Chapter 28: We were dancing, part 2
Present day
New Orleans, Louisiana
Klaus had thought about Caroline moving into the abattoir ever since he first returned to New Orleans. He had considered which room would fit her best, what direction the balcony should be in and what decor she would prefer. The idea had been more of a fantasy, something to amuse himself with whenever he thought of her finally being a part of his life. However, the situation had changed drastically over the past few weeks and he found that the hypothetical daydream had suddenly turned into a rather real probability.
Tonight, he repeated to himself as he covered up the finished painting with a sheet. Having spent several days working on something to hang in the room which he hoped to share with her after the ball. There were so many different sketches and drawings he had depicted her with that he had some trouble coming up with the perfect motive. Until he thought of the Red Canna.
It sprung inspiration to his fingertips, the colors already having flashed past his eyes in preparations. He saw it clear in his mind, the darker hues working as a frame as a bright center became the motive. That sunrise on the yacht had worked to help him bring the picture together, and now it was finally finished.
He would show her tonight. After the ball, after they finally got their hands on that godforsaken dagger and the mysterious candle. He would bring her to the room which would become hers, show the painting and ask where she would like to hang it. And then, they would open a bottle of tequila and toast to their future.
Tonight.
A knock on his door brought him out of his thoughts just as he had stored the canvas away and begun to prepare for a shower. Remnants of color still speckled over his hands and the smell of it evident in the air. Drying his hands quickly, he walked towards the door with a fluttering in his chest. A smile making its way to his lips as he eagerly opened to meet his guest.
"Camille." he stuttered as the blonde that stood before him had not been the one he had expected. He cast a glance over her shoulder and down the hall, wondering shortly where his little vampire had disappeared to. Since he was dying to see how the dress had fit her, perhaps invite her to wash up together before they needed to separate for the evening…
The cocked brow on Cami's face made him shake his head shortly and bring back his attention to her. "Were you waiting for someone?" she asked, making him falter as he wasn't sure it would be entirely safe to give away the newfound relationship between him and Caroline quite yet.
"No, not at all. I was simply surprised to see you." he chimed before stepping back and gesturing her inside. "I apologize for not having had the time to speak with you about this absurd charade that awaits us."
"Yeah, I noticed you've been busy." she mused with a nodding head, her eyes falling on the covered canvas before glancing back at him again. "I was beginning to wonder if you were avoiding me." she admitted while crossing her arms over her chest.
"I promise you that is not the case." he replied with a smile. "I really do appreciate you coming on such short notice, Camille. I must admit, I hadn't expected you to show up."
"Well, the timing was convenient." she sighed, something foreign sweeping over her features then. "I've kind of been in the middle of a crossroads of sorts, and I thought about coming here a few times."
"Is everything alright?" he asked with furrowed brows earning a snicker from her as she shrugged her shoulders.
"I think I was hoping that…" she hesitated, her eyes suddenly not meeting his and confusing him in result. "I thought you asked me to come back for another reason."
The words surprised him, making him suddenly want to curse at his own recklessness. Not having considered the possibility of his invitation being misinterpreted so gravely. "Camille, I didn't expect anything else from you than your friendship." he explained cautiously, studying her as he continued. "And I certainly didn't think you would respond positively to anything other than such."
"I know." she sighed with a nod. "I realize this sounds maybe impulsive or strange… But an opportunity has presented itself recently, and it made me think about the way things ended between us. Made me wonder if it had been a mistake to give up so quickly."
A part of him rejoiced inside, having hoped to hear those exact words ever since she left. "What kind of opportunity?" he asked, stepping closer as he tried to read her more accurately. Unsure how to approach the subject without creating tension between them.
"Vincent proposed." she replied with a twitch of her lips. She seemed genuinely happy about the fact, and it only brought him to become even more bewildered.
"Is that not where your relationship has been headed?" he pressed.
"It is." she agreed, gulping visibly as she looked up at him. Making him realize then how close they were suddenly standing. "But I just needed to know. Before I make a decision. Before I give him an answer…" she began with an anxious scoff that reminded him of Caroline in the moment, bringing an awful turning of his stomach in immediate response.
Turning away from her then, he pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration and fought to understand. "What exactly are you asking of me, Camille?" he drawled, glancing back at her with a shrug. "What is it that you want?"
"An answer." she interjected with a determined nod, walking towards him and causing him to reluctantly stay in place. Afraid of hurting her by not hearing her out. "If I hadn't left. If Aurora never killed me… Would we still be together today?"
"That would entail multiple scenarios, love. All of them highly speculatory." he pointed out with a sigh, running his hand through his hair as he thought his words over. "It is not up to us to question what differences might have occurred or which alternative roads we might have traveled if we had made other choices."
"That's not what I'm asking, Klaus." she pushed, stepping closer and nearly causing him to jump back in reaction before he took hold of his unsettled nerves. "I'm asking if we have a future. If all that is missing for this to work would be one different word spoken at a specific time. One simple gesture made or a single step in the other direction…"
He eyed her silently as she touched his cheek, causing something to struggle within him as he suddenly found himself torn. It wouldn't be fair to deny what he once felt for her in the past. But the question that remained was whether that changed things in the present?
"If I never left… If you hadn't let me walk out of here that night…" she added in her musings, her face leaning closer to his as she spoke on. "If I had some time to think things through or to consider what being a vampire really meant to me. If I stayed and woke up one day ready for you. Would that have changed things?"
"Perhaps." he murmured honestly, frowning as he reached for her hand and gently pulled it back from him. "Or perhaps you would have found a different reason to turn away and leave."
"Is that really what you think?" she pressed as she let her hand drop from his cheek but instead landed on his chest.
"Cami-"
"Wait, just…" she cut in with a sigh. "I'm sorry that I'm putting this on you, I'm sorry if it ruins whatever progress we made at finally becoming friends again… But please, just help me understand. Because I can't avoid this feeling, this tiny little voice in my head that's telling me that I made the wrong choice all those years ago."
Regret. That was something the hybrid had become accustomed to himself over time. As seldom as it may arise, the feeling was wrecking all the same.
Her touch brushed over the beads around his neck and stilled slightly, her eyebrows furrowing as she reached up and held onto the most recent addition to the rosary. A ring. "Where did this come from?" she asked softly, her eyes turning to him curiously as she spun the gold band between her fingers.
"Caroline." he said, deciding that it was no longer reasonable to keep the young woman out of the conversation.
"Caroline?" she echoed, shaking her head slightly in bewilderment.
"It belonged to her late mother." he explained. "She entrusted it to me for safekeeping. To use if she got into trouble and we needed to locate her."
She watched him closely, the gears turning in her mind as realization slowly dawned on her then. "Oh." she whispered, pulling back from him with a set jaw. "She's the girl you left behind, isn't she?"
The conversation replayed in his memories shortly of the first few therapy sessions he had had with Camille. When he told her of his life, his siblings, his travels… And at one point, she had noticed him holding something back.
"There's something you're not telling me." she had said as he studied the decorations by her windowsill. "About Mystic Falls."
"What about it?" he asked with a casual shrug.
"Why did you go back?" she pressed. "When you were busy dealing with Marcel and Hayley… What made you drop everything and leave for Virginia out of the blue?"
"The death of Katerina Petrova, of course." he chimed with a wide smirk.
"That's it?" she quipped with a raised brow, closing her notebook and leaning forward against her lap. "I'm going to forget about all of this the second you walk out of here, Klaus. My mind will be wiped, and I won't know anything until our next session. So, you might as well tell me what it is you're holding back."
He had mulled it over shortly, crossed his arms over his chest and glancing away as he tried to decide on what to do. On how much to tell the brave bartender who had started to play such an important role in his daily life…
"I visited someone." he finally said, making her nod as she urged him to continue. "I hadn't seen her in a few months, and I was determined to put her out of my mind for at least a century or two. But it proved impossible despite my best efforts."
"So, what happened when you saw her?" she asked, waiting patiently for him to speak again.
"She told me how she felt about me. After years of hostile denial and active rejection… She gave me the answer I had waited for since the moment I first laid eyes on her."
"Love at first sight?"
"More along the lines of; affection at first argument." he quipped, eliciting a smirk from her in return. "I didn't quite realize what I felt until long after first noticing her."
"Which was what, exactly?" she asked curiously.
A part of him wanted to stop, knowing Caroline's existence needed to be kept out of the city for as long as he could. To protect her from Marcel, the witches and all other enemies which threaten to tear everyone he cared about away from him… But then again, he was certain of his compulsion on the psychology-student still working, still blocking Camille from remembering their conversations.
So perhaps, this once, he could finally try to make sense of his own feelings and longing for the young blonde. He planned to carry it with him for eternity after all, or at least until the time would come that her involvement in his life was finally evident to the hybrid. It may aid him to process it all with the therapist before him. The woman who managed to keep from judging his decisions, who tried to understand him and help him…
"One day, she will be more than someone I left behind in some small town in Virginia." he said, deciding then to give Camille something at least before pushing the subject aside and moving to lighter ones instead. "She finally confirmed it herself during my visit."
"Then, why did you leave?" Cami asked, looking genuinely upset for him in the moment.
A smile spread over his face as he was reminded of her young age, of her inability to know what he knew. To see what he saw. "Because there is no doubt in my mind that we belong together. And I am willing to wait as long as it takes for that to finally become true."
"She is, isn't she?" Camille pressed as he was pulled back to the present with her eyes intently analyzing the ring hanging on his necklace.
"Yes." he confirmed.
"Well, then I have my answer." she murmured silently before she started to walk away. Bringing a surprising panic to his chest as he reached for her arm and stopped her in her steps.
"What do you mean?" he asked as a kind smile covered her features in response.
"It wasn't one misstep, one wrong choice or unlucky timing…" she explained with a shrug. "It was her. She was the reason you let me go."
"Camille, I'm sorry." he told her genuinely and earning a wide grin as she squeezed his hand warmly.
"Don't be. I mean, I was the one who wanted to know." she pointed out with an easy shrug. "I couldn't accept all those hypothetical obstacles as enough of a reason for me to give up on what we once had. But this? I fully understand how one person can make you do things you never expected to do, make decisions that seem completely uncharacteristic..." she snickered softly, smoothing over his nerves as she really didn't seem to take any offends after all.
"I hope this means you finally got her." she smirked, making him chuckle and shake his head in response.
"I believe I have." he admitted.
She smiled again and leaned in, leaving a chaste peck to his cheek before pulling away again. "Thank you, Klaus. For telling me." she chimed. "I should have asked you about this ages ago… Might have saved us both some time in the end."
As she walked towards the door again, he turned to her with a small smile while she met his eyes. "I don't regret what I felt for you, Camille. It was real and far too valid to simply brush off and leave behind." he told her, feeling the need to explain himself. "I don't know what I might have done where she to show up in the midst of my affections for you. I reckon it would not have been an easy choice whatsoever, truth be told."
