Notes: for klarolineauweek Day Four! The theme was Fusions/Crossovers and I went with drabbles inspired by Futurama and The Walking Dead (comes back tonight! I'm so excited!). Thank you to everyone who's been reading and reviewing! I'm written something like 40K words for this week but don't worry, the plan is to focus back on the multichapters when it's done!
You're Better Than Normal
( Futurama inspired, title taken from a quote from the show. Rated T.)
Caroline groans as she wakes, keeping her eyes squeezed shut. She really doesn't want to get up. She's got the mother of all cricks in her neck. As a vampire, shouldn't she be immune to the effects of uncomfy sleeping positions?
Twisting her neck, trying to loosen the knots, she sighs and squints into the darkness around her.
Wait.
Caroline blinks rapidly, confused about what she's was seeing.
She's definitely not in one of the spare rooms at the Lockwood mansion where Matt has graciously agreed to let her and Bonnie crash for a few days. She isn't even a house.
She's in a cave. In Caroline's experience waking up in a cave is never a good thing. Caroline forces herself into a sitting position, looking for threats now that her eyes have adjusted. "Oh," she grumbles, wincing, because being upright hurts, every bone, muscle and ligament in her body screaming that moving quickly is a very bad idea.
Also. Why is she filthy?
She swipes a hand over her hair. Sand, soil, pebbles and bugs cascade down, her skin is coated with a thick layer of muck. Caroline's just about to start freaking out (Bugs! In her hair! So gross) when she notices the lump on the ground next to her. She instantly recognizes the hair, the line of the nose, even though Bonnie's in the exact same state that Caroline is.
Caroline scoots over, gritting her teeth and ignoring her own discomfort. She frantically brushes away dirt, her fingers flying to Bonnie's neck, feeling for a pulse.
It's the longest few seconds of her life but then she feels a flutter against her fingertips. Caroline lets out a gasp of relief. The strong steady throbbing means that Bonnie is alive. Maybe not well, but a little vampire blood can fix that right up. Just as soon as Bonnie's conscious.
She shakes Bonnie. Gently, and then a little less gently when she gets no reaction. "Bonnie," Caroline calls, only to cough when she finds her voice creaky and strained sounding. Would it have killed the bad guy of the week that had locked them up to provide a bottle of water or something?
Bonnie's unresponsive for several excruciating minutes. Caroline focuses on the sound of her heart to keep from panicking.
It keeps beating. That's the most important thing.
Finally, Bonnie moans, her hands twitching weakly. Caroline shakes her again, "Bon," she urges, "Bon, wake up. Something really weird is happening here and I need you. Probably your badass witchery too."
Something garbled comes out of Bonnie's mouth, but Caroline thinks it's her name, and she's unable to resist flinging herself onto Bonnie, gathering her up in a hug.
Bonnie's hand pats clumsily at Caroline's back, and Caroline pulls away, looking into Bonnie's bewildered green eyes. "Listen, I know you hate drinking blood but I need you on your feet. So take a little. Please? For me."
Bonnie's reluctant and she'd probably argue but then she totally fails at attempting to push herself up. Caroline catches her before she can flop back onto the ground, "Ugh," Bonnie complains. "I feel like I'm 96 years old."
Caroline bites into her wrist, wordlessly offering it. Bonnie gags, but manages a few sips. After the settles Bonnie's able to move more easily and Caroline's helps her get to her feet.
"Alright, so," Caroline says and begins to pace, both to focus her mind and to work out the remaining soreness in her body. "What do we know?"
Bonnie's still sitting, this time on a boulder near the center of their cave-prison. She's slow to answer but Caroline forces herself to be patient. Her memory is a mess, Bonnie's must be too. "The last thing I remember is walking into the Salvatore Boarding House."
"Yes!" Caroline exclaims, glad that they're at least somewhat on the same page. "We had souvenirs. We were going to brag about how awesome our 'Caroline and Bonnie Do Europe' trip is going."
