"Hi, Mummy." Ingrid murmured, climbing into Rebekah's lap and snuggling into her arms. Rebekah automatically wrapped the little girl into her arms and began to run her fingers through her hair, which was long and light blond, just like Rebekah's. There was never any doubt in Rebekah's mind that Ingrid was her daughter.
Ingrid was just about a year and half old now, and in Rebekah's thousand years of living, the last eight months were the only ones in her existence that weren't tainted by death and destruction. All she'd ever wanted was a life just like this, with the picture perfect white fence and family of her own. Traditionally she'd thought that meant she would have someone by her side and that she would be human. She never would've subjected a child to the supernatural like she was.
But as life had taught her, things changed. She always saw being a vampire as a hindrance to her dreams, but now she relied on it to keep Ingrid safe. Rebekah had taken into account what giving up her vampirism would've been like, saying goodbye to her brothers, falling victim to human illnesses and eventually death. There was never any scenario where she was able to live with both until Hope had been born, and even then Hope was not hers. Rebekah knew Hope was a miracle, that she was going to be their family's savior, Klaus' personal savior, she'd always known Hope would bring them all miracles just as she was born one. Like she brought Rebekah Ingrid.
Over the few months, Rebekah had watched her grow into a smart, kind, and quiet child. Rebekah raised her the way she'd always dreamed of raising her child, spoiled beyond belief of course. She put her in swimming lessons, ballet classes, and she filled their suburban house with toys and books. Rebekah loved her without a doubt, but there was something unnatural about the way Ingrid acted sometimes.
"Hello, darling." Rebekah smiled, rocking her back and forth softly. "Are you alright?"
"The people, they talked today." Ingrid murmured softly, playing with the chain of Rebekah's necklace. It wasn't the first time she had murmured things like that. It wasn't even the first time she displayed strange behavior. Sometimes she just stopped, her eyes would gloss over and she wouldn't move. Rebekah had taken her to a witch when Ingrid's behavior had become concerning, and that's when Rebekah had learned it was her fault.
Matea had warned her Ingrid would be different because of the spell.
"Well?" Rebekah snapped impatiently, bouncing Ingrid in her lap as the witch examined her. "What is it?"
"What have you done to her, Rebekah?" The witch asked. She couldn't even look at Ingrid. Rebekah had never felt so much fear lick at her skin.
"Don't do that, witch." Rebekah snapped. "I want an answer, now."
"You condemned that poor baby." The witch murmured. "She was human, but now she's an unnatural abomination."
Within an instant, Rebekah had the witch by her throat pushed up against a wall. "All you witches think everything you can't accept is an abomination, that you value nature above all. Don't forget it was your kind that created everything you despise." She pressed a little harder till the witch was choking. "My daughter, what's wrong with her?"
"Whatever spell you cast is turning her into something else." She spoke critically. "She'll see things, ghosts, the other side."
"Will they be able to harm her?" Rebekah demanded, but there was doubt and desperation leaking into her tone.
"They won't want to." The witch whispered. "Because eventually she'll be able to pull them back here."
"Here?" Rebekah's eyes widened.
"To the land of the living, Rebekah. They will follow her until she caves underneath their demands." She hissed, trying to pry Rebekah's hand off her throat. "She'll be the angel of death."
"What do they say, Ingrid?" Rebekah asked softly, holding her daughter close. She wanted Ingrid to know there was nowhere safer than with her mother.
There wasn't a response. Instead, Ingrid slid off her mother's lap to look out the windows, her eyes glossed over.
Rebekah loved her daughter, but she hated herself. Dreams were supposed to be wishes, but Rebekah had done too much destruction in her thousand years to earn that. Her dreams came with price, and fate was cruel to those who disobeyed it.
Stefan liked to believe he was a good person. He had his flaws, his blood addiction and ripper problem, but he worked towards being better. Eternity was a long time to live, and where humans could overcome their addictions, Stefan felt as if he was on a timer, running through the motions of recovery until he ultimately fell off the wagon again.
