Chapter 5: Loose ends
Valerie and Bonnie managed to trace the magic of the leather bracelet back to the city in which it had been spelled. Caroline gaped at the map spread out on the hospital bed where Bonnie and Valerie stood on either side with their hands connected. There was a hole covering an area far south, close to the Mississippi River.
"New Orleans." Caroline breathed out.
Valerie looked at her then with wide eyes. "New Orleans." she echoed.
Predicating the future, are we? Caroline asked herself with a surprised scoff.
"I'll inform Stefan, right away." Valerie said, breaking a moment of silence in the room. She disappeared into the air with a single whoosh.
The three remaining friends glanced at each other knowingly.
"New Orleans." Ric said with a nod. "That's where –"
"The Originals are." Bonnie finished, folding the map and stowing it away.
"What does that mean? Is Damon hiding with the Mikaelson's?" Ric asked confusedly as he began pacing the room.
Klaus' words began ringing in Caroline's ears.
"Is this a mirage?"
She wondered what it had meant, for him to be in that ghost town with her. Maybe the dream was trying to tell her that Damon had been with him this whole time? Or maybe something else was going on? Maybe Damon wasn't there to get help from the Originals or whatever Ric and Bonnie were speculating about… Their voices as they traded theories blended into white noise to Caroline's ears as her mind ran wild.
Maybe Damon was there to do something entirely else? Something that resulted in Klaus ending up in that… That place?
Caroline stood still and silent for so long that Bonnie seemed to get worried. "Care?" she said slowly.
"Hm?" Caroline snapped her eyes up to Bonnie's. "What? Yeah. New Orleans. Weird, huh?"
"What do you think he's doing there?" Bonnie asked carefully.
Caroline furrowed her eyebrows. "I don't know." she said honestly. "Maybe he wanted to parade down Bourbon Street?" she joked and shrugged. "Anyway, we know where he is now so let's get him back. Shall we?"
"Caroline…" Ric said carefully and nodded at her stomach. "You're too far along to go to New Orleans."
"I didn't say I was." she said just as carefully, crossing her arms across her chest. "But there's no reason to waste time wondering what Damon is doing there when we should be focusing on helping Stefan get him back."
"So, what's the plan?" Bonnie asked, looking at Caroline.
Suddenly, Caroline realized that this might be one of the only times that her friends had ever counted on her to come up with a plan for these sort of things. She blinked for a few moments before she nodded her head, both to them and to herself, as she accepted the leading role. Despite knowing that she was only offered it because neither Damon or Elena were present.
But she was never one to give up the spotlight once it was handed to her and she was never one to crumble under pressure either. So the idea quickly formed in her mind as her own words ran through her head.
"To New Orleans. To visit mommy's friend."
She swallowed her nervousness and met Bonnie's eyes. "Klaus." she said. Flinching a little as she realized that was the first time she'd said his name aloud in… Years… And it felt so familiar and weird and nostalgic that she found herself repeating it;
"Klaus is our plan."
Julian had called a few of his men in Mystic Falls to investigate where Tyler could possibly be keeping Elena Gilbert's remains. They hadn't been able to find them anywhere in the small little town but they did however discover that Tyler had had a few trips to New York over the last couple of months. Julian had then sent two of his vampires there to trace Tyler's past activities to the source of these travels, guessing it would lead them to Elena's final resting grounds.
He planned to use Elena's ashes as leverage to ensure Damon's continuous discretion and loyalty. Surely, Julian realized it would all be easier to simply kill Damon and thereby make sure that he wouldn't get in the way of his plans. But Julian found that he quite enjoyed having a right hand, and Damon proved to be a satisfactory and somewhat capable candidate for that position. If Julian managed to keep his loyalty, Damon had the potential of becoming an ally.
Of course, Julian didn't truly need him and if Damon started causing trouble or making himself excessive to his plan, then rest assured; the Salvatore would need to go. Which was what Julian was pondering as Damon started waking up on his spot on the floor.
Julian had taken his duffle-bag away and stolen his daylight ring to ensure he wouldn't be able to leave without his permission. Aside from that, however, he'd just left him where he'd fallen and then taken a seat on a couch with a drink in his hand.
Julian sat with his back to him but he could hear Damon staggering to his feet with a grunt. "Ugh… Did you seriously snap my neck?" he muttered.
"You were getting on my nerves." Julian said with a shrug and lifted a prepared drink up to his side as he heard Damon approach him. "Hopefully you won't give me a reason to repeat myself."