"And now we're trapped in a cave," Bonnie finishes, and their momentary high spirits plummet.
"Yeah. Really not a fan of that. Did we piss anyone off? I don't think so."
"No," Bonnie denies immediately, "We didn't. Maybe Damon did something stupid?"
It really is the likeliest conclusion, and further proof of something Caroline has begun to realize. She and Bonnie will be better off staying far, far away from Mystic Falls.
Once she and Bonnie are out of here, and have exacted some payback should Damon be to blame for their predicament, they'll have to figure out how to cut their ties a little more cleanly.
She'll indulge in the longest shower in the history of the world first, of course.
Squaring her shoulders, Caroline walks over to the closest wall, pushing, seeing if she can feel for a weakness or an opening. Bonnie joins her, slowly, still not steady on her feet. She drags her hand over the stone, head tipping to the side in contemplation. "It's spelled. Something strong. I can feel it."
Of course it is. Nothing can ever be simple. "Can you take it down?" Caroline asks.
Instead of answering, Bonnie walks to the center of the cave, raising her arms. She does her thing, words Caroline doesn't understand spilling from her lips, her eyes focused on a far-off point. Caroline feels a jolt, and then hears a faint creaking. She vamp speeds over to where Bonnie is, shielding Bon's slighter form as chunks of the cave ceiling rain down. Caroline brings her shirt up to cover her mouth, tries not to breathe. It feels like a very long time until the crumbling stops and the dust settles.
Cautiously, she eases off Bonnie, looking around. "Okay, note to self, check structural integrity of cave before applying magic."
Bonnie laughs weakly, staying on the ground, "It was some kind of stasis spell, I think. And Caroline?"
Caroline turns to Bonnie sharply, hearing a waver, the tinge of fear, in her tone, "What is it?"
"It felt…" Bonnie gropes for a word, "old. Really old. Old like I've only felt once or twice, when we were travelling."
Caroline absorbs that, resists the urge to let her mind wander. She decides to lock it tightly in a box for now. Thinking about what "old" could mean will only lead to severe anxiety. That's not helpful right now.
She forces herself to adopt a light tone, to remain aggressively optimistic, "Well, we'll figure that out later. When we get out of here."
"If we get out of here," Bonnie mutters, looking down.
"When."
Bonnie's face clearly reads skepticism and nope, that kind of bleakness is not allowed. Not on Caroline's watch.
Bonnie's sitting again, looking strained. The spell had taken a lot out of her. Caroline knows better then to insist she take more blood. Plus, Caroline has a sinking feeling that she's up, that she's going to need to claw their way out of here, and that she's going to need every ounce of vampire strength she has.
She rolls her shoulders, walking determinedly back to the cave wall. She punches, testing the stone. She swallows a cry of surprise when a tiny crack appears. It's more than she'd expected and, for Caroline, the fractured rock confirms what Bonnie had said.
She's stronger than she had been, considerably more so than a baby vampire should be. Caroline takes a deep breath, once again refusing to consider grander implications.
They'll keep.
For now, she'll focus on the positive. Her strength has been boosted. That will give her and Bonnie a better shot of getting out alive. Hopefully in a timely fashion. Bonnie will need water, food, before too long.
Caroline balls her fist, wrapping her thumb securely around her knuckles, and hits the wall again.
She'll do whatever it takes. She'll tear this cave to pieces with her bare hands if she needs to.
She'll save a little something. For Damon. When she gets out she's going to break his face. Repeatedly.
Hours later, and Caroline has no idea how many, she's still at it, her knuckles bleeding, her fingernails gone. She heals, then tears her skin open again, no longer noticing the sting. Bonnie's given up urging her to take a break. Every time Caroline looks back to check on Bonnie's condition, she only becomes more determined.
Bonnie doesn't look so good. Her lips are dry and she's struggling to keep her eyes open. She's given up on sitting upright, she's slumped against the ground.
