Chapter 13: Through the looking glass
Caroline and Enzo had gotten seriously tired of searching for answers and only finding more questions. They had tried talking to every single member of every police station in the city and aside from compelling their way to a copy of the investigation file – they hadn't found anything useful whatsoever. Everyone they spoke to either didn't know or didn't remember what they knew. About the murders and about Lucien Castle... Since he also seemed to have disappeared off the face of the earth, their only choice seemed to be Marcel.
At least the only choice Caroline was comfortable with.
She wore a mini blue sundress with thin spaghetti straps and an open back – which had helped them gain a few names from one of the policemen in the most current station. Names connected to Lucien's business, which apparently constituted restoring and selling real estate and other properties. Which seemed like a bizarre job for a serial-killing maniac. But, hey, who was she to judge?
As Enzo had stepped away to try and get in touch with the last name on the list, she decided to order some food at a restaurant nearby and told him to meet her there. Sitting down at a little table outside, she brought a notepad out and tried to draw the connections between the very little information they had. Reading through her mind-maps and notes as she tried to make sense of it all.
There really was so much that didn't make any sense. Why would a guy, who was so clearly not bothered by people finding his murder victims, willing to go through so much trouble of compelling seemingly everyone in the city to not talk about it? How could a story like this be kept from the press? How did no one seem to mind that people regularly went missing in the city during night? How did the police not know about anything supernatural when Caroline herself had already sniffed out several weres and vamps just during the two days since their arrival?
Eight victims… And no one seemed to know anything about it.
She drummed her pen against the pad restlessly, as she also remembered that the victims all looked alike. That they were all males in their late 20s to early-30s, dark hair and light skin with medium built bodies. Yet, they didn't seem to have a single connection between them – except for all of them having ended up hanging from strings around the Quarter like marionette dolls.
"Curiouser and curiouser." she murmured as she found herself wanting to give up. Dropping the pen on the pad and looking up in time to meet someone's gaze.
"A blonde in blue finding herself in a world of wonder. Isn't that quite fitting?"
The voice came from a man carrying her food. His eyes were brown and matched with his dark red shirt, tucked into his black jeans. His face was square and clean-shaven, with a playful look that made Caroline squint her eyes slightly.
"Excuse me?" she asked while studying him closer.
He looked ordinary, a little mysterious and exciting with the British accent and all, sure, but still… ordinary. And yet there was something in his tilted smile and glistening eyes that gave Caroline warning signals. Something wasn't right about this guy.
He placed her order in front of her. "Alice in Wonderland." he said, realizing it wasn't clearing her confusion up at all. "You were quoting it?"
"Right!" she said and chuckled shortly. "Yeah, it was my favorite growing up."
"Mine too." he chimed and smiled a wicked grin that made Caroline slightly uncomfortable before he continued. "Most people would consider it bizarre, but I really enjoyed the thought of discovering a completely upside-down world with strange creatures and magical beings... I find it thrilling." he said, adding a wink at the last word.
Caroline gave him a polite smile. "I get that." she chided, hoping he would leave her be and stop trolling for tips.
"So..." the man drawled out then and grabbed the seat across from her. "What else do you like, except for salads and Alice in Wonderland, that is?" He motioned to the plate in front of her and then locked his hands under his chin.
"I'm sorry, do I know you?" she asked, smiling apologetically.
"Well, not yet. But I do wish for that to change soon. Since word on the street is you've asked to see me and now having caught my attention…" He flashed her a half-smile as she remained unsure of his identity. "Lucien." he finally introduced himself, extending his hand to her.
Caroline's eyes flickered wide. "Lucien Castle." she stuttered in recognition and shook his hand. She then closed her notepad carefully, so he wouldn't see her rather extensive notes and comments about… well, him. "Caroline Forbes. Or just Caroline if we're going to be friends." she added, biting the inside of her cheek slightly in an effort to keep the pageant smile in place despite panicking internally.
Where the hell was Enzo when you needed him?
"I would actually prefer calling you Alice, now that I know such a personal detail about your childhood." he teased and grinned at her, another one of those wicked smirks.
It threw her slightly off-guard, but she quickly regained an innocent smile on her face. "Well, how about you tell me something about you, equally personal, and we'll be even?"
He chuckled a little and nodded. "Sounds fair enough. What do you suggest I tell you?"
She dug out the case files from her bag and put them on the table between them. "How about you tell me about the person responsible for these?" Caroline said, showing him the crime scene photos of the murders in the French Quarter, a relaxed smile never leaving her lips.
His smirk grew wide at her words as he merely glanced down at the file before looking back up at her face again. "Now, why would that classify as personal information?"
"You tell me." she said and took a bite out of the salad she'd ordered, half-wondering if there was a possibility that he could've poisoned it. "Was it you?"
He closed the file and pushed it closer to her, leaning back in his chair as he crossed his arms over his chest. "Not even five minutes into our first meeting, and you are already accusing me of murder?" he chuckled with a steady tone, the wicked smile still on his lips. "I might just end up liking you after all, Alice."
"Well, I'm not really one to tip-toe around things." she admitted, trying to keep her poker-face on as she studied him closely. "Well? Do you know who it was?" Caroline asked nonchalantly, as if they were talking about the weather and not eight brutally murdered men…
"Are you a detective?" he asked amusedly.
