Here it is everyone! Oh, I do so hope you'll enjoy it... xx.
Chapter 38: Au revoir mes amis
Present day
New Orleans, Louisiana
The noise was deafening, it brought a strange taste to Caroline's mouth and a searing headache to follow suit as she stumbled through the city. The signs were too bright, the music was too loud, the colors too vivid… She had trouble seeing anything as the crowd shoved her back and forth, the people filled the streets and added to the disoriented state she'd found herself in ever since that sound began. Images flashed shortly before her of Rebekah's concerned face as she tried to get her to stand up. But she couldn't, she needed to breathe, to find a moment of quiet, to be alone, to get out of her skin and away from that ringing…
Where was it coming from?
Falling to her knees, she lowered her hands from her ears and found them covered in blood. She wasn't sure whether it was hers or not as her sight remained too blurry to tell. Reaching for a lamp post, she steadied herself as she slowly straightened up. Groaning as she tried to force her eyes open, to focus on where she was going, to understand what was happening.
All she knew was that she had to keep moving. Her feet took one step after another until she was walking again, the direction seemingly random as she followed the strange calling in her head. As if someone was pulling at her soul, forcing her to come to them.
There was a short moment of clarity as she turned her head to the right and suddenly saw a path opening through the woods. Guiding her away from the people and the voices and towards the lights. They spread out like colors before her, the wind pushing her forward as it seemed to all point to the same location. Her feet finally stopping on the outskirts of town, her eyes squinting as she studied the gates in front of her.
The Lafayette Cemetery.
She looked down at the invisible barrier that kept unwanted beings away from the spiritual grounds, wondering why exactly the sound would send her here when she couldn't even enter. But her body responded by moving again, her foot stepping forward and bringing the rest of her with it. Walking past the magical boundary, the very same one that was supposed to be impenetrable - if her past experience with the location was anything to go on.
The sounds that had occupied her head finally dulled into white noise. Her eyes blinked away the obstructing lights and revealed a meadow before her. The sun shining over her head, despite her knowing that it was late into the evening already.
"What is this?" she murmured to herself as she studied the mystical scenery. The horizon was vast and far, but it was the sky that caught her eye. It was filled with beautiful colors, with lights that were dancing and playing like nothing she'd ever seen before.
"Hello, Caroline."
The voice made her jump as a woman materialized before her out of nowhere, her face immediately recognizable and causing the blonde to shake her head in confusion.
Jo.
"How did I get here?" she asked in a slow drawl. "How did you?"
"The connection was the strongest in this place." Jo explained with a leisure shrug. "I suppose it is due to the many pivotal events which have transpired here over the years."
"Events?"
"Yes, these are sacred grounds. The witches of New Orleans feed off the ancestors whose spirits rest here. The energy is palpable, like a fog in the air…" she mused with awe-filled eyes. "At least it is to us." she added as she studied Caroline again. "Most importantly; this is where Davina Claire took the first step to bringing the Candle of Hades back to the surface, along with its formerly eradicated form of magic."
Caroline nodded slowly at that, still finding herself uneasy in the ghost's presence. "How did I know to come here?" she pressed, turning to follow the woman's movements closely.
"We called you here." The response only made her more confused.
"Really?" she snickered as the ghost stopped walking and turned to her. "I mean, no offense, Jo. But I don't remember putting you in my contact list." she quipped, earning a surprised look from the witch in response.
"Oh…" she said slowly. "You are still seeing her then?"
"Excuse me?" the vampire stuttered, receiving another blank stare from the ghost before she spoke again.
"I am not Josette Parker." the woman explained. "I suspect you see her because it is whom your mind associates with us."
Now it was Caroline's turn to blink mutely as she had trouble following. "Wait… If you're not Jo, then who the hell are you?" she pushed.
The ghost smiled lightly at that, nodding a little as if in greeting. "I am the representation of what is left from our legacy." she chimed calmly. "The collective magic which still lingers on this side of the world. A vessel which harbors all past members of our coven."
The blonde could feel her face pale as she suspected the following words before the ghost even spoke them. "I am what you have glimpsed in your dreams, Caroline. I am the power which courses through your veins." the spirit continued. "I am the Gemini Coven."
Caroline shook her head violently at that, scoffing as she immediately started searching for the nearest exit. "Hell, no." she hissed out and turned away in attempt to outrun the ghost. "No, I'm outta here. No, way. I'm not doing this again…"
The woman blocked her path as she gave her what could only be assumed was the ghost's attempt at a kind smile. "Calm down, child." she crooned gently. "This is nothing like the Marousek spirit which you have already encountered. We mean you no harm."
"Yeah, says you… You're the reason I got into this mess in the first place!" the vampire protested, earning a sigh from the entity before her.
"Yes, that was very unfortunate. But necessary." the ghost nodded, its face turning serious as a pair of cold eyes bore into hers. "We need your help, Caroline."
"Sorry, can't do it. Why don't you try a different vampire?" she retorted cheekily, trying another direction to make her escape but only running straight into the spirit once more.
"We did not invest our powers in you, thereby placing our fate in your hands, for you to simply walk away now." the witch scolded, bringing Caroline's blood to boil.
"I never asked you to!" she spat out. "You did this all on your own and ever since, all I've done is lose people. All I've felt is grief and emptiness… So, you know what? Just take it! Take your magic back, because I sure as hell don't want it."
"We know. That is precisely how we knew that we could trust you with it in the first place." the spirit replied. "You have a selfless nature, Caroline Forbes. One that is rare amongst your kind."
"Well, that's just great; another vampire-racist. This is so the last thing I need right now…" she muttered, mostly to herself but the witch responded anyhow.
"Alaric Saltzman has too small a mind to comprehend who you are, dear. Who you could be…" the ghost chimed with a pointed nod. "You should take this as your chance to rid yourself of any outside obstacles. To clear your path for what is to come."
"Fine, I'll play along." the blonde snickered as she raised her arms in defeat. "What is to come?" she asked, earning a tiny expression of triumph in result as the spirit took another step closer.
"Have you felt it yet?" it asked, prompting Caroline to knit her eyebrows together in a furrowed look. The spirit let out a sigh at that before speaking again. "We have tried to help you along, to aid your senses so that you could find it before it's too late."
"Too late… for what?"
The ghost scanned her slowly at that, its head tilted as those bright white eyes shone through the ones belonging to Jo. "There is a dark force brewing, Caroline." it relayed. "An enemy in the making unlike anything else that us witches have ever faced before."
"You mean other than what I already took care of for you?" she scoffed in reply, receiving a slow nod from the serious being then.
"Yes." it said firmly. "You were merely up against one of the many symptoms that are to come… We will need your help in alienating the core to its power. The disease which has sprung this on."
"Fine, what disease?" Caroline sighed out exasperatedly, wanting it all to be over with already. However, she wasn't prepared for the reply that hit her across the face like a cold-hard slap then.
"Hope Mikaelson."
Her heart stopped as she gaped at the witch, at this almighty whatever filled with the entire freaking lineage of a whole coven… "What?" she breathed out, her voice breaking as she prayed that she had misheard it.
"The powers she inherited have created an imbalance in the universe-" the ghost began but she quickly interrupted with a raised palm of protest.
"No, okay. Just no. I'm not going to let you hurt an innocent child!" she countered angrily, stepping closer as she glared at the being with her face morphed into its monstruous mask. "And if you or anyone else even tries to go near her, I will use every last ounce of these powers you so willingly gave me to ruin you. Do you understand me?"
The spirit shook its head slowly as it remained unbothered by her outburst. "You're making assumptions, Caroline." it said calmly. "We do not wish Hope any harm. We want to protect her."
"Protect her from what!?"
"That… we do not know yet."
A bitter laugh fell off the vampire's lips as she turned away with a shaking head. "Wow…" she muttered under her breath, facing the entity again with straight eyes. "Then why exactly do you think there's anything after her in the first place?"
"We know there is." it reassured her. "We've felt it; the shift in the air, the tilt of the scales… When she was born, Hope drew such an unprecedented amount of power from the earth. Such a being cannot exist without a counterpart, without a balance."
"So, someone's coming for her?" Caroline pressed. "Who? When? How?"
"We can't be sure of that yet." the spirit drawled, fanning the flames of desperation already filling the blonde's chest.
"Then why the hell are you telling me this? What do you expect me to do with that information?"
The witch stepped closer and leveled its eyes to hers somberly. "Wait." it said. "Be patient while we do our work from this end and be ready to strike when it is your turn to do yours."
"And how will I know when that is?" she scoffed.
"We will call on you again, like we did today. If we are successful, we won't ever need to bring you in at all. But we cannot risk losing such an asset until we know that the threat has truly passed."
Gulping hard in response, Caroline folded her arms over her chest and nodded slowly. "Ok. And how long will that take?"
"Years, decades… Centuries." the spirit guessed with a shrug. "It's a good thing that you're immortal."
"Yeah… Sure; yay me!" Caroline spat out bitterly, already feeling the heavy burden placed on her shoulders. "So, how do I know if the threat is gone?"
"Your powers, they will be weaned off you in time." the ghost explained. "If we no longer see a reason to keep providing you them, then we will cut off this link for good. There will be no more nightmares, no more excessive strength or added abilities. You will be like any other ordinary vampire."
"And until then?" she pushed on. "What, you want me to just go on with my life like I don't know that Hope could need my help at any second? That you won't suddenly use me as some shield to protect her?"
The being smiled at her then, the sight of it sending shivers down Caroline's back. "There's no need to worry, child." it crooned. "Because you won't remember this conversation."
"I- what?" she stuttered.
"Not until when, and if, the time comes that we need you to." it added with a leisure voice as the vampire ran a hand through her hair in despair.
"What, so the veins… The eyes…" she stammered, remembering the sight she'd caught in the mirror that morning. "I wasn't imagining all that, was I?" she pressed. "It's a sign that I'm still connected to you, or whatever."
The spirit nodded in response to her musings, bringing the vampire to push on further. "So, what, will they go away with time too?" she asked. "Or are you just fine with letting me think that I'm slowly going insane?"
"You only saw them because you are currently at the height of your power." the ghost shared. "You have just absorbed a tremendous amount of magic and it is still settling inside of you. It will pass and, as our connection wains off, so will your abilities."
Caroline closed her eyes as she tried to absorb it all, fidgeting with her hands and feet as she fought to keep calm. "You mean that one day, I'll remember all of this and suddenly go into some type of attack mode?"
"If that oversimplification helps you grasp the severity of the situation; then yes."
"So, what do I do?" she whined, staring at the being sadly. "Do I just stay by Hope's side twenty-four-seven for the rest of eternity?"
"No, there should be no need for that." the ghost interjected. "She is already surrounded by family and friends who are all prepared to protect her with their own lives." it added. "Only if the threat is real, and only when we pin it down, will you know. You will be drawn back here. You will return to Hope. You will find yourself in the right place at the right time." it explained with a slow nod. "When she needs us, and you, the most - that is when we will intervene."
Caroline nodded at that. "Right. Okay." she murmured to herself. "Fine, so just give me some time to talk to Klaus and Hayley before you erase our memories and-"
"No, no they cannot know." the spirit cut her off harshly.
"What?" she spat out in disbelief. "They need to know that their daughter could get hurt. We need to prepare for it together. Freya can make spells, Davina and Kol can put some kind of protection charms on Hope-"
"No." the being interrupted firmly, not leaving any room for negotiation. "Caroline, if we deemed them necessary for our plans then we would've involved them a long time ago." it noted. "You are the only one who will be powerful enough to protect her. You are the only one who can know."
"I can't do that!" she protested. "I can't just do nothing and then wake up one day all alone and lost and in an urgent need to protect her… I need help, I-I need Klaus or at least Hayley to know."
"No." the spirit bit out again, causing her to suddenly want to tear her hair out in wild agony.
"Okay, fine! Then don't make me forget." she suggested desperately. "Let me remember so that I can prepare myself. So that I can do what you need me to."
"You don't understand-" the witch began but Caroline was done biting her tongue then.
"No, you don't understand!" she yelled out. "This is their kid we're talking about! An innocent little girl whose only crime is that she was born into a world where everybody is going to be after her for like - ever!" she hissed through clenched teeth and let out a humorless laugh as her voice refused to remain steady. "I can't be a part of it if something goes wrong, if she gets hurts or worse… I can't be the reason that a parent loses their baby - I just can't."
The ghost listened to her patiently as her eyes pooled with angry tears and her heart ached at the mere thought. "I can't do that again." she whispered pleadingly. "I can't, okay. Y-you have to do something. You have to let me do something. Anything!"
Sensing that she was finished for now, the witch reached forward and cupped her cheek in a soothing caress. "Caroline." it began warmly. "I understand how special Hope is. How essential her survival is… Do you?"
She swallowed hard as her cheeks kept being wettened by tears. Her eyes closing as the ghost's touch started to emit such warmth and light that it actually started to calm her down.
"We have already threatened fate far too much by even telling you this in the first place." it continued gently. "We can't risk anyone finding out that we still exist, that we still have power. Our survival depends on Hope's, and hers in turn depends on you." it added, sighing before continuing again.