When Caroline was turned, she was a bit of a marvel to Stefan. He'd never seen anyone with more control over their bloodlust than Caroline. He was envious of her in the beginning, because that's what Stefan was always waiting for, to lose control and become the infamous ripper. He was drawn to her in the sense that maybe helping her learn control would teach him what she was naturally born with.
Then she was gone, only leaving behind her flowery scent and a letter. He wasn't too surprised by this, he'd seen the same signs of feeling caged. If she needed a minute away from Mystic Falls, he understood her need to leave, but he knew Caroline better than that. It wasn't like her to just up and leave everything behind. She would plan, make lists, and definitely involve the other girls. He could already imagine her charts, with spreadsheets for each country she wanted to visit all with budgets and plane schedules. She left behind no trace, and that was enough for Stefan to question whether or not Caroline was really traveling.
He had tried to get in contact with her for the first couple of months she was gone, which technically was three months after she'd actually left because Liz hadn't mailed the letter to Bonnie and Elena till after the new term started. The most he got was an email detailing parts of Paris and Italy, she sounded happy and nothing immediately stood out, so he let it go at the time. A few weeks later, Stefan decided to check in on Caroline again, but this time he received no response, and that's when he went to check on Liz.
"She's fine." Liz assured him, pouring him a cup of coffee. "She's probably busy flying and shopping."
"I know." Stefan deadpanned. It sounded like Caroline, but it didn't. "Do you know where she is? I was thinking about going to surprise her for a little while."
Liz tensed up and Stefan was polite enough to pretend as if he didn't notice, but he did take note of it. "I'm not sure. You know how she is."
"I do, Liz." Stefan smiled softly. "Which is why I don't believe she's traveling. Or that you don't know where she is, or that she didn't leave behind an itinerary for Bonnie and Elena in case she went missing."
Liz grimaced and shrugged helplessly. "I'm sorry, Stefan, but I can't tell you where she is."
"She's my best friend." Stefan whispered, running a hand through his hair. He wouldn't lie, after everything going on between Damon and Elena dating and Caroline being gone, he was feeling the beginning of a spiral.
Liz sighed deeply and took one of his hands in a motherly way Stefan had been lacking for almost the past two centuries. "I know. You're right, she's not traveling, but she is doing something for herself."
"Is she alright?" Stefan asked.
"She is." Liz nodded. "I don't hear from her much, but from what I do know she is happy."
"Do you know why she didn't tell any of us?" Stefan questioned.
"I don't have all the details. She barely gave me any before she left too." Liz recounted the phone call she had with her daughter six months ago, leaving out Rebekah's name and any pertinent details that were incriminating. "To be honest, I'm a little surprised you're here looking for her."
"Really?" Stefan said, looking up. It didn't surprise him though. He was witness to the Bonnie, Elena, Caroline friendship daily. The former two had always been closer and while they loved Caroline, they had a tendency to leave her out of things. It wasn't because they forgot about her or belittled her importance. It was simply that Caroline didn't need them as much as they needed her.
It had been that way when they were growing up as well. When Bonnie's mom left, Caroline and Elena were both there for her. Caroline demanded they slumber it, and spent a week living in a fort with constant movies and junk food. When Elena's parents died, Caroline was the one that had found Elena curled up at the bridge where the accident was. She had grabbed Bonnie and the three of them had sat side by side with Elena between them while she cried until she couldn't anymore. But when Caroline's dad left, neither Bonnie nor Elena were around, deciding space was what she needed. They just didn't know how to be because Caroline was always the one taking charge and ensuring their wellbeing before her own. Not all of the blame was on them though, Caroline had grown apart from them after a while and it got harder to put in the effort, but it was also her that tried to hold on the most.
