Caroline had never been one for revenge. Her anger usually burned hot and fast, appearing suddenly, and dissipating just a quick. Sure, she sometimes said things she regretted, but once it was over, it never lingered in her psyche the way it did with Bonnie or Elena. The two of them never seemed to forgive a slight. When they were seven, Bonnie accidentally spilled fruit punch on Elena's favorite dress. Elena was furious and refused to speak to the brunette for two days, until finally Caroline threatened to get Grams involved.

She supposed she had been caught in the middle her entire life. Navigating her friendship with Bonnie and Elena. Being the barrier between her mom and dad. And even running interference in the weird three-way flirtation, that Elena was determined to have with the Salvatore brothers.

It had never made much sense to her to stay in conflict with people you cared about. the best thing you could do against people who disliked you, was to outshine them. She tried her best to forgive and see the good in people, and while that sometimes-made Damon and even Elena scoff and think her naïve, the truth was she simply preferred being Positive.

She knew who she was before all this happened. Insecure, obsessive, and neurotic. She tried to combat it by throwing herself into being the person everyone adored. She mastered dance and became Miss Mystic Falls. She became head cheerleader and even dated two of the most popular guys in school. And yet when she was alone, and there was silence, she could not help but feel like a fraud, like something was missing. There were only a few times in her life that she had truly felt free. Felt like herself, Caroline Forbes, and not this caricature she had become, searching for love and acceptance in all the wrong places.

When she was on stage, the world seemed to fall away, and she could twist and turn to the music and release her emotions through song. When she became a vampire, after getting used to it of course, she felt strong in a way she did not think was possible. Uncaged at last. For a while at least, she was more like herself than she had been in years. She was strong, she was free, she was useful. Until once again she crashed back into reality. Her childhood friend had been drawn into a supernatural world that she could not begin to process, and suddenly all the monsters she used to discount were real. And most of them wanted her friend.

She tried to be the same old Caroline. Supportive, understanding. She accepted that even in this new world, Elena would always come first. Bonnie was the powerful witch from an ancient bloodline. Elena the doppelganger of a notorious vampire, with magical blood important to the movers and shakers of their new world. And she was just Caroline… Plucky best friend, and if that was her role, she swore she would be the best friend that ever existed. She mastered the feeding lessons that Stefan showed her. She helped Tyler come to terms with his family legacy, and put her life on hold to protect her friends.

She buried the hatred she felt every time she saw Damon, and the frustration and resentment when her friends left her out of their plans. She had not realized how robotic her life had become until Tyler bit her. Suddenly her carefully crafted existence seemed hollow. Despite the agony of the wolf venom, she felt oddly at ease with her impending demise.

Until he appeared like a ghost at her door, and suddenly her perception of the world changed. Here was someone who seemed to revel in who she was. he seemed interested in exploring the dark corners of Caroline Forbes that not even she had dared to explore. Somehow, she had captured the interest of the most powerful creature in the world, a man who struck fear into the hearts of even those she once considered monsters. He delighted in her beauty, welcomed her sharp wit, and seemed enamored by her spirit. Instead of being angry or dismissive in the face her defiance, he was appreciative, even charmed. She was an entirely different person with him. Strong, confident, and fierce.

He reintroduced her to Caroline Forbes, while showing parts of himself, she was certain he had never shared with anyone else. She was both touched and grateful for that, and while her loyalty to her friends prevented her from exploring their connection as deeply as she would have liked, she knew that one day she would have to make a choice. Choose between the girl everyone knew, and the woman she wanted to be.

She expected to wrestle with it for years, to obsessively consider every angle, and worry about how the people that she loved would feel about it. She wasn't entirely sure that she would have the strength to do what she wanted, painfully aware that there was a part of her that doubted that anyone could truly want her.

Not the way he seemed to.

Oh, they wanted her for a night, sure. Wanted her wet and willing when they felt like giving her attention or decided they needed her. But he was offering her intimacy and trust, a vision of forever, and she privately wondered how anyone could not feel terrified making such a choice.

Years later, when she thought back to the moment her new life began, she would laugh at how wrong she had been. There was no fear, not even a conscious decision. Her choice was made in the way her heart fluttered when he gazed into her eyes. At the way the monster deep inside her bared its fangs at the look of devastation in his eyes. Love spurted through her with unrelenting force, and it took all of her will not to grab and cradle him to her chest, surround him with the protective armor of her embrace.

