"It's some twisted Cinderella fetish is what it is"
― Caroline Forbes. The Vampire Diaries.
Purgatory
Caroline looked around and noticed that Kol had brought her to a lake with dark steaming waters that looked deep.
"You said you had a way out," she reminded him eager to leave this place already. Her whole body was shaking, her teeth chattering.
"All in good time," Kol cryptically said throwing his sword to the ground.
The blade shone as it embedded swiftly into the ice.
"What does that even mean?" she carefully questioned unable to control the shivering of her body.
"It means that before we get to that you need to be ready," he said as he slowly started walking in circles around her.
"Ready for what?" she asked fearfully with narrowed eyes.
"Survive."
Before she could even react Kol pushed her with such force that it broke her ribs. He threw her into the lake.
It wasn't the unearthly cold that covered her whole when the waters swallowed her body that made her scream. It was the vervain.
The lake was full of vervain.
The first scream had been easy. The next one was muted. The more she was falling into the scorching black waters the more her skin burned and blistered. She was on fire. She was being skinned alive. She couldn't breathe. She could not escape from the pain. She tried to scream but the bubbles of vervain entered and escaped her mouth; the acid stabbed her skin and she felt as if her whole flesh was getting pilled of from her bones slowly. She could smell herself burning as the waters of the lake enveloped her and wrapped her in searing agony.
Something snapped inside her and without understanding from where she was drawing any strength she pushed herself up. Swimming was agonizing. She was drowning. Each movement was anguish. The water killed her and her eyes burned under her lids and darkness blinded her. Memories invaded her mind. She held on to them. To her mom. To Stefan. To Elena. To Bonnie. And there was another voice in the midst of her torture. One that called her strong and fearless and kept asking her if she wanted to die.
No she didn't.
She propelled her body up until every single and last vampire instinct that was ever born in her took over and she flung herself outside the lake and landed on the dirt. Her whole body a bleeding wound. She coughed and spat vervain and pieces of mangled flesh and blood. She could not see. She could not even cry. She could not speak. She crawled and whimpered and almost passed out.
If Kol Mikaelson had wanted to kill her he should have at least been a little bit more merciful and not have thrown her into a vervain lake. She would not survive this. She was dying all over again but she didn't want to go away like this. Not like this. She could not die again. Not like this. She dug her broken nails into the dirt and smelled the sulfur in the air. She cried and sobbed and tried to move away from the shores of the vervain that licked the ground just a few centimeters away from where she had landed. She needed blood but most of all she needed to clean the vervain from her body.
She rolled to the ground trying to scratch the pain away from her skin hoping that the dirt would absorb some of the vervain and would give her some comfort. She was soaked in vervain from head to toe and she felt as if her insides had been shredded.
She had lost most of her hearing too and vaguely heard the snarling sound of the ferocious thing that plunged on her. And when she was finally able to scream again she did it because sharp canines tore her apart.
Present day. New Orleans.
Klaus's face changed to a grimace of annoyance at the insistent ringing of his phone. His hands were still dripping with blood and the smell of smoke from the hut he had burned to the ground was now stuck on his skin. He was about to reach the door of his car after trudging through the mud of the bayou when his bloody hand dipped into his pocket to get his vibrating phone.
He saw Marcel's name at the number recognition on the screen that lit his face in the dark and pressed his lips thinking of ignoring him but deciding against it. There had to be a reason if Marcel called him and especially in this hour. And since he was not giving up and waited for him to answer Klaus assumed that it couldn't be anything good.
"To what I owe the honor your majesty?" he snapped irritated as he got into the seat of his car while trying to tone down his aggression that became much greater after struggling with the touch screen of his phone that did not seem to respond to his touch since his fingers were smudged with too much blood that slipped on the glass surface and prevented him from answering. Thrice!
But when he finally heard Marcel's reason for calling all his anger and frustration turned to worry before he immediately turned on the engine and floored the gas.
Klaus barely heard Marcel's complaints. His incessant hissing and his self righteous protests barely registered in his mind. His eyes were solely focused on Caroline that was sitting on a sofa bathed in blood from head to toe. Fresh hot blood that still had a living edge in its smell that was mixed with Caroline's nature scent.
Marcel told him one of his vampires had found her sitting on an alley after she had brutally killed two people. She had ripped them apart and then sat next to their corpses doing and saying nothing. The King of New Orleans even had photos of the sight and of the corpses in his phone as proof before his vampire lackeys cleaned Caroline's mess and brought her to him. She had not resisted at all.
Marcel kept going on and on about how he only had brought her to his apartment because he knew of her connection with the Originals. With him. Otherwise according to him she would be facing penance for her actions. Marcel incessant mumbling continued focusing on how Caroline had broken the laws of his city and if she was anyone else she would have to be punished. If not killed then she would be sent to the garden.
Klaus remained calm. In any other case he would have taken out Marcel's bowels and would have handed them to him so to craft a new crown to replace the one he was missing but Klaus now was too stunned after seeing Caroline like this. His penchant for violence forgotten.
Caroline seemed to be in a trance. She barely moved and she didn't seem to even notice him when he had barged in Marcel's living room. She was watching the lights of the city from the windows and kept clenching her forearm; she was awfully pale under all the stains of the blood that had dried on her skin and hair.
"I do not want a ripper into my town!" Marcel's hissed enraged and stepped in from of Klaus' line of vision, blocking Caroline from his view, demanding to be acknowledged. Klaus fisted his hands trying to put a lid to his anger and not blast Marcel and half of this city to Kingdom come. He spared one more glance at Caroline before he focused his attention to Marcel that was in his face.
"She is not one," Klaus assured Marcel quietly, "but even if she was," he paused for emphasis, "lay a hand on her and your throne will crumble to ashes," he warned his adversary in a unyielding voice that had only one message to convey. Fear me.
Marcel's jaw clenched as he weighed on his options before he shook his head in disbelief.
"I brought her here because I understand she is someone important to your family. To you," Marcel said manipulating his words into a web of fabricated innocence and Klaus scolded his features to a mask of boredom and impassiveness as to downplay Caroline's importance to him.
Marcel had the audacity to try to force a reaction out of him and Klaus despite the rage that instinctively filled him he could not help but feel a wave of pride too. He tried not to applaud out loud Marcel's diplomatic way of handling a threat. He had taught his son well. He old pupil was trying to surpass his master and was underlining the fact that he now knew a weakness of his and should the need arise he would be ready to use it against him; for now however he was just trying to present his actions as an act of truce.
The fact that Caroline was here unharmed, when according to Marcel he could have killed her or sent her to the garden, was nothing but a show of power; a clear message. A threat veiled under the guise of a supposedly favor that was meant to bring them closer when in truth was only putting more distance between.
Klaus knew the words that would slip Marcel's mouth next. He would veil his threat with mocking generosity. He would pretend to be hurt that he did not receive gratitude from him. And as expected so he did.
"And you repay my kindness with treats?" Marcel accused Klaus looking disappointed.
But little did Marcel know that he had made a grave mistake tonight. One that would cost him everything. He would not allow anyone to use Caroline as leverage against him. Not even him. His lenience only went so far.
"Who said anything about a threat Marcellus?" Klaus smirked. His tone light, refusing to show to Marcel how much Caroline actually meant to him. They would continue the game of cloak and dagger for now. If his former student was anyone else he would have ripped out his spine and fed it to him so here was all the gratitude he would show the King of New Orleans tonight.
Nonetheless he relished in the way Marcel's breath momentarily hitched at the sound of his given name spoken out loud.
The danger of Klaus' threat was looming over the younger vampire that foolishly took upon the challenge and now stood against each him with conviction and enmity. Their gazes clashed. Both of them entered a silent mental fight trying to dominate each other.
"Control her," Marcel eventually stepped down and walked away.
Klaus knew it was not a retreat or surrender. It was strategy. This was still war. They would continue this fight one day in another court and under different set of rules. Rules Marcel wanted to force on him but he would soon find out that no one could force him into anything unless he indulged them.
The darkness of New Orleans bounced on the windows of the car and the soft lights of the road illuminated their faces that were half hidden in shadows and half exposed in moonlight. Klaus was gripping the steering wheel tight enough to turn his knuckles white and create dents on it.
Caroline seemed to be oblivious to the war that waged inside his mind. She remained silent. She had not said a word after he took her out of Marcel's apartment. He had guided her to the passenger seat of his car and she simply followed him as if she was a doll he was carting around. She had then sat rigid on the leather seat and placed her bloodstained hands on her lap, looking straight ahead as Klaus closed her door and went and sat at the driver's seat next to her. With his foot on the gas Klaus kept stealing glimpses of her from the corner of his eyes and he did not like what he saw. He tried to keep his own temper under control and gripped the wheel harder and harder making the leather of the wheel cover groan.
"Your blood's prodigy walks in death... The abyss is calling her back... The shadows are in her now. They are calling her home."
His encounter with the shaman witch played over and over in his head and Caroline's actions on top of it were enough to put him on edge. He could not help but wonder if the witch's prophecy had somehow started to unfold and if Caroline losing control was the first step to fulfill this dreaded prediction.
He had to put a stop on this and make sure that bloody nonsense the witch spat would not come to pass. Should Caroline had been an Original things would be easier. He would put a dagger in her heart and would seal her in a coffin until the danger would fade and she would be safe. But unfortunately for him she was not an Original and even worse his first instinct now was to equate her as one of his family. He was ready to go to the same lengths for her as he would for his siblings and daughter.
His lips twitched angrily. If he had let Caroline die the night of her birthday he would be free from this weakness and yet here they both were. Lost in their nightmares with no way out. Caroline's death had once broken him. He could not let this happen again because he knew there would be no coming back from it this time. Miracles did not come twice in life and he had already had his fair share in those lately without even deserving them.
"You didn't tell him how I ended up in New Orleans," Caroline suddenly said catching startling him, the car swerving to the left for a split second.
Her tone was cold but Klaus was at least relieved that despite her lethargic condition she was still able to connect with her environment and tune in to discussions and pay attention. She had heard his talk with Marcel.