"I got a call from Bonnie and Elena a couple of days after I sent the letter Caroline left behind, they seemed to believe it." Liz said, thrumming her fingers. "I didn't expect anyone to think differently."
"Well, she's my blood sponser or whatever you want to call it." Stefan laughed fondly. "Sometimes she also calls me and rants about things, and then I tell her she's not crazy. It's a two way street for us."
"I'm glad she has you." Liz smiled, almost a relieved one, knowing her little girl wouldn't be alone in the world when she was no longer in it.
Stefan left Liz's house a little while later. He'd gone looking for answers, for his best friend. Instead he'd left with the beginnings of a plan. There was nothing left for him in Mystic Falls anymore. The girl he loved was in love with his brother. Elena had been his whole reason for staying, for living, and now she was Damon's.
He was a vampire with an addiction problem, a small town life with generations of people he'd killed or known were eventually going to drive him over the edge. That night he booked a plane ticket, somewhere far, somewhere he was hoping to find his best friend.
Davina was a witch, a New Orleans witch born with blood on her hands. At sixteen, she had killed and been killed, not exactly a conventional life. She was living alone in the attic of a church with only spell books to keep her company, and admittedly, Davina Claire was lonely. Then she met Kaleb.
She wasn't stupid, there was something unnatural about him. She was slightly surprised to learn he was a witch, especially because she'd known most of the witches in New Orleans, whether they were a part of the coven, her friends, or victims of her persecutions. But she wrote it off as someone passing through, New Orleans was just that kind of place. It also accounted for his unseemingly large amount of witch knowledge. He said pretty things and taught her magic, so every misconception and wayward comment was easily replaced.
They'd grown close over the past couple of weeks. It started with a date, then a dance, and then a kiss. Then there was another date, but this one came with a gift for Davina. A grimoire full of spells, some to teach her control, some to teach her to refine. It became a common occurrence from then on, he would bring her things and Davina let him because she was a lonely sixteen year old witch. Sometimes it was grimoires, special candles, and magical herbs. Sometimes it was music, art supplies, and poetry books centuries older than she was. After two weeks, she had brought Kaleb back to her attic, and they spent the night talking about her life.
She told him about the harvest festival, how she almost regretted enrolling back in high school because of what the other's would say behind her back, how she was afraid the witches were going to kill her for what she'd done.
He told her things too. At first it was mostly geared towards her, what she wanted, what she liked. But eventually, his resolve began to shift and he would say little things that intrigued her. He told her how he had too many siblings that all preferred each other over him, but Davina could hear the loss and fondness he had for each of them, especially his little sister. He talked to her about his travels and the things he'd seen, even the charmer, adding in his own imaginative comments about how pretty she would look during sunset in Paris or how she would flourish learning magic from foregin witches.
"Davina Claire? I come bearing gifts and treats." Kaleb announced as he walked into her attic, dropping a bag of beignets on the table. Their usual routine.
"I thought I told you to stop walking into my room." Davina deadpanned, something she said everyday, peeking her head around the clothing screen as she pulled a shirt over head. Although, she didn't mind, not really.
"Come now, darling, now is not the time to dwell on who said what." He called back, coaxing her out with the smell of pastries and coffee. He snapped his fingers and the record player in her room started to play a classical tune. He wrinkled his nose and snapped them again, a song much more suited to his tastes began to play. "Do you want your gift?"
Davina placed out her hands. "What is it?"
He placed a large, old book in her hands. "A grimoire I was gifted by a witch a long time back."
Davina ran her fingers along the spine and thumbed through a few of the pages. It was old and probably priceless, certainly not something to be given away, but it was another thought Davina was going to ignore. "What kind of magic is this?"
"Chemia." He answered, but then he snatched the book and closed it with a light puff of dust. "But, this one comes with a contingency."
"Knew the pretty face was too good to be true." Davina scoffed.
"Hey now, you haven't even heard it." He laughed, placing the book down and pulling her over to sit down beneath the windows. "It's not so much a contingency as a confession."