The barrier she had painstakingly erected around her emotions shattered. And with the love she had kept chained for so long, other feelings came rushing back. Feelings she had locked away, forbidden herself from dwelling on, came crashing through her with the force of a typhoon.

Her pain and rage at what Damon had done. Her disappointment in the way Elena had disrupted the relationship between the two brothers and how she seemed to string them both along. Hurt that yet again none of them had wanted to include her in their decisions, none of them caring that they were putting her life on the line as well.

For surely if Klaus did not love her as much as he did, their entire group would have been slaughtered a long time ago. And how ironic their plans often rested on the feelings of a monster, on feelings they did not truly believe he was capable of having. They thought him an immoral monster and yet they willingly sent her to beguile him.

Instead of the monster, she found the man. The bashful artist. the earnest suitor. The insecure soldier who hid his vulnerabilities behind a veil of logic and bloodshed. With every side he revealed to her, she knew without a doubt that her friends were mistaken. Klaus Mikaelson felt more deeply than they could imagine. He guarded and treasured the few bonds he had been able to create with a obsessiveness that revealed an understanding of how priceless such connections were. He was vulnerable in ways his immortality could not protect him from and it resonated so closely to her own, that her heart ached just thinking about it.

Here was a man who had forged himself into the most powerful creature in the world. He was Cruel, prone to violence, and apathetic to the needs and desires of those he considered beneath him. He was the apex predator, the big bad wolf of the supernatural community, and yet she could not deny the surge of attraction, of desire at the realization that a man capable of such terrible things, cared only about her.

She would always love her friends. But she would no longer allow herself to be bound to them. The Originals would take their pound of flesh, and she would ensure that they had hope for a future, that their lives would ultimately be spared, even if they were forever altered by the consequences awaiting them. They would have a chance, and that was all the comfort she could offer.

"Are you sure you are up for this Love?" asked Klaus, drawing her attention back to him "His fate as already been decided, But I can handle it, if you wish."

Her fangs glistened and she moved quickly to the door in front of them "I would not miss an opportunity to crush the spirit of Damon Salvatore for all the gold in the world"

"Very well. I will be next door. Don't dally too long, Kol is itching to peel the flesh from the hunter's face and I have much more pleasant ways for us to spend our evening."

….

Damon Salvatore was not one for regrets. To him, people who spent too much time worrying about things they couldn't change were idiots. It was one the biggest points of contention between him and Stefan and if there was one thing he hated about his brother, it was his tendency to internalize every mistake.

Damon did what he wanted, and anyone who tried to stop his fun. Well, they rarely lived to regret it. That being said. waking up with an ache in his chest and the telltale soreness of a broken neck was never a good sign.

His first thought was who had he managed to piss of this time. Then he remembered.

Rebekah. That Bitch. He should have known better than to think that Stefan could keep the psychotic blond in line. One minute they are meeting to go after the cure and the next Rebekah is ripping out the professor's heart and snapping everyone's neck.

Now he was stuck in the dark cell that he recognized as being in the Mikaelson mansion. No doubt the blond was planning on torturing him for their plan to kill her brother. At least Klaus was still trapped in Elena's living room. His absence would go a long way in helping him find a way out of this.

The rustle of the door jostled him. And he quickly put on his most charming smile, before he realized that something was wrong.

The woman who entered, was not the one he had been expecting.

"Hey Blondie. I never thought I'd be happy to see you. Here to rescue me?" he grinned at her.

Looks like things were looking up. Now they just had to get everyone else out before Rebekah noticed and make their way back to the plane.

"No one can save you now, Damon" she said quietly, refusing to look directly at him.

A shrill scream rang out from the next room, and a familiar laugh echoed through the thin walls.

Damon felt unpleasant bolts of fear course through his body. Klaus was free… and they were fucked. Elena. He had to escape and rescue Elena.

"You have to help me get out of here, if we don't move quickly, they are going to torture us all and kill Elena for what she did to Kol." He thought quickly." I need you to distract, Klaus. a little blonde distraction while I free our friends."

He gave her a supportive smile. But to his surprise she still did not turn and look at him, and seemed to have not heard him.

"Earth to Blondie"

"do you know what its like to scream in terror but be unable to make a sound?" She asked suddenly.

"What are you…" a small fist slammed into his nose, and he winced in pain and surprise. When the hell did the baby vampire get so fast.

"I asked you a question. do you know what it's like to tortured and violated and be unable to protest, to even scream in pain." she followed up her words with a kick to stomach and with surprising strength, she grabbed him by his throat and slammed him into a wall.