"No." she replied truthfully, taking the file and putting it away. "Just trying to get to the bottom of this story. Your name was brought up a lot in the investigation. Naturally, I got curious as to why you were suspected."
"Naturally." he echoed just as nonchalantly as her.
"So why did they? Suspect you?" she pressed on, folding her hands under her chin and studying him with squinted eyes. "You don't look like a serial killer to me."
"And what do you know about serial killers, dear?" he challenged her while examining her from head to toe.
She swallowed hard as another warning signal went off in her head, there really was something about him... "I've come across a couple of them over the years."
"And what did they look like?"
"Lost. Angry. Confused. Psychotic. Name your pick." she shrugged and went back to eating her salad.
"I have a feeling you know a lot more about these murders than I do, Alice. So please don't tell me your only reason for harassing my friendly police officers, along with many of my employees, is simply to throw silly accusations in my face. Because that would be rather..." he pouted his lips while searching for the right word. "Anticlimactic." he purred then.
Caroline looked up at him from the salad and decided not to back down, she had faced far scarier monsters in the past after all. Even if Lucien did turn out to be the one they were currently hunting, he wouldn't even make top ten on the list. "Would it make you feel a little more at ease if we instead had a drink while discussing this, say… tonight?"
"Well, you certainly are a straight-shooter, darling." he chuckled. "Very well, maybe that would make this slightly more interesting. What did you have in mind exactly?"
"There's this bar I just stumbled upon the other night, Rousseau's. Meet me there around 10?"
"I admit, you do intrigue me, and I am certainly curious of your reasons for trying to find me." he said teasingly. "But I'm not sure that would be a good idea."
"Why not?"
"Well, for one; your boyfriend might disapprove." he quipped and nodded up as Enzo suddenly stood by her side. "Hello, mate. Lovely weather we're having today, don't you agree?"
"Who is this?" Enzo asked as he glanced over at Caroline with a furrowed look.
"Enzo, this is Mr. Castle." Caroline said, stunning her friend shortly as he then shook hands with the man opposite her. "Lucien Castle, this is Enzo St. John – not my boyfriend."
"You don't say." he chimed and grinned at the man widely then. "Good meeting you, Mr. St. John."
"I must admit I didn't expect you to simply…"
"Show up in the middle of your search for me?" Lucien finished his sentence and chuckled. "I thought it best to introduce myself to the two newest additions to the vampire population in the Quarter. You know, before you succeed in utterly tarnishing my reputation with your nonsense accusations." Lucien said with a dark look that made even Enzo gulp down his nerves.
"We were simply asking questions." Enzo said, nodding to Caroline. "We don't want to cause any trouble, Mr. Castle. But we would greatly appreciate if you do decide to help us."
"Yes, well…" he said and stood up, clasping his hands together. "Perhaps you will get the chance to do so, tonight. At Rosseau's. At 10." He winked at Caroline and grinned shortly. "Please, do make sure to wear another pretty dress like that one, Alice."
She furrowed her eyebrows and studied him closely. "You will be there, then? Tonight?" she asked, steering her focus away from the condescending comment.
He shrugged nonchalantly at that. "We'll see. In the meantime-" he chimed, giving Enzo a dismissing nod before turning away from them. "-I hope you two both enjoy your stay in Wonderland." he called over his shoulder, before disappearing and leaving them both to exchange nervous looks in silence.
Present day
Chicago, Illinois
"I don't understand. Why exactly do you need to leave?"
Ric gulped hard as he sat in Cassie's living room with a forlorn face and a heavy feeling in his chest. Rubbing his temple as he wracked his brain for something useful, an excuse - an explanation... Anything. "I know that it sounds strange but... I have to help some friends out."
"By going to Oklahoma?" she echoed his previous words as she watched him with disbelieving eyes.
"Yes. My friends, they're in trouble. And they think that there's someone in Stillwater that can help."
"What does that mean? What kind of trouble?"
"It's complicated I-"
"No, Zach. It really isn't." she scoffed and stood up abruptly, her hands running through her hair as she turned away with a shake of her head. "You said you could handle this, us and the boys. And now... You're bailing."
"Cassie, that's not what I'm doing. I swear." he insisted as he reached for her hand, squeezing it softly and drawing her eyes to his again. "Remember, I told you that I have some... History. I had hoped to tell you about it all when the time was right. I never expected it to come barging in on my life out of the blue..." he sighed, frowning up at her disappointed expression. "I really wish I could explain it to you, but it's just... Difficult. And I have to leave as soon as possible."
"And what, you want me to just sit on my hands and wait while you're away? Is that it?"
"No, I'm not asking for anything from you. Only that you try to understand that I have to go."
"When will you be back?" she asked, earning another sigh from him then.
"I don't know."
"What will you be doing when you get there?"
"I don't know..."
"Then how exactly do you expect me to be okay with this!?" she scoffed, pulling her hand away from his and crossing her arms over her chest. "Just tell me the truth, Zach. Tell me what's really going on, don't I at least deserve that much?"