Damon accepted the drink and walked around the couch to take a seat next to him. "What happened to your bracelet?" Julian asked as he refilled his own glass.
From the corner of his eye, he watched Damon lift his arms and stare at them. "I have no idea." he said surprised and shrugged a moment later. "I guess I must have lost it over at Leila's."
Julian hummed silently, not quite believing the explanation but seeing no reason for him to lie about it. Unless Damon wanted to be found by his friends and brought back to Mystic Falls, where he seemed so eager to return to.
"So… I'm back on house arrest then?" Damon said exasperatedly, wiggling his fingers in front of him to show the loss of his daylight ring.
Julian smirked. "Yes."
"And I'm guessing if I try to as much as walk out that door, Twiddle-Dee and Twiddle-Dumb outside will snap my neck and throw me back in here?"
"Correct." Julian said with a nod as he'd expected Damon to notice the two heartbeats on the other side of the suite door.
"Who you got covering as my prison guards anyway?" Damon asked as he finished his drink with a bitter look.
"Considering your charming nicknames I assumed you already figured that out."
Damon grimaced at that. "Paula and Jacob?"
"Right again!" Julian said with an amused smile. "You seem to be on a roll tonight, mate." he mocked and winked at him before downing the rest of his drink.
"Night?" Damon echoed and looked over to the windows in the suite with a frown. The sun had set over New Orleans but it was not yet fully dark outside. "How long was I out?"
"Longer than expected." Julian admitted, a little surprised at the fact considering Damon's age. "You mustn't have fed in a while."
"Not really." Damon sighed and leaned back in the couch, tilting his head back with another frown.
"Well, we'll have time for that later at the bar." Julian shrugged and got up. "Prior to then, however, you'll be staying indoors until I obtain a new object to keep you cloaked with."
"Where are you off to?" Damon asked as Julian seemed to be heading out.
"I have some business to take care of before we head over to the bar later." Julian said without turning around.
"What about the witch?"
He stopped then, turning around with his arms crossed over his chest and shrugged. "She'll get her precious dagger in the morning. After which I'll be following a few leads of my own to seek out this mystery mate of mine."
"You don't think she'll follow through on the deal?"
"If she knows what's best for her, she will. However, I can't very well put the fate of my plans in her hands, now can I?" Julian smirked.
"Sounds a little paranoid but whatever." Damon said, rolling his eyes and turning away from him.
Julian turned slightly to leave but stopped and glanced over at Damon. "Oh, and Salvatore?" he said, continuing as Damon studied him over his shoulder. "If I hear that you have made an attempt at leaving New Orleans without my consent; I'll have you buried alive in the bottom of the Mexican Gulf before you can even think about contacting that little brother of yours." Julian threatened with his usual calm tone.
Seeing Damon gulp nervously at his words made him grin before leaving the suite. That ought to put an end to any escape plans in the future, he thought to himself.
Damon had noticed Julian's men acting very secretive during the evening. They seemed to end their conversations the moment Damon neared them and whispered in corners where they thought he couldn't hear. But of course, he could. And the fact that they thought they were being discreet at all was only signs of how much they had had to drink already.
He was sitting at the bar and listening in on a hushed conversation in a far booth behind him.
"What do you think it's about?" one of the few females of Julian's vamps asked; Alyssa. She'd made a pass on Damon their first night in the city and her low, raspy voice was easy to identify since then.
"No idea." a man, whom Damon recognized as Nathaniel, said.
"Do you think he wants to go there later?" Alyssa asked.
"And leave New Orleans?" Nathaniel scoffed. "He'd be going alone then. I've never been one for the snobs of New York and I'm not about to change now."
New York? Was that one of Julian's leads?
"Ah, Salvatore!" Julian showed up next to him with a blonde woman in tow.
Damon noticed rather quickly that she was human, the sound of her clear and vital heartbeats and fresh scent made his throat itch a little. "New friend?" Damon scoffed and nodded a little towards the girl with a small smirk.
She smiled at him. "I could be your friend any day, hun." she said with a wink.
Damon was surprised at her blunt response, raising his eyebrows and parting his lips in an amused smile as he let out a short chuckle.
Julian grinned maliciously at him. "Wasn't this considerate of me, mate? I do feel some gratitude is in store."
Damon realized then what the girl's purpose of being here was and rolled his eyes. "Sorry, mate. But I do prefer brunettes." he said with a mocking smirk.