"I truly hope that we will never speak again. I wish you will lose your abilities and return our powers for good. That Hope Mikaelson lives the long and happy life that she is destined to, that she accomplishes everything that we know her capable of. That her future is not ruined by our intervening… Because it is beautiful, Caroline."
She opened her eyes at that, seeing only a genuine face before her as the spirit spoke on. "It is incredible… She will bring together every supernatural faction, not only in this city but on this earth." it relayed with such raw emotion in its voice that Caroline felt herself actually believing it. "This is why we need to be careful. To remain hidden in the shadows, to keep our powers stored within you. To make sure that nothing interferes with the fate that we have glimpsed."
"And me?" she whispered. "What's going to happen to me if the time comes and you use me to protect her?" she gulped. "You keep talking about her future, her fate. What about mine?"
The being let go of her cheek and squeezed her shoulder then, sending further reassurance through her body as it spoke. "Let me ask you something, Caroline." it chimed kindly. "If you knew that you could help someone you care about. If you knew, without a doubt, that if your life would be traded for theirs they would go on to do great things and be a leader to so many in need of one - would you really have it any other way?"
A familiarity rang in Caroline's ears as she studied the ghost then. "The Gemini curse." she pointed out. "That's what it is, right? Giving up one powerful being for another?"
"Yes." the witch confirmed with a nod.
"So, I'll die." she whispered in conclusion.
"We believe so, yes." the spirit confessed. "If this threat that we predict does come after all, and if you are successful in protecting Hope from it, your life along with our collective powers will be sacrificed for hers."
Taking a long, shaky breath, the vampire managed to wipe the last few tears off her face and nodded at the being before her. "Okay." she said. "You're right. Take away my memory… I could never live with myself if I had this hanging over my head every day." she gulped before continuing. "But this way, I get to live decades - maybe even centuries, right?"
The spirit nodded in agreement, prompting her to mimic the gesture as she continued her musings. "And Hope, she'll grow up and be what she's meant to be. She'll be happy and healthy and save witches everywhere and bring paradise to earth or whatever… And Klaus – he'll have his daughter, even if it means that he won't have me. Right?" she asked, receiving another nod at that. "So… Okay." she decided firmly. "I'll do it."
Pure relief took form across the entity's features as it smiled at her in response, squeezing her shoulder firmly one last time before letting go. "Thank you." it said as it stepped away from her. "We knew we made the right choice that day, in that barn, during that awful tragedy… We knew that this day would come. We knew that you would save us all, one way or another." it chimed sweetly. "Your sacrifice will mean everything to us."
The blonde gulped as she really didn't enjoy the reminder, wanting to get on with it all before she changed her mind. "Just do it." she said. "Take my memory away. Make me forget already so that I can go back to my life again… However much I have left of it."
A bright light started to surround them as the spirit nodded again, bowing a little as its voice echoed in her ears. "Goodbye, Caroline Forbes." it said. "I pray we never meet again."
The lights started to blind her, forcing her to shut her eyes and cover her face with a hand as she grimaced in pain. Waiting for it all to pass with a growing worry in her gut. When she opened her eyes again, she was standing in the woods. Her feet were planted firmly in front of big iron gates belonging to a familiar place, her head cocked to the side as she read the sign above her in confirmation.
The Lafayette cemetery.
She blinked slowly as she tried to remember how she had ended up there. What she was doing… Why she had come to this place. Where she had come from.
What was she forgetting?
"Caroline?" Rebekah's voice made her turn around and meet the bewildered face of the Original. Her clothes were a mess, her hair ruffled and blood covered her throat and hands.
Right… The fighting, she thought as she remembered the events at the church. That's what she was doing.
"Are you alright?" the older blonde pressed as she started to look annoyed - although, Caroline was unsure of exactly whom the feeling was directed towards.
"Yeah." she said, shaking her head as she brought herself out of her reverie. "Yeah, I'm fine. I just needed some air."
"So, you left without so much as a word?" Rebekah scoffed, looking bemused at having acted worried for someone who clearly was perfectly fine.
"Sorry, I was just really out of it…" Caroline snickered, shrugging as she walked towards the other vampire. "Guess you kicked my ass, huh?"
"Right…" the Mikaelson drawled slowly as she scanned Caroline's face. "I guess so." she murmured before swiftly straightening up and looking serious again. "Anyway, Nik is slowly going out of his mind searching for you. I have even been instructed to escort you home if I were to find you first. Which I, understandably, haven't informed them about having done yet."
Caroline smirked at that. "So, you're being nice to me?" she asked tauntingly, earning an irritated eyeroll as the Original turned away and started walking.
"Let's just go, before I end up with a dagger in my chest due to your impulsiveness." she scoffed bitterly, not stopping to make sure that the vampire was following her.
Shaking her head in humor, Caroline snickered lightly before hurrying to catch up. "Hey, don't leave me alone out here!" she called in a whine. "Cemeteries at night are the worst…"
"Well, you're the one who wandered over here all by your lonesome!" Rebekah countered as they walked side-by-side. "I suggest you find a cozier hiding place next time."
"Next time? Next time what? You try to kill me?" Caroline scoffed.
"Don't even joke about that." the Original sighed exasperatedly, fear flashing across her wide blue eyes. "I have no interest in being blamed for your disappearance ever again."
"Yeah, yeah…" the younger vampire drawled as she bumped her shoulder playfully. Deciding not to goad her any further now that they were being somewhat pleasant to each other.
"Although…" she drawled despite herself, just desperate to get the last word in. "I could always just tell Klaus the truth; that I ran off because you beat me to a pulp, and I completely lost my head…"
Rebekah shoved at her side at that, her face white as her eyes narrowed sharply. "Don't you dare!" she bit out, prompting Caroline to laugh as she rushed ahead of her. "I am serious, Caroline!" the Mikaelson yelled as she kept calling out for her through the woods. Receiving only an echoing chuckle in response as Caroline eluded her advances.
"Hey! If you run off again, so help me- Forbes!"
Considering how quiet Klaus and Elijah were when the two female vampires entered the courtyard, Caroline suspected that they had interrupted an argument between the brothers. The hybrid's shoulders quickly dropping as he turned around to meet her hesitant eyes with traces of fire in his.
"Your delivery…" Rebekah quipped with a snarky glance at the younger woman.
Caroline raised an eyebrow in challenge then, causing the Original to clear her throat as she continued. "I will be retiring for the night, but do make sure to leave any further orders in my invoice so that I can promptly ignore them in the future." the Mikaelson added cheekily before disappearing, likely to her room upstairs if the slamming of a door in that direction was anything to go on.
Turning her focus to the men again, she noted Klaus walking towards her with a scrutinizing gaze that scanned her from top to toe. Seeming to look for something, injuries perhaps?
"I'm fine." she assured him softly, her stomach jumping as his face broke out into a beautiful smile in response.
She was convinced then that her heightened abilities had also made an impact on her emotions, because it wasn't possible to miss someone after barely spending more than a few hours away from them… Right?
He closed the final distance between them and pulled her in with a hand at the back of her head, pressing his forehead to hers with a long breath. Making her close her eyes as she did the same, her arms wrapping around his torso tight as she felt much lighter suddenly.
Moving back a little, he left a kiss to her temple and reached for one of her hands. "Come." he chimed softly as he braided their fingers together. "I have something to show you." he smirked before tugging her with him.
Butterflies filled her stomach as she followed him up the stairs to the third floor. His smile reassuring her as he turned over his shoulder before stopping by a door and nodding towards her.
"I had a plan for showing it to you sooner… After the Strix ball, in fact. I was going to invite you to stay in here, in this room." he explained, reaching for the handle as he opened to let her inside. "Your room."
She gaped at him shortly, thinking back to when she'd made her explorations of the building before. This room having been one of the many sealed off ones of the floor, and she hadn't really thought about it further since. Really, she'd assumed it was kept for storage or meant to house guests but…
"My room?" she echoed as he pressed a palm low on her back and directed her to step over the threshold.
"Or rather… ours." he chimed in before flipping a light switch and revealing the room to her then – immediately stunning her into silence.
It was a wide and open space with a draped canopy bed as the crown jewel. She thought it looked much lighter than any of the other rooms of the property, airy with details such as crisp white cotton linens but still containing important features from the architectural era in the form of a restored fireplace in aged stonework. In contrast to the light textiles, the paneled walls were painted in a stylish taupe color with the same finish on the trimmed lines. Bringing a modern feel to the space that worked well with the giant windows and the two pairs of glass doors on each side of the fireplace. They lead to a balcony that seemed to be detached from the ones framing the rest of the building's exterior, yet another thing that extinguished the room from the house's others.
She turned her head and saw a desk by the other wall, paired with two wide bookcases that were filled with books in several different languages and from various eras. An antique globe stood atop the wooden desk, she spun it gently and admired it before picking up a heavy book from beside it. The delicate binding hinting at its age as she studied the pages and found that it was an herbarium of small plants with names she'd never heard of. Following the theme, a couple of dried flowers had been pressed and framed in glass as they decorated the mantel of the fireplace behind her.
Her focus switched to the huge mirror in a gorgeously ornate golden frame as it leaned against the wall to her left, a pair of doors next to it calling her as she opened them and found a marble bathroom with modern utilities. She took in the lavish tub, the seemingly unused double shower and adjoining sauna, the long counter with plenty of storage beneath the twin basins.
Returning to the bedroom again, she realized that Klaus hadn't said a word since they entered the room. Guessing that he was waiting for her to comment on the surprise, she found it difficult to express herself. The chock, the awe, the gratitude. Instead, she caught sight of an easel in the far-off corner, a big canvas being covered by a sheet and adding to her curiosity.
A low chuckle made her glance back at the hybrid as she had been on her way towards it. "Took you long enough to notice it." he teased gently, making her scoff.
"I guess I was a little distracted." she breathed out with a snicker, reaching for the sheet but faltering as she threw him a questioning look. "Can I see it?" she asked softly, receiving a wide smile and nod in response. She pulled at the sheet swiftly and revealed a colorful painting that took her breath away.
It was her.
Sure, she had seen his various depictions of her quite a few times by now. From sketches that he'd made absentmindedly in a few quick moves to the more elaborate drawings that had surely taken a lot of time and several tries on his end. But this was different, it was alive. It had such vivid colors, the brushstrokes were delicate and precise, her face stole the focus of the viewer as it appeared in the center of the canvas. Around her was an aura of light with orange and red hues as the background hinted at a familiar sunrise over still waters.
She recognized something else in it, the way he had framed the bright object in the middle with dark and warm colors… "The Red Canna." she mused aloud, turning to the artist as he joined her side.
"My interpretation of it at least." he chimed in confirmation, looking a little nervous suddenly as she merely shook her head in awe.
"You-" she breathed out, scoffing to herself in disbelief. "You're kind of incredible."
The boyish grin that overtook him made her chest swell as he met her eyes. "Did you miss the fact that the motif was you yourself or did you choose to overlook that part?" he chuckled.
"Oh, no, it would be impossible not to notice that." she sputtered with an anxious snicker. "But you're the one who made it. Who saw this in your mind and…" she reached for the painting and traced the lines of it slowly. "If I didn't already know how you felt about me, this would sure as hell send the message… Loud and clear."
He chuckled again at that as she turned to him with a beaming smile, circling her arms around his neck as he held her by her waist. "Well, every artist needs a muse after all." he shrugged playfully, leaning in as he teased her with an airy kiss.
"Yeah, that's what I am then?" she taunted as her lips brushed against his softly. "Your muse? Your Mona Lisa? Your Girl with a Diamond Earring?"
"You, Caroline Forbes…" he sighed as he cupped her cheek, his eyes searing through hers. "Are my everything." he proclaimed with a serious tone. "All the happiness and love and the people that I have in my life now… I don't believe I would have ever gotten or at least not known what to do with any of it… if I hadn't met you."
She blinked slowly as his words left her speechless, studying him as his sincere gaze filled her with a level of warmth and reassurance that she'd never felt before. He smiled as he nodded at her pointedly. "You were likely the first one, in a very long time, to not only understand and see me but to get me to see myself through you." he explained. "To show me that I had some light left within me after all. That I wasn't entirely… dark. Evil. Irredeemable." he mused with a sigh. "That I could do good. That I could care for others in a way that I had never really experienced myself."
"That you could love." she chimed in, earning a wide smile from him in agreement.
"Exactly." he drawled, his eyes flashing with something pained swiftly then. "Do not ever forget that." he murmured pleadingly.
"How could I?" she giggled with a smirk, leaning in to kiss him but noticing him pulling back.
"Promise." he whispered, causing her to study him in question as she wondered why it meant so much to him. Why it was so important that she expressed it with words when she was certain she'd already done so over and over again in a hundred different ways…
"I promise." she murmured truthfully.
He nodded slowly at that, a nervous smile forming his lips. "Good." he said before kissing her then, nearly bringing her heart to a stop with the raw emotion he put into it. How his hold heated her skin and tightened against her hip, how he ran his fingers through her hair and pinned her to the wall, how his body pushed against hers in attempt to secure her in his arms.
His tongue separated her lips and danced with hers, causing her knees to wobble lightly as she clung tighter to him. Moaning at the sweet taste as her hands quickly searched for his skin, tugging at his shirt as she struggled with separating from the kiss for long enough to pull it off him.