"What the hell, you psycho bitch…" he groaned, trying to get back on his feet. "We have more important things to worry about right now, than rehashing ancient history… Klaus is going to.."

He was unable to respond because a metal rod was torn from the window and impaled into his stomach.

"Don't worry Damon. I promise that you have nothing to fear from Klaus… He won't lay a finger on that pretty head of yours" her eyes darkened. "That pleasure is something that is reserved for me"

She punched him again and yanked the rod from his stomach, a satisfied grin on her face. He groaned in pain but could feel his vampiric healing kicking in.

with a burst of speed, he launched at her, only to see her vanish and slam her fist into his stomach. He shrieked with pain and fear as she gripped his liver tightly and ripped it from his body.

"You have no idea how long I have been waiting to do this. How sickening it was to have to see you every day, pretending to be friendly while watching you and Elena moon all over each other. You violated her best friend, used me as a toy and blood bag, stole away my voice, and all she can do is make excuses for you. "She snarled at him. "You are the worst thing that ever happened to her, and I hope when this is all over, that she removes your head herself."

"Fuck you, you stupid whore." His rage gave him strength and with a growl he launched himself up and tried to surprise her with a punch to the face.

She quickly side stepped and the returning blow sent him back to his knees.

"I refuse to be lectured by a stupid bitch whose only use is being bait for Lucifer." He gave her an evil smirk while spitting out the blood that had accumulated from her punch. "I always wondered why he was so obsessed with you, blondie. show him that magical thing you do with your tongue?"

Caroline snarled in anger, but before she could lash out at him, he grabbed the metal rod and flashed forward, impaling the blonde in the heart. Her body crumpled to the floor and Damon let at a small laugh. "I'd hoped to nail you again, but not quite what I had in mind.".

"And what did you have in mind?"

Turning in horror, he watched as Caroline picked herself up and removed the impromptu stake from her chest. "If you wanted my mouth on you again, Damon. All you had to do was ask."

With a burst of speed she rushed forward and stabbed him in the groin . While he shrieked in pain, she grabbed his arm and sank her teeth into his skin.

To his shock, he felt the familiar pain of werewolf venom pump into his veins.

"How…" he gasped before the pain from the venom started to kick in.

"Be silent. I want to get this next part out of the way, because frankly you are not worth the calories, I spend talking to you." Golden eyes flashed. "Long story short, Boy meets girl, Boy and girl fall in love, boy uses powerful magic to turn girl into an original hybrid like him."

"One of the perks of being an Original is that you can compel ordinary vampires like yourself. And since the vervain has been removed from your system, there is nothing you can do to stop me. Now you can know that pain I once felt, being at the mercy of someone with the power to manipulate your mind at their whim."

She bent down and grasped his face in her hands "I thought long and hard about a suitable punishment for you. For your part in killing Kol, for what you did to me and so many others. I won't take your life, so you won't die from the venom…but that leaves so many possibilities."

Her eyes flashed and he felt the compulsion take hold.

'" You will forget everything about the cure. You will be unable to speak until the terms of your sentence is up. You will are forbidden from touching any woman except for Elena for the duration of your sentence. You will feel an overwhelming longing to be with her, but you will be unable to spend more than 30 seconds in the proximity of Stefan or Elena before you start pulling out your organs. You will also be bound to always stay within five miles radius of them. You are forbidden from killing anyone or plotting against any member of the original family or their allies. Your sentence will stand for 100 years."

He went still and pure hatred filled his eyes as he realized he was unable to speak. A strong hand gripped his face and poured a vial of blood down his throat.

"You are free to leave. I hope you use this time to become a better person, a better brother. Who knows, maybe even you can be saved one day.". Without another word Caroline left, leaving him, and her past behind her.

….

Klaus had no intention of playing around with his former hybrid. Despite his hubris and attempts to get the best of him, he could not find it in him to put much thought into what the boy's fate would be. Having sampled the fire that was Caroline Forbes, He would much rather be spending his time exploring the connection that until this day had been mere fantasy.

He refused to deny himself her touch any longer for the likes of Tyler Lockwood. Entering the room where the boy was held, he dodged a punch to the face, and with a lazy kick sent the boy slamming into a wall.

"Hello Tyler. As much fun as it would be to spend the next few decades torturing you for trying to kill me, I am afraid I have more sensual matters to attend to"

the boy grunted as he slowly got to his feet.

