Part two! Really really really hope you like it. The last(!) chapter will be up as soon as I can, xx.


Chapter 36: Hold your breath until it's over, part 2

Present day
New Orleans, Louisiana

The triangle made out of salts and herbs was quickly drawn up on the floorboards in one of the larger sitting rooms. Freya and Bonnie prepared the final couple of runes as Klaus attentively placed Caroline in the middle. Davina and Kol standing beside them to help steady their magic if needed, since their abilities were somewhat diminished yet and did not allow for them to take part in the heavy lifting.

Klaus brushed some hair out of the vampire's face and smiled softly, stroking her cheek as he took a strengthening breath. "Don't worry, my love. We'll have you up and bossing others around before you know it." he grinned, imagining her responding eye-roll while the tiny smirk played on her lips.

A tinge of sorrow hit him then as she remained still and emotionless before him. The heavy fear of never getting to see that again strangling his throat. "Just hold on a little while longer, Caroline." he whispered, laying a soft kiss on her temple before turning to the witches.

"Is everything ready?" he asked. Receiving a reassuring nod from Freya, he inhaled deeply before lying down beside the sleeping blonde. "Let's begin."

"Wait..." Freya interjected, prompting him to sit up and watch her carefully. "This may be our only chance at pushing the Marousek spirit out of Caroline's mind… Perhaps we should have someone distract the witch while another tries to reach for Caroline's subconscious?"

"Agreed, it's our safest bet of separating the two of them." Bonnie concluded and watched Alaric then. "I think it should be you, Ric."

The man nodded in response. "Of course. Anything-" he began just as Damon interrupted abruptly.

"No." Damon interjected with a grim look on his face. "It should be me."

"You?" Klaus sneered.

"I know a thing or two about witches, alright? And I mean, she may love you, but she hates me. Maybe the two of us can work as different angles of attack?" he suggested, his glib look quickly turning solemn as he shook his head. "All I know is, that I need to help. I owe her this. I owe her everything."

Bonnie watched him with a sad smile and nodded then. "You're right, it could help bring a stronger reaction out of Caroline – get her to wake up faster."

"I agree." Freya chimed in with a nod. "Lay on the other side of her and take each of her hands in the two of yours'. It will help strengthen the connection."

Damon followed her instructions, avoiding the steely glares from Klaus as he placed himself within the triangle with an exhale. "Alright. What now?" he muttered in a snicker.

"Focus, and try not to cause any more damage than you already have." Klaus scoffed in response, bringing Damon to frown as Freya quickly chimed in.

"Let's get started." she declared, the witches linking hands and bowing their heads as they began to chant. "Pontem praesidio. Anchora immortalibus. Pontem praesidio. Anchora immortalibus..."

The lights in the room flickered around them, the walls shaking slightly in reaction to the magic. "Pontem praesidio. Anchora immortalibus..." they continued chanting louder this time. Repeating the chant over and over until the vampires both stilled, their eyes flashing white as they connected with the spell.

A sharp gasp escaped Klaus as he was pulled inside Caroline's mind violently then. It was all blurry at first, gradually clearing as he looked around to notice that he was standing in a forest. It looked vaguely familiar, and he assumed it was based on a memory from Mystic Falls that she held in her thoughts.

"Salvatore?" he called out as he couldn't find the man he had entered with. Walking to examine the woods further. "Caroline?"

There was some rustling by a bush, making him move towards it carefully. He watched as he saw the blonde hiding behind the leaves, her head ducked as she cradled her knees close to her and rocked back and forth.

The closer he neared her, the less he recognized the vampire. Her body seemed thinner than usual, her skin translucent, her hair grey and muted. Before he could call her name, her eyes flicked up and caught his breath in the cold gaze as she gaped at him.

"What did you do?" she gritted out in fear, stumbling over her own words.

"Me?" he asked, furrowing his eyebrows as he took another step towards her. Noting her body tensing up at the act, he stopped and kept the distance between them.

"You shouldn't be here." she murmured glumly, burying her head in her knees once more as she whispered on. "You're going to lead her right to me."

"Her?" he echoed, the broken look of her tearing him apart as he struggled not to reach for her. His feet moved without him as he stepped closer yet, freezing up as her gaze suddenly met his once more but with something empty within them this time.

"No…" she breathed out, her eyes filling with tears as she jerked her head to the side. "No, no, no… She's here."

He moved to kneel before her at that, blocking her path in case she were to attempt escaping him. "Caroline, who? Who is after you?" he asked with a slow nod, raising his hand as he aimed to cup her cheek before thinking better of it and drawing it back reluctantly.

"Caroline…" the taunting whisper made her flinch as he turned to search for the source.

"She found me." the vampire said under a shuddering breath, a tear fleeing from her frightened eyes as he studied her again.

"Who did?" he pressed, grabbing her face in his hands then as he was sure his heart couldn't take resisting it anymore. "What did they do to you, love?" he murmured silently, stroking her cheeks as he scanned the dread splayed across her features. "Give me a name, Caroline." he told her grimly, his jaw clenching. "Tell me who and I swear they will not live to breathe another sadistic breath. Just tell me where to go, what to look for."

"No, I can't tell you." she quipped with a shaking head, pushing at his chest and bringing his hands to leave her. "You have to go before she sees you."

"Caroline…" the sing-songed call fleeted in the air once more, sending a harsh chill to his bones. "Where is it, Caroline?"

The words made him still as he realized that he recognized them, blinking shortly as he tried to remember wherefrom. He watched the blonde scramble to her feet, her eyes darting around them in alarm as he stood in front of her. Holding her shoulders, his hands running down her arms soothingly.

"Caroline, it's okay." he assured her softly. "I won't let anything happen to you."

"It doesn't matter." she whispered with a shaking head and wide eyes. Letting out short gasp as she spoke. "She's coming." she breathed out, the panic evident in her voice as she reached for him with urgent pleas. "Klaus, don't let her take me. Y-you can't let her…"

"Shh shh…" he tried to calm her, wrapping his arms around her as she buried into his chest. Bringing a hand to brush through her hair as he tried to calm her shaking form. "It's going to be alright, Caroline. I'm here to help you."

"Help me?" she murmured into his shirt, a sniffle escaping her as he nodded.

He pushed her back slightly and scanned her for any visible injuries, realizing quickly that there would be none since they weren't in their physical forms. It was also why he couldn't feel her touch the way he used to, couldn't catch her scent or sense her emotions…

"Caroline, we need to leave." he told her, hurrying to focus on the mission at hand before he got too swept up in the vampire's mind. "Right now. Come with me." he instructed, grabbing her wrist tightly as he tugged at her to follow.

She surprised him by pulling back, staying in her spot and bringing him to turn to her in question. A malevolent smirk suddenly draped across her face as she watched him with a tilted head.

"Did you really think it would be that easy?" she snickered darkly, raising something in the air and slinging it at his head before everything turned black.


Damon sucked in a harsh breath as he dove into darkness, falling on hard and cold gravel. "Ouch..." he groaned in pain before chuckling lightly to himself. "Guess I deserved that." he muttered, standing up slowly as his body ached in protests.

He turned and looked around for the Original hybrid, scoffing as found nothing but the empty land of dried grass and thin roads that he'd been sent to.

"Well..." he sighed with a shrug of his shoulder, imagining that Klaus and he had been separated for a reason. "Hope you got a nicer welcome than me." he snickered, brushing off dirt from his clothes as he tried to listen for something, anything, to give him a clue to follow.

A rustling noise came from afar, prompting him to follow the direction with long steps as they slowly became clearer to him. The noise sounding like whispers in the wind, passing by him while he walked down the dark road.

"Shallow."

"Stupid."

The words flew through him, the voices adding and filling his ears as he kept moving towards the source of them.

"I don't like you. And I never have."

"… an insecure, neurotic, bitchy little twit."

"You are the only stupid thing here."

The last phrase made Damon freeze up as he recognized the words suddenly... Words that he himself had said.

"And shallow... and useless!"

He gulped hard as he felt the guilt twist his gut into knots, starting to run in an effort to flash past the heartless voices around him. But it didn't stop him from still hearing them... Especially when they turned into the one of his comatose girlfriend's.

"This annoying, clingy thing that you're doing..."

"... stop being a reminder that her daughter is a repulsive, blood-sucking control-freak monster."

Finally, he saw the blonde as she sat down in the middle of an open field. Her back was turned to him as she seemed to be at war with herself, her head twitching as she glanced around in different directions erratically.

"Caroline."

She flinched at the mention of her name, but kept her eyes focused on something before her. Staying silent and still as he neared her cautiously, bending down to study her pale face with apprehension in his voice as he spoke.

"Caroline, it's me." he told her softly, noting her eyes as they turned dark in response.

"You." she breathed out, prompting him to gulp down his guilt again. "Why are you here?"

"You were hurt, remember? Th-the dagger started messing with your head-" he began to explain but was abruptly interrupted by her harsh tone.

"No." she bit through clenched teeth as she glared at him. "Why are you here?"

He closed his eyes in a sigh and nodded to himself in understanding, choosing a different approach instead. "I know we haven't always been on the best of terms, Caroline. But trust me, I'm here to help you." he murmured softly, hoping the genuine significance made it through his shaky voice.

"Trust you?" she echoed with disgust dripping around the edges of her words. She quickly stood up and put her hands on both sides of his face, gritting her teeth as she yelled loudly in protests. "You are a monster!" she told him accusatorily.