"You do." he admitted with a sad smile. "If you want... I can make sure that you go on with your life without me in it."
"What?"
"If you want to move on and let me go, I can help you do just that. You wouldn't even remember me."
She stared at him with a deep scowl. "What the hell are you talking about?"
"Just, trust me. Please." he asked her, standing up and reaching for her again. Holding her shoulders softly and meeting her bewildered eyes as he decided to be the bigger man. To give her more. To let her go. "You don't have to wait for me, you won't even know that I was here. I'll just be an acquaintance that faded away in the background. If that is what you really want."
"Are you saying that... you're not ever coming back?"
Pressing his lips into a thin line, gritting his teeth as he fought to stand his ground. "It depends... If... If things go wrong, then I won't be able to return to Chicago again. It wouldn't be safe for you and the boys... I would have to stay away."
"So, you'll just cut me out? I'd never see you again?"
"No." he admitted, nodding slowly. "But at least you won't miss me, you won't even think about me. Not the way that I will be thinking of you."
"Is that what you want? To leave me? To just... give up?"
"Honestly?" he chuckled coldly, the truth stinging his heart as he watched the beautiful and kind woman before him. But he knew that she didn't deserve any of this - that was why he had to leave her behind. "It doesn't matter what I want, I won't put you in danger. I couldn't forgive myself if something happened to you or your family, Cassie."
"So, this is it? This is goodbye?" she whispered, her voice breaking as her glossy eyes took him in.
He wrapped his arms around her in a tight embrace, closing his eyes to fight the tears that were building up. She hugged him back and sniffled softly into his shoulder, causing his heart to break. He came here to try and live a new life, and now he had to leave it due to his old one... It really wasn't fair. Any of it. And it made his chest fill with anger and resentment, because all he wanted was to stay with the wonderful person in his arms and never let her go.
"Thank you for everything, Cassandra West." he whispered to her and placed a kiss to her temple before pulling back.
"Bye, Zach." she said, her hands wiping at her cheeks quickly to hide the tears streaming down them. "Good luck."
Another sad smile formed his lips before he gestured to the door behind him. "Could I show you one last thing before I go?"
She nodded and followed him slowly towards the exit as he stepped out with her in tow. "Damon." he called then, making her jump as the vampire suddenly appeared by her side. He watched Ric for a second, seeking confirmation before he leaned closer to the red head.
"Don't be afraid." he told her, his eyes capturing hers in the compulsion. "You won't remember the time you've spent with him. What you remember is that you went on one date together, it was nice but there wasn't really a connection between you. And so you said your farewells and went your separate ways." Damon looked over at Ric again with a frown before he added the last - and most important - part. "You won't think of him again, you will live your life and move on. Zach will be a faded memory. And you will find someone new instead, someone who will care for you deeply and who will treat you well."
He took one last breath before speaking up again. "When we leave, you won't remember either of us ever having been here." he told her, earning a slow nod from the woman as his words sunk in. As he let go of her and turned to Ric again, she kept her gaze low and absent. Like she was waiting to become aware again.
"You ready?" Damon asked then, earning a short nod from him.
"Yeah. Let's go." Ric said, his eyes glued to the redhead as they slowly walked away and out of sight. The heavy feeling slowly lifted as he reminded himself that she would be happy without him. Happier even. And so they stepped into his car, where they had packed some clothes and other important belongings for the road. Damon watched him carefully as Ric turned the key and ignited the engine.
"You did the right thing." he said.
"I know." Ric muttered before driving off. It was true, but it didn't make it any easier. And he found himself still frowning as he headed down the road and away from the only happiness he had felt in the past five years. Leaving it behind with a heavy heart and letting it disappear in the rearview mirror along with the city of Chicago.
Present day
New Orleans, Louisiana
After their encounter with Lucien, Caroline found herself unable to remember all of the reasons she had for not involving Klaus. Because suddenly she was all for letting someone else take care of everything and deal with creepy murder suspects like Lucien Castle in her place. She even caught herself scrolling through her phone in search for his number. But of course, when she'd left Mystic Falls she'd gotten a new phone which had resulted in losing all former contacts.
It was probably for the best though… She shouldn't call Klaus just because she felt uncomfortable or scared or overwhelmed over her own drama. He had no obligations to comfort her or do anything for her. She was in no position to ask him for anything. Not to mention, she and Enzo had a plan. A good one too.
"What if he doesn't show?" Enzo asked, dragging her out of her thoughts as he sat down on the chaise in her hotel room.
"Then we'll just try again with the Marcel-lead." she said and shrugged, continuing to finish up her eyeliner.
"What about your friend? You don't think they could be of help in the matter?"
"No." she said firmly as she met his eyes in the mirror in front of her, continuing with her makeup after a silent moment.
"Then this better work out, gorgeous. Or I might just have to force you to pull your own connections in this town, no matter how uncomfortable it may make you."
"It will work, Enzo. I'm sure of it. If Lucien doesn't have the answers; then the King of the City will."
"And what means are you prepared to use to extort such information, if I dare ask?" he said slowly, studying her rather revealing outfit as she wore a dark slim dress with high heels and shiny nylon tights.
"Any necessary." she answered, chuckling when she saw the reaction on his face. "What?"
