There! Caroline's marshmallow was done. Perfectly golden and just beginning to slide down the stick. She pulled it away from the fire and Rebekah pouted at her torch. With a sigh, Caroline inclined hers toward Rebekah, whose eyes lit up.
"Really?" she asked.
"It's your first high school bonfire, right? You deserve a decent first marshmallow."
Caroline wondered at the surprised look on the other girl's face. Was she seriously not used to people doing things like that for her?
"How do I…?"
"Oh, you have to slide it off with your mouth, otherwise it makes a huge mess, and no one ever brings Wet Naps to these things!" Unless Caroline organized it. Then there were Wet Naps. And smores. As there should be.
The other girl just went for it weirdly expertly while Caroline held the stick for her. Of course, that was the exact moment when Damon showed up.
"Hey there, Barbie! Looks like you're having a good time, even with your boyfriend MIA. What was he overdue for his flea bath?"
Ugh. How did he even get invited? "Blood donor! You made it!" Unfortunately.
Damon raised an eyebrow at the new nickname. "Yeah, well, raging hormones, alcohol, fire… Not something I could miss. Who's Barbie number two?"
"Mmmph?" Rebekah asked with her mouth full, suddenly much more aware of her position. As she licked the fluff from her lips, Damon's eyes zeroed right in on the movement.
"Don't stop whatever it is you two are doing on my account. Hell, if you want to take it somewhere private, you can even have the guest room."
He would go there. Caroline repressed a shiver. "You know, we were just talking about you."
"Well… Hmm… The answer is yes, but only this once, okay? I'm not looking to be tied down in some weird blonde-sandwich kind of thing. What would people think?"
Caroline made a face. Not only was most of that sentiment seriously creeptastic, but she was sure that by "people," he really meant "Elena" because of his creepy stalker obsession with her. "Eew, gross! Never happening! Not now, not ever!"
"Well, I mean, it did happen if you count that one time with the brunette…"
Caroline almost staked him with her roasting stick as an impulse, but Rebekah put a hand on her arm to stop her and cocked her eyebrow. "This is him?"
"Unfortunately."
"My condolences."
Caroline let out a dramatic sigh. "What can I say? It's a curse."
"I could help you break it, if you'd like." That quiet smile and the steel in Rebekah's eyes promised sin and violence.
Was Caroline's new vampire kind-of-friend offering to kill Damon for her? Oh, that was super fun! "I'll consider it," she said. "In detail. Often."
"It's an open offer."
Damon looked back and forth between the two. "Okay, I kind of thought I was kidding, but seriously, should I be calling Lockwood to tell him someone's stealing his girl?"
"No one's stealing anyone, Damon. I'm just getting to know the new girl in town."
"Yeah, well, I know when I'm being a third wheel. You two enjoy that."
Once he was gone, Caroline and Rebekah exchanged equally disgusted looks.
"Delightful."
"Right?!"
"Did he say Lockwood?"
"Yeah. My boyfriend, Tyler Lockwood. You know, the one who was being an arrogant idiot on the field today."
It was just for a moment, but Rebekah seemed caught off guard. "You're Caroline."
"Oh, I never introduced myself! I'm so sorry! It was just, the middle of practice, and then that whole thing with Coach just- Wait- you've heard of me?"
The other vampire shifted her gaze and fiddled with her necklace. Isn't that Elena's? "Well… I'm sure you'd have found out eventually. My last name is Mikaelson."
"Um." Is that supposed to mean something to me?
When it became clear the declaration wasn't having the intended result, she sighed. "I'm N- Klaus' sister."
Caroline was stunned. That certainly explained some of the distinctly-power vibes she'd been getting from the other blonde, but… Wasn't his family like the vampire mafia or something? And evil? Was he going to enroll, too? There were a lot of actually important things she wanted to ask, but what came out instead was, "Klaus has a sister?"
"Yes?"
Why am I like this? Seriously, Caroline's inability to imagine the great and terrible Klaus having a sister wasn't what mattered right now. "But why would Klaus' sister be here? Isn't he, like, old as dirt? Um, not that I'm calling you old! I mean, somehow high school doesn't seem like a high priority."
"I was asked to keep an eye on Tyler, as my brother's first successful hybrid."
"... That's why you buddied up to me." The sinking in Caroline's stomach was just pathetic. She'd only known the other girl for a day. Besides, how stupid was she to have not seen this coming? Everything about Rebekah had been suspicious.
Rebekah's eyes narrowed. After a brief pause, she shrugged. "It certainly makes my job and your life much easier if we get along, don't you think? So, let's try to be civil."
Civil. Caroline was reeling. Klaus had a sister. His sister was her new friend. Her new friend was actually the worst spy of all time. It was a lie so she could keep a better eye on Tyler. Tyler wasn't here.
"I don't want anything to do with Klaus." Uttering the name like the vile curse word it was, Caroline closed herself off as quickly as she could. Stood up straight and flipped her hair behind her shoulder. "And I don't need any fake friends, thanks. I have real ones."
"Suit yourself," Rebekah responded with equal ice in her tone. "Either way… there's something I've been considering telling you when we met."
Caroline put her hands on her hip. This should be good. "Which is?" Honestly, she wasn't sure why she should even care what someone who started out with lies had to say. But, it couldn't hurt to hear her out, right?
"I have no proof yet, but I'm starting to think your boyfriend is sired to my brother."
"Well, sure, Klaus turned him."
"No, that's not what I mean. Honestly, your blood donor is absolutely useless, isn't he? This is part of any vampire's basic education."
It really did feel like Caroline had lost something. She forced it down. She was just being clingy again. "I learned most of what I know from his brother Stefan."