"Yeah? Going to mope around because everyone hates you?"

"Quite the opposite. Once I leave this room, I will finally be able to enjoy the gift I have been given. "He gave the boy a mocking smile." Care to guess what it is?" moving the collar of his shirt, he displayed his neck, where a large purple bruise had formed.

"that's a mating mark.' Murmured the boy." But who would be crazy enough to link themselves with you?"

"I'll give you a hint mate, She's beautiful, she's strong , and she has an apparent fondness for words ending in spire" a dawning recognition hit the teenage and he let out a small scream.

"Caroline would never be with someone like you. You are pure evil. You killed my friends and murdered my mom you son of a bitch"

"Well far be it from me to argue for my mother's virtue, but don't underestimate the lure of darkness, my friend. Even the purest hearts are drawn to it"

He frowned. "And take some responsibility. Your mother was a casualty of your own actions. I was well aware that you had unsired yourself and your friends. I wouldn't have given it much thought, except your friends decided to torture Caroline. And had the nerve to try and kill me which I found particularly offensive. I merely responded to your own aggression,, it was you who started this conflict, not I"

Klaus laughed at the tortured look on the boy's face. "I'd love to rub it in, but as I said I have more important things to attend to. You should be thankful that I am apparently unable to deny Caroline anything. I have fantasized about pulling your heart from your chest for weeks."

Klaus grabbed the boy by the held and let his compulsion take root "Your friend Hayley is currently staying in a Motel 6, Approximately ten miles outside of Mystic Falls. I want you to hunt her down and kill her. and since I suspect your relationship was not as platonic as you pretended, I want you to do it slowly. You will spend every day for the remainder of your sentence reliving Hayley death as well as the memories of your mothers drowning. You will forget everything about the cure and are forbidden from plotting against anyone in my family, of which Caroline certainly is a part of. In fact, anytime you think of Caroline, I want you to tear out your liver. Your sentence will end after 100 years."

The Original smirked as Tyler gasped and then immediately started tearing out his liver.

"Better get a handle on those thoughts soon, mate. Organ removal is a real bitch. Oh, and move quickly, I don't know how long our wayward werewolf will remain in her current lodgings. "

"Kol…if you keep tapping that chair, I swear I will dagger you myself"

"Harsh words, little sister. You would think the fact that we are about to torture one of your many lovers, would put more of a smile on your face" the reborn mikaelson smiled" Father would be ashamed at what a strumpet you have become"

Rebekah was nonplussed. "big words for the one who got arrested for having an orgy in the town square with what was it…five women, including a 76 year old grandmother."

"Marlene was extremely flexible, and I have been known to dabble" he grinned "What about that Bulgarian noble. The one that smelled like old cheese. Still can't understand what you saw in him"

"He was kind and sweet, and had excellent taste in castles. Nik had no reason to humiliate him like that."

"He should have known better than to challenge a vampire to a sword duel. Perhaps if you were more selective in your lovers, they would not be so quick to lose their heads. Sleeping with you is more of a health hazard than the bloody plague"

"It's not my fault that the only women willing to go near that shriveled worm you call a penis have to be drunk or compelled first." She glared at him. "I hear they have medical procedures for such things these days"

"Will you both shut up." said a groggy voice from the corner.

"Ah Ms. Bennett. You are finally awake. I am much obliged to you for your assistance in my rebirth"

"it's not like I had much choice in the matter"

"Well Nik isn't one to leave such things to chance. Still, there remains a debt for your part in my assassination. Luckily for you, our new sister was very strident that no harm should come to you. "

He sighed playfully "It appears I will be cursed with yet another stubborn blonde in the family"

"I am just grateful there is another woman. Perhaps between the two of us we can get you boys to bathe more often. You have no idea how often you smell. It's the 21st century, Kol, soap isn't hard to come by anymore t" retorted Rebekah, calmly cleaning her nails.

"What My sister is trying to say, is that Nik will be cross if we make his new mate cranky, especially before they have a chance to seal the deal so to speak. So, I promise you will keep your life" he frowned. "You aren't going to like what comes next though."

"What do you..." in a flash a firm hand gripped her head and before she could protest a bloody arm was put over her face. She tried to fight, to focus enough for a spell, but she was too groggy, and the original was too fast. She felt the blood crawl down her throat, and a second later her neck was broken.

Kol made his way back to his seat and a second later resumed his tapping against the floor.

