Chapter Song: I Hate U, I Love U by Gnash

~Recap from Chapter 21~

Caroline sobbed as she embraced the dying vampire.

"No, no, no," She kept repeating as she rocked his body back and forth.

Kol reached out a hand to caress her face.

"It's ok darling. Don't forget, you're not a pretty crier," Kol chuckled and ended up coughing out blood.

"Shhh, it's gonna be ok, Kol." Caroline said in between tears.

"In my room, in the bedside table, there's a journal," Kol mustered up the last of his strength. He needed Caroline to know. He couldn't die without her knowing. "I want you to read it. I want you to know how I feel about you. The words I never got to say."

Kol paused as he studied Caroline's face. He could feel the life slipping away from him. And he wanted her face to be the last thing he saw.

"About Faith…" He stuttered once more. He couldn't leave with regrets. He couldn't leave without having expressed his true feelings for the girl, however late. "At the beginning, I had a bit of a crush on Faith. But she never saw me as a man, and what with her gaze always on Elijah and Klaus, I gave up on her. Now I wonder what would have happened if I didn't. Maybe she would never had been involved in all this Original business. Maybe she would have been better off."

Having voiced out his last regret, Kol Mikaelson breathed his last and passed on to the Other Side.

~TGITW~

Chapter 24: Love & Hate (Part 2)

MYSTIC FALLS. 2011 A.D.

Caroline sat on Kol's bed in the Mikaelson mansion.

She had just read through the journal Kol told her about. In it, he talked about his family and frustrations, and he also talked about his time spent with Caroline. He talked about their first encounter and how he had found her breathtaking in that red rose gown. He talked about how he couldn't stop thinking about her and how there was something about her that attracted him to her. He talked about how she had tried to kill him and how furious he had been yet he couldn't stop from admiring the girl.

On and on he talked about the times they spent together, how their uneasy relationship turned into an unlikely friendship. How he started to develop feelings for her, ones he couldn't even admit out loud to himself.

In the end, Caroline had to stop reading. Kol's death and now his newly revealed feelings have left Caroline's heart in turmoil. She had to sit down and gather her thoughts.

The blonde vampire had seen Kol as an enemy for the longest time. Then they had become friends, and that had put a strain on her relationship with the Mystic Falls gang. But that did not stop her from befriending the Original vampire.

Now, having found out Kol's feelings, she wondered if she might have had some feelings for the Mikaelson all along. What with his death devastating her to an extent she did not expect.

*Knock Knock*

Caroline looked up and found Faith with a sympathetic smile. Caroline returned her smile and gestured to the sit bedside her.

~TGITW~

A WEEK AGO.

Klaus walked Faith back to the car. They had just seen Elijah and Katherine kissed. At this point, Faith was in shock and Klaus had to hold her steady to keep her from falling.

They got to the car and he helped her get into the passenger seat, making sure she didn't hit her head as she bent down. Then he went around to the driver's seat and started driving. He didn't know where to go. All he knew was that he wanted to take her far away from where they were.

They drove for hours in silence before stopping at a gas station and diner. Klaus filled up on gas then they stopped for coffee and the diner.

Again, they sat in silence.

Finally, Klaus looked into Faith's eyes with determination and affection, "You could choose me."

While Faith might have rejected him before, he still held on to some semblance of hope. He might not be able to give her everything she wanted but he had hope to at least give her more than what Elijah could give her now.

Still in a dazed, Faith answered without thinking: "I can never choose someone who reminds me of my dad."

The moment the words were out of her mouth, Faith realized her mistake.

"No–I mean…" Faith stuttered trying to find an explanation.

Klaus could not believe what she had just said. A long time ago, Faith had confided in him about her father. Faith had told him the story of her abusive dad, how he would go into a rage and hurt his family. Faith had told him how she saw so much of herself in her dad and was afraid of becoming like her father.

And now, Faith was saying that Klaus reminded her of her dad. It hurt to think that Faith would see him in such a way.

"What do you mean?" Klaus reached for her hand and clasped it in his. Though Klaus' voice remained gentle, his lips quivered nervously.

"Faith…"

Faith sighed. He looked so forlorn, like a hurt puppy.