Caroline's throat is clogged with tears of frustration that she refuses to let fall. She's making progress, but not nearly enough. The solid walls of the cave are proving stubborn. She rests her forehead against the cool stone. Just for a moment.
On her third inhale she feels something, a faint tremor, and she hadn't caused it.
She leaps back, posture tense, ready to flash to Bonnie should the cave decide to collapse.
The tremors build, the cave holds so Caroline leans forward and presses her ear to the wall. She focuses her senses, also heightened beyond what she's accustomed to. She can just make out voices, raised and male, though Caroline can't distinguish words.
"What is it?" Bonnie mumbles, her voice weak and slurred with exhaustion.
God, Caroline hopes she's not going crazy. "I think someone's there. I think they're trying to get us out."
"Mmm. Damon might have just earned himself one less aneurysm."
"You're too nice, Bon."
Bonnie doesn't reply, and Caroline goes back to work. She's elated to have help but that doesn't mean she's going to slack. She wants out of this god-awful cave.
The noises from outside grow louder, the cracks in the wall widening, until it slowly begins to break apart. A small hole appears, a hand after that, and Caroline laughs in relief, as larger and larger chunks of stone fall at her feet.
She expects it to be Stefan, maybe Elena, to pop through the gap that's been made. Hell, she'd expect Enzo, or Tyler or Alaric or Matt, before she'd expect the blonde hair and smirking mouth that looks through at her.
Rebekah Mikaelson surveys Caroline. She's dusty and disheveled, but as cool and condescending as ever. "Hello, Caroline. You look disgusting."
There's a scuffle before Caroline can reply. Rebekah loudly complains about ingratitude and being manhandled and then Klaus is there.
Right there.
Caroline sucks in a breath and her fists clench at her sides. It's stupid to be floored, she knows, because where there's Rebekah, it's logical that Klaus will follow. Logic hadn't prepared her for the sight of him, for the strain on his dirt-smudged face.
He stills when he catches sight of her, appears to stop breathing. His eyes widen, filling with something like wonder. She'd always been afraid to analyze the way Klaus looks at her, afraid to really accept that what he'd seemed to feel for her was real. Now, with him staring at her, raw and desperately tender, she wonders how she'll ever look away.
She doesn't have to, as it turns out. It's Klaus who tears his gaze away, his eyes closing as he swallows harshly. When they open, they lock on her again, blazing with determination and a healthy dollop of anger. She's not afraid though. Caroline knows that it's not directed at her.
"You might want to step back," he tells her, clipped and forceful, "We'll have you out in a moment."
Caroline wonders who we is. Klaus and Rebekah are the last people she'd have expected to make up her rescue squad. She hadn't spoken to him since his last visit to Mystic Falls. He'd promised to walk away then and let her live her human dreams.
She'd sent him a postcard before heading off to Europe with Bonnie, had been gone before he could have attempted to reply.
Klaus is a blur, working quickly. The stone is no match for him and, as more of it falls, Caroline sees that the rescue team is four strong. Elijah's here, Kol too.
What. The hell. How is Kol alive?
She has no idea what's happening but at least she's just about free.
Caroline retreats, letting The Originals demolish her prison, helps Bonnie to her feet. Bonnie sways and Caroline's just about to lift her, when a light touch on her elbow stops her. It's Elijah, Klaus just behind, "I'll carry Miss Bennett," he offers, "if she'll allow it?"
Caroline exchanges a glance with Bonnie, seeking permission. Bonnie nods once. Elijah scoops her up easily, making his way through the debris with a grace Caroline envies.
Her attention is drawn away when Klaus' steps in front of her, his unsteady hand coming up to cup her cheek. He touches her like she's fragile, as if afraid she's not real. "I've sent Kol to procure some blood for you, but I'd like for you to take some of mine. You're looking a touch grey and I don't like it."
He bites into his wrist and the scent of him and the scent, so familiar, floods her senses. Her face changes, fangs dropping, and she's biting down before she can think to turn his offer down. She moans and drinks deep, closing her eyes to better savor the taste of him. He presses himself along her spine, running a hand down her matted hair, making soft wordless noises, both soothing and encouraging.
