Hello, my lovey readers. I wasn't feeling well when I wrote this chapter so I hope it makes some kind of sense. On with the show…
Chapter 6: Dealing with Someone Else's Problems
Miss Mystic Falls. The last Miss Mystic ceremony Klaus attended, he had gone as Caroline Forbes' date. This time, he would not be her date—not in an official capacity at any rate. However, he believed that if things went well, he'd still be able to spend time with the blonde baby vampire who made his undead heart warm.
A knock sounded at the door of Stefan's room and Klaus turned to address his visitor. "Yes?"
"Stef, you about ready yet?" Damon called, striding into the room with a smirk on his face.
Klaus' borrowed eyebrows rose. He never suspected that the elder Salvatore was capable of politeness. "I will be soon, Damon. Are you looking forward to tonight?"
"Am I ever," Damon grinned wickedly. He walked over to Klaus, turned him around and began work on the tie that Klaus had just picked up and placed around his neck. "You're never going to figure these things out, are you, brother?" His smile lit up his face and Klaus did not think he'd ever seen Damon look happy or that his usual swagger would drop for an instant. This is what it must be like to have Damon for the brother. It made Klaus miss his own brothers.
"You okay, Stef?" Damon patted him on the arm. "You look all broodier than usual." And there he was, again, Damon Salvatore of old although Klaus sensed an imperceptible change about him. He'd have to ask Caroline about it. "Are you going to use tonight to sweep Caroline off her feet and show her that you are the man of her dreams?"
Klaus paused, his eyes glued to his suit jacket. When had that become a thing? Caroline and…Stefan? Surely not. Turning his gaze to Damon, Klaus inhaled sharply. He felt his fists ball at his sides. The desire to tear Damon's head from his neck for mentioning the idea of Caroline being with Stefan came and dissipated when another knock on the door came.
"Stefan?" Caroline's voice called and then she stepped inside, looking radiant, as always. She stood in a blue dress that set off her eyes with its icy glow. "Damon," Caroline greeted Damon, her tone's warmth cooling as she eyed Damon like he was an invader. If the elder Salvatore were not there Caroline would be pinning Klaus with that same look.
"Caroline, we were just talking about you," Damon said, crossing the room and wrapping an arm around her shoulders, he grinned at Stefan. "Looks like you are both going to be going stag to this little event. So why don't you go together? As friends, of course."
Caroline glowered at Damon and shrugged him off. "Why don't you worry about your own love life and leave me to mine?" she quipped.
Damon glowered at Caroline. "I would, but since my girl is on ice, it's a little hard at the moment," he snapped, his eyes flashing with malice before he strode out of the room.
Klaus watched Caroline's lips form an O as her eyes clouded over. "Where is Miss Gilbert?" he asked Caroline. He'd tried to keep on top of events in Mystic Falls but he'd had extreme difficulties of late that prevented him from always keeping on top of his sources' reports.
"Elena's," Caroline's eyes filled with tears and she gulped down a sob.
Klaus had never cared for Elena Gilbert as her friends and family had. But there had been a grudging respect and envy for the devotion that she elicited from them. Without thinking about it, Klaus crossed the room, encircling Caroline in his arms and holding her close. It might be Stefan's body but this was his compassion—not his friend's—that he felt while he held the crying girl that he loved.
"It is alright. You can tell me at another time," Klaus said, pulling back and cupping Caroline's face while she gulped in air.
Caroline nodded and he remembered a time that he told her she needed comfort and turned his back on her in his wroth. She'd stood trembling after he buried her kills. Twelve witches. Nothing compared to Klaus' reign of terror. He'd wanted to hold her in his arms, to kiss her until the tears stopped falling, to lay with her, watching her eyes fill with pleasure, rather than pain. His anger and pride had made him cruel to her. He'd not make the same mistake again. If she needed him, he'd be hers. Always.
Sniffling, Caroline took a step back. "Thanks," she muttered, opening the clasp on her purse and removing a package of tissues. She dabbed at her eyes. "How do I look?" she asked him.
"Perfect," he told her with a smile.
Caroline pressed her lips together, trying to hold it in when a laugh erupted from her. "You remembered?"
"What you say to me?" Klaus smirked at her. "Always." Holding out a hand, he motioned toward the door to the bedroom. "Shall we?"