Rebekah glared at him briefly before smiling. She had missed this. Moving over she hugged her brother lightly. "I'm glad you are back Kol, Things wouldn't have been the same without you"

"I'm touched, Sister. "He glanced to the right where the bodies of Stefan, Elena and Jeremy lay unconscious. "Whatever shall we do to pass the time? Could be awhile before Romeo and Juliet over there wake up"

"Care for a wager? $1,000 says I can throw this knife better than you"

"Only in your dreams Bekah." Kolgrinned "Just don't throw a fit when you lose like last time. Our brothers will not be pleased if you set another city on fire"

"That only happened once. Plus, you cheated." She pouted" That half of London was ugly anyway.

A few hours later the rest of the mystic falls group was awake, and staring in horror at the situation they found themselves in.

Rebekah had betrayed them. Somehow Kol was still alive. And Bonnie was groaning on the floor. Stefan frowned. This was not going to end well.

"Rebekah… I can ex.." a fist to the face interrupted his speech.

" Save it Stefan. I have had enough of your lies and emotional manipulation to last me several lifetimes." She snarled and kicked him hard, sending him to his knees and gasping for breath.

"You play on my feelings and insecurities, seduce me in order to make a move against my family and then had the nerve to think a few orgasms would be enough to quell my rage" She picked him up by his throat and with a demonic smile, tore his kidney from his body.

"You are fortunate that the witch was able to resurrect my brother. Your torments would have been endless. Luckily Caroline is most convincing when she wants to be." she frowned and tossed him to the ground. "I agreed to show you mercy for her sake. But I think its time to remove this veneer of civility that you try to portray. The truth is you are just as twisted and selfish as your brother … You care only for Elena and don't care who you have to use in service to that. You have used me, Caroline, and even the witch in your schemes. Well that ends today"

he looked stunned and hurt at her words but did not deny them. She bent down and gazed into his eyes, letting the compulsion take hold.

Behind her Elena was starting to protest, but a firm slap by Kol, shut her up.

"Tell me Stefan. Were we some kind of twisted back up plan? A way not to be alone when the inevitable happened and Elena left you for your brother. It was inevitable, you know. The doppelgangers are notoriously fickle like that. Not a one of them able to keep their legs closed when there were brothers to torment.". she could tell he did not want to answer, but he was not strong enough to fight the compulsion.

"I knew you still had feelings for me, and the sex is good. As far as Caroline, I knew she found me attractive, and we are friends. She would also never do to me what Elena has. I don't love her, but I do care for her. I thought if the worse came to happen, I could still have a life."

Rebekah snorted. "a foolish plan. Nik would have torn your throat out for daring to touch what is his. "

"Caroline isn't his" yelled Elena." Caroline is our friend; she would never take up with a monster like Klaus."

"Mind your words. Caroline has been Nik's since you and your friends first dangled her in his path. You didn't really think that a band of teenagers and baby vampires could fool the one who literally wrote the book on deception?"

They all looked surprised. Clearly it had never occurred to them." My brother is very rarely taken for a fool, and no one gets the best of him more than once."

"I wouldn't get so high and mighty on the subject of monsters if I were you little Elena." Interjected Kol. "You did kill thousands of vampires when you assassinated me. The complete genocide of an entire sire line. That's a higher body count than either of us and we have had ten centuries of blood on our hands.:"

Elena looked torn and furious. "We did what we had to do to get the cure."

"Actually from my research, you only needed 50 kills to complete the mark. Remember this magic was designed to be completed in a mortal's lifetime. You killed a hundred times more than was necessary to accomplish your goals." He grinned. "But enough lamenting the past. Let's discuss your future, or at least what is left of it."

"What do you mean?" asked Jeremy, speaking up for the first time. The young hunter looked defeated and appeared to have already accepted his fate.

"Crime and Punishment and all that Jazz. Nik is quite the sadistic bastard he chooses to be. Personally, I would prefer death over what he considers mercy."

"Bring it on" stated Elena with confidence. "If Katherine can outsmart and stay one step ahead of Klaus for centuries, then so can we "

Both Rebekah and Kol Laughed" Have you learned nothing? I said before, my brother is not one to be taken for a fool. Katherine has been serving her punishment unknowingly for centuries. She is cursed to never feel safe, compelled to betray those she feels any love or loyalty to and be forced to spend eternity alone. She is compelled to inform him of her whereabouts and then forget she did so. She has no freedom, no companionship, only fear. "

The trio blanched. if this was true. what was in store for them. Before they could ponder things further. Bonnie shot up with a gasp. She screamed as the sounds and smells overwhelmed her senses.