"Until we solve this, the less anyone that is not us knows the better," he replied as he steered the car to a curve.
"Us. Right," Caroline mumbled detached.
Klaus pushed his tongue against the inside of his cheek in anger. Her words were holding no scathing bite. In her dazed and lost state she was talking as if she was in auto pilot and despite the fact that her stubbornness many times set him in fire right about now he would give almost anything to get the indignation and resentment back to her voice.
Klaus focused at the entrance of the compound and parked the car. When the humming of engine dissipated he turned on his seat and faced Caroline in the dark. He observed her body language for some long moments; they would have to leave the illusion of the safety bubble the privacy of the small space his car offered.
He did not like Caroline's unnatural stillness at all. She did not seem distressed. She did not seem to be in agony in the same way she was when she had killed the twelve witches for the expression triangle in order to save her witch friend back in their last days together in Mystic Falls.
He still remembered that night vividly. Despite his anger towards hers and towards the bloody situation they had found themselves in, he had stood by her side and had dug twelve graves for the corpses Caroline had left behind because he knew that should she be the one to bury them it would break her further. He hadn't wanted that for her despite the fact that she had hurt him that night and despite the fact that he had returned the favor and had given her the cold shoulder hours later her murderous action.
Caroline had been silent that night too but it was a different brand of silence. It was healthy and excruciating and it had left her numb but her eyes still sparkled with guilt and remorse. Back then it was the incredulous silence of a woman that could not believe she had done something so atrocious. The Caroline he had sitting next to him now was different. She was fully aware of what she had done. Her breathing was steady and her heartbeat had a constant calm tempo. Her silence was unsettling. Her eyelids were opening and closing in a languid motion. She did not seem to be bothered by the blood that had covered her. She only watched ahead while being detached. She was shutting down. She was unmoved and she seemed to be in a state of inertia; her eyes were vacant. So much that he wondered if she was about to turn it off.
"Like it or not sweetheart I am one of the few allies you have in this place and the one that has a genuine interest in keeping you safe," Klaus tried to get a rise out of her knowing that his sarcasm and even the slightest mention of their connection and his feelings for her always irritated her and put her on defense.
"Because you want to ensure that I will survive long enough for you to be my last love," she calmly noted and he flinched by the lack of emotion in her response. Even the word love was spoken from her lips casually.
There was no irony or sarcasm or ire in the way she spoke. Caroline's spirit was absent and she seemed to be settling more and more into this dullness. This was not good. Not good at all.
He had to act. Fast. He had to find a soft spot in her and wound it until it would bleed and spat all the poison out before Caroline's soul got damaged beyond repair.
And if there was one thing he did not allow to think was that this was inevitable. He refused to believe that this kind of damage had already happened. He had lived for a thousand years. Long enough to know that when he wanted something he could make it happen. Long enough to be able to recognize a kindred spirit. Like Caroline. She could move heaven and earth should she want it. She already had. She had returned from Purgatory. If there was one person that could win over their demons and come out of the battle unscathed or at least standing tall this was Caroline. He just had to remind her that. Somehow.
For now though he needed to make sure she would get all that blood out of her and would get some rest. Baby steps.
He sighed and got out of the car and before Caroline could even reach for the handle of her door he had opened it for her and had extended his palm at her. She took it without looking at him and did not even flinch as she would normally have had when their contact warmed the blood on her hand and made her fingers slip in his hold.
"Your assumption is correct Caroline. I do intent to fulfill my promises to you. All in good time love," Klaus forced a smirk on his lips trying to make her play along and not show to her how worried he was. However she did not indulge him in their usual banter and push and pull flirting.
Caroline let go of his hand and he silently escorted her back to the house, his eyes baring holes on her back.
As they stepped further in the compound Klaus's lips turned to a hard line when he noticed that Kol was already sitting at one of the French lawn chairs casually drinking from the broken rim of a bottle. One of the oldest vintage wines from his personal collection! In any other case he would have set Kol on fire for daring to pillage his cellar but right now Klaus just gritted his teeth when he saw the concern that spiked in Kol's eyes that focused solely on the blood soaked Caroline and her disheveled appearance.
"What the bloody hell happened?" Kol demanded and got up disregarding the bottle at the side after wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. Klaus could already tell that his little brother had quite the night. His breath and body reeked of blood, alcohol and female perfume. More so Klaus could detect more than just one blood type scent emanating from his brother's mouth and he was certain that Caroline could smell it too and he wasn't sure if this was something she could handle right now.
"I killed two people," Caroline told Kol in a dull voice. Klaus halted and looked at her amazed by how she simply admitted this to Kol. More so he hated the fact that Caroline seemed to have no protective shields between her emotional and mental preservation and Kol. She did not seem to hide anything from his brother. And knowing for a fact that Kol always enjoyed driving young vampires like Caroline into madness this made his worry multiply immediately. He was already contemplating daggering Kol for the next century. At least.
"Did they taste good?" Kol laughed when he understood what had happened and before he could say another word Klaus had sped to him and grabbed him by the neck.
"I will rip out your tongue," Klaus hissed barely keeping his voice down not wanting to upset Caroline more tonight by yelling. Kol chuckled and held up his hands in mocking surrender. His attitude made Klaus bury his fingers into his flesh and break his skin until blood sprout from the mangled flesh. Kol coughed and laughed spitting blood from his mouth but otherwise did not bother fighting back despite the fact that Klaus lifted him upwards and his feet dangled inches above the floor.
"It won't do any good," Caroline said and walked towards the staircase not bothering with the two brothers, "it will just grow back," she mumbled and started climbing the stairs turning her back to Klaus' and Kol's theatrics.
Klaus threw Kol back and he only stumbled a bit looking completely unfazed. The younger Original cracked his neck and smoothed his shirt while the wounds Klaus inflicted slowly disappeared as the flesh on Kol's neck stitched itself back.
Klaus glared at his brother.
"What?" Kol shrugged, "so she had an early party. Big deal. If I had a penny every time I-"
Before he could utter another word Klaus had already snapped his neck and relished in the way Kol's lifeless body fell on the ground in front of his feet.
"I really need to dust out my daggers," Klaus muttered under his breath and watched the empty stairs before he moved past Kol's body and headed towards the bottle of wine.
Klaus' akin hearing was focused on Caroline's room and he closed his eyes when he heard the sound of the water coming to an end and a few moments after Caroline's feet touching the floor making the wood complain underneath her toes. Before he could stop himself he was outside the door of her room wondering if he should get in or give Caroline some space. He assumed she would want to be left alone tonight but he could not help but worry for her mental state. He had to make sure she was able to deal with what happened tonight without losing herself to a state of numbness. Flipping her switch by accident would be the last thing Caroline needed right now on top of everything else that had happened to her.
He had just raised his hand to knock on her door when the soft cadence of the voice, low and flat, travelled through the closed door and reached his ears.
"Come in."
She had heard him or felt his presence. Truth be told lately Caroline had impressed him. Her vampire abilities were razor sharp. Maybe it was her time in Purgatory or maybe it was Kol that had taught her or the combination of both but Caroline was always aware of her surroundings and he could tell that she was always alert. Her hearing range probably extended miles away and she was able to detect humans as well as supernatural beings far or near the premises effortlessly. She was stealthy and she was able to move without making a sound if she so wished. Even he had trouble keeping tabs on her coming and goings and that said something. More so her newfound awareness, her skill to move soundlessly and blend to the shadows and her ability to put a strain to his senses were more than just impressive considering that he was an Original -and a Hybrid at that- and Caroline was a relatively young vampire with human tendencies and a predisposition to what humans accepted as everyday normalcy.
Even right now Caroline had only rose her voice above the sound level of a muttered whisper knowing all too well that he would hear her.
Klaus pushed the door open slowly and stopped at his tracks. The familiar intense scent he always loved so much, one so very ethereal and seductive, filled his nostrils. The unique smell of Caroline, as she stood in the middle of the room freshly bathed and wrapped in nothing but a soft cream towel that barely reached the middle of her thighs assaulted him so violently that he leaned over the wooden frame of the door forcing his body to not react to the sensory attack that was leaving him breathless.
"May I come in sweetheart?" he hesitated making sure to mask the husk of his wavering voice with a nonchalant ghost of a smirk escorted by the charming suave facade he had trained to perfect for over a millennia. A masquerade that seemed to always make women weak in their knees. One that had never worked on Caroline and from the looks of it it would not work tonight either.
He crossed his hands in front of his chest and even though Caroline had already told him to get in he didn't really know if he should. Her appearance left almost nothing to the imagination and for some reason Klaus felt as if he was invading her privacy and he felt as if he shouldn't be granted entrance in her room. Not like this.
She was just out of the shower. He could still smell the steaming fragrance of the shower gel that lingered in the humidity of the night. Her skin was clear and cleansed from all the blood. Pale and smooth with drops of water lingering and running on the taunting exposed flesh. Her bare long legs and the curve of her breasts, pressed against the wet threads of the tower that hugged her body, made his blood boil in his veins.
Caroline did not bother answering and Klaus bit back the irritated huff and the mocking smile he wanted to mostly target at himself. Since when had he turned into a blushing teenager? It was not as if Caroline cared for her modesty; but maybe this was his problem. She should be caring. A long time ago she would.
He closed the door and let his eyes glide over the inappropriate sight Caroline was generously allowing him as she titled her head to the side and started drying her hair with another short towel. His eyes sparked with annoyance. His desire burned out and left a tang of bitterness under his nose that replaced Caroline's enticing scent. Caroline had locked her heart in that body that she now confidently exposed to his eyes and used her tantalizing attitude like a shield. He would not do her this favor though. He would not let his need for her body -for her- cloud his judgment either it was something intentional from Caroline's side or not. In either case he had to make sure that this detachment and emotionless demeanor would abandon Caroline Forbes.
"Did you dagger him?" Caroline asked him disinterested before she reached for the brush on the vanity. Klaus ran his tongue over his lower lip and sauntered towards her. He looked at her intensely through the mirror and before she could start brushing her hair he had taken the silver brush from her hand.