"What kind of confession?" Davina asked skeptically, her ever present paranoia taking hold of her mind.
"First things first, let's establish a few things." He said, turning to face her with a charming smile and Davina couldn't help but relent and face him as well. "You don't like Klaus Mikaelson."
"I don't." Davina confirmed.
"I'm not too fond of him either, Davina Claire." He said, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "I want you to remember that before I confess."
"What is it?" Davina prodded carefully.
He looked her in the eyes, fingers pressed tangled in her hair and his body warm next to hers. "My name is Kol Mikaelson."
There were few times in Klaus' life when he'd actually felt fear. He was unkillable, his siblings were the only people he ever cared about, and they were as indestructible as he was. But now things were different. Now he had a daughter.
He's fought in many wars over the years, started and ended them himself even, but they were all child's play. He was never concerned with what humans would kill each other over, religion, money, and power. Money and power he had, and religion was something he never needed because he was never going to die. He didn't believe in any faith or deity, neither would ever provide him with comfort or penance like it did humans.
The Guerreras were dead, and that was one threat defeated, but she was never a hard one to kill. Now he had the witches to deal with. He did take some joy in watching them try to run the city. They were all bowing down to a teenage harvest girl, the only one left. Two were dead, and Davina Claire was on her own, they had no elders left and Cassie was their last connection to magic.
Despite never leaving the compound, he did keep tabs on the girl. She laid low and tried to constantly play peacekeeper among wolves and witches alike. He didn't know her end goal just yet, but there was something eerily dark and familiar about her.
But the wolves were slowly falling into line with Hayley, Marcel was across the city and Elijah was watching over them, and Klaus decided Cassie was going to be his cross to bear. She was a part of the coven that wanted to sacrifice his daughter. She was the one wreaking havoc and creating moonlight rings.
Klaus had to admit, the longer he was away from his daughter, the more it felt like his humanity was starting to wane. His siblings were doing their part to bring his daughter home, and he spent enough time locked away grieving. A familiar murderous rage was begininnig to form, and it was the New Orleans coven that deserved his merciless vengeance.
Klaus walked into the cemetery, dozens of witches and wolves surrounding him.
"Where is she?" Klaus asked, looking down upon those he once held in high regards.
The crowd parted and the sixteen year old girl in question came to meet him. "I've been expecting you."
He followed her into a crypt, and she poured him tea. Camomile tea like his mother.
"I must offer condolences on the tragic loss of your child." She commented softly.
"Wasn't it your coven who threatened her life?" He retorted.
"I assume you didn't come here to discuss the past." She responded shortly.
"No, it isn't." He agreed, swirling his finger around the edge of the cup and studied the way she moved. "Why have you taken it upon yourself to forge new moonlight rings?"
"I assumed it was obvious. An alliance between the wolves and witches would restore balance to our home." She replied, sipping on her tea.
"Well, that's a lofty goal for a teenage girl." Klaus said slowly, thrumming his fingers.
"A long time ago, witches and wolves were at peace, until the vampires came along. A plague turned made flesh, a curse on this earth." She murmured. "you have no humanity, so you punish those who do. Creatures like you will always hate the living, and we will always have to defend ourselves."
"So you create rings to level the playing field. It's an ambitious strategy." Klaus nodded, leaning in close. "Learn this, witch, there are enemies that will come for you. Ones you'll be able to see, ones that come from behind or are right in front of your eyes."
"You assume I don't take precautions." She stated, daring him to question her.
That's when Klaus realized exactly who Cassie was. The way she talked, the way she moved, and the things she said. She was such a familiar sight because Klaus had spent a thousand years pouring over the same mannerisms of his mother. All from memories that plagued him after he'd killed her. Sometimes in guilt, others in contempt.
Klaus leaned away from her and tapped the edge of his cup. "Chamomile, it's the same tea my mother made. How I loathed it."