She has no concept of how much blood she's taking, and Klaus makes no attempt to slow her greed. When Caroline finally brings herself to pull back her injuries have healed, the lingering achiness in her body completely abated. She feels fine, physically speaking. Better than that.
Which only makes her conscious of the grime coating her entire body. She disentangles herself, an apology for getting Klaus dirty on her lips. Then she notes his clothing, reaches out to pinch the fabric between her fingers. The texture of it is weird, unlike anything she recalls him wearing.
Or anyone wearing.
She takes a deep breath and meets Klaus eyes. He's watching her carefully, soft and sympathetic. He's not inclined to rush her, waits patiently as she rubs the hem of his shirt between her thumb and index finger.
She's put the pieces together but it's not easy to say.
"You're safe," he murmurs, an echo from the past. She believes him now too.
"It's not 2017, is it?"
"No," Klaus confirms. She's already known but her it's still a blow. She gropes for his hand, probably squeezing too hard. He doesn't complain. "It's not, love."
What happens next is a little bit of a blur. Caroline thinks she's in shock. They're in what used to be Mystic Falls, Klaus tells her, as he steers her through the tunnels. It's much changed, he warns. She gets what he means as soon as she's outside. The smell is wrong, acrid and metallic. Only the faintest hints of pine and earth remain.
She's brought to a vehicle, the lines of it strange. Caroline asks if Bonnie's alright, is assured that she'd been given water and had fallen asleep immediately. Caroline climbs into the backseat, closes her eyes once she's inside. The car moves without a whisper of sound. The interior remains quiet as well, only marred by Bonnie's slow, even, breathing, the faint rustle of Rebekah or Klaus shifting in the front.
When they come to a stop they're in an underground parking garage. Caroline wordlessly climbs out when Klaus opens her door. Bonnie's still sound asleep, Rebekah carries her. Caroline focuses on her breathing, looks at her feet. Refuses to register the strangeness all around her. Everything feels foreign. She recognizes shapes, but the details feel wrong.
If she thinks about it too much she might just be the first vampire in history to get an attack of the vapors.
She's safe. She can put one foot in front of the other. There's definitely going to be a super fancy shower in a house Klaus owns. That's all she needs right now.
When she's clean she can find out what the hell had happened to get her, and Bonnie, trapped in that cave. Then maybe she'll muster up the courage to ask what year it is.
She's surprised when Klaus leaves them at the door to a room, after exchanging a significant look with Rebekah. "Come find me when you're ready," he tells her, carefully untangling their fingers before he goes.
She hadn't realized she'd grabbed his hand.
Caroline hovers behind Rebekah, feeling like a lost puppy, as Bonnie's tucked into a bed with more care than Caroline would have thought possible.
Rebekah then turns her attention to Caroline, leading her into a bathroom. It's a big room, all gleaming chrome and flashing lights. Rebekah's matter of fact as she explains the buttons that apparently make the shower work, tells Caroline to call if she needs help, without a trace of mockery.
"Why are you being so nice?" Caroline can't help but ask, just before Rebekah leaves.
Rebekah leans against the doorframe, "I know what it's like."
Oh, right. The daggers.
"I've woken up in a world that's completely unfamiliar, with no concept of how much time had passed. Adjusting is difficult."
"I remember you adjusting to the 21st century pretty quick." By trying to steal Caroline's life.
"You will too. In fact, I'm sure I'll find you completely insufferable again in no time, don't you worry your pretty blonde head."
Caroline snorts at that, glad that some things haven't changed. "Thanks, Rebekah," she says, and her gratitude is genuine.
Rebekah merely wrinkles her nose. "Shower," she demands. "I meant it when I said you were disgusting. I'll scrounge up something for you to wear."
She whirls away and Caroline doesn't waste any time, stripping away her ruined clothing.
The shower is way too complicated but she figures it out.