He held back a smile at the one heartbeat that went amiss in her ribcage and with sure movements he smoothed the brush over her silky hair. Caroline said nothing. She stood still like a statue as Klaus threaded her locks with his fingers before brushing them softly with the comb. A long time ago he used to brush Rebekah's hair and he knew how to be gentle and attentive when it came to a woman's beauty care. However right now the blonde hair he had wrapped around his fingers made his skin burn and his heart expand and threatening to burst out of his chest.
He continued brushing Caroline's hair and felt her relax and tense at the same moment. The sound of the comb running through her matted hair was almost hypnotizing and Klaus got the chance to scan her up and down with curious eyes through the looking glass.
Normally he would lose his breath at her beautiful exposed porcelain skin and the wet drops that still temptingly lingered on it. However Caroline did not seem to mind that she was half naked in his presence and that alone made him cold and rigid. Their proximity left her apathetic. Her usual modesty concerns were a non issue and Klaus wanted to shake her some sense back to her but he was afraid that he was going to make things worse.
This version of Caroline did not only worry him but it also grated his nerves. This lifeless woman that carried ice in her heart was not Caroline. Not the Caroline he had once held in his arms in the woods and worshipped her for hours. His Caroline was the embodiment of flame and light and all that was intense and lively. Caroline Forbes liked unicorns and fluffy animals and laughter and people. She was bubbly and energetic and full of laughter and defiance. This Caroline however seemed to be a dim shade of a shadow. And just as empty.
"Just say the word," Klaus responded half seriously and half joking knowing that if she asked he would definitely go for it and Kol would not see the light of the day for decades to come. He would even throw his daggered body into a padlocked coffin and would leave him to slowly rot for years. But alas Caroline would never ask. And not just because of her character but because she cared for his brother.
Klaus flexed his fingers trying to suppress the spike of his jealousy at the thought that even in this state Caroline seemed to instinctively care for Kol and his well being. He could tell.
He tightened his hold around the handle of the brush but made sure to not show his discomfort. Finally when he untangled her hair he moved to the side and put the brush back to the vanity. Caroline said nothing. She only ran her fingers through her brushed hair in a casual manner.
"Is there anything I can do for you sweetheart?" Klaus tried to break the ice and Caroline retrieved the brush from the vanity and he narrowed his eyes as she started brushing her hair again.
As if she wanted to brush away his care.
"No. Not really," Caroline rejected him carelessly and Klaus' lips pressed to a hard line.
"Caroline-"
Her name was an almost pleading sigh in his lips despite the inner turmoil that threatened to diminish his control.
"Maybe we should talk about tonight or at least-"
"I just want to be alone," Caroline tonelessly dismissed him and dropped the brush at the vanity. She turned around ready to step away from him and go for the closet but no matter how fast and stealthy she had become she could still not compete with him. Before she could register his speed his fingers wrapped around her elbow and he pulled her closer to him not allowing her to put any distance between them.
Caroline stared at him somewhat startled and he let her spicy scent envelop him. He looked deep into her eyes and his thumb ran circles around the skin of her arm without releasing her from his hold.
"No matter how many walls you rise they won't help," he resolutely told her and Caroline turned her head to the side. Her expression turned into a sneer as she attempted to look bored but the shadow that passed through her gaze just for a split second before she averted her eyes was enough to tell him that he had thankfully struck a chord.
"Talking from personal experience?" Caroline threw at him pretending disinterest and Klaus leaned closer until his nose touched the side of her head. His breath warming the wet locks that now looked darker.
"Yes," he adamantly admitted not joking around and the calmness and acceptance in his voice were enough to finally gain Caroline's interest. She faced him again and it was as if she was searching into his eyes for any sign of dishonesty.
She just stared at him and Klaus could not resist invading her personal space more. The soft material of his Henley touched Caroline's towel and her chest pressed against his. He let go of her hand but she did not moved away. He saw the vein in her neck starting to pulsate in a wild throbbing and he pushed his finger under her chin tilting her head back. Their gazes locked and it was if electric currents passed through them and charged the air around them.
"And once upon a time a friend of mine helped me tear some of my walls down. The only mercy I've known and have shown to others was because of it," he whispered and his breath was caught in his throat when he saw the glimmer of light in Caroline's eyes. Light so vivid and so brilliant that made his soul ache. That glow left the world in darkness again when its shine faded away just as fast as it appeared in the first place.
Caroline shook her head and moved back and Klaus forced himself to remain rooted on his spot and not move an inch. Caroline's eyes scrutinized him and she curiously angled her head to the side. Just a tad of a movement that Klaus mimicked, daring her to speak.
"Was it enough?" she challenged him but Klaus could tell that under the layers of confidence and rejection there was a pool of pleading emotion that was bleeding through her numbness. It was insecurity and the need to break the loneliness and the fear and the darkness she felt. It was the need to be consumed by something that would bring her back to life. Caroline wanted someone to reassure her that something would indeed be enough. For her. For her to hold on to and not lose herself.
"It is a work in progress," Klaus smiled teasingly and not even the coldness in her could stop Caroline from rolling her eyes at his response making him beam at her as this was finally the reaction he have been waiting for all night. Something for him hold on to and give him hope. And that was more than enough because this was the most 'Caroline' response he had seen in her all night.
Klaus arched an eyebrow and let his eyes roam over her now and judging by the blush that at last covered her cheeks and by the way she rearranged the towel around her body fumblingly he would say that his night had just turned infinitely better.
Caroline turned her back at him and he ran his tongue over his lip before he approached her and gently placed his hand at her bare shoulder.
"Because of you. It was all because of you… It still is," he let out in one breath and felt her tense before he let her go and walked out of her room.
Camille O'Connell offered Elijah Mikaelson a bright smile when he sat at the bar and she waited for his order. She was surprised that he came in Rousseau's and especially so late. She had taken the night shift tonight and the last person she expected to see here was Klaus' brother.
"What can I get you Elijah?" she asked him ready to take his order but Elijah simply shook his head.
"Just a few minutes of your time if you may," he politely requested and Camille stared at him curiously before she nodded and leaned over the bar waiting for Elijah to talk.
"Maybe we should take this somewhere more privately," Elijah proposed and Camille felt a wave of uncertainty engulf her, "I give you my word you have nothing to fear from me" Elijah assured her and even though Camille frowned she nodded slowly and stepped out of the bar. She trusted Elijah for some reason and she felt safe with him. Well not exactly safe. But at least she knew that her life was not in danger and she had already taken her daily dose of vervain today.
Elijah followed her and soon enough the cold air of the night hit their faces as she led the eldest Mikaelson at the back exit of Rousseau's.
Camille watched him tentatively feeling anxious for some reason but Elijah simply titled his head to the side trying to listen if they were indeed alone and to make sure that no one was going to hear their conversation.
"What is going on?"
"You care for my brother don't you Miss O'Connell?" Elijah questioned and Cami blinked at his unusual bluntness not knowing how to reply to this.
"I...I believe that me and Klaus have reached a certain level of understanding. As much as any person could achieve this with your brother," Camille pointed out and a sympathetic knowing smile appeared on Elijah's face at her answer. He then pulled the sleeves of his jacket making sure to straighten his cuffs.
"Niklaus trusts you. He respects you and I must admit so do I. A respect well earned," Elijah praised and Camille's curiosity peaked.
"I can only hope my family has somehow, despite everything, earned some of your respect and good will too," Elijah continued diplomatically and Camille stopped herself from rolling her eyes. In comparison with Klaus, Elijah Mikaelson was not as direct, however he obviously used the same Mikaelson charm to make people act in the way he wanted. She had seen Klaus doing it and she assumed that Elijah was not that different. Compulsion was one thing but the Mikaelsons also were experts when it came to manipulate people. Klaus was more inclined to use poison and vinegar if his charm failed but Elijah was first laying his trap with honey and wine. In any case she knew that there was always an ulterior motive when it came to the Originals and she did not expect Elijah Mikaelson to be the exception.
"You want something," Camille realized out loud not bothering to play any games with Elijah; how much more when she could already tell that it would be something that she would not like.
She looked straight into Elijah's dark eyes waiting. The man smiled and inclined his head proving to her that she was right.
"It has come to my attention that an acquaintance of my family has came to you asking for a job," Elijah concluded and Camille immediately remembered Caroline.
"Caroline Forbes," she let out slowly and Elijah hummed. Camille remembered both of her encounters with that girl. She seemed...nice.
"If I am not mistaken she must be more than just a acquaintance of your family. She is living in your house doesn't she?" Camille inquired. She did not want to intrude but somehow she knew that Caroline was someone important...to Klaus. She had seen it. And she could tell that this must have been the memory Klaus refused to give a name to in their old sessions when he had compelled her to write his memoirs.
Flashback from one year ago.
"So you want to tell me that you have never fallen in love?" Camille asked Klaus amused. He was standing in front of the window and peered outside while she kept writing. His hands were clasped behind his back. No one was in the house and they have locked themselves in his study for the past two hours.
"Love is a weakness," Klaus simply retorted bitterly and Cami's eyes narrowed.
"That is not what I asked," she pressed him further and Klaus looked down momentarily. Camille examined his stance and leaned back to her chair. Well that was interesting.
"Should you have been an immortal you would not have been asking such naive questions. Love like everything else in the end turns to nothing but a memory. Sometimes memories fade away. Sometimes they linger for a while before they too waste away," Klaus's vague response was not enough to make Camille change the subject.
"You said that you almost got everything you have ever dreamed of back in your hometown before you returned in New Orleans," Camille started, "something tells me that your dreams are more complicated than simple illusions of grandeur, war and petty disputes. And if I would have to make a guess I would say they exist close to your... weaknesses," Camille softly deduced without judgment and noticed how Klaus stiffened, "call me naive as much as you want but for an immortal that likes to pretend to be only evil something tells me that your dreams are not so far away from your memories or from love."
"Nonsense-"
" And," Camille pressed on with determination, "if you are able to hold on to any miserable obsession for a thousand years I am sure that for the things that make your heart dream you are able to wait far longer. Some memories always stay with us. And that Klaus is so very human."