Her expression was sweet and understanding as she nodded at his words. "It isn't up to us to know, right?" she cited him, eliciting an entertained scoff from the Original. "I think that's why I needed to talk to you about this. Because I hadn't quite let go of you yet, and it was starting to get in the way of what I have. What I want."
"Vincent is very fortunate to have you as a partner in his life." he crooned, earning a timid chuckle from her in response.
"So is Caroline." she concluded, sharing another smile with him before turning to the door again. "I'm going to make a call, and then I'll start getting ready. Wouldn't want to be a subpar date after all."
They shared another smile before he grabbed a towel and left for the bathroom in the opposite direction. A relieved breath escaping him as he felt like a heavy weight had been lifted from his shoulders. Having dreaded to have the two women meet before he had a chance to clear things up with them both individually.
He appreciated her response, himself being better off despite the hurt and heartbreak which had taken place between them years ago. And as it turns out, Camille may be better off as well.
Locking behind him and turning the shower on, he felt as if he was shedding his burdens as he shed his clothes. More determined now than ever before that the time had come for Caroline Forbes to become a permanent part of his life.
Tonight, he echoed the mantra over and over as he started to look forward to what the future had to offer.
Tonight.
Caroline hung up her garment bag and reached for the necklace Freya had told her about. The delicate jewelry was made to repel spells, and it was the only way Klaus would let her step foot into that ballroom tonight. It was a thin silver chain which carried a raindrop-shaped stone, she wasn't sure what kind, but it was surprisingly pretty. She had expected some huge and bulky talisman that would be difficult to carry with her outfit without raising questions, but this she could certainly work with.
The clasp was a little difficult, causing her to grunt as she struggled to close it. Her patience slipped as it refused to follow her will, causing her to give up and instead look for someone to help. Figuring it could give her the perfect excuse to see Klaus one last time before Marcel picked her up, she headed down the hall and towards the hybrid's room. An excited smile covered her face as she bit her lip, fighting to keep the butterflies in her stomach at bay.
However, she felt an ice-cold shiver course through her as she saw his door opening and revealed a woman exiting. She was frozen in her step as she studied the stranger, her bone structure striking an envious chord within her confidence, her lips full and plump and reminding her of Angelina Jolie. She was gorgeous, and she was smiling a little too much for someone who just walked out of the Original's bedroom in the middle of the day.
The woman didn't notice her at first, her focus fixed on the phone in her hands as she typed something while walking towards the vampire. She looked up and met Caroline's eyes with a bright smile that made her light-blue eyes glitter. "You didn't see where Hayley went, did you?" she asked, the mature voice turning Caroline's stomach as a mantra ran through her mind then.
Don't be Cami. Don't be Cami. Don't be Cami.
"I have some news I kind of wanted to share with her." the stranger continued, causing the other blonde to glance between her form and the door she had come from.
"I think she was checking in on Hope, actually." Caroline chimed with a try at politeness, eyeing the beauty before her closely. "I'm sorry, I don't think we've met before."
"Right, excuse my manners." she chuckled warmly, shaking her straight hair as she grinned at the vampire. "I'm Camille, but you can call me Cami."
The introduction elicited a breath to quickly rush through the younger blonde's lungs. Making her lose her voice as she looked up at the perfectly geometrical face before her. This was Cami.
Not having expected the infamous woman to be so gorgeous and sweet, it was nagging at the remnants of her old insecurities. Throwing her back to a time when she was younger and in constant pain as everyone around her found the girl shallow and stupid. A time when she was never the first choice.
"It's not a competition, Caroline." Bonnie's voice echoed in her head as she remembered a conversation with her friend years ago. And she had genuinely believed that she was done feeling that way about others. With hating someone for being everything that she wasn't.
Yet, there she stood now; A fickle teenager with no confidence as she craved to have a taste of the attention which every other girl in her life continued to have. It made her feel small, nearly forgetting why she had gone to find the hybrid in the first place as Camille's offered hand lowered at her lack of response and her smile faltered slightly.
Realizing she was about to question the woman's reaction; Caroline quickly spoke up to smooth things over. "Sorry, I was looking for someone." she stuttered with a strained smile. "But I just remembered that I forgot to steam iron my dress for tonight so I should probably do that now. Before I forget again."
"I know what that's like." Cami giggled. "Sometimes I think I'd forget my head if it wasn't attached to me."
Great, they had that in common too then?
"Right." she chuckled and shook her head. "I'll see you later tonight." she said with a weak smile before walking past her and hoping to find something to occupy herself with until the toxic thoughts in her head subsided.
She slowed down and glanced back to check if the blonde was watching her. Determining that she had moved on, Caroline walked over to the hybrid's door and listened for him. Fidgeting with her hands and chewing the inside of her cheek as she wasn't entirely sure she wanted hear him. Afraid of what his ex had been doing in his bedroom that left her grinning like a child who just got to choose any ice cream flavor in the world…
The sound of water running informed her that he was in the shower, but she had no idea whether that was a good thing or a bad thing. Had Camille talked to him while he was naked and covered in hot water? Had he been undressed with her in the same room? Was she staying at the house? Why the hell was she smiling when walking out of there!?
It was probably ridiculous… She knew they were going to the ball together. So, maybe Cami was just making sure her dress matched his suit? Her stomach twisted into knots as she couldn't even convince herself of that being true.
Deciding that she needed to take a moment for herself if she wanted a shot at letting the reminiscent insecurity go; she returned to the guestroom again and locked the door behind her. Leaning against it with a sigh as she still felt the turning in her stomach and constricting of her heart.
Why was Camille in his room?
She walked up to the mirror above the dresser and gulped hard as she could see her dismay all over her face. You have to pull it together, Caroline. You can't risk making anyone suspicious just because Klaus' ex is drop-dead gorgeous.
"Ugh!" she grunted, putting the necklace away and turned to her gown in an attempt to liven up her spirit. She really did love the dress. It was elegant and beautiful, and hopefully enough to make her remember that she was not second to some old fling - or any other woman in the world for that matter.
Undressing quickly, she strapped on the corset-like bustier and put her hair up in a bun on top of her head. Taking the gown out gently and stepping into it, pulling the zipper up and straightening the fabric with her hands.
Looking to the full-length mirror on the other side of the room, she studied her reflection and felt a smile reach her lips as the gown suited her perfectly. Subtle beads cascaded from the strapless top and down to the defined waist, subtly melting in with the sheen from the silk chiffon fabric. The pretty flow of it with her movements making her smile wider then.
The vampire let out a relieved sigh as she already started feeling better, letting her already curled hair down and fixing it with some hairspray. She went over the motions of getting ready like it was a rehearsed routine, doing her makeup expertly as she already knew how she wanted it. The image had been set since she first saw her dress; sleek eyeliner with neutral color palette as she put the bordeaux-red lip in total focus.
She put on her heels when she heard a knock on the door, walking over and revealing a smiling Marcel as he waited on the other side. "You are just stunning, Care." he chimed with his charming voice and charismatic smirk.
"You too." she smiled back as she took in the silver suit with white shirt and bowtie, having matched it perfectly to her own outfit.
"Are you ready?" he asked, earning a nod from her then.
"Oh, wait." she said as she realized she nearly forgot to bring her clutch, putting her phone and the necklace inside it. Deciding to put the pendant on later and walking towards him with a nod. "Let's go throw a ball."
Caroline and Marcel stood by the entrance of the Armstrong Ballroom with their smiles on as they greeted their incoming guests. After their rundown of the members, she was glad to put faces to the names. They were impressive, sophisticated and proper; it was a relief to have been somewhat prepared by Elijah beforehand as her polite and educated manners gained impressive smiles from the guests.
She had already noted the werewolves taking place around the compound, easing her nerves slightly as she knew she wouldn't be alone with the ancient vampires. Marcel had happily accepted the added security as he paired them all up with his nightwalkers and put them to work. The moment the sun set, Marcel's men would search the guests' rooms and belongings, acting as coat-check as well as cleaning crew. That way they had a chance of finding the objects before the initiation ceremony even began. And along those men would also be Hayley's pack whom all answered to her - not the King.
Caroline still couldn't figure out what her date's motive was with the ball. With the dagger. With the 'Dawning'. She didn't buy the explanation of him simply wanting to appoint the witches members of the Strix in order to strengthen the organization. And she definitely didn't believe that he was going after that gold dagger to simply make sure no one used it on Klaus. Because, according to Bonnie, he already had it.
No, something else was going on. Caroline just couldn't put her finger on it quite yet.
Davina appeared before them then, drawing her out of her busy mind as she studied the young witch while she walked with Josh by her side. She wore a beautiful eggplant-purple A-line gown and her date matched her in a simple and black two-piece tux and white tie.
Following them were Elijah and Hayley, his tuxedo had a slightly more expensive look, he wore the classic black as well and the appropriate white bowtie. The female hybrid looked incredible in a forest green mermaid gown, her round mouth painted in a dark red and her hair straightened and loose.
Even though they hadn't matched their colors, there was something about the way they walked together that somehow connected them on a different level…
They look like a couple, Caroline realized as she studied the beautiful dark-haired pair. Elijah and Marcel extended a few words as she patiently awaited the rest.
Soon she noticed Klaus with Cami on his arm and she had to fight every fiber of her being to keep a still face when she did. If she thought Hayley and Elijah had looked perfect together, then it was nothing in comparison to the gorgeous couple walking towards them.
Camille's hair was braided into a high up-do, showing off a pair of long diamond earrings that grazed the halter-neckline of her shimmery and pitch-black ball gown. The hybrid next to her was as gorgeous as ever, wearing a classic outfit of a black three-piece tux with a white shirt and black bowtie. The latter, she assumed, to match his date's dress.
All she wanted to do was gape at his strikingly good looks, but the woman next to him caused the butterflies in her stomach to turn heavy and nauseating instead. The green eyes caught her gaze and made her gulp hard in response. He glanced over her with such incredible light on his face that she shortly felt like there was no other people there. Just her and him. All alone in the world as everything else blurred away and slowed to a stop.
The intense pull kept her focus locked on him as they took each other in afar. His lips parted as if he wanted to say something, his eyes sparkling as if he was looking at the most magnificent piece of art he'd ever seen. Her heart skipped at the realization of the affectionate glance being completely directed at her, and her alone.
She suddenly couldn't breathe as he neared her with each step, tearing her eyes away and turning to Marcel then. "I need a moment." she whispered, making him widen his eyes as he studied her with a worried expression. That was until he glanced to the side and recognized the reason for her suddenly foul mood.
"I'll hold down the fort here." he promised with a warm smile, earning a short nod from her before she lowered her head and made her escape.
Leaving the lobby in quick strides as she wanted to scream, or cry or throw up. She wasn't sure which, nor in what order. All she knew was the crippling gravel in her gut as it threatened to break her down.
She reached one of the many balconies and stepped out into the New Orleans air, sucking in as much of it as possible as she gripped the railing tightly. Breathe, she reminded herself.