Her voice rang in his ears as Damon suddenly felt himself being pulled away in her mind. The world shifting beneath his feet, the wind whipping at his skin and his body shaking lightly as she moved him. His head began to hurt in result of the quick change, bringing him to shut his eyes in a pained grimace as her touch disappeared.

"Good morning."

The words brought him to gape at the sight before him, watching a memory play out that he hadn't contemplated in a very long time… He was standing in a familiar room, the wallpapers aiding him in dating the scene back to years ago in Mystic Falls. The hollow expression on his old face informing him of his emotional state at the time, just as the frightened and somewhat dazed look on Caroline's told him that she was still human in this particular revisit.

He turned to look around for the real Caroline but found himself alone with the ghosts of their past. The pair in a stand-off as the blonde backed towards the bed in fear, reaching for the lamp behind her as Damon stayed in place with a scolding finger raised at the girl.

"Don't do that." he threatened just before she hit him with her impromptu weapon and tried to run off. He remained stoic as he stalked after her while she tried to put further distance between them. Dodging a clock that had been situated on the nightstand as she threw it at his head.

She tried to run towards the door, but he stopped her effortlessly and pushed her back onto the bed. Her hands quickly grabbing onto a pillow and hurled it at him in desperation, which he caught with ease.

"This could have gone a completely different way..." he chuckled as he watched the horror on her face. Lifting the pillow in a pointed shrug as he considered his options, however his senses were immediately triggered when he noticed the blood on the fabric. Her blood.

He pressed his face into it with a deep inhale as his features slowly changed into a vicious mask. Jumping her and muffling her screams with one hand as he bit into her shoulder, her back, her wrist… Anywhere he could reach despite her flailing arms as she tried to fight him off in vain. The resistance in her still so strong even as her strength was drained by his attack.

"Caroline." Damon called as he turned away from the memory, not wanting to watch it any further. "Let me out of here." he implored. The lack of response made him unwary, bringing him to push at the door and tug at the handle as he quickly realized that he was locked inside.

His gaze moved across the room then as he headed for the window instead, but he was abruptly pinned down to the floor by an invisible force.

"No." Caroline's voice hissed through the room as he grunted to himself. "If I have to remember it - you have to watch it." she bit out just as he was pulled up on his feet once more. His head turned to the memory as he was made to witness his past-self abuse the young girl.

He stared in silence as the blonde finally stopped struggling against the vampire, not for lack of energy so much as a lack of hope. Her eyes said it all as they went blank while her body slumped beneath him; she had given up. Right then and there, she had decided that she wasn't going to resist anymore. That she wasn't going to fight it.

The thought made Damon's chest tighten in agony as he listened to the girl's slowing heartbeat. Studying them as the man stopped feeding and lied down on his back with an intoxicated grin on his gruesome face.

"I was nothing to you."

He swallowed hard at her bitter whisper, nodding to himself with a deep frown of remorse framing his features. "You have no idea how much I regret that." he murmured gently. His eyes glued to the pale being lying next to the monster in her bed, noting how her face had been forged with terror and resignation.

"You're right. I don't." she told him solemnly as the memory was suddenly ripped away from him. Creating a resounding ringing in his head as he was brought back to the dark field with her again. His eyes burning with discreet tears as he turned to her slowly.

"You used me up, broke me down... Tore me apart." she breathed, glaring at him with a cold smile as she snickered on. "And all the while, you pretended to be friends with my mother."

She turned away from him at that and continued to stare ahead of her, seemingly into nothingness. "And you never even gave it a second-thought." she whispered silently, prompting him to close his eyes in a sigh as he sat down by her side.

He followed the direction of her gaze but could not find anything there, letting a moment of silence pass them as he considered his words carefully. Not wanting to say the wrong thing and make things any worse than he already had… "I am so sorry, Caroline." he murmured gently, keeping his eyes away from her - out of shame or guilt or some other reason, he just knew he couldn't look at her as he continued.

"I wish I could tell you that I knew better or that it wasn't me… But I can't, because it was. I did that to you and so many other horrible things because I wanted to. There was no reason, no explanation that could make either of us feel better about any of it. The truth is that I was a monster, and that's all there is to it."

"You still are." she breathed, causing him to nod in reply.

"I am." he agreed.

"And so am I."

That made him turn to her quickly, seeing the heavy look in her eyes and shaking his head in protest. "No, listen, Caroline." he interjected. "I am not going to lie to you; being a vampire makes you do things that you could've never even imagined when you were human. And me? I hated being like this, being what we are. Everything I ever did, all the hurt and pain that I caused and every awful act or mistake I made - it was in protest of it. Of a decision that had been made without my consent."

She scoffed at his last word, making him sigh deeply as the guilt stung him again. "Please, just let me say this..." he whispered, watching her as she gave him the tiniest nod of approval before continuing. "When we become vampires - we become more of who we already are." he mused. "But it also brings out sides of us that we've always tried to keep hidden or that we never knew where there in the first place... I have made many mistakes based off of impulsive emotions and this lack of empathy or understanding for how I affected the people around me. And many times, I've brushed it off and moved on." he turned to study her closer before he spoke again. "However, the way I treated you and Bonnie and even Elena at times; those are the ones that I actually wish I could undo."

Her eyes met his as he scanned her with a genuine frown. "I have done some unforgivable things to you, and I am genuinely sorry about all of them." he admitted truthfully. "I don't even know why I chose to go after you back then... Maybe because it would irritate Elena, and then in turn provoke Stefan. But mostly, I think it was because I saw you as this weak little girl. One who cared about nothing, who thought about nothing. Someone who wouldn't be missed if she just... disappeared."

The hurt flashed over her face as she gaped at him, causing him to rush to speak again before she stopped paying attention. "But listen to me, Care. I was wrong." he relayed earnestly, enunciating every word to mark the meaning behind them. "You are not weak. You are strong. You have this big heart that somehow even had room for me occasionally, proving just how incredible you really are. You are nothing like me, Caroline. So, do yourself a favor and don't waste time blaming yourself for your past - because I promise you that in comparison, you're a saint to my monster."

"That doesn't change anything." she interjected. "Even when I thought I had forgiven you... After mom-" her voice broke slightly before she cleared her throat and continued. "I thought I was over it. But then the twins died, and it was like this wound that I thought was healed started bleeding all over again. You just always knew how to hurt me in the deepest way… And you made me think that I deserved it."

"Again, I deeply - genuinely - regret my part in the twins' deaths." he told her silently, about to speak again but her weak voice cut him off.

"And now you're here. Trying to hurt me again." she muttered, bringing him to furrow his brows as he studied her closer.

"What do you mean?" he stuttered, barely catching sight of the strange flicker on her face before she suddenly flashed away. Leaving him to curse himself loudly as he hurried to follow her deeper into her mind.


Klaus wasn't down for long before he regained consciousness, but as he got up off the ground and spun around to scan his environment; he couldn't see any traces of Caroline at all.

His mind replayed the vision he had entered, what she had told him before she turned and attacked him instead. She had been hiding, terrified of someone looking for her.

He just wished she'd told him who.

Closing his eyes and taking a few deep breaths, he focused on his stronger senses and tried to locate her. Catching a faint trail of her scent, he immediately leaped to follow it. Flashing past the thick forest of darkness and frozen trees, he soon found himself outside of a familiar entrance. One leading to the old cellars located beneath the woods of Mystic Falls, the underground structures having since long been divided amongst the founding families. Some belonging to the Lockwood's, Salvatore's, even the Forbes'.

However, the cellars Klaus found himself within now seemed to be a mix made in the young vampire's mind, crafted from her memories of several different locations and blended together into one. He walked through a long hallway, passing ruins by his sides and empty cells that seemed out-of-place. The collective details reminding him of the work by Michele Marieschi, an Italian artist who used to take architectural elements from various places during his travels and put them together in a fantasy scene.

They would look so complete, one could be convinced that they were actual places in the world - when in fact the painting would have incorporated aspects from multiple cities, buildings and historic landmarks… Every single part of the various rooms or landscapes were a place in itself and could be recognized all on its own, but mixed together with the other details made them into something entirely new.

His musings were disrupted by sounds that made his entire body freeze up as his chest clenched in agony: Caroline's screams. They were dreadful, horrendous... Heart-wrenching.

He located them quickly but struggled to break down the heavy door leading to her. Throwing himself at it with all of his force, hitting and kicking and trying everything he could think of to tear it down. His failed attempts gripping his throat tightly as he shook his head in despair.

"Caroline!" he called out and launched himself at the door violently, again and again. "Let me in!" he implored, the feeling of hopelessness squeezing tighter at his chest as he rested his palms against the door. Panting from his exhaustive efforts as he listened in, hoping she'd heard him.

Her shrill cries continued to echo through the walls, causing cold shivers to run down his spine as he stared at the barrier between them. He pushed at the door again, growling as it refused to move an inch. That's when he heard her whispers, making his body turn to ice as he did.

"Please, just let me die."

With that, a new force of will built in him. He ran backwards as long of a distance as he could get before flying back against the door again. It finally broke down beneath him, causing him to stare up in disbelief shortly. A gasp escaping him at the sight he was met with then.

Caroline sat tied to a chair in the middle of the dark room, her skin red and blistered as smoke emitted from her body. He noted the panels in the ceiling above her, clearly having been used to let the sun in to burn the vampire. Added signs of torture evident in the bloodied instruments on a table beside him, the injuries he could spot through her ruined clothes…

He flashed over to her and kneeled down to meet her eyes. "Here, love." he whispered as he bit into his wrist and swiftly held it to her mouth, prompting her to feed on his blood. "Come on, Caroline. You need the strength." he urged her as she blinked at him with a disoriented expression before finally pressing her lips to his bite.