"Of course you did." Caroline wasn't sure what to make of that expression, but it seemed… real. Only for a second, and then it was gone. "Being sired to someone is quite rare. Occasionally, if a vampire has particularly strong feelings toward the vampire that turns them, they are reborn with a… bond. One that ties them to the will of their sire."
"... What does that… mean, exactly…?"
"It means that their sire's wishes will always come first. For vampires, the trigger is usually love. But I'm guessing for hybrids, the trigger is a bit different."
"So, this sire bond just… takes their free will away? Turns them into some kind of… I don't know, minions?"
"In a sense, yes. It may well be why your boyfriend isn't here tonight."
"That's horrible!"
The other girl didn't necessarily agree, but she didn't disagree either. "It's not ideal for you. Your options are this: break up with him now and save yourself some pain, or stay by his side, but understand that if I'm right, he'll be at my brother's beck and call from now on. And trust me on this, Nik can be quite demanding."
Nik? "But… it will get better, right? Once he has more hybrids, Klaus will lose interest in Tyler and things can go back to normal."
Rebekah gave her a long look. "No, I think it will get much worse. Particularly once he figures it out. Which won't be from me, by the way. He's insufferable enough as it is."
"Why are you telling me this?"
"... Call it a courtesy for warning me about Matt. My brother may well have destroyed your relationship by accident. And since Nik has absolutely no regard for what he shatters in the name of whatever great cause he has in mind at the time, I often get stuck cleaning up after him whenever Elijah isn't around. Don't look too far into it." With that, Rebekah left Caroline alone by the fire.
It could be a lie, Caroline told herself. It could just be her way of trying to mess with me since I turned down a truce.
But, after a few minutes of thinking back to how Tyler had been acting ever since Prank Night, Caroline turned and lost herself in the woods. Close enough to still hear the party, but far enough that no one would notice if she pressed her back against a tree, curled up into a ball, and cried for a little while.
This is a good thing. That's what Tyler said over and over since the night he sneaked in through her bedroom window. Better even.
"Liar." The quiet, jagged word echoed hollowly in her ears before she buried her face in her arms, her grief blanketed from sight in the comfort of the forest's shadows.
Klaus pulled away from his dinner's neck, licking what remained from his lips. The girl's spent body slipped easily from his lap to the floor.
"Are we done?" Tyler held his deceased redhead over the hardwood. Klaus couldn't guarantee his hybrid's safety if he incited the wrath of his sister by getting blood on the new furniture.
"Is my company not good enough for you, Tyler?"
"You know that's not what I meant... I just kind of left my girlfriend hanging. There's a party we were supposed to attend together."
Klaus had realized while Tyler was still in transition that this girlfriend business would be tiresome, but it seemed to be even more so than he realized.
On the one hand, he could kill her, but that might cause diplomatic issues with both Tyler and the rest of the locals (since they spoke so highly of her). If he attempted to address the problem head on, he suspected the results would be similar. It was delicate, but Klaus had waited a thousand years to break his curse, so what were a few months of passive-aggressively straining a relationship until it snapped in the grand scheme of things? It might even be fun. "Fine. Clean this mess and be on your way."
"Cool."
Klaus watched Tyler deal with the bodies without much of a problem. There was no doubt this one could be taught to embrace his new nature. In fact, after an initial push, it seemed like he already had. The only times he obviously held back were when Klaus plucked their victims from in town (an issue easily remedied with a visit outside the town line) or when Tyler thought of what this apparently still-righteous baby vampire of his might think. A vampire who hated taking human life. How very naive. And fleeting. I wonder how many she killed when she transitioned?
Yes, the situation required a delicate hand (not Klaus' forte- yet again, he found himself missing Elijah's advice), but perhaps beginning with a seed of doubt… "Let me give you some advice, mate. As my first ever hybrid."
"... What?" Seemingly despite himself, Tyler stopped at the door.
"For vampires, especially new ones, every emotion is heightened. Anger becomes rage, sadness despair, discontent torment." Klaus took a long drink, and the ice clinked back to the bottom. "As a human, love is… inadvisable, but as a vampire it's a glaring weakness. In fact, it is the most common cause of death. Quite tragic, really."
The boy had the audacity to raise an eyebrow. "Yeah, well good thing we're hybrids."
"That changes nothing. Trust me, if you let this vampire girl of yours go, you'll be safer and stronger for it."
His hybrid seemed to think that over. "You know what else I'll be? Alone."
"Do I look alone to you, Tyler?"
"... Kind of."
"Well, let's see if you still think that when I have my pack."
"Yeah, sure," the boy evaded. "Sorry, but I have a party to get to."
"One you might enjoy more without being chained to one woman."
Tyler leveled a look at him that ended firm, but Klaus didn't miss that flickering of temptation. On some level, he knew exactly what he was missing. The thrill of the hunt. The fun of variety. "Look, I'm grateful and all, but keep your dating advice to yourself. You don't know a thing about this."
And with that, he was gone.
Interesting. She has quite a hold on him. For now.
It shouldn't take much to sever that kind of connection. A few doubts here, a few slights there. The right third player to tempt him away. In fact, with Tyler being late to this party, it had already begun with next to no effort.
Klaus leaned back in his chair, contemplating the open window.
This accursed town seemed to intermittently rile the wolf beneath his skin, despite there being no apparent pattern behind it. It's a coincidence. Nothing more, Klaus told himself for what felt like the millionth time. I'll understand once I come to know this part of my nature.