Inhale.
Exhale.
Inhale.
Exhale.
The command steadied her as she focused entirely on her breathing, assuring herself in her head as she couldn't turn anywhere else for it right then.
You're okay. Everything is okay. It's just one night. You're going to make it. It will all be over before you know it.
She didn't fully believe the words herself as she shook her head in a cold chuckle. "This is such a bad idea." she hissed sharply.
Her body froze up as she heard the door opening to the balcony, followed by slow steps as someone was walking towards her. The wind carried the scent of her added company and informed her quickly of their identity.
However, the knowledge only made things harder as Klaus came to stand behind her. Warmth emanating from him and heating her up despite the cool weather. She gulped hard as she lost her steady breathing again, sighing sharply as she fought to return to it.
He remained silent as he stayed in his spot, possibly afraid of saying something and pushing her to fall apart. But his presence was just as much of a torture in itself, a part of her relieved and immediately soothed by him. Another part of her dying inside.
She felt him reach out and touch to her elbow lightly, sending violent shivers through her as she gripped the railing harder in response. Her heart raced as he leaned closer, his breath hitting the side of her neck. Making it just short of impossible to keep from pressing back into his chest.
Something pushed at her thoughts as he gently brushed the back of his knuckles down her arm. An image gradually appearing before her as he seemed to enter her mind through the touch.
"Do you have any idea how devastatingly beautiful you look this evening?" he asked in her head, making her sigh in response as she was slowly transported into the vision.
"Please, don't." she replied as she was no longer staring down at the busy street beneath her, but his gorgeous face instead. "I can't even look at you without feeling like I'm dying."
His face furrowed slightly in bewilderment before he cupped her cheek. The touch merely an echo of how it would feel out of the vision, but it brought sparks to her skin either way. "What's wrong, Caroline?" he asked as she tried to make herself move away from his touch instead of into it.
She gulped hard as she watched his intense eyes with sadness filling her throat. "I just…" she whispered with a hesitant voice. "I hate this."
His eyes roamed over her features as he watched her with parted lips. "Say the word and we'll leave immediately. We could run off to the airport and go anywhere you want." he said with a hoarse voice, the offer so tempting that it threatened to burst through her defenses.
"It's unfair." she bit out in a mix between a scoff and a sniffle. "We were supposed to be different now. No outs, we were doing this for real and instead…"
"We are forced to spend the entire night apart." he added, finishing her thought with a grim tone that mimicked her own. He leaned closer and stroked her jaw with his hand softly, his forehead resting against hers as he sighed and spoke again.
"New Zealand is wonderful this time of year." he crooned, making her chuckle incredulously. "Or would you prefer something more relaxed or perhaps tropical? The Maldives maybe? I happen to hold investments with one of the hotel islands there."
"Of course you do." she teased, mirroring his smirk with her own.
"Corsica then, or Santorini." he continued, making her lean into him with a chuckle. "We could leave right this moment and have breakfast in our very own apartment just short of ten hours later."
She covered his lips with a finger and successfully shut him up, meeting his eyes with a coy smile as she moved closer. Moving her hands over the sides of his face, following the lines of his features and taking him in slowly. His hold on her shifted to her waist as he pushed her against the glass railing, caging her in with his body as his expression turned dark and sultry.
A breath escaped her parted lips as his hips connected with hers, his hands gripping her sides tightly and kneading her flesh through the dress. As if sculpting her with his touch, carefully exploring the feeling of the silky fabric over her curves. "What of the French Riviera? Or Bondi Beach in Sydney?" he purred, causing her insides to melt and quiver in result as she considered his words.
"Wait… isn't Bondi topless?" she quipped, noticing the playful flicker in his eyes then.
"Is it? I had no idea." he mused, feigning ignorance. "Well, we best check for ourselves just to be certain. Don't you think?"
Giggling, she shook her head in disbelief and fought to avoid drowning in the lustful gaze which filled his green eyes and dimples. "Keep dreaming, Nik." she countered teasingly, gasping as he swiftly grabbed her ass in reply. "Hey!" she chided half-heartedly, hitting his chest with feigned outrage. "You can't do that. In case you forgot; we happen to be in public."
"Do what, love?" he asked with pursed lips. "This?" he teased before palming her bottom again. "Or perhaps this?" he quipped wittily as he brought a hand to swiftly slap against her and draw another gasp from her lips. His grip pushing her against his crotch as he smirked at her with sparkling eyes.
"And as far as for being in public; we happen to be in your mind, Caroline. I am not about to create a crowd surrounding us when I can have you all to myself." he snickered smugly. "Unless you were to enjoy the attention, of course."
"Come on! Tone it down already, will you?" she protested with a grunt. "Last I checked; You're supposed to be the one with a thousand years' worth of patience and determination." she noted, eliciting a chuckle from the hybrid.
"Yes, but that was all before I met you." he countered, the words nearly bringing her heart to soar out of her chest and up into the skies.
She leaned in then and pulled his head down to crash their lips together in a bruising kiss. His hands clawing at the material of her dress as he responded eagerly, raising one of her legs to his hip and thrusting against her. Breathing sharply in response, his tongue delved past her lips and met hers in a sweet motion. Drawing out sighs from him as she raked her nails over his scalp and tugged at his hair.
A warm hand cupped her jaw and held her back as he met her eyes with a heavy breath. "Tell me, Caroline." he whispered huskily. "What do you want?"
Not able to manage more than a hard gulp, she studied him with parted lips and fought to push the longing fog away. He kissed her gently, teasing her with such sweet and tiny nibbles that she felt like ripping his clothes off right away. "We both know this would be far more enjoyable outside of our heads." he murmured with a little smirk. "Leave with me and I will demonstrate it to you repeatedly until morning comes."
"Klaus…" she sighed with a shaking head. "Don't tempt me. I'm close to giving in and following you to the ends of the earth."
He closed his eyes in a deep breath in reply. "If that is supposed to be discouraging, then I am afraid you failed." he muttered with a dark tone. "I don't think I have ever wanted you more than I do right now."
"That's because you're picturing us on Bondi beach." she scoffed, earning a deep and panty-dropping smirk in return. "God, stop that! Or we're never getting out of here." she whined. "And I am not going to tell Marcel that we were late to the ball because we were busy having imaginary sex in our minds."
"Then let's make it less imaginary." he shrugged, as if it was the most obvious solution in the world. "There are numerous selections of topless beaches in France too, you know."
"Niklaus."
The voice of Elijah tore them both out of the vision as if something had ripped them apart. Making her inhale sharply as she was met with the busy street below the building once more. Her hands nearly breaking the balcony railing into pieces as Klaus' hand burned the skin on her arm. She glanced back at the hybrid and swallowed hard as her own longing was mirrored in his green eyes. The look of it warming her soul as he watched her closely.
"Klaus." his brother repeated as he waited for him to turn around and face the intruding guest. His jaw ticked as he clenched his teeth roughly, struggling to accept that they needed to part ways.
She turned fully and looked back at the older Mikaelson with a gulp. "I'll go." she whispered as she saw the horrible fight playing behind the green eyes as they were firmly locked on her.
Elijah nodded to her in agreement, urging her to leave with him before people noticed her absence. She took a step but was abruptly stopped as Klaus' hand circled her waist and held her back. Forcing her to meet his gaze as he scanned her intently with unspoken words written across his face.
Her voice failed her as she wanted to say something, anything, to reassure him. Coming up short as she herself didn't know how to begin to soothe her own inner turmoil. His thumb brushing over her in tiny patterns as his lips beckoned for her to lean into him.
Reaching up to his jaw, her fingertips traced his features lightly as she wished she could stay and bask in the intense gaze he covered her in. "Cappadocia." she whispered to him, earning a raised brow as he seemed confused shortly. "The horizon fills with hot air balloons at sunrise, surrounding you as you sip tea on the rooftop of a luxurious riad."
"Tonight?" he chimed with a smirk as he seemed to brush off the longing at her suggestion. She pointed a cocked brow at him and earned a chuckle before he spoke again. "Tomorrow morning then?"
"After we find and rescue Bonnie." she insisted. "Then you can take me to try Turkish coffee and watch some sunsets on a pile of pillows and oriental rugs."
He leaned in and brushed his lips over hers with a slow breath. "Deal." he murmured silently, leaving an air light kiss to her mouth that created flutters in her chest. "Cappadocia." he concluded in agreement, eliciting a smile from her before he let her go then.
She forced a smile to her face as she nodded with determination, focusing on Elijah again as he wore a sympathetic frown. Taking one last strengthening breath before she finally managed to walk away from the men, entering the building again and pushing onwards until reaching her date.
Her skin tingles still as she came to stand beside Marcel, her lips warm as the taste of Klaus' kiss still lingered on them. "Hey, you okay?" her date murmured softly as she shook off her thoughts and focused on the task at hand.
"Great." she lied with her pageant smile in place as she quickly jumped into her role of the gracious host and continued to welcome the guests. A part of her still not quite steady yet as she hoped to be able to fake it into reality.
You're going to make it, she repeated to herself. It will all be over before you know it...
The ball was in full swing, the guests were enjoying themselves, couples spun around the dancefloor with elated faces… Everyone seemed genuinely pleased with the event. Everyone, except for Caroline Forbes.
She fought to keep her trained smile as Marcel introduced her to various Strix members, making sure to be polite and holding easy conversations. Lucien had still not arrived, something that Marcel brushed off as the old vampire's tendency for dramatic entrances - which only made Caroline worry even more. There was one upside to his tardiness however; she didn't need to pretend that her lingering glance over the ballroom was innocent and random. Nor did she have to hide her reaction when a certain pair of eyes met hers from afar.
Truth was, she couldn't help but look over at the Original hybrid as he served his date a drink, lead her across the floor and holding her close to him as they swayed to the music… She listened in on their conversations, made sure not to lose them as they mingled with other guests or sampled some of the catered food. Gulping hard and freezing up whenever the Mikaelson passed by her or caught her stares.
Fortunately for her, whenever Marcel noticed her wandering eye, he would give her hand a reassuring squeeze and smile down at her with a kind face. It helped, until she remembered that she wasn't supposed to trust the man by her side. That she was supposed to keep an eye on him - not Klaus.
A slow version of 'Killing Me Softly With His Song' started playing as she grabbed another glass of champagne and took a breath away from the chatting guests while they occupied her date. She likely wouldn't have thought much of the song coming up, if the lyrics hadn't suddenly struck her like never before. Feeling like the band was singing about her.
"I didn't expect to see you off Marcel's arm for the entirety of the ball." the familiar voice of the hybrid came from her side, making her bite down a wide grin and shake off butterflies in her stomach before she faced him then.
He wore such a sweet smile that she nearly wanted to scoff in dismay, shaking her head shortly instead. "Yes, well. I was in need of some refreshments." she replied with a smirk, making sure not to say too much as they stood surrounded by hundreds of vampires with impeccable hearing.