"I'm just surprised." he admitted with a shrug. "I didn't expect the years to have roughed you up to such extent."
"That's not what this is." she protested with a shake of her head. "I'm just not willing to let Bonnie die if I can do something about it. If that means I'll have to flirt with the man, then so be it."
"Well then, for your sake, I hope Marcel Gerard isn't half as menacing as the Lucien-fellow."
She glared at him and shut him up by hitting him in the shoulder with her fist. Surprisingly, he actually winced at the blow. "Lucky punch." he muttered, making her roll her eyes at him in response.
"Whatever. Are we doing this or not?" she asked exasperatedly. "My hairspray and makeup won't hold forever so we really should get going." He chuckled their way out of the hotel, making her throw another punch at his arm but with far less of an affect.
Caroline only bit her nails when she was really, really, nervous. And this was one of those times. She had left Enzo at the bar so that she could have a moment to herself. Since, despite what she might have convinced Enzo, she didn't feel quite as confident about the evening's plan as she had hoped… Knowing that your friend's life hung in the balance of whether or not you could get information out of a man, did make you somewhat uncertain of your own capabilities after all. Also, there was that little British detail… The origin of her blonde-distraction act. She couldn't help but wonder if she was being paranoid, finding his silhouette in crowds and thinking she saw his face around every corner in town… He was clearly nowhere to be found, otherwise he would've showed up by now. Right?
Taking a few last calming breaths, she slowly turned and walked towards the entrance – only to bump right into a tall man. He stopped dead in his tracks and gave her a quick double take. Then he put on a smirk and raised a hand to gesture to the door. "Please, ladies first." he said with a smooth voice. That accompanied by the charming smile on his dark face made something stir inside of her.
Even though she didn't have time for that kind of night right now, what with other priorities on her mind and etcetera… She couldn't help but flash him a seductive smirk before she stepped into the bar and began walking out of reach from him. Sure, he wasn't bad looking… Skin a chocolate color and dark eyes as sparkling as the pearly white smile on his face. But she was on a mission after all. No time for handsome strangers tonight.
At least that was what she reminded herself as she sat back down at the bar, Enzo in her peripheral vision as he remained on stand-by. Even the bartender threw her an appreciative look before getting started on preparing her the regular Vodka Soda. And in Caroline's experience, bartenders were always the hardest ones to impressive. Since they'd literally seen and heard every single pick-up tactic known to mankind.
She still had no intention on flirting with anyone that night, but she considered making an exception for the freckled, tanned, blonde in front of her. "Actually, could you make that a Whiskey Sour, please?" she said and gave him a brilliant smile.
"Sure thing, sugar." he said in an Australian accent and with a gaze that made her cheeks burn slightly. What? She had a thing for accents. Who didn't!?
"How long have you been working here?" she asked him as she glanced around the room. Her eyes caught sight of the small stage and quickly looked away before she got tempted to do a re-run of the show from last night.
"A few months." he responded as he served her the drink. "You're new to the city?"
She nodded and slowly brought the glass to her lips, sipping it as her eyes stayed on him. "Third night here." she corrected then, putting her cocktail down again.
His smile widened for a moment. "You're Caroline, right? From yesterday?"
"Yeah… I take it you saw my performance…" she grimaced, really blushing this time.
"I was working back in the kitchen, but I did manage to catch some of it. You have a wonderful voice."
"Thanks." she murmured, biting her lower lip and staring down at her drink.
"Will you be offering us another show tonight?" he pressed on, observing her as she refused to meet his eyes suddenly.
"I don't think so." she giggled in nervousness, or shyness. She wasn't sure… Possibly both.
"I must admire your modesty." he chuckled then, making her look up at him before he continued. "Only a few days into your first time in New Orleans and you've already taken the citizens by storm. Yet you seem unable to accept a compliment. After all, it was a rather bold choice… Very few people are willing to try a song by Adele."
"Well, I don't know if it was brave or just plain stubborn. It was kind of a bet I made with my friend." she lied.
"Oh, really? What was the bet?" he chuckled, making her grin.
"If I could still remember all the lyrics to an Adele song while being incredibly drunk."
"Well, you clearly won." he told her and leaned forward slightly. "What else can you do while in such an intoxicated state, eh?"
"Work." she grimaced as she spun the lie further, putting the flirting on ice for now. "I have a deadline early in the morning."
"What about?"
She cleared her throat and decided to try this another way. "The murders in the French Quarter from a few years back." she said slowly, glancing down at his mouth for a moment just in time to catch his smile faltering and fading away. "You don't happen to know anything about who the killer might be? Since that could really help me out with my assignment…" she asked, looking up at him from her eyelids, trying to keep him reeled in just in case he might have some information to share.
For a moment, he seemed to struggle with himself and opened his mouth as if to say something but was interrupted by a voice coming from behind her instead.
"Now, why would a girl like you care about some murders from that long ago?" The source of the voice made the bartender suddenly straighten up and take a large step away from her. When Caroline turned around to meet the interrupter, she was met by the charming man from before.