Having likely sensed her dilemma, he removed her top with such a swift move that she couldn't even react before his lips found her throat and caused soft sighs to fall off her tongue. "I'll be holding you to that." he whispered against her skin, his hips grinding against hers. "Because there may be times…" he continued as she gripped his shirt and finally discarded it.
Her hands ran over the planes of his chest and shoulder-blades as his lips crashed down on hers again. "When you don't agree with my decisions…" he breathed out while swiftly picking her up and wrapping her legs around his waist. "Or when you disapprove of my actions…" he continued as he carried her away, her back hitting the bed as she nipped at his throat and scratched at his scalp with her nails.
"Mhm…" she muttered absentmindedly, really having trouble paying attention to his words as he kissed her deeply again before trailing the side of her neck. Alternating between rough nibbles and airy pecks as she leaned into his touch with a content smile.
"You may not always like the things I do…" he continued, kind of starting to frustrate her as she reached for his belt and got to work on ridding him of his pants. "Or whom I do them to…"
"Aha… Totally." she chuckled breathily while his hands spread fire over her chest and legs. "Let's talk about this later, hm?" she pressed as she smoothly unclasped her bra and tossed it away. His hot breath immediately hitting her skin as he moved lower with his lips then.
Because, seriously, why was he talking about this right now? she thought as she tugged at his hair and directed him towards her breasts. Blinking her eyes open as she suddenly considered her own thought, spinning them around and straddling his hips as she held him back with a hand to his sternum.
"Wait…" she said under her breath as she scanned him with furrowed eyebrows. "What exactly brought this on?"
His dark eyes were hooded as he smirked up at her, his hands tracing her sides in slow caresses. "Well, I do have a promise to live up to." he crooned, bringing her to falter shortly before shaking her head in response.
Pinning his wrist to the mattress to keep them from distracting her, she studied him closely as she spoke. "Why are you bringing this up now?" she asked, ignoring the heat stubbornly building between them as he looked up at her with glowing eyes that seemed ready to swallow her whole. "Klaus?" she drawled pointedly.
He inhaled slowly, his chest rising in a long breath as he gave her half-naked form one last glance before meeting her eyes again. "I may or may not have done something, recently… that you, presumably, would not approve of..." he said with a little shrug, feigning such innocence that she had to fight back a loud scoff of disbelief.
"What did you do?" she pressed with a skeptic tone as she sat back on his lap and watched him closely.
"It is barely anything, really…" he snickered with a smirk that she knew meant trouble. "It just kind of popped into my mind. Nothing of importance."
The more he tried to brush it off, the more serious she knew his crime must've been. "Talk." she ordered firmly, crossing her arms over her chest in attempt to keep him from throwing distracted eyes towards her.
He snickered lightly at that, shrugging as his gaze kept falling on her form. Making her scoff before leaning forward and covering his eyes with a hand then. "Well now, that seems a little excessive." he quipped in taunt.
"Oh, you have no idea." she countered with a sly voice. "I suggest you confess your sins now, or you'll just be forcing me to base my punishment on all the horrible things that I am currently imagining in my head." she crooned in threat. "So, talk."
His lips were still smirking as he let out a conceding sigh. "Well, honestly, I think you can hardly blame me for my actions. They were completely just - hell, he deserved far more." he admitted with a nonchalant scoff. "And he would've gotten it too, if I hadn't been forced to step away out of concern for your reaction."
She let go of him as recognition tightened around her heart, her lips parted as she stared at him silently for a long moment. "You didn't…" she whispered, her face falling entirely as she saw his calm expression remain. "Ric?" she asked, voicing her fears as she felt them spread bile through her lungs. "You killed him?"
"No, no. Of course not." he assured her sweetly, like the smooth devil that he so obviously was. Sitting up with her in his lap and holding her in place as he stroked her arms slowly. "I just… hurt him. A little." he admitted. "Or… a lot."
Her jaw fell at that as she gaped in response, anger and disbelief and so many more emotions building like a storm inside of her as she couldn't get herself to do anything but cry out the first thing that came to her mind. "You did what!?"
"I cannot believe that you dragged me into this, Nik." Kol muttered low as he followed behind his brother and Caroline down the street. "Why would you ever tell her in the first place!?"
"Because if he hadn't, I'd just find it out on my own and then I would've been forced to help the next group of scorned supernatural beings planning to kill your little family of fire-starters." Caroline called back over her shoulder without meeting their eyes as she continued to lead them towards the hotel where the former residents of Mystic Falls were staying. Forcing them to confront the man they'd tortured in an alley mere hours ago because, in her own words, 'it was the right thing to do'.
"Here I was under the impression that you were a man, brother." Kol muttered tauntingly, earning a dark glare from Caroline then as she glanced back at him angrily.
"And here I was under the impression that this was the 21st century and that such misogynistic bias was considered, not only discriminatory, but rude." she bit back.
"Oh, if I were still a vampire…" he snickered then, receiving a dark look from the hybrid that time.
"If you were still a vampire, you would be getting reacquainted with a dagger and coffin for even making such a threat in the first place." Klaus crooned with a dangerous smirk. "I suppose we are all better off this way, hm?"
"Hey, you came to me, remember?" he protested firmly.
"Oh, please!" the hybrid snickered in response. "You were absolutely dying to get your hands dirty, brother. Don't waste time denying it."
"Well, perhaps if you weren't so goddamn henpecked-"
The words got stuck in his throat as Klaus swiftly gripped it tight in his hand, lifting him in the air as he gave a piercing glare. "What was that, little brother?" he crooned in challenge, urging him to provoke him further.
Tempting as it was, he would prefer to keep his newly human state for as long as possible after all - so he closed his eyes and pushed the older Mikaelson away using his magic. Klaus flew off in result and landed on the ground with a groan as his eyes glowed in threat, Caroline quickly appearing between them as the hybrid seemed ready to attack again.
"Will you drop the testosterone-y display already!?" she hissed, scanning them both momentarily before nodding ahead. "Come on, let's get this over with so that I can successfully sleep tonight." she ordered, reaching a hand over to Klaus as she helped him up. Alternating one last scowl between the brothers before she resumed walking again.
Kol watched as the hybrid moved to intertwine their hands but was promptly swatted away from her hold instead. His face flashing with rejection and hurt so shortly that the younger brother nearly missed it. It made him swallow an entertained scoff as he realized that he quite enjoyed watching the intimidating, ancient and powerful Niklaus Mikaelson being scolded and put in place by a young vampire like Caroline Forbes.
Her threatening words and warning glares were somehow enough to bring the man to his knees, the very same one who'd ruined cities and slaughtered legions at other's similar attempts in the past… But this one person, this young woman with her fiery eyes and sharp wits, she could turn him into the most obedient, love-stricken fool that had ever existed. It was certainly incredible to watch, because he sure as hell knew that if anyone else tried to speak to Klaus that way; they would not live to talk about it.
He shook his head at the thought, curious as to how his brother managed to justify it to himself. Wondering if he had trouble not ripping her head off at every whim, or if he really did turn into the softest little kitten when in her presence.
Either way, it was likely best for him to give the two some space and refrain from commenting on what he'd witnessed.
They reached the hotel and knocked on the room door shortly after that, waiting mutely as Caroline stood in front of them with fidgeting hands. The door opened and was quickly shut again without Kol being able to catch whom it had been on the other side of it.
"Damon, come on! We're here to make peace." she called out, informing the witch then and causing him to press his lips into a thin line in result. Noticing his brothers hand clenching as he too seemed to still experience some latent anger left behind from their previous encounter.
As the door slowly opened again, it was Bonnie Bennett who appeared with a soft smile directed at the blonde. "Hey, Care." she said gently before they both crashed into each other with a firm embrace.
"I don't know if I'm ever going to get used to seeing you up and talking." Caroline snickered as she pulled back and held her friend's face in her hands. Sharing a wide smile with the witch before nodding pointedly in question. "Can we come in?" she asked, traces of insecurity dripping at the corners of her words.
"Sure." Bonnie agreed with another smile. "Alaric is still in the other room resting, but you can hang out if you want."
The blonde's pale face turned to the men behind her at that, her eyes filled with ice as she urged them to follow her inside. She entered with another friendly glance at the brunette by the door, Klaus wore a stiff smirk on his lips as he barely met the witch's eyes while passing her.
Kol, however, stopped and gave her a courteous nod. Feeling that life had suddenly gotten much too short for him to be collecting foes amongst powerful witches, and sensing that perhaps they weren't off to the best of starts quite yet.
"Ms. Bennett." he crooned cheekily, earning a pair of raised eyebrows as she watched him incredulously in response.
"Kol." she said in greeting, ushering him inside with a nod before closing the door behind him. Bringing him to study the room as Enzo St. John gave Caroline a chaste peck on her cheek, Klaus' hands twitching as he stood beside her with a dark pair of eyes.
"It's good to see you, gorgeous." Enzo chimed, his hand lingering against her back and clearly irking the hybrid as he glowered in silence. "Come to wish us well before we leave?"
"Leave?" Caroline blinked, glancing over at Bonnie who joined Damon's side with a tiny grimace.
"Yeah, some of us are thinking about going to find Stefan and Valerie." she explained with a shrug. "They were a great help when we ran from Julian so it's no more than right that we make sure that they're doing okay."
"I didn't realize that they could be in trouble…" the blonde drawled.
"Why would you?" Damon quipped sharply at that, bringing the room's eyes to turn to him. "You've spent the last five years acting like he died." he added with a cold smirk. "Really, what does it matter to you that they were the reason any of us got out of Europe alive and all?"
"You mean when Bonnie was captured?" Caroline countered. "That's what you're referring to, right?"
"Easy, darling." Enzo sighed with a little smile as he nodded at her pointedly. "They risked their lives to ensure Julian didn't find us for years. Nor you for that matter."
"Look how well that turned out." she muttered out as she crossed her arms over her shoulders. "Whenever one Salvatore decides to play the savior, the other will still drag everybody down with him one way or another."
There were some fast movements then that Kol couldn't quite follow as Damon suddenly flashed forward, Klaus standing in front of Caroline and Enzo pulling the Salvatore's arm to hold him back.
"This is a funny way of making peace." Damon scoffed as he scanned the men currently keeping him from acting out. "Coming to insult me in my face while Ric lies barely healed in the other room…" he muttered, a livid look in his eyes as he glanced between the Mikaelson's at that. "And the fact that you brought them is too ironic to even be funny. Your own pair of twisted bodyguards!"
"Damon." Bonnie protested with a stern voice. "You're not making things any easier."
"Wasn't trying to, Bon." he countered with a shrug, backing away from the blonde then and gradually easing the other's minds. The body languages of both Enzo and Klaus still apprehensive but far more relaxed as some much-needed space was created between the two young vampires.
The Salvatore moved to grab a glass from a nearby table, pouring himself a drink as the Bennett witch turned to Caroline again. "Ric was in a pretty bad shape tonight, even with Damon's blood." she relayed. "He has been kind of keeping to himself for a while now and he was really upset when he ran off on us… And, well, Enzo and I didn't realize that Alaric was sober… Or, supposed to be."
That made Caroline's face harden as her hands fell to her sides. "He relapsed?" she breathed out, her gaze switching to scrutinize Damon's back as it remained turned at her. "You did this, didn't you? You provoked him, you pushed him into it-"
"Yeah, that's what I did." the male vampire replied with a sarcastic snicker as he sipped his drink. "I forced the alcohol down his throat, because I'm evil and mindless and the most selfish friend of all time…" he added with a shrug. Turning to face them then, his face a pained smirk as he pointed an accusatory finger between the brothers across the room.
"But not them, though, right?" he pressed. "No, they're the good guys. They can do nothing wrong… or at least nothing that you won't forgive and forget after some thorough fucking-"
Kol didn't need to see what happened next, he already knew how Klaus would react. He merely sighed as the hybrid pinned Damon to the wall by his throat. Watching the rest of the room immediately freeze up in result as they seemed to alternate between wanting to shut the man up themselves - and worrying for his life.
"You know what… I was wrong to orchestrate tonight's events." Klaus drawled. "I was wrong to corner Alaric, to make him suffer for his actions, when it should have been you in that alley. Not him."
"Klaus, don't." Caroline tried weakly, walking over to tug at his arm in an attempt to pull him away. "This isn't why we came here."
"Then why did you?" a new voice asked, causing heads to turn as Alaric himself entered the room with squared shoulders and eerie eyes.
"Ric." the blonde quickly said as she moved off Klaus and walked over to the man instead. "I-I didn't-… I would have never let that happen to you, you know that right?" she stammered anxiously, her voice pleading as she scanned his face.
"I know." Alaric replied with a tiny smile, nodding to the door behind him then. "We should talk." he murmured, receiving a hopeful expression from the vampire as she nodded and quickly turned to follow him to the adjourning room.
"You too." Ric added, surprising everyone as he looked straight over at Klaus then.
Kol could tell that his brother was torn as he begrudgingly let go of Damon, dropping him abruptly and leaving him a coughing mess on the floor. His face hard as he studied the man across from him, meeting Caroline's wide eyes as she stood waiting for his next move.
Finally, the hybrid walked over and joined them, sending Kol a glance over his shoulder before closing the door behind the three. Silence following and spreading like a heavy fog as the youngest Mikaelson cleared his throat unceremoniously.