"Does this mean that you may have a dance to spare?" he asked, his eyes flickering with so much emotion that she had to stop for a moment. Simply admiring the way he held himself, so collected and secure, despite the undoubtedly difficult struggle inside his mind.
"I suppose one couldn't hurt." she replied softly, bringing him to smile wider before he offered his hand to her.
She accepted it, her breathing hitching as she touched him. Her silk gloves apparently no match for whatever hold he had on her body, as it forced her to fight the urge to eagerly jump into his arms. His features showed traces of the contact having affected him as well as he led her towards the center of the room, his eyes never leaving hers as she stepped closer to his body.
Klaus placed a hand to her waist as she steadied hers on his shoulder before they started moving, the proximity to him causing her to nearly forget about their surroundings. As all she could focus on was the warmth his touch brought to her through her dress and gloved hand, the sound of his strong heartbeat as she leaned closer and rested her cheek against his jaw lightly. Closing her eyes as she marveled in how his skin felt against her. She breathed him in slowly, a peaceful wave washing over her as everything felt right in the moment.
His lips brushed against her temple gently, bringing her to inhale deeply as she felt the intense pull to turn to his face and kiss him. Swallowing hard and biting the inside of her cheek as she resisted, instead trying to appreciate what little time they had left before the song would finish and break them apart.
He spun her swiftly before pulling her to him again, this time much closer and with a firmer grip to her side. Eliciting a smile from the blonde as as she propped her chin on his shoulder, and pressed harder into his body. Prepared to stay like that for centuries if she could, because the mere thought of letting him go was already starting to break her heart.
She had so much to tell him, to ask him, to share with him but she was terrified of saying the wrong thing and drawing attention to the two. Her hold on his shoulder tightened, her face tilted to him as she wished she could nestle into his neck. His hands gripped her tighter in return, digging his fingers deeper into her back as he lowered and held onto her hip instead of her waist. She realized it wasn't as innocent anymore, she was standing a little to close to him and he was holding her a little too intimately. But she couldn't bring herself to care.
A shiver ran through her as his breath hit her ear, his mouth close as he whispered in such a low voice that she barely heard it herself. "I'm not sure I have the strength to let you go, Caroline."
Her chest constricted at the words as she wished he wouldn't, despite knowing the devastating fact that they were only borrowing time. Every second bringing them closer to parting ways. She started to recognize the song nearing its ends and felt sudden panic strike her hard and taking her breath away. Her heart raced as she wanted to nearly scream in pain, not at all enjoying the awful struggle in her body and mind. She felt tears burn under her eyelids, her stomach filled with knots, her hands holding onto him so hard she was sure to break his bones.
The song ended, and they somehow managed to stop moving but she was still not ready to let go. Leaning back and meeting his face made her insides tear apart, his eyes reflecting the horrible feeling as he seemed to experience it too. She dropped her gaze to his lips as they remained parted and so close to her, trying to bargain with herself and desperately arguing that a quick peck wouldn't hurt. Just one.
Strange hands suddenly held onto her elbow and fought to push her away from the hybrid, making her stare up in chock as Marcel's pointed expression came into view. "I must cut in, I just can't stay away from this one for too long." he said to the two with a warm chuckle, making her draw a shaky breath before nodding in response.
Looking back at Klaus, they locked eyes for a second before mutely deciding to separate. "Of course." she chimed with a strained smile as she tried to shake off the sharp twisting in her heart.
Another presence stood by them suddenly, making the three turn to Lucien's dark grin as he bowed towards Caroline. "Dearest, Alice. You look as stunning as ever."
The chock quickly left her as he straightened up and faced her cheekily. "Lucien, you're late." she sighed as she stepped closer to Marcel and away from the hybrid then.
"Please forgive me, love." he crooned before offering his hand to her then. "Grant me a dance, will you?"
She shook her head incredulously before letting out a smirk. "Fine." she said, glancing back at the other men with a short smile. "So sorry, babe. Seems you'll have to wait a little longer." she snickered, earning an amused chuckle from Marcel.
"That's alright, Care." he said, leaning in and kissing her cheek then. "Just be sure to find me before our performance."
"I will." she assured him, swiftly studying the hybrid as he cleared his throat and patted her date's shoulder.
"Why don't we share a drink in the meanwhile, Marcellus?" he asked with a brilliantly feigned nonchalance.
"Sounds great." he replied as the men turned away from her then. Leaving her to meet Lucien's grin with an eyeroll.
"You know, I was starting to wonder if you were even coming at all." she teased as he pulled her in and started dancing.
"I do apologize, dear. Really." he chimed. "I was caught up in an errand that took slightly longer than I had expected."
"Yeah?" she scoffed amusedly. "Were you rescuing some poor young vampire in an alley somewhere?"
He laughed deeply at that as he spun her around and brought her back in with a smirk. "Even if I did, I'm sure they wouldn't possibly measure up to you." he countered smoothly, making her shake her head in a snicker.
"Always such a flirt." she mocked. "I hate to break it to you, but I happen to be taken."
"Such has not discouraged me in the past."
"Really? Don't tell me you go after married women just for the thrill of it?" she pressed, hoping to make the dance pass quicker by distracting herself with small-talk.
"Not necessarily." he shrugged. "I simply didn't believe that to be a reason to give up."
She chuckled at him and sighed deeply. "Well, I happen to feel very strongly about the man in my life." she clarified.
"You mean Marcel?" he asked leisurely, making her nearly freeze up in response.
"Of course." she assured him with a wide smile. "Who else?"
"He is everything you want then?" he pushed on, making her wonder if he just enjoyed sticking his nose in other people's business or if he was genuinely wondering.
"What, charming and good-looking? Kind and funny?" she challenged. "Yes, I don't think I need anything else."
"Is he the one? The love of your life?"
She blinked in confusion for a moment as she studied him closely. "Why do you ask?" she interjected, earning a shrug from her dance partner in response.
"I'm simply curious, Alice." he beamed with a wink. "That is a trait we both share after all."
"Yeah, I guess so." she snickered. Watching him and noticing he was still awaiting a reply. "He is." she said with a steady voice. "He is it for me. I actually don't know what I was doing before I met him." she chuckled, shaking her head and shortly catching Klaus' eyes across the room.
Turning to Lucien then with a soft smile and determined eyes as she pushed on. "I love him." she said honestly as she listened for the hybrid while speaking again. "Knowing him has made me a better person, I think. He challenges me and supports me, gets on my nerves just as much as he eases my mind..." she relayed with a deep breath. "I don't think I have felt this way about anyone - until him."
Lucien's eyes roamed over her face intently, perhaps looking for signs of her lying. But she refused to let her facade crack when she was so close to the finish line. "Marcel is the love of my life." she concluded with a nod. "I don't ever want to be without him."
A pleased smile slowly spread over the male vampire's features as he nodded at her declaration. "That is wonderful, dear." he said softly. "I hope he realizes how lucky he is to have you."
"Well, he better." she joked, earning a laugh from him as she grinned in an effort to fully sell the lie. The song had ended, and she fought to keep from showing her relief when it did. Lucien looked like he was about to ask for an encore but Elijah quickly appeared by her side then with a polite smile directed at the blonde.
"Ms. Forbes. I hoped to ask you for this dance." he said with a nod, making her smile at his proper stature.
"A dance with the founder of the Strix? Of course." she chimed and nodded to her former dance partner in adieu before following the Mikaelson further into the crowd.
Happy for the distraction as he shifted her thoughts to easy subjects and courtly small talk. Allowing her to breathe a little as the vampire gave her a friendly smile and spun her around in expert moves. Soon leaving her to return to Marcel again with a much lighter mood than before.
"May I have everybody's attention, please?"
The whole ballroom turned towards the pair on stage as the band was busy rigging up in the back. Curious eyes locked on their leader and the blonde vampire as she joined his side, making the woman in question suddenly nervous.
"First of all, I'd like to extend my gratitude for the way you have all welcomed Caroline into our community." Marcel continued with a charismatic smile. "And before we move on with the night's celebrations, I was hoping to tell a little anecdote on how Caroline and I first met."
Caroline plastered on a smile and glanced over at him as he continued. "Through music, believe it or not." he quickly added with his eyes on her. Then he gave a signal to one of the musicians before looking at her once more. "And ever since then, I've been dying to have her on stage with me."
She shook her head in a chuckle as staff prepared mics on the stands before them. He took her hand and kissed her knuckles swiftly. "Let's make our debut, babe." he chimed playfully earning a smirk from her in response as the music slowly started.
Marcel nodded at her with an excited smile and she nodded back with a soft one. Then she listened to the music as they closed in on her verse and took a shaky breath from the sudden nerves. Her throat clenching and tongue swelling up in her mouth as she thought she might throw up for a moment.
But then she looked out and saw that pair of green eyes in the middle of the crowd, accompanied by a dimple-displaying smile and soft expression as Klaus studied her. She swallowed hard and inhaled deeply before the band marked her que and she began singing.
"I found myself dreaming
In silver and gold
Like a scene from a movie
That every broken heart knows..."
A smile spread on her lips when she saw Klaus' awe-filled eyes and perfect smile. She glanced over at Marcel who was grinning proudly at her and continued with a lot more confidence as she met the crowd.
"We were walkin' in the moonlight
When you pulled me close
Split second, then you disappeared
And then I was all alone
Woke up in tears
With you by my side
Breath of relief
And I realized
No… We're not promised tomorrow…
So, I'm gonna love you
Like I'm gonna lose you
I'm gonna hold you
Like I'm saying goodbye
Wherever we're standing
I won't take you for granted
'Cause we'll never know when
When we run out of time...
So, I'm gonna love you
Like I'm gonna lose you
I'm gonna love you
Like I'm gonna
Lo-o-se you…"
As she finished the chorus, she glanced at Marcel who then chimed in with his verse. His voice coming out low, smooth and jazzy.
"In the blink of an eye
Just a whisper of smoke
You could lose everything
The truth is you never know
So, I'll kiss you longer babe
Any chance that I get
I'll make the most of the minutes
And love with no regrets
Let's take our time
Just say what we want
Use what we've got
Before it's all gone…"
Caroline took a breath as he sang his last line before their joined chorus and backed him up.
"Cause no, we're not promised tomorrow…
So, I'm gonna love you
Like I'm gonna lose you
I'm gonna hold you
Like I'm saying goodbye
Wherever we're standing
I won't take you for granted
'Cause we'll never know when
When we run out of time…
So, I'm gonna love you
Like I'm gonna lose you
I'm gonna love you
Like I'm gonna
Lo-o-se yo-ou…"
They exchanged smiles as they let the band take a moment for themselves before they continued their lyrics.