Sometime later, her skin scrubbed until it's pink and clean, Caroline taps on the door to the room Rebekah had told her Klaus occupies.
She shifts uneasily, tugging at the clothes she wears, so much lighter and smoother than what she's used to. Her hair's wet, hanging around her shoulders, and she'd forgone the slippers Rebekah had provided.
Caroline's mind is whirling, the questions multiplying, and her anxiety building. Rebekah's softness is unfamiliar. She appreciates the sentiment but it would be so soothing if Rebekah would be a bit more abrasive.
Sniping at her would help Caroline feel at home.
What Caroline needs is a little normality and she thinks Klaus is the only person who can provide it.
He's clearly showered too, when he opens the door. He's only wearing pants, his hair curling damply around his ears. Maybe it's weakness but Caroline steps into him, burying her face in his shoulder. The scent of his skin is the same, his hands comforting as they smooth down her back. Caroline wraps her arms around Klaus, holding him so tightly that it's only the fact that she can't crush him that saves him from a bruised rib or two.
Like before, when he'd offered her his blood, he lets her take what she needs, without comment or complaint, only letting her go when she moves away.
"Doing all right?" he asks softly.
Caroline brings her hands to her face, brushes away a few tears that have escaped. It's tempting to avoid for a little while longer but she's not a coward. "So so. Tell me what happened."
Klaus leads her over to a sitting area, lets her curl up against him on a plush sofa. If he thinks it strange that she's so eager to touch him, he doesn't mention it, and Caroline's grateful. It's grounding, and she needs it, and she refuses to feel bad for that, when it's helping her hold herself together.
"I can tell you what I've pieced together," he begins, speaking quietly, "but I only learned things after the fact. Your friend Enzo will be here tomorrow. He might be a bit more helpful."
"You know Enzo?" Caroline asks, puzzled. She tries to picture it but finds she can't. Enzo's mouthy, Klaus is short tempered and quick to violence. The two of them, in a room together without a buffer? Blood had totally been shed.
"Mmm. Wasn't overly fond of him, in the beginning, I'll admit." Klaus hand finds its way into her hair, and she leans into the touch.
Caroline grins at his words, "Me neither. But he grows on you." That's something tat Klaus and Enzo have in common, at least from Caroline's perspective.
"He came to me for help. To find you."
"When was this?"
"2019," Klaus tells her. "He'd gone off, left Mystic Falls when it became clear that Damon's obsession with waking the fair Elena wouldn't be swayed. When he returned, he was shocked to find her awake. And a vampire. He asked after you. Oddly, neither Damon nor The Ripper, or even The Doppelganger, had any recollection of ever knowing you. Enzo probed further, and your other friend's memories had also been tampered with. So he tracked me down."
"You remembered me," Caroline says. She's sure of it, even as she's reeling from Klaus' story. That someone had attempted to erase her entire existence, had mostly been successful, is going to take some time to process.
"I did," Klaus confirms, "of course I did."
"And you looked for me."
"Did some digging. Enzo told me about how you lot tangled with the Gemini Coven. That was my first clue. It seems that there was a failsafe, and you and the Bennett witch paid the consequences for The Salvatores breaking the curse Elena was under."
"And they just left us there?" Caroline exclaims, her pitch rising sharply, as outrage fills her.
"They believed that attempting to rescue you would result in dire consequences for the doppelgänger . Or so I gleaned when I spoke to the witch who performed the spells to seal you into the cave and remove you from their memories."
"Of course they did," Caroline mutters, bitter but unsurprised. Elena's life had always been placed above hers and Bonnie's. She'd expect nothing less from Damon, though it hurts a little that Stefan had left her to rot. "But why erase us?"
"Plausible deniability. I came looking for you, as Damon must have expected I would."
"You promised you'd never come back."
"To Mystic Falls."
It's an obvious loophole but Caroline's not mad about it.
"Damon couldn't have known you'd look. He never thought much of my ability to hold a guy's interest."