Caroline grinned. "We shall." She led the way out of the room. Once they were in the hallway, he offered her his arm and she took it. "I think that Damon might be right," she said, peering at him through her eyelashes. "Maybe we should go together because it will make it easier on me."
"To do what, pray tell?" Klaus quipped, staring at her and wishing for the millionth time he was in his own body so he might kiss her.
"To make sure you don't screw up and blow your cover," Caroline whispered into his ear as they met Damon at the bottom of the stairs.
Damon grinned at them. "Looks like someone's taking my advice," he winked at Klaus, still thinking that Klaus was his brother. "Ready to say hi to Mommy?"
"As I'm ever going to get," Klaus retorted. He smirked at Damon.
The three of them headed out to Damon's car. Klaus helped Caroline into the back before taking his place beside Damon. It seemed like what Stefan would do. Damon drove them to the Lockwood mansion which seemed to still be where the Miss Mystic ceremony was held. Why? Klaus had not a clue.
Damon got out of the car and Klaus took Caroline's hand in his, watching her slip out of the car. His eyes trailed over Caroline's leg which was revealed through the slit in her dress. She caught him staring. "Try to be a little more subtle," she reprimanded him, her breath tickling his ear.
Leaning over and brushing a curl behind her ear, Klaus whispered back. "Stop being such a temptation and I will do my best." He pulled back to watch Caroline's cheeks turn pink.
They walked across the lawn to where Bonnie was bickering with that Enzo person and Matt Donavon stood, his hands shoved into his pockets as he looked around. "You think it looks okay?" he asked them, glancing around at the stage and the ornaments.
"For someone with your expertise," Klaus began when Caroline jumped in.
"It looks great, Matt," Caroline told the blonde man who looked relieved. Klaus stopped himself from re-entering the conversation. Caroline's sweet lie would help Matt get through the day and Klaus' opinions would only cause Stefan's friends to become suspicious of him. Bonnie turned and openly glared at him. Placing a finger to his lips, Klaus smiled as Bonnie turned away again.
"Here comes mommy and her favorite little helpers," Damon said, grinning in a vicious way.
Lily came over to them with a pair of women. "Nora. Mary Louise. I would like you to meet my sons, Stefan and Damon."
"We've met," Nora replied in a bored tone.
Klaus looked at Caroline who tightened her hold on his arm. "Yes, we have. And it is lovely to see you again."
"Is it?" Mary Louise spat. "You tried to kill us?" she snarled. "For all we know, you're the ones who killed Malcom and Beau." Her blue eyes expressed a threat that Klaus would happily answer with one of his own.
"Girls, we do not know who attacked our family." Lily looked from Mary Louise to Nora, her hands folded over her waist like a proper woman from her age. Klaus smirked. He thought it would be easy to fool this woman. She only wanted to know what stood in front of her, not what might be lurking beneath the surface.
"I can't believe that we have to stay here and make nice with them," Mary Louise muttered to Nora.
Nora reached for Mary Louise's hand but the other girl flinched as if burned, glancing around. Ah. More ammunition. These newcomers were making the work ahead too easy for Klaus. He no longer cared to answer the question: What would Stefan do? It was obvious they were a threat, a threat that had to be eliminated.
"Isn't there another one of you lurking about?" Damon asked, looking around like the other member of the Heretics would appear out of the thin air. Bonnie came to stand by his side, arms folded, gaze hard.
Enzo eyed Lily warily while Matt stood a few feet away but did not run off. He was brave, stupid, but brave, like Cami. He would die one day, in service to his friends as his friend would but he'd rather not dwell on that matter.
"Are you enjoying the ceremony and festivities?" Klaus asked, avoiding Damon's question. He knew that the other member would reveal herself or himself with time; they always did.
Lily smiled at him. "Oh, yes. It's lovely." She looked around. "Not like times used to be. But nothing is, it it?"
"You can say that again," Damon replied, pulling out his flask and taking a gulp before he offered it to Bonnie. Bonnie handed it to Caroline without taking a drink. Caroline took a sip and offered it to Klaus. He took the flask and took a healthy drink. "Hey, Stef, slow down. There will be plenty at the party." Damon came over, reclaiming his flask and slipping it back into his jacket.