Julian snickered. "Oh, I think we are all painfully aware of what you prefer." He wrapped an arm around the blonde's shoulders and smiled reassuringly at her as she seemed to frown a little at Damon's comment. "Crystal here, however, is alive and present. Hence being a far better choice for tonight's entertainment than moping around over that long-lost love of yours. Don't you think, sport?" he squinted at him daringly for a moment.
"I actually happen to like the moping around, thank you very much." Damon mocked with a cold smile before turning back to his drink. In the corner of his eye, he saw Julian turning close to the girl and once he started talking, Damon realized he was compelling her.
"Crystal, sweetheart. Please take a seat in one of the more private booths. Damon here will accompany you in just a few short minutes."
"Really?" Damon said in exasperation, glancing over at Julian just as Crystal skipped off to follow the commands given to her.
Julian shrugged. "You should let loose tonight, Damon. Feed, drink and be merry!" he winked at him. "Just make sure not to bring her back to my suite, I do not care for walking in on you in an indecent state." he said with a frown and patted his shoulder roughly.
"What's with the cheerful attitude?" Damon said, studying him closely.
"I might be closing in on that friend of mine, so this could just end up being our last night here. Let's make sure to enjoy it." he said with a nod towards the booth that Crystal had taken a seat in.
Damon frowned a little but froze when he saw the suddenly dark look in Julian's eyes.
"Remember, mate." he said with a low, calm, threatening tone as he inched close to his face. "You are treading on awfully thin ice and we would all hate for your loyalties to be questioned."
Suddenly, Julian grinned at him and straightened up. "Now, go have yourself a little bite and be sure to compel her thoroughly once you're done." he said cheerfully and patted his shoulder again before walking away.
Furrowing his eyebrows, Damon observed Julian as he left the bar and took the five other vampires in the bar with him. Apparently having more business to attend to.
A few moments later, the itch in his throat reminded Damon of that Crystal-girl waiting in her booth. He glanced over at her with a frown. She was playing with her hair while checking her phone and looking oblivious to what kind of danger she'd gotten herself in by walking into this very bar at this very night.
The itch in his throat refused to go away and worsened when she absently flipped her hair over her shoulder and exposed her neck to him. Without a second thought, Damon was joining her at her booth.
She looked up from her phone in surprise and smiled suggestively. "Hello stranger." she said and moved closer to him when he sat down next to her.
He turned towards her, leaning closer to brush a few strands of her hair behind her ear. "Hello yourself." he smirked with his eyes on her neck. He met her gaze and held it before continuing. "Don't move. Don't scream. This isn't going to hurt one bit." he compelled her before launching at the tempting vein in her neck.
Crystal let out a gasp when his fangs pierced her skin, but other than that she sat perfectly still as he fed on his attention on her heartrate, he drank until it started slowing down just a little too much for one's liking and then pulled away. He pricked the tip of his finger with one of his fangs and ran it over the bite mark until his blood healed her fully.
Then he compelled her to go home for the night and stay in for the rest of the day, since the last thing Damon needed was this girl getting turned by his blood. Especially considering the dangerous city that was New Orleans; beacon of the supernatural and home of the most powerful vampires in history.
As if on cue, a throat cleared itself behind Damon just as Crystal skittered off. He turned around and froze when he saw one of those very same vampires he'd been thinking of standing there… His hands behind his back and a cocked head as he studied him with squinted eyes.
"Damon Salvatore…" he said with an amused smirk and equally entertained tone. "What an unpleasant surprise."
Damon cast a glance on a blonde young woman with hazel eyes and a passive expression accompanying the Original before he looked back at the man again. "Klaus Mikaelson." he smirked. "I was wondering when I'd be running into you."
A few hours earlier…
"Yes?" a quipped voice said, seemingly in a rush. Caroline jerked slightly at the strange response, she had expected something different... She wasn't sure what exactly, but not this.
"Um... Klaus?" she said, as if she needed to make sure it was him... She had of course recognized his voice right away.
The line was silent for a long moment, or perhaps it only felt long to Caroline. When he finally spoke, she realized she had been holding her breath.
"I must say, this is gravely sooner than I imagined."
She let out a breathy chuckle. That's what she had expected. "I really wish I could do the whole small talk thing where you tell me about your daughter, which I already know about, and I tell you about being pregnant, which you probably already know about... But let's just skip that whole thing 'cause this is awkward enough and really kind of tacky considering I haven't spoken to you in years and -"
"What is it that you need, sweetheart?" he interrupted her, a slight amusement in his tone.