"Well…" he drawled, smirking as he studied the people around him with a shrug. "I don't know about the rest of you, but I sure as hell could use a drink right about now."
Caroline watched as Alaric walked over and took a seat on one of the twin beds, gesturing for the couple to sit across from him on the other. She tried to smile in attempt to hide her nerves, following her old friend's instructions and drumming her fingers over her lap. Noticing that Klaus was still standing by the door, Ric gave him a little smirk as he raised a brow at the hybrid.
"You're free to take a seat." he drawled, earning a shrug in response.
"I'm fine right here." Klaus quipped as he leaned back against the wall with his arms crossed over his chest.
Alaric sighed at that, shaking his head as he ran a hand over his face. "What can I do to her?" he countered with a scoff.
"More than you already have, you mean?" the hybrid threw back, the reminder sending chills down Caroline's spine as she straightened her shoulders stiffly.
Klaus' eyes met hers when she looked up again, his face molded by caution and mistrust. Despite that, he pushed off the wall and moved across the room. Sitting down beside her on the bed, his elbows propped over his knees as he pressed his palms together and nodded pointedly.
Alaric took that as a sign to begin and cleared his throat shortly. "I want to apologize for everything I said to you, Caroline." he started with a sincere voice and somber eyes.
"Klaus is sorry too." she said, turning to the hybrid then as she urged him on with a nod. "Aren't you?"
He smirked at her and licked his lips before facing the man with a sigh. "I am…" he drawled. "Rueful." he finished with a cheeky look that was anything but sincere.
"Klaus…" she sighed at that, his body straightening abruptly as he turned to her with animated eyes.
"I'm not sorry, Caroline. At all." he corrected with a firm gaze. "Of course, I regret how it has affected you, because you were never the one I was trying to hurt." he continued seriously before turning to Alaric again. "You should understand something, mate. I do not give a single percentage of a care in this world whether you live or die." he explained, causing the blonde to close her eyes and gulp as she prepared for the aftermath.
"I really don't… However, I didn't act out of impulse or mere anger tonight. I did what I did because you - on the other hand - had decidedly clear intentions when hurting Caroline. That was a deliberate move, and not against someone you barely know either; but someone who you call a friend." Klaus shared with a straight voice. "You claim to care for her, but you were ready to pin her to the cross the minute she stopped agreeing with your morals." he raised his hands in a shrugging gesture before leaning back and steadying himself against them.
"Now, granted…" he continued. "I do not know an awful lot about keeping friends for a substantial amount of time, presupposing that said friendship would not end up being beneficial to me in some way." he mused. "But even I know that you cannot blame people for being who they are. And a real… friend should not need to be told as much."
Caroline's eyes widened in surprise as she studied the Mikaelson then, watching him so calmly and eloquently standing up for her in a nonviolent way – for once. He likely sensed her gaze as he smiled shortly in her direction before facing forward again, focusing on Ric as the man let out a long sigh before responding.
"You're right." he said, stunning the pair as they blinked at him in silence. "I think I was upset because I was worried about what you leaving would mean for me. And I wasn't exactly in a good state of mind when talking to you in the first place…"
"What do you mean?" she asked softly, noticing that something heavy hid behind his irises.
"I…" he began, snickering as he scratched at his stubble. "When I was helping Freya figure out what was going on with you, she kind of dug into my head and looked for an answer in my memories. And it felt like I was reliving it all over again, all the pain and loss and…" he shared solemnly. "And you were the only constant, Caroline. You were this steady presence by my side through it all. You were always so selfless and brave and wise, and I guess that thinking about you not being there anymore was scaring me because I don't know what would've happened if you hadn't been."
She swallowed hard at that, nodding as she understood his sentiments perfectly. They had been each other's sole support during some of the darkest days of their lives after all. A bumpy transition was only to be expected now that they didn't have to be bound to each other like that anymore.
"I guess I-" he added with a guilty grimace. "I could always count on you to be the strong one, the one who sees the good in everything and who always knows how to push forward. No matter what." he relayed with a shrug. "And I don't really know how I let myself depend on you to always do that. I don't know when or why I stopped trying to be strong on my own… How I could think that I didn't need to be, because you would for the both of us. Because that's not fair - I know it isn't." he murmured with mournful eyes.
"I projected all of that onto you, and you let me because I was a wreck and needed it. Because you were my friend and you wanted to help me through that dark period… But even now, I am still expecting you to be there. In case I need you." he continued. "I think that what I needed and what I was looking for in our friendship; that kind of support shouldn't be solely given by any other person. It's supposed to be a balance between outside help and your own efforts."
"Ric, what are you saying?" she asked softly, her eyes burning as she listened to his wavering voice.
He sniffled and quickly brushed off a stray tear before meeting her gaze again. "I found this facility in Atlanta; it is sort of part rehab and part wellness center..." he announced. "I'm going to sign myself up for it. I guess tonight was kind of like a last hurray, not that it did me any good…" he snickered, shaking his head bitterly at that. "But I need help Caroline, or I'll just be doomed to keep repeating this cycle over and over… One where I store my pain away without properly dealing with it, only to have it all crashing down on me whenever it gets brought back up." he relayed.
"I think that being in this world of dysfunctional vampires and resurrecting witches and whatever - it made me lose sight of how to live and how to go on with my life in a healthy way. I get now that I need to take care of myself way better than I have so far, since the record proves that it really hasn't worked all that well." he continued, letting out a little chuckle as he averted his eyes from her. The sound of it tugging at her heart and prompting her to reach forward and hold his hand in both of hers.
"Hey, I'm really proud of you. It couldn't have been an easy decision to make." she told him gently. "But you've already done the hardest part; seeking the help you need. I know how difficult it can be to admit to yourself that you're not doing as well as you should be."
"Yeah, it is actually one of the reasons that I made this choice." he told her with a slow smile. "I watched you struggle when you were figuring out how to deal you're your pain. But you did it, and now you've come so far… I just never stopped to consider how behind I was in comparison. How much work I needed to do, after all the time I spent avoiding it."
He placed his free hand atop theirs and let out a long breath as he met her eyes with more strength in his this time. "I guess I hit the classic 'rock-bottom', huh?" he quipped with a chuckle. "I got a long hard look at myself, and I saw how much pain and anger I was still carrying inside after all this time." he sighed and threw a quick glance at the silent hybrid beside her then. "I guess I should thank you for helping with that part."
"Any time." Klaus snickered, earning a half-hearted glare from her in respond before she focused on Ric again.
"So, you think rehab will help?" she asked gently.
"Yeah." he nodded. "These kinds of issues aren't something that I can just brush off and move away from, it's just going to keep hurting… Unless I do something about it. Unless I face it and deal with it the way I should've done from the start."
She beamed at him with glossy eyes as he smiled in reply. "I think this is a good thing, Ric." she chimed kindly. "And honestly, if you come out of this long painful road stronger than before - if something good comes out of it in the end, then maybe it wasn't all for nothing, you know."
"I couldn't agree more." Ric said with another nod. "Anyway, I really am sorry for all the hurt I've caused you. And I promise that I'm going to do better from here on out." he sighed, leaning forward and leaving a light kiss to her cheek, causing her eyes to burn even more as she fought off tears.
He gave her one last reassuring smile before straightening and standing up, her eyes watching him closely as he turned to her again. "And I want you to know that…" he drawled slowly, letting out a sigh before continuing. "I just want you to be happy, Caroline. Whatever that means for you… Because God knows it doesn't come easily and it doesn't always last. So, you better hold onto it when you have it."
Her smile deepened as he reached out his hand to Klaus next, the Mikaelson studying it shortly before standing up and taking it. Shaking his hand firmly as Alaric nodded with something meaningful in his eyes. "Take care of her, alright?" he told him, nodding at her with a smirk then. "She'll forget it at times, but she needs someone too."
Caroline bit back an incredulous chuckle as the men shared a look of understanding before separating. Alaric walking out of the room and closing the door behind him, leaving the two to face each other with surprised eyes and amused smirks.
"That was likely the strangest argument I have ever had." Klaus drawled, making her snicker as she stood up and framed his head with her hands. Leaning in to kiss him softly and smiling against his lips as he quickly wrapped an arm around her waist to hold her close.
"Don't think that I'm fine with what you did now." she muttered as she tried to pull back, finding him resisting as he kissed her deeply again. Causing her to chuckle as she pressed her fingers to his lips to hold him back, giving him a pointed nod. "Just because things ended up alright this time, doesn't mean that you didn't do something awful and stupid and wrong." she insisted firmly, letting out a long sigh then. "But…" she chimed. "I really appreciated what you said. So, thank you."
He shook his head lightly as he grinned at her. "I'm just relieved to see your attitude taking such a turn." he snickered, his eyes glancing between hers and her lips. "Perhaps I should err more often, just so I can make my apology and be rewarded like this again."
She rolled her eyes at that, scoffing as she pushed at his chest and moved away from him. "Like I said, don't think you're completely off the hook just yet." she muttered, moving to the door then and stopping as he joined her side. Leaning in to whisper in his ear with a low voice that she prayed no one else would catch.
"Although, you are so getting lucky tonight." she teased before opening the door, enjoying the mixed emotions on his face as he stood stunned shortly before shaking chuckling silently and following her out. His hand resting low on her back as they joined the others, her smile faltering slightly when she noted that Damon and Ric were both missing.
"Welcome back, love doves." Kol exclaimed, waving a drink in the air and gesturing to Bonnie and Enzo where they sat together on the sofa opposite him. "The professor, along with the more annoying of the Salvatore's, decided to retire so that they could pack their bags in peace." he explained, answering her question but quickly speaking again.
"And me, I just invited this delightful couple to breakfast tomorrow to give them a proper send-off." he added, his eyes finding hers as he continued with a smirk. "What do you say, darling? Let's have them over for a few coffees and laughs before they leave for their travels, hm?"
Caroline studied the man slowly as she couldn't quite believe how easy he was in the pair's presence. Her head shaking as she let out a chuckle and returned his wide, albeit a little wobbly, grin.
"I guess… It's a date."
Had someone told Caroline Forbes just a month or two ago that; one day, she would be having a couples-date in the Mikaelson home, sharing breakfast with Klaus and his siblings as well as Davina, Bonnie, Enzo, and even Hayley Marshall - well, she wouldn't have believed it, that's for sure. But if someone had then also told her that they would be having a great time, that they would actually enjoy each other's company… That everything would be easy and light, that no one would try or threaten to kill each other, no blood would be spilled and no screaming would be heard - then she definitely would've burst out laughing in disbelief.
Yet, there she was now. Sitting at the large table with Klaus to her right and Bonnie to her left. Hope in Hayley's lap across from her, her aunt to her right as Freya helped her pick items off the huge spread. Enzo and Kol were talking about 'the best pancakes in the world' and how it apparently could be found in the UK. Elijah and Klaus sat pondering whether it was a nuisance travelling there nowadays, after the dramatic events of 'Brexit', and if it would be much more enjoyable to visit Southern Europe instead - where the weather, Caroline learned, was absolutely incredible this time of year. Davina and Bonnie were discussing a coven they'd both come across from around there, which had apparently opened a private school where they taught magically inclined children in both a traditional curriculum and some witchy classes.
Even Rebekah and Marcel had stopped by shortly to grab some fruits and pastries before running off in a hurry. The sight of them walking in together having sparked all kinds of curious thoughts in Caroline's head as she shared amused smirks with Klaus in silence. Returning then to her conversation with Bonnie as she reached for the hybrid's hand under the table. She intertwined their fingers and smiled to herself, but felt a blush crawl up her neck when he surprised her by putting their connected hands on top of the table instead. The action drawing a few glances from the others - but otherwise going off without any comments, angry glares or judgmental scoffs.
It really was like nothing she'd ever imagined… and before she knew it, she was standing outside the abattoir saying goodbye. Damon and Alaric had pulled up with the car fully packed and stood nodding to the others courtly, the latter giving her a hug before he left to wait inside the car. Damon lingered a little as he seemed like he wanted to say something, but appeared uncomfortable with whatever was on his mind, so she decided to break the silence on her own.
"I'm glad that you're supporting him through this." she said with a light shrug. "He needs to remember that he has people who are there for him."
"Yeah." Damon agreed with a short smile. "I'll make sure to look after him… Maybe break him out of rehab if things get too boring in there."
She snickered as she noted the humor in his eyes, shaking her head as he patted her shoulder in a friendly gesture. "Take care, Barbie." he chimed before turning to the car again.
"Hey." she called out, stopping him as he opened the door. "About Stefan…" she began, suddenly unsure of what exactly she wanted to say. She faltered with a sigh before speaking again. "If there's anything I can do, let me know."
He blinked at her slowly as the words sunk in – them being the exact opposite to the ones from when she left Mystic Falls last, having vowed to never talk to him again. Telling them that the only news she wished to get in the future regarding him, or his brother, were that of their deaths. His face turned into a genuine smile as he nodded at her one final time before entering the car.
"I can't believe this…" Bonnie sighed as she walked over then with a sad look in her eyes. "We just found each other again and… It doesn't feel right saying goodbye to you already."