Tonight, he found the pull particularly difficult to resist, as though his wolf was itching to hunt for something in particular. Something it didn't wish to kill. In the very fringes of Klaus' mind, a part of him feared what that might mean, but he buried those thoughts so far below more logical ones that they didn't even register. Even so, on nights like this where his wolf grew restless, Klaus refused to listen. It felt important that he didn't.
Though he told himself the impulse was random, Klaus plucked the next of Kol's collected grimoires from the bookshelf behind him. Surely one of them held the answer to breaking his tenuous link to this supposed other half.
Oh no, Damon was not flirting with Elena right now!
Caroline wasn't sure whether to go deal with that, or Secretly Evil Fake Friend slutting it up with Stefan, who kept obviously trying to edge away. Then Rebekah laid a hand on Stefan's arm and invaded his personal bubble.
Oh no you don't.
Caroline flashed over toward them.
"Excuse me," she said in her honey-sweet Miss Mystic voice, "I need to borrow Elena's boyfriend for a second."
"Funny, he doesn't seem to be here with anyone," Rebekah responded with a totally fake smile.
The three of them looked back toward Elena and Damon. Damon was feeding her a marshmallow right off of his stick, and both blondes knew what that made him think of.
Gag. Rebekah kind of looked like she agreed and Stefan just seemed miserable.
"Yeah, well, since my stupid boyfriend ditched me, Stefan's my designated driver."
It wasn't until Caroline forcefully wound her hands through his arm that Stefan seemed to finally catch on to what was happening. "Right! Sorry, I know I promised, but I kind of don't want to leave while… whatever that is… is still going on."
Elena's tinkling, feminine laugh she reserved for flirting rang in Caroline's ears and Damon wrapped an arm around her waist with that infuriating smirk of his.
"Fantastic. Another hussie," Rebekah muttered under her breath.
Caroline chose to ignore her. "Yeah, me neither. Let's go be those annoying people who can't take a hint and drag her home with us."
"Is that really…?"
"It's a great idea! Unlike the rest of this night, apparently."
Rebekah rolled her eyes. "Very well, enjoy saving the dopplebitch from herself. I'll find someone else to amuse me for the evening." Then, she leaned very, very close to Stefan. "It's a shame. You could do so much better." That whisper was low, sultry, and obviously effective.
"Okay, enough of that." Caroline dragged a rather speechless Stefan away. Not good. So not good. Elena had better get her shit together quick.
Operation Kidnap Elena was a success. It wasn't even a kidnapping so much as a herding. Apparently, she was drunk, so she let Stefan lead her away without much protest and Damon decided to go attempt to flirt with Rebekah, officially coined Barbie Klaus once filled in on her identity. Caroline kind of wanted to stay to watch him get his neck snapped, but she had a ride to catch.
She didn't even take a step before warm, familiar arms wrapped around her. "Tyler," she sighed in relief. He didn't ditch her after all!
"Hey." His breath smelled like blood. When Caroline turned to inspect him, she noticed the tell-tale hints in the corners of his mouth, along with a smear on his shoulder. An unpleasant jolt went through her system.
He was feeding. He already fed this morning, but he fed again. And he took so long he was this late…
That could only mean a few things, and none of them were good. On top of that, his eyes were dark with lust.
Tyler nuzzled her ear. "I was kind of hoping we could sneak away… Spend some time together…" There was a part of Caroline that wanted to just go with it. The needy part that didn't care whether she was being a pushover or not. The part that fell into bed with Damon.
Everything inside her clenched up. "Oh my Go- You have got to be kidding me!" Caroline gave Tyler a shove. "You invite me here. You don't call. You don't text. I'm the third wheel all night. Than you show upblood drunk after at least one lethal feeding as I'm leaving and want creepy dark forest sex?! Seriously?! It doesn't work like that, Tyler!"
"Hey, I made it, didn't I?"
Oh no, he did not just brush off everything she said like that. "Look. 'Lena is drunk off her ass and needs a friendtervention. I am going. My night's booked. We can talk about this later."
Caroline didn't wait for a response. As she rushed to the field where everyone had parked at a brisk, decidedly human pace, she caught Rebekah watching with a frown from across the campsite and wondered just how much she had heard.
"Okay, in you go." Caroline covered the metal of the frame near Elena's head with her hand, heading off the inevitable drunken headbump as her friend ungracefully clambered into her seat.
"Thanks so much for this, Care."
"Hey, what are friends for? And buckle… There we are. Watch your arms and legs." Caroline closed the door carefully.
"So, am I actually taking you home?" Stefan asked. "It's not a problem at all."
Caroline didn't feel like being alone, and sleep was off the table after everything else that happened tonight, but it wasn't like things would get better if she stayed here any longer.
A look of understanding crossed Stefan's face. "Or you could come to my place? Help me play nurse? Explain to me exactly what's up with you and Tyler right now?"
"You heard?"
"... Yeah. It sounded rough."
Those green eyes of his bored into her. Stefan was the one whose girlfriend was all over his brother tonight, but he was worried about Caroline. It warmed her a little from the inside out. "Only if you tell me what's up with you and Elena."
"... As much as I can, sure."
"Deal."
So, apparently Elena and Damon were keeping secrets from Stefan and he was letting them for some reason. He wouldn't say why, just that he wasn't safe for Elena to be around right now, but he couldn't stay away. Whatever that meant.
And he thought the sire bond was a valid concern.
Caroline spent the whole next day stress cleaning, ignoring Tyler's texts until he climbed through her bedroom window that night, all frowns, puppy dog eyes, and apologies.
"I really don't know why I couldn't say no," he admitted. "To the coming over or the feeding. It was just… like I knew he wanted me to, so I had to do it." And that was how they ended up talking about the sire bond.