She let out a long breath, apparently having been holding another one in. "How did you know I-?" she began but he interrupted her again, with a sigh.
"Because this isn't quite the equivalent of 'showing up at my doorstep' as I may have hoped for." he admitted. "Go on, Caroline. What do you need?"
"Damon." she said before explaining further. "He's kind of gone off the rails and we think he's in New Orleans."
"Do you wish him returned or simply dead? Apparently, I have become everybody's errand boy as of late so I'm certain I could manage both."
Caroline gulped the guilt far down her throat. "I was hoping you could just find him and make sure he leaves for Mystic Falls. We can't exactly help him off his bender with him in a different state."
"Very well. I will personally ensure the Salvatore's safe return home. Anything else?"
She remained silent for a moment, a part of her wanting to ask him if he was okay since the images of her dream still haunted her. At the same time she felt a wave of nostalgia washing over her which made it slightly difficult to simply end the first conversation they've had in years. "I-" she began but he interrupted her.
"Did you say something about being pregnant?"
She smirked. "You mean you didn't…?"
"Keep you under surveillance for the past years? Not exactly." he said with humor in his tone.
"I can't decide whether that is disappointing or a relief." she admitted.
"Honesty, what a nice change of pace, love."
Love.
It echoed in her head, sending a shiver down her back. She shook it off quickly and collected her thoughts. "I thought I owed it to you after all the years of playing the blonde-distraction-act and whatever." She half-joked.
"Actually, I was just about to ask whether or not this was some sort of diversion."he sighed after a short silence."Should I be expecting daggers getting flung against me or spells being cast to imprison me?" he said, amused and clearly joking but it still made her feel bad.
"Actually, I retired when you left." she scoffed, trying to joke about it with the same ease as he seemed to be able to. As well as ignoring the bad feeling she got in her stomach. "Couldn't really find any work once the Big Bad Hybrid villain was gone, you know."
He chuckled at that, spreading a warmth through her and making her feel more relaxed. A smile spread across her face in response and she bit her lower lip in a failed attempt at fighting it.
"I can't imagine there being a shortage of villains for you to distract in my absence, love. Not with that trouble-seeking lot of yours."
She scoffed. "Well, sure. But I do have other tricks, Klaus. You really should remember that."
"Of course!" he insisted amusedly. "I do know better than to underestimate you, Caroline." She smiled for a moment as he spoke again. "Does this pregnancy of yours mean the sweet little doppelganger decided to share the infamous cure with the rest of you?"
Caroline let out a small laugh. "So you have been keeping tabs on Mystic Falls after all?"
"Well, I can't help it if gossip makes its way to the Mississippi, now can I?" he teased.
A short silence fell over the both of them, making Caroline anxiously bite her lip. "No, I'm not human again."
"Are you happy with that decision then?" he asked somberly.
Caroline took a breath before answering. "Yes. Sometimes."
"Caroline… I was truly sorry to hear about your mother." he then said, making her throat close up and her eyelids burn with tears stubbornly making an appearance. "I'm sure she would've loved to see you now, pregnant and happy. Even if it is only for some times."
"Thank you." she said with a small smile on her lips.
"By the way, what is your stance on hand-me-downs? We have a chest that was once owned by Louis XV that's being wasted on my daughter's outgrown onesies… Any interest?"
"I-I don't know I-" she stuttered. "These babies aren't really mine, actually. So I guess I would have to check with Ric first."
"I see…" he said, sounding confused and judging by the small pause afterwards; awaiting an explanation. But Caroline had no idea where to begin so she said nothing for a while, leaving Klaus to once more break the silence. "So…" he said. "Here you are, in college. Making a life for yourself. Plans, a future, things you want… I take it children were not part of those plans."
"No, no they weren't." she admitted, being slightly thrown off-guard by having her own words repeated to her. "Luckily, these aren't mine. They're Ric's."
"So you've mentioned."
She swallowed harshly, not wanting to end the call on a negative note but scrambling to find another subject to bring up. The babies were a sore one, especially now with Ric's new offer on the table. "I don't want to talk about it anymore." she said honestly.
"Very well, love, let me just say this then." he began. "As you know, my family challenges the bounds of my sanity. They drive me to do unspeakable things all the while finding fresh and inventive ways to torture me. But, as it turns out… My family is what makes me truly happy." he said,another one of his stock full of surprisingly genuine speeches.