"I think we are done for today," Klaus dismissed her then looking at her as if she had said something stupid that bored him but Camille could see how he had raised his walls again. And he wouldn't do that if he did not want to hide and protect himself from admitting that she was indeed right. Camille simply shrugged and got up from the chair after she put her notes to the top drawer and placed the pen on top of the desk.
"Does your memory have a name?" she asked but Klaus did not answer. He turned his attention back to whatever he was watching outside the window.
She walked towards the door and maybe he believed that her human hearing was not enough to catch on to his whisper or he believed that it would not matter since his compulsion would make her forget once she was out of his sight but before she left the room the words he breathed out reached her ears.
"She does."
It took some time but the same melancholy she had seen in Klaus and heard in his voice that day reappeared again. It was when Marcel and her took Caroline to him when she first arrived into the city. It was then that Camille instinctively knew who Caroline Forbes truly was.
"She is my brother's guest," Elijah revealed but Camille said nothing in return. She only regarded Klaus' brother warily.
"However as you must have realized my family has the tendency to many times attract people with less than noble intentions," Elijah cryptically said and noticed how Camille frowned.
After Marcel's phone call tonight and Hayley's constant grievance at Caroline's presence he had to admit that he was worried. Caroline Forbes was too close to his family. To Klaus. To Kol. The balance between his siblings was already strained. And all of them still had to wage war. He had to find out if Caroline Forbes was a liability or not. His instincts told him that the girl had far more potential and secrets than what she was allowing to show. What troubled him the most was that for some reason she could see Klaus in Caroline Forbes. There was a weird connection between Niklaus and Caroline Forbes that was troubling him. They were similar in a way that he could not exactly explain or describe and that could lead into some very dark twists and turns.
Could this woman bring Klaus' best traits forth or condemn him to eternal misery? He could not leave this to chance. Not when Hope's life still hung in the balance. His niece was going to need her father. The best version of her father. And he had to know if Caroline Forbes was doing to be an obstacle when it came to this. And if so he had to ensure that her influence over his brothers and especially Klaus would come to an end. No matter the lengths he had to go to make sure of that.
"What is it that you want Elijah?" Camille demanded and Elijah's pensive expression turned to one of worry.
"To protect my family."
Kol jumped up with a gasp, waking abruptly. Instinct took over and his hand flew to his chest. No dagger.
His nostrils flared. His broken neck was still mending and his face hardened when a blood bag was carelessly thrown at the ground where his body had been, for lack of a better term, disposed on.
Klaus had obviously carried him to the backyard and he was now sitting on an elevated stone ledge with his legs crossed watching him with hawk eyes. Kol did not even bother getting up. He just scoffed at the regal nonchalant stance Klaus' pose was trying to present. Instead of even acknowledging his brother he started slurping down the blood under Klaus' silent scrutiny. He assumed that Klaus had probably waited patiently or rather impatiently for him to wake up and it was quite the surprise that he was only waking up from a broken neck and not a dagger in the heart. He had seen the murder in Klaus' eyes earlier despite how much his elder sibling tried to hide it from Caroline.
Kol did not even spare a glance at Klaus knowing that this would irritate his brother more.
"You owe her," Klaus' cold voice cracked through the air like the lash of a whip.
Unyielding and hard Klaus' eyes had turned to slits reflecting flickers of gold but Kol only turned all his attention back to the blood bag. The stale blood he gulped before he threw the plastic container to the ground. He could not even understand how or why Caroline had attempted to quench her thirst with that garbage for weeks.
"And instead of paying her back you disregard her cry for help," Klaus spat disappointed and Kol licked his lips making sure to not waste any blood.
"Aren't you a bit dramatic Nik?" Kol scoffed unbothered by the menace that reflected to the gold specks that became brighter in Klaus' eyes.
"Caroline ripped two people apart tonight," Klaus growled and Kol snickered.
"And since when do you care about humans Nik?" Kol mocked Klaus making his older brother glare at him.
"I don't."
"But you care for darling Caroline don't you?" he taunted, but his brother did not react at all. Kol sat up on the ground and made himself comfortable enjoying the stillness that claimed Klaus' body. The overconfidence that used to embrace Klaus was now gone. All it took was using his feelings for Caroline and his brother was losing all sense of logic and control. He could very easily bring Klaus Mikaelson down to his knees now that he was fully aware of his weakness.
The only problem was that out of everything he could use against Klaus Caroline was the last thing he wanted to take advantage of. No matter how much he burned for retribution Klaus was right. He did owe Caroline. No matter how much he wanted to make his brothers bleed for their indifference and derision towards him he could not use Caroline Forbes as leverage. Not as much as he would have a long time ago anyway. He held back his sigh and spared a glance of boredom to Klaus.
"You seem so surprised brother. Come on, you surely must have seen all the blood bags she had been devouring the last weeks. You should have known it would end like this," Kol said and stretched his neck to the side enjoying the way his nerves released tension.
"She is walking on a thin thread," Klaus grumbled. The concern in his tone vibrant but Kol simply shrugged. Klaus' hands turned to fists. Kol could tell that he was ready to attack.
"She brought you back from the dead and you can't even bother with her when she actually needs you?" Klaus cursed incredulously, letting the torrent of his revulsion come out with force. He pressed his fists on each side down on the stone he was sitting on and cracked it.
The muscle on Kol's jaw twitched.
"She will be fine," Kol rejected Klaus' concern refusing to show any worry himself.
"She is not fine!" Klaus hissed but Kol simply shook his head.
"Caroline is stronger than you give her credit for."
"So what?" Klaus condescended with a mocking chuckle, "You spent one year with her in another dimension and you think you know her?"
Kol gave a disbelieving stare at his brother for a hot second before he burst into laughter. 'One year' he thought, 'oh brother aren't you in for a treat?'.
"That's debatable," Kol jested and then waved at Klaus ironically, "look at you brother. You have been around us for a thousand years and you hardly know us or yourself even. Sometimes it is not the time you spend with a person but how you spend it...if you know what I mean," Kol leered provocatively and wiggled his eyebrows to give more edge to his innuendo.
Klaus looked furious but then he pushed back all emotion deciding not to take the bait this time. Bloodshed could wait.
"This is not about us. It is about Caroline and if you did know her then you should have seen that she is not like us," Klaus spoke the last words emphatically. Their family was rot and venom. The only goodness in them was left in memories and misguided intentions. Caroline was far too young and hopeful to be condemned to such wretchedness.
"Everyone given the chance is like us," Kol rejected Klaus' claim and got up from the floor rolling his shoulders and letting his muscles fall back into place, "let Caroline feed on people. It's in her nature," he lightly offered and Klaus got up from the stone ledge too.
"This savageness is not her nature," Klaus blatant hostility came along with a warning finger pointed at Kol.
"Accidents happen," Kol brushed aside any concern he might have had too and looked at the way Klaus' chest heaved in rage.
"She is not like us Kol. Drinking from the vein is one thing but ripping people apart is another," Klaus whispered lowly trying to not yell to his idiot brother. The last thing he wanted was for Caroline to hear their dispute.
"She is a vampire," Kol insisted still trying to come of unconcerned.
"And she excels at being one," Klaus agreed, "but this is different. She is losing control and it will eat her alive if we don't put a stop to this now. She needs support. She is Caroline," he finally sighed her name almost as if this was enough of an explanation and an argument; and from the way Kol stiffened Klaus realized that it was indeed enough. For him and for Kol, "She is not meant to be a ripper. Unless you want her to become something else," Klaus pushed a reaction out of his brother and he got it because the silence that fell over Kol was enough of any answer. Caroline was not another Mary Porter for Kol. Or any other of the vampires he played with and destroyed.
Kol's face was devoid from his usual mocking smugness and the fact that he was not mumbling his usual nonsense and refused to make any uncouth comment to try to anger him was all the evidence he needed. Kol cared for Caroline in the same Caroline cared for him. And even though Klaus hated it right now he had to use their connection. For Caroline's sake.
"Are you asking for my help brother?" Kol deflected, "You surprise me. I would have wagered that you would want me far far away from Caroline," he jested with a sardonic pout.
"Continents away," Klaus sincerely agreed and Kol snickered.
"So what's changed?" Kol questioned and Klaus ran his fingers through his hair.
"I can't understand for the life of me what she sees in you but from what I have seen she considers you a friend brother. No matter how much I hate it she needs you right now and I am not going to put my distaste over how you tricked her and crawled into her good graces above her well being," Klaus conceded and Kol's eyebrow lifted in surprise.
"You evolved brother. Hold still my heart," Kol scorned him placing his hand over his chest dramatically and Klaus gritted his teeth.
"You care for her too. I've seen it. Am I wrong?," he challenged him in a dead serious tone and his brother did not comment on it.
Kol's abrupt and uncomfortable silence proved Klaus' point. Him and Kol were similar when it came to allowing weakness and fickle emotion infiltrate their hearts. They didn't. So this was quite the predicament for them both.
But nothing compared to the surprise that came when Kol eventually opened his mouth and spoke with a seriousness that throughout the centuries he rarely allowed to show. Kol was a trickster but he was also one of the oldest creatures that walked this earth. Sometimes it was so easy to forget that.
"She is not a ripper," Kol relented in a worried whisper and he even scratched the back of his neck awkwardly trying to not look at Klaus. Klaus was taken aback. In that moment Kol reminded him the way he used to act as a...human. His little human brother that was always innocent and good hearted underneath all the mischief and the trouble he caused. The brother he loved. The brother he had missed. The brother he had mourned when he died. The brother he had failed.
When Kol's eyes eventually met Klaus' pained gaze lost was that boy again and the aged vampire returned. The thousand years old vampire. Klaus recognized in Kol the kind of wisdom and tenacity that existed in the younger Mikaelson in very rare moments of honesty since he never expressed those traits with him. It was that cunning wisdom and knowledge underneath all the layers of his volatile impulsivity and violence that always made Kol truly dangerous and fearsome. He was unpredictable and insane but was also perceptive and ingenious. Kol was always able to achieve anything he wanted if he seriously wanted it. Come hell and high water. So Klaus only hoped that Kol would want to help Caroline.
