Part I: Vampires
Chapter One
The Reunion
Mystic Falls, Virginia
August 2008
Sheriff Elizabeth Forbes was having a very bad day. She had woken up to divorce papers, wasted the morning playing phone tag with her lawyer, and then been informed by the coroner at noon that a case originally determined as an animal attack was actually the work of a vampire. This all while avoiding her mother's calls. By late afternoon, it was a relief to lock herself in her office and file paperwork.
After less than fifteen minutes alone with her coffee, a knock sounded on the door.
"Come in," she called without looking up, trying to tamp down her frustration. The door opened and closed as someone walked in, but they did not say anything. "Yes?"
"Hello, Sheriff Forbes. I was wondering if you had time for a quick chat?"
"Only if it really is quick," Liz muttered, squinting down at a photograph of the victim's body as she filled out a report for the Council. "How can I help you?"
"My name is Caroline and I am a 900-year-old vampire. I'm new to town."
The pen in her hand ripped straight through the report. She snapped her head up to gape at the statuesque blond standing before her. Although she looked like a teenager, Liz detected significant power, confidence, and wisdom in the blond's gaze that clashed with the girly yellow sundress and matching headband she wore.
Liz's hand shifted to the stake hidden under her desk; she nodded towards the photograph to hide her movement. "Are you the one who attacked this girl?"
"That was a stray. I took care of him last night; don't worry," the vampire said dismissively. "Think of it as a sign of good faith."
"Don't worry? You just announced you're a bloodsucking monster!"
"I was hoping we could make a deal," the vampire continued as if Liz hadn't spoken. She took a step towards the desk. "I believe we can be of mutual assistance to each other."
"I'm on vervain! Don't come any closer, or I'll stake you!" Liz interrupted, rising to her feet defensively and wielding the stake.
The vampire cast an unimpressed glance at the stake, and sighed. "Very clever, Sheriff. But I'll let you in on a little secret," she crooned, lowering herself into a chair. "Vervain doesn't work on me."
Liz glared at her. "You're bluffing."
"Am I?" the vampire countered. Her eyes dilated as she stared into Liz's. "Sit down," she ordered.
The sheriff found herself compelled to sit. "What – how-?" she stammered.
"Now let's have a civil conversation," said the vampire. "My name is Caroline d'Ebanne. I am a...special kind of vampire - a witch-vampire hybrid. I can't be killed by stakes and sunlight and fire, so please don't attempt it. I won't compel you again, unless it is of absolute necessity. Supernatural business has brought me to Mystic Falls indefinitely."
Liz stared at her in bewilderment for a long moment, unsure what to make of her. When she'd woken up that morning, her biggest problem had been a gay husband. That seemed to pale in comparison to her current predicament. She tried to focus on one part of the vampire's speech – the most important part.
"Couldn't you find another town to live in? This one has enough problems as it is," she pled.
Caroline shook her head. "It must be Mystic Falls. My offer is simple: come to me with any supernatural problems you're having, and I will deal with them. I've done my research. I know this place is abnormal. I know you have too many unexplained disappearances and phenomena and deaths for such a small town. I will assist in keeping rogue vampires in check…or anything else that goes bump in the night."
Liz leant across her desk. "And what would you ask for in return?"
Caroline smiled. "I'll be enrolling at the local high school as a sophomore come fall. I find myself in need of a place to stay. And I'll need a cover story, of course. I believe you can assist me."
Liz arced her eyebrows. "You came to Mystic Falls to go to high school?"
"In the name of research," Caroline assured her. "Besides, my presence here needs to be plausible. I am forever frozen at seventeen."
The sheriff tapped her fingers on her desk as she regarded the hybrid frankly.
"What sort of cover story?"
The late afternoon sun blazed down on Caroline d'Ebanne as her keen eyes roved over the shabby awning of the Mystic Grill, the abnormally tall clock tower, the little Mom-and-Pop storefronts, and the gleaming park, all key locations of the quietly unassuming town. The one and only time she had been here before had been during the Civil War, while hunting down Katerina Petrova. She knew Mystic Falls was brimming with long-buried secrets just waiting to be unearthed.
It's Caroline Forbes now, she reminded herself with a smirk, remembering her meeting with the sheriff the previous evening. Upon arriving, she'd decided that the best way to navigate the self-important town with its Council and vervain and long history of paranormal activity was to be upfront.
When she had told the sheriff her idea, the woman had blanched. But soon, with careful persuasion, she'd convinced Liz to agree to let her move in and pretend to be her niece. It was obvious that although the sheriff did not love the idea of living with a vampire, she instinctually wanted to protect her town – and she was exhausted and out of options. Caroline would move in at the end of the week, and Liz would tell her friends the teenager was her estranged husband's niece from the West Coast, sent to live with her aunt in the wake of her parents' deaths. They'd always had a special connection, and Bill Forbes was too financially unstable at the moment to look after her. Caroline Forbes would be a promising student and cheer-squad hopeful at Mystic Falls High. It was all carefully planned out; Caroline was a perfectionist when it came to forethought.