"I'm no one's pet. He doesn't control me," Tyler insisted. Even so, he apologized for the way he'd been acting and staunchly denied the idea that she might lose him to these changes. "Everything I like about me is you."It was the sweetest thing anyone had ever said to her. So she decided to wait and see. To let him try.
But it was hard not picking a fight when Tyler left Caroline in the middle of yet another date (it was becoming quite the pattern) because King Klaus wanted him to go pick up a steak from the Grill and deliver it right now. Rare, of course. Or when he missed the fundraiser he was supposed to help her run at his own house, and his mom ended up stepping in as Caroline's second in charge (boy, was that awkward after the whole vervain dart and dungeon thing). Or when he came over for one of Liz's overnight shifts to keep Caroline company and she woke up alone because he'd been called out for Caroine-didn't-even-want-to-know-what sometime between 10 pm and 1 am.
It just felt demeaning. Tyler's time was worth less than Klaus' and Caroline's was worth less than both. Third place. That was a new low, even for her.
And it wasn't just that. Tyler would show up with blood on his shirt, or his lips, or in his hair, but always on his breath. Sometimes, he would climb through her window at 3 am smelling like the woods, with bits of fur between his teeth, and try to immediately start something Caroline was in no mood to finish. He would spout nonsense about finally embracing his nature and how Caroline should give it a try, while bothering her to go to a club or some seedy bar outside town.
That was when she realized Klaus was trying to change him. Make Tyler more like himself. When Tyler invited Caroline to some freaky voluntarily feeding orgy, it seemed like it was working. She had to fight tooth and nail to drag him back to his senses, and it made her feel like even more of a nag than usual.
"Get a new boyfriend," Damon said when Caroline asked how to get rid of the sire bond. "He's not exactly broken, so you can't fix him. I'm guessing this is just gratitude on steroids. Klaus is his lord and master now, and there's nothing anyone can do about it." The worst part was, she could see a hint of actual pity in his eyes. "I'll admit, when I thought of all the shitty ways this thing could go sideways, being sired to Klaus didn't even make the list. Congratulations on subverting my expectations." The taunt almost made Caroline feel better because it was more familiar than Damon's concern.
"I really hate to say it, but I think Damon's right,"Stefan told her the fourth time he stepped in as Caroline's ride home from a game. "It's not Tyler's fault, but the bottom line is he belongs to Klaus now. You deserve better than this." Caroline didn't miss the torment in his eyes as he watched the road. He'd officially gone on a break with Elena, despite all of Caroline's protests.
"Understand that much of what he does is beyond his control," Rebekah advised when she found Caroline staring at her phone in an empty booth at the Grill (yes, apparently she was so pathetic it drew attention; Matt ended up comping her check, too). "Nik is a terrible influence, and now he has a playmate who will go along with his every whim. It's been a nightmare. At least you can walk away. Which you should, by the way."
But breaking up wasn't an option, even if Caroline could stomach the idea. Tyler needed her now more than ever. He needed someone to remind him who he was, or he would lose himself.
One Saturday, when they were curled up watching Avengers together (it was a compromise between Pride and Prejudice and Die Hard), Tyler got up to make some popcorn, leaving his phone on the coffee table. The screen lit up.
Klaus
We're going for a run. I expect you in my entry within the half hour
And that was it. She snapped.
Tyler
Listen up buster, I know you're some kind of all-powerful evil supervillain with a god complex and some serious sharing issues, but we are on a DATE and you're being the third wheel FROM HELL! I haven't gotten laid in a whole week because of you, even though I have a hot constantly horny teenage wolfboy for a boyfriend, and I swear if you interrupt this time I'm going to march this stupid phone right over to whatever creepy evil lair you call home these days and shove it so far up your ass you literally choke on it. Got it? - love, the girlfriend
After sending her reply, Caroline deleted both texts, put the phone back to sleep, and sat innocently back on the couch, hoping she'd at least bought long enough to finish the movie.
On the other side of town, Klaus stared dumbfounded at his screen. No one had spoken to him like this in… ever. Especially knowing who and what he was.
When he regained his senses, he started laughing so hard and so honestly that Rebekah stopped by to see if he was torturing someone on the new rug.
Surprisingly, Caroline and Tyler did not hear from Klaus for the rest of the night.
Unsurprisingly, Tyler's phone had a passcode by Monday. When asked, he sheepishly responded that he wasn't allowed to tell her what it was. That, and he was kept astoundingly busy for the next week, to the point where Caroline only saw him in class.
She was seriously at the end of her rope.
In a moment of weakness, she even appealed to Rebekah. While Caroline was under no illusions of being able to trust her, Rebekah seemed somewhat sympathetic when it came to this, at least.
"I'll see what I can do," the Original said, "But I can't make any promises. I don't think I've ever seen Nik so fixated on a single thing as he has been on his hybrids. I'm starting to believe even breaking his curse was a means to this end…"
But everything would be fine, because while Caroline ran all over school overseeing preparations for the last Homecoming dance of their high school careers, Tyler was right beside her, hanging streamers and getting glitter all over his hands by choice; not because of nagging, or compulsion, or some stupid sire bond. He might not be able to choose her, but he wanted to. For now, that had to be enough.
"Tyler…" Caroline's warning was gravel in her throat. When a water break destroyed all of her hard work in the gym just in time for Homecoming, Tyler moved the dance to the Lockwood estate. She thought he was being her hero. But then she got there, and things were already set up. After two seconds, it was glaringly obvious that this was planned well in advance by someone who wasn't him.