Clearly the guy had some kind of influence on the bartender, that along with the confidence he was exuding made it easy for her to put two and two together. A slow smile spread over her lips as she started to realize just who she might've had the fortunate pleasure of meeting. "That depends on who's asking." she purred, earning her another pearly white smile like the one he'd flashed her outside at the entrance.
He chuckled and looked over at the bartender. "Bourbon." he ordered and then looked down at her once more, his hand gesturing to the stool next to her. "May I?" he asked.
She shrugged and ran her fingers through her hair in order to subtly give Enzo a glance from across the room. "I don't see why not."
Keeping the smile on his face he sat down and then turned his whole body towards her. "I'm Marcel." he said and extended his hand in the small space between them.
She looked down at the hand for a moment and fought to keep her smile innocent as he had just confirmed what she'd already suspected. "Marcel, huh?" she said and shook his hand. "I've heard about you."
"And I of you, Caroline." he said, her name rolling off his tongue in a seductive way. He let go of her hand to accept his drink and then nodded at the bartender, which turned out to be a signal for him to leave. She studied the poor man as he quickly scurried of and left them alone.
"Apparently you've been asking around about some of my friends. Whenever you're not stealing my stage and overshadowing my rock star status, that is."
"Yeah, well…" she chuckled and met Marcel's observing eyes with an amused look. "It was only for a night. I hoped you wouldn't mind."
He licked his lower lip while picking up his drink. "I heard you were spectacular. Sorry I missed the show." he said and sipped his bourbon.
Since it was so clearly meant for me, Caroline could almost hear the thought finishing his sentence and quickly realized it was preferable to not have him suspicious about her or her intentions with the performance quite yet.
"You could always make it up to me by answering the question I asked the bartender." she chimed before sipping her own drink. "You know, the guy you scared away the moment he tried to give me any information." she added with pouted lips.
He laughed and gave her a charismatic smile, seeming to have a lot of those in store. "I'm a businessman, Caroline. You'll need to offer me something in return."
"Unfortunately, I don't believe I have anything of interest to you." she sighed, shrugging shortly before letting her eyes travel over his well-built physique. Once her gaze returned to his, she knew he'd received her paraphrased message loud and clear. She smirked at him and nursed her drink in her hand. "I'm curious; how come the bartender seemed so scared of you?"
"Well, he is simply very well aware of my position in this town." he smirked over at her as he drank his bourbon. His eyes taking her in the way she'd just done to him.
"And what kind of position might that be?"
He caught onto her innuendo and chuckled shortly before he seemed to remember something. "Shouldn't I be the one asking the questions here?" he asked with an entertained tone, although she could sense that there was more behind the words.
"I mean, after all…" he said, lifting his glass in the air to gesture around the bar dramatically. "You're the one who showed up in my city from out of nowhere and, in only a few short days, have succeeded in making quite the name for yourself."
She studied him as his charming exterior began cracking just slightly, revealing his suspicions about her. Not to mention that the way he had phrased New Orleans as his city didn't go unnoticed by her. But she refused to show any reaction to that part since something told her this man was in no need of an ego boost.
"So, tell me…" he said after having taken one last gulp from his drink and putting the empty glass down between them. "Caroline…" he said and looked up at her, leaning an arm against the bar. "What brings you to New Orleans?"
She looked into his dark eyes for a moment before turning to finish her drink. "Do you interrogate all of your tourists or is it just the blondes?" she asked and raised an eyebrow at him.
Her words made a grin spread across his entire face, both amusement and admiration flashing over his eyes. He grabbed onto her wrist as she put her drink down, softly caressing her hand as he moved closer to her. "Only the ones who seem determined to get my attention." he quipped.
"I should feel flattered, then?" she challenged as his fingers lightly traced her underarm back and forth.
He shrugged with a smirk. "Should I?"
She leaned in closer to him, leaving a hand on his knee. "Look." she said quietly with a dangerous smile on her lips. "I've heard that you might be able to… assist me, in figuring some things out."
He leaned in closer to her, leaving only a mere inch between their faces. "Is that so?" he teased. "What sort of things?"
"Well, mostly just some urban myths and other mysteries that seem to surround this part of town…" she said vaguely and moved back in her chair to gain some space. "But I believe you have a sense of what it is I'm looking for."
Suddenly, his face hardened as he pulled her hand off his lap and gripped it tightly. "Do you honestly believe that you could just waltz in here, bat your eyelashes and extort information out of me? Who exactly do you think you are, Ms. Forbes?" he whispered harshly, making her fight to keep her poker-face up.
"I was actually wondering the same about you, Gerard." she quipped in a similar tone. "How come you feel free to walk around calling yourself king, with the kind of people in this town... People who could pose a far bigger threat to you than I could ever be."
"Bright, beautiful and bold." he said with a slight smirk as he let go of her hand, and his tough exterior. "Whom exactly are you referring to, Caroline?"
She shrugged. "If you need to ask, then maybe you really don't know."
"Does that mean you won't even try to exchange my highly valuable information with anything in return?"
"Well, I'm sure we could figure something out." she said with a wink, making him chuckle shortly. "Maybe you'll even discover that I have some valuable information as well."
"Why don't you start by sharing yours then, and I will follow up with mine in return?"
"I'm a businesswoman, Marcel. I'm not going to just show you my cards before the game has even begun." she teased.