A group of teenagers poured out the front doors of the Mystic Grill, laughing gaily. There was a beautiful girl with toffee-colored skin wearing a lacy white top and denim shorts. She had to be a Bennett Witch. A tall, dark-haired boy was striding alongside her with cockiness only possessed by attractive male teenagers from wealthy families. A sandy-blond All-American type had his arm slung around the shoulders of a petite brunette with tanned skin. The dark sunglasses she wore could not hide her face from Caroline's sharp eyes - she recognized the telltale features of Katerina Petrova. The resemblance was uncanny.
Gazing across the town square, Caroline noted small quirks: the way the corner of her lips turned inward when she smiled, the slightly self-conscious set to her skinny shoulders, and the adoring look she sent the All-American. Caroline doubted Katerina would ever be caught dead in Converse, no matter how hard she was trying to disguise herself. If she was acting, she was doing a stellar job. The vampire moved closer to the group, crossing the square and following them towards the movie theater. They paused to allow the dark-haired boy to tie his shoe.
"He never learned how to do it properly in kindergarten," All-American teased.
"Shove it, Matt," the boy growled as he fumbled with the laces. "I'm just tired from last night."
The Bennett Witch laughed. "Yeah, I dunno why you thought jumping the Falls wasted at midnight was a great idea – oh, wait! I just answered my own question."
"Stop teasing Ty," the possible doppelgänger scolded. She stepped out of the blond one's hold and knelt down to tie the shoe.
Caroline was only a few feet away. She closed her eyes and listened carefully.
Four regular heartbeats. Four working lungs. Four distinct scents, none of which were Katerina's. No vampires. The girl was human, or as human as a doppelgänger could be.
The kids walked into the movie theater, leaving Caroline to her thoughts. This was the real reason she'd come to Mystic Falls. She'd been taken aback when she'd received a phone call from her most trusted sources saying they'd found the doppelgänger. She wasn't even sure she should come, but curiosity had gotten the best of her.
Niklaus and Rebekah would be surprised when she told them, but they had bigger problems at the moment. They would be in Africa for the unforeseeable future; for now, she was on her own. That was fine. It allowed her room to plan, investigate, settle, protect. The doppelgänger would not be a secret for long; more would come.
It was time to go make some new friends.
September 2009
Fifteen years since we've set eyes on each other, and it feels like yesterday, thought Damon Salvatore as he stared at his brother.
He waited for Stefan to slide the proffered Daylight ring back onto his middle finger before attacking. He let his veins protrude as he wrapped his right hand around Stefan's throat and lifted him into the air. With almost no effort, he threw his weak little brother through the air, tossing him against the garage. The younger brother groaned as he slammed into the wall then hissed as he hit the ground.
Damon flashed over to glare down at him as he attempted to catch his breath. Pitiful.
"You should know better than to think you're stronger than me. You lost that fight when you stopped feeding on people. I wouldn't try it again," he taunted.
A clattering noise came from the house.
"I think we woke Zach up," Damon observed with a smirk, turning his back on Stefan to return inside.
He stopped dead.
A tall blond teenager was standing in his way. She was barefoot and wearing a pale pink camisole and matching shorts, as if she'd just climbed out of bed. Her lips were curled in mild distaste as she looked him up and down, taking him in, assessing him. She was pretty. Well, no – she was beautiful. Really hot, made even hotter by her blatant disgust of him. Damon was self-aware: he had a type.
"You should be nicer to your baby brother," she drawled.
Still on the ground, Stefan raised his head in surprise. "Caroline? Caroline Forbes?"
Damon tilted his head back towards his brother while keeping his eyes locked on the mysterious blond. "You know each other?"
"We go to school together. She's one of Elena's friends," Stefan murmured as he rose. Shards of glass fell from his hair and shoulders and onto the gravel with soft plinking sounds. "What - what are you doing here, Caroline?"
"Welcoming the new resident to town," she answered shortly. She was far too calm and collected for someone who had just witnessed a person being thrown out a window then into a garage - and was now standing before her. Maybe she's in shock, Damon thought to himself.
"Too bad she had to see our little scuffle," he said slyly. "What do you think, Stef? Should I play with my food first?"
Stefan flashed to his side and grabbed his arm. "We'll compel her. No more murders, Damon," he ground out through gritted teeth.
"Did you not listen to what I just told you a minute ago?" Damon asked with raised brows. "Since you refuse to drink real blood, you're weaker than me; therefore, I call all the shots."
His fangs lowered as he took a step towards his prey. He was inches away when with a movement almost too fast for his eyes to register, she uncrossed her arms and shot her left hand straight into his chest, digging her nails into his heart.
Damon choked in surprise, wheezing uncontrollably as his knees buckled. He stared up at the face of his assaulter. Up close he could see just how lovely her blue-green eyes were. It was a sign of impeccable control that she kept her demonic face at bay whilst attacking.
More importantly, it was a sign of age. This Caroline was an old vampire, older than Stefan and himself by a long shot. Perhaps older than Katherine had been.
"No, Damon," she purred as she sneered down at him. "I'll be calling the shots."