"She is just young and cannot handle her current situation as she would if she was more trained and inclined to drink from the vein," Kol mumbled and dusted his clothes with his hands not paying attention at how Klaus' eyes narrowed when he caught up at what he had just said.
"That idiot, Damon Salvatore had been an incompetent sire for the girl," Kol went on, "her first mentor, the other Salvatore brother was even worse," he groaned with a disgusted sigh but Klaus interrupted him with a tone full of apprehension and concern.
"Her current situation?"
Kol clicked his tongue and gave a knowing look at Klaus.
"Purgatory?" Klaus insisted and Kol nodded.
Klaus bit his tongue so harshly that he tasted blood. The prophecy of the witch echoed in his ears once more.
'The abyss is calling her back.'
"It does quite a number in its residents," Kol revealed, "We didn't have any human blood there but we did feel the hunger. More hunger than we ever felt here so we fed on the rest of the monsters that rotted in that Hell. Their blood however was like acid. It sustained us somewhat but it also weakened us and the hunger never got away," Kol shrugged as if the story he was saying was nothing but a tale. As if it was not something that had happened to him or mattered. But it did. Klaus could see it clearly in Caroline. And in him too. Why hadn't he tried to get them back? Why had he left them there?
"Our bodies are still readjusting after our resurrection," Kol continued, "It will take time and a lot of blood for the hunger to finally tone down. If anything it surprises me that Caroline had shown such restrain for so long," Kol commented on her control impressed but Klaus let out a low throaty growl feeling his fangs itching to come out. He was dying to bury his wolf canines into Kol's throat, infect him with his venom and have him writhe in pain and hallucinations for the next hours if not days.
"And you didn't think it would be a good idea to inform me of this? Or at least her?" Klaus accused him feeling his hands itching to break Kol's neck again. To cause damage. To somehow make his own guilt go away.
"It makes no difference," Kol pointed out refusing to allow Klaus to intimidate him, "and honestly Nik you should give some credit to the girl. She is not an idiot and she is responsible for her own decisions and actions," Kol flashed Klaus a challenging gaze that made the older Original's jaw clench, "she has felt the hunger but chose to keep struggling on her own. It was her choice and her right. You might want to believe that interfering and controlling people's choices in your God given right but it isn't," Kol grit out, "Caroline has put up her defenses for a reason. She has withdrawn into herself for the last weeks and has shut everyone out. I kept an eye on her but even I can't be her babysitter 24/7. And since I am her friend as you said I know that the last thing she would want was for you and I to meddle to her business," Kol admonished casting a dark glare at Klaus. A challenge for him to say anything. Anything at all.
Klaus pressed his lips and tensed and saw how Kol looked ready to fend off his attack but Klaus only turned his back to his brother and started walking away. He could not bear watching or hearing Kol anymore.
"Do what you must," Klaus only said accepting Kol's challenge in the form of burying the hatchet for all things that concerned Caroline. Her well being would come first.
Everything else was still game on. But for now it would have to be a truce. And in the meantime he would have to make sure that both Caroline and Kol would be safe and Purgatory would not get a hold of them again.
Before he left the backyard however he stopped at the sound Kol's voice.
"Oh, one more thing Nik. Did you know time passes by differently in Purgatory?"
Klaus turned around stunned but before he could ask what Kol meant his brother had flashed away.
Purgatory
Razor sharp claws and teeth sank into her skin scratching and mutilating and cutting her already mangled flesh to ribbons.
Caroline screamed and tried to push that thing of her and she gasped when despite the pouring blood in her eyes was able to finally focus on the grotesque creature that wanted to make a meal out of her. It looked and smelled like a rotting corpse with its skin falling in pieces on her. It was rabid and was biting her and clawing at her. Caroline tried to move and do something. She pushed her hands against the neck and the jaw of that monster and pushed its head back from her. Its blood shot eyes were glinting with mania, its clawed talons pushed deeper into her shoulders making her scream so loud that she felt as if her head was about to be ripped away from her bleeding throat. She kicked and struggled and fought and looked around and finally caught a glimpse of the shine from the blade Kol had stuck to the ground before he threw her into the vervain lake. Of course Kol Mikaelson was nowhere to be found but no matter how much she reached for the blade with her one hand while trying to keep that feral creature that kept attacking her at bay with the other she could not reach for it.
Her strength was practically gone. She felt as if she was dying all over again. A part of her considered the possibility to give up and let that thing eat her because maybe the pain would stop but instinct took over. She was not going to go out like this. She clenched her eyes shut until determination opened then again and she lunged forward. Her fangs came out despite the pain and she bit back. She didn't expect the blood that rushed into her mouth to sting and burn even worse than vervain ever did. Her scream was muffled and she kept biting that creature; she thrust her body up and started rolling around to the ground. A tangled mass her and that atrocity that wanted to feast on her. She pushed and pulled and rolled them both over to the blade and with the last remnants of her strength she angled her body until that beast's neck was pressed against the blade on the ground. She pushed and pushed until she ripped the throat of that thing against the blade until its body stopped moving and went limp on top of her. Its head half torn and hanging to the side.
Caroline sighed and threw the heavy mass of bones and rotting flesh away from her body. She laid back at the ground, all bloody. Her whole body had turned to a massive wound. She looked at the sky only to realize once more that there was no sky. No sun, no stars, no moon, no day, or night. Just the swirling abyss and endless grey. She had to rest. She had to heal. But she knew that she could not stay here for much longer. And yet her body was not obeying. It was not even healing. Tears fell on her blood coated cheeks but then another scream was torn out of her mouth when that thing that had attacked her...attacked her again!
She had not killed it. It had came back to life. She screamed and cried and when those sharp teeth tore in her neck again she howled but before she could do anything everything stopped. The pain stopped and Caroline stared up and saw...Kol Mikaelson.
Kol was standing above her holding that creature's heart in his hand. His smile was demented and despite her relief for being saved Caroline wanted nothing more than wiping that smile out of his face. She grunted and threw the heavy body of that disfigured thing that had tried to eat her away from her body. Again!
Her face contorted into a disgusted grimace. That hairy monster had razor sharp blades for teeth and its skin was black and grey with slimy veins covering it whole. Its nails seemed like claws and its eyes that now stared at nothingness were bloodshot and black goo ran out of them.
"Well this answers the burning question," Kol drawled as he crouched down and looked at her with an unsettling glint in his eyes. He casually threw away the black heart he had smashed in his fist.
'Puns?' Caroline thought, 'Seriously?' and then a string of curses and obscenities filled her head begging to come out.
Instead Caroline stayed put and bit back the insults that screamed in her mind not wanting to go up against that crazy Original knowing that in her state right now she didn't have a chance against him. And she did not even know if that creature was dead or not. It could come back to life at any moment and attack her again and she was not sure she could trust Kol to help her. She was in this mess because of him. As if dying had not been enough. She now had to endure this torture too in the afterlife.
She glimpsed at the thing Kol had killed and at the steaming lake and realized that the only thing that looked remotely human in this Hell was Kol Mikaelson but appearances were deceiving because Caroline knew for a fact that he was the biggest monster of them all. And the fact that for some reason he had now found interest in her made her insides clench with terror. He wanted to play with and hunt her like prey didn't he? And there she had thought that out of all the Originals it was Klaus that was the one that people should fear the most. Wrong. Klaus had limits. Caroline could already tell that Kol had none.
Despite her fear and her rational cautiousness she glared at the Original in front of her and gulped down hard before she tried to stand. She tried again and again until she did and Kol's gave her an impressed nod before he also rose to his feet.
"What was the question?" Caroline croaked trying to find the strength to not show any more weakness in front of this maniac.
Kol approached her and stood just a breath away from her bloody face that was still cut and had burns on it.
"If you are worth of my time," Kol gave her a grin all teeth and Caroline heaved furiously and glowered at him. Kol bit his wrist and before she could even react he had shoved his bloody wound in her mouth and held her head in place by gripping the back of her scalp with his other hand.
Caroline screamed. His blood burned almost as much as the vervain had. She struggled but Kol forced more of his blood down her throat. Tears fell from her eyes and her pleading sounds were muffled as his blood ran in her tongue.
"I know it burns but it will heal you. Keep drinking," Kol ordered her in a demanding tone that did not convince her. However despite the burning feeling in her mouth and against her throat that made her lungs burn and her stomach churn she felt her wounds slowly heal. She sucked more of his blood realizing that Kol was right and that despite the pain it's blood caused it was also a remedy so she pushed the feeling of the pain back and drank. Kol let go of her head and she shivered and kept drinking. Eventually she pushed his wrist away and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. She coughed and tried to breathe. She felt as if the world was turning all around her. She leaned over and held her knees trying to push back the nausea.
"It is a normal side effect," Kol said in a bored voice and retrieved his blade, "you'll get used to it," he assured her but Caroline felt hungry. More hungry than ever. And in pain. And his blood was the worst thing she had ever tasted and she wanted to vomit. The monster's blood also tasted horribly too.
"Screw you!" she grunted and stumbled back. Kol's laughter was deafening for some reason.
"Don't look so glum little vampire. You passed the test," Kol chuckled amused at her misery and Caroline looked at him as if he was crazy.
As if? Of course he was! He was insane! And she was already in Hell. Why did she have to be stuck here with Kol Mikaelson?
"You see I could teach you how to survive," Kol kept talking and Caroline felt her knees giving out, "but it would not do any good if you didn't have the will to do so darling. And you obviously do." he noticed pleased.
His voice was now coming from far away and Caroline felt her powers completely ebbing away and she started losing her consciousness. Everything now seemed to happen in slow motion.
Just before the abyss of the chaos that lingered above her head became a blur her last thought was that her body was going to fall to the dirt that would swallow her whole. She wanted to survive but she was not strong enough. Whatever the beasts in Purgatory were they would definitely have a feast on her corpse.
Right. Her corpse. She was already dead. What was the point of surviving when she had already died?