"I'm sorry," Tyler said, his face pulling tightly in his discomfort. "Klaus wanted to celebrate breaking his curse and figuring out how to make hybrids, so…"
"So he invoked your freaky sire bond to completely steal my party!" Caroline stomped a stilettoed foot so hard she almost broke her heel. "You have got to be kidding me! Your almighty lord-and-master is ruining my life!" The worst part is he has great taste! Not to mention, a lot of money. The decorations, the refreshments, the live band... Caroline felt like she just lost a competition she didn't even know she was in. Just then, a thought occurred to her. "... Did he know?"
"Huh?"
"Did he know?! That I was planning Homecoming. That I was putting a lot of time and effort into it. Did you tell him?"
"Um…" Tyler rubbed the back of his neck.
"You did! … No way. There's just no way! This was on purpose! He did this on purpose! That bastard planned this to get back at me for standing up to him!"
"Wait, when did you stand up to him?"
"That isn't the point, is it?!" The more the realization set in, the angrier she got. "The point is that this is some kind of screwed up powerplay! I mean, the lock screen! Keeping you busy ever since then! Now my party?! Who does he think he is, Regina George?!" Caroline gasped. "Oh my God, he is! This is really happening! Klaus is my Regina George! Why is this my life?!"
"Woah now, I know it sucks, but I think you're overreacting just a little bit."
"Is that what you think, Tyler?! Because I think I'm in a Mean Girls situation with Klaus Mikaelson, the Big Bad Wolf, and he turned my boyfriend into a freaking spy just to find the perfect way to mess with me!"
"Oookay." Eyebrows sky-high, Tyler put his hands up in surrender at her shrill tone. "Care, I know you're kind of a control freak, but can we just enjoy the party? Come on, there's a band out back."
"I know there's a band out back, Tyler! I can hear that!"
"Um… Did I miss something?"
Caroline spun around to find Bonnie watching the fight/totally called for meltdown. Thank goodness, another voice of reason. "Yes! Klaus destroyed my party just to punish me for telling him to back off of my boyfriend a few weeks ago! He just has to prove he's in control of everything like some kind of insecure alpha asshole!"
Bonnie shifted uncomfortably. "... That seems… a little…"
"Low priority, right?! You'd think the scourge of the supernatural world would have better things to do than screw with some teenage vampire he never met!"
"Yeah, you would," Bonnie replied slowly.
"Ugh, you don't believe me either, do you?"
"It's kind of a lot to take in, Care."
"Look, I promise Klaus has better things to worry about than proving a point with some high school dance. It's just a coincidence," Tyler added, putting his hand on Caroline's back. She jerked away.
"Just… Don't." With a deep sigh, Caroline looked to Bonnie. "Either way, I'm not feeling the Homecoming spirit anymore. Girl's night?"
Blatant relief flashed over her friend's face. "Seriously? Yes!" Now that Caroline thought about it, Bonnie was probably even more upset about this dance than she was. She'd just lost her boyfriend to a literal ghost that wasn't even around anymore in some kind of weird, supernatural mess that could only happen here on the Hellmouth. "Let's find Elena and see if she wants in."
"Deal." Somehow, I doubt it, but we should probably ask anyway. Elena had looked pretty cozy on Damon's arm earlier, trailed closely by Stefan.
Maybe they should invite Stefan instead.
Tyler caught Caroline by her wrist. "Woah, hold on, you're just leaving me here?"
Much of what he does is beyond his control, Caroline repeated back to herself with a deep breath, like she had over and over since Rebekah said it. Right. This isn't his fault. It's Klaus'. So, instead of snarking back that Tyler would probably end up leaving her for his real girlfriend at some point in the night anyway, Caroline opted for a more diplomatic, "I just can't promise I won't scratch Klaus' eyes out if he stops by to rub my face in the fact that he stole my party, and I'm sure that wouldn't make things any better for either of us since apparently he can't be killed."
"Seriously, there's no way he-"
Caroline cut Tyler off with a quick peck on the lips. She might not blame him, but she wasn't in the mood for more of his brainwashed drivel. "I'm not mad at you, promise. Have fun, but not too much fun, okay?"
"... Fine."
Elena wanted to stay. With Damon.
Caroline wanted to drag her ass along with her, but in the end, that was Elena's completely sober decision and Caroline had to accept that. With a deep breath as she reminded herself of that for the billionth time (Caroline still felt kind of like she was leaving Elena to the wolves), she buckled herself into Bonnie's passenger seat. "So, what do you want to do?"
"I'm thinking my place. Pizza, wine, and super old cave drawings. Maybe She's All That in the background."
"Oooh. Girls's night and looking for a way to kill my own personal Regina George? I'm in!" There was literally nothing else Caroline would rather do with her night.
"Care, I really don't think…" Bonnie glanced at Caroline out of the corner of her eye, then shook her head with a slight smile. "You know what, whatever. Sure. Let's figure out how to kill the bitch who hijacked your party."
Girl's night with Bonnie! It's been forever! Homecoming might be ruined, but this might actually be better.
Actually, the fact that Bonnie was sleeping in a house alone with her meant she finally trusted Caroline not to drain her in her sleep.
Definitely better than Homecoming.
Caroline couldn't stop smiling the whole drive there.
Klaus was in a good mood when he fell into step with his hybrid. "I must say, you've done a fantastic job throwing all of this all together at the last minute."
The hybrid rolled his eyes and tightened his grip on the 24 pack of beer he was carrying. "We both know it wasn't me and it wasn't last minute. You have no idea how much shit I'm in because of you right now."
Don't I? Klaus almost laughed, but bit it back to keep his poker face. "Speaking of which, where is this feisty vampire girlfriend of yours I have yet to meet?"