"I'm gonna love you
Like I'm gonna lose you
I'm gonna hold you
Like I'm saying goodbye…
Wherever we're standing
I won't take you for granted
'Cause we'll never know when,
When we run out of time…
So, I'm gonna love you
Like I'm gonna lose you
I'm gonna love you
Like I'm gonna
Lo-o-se you…"
At the end of the song, Marcel took her hand and spun her into his embrace. Holding onto her face before leaning in and kissing her deeply. Cheers and applause spread as she kissed him back, sharing a big smile as they parted. He winked at her playfully, surprising her when she noticed something playing behind those chocolate irises...
"Here we go..." he muttered.
"Here what-" Caroline began to question him but her voice got lost inside her throat at the sudden sight. Marcel bent down on one knee, holding a tiny box in his hands as he looked up at her.
"What... What are you doing?" she breathed as the crowd let out a delighted gasp.
"Caroline. I have spent too much time without you, and now that you are finally here... I can't possibly imagine letting you go. And so, I want to ask for you to stay with me - forever."
He opened the box and revealed the most insane ring she'd ever seen. A grand diamond in the shape of an oval, surrounded by a frame of tiny crystals, on a thin silver band.
"Caroline Forbes. Will you marry me?"
For one second it seemed like the whole world was turning upside-down. Her stomach clenched and swirled as she felt her face turn white.
What the fucking hell is he doing!? she screamed inside her head as she gaped at the man in pure chock.
The duet was supposed to be their 'grand display' to sell their romance and make sure Lucien dropped all his suspicions, and that was supposed to be it.
Not this.
Never this. She wouldn't have agreed to it, ever.
She realized that the people around her were holding their breaths in expectation and quickly understood that she didn't really have a choice in the matter. There was only one response acceptable in that moment, and it wasn't the one she wanted to give him.
"I…" she breathed and forced her face to show a smile. "Yes."
The crowd broke out in cheers and whistles as Marcel placed the ring on her finger and swopped her into his arms for another deep kiss. It was all she could do not to throw up all over him. "I'm so glad." he whispered to her, no doubt still playing along.
You're lucky I don't kill you right here and now, Caroline thought to herself as her teeth grinded harshly in the pageant smile. "Me too." she forced out as he kissed her again.
For god's sake, let me off this stage already.
The thought ran through her head as they turned to face the crowd. Her cheeks aching from the force she had to put into making her grin as genuine as possible. Josh walked up then and quickly took over the mic. "A huge congratulations to the future Mr. and Mrs. Gerard!"
The words made Caroline flinch inwardly, her eyes thrown across the crowd as she suddenly noticed the pale face in the far end of the ballroom. Everybody else blurred out around them as they got off the stage and immediately were met with good wishes from the guests. But all she could do was stare at Klaus.
The emotion in his eyes broke her heart. He looked so confused, angry, upset... Betrayed.
Suddenly he disappeared from her eyesight and Caroline was forced to face the new people before her as they congratulated them.
"Well, wasn't that the most wonderful surprise? Congratulations!" one of the vampires said and turned to speak to Marcel, while Hayley appeared then and gave Caroline a meaningful look.
"Yes, congratulations indeed." the brunette chimed in as she subtly gave a nod to her side, signaling for Caroline to bring her attention to where Lucien stood with Josh and Davina.
The blonde realized that this was her only chance to clarify things, both Marcel and Lucien were occupied, and Klaus had left the crowd. It was now or never. And so she quickly flashed towards the direction she thought she saw the hybrid disappear to and prayed he hadn't gone too far.
"Niklaus, I am most certain those are meant for the rest of the guests as well." Elijah said carefully as he tried to separate him from one of the waiters in the foyer.
"The other guests can go to hell for all I care." the hybrid muttered bitterly, the words still haunting him and making his blood boil as they rang in his ear.
Future Mr. And Mrs. Gerard.
The stabbing feeling in his chest nearly made him stop breathing altogether, but as the pair walked off stage and he caught her eyes; something snapped. He couldn't stand there anymore, or he was convinced he would have left a bloodbath behind. Not entirely sure Caroline would not be part of the victims.
She said yes. Charade or no charade, she had agreed to marry him. She accepted a ring in front of hundreds of witnesses.
Future Mr. And Mrs. Gerard.
The bottle in his hands was lunged at the closest wall with a loud crash. A dark urge coiled within him to rip someone apart. To burn something down. To tear out Marcel's heart.
"Niklaus, you need to collect yourself." his brother's words sounded distant as Elijah tried to reach out to him. "The ritual is about to begin, and we need to prepare for everything before it does."
He turned around and stared at him then, in complete disbelief to how he could possibly expect him to go back in there. To hear the guests talk of the happy couple. To watch him kiss her. To stand idly by as she slipped out of his grasp and into Marcel's instead.
Something on his face must have gripped Elijah's heart, because he suddenly looked awful. As if genuinely ashamed of his words. "Brother, I beg of you to take a pause and consider your actions." he said slowly, stepping towards him with sympathetic eyes.
"Were we not in the same room just now?" he countered through gritted teeth. "Did we not witness the same scene?"
"Niklaus-" he began as a thought suddenly occurred to him then.
"Did you know about this?" the hybrid drawled low, his voice dark as he closed the distance between them and eyed Elijah closely. "Was I the only one who wasn't made aware of the impromptu change to the plan?"
"Klaus." the light voice called out to him as the woman responsible for his state of mind had found him. Despite his hopes to not have to face her again for the rest of the night.
Before he could think it through, he rushed towards the blonde and grabbed her by the waist. Flashing away from the building and only stopping once they had reached the other far end of the street.
"Klaus! What are you doing!? We need to go back!" Caroline said and pushed at his shoulders. He only glared at her, sure that his expression said it all since she quickly become silent.
Her eyes were wide as she suddenly seemed afraid. Which wasn't something he had seen on her face in a long time, the sight made his heart break as he closed his eyes and drew a sharp breath. Remembering what Caroline herself had said when coming to New Orleans; they needed to do things differently this time.
"I didn't know he was going to do that, Klaus." she stammered out with a shaking head, reaching for him as he quickly backed away. "You can't honestly believe that I -" she began before he raised his palms and cut her off.
Her words only making the rage flare up again in his chest, and he wasn't sure what he was capable of doing in that exact moment. "I don't think I can have this conversation with you right now, Caroline." he admitted with a strained voice. "Go to your hotel and wait until the ball is over."
"What?" she said, shaking her head in disbelief. "Are you seriously telling me to leave just because you don't want to deal with me? Cause that was not part of our deal."
Breathing wasn't working anymore, he felt the anger spur up and the words leave him before he could stop them. "I need you to leave because I don't trust myself to not kill you this very moment!" he spat out, the cold expression on her face shot further pain into his chest as he turned away with his hands covering his mouth. As if hoping he could keep himself from pushing her further away than he already had.
"Klaus." she drawled with a hard tone, making him gulp hard as he realized what was coming. And felt convinced that it would not be pretty. "I have lived for a fraction of your lifetime, I was turned before I even reached eighteen and the only role model I had growing up was whatever was on the TV and the few hours a day that my mother actually spent time with me." she said in a bitter snicker before continuing. "If I can behave myself while insanely mad at you, than you sure as hell can do the same in return."
He looked back at her with bewilderment as he noticed her upset eyes. "You are angry with me?" he guessed. "Is that why you decided to play out the little scene earlier? For revenge?"
"What? No! I didn't know Marcel was planning some proposal, and I don't know how many more ways I can explain that to you." she protested, a scowl making its way to her face as she continued. "You, however, can't use the same argument for keeping Cami secret."
A dark scoff escaped him as he shook his head in disbelief. "You cannot seriously be equating me taking Camille to the ball with you agreeing to marry Marcel in front of half a thousand vampires." he chuckled flatly, a cold smile on his face.
"You knew she came back to New Orleans." she countered. "You knew she was going to help us with Lucien. You knew I would find out, but you didn't bother to say anything about it."
"For the love of-"
"No! It's my turn to yell!" she cut him off with an accusatory finger pointed at him as she continued. "I let it slide, because I hoped you would tell me when you had the chance. I waited for you to clear things up. I ignored Marcel's story because I wanted to hear it from you instead." she listed with a hard snicker before continuing. "I chose to trust you." she gritted out with hurt coloring her eyes. "You're the one who decided not to trust me back."
"I see that rather differently, sweetheart." he interjected with a shaking head. "I see you on his arm after your far more previous history. Whilst I, in an attempt to help you sell your little charade, decide to bring someone that I hoped would make Lucien drop his suspicions about us. It should go without saying that while I have not been intimate with Camille, you have with Marcel. So, please, Caroline; tell me again how you are the trusting party in this scenario."
Her wide eyes watched him with incredulity as he scoffed and turned away, decidedly finished with the conversation but freezing up when the vampire chimed in behind him. "I wasn't the one promising to be someone's last love." she said. "And I never felt for Marcel the way you did for her."
His words being thrown back at him in such a way made him want to tear apart every last pedestrian down the street. He turned back to her with a set jaw as he eyed her closely before responding. "You've had several significant others both during the time we have known each other as well as the years we've spent apart." he stated a bitter chuckle escaping him before he spoke again.
"The truth, sweetheart, is if anyone here shouldn't to be entrusted by the other in concerns to their fidelity; then it is certainly not me." he pointed out. He saw the feelings flashing over her features as she watched him with parted lips and sad eyes. Her silence proving to be what he needed to finally be able to turn away and leave.
The nerves were starting to get to the young witch as she followed Marcel towards the stage. An owl feather in her hands, similar to the ones the rest of the members would carry during the ceremony as it represented the Strix foundation. Embodying intelligence, vigilance and intuition as well as the depiction of change or transitioning. Davina found the symbol fitting to the sophisticated scholars of the organization, and especially so to the ritual ahead of her as she would transition into the witch leader of their coven. Bringing with her knowledge and power from her faction as they all would become protected members to the group.
However, she couldn't keep pretending that her intentions were purely focused on strengthening the witches under her. The truth would come out eventually after all, the least once Kol Mikaelson started walking around the streets of New Orleans. Alive.
The mere thought brought a wave of excitement over her as she couldn't wait to finally see him again. To speak with him. To touch him. To be with him for real. And for good.
"Ready, D?" Marcel said softly, bringing her out of her thoughts and turning her attention to Lynette as she stood smiling before her.
"Is everything set up?" she asked once more, the finish line suddenly nearing and bringing her anxiety to take flight in her stomach.
"Yes, Josh and I will oversee the search as soon as you give us the word. All you gotta do is point in the direction of the Candle. We'll handle the rest."
She nodded and took a steadying breath before taking place beside the witch that had helped her through the past few years. The friend she had come to trust in every way. Lynette was her right hand, her confidant, her support… Her Josh.
"Are you ready?" the blonde asked sweetly, bringing a smile to Davina's lips as she nodded in response. "It's time."
Marcel stepped forward and brought the room's eyes and ears to him as he grabbed the mic with a smirk. "I cannot tell you how proud I am to finally bring in someone that has been missing to the Strix until now. Someone who will unite this city and connect the factions… She is strong, courageous and incredibly wise despite her short years." he chimed, bringing some snicker along the room as he continued to present the witch. "She is my friend. My ally. My daughter."