The Namib Desert, Namibia
April 2010
To say Rebekah Mikaelson was 'over the bloody desert' was to use the highest degree of understatement possible. When she'd allowed herself to be persuaded to join her brother on this quest, the understanding had been that they'd be in Africa for a few months, maybe half a year, and now here they still were, two years later. Each lead brought the siblings to a new trail which brought them to another source - it was a downward spiraling cycle that had only raised more questions than answers. When trusted witches had informed them that moves were being made to awaken an ancient creature, supposedly the oldest immortal ever, Nik's interest (read: self-interest) had been piqued. He claimed it was out of self-preservation, but Rebekah also knew he was competitive. He wanted to be the biggest Big Bad in all the land, save – perhaps – for Caroline. As the siblings tracked oral stories across the continent, Rebekah became more convinced that they were on a wild goose chase, piecing together the legends of a man who didn't exist.
As Niklaus bounced the Jeep over yet another dune, Rebekah sent her brother a withering glare from the passenger seat and clung to the grab handle to avoid falling into the endless sea of sand. He grinned at her.
"I'm glad someone is enjoying this!" she yelled sourly over the rock music blasting from the stereo. Zeppelin. Typical.
"What was that? Can't hear you, sister!" he yelled back.
She rolled her eyes and checked her phone. There was a text from Caroline.
Elijah visited Mystic Falls while I was doing research in Chicago last week. Not sure of his current location. He caused quite a bit of trouble with the gang here.
"Elijah's in Mystic Falls," she said in shocked voice.
Klaus made an unnecessarily sharp turn (there was no road) and set his jaw. "Good of him to finally rejoin society."
Rebekah tapped out a response. What did he do?
Terrorized Elena. His motives are unclear. Pretty sure he thinks you're still daggered, so I'm guessing his intention is to punish Nik, Caroline responded immediately.
"She's assuming he believes I'm still daggered," Rebekah said. "He's messing with the doppelgänger to get back at you."
Nik growled. "Well, if he hadn't ignored us for half a century, he'd know you're fine."
"I've kept a low profile for decades. A lot of people think I'm still dessicated," she reminded him. "Pacari believed it."
"Because of Mikael," he hissed.
Do you think Mikael found a way to feed him false information? she typed.
I'll find out when he returns.
"She'll find out when he comes back."
"Alone?"
Rebekah scoffed derisively. "Even if Elijah is that far gone, he can't harm Caroline."
Klaus frowned. "I'll call her after this meeting."
"Ah, Nik, do we really have to meet another old crone who's going to talk more bullshit about mystical tombstones and ancient witch grudges? I'm sick of the bloody desert!"
"Indulge me for a touch longer, Bekah," he drawled.
He shifted the Wrangler into park outside a modern ranch-style house that had seemingly appeared out of nowhere. No other buildings of any sort were in view. A single tree lazily guarded the low roof. A Hummer and an ATV could be seen through the glass panes of the garage. A male witch with a deep scowl etched on his face was waiting for them. As the siblings approached, he pointed to the front door.
"My grandmother waits inside. Do not linger, Vampires; you are not here on a social call," he warned them in !Kung.
"Our thanks," Klaus answered in the same language with a slight bow of his head. The witch's glare followed the vampires as they walked into the dark house and were immediately hit with a blast of welcoming cold air.
"In here," a shaky voice called out in English from down a hallway filled with framed pictures of her family.
They entered a large library featuring floor-to-ceiling triple-glazed windows, recessed lighting, and minimalist design.
A wizened old woman sat at a glass desk tapping on a MacBook. When they paused in the doorway, she closed the laptop and crooked her finger, beckoning the Originals forward. Two beige leather chairs faced her desk. They sat and waited as she stared them down through tortoiseshell spectacles. She was wearing an impeccably cut white suit, no shoes, and a lot of heavy jewelry.
"I knew your brother," she said after a long pause.
"Which one?" Klaus asked with raised eyebrows.
"Why, the handsome, charming troublemaker: Kol. He came here seeking similar answers."
"He's always had an affinity for witches. But that must have been a very long time ago," Klaus said, his voice heavy with implication.
The witch gave him a toothless grin. "Don't let my good looks deceive you; I've been around a while."
"I don't doubt it," Klaus smiled back with genuine humor. "I've seen a thing or two in my day."
"Ha!" she let out a barking laugh. "Don't I know it! Good luck with lifting that Hybrid Curse, by the way! And where is my friend Kol now?" she asked, a knowing twinkle in her eyes.
"Taking a rest," Klaus told her flatly.
The witch gave him an unimpressed look and glanced at Rebekah, who had adjusted in her seat.
Rebekah tried not to stare at the witch's wrinkles and general decrepitude, but it was hard. She was used to feeling uncomfortable around the very old, but something about this woman unsettled her more than most.
"And you, too, young lady! You have seen just as much!"
Rebekah inclined her head in affirmation.
The witch leaned forward. "Your eyes are full of tragedy. I sense much of it is self-inflicted."
Rebekah's mouth fell open in surprise.
The witch reached out a deeply creviced hand to pat the vampire's with motherly kindness. The contrast between dark and pale skin tones and young and old was startling. Her skin was as soft as a baby's. She turned back to Klaus.