Caroline nodded as her eyes burned at the mere mention, bringing her friend in for a tight embrace and closing her eyes as she breathed her in. "We'll see each other soon." she promised. Gulping as she really, deeply, wished that was true. "Maybe I'll come join you and Enzo in Africa or wherever you're traveling next." she suggested as she pulled back, earning a chuckle in response.
"I hope so." she admitted softly. "I mean, we talked about maybe settling down now… After having been on the run for so long and spent so much time constantly on the road, it would be nice to just stop and be together. You know what I mean?"
No, not really, she thought to herself. Because she really didn't, she'd watched the people by the dining table share such incredible anecdotes of their travels and stories about the most beautiful places in the world - and she couldn't relate to any of it. Although, she wanted to. Really badly. She wanted to say 'when I was in Rome' or 'that time in Japan' or even 'we'll always have Paris'… All those overused clichés and snobby openers that people who traveled always said - she wanted to say them too. She wanted to experience it, to know what the Great Wall looked like, and how much time it took to climb the Kilimanjaro, and learn how to surf in Australia or Bali or something…
God, she wanted it so freaking bad that it could take her breath away. Mostly because; now she could. She could do it all. Go everywhere and see everything… There wasn't anyone hiding in the shadows waiting to hurt her. There wasn't school, or even a job or a family, keeping her tied to one place. There were nothing but opportunities now; things to do, cities to see, people to meet.
Her eyes wandered to where Klaus stood sharing some advice with Enzo on locating Stefan and Valerie, her heart jumping a little as he turned to catch her gaze with a warm smirk. A long breath flying out of her as she thought of everything that awaited her, and how she longed to do it all with him by her side.
"Do you think you will?" she asked, realizing she'd been silent a little too long and meeting Bonnie's understanding eyes with an embarrassed smirk. "Settle down, I mean. Is that what you want?"
"Yeah, one day." her friend said with a shrug. "I just don't know what that looks like yet… When we were kids, I thought it meant having a husband, a family and a house in Mystic Falls. Now, I don't know."
Caroline grinned as she definitely understood that; to suddenly realize that life wasn't what you thought it would be - and that the future didn't need to be a straight road to one final goal… That it could be so much more.
"What about you?" Bonnie asked, bringing the chuckle back to the blonde's lips.
"We'll see." she drawled. "I'm definitely following in your footsteps though. I mean, I have to see what all the fuss is about, right?"
They shared a laugh at that, Caroline shaking her head as she let out a long breath before shrugging. "Remember when we thought we'd have those husbands, families and houses right next to each other?" she mused. "Our kids would be best friends, we would go to the same 'Mommy and Me' classes and whine about our husbands over mimosas or margaritas or whatever…"
"That was a long time ago." the witch snickered, nodding as she smiled at her. "But maybe we'll have something better?" she suggested. "Something that we couldn't even imagine back then."
"Maybe." the blonde agreed, her eyes widening as she quickly spoke before forgetting her thought. "Oh, and I'm expecting at least one Vegas-trip!" she added, earning another laugh as she giggled herself. "But yeah, who knows?" she shrugged. "Maybe I'll get all this traveling out of my system and discover the place I love the most, maybe I'll end up building a life there, maybe you'll be a part of it…"
"Maybe me and Enzo end up helping out that coven in Albania." Bonnie chimed in. "Maybe we'll need someone to help organize all the schedules or keep the kids in line…"
"You have my number." Caroline giggled.
"And you have mine." the brunette agreed, wearing another warm smile as she pulled at her arm then. "Come here…" she said as she hugged her again. "The good news is that we won't need to leave coded messages anymore. We could have videocalls and share travel pics…"
Caroline swallowed the lump that had built in her throat, finding that her friend's words helped make it better. It reminded her that this wasn't goodbye - that they would see each other again. That they had all the time in the world. "I'm going to need weekly calls." she concluded as she pulled away and gave Bonnie a stern look. "And as soon as you take care of everything with Stefan and Valerie; we will plan a girls trip together - just you and me."
"Deal." Bonnie smirked, squeezing her hand tightly as she let out a sigh. "I'll talk to you soon." she promised, earning an agreeing nod from the blonde. "Love you."
"Love you too." Caroline chimed as they let go of each other. Her stomach hurting a little as she watched her friend enter the car and wave through the windshield.
"How about me?" Enzo interjected as he nudged her side.
"I don't have quite as strong feelings for you just yet." she taunted, earning a wide grin from him in reply.
"We'll get there." he quipped, pulling her in for a hug then as he left a kiss to the top of her head. "Take care of yourself, gorgeous."
"You too." she murmured, sharing a smile with him before he too went inside the car. Chewing on her bottom-lip to keep from crying, she waved at everyone and watched as they drove off. Disappearing down the street and out of the city, her eyes still burning when a warm pair of arms wrapped around her from behind. Holding her to a firm chest as a familiar scent surrounded her.
"You okay?" Klaus asked softly into her hair as she leaned back against him with a content sigh.
"Yeah." she said truthfully. "I know we'll see each other again. It might not happen right away… but when the time's right, we'll all be together. Just like today."
He chuckled a little behind her, bringing her to turn around and circle her arms around his neck. "I never took you for someone with such faith in destiny and 'meant to be'." he noted curiously.
She shrugged at that. "Well, I guess with everything that's happened, it's kind of hard not to think that there's something bigger going on… That we all have a part to play in this world." she mused, smirking then as she studied him closely. "And hey, if it brought us together - then you can't really complain, can you?"
His wide grin made her heart skip a beat as he beamed at her affectionately. "Are you suggesting that we were fated to be together?" he teased, causing her to narrow her eyes as she pursed her lips into a thoughtful pout.
"I guess time will tell." she quipped.
He chuckled at that, stroking her cheek as he leaned in with a warm look in his eyes. "Until then…" he murmured against her lips, pressing a soft kiss to them as he continued. "I reckon you have a promise to live up to."
She blinked at that. "I do?"
"Don't tell me you've forgotten?" he gasped, feigning betrayal as he placed a palm over his heart and shook his head. "Remember? Something about after rescuing Bonnie… You, me…"
Her mind seemed to stand still as she only looked at him in silence, her reaction making him chuckle deeply as he pulled out his phone and showed it to her. The screen lighting up and revealing an email with plane tickets attached. The content making her beam brightly as she glanced up at him again.
"Cappadocia." she crooned, remembering it then.
"We leave tomorrow." he smirked, bringing a giggle to fill her as she pushed at him in response.
"Well, what are you waiting for, Mikaelson?" she chimed, moving away from him as her hands gestured around them. "If this is our last day in New Orleans before we start seeing the world together, we should probably make it memorable…" she crooned, feigning nonchalance as his smirk deepened in response.
"Oh, I have it all planned already, my love." he promised, making her bite her lower lip as she smiled in result.
"I expect nothing less from you." she quipped, backing away from him with slow steps. "Now… How about a rematch?" she suggested, noting his raised eyebrows as he clearly understood what she meant.
"Ready…" she began with a long drawl. "Set…" she continued, waiting another second and then swiftly running off before saying 'go'. Thinking that she needed a head-start if she was ever going to beat him. His chuckle echoing behind her as he followed suit. Chasing after her as he had for so long now, and as she hoped he would – forever.
.
.
FIN
.
Epilogue: The story never ends
May 2023
Istanbul, Turkey
There were different ways of knowing whether you are dreaming or not. Some were simple as they worked to differ fantasy from reality; like checking your body to see if you've grown an extra limb, or finger or so on, out of nowhere. Some could help test what your unconscious mind can and cannot do, like reading for example. Caroline had once heard that a person could determine that they were dreaming if the alphabet suddenly wasn't comprehensible anymore. If letters were instead hieroglyphs and symbols that made sense while you were dreaming but didn't really tell you anything if you were to actually try reading them.
She'd also heard something about the weather or environment seeming bizarre. How you could be standing in the middle of a rainstorm in a dream, but somehow remain dry. Or if you were in a dark room that swiftly lit up out of nowhere… You could even try to recall what you were doing before you ended up in the present. Had you been walking to your car but suddenly found yourself atop a mountain - that would be a clue. Were you arguing with someone but you can't even really see who the person is nor what you were talking about - another one.
However, the most difficult part of all those techniques - the one crucial condition that helped you verify that you were in fact dreaming - was to first suspect that you were. Otherwise, you wouldn't think of checking the weather or asking the person before you why they were yelling at you - and where is your car? You would be stuck in the dream, following along the motions of your brain's made-up world, not once questioning any of it.
So, the fact that Caroline Forbes could now go through all of that in her mind informed her that she should be very alarmed. That the needle connected to her hand was in fact what was making her so drowsy and weak. That the murmuring voices from across the humid room weren't fake. That the distinct smell of vervain really belonged to the ropes around her body, burning her skin when she made the subtlest movement.
No, she was definitely not dreaming now. She remembered exactly what she had been doing before waking up to this nightmare. She could still hear the fight in her ears as she thought of Klaus' frustrated voice. The traces of anger still fluttered in her chest as she whined at him that they really needed to do something special for the two-year-anniversary of their travels.
"I have to meet with a friend across town." he'd countered, telling her that he wasn't comfortable with leaving her all alone in their hotel.
She insisted that they should do an old-fashioned date-night. "I'll wear something fancy, and when you're done with your meeting you can take me to dinner." she'd suggested, sensing that she was finally getting him to come around as she clung to his shoulders with pursed lips and fluttering eyelashes. "Come on…" she'd pushed. "It'll be fun!"
Needless to say, Caroline certainly wished she'd thought twice when she'd gotten restless waiting and decided to go ahead and meet him at the restaurant instead. She should've called before she left, telling him that she was getting in a cab and riding into town on her own. She probably shouldn't have tried to help that lady who dropped her purse - or had it been a wallet? - on the street.
Because just as she bent down to pick up the item, everything had turned black. And before she knew it, the young vampire was strapped to a chair - seemingly being kept in the basement of some house. Strangers all around her as the all-too familiar werewolf venom filled her veins in a torturous mix of vervain. The IV-bag above her head informing her that there was plenty more where that came from.
Caroline had an awful inkling that she was up for one hell of an 'I told you so' from the hybrid now. And what was even worse was the knowledge that they wouldn't have another try at 'date-night' for a century or two after this… Klaus would hold it over her head forever: "Remember when you got abducted and tortured because you were so eager to get outside and explore the city on your own?"
She would never win another argument again for the rest of eternity.
"Unfair." she scoffed, wincing as her throat felt like sandpaper and her voice barely came out in a croak. It did however gain the attention of her abductors as one man walked over to her then.
He was big and fit with a lot of facial hair, but her sight was getting blurry as she tried to decipher anything else from the stranger. "So, she speaks." the man snickered, his voice gravelly as he crooned on in perfect English - something that wasn't entirely uncommon in the more touristy parts of Turkey.
Deciding not to waste any time, she tried clearing her throat as best she could before muttering back in question. "What do you want?"
The man showed off a vicious grin as he leaned forward, pressing the ropes harder to her forearms and causing her to hiss as the vervain seared her skin in result. "We already have what we want." he shrugged leisurely.
She concluded that she would kill him first, then the lady who tricked her into getting jumped in that street… "Fine." she croaked with a weak scoff. "What are you going to do to me?"
Her kidnapper straightened up at that and walked away from her, forcing her to tilt her head back as she watched him drink out of a water bottle. She counted two others by his side, maybe three if the poisons weren't already making her hallucinate, and one hovering behind her.
Closing her eyes in a wheezing breath, she listened to their surroundings. Finding it difficult to hear anything aside from her pounding heart as it treacherously spread the venom faster through her veins. She needed to calm down or she'd die before Klaus could get to her.
A snicker escaped her at that as she shook her head, stiffening when the pain quickly made her regret it. "Man, you have no idea what kind of trouble you're in…" she muttered in humor, grinning a little as she met a few pairs of eyes at that. "Let me give you a hint; ever heard of some vampires called the Original's?" Hey, if she was ever going to drop names like some celebrity-crazed vampire groupie, it'd probably be now.
She might've imagined it but it looked like the others flinched at the mention of the oldest vampires to date. The smirk returning to her face as she hung her head in a heavy breath. "Yeah, you people so kidnapped the wrong blonde here."
"Not at all." the man from before interjected as he walked closer, taking a seat on some wooden box just a few feet away as he gave her a cold stare. "We know all about you, Caroline."
It was her turn to stiffen now as she tried - but failed - to gulp in reply, really not having considered that they'd purposefully targeted her… And really dreading why.
"Well… I'm clearly at a disadvantage here." she snickered. "Because I have no idea who the hell you are."
The man motioned with a nod to someone out of her eyesight, prompting a woman to step forward as she carried a syringe in her hands. Tapping the needle with her fingernail, like something straight out of a movie, she then reached up to the bag. Caroline couldn't follow exactly what the woman was doing, but she thought it was safe to assume that she was getting a refill of their little torture mix of poisons.
"We have heard stories of you from witches all across the Middle-East." the man said, his voice sounding distorted and weird. Informing the blonde that the shot she'd been given likely contained a sedative of some kind. They probably thought she was a little too alert for whatever they planned to do with her - and she wasn't sure whether that was a good or bad thing.
She didn't realize that the man was still talking until his next words snapped her back. "Caroline Mikaelson…" he mused. "The vampire with a powerful bond to the magic of the Other Side."
