Ninety Years Later

Klaus's POV

"Tell me one more time why we are moving into this tiny, Podunk town in the middle of one of the most boring parts of the east coast?"

Rebekah's dull voice filled the cabin of my Aston Martin Vanquish Volante as I floored it past the rustic sign that held up two pitiful, wooden words: Mystic Falls.

"You know why. She's here."

"Again, out of everywhere she could possibly be, why on earth would she be here?"

I tried to ignore the poison that dripped from Rebekah's voice as she referred to the love of my life. Caroline and Rebekah had barely been on the best of terms, but as it would go, Rebekah had chosen my happiness over her own, and although she did not know it, she was high up on the list of people I actually did not have a strong distaste for.

"You know I don't have an answer to that. It's just this feeling I have."

"Well, riddle me this, Nik. Did she just randomly pop up here? Otherwise, why haven't we come sooner?"

"That Bennett witch we came into contact with back in the twenties after I un-daggered you… Remember what I told you she said about the timeline? She advised me that when the time was right, I would know. Something has changed. Something has made it right."

Before Rebekah could respond, the sound of a siren and the flashing of red and blue lights filled the rearview window. Rebekah snorted as I sighed and pulled to a stop on the side of the road. Foolish human rules have slowly started to drive me insane. One could only wonder what there was to hit on this empty road.

I watched as a Sheriff stepped out of the patrol vehicle, then cautiously made her way toward the darkly tinted windows of the Aston Martin. I had to hold back a smug smile. My baby did have that effect on people. I cautiously rolled down the window in an effort not to startle her. She moved to center herself into the window frame, and removed her aviator sunglasses in the process. Her shortly cropped blonde hair reflected from the sunlight and her blue eyes were oddly shadowed in a halo of mischief. It was almost as if I had seen those eyes before somewhere…

"So, do I need to worry about any "animal attacks" or are you two on the bag?"

I controlled my face as to not give away my surprise.

"I'm not sure what—"

"Don't even think about it. I have my ways of knowing when a new vampire comes into town. Now, let me ask again. Do I need to worry about "animal attacks," or not? I'd hate to judge a book by its cover, but you all don't seem like the type to come anywhere silently." Her eyes swiped over my car once again.

Rebekah's voice was like a trickle of soft rain as she leaned over and made eye contact with the Sheriff.

"You have nothing to worry about, Sheriff. Aside from my brother's eccentric ownership of vehicles, we're a quiet duo. Believe me."

The Sheriff nodded as she looked thoughtfully at my sister.

"That's nice to know."

Vervaine. She was on vervaine. I tried to stifle back my laughter as my sister's face turned murderous.

"Well, let me not hold you two up any longer." The Sheriff continued with a smug smile, "Since I know you're new here, I'll just issue you a verbal warning. There's more of a slow pace around here, though. Got it?"

"Understood." I watched as the Sheriff walked back to her vehicle and got in. I rolled up my window and pulled back onto the tedious, two lane road. Maybe I should reconsider my car choices in such a small town.

As I saw the reflection of my car in the shop windows, that reconsideration quickly halted. I knew I was home. I knew she was here. Why not show off a little?

..

Caroline's POV

I stared out of the Mystic Grill's window as a fancy, charcoal colored car cruised by. I could practically smell the douche-baggery dripping from it. Or maybe that was just the smell of my best friend Bonnie Bennett's brain overheating as she attempted to show me something her Grams had taught her this morning.

"Bon, I promise I can salt my own fries."

Bonnie kept staring at the salt shaker until finally, it slid a few centimeters.

"Did you see that?"

At that moment, my other best friend, Elena Gilbert, sat her plate down onto the other side of the table as she grabbed the chair to the right of us.

"You finally moved it, Bonnie?"

Bonnie just nodded her head at Elena's question as she turned her focus back to the salt shaker.

A month ago, I would never have imagined I would be sitting at the Mystic Grill assisting my best friend in honing in on her dredged up magical talents.

Of course, a month ago, I also hadn't imagined I'd make it out of that forest alive either. Although somedays, I wonder if alive is the correct word.

I try to remind myself that he was out of control, and that he would never have harmed me on purpose, but thinking back to the feral look in those eyes I didn't recognize any longer, I'm not sure if I should still trust in anything that I thought was the truth.

I hated the fact that someone who did me so much harm was someone that I just couldn't let go of.

"I moved it a small fraction, yes." Bonnie's voice was filled with reluctance as she answered Elena. She had always been the more rational one of the group, but of course there's only so many situations you could rationalize when you were sitting in a restaurant after school attempting to move salt with your mind.

"Keep trying. I'm sure you'll get it." Elena spoke through forkfuls of her salad. I couldn't help the green monster that surged through me as I looked over at her; Human her.