"The Immortal Witch is called Silas. There used to be a cult nearby dedicated to his mythos; they were eagerly awaiting his awakening, which supposedly would bring the end of the world. They started as a sister coven to ours, but they got too radical. Kol massacred them centuries ago," she said with a wave of her hand.
"Er – sorry?" Rebekah offered with a wince.
"No, no – it was a good thing, believe me. They were crazy occultists; apocalypse worshippers," the witch said dismissively. "Many similar clans still exist throughout the world, though not all of them want him raised. Some want him dead; others want him to remain exactly as he is: a living mummy. If the rumors that someone is trying to raise him are true, then we all have reason to worry."
"But why do the cults exist? Is it simply due to him being the first immortal?" asked Klaus.
The old woman shook her head. "There's another reason. A bigger, more important one - especially relevant for your family."
Klaus leant in. She steepled her fingers together as her gaze shifted from him to Rebekah.
"He is the key to the Cure to immortality," she proclaimed.
"The Cure for vampirism?" Rebekah asked in a startled voice, exchanging a worried look with her brother.
"That's right, honey," the witch confirmed. She raised her eyebrows at the siblings. "You aren't surprised to hear there is a Cure."
"Not quite," Klaus muttered, his jaw tight. "There have been…encounters in the past."
"As I said, there are many different cults. I'm guessing you had a run in with the Brotherhood of the Five?"
Klaus' reaction was visceral; he hunched over like he had been punched in the gut. Rebekah eyes widened.
"You know of the Five?" she demanded.
The witch nodded. "They are very effective vampire hunters; again, they can be a bit radical. Single-minded," she added, clucking he tongue in clear reproval.
"Are?" Klaus repeated sharply. "What they are is dead."
"I think not, vampire. This coven has pictures of their tattoos; they aren't far from here."
She pulled out a piece of paper and wrote down a location. She stood up to slide the note across the desk then crossed to one of the glazed windows and peered out at the parched landscape. Rebekah shoved the note into her purse with an apprehensive glance at her brother, who was still in shock about the Five.
"Tell me, is the idea of mortality hopeful or haunting for creatures who have lived as long as you?" the witch said with her back to them. "Is it like a dream that you can't quite recall when you wake up, yet whose melancholic tone follows you all day long, slowly filling you with a pensive restlessness? A restlessness so dogged it thwarts you from finding a moment's peace…"
Mystic Falls, Virginia
May 2010
The radio lulled Elena Gilbert in and out of sleep as she tanned on a blanket, her homework long abandoned. Her best friend Caroline Forbes was sprawled out beside her reading a mystery novel. It had been an eventful school year, full of romance, drama, death, and Katherine Pierce. Now that her doppelgänger was locked away in the crypt, Elena felt like she could finally breathe easy again. Though the vague threat of Klaus and Elijah was real, she was compartmentalizing today.
Caroline was insistent she ignore the rumors she was hearing about Klaus, which wasn't easy when everyone else around her thought he was endgame. Still, she trusted Caroline. The blond had moved to Mystic Falls the summer before their sophomore year and become a fast friend. Their friendship was cemented when Elena's parents had died, and Caroline had been there for her every day. When the Salvatore brothers had arrived in town and her friend had revealed her true identity as Caroline d'Ebanne, a powerful vampire, Elena was shocked, but unconcerned. Caroline was too important to her – and if she could date a vampire, she could certainly befriend one.
"Do you think Bonnie and Damon will get anything out of Elijah when he returns?" Elena mused. Her childhood best friend had struck up an odd friendship of her own with Stefan's intense brother over the past few months. The pair had taken it upon themselves to combat the ancient vampire who'd been stalking her.
"I'll deal with Elijah when he returns," Caroline muttered without looking up from her book. "I'm annoyed I was in Chicago the last time he was here."
Elena paused at that. She always forgot that Caroline was a much older vampire than Damon or Stefan. She was pretty reluctant to go into details about her past, but she clearly knew a lot about the history of vampires.
"You say that like you know him," she pointed out.
The vampire closed her book with a sigh. "I do."
Elena nodded, swallowing hard. "And should I fear him?"
"He's a 1,000-year-old vampire. He's not exactly tame. But he will not harm you; I promise," Caroline said sincerely, looking her friend in the eyes.
Elena smiled at her; she continued.
"I believe he's stirring trouble in order to catch Klaus' attention."
Elena's smile disappeared. "But Klaus wants to kill me."
"Ah – that's Rose and Trevor and the rest talking," the blond said with a frown. "There are a lot of things I need to explain to you, but I feel it's best if I wait until Elijah returns and we figure things out. I don't want to scare you."
"Just you saying that scares me," Elena joked.
"I'll explain everything to you soon, I promise," said Caroline with conviction.
Elena grabbed her hand and squeezed it. As she did, her gaze lingered on the images and words inked on the vampire's forearm. She'd always been intrigued by the little black birds emerging from 'Des Cendres' written in script, but had never asked her friend about the tattoos.