He grinned brightly and nodded. "Fair enough. How about we discuss this further at a more private locale then?" He stood up and took out his wallet to pay for their drinks. She straightened out her dress and threw another meaningful look over to her friend by one of the booths. Just barely catching a nod in response, Marcel took her hand and directed them out of the bar.
"Shall we?" he said with a smile as she smirked back.
"After you."
Present day
Kansas City, Missouri
After nearly eight hours on the road, Alaric and Damon decided to check into a motel and rest for the night. A little inn near North Kansas City Hospital, perfect for a short stop in order to stock up on blood bags for the rest of their travel. Ric waited by the car while the vampire ran his errand, his eyes jolting up when he saw him exit with his bag in his hands.
"Let me know if she makes any progress." Damon said, his phone up as he spoke to someone on the other line. "Or, actually. Don't. Probably wouldn't want to know about it."
Ric turned a cocked brow in his direction, being met by a slight grimace in return. "Our Care-Bear found someone to help." he explained then, his words still not easing the bewildered expression on his face. "And apparently she left with him. Just now."
"Ah, got it." Ric chuckled with a nod as Damon turned to the phone again.
"Just, keep an eye on her. Alright? There are far bigger and badder things out there than some guy at a bar." he said before ending the call and opening the trunk, storing his duffle bag away. "So, this is Vampire Barbie 2.0, huh?" he asked then, squinting at Ric as he walked around the car to stand beside him. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say she had turned her humanity off or something."
"She's fine, Damon." Ric chimed with the shake of his head. "Besides, you're the last person to judge anyone for their indiscretions."
"Yeah, sure. But this is Caroline. Sweet little head cheerleader who always stumbles over trouble wherever she goes…"
"If you really believe all of that, then you probably don't know her as good as you thought."
Damon nodded to himself, crossing his arms over his chest. "So, this isn't some overcorrection because of Stefan?"
"The thought did cross my mind once or twice… But I think it stopped being about him a long time ago." he said, letting out a deep breath as he glanced over at the vampire again. "Believe it or not, Damon. But me and Caroline? We moved on."
"Did you?" he challenged, squinting as he studied him closely.
Alaric glanced over at him before pushing off the side of the car, opening the driver's door and nodded over at him to follow suit. "I'm done catching up, let's go."
Present day
New Orleans, Louisiana
When they reached his apartment, Caroline felt her head protest her body. Marcel had sped them all through town so quickly that she barely even knew where they were. And as soon as they'd stopped, he'd put his lips on hers and made the world spin a little further.
Maybe it was the warmth he emanated, despite being a very dead and immortal vampire. Maybe it was his expert hands traveling over her body, clearly filled with years and years of experience… Perhaps even centuries worth. Or maybe it was just the fact that Caroline nowadays had grown accustomed to the casual one-time-flings, a familiar feeling coming over her as he drew her in close to his muscular body. Maybe the comforting sensation of somebody's warm lips against hers made her forget about just whom those belonged to…
Whatever the reason, she found herself responding to the kiss, getting swept up in it for now. Her hands traveled over his chest and up to hold onto his broad shoulders. He smirked a little as result and moved one hand to fist it into her hair, getting a firm grip so he could angle her head and intensify the kiss.
She managed to forget all about the actual reason as to why she was doing this. Why she had followed him here. Until the rattle of his keys broke through her cloudy mind and woke her up. He pulled her inside the apartment as she leaned away from his lips momentarily. "I thought we were supposed to share information." she breathed.
A wide, charming smile covered his face. "Of course." he insisted as he closed the door behind her. "I'm just making sure we have a deal beforehand."
If you promise to walk away, like you said, and never come back –
The words ran through her heads as a flash of memory followed it, triggered by Marcel's phrasing. She shrugged it off quickly and focused on the man in front of her. "Of course." she chimed. "Then what are the terms?"
He unbuttoned the dark shirt he wore, revealing the most glorious muscles she'd seen in a long time, his dark skin glistening lightly under the fluorescent lights. "I will answer your questions about the person you're looking for." he said as his shirt dropped to the floor.
"And what do you want in return?" she asked, trying to keep her jaw up at the sight before her.
"The truth." he smiled.
I just want you to be honest with me –
His hands spun her around as he moved his lips across her neck, unzipping her dress at the same time as she struggles to shut her thoughts off. "What truth?" she breathed out, pushing the memories out of her head.
"About your intentions for finding them." he murmured against her skin. "Perhaps it'll become clear that our interests are aligned."
Her dress fell to the floor as she backed into his chest for a moment, feeling the warmth from his skin radiate against her back. His hands traveled the curves of her body and turned her in a spin to face him. "Wouldn't that be a nice surprise?" she said with a smile as he studied her body shortly.
"A win-win as the kids call it." he grinned and grabbed onto her hips, quickly lifting her up to circle her legs around his pelvis. "But first…" he whispered against her lips. "What do you say to some pleasure, before business?"
She bit her lower lip and nodded before kissing him again, his weight suddenly on top of her as he'd dropped her on a bed. Marveling in his rugged muscles and sharp shoulders, she let out a soft moan and continued to explore his firm back with her fingernails.