A gulp formed in the young woman's throat as gleeful tears burned her eyes, beaming at the vampire as he grinned back at her widely. "She is Davina Claire and she is to be our coven's leader. Our Dawning witch. Our queen."
Rounds of applauds filled the ballroom as the man stepped back and nodded for her to take his place. Butterflies fluttering in her stomach as she studied the witches of her coven standing in a line by the foot of the stage. Their backs turned to the crowd as they looked up at her with noble faces, linking hands as the vampire members raised their feathers up in the air.
"Magic does not exist on its own." she said as she began her prepared speech with a determined nod. "It is created. Forged. It is bound to the elements of the earth, to the connection of our ancestors… And now, our magic will be bound with you all. We will be your coven. We will be your partners. Just as you will become our protectors. Our family."
Pleased smiles mirrored on the members as they nodded in agreement to her words, bringing her confidence as she continued. "Let's begin." she announced before raising her feather like the others and gesturing to the witches by the end of the platform.
"By air and earth. Fire and water. Life and death. Darkness and light." she said as she closed her eyes and focused on the energy surrounding her then. "Potesta interio promiscame anime adfero surrelium. Tornatura omnuste unus vincio."
Her skin began to crawl as she felt the magic vibrate in the air, circling her like she was standing in the eye of a storm. Everything spinning as it was brought to the focus, her. She was their anchor, their leader, their talisman.
It was working.
"Potesta interio promiscame anime adfero surrelium. Tornatura omnuste unus vincio." she repeated before adding to the chant, completing the ritual with a summoning spell as she called out for the candle. For the magic. "Veni ad me vi."
The lights flickered violently above them as she opened her eyes and looked out to the room. A person in the crowd suddenly glowing before her as he held his feather high, his gaze faltering as he seemed to notice her intense eyes on him.
"There." she whispered, causing Marcel to spring to action as the man turned to run away. Following him past the others and disappearing through the hall with Josh close in tow. She focused on the remaining members again with a content smile as she sighed deeply.
"It is done." she concluded, bringing another loud round of applause in result as she relished in the incredible rush coursing through her veins.
Caroline ran into the women's restroom, prepared to chase everyone out of there so that she could be alone but was pleasantly surprised to find it empty.
She felt sick, and cold and like she was going to throw up… The silhouette of Klaus' body as he turned away from her was haunting. She stood over one of the sinks and took a few slow and deep breaths when she heard the door open.
"Privacy please!" she called out and turned the faucet on.
"What's wrong, Alice? Boy-drama?" His voice set off a spark inside of her as Caroline suddenly spun around and attacked the intruding vampire. Holding his throat in a tight grip and throwing him against the bathroom stalls.
He crashed onto the floor with a surprised smile. "Well well, that's even more of a reaction than I had hoped for." he chuckled with a dark look in his eyes.
She jumped towards him again, but he managed to attack her first and threw her towards the mirrors. Grunting out in pain, Caroline fell onto the sinks and down to the floor. A hiss leaving her as she tried to get herself up on her feet again.
"Do you honestly believe you have a chance against me?" Lucien laughed maliciously. "You are even more dense than I thought."
Pulling one of the faucets off its handle, she stabbed him with it in the stomach, making him wince and fall to his knees. Grabbing a piece of wood from the ruined stalls, she made sure to break off a piece to make it pointy enough for him. But as she was about to jab it into his chest, he snatched it out of her hands and pushed it through her abdomen instead.
"You are skilled, I'll give you that." he smirked as he pinned her up against a wall and dropped the metal to the floor. "You even had me fooled, for a moment at least."
Caroline held onto the wood to stop it from moving towards her heart. Coughing up blood, she tried to think of her next strategy but doubted she'd have the strength to see it through. She gathered some vigor and quickly kicked him away from her, pulling the wood out and running towards the door.
He stopped her and pulled her down onto the floor, making her attempt at screaming instead. She couldn't make a single sound before he'd abruptly punched through her chest and started squeezing her heart in his hand. Letting out a choked gasp as she gaped in dread at the vampire's twisted smile.
"Don't you want to know where you went wrong?" he asked, scanning her shortly as she coughed and grunted in pain.
"You see…" he drawled while increasing his pressure within her chest and causing a whimper to fall off her lips. "When I found you, it was clear to me that all those perfectly placed bites on your body must have been from a hybrid."
She clawed at his arm and chest to try and make him stop, grabbing onto his jacket with desperate motions. Something suddenly meeting the tips of her fingers and motivating her to keep conscious for a little longer… Hoping to be able to keep him talking so he would not realize what she had discovered hiding within his pockets.
"And when you did not seem to recognize Niklaus that next morning, I considered the possibility that I might have been wrong about my initial assessment…" Lucien mused and tugged slightly at her aorta to make her pulse arrest temporarily.
Tears streamed down her face as she tried to keep her strength just long enough for someone to find them. But when she noticed the lights flickering above them, she realized the ritual had started and that no one would notice her missing now.
"You insisted on pretending. Acting as if you did not know him. Did not care for him." Lucien snickered, making her realize that he was still talking. She had been too busy listening to her body being ripped apart from the inside as she was unwillingly trying to heal around his fist in her chest. "But I had this feeling…" he crooned as he let go slightly to reclaim her attention.
"You see, Alice. You may fight your emotions, you may carry a straight face, but the eyes will always portray our true selves." he mused with a shrug. "I would recognize that look of adoration and love anywhere and furthermore, I notice the absence of it as well. I'll admit, you and Marcel nearly had me convinced."
His grin widened with dark eyes as he leaned closer to her face, his breath hitting her lips and making her want to flinch away. "However, there was this… flicker within you whenever you saw him." he continued with a snicker. "One which did not appear with anyone else, least of all your supposed lover. So, I decided to follow my former instinct after all, since they never had betrayed me before… Unlike others of course."
"Do you think…" Caroline coughed up and hissed as it hurt to talk. "… he-he'll let you go… if you kill me?"
The man scoffed with amusement at that, a cold and hard expression settling over his features suddenly. "Don't worry, Caroline." he purred lowly. "It seems I have use for you yet."
His eyes suddenly turned up above her, his face falling at the sight and bringing her attention to the man entering the room. Elijah looked homicidal and livid, something she hadn't ever expected to see on the Original's face.
Before he could reach for her, Lucien had let go of her heart and disappeared through a window. Leaving her to collapse with a clipped cough as she pressed her hands against the wound with dread. The Mikaelson kneeled down beside her with a dark scowl as he assessed her damages shortly.
"Elijah, you can't let him get away." she croaked out while glancing back at the direction Lucien had headed.
"I cannot let you die." he countered, stilling as he eyed her with a curious expression. His gaze falling on her hands and making her gulp hard, realizing that she had failed to hide it in the midst of all chaos.
She had gripped it with all her strength when she noticed it shimmering in the light. Making sure to keep her attacker distracted as she carefully pulled it towards her. But it seemed she hadn't thought of someone seeing her with it. It was covered with blood as she held it close to her side, but there was no mistaking what she'd found. The Golden Dagger.
"How did you-?" Elijah began as she bent over and coughed up thick blood in pain. He reached for her shoulder, making her flinch back in horror as he did. "It's alright, Caroline."
"No." she croaked, shaking her head as she watched him blur before her. "You have to go after him."
"Let me bring you some blood first." he said as she gripped his arm and directed a pointed look at him.
"I'll live." she pointed out with a wheezing breath. "Go!"
He seemed to struggle with himself before nodding and disappearing out the room, leaving her to stagger as she tried to stand up. "Caroline?" the voice of the female hybrid made her gulp as she suddenly felt lightheaded and fell to the floor again.
Hands quickly held her up and helped her sit up against the wall as Hayley kneeled down before her with furrowed eyes. "You're not healing." she noted with dread, watching her intently.
"Elijah needs help." she gritted out as she clenched her teeth in pain. "Lucien got away."
Another silhouette appeared in the bright light of the open restroom door before a head of blonde hair took up her sight. Hayley directed their hands to the bleeding vampire as she identified Camille's face.
"Help her, I'm going after Lucien." she told the blonde as she nodded and turned to Caroline with sympathetic eyes.
"What can I do?" Cami asked, earning a soft cry from the vampire in response.
She felt the pain in her body moving, causing her to wonder if Lucien had pushed one of her ribs into her heart. "Get it out." she hissed as she grabbed her hand in a plea for help.
The other blonde nodded at her request and pushed her hand inside the open wound, making Caroline cry out in pain as she undid the small amount of healing that her body had managed by then.
"I can't reach it." she said with a desperate tone as the writhing woman let out another shrill scream, forcing Camille to quickly pull away as she stared at the injured blonde with wide eyes.
"I think…" Caroline stuttered as she felt her mouth fill with blood again. "It's... It's moving deeper... It's probably cursed." she chuckled nervously and flashed a dark smile to her fellow vampire. "I guess that means I'm already dead."
"No, don't say that." she protested. "You're going to be fine."
"He'll never know." the sniffling vampire whispered in despair as tears ran down her face. Speaking more to herself than anything else. "I should have told him. I thought I had time. I didn't think I was going to die…"
"Stop saying that! Alright?" Cami bit out, aiming a pair of reassuring eyes at the young woman. "Breathe, I'm going to get Klaus and I'll be back in a second. Okay?"
Caroline nodded slowly but quickly winced from the effort it took. The woman was gone, bringing her to wonder if she was ever there in the first place. She tried to reach into her wound again but only growled in agony as the rib pierced through her heart. "Fuck!" she screamed through clenched teeth as she pulled back with a defeated sigh.
"Really? This is how I go?" she muttered out to the air in disbelieving scoffs. "Bleeding to death next to some toilets!?"
"No." the word made her head snap to her side as she stared at the shadow suddenly standing there.
"Who are you?" she stuttered as the shapes cleared up, making her pick out two small children kneeling next to her on the floor.
They were beautiful. Gorgeous blue eyes and fair skin, one blonde and one brunette. Their gaze curious and innocent as they studied her intently. "You killed us, mommy." the blonde one said.
"What?" the vampire breathed out in chock, shaking her head as she covered her face with a hand. "No, no. You're not real. You can't be here…. Y-You don't exist." she murmured in a desperate chant. She turned to them again and found herself devastated to see that they were still there. "Please… Why are you doing this to me?" she whispered quietly.
The girls looked at each other before looking back at her, seemingly reaching out their little hands in an attempt to help her up. But in the last second, they stabbed her chest with stakes that appeared from nowhere. Caroline roared as she tried to push them away from her, but it was as if her hands passed through their bodies.
They were hallucinations, she thought and tried to figure out if Lucien had somehow managed to poison her with werewolf venom when she wasn't looking.
She continued to try and fight them off, but she felt the bone in her chest dig deeper. Making her lose her breath as she struggled to call for help once more. Her small attackers evaporated into the air in front of her as she started losing consciousness, dropping to the floor with a clipped breath before everything suddenly went dark.