"Now enough of this dark conversation. At least Elijah compelled Katherine to stay in the crypt! We should be celebrating! I know I'm looking forward to winning the cheer competition next week," the blond bubbled. "Are you really sure you don't want to rejoin the team? Exercise will stave off any depressing thoughts."
Elena grinned at her friend. "Don't worry – Stefan and I get plenty of exercise."
The blond vampire rolled her eyes and returned to her book.
"Please, spare me the details; there are some mysteries in life that can remain that way."
The witch-vampire hybrid named Pacari lingered near the entrance to the Mystic Grill. His eyes glinted like obsidian in the dim light of the bar. He was trying to be as inconspicuous as possible in a grey tee and dark wash jeans, but that didn't stop the admiring gazes from flicking in his direction and lingering on his russet, tattoo-covered arms and impressive muscles. He ignored them, focusing on the reason he was here.
"I get off the treadmill, and I'm feeling pretty freaking good about myself; I've done like ten miles. As I'm walking through the gym, I wave at Bonnie, but she gives me this weird look, so I'm thinking, what's up with her?" A sandy-haired teenager was entertaining his friends with a story across the restaurant.
He took stock of the group. Out of the seven, only two were non-supernatural – the storyteller and a dark-haired boy who looked younger than the rest. A pretty girl who had the unmistakable features of a Bennett Witch sat eating French fries and laughing. Beside her was a vampire he didn't recognize – but he did recognize the girl the vampire had his arm hooked around. The petite brunette who was an exact replica of his old friend Katerina Petrova. And finally, there was a young werewolf whose attention kept wandering to the blond on his left. Caroline. Pacari's sire opened her mouth to comment on the sandy-haired boy's story.
Their eyes met across the room.
"Not like, some reddish dots, but these huge, dark red circles, perfectly round. I walked through the gym in front of the whole class like that!" As the friends howled with laughter at the storyteller's misfortune, Caroline stood up.
"Hey, guys, I just realized I promised Liz I'd help her out with something at the station. I'll see you at school." She threw down some cash, waved a goodbye, and beelined for him.
Pacari turned on his heel and exited.
"Not that I'm not happy to see you," she said as soon as they were alone in the parking lot, "but why are you here?"
"Missed you, too, Care. Nik sent me," he told her as they hugged. He was the first hybrid she'd ever sired; turned in the waning years of the Inca Empire.
She rolled her eyes. "I told him I can handle Elijah."
"And you thought he'd listen? Besides, Katherine's here, too, and all this stuff about Silas has made him more...high-strung than usual."
"When did you talk to him?" she asked. "He didn't tell me you were coming when we spoke this morning."
"He called a few days ago to ask me about Silas," he continued. "Then asked if I would assist you."
"I was shocked when I heard the name Silas. I'd heard of him once before, from a coven Kol and I befriended in Africa. But they did not say he was an immortal witch. I thought he was a myth."
"There is too much evidence for him to be mere legend."
"Why did Nik ask you about Silas?"
"The witch who gave them Silas' name also mentioned Kol's past dealing with cults who wished to raise him. Nik was hoping Kol had shared his knowledge about Silas with me. He had. The stories say Silas is not exactly the key to the Cure - the antidote to all immortality lies within his grasp," Pacari explained.
"Silas has the Cure?"
"Yes. And the only way to get the vial out of his petrified hands is to feed him until he wakes. But long has it been prophesied that waking him up would have apocalyptic consequences; he's only gotten stronger over the centuries, as all immortals do."
"Nik said the Five might have returned."
"If that's true, Mariko would probably have a better idea," Pacari mused, referring to their mutual friend, an immortal witch herself. "Look, it's troubling someone is actively trying to find and awaken him, but it's nothing new. No one has been able to wake him up or even find his body in two thousand years. There's no reason to think whoever this person is will be successful."
"In this family, I've learned to never push my luck," Caroline quipped. "Come on, let's go home. As you know, I live with my aunt, the sheriff of Mystic Falls."
Pacari let out a deep bellowing laugh. "I can't wait to see you in your cheer squad uniform. Thank the gods I can't pass for a high schooler, or you'd have me in a varsity jacket faster than I could blink an eye."
She sniffed at him haughtily as they got into the car. "I'd never been to high school before. It's surprisingly fun," she gushed.
Pacari shot her a look of disbelief.
"Alright, so it'd definitely suck if I were actually seventeen," she admitted. "In the meantime, I've come to really care about this town and the people here. Elena and Bonnie have become true friends."
"You told me when we last spoke the doppelgänger has learnt of Klaus. I'm assuming she does not know who he is to you?" Pacari questioned.
She sighed. "No. I need to handle this with caution and delicacy."
"It's going to come out eventually," her friend warned.
"I know, I know. When Elijah arrived a few weeks ago, it was spring break and I was in Chicago trying to figure out a way to break the Hybrid Curse without killing Elena. I wanted to talk to him before doing anything else, but I don't know when he's planning on gracing us with his presence again. He's already scared the crap out of Elena, and now Rose, Trevor, Katherine, and her parents keep telling her Klaus is going to murder her in her sleep."
"She really is Katherine's doppelgänger," he marveled, observing the town as she drove to the Forbes home. "The wonders of Facebook."