But her body did not hit the ground. Two strong hands lifted her up and held her.
"Up we go love. Onwards and upwards," Kol sang joyfully and carried her away.
Present day. New Orleans.
Caroline knew that the City of the Dead had been Kol's home turf when he lived in New Orleans with the rest of the Originals centuries ago and nowas she stepped deep into the maze of the Lafayette Cemetery she could see why. It was not just the creepy atmosphere and the eerie silence that reminded her of the shadows Kol loved to lurk in. This place emanated magic and even though it was still day when Caroline entered, the forbidden to the witches gates of the cursed burial grounds, she felt darkness looming to every step.
Kol had sent her a message practically ordering her to come to the small clearing of the old unnamed graves deep inside the circle of the oldest gravestones of the New Orleans' covens. Caroline was following the pathway Kol had once described her and heartbeat after heartbeat she felt that she was about to get lost in this intricate maze that seemed to be able to swallow every intruder. From what Kol had told her a long time ago this route was leading to the black. Which was the unmarked grave sight for the witches that during their lives have done unspeakable crimes against the law of their kind and had been shunned by their covens; condemned to spent their eternal afterlife not only in anonymity but also cursed to haunt these grounds unable to enter the ancestral place the witches of New Orleans went when they died. And truth to be told Caroline could feel the psychic energy that was whispering in the air and was bouncing of the stones. She had felt this before. Purgatory's air reeked with this kind of dread too.
The feeling of impending doom was so intense that her senses got completely thrown off balance and when she saw the shadow that shimmered on the light and fell on her it was too late. The attack sent her tumbling over at one of the gravestones far behind her with so much forces that her ribs cracked. She hadn't even time to react when Kol landed in front of her casting her a sullen glare.
Caroline flinched and placed her palms against the dirt to push her body up. She looked at Kol furiously.
"What are you doing?" she snapped furiously as she stumbled on her feet trying to find her balance again.
Kol's eyes lingered on her with dismay. His disgruntled frown reminded Caroline of the days in Purgatory when he was trying to teach her how to fight and was handing her ass to her over and over again. Back then she hadn't thought that there could come a day when she would be able to stand up against him in fight and actually have a chance to win.
"You need to get some steam out," Kol commented with an aloof tone.
"You've got to be kidding me," Caroline grumbled feeling her chest heavy as the pain in her ribs still radiated at her side. Ever since the night she had lost control, three days ago, and killed that couple in the alley she had not fed at all and now she was not healing fast.
She did not have time for Kol's games and she was not in the mood to indulge his psycho tantrums just because he happened to be bored. She glowered at him filling her gaze with so much venom that anyone else would have gone running for the hills but Kol only smirked amused as if he was finding her intimidation techniques as cute as also ineffective.
Caroline tried to walk away but Kol was faster and he grabbed her by her shoulder and threw her back at the graves. Caroline fell again at the dirt and punched the ground feeling her frustration getting the best of her and Kol simply sauntered gracefully in front of her blocking her way.
She blew her hair out of her face furiously as she stared up at him wanting to scream her lungs out in rage. Her anger was about to come out hot and uncontrolled. She was barely holding back the veins from appearing on her face. She could feel the blots of blood that were already swimming in the white around the green color of her eyes. She was also very very hungry. Damn him!
Kol craned his neck and intertwined his fingers cracking them slowly. The glint in his eyes was turning darker now.
"We used to do that in Purgatory all the time darling," he drawled and Caroline froze before she dug her nails into the dirt and the pebbles beneath her. Ignoring her fury and her pain she jumped up and stood straight. Pain and her had become quite the acquaintances. It would take much more to keep her down and Kol already knew it. He knew it and he was playing her but he was taking it too far. Mentioning that place to her like a fond memory was not smart. Not today. Not now.
"We are not there anymore," she seethed trying to move past him but failing as he kept stepping in front of her.
"And yet you still need to let out your anger. So fight," Kol pushed back with a mocking sneer and she gave him a warning glare before he pushed her back again and again. And then again. Provoking her. Angering her. Making her blood boil. The stillness in her was building up to something volatile that begged to be let out of its cage.
"Or are you too weak for that now?" Kol pushed her buttons with a sardonic laugh like he used to do in that damn place they had been stranded in. Caroline only watched him. She could feel the tick tocks of an imaginary clock inside her head speeding up.
"You sure were not when you killed my mother," Kol continued shrugging amused and Caroline stilled completely. When Kol tried to push her again she pushed him back. Her push collided with an unmovable object and Caroline compressed her lips into a thin line.
"Don't," she warned him calmly. Too calmly.
"Fighting must be so hard darling. Isn't that why you lost control?" he scoffed with a mocking pout and flashes from the alley fed the flames inside her.
"Stop it," Caroline whispered and veins cascaded in rivulets on the top of her cheeks. Her whole body now poised to fight.
"Make me," came Kol's childish response but his strength was not of a child. When she flew at him with a scream his hands threw her back on air sending straight to a marble statue that broke in half and fell around her at the impact her body had on it. She tried to get up feeling winded. More pieces of broken clay rained down on her and despite her powerlessness Caroline hollered and launched at Kol.
Her anger was getting the best of her. She could not even land a strike at him. And it made her mad. So mad. As mad as being trapped in Purgatory had made her. So mad as being trapped in New Orleans was making her. So mad as being unable to control her bloodlust and her emotions was making her.
"I trained you better than that!" Kol taunted, easily avoiding her assault, and when she guided her fist to his face his fingers wrapped around it and he pushed her hand twisting it in a grotesque angle that made her yell in anguish and rage. She tried to step back and yank her hand away but Kol's grip became more punishing and he broke more of her bones. She bit back her scream this time and looked at him hatefully but he didn't seem to be affected by the venom in her glower. She hurled her other hand at his face and he got hold of it too snapping her fist back breaking her wrist. They faced each other in a standstill. Kol refused to release her and she refused to back down despite the pain.
"Focus. Control. Discipline. Show restraint," Kol demanded from her in a grave tone until her raged breath evened. He had been using the same instructions when he was training her in Purgatory. Over and over again even until she had been able to defeat her hunger and her pain. Exactly as she was doing now. Caroline stopped heaving until her bones cracked back together fighting against the pain. Until she realized that this pain was different. This pain was earthly. This air she was breathing in anger did not smell like sulfur. The hunger she felt was not desiccating her and the blood that ran in her veins now was not replenished by acid and rot. Everything felt different. All she had to do was focus and fight. She didn't have to tame her demons anymore. All she had to do was put a leash on them. Control them. Here she could do this. Here she was stronger. Here she had choices. Here her pain was a reminder she was alive and not dead. She was back. The cracking of the bones was different. The rush of the blood in her veins had a different sound. The torn muscles pained her differently. Fiery different pain. One she could fight against.
She had to fight. So she closed her eyes and did exactly that. She fought and wrestled until her punches found their target and until she was able to balance her senses again making Kol bleed.
And through their grunts, the fighting blows and the destruction they caused none of them noticed the disruption of magic from the crow that landed over one of the statues and kept an eye on them.
Caroline fidgeted with the hem of her blouse awkwardly. She could smell the scent of paint coming out of the small crack the half open door of Klaus' art studio left. During her stay in his house she had never entered this room nor Klaus had ever invited her in. It seemed to be his personal sanctuary. She considered turning around and walking away but then Klaus' melodic cadence became a welcoming invitation.
"You can come in sweetheart."
Caroline stopped fidgeting and rolled her eyes at the amused smugness she heard in his voice. She could even picture his smirk, she could swear was now twisted on his lips, in her mind. It seemed like a reverse déjà vu. Three days ago he was the one waiting outside her door unsure of what to do and today here she was.
She held her head high, internally berating herself for acting so insecurely. Somehow between her losing control, learning that the guest room she was staying in was not exactly a guest room and receiving Klaus' caring and affectionate attention over her the past days she felt confused and out of place. More than usual. Instead of lingering to those thoughts that surged into her blood making her adrenaline and even her hunger once more ignite she threw her hair back and strode in Klaus' art room.
All the superficial confidence vanished in thin air and memories assaulted her. She remembered the center piece painting that now hung on the wall in front of her. Klaus had shown it to her in Mystic Falls a few years ago and bragged about how one of his works was on display in Hermitage. Along with that painting she also recognized more of the drawings he had shown her that day. All of them hanging on the walls inside beautiful glassed frames. Curiously the old drawings were here among new ones but there was no evidence of Klaus drawing anything related to his deceased daughter. Maybe he kept those hidden and cherished away from prying eyes.
Caroline's eyes scanned the place. Not just out of curiosity but because it had become a second nature to her to always check out the premises and the places she was in. She always searched for an exit if she had to make a quick escape. How messed up was that anyway?
This place though did not held any imminent danger aside...Klaus. Which was posing as usual a threat when it came to her sanity and emotional control but otherwise physically she knew that she was safe with him.
Safe with Klaus. Wasn't that a peculiar concept? Safe at the presence of the most powerful and dangerous creature that walked the planet. Safe at the face of the most evil villain she had encountered in her life. And yet when she looked at him now she was not facing the villain. Her moral compass had changed. Nothing was so simple anymore. Nothing was black and white. She could no longer hang on her old perspective of good and evil and even if she did she had to admit that Klaus always walked both sides. Those filled with grandeur and beauty and those with carnage and savagery. It was his way to survive in the same way she had survived by destroying parts of her soul. And how could she even judge him when only three days ago she had ripped innocent people apart for no reason except her lack of control and because they happened to taste good?
In any case nothing in this room screamed evil. All Caroline saw was painting supplies and art. Books and canvases. Easels and palettes.
The acrylic scent from the paints became much more intense. So much that she had to push back her knee jerk reaction to get out of the room. Such intense smells reminded her of Purgatory for some reason.
Caroline cautiously swayed between one step forward and one backward. She didn't know which way to go anymore.
Klaus had not turned around to meet her. He was standing in front of a canvas holding a painting brush and carefully gliding strokes on the canvas. He was painting a dark world of shadow and somehow that made Caroline heart beat faster as flashes from Purgatory assaulted her. She swallowed hard.