"Would you have preferred mint?" She asked blankly.
"You know she was insane, my mother." Klaus goaded. "No, it's true. A curse on this earth stretched out across generations. She was the true monster, turned us into vampires, took away our innocence, and condemned us to an eternity of blood lust." He laughed darkly. "And then, she acted as if we were to blame."
"She sounds awful." Cassie retorted, eyes hardened. "Are you building to a question, Niklaus."
"You used my full name, as if we are familiars. I find it insulting." He hissed. "Before she died, a witch revealed that your coven was under my mother's influence. Does she speak to you now?"
"She doesn't have to." Cassie said in a mock sweet tone. "She would tell you to go to your room for being so rude."
Klaus stood up and slammed his hands down on the table, close enough to grab her by the throat. "I could kill you, witch."
"But you won't." She said, as the wolves and witches under her command flood the room. "It's alright, Niklaus was just leaving."
She began to walk away, but Klaus called out to her once. "You think me an abomination, Cassie, and if you truly think that, then you know what I am capable of. I am the enemy you can see, and you may spend the rest of your life trying to kill me, but I will kill you."
The first time Caroline had actually encountered a threat, Hope was about just shy of turning two years old. They were still living in the villa, and Caroline had thrown herself into studying languages and magic, for herself and Hope.
Hope wasn't old enough to begin learning spells or practice magic, but Caroline was teaching her little things to learn control. She was smart enough to know Hope was born with the kind of magic that was more than she could bear. She'd seen it in the weather or the flowers that would begin to reflect Hope's mood. If she was upset, dark clouds would take over the villa, if she was hurt, the flowers would begin to die, and other anomalies followed. So Caroline taught her mind games and tricks, or to even direct her magic towards something else.
Caroline knew it wasn't always going to be enough as she got older, but forever with Hope wasn't always going to be hers.
"Momma?" Hope called, wobbling her way towards Caroline. Caroline still had conflicting feelings about Hope calling her mom. The first time it had happened, she went through a slight existential crisis, but afterwards, it had occurred to her that in that moment she was Hope's mom. The little girl hadn't known anyone but Caroline and Rebekah, and she had also agreed to take on the role for Hope the moment she agreed to Rebekah's request.
She had tried to justify it at first, telling herself that it would just be easier if Hope called her mom. People wouldn't question them and it would make for an easier backstory while they were on the run. It would make things easier on her as well, not having to explain how Hope had come to live with her in the first place.
She immediately pushed that thought away. It wasn't fair on Klaus or Hayley to act as if they didn't exist and replace them in their daughter's life. It also wouldn't be right to hide that part of Hope from herself. She deserved to know her family after all, they lived by always and forever, and it wasn't the kind of loyalty Caroline wanted to hide from Hope.
She thought about sitting Hope down and explaining everything to her, but it was senseless to do so. Hope was too young to understand what was going on in New Orleans, who and what her parents were, who Caroline was and why she was taking care of her.
And if she was being honest, Caroline wanted to be selfish about it. Even though she agreed to give up her life in Mystic Falls and leave everyone behind, she was lonely. It wasn't the same kind she felt back home, where Bonnie and Elena were there but absent. On the run, she was bound by her promises, and she wouldn't risk Hope's safety. There was only so much she could do to occupy her mind before the weight of her choices would weigh her down.
So Caroline was going to be selfish. She adored raising Hope, and everytime her high pitched voice rang out, Caroline indulged every bit. She did promise herself that she would tell Hope the truth about her parents and that one day she wouldn't be there, but that was a long time away. She didn't need to burden Hope with the ugly truths or secrets.
"What is it, baby?" Caroline answered, rolling over and looking at her doorway where Hope was standing, rubbing her eyes with a blanket clutched in her hands.
"Tummy hurts." She said softly, a pout settled firmly on her small features.