"Um, she left."
And just like that, Klaus' satisfaction slipped away. "She what?" Well, that completely ruined the entire point of taking over this silly little high school dance.
"She's under some kind of delusion you did all this just to prove a point after some conversation she had with you or something. I don't know, it's pretty far-fetched."
Klaus felt the corners of his mouth tilt up. So she's caught on. Better yet, she's making a fool of herself ranting about it. He might not have his chance to gloat, but this was still turning into an unexpectedly fun game. "As if I have nothing better to do with my time…"
"Right? That's what I said. Pretty sure world domination ranks a little higher on your list."
In the grand scheme of things, that may be true, but Klaus needed a few hobbies. "Did she say anything else?"
"She called you her Regina George. Whatever that means. Shrieked it, actually. A few times. It kind of hurt my ears."
"A pop culture reference?"
"Some kind of girly classic."
"Hmm." Klaus knew just who to ask. "Keep up the good work, mate," he said with a pat on the shoulder.
As Klaus went in search of his girly-things translator, Tyler called after him, "Hey, if this party's partially for me, why am I doing all of the grunt work?"
Klaus just smiled to himself. So very naive.
Klaus was unsurprised to find his sister near the concert, flitting from boy to boy in an eye-catching red dress and a stolen crown. Well, she's having fun. Rebekah always put far too much stock into these mundane human experiences, but at least it made her easy to please.
Klaus caught her arm. "A word, Bekah?"
With a giant sigh and a muttered "fine," she let him lead her a bit to the side where they could actually speak without having their eardrums assaulted by the speakers.
"What does it mean if someone calls me their Regina George?"
"Well, that's not a question I was expecting from you." Rebekah twirled her recently recovered necklace between her fingers while thinking it over. "Remember when you ordered me to behave while you wooed Katerina?"
Vividly. "Remember how very close you came to being daggered for not listening?"
She raised a brow. "Looking back, don't you wish I did more?"
Klaus couldn't exactly argue with that, but neither could he admit defeat. It would set a bad precedent. He compromised with a shrug.
"Well, all of those 'childish antics that may drive her away' of mine are more or less the same as being a Regina George."
Klaus actually chuckled a little. The girlfriend is onto me.
Rebekah fixed him with a long look. "Seriously, Nik?" Her voice had pitched up a few octaves.
"What?"
"Is that what this party is? A temper tantrum over Tyler not forsaking everything else in his life to be your minion? Now you're punishing his girlfriend?"
"Well… After that text, it was either rip out her liver or wrest control of this little event away from her. I thought this might be more fun."
"How ridiculous of you."
"You ate the Homecoming queen."
"And I have the crown to show for it. What have you gained?"
"... You're siding with the girlfriend." Klaus couldn't help the note of disbelief that crept into his voice. Rebekah had sided with other men over him (particularly any who shared her bed), so he'd come to expect it to an extent, but never a woman. This was a whole new form of betrayal.
"No, I'm simply watching a one year old vampire try not to fall apart as my thousand year old brother dismantles her life, starting with the man she loves. As another popular blonde cheerleader, that role should be mine."
"Yet, it sounds as if you're not doing it." That was even more of a surprise. Whenever Rebekah identified a potential rival, she tore them down mercilessly. It was part of the fun of having her awake. "Bekah, have you made a friend?"
Rebekah turned her nose up at the idea. Paired with that plastic crown and the knowledge that she'd spent hours getting ready for what amounted to a trivial human rite of passage, the imagery was amusingly juvenile. "Don't insult me. She's nearly as tacky as that pathetic excuse for a party she almost threw."
"So my party is better."
"Grow up, Nik." With that, his sister lost herself back in the crowd of underage revelers. The irony made Klaus smile.
He'd missed her in the decades she slept.
While the night had begun with plenty of potential, Klaus descended further and further into a mood as it progressed.
Watching the newest doppleganger flounce around with one Salvatore on her arm and the former Ripper trailing after them like a lost puppy brought back memories. Memories Klaus didn't particularly care for, especially considering which brother most resembled his human self.
His normal method of reminding himself he was no longer a slave to such a disgusting weakness was proving ineffective.
Klaus didn't even have to seek out a willing partner for a quick jaunt; they'd been coming to him all night. But no matter how many women approached him, he found himself… unable to completely engage. Disinterested at best. A bit disgusted, even, as though the idea of fucking any of them was unthinkable. If Kol could see him now, he would likely make a joke about his preferences having shifted after a thousand years.
In fact, Klaus realized with a start that the last woman he'd enjoyed in that way had been the buxom businesswoman from the hotel bar on the way back to Mystic Falls. That had been weeks ago. He'd not even thought to question his sudden lack of interest until now.
That was when everything else clicked into place. The longing to set his wolf free, the intermittent feeling of needing to search for something, the suddenly bottomed-out interest in other women… Klaus' wolf instincts were luring him into seeking out his mate.
But the accounts said that wasn't supposed to happen unless he'd at least caught her scent.
That would mean that at some point-
Klaus cut the thought off there with a growl that made the thin wisp of a girl currently cozying up to him flinch. He didn't want to find her. He didn't want to know her. The less he figured about her identity and location, the better.
But it must have been between then and now. I must have just missed her somewhere near- STOP!
Clearly, he'd spent far too much time calculating and out-maneuvering his enemies for his own good. It was difficult not to think something all the way through, even if those conclusions were best left alone.
He needed a distraction.
A feeding, and then a game. That was what he needed.