She tried to focus away from the swirling darkness of the painting and her eyes fell over Klaus' hand. The one holding the brush. She raked his form. The way his arm moved. The way the muscles of his back flexed with every move he made stretching the soft material of his blouse.
Klaus took a step back and inspected his work with keen eyes. In the same way her eyes were inspecting him.
"How can I help you love?" he asked while still centering his attention to the painting.
"Uhm. Actually I wanted to thank you," Caroline said and Klaus turned around and raised an eyebrow encouraging her to explain herself.
Caroline almost blushed at the way he looked at her.
"Do I really need to say it?" she grumbled under her breath and saw the delight that flicked it Klaus' gaze.
"Say what sweetheart?" Klaus' melodic voice made her scrunch up her nose. She grounded herself and held up her chin staring at him straight at his blue eyes.
"Thank you for looking after me. For your patience...And for Kol," Caroline let out the words lacing them with gratitude and appreciativeness.
Klaus scoffed at the name of his brother and Caroline shook her head exasperated. Kol's and Klaus' bickering never seemed to end.
Instead of acknowledging what he had told him Klaus went and retrieved a cloth and wiped his hands.
"What did that nuisance I have for a brother do this time?" Klaus mumbled annoyed pretending that he did not understand.
Caroline fixed him a knowing look.
"You arranged his little intervention."
"He said that?" Klaus asked her in a nonchalant tone that implied he did know what she was talking about. He averted his gaze from her and inspected the painting he was working at with sharp eyes. Caroline tried to look anywhere but the painting. Something that did not escape Klaus' attention.
As a result without saying anything he pushed the easel to the side turning it around and hiding the painting from her view. The wheels that creaked on the floor sent shivers down her spine as Caroline realized that Klaus did that for her. Her eyes filled with gratitude once more. Although it was nerve-wracking and so perplexing to her how Klaus could understand her so well. She didn't have to say a word and he seemed to catch on to what she thinking. How had she been able to distract him so easily in the past? Nothing escaped his notice. Or was she losing her touch? Unless he wanted to be distracted and that was something she did not want to think right now.
"He didn't have to," Caroline commented softly and Klaus did not respond to that.
Caroline raised an eyebrow and Klaus smirked without accepting or denying her claim. The silence stretched between them and even though she was saying in her mind over and over again that she did what she had came to do and that it was time for her to turn around and leave somehow she couldn't convince her body to act on those thoughts. It was a hypnotizing moment. Stillness breeding a pandemonium of emotion.
Caroline inhaled down a deep breath, her throat bobbing.
"May I?" she asked him and pointed at the room and Klaus' mouth twisted into a pleased welcoming smile. One that carried an almost childish impatience and enthusiasm.
"By all means."
Caroline took a step forward and went to his work table. Her fingers ran over the drawings that were on top of the table's surface before she looked around with curious eyes that travelled all over his paintings.
"I had almost forgot this was one of your passions," she remarked lightly as she leaned over the edge of the table and stared at Klaus that beamed at her.
"One of them indeed," Klaus said pointedly and Caroline shook her head incredulously.
"You never give up do you?" she exhaled with mirth and Klaus' eyes filled with mischief. He sauntered closer to her until only but a few small steps separated them. Klaus' scent was overwhelming. So very tempting. Caroline felt the air all around her giving away sparks. 'Stupid butterflies' she thought. Flattering in her stomach. She had not felt like that for so long and now that flatter was spreading in her bloodstream like wildfire.
"It may have escaped your notice but I am a very patient man sweetheart," Klaus reminded her in his baritone voice that seemed even more alluring because of his enticing accent and Caroline nodded half amused half turned on. Damn it! She really had a thing for British accents didn't she?
"With your obsessions," she challenged him. The words escaping her mouth before she could stop them. Where did that came from? She did not even recognize her own voice. The flirtation that coated her words felt so strange and yet made her feel so good. She needed to feel desirable again and no one could make her feel as desirable as Klaus did. And he always did. Long before Purgatory ever tainted her. And just for a moment Purgatory did not seem to exist. The butterflies were casting its darkness away with their wings. And as Klaus' dimples came out to play Caroline felt her knees turn weak.
Klaus smiled not feeling offended at her remark. Instead he felt joy washing over him. Primal, genuine joy. Caroline words and the way her eyes shone reminded him again of their old banters and the attraction Caroline could ignite in him only with one look and... he loved it.
A wicked jolt of playfulness rose in him and reflected in his crooked smile that made Caroline look at him with narrowed eyes.
"And my hopes. My dreams," he started with a boyish smile and Caroline closed her eyes taking a deep breath.
"Oh God don't say it," she exclaimed.
"Everything I want in life," he finished for her, his laughter reverberating around them and Caroline's eyes lit up. They looked at each other for a long moment before both of them burst in laughter.
"Seriously?" she threw at him and Klaus laughed more. His good mood seemed to be contagious because Caroline relaxed long enough for her to let her guards down and then her eyes widened as she looked behind him.
Klaus frowned and followed her gaze. Caroline titled her head to the side with interest and as if she was in a trance she walked past him and went towards the collection of paintings he had set down on the floor and stacked against the wall. It was painting he could not bear seeing after he had learned of Caroline's death but now he felt the need to bring them back to light again. He just had not had the chance to hung them on the walls yet.
Klaus knew what had caught her attention. The one side of the fabric that was covering that particular painting that magnetized her attention had fell off and revealed part of the colors and the shapes that were captured in vibrant shades.
Caroline stood in front of that painting. That painting he had drawn a long time ago. The very same night he had drawn a drawing for her thanking her for her honesty. The very same night his infatuation for her turned into something deeper. The painting he could not bear watch again after the news of Caroline demise crashed him.
Caroline's hand as if it had a will of its own launched forward but stopped just an inch away from the fabric on the painting.
"Can I?" Caroline requested feeling as if her heart had jumped up in her throat and Klaus hummed his permission, his eyes following her every move. Caroline grabbed the soft material and pulled it. Particles of gold and silver dust got trapped in the rays of the sun that now illuminated the painting in front of Caroline.
Caroline said nothing. Klaus felt how much she tensed. He saw how her shoulders became rigid. She was watching the painting almost transfixed.
Every detail from it was bringing back so many memories. Memories she thought that Purgatory had swallowed and claimed as tribute of blood. Memories she had to let go in order to survive and not ache every day.
Tears brimmed inside Caroline's eyes. Her fingers hovered close to the painted linen that was framed inside a gold classic case.
It was a painting of the ball Klaus had hosted in Mystic Falls all those years ago. So many years ago, Caroline thought, too many.
She remained paralyzed on the spot. Her stunned eyes roamed over the dancing couples and finally her fingers tentatively touched the blue blur of color next to the black and white. Two figures were dancing between everyone else. A woman and a man that somehow seemed to be in the center of the painting while everything else fell to the background. It was her and Klaus dancing.
"You were quite the dancer."
She felt Klaus' breath warming her neck. Goosebumps exploded where his breath touched her skin and shivers ran up and down her body covering her from head to toe. Klaus' hands softly rested on her waist and he stood behind her. His body the support she needed to not lose her balance. She was trembling, choking back tears that refused to fall. No matter how much she tried she could not hide away from the memories. Or the pain they brought.
Caroline let out a shaky breath. It was all coming back to her. With so much force. All the memories she had fought so hard to banish. All the memories she refused to let back it. Because they hurt. God, they hurt so much. But they were part of her. They still were.
Her eyes drooped close. The echo of her heartbeat that beat in sync with the man that stood behind her was soothing and lively for once. Caroline could swear she could hear the music and the voices of the people that had attended the ball that day.
"Show me. Please," Caroline pled in a shaky voice without opening her eyes and she knew that Klaus knew what she meant. Wet drops were locked between her eyelashes. Klaus' lips touched the top of her head gently; he pushed her curls to the side and his fingers touched her right temple.
...'Cause lately I've been waking up alone...Paint splattered teardrops on my shirt...
The colors she had seen in the painting exploded in her mind and took life. They blended and swirled and the brick by brick her mind was encased in a ballroom that started becoming real around her. The crystal chandeliers, the polished floors, the marble staircases, the French windows, the heavy curtains, the humming noise. Everything materialized and her past became her present.
She looked down and saw the crystals of the bodice of her blue gown reflecting and casting around light and when she stared up she saw Klaus. She was in his arms. The skirt of her dress billowed around her like smoke and cloud with every twirl. She was dancing under the soft notes of the music. She knew it was a memory and it was not real... but it was. Every detail was the same. It was evoked from the very depths of her soul. A shared memory with Klaus that now ricocheted between their connected minds.
Her feet were trapped inside beautiful soft sandals and moved in harmony following Klaus' lead as they danced together as one. The haughty look she was casting him and the imposed indifference she was trying to keep contrasted with how her senses were dulling her hate. Klaus' scent had enveloped her whole. His hand steady on her waist as they twirled around in bright lush colors. The blue of her gown. The black and white of his tailored tux.
...And that I'll fight my corner...
"I`m glad you came."
Klaus' voice was not the memory of an echo anymore. It was so very real. It was making her heart give out in erratic palpitations.
"Well, it was either caviar or sympathy casseroles."
"I heard about your father."
The pain from the loss of her father was reigniting in her heart all over again. His last words calling her strong and good. Their last moments. Klaus' words of sympathy over her grief now burned her again.
"Don`t. Seriously. "
...Maybe tonight I'll call ya...
Around them everything became like the colors of the painting. The dancing couples, the wooden floors, the bright lights swirled and moved. It was another time and place. It was filled with innocence and hope. The memory had come alive. She remembered everything. It was so liberating. The drums of the melody played in her head and she felt the tight embrace of the gown she wore and the gloves on her hands as she was holding on from Klaus's hand and shoulder.
...No I just wanna hold ya...
"Very well. On to more mannered subjects then, like how ravishing you look in that dress."
"I didn`t really have time to shop."