The new mayor took the stage, allowing Klaus the time to assess the new people. He did not see anything that he thought offered a real challenge. Caroline glanced at him a couple of times. "What are you thinking?" she whispered.
"Are you sure they're a real threat? They seem rather useless to me," Klaus whispered back to her. He noticed Nora give him a searing look before turning back to the entertainment and clapping for the new Miss Mystic Falls.
Once the ceremony ended, Klaus returned to Damon's car with Caroline. Damon's body was tense as he drove. Klaus wondered how ready he was to possibly kill his own mother. Since Klaus had more experience on the topic, he pondered the idea of giving Damon advice on the subject but then thought better of it. Nothing said, "I'm not your brother" like talking about the times you killed your mother.
Damon's focus remained on the road until they pulled into the driveway. "Ready to put an end to the last of the Heretics?" he asked, his eyebrows rising, his eyes glowing with fire. This is the Damon Salvatore that Klaus liked working beside.
"Lead the way, brother," Klaus called, following Damon into the house.
It did not take long before guests from the ceremony began to flood the house. Damon and Klaus greeted them while Caroline smiled at Klaus' side. Klaus thought he could get used to this, for a time. If only his family were there.
Bonnie came to stand with them. "They're on their way," she told Damon, glancing toward the front door.
Enzo stepped in with Matt. Neither of them looked comfortable in each other's company. Again, Klaus sensed tension and intended on using it against them.
Minutes later Lily and her Heretics came in the door. Nora had a spot of blood on her dress that was so small that a human would need a microscope to see it. Mary Louise licked her lips, wiping them clean of her latest meal. "Mother!" Damon called, he headed toward her with a glass of wine. "Your favorite," he told her.
Lily accepted the glass. "Thank you, Damon," she said with a smile. Taking a sip, she choked on it. "Special blend of type O and a red I was saving for a special occasion. Today feels special enough."
Lily placed a hand over her mouth. For a moment, her eyes turned black and her fangs had made an appearance. "Damon, that was rather impolite," she uttered through a series of strangled inhalations.
"Damon, you shouldn't have done that," Klaus said. Coming to stand in front of Lily. He knew it was time to play the hero, coming in to save Lily from the bad son.
"Whatever, Stef. This party is lame," Damon waved Klaus and Lily off and wandered away.
Klaus took Lily's hand. "Mother, let's go get you a different glass. I promise, I won't spike it."
Nora and Mary Louise, watched Klaus until Matt came over to them. "Hey!" he said, greeting Nora who smiled at him while Mary Louise glared. Another piece of information. Oh, this lot was too transparent with their petty jealousies, their desire to fit in, he glanced at Stefan's mother and then back at Nora.
Caroline caught Klaus' eye, nodding at him but looking unsure as he slipped out of the room with the woman who was not his mother. "Are you enjoying yourself?" Klaus asked once they entered the kitchen. Uncorking a new bottle, he poured out two glasses of wine. Tasting it, he wished they were at his home; his wine was far superior.
"I am," Lily replied. "Is Caroline your friend or something more?"
"Why do you ask?" Klaus took another sip of the acceptable wine.
"I'm curious. It's been so long since we've spent real time together. I wanted to know that you're happy. Isn't that what most mothers want for their sons?" Lily continued, reaching over and placing a hand over the one that Klaus wore.
"Yes. I suppose that is what mothers should want," Klaus replied with a smile. He clasped Lily's fingers in his. "And I would like you to be happy too, mother."
Lily's eyes filled with hope and Klaus smiled before turning back to his glass of wine. He would not strike. Not yet. He wanted to see what Damon was up to. Shouldn't there be at least one Heretic choking up blood at this very moment. "We should get back to the party," he suggested.
"We should," Lily replied. He offered her his arm and they went back to the great room. Mary Louise was glowering at Nora who continued a banal conversation with Matt. Klaus could not understand why anyone could endure a conversation with the boy for longer than a heartbeat. Matt's tryst with his sister might color his feelings on the subject though.
Mary Louise caught sight of Lily and stomped over. "I want to leave. This party is dull. I want to kill someone."
"If you're hungry, we have blood bags," Caroline said, coming to join them with a glass of champagne in hand.
Mary Louise turned to sneer at Caroline before snatching the champagne glass and taking a long sip. "Not bad. I've had better," she said.