"Find what makes you happy, Caroline. And never let go of it." he said softly. "The one lesson I wish I could've learned sooner myself…It's not a crime to love what you cannot explain." he added with assurance.
Caroline closed her eyes as an image of her mother flashed before her eyes. She really would have loved to see her now. And she would've known exactly what she should do about the babies… And Dallas… An Ric and Stefan and everything that was suddenly so complicated and difficult.
But she realized she couldn't leave Klaus on the line while she figured all of this out so she decided to steel herself. "I have to go now." she said, not finding the right way to finish their conversation.
"Goodbye, Caroline." Klaus said, his voice so slow and serious and so lacking of humor that it made her chest ache.
Another silence filled her as she took a few breaths before hanging up the phone.
Goodbye, Klaus.
As Klaus heard the sound of the call ending, he squeezed the phone firmly and closed his eyes. Her voice still echoed in his head like a beautiful melody that he hoped would never end.
Caroline.
It was ridiculous, really, how she could affect him while being so far away. How she could make him willing to turn his city upside down in search for the elder Salvatore, all because she asked him to… But he couldn't think about her right now, he already had enough complicated women in his life and Caroline certainly didn't deserve to get lumped in with the lot of them. The sooner he sent Damon Salvatore back to Mystic Falls and did Caroline the favor she'd asked him for; the sooner he could get back to the troubles he was already facing.
After all, both Lucien and Aurora were conspicuously missing, and Elijah was getting suspicious of Aya's intentions, whilst Klaus himself found doubt growing when it came to the question of Davina's loyalties. Not to mention that he hadn't heard from Camille in days…
Sure, he had made sure to keep an eye on her from afar to help keep her safe, but he still missed her. He simply wished things were different. He wished he could give her the reassurance she sought. He wished her life wouldn't be in constant danger if he were to let her back into his world…
He wished she would trust him and not feel the need to steal the only weapon capable to kill him to ensure her own survival. He wished she wouldn't doubt herself, her strength and integrity as a now turned vampire. He wished she wouldn't push him away when all he wanted was to be there for her. Especially during the confusing time of becoming a vampire, since he did relate all too well to that.
But it seemed that every time he tried to help her; he only made things worse. Which was why he had decided to give her some space, some time to think and try to find herself anew now that she was no longer human.
Meanwhile, he had a Salvatore to find and drive out of town… So, he called for Freya and together they left to go seek Damon out.
"And this… This is the backyard. See that treehouse?"
"It's adorable, Ric." Caroline said with a soft smile. Ric had been showing her the listing of the house in Dallas for the last hour and even recommended a few neighborhoods in case she was interested in an apartment of her own that was still nearby. "It does look kind of expensive…"
"Don't worry about it, really. I'm considering putting down an offer as soon as I hear back about that job…" he explained and suddenly looked away for a moment. "If they call back, that is."
"Hey, where did that confidence from earlier go?" Caroline teased. "I thought you said you nailed that interview."
"Yeah, well… Still." he sighed and showed her a map of the neighborhood. "Anyways, if you want to live in a dorm then Dallas University isn't all too far away from the house."
"I think it's better if I stay close to help you with the twins though." Caroline said, biting her lip. "And anyways… Dallas is new and big and scary. We'd have to stick together, us Mystic Fall:ers."
He chuckled and gave her a soft smile, he was about to comment when someone else suddenly chimed in.
"Dallas?"
They turned to look at the figure in the doorway with wide eyes. Caroline sat up straight in the bed with a racing heartbeat. "Stefan." she breathed, unsure of whether to run up and hug him or slap him.
She'd missed him, so crazy much. But she was seriously pissed at him for having been MIA for so long and for apparently only keeping in touch and opening up with Valerie of all people…
"I'll give you two a minute." Ric said, removing the laptop they'd used from its spot on the bed and walked up to the doorway to give Stefan a nod. "Good to see you back." he said with a little edge to his voice.
Stefan smiled politely at him and let him through the doorway, then he closed the door behind him and walked up to Caroline's bed. "Hi." he said with soft smile.
She swallowed hard, feeling sad all of a sudden. He was here, finally. Yet, all she could think about was how it had taken so long for him to come in the first place.