A long sigh of relief flew out of him as he stroked her hair, taking a moment to calm himself. "Who did this?" he gritted through his teeth, causing her to pull away from his arm in a slight yelp. "Tell me." he demanded as he cupped her cheeks, staring down at her pale and exhausted face desperately. "Caroline!" he hissed in attempt to focus her eyes on him as they kept drifting away into emptiness.

"You're not supposed to be here."

The voice was Caroline's but it came from behind him, prompting him to turn around to face their added company. His jaw slack as he saw the blonde by the door. Dressed in an elegant red gown in contrast to the dark clothes that the imprisoned girl had on. But he quickly noted that the differences did not end there…

She slowly placed her coat on a chair in the corner before scoffing at him with a grin. "Klaus, Klaus, Klaus..." she smoothed the long bob of golden strands of her hair as she cocked her head to the side. "Do you really not have anything better to do than chase around the world after little old me?" she taunted.

Klaus felt unsure as he glanced between the two women quickly, "Caroline?" he breathed at the vicious smile across the room.

"What, don't recognize me?" she chuckled and exhaled deeply as she took long steps towards him. "I suppose I should be thankful. You did come to rescue me after all… It's not your fault that you didn't know."

"Know what?" he muttered as he watched her with an uneasy feeling in his stomach.

Closing the distance then, she stood just a breath away as her blue eyes peered into his. The vicious look on her face so sinister and cold as she snarled at him darkly. "That I don't need rescuing."


Once Damon finally caught up with Caroline, he found her some ways down the dark road. Silent as she stared ahead at a car being pulled aside by the police. The officer walked up to the driver, flashlight and gun in hand, bringing Damon to stifle a gasp as he recognized the scene before them - the woman in the uniform...

"Liz." he breathed as he watched on.

"Step out of the car." Sheriff Forbes said, revealing the driver to be Caroline when the light hit her face.

"Mom, what are you-" Caroline whispered, only to be cut off.

"I said get out of the car."

Damon glanced over at the vampire beside him, her eyes glossy as she stared in front of them while Liz firmly pushed her daughter against the car.

"You're under arrest for the murders of Chris Benton, Jason Hughes-" Sheriff Forbes continued as the young blonde shook her head in confusion.

"Mom, it's me. It's Caroline."

"I'm afraid you're mistaken. My daughter's kind, compassionate. She looks after those in need."

"You're not real. You can't be real." Caroline stuttered then as she continued to shake her head desperately.

"I raised my daughter to be a good person..."

"Stop!" she called out, refusing to listen to her mother's words. "I know what you're doing."

"...And she knows how hurt I would be to see her this way..."

"Shut up! Stop! You can't be here."

"… You are not my daughter!"

They watched as Caroline grabbed her mother's neck and choked her, calling the bluff that Stefan had played on her mind while her humanity had been off. The scene then changing in front of them as they suddenly saw Caroline and Stefan at the B&B where they had trapped her - having planned to force her to turn her emotions back on.

She fought him, yelled at him for having put visions in her head. But Stefan refused to give up on her, he reached for her hand, pleading with her to let him show her something. He continued as she stabbed him in his stomach, in his chest...

Soon he forced a vision into view, Damon and the Caroline beside him followed as they watched it unfold. Liz and Stefan stood in the old Forbes' house, she gave him a sewing kit as he told the sheriff of an old teddy bear that Caroline had insisted on fixing.

"You're a good friend to her, Stefan." Liz told him with a soft smile. "I hope someday you'll be more than that." His face showed the shock he felt at her words but she continued. "I'm dying. I'm allowed to be blunt. It's a time-saver."

"Well, I don't think the timing is right for me and Caroline right now, with everything going on."

"Oh, blame me, why don't you?" she laughed, the sound bringing Damon to close his eyes shortly. Gulping as it stung his heart to hear it again after all these years.

"No, I just mean if I'm gonna start something with Caroline, I want it to be perfect... No loss, no pain, no grief."

"You might be waiting a while."

"I'm a patient guy." Stefan proclaimed before nodding to an envelope on the table nearby. "Do you want me to mail that out for you?"

"Oh. No, thanks. I'm still working on it." she said before picking it up, bringing Damon to realize just what it was.

The letter she had written to Caroline.

The one she had made Stefan burn.

"I'll mail it out tomorrow." Liz continued before them. "I have an idea of what I want to say. It's just... I guess I want it to be perfect, too."

"You're a good mom." Stefan chimed warmly.

"I hope so." Liz replied as the memory started to change. Showing them Caroline as she ran after her mother in the vision. Calling for her, for the memory that had already passed.

Liz closed the door as Stefan walked away from the house. Ending the vision then since he couldn't show anything further to her. Caroline hurried to the door, standing frozen as she desperately called out to her mother inside.

"Wait, wait. Mom! Mom! It's me! It's Caroline." she pleaded as she knocked on the door. "I want to talk to you. I want to read your letter! Please. Mommy!"

The knocking turned frantic as she cried on. "Mom, please. Come back." she sobbed, turning away from the vision as she was brought out of Stefan's head and now stood with him in the B&B again.

"No. Just show me the vision again, okay?" she sniffled as she stared at him in anguish. "I... I want to see my mom, Stefan. I... I need to know what she said in that letter."

"I already gave you the letter." Stefan gently reminded her, prompting her to rush over to an ashtray and study the burnt remains in despair.

"No. No. No!" she cried out. "What do you think she wanted to tell me?"

"Whatever it was, it's gone."

"No. I did this. This is all my fault..." she said as she fell on her knees on the wooden floor. "No. I tried to kill you, and then I made you turn it off and then we... Oh, my god."

Damon felt his cheeks burn from the runaway tears that had filled his eyes. Watching the blonde become overwhelmed with emotion, Stefan desperately trying to console her as she continued to cry out in pain and regret.

The memory slowly faded away in front of them, leaving him with such a heavy weight in his chest that all he could do was look over at the vampire beside him with a somber expression. "I'm so sorry, Caroline." the older Salvatore whispered, watching her let out a silent sob.

She shook her head as tears kept streaming down her face. "I'll never know what she wrote. What she wanted to tell me..." she whispered, her voice breaking as sniffles sneaked through her resolve. "I ruined it. Just like I ruin everything… I ruined my mother's last words to me."

"You didn't know..." he tried as he reached for her shoulder, freezing up when she pulled away from him.

"I did that because I had shut my humanity off." she proclaimed in a snarl, glaring at him as she continued. "I did it because I was then what I still am now... A monster."

"Caroline-" he began but she cut him off as she grabbed his face and snapped his neck in one swift movement. The darkness enveloping him again as he was abruptly ejected from her subconscious.


The hybrid let out a sigh as he turned away from the frail woman in the chair. "Let me guess..." he chimed, raising his finger to point at the chuckling blonde that stood before him. "You are the version with no emotion. And she-" he nodded over to the imprisoned girl again with a small frown. "-is the Caroline that feels. The real Caroline Forbes."

"Who are you to tell me who I really am?" she jeered, her hand coming to grip his chin tightly as she forced him to meet her cold smile. "You don't know anything about me."

"Fine, I will play along." he shrugged, studying her as he continued. "Make your case, tell me how this is the real you. How feelings are mere weaknesses and how a true vampire lives in absence of them all..." He grabbed her wrist as she began to lower her hand from his face. "Go on, love. Tell me how it is far better not to care. Not to feel."

The steely facade she kept cracked just slightly under his gaze, making him grin at her before speaking again. "Was that not what you were going to say?" he quipped tauntingly, watching the deep frown shape her sweet lips in triumph. His thumb drawing circles against her pulse point as he continued. "Save me the sermon, love. I've heard it all before. Hell, I've preached it myself hundreds of times over the years."

She pressed her eyebrows together as her eyes squinted at him angrily. "Now." he drawled on as he scanned her face. "Give up on this notion and follow me." he pulled at her hand then as he attempted to drag her out.

"Are you sure, Klaus?" she asked as she stood still, forcing him to turn back to her in response. She moved her wrist out of his grip until her hand held his instead, stroking lines over his skin that made him want to lean into her touch.

"Is that really what you want?" she purred as she moved close, her lips grazing his when she spoke again. "You're not in a hurry, are you? I mean... You're here, I'm here... Why not take our time?"

He pushed her back just as she leaned in to kiss him, holding her at a distance as he gave her a cold look. "That's not happening."

"Why is that? Hm?" she teased, causing him to roll his eyes as he backed further away from her.

"Because you are not Caroline." he deadpanned, receiving a malevolent laugh as she grinned at him darkly in response.

"Right. Well, go on then. Save her." she scoffed and gestured over to the barely conscious young woman in the chair. "If you're so sure of yourself, I mean."

He watched her with a guarded look for a moment, deciding that she wasn't bluffing and moving then to the hurt vampire. But he was immediately thrown back against a wall. He hissed as he stared down at the woman in red as she shook her head with another dark sneer.

"Wrong choice, Klaus." she whispered into his ear as her hand gripped his throat. He struggled against her, but found she was much stronger than him. Keeping him locked in place as she spoke on. "You are such a hypocrite." she spat out, scowling at him as she glanced back at the other girl pointedly. "You were going to let me live like that!?"