The last thought she had was of the harrowing and empty realization that no one was coming for her. She was alone. Dying…
And then, everything went dark.
Davina felt her body nearly shiver with all her new magical powers. She left the ballroom as Josh waved her over and quickly ducked away from the crowds. "Did you get it?" she asked as they hurried through the hall and away from the others.
"He put up quite a fight, but yes. We got it." he assured her before taking out a covered object from within his jacket. Lifting the cloth covering it and revealing that he was indeed right.
"The Candle." she breathed out in awe as she took it and held it close to her body. "Let's go." she said as they turned and started to run, only to stop as Elijah suddenly stood before them.
"What have you done?" he asked with a cold face as he stared at them with a shaking head.
"Whatever's necessary." she countered shortly, raising a hand as she focused her magic on the Original.
He was held back then, his face shaking as he fought against her powers. His body began to twist and darken as his limbs began to desiccate.
"Davina!" the voice calling for her made her stiffen as she turned and saw Marcel. "Let him go, we have everything we need." he told her firmly as he walked towards her.
"Don't come any closer, Marcel." she bit out, making the young vampire by her side glare with round eyes.
"Davina?" Josh said just before she raised a hand against him, turning it and watching him fall to the floor as his neck snapped and left him unconscious on the floor.
"What are you doing!?" Marcel cried out in horror, taking a step towards her then and bringing her to raise her hand to him. "This isn't part of the plan, D." he yelled darkly.
"It is ours." Lucien chimed in as he entered the hallway then, smiling at her as he glanced between the vampires she held back with her magic.
"We need to leave now." she said, her voice strained as Elijah fought against her and forcing her to use more of her power then.
"Do you have it?" the vampire asked as he walked up to her with observing eyes. "Did you find it?"
"Yes." she assured him before turning the question around then. "And you?"
He smirked wickedly before reaching into his jacket and revealing the dagger in his hands. "Fortunately, yes." he crooned, keeping it hidden from the other men as she swiftly accepted it and stowed it away in her bag. "It was a close call, though. I came upon a snag in our path."
"What's that supposed to mean?" she countered, frowning at the chuckle it elicited.
"Let's just say, you are lucky to have a partner who always plans ahead."
Accepting the reply for now, she closed her eyes and raised her hands higher. Turning them quickly in the air and earning the sound of two bodies falling to the ground. Both Elijah and Marcel incapacitated as she turned to Lucien again.
"I see you are enjoying your new powers." the vampire snickered when she met his gaze again.
"Are we leaving or not?" she pressed before a harsh wind suddenly passed them, causing her to quickly raise her hands to protect herself from the impact.
She saw Lucien being flung across the room as Klaus suddenly appeared with glowing eyes directed at her. Hayley standing beside him as the Original turned to follow the vampire who quickly got on his feet and ran.
"You." she hissed as she glared at the witch, jumping forward just as Davina whispered a chant to push the female hybrid back.
"You can't hurt me." she told her calmly as she watched the woman trying to lunge forward again, punching at the invisible barrier between them as she fought to reach through.
"You have no idea what you've done, Davina!" Hayley roared out, causing the young witch to gulp before closing her eyes.
Bowing her head in a silent chant, she felt the air vibrate around her as the hybrid continued to call her name. Until everything became silent and her eyes opened to an entirely different view.
The cemetery.
"Time to get to work." she breathed to herself as she carried the objects in her hands and quickly headed to her vault. Prepared to bring back the man she had waited for the past six years. Determined not to have to wait a single minute longer.
Klaus caught up with Lucien just as he tried to leave the building. "Where do you think you're going?" he asked, causing the younger man to freeze up as he realized he had been caught. The sight as he turned around to face him made the hybrid narrow his eyes.
Studying the bloodied clothes as he suddenly recognized a scent off him that did not belong to the man in question. Lucien raised his palms with an anxious chuckle. "Now, now. I promise I didn't kill her." he said. The words causing him to forget why he had gone after the vampire in the first place.
Rushing forward, he pinned the man to the wall by his throat and glaring up at his face with glowing eyes. "Where is she!?" Klaus growled, making the vampire grin in response.
"My guess? Where I left her." he croaked out through the Original's hold. "And with a souvenir too, might I add."
He lifted him up and forcefully shoved Lucien harder against the wall. "What did you do!?" he roared as the vampire's grin refused to leave his twisted face.
"Klaus!" the voice hit his ear as Camille suddenly flashed towards him. Covered in blood as her face looked pale and frightened. "I think she's dying."
Lucien let out a cold, cruel laugh at that, drawing both their attention to the man then. "Ah, Nik... These fickle baby-vampires, they are so weak. So fragile." he crooned with another chuckle. "Those pesky hallucinations have likely already ripped her apart by now. That is, if the insufferable pain has not yet caused her to take her own life instead."
Klaus realized then what the man could possibly mean and felt his insides burn. "Papa Tunde's blade." he gritted out and dropped Lucien to the floor, rushing down to follow Cami as she lead him to Caroline then.
"Remember, Niklaus; You made your choice!" Lucien called out after him, his voice echoing through the wind. But the hybrid refused to entertain him as he instead focused on far more important matters.
They entered the restroom and immediately turned to Elijah as he sat on the floor. Something broke in Klaus' chest when he saw her. Her dress drenched in blood, her body still and her face slack.
"Keep her steady." he demanded as he quickly joined his brother by Caroline then. "The blade… It's still inside of her."
"Not the…" Elijah said, becoming silent as he met Klaus' grim look. "Do it." he told him, holding onto Caroline's arms as Klaus drew a deep breath before digging his hand into her chest.
They all jumped when Caroline suddenly sat up and wailed a loud and pained cry. Staring at Klaus with eyes completely white, she tried to fight against him as he grabbed the blade from within her ribcage. Her legs kicked at him, one of her arms managing to break free from Elijah's grip. She threw her hand to Klaus' neck, squeezing his throat tightly as he pressed his lips together.
He finally managed to pull the blade out of her and throw it away, making her abruptly collapse in Elijah's arms. Her eyes were still open and her body cold, her skin seeming to fade into a grey color before him then. "Caroline." Klaus whispered while he moved her to his lap, studying her as she seemed dead to the world.
"Get her blood, now!" he roared out to Elijah, earning a short nod before his brother disappeared then. Turning back to the woman with desperate eyes. "You are not dying." he breathed out firmly, holding onto her head with silent pleas falling off his lips. "You will not die. Do your hear me, Caroline!? You will not die."
A glass of blood appeared in his sight as Elijah had quickly returned, causing the hybrid to act immediately as he propped her head up and raised the glass to her lips. He felt his heart crush into pieces as she didn't respond, the blood simply running down her face without any effect on her whatsoever. Not even her vampiric features reacted to it.
He threw the glass away as he held her closer then. "No... No!" he demanded with a shaking head before biting into his wrist and holding the bleeding wound above her mouth. "We said no outs, Caroline. Remember!? No outs! That's what we said… So, you do not get to die." he gritted to the vampire as he felt like the entire world was slowly crumbling around him.
"Not now. Not after everything… Not when-" his voice broke as he shook his head with devastation. "Caroline?" he breathed out as he watched her unresponsive face. Time seemingly standing still while he begged for her to wake up. His insides turning and twisting as he waited, feeling like he was the one dying instead.
She was supposed to be safe. She was supposed to be protected.
Whether it was a cosmic joke or a cruel punishment was unclear as he looked down at the vampire. The young girl that had finally opened herself to him. The one he had waited for, searched for… The one he loved. Dead.
"No." he whispered silently gulping hard as he stared in disbelief. It was unfathomable. It didn't make any sense. How could he lose her now when she had just, finally, become his?
Feeling completely powerless as he brought a shaking hand to her face, barely able to touch her as he suddenly couldn't stand the cold contact of her skin. The despair was starting to drown him as he looked up at Elijah where he stood with a teary-eyed Camille. Suddenly feeling like he was a little boy again, turning to his big brother in need. Desperate. Begging.
But the older Mikaelson seemed at as much of a loss for words as Klaus in the moment, his wide eyes and hard face mirroring the poison in the hybrid's chest. He could almost hear the walls going back up within his mind, shutting everything and everyone out once more. Ridding himself of his vulnerabilities as he helplessly held onto the one person who had managed to touch his heart for the first time in a thousand years.
The first to truly understand him.
The first to intrigue him, challenge him, better him.
And now, he had lost her.
He didn't even get to ask her about the morning when she let those little words slip… He didn't get to tell her that he felt the very same way. He didn't get to explain what she was to him, what she meant to him. How she had changed everything. Brought light into his life like never before. Brightened his soul. Opened his eyes and torn down all his defenses. How she had pierced straight through him and gripped his heart. How she was the reason he could be the father that Hope deserved.
How she was the first one he had loved in… centuries.
And worst of all; He didn't even get to say goodbye.
A sharp inhale of breath brought them all to suddenly stare down at the vampire, her eyelashes fluttering lightly as she bit into his arm and finally reacted to the blood. His breathing was choked as an incredulous chuckle escaped him, tears burning their way down his cheeks as she slowly returned to life. "That's it, Caroline." he whispered, bringing his free hand to stroke her face gently.
His fingers trembled against her skin as he carefully pushed her hair back and bent down to kiss her forehead. "Thank you." he murmured as he listened to her heart beating again. "For coming back to me."
Leaning back to study her eyes as the daze slowly lifted from them, making her look up and see him. A gasp left him as he watched the blue irises in admiration, having feared for a moment that he would never see them again.
"Niklaus…" Elijah said slowly.
"Lucien's gone." he told his brother without even looking at him, his eyes fully focused on the woman in his embrace. He stroked her cheek as she seemed to gather up some more strength, her teeth digging firmly into his wrist as she continued to feed on his blood.
"There's something else." the Original drawled, making Klaus groan as he glared up at him.
"Go! Kill him. Kill them all. Just stop talking!" he growled at him, making Caroline stare up at the hybrid with confused eyes. Bringing him to smile down at her softly as his voice changed entirely at that. "Heal, my love." he murmured as he vaguely noticed the bystanders leaving them alone. "You're safe now."
The color was returning to her skin, the spark of life inhabited her eyes once more, her hands found strength and held onto him securely. Some tears ran down her beautiful face, and he wasn't entirely sure whom they belonged to.
"You can't do that to me again, Caroline." he muttered darkly, shaking his head as he took a few deep breaths and stroked her hair. "I thought-" he began, his voice died off his lips as he tried to continue but he simply couldn't utter the words.
She pushed at his arm, confusing him as she held him back. "What happened to me?" she breathed out with a trembling lip as her eyelashes dampened with glistening tears. "I saw them, Klaus."
He closed his eyes in a clenched frown, knowing whom she was referring to and cursing the agony she must be feeling. "It wasn't real." he explained warmly, smiling down at her as he couldn't seem to stop himself from rejoicing in her responsiveness. "None of it was."