"You're…" After some thought, Faith decided to just tell the truth, as gently as she could, "you're too much like my dad. I can't."

Faith slowly shook her head as she repeated, "I just can't."

Klaus was exactly like her father. She didn't want to admit it before–no, she fooled herself to thinking otherwise. She didn't expect to be so much like her mother in this and the truth shocked her.

"I don't ever want to be like my mother. To wait and hope that he would change one day only to be disappointed."

"Why?" Klaus pulled his hands away and asked sarcastically, "Because I'm hot-tempered, irritable, vengeful, bitter, insecure, proud?"

As much as he tried, Klaus was starting to lose his patience. The woman he loved saw him in such a hateful light.

Faith responded back calmly but sadly: "Maybe I didn't see it before because you were an adorable innocent young man. But now, power has changed you."

Again, her words pierced his heart like daggers. He looked at Faith with a sorrowful expression.

"I could never hurt you."

Faith avoided his gaze and replied, "You consistently hurt those you profess to love."

~TGITW~

MYSTIC FALLS. 2011 A.D.

"I just don't know what I feel!" Caroline exclaimed in frustration and threw her hands up in the air.

Since their conversation at the diner, Faith and Klaus hardly spoke a word to each other. After dropping her off at the Mikaelson mansion, he disappeared. It was shortly after this that Faith found out about Kol's death and came across Caroline in his room. The two of them had started talking about the recent happenings.

"I don't know if I was really attracted to him or…" Caroline sighed then confessed. "Elena told me before that I might have just been attracted to his darkness."

Caroline cheeks blushed in embarrassed at the thought but continued.

"She said that because I never really knew anyone outside of this town, anything that was different seemed excited to me. She said that's why I was attracted to Damon before and that's why I wanted to be friends with Kol when he was alive."

Caroline's embarrassment turned to shame so she looked to Faith hoping for some words of comfort.

"Is it wrong?" Caroline asked.

Faith gave her a melancholic look and held her hand while stroking it.

Caroline's situation reminded Faith of her own relationships with Elijah and Niklaus. While she has only ever loved Elijah, she can't deny her attraction to his brother.

"It's not wrong to be attracted to them." Faith responded in part to Caroline and in part to herself. "I mean, we're only human and there's something about the darkness that is so tempting, so enticing. Media doesn't help. They paint the darkness as this sexy and beautiful thing."

Faith thought about the brothers again and recalled the scene in TVD where Katherine talked about enjoying two lovers.

Is it really so bad to have two lovers? A voice in her head said. Yes, Faith immediately struck the thought down.

"I think it becomes wrong when it starts to hurt other people." Faith continued. "When it starts to change us for the worst. It's easier to just act on our emotions and do whatever we want. But deep down, we know there's a line. When we know what's right but still insist on what we want…I think that's when it becomes wrong."

Caroline remained quiet as she pondered over what Faith had just said.

Slowly, she smiled back at Faith then gave her a hug. They talked a while more before Faith got up to leave.

"Umm, Faith," Caroline called out, "There's something you should know…"

~TGITW~

"KLAUS!"

Faith shouted as she stormed the house in anger.

Caroline had told her Kol's last words. Beyond that, Caroline also told her what she discovered in Kol's journal.

Kol had long since figured out that it was Klaus who killed their mother then blamed it on Faith. He had slowly put the pieces together ever since the ball. Faith had look so shocked at their anger towards her, it didn't make sense to Kol. Then, as he talked more about it with Caroline, he found out that Faith didn't know anything about Esther's death. In fact, she had been killed before their mother had supposedly died. Kol came to conclusion that Klaus had lied to the siblings. And the only reason he would have lied was because Klaus himself killed their mother.

Hearing Klaus was back in town, Faith had rushed back to Mikaelson mansion and was now searching for him.

"KLAUS!" She shouted again when she finally found the Original hybrid in his study.

Faith rushed up to the startled looking man and slapped him as hard as she could.

"Faith?" Klaus asked in confusion. "What the hell?!"

"I know the truth!" She screamed at him as she pounded her fists on his chest. "I know you lied and told the others that I killed Esther!"