"Yes, modern technology is pretty incredible sometimes," she agreed. "How are the girls? Mystic Falls drama aside, I'm not thrilled you abandoned the school to come here," she scolded, referring to Des Cendres, the school for young women hidden deep in the Himalayas she'd built centuries past.
Pacari held his hands up in surrender. "All of my students are excelling in their studies; they'll be fine without me. Gita and Emmeline will watch over them while I'm here. Calm down."
"A little more respect for your sire wouldn't hurt," she teased, pulling into the driveway.
He snorted and unbuckled his seatbelt.
"Did Bekah – Bekah was okay with you leaving Des Cendres?" she asked awkwardly before he could exit.
He paused. "Nik said she was."
"That's encouraging-"
"Caroline-"
"I wasn't trying to make it seem like you need her permission-"
"Caroline."
"Yes?"
"Please stop digging yourself into a hole. I'm returning as soon as you've settled things with Elijah."
She was silent as they entered the house and sat at the kitchen table. Witch-vampire hybrids had the advantage of not needing an invitation to enter a human home. Pacari popped open a blood bag and let his sire stew in her thoughts.
"Maybe you shouldn't go back right away," she finally said, her expression dark. "Something is off. I can't shake the feeling that these seemingly disconnected elements are somehow connected."
"Indirect confluence? Or direct?"
"I'm not sure yet," she murmured after a beat. "But can't you sense the danger here?"
The Inca hybrid pressed his fists into his thighs. "Yes. Yes, I can."
On a riverbank in Namibia, Klaus Mikaelson sat on a tree limb and answered his phone.
"Caroline."
"Don't you Caroline me, Niklaus!"
He smirked. "I take it your progeny found you."
"I'm always happy to see Pacari, but a little warning would have been nice."
"I thought you'd enjoy a surprise," he teased. "Did he tell you what he knew about Silas?"
"He did." Klaus could hear the apprehension in her voice. "I don't like it."
"Neither do I. If we ever did find that body, we'd bury it in the Arctic Ocean."
"Do you think you're going to find it?"
He stared up at the vast night sky. It was so clear, he could see the Milky Way - a subtle reminder that the cosmos was a predestined force in his life.
"No," he finally said. "I believe our quest here is coming to a dead end."
Elijah Mikaelson straightened his tie with a slight frown. It wouldn't do to enter negotiations without looking his best. He roved over his Tom Ford suit in the mirror one last time.
The Original Vampire had not seen any of his siblings since the final months of the Second World War, when he'd had a falling out with Niklaus. This had prompted him to live in self-imposed exile for the better half of the 20th century. When he'd been told Niklaus had never taken the dagger out of their sister, that he'd desiccated Caroline d'Ebanne, and of the existence of the new Petrova doppelgänger, he had seen his chance to reunite the family. Using Elena Gilbert as leverage, he could make a deal. Not that he wanted any harm to come to the girl - far from it. No one in their right mind wanted his brother to break his curse. He would double-cross Niklaus. One slip under the Salvatore brothers' watchful gaze, and Elena would be within his grasp. He knew he could reason with the soft-hearted girl once she was out of their influence. Once this was done, he could negotiate the doppelgänger for his family, use their combined powers to suppress Niklaus, and let Elena go. His family would be united once more.
Stefan Salvatore had just returned from hunting when Elena, Bonnie, and Caroline arrived on his doorstep. Caroline was somber, while Bonnie and Elena just looked confused.
"I'm expecting visitors today," the blond announced. "Which means it's time I told you everything."
Stefan tilted his head to the side. "Everything? I didn't realize there was anything to be told."
"Let's take this inside." Without waiting for a response, Caroline opened the front door and plopped into the couch with a sigh as everyone else followed her in.
"I could really use some liquor," she told Stefan with a raised eyebrow. "And where's your brother? I'd rather tell all of you this at the same time," she continued as he poured her a glass.
"What's up, Barbie?" Damon called from the stairs.
Elena sat beside her and gave her a look of encouragement. Damon paused next to Bonnie, who was standing in front of the fireplace.
As Stefan handed Caroline her drink, someone knocked on the door. He turned towards it, but she grabbed his wrist.
"Wait!" she ordered before flashing across the room and opening the door cautiously.
She relaxed when she saw the man with russet skin and black hair.
"Oh, it's you," she said, letting him in. "I thought you might be Elijah."
He grinned. "He'd just knock on the front door like that? How villainous."
"It's Elijah."
"Ah, too true." He followed her into the room. Stefan, Damon, Elena, and Bonnie stared at him.
"Oh! Sorry, I'm a bit distracted. Everyone, this is Pacari. Pacari, Elena Gilbert, Bonnie Bennett, and Damon and Stefan Salvatore," Caroline introduced. "I asked him here to help me explain. He's my progeny."
"Her first progeny," Pacari corrected with a wave. "The second vampire-witch hybrid in the world."
"The – what?" Bonnie stuttered.
The blond scooped up her drink and sank back down onto the couch. "He's a hybrid, like me. I'm the progenitor of a powerful strain of vampires, separate from the Original bloodlines."
Stefan and Damon exchanged a glance.