He followed her nod to the sniffling Caroline in shackles, her teary eyes meeting his shortly before she looked back down at the ground again. "You tell me you know me, that you care about me." the unemotional Caroline scoffed at him, bringing him to face her again. "But you don't." she concluded with a shrug. "Because if you did, you would let me go."

He grunted as her hand still kept his throat in a tight grip. "I'm trying to help you." he told her hoarsely.

"Help me!?" she echoed with a cold chuckle. "If that was true then you would've let me die all those years ago."

His eyes widened at her mention of the memory… When he had fed her his blood after having ordered Tyler to bite her.

"You should have told me that it was a lie. All of it." she continued as she shook her head with an incredulous snicker. "There's no beauty in this world, Klaus. No happy endings. No hope. Nothing. All there is... is pain."

"That's not true." he muttered as he fought against her hold.

"And if you really wanted me to live on happily, you shouldn't have told me about your feelings for me." she taunted, prompting him to gulp harshly as her hold tightened on him. "You're a liar, Mikaelson. You told me that I was special. You said that you saw good in me, but that isn't true. There is nothing good in any of us."

She abruptly let go of him, resulting in him falling to the floor with a sharp hiss as he stroked his sore muscles in reflex. "We are monsters, Klaus." she spat out, pointing to the other blonde. "And she, she is just as much of a monster as I am! The only difference is that I don't let guilt or conscience or feelings weigh me down."

"Your humanity is the difference, love." he interjected, his voice raspy as he stood to confront her.

"My humanity?" she scoffed, shaking her head as she reached for a lever by the wall. "My humanity died when I did." she spat back as she pulled on it, suddenly opening the panels in the ceiling and burning the shivering young girl in the chair. Causing her to let out further shrilled screams that tore Klaus apart inside.


Waking up with a choked breath, Damon's eyes opened as he quickly sat up straight. Meeting the questioning faces around him as he took a moment to collect himself, looking down beside him where Klaus and Caroline still lied unconscious. He breathed heavily as he turned back to where Enzo and Alaric stood with transparent words on their features.

"I couldn't get through to her." he admitted lowly, clearing his throat as he moved to stand up from the floor.

"What happened?" Elijah asked him when the Salvatore accepted Enzo's steadying hand.

He shook his head slowly in reply, meeting the Original's gaze with a glum look as he spoke. "She… She showed me what she's been carrying all this time..." Damon explained with a strained voice. "So much pain..."

"Did she respond to you?" Enzo pressed. "Could you reason with her or-or remind her to keep fighting and-"

"No." Damon bit out grimly. "She wouldn't listen to me… She isn't just hurting, alright?" he explained with a sigh as he glanced back down at the sleeping blonde. "She is devastated. It's like everything has just come crashing down on her. Every heartache, every grief, every mistake..."

"It's the Candle." Kol chimed in solemnly at that. "It's trying to drown her in it. Subdue her to the pain so that she will not be able to fight the magic... So that she won't want to."

"So, what do we do?" Ric stuttered desperately, glancing around the room with pointed eyes. "Should we send someone else in there? Is there a different spell we could try?"

"I don't think there is anything else we can do." Kol explained with a sympathetic frown. "If she isn't willing to fight the magic herself, then it doesn't matter how many people we send to try and convince her. It won't make any difference as long as she refuses to listen."

"What if Bonnie tried?" Enzo suggested, nodding to the witch as she had her eyes closed and her hands linked with Freya in a focusing trance. "Caroline might listen to her?"

"And weaken the anchoring of the spell?" Davina questioned with a shaking head. "No, that won't make anything better. We need Bonnie to keep doing what she's doing."

"Okay, fine. Then I'll go in!" Enzo tried, bringing Damon to sigh as he noted the despair in his old friend's voice.

"Let's be realistic here…" the Salvatore urged with a nod to the circle. "Out of everyone in this room, Klaus still has the best shot of succeeding." he relayed with a short snicker. "How many times has the guy twisted and bent the laws of nature and magic by now? If anyone could get Caroline to snap out of this, I'd put my money on him."

Alaric scowled at that, nodding despite his arms crossed over his chest as he conceded. He kneeled down beside the blonde's form, his hand hovering by her face as he studied her closely. Speaking with such a low voice that Damon nearly missed it if he hadn't already been paying attention.

"Don't give in to it, Caroline." the man murmured pleadingly. "Don't give up"

The sight made Damon gulp harshly as he couldn't help but see the truth; that she already had.


"Enough!" Klaus exclaimed as the humanity-less Caroline held him back while the other woman burned in the sharp sunlight.

"She is a monster." Caroline protested as she closed the panels swiftly, turning the room dark as the chained-up vampire panted and groaned in pain. "She needs to be cleansed."

"No." he hissed out as he finally freed himself from her invisible hold and rushed to the hurt woman's side. "You don't." he murmured softly as he lifted her chin to meet her tired eyes. "Stop torturing yourself, sweetheart. Because believe me, you do not deserve this." he implored her.

"No, she's right." the weak girl whispered to him. "I'm a monster."

"No!" he gritted as he cradled her head in his hands. "You cannot think so little of yourself to truly believe that you are anything but good."

"I've done terrible things. I've hurt people."

"We all have!" he countered. "So we fight hard to redeem ourselves. To better ourselves. That is all that we can do!" he insisted firmly before softening his voice. "You need to forgive yourself for your past, love. Or you will be robbed of your prominent future."

A small flicker flashed in the blue eyes as he smiled at her warmly. He glanced back to see that the other Caroline stood frozen, seemingly listening too. "I know you." he said, directed at the both of them as he pulled the shackles off from the captive. "You are strong." he continued, releasing the woman from the rest of the ties carefully. "You are gracious and merciful. Forgiving. Charitable..."

Helping the hurt vampire on her feet, he wrapped one of her arms around his shoulders as she steadied herself against him. "You are loving. Kind. You believe in the good in others. In me." he smiled as he brought the woman forward to face the other. Meeting her while she stood mute with wide and glossy eyes.

"You love so deeply, care so fully... However, you forget to leave enough of that empathy to nourish yourself as well." he mused as he watched the blonde without emotions, her face now expressing multitudes of them. "Let me prove to you how worthy you are of your own kindness. Let me show you what makes you so truly special."

"Why should I trust anything you say?" she sneered silently, making him smile wider in reply.

"Because I love you, Caroline." he crooned. "You inspire me to want to be as just and strong as you. You make me want to be worthy of you. Your lack of selfishness is the most impressive trait I've ever seen, and yet - you still blame yourself for the tiniest indulgence... The smallest mistake. Why?"

She shook her head as tears fell down her cheeks, her eyes staring at the broken blonde before her. "I want to believe you." she whispered.

"What's stopping you?" he urged, lifting his hand to catch a tear off her cheek and drying her skin gently. "Why won't you allow yourself to be happy? To be free from this pain?" he asked, cupping her face as he closed his eyes and leaned in to rest his forehead to hers.

"Let me show you." he implored softly as he tapped at her internal walls and managed to bring the vision of that cherished memory to her. The one she had referred to earlier, one from many years ago…

Pushing at the barriers set up around her, he used the physical contact to his advantage. Knowing it would be easier to break through while her guard was down. A flash of nostalgia hit him as they both watched it happening all over again.

She was lying in the bed of her childhood home, a blanket wrapped around her as she struggled to keep her body warm. The venom evident as it appeared like dark bruises over her shoulder as a result of Tyler Lockwood's bite.

"Are you going to kill me?" she croaked out when Klaus entered the room, making him wince subtly with a frown on his face.

"On your birthday? You really think that low of me?" he asked, studying her with an appalled expression as he felt genuinely insulted by her words. This despite the fact that in the past, he would not even give it a second thought if he were to let her die right now. But somehow, the look on her face, the pull he felt towards her in that room, it made his heart break to hear her disapproving reply.

"Yes." she insisted, somehow keeping that intriguing fire in her eyes despite her weakened state. She was dying, and still she dared to defy him.

For some strange reason, it made him want to smile.

Quickly hiding his reaction, he kept his face expressionless as he leaned over and examined her wound. "That looks bad." he mused softly. "My apologies, you're what's known as collateral damage. It's nothing personal." he explained, questioning momentarily why on earth he was even bothering to try and soothe her this way.

It had all been part of his plan, after all… Forcing Tyler to act against his own will, proving the sire-bond's effect on him and all other subsequent hybrids moving forward. And yet, watching the beautiful young girl as she slowly wilted away before his eyes, it made Klaus feel regretful of the final result.

His gaze caught the little bracelet hanging off her wrist then, nudging it lightly as he studied the charms in different shapes and symbols. "I love birthdays." he told her softly.

"Yeah." she scoffed at him. "Aren't you like... a billion, or something?"

He caught himself smiling again, his heart swelling lightly with something he couldn't quite name. Perhaps it was pride? Or maybe frustration? "Well you have to adjust your perception of time when you become a vampire, Caroline." he chimed. "Celebrate the fact that you're no longer bound by trivial human conventions. You're free."

"No." she responded, defying him once more. "I'm dying."

He found himself being pulled in yet again, slowly sitting by her side on the bed as he leaned closer. Studying the brave little vampire as she stared both death and an immortal evil being in the face - still as cocky and quick-witted as ever. It baffled him. Bringing something to churn in his mind, something he could not remember when last he had been inclined to grant it...

Mercy.

"And I could let you die, if that's what you want." he whispered to her. "If you really believe your existence has no meaning... I thought about it myself, once or twice over the centuries, truth be told." he admitted as he presented to her the choice he had seldom cared to give anyone before while they laid fallen at the hands of his will.