"He knew. We… spoke about you once or twice."
Klaus looks uncomfortable for a moment. Caroline makes a note to press him for further information about that piece of info later. "So they're still alive?"
"For now. Enzo's supervising their collection, along with a couple of my associates. Whether they stay that way, and how painful their deaths will be, is your decision, of course." Klaus does a good job of masking the edge of anger in his voice but Caroline feels it. He's tense against her, his hands lying heavier against her back.
Caroline nods, too tired to contemplate the implications of that. She'll need to talk to Bonnie. She'll need to think, long and hard. There are many more questions she'll need to ask.
She'll have to see how she feels, once she sees Elena and Stefan.
Eventually, Caroline's going to have to bring herself to ask exactly how much time has passed, how many years and decades and centuries have been stolen from her. She'll need to mourn her life, the people she'll never see again.
But not everything is lost.
She has Bonnie and she has Klaus. She even has Rebekah. For now, Caroline lets herself relax into Klaus' body. They shift until they're laying down and she finds comfort in the warmth of his skin and the strength of his arms.
Caroline drifts to sleep knowing that Klaus will be there tomorrow. That he'll help her make her way in a brand-new world.
Of Two Kinds
(Zombie!Apocalypse Klaroline, inspired by The Walking Dead. A Part One (of Two, I think). Title taken from a Gandhi quote about power. Rated T.)
"Son of a bitch!" Caroline yelled, in shock and pain, as a pair of teeth sunk into her shoulder. The offender's head was quickly crushed into the concrete wall, a swing of a bat not so neatly dispatching the two things she'd been struggling with, after fumbling her knife. But she'd already taken down more than a dozen of the walkers that'd cluttered up the perimeter overnight, and the handle was slick with blood and other assorted grossness.
Still. It was stupid of her, especially as she'd gone out alone.
Caroline shook her arm out, waiting for the sting of the bite to fade. It would be sore, until she sucked down an extra blood ration, while whatever sickness the dead carried struggled to take root in her body.
But it would fail. Because a nifty perk of being a vampire? Immunity to whatever virus that caused humans to reanimate into mindless drones with a taste for flesh. The strength and speed that came with their nature was also more than a little handy. Vampires had a certain aptitude for killing the walking corpses that tended to mass near settlements. The Originals and Marcel liked to get fancy, pulling out swords and axes, when there was a herd to deal with, diving in and hacking, all deadly grace and accuracy. The Salvatore's and Enzo (plus Caroline, who'd been taught to shoot by her mother) preferred rifles, taking headshots from a distance. The other baby vamps, Gia and Josh, had never handled weapons, but could hold their own with blunt objects and brute force.
Caroline yelped as her arm was grabbed, and the bite examined. She shot Kol a dirty look over her shoulder, "You're late."
"And you're impatient, darling. It was five minutes. And Nik's going to be right pissed when we get back. I'll make myself scarce. Bat your eyes a bit on my behalf, would you?"
Caroline shook him off, and he let her. She bent to retrieve her fallen knife, "I switched shifts with Gia and sacrificed a perfectly preserved Hershey bar so I could avoid your brother. So no, I won't flirt with him to save your ass."
"But it's a fine arse, Caroline. I know you've looked."
She made a noise of disgust, stalking away, only pausing to drive her blade through the skull of a walker that stumbled around the corner. She heard Kol behind her, his amused chuckle further raising her hackles, "Uh-oh, trouble in paradise? Tell your good buddy Kol all about it."
"So you can immediately go to your gossip bros with the details?" Caroline shot him an incredulous look, "How about no?"
Kol, of course, has no shame, "We have a pool. It would be unsporting if I didn't share my knowledge."
There was a clump of putrid corpses, clawing at the walls, a few meters ahead, and Caroline was grateful for the distraction (which really said a lot, about her current mental state. Because they were super gross), "Just shut up and kill things, okay?"
"Be still my heart, Caroline," Kol drawls, bowing mockingly, "for there are no lovelier words in the English language."