She immediately got up and sweeped Hope into her arms, rubbing her back softly. "Just your tummy?"
She shook her head and patted her forehead. "Momma." She whimpered.
"Hmm, you might have a temperature." Caroline sighed, pressing the back of her hands against Hope's forehead. She didn't feel too warm, but that could be her healing factor kicking in. "Let's go find some medicine."
She ransacked the medicine cabinets, but found nothing that could help Hope. In all honesty, Caroline hadn't even been sure she could get sick because of her supernatural side. Clearly she was unprepared for a sick baby and it wasn't as if the Mikaelsons ever thought they'd need medicine for themselves let alone a little girl.
"Alright, store it is." Caroline mumbled to herself. She bundled Hope up in a jacket and covered her with a blanket. Then she packed up a small bag and settled Hope in the car.
The villa was quite literally in the middle of nowhere and she'd compelled the people who lived down the road to buy and bring her groceries whenever they went into town. She'd only gone to the corresponding town once or twice and hadn't profiled the people as extensively as she usually did because they were living so far away. That was the first and only time she made that mistake.
She'd pulled up to the local store, scanning the isles quickly as Hope fussed in her arms the whole time. She spotted some baby tylenol and grabbed a couple of bottles, and even some other things she probably didn't need but Caroline was an overpreparer if anything.
Hope began to cry and Caroline rubbed her back sweetly. "I know, darling, I know, it's alright."
She got into the checkout line and by that point Hope was whimpering. Caroline was so focused on her that she let her guard down, her second mistake.
"Just these for today?" The man behind the counter asked. He smiled at Caroline charmingly, eyes flashing brightly at her.
"Yes." Caroline nodded, trying to reach into her bag to pull out her wallet while simultaneously trying to rock Hope back and forth.
"I've never seen you here before." He commented, scanning her items much too slowly for Caroline's liking.
"I moved in a while ago but I haven't been to town." Caroline said shortly, tapping her foot impatiently.
"Moved here? You must be the girl who moved into the Mikaelson villa. The others have mentioned you before." He said questioningly. The name Mikaelson made Caroline tense up and she clutched Hope a little tighter to her chest.
"No, I don't think so." Caroline nodded politely, making a mental note of who she needed to compel.
"Really?" He prodded. "Some of the locals have mentioned a blond girl with a small child moving into the villa." Caroline looked perplexed and he immediately back tracked. "I don't mean to pry, it's only interesting news because it's a small town and no one has lived in that villa for almost a hundred years I believe."
Caroline glanced around her and there were too many people present for her to compel the clerk. "I'm sorry, you have the wrong person. If you don't mind, my daughter is sick and if you could hurry that would be great."
"Of course, my apologies." He nodded, wrapping up the rest of her purchases and sending her off with a wave. And if Caroline had been paying more attention, she would've seen the daylight necklace hanging around his neck.
"Are you feeling better, baby?" Caroline murmured, laying down and wrinkling her nose at Hope.
"Better." She nodded, eyes closed and drowsy on medicine.
"Okay." Caroline whispered, placing a sweet kiss on her forehead. She left Hope asleep in her bed and left to pick up the living room and make mental lists. It was hours later into the night, after she put Hope back to sleep for the second time and she was on her second glass of wine, did she hear a noise. She probably wouldn't have heard it if she wasn't a vampire.
She brushed her hair behind her ear and focused her hearing. First on Hope who was sound asleep on the other side of the villa, then on the other noise. It was soft and deliberate, like the footsteps of a person lurking around the perimeter.
Caroline sped to the bedroom, wrapped Hope in a blanket and placed her inside the closest.
"Momma?" She murmured.
"Go back to sleep, darling." Caroline said, brushing her hair back. "Stay here okay? Don't move." She didn't wait for a response as she closed the door tight and then locked her bedroom door behind her.