The almighty Klaus Mikaelson, Original Hybrid, playing beer pong with the high schoolers to dodge girls. And thoughts of girls. One girl. Who he hadn't even met.
Honestly, it was a very good thing Kol was still asleep.
At least he was winning.
Then a compelled girl showed up with a message for him and everything went to hell in a handbasket.
Mikael was at the front door. With Klaus' doppleganger in his clutches and a sadistic smile.
For a moment, Klaus blanched. How did he capture her? But it didn't matter because Klaus' vampire security detail began to approach the scene from behind.
Catching the shift in Klaus' attention, Mikael glanced behind him. That sinister laugh that had plagued the darkest recesses of Klaus' mind since his childhood filled the courtyard. "The same old tricks, I see. I'm afraid I got to them first."
Indeed, their eyes were glazed and their faces a bit blank in that peculiar way certain types of compulsion manifested. It was sloppy. Left obvious for show. Klaus wanted to lunge out that door and rip Mikael apart for taunting him, but he couldn't.
"Tyler," he called.
"Incapacitated or dead, assuming my allies did their job. Now come out and face me, Niklaus. Or she dies."
Klaus growled in frustration. Cornered. "Go ahead. Kill her."
"Klaus! You said you'd protect me!" Elena's big brown eyes pleaded with him. Unfortunately for her, they'd stopped affecting him two dopplegangers ago. "That was the deal, right?"
Answering with a decidedly nonchalant shrug, Klaus responded, "Sorry, love, but this goes beyond the terms of our agreement."
That gasp of indignation and flash of betrayal might have made him feel slightly (only very slightly) guilty if it wasn't coming from that face.
The silver of a hunting knife glinted in Mikael's hand. He held it to Elena's back and Klaus fought to keep his shoulders lax. "If she dies, the one mutt you've managed to create is the last of your abominations."
It was true. It was true, and everyone knew it. I've allowed myself a weakness, Klaus realized. That bloody deal gave me a weakness for all to exploit. I should have drained her near-dry and locked her away the moment I learned I needed her blood. That's what he got for trying to think like Elijah. Even in Klaus' thoughts, his brother managed to betray him. "I don't need them. I just need to be rid of you."
"To what end, Niklaus? So you can live forever with no one at your side? Nobody cares about you anymore, boy!"
It made no sense how Klaus could dispel Mikael's statements with logic, but they still managed to find a hold. Then again, was being afraid of him truly caring?
As though Mikael could read his thoughts, he continued, his face severe, bright blue eyes glinting sharper than the knife he held. "Who do you have other than those whose loyalty you've forced? No one."
It was like a punch. Worse. Klaus' eternal torment finally given a voice. Words he never found.
Worse than a lash. Worse than a stake to the heart.
Endless, formless, empty nothingness.
"No one."
It was true. He was alone. He always had been. Always would be.
Enough talk. "I'm calling your bluff, father. Kill her."
"Come outside and face me you little coward, and I won't have to."
Little coward. Who other than Mikael still had the gall to call him that. Who other than him believed as much?
No, Klaus was simply not giving up his tactical advantage.
Or was it that a millennia of running was a difficult habit to break? That looking his so-called father in the face while every instinct in him was screaming to flee took more courage than Klaus wanted to admit. That, and the fact that the instant he looked into that face, Klaus saw himself broken, weak, and bleeding at the other man's mercy, craving nothing more than his father's approval. Human in the most pathetic sense of the term.
Oh, how Klaus hated that he ever had been human.
All of these half-thoughts passed in milliseconds of indecision. This is what he wants. To weaken me. Make me second guess myself. So, what to do? Break, and confirm that the doppleganger was his weakness, or stand firm and quite possibly watch all his plans die in front of him?
The answer rose snarling from inside him. I am not WEAK! "My whole life, you've underestimated me. If you kill her, you lose your leverage." I am the most powerful being on the planet. I have out-maneuvered kings. I have taken anything and everything I ever wanted. My name is synonymous with death, and I have outgrown this. Outgrown you. "So go ahead. Go on, kill her. Go on, old man. Kill her. Kill her!"
Klaus knew what came next. Knew he would lose his hybrids. But he could not bend. Not to Mikael. He'd come too far.
Suddenly, with a gust of wind, Mikael was on the ground with… a blonde wearing a crown on top of him. She seemed to have tackled him by the arm.
Mikael's eyes flew wide. "Rebekah?"
"A thousand years. A thousand years I have stood idly by and watched you torment my brother. I have watched him struggle to reclaim what you and mother took from him, watched him discard bits of himself to rid himself of your influence until I could hardly recognize him. Enough! You will not take this from him as well!" Rebekah shoved Elena so hard she stumbled over the threshold and right into Klaus' arms.
He found he didn't care. Practically throwing his doppleganger behind him, he stood at the very edge and cried, "Bekah, come inside!"
"What I've taken from him… And what do you imagine that is?" Klaus knew that tone. It was the same as the day Mikael had nearly beaten him to death. It made him feel sick.
"Everything." With that, Rebekah grabbed the knife that had clattered to the ground and shoved it into his eye
Howling, Mikael shot to his feet, ripping Rebekah up by the hair at an odd angle. She screamed in pain, but twisted in his grasp, baring her fangs to no effect.
Klaus was out there in an instant to tear Mikael's filthy hands away from his sister. "You will not touch her. You will never touch her again!" Klaus tried to rip into his throat, but Mikael managed to dodge him by shoving Rebekah aside.
He caught Klaus by the throat.
"Nik!"
"He's not worth it! Remember what he did!" Elena yelled.
"Come inside, Barbie Klaus," Damon said.