I would say that becoming a vampire was the best thing that had ever happened to me, but in the back of my mind, I knew why it had happened. I had died. There was no other way to put it. My life was stolen from me, and I was given this artificial replacement as a way to glaze over that fact.

Elena Gilbert's boyfriend, Stefan Salvatore, thought he was doing me a favor that night in the woods, but lately I've just been wondering how things would have been if I'd followed the path I was supposed to take that night. I sometimes wonder how things would have been if Tyler would have finished the job.

Tyler.

His name in my thoughts caused a pain in my heart that I didn't know was possible to bear. I could only hope he was getting the help he needed out in Colorado with his uncle.

"Stop it, Caroline."

Bonnie's voice brought me back to the present as she hummed lightly.

"Stop what?"

"You know what. You're thinking of Tyler. He's getting help. That's all that matters."

"I know. It's just—I haven't heard from him."

"I'm pretty sure he's out of cell reception. The full moon's coming soon." Bonnie's sad eyes met mine. I knew she wished I had told her about Tyler earlier. They all wished I had. Maybe if I had I'd still be—

The sound of glass breaking drew my attention back to the Mystic Grill and my lunch dates. Bonnie's mouth was in a small, surprised "O" shape as Elena smiled triumphantly.

Bonnie looked down shyly and muttered an apology that blamed the salt slipping out of her fingers instead of her secret magical powers knocking it off of the table as a waitress quickly swept up the shards. The waitress looked up and assured Bonnie with a smile that everything was fine.

That's when it happened.

I smelt it before the waitress even reacted to it.

The waitress's right index finger sliced open like butter as it came into contact with a rogue piece of glass. I felt my face tightening, and my gums opening up to let out my true identity. I could feel the pace of my breathing pick up, as well as the anxiousness floating off of Bonnie and Elena.

"Care…"

Elena's voice was a soft warning. It sounded sympathetic…and it made me furious.

I felt my face loosen as I internally fought with my own nature. I couldn't kill a human being. Not another one.

I quickly got up from the table and calmly pushed my chair in.

"Well, ladies, mom's expecting me home in a few minutes so I can go with her to pick out some curtains for the living room." My voice dripped in fake cheeriness. "So, I'd better go before she decides to head out without me and come back with some type of hanging shag rugs." I rolled my eyes and smiled as the girls nodded; clearly seeing through my façade.

I hurried out of the grill and headed straight for my home.

In the mood I was in, maybe my mother wouldn't mind changing around our interior décor a little bit…

..

Klaus's POV

"What the bloody Hell is fruitwood and why does it matter if my curtains mesh well with it?"

I looked at the disgusting furniture magazine Rebekah had placed into my hands as she happily looked through her matching one.

"Oh, calm down with the theatrics, Nik. I don't understand how someone with such "refined tastes" can be so…plain." My sister quirked her eyebrow at me as she peered up from her magazine.

"Because, Rebekah, I am refined into what I like."

"It's not the 19th century anymore, Nik! Live a little! We're starting anew here in Mystic Falls. Why can't that include your personal taste?"

I didn't say anything as I looked down at a picture of one of the wooden bedroom sets in the glossy magazine. A dark, brown bedroom set seemed like the right choice, but it also felt like it was the wrong choice. But…

I just wanted everything to be right for her.

"Oh my God. You're—You're not changing because of her! Caroline's the reason you haven't changed at all in almost five hundred years."

Rebekah's eyes began to sparkle at the realization as she sat her magazine down beside of her. As she moved to look at me again, she paused. Her expression became serious as she moved over to where I was sitting on the leather sectional.

"Nik…you really haven't changed, have you?"

Rebekah lightly took my hand into both of hers.

"Dear brother, have you ever thought to consider how five hundred years would change Caroline? If she even still is your Caroline. This world…it's a world we have never experienced before, Nik. And even you must know this Caroline is not going to be the same Caroline you lost that day."

I did not respond as I looked at the dancing embers floating from the raging fire in the fireplace across the room from us.

A part of me couldn't deny that Rebekah was completely right. Even Qetsiyah didn't give me a solid answer as to whether Caroline would know me or not.

Rebekah let go of my hand as she realized I had nothing more to say. She quietly got up and made her way back to the smaller sofa where her magazine haphazardly lay. She picked it up and began turning the pages again.

After a few moments, she threw the magazine back down beside of her and stood up.

"On the way here I saw a furniture store. Let's go there. Maybe meet some of the townsfolk?"

I inwardly cringed as I thought about the boring townspeople of Mystic Falls, but if I was to ever find Caroline, I had to explore.

My love was here somewhere, and I knew I had to find her. Even if that meant having to match fruitwood and drapes with Rebekah at a small town department store.

"All right, little sister. I'm in."