It took a great deal of effort to straighten her back as she tried to glare at him in disbelief. "Okay… First of all, it's Forbes, so clearly you didn't do your homework as well as you thought." she bit back, hissing as another wave of fire coursed through her veins from the venom. "And second…" she muttered through clenched teeth as she waited for it to pass, sighing before she spoke again. "By the look of that still pretty full bag of anti-vampire juice that you're pumping into my system, I'd say I probably won't live past tonight. So, what exactly do you think I can do for you here?"
"Don't you see?" the woman who'd refilled her IV chimed as she cupped her face with a cold hand. Bringing the blonde to meet the dark pair of eyes before her and prompting her to confirm that she was indeed the woman who'd "dropped" her purse on the street. "You are just like them." the lady crooned on. "Call yourself whatever you wish, but you are a Mikaelson. That much is clear."
"Yeah, and how's that?" she scoffed, managing to turn her head out of the touch as she gritted her teeth in anger. Pondering if perhaps it would be more satisfying to kill her first - then the man.
"Because you too have broken the universal laws of our world." the woman continued, shrugging as she moved away from her before speaking again. "The bastard son who made himself into a being which combines two otherwise paradoxical ones; vampire and wolf." she mused. "The siblings who time after time again have alternated between mortality and immortality as if it were a change of clothes and not in fact their being which they so carelessly toy with."
"And that child." the man chimed in, his voice filled with disgust as he spoke. Prompting Caroline to use every ounce of her strength and self-control not to react. "That abomination… A crime against nature." he proclaimed, making her clench her hands tightly as she dug her fingernails into her palms before his next words surprised her.
"It really is fortunate that it did not survive its birth, otherwise I fear what sort of ripples it would have sent out into the universe." he said with a shaking head. "Further challenging the delicate construct which we live in. One where witches, vampires, werewolves and humans are separate; as it should be."
She held back the breath of relief as she realized that the rumors of Hope Mikaelson's death still held some validity outside of New Orleans. But apparently, the man wasn't done talking yet as he suddenly leaned closer to her. "So, you see, pretty one…" he whispered, his voice sickening as he brushed her hair back from her face. "You who acted as host for ancient magic despite being a vampire, you too fall into the same category of abominations as the first family." he explained, tugging at her hair roughly then and making her wince as he pressed his nose to hers. "So, we want to conduct an… experiment, if you will."
The proximity helped her recognize what that smell was that seemed so familiar to her; he was a werewolf. Her eyes narrowed as she glanced around the others then, fighting against the tight grip the man had her head in as she snickered. "Wait… You're trying to turn me into one of you? A werewolf?" she questioned, letting out a raspy laugh that gradually turned into a harsh cough as the stranger let go of her and backed away.
"Yeah, hate to break it to you." she croaked. "But I wasn't born with the gene. Never even had anger issues growing up or any real temper tantrums to speak of after the age of eight…" she added with a subtle shrug. Noticing that the sedative had begun to wear off already, but cautious in revealing it yet to her abductors. "Really, guys, you should probably just let me go and forget that you ever saw us."
The flash of recognition on the man's face made her bite the inside of her cheek as she understood that she had given something away then. His smirk wide as he nodded at her. "Ah, yes…" he drawled cheekily. "Klaus Mikaelson. He's here too then?"
Great job, Forbes! she muttered to herself as the name-dropping had clearly backfired.
"His face isn't known around these parts… But his name sure is." the stranger shrugged.
Her head shook slowly as she scanned him with heavy eyes, attempting to overplay her weakened state now that he so clearly thought he had the upper hand. "Wait…" she breathed out, coughing and wincing as she applauded her own acting internally. "You mean you didn't come for him?"
"No, we were tracking you." he relayed, looking so terribly proud of himself as he eyed her from head to toe. "For well over a year now, actually. Have been ever since you first appeared within our district."
"District?" she snickered. "What, like True Blood? Who's the Sheriff, you?"
He let out a condescending sigh as he sat back on his box with folded arms. "As if you could ever fully understand the complex hierarchy that reigns over the Middle-East." he scoffed. "Where you come from, vampires take over entire cities and enslave every other supernatural being within them. Here, witches are the true rulers." he added with a little smirk. "And if it's true what they say about you, then your body inhabits magic from a very old practice. One which I would not mind getting my hands on… So to speak."
"What on earth does a werewolf want with magic?" she asked, closing her eyes as she took a hard gulp. Attempting to stall as she managed to loosen her restraints just the tiniest - but hopefully it would be enough to break free. She just needed to wait for the right moment.
"Well, let's just say that the Mikaelson's isn't the only family with an ability to combine conflicting natures." he shrugged, prompting her to look over at him again as she tried to keep her surprise mellowed.
"So, you…" she began, clearing her throat before continuing. "You were born a witch."
"Yes." confirmed with a dark grin.
"… That's how you grabbed me." she murmured, barely keeping her smirk back as she spoke. "I thought I smelled something before everything turned dark." she mused, pretending to think it over before naming the smell.
"Mutt." she quipped venomously, earning the reaction she'd hoped for as he stood up so abruptly that his seat fell back to the floor. His calloused hand circled her throat tightly as he glared at her with glowing eyes.
"Fascinating observation." he hissed through clenched teeth. "And what is your husband again, hm?"
"He's…" she tried, barely getting any sound out as she struggled against his hold. "Not… my husband."
"Even better." he chuckled. "Since we were lucky enough to have you wander into our arms, perhaps we'll also be successful in escaping Klaus. Let's just hope he is as detached to you as you are him."
She flashed her dark eyes at him then as she clenched her jaw shut in anger. Letting it feed her strength, the adrenaline growing with help from the werewolf venom and making it easier to pull on her restraints just a little more… "We may not be married…" she gritted. "But Klaus, he will turn this entire country upside-down looking for me. He'll spend decades, centuries even, hunting you. And once he finds you, regardless of whether I'm still alive by then or not, he will make you suffer so horribly and for so long that you'll beg for mercy. And, as you might have already heard, he isn't really known for that."
The man showed tiny signs of fear as his eyes dropped the golden hue and turned dark brown again. Her grin wide as she continued her threat. "But go ahead. Do your experiment. Watch it fail and kill me once it does. Scramble to leave before he gets on your trail… " she bit out. "But the thing is, it doesn't matter where you run or what you do. You signed your death warrant the second you grabbed me from that street."
His hold on her throat loosened slightly as she watched his face pale in color. "What happens next… I won't be able to get you out of it. I mean, not that I'd try. In fact…" she snickered, readying herself as she nodded at him. "You should count yourselves very lucky if he doesn't get here in time to see what you've done to me."
"Yeah, why's that?" he scoffed, tightening his grip then aggressively. But it didn't matter. The fire in her veins had helped her break free, her right hand swiftly ripping into his chest in the blink of an eye as she muttered against his cheek.
"Because at least I will make this quick."
As she tore his heart out, everything happened so fast that she couldn't quite follow. Her mind wasn't there, but her body was as sharp as ever. She found a knife stored in his pocket and used it to break herself free from the rest of her restraints. Grabbing the tripod holding the poisonous IV and using it to stab the woman who quickly jumped at her then.
Two more dropped to the ground quickly as their chests were left with gaping holes in them, her snarl vicious as she bit into the last victim. Draining the young man of his blood and right away working to flush the vervain lingering in her system and keeping her dulled.
She heard the group of werewolves enter as they ran to investigate the commotion. A pair of them holding their hands up in a gesture that Caroline knew all too well - her head quickly reacting as they made her brain bleed. Groaning loudly, she fell to her knees as two men rushed over to grab her. Bringing her to snap out of it as she acted on instinct alone, tearing both their heads off and receiving cries of protests from the witches.
"Yeah, you know…" she chuckled as she stood up. The two of them abhorred by the sight of their friends ripped apart by her feet. Their powers wavering in result of it as she easily walked over towards them, ignoring their tries of attacking her magically again.
"The problem with giving me both vervain and werewolf venom is that the former eventually starts dulling the pain - and the latter jump-starts the adrenaline." she explained with a smug grin before punching through their throats swiftly. Grabbing onto their spines and snapping them in half before pulling the bones through their chests.
Digging in happily, she felt the venom already start to drive her a little mad as she fed on their blood. Laughing to herself in a maniacal voice that she didn't recognize as she rushed out of the basement and searched the building. Finding that there were three floors in total, and at least ten more werewolves.
Luckily, none of them seemed to have any magical powers. Or perhaps they were too chocked to use them as the vampire tore through each and every one of the strangers. Blood soaking her as she punched, kicked, roared and rejoiced in the victims that fell at her hands.
Revenge had never tasted so sweet.
Present day
Mystic Falls, Virginia
"Okay, we're here!" Bonnie called out as Enzo grabbed their bags from the car, her voice slightly irritated after having been harangued by Damon the entire week. He'd called, left messages, sent texts and emails… All short of bringing them a letter by carrier pigeon, really, as he urged them to come back to the small town. To leave their work in Croatia behind, drop everything they were doing and get on the next possible flight to the States so that they could… help Damon – move?
She stared at the boxes filling the hallway as she stopped dead in bewilderment, her eyes scanning the covered-up furniture and empty rooms. Dust visible in the light from the open drapes in the living room and in thick layers atop the sheet-clad sofas.
"Damon?" she called, realizing she hadn't heard a reply from the vampire earlier and not liking the dread slowly building in her gut.
"He's not here?" Enzo asked with a furrowed frown as he came to stand next to her, studying the empty space shortly before turning to the witch. "Try calling his phone." he suggested, prompting her to nod in agreement as she got her phone out to do just that.
"I'm afraid he won't be able to answer." a woman told them then, bringing their narrowed eyes to study her from top to toe as she stepped into the room silently. "Ms. Bennett and Mr. St. John? I'm glad you could both make it."
Bonnie blinked incredulously as the call went straight to voicemail, putting the phone away as she glanced at Enzo shortly. His face hard and filled with suspicion as his whole body suddenly stood a few steps in front of her protectively. "And you are?" he asked sternly.
"Damon asked me to meet with you while he went into town to deal with some final paperwork." the lady shrugged, her gray hair sliding off her shoulder as she gave them a kind and dimpled smile. The corners of her dark eyes wrinkling as she walked over and offered her hand in greeting. "I'm Martia. Ric's fiancée."
The witch was sure that her jaw dropped to the floor as she gaped in response, staring at the hand before her silently as she wondered whether this was some trick or a practical joke on Damon's part.
"I beg your pardon?" Enzo quipped as she still couldn't find any words of her own. He placed himself between the women with a short nod as he seized the stranger up slowly.
"Yes, sorry. I should probably start at the beginning." Martia chuckled, cocking her head as she slowly withdrew her hand – realizing the visitors wouldn't be shaking it. "Damon wanted to greet you himself but he was called away, and I was just on my way to the hospital, so I offered to welcome you both back myself."
"Hospital?" Bonnie echoed, finding her voice again.
"Yes, I think we have a lot to talk about…" the woman drawled slowly, gesturing to the dining table behind her then. "Should we sit?"
About to agree, the brunette froze up as Enzo let out a hard groan. His hands clutching his chest as he suddenly fell to his knees. "Enzo?" she yelped, kneeling beside him as she saw his skin turning dark and gray.
"What's happening!?" she stuttered in panic as she cupped his face, trying to think of some spell to stop whatever was stirring beneath the surface.
"Gaah!" he panted, his eyes snapping to the side before he swiftly flashed away. Out of the hall and outside the house, the two women hurrying after him as he immediately started to collect himself.
"I suppose this means that Damon finished his paperwork." Martia mused with a shrug, frustrating the witch as she scowled at the lady darkly.
"What the hell was that!?" she demanded, stepping outside and helping Enzo straighten up. His skin already returned to its natural color and his breathing steady. "You okay?" she pressed, holding onto his shoulders and eyeing him for any injuries.
"Yeah, I'm fine." he muttered with a nod. "That another surprise from our missing host or was it your doing this time?" he pushed on, his eyes turning to the woman by the door.
"No, that was Damon." Martia shrugged. "But I'm sure he'll be here soon to explain."
"How about you start talking instead, hm?" he scoffed as he stalked over to her with clenched fists. Promptly being pushed back from an invisible barrier that seemed to have been created out of nowhere.
"What on-" he bit out in surprise as he tried to move towards her. Pushing at the barrier with his fists without yielding any result.
"You're not invited in anymore." Bonnie concluded as she watched the lady closely, noting that she understood what that meant as well. "So that's the 'paperwork' Damon's tending to?" she guessed. "He was signing over the contract to the house."
"Yes." Martia nodded calmly. "But I'm afraid I can't be the one to invite you in." she added with a grimace, looking straight at Bonnie then and prompting the vampire to do so too.
"Me?" she scoffed, shaking her head in disbelief. "Yeah, I think I would know if I'd signed my name on some document making me the owner of this building."
Martia only shrugged at that, seemingly content with staying put all day if that's what it took and really frustrating the witch further. Although, it did make it way more believable that Ric would be together with the lady.
"Fine." she conceded with a sigh, stepping over the threshold without any trouble and turning to her boyfriend with a nod. "Enzo, please come inside."