Klaus paled at her words then tried to calm Faith down by holding her arms.

"Faith," He pleaded. "Let me explain…"

But Faith would not be calmed down. She broke away from Klaus' hold and continued shouting.

"Niklaus Mikaelson, you are a coward!" Faith glared venomously at him.

"Sure, you're the big bad wolf that riiiips out people's hearts." She emphasized "rips" sarcastically.

"But when something takes real and true courage, when something is hard, when you need to be fearless, you run away like the coward you are." She spitted out the word coward, feeling disgusted by it.

"Don't," Klaus could feel the anger welling up inside as well. No one calls him coward. No one.

Faith glared angrily at him and once again spat out the word vengefully.

"Coward."

"I AM KLAUS MIKAELSON!" He roared at her. "I am no coward!"

"Yes, you are. You killed your mother and instead of taking responsibility, you lied like the coward you are! You were afraid of what your siblings were going to do! You were afraid of them leaving you!"

It was too late when she realized how close Klaus had gotten. He towered over her as she inched back against the wall. His two hands on her left and right blocking any chances of escape. However, Faith was equally stubborn and would not be deterred.

"I knew there was a reason I chose Elijah instead of you." If she had paused to think, she might have thought it a bad idea to provoke an already angry Original. But in that moment, she was blinded by fury and wanted to throw every kind hurt she could at him.

It was the wrong move.

What she found in his eyes terrified her. Behind the anger and the hurt, there was such a deep hunger in his eyes. Hunger that sought to devour her. A hunger that would not be satisfied.

Klaus dragged her to his bed then pinned her down. He bit his wrist and forced her to drink his blood.

Faith fought him at every stage but was no match for the Original hybrid.

At last, Klaus compelled her: "You're gonna let me make love to you and you're going to find the utmost pleasure in it."

Faith gasps in horror.

"No."

Faith's arms went limp as the compulsion took affect. Slowly her eyes began to reflect the same love and desire that was in Klaus' eyes.

Although she was compelled, she still retained her consciousness. Inwardly, she was screaming.

Nonetheless, she had no control over her body. Klaus kissed her hungrily and she returned his kiss with equal passion. They started ripping the clothes off each other but before things could go further, they were interrupted.

Out of nowhere, a swarm of cops broke into the house and into the room they were in. Things turned loud and chaotic and before either of the two could react, the cops restrained Faith and told her that she was being arrested for murder.

Caught unawares, Klaus could do nothing but watch as the police handcuffed Faith and took her away. Because there were a lot of public eyes, he could do nothing but wait for another chance.

Although being dragged to prison, Faith felt relief as she realized the loophole in the compulsion. Yes, she was compelled to have sex, but Klaus did not specify "when" to have sex.

~TGITW~

Hours later, Klaus Michaelson found himself in the study drinking his worries away when he received an unexpected guest.

Haley Marshall.

Werewolf.

Klaus eyed the girl as she explored his paint room.

I knew there was a reason I chose Elijah instead of you.

Klaus froze as Faith's words rang in his head.

He remembered as Faith looked at him with such contempt. Well, if that's the way Faith saw him, he would act in just that way. If Faith can pick someone else, so can he.

That's when he decided. He was going to sleep with the werewolf.

Driven by lust and hate, Klaus moved towards Haley and smiled seductively at her.

Klaus Mikaelson had always been impulsive. And after his fight with Faith, he was in an emotional state with all reason out the door.

As he kissed the werewolf girl, thoughts of Faith filled his head. If the girl knew that he slept with Haley after their fight, she would be disappointed, maybe even hurt. But he didn't care. He wanted her to hurt as much as he was hurting. Perhaps, she might even become jealous and change her mind about Klaus.

It was a twisted way of thinking. One that only Klaus Michaelson would think about. Hurting someone because they love them.

~TGITW~

MEANWHILE. MILES AWAY.

Unknown to Klaus, Faith was never taken to the police station. Instead, she had been knocked out and taken to an unknown location. Around the same time Klaus was with Haley, Faith awoke and found herself tied up in a chair. She was in a dark room with only one lamp. Out of the darkness, her captor stepped into the light causing her to gasp as she saw who it was.