"What's happening to her?"

"She's in transition' stated Stefan calmly.

"Doesn't that mean she can never be a witch again?"

"That's right, Jeremy, witches who become vampires lose their connection with nature. It's the same thing that happened to her mom"

"How could you be so cruel" yell Elena. Kol was unmoved by her anger.

"Necessary evils and all that. Look on the bright side. As soon as she transitions, she will be able to have a long eternity to think on the foolishness of challenging my family." He glanced at Rebekah and nodded. In a flash Kol appeared in front of Elena and in seconds had her under his compulsion. Meanwhile Rebekah did the same to Bonnie.

"Elena. You will feel nothing but pure hatred for Stefan and immense, unquenchable longing for Damon. You will feel physically sick whenever you are in their presence. You are forbidden from working against our family or killing yourself or either of the Salvatores. You will forget all knowledge of the cure. Oh, and Be a doll and rip out your brothers heart."

"Bonnie, I want you to drain Jeremy's body of his blood. You are forbidden from killing your self as well and will forget about the cure. " the two compelled vampires did as they were told. Elena tearfully crying as she ripped out Jeremy's heart, and a second later Bonnies fangs entered his neck, and ten minutes later she was covered in blood and her transition was complete.

Rebekah was thrilled "Nik has done it again. The best thing about this is that depending on the timing, they should both suffer from the hunter's curse. And without being able to kill themselves, they are in for a very interesting next couple of decades"

"Swoon later, Bekah. We have unfinished work here"

"Oh yes, Stefan." Her former lover looked like a shell of himself, the events of the last few minutes, sending him into a state of perpetual numbness. He did not even protest when Rebekah gazed into his eyes again. "Stefan, you wanted to help your brother, so now you are bound for the next century to his presence. You will feel an unbearable longing for Elena's blood and must consume some of it every day. You must always feed from the vein. You will forget about the cure and are forbidden to kill yourself or your friends. "

"Welcome back Ripper" Mocked Kol, as Stefan fell to his knees and felt the compulsions take place.

….

"it's over now" stated Klaus as he made his way over to where Caroline was sitting, a glass of amber liquid in her hands. The blond cheerleader slid the glass over to him, and grateful he picked it up, savoring the alcohol on his tongue.

"Good. What now?"

"Now we celebrate. We accomplished a great deal in a short period of time."

"I don't much feel like celebrating Klaus. I know what they did, but they are still people I care about."

"Noted. But what if I wanted to celebrate something more important? Like you taking your place in my life"

"I suppose that is something to celebrate, I say it's a B positive and greasy pepperoni pizza kind of day.

"Whatever you want, Love." He hesitated… "do you regret it… choosing me… over your friends?"

Caroline stared at him a moment before moving and kissing him on the cheek. "It wasn't really a choice between you and them." She said quietly. "It was a choice between who I was supposed to be, and Who I was. When I am with you Klaus, I feel more like myself. I feel cherished and accepted. So, no I don't regret a thing" She was rewarded with a hungry kiss and smiled when the Hybrid wrapped his arms around her.

"Speaking of regrets.. Graduation is coming up. Any ideas on what you want to do afterwards?"

"I believe a certain hybrid promised to show me the world."

"And indeed, I shall. Where shall we start our journey?"

"Rome, Paris, or Tokyo. Surprise me." she jumped and kissed him on the cheek. "I just have one condition"

"Whatever you desire" he spun her around and placed a loving kiss on her lips, trying to convey without words, what this moment meant to him. She returned his kiss with equal passion before groaning and pulling away. "What is it you want?"

"You have to be the one to tell my mom."

…..

We are finally done. I really appreciate the support and feedback you all have given.

Our next season will take us to new Orleans as we discover what should have happened in episode 4x20: The originals.

There will be no direct sequels to this story, but if anyone wants to take on one for this or any of my other prompts, you are more than welcome to.

I tried not to overdo it with the punishments. Essentially bonnie lost her magic and was turned into something she hated, Stefan/Elena/Damon are doomed to stay in their messed-up triangle, feeling for each other and being unable to act on it, and Tyler has to wallow in his failures.

I apologies for any plot holes I left unaddressed. Sadly, a lot of canon has so many conflicting plot holes and random, illogical events that its difficult to reconcile them all.

I hope you all enjoyed this tale, and I look forward to hearing your thoughts.

Until next time.