He looked uncertain as his eyes landed on the short distance between them, slowly raising his foot and stepping over the former boundary. Taking another step, he then entered the house fully and raised an impressed eyebrow at the witch in result. "Don't tell me you're secretly betrothed too?" he snickered.
"Yeah, Damon and I eloped years ago! Caroline was my maid of honor and Elena officiated the wedding from inside her casket… Did we forget to tell you?" Bonnie countered tauntingly, earning a wide smirk from the man as he reached for her chin. Stroking her skin with his thumb tenderly before looking over at the other woman then.
"So, I suppose this is only the beginning then?" he asked.
"Kind of." Martia agreed with a smile. "Come on, I'll make us some coffee while we wait for Damon." she offered, nodding for them to follow her then.
The two started walking but Enzo held her back by her waist as he wrapped an arm tightly around her. "Oh, and just so we're perfectly clear…" he murmured into her ear, his breath hot against her neck. "I am not above dueling the ever-so-honorable Salvatore for your hand… where it to come to that."
She chuckled at that and spun out of his hold with a smirk. "You'll have to make a really good case for yourself if I'm even going to consider such an offer." she teased.
Turning away to catch up with Martia, she yelped out a giggle as his hands grabbed her waist and held her back again. He kissed her cheek before steering her forward, keeping her locked in his embrace and causing a beaming grin to etch onto the witch's face in result.
Bonnie hadn't been back to her old childhood home in ages, and finding it occupied by a new family – as if hers had never even lived there in the first place – felt so wrong. She stood with her arms folded across her chest as she leaned back against a tree, watching the scene taking place before her in the lit-up kitchen. A woman working on her laptop by the dining table while another lady came by to leave a plate of food for her, as well as a kiss to her lips. A tiny child running up to bother its parents and quickly being distracted by a dog as it ran to the living room happily.
The perfect family. The perfect life.
"Doesn't it just make you want to punch someone in the face?" she murmured silently as her powers alerted her to her company. The dark-haired vampire stepping out from the shadows and leaning against the other side of the tree in silence. His hands in his pants pockets as he too studied the house across from them.
"Do you ever think about it?" he asked softly, bringing her to meet his brown eyes as he watched her patiently. "A family. Growing old. Having children."
"Sometimes." she admitted with a sigh. Turning to the house again as she mulled it over. Studying the young kid being picked up by one of the women and carried upstairs, the eager dog strutting along behind them. "Do you?" she asked gently, cautious about meeting his gaze as she felt it burn the side of her face.
"No." he said, sounding genuine as he did. "I used to before I was turned, of course." he mused. "And I did for the first year or so as a vampire… When I realized that I wouldn't have that kind of future anymore."
She nodded in response, unsure of what else to say. It was a sore subject for the couple after all; their future and what it would entail if they were to stay together. Her either turning, losing her powers and her connection to nature forever. Or him staying young while she aged, withered, and eventually died…
Or the third option, the one she couldn't bring herself to consider; that they didn't last. That they said goodbye and went their separate ways, lived their respective lives without the other.
How was she supposed to know what the right choice was? Either way, she'd be giving something up. Just as he would for her. And the reality of that was too hard to bear at times.
"I can't believe he didn't tell us." she scoffed quietly, choosing to turn her train of thought in a less painful direction.
"Really?" he asked. "I can."
She looked at him then, her eyebrows knitting together as she studied him in silence. His shoulders shrugging before he spoke again. "Damon hasn't had to deal with illness very often in his life." he relayed. "And the last time he did, he watched it take away a close friend."
"But lying about it? Asking us to?" she pushed in disbelief.
"She doesn't need that weight on her shoulders, darling." he countered. "It's taken years since the twins passed away and even longer since her mother's death, but she seems genuinely happy now, finally. Doesn't she?"
"It's only going to make things harder for her when she does find out." she sighed. "Not to mention that I can't stand the thought of lying to my best-friend… But lying to her about something this serious?"
"She'll know when she needs to." he suggested. "It isn't a sure thing yet whether his diagnosis is terminal… Maybe he recovers."
"Maybe he doesn't." she interjected. "Maybe he dies, and Caroline never gets to say goodbye."
"Maybe." he agreed with a sigh. "But either way… It's Alaric's own wish. We should do what we can to honor it."
She closed her eyes in a gulp as she recalled the look on her friend's face, his pale skin and weak smile as he lied on that hospital bed. Trying to act strong for his visitors. But he was clearly struggling, and it had been so hard to watch…
Warm hands reached for her arm as Enzo stepped closer and pulled her to his chest. Her body relaxing as she hugged him back, burying her face in his shoulder and sighing as he stroked her back.
"He could get better." he tried again. "Liver failure isn't always fatal. There are treatments and he could get a transplant…"
"You heard the doctor, Enzo. Patients with a history of abuse don't stand a chance of getting on the transplant list…" she sighed. "He would need a family member or someone with a match to willingly sign up; and last I checked, Ric doesn't really have a whole lot of relatives or that many human friends either for that matter."
"She also said that he could still live for several years as long as he has enough healthy liver tissue for his body to function." he countered. "He could get lucky and only need one round of surgery, his liver could end up healing itself…"
He pulled back and cupped her cheek, brushing her hair away from her face as he met her eyes with a warm smile. Soothing her with soft touches and his confident words. "Yeah. Maybe." she agreed, fidgeting with his jacket collar as she clung to his shoulders. "You're right." she sighed. "Ric doesn't need another person telling him how hard this is going to be… He needs support from his friends and positive energy."
"And help with the Salvatore estate, apparently." he chimed in, making her scoff as she thought about what Damon and Martia had said. That Alaric had been living with Damon since returning to Mystic Falls and that the contract needed to have a second human name on it – just in case.
"He said he wanted to talk to me about that tomorrow." she relayed. "Something about having plans for some renovations."
"That's good." he hummed with a nod, resting his forehead against hers. "It gives you both something to focus on. Something that you can do."
"I just don't know why he think I can have all that much to say about it." she snickered with a shrug. "Caroline's the planner. Damon's the one with the money. Hell, Elena was even the one with the better sense for design than the rest of us… But Me? I'm-"
"Strong." he filled in. "Smart. Intelligent. Powerful. Kind. Generous…"
She couldn't help but chuckle as the grin on her face became too difficult to fight off. "But I don't know the first thing about renovating a house." she whined.
"So?" he shrugged. "You'll learn what you need by doing. And everything else… We'll figure out together."
Snickering at that, she leaned in and kissed his lips gently. Smiling as she took a deep breath before nodding in determination. "You're right." she said. "We'll figure it out."
"Wow, twice in the same day! It must be some type of record for the year." he drawled with wide eyes of chock and bewilderment. "Tell me I'm right one more time and I just might be forced to question whether you are the real Bonnie Bennett or in fact some imposter…"
She swatted his shoulder at that, earning a warm chuckle as he bent down and kissed her deeply. Humming against her lips as he pulled back to meet her eyes. "I love you so much, darling." he murmured, causing the smile to spread and nearly break her jaw as she grinned up at him.
"You haven't said that before." she pointed out. "That you loved me, yes. But not 'so much'."
"No?" he pouted. "You sure?"
"Oh, I think I'd remember." she teased, receiving a chuckle as he shook his head at that.
"Well. I do." he crooned.
She stood on her toes then as she pressed another kiss to his lips. "I do too." she whispered.
"So much?" he challenged tauntingly. "Because I said 'so much'."
"Yeah, yeah." she laughed, rolling her eyes as he studied her cheekily in wait. "Fine. I love you – so much." she announced, drawing out the words until he chuckled in reply. "So so much!" she sing-songed.
"Well, this is awkward." he snickered with a feigned grimace. "I only said 'so' once, meaning that you clearly care a lot more for me than I do you."
"Oh, really!?" she scoffed as he shrugged.
"Yes, and I'm just not sure that I'm ready for that kind of commitment…" he teased, making her shake her head disapprovingly. "I don't want you to feel like I'm stringing you along, you know."
"You wouldn't dare." she snickered, pulling him back in as she narrowed her eyes at him in a halfhearted scowl. "Now, shut up before I change my mind about the double 'so'."
"Aye, aye, milady." he drawled before wrapping his arms tighter around her. Chuckling as she pushed at his chest until he backed into the tree, his eyes sparkling as she stroked his cheekbones with her thumbs. Grazing his jawline with her fingertips and leaning in to kiss him again. Her heart so full in that moment that she couldn't imagine needing anything else in the world. All she wanted was the infuriating, smug, charming and incredible man in her arms.
What else could a girl really ask for?
Present day
Istanbul, Turkey
Caroline.
The name sounded familiar, and the voice seemed to know her. But who was calling?
Caroline.
It echoed and echoed, but the world was black… So where did it come from?
"Caroline!"
A face filled her sight as she snapped her eyes open at that. Watching the man for a second as he cupped her cheek, the anger in her not powerful enough to counteract the venom now. She couldn't even try to fight him if he were to attack.
"Hey! Hey, Caroline… It's me! It's me." the voice yelled as she tried to push him away, her eyes slowly focusing as she started to recognize the man kneeling before her on the floor.
Klaus.
She tried to answer but couldn't find it in her to open her mouth, or perhaps her voice was gone? Or maybe she was talking, and she just couldn't hear it? She couldn't quite put it all together as her mind felt scattered. One word leaving her lips as she tried to keep her focus.
"Wolf." she breathed out. Apparently, it had been the right thing to say as the man quickly pulled her into his arms then, presenting a bleeding wrist to her lips and sharpening her senses right away.
If he protested her uncharacteristically rough feeding, she didn't notice it. She ripped into his arm and ingested the blood desperately, as if it was air and she was drowning. Her senses slowly coming back to her, her legs tingling as she started to feel them again, her face burning as a hand stroked her cheek…
Her heart pounded again, properly dispersing the cure to her veins. Her lungs filled with air, instead of the former led that had made them so heavy. She relaxed a little more against the hybrid's chest, remembering then where the source of blood was coming from and immediately letting go of his wrist as she turned to face him.
"Hey, I'm here…" he murmured soothingly as he framed her head with his hands. The panic rushing in her chest as she started to recall everything that had happened. "You're safe, Caroline." he promised, pressing his lips to her forehead as he brushed through her hair gently.
"What took you so long?" she muttered into his neck, earning a strangled chuckle from him as he held her tightly in his arms in reply.
A chill rolled down her back as she suddenly craved his warmth, wanting to crawl into his skin as his scent surrounded her like an embrace. "Come on, love." he murmured gently as he nudged her to stand. Noticing that she was having some trouble, he instead lifted her up and she wrapped herself around him promptly.
She shut her eyes as he carried her out of the house, her stomach turning as she realized the destruction and horrors they left behind. He soon placed her in the passenger seat of some car - which she knew didn't belong to him, so she had no idea where it came from. Taking his jacket off, he then assisted her in threading her arms through the sleeves as she put it on.
It wasn't until then that she realized he was wearing a suit.
He rounded the car and quickly took the driver's seat, his hands digging through every compartment in search for something before he let out a sigh.
"Wait here." he told her, the order more of a friendly suggestion as he pressed another kiss to her forehead before flashing away. It took about a minute before he returned, a pair of keys now in is hands as he started the car up.
That's how she understood that the vehicle belonged to the people in the house. The people she had slaughtered.
A little smirk played on his lips as he drove off, making her study him closer as she raised an eyebrow at that. "What?" she asked. "What is it?"
He shook his head, giving her a quick glance before turning to the road again. "Those… bodies that you left behind." he said, apprehension in his voice as he seemed worried of setting her off. "I counted a handful of witches. And the others; they belonged to a fourth, others fifth, generation of wolves."
She understood then that it was pride that flickered in his eyes as he chuckled to himself, making her snicker in reply as she took in his words. "Well, they barely put up a fight." she shrugged. "But hey, I could be somewhat partial to going up against thousand-year-olds."
His humor quickly disappeared from his features then as his jaw clenched in response. "Yeah, well. It's probably what got you into that situation in the first place." he muttered low.
A sigh escaped her as she leaned back in her seat. "Actually… Mr. The universe-revolves-around-my-hybrid-ass; they were after me." she corrected, earning a furrowed look from him then. "Yeah, I was surprised too." she muttered. "Apparently, word got out about what happened with the Candle. They thought they could use me to tap into something similar, I guess."
He nodded slowly as he listened, the silence making her uneasy as she really needed to talk to keep from reliving what she had done less than an hour ago… "Klaus, they weren't just werewolves." she said, watching another frown form his face in result. "They were witches too."
"Are you sure?" he asked, prompting her to nod in response.
"I didn't think that was possible."
"It's not impossible…" he mused with a shrug. "There are rare instances where the child of a witch and a werewolf continues to carry their magic after triggering the curse." he explained. "However, there are already so few packs around the world, and in some continents they're virtually extinct, so pairing with a witch isn't half as tempting as a wolf. It is a necessity to their survival that they pass the gene on, after all."
She watched him in silence as she mulled it over, thinking of how many vampires she'd met who'd never even seen a werewolf before… And witches who had no idea that vampires existed. So, in some way, the different supernatural species were as separated as her abductor had idolized.
A lump formed in her throat as she shook herself out of her head then. "Well, at least there were some good news." she said, trying to keep the mood light. "One; apparently they didn't even realize that they had zeroed in on an Original because they had no idea what you even looked like."