"And the bracelet I gave you, what`s your excuse for wearing that? "
Her eyes followed Klaus pointed look at the diamond bracelet in her wrist that weighted heavy and then she looked at him again. The burn of his question still lelt her both speechless and breathless.
...Give a little time to me or burn this out...We'll play hide and seek to turn this around...All I want is the taste that your lips allow...
My, my, my, my, oh give me love...love me...
"You know, you`re quite the dancer."
"Well I've had training. I happen to be Miss Mystic Falls," Caroline whispered both in the dream memory Klaus was giving and in the real world that stood in front of the painting.
She felt her whole body vibrate. Klaus' breath warmed the nape of her neck and his fingers burned on her head.
"I know"
Those two words that escaped Klaus' mouth and his penetrating gaze she now faced was too much. Everything was becoming too much.
The music, the commotion, the dancing, the proximity. Her whole body screamed. The whole world was on fire. It was not the fire in Purgatory. It was a different flame. It burned and scorched and all the ice that had encased every inch of her heart started melting.
Too much. Too much. All was too much.
...Give me love like never before...'Cause lately I've been craving more...
...Love me...
...And it's been a while but I still feel the same...
Caroline let a strangled noise out.
...To memory now I can't recall...So fill to me the parting glass...
The music faded from her ears abruptly. The dream became a nightmare. Mist and screams came crashing down on her. The beautiful memory dissolved in blood as the grotesque images of the corpses she tore apart in blood and flesh in the alley assaulted her before she could mentally stop her mind from going there. She smelled the sulfur from Purgatory and felt the way Klaus tried to take control over her mind again and force those images away but he couldn't. He could not reach her. Blood poured out from the stake that was now stuck in her chest. She was dancing with him under Purgatory's abyss and the memory got so tainted that she felt as if her mind was going to break to thousand pieces.
Caroline closed her eyes shutting all the images away. She stopped dancing and rose an adamant imaginary wall in her mind that blocked the Original's hold on her. She did it with so much force that electricity exploded between their connection and Klaus' was mentally and physically pushed back violently and with so much force that he stumbled back disoriented and with a throbbing pain in his head.
Caroline's eyes snapped open. Her whole body quivered and shook and her fangs elongated. She could not breathe. She could not think. She could not even scream.
The painting was in front of her. Taunting her. Inviting her in and mocking her at the same time.
She had to run. She had to run away. But she could not move. She was unable to watch the painting for much longer but she could not take her eyes away from it.
Klaus' hands enclosed her in his embrace and the world became a blur. Before she knew it she was sitting on her bed and Klaus was kneeled in front of her. The cool air from the open windows was breezing in but she felt so hot. She looked at him. He was speaking at her but she could not understand what he was saying.
She blinked. Klaus' hands cupped her face. He looked so worried. 'He saw it too,' Caroline thought mortified in the midst of her confusion. Klaus saw glimpses from Purgatory. And he must have also felt it. A tear escaped her eyes and fell to her cheek. This should not have happened.
"Caroline breathe," Klaus cooed and soothed and slowly brought her back to sanity. She nodded weakly; recognition filling her gaze and saw Klaus' eyes filling with relief. Her heart rate slowly slowed down and the veins that swam under her eyes slowly vanished.
Her throat had closed. Her hands were shaking. Her legs felt as if they weighted a ton.
"I am sorry," she gasped feeling guilty, "God, I am so sorry!"
She had lost control. Again. And it was so dangerous. She could have broken both of their minds. She could have trapped them into each other's heads for eternity.
"Shhh. It is okay Caroline. All will be okay," Klaus promised and rubbed her arms comfortingly. She was still trembling.
Caroline shook her head ashamed. He felt her hunger and her despair and her pain. He saw images from Purgatory. He knew now how much of a monster she truly was. He saw how she ripped apart that couple. He felt how much she enjoyed it. How much the darkness called to her and how much she had transformed into something vile, dark and soulless.
She felt as if she was going to throw up. Vampire could not actually do that or get sick and yet here she was. She started hyperventilating again. The walls of the room were closing in. She felt so dizzy. She was trapped in a cocoon of white noise that was sucking all the air from the room and she could not break free.
"Caroline I need you to breathe!"
Klaus' voice was a command she could not ignore. She looked at him. Vulnerable and lost.
"Breathe!"
She inhaled harshly. Her nostrils flaring. Her eyes burning. Her lungs expanding. Oxygen felt like gas. And then she exhaled. She did again and again but it was becoming more and more difficult. Fast and slow and faster. She was hyperventilating.
"What is happening to me?" she groaned frightened and she heaved. She felt as if her heart was giving out.
"You are having a panic attack," Klaus simply said and Caroline felt disoriented. Her chest hurt.
"Focus on my voice love," Klaus prompted and Caroline did what he told her. He encouraged her to breathe along with him. Again and again. It took some of the tension away.
She fell forward. Her forehead touched his. Klaus' eyes held comfort and understanding. As if he knew. As if he had been where she was now.
Cold sweat ran down her body. She felt as if she was a human and had run for miles. Klaus pushed back her unruly curls and caressed her hair.
"I know. Breathe sweetheart."
Caroline sniffed and pushed him away. The lost of his touch left her in coldness.
"Do you? Know?" she accused him because it was safer to attack than keep on being this weak mess. "Because I am not sure I know anymore. I am not sure I know anything anymore," she whispered and pushed her body back to the bed and pulled her knees under her chin and hugged them.
She was so lost. This was a brave new world and she was a coward in it.
"Sweetheart-"
"You saw it. You felt it!" Caroline yelled at him and saw how he flinched, "I could not stop. The hunger ever since I returned from Purgatory is overwhelming. Everything is heightened. And- I feel like I can't breathe and when I do every breath is fire," she cried and Klaus sighed.
He carefully moved and sat next to her on the bed. He touched her shoulder cautiously as if he was afraid she was going to run away. He kept his touch light ready to withdraw his hand if she would reject his gesture.
"You are in a different kind of transition Caroline. You went through something very traumatic. You will adjust back. This pain is not without end," he assured her and Caroline whimpered. It was as if she had bleeding open wounds and salt was thrown in them.
"This does not change what I've done."
"What have you done?" Klaus asked, his voice soft and his eyes were empathetic but he did not let her hide behind her finger. He did not pretend that she was fine and nothing happened. He saw right through her.
Caroline's face changed to a grimace of misery and self loathing.
"You've seen me with your mother. And at the alley. I-"
"Yes?"
Caroline faced his steady gaze and then laughed. So much. Until her throat hurt. And somehow this felt worse than breaking down or closing herself in silence.
"What was that I had told you once? People who do terrible things are terrible people," she remembered and the mockery in her voice that seemed to be so distant cut through them both like a hot knife.
Klaus nodded watching her sympathetically.
"I am a monster," she whispered in such a low voice that if Klaus did not have enhanced hearing he would not have heard what she said.
Klaus pulled her slowly at him and grasped her by the shoulders. This time she did not seem to object. She had resigned and fell on his arms, her cheek pressed on his shoulder. With a sigh he embraced her fully and Caroline let him. Her head hid underneath his chin and he inhaled her familiar scent feeling both relieved and in pain.
She was alive and in his arms but she was in so much pain and that pain sang to his heart too. He had seen glimpses of Purgatory and Caroline's lapse of control in the French Quarter but it was the pure excruciating agony he felt when he was in her head that almost broke him too. It took all the strength he had developed through the ten centuries he walked the earth to not fall to his knees. It had been impressive how Caroline had managed to block him out of her head. Not even centuries old vampires could do that but what had terrified him and shadowed that impressive ability of hers was how much she ached. Caroline's pain felt like a burning sword that pierced bone and heart. Maybe this would be the one and only weakness that after a thousand years could bring him to his knees but he didn't care. He could not stand seeing Caroline in pain.
He hated himself for what he was about to say. He did not want to do it but if she wanted it he would.
"I could compel away everything that hurts you Caroline. You only have to ask," he offered not bearing to feel her in such pain and Caroline tensed in his arms.
"No," Caroline finally breathed and Klaus smiled feeling some of the tension ebb away. This was the Caroline he knew. Even against adversity and torment she refused to stand down. She was strong. The woman he was holding in his arms right now was strong. Far stronger than anyone he had ever met.
Klaus caressed her hair and breathed in relief. It would take some time but at least she was letting some of that pain out. The pain that was eating her alive and festering inside her, rotting her soul and tarnishing her light. It hurt and it burned but she had to spit it out. She had to spit it all out and the only thing he could do was hold her and hope that it would be enough. Enough for her to breathe again. If not now then somewhere down the road again.
Klaus knew that she would. He believed it more than anything. He had seen her persevere in the past. She could and would do it again.
The Caroline Forbes he knew was a force of nature and monsters should fear her. Purgatory should fear her. She had won. She was back. And she would be okay. Maybe not today or even tomorrow but she could be. He would make sure of that.
"I am a monster," Caroline said again turning boneless in his arms. Klaus lied back keeping his hold on her. Caroline rested her head over his chest hearing the soft repeated thump of his heart and Klaus wrapped his hand around her waist.
"Far from it love," Klaus whispered on the top of her head, caressing her hair. Her beautiful silky hair. He had missed those blonde locks that shone so much as if they had swallowed the sun.
"Too many monsters walk in this earth and I am one of them so I should know. You are not evil or a monster. You are a vampire and you are hurting Caroline; you are in pain. That does not make you a monster. If anything it still keeps you human," Klaus honestly told her meaning every word.
"That doesn't make me any less...broken," Caroline mumbled defeated.
"But not in a thousand pieces like me Caroline," Klaus simply said. He could still the girl he had danced with years ago in Mystic Falls. That strong, beautiful, full of light girl. She was still here. If only she could see it.
"Not yet," Caroline muttered and pulled away from his arms because she knew better than to believe in fairytales. She knew now that some cracks were enough for the glass to break beyond repair. And she had been walking on those broken pieces for far too long.
Trivia: The align centered lyrics in italics are taken from the song 'Give me Love' by Ed Sheeran that played in the background when Klaus and Caroline danced at episode 14 of the 3d season of the Vampire Diaries.