Feeling the urge to bare his soul to the little girl all of a sudden, he considered what it had been that had kept him going during those rare occasions when he actually questioned the meaning of his existence...

"But I'll let you in on a little secret." he crooned, smirking as he noticed her listening intently. "There is a whole world out there, waiting for you. Great cities and art and music..." he glanced back at the charm bracelet shortly before he spoke again. "Genuine beauty. And you can have all of it. You can have a thousand more birthdays. All you have to do is ask."

He watched as she took his words in, her eyelids fluttering as she looked up at him with teary eyes. Ask, he willed her in his mind. Just having learned of that revolver mouth of hers, he found himself wishing to experience it again. She fascinated him, this pretty little blonde teenager with the world at her feet... This young baby vampire who somehow had the deepest claim on her humanity as far as he had seen.

Live, Caroline.

Do not give in.

Not now.

"I don't wanna die." she whispered to him then, her voice breaking lightly as she did and bringing him to feel relief in result.

Pleased with her choice, he helped her closer to his lap and offered his wrist. "There you go, sweetheart. Have at it." he urged her softly, watching as she bit into his skin and began to feed on his blood. "Happy birthday, Caroline." he whispered as he leaned into her soft hair, a smile etched on his face as the young blonde drank on.

To this day, he could still recall the sensation. The feeling of having her feed on him, her lips pressed to his skin, her fangs scratching at his wrist, her sigh as she dug in… He had lied to himself over and over that it hadn't meant much. That it had been a moment of weakness on his part. A short impulse of sympathy that he so rarely experienced with a stranger like her.

But he knew there was more to it. He could have given her his blood in a glass, he could have bitten into his wrist himself before offering it to her. But he didn't, he wanted that intimacy, that closeness that he never indulged in otherwise. Perhaps he believed that they had shared something special, shown a vulnerability to the other in a meaningful way. And perhaps she had brought it out of him by her weakened state, not having the strength to hide herself and thereby inviting him to set aside his façade too.

It wasn't however until he had placed her back on the bed, fully healed, leaving her to rest before quickly flashing out into the wind that he realized what it was about her that had caught his eye...

She reminded him of himself.

Or at least a part of him, a past version. Someone he used to be once. Someone who had stood defiantly himself, challenging, daring in the face of even his own deepest fears as a human. Be that his father or his inner demons. And now that he had felt that connection with her, he realized she had left more than just an impression on him. She had left a handprint on his mind, his heart. Because for the first time, in a thousand years, he found someone with such a pure light that he felt a need to protect it. A strength that inspired him, a sense of humanity that he himself had always wished to inhabit.

His hands had immediately itched to hold her close again, to try and get some of that light to rub off on his darkened soul. To be in her proximity. To watch her defy him one more time. And by that night, he should have known that Caroline Forbes had already stolen his heart and held it in her delicate hands. No matter how much he would come to deny it.

Which was probably why he had chosen to ask her to his mother's ball soon afterwards. Perhaps why he had decided to open up to her further, show her parts of himself that he rarely let anyone see. Hence, when she had time and time again continued to stand up to him that following night... Throwing his expensive gift and promising words back in his face as she spat insults at him with that fierce tongue of hers... That's when he knew that he was right about her. That she was indeed special.

She had a fire, a sort of strength and energy that was rarely found these days. She refused to be put down, by anything - anyone.

Just like him.

He had even decided to find out more about her, learned of her mother and father and how their relationships had been strained. Learned of her history, found her to be someone ambitious, intricate and ruling.

It had been a pure impulse to draw her that night, again and again. As if putting her on a piece of paper would extract her from his thoughts. He couldn't stop. She had struck something within him that put such strange feelings in motion...

Which was why he decided to leave one of the drawings for her, along with a note thanking her for her honesty. Because he knew that she had been right in her assessment of him, and he was infuriately fascinated as to how she had managed to read him so well. If not because she understood him.

Because they were the same.

When he pulled back and eased his hold on her mind, she slowly opened her eyes and watched him with chock registered on her face. "What was that?" she breathed out, making him smile at her in response.

"I wanted you to see yourself from my perspective." he explained warmly as he struggled to finish his thought. "To show you that... That I have always cared for you. That I fell in love with you far earlier than I ever thought possible; the first time we spoke."

Her tear-filled eyes viewed a storm of sapphire blue, her lower lip shivered as she watched him deeply. She finally gave him a soft nod, her eyes closing as she inhaled and exhaled deeply.

The weight over his shoulders disappeared as the woman by his side suddenly faded away in the air. He stared at the empty spot for a long moment before watching the Caroline in front of him again.

Letting out another exhale, she watched him with a slowly growing smile. "Klaus." she whispered as her voice bubbled over with relief. The expression on her face so strange, as if she was seeing him for the first time in ages. "You found me." she breathed out.

His chest swelled as he watched her with a deep smile, she quickly wrapped herself around him in an embrace which made the grin widen further on his lips. "I'm here, my love." he whispered as he hugged her back tightly, stroking her back as he breathed her in. Stroking her hair, holding her firmly as he felt the knots in his stomach ease.

A clearing throat made them both wince as they realized they were no longer alone, a shadow speaking up from the darkness of the room.

"Not so fast."


"Not so fast." the low voice muttered in threat, prompting the couple to face the stranger abruptly. A woman stood on the other side of the room, a firm scowl framing her face as she watched them with narrowed eyes. "She can't leave. She needs to stay here."

"You are not keeping her." Klaus protested grimly, placing himself in front of Caroline as he glared at the third figure.

"That is not up to you, wolf." the woman spat out before she turned a sympathetic look towards the young vampire. "Remember, Caroline. Remember why you let me in." she crooned, so softly it nearly managed to slither into his own heart. "I am the only one who can keep your pain away."

Klaus looked between them with wide eyes. "Caroline..." he drawled, watching the pair of blue eyes well up with tears. "Don't listen to her. She is trying to keep you here. Trying to make you weak."

"I am helping her." the woman continued.

"Are you!?" he growled back.

"You have compromised everything that we built." the spirit countered, her eyes glued to the young blonde, causing her to flinch behind him. "What happens when your pain begins to fill the newfound cracks of this foundation? How will you heal your mind once it all floods inside of you once more?"

"Alzbeta, I didn't mean to..." Caroline whispered as she stared over at the woman. The name informing Klaus of the witch's identity then.

"And yet, you have already caused far more damage than what can be securely repaired." the ghost snickered on as Klaus watched the blonde drop her gaze in surrender. "We built this together, Caroline. It won't hold without my help."

"Built what?" the hybrid hissed, uncomfortable with the influence the woman seemed to have on her.

"My prison." Caroline responded then, giving him a sad look before speaking up again. "This is the only way to keep it all inside."

"The pain." he guessed, the flicker of shame across her face confirming it. "You allowed her to lock you up in here? You gave in willingly?" he spat out in disgust, glaring at the vampire as he suddenly didn't recognize her anymore.

This was not his Caroline. His Caroline was strong, independent, fierce. She would never have let an ancient vengeful spirit use her body as a vessel for her evil doings. The real Caroline would have fought until she was torn to shreds, until she was just barely hanging on by her fingernails... And even then, she would have rather died than given up.

"Don't feel bad, sweet girl." the witch purred on, coming to rest a hand on her shoulder with a soft smile before turning to the hybrid again. "He does not know. He could never understand."

"Caroline." he growled, grabbing her hard to keep her focus on him and away from the manipulating woman. "I have lived a thousand years, if anyone - anywhere on this earth - is at all familiar with pain and therefore properly equipped to understand yours; it is me."

"You're wrong." she choked out, her eyes filling with tears. "You've never lost someone the way I did..." she continued, glancing back at the other woman with wide eyes and a slow nod. "The way we both did."

"Bloody hell I haven't." he scoffed, receiving a sigh in response which only infuriated him further. "I have lost everyone, Caroline. My father, mother, my brothers... myself."

"But never a child." Alzbeta interjected, wrapping an arm around Caroline's shoulders in joined understanding.

He studied her closely at that, thinking back to what Freya had said of the history of the Marousek witch... Just as Caroline decided to fill him in.

"That's one thing that the legend got wrong." she told him, a sad frown aimed at the other woman as she went on. "Lana wasn't Alzbeta's sister. She was her daughter."

Klaus gulped as he realized exactly how the woman had succeeded in weaseling her way into Caroline's mind like this. She had played on her deepest pain, acting as if they had common ground due to their shared history. It made his heart ache and his stomach sick to think of how Caroline had been used and exploited through one of her strongest weaknesses. And it hurt him even more, knowing how much pain she must have held onto in order for the witch to prevail.

"Listen to me, love." he sighed out, reaching for the young vampire's hand as he turned an intense look her way. "I understand. She must have had one hell of a pitch, didn't she? Vowing to never allow you to feel pain again? Promising that she was what you needed to survive your past? Her offer must have sounded like quiet the harmonious salvation when she reached you."

Caroline's cheeks covered with tears as she stared at him with wide eyes, the witch fidgeting slightly by her side as they both felt the blonde listening actively. "You were hurt, in insurmountable pain." he continued. "Alone and scared... Lost. I have an abundance of experience in what that state of mind can bring a person to do."

"She helped me." Caroline whispered, making him shake his head slowly.

"She used you." he corrected, barely keeping his enraged snarl away as he forced himself to remain calm and cautious. "She manipulated your thoughts and memories, turning everything bitter and dark. She wanted you to forget everything that has ever brought you joy, happiness, hope. She needs you to be like this, Caroline. She needs you to suffer. She gorges on your misery, feeds off of your fears and pain. That is how she controls you, sweetheart. By making you into something you are not. That woman has no idea of who you truly are."