She crept towards the main foyer with an iron poker and focused her hearing once again, and this time she heard nothing. One second, two, and then a whoosh swept behind her. She turned sharply and a man was glowering over her. He was the clerk that rang them up.
Usually she wouldn't assume the worst, but it seemed like a maim first and ask questions later kind of situation. Caroline plunged the poker deep into the man's stomach and used her strength to embed it into the back of the wall.
"Who are you?" She demanded, pushing the makeshift weapon in even further. "What do you want?"
"I think the better question to ask is who are you?" He grunted out, grabbing hold of the poker and pulling it straight through his body. Caroline was beginning to falter because he was clearly a vampire and a lot older than her, but she wouldn't show it. "A vampire with a child, moves into the Mikaelson villa? Strange behavior that warrants attention."
"I don't even know who Mikaelsons are." Caroline pleaded, stepping back.
"I'm sure that's not the truth." He retorted. "The Mikaelson villa has been here for centuries, and everyone in town knows the tales of who they are. Whispers of their bloodlust and terror."
"That has nothing to do with me or my daughter." Caroline snapped, stepping backwards, reaching behind her for any semblance of a weapon, but there was nothing behind. She was cursing herself for baby proofing the villa. "The Mikaelsons aren't here, what do you want?"
"I want revenge." He said simply, creeping towards her. "Klaus Mikaelson killed my mother because he decided she was useless to the perfect society he tried to build four centuries ago. He killed my mother in the square and then he stood over her body without remorse."
"I'm sorry." Caroline whispered, holding her hands out in a surrender motion. Honestly, Klaus' behavior didn't surprise her, and she also wasn't surprised it was probably going to get her killed. "But killing me isn't going to be your eye for an eye."
"Quite the contrary." He said, holding the fire poker at Caroline's heart. "There were whispers of the great hybrid and how he had a daughter. It spread through the supernatural world, rumors and stories about what she was, what she would do. I heard the witches of New Orleans tried to sacrifice her for power."
Caroline was panicking. Her hands were shaking and she was slowly turning a stark white color. He knew. He had probably been watching Caroline for weeks, months even. Walking into the store today was probably all the confirmation he needed.
"She's my daughter." Caroline promised, eyes glossing over. "Please, she's not Klaus' child. His child died the night she was born because of the war in New Orleans."
"And I believed that." He hissed, reaching out and grabbing Caroline by the throat. "I really thought Klaus had finally suffered for his crimes. Then I heard there was a pretty blond who moved into the monster's mansion, a little girl in tow." Caroline was trying to find a way out of this situation. But he was centuries older than her, he had the upper hand, and if she tried to attack him now, he'd kill her. "Slowly the pieces started to fall into place, I began to hear the town talk about you and the strange , uncontrollable magic. Then I saw her today, born with the same dead eyes as her father."
"She's innocent." Caroline pleaded. She was struggling and kicking backwards but his grip was too tight. "If you kill her, you'll be exactly like Klaus."
His eyes turned to rage and he plunged his hand into her chest. It wasn't an unfamiliar feeling to Caroline. It wasn't the first time she'd been so close to death, by someone else, by a werewolf bite, by one of their wayward plans. The first time it happened, Caroline planned out exactly what would entail after her death. A funeral perhaps, her mother overworking herself, Stefan becoming a ripper, Bonnie having to adhere to Elena all by herself. She'd done it again, and again, and again, each time she was so close to dying. Sometimes to cope with dying when she'd finally accepted she wasn't going to age, other times she hoped it would make her death a little more painless.
She closed her eyes and recounted the details of her death, second by second, until she felt her veins begin to tear. She waited as the blood pooled around her, and then, she heard the distinctive thud of a heart hit the floor before she collapsed.
Caroline opened her eyes to the man, dead on the floor with his own heart ripped out of his chest. To her surprise there was someone beside him. Dressed in dark clothing and black heels, she had the face of Caroline's best friend and blood dripping from her perfectly manicured fingers.
"Katherine?"
