Couple(s): Klaroline &Kalijah

Genre(s): Romance/Drama/Action/Adventure

Author's Note: I hated the last chapter though I love it since it gave me something to work with. So I have decided that since everyone is all like "Dawww, you made little Koroline scenes!" I'm going to sort of use that to create a small love triangle (if you can call it that..).

We shall being seeing…mostly fluff today (I'm lying). Yay! With a hint of angst and plotting. I hope you all enjoy it.

Part One: Chapter Twelve

"Out of the depths of misfortune comes bliss."—Unknown Author

[1492/England]

Katerina felt so special.

Everyone was doting over her as if she was a princess. The maids were always asking her about how she was feeling, and Trevor and Elijah were hovering over her like protective brothers. But the best part about this whole thing was the fact that Klaus visited her almost every hour of the day. Since the day of the party they had not seen each other very much, but now not she was sick Klaus seemed to want to spend every moment of the day with her! If this was not a sign that he wanted to court her then she didn't know what was!

"Hello, love," Klaus said as he took a seat next to her bed. Katerina smiled at him weakly and tried to sit up, but as soon as she shifted her position in the slightest the world started to spin. Klaus just smiled at her (she felt like squealing on the inside) and hushed her. "You seem to be quite sick. I do hope you feel better soon."

"I apologize. I get sick and now you have to take care of me. I am more than likely getting your staff sick as well. I truly am sorry," she said quietly in a small hoarse voice. Klaus chuckled.

"No need to apologize. It could not have been helped. Though I do wish for you to get better so that I may court you properly," he said as he gave her a little half smile that made her insides flutter and her womb clench.

"C-court, my lord?" she stuttered out. Court? Courting meant that he liked her. And courting could also lead to a possible marriage! Katerina felt faint, but managed to smile at Klaus. "Of course. I will try my best to get well as soon as possible."

"That's my girl," Klaus said. He passed her a goblet of a strong foul smelling red liquid. Katerina scrunched up her nose. "Drink your medicine." Katerina smiled and drink the liquid. It tasted like something metallic, she ignored it drank the whole cup in the most lady like manner as she was still lying on her back. Smiling, Katerina handed the cup back to Klaus who in turn wiped a smidge of the medicine off of her chin.

This man was just too charming.

[Line Break]

Carolina let a sniffling sob as she clutched the bed sheets closer to her naked body. Why did the world seem to hate her and favor Katerina? Surely it wasn't for anything that she had done, but maybe she was being punished for the sins of her parents. She clutched the sheets closer as she thought about how Kol so roughly handled her. She had never been touched in any way that could come off as threating and this was the very first time. She did not like it.

She did not like the icy touch of fear that danced in her veins nor the horrible scenarios of what could have been that played loudly and clearly in her mind. She was not very accustomed to fear and hoped that she would never have to experience it again. Carolina let out a whimper as she thought about it.

Looking up, Carolina saw her reflection in the mirror. Her cheeks were a bright cherry red and tear tracks stained her face. Her hair looked as if a bird and made itself at home in it and the way that she held the sheets close to her chest made her look like a very worn and depressed woman. She just stared at herself and thought about how pathetic she looked.

People had always told her since she was a child that she was a little ball of energy, but if they could see her now they would think that she was a shadow of the girl that she once was; all of this just because she sought the attentions of a man and received his brother's. Foolish is what they would whisper. Naïve is what the elders would say.

With a small scream of indignation, she broke a piece of the bed and threw it at the mirror. Glass flew everywhere making the most beautiful display when the light from the window touched the glass. Carolina breathed heavily.

She would no longer be the naïve girl that begged for attention and controlled by the petty whims of men. She may have said this before but now she really meant it: she would be nobody's plaything that they could just toss aside. Her life was for her and her alone. She would be independent and strong. She would live her life for herself, for once.

It may take a while to become the woman she was not aspiring to be, but thank god she had eternity to do it.

[Line Break]

Katerina laid in bed staring at the wall in boredom. The only exciting thing to happen to her today was when Klaus came to see her, but that must have been hours ago. Groaning, Katerina rolled over onto her stomach. She had already started to feel better from whatever illness she had though no one believed her and the maid that was sent to watch over her insisted that the girl stay in bed.

Katerina tossed in her bed, huffing that she was being treated like a child. "Kat? Are you awake?" Katerina sat up as fast as she could as she looked at her blonde haired friend. A wide grin cracked her face as she threw the covers off her bed and rushed towards her best friend to consume her in a hug.

"Oh, Carolina! I have missed you so much! I thought that you would never get over that flu, but it seems that as soon as you got over your flu it bit me," Katerina laughed. Carolina laughed with her then pulled her back to give her a good look.