"Blondie, you just said a lot of words that don't really mean anything to us," said Damon.
"Did you say vampire-witch hybrid?" Bonnie asked. "That's not possible."
"Living proof," Caroline said, gesturing to herself and Pacari. She summoned a flame out of thin air and threw it at him which he caught deftly before extinguishing. Bonnie fell into an armchair.
"I was going to wait until I could talk to Elijah, but I realized when Pacari arrived last week that I needed to tell you the whole truth about myself," the blond hybrid explained, her tone remorseful. "And now with my...visitors arriving soon, I really have no choice."
"Wait. He's not one of your visitors?" asked Elena.
"There's no talking to Elijah," Damon interrupted. "We need to figure out a way to put him down."
"He's an Original," Pacari told him. "You don't just 'put down' an Original."
"We've only learned that term recently," Stefan observed. "But you two seem very familiar with it."
"Let me start at the beginning," Caroline cut in, her voice rising. "When the two of you came to town last fall, I told you I was an older, more powerful vampire than you, and left it at that. When you've lived as long as I have, you learn to keep things close to the chest."
"Yeah, you did more than tell us you were more powerful, Barbie," Damon scoffed, wincing slightly at the memory of her nails in his heart.
She smirked at him. "You deserved it."
"How old are you, Caroline?" Elena asked.
She bit her lip. "Just shy of 900."
Elena's jaw dropped.
"Wait, wait. Stop for a moment. As impressive as your age is, Grandmother Time, you just said you're of a separate strain of vampire," Damon demanded. "Separate from - what was it?"
Caroline took a swig of her drink. "Separate from your strain: Original Line."
"How do you know what strain we are?"
She sent the elder Salvatore brother a disparaging look. "That, is blatantly obvious."
Damon glanced at his brother. "I feel as if we've been insulted, but I'm not sure how."
"So Elijah is an Original?" Bonnie confirmed, bringing them back to the topic at hand.
"Yes, he and his siblings, including Klaus, are the Original family of vampires," said Pacari.
Bonnie's eyes looked like they were going to pop out of her head. "Klaus – his siblings? That's Elijah's connection to Klaus?"
"Correct," Pacari told her.
"Hey, Stef, did you know there was another strain of vampirism?"
"Nope," Stefan said with raised brows. "News to me."
"So, how do we kill you?" Damon continued cheerfully.
Caroline glared at him. "Wouldn't you like to know? Carolinian vampires are very rare and most of us are hybrids. A witch friend created the strain many centuries ago. My official title is the First Carolinian Hybrid, not to be confused with the Original Hybrid."
"Naming the strain after yourself? How very inventive of you," Damon mocked.
"Even the best of us have egos, Damon," she shot back.
"I thought Klaus was the only potential hybrid," Stefan said, "and he wanted to break his curse to become a true hybrid. How is he different from you? Couldn't he have been changed by someone in your strain? By you?"
"It's not that simple. My line is completely separate from his. I know this is a lot to take in-"
Bonnie frowned. "It is a lot to take it. Why did you wait so long to tell us everything? We could have used this information!"
"I'm sorry, but I had to protect my family."
"What family?" Elena asked.
"The...Originals. They are my family - our family," Caroline told her, gesturing to herself and Pacari, her features taut.
Across the room, Stefan dropped a bottle of 25-year-old bourbon. It shattered against the hardwood, but he paid it no mind. None of them did; all of them were gaping at the blond hybrid.
"Before I became a hybrid, I was an Original Line vampire for over 300 years. Rebekah turned me. She's the only sister in the family. The only female Original."
Elena was hurt. "Caroline… Klaus is trying to kill me. Are you working with him? Has our entire friendship been a lie?"
"Elena, of course not! I value our friendship so much! I came here because I heard there was a new doppelgänger. I needed to make sure you weren't Katherine. Then, I wanted to protect you from those who sought to use you. Nik made a vow decades ago that he would no longer chase Katerina Petrova or future doppelgängers. He has kept it. He's known about you since I arrived two years ago and he's not visited once; I think that says a lot more than whatever Katerina and Elijah are whispering in your ear," Caroline pointed out.
Elena frowned at the floor.
"Nik?" Damon prodded.
"Niklaus Mikaelson, or Klaus as he's known to the supernatural community," Caroline explained. "Listen, I've always been very protective of my personal life and the privacy of my loved ones. I wasn't withholding the full truth to be malicious. I meant everything I said about Klaus not being a threat."
"Our connection to the Original family makes us targets. We tread carefully," Pacari supplied after a moment's hesitation, glancing at his sire.
Damon narrowed his eyes at him.
"And how old are you?"
"Around 500," said Pacari. "I'm the last of the Incas - as we were before the conquistadors arrived, anyway."
"Course you are."
Caroline tuned Stefan and Damon out as they questioned her progeny. Bonnie walked across the room to sit beside Elena, facing the blond.
"Our friendship was not built on a lie. I realized as soon as I saw you that you were not Katherine. I've done some research to see if there's a way to break the Hybrid Curse without killing you, but it was never my priority. To be honest, I fell in love with this little town. All of you are so…good to each other. After the life I've had, it was nice to be surrounded by such loyal and genuine friends whose only goals were to grow up. I didn't want to ruin the simplicity of my life here," Caroline said in earnest.