Kol doesn't give her the time to reply before he'd races ahead (the dirty cheater!), and Caroline shouts a protest, and several of the more creative curse words he'd taught her for good measure, speeding to try to catch up.
Almost an hour later, having made a circuit around the walls, and a quick run through the forest to check the traps, Caroline and Kol trudged back to the gate, waving at the sentry on duty (Liv, if Caroline remembered correctly) and waiting for the creak of shifting metal that signaled the doors were opening. A small group filed out, and Caroline nodded at Stefan (he was on clean and burn duty – having lost a high stakes game of poker the week before) as she slipped inside.
The key to surviving (and thriving!) in the apocalypse? Organization and leadership skills, in Caroline opinion. She'd bet good money (if money wasn't totally useless) that her corner of Virginia was the safest place on earth right about now, and she'd be lying if she didn't get a whole lot of satisfaction, from that knowledge. There were other little pockets of humans that they kept a close eye on, mindful of the need for allies, and the threat of enemies, but none so well provided for as her own community.
Threats and allies, had actually been the hot topic, at a meeting they'd had the night before last and was the reason she was currently avoiding Klaus. Even though describing anyone as a 'threat' might have been being kind of generous.
The few groups that Caroline was thinking of, roving men who thought themselves invincible, convinced they were now at the very top of the food chain, had no idea that they were far from the most dangerous creatures left in the world. Unwashed and usually disgusting, they took the collapse of society as a free pass to act out all their sickest, most depraved fantasies, confident that consequences would not find them.
But they were very, very wrong.
Occasionally one of the supply teams caught wind of such a group. And then that group didn't survive very much longer.
They had a system, honed to perfection. A trap was set (a pretty girl put in their path, alone, and not as defenseless as she seemed) and sprung. Caroline volunteered to be bait often, usually had to fight Rebekah for the honor. She liked it, letting her monster out. So much of her time was spent playing fearless (but non-threatening!) leader these days. And out there she didn't have to pretend to be something she wasn't. She liked the power, the reminder of how far she's come. She liked breaking legs, and compelling those men to be silent. No one had saved the girl Caroline had been, and she didn't need saving now.
But other girls, somewhere out there, probably did.
What happened after was more merciful, than anything those men would have done, had Caroline really been a seventeen year old girl, all by her lonesome. A blood donation (because resources couldn't be wasted, the world being what it was) and a snapped neck, followed by a knife to the temple, to prevent them from rising again, was more than they deserved.
Allies were trickier. And more controversial. Maintaining balance in the community was important. Humans were needy – food, clean water, medicine – all necessary. And their blood was required to prevent the dozen vampires who now called the Mystic Falls home, who did the bulk of the protecting and foraging, from desiccating, so the humans needed to be kept healthy.
It was a symbiotic relationship, with a ridiculous amount of variables, and managing it made Caroline remember how much headaches had sucked. But she wouldn't change it, because she's proud of what she's helped build.
Mystic Falls had been nearly a ghost town, sixteen days after people had first gotten nervous, and headed to Richmond, seeking answers and safety. Several thousand residents had dwindled to less than a hundred. The vampires who called Mystic Falls home, their friends and family, various townspeople who'd tried to leave, after things had gone from 'weird and concerning' to 'hell in a handbasket,' only to find the roads too congested and dangerous, were all that remained.
And then The Originals had shown up, a couple of strangers in tow.
They'd strolled into The Grill, like they owned the place, as was their habit, Klaus in the lead. The people who'd remained in town had taken to gathering at the bar to gawk at the news (and drink heavily). And then when the news had stopped, televisions nothing but static, no phones or internet accessible, they'd gathered just for the comfort of not being alone. Hearing the bell above the door had been a shock, and Caroline had turned, tense and ready to fight. And in had walked Klaus, exactly as she'd last seen him, when she'd sped off after their afternoon in the woods behind The Salvatore Boarding House.
Her first reaction, one she'd carefully hidden, had been relief. Just a tiny bit.