"And you do?" the witch scoffed in retort, causing him to grit his teeth in a harsh breath before deciding to ignore her.

"She thought you were weak. Beaten down. Powerless. However, you and I both know that to be untrue." he mused as he focused on Caroline. "She underestimated you, she caught you in your darkest hour and assumed you would never be able to break free from its grasp. But you are strong, fierce, merciful..." he brought his hands to her cheeks, softly wiping away the tears that had stained her skin. "You. Are. Not. Weak." he insisted, trying to drill it into her mind. "And you certainly do not need her to make you believe that you are."

"He's trying to force you back to him." the woman countered grimly, prompting Caroline to turn around and meet the witch's face with an uncertain expression on her own. "He wants you to himself, not thinking of your own best but simply his. That is why he is here. How else do you explain his willingness to let you continue carrying all of your pain on your own?"

"That is a lie." Klaus spat back.

"Caroline!" the spirit bit out, the walls around them suddenly shaking violently in reaction as she went on. "You need to eject him." she urged the blonde, nodding at him pointedly.

"No!" Klaus protested, dragging Caroline to his side as he brought a hand up to keep the witch away from her. "Stop infecting her with your empty threats."

"Oh, believe me. They are anything but empty." the woman sneered, bringing the walls to shake and shudder around them as pieces of rocks and dirt started to fall from the ceiling. "Eject him, Caroline. Or I will leave you behind to rot in your darkness. You will forever be alone. No one will ever understand you the way that I have."

The vampire looked conflicted as she glanced between the witch and him. "I... I don't know..." she stuttered silently.

"Caroline." he demanded, taking one of her hands and pressing it against his chest. A familiar notion as he moved her palm to cover his heart. "Listen to me, my love. I need you to trust me. I need you to push her out of your mind and to follow me, alright?"

"You are not taking her!" the witch called out as she rushed to attack him then. Her hands raised as his mind started to shatter in result.

He grunted loudly, falling to his knees as he gripped the sides of his head desperately. "Don't let her keep you here, Caroline!" he growled as the pain amplified by his resistance.

"Stop." Caroline's voice was quiet as he struggled against the ringing in his ears. "Stop it. You're hurting him!"

The witch didn't respond, as she only glared down at him with a dark look in her eyes. Her magic intensifying, causing him to yell out loudly in agony. "You vampires, you only care about yourselves." the woman scoffed. "You can't even see that I am saving her. Meanwhile you - you only wish to corrupt her."

"Stop!" Caroline called out again, but it became too difficult for Klaus to focus on her as the building continued to crumple around them. Large pieces of the wreckage falling by his side and trapping him in place.

"If you had your way, you would keep her like this." the ghost spat on. "You would condemn her to an eternity of darkness. Of pain. All to your own satisfaction. All in the name of your so-called love for her."

"You don't know anything about me!" he retorted in a groan, fighting to tear himself away from the debris as he managed to launch over at her in attack. Her powers gained strength then and brought him down to his knees once more.

"Klaus!" Caroline gasped by the witch's side, her eyes horrified at the sight as she stared at him mutely.

"Kill me if you must." he gritted out through clenched teeth. "But set her free!"

"You still don't understand." the spirit snickered on with a malicious grin. "With me, she is free."

The words were followed by sudden relief as the magic vanished at once. Klaus gaped as he watched the witch fall to the ground, her neck snapped as Caroline loomed over her.

The building no longer breaking apart around them as the young vampire watched him with a determined expression. "Come on." she told him, reaching for his hand. "I'll get us out of here." she urged with a smile. Bringing him to stare at her in pure awe for a long moment before he finally took her hand and followed her out of the cell in a flash.


He held her hand tightly in his as she pulled him through the woods, tugging him forward as they ran together. An incredible sense of triumph filling the hybrid with so much relief, making him feel so light that he thought they were flying.

Caroline soon slowed down, blocking his path as he watched her back in confusion. She spoke before he could question her, turning her head slightly over her shoulder and meeting him with a grim expression on her face. "She's here." she whispered.

"Who?" he breathed out, his entire body tensing as he locked around in search for the threat.

"Me." a woman told them in reply, surprising him further when he saw that she wasn't the same ghost they had been running from.

This one was a tall lady in her thirties perhaps, dark hair and bright eyes as she directed a stern look at the both of them. It took a moment before he connected the face with the voice that had haunted Caroline earlier in her mind - and realized then that he had seen all of this before in the vampire's mind.

"It's her." he said silently. "The woman from your nightmares."

"Yes." Caroline confirmed solemnly.

"Who is she?" he pressed on.

"Jo." the vampire answered with a long exhale. "She was the twins' mother."

His eyes widened at that, making him reach for Caroline's shoulder as he held her close. Glaring over at the spirit before them darkly. "What does she want?"

"She thinks I have it."

"Have what?"

Caroline turned to him slowly, the scowl deep as worry filled her eyes. "The magic." she whispered. "She thinks I'm hiding it from them."

"You are." the spirit interjected, her mouth never letting go off the eerie smile as her head tilted slightly.

"What magic, Caroline?" Klaus pushed as he moved to stand in front of her, putting himself between the women as he pleaded with the blonde to explain.

"From the Gemini coven." Caroline told him, causing him to gulp with dread at that.

"This… Jo was a Gemini witch?" he questioned, receiving a short nod from Caroline before he continued. "The children you lost… were the next generation of their coven." he concluded, holding onto her shoulders as he locked her eyes to his. "Caroline, love. I need you to focus… What happened when the twins died?" he asked in a slow drawl, receiving a furrowed frown from the vampire in result.

"They… they disappeared." she stuttered, shaking her head shortly.

"The first time." he corrected.

Caroline gulped at that, glancing over at the ghost behind him before meeting him again. "This witch, he killed them all. Every last member of the coven. But some of them focused their magic on some… failsafe, I guess." she recalled. "They transferred the babies to the nearest viable host."

"That's all they did?" he drawled with narrowed eyes.

She scanned his face for a moment before shaking her head. "No, it wasn't… How did you know?"

"I've come across quite a few witches in my time, Caroline." he snickered shortly before focusing again. "Let me guess, there was a reason why you were deemed a viable host?" he asked. "Because you are a vampire."

"Yes." she confirmed with a nod. "Alzbeta told me that was how they used to draw power in the coven… That the spell they did was the same magic that hers would use."

"That is why she dug her claws into your soul." he sighed. "I was under the impression that we had succeeded in keeping witches performing blood magic from establishing roots outside of Europe… I reckon that was a misguided delusion on Kol's part." he muttered shortly. "Who found you, Caroline? Who was the witch that led Alzbeta to you?"

Her eyes flickered with apprehension as she pulled away from him, shaking her head profusely. "I can't tell you that, Klaus."

"What, why not?" he scoffed in disbelief.

"Because you have to get out of here, and if I tell you then you're going to kill her." she stuttered, prompting him to furrow his eyebrows in a deep frown.

"We are going to get out of here, love." he told her firmly. "I'm not leaving you behind."

"That's not your call to make." she whispered, turning to their company again. "She's not going to stop coming after me." she murmured. "She's been looking ever since they died… I didn't realize what she was after until Alzbeta connected the dots for me."

"Caroline, we will handle it." he insisted, tugging at her hand pointedly. Bringing her to meet his eyes again. "A few nightmares are not reason enough to stay in this prison."

"If only it was just 'a few nightmares'…" she scoffed. "I can't live out there, Klaus. Alzbeta was right, I'm broken and torn apart… I don't want to live like that."

"That's not true!" he protested with a shaking head of disbelief. "You are not broken. People can't stay broken, remember?" he added with a little smirk, earning the merest hints of one in return before she sighed.

"No." she agreed, her eyes closed in a frown as she spoke. "But monsters aren't people."

"Well, then I better stay here with you in that case!" he shouted in frustration, prompting her to meet his pleading eyes. "If you are a monster, Caroline. Then tell me, what am I?"

She watched him with a somber expression as he quickly took her hand and pointed at the ring she wore. "Do you remember when you gave this to me?" he asked as she watched the golden band with a frown. "You told me that I needed to trust you. Right before you convinced me to bite you."

He shook his head as a chuckle escaped him. "You are so courageous. So strong and determined. How on earth could you believe, even for a second, that there is anything you would not be able to survive?"

"I..." she breathed as a tear traveled down her cheek, making him catch it and stroke her face softly. "I'm scared."

"That's not a bad thing, love." he insisted. "Courage comes not from a lack of fear. It comes from fighting in the face of it."

Leaning towards her, he rested his forehead against hers and softly smiled as he watched her then. "I trusted you despite my own fears that day. Now I need you to trust me." he sighed. Pressing her hand to his chest again, feeling the warmth radiate from her touch as it reached his heart.

She seemed conflicted, her eyes roaming his face for a long moment as she chewed on her bottom lip. Bringing him to gulp as he scrambled to think of anything to convince her, to make her understand just how important it was that she made it out of there. That she didn't give up.

"Don't leave me, Caroline." he pleaded, stroking away some hair from her face, a contented flutter in his chest as she leaned into his touch. "I beg of you, come back."

She let out a shaky breath, her eyes opening slowly as she turned to look past him. Glancing at the spirit once more with a determined look on her face that wasn't there before. "Okay." she whispered, so quietly he was unsure if he had imagined it.