After a tense pause, Elena grabbed Bonnie's and then Caroline's hand. With only slight hesitation, Bonnie firmly took Caroline's other hand. The trio shared a smile.
"There's one more thing about Klaus that I should tell you. Well - two," Caroline said, but right at that moment, the front door slammed open.
Elijah stood before them, wearing a tailored suit and a look of utter bewilderment. He stared at Caroline.
"Caroline? You're – you're alright?" he asked in shock. "How are you here?"
Instead of answering, Caroline jumped up and pulled Elijah into a warm hug. He stood stock still for a moment before winding his arms around her.
"I thought… I heard that you had been desiccated!"
She stepped away from him. "Desiccated? Who could have managed to desiccate me?"
He gave her a meaningful look.
"Seriously? He would never harm me," she admonished him.
His expression darkened. "The way he wouldn't harm any of our siblings?"
Caroline tugged on his arm. "Come, we have much to discuss. Someone gave you bad information, and I'd like to know whom. Stefan, Damon – it's alright."
The brothers did not relax their defensive poses. Bonnie stood protectively in front of Elena.
Elijah started when Pacari stepped forward.
"Pacari? What are you doing here?" he asked in amazement.
"I'm just making sure my sire doesn't get into trouble," Pacari teased while they clasped hands and hugged. "Good to see you, mate."
Elijah glanced between Caroline and Pacari when they pulled apart. "Rebekah-?"
"Your sister has been in Africa with Nik for the past two years," Caroline said.
"Rebekah has a dagger in her because of him!" Elijah argued.
Caroline shook her head. "Bekah hasn't had a dagger in her since - oh, I dunno - right around the time you fell off the face of the planet. Nik removed it himself."
"Rebekah is not in a box? You never were?"
"No. And no! You need to find a better way of getting your information. Or, you know, respond to a freaking letter once in a while," she scolded.
Elijah had the decency to look ashamed. "I have been avoiding all my estates and taken up a life of exile."
"Yeah. We've noticed," Caroline huffed. "Now that you can see I'm not desiccated, and I can assure you Rebekah is not desiccated, as I suspect is the reason you've caused so much trouble, you should make it clear what your intentions were, Elijah."
Elijah sighed and looked at Elena. "I planned on using you as bait to have leverage over my brother Niklaus. But I see my own fallacy now. I give my word I will not lay a hand on you – and I am a man of my word."
Elena nodded haltingly. "Okay."
"Okay? Elena, he's tried to kidnap you!" Stefan protested.
"We can't take him at his word!" Damon added.
Elena frowned at them. "I believe him, and I trust Caroline. She's chosen to trust us. And if we can't trust each other, what's the point?"
"A very wise decision, doppelgänger," said a silky voice from the doorway.
Two vampires stood in the foyer, smirking at the group gathered around Elena. The man had dirty blond hair and wore jeans and a Henley. There was a dangerous glint in his eyes. The woman, though dressed in a lilac sundress, had an equally menacing aura. She could have been Caroline's sister with her Aryan features.
Elijah gasped at the sight of them.
"Rebekah," he muttered.
"Elijah," his sister said with a reserved smile. Elijah crossed to her, and they hugged.
The Incan hybrid smiled at the reunion but kept his distance. The blond pulled out of her brother's embrace and met Pacari's gaze. She nodded coolly as she regarded him.
"Niklaus," Elijah greeted his brother, his tone suspicious.
Stefan and Damon dropped their fangs, but no one in the room seemed remotely threatened by them. Damon made to charge the three siblings, but Pacari grabbed his arm and twisted backward. The younger vampire hissed in pain. Elena stood up to latch onto Stefan's arm. He glanced back at her, and she shook her head.
Niklaus Mikaelson ignored Elijah, crossing the room slowly until he was inches away from Caroline. She was staring at him with a loving expression that lit up her entire face. Elena had never seen her friend look at anyone that way. If that wasn't confusing enough, the monster called Klaus, the one who supposedly craved her death, was staring back at Caroline with just as much, if not more, adoration.
"Caroline," he whispered, gently placing his hands on either side of her face.
"Welcome home, husband."
Elena froze. Husband?
The Island
Nova Scotia, Canada
Silas' mummified body cracked and gurgled as he fed from the struggling human, awakening after two millennia of desiccation. Once sated, the Immortal Witch threw the corpse to the ground. He could feel the magic surging through him; two thousand years of blood offerings had made him even more powerful than he had been when his bitch of a fiancé had ruined his eternal life. He looked up at the mysterious figure who had awoken him, surrounded by a small circle of witches.
"And your reason for waking me was…?"
A/N: I've never been satisfied with this chapter, so I've rewritten it again. It had previously been confusing, choppy, and bogged-down in exposition. There's still a lot of exposition, but I hope this version does a better job of setting everything up. If you're confused as to why Klaus isn't hunting down the doppelgänger - Caroline's presence has changed certain aspects of his backstory. Thanks for reading! ~ L