He took the seat next to her bed where Ric had been sitting and took her hand in one of his while cupping her cheek with the other. "How are you feeling?" he asked with such a soft voice that it made her anger blossom all of a sudden… He was acting like he hadn't done anything wrong, like this wasn't the first time they'd seen each other in days.
She studied him for a long moment before she could answer. "Better." she said and cleared her throat. "So, how come you're not halfway to New Orleans by now?"
"I'm leaving in an hour, Val just needed to get some things before we go." he explained nonchalantly, making the blood in her veins boil.
"Oh." she said bitterly and pulled her hand away from his, crossing her arms over her chest. "So, you're not actually here to see me, I'm just a pit-stop on your way to pick up Valerie."
"Hey…" he said and reached for her hand again but she pulled it away once more. He sighed and stroked her arm. "I just need to get Damon back… It has nothing to do with you, with us."
"Maybe that's the problem." she muttered and met his eyes with a cold glare.
He clenched his jaw. "Is that why you're looking at houses in Dallas with Ric?"
She scoffed. "If you'd bothered actually asking me about it then you'd know I've been considering leaving Mystic Falls."
"Why didn't you tell me?" he asked, looking utterly confused.
"Because, Stefan…! In order for me to tell you anything, let alone that I'm considering moving to Dallas, you'd have to actually be here and not chasing Damon halfway around the planet. Not to mention that I've been trying to get in touch with you ever since I woke up and this is the first time you've even come to see me." She took a deep breath, feeling her heart race with anger as she held back a second rant.
He studied her with his lips in a straight line and eyes filled with hurt. "Care…" he sighed and took both of her hands in his, not letting her pull away this time as he looked deep into her eyes. "I'm sorry. I really am." he said, nodding. "I didn't mean for everything to get so…"
"Complicated? Difficult? Painful?" she chimed in venomously.
"Yeah." he agreed with a nod, leaving the chair to sit down next to her on the edge of the bed. After a long moment, he met her eyes again. "I love you." he said softly.
She bit back the snappy comment that was about to roll off her tongue. "I love you too." she said instead and sighed. "Which is why I'm trying, like really desperately trying, to understand why you'd rather go look for Damon – who doesn't even want to be found – instead of picking up your phone when I call you." she admitted and looked down at their joined hands.
"This is just… It's starting to remind me of when Tyler kept leaving with his pack and not letting me know where he was going or even if he was okay… And I can't be reliving old mistakes, Stefan… I just can't." her voice lowered with every word until it was just shy of a whisper, sounding as vulnerable as she felt. As she had felt for a while now.
"What are you saying, Caroline?" he asked, his voice giving away what he thought the answer to that question would be.
She looked up at him then. "I'm saying…" she began but the words got stuck in her throat. It took another long moment before she could finally utter the ultimatum in her mind. "I'm saying that once you find Damon and save him or whatever you plan on doing with him once you get him back… Once all of this is done… I might not be here. I might not be waiting around for you to fix your brother, Stefan. And I don't understand why you would ask that of me in the first place." She bit her lip, feeling tears start to build up behind her eyelids and refusing to cry again today.
"I just hate that you're turning me into this person that makes you choose between your family and your girlfriend. I hate it. I don't want to be that girl. And yet, here I am!" she chuckled sadly, tears now running down her cheeks. "Here I am, asking you to choose me instead of him. To stay here with me instead of chasing after him. To go to Dallas with me instead of dedicating the rest of your life to try and save his soul. Just, don't let him ruin what we have. That's all, Stefan. Really." She bit her lip harder to try and keep a sob back, not wanting to sound as weak and pathetic as she was feeling.
"Just don't choose him over me." she whispered. "Over us."
He brought a hand up to brush her tears away from her cheeks, resting a hand to the side of her face and leaning his forehead against hers.
She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply, breathing in his scent and seeking the comfort that it usually brought her. Now, on the other hand, it only made her heart ache. It only reminded her of how he kept letting her down, over and over, even when he was trying not to. Even when he was trying to fix everything and save everyone and make it all better; even then she ended up getting hurt.
"I'm so sorry, Caroline." he said again, his voice a low whisper as he pressed a kiss to her forehead. "I won't, okay?" he told her and met her surprised eyes with a soft smile. "I'm not going anywhere without you."
She let out a short gasp and pressed her lips to his right away, feeling overjoyed that he was finally choosing her. He kissed her back softly and stroked the sides of her face before pulling away.