"You don't look sick," she said as she scanned her. Katerina giggled and tried pulling her friend closer but Carolina slipped out of her arms and waltzed over to the other side of the room with a sudden grace that Katerina was sure she did not possess before. Carolina sat in a chair that was next to her bed a narrowed her eyes, scrutinizing Katerina. "You know you look extremely jovial for a person who is supposed to be bedridden."

Katerina smiled at her. "That is because I have great news." Her smile fell away and Katerina looked at her friend with great pleading in her eyes. "Though this news, I pray that it does not upset you."

Carolina quirked an eyebrow and leaned forward, resting her chin in her hand. "Well you shall never know if you do not tell me." Katerina sucked in a breath. How does one tell their friend that they man they want does not want you, but them? Carolina faked a yawn while she waited for Katerina to tell her the news.

Katerina decided that she would tell her in the fastest way possible.

"Klaussaidthathewantedtocourt meinsteadofyou!"

Carolina stared at her for a solid three seconds before laughing. Katerina panted. "Kat, I did not understand a word you said. Say it again."

Katerina frowned and crossed her arms. She really did not want to say it again. "Klaus come to me in the morn. He said that as soon as I got better he wanted to court me." Carolina just stared at her, again. "I am so sorry, Lina. It just happened. I did not mean to fight you claim. I just—I am just sorry! Please forgive me."

Carolina did not speak a word. In her eyes Katerina could see that she struggling with her emotions and could only hope that forgiveness was winning. Katerina started to twiddle her fingers in anticipation. "You should not allow Klaus to court you."

"What?"

Carolina cleared her throat and repeated herself slowly. "You should not allow Klaus to court you."

Katerina laughed breathlessly, "And why not?" A sense of déjà vu swept over Katerina. She thought about when Carolina was gushing over him and she was the cautious one, trying to make her friend see reality.

"While I was…sick, I asked the maids to tell me about Klaus and his family. Nothing that they said was good to hear."

Katerina scoffed, "And you will believe the help?" Carolina glared at her and it sent shivers down Katerina's spine. Something was different about her friend. Just what was it?

"Seeing as I do not know the man who is giving us shelter, I take what I can get. You should listen to me. Klaus is not the man that would just court you and then drop on a knee and propose," Carolina said.

"Oh really? Because the way you described him before and the way he acts around me is exactly what you tell me he is not."

Carolina made a frustrated noise. Putting two fingers to her temples she started to rub them. "That was before. Klaus and his family are not people you want to involve yourself with. They are manipulative and "

"Shut up!" Katerina hissed at her friend. Carolina looked at her looking like Katerina had physically hit her. "You only say this because you are jealous. You are jealous that I have the man you want and that men always seem to go after me! I was the one who almost got married. I was the one who Trevor invited to stay in his home. Not you! If it was not for me-"

A stinging, burning sensation that radiated from her face jolted her to the floor with a yelp. Carolina towered above her, glaring at her with eyes that could have been twin blue flames. How had she moved so fast without her knowing?

"You pathetic girl," Carolina said. "If it was not for me you would not even be here. You would still be in Bulgaria. Sitting alone in a large house where no one cared about the pain you bore in your heart for the daughter you never got to hold. If it was not for me no one would even think of marrying you. Why? Because who would want a girl who is not pure? Who would want the girl who could so easily be bent by the attention of men?"

Tears were fogging her vision as Katerina looked up at this…thing. It was not her friend. Her friend would not say such harsh words to her. Her friend would not strike her across. No, think was a demon with her friend's face.

"What happened to you, Lina?" she asked in a watery whisper.

Carolina did not answer. She just turned and left her on the floor.

Because that is what real friends do for one another.

[Line Break]

Klaus sat down with Donatella in a small room that thick with a pink smoke. Klaus coughed as Donatella allowed the plant to burn as she waved in around.

"And this is necessary because...?" Klaus said threw his coughing. Donatella sighed.

"In order for me to see if the curse is wearing thin," Donatella said. Klaus gave shot her a look that demanded an explanation. Donatella sighed again and dropped the burning plant just to grab another and burn it. She waved it in the areas that seemed to lack the pink smoke and when the smoke became thick and translucent she turned back to him and began waving the smoldering plant near his face.

"Curses are special things. There is always a condition to breaking curses. Your curse for example requires a full moon, a vampire, a werewolf, and a doppelgänger. The full moon is not just for the witch's use. While the full moon is a way that witches can harness power, there is a reason that the curse must be broken during the full moon. And that is because the curse must become either severely weak or the opposite. I want to check to see what happens to it so that I can see whether I will need more help from the spirits," Donatella said.

Klaus hummed in understanding. Magic was so confusing. Why could it not be simpler? Like all he had to do was look for a key or something. "And this smoke?" Klaus said gesturing to the air with a wave of his hand.