He squeezed her thighs as he drew a line across her jaw with his tongue. "You taste like honey, Caroline." he muttered against her skin. His rough voice drew a shiver through her body as she met his smirk with a smile of her own.
But then something showed up in her head again as he continued to kiss her throat and pulled the remainder of her clothes off her body. Something that lingered behind her eyelids as he pushed his hips towards hers. Something that made her gulp hard and push at his chest. "Marcel, wait." she said as she tried to get out of his grip. "Hold on."
He leaned back and froze up. "What's wrong?" he asked with deep confusion on his face.
"I just… I-I remembered…" she stuttered. "I need to use the bathroom."
"The bathroom?" he echoed.
"The bathroom." she insisted and turned underneath him, escaping his arms. "Wait just one minute, ok?"
He stared at her as she disappeared off in a hurry, her hair a complete mess and her bra ripped at the side. She quickly locked the door behind her and leaned over one of the sinks, trying to stifle her breathing as she recognized the feeling in her chest. She was having an anxiety attack.
Her thoughts ran rapid, it felt like her whole body couldn't possibly move fast enough to escape. Feeling trapped and as if she'd die if she didn't get out of her own skin, her breathing turned hitched and strangled as she forced her mind to calm down. She wanted to scratch her heart out as it wouldn't stop drumming a menacing beat.
Meeting her eyes in the mirror, she tried to remember what she had learned a few years back. Citing the alphabet backwards, "square-breathing", trying to find one still point to focus on…
But it had been a long, long time since she had had to deal with a reaction like this before. And she couldn't manage to focus on a single one of the different methods she used to rely on in the past.
Suddenly she noticed something beside the bathtub, a razorblade. She grabbed it and looked in the mirror again as she took a deep breath through her nose. Blood dripped as she drew a line across her sternum. She focused on the deep red color, slowly making its way down her chest and over her stomach. Then she repeated the same act across her inner thigh, starting close to the knee and drawing a line up until the pain pierced through her hyperventilation. Finally, she began to feel like she had control of her breathing again, letting out a long sigh as she started to calm down.
She dropped the blade in the sink and sat down on the cool marble floor, her back against the cabinet behind her and her eyes closed. In…. and out… she demanded as she slowly steadied her breath.
"Caroline?" Marcel's voice broke her concentration as he suddenly stood on the other side of the door. "I smell blood, are you hurt?"
Groaning silently, she realized what an utter mess she must look like in this state. She got up and hid the razorblade under a towel, cleaning off the remains of blood from her healed wounds and straightened out her hair. "Sorry, I'll be right out." she called and nodded to herself as she tried not to lose focus on her breathing, the worst might have begun to pass but that didn't mean she was fine quite yet.
Once she opened the door, she met Marcel's worried eyes with a try at a smile. "I'm fine. I just, felt dizzy for a moment." she lied, noticing his gaze on her blood-spackled bra. "I need to go." she said quickly before he could comment on it and rushed to gather her things.
"Wait, slow down…" he pleaded as she got dressed and walked towards the door. "You can't just leave like this, can I at least give you some blood or scotch or something to help calm you down?" he asked, trying to grab her hand, but she flinched at his touch and therefore scared him off from attempting it again.
"I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable or feel pressured…" he said with his palms raised as he blocked her from exiting the apartment.
"No, no… You didn't… I just- I have to go." she stuttered without meeting his eyes and then managed to run past him and down the stairs.
Tears started covering her eyes as her breathing acted up again, she tried to calm herself by slowing down. Which was when she bumped into a shoulder.
"Sorry…" she quickly said, as she suddenly stared up at a tall, fair-skinned man with eyes equally as black as his long hair.
"You're gon' have to do better than that, hun." he slurred with a venomous grin and grabbed her arm.
"Seriously, don't." she hissed but he didn't drop his grip. She pushed at his shoulder and tried to slip away. "Get off of me!" she growled as he grabbed both her arms to keep her in place. Anger pulsated through her veins as she fought the sudden urge to rip his head off.
"I don't think so. You owe me a sincere apology, darlin'." he said, his liquored breath covering her face.
She coughed at the smell and pressed her lips together. "You're drunk. Let me go and leave before you do something you'll regret." she warned.
His hands squeezed her arms tightly, making her dangerously aware of the fact that he was a vampire too. The city seemed to be crawling with them.
"I will hardly regret the things I'm about to do to you." the man whispered and leaned in closer to her, snapping her attention away from her irregular heartbeat and straight into the dangerous situation she'd suddenly found herself in.
She saw red right then. Her vamp-features splayed across her face as she pulled her arms out of his grip and threw him into a wall beside them. He coughed a few times, turning it into a chuckle as he smiled at her.
"Feisty. I like it." he said and ran towards her.
She kicked him right in the stomach with her heel, so hard that he was flying into the wall once more. But she didn't stop there. Instead, she threw herself at him and pulled him up by his collar. Then she kneed him between his legs and let her fist fly over his jaw. He grunted and cursed at her. But she wouldn't let him get a single punch in or any move whatsoever to defend himself as she harshly sank her fangs into his neck. She didn't feed on him, only wanting to cause him pain and not actually swallow any of his scumbag-blood.