They rested their foreheads against each other and looked into the other's eyes with wide smiles. She giggled a little in relief and sniffled as some tears were still halfway down her cheeks.
He brushed his thumbs over them to dry them away. "Now…" he told her softly with a smile. "Tell me about Dallas."
Freya Mikaelson could recognize that her brother was becoming both restless and impatient with the dark-haired man before them. She understood why Niklaus wanted the vampire out of their hair during the fairly complicated threats they were currently facing. However, she couldn't see why this Salvatore's presence was so unnerving to her brother. After all, he didn't seem to pose any threat to the thousand-year-old hybrid and yet Niklaus wanted him to leave New Orleans as soon as possible.
"What's with the blonde?" Klaus asked with a smirk that made Freya scrunch her nose. "Grown tired of Ms. Gilbert already?"
The younger vampire flinched and pressed his lips together firmly as he glared up at the Original in front of him. Something that made Niklaus grin venomously. "And where is my dear and most current doppelganger by the way? Not back in Mystic Falls with Stefan, I hope!"
Suddenly, Damon had jumped out of his seat and stood close to the hybrid with clenched fists and an equally clenched jaw.
"Ah, what's that, mate? Cat got your tongue?" Klaus mocked. "Where are your usual snappy remarks, Damon? Don't tell me age has softened your edge."
Realization dawned upon the vampire's face as his blue eyes grew round. "Stefan called you?" he guessed. "Is this him trying to provoke me into making some stupid move and expose myself so that he can come and save me? And here I thought you were part wolf, Mikaelson. Not lap dog."
Freya predicted her brother's next action before his hand even reached Damon's throat. She was baffled by the young man's stupidity; why would he be so foolish as to insult Niklaus in that way? Did he have a death wish?
"I see your tongue is as sharp as ever then, Salvatore." Klaus spat as he glared at the vampire who was clawing away at the hand that was currently keeping him from both speaking and breathing. "Let's see if it grows back half as quickly as it comes up with those cocky lines of yours, hm? Certainly, it isn't a necessity for survival so I'm sure your brother will be able to find you even if you lose your ability to speak."
"No, wait!" Damon grunted. "You don't understand… I can't leave yet."
"And why is that?" Klaus scoffed.
"Ju -" Damon coughed, struggling against his crushing windpipes. "Julian. If he finds out I left…"
"Julian?" Niklaus raised an eyebrow and dropped his grip on the other man's throat. "You have one minute to explain this situation any further before I make an impetuous decision to push you out of the state border." he said with a bored tone followed by a strict demand; "Now, speak."
Damon held onto his throat as he took a few rasp breaths. "Julian's kind of making me tag along on his… mission. Or whatever… Anyways, he'll kill me if I try to leave without his consent and I can't die before I figure out a way to save Elena."
Freya noticed those words catching her brother's attention, but he still seemed bored as he rolled his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest. "And pray tell, what troubles has the Gilbert-girl gotten herself into this time?"
Damon looked down at the floor for a moment before he glanced up at Niklaus again. "She's dead."
"Really?" Klaus said in disbelief as a smile spread across his lips. However, Freya could tell it was accompanied by something other from triumph or joy. He seemed regretful. "Well, that young woman has never managed to stay dead for very long so please do pardon me if I'm not quick to grieve for your loss."
"This time she really is. I was the one who killed her." Damon confessed.
That shut Klaus up as he studied the other man closely for a quiet moment. "You're serious?"
"But I'm going to save her." Damon insisted. "I'll make it right. I know I can, I just… I just need to stay in New Orleans for a little longer…" he ranted on before a somber look overtook his face. "Klaus, please." he said with a low voice. "I have to make this right. For her… For Stefan and Bonnie and Jeremy and… And for Caroline."
"Watch your tongue before I do decide to rip it out of your throat, Salvatore." Klaus hissed, surprising Freya as he had kept an uninterested attitude up until now. Until Damon mentioned that name; Caroline. Who was she?
"Listen," Damon began with raised palms in front of him. "No one knows what I did except for Stefan. That includes her. And none of them ever will if I can just find her ashes and bring her back –"
"I believe your time is up now, mate." Niklaus grunted out and in a second; Damon's body slumped down to the floor as his neck had been snapped by the Original.
"Brother, what are you doing?" Freya asked as she watched him pick the other vampire up, running after him as he began walking.
"I'll need you to do a spell, Freya." he answered as he carried Damon out of the bar. "To find the remains of a doppelganger."