Because Klaus had been every bit as self-assured and unflappable as she'd remembered. And why wouldn't her be? Caroline knew he was nearly indestructible, smart, not to mention lethal. Not someone who's bad side she wanted to be on, but he wasn't the worst person to have watching your back, in uncertain times.
She'd wanted to smile, but had fought the urge. Her relief had been battered by doubts, almost immediately. Could she trust him? Would it be smart to, when almost two years had passed, with no contact, and surely whatever feelings he'd had for her must have waned? Caroline had pushed the part of her that felt safer, knowing he was near, aside. She'd snarked something about being unsurprised that Klaus lacked respect for promises. He'd smiled, all genuine pleasure at the sight of her, told her it was good to see her too, and then ordered a drink.
And then Damon and Stefan and Enzo had wandered over, wary and suspicious.
There'd been the usual subtle and not to subtle threats, macho posturing, penis measuring, bullshit. Caroline had quickly lost patience with it, and burst into the conversation, demanding to know what Klaus and his siblings were even doing in Mystic Falls?
Klaus, seated on a stool, had been nonchalant, 'We've survived plagues before, love," he'd said. "The cities fall first, and it's best to get out before they do."
The entire room and fallen silent, at the ominous proclamation, reality creeping in. And then Elijah had cleared his throat, and begun to speak of what they'd seen, fought through, to get to Mystic Falls.
And from there, plans had been made, a tentative peace between former enemies decided on. Caroline had maintained her stubborn silence, for all of six minutes, before Damon had started in, his plans half-assed and characteristically full of holes, and she'd been unable to resist interjecting. He'd fought her, but Rebekah, of all people, had stuck up for Caroline, and Damon had grudgingly kept his mouth shut from then on (and cooled it on the blonde jokes, after Rebekah had threatened to make him eat his spleen, if she had to hear another).
The first order of business? They had needed more humans, especially considering that several of the humans available were friends and family of the assembled vampires, so draining them wasn't exactly an option.
They'd done some recruiting. Offered food, and shelter, in exchange for blood. Humans were allowed to leave freely (and that had been a heated debate…) after they'd been compelled to forget the existence of vampires, naturally. But most were more than fine with staying.
Their safety guaranteed, in exchange for a little blood? It was the best deal any human was going to get, with the world being what it was.
And then there was the fact that most of the vampires predated modern conveniences, and were chock full of helpful tips and tricks. Rebekah had even been a nurse, once upon a time. Kol had all sorts of know how about magical herbs and remedies stored away. They knew how to build things, without power tools. The sight of Elijah Mikaelson doing manual labour, in casual clothing, was surely an indicator that the world had changed drastically, Caroline had privately thought.
The Originals had taken the lead in fortifying Mystic Falls, rigged it so they could pipe in water. They knew how to hunt, and how to get crops growing.
A quick tour was usually all the convincing a human needed, before they agreed to stay in town, and were assigned a place to stay.
They'd had a couple rough patches, with people they'd let in. But Caroline wasn't about to let that get her down. She thought it was time to expand, had brought the idea up at the last meeting. Klaus, ever paranoid, had disagreed.
They'd had a roaring fight, probably audible to most of the town's residents, and she'd stormed off and had been ducking him ever since.
She's kind of surprised she'd been successful for so long, if she was being honest.
When Caroline throws open the door to the house she shares with her Mom and Bonnie, she's irritated, and desperate for a shower. It's not the house she grew up in, and it's still weird to walk in without knocking. This house had belonged to The Coopers. Mr. Cooper had taught Spanish at Mystic Falls High. His wife made a little extra money selling jewellery on Etsy. They, their four year old son, and their dog, had left Mystic Falls when the first wave had decided to head to a city for help.
Caroline had taken down their family photos, stored them carefully. She hopes they'd made it somewhere safe.
She quickly realizes she's not alone, but she's not scared. And she knows exactly who's waiting for her, even before he says, "Hello, Caroline."