She then immediately pushed him away from her. He landed on the floor in fear-filled chock, seeming unsure of what to do. His eyes glaring at her, completely unable to believe that he'd just lost a fight to a girl. Surely.
Marcel showed up then, staring at her and the man on the floor. His eyes returned to hers while he took a few steps towards her with a raised hand, as if to comfort her. "You okay?" he asked worriedly.
She spat out any blood that she'd accidentally ingested and ran her hand over her mouth to wipe off all traces from the bite. "I'm fine." she muttered without taking her eyes off of the man she'd just beaten up. "He'll live."
Without giving Marcel a single look, she turned her back on them both and walked out of the building. She caught the sound of Marcel lecturing the man on harassing young women in his city but didn't glance back. Her focus was completely on getting far, far away. Right now.
Four years ago
Dallas, Texas
Caroline's nails drummed against the table as Stefan sat opposite to her with a deep frown. "So that's why you're here? Still going after Julian, despite everything?"
"Caroline... I know you hate me and that you don't want anything to do with me... I swear to you, I didn't come here to stir up trouble for you or Ric."
"You really don't understand, do you?" she sighed, pushing back the pain that has blossomed up in her chest. "You being here is... It's a death sentence to both me and Ric. So please, tell me: why would you come here when it meant risking all our lives?"
His eyes dropped to the table, staring down into the glass of lemonade in front of him as if it would swallow him up and help him escape her.
"You didn't care." she said then, answering her own question in a low tone as the realization dawned on her. "You don't care."
"That's not-" he began in protest, but she raised her palm to cut him off.
"Does this mean all the Originals are here? In Dallas?"
He studied her for a quick second, scanning her face closely. "No, Klaus isn't here."
"That's not what I asked." she said making him chuckle coldly.
"Yes, Caroline. It was."
She crossed her arms over her chest and sighed. "Okay, fine. I have my reasons for wanting to know, doesn't mean you get to judge me for it."
He seemed like he had more to add but nodded instead in silence.
"Take your business in another state, and I may just consider not mentioning any of this to Alaric."
"Caroline you don't understand..." he said but she quickly cut him off again by standing up so suddenly that the whole table rattled in response.
"No, Stefan. You don't understand." she said, throwing her handbag over her shoulder before giving him a dark glare. "If you ever cared about me, you will pack up your things and all your baggage and leave. Don't make me tell you again."
With that she left him behind and exited the café in quick strides, not looking back once.
Valerie and Elijah were reading through some grimoires when Stefan returned to the motel room in a wind of panic.
"Pack up everything, we're leaving."
"What?" Valerie shrieked as Elijah remained calm, watching him closely. "You can't be serious. What happened?"
"We need to go." Stefan repeated, making Valerie stare at her before turning to Stefan again as he brought out a couple of bags.
"Did Caroline tell you to leave?" Valerie asked, noticing how he winced slightly at the sound of her name.
"It's too big of a risk, anyway." he said, shaking his head as he gathered some clothes and books in a hurry. "So many of us, being in the same place like this..."
"You needn't worry of that any longer, I believe I have found the spell." Elijah interjected, making them both turn towards him as he gave Valerie the book in his hands.
"What, already?" Stefan said, quickly standing by her and reading through the marked page over her shoulder.
"I have witches at my disposal who can help with the rest of the spell. I only need to make a call and they shall be here within the hour."
"So, what do we need?" Stefan asked as Elijah brought his phone out and began dialing.
"We already have most of the ingredients, except for the bones of a holy man and-" Valerie responded, before looking over at him with a scowl. "The heart of a doppelganger."
"Yes, always with the doppelgangers." Elijah mused then, shrugging as he stowed his phone away and nodded towards them. "It happens to be a rather important source of power for this spell to work."
"That's no problem." Valerie comforted him Stefan then, squeezing his shoulder softly.
"They're dead, Val. All of them… Except for me, and Elena."
"That's not entirely true." she explained, closing the book and putting it away before turning to him again. "There is one more."
"What? How? I thought the travelers-"
"I happen to know that one more doppelganger exists, he was shielded a long time ago. It is of no surprise to me that they failed to find him." she said with a shrug. "I can use your blood to locate another of yours."
"So, you don't have an issue with cutting out the heart of a human being for this?" he said, sounding as repulsed as he looked as he flinched away from her.
"Stefan, this is far more important than the life of one person." Valerie insisted, making him cringe in response. "Unless you're rather worried of what Caroline will think instead?"
"She won't be an issue." Elijah chimed in, making Stefan stiffen and turn narrowed eyes to him.
"What does that mean?" Stefan said cautiously. "What did you do?"
There must have been something in the look on the older vampire's eyes, because without another beat, Stefan flew out the motel. Leaving Valerie to stare at the Original with bewildered eyes. "What did you do to her?" she pressed on, making him smirk slightly in response.
"It is no worry, Ms. Tulle." he told her, gesturing towards the table with ingredients and spell books with a pointed look. "Let us focus on our work. Caroline will be perfectly safe."
She watched him carefully before choosing to follow his words, hoping Stefan would be able to keep an eye on their friend if it were to be necessary. "Let's."