Her eyes met his then as a joyous smile spread on her stunning face, confirming that it had been real. "Okay?" he echoed, making her chuckle lightly.

"Yes." she grinned, taking his hand and intertwining their fingers. "Let's go home." she said, causing him to smile widely in return as she tugged at his hand.

They walked over to face the spirit blocking their path, the smile wavering on the older woman's lips as she scanned their connected hands.

"Get out of our way, Jo." Caroline breathed out, nodding pointedly at the ghost. "We're leaving."

Jo shook her head mutely in surprise, her eye blinking as she stared at the blonde in disbelief. Something shifting in the air around them as the darkness suddenly seemed deeper, the cold frozen, the world hollow.

The hybrid glanced around them with a gulp, realizing Alzbeta was rising and coming for them again. "Caroline…" he whispered, earning a reassuring squeeze of his hand in response.

"It's okay, Klaus. I've got this." she told him with a smile before turning to the other woman again. "We don't have all day, Jo."

The spirit appeared unsettled by Caroline's resolve, but she refused to move away. Leaving Klaus conflicted as he felt it was necessary for the blonde to stand up to the ghost on her own, but time was running out and he feared they didn't have long.

"Caroline!" the cry came from afar, undoubtedly coming from the witch scouring the mental world for them. Bringing Caroline to stiffen as is someone had struck her hard as she slumped forwards slightly, straightening up at once as she nodded to Jo again.

"Klaus, you go first." she told him calmly.

"I will do no such thing!" he sputtered out in chock, receiving dark eyes from the blonde as she looked at him with a determined scowl.

"Don't make me throw you out." she whispered. "I can't concentrate on fighting them while worrying about you getting hurt."

"So let me stay and help." he insisted.

"You can't." she countered in a hiss. "You have to go. I'll be right there with you, I promise."

He shook his head with parted lips, staring at her as she turned her body fully to him. Her hands framing his face gently as her eyes ran across his features, the look of it disheartening as it seemed she was memorizing him.

"Don't, Caroline." he pleaded.

"I'll see you soon." she smiled, her eyes glistening with tears that broke his heart as she leaned in to press her lips to his.

He barely got the chance to reciprocate the kiss, nor fight her, because suddenly something pulled at him forcefully. Pushing him out of the vision, away from the scene, and far away from her.


Freya shared a sharp exhale with the Bennett witch as their eyes opened swiftly, bringing them to meet the impatient looks around the room. The magic still buzzing within the Mikaelson's fingertips as she felt a smirk play on her lips, a feeling of awe hitting her at her realization.

"It's done." she announced with clear relief, nodding to Bonnie in triumph. "The spell was successful in weakening the spirit's hold on Caroline's mind. Now we just need to wait for her to sever the connection fully."

The others looked down at the vampire in question then, their celebratory smiles fading and turning into frowns slowly. Bonnie rushing up to sit beside the sleeping blonde as Alaric looked over at Freya in question.

"Why aren't they waking up?" he asked, prompting her to fight the nagging worry that their efforts hadn't been enough after all. That severing the connection between the vampire and the dark magic was not enough for Caroline to rid herself of its powers. That perhaps, they had eradicated a danger but not without losing an ally….

"It may take a little longer for her to finish what we've helped start." she admitted in a cautious drawl. "She'll wake up when she's ready."

"Maybe something else is keeping her like this..." Bonnie mused with a shrug, visibly trying to cover the worry that was evident on her face.

"The pain." Kol murmured as he came to stand beside his sister with a frown. "She hasn't let go of it yet."

"What happens if she doesn't?" Damon asked, having apparently overheard.

Everyone turned to the Mikaelson witch at that, causing her to feel such a weight on her shoulders suddenly that she feared telling them the truth. Swallowing shortly, she glanced over at Kol's stoic face and found flickers of fear in his eyes as well. "She…" Freya began with a cautious drawl before deciding to be honest. "She will stay like this. Consumed, imprisoned." Freya shook her head as she gulped nervously.

"What, you mean like… forever?" Damon stuttered, staring at the witch with wide eyes. Turning to Bonnie then with a desperate expression on his face. "There has got to be something we can do! We can't leave her like that."

"I..." Bonnie gulped, glancing away from him with guilt evident across her whole body. "I don't think we have a choice."

"I didn't even realize you cared." Alaric scoffed, earning glares from Damon then.

"Sorry to disappoint, but I do." Damon sneered. "Now, cast a spell on them or something to wake them up."

"I don't know if they-" Freya began but he cut her off with a growl.

"Make them!"

"Calm down, mate." Enzo grabbed onto Damon's arm, meeting his eyes with a steely gaze. "You're not doing anyone any favors with your outburst."

"You don't understand... You should've seen her..." he shook his head as he watched Bonnie again with pleading eyes. "We can't leave her like this… I can't, not knowing what I know."

"Maybe if we-" Bonnie began, losing her voice as she watched Freya's disapproving frown.

"All we can do is wait." the oldest witch insisted. Bringing a pregnant pause to fill the room as they all turned to watch the pair on the floor.

Suddenly, Niklaus sat up with a jump and brought gasps from the others as they gaped at him. He seemed to have been brought out of the sleep by lightning as he stared out in front of him for a long second. Then he turned to the blonde by his side, a smile on his face as he exhaled deeply.

"Caroline?" he called softly, lifting her head with his hands as he waited for her response. His smile stiffening and fading away as she remained lifeless on the floor.

His eyes scanned the room, reaching Freya with a dark look as he directed an inaudible question her way. "We don't know." she answered carefully, bringing him to flinch as he stared back at the vampire again.

"Alright, love. Wake up now." he pleaded, stroking her face softly. "Come on, Caroline..." he brought his voice to a whisper as the others watched his confident demeanor wither and fade away before them. "Caroline...?"

Everyone seemed to hold their breaths as they studied the couple in silence, Klaus' calls for his sleeping beauty breaking Freya's heart as she still did not respond. The ground began to vibrate then, bringing the witch to furrow her eyebrows in confusion.

The vibrations turned into violent a shaking, the lightbulbs in the room's lamps breaking one by one - causing everyone to jump in surprise. Books fell out of shelves, glasses crashed onto the floor, the walls cracked around them.

"What is this?" Klaus asked his sister with devastated eyes. Her head slowly shaking as recognition gripped her chest.

"I-I think... It's her." she stuttered, bringing them all to stare back at the blonde witch in dread. Her face set in a stoic expression as she feared revealing her cautious hypothesis. Worried it would not be taken lightly, especially by Niklaus.


Caroline closed her eyes as she pushed him out, not having the strength to see the hurt on his face. The disappointment and betrayal. It was too much.

She felt his disappearance like a sharp stabbing to her chest, letting out a long breath before finally daring to look at the vacant spot where Klaus had stood.

"You are making a mistake, Caroline." the voice of Alzbeta's spirit drawled as she neared her. Bringing the blonde to turn and face the witch with a determined scowl.

"I'm done listening to you." she scoffed. "All you've done is manipulate me and twist my memories… There's nothing you could tell me that would make me change my mind."

"Are you certain of that, dear?" the ghost crooned, something dangerous in her dark eyes as she scanned the vampire slowly. "I have spent enough time in your head to know what you crave, what your soul seeks."

"Yeah?" she sighed, crossing her arms over her chest. "Well, I guess it'll be the last thing you ever say, so you better make it count." she challenged, prepared to use her heightened focus to throw her out.

The smirk on the woman's face felt like a warning to Caroline as Alzbeta suddenly cocked her head to the side and waved her hand. A silhouette quickly shaping between them as she seemed to conjure someone. The identity hitting the young vampire when she was suddenly staring at the face of Elizabeth Forbes.

"… Mom?" she breathed out in disbelief, scanning the being closely as she took in the furrowed brows and confused eyes. "Wow, that's a hell of a last trick." she sneered as she cursed herself for falling for it, glaring across the imposter and over to the treacherous witch behind her.

"This, yes." Alzbeta told her coolly. "But it doesn't have to be."

"Okay, that's enough." Caroline bit out, prepared to rush over and tear the witch's heart into pieces. "You better beg for mercy because what I have planned for you-" she began to threaten when a hand curled around her elbow and held her back.

"Caroline." the shadow pretending to be her mother called, the voice breaking something inside of the blonde's chest as she swore it felt too real. "Wait, don't do anything you might regret."

"Don't." she spat through clenched teeth, pulling her arm out of the ghost's hold as she refused to meet her eyes. "Don't talk. I am doing this and you can't change my mind."

"I wasn't going to stop you." her mother tried softly. "I was just really hoping to have a second to take you in fully."

That made Caroline's head snap back to face her, staring wide-eyed at the woman's teary smile. "Don't do this, please." she hissed as the ghost stepped closer and reached for her face.

"I've been looking out for you, Caroline." the spirit crooned warmly, shaking her head in a soft chuckle as she continued. "Not that you need it… You never did, did you? But I guess worrying about you didn't end with my passing, just like how I never stopped being your mother." she murmured with a shrug. "I suppose you know about that already, how death doesn't make those feelings just go away?"

"Please, stop." the vampire tried again, fighting to resist leaning into the woman's arm and never letting go. Looking over at Alzbeta where she stood smirking silently. "This is a low blow, alright!" she protested with a sharp scoff. "Playing on my grief like this? It doesn't matter what you do, I'm not going to let you win."

"Good." the reply surprised the blonde and stunned the witch as they both turned to Liz in result. "You were never a quitter, Caroline." her mother said with a reassuring nod. "I know you're not going to let anyone or anything convince you otherwise. Not even me."