Caroline's smile froze but she didn't miss a beat. "So was that a no on the blood bag?"
"Get me one. No, make that three. If I have endure this disaster of a party, I might as well drink myself into a stupor," Mary Louise grumbled, glaring at Nora and Matt.
"I'll help you get them," Klaus followed Caroline out of the room and down to the basement. Damon stood with Bonnie, they seemed to have been deep in conversation when Klaus and Caroline came down. "Are we interrupting something?" Klaus inquired while Caroline pulled open the freezer, removing a couple of blood bags.
"No," Bonnie said firmly.
Damon stood, his smile not quite right. Something in his eyes made Klaus feel a sense of foreboding when Caroline thrust the blood bags at him. "Find some way to hide these," she snapped at him.
"Shall I place them in my pockets?" Klaus called after Caroline who had already begun to march up the stairs.
"You're creative, you'll think of something," Caroline shot back before running up the stairs.
Turning back to Damon and Bonnie, Klaus watched them, still sensing unease. "Bonnie, why don't you help me with these?" he held up the bags.
"Why don't I, brother?" Damon stepped forward, taking a bag and holding up a bottle of wine. "Looks like we have a thirsty crowd upstairs and we wouldn't want to disappoint, would we?"
"No, we wouldn't," Klaus echoed as Damon grinned at him. "Damon, shall we just say it?"
Damon cocked his head to the side. "Say what, baby brother?"
"Fine. We'll play a little game," Klaus smirked back at Damon.
Damon didn't reply. He walked up the stairs and toward the kitchen. A woman stood in the kitchen, sipping a drink and her eyes fell on Klaus. "Hello, Stefan," she greeted him.
"You two know each other?" Damon inquired, uncorking the bottle and looking skeptical.
"Of course we do," the woman said. "It was very brief. So long ago I don't know if he remembers me."
"Refresh my memory," Klaus replied, coming to stand before the woman.
The woman examined him. "I will," she said, placing a hand on his arm and smiling. Klaus saw an onslaught of memories. This woman's memories of a time with Stefan but, she, too, saw things. Memories of the recent past. "Who are you?" she demanded, jerking away and glaring at Klaus.
"And that's going to be a problem," Damon muttered. He sped over, grabbing a knife from the butcher block. "Klaus, grab her!" he ordered Klaus, who did not take orders from anyone but there was an exception to every rule.
Reaching for the woman, he frowned when she uttered one phrase: "Phasmotos invisique," and then she gone as if she'd never been there in the first place.
"Damn it!" Damon yelled, throwing the knife down. "Klaus," he growled. "Man, I was pissed when I found out you popped into my brother's body. Now, I just want to kill you for a whole new set of reasons." Lunging forward, Damon began to punch Klaus who hit back. Unfortunately his strength was not what it should be. Damn.
"Stop this, right now!" Lily's voice echoed through the kitchen as their friends came in with Nora and Mary Louise. "What is the meaning of this?" she demanded.
"Sibling rivalry," Damon spat out, blood running down his chin from where Klaus had head-butted him as the door swung open.
"I would say go to you rooms/ However, you are both too old to be acting this way. Good night." Lily gave them a look of disgust before leaving with her Heretics.
"What is going on?" Caroline demanded.
"Ask your boyfriend," Damon muttered, wiping blood from his lips.
"Boyfriend?" Enzo rolled his eyes. "That again?"
"Not that one. Another one," Damon shot at his friend.
"Another one, what?" Matt looked confused.
"Klaus," Bonnie snapped.
"Where?" Matt looked around, his eyes wide with fear.
Klaus sighed. "I suppose this means that I can stop playing the hero. Yes? Never my best role." Smirking at the Mystic Falls residents, Klaus filled Caroline and then himself, a drink. "Now, shall we get down to how I shall help you rid yourself of my latest problem? Or would you prefer to fight me instead. Not a wise move considering if you kill me, you kill Stefan? Any takers?" he lifted the glass to his lips, waiting on their answer.
When no one spoke, Klaus smiled at them. "Well then, I suggest we reconvene tomorrow to create a real strategy to deal with these so-called Heretics and then we can work on getting me back where I belong."
"Hell?" Damon quipped when Bonnie elbowed him.
"Home," Klaus retorted.
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Peace,
Jessica