He appeared incredulous of that as he shrugged in response. "That's certainly a positive."
"There's more." she added, studying his profile closely as she continued. "They didn't know about Hope. They thought Hayley had lost the baby."
That seemed to make him more at ease as he visibly relaxed in his seat then. "Oh, and…" she drawled, smiling a little as she spoke again. "Last, but sure as hell not least; I can clearly still hold my own in a fight."
He let out a cold scoff at that. "Yes, well, that won't be happening ever again." he muttered darkly, bringing her chest to tighten as she sighed.
"What, you abandoning me on date-night?" she teased, frowning as he winced in response and quickly clarifying. "I'm kidding. They said that they had been tracking me for a while… They probably thought you were my bodyguard or something and waited for you to leave my side." she shrugged. "Anyway, they were prepared. And strong. They were going to get me whether you were there or not."
"Where are you going with this, love?" he asked cautiously, eyeing her in suspicion before facing forward again.
"I'm trying to get you to see that you couldn't have prevented this." she chimed gently. "So that, maybe, you'll decide against locking me up in a castle somewhere like freaking Rapunzel."
That brought a smirk to pull at his lips, warming her heart as he snickered. "I'll take it into consideration while browsing for towers in far-away lands." he quipped, making her smile as she relaxed against her seat and gazed out the window.
The dark night outside didn't provide with enough of a distraction and she found herself falling silent as flashes of memories covered her eyes. "Twenty-three." she whispered, sensing Klaus' glance as she continued. "That's how many people I killed." she filled in, fidgeting with the cufflinks on his sleeves as she couldn't bring herself to meet his eyes.
"I think I started hallucinating after a while, so I might've miscounted one or two…" she relayed. "But that still makes over twenty people." she pointed out with a shaky breath as she tried to come to terms with it, but it just sounded worse and worse every time she said it. "I took twenty lives, Klaus." she murmured. "I… I couldn't stop. I just saw blood and needed to get away… It didn't matter who stood in front of me. If I wasn't so weak by then, I would've probably tried to kill you too."
He remained silent as he waited for her to continue, his gaze focused on the driving while she tried to make sense of it all. "I was like a rapid animal." she concluded. "I've never felt like that before. Not once. Not when I've been starving and out of my mind, when I've been bitten and running rampant, or even when I was possessed by Alzbeta… I just, my brain shut off and my body…"
"Acted on instinct." he chimed in, bringing her to turn to him with a slow nod of agreement. "That's how it feels when I turn." he said then, causing her lips to part as she waited for him to continue. "My mind works differently when I'm in that form. I don't really have thoughts or a conscious… The only direction I have are my instincts." he shared with furrowed eyebrows.
"It's… Pure. Clear." he relayed as he continued his musings. "I kill because I need to. Eat because I'm hungry. Sleep if I'm tired… Everything else - it's stowed away somewhere. And I don't really catch up with it again until I turn back." he murmured. "During that time, I'm out in nature and don't have any concerns to speak of... I just am."
She determined that he was finished and blinked in silence shortly. "That sounds… Freeing." she concluded.
"It is." he agreed.
A soft smile covered her face as she turned her body towards him. "Would you let me see you like that sometime?" she asked, his eyes quickly darting to her in surprise as he scoffed out incredulously.
"Not bloody likely." he snickered.
"Not even if I said that I just wanted to see how cute you looked?" she pressed, earning a chuckle as he shook his head at that.
"I am never cute." he countered.
It was her turn to scoff then. "I disagree." she protested with a pout. "Not even if I had like a gallon of your blood before-hand?"
"I wouldn't bet on it." he smirked, turning to her with such warmth in his eyes that she chuckled in response.
Deciding to put the issue on ice for now, she made a mental note of bringing it up again in the future. Still too curious of what he'd look like as a wolf that she wasn't willing to give up on it just yet.
"I thought you left." His voice brought her out of her reverie as she turned to see his face suddenly hard. His eyes flickering with pain as he continued.
"For a moment, when I went to the hotel and found the room empty…" he murmured. "I thought this was it... I thought you'd left-"
- me, she heard the end of his sentence in her head and it broke her heart. "I… I'd be lying if I said that I've never thought about it." she admitted gently. "The thing is, I'll probably never know what that feeling's like, when you're a wolf and you're free… But the way I feel when I'm with you, I think it's the closest I've ever gotten."
His eyes closed shortly before he reached for her hand and raised it to his lips, pressing a kiss to her knuckles as he squeezed it tightly. Her chest already lightening as she noted his relief.
"Oh, and I sure as hell wouldn't leave without stripping the room of every valuable I could get my hands on." she scoffed teasingly, earning a half-hearted smile from him that showed that he still struggled to let the subject go. "Would you let me?" she asked. "If I told you that I couldn't stay anymore. That I didn't love you or that I didn't want to be with you… If I asked you to let me go, would you?"
A muscle clenched in his jaw as his hold on her hand tightened more. His eyes focused ahead as he seemed to consider it. "I honestly don't know." he admitted. "But I have certainly thought of it."
She moved closer to studied him as he gulped silently, his eyes darting to hers before he continued. "Whenever I dream, and when it isn't pleasant, that's the worst one." he told her, the pain clear in his voice. "The only other that could even compare to it is one of Hope dying."
She scootched closer and rested her head on his shoulder, pulling her hand out of his so that she could hold onto his arm. "I don't want to leave you, Klaus. I haven't wanted to for a single moment since we started this whole journey." she assured him softly. "So, don't do something to change that. Because it's one of my worst nightmares too; having to think about what life looks like without you in it."
"So… If I told you that I thought we should keep a protective detail on you moving forward?" he drawled, his voice a mix of seriousness and vulnerability.
"Well… I'd be irritated." she replied. "But I wouldn't leave."
"And if I told you that I also don't think you should go on your trips with Bonnie anymore?" he pressed, making her sigh as she shook off the protests automatically building before trying to really consider it.
"I'd be pissed… But I'd still stay."
"If I said that we should go back to New Orleans where my family can help keep you safe?"
"That wouldn't really be all that surprising…" she admitted. "But for as long as I can, I'd really like to keep seeing the world with you. And to hold onto that freedom until we can't anymore. So, I hope you don't feel like we need to let this all go quite yet."
A long moment passed before he spoke again, stunning her to silence when he did. "What if I asked you to marry me?"
She froze up at that, her heart jumping in her chest as she couldn't find it in her to meet his eyes then. "Like- right now?" she sputtered out, anxiety taking over her voice as she stammered on. "I mean, that depends… Would you want to marry me because you want to marry me, or because you want to literally make me into your ball and chain and never let me out of sight?" she pushed, unsure of how he could even hear her when her pounding heartbeat filled her ears so loudly.
"If I wanted to marry you simply because I cannot stand not to?" he asked, sounding so cautious yet hopeful and sweet then that she smiled in reply.
"Then… I sure as hell wouldn't leave." she muttered, shaking her head at that. "The ring better be gorgeous, though." she added in taunt, earning a chuckle that hinted at relief as he shrugged in response.
"I'm sure I could find something to your taste." he quipped, suddenly making her unsure whether the conversation was still hypothetical or not. But her nerves really couldn't stand the silence, so she quickly made an attempt at lightening the tension further.
"And I'm not changing my name." she insisted.
"Ah, but Caroline Mikaelson just rolls off the tongue so eloquently, does it not?" he teased, making her snicker.
"You know what other name does? Klaus Forbes."
He chuckled warmly at that, bringing her to join in as she cuddled into his side in content. "We could always go with Marshall." he suggested, her smile quickly falling in result.
"Yeah, not an option!" she scoffed. "I'm not marrying you so that people can spend the rest of eternity calling me Hope's step-mother-aunt. It'd be way too Southern… I mean, what's next? Mother-sister and brother-father?" she shook her head, noting his humored smirk and sighing with relief as she settled back against him again.
"I guess we'll just have to figure something out when the time comes." she murmured, closing her eyes as she felt the need to give into her exhaustion then.
"I'm sure we will." he hummed as she slowly fell into a calm sleep.
Hopeful images filled her dreams as he carried her to their hotel later. Helping her out of her clothes and shoes before tucking her into bed. His words still ringing in her mind as he lied down beside her, his arms open as she settled into his embrace.
I'm sure we will.
December 2025
New Orleans, Louisiana
Snow was rare in New Orleans, but when the temperature was just low enough and the humidity still not entirely gone from the last of the hotter days of the fall season - then the snow came to the city. It wouldn't last for long, a day or two before it melted away, but in those few days the air would be crisp and the ground white.
It was beautiful.
And fitting for a day like today.
She wore the only real winter clothes she owned, a dark wool coat with a wide hood to shield her from the cold. The boots that usually worked in the other three hundred and fifty-something days of the year when it didn't snow was a little too thin for her now. Her hands were fidgeting within her pockets as she struggled to keep them warm without a proper pair of gloves.
However, that was not the sole reason that they were trembling as she stood in the back of the row in the old graveyard. The others by her sides were as ill-prepared for the weather as she, wearing thin jackets and a little too few layers to hold off the cold.
Just four more now before it was her turn. Then she could get out of the icy winds and warm up with a cup of tea. The thought gave her strength as she watched Davina Claire make her way down the aisle of newly recruited witches. With every stop she would whisper a chant and press a sage leaf against the witch's forehead, connecting them to their joined magic and welcoming them to the coven before moving onto the next one.
It had been a long time since last, but her memory of the tedious ceremony proved accurate enough. The rush of excitement would still only last for so long until the impatience set in. The added strength and energy afterwards was still the only thing motivating the group to keep freezing in the unfamiliar climate.
Yet, no one ever complained. Because they knew better. They understood the importance of every step in the ritual, they accepted the slow process due to its intricacy. Because they had to. The witches of New Orleans were slowly growing weaker every day, and they had for as long as she could remember. Her mama would tell her all about it when she was growing up; how crucial it was to keep one's connection to the covens. To keep a relationship with the ancestors. To hold onto one's magic as if it was life itself.
And she was no different.
Two more now, she thought as she shook her legs a little to keep the warmth beneath her knee-length coat. Two more before she would feel stronger, before she would recommit to that old practice once more. Before she could be a part of the faction again.
It had been long, ages really, since she had last been a willing follower to one of the many great leaders that had risen and fallen in the Quarter over the decades. Her decision to step away had never been due to any kind of animosity, nor had she resented the covens for banding together under a young child's regime - even after she herself had tried for years to convince the faction that a unified coven was necessary for their combined survival.
No, she had never been one to hold a grudge, but things were different now. And she was ready to do her part, play her role, pay her due, to finally get her revenge.
The young girl appeared before her then, a smile still plastered on her face from the last stop but faltering when she recognized the new face before her. "You're here." Davina breathed out in surprise.
"I am." she replied, earning an embarrassed chuckle from the girl as she spoke again.
"It's been so long since I saw you… I thought you might have given up witchcraft altogether."
Unsure of what to say to the latter, she focused instead on the part which she had prepared herself for. "Yes, I believe you were no more than five years old when I left." she chimed softly, earning a sad smile in reply then.
"I heard what happened..." Davina murmured low. "I'm sorry for your loss."
Ignoring the turning in her chest, she nodded at that and made sure to push forward. No backing down now. "She felt no pain in the end." she relayed, the well-rehearsed line had been repeated over and over by now. "I can find some solace in that at least."
"Of course." the witch agreed with a kind smile. "I'm happy to see you, nonetheless. It's always a good thing when a fellow witch finds her way back into the fold."
"Yes, I believe so too." she agreed with another monotonous nod.
"I guess this means that your magic wasn't lost after all?" Davina pressed silently, bringing a smirk to the woman's lips.
"I managed to find some more." she shared. It wasn't a total lie, technically…
"That's great." the girl smiled before clearing her throat. Regaining her professional posture as she reached into the bowl of sage in her hands and began the familiar chant. "I particia vise adhere animos." the girl murmured, smiling as she met her eyes again.
"Welcome back to your family, Hannah-May Denver."
The leave was pressed to her forehead as the surge of magic quickly spread through her at that. Inviting her to rejoin the community that she long since had turned her back on. But now, she needed to return. She needed to be a part of the coven once more, and she was willing to do or say anything necessary for it to happen.
Davina moved on to the last few in the line and then welcomed them all to celebrate with their new coven. However, there was far too much for her to do now. So, she made the proper greetings with the others and had some short but polite small talk… And then, when everyone else was occupied and too busy to notice, she sneaked away from the cemetery and headed for the woods.
Her smile hadn't quite been a genuine one ever since her daughter's death, but now it nearly made her cheeks hurt in effect. The sheer triumph filling her with brand-new motivation as she got to work on her plan. Relieved that the young Claire-witch had not recognized the Trojan horse despite having been standing right in front of her mere moments ago.
She could still hear the joyous voices as she hurried further down the road, the sound of naive fools with no idea of what awaited them. The many plans she had for honoring Alice-May's legacy. For honoring her own.
Let them celebrate while they can, she thought to herself maliciously. Soon enough, they would all die - and she would accomplish what none other had before her;
The end of witchcraft, once and for all.
.
.
To be continued…
Thank you a thousand times for reading this fic everyone, I'll carry your kind words with me forever.