Caroline felt her throat close up, her eyes burn as she felt herself believe. For just the shortest moment, that maybe this really was her mother after all. "What?" she whispered just as Alzbeta stepped closer with a fuming scowl.

"Alright. I believe I have made my point…" the witch muttered as she reached for the former sheriff's arm.

"No!" Caroline cried out in protest as she swiftly snapped Alzbeta's neck, yet again, and watched her drop to the ground by her feet. She panted heavily before looking over at her mother again, her voice breaking as she spoke.

"Mom, is-… Is it really you?" she breathed out, desperate and terrified of it being true.

Liz smiled widely at her daughter at that, nodding as she opened up her arms and invited her in. Not needing to be told twice, Caroline hurried over to embrace the ghost tightly. Her eyes closing as she buried her face into her shoulder, her mother's soothing strokes warming her as she traced her back gently.

"I'm sorry." she sniffled as she pulled back to cup the ghost's face in her hands. "I'm so sorry, mom. You have no idea…"

"Sorry? Sorry for what?" Liz questioned.

"For everything!" the vampire sputtered, her breath catching as Liz dried her cheek with a soft hand. "For how I let you down, and for not being there when you… For h-how I turned my humanity off after your funeral and hurt all those people… How I burned your letter and destroyed all the good memories we had together."

"Shh, hey." the sheriff prompted, raising Caroline's chin as she urged her to meet her eyes. "Listen to me, alright? You could never, ever let me down." she said firmly. "Okay? No matter what you did, even if you burned the whole world down in anger, it could never change how I feel about you. I will never stop being proud of who you have become, of how incredible and strong and brave you are…" she shook her head as a tear made its way down her cheek, making her chuckle lightly. "Caroline, that is the whole point of unconditional love. You will always be my little girl, and I will always cherish every moment I got to be part of your life."

Barely holding back from bawling, Caroline shook her head profusely. "Mom, I made so many mistakes…" she whispered through her tears.

"That's part of living, sweetie." Liz countered with a shrug. "You think I never made mistakes or regretted how I handled things in a moment of anger, sadness or just feeling lost?"

"I hurt people." she interjected soberly.

"So did I." her mother said with a nod. "And we still feel it, every single time it happens. We still mourn our losses and regret our mistakes and we feel guilt ever damn time… That is the human in you, baby. Please know, as long as you have that - you are doing just fine."

Caroline nodded in promise, sniffling as she tried to absorb every detail of the woman's face. Her features, her movements, the way her voice sounded. All of it. "Mom…" she started with a wavering voice. "What did it say? Your letter?" she asked. "I've wondered every day… What you wanted to tell me."

"Well, everything I just said." Liz chuckled with a shrug. "There was more, of course. But the point of it all was that I wanted you to stay strong and keep fighting - always. And not to beat yourself up when you don't." she explained with a watery grin. "You can never do better than your best, Caroline. And it will look different at different times in your life. Sometimes you'll be capable of seeing things crystal clear and know exactly what the right thing to do is. Other times you'll be too caught up in other, heavier, things that you don't make the best decision in the moment. But again, that is just proof that you are still human. Even though I know you're not."

The blonde joined her mother in a chuckle as she nodded silently, watching the sheriff sigh as she began to speak again. "I love you like nothing else in the world, Caroline. I always will." she murmured gently. "Don't forget that. No matter what happens."

Nodding eagerly, the vampire dried her face and tried to smile despite her puffy eyes and tearstained cheeks. "I'll always love you, mom." she crooned. "And I miss you, all the time."

"I know, sweetie. I miss you too." Liz whispered, leaning her forehead against hers. "But I'm not going anywhere, I'm right beside you. Always." she promised, the words bringing another lump to the blonde's throat. "Caroline…" she sighed, her daughter already dreading what she was about to say. "It's time. You need to push that evil witch out of your mind and go back to all those people who are waiting for you to wake up."

"Not yet." Caroline pleaded.

"Yes, Caroline. Now." her mother insisted. "Before she wakes up and starts playing with your head again."

"But mom…" she whispered, shaking her head as Liz pressed a kiss to her temple.

"Go, Caroline." the ghost murmured into her hair. "I'll kick some ancient ass as back-up."

The blonde chuckled at that, pulling back and watching her mother again for a moment as she forced herself to let her go. "I'm going to miss you… So much." she sniffled.

"It's okay, baby." Liz assured her. "You'll be okay."

She made herself nod in agreement, taking a few steps away as she glanced over at the witch's still body on the ground. Breathing deeply as she clenched her fists and looked to her mother again. "You're going to disappear with her, aren't you?" she asked in dread.

Liz smiled in response. "You may not see me, Caroline. But I'll always be looking out for you. I promise." she crooned, prompting her daughter to swallow hard before nodding again. "Before I go…" Liz chimed, bringing the blonde to study her closely. "Just… Thank him for me, would you?"

"Him?" Caroline echoed, blinking in confusion as her mother shook her head in a disbelieving snicker.

"Klaus." she replied. "Thank him for everything he's done to help you and to keep you safe…" she explained. "Thank him for loving you the way you deserve to be loved. The way I always hoped you would be. Because, trust me, Caroline; that is one for the history books right there."

Her heart constricted as she shook her head in attempt to hold her tears back. "I'll tell him." she whispered, sniffling as she nodded. "Bye, mom. I love you."

"I love you." her mother smiled in response.

Caroline nodded again and closed her eyes, preparing herself with another deep breath as she felt her ears ring at the effort. Her body shaking as she focused on the foreign presence in her head, finding it like a dark shadow and bringing everything she had to force it out.

There was a new strength in her that she guessed was coming from an outside source, of some magic or spell by her friends in attempt to help her out. Her hands trembling as she opened her eyes in a gasp and watched those golden veins light up on her skin. The tempting power was teasing her, preying on her wavering resolve and trying to poke holes in her determination.

She looked over in time to see her mother dissolve in the air, breaking her heart slightly as grief began to tug at her grimly. Her attention moving to Alzbeta's body, watching it shift and flicker before her. The anger she felt towards the witch helping center her as she gulped and clenched her teeth tightly.

"Get out…" she hissed, noticing the witch's eyes opening and meeting hers. "You lost. Now, go away." she scoffed as Alzbeta straightened and tried to get up. To call for her, reach for her. Her mouth hanging open, her eyes wide as saucers, her hand hanging in the air as she tried to stop her.

But piece by piece, cell by cell, the witch began to evaporate. And with every passing second, it got easier to push her away. She felt stronger and steadier, her body glowing with something bright and strange. A short protest lingered in the air as Alzbeta finally disappeared altogether, the world around her flashing and reshaping in random colors and patterns.

She gasped as she fell to her knees, her arms and legs still vibrating. Her heart thrumming, her head spinning.

"You did good, Caroline." Jo crooned from beside her, making her stare at her in confusion as she felt disoriented. "I will see you soon."

About to question the woman further, she felt her heart stop in her chest and her body turn cold. Everything breaking apart before her as something rushed through her like electricity. Her eyes closing as her focus slipped away.


The destruction accelerated rapidly around them, furniture falling over and windows breaking. Lightbulbs shattering, fireplaces catching fire on their own, prompting the people outside of the triangle on the floor to stare on mutely. Holding onto each other tightly, backing away into corners to try and keep safe as Freya and Bonnie called out protective spells in attempt to steady Caroline's magic.

"No, no… No!" Klaus chanted as he leaned down and scooped the blonde vampire in his arms. "Caroline, please." he whispered as a tear fell down his face, bringing the lifeless body harder to his in desperate pleas.

"Niklaus." Elijah bit out, walking towards his brother with worried eyes. Reaching forward as he stepped over the line of salt, bringing an invisible force to pulsate from within it and push everyone to fly back.

"Elijah!" Freya yelled as she was thrown into one of the windows with a hard crash, quickly raising her head to find the others scattered around in similar ways. Wounded and disoriented as a bright light blinded them.

As the ripples subsided and the room stilled, the witch got up on her feet as the rest did the same. Looking over to the side, she helped Bonnie off the floor and scratched at her temple. Drying some blood from her skin as she felt her head ache, a faint ringing seeming to dull her senses lightly as she stretched forward to asses the damages before them.

Freya's heart nearly came to a stop when she saw Caroline and Klaus in the middle of the rubble and ruins. The light surrounding them as she embraced him in a tight hold. The hybrid pulled back shortly to hold onto her face, confirming that she was indeed intact with an amazed smile on his lips.

"I should kill you for scaring me like that." she heard him mutter as the others exhaled deep breaths of relief.

Caroline let out a raspy chuckle and shook her head at him. "Sorry. I'll try not to do it again." Niklaus grinned wider at that, his face glowing with joyous relief as he pulled her into him for a deep kiss.

Freya felt herself smile and close her eyes, murmuring a silent 'thank the heavens' to herself. Shaking off dust from her jeans, she let out a chuckle as she met Bonnie's triumphant eyes. The younger witch hurrying towards Caroline's side and breaking the couple up as she held her friend like a life raft. Enzo helped steady a limping Alaric as they shared a joyous grin, Damon slapping the men's shoulders as he stood between them with a relieved snicker. Elijah and Rebekah looking over at each other with silent nods as Kol and Davina turned to the Mikaelson witch.

The awed consensus was loud and clear all around.

They had won.


The last chapter is going through some last-minute edits but it will be uploaded asap. Hope you guys enjoyed this so far, let me know if you did! See you all soon, xx.