"Assistance. In order to see the, essence of the curse so to speak, I will need you to be unconscious." Klaus growled at the thought. He did not like being unaware of the world and seeing how the only other person in the room would be a servant of nature, who were notorious for loathing him, did not put him at ease. "I will not do anything that you would not like. You cannot be killed to begin with. In order for me to see the curse you must be asleep or else memories and thoughts would cloud your mind and I know you would not like me to see anything I should not.

"This herb, though potent, would probably have to be burned several times to make you pass out. Right now, a human would be passed out by now."

Donatella then fell silence as he waited to be taken under by the herb.

[Line Break]

Guilt was gnawing a hole the size of a home in Carolina's heart.

Why had she said those things to her friend? Carolina thought back to the burning rage that had consumed her. It took all of her power to not try to rip Katerina's throat right out of its orifice. The only thought from doing that was the thought of what Klaus would do to her when he heard about what she did.

If Kol was such a savage she expected Klaus to be worse.

Shaking her head, Carolina thought about those things that she had said to her best friend. The words that she had said to her were hurtful and hypocritical. She had always been easily swayed when even the slightest man had showed her attention. Look at how she had reacted to Klaus! She had already started to plan a wedding when she hardly even knew him.

"Why does she refuse to listen to me? I try to explain what is best for her and she does not even consider my words. Fille ingrate (Ungrateful girl)." Carolina said as she kicked her foot in the dirt.

"Who is so ungrateful, love?"

Carolina frowned, but quickly changed it into a smile when she turned around to see Klaus. "No one. I just hate it when people do not listen to me."

Klaus laughed, "Yes because you know what is best." Carolina shrugged.

"When were you going to tell me that you were going to court my best friend?" she asked, eyes narrowed and lips pursed. Klaus chuckled again, looking at her from under his lashes as if he was embarrassed that she knew.

"She told you already? You are not jealous now are you darling?" Klaus said his voice drenched in mirth.

She scoffed, "What are your intentions with her?"

"Courting and seeing where it leads like many others do once they decide to court someone. Why do you care so much?"

"She is my best friend," Carolina said as she flicked a piece of hair over her shoulder. "She is all I have. I want to know that she goes into the best hands."

"You sound like an overbearing father," Klaus said obviously enjoying their banter. Carolina frowned.

"I do not trust you." She then stated randomly. She was unsure why she said it, but a gut feeling was telling her that something was amiss here. Klaus's smile melted away.

"It would be wise not to."

What was this man planning?

[Line Break]

"What did you find out about the curse?"

Mikael looked down his nose at the small little with that presented herself in front of him. She seemed to think highly of herself seeing as how she allowed herself to stand tall in his presence.

Mortals, always so over confident.

"The curse weakens during the full moon. It is still strong but becomes easily destroyed. His wolf lies under the surface. He seems to become more wolf than vampire during the full moon. Making him slightly weak, but still stronger than average."

Mikael smiled. Slightly or severely, weakness was still weakness and that was all Mikael needed. "So we strike during the ritual. He will not be expecting us then."

The witch smiled darkly, "Of course."

[Line Break]

Author's Note: Okay let's talk about:

Kat and Care's fight: Okay. Uhm, I saw it like this. If some god-like guy came up to you while you're all ugly and sick in bed and said he wanted to date you. You would probably say yes and tell your friend you likes him that you are. And so…fighting.

Carolina's New Year's resolution: Yes. She is growing into the Caroline we all know and love and though she will be slightly warped.

Donatella's spell explanation: This is how I see magic working and it seems like my logic when it comes to magic works. So yeah. Learn to live with it.

Okay so I apologize for not updating sooner, but you know. People get lazy.

I also have other things to worry about like my school work and three other fics. The fact that I am able to update this fic every month astounds not only me, but many of my friends. I actually wanted to write about 3 more pages, but…people get lazy. I'm sorry for the crappy quality that this chapter is written in!

Lastly, people give me suggestion of what you want to see next chapter for every little ship. For example, tell me what you Kat and Care to do about their friendship. WHat do you want Kol to do with Caroline? If you want to submit a suggestion just do it in this format:

Trevor/Katerina: Insert suggestion here.

Katerina/Carolina: Insert suggestion here.

Carolina/Klaus: Insert suggestion here.

Katerina/Klaus: Inset suggestion here.

Kol/Carolina: Insert suggestion here.

Rebekah/Katerina: Insert suggestion here.

Katerina/Elijah: Insert suggestion here.

Rose/Carolina: Insert suggestion here.

Trevor/Rose: Insert suggestions here.

Just tell me what fluffy and/or angsty thing do you want to see next chapter.

So I hope everyone has a happy new year! I can't wait for the New Year to start!

Love you all!

Until Next Time,

Winterangel44