A scuffle drew Klaus' eye from his opponent. Mistake. Mikael kicked his legs from beneath him and pinned Klaus to the ground.
Mikael surveyed him through his one good eye. "I'll be honest, boy, I was beginning to think you didn't have the guts. But it seems I simply had the wrong bait."
And that was when Mikael produced the white oak stake. Unsurprising.
Back in the doorway, Rebekah leaned against Elena with a vervain dart in her arm. Safe. She's safe.
Klaus managed to stop the killing blow, but he couldn't hold it for long. Despite his hybrid strength, Mikael was created to hunt him. In a battle of strength alone, Klaus would lose eventually.
Not enough time to transform. If Klaus wasn't on his back holding back the only thing on this earth that could kill him, that form might have given him the edge he needed.
"No! No, Nik!" Rebekah screamed, struggling against Damon's hold in her weakened state. She even tried kicking off of the doorframe, but Damon held tight. "Nik!"
It was heartwarming, actually. Klaus had never quite been sure she would still mourn him. Something to console himself with, he supposed. "Bekah."
The tip of the stake pierced his skin and Klaus pushed harder, but he could feel his arms beginning to give out.
With a vampiric blur, the pressure disappeared from on top of him. The stake clattered harmlessly to the side. Grabbing it, Klaus righted himself to find Mikael rolling on top of Stefan.
Klaus didn't give his father time to recover. He drove the stake cleanly through his heart from behind. Stefan shoved him off and scrambled away, driving the stake even further when Mikael landed on his back.
Dazed and triumphant, Klaus watched the light leave Mikael's eyes. Then he stepped back so he wouldn't catch fire along with the body.
"What the hell did you do?!" Damon practically shrieked. "We had him!"
Stefan looked at his hands. "I… don't know… I just… Those screams…"
It was the strangest thing. Klaus had heard of strong enough emotions lingering past compulsion, but never something like this. Fear. Anxiety. Loss. None of them explained behavior like this. A question for later.
He clapped the still bewildered Stefan on the shoulder. "Thank you-" He cut himself off before addressing Stefan as a friend.
Who do you have other than those whose loyalty you've forced?
Right then, Klaus knew what he was going to do. It was impulsive. A mistake, for certain. But he would not look for friendship beneath his compulsion. He would have his old friend's loyalty or he would not, and he needed to know for sure which was the truth.
"I believe you've earned a reward, mate." Looking into Stefan's eyes, he compelled, "You no longer have to do as I say. You are free."
Stefan's forehead wrinkled in disbelief.
"Go home," Klaus said. "And take your little friends with you while I'm still feeling generous."
A nod, a pair of wooshes, and the three of them were gone.
Klaus stood over the burning remains of the man he'd once thought was his father. Rebekah half-stumbled her way to his side and together, they watched their childhood nightmare burn to ash. Klaus realized his cheeks were warm with what must have been his first tears in centuries and quickly wiped them away.
She took his hand, neither of them looking away from the fire until they knew for sure the threat was gone forever.
"... You will never dagger me again," she said quietly, and Klaus could hear that something had changed within her. Though she still looked like the little sister he and his brothers shared stories with beneath the stars a thousand years ago, back when their family was still whole, and her eyes glinted with unshed tears, they burned right along with the fire. "I know the truth about mother."
All of the adrenaline from the earlier battle coursed back through Klaus' body.
It had been the first lie he ever told his siblings. The most important. Mikael killed mother. It was what first united them against him.
She squeezed his hand so hard even he couldn't escape her grip.
"I could have avenged her without lifting a finger tonight. I could have stood aside and let him kill you. I'd have been free to do anything I pleased. But the instant I saw you in danger, I chose you. I'm your sister, Nik, and even when I want to strangle you, I still love you. Always and forever. You need to start believing that."
Who do you have, other than those whose loyalty you've forced? Mikael's last taunt echoed in Klaus' mind yet again, as he suspected it always would.
If Klaus were a normal man, he might have hugged her. Instead, he simply nodded and squeezed his sister's hand in return. It was all he could manage without making even more of a scene.
Finally! It's finished! It's DONE!
After receiving requests for Klaus/Caroline to meet, I played with the idea of scrapping the first meeting I already had planned and shifting it to the Mikael showdown instead. While it would be super in character (and fun!) for Caroline to save Elena while pretty much everyone else watched, I decided against it because:
- I couldn't come up with a way for her to survive without Klaus immediately coming to her rescue (kind of unbelievable/anticlimactic after all that going-to-kill-his-mate buildup, right?)
- I didn't want to shift the focus away from Klaus facing down the physical embodiment of his worst fears and insecurities and choosing not to run. I think that level of character development deserves to have its own weight. So does the moment he and Caroline meet. That means they can't happen at the same time.
- After watching some random baby vampire (who also happens to be his mate) bravely stand up to his own worst nightmare, Klaus would have become full-on obsessed. Which sounds fun, but without a few shifts in his perspective first, I think it would have played out like Beauty and the Beast,only with a lot more denial and even more Stockholm Syndrome. Definitely an interesting read, but not the dynamic I'm going for.
- I thought this gave Rebekah and Klaus the reconciliation they deserved. Sibling bonding is important, too! Plus, it's actually part of me priming Klaus for a relationship
So yeah. Rebekah to the rescue as I originally intended and our future lovebirds are stuck indirectly sniping at each other. FOR NOW. Don't worry, Klaus and Caroline meet very soon! Promise!
What do you guys think? Was it still an okay chapter? Were Klaus and Caroline's indirect interactions a decent compromise for them not meeting this chapter? Was the action okay? I'm feeling needy for input after finally finishing this monster!