"My mom." she murmured with a shaking head. "I saw her too. She was so angry…" A sniffle escaped her as she continued with tormented features. "She said she hated me. Said I was a monster."
"Shh…" he cradled her head and held her closer to his chest as he pressed his lips into her hair. "None of it was real, Caroline. I promise."
Her heartbreaking sobs made her shake as she gripped his shirt tightly, his arms coming around to embrace her as he wished he could take the pain away. He had experience with those hallucinations himself, and he knew how abhorrent the torture was. It took him days to start feeling like himself again after finally getting rid of the horrendous blade. He didn't even dare to consider the damage it undoubtedly had done on the young vampire, not having a single idea as to how to help her heal.
As he stroked her back slowly, he noticed something sticking out from within the top of her dress. Leaning closer, he narrowed his eyes and reached for the mysterious object she seemed to have hidden there. She must have understood what he had discovered, because she pulled back and met his eyes with an intense gaze.
"Bonnie was right." she told him, making him furrow his brows in response. "I got it." He wasn't quite following her until she reached within her side and pulled out a golden weapon with her delicate hands. Making him gape in chock as she held it up with a mix of triumph and suffering across her face.
"I found it on him when he…" she gulped as her voice wavered, the reminder stabbing his heart as well. "We have it, Klaus."
He shook his head slowly in disbelief before leaning down and crashing his lips to hers in a deep kiss. She reciprocated and held onto his shoulders, sighing softly against his lips as he felt a wide smile cover his face. "I was right." he interjected as he leaned back and studied her closely, as if he hadn't seen her for centuries. "You are the strongest of us all, Caroline Forbes."
She breathed deeply, closing her eyes while she nodded in response. The sudden fatigue seeming to take her over, making her lie down with a tired sigh. "Rest, my love." he murmured as he stored the dagger away and pressed his forehead against hers. "I need you to heal, we can handle everything else later."
Brushing her cheekbones with his knuckles, he left a kiss to her skin and inhaled her in relief and wonder. Certain then that she was some goddess reincarnate. Or an angel sent to bring miracles in her path… Whatever she was, and whatever had sent her to him, all he could do was be grateful. The realization circling in his thoughts as he held onto her tightly in disbelief.
She was astounding.
Glorious.
Alive…
And she was his.
Davina felt the vampire's presence before he made himself known to her. Not wasting any time with pleasantries, she turned an angry glare towards his dark eyes and scoffed venomously.
"You're late." she pointed out curtly as Lucien stepped closer to her in the vast mausoleum. The tub prepared and the ashes already spread, everything was ready for Kol Mikaelson's resurrection. Except for one problem.
"You were supposed to wait for me, dear." he purred, making her skin crawl as she clenched her jaw shut in annoyance.
"It isn't working anyway." she spat out, glancing back at the murky water before her that waited for her key ingredient; the Candle.
"I reckon you have not been able to melt it down yet." he chimed tauntingly, eliciting a sharp curse to escape the witch's lips. "Now, now. I come with solutions, love." he chuckled with raised palms as he passed her and brushed a finger along the edge of the tub. The image eerie and making her uncomfortable as she felt like he was violating Kol's remains.
"Get to the point, Lucien." she demanded firmly, bringing him to turn back with her with a wicked grin before he raised a vial into the air for her to see. "Blood?" she scoffed in disbelief. "I already have more than enough for the spell."
"Yes, but you do not have the blood of the real descendants of Palmira Caetano and Alzbeta Marousek."
She stilled at his words, parting her lips slightly as she felt panic rise in her chest. "You gave me decoy blood?" she asked flatly, fighting hard not to lose her temper along with the very delicate level of control she held over her newfound powers. "You sabotaged me from the start?"
"I needed to make sure you fulfilled your end of the bargain before bringing your lost love back to life." he said with a leisure shrug, as if it was the most reasonable explanation in the world.
"Are you going to hand it over to me willingly or do I need to take it from you?"
He laughed deeply at her set scowl, shaking his head in amusement before letting out a deep sigh. "Oh, I have every intention of giving the last ingredient to you, Davina. I simply need you to adjust your pace with the spell."
"I thought you said I'd have time."
"Not anymore." he sighed with a shaking head. "Not after Caroline managed to steal the second dagger without me noticing."
She sputtered out a choked scoff as she gaped at him then. "What?" she breathed out slowly. "You were hiding a second dagger and the real blood for the spell. What the hell else are you keeping from me!?"
"Calm down, dear. None of this will affect your goal in the matter. It will, however, hamper the next part of my plan." he snickered, rolling his eyes and causing the rage to flicker and burn through her veins. "Unless you help me."
"With what?" she spat out incredulously. "Why on earth would I help you when all you've done so far is betray me?"
The wicked smirk spread over his face again as he waved the vial of blood before her slowly. " I need a spell." he mused. "One that can break through magical seals."
Realizing the implications of his request, she gritted her teeth and closed her eyes tightly. "You want me to give you the candle." she concluded, earning a confirming grin when she looked up at him again.
He nodded in agreement as her face fell, her stomach turning with the realization that he had her fully under his thumb. She had already hurt everyone she cared about by making a deal with him from the beginning, it wouldn't be worth it to give up now. She needed Kol back, or it would have all been for nothing.
"Fine." she muttered reluctantly. "What do we need?"
"Nothing which cannot be found on the very grounds we're standing in." he said with a shrug.
"What do you want me to do?" she pressed, afraid of the answer but anxious to know what she was getting herself into.
Instead of a response, he walked over to her with slow strides. Placing the vial of blood on the table beside her and directing a dark and beaming smile as he did. "In order for your lost love to return to you… You are to return mine first."
The cold was a constant, always paired with the sound of the wind as it passed through Lafayette Cemetery every now and then.
There was no light. No darkness. There was nothing.
Nothing, but her memories. And her rage.
Because for over five years now, she had been imprisoned behind bricks and concrete. Her mind the only thing to keep her company as her body withered and weakened in slow and continuous torture. There were times, fleeting moments, when she actually slept. But it was never a peaceful sleep. It was always filled with the same memory...
Her love sealing her within the tomb. His face cold as the stonework around her while he stacked the bricks up by her frozen body.
"I had the right idea when I bricked up your portrait. Behind walls is where you belong."
She occasionally stopped fighting the sealing spell at some point over the years, and with it she allowed herself to forget. Forget what he had done to her. Forget the sensation of her heart shattering in devastation as he yet again gave up and turned away from her. A voice in her mind rationalizing his behavior, his acts of terror against the woman he once loved with such intensity…
Then one day, she started hearing whispers which did not belong to her already fully habited thoughts. Her sanity had been just by the brink before, but it had become far more intense within her cruel prison.
The voices. They were taunting her.
The murmurs turned into chants… Increasing in volume until it evidently became loud shrieks instead. Reminding her of her anger, her pain, her resentment. Telling her not to accept her fate but to instead revolt against it. To punish him for what he had done. To burn his beloved city to the ground, and with it the blonde little twit he insisted on keeping by his side.
How are you supposed to get your revenge now? the calls reprimanded her, whipping her into line as she began to plan. And five years was indeed a long time to put the pieces together, to scheme for an outlet to her fury.
And it helped to have allies.
"I am here." the light voice said, the one she had grown accustomed to by now.
Did they go through with it? she asked in her mind as they held a connection to her thoughts.
"Yes. I followed your instructions." the voice assured her.
Then why am I still in here?
"He will come soon. He swore."
You swore! she growled back, hearing her flinch in response to her hard tone. You swore to free me!
"I need some more time. They took it... Davina, the witch-"
The witch should not have survived the ritual! You were supposed to kill her.
"I-I couldn't... She is my family; I can't even think about it–"
Do not speak of family to me! Not whilst my brother is left to rot at the bottom of the sea! The memory returned, clear in her head as it reverberated through her. "While the fish eat him, and the worms eat you... Just know that it was I who took everything from you."
Was she there? she pressed then, the image of the weak blonde passed her eyes.
"Yes. She was. I saw her. But I don't think she's who you want..."
What do you know of whom I want!?
"Please... Don't be angry with me, it's deafening..."
The pleading voice would have made her roll her eyes, only settling for the scoff in her mind. Fine. Explain.
"I believe you still succeeded, in a way, to keep them from each other. They haven't had any contact in years... And I think I learned why tonight."
Very well, do not leave me in suspense. I may not have anywhere to go, but that does not dictate my patience for you.
"There is someone else. Her name is Caroline. Caroline Forbes."
Who is she? What is she to him?
"From what I can tell... She is everything."
Brilliant. Then target her. We shall not stop until he has lost all that is good to him. Not until I have taken his heart, his hope and in the end - his life.
"With her, we would be well on our way. Rebekah is still isolated. They have not made any progress on that end; I made sure of it. I have blocked their magic every time."
And yet, they still try! You need to ruin them. Take away their faith and break their resolve. We will not be successful as long as their sickening promise of 'Always and Forever' withstands.
"And the child? Do you still wish to use her?"
Yes, you fool! There is no greater loss to any parent than that of a child. Do not stray from the plan, do you hear me!? You are to keep away until the time comes for us to take her.
"It will become difficult now..."
Do not stray! Do you understand!?
"Y-yes, of course. I'm sorry."
Is the spell set for midnight? she asked then, nearly sensing the vibrations in her body as she felt the spell weakening around her.
"Yes. We have prepared for it all. He will arrive with the candle."
Good. As soon as he does, find humans for me so I can feed. Then, prepare for our joint escape.
"He is here... But he didn't come alone." the voice suddenly said, bringing dread to her gut.
What does that mean? Who did he bring? Did something go wrong!?
There was silence for a long moment as she waited for her new guest.
Well!? Is he here or not!?
Another silence spread, making her mind run with panic.
Answer me!
That's when the loud, shrill scream spread through the cellar. No, she thought as she realized the mental connection was suddenly cut off. No, no...
A crash echoed loudly. Gravel and stone falling to the ground. Light suddenly seeping through tiny cracks and blinding her sight. Another crash, and another. The wall slowly fell apart. She had waited for five years, but this moment felt the longest of all. Finally, her eyes fluttered into an intent glare, focusing despite the desiccated muscles in her body. She saw him.
The magic imprisoning her was lifted and her body fell into his arms. "I have you, love. I have you now." he said as he picked her up and flashed the two away into the cold wind. Her mind noting a pair of corpses lying by the ground, their faces unfamiliar to her as she started to lose her strength. Slowly enveloped in the comfort of the darkness, the free abyss which she had longed for over the years.
The quiet was not the same. The wind no longer cold. Everything started to become animated. Vividly and with an overwhelming feeling of salvation; Aurora de Martel returned to the real world. Leaving her former state of death behind and heading towards her vengeance.
...
And with that, we are now entering yet another part of the story;
the ending.
See you all soon. x.
