"So, what's the plan for when we get out of here?"

"What makes you think we will get out of here?"

A few more days had passed since Caroline was locked into the cellar and, as wild as it was, she and Klaus had fallen into a bit of a routine.

The instant Bill would leave, Klaus would bring Caroline the blood bag, she would take a few small sips to heal from that days' torture, then they would sit and talk – usually just about their situation, theorising why her, why him, etc. – but sometimes Caroline would tell a bit about her life, growing up in Mystic Falls.

Klaus sensed the talking was comforting for Caroline, something to take her mind off the trauma of the experience. So, he indulged her. Although it wasn't like he could have resisted.

"Of course we will get out of here," Caroline laughed. "Other than the whole I refuse to die for a third time thing. They'll notice I'm missing soon enough."

"It's been nearly a week," Klaus said, frowning. "How have they not noticed yet?"

Caroline shrugged, a little self consciously.

"Maybe dad told mom that I was staying with him, or something," she said. "But mom will notice he's around town and she'll start poking her nose in."

"But what about your friends?" Klaus pressed. "I know you spend a lot of time texting them, surely they'll notice if you're suddenly radio silent."

"I don't know, Klaus," Caroline said, testily. "I don't know, I'm not usually number one on list of things to worry about, okay. Elena is always number one on that list, and Stefan is currently number two. Tyler will probably have noticed, but in his mind, I slept with him, snuck out, and haven't spoken to him since… He'll just think I'm avoiding him, or too awkward, or whatever."

"Why would Elena matter?" Klaus asked, a dark quality settling on his face. "Elena died in the sacrifice."

"Right… About that," Caroline said, a guilty expression on her face. "Elena did a me in the sacrifice…"

"What do you mean," Klaus said, dangerously.

"Umm… Bonnie kind of spelled it so that Elena's soul would be, kind of linked… with John Gilbert's soul. Did you ever meet John Gilbert? He's Elena's uncle, who is actually her birth father… Who would have seen that coming, right…?"

"The point, Caroline," Klaus said,

"They sort of switched lives…." Caroline said, lamely. "John died. Elena lived."

Klaus lips tightened threateningly, and his nostrils flared.

"I didn't like not tell you for any reason…" Caroline said, trying to fill in for Klaus' deafening silence. "I have been kind of preoccupied, being tortured, talking to ghosts. You know, regular teen stuff."

Klaus still said nothing, his eyes growing more and more murderous by the moment.

"She's still human though! So, you know, if we find a way to bring you back to this side, and you're not a Hybrid, you can totally just sacrifice her again!" Caroline rambled, desperately trying to instil some semblance of calm on him, before she realised what she said. "Wait! Don't do that! Elena's my friend! I'm just rambling, spit-balling… you know… can you please say something?"

Klaus lips were so tight by now that they formed just a thin line. He was breathing heavily like he was desperately trying to calm himself down and keep control.

"It must suck, being duped by another doppelganger, hey," Caroline said, unhelpfully. "But it really was the best outcome for my circle of friends. We were all terrified of you."

Still stonily silent, Klaus just glowered at her.

"But you're not so bad," Caroline said, giving him the most charming, sunny smile she had, hoping to manipulate him out of his funk.

In a fit of petulance, Klaus frowned deeper, and rolled his eyes. Though it was just as much at himself, as it was at Caroline. For some ungodly reason, Klaus felt his temper subsiding as Caroline spoke. She was just so damn cheery! Couldn't she be a normal torturee, one that was broken and terrified, not this semi-jovial, bright-side-of-the-cell, trying-to-comfort creature sitting across from him.

"Klaus," Caroline sang, knowing she had him. "Don't smile Klaus! Don't smile!"

A man of more will power may have been able to resist smiling in that moment, but not Klaus. He cracked a tiny, begrudging smile. And completely changed the subject to cover the fact he did so.

"So, you asked me a question, what's the plan for when we get out of here."

Caroline smirked at him, but allowed the change of subject.

"I did ask that! I will be so behind on my prep for going back to school, though having an invisible million-year-old to whisper answers to tests in my ear will be an advantage for my SATs."

"Caroline, I'm not a million," Klaus said, his voice on the border of pleading.

"Shush, you're almost that, accept it," Caroline teased. "I think when we're out we can test out some things."

"Yes, like whether proximity to you is what keeps me from the blackness, etc.," Klaus added.

"Mmm, I still wonder why me, and why you, you know?" Caroline mused. "Like, I guess this is probably the result of the consequences Bonnie was talking about."

"What do you mean?"

"She said a bunch of witch stuff," Caroline said, trying to remember. "Like vampire magic is what brought me back after my human death, then her magic brought me back after my vampire death. She said there would be something that happened, but wasn't sure what. She left almost straight away after everything, though. We never had the chance to hash it out."

"I don't think talking to Bonnie would be a good idea," Klaus said, quietly.

"We do need a witch perspective on this, Klaus, we can't just fumble our way through on our own."

"I'm aware, Caroline, but considering Bonnie is the witch responsible for my death…"

"Right," she replied, awkward once more. "You make a good point."

Klaus made a face and gave a single nod, acknowledging the strange circumstances they found themselves in.

"So we find another witch?" Caroline suggested. "Or maybe track down Rebekah? See if she knows anything?"

Klaus looked at her sharply.

"How do you know about Rebekah?" he said, guarded.

"Oh! She came to save you!" Caroline said, shocked she hadn't shared this information with him yet. "She beat Elijah to a pulp once she found out she was too late to actually do the saving, then vanished with your body, as well as Elijah and Stefan. Though I was like dead or like just back when this was all going on, so my details are a bit fuzzy."

"Took Stefan along for the ride, did she," Klaus said, almost incredulous. "That minx."

"Why would does that make her a minx?" Caroline asked.

Klaus gave her a knowing smile.

"There is a lot more to Stefan than his sappy high school love life, Caroline," Klaus said. "More than even Stefan realises."

"Way to be cryptic, Klaus," Caroline intoned. "Care to elaborate?"

"Not particularly," he said, inscrutably. "Let's just say Bekah and Stefan were quite the couple during the 1920s, even if he can't remember it."

Caroline had no idea what to make of that statement, but filed it away for follow up at a later time.

"So, Bekah showed up for me?" Klaus asked, gruffly, with all the air of someone trying to sound unbothered.

"Yep."

"Good girl."

"Any idea what she's searching for?" Caroline asked, and continued when Klaus gave her an inquisitive look. "We've been tracking her and Stefan all summer, and we can't work out much other than they're looking for something and leaving behind a pretty destructive trail."

Klaus thought for a moment. He had a fair idea of what they were looking for, but that was not information he was willing to share.

"Bekah will do, what Bekah will do," Klaus replied. "But you are right, perhaps finding Bekah once we're out of here will be helpful."

Caroline nodded.

"Do you have other brothers or sisters? Or just Rebekah and Elijah? Or your mom or dad? Are they vampires too?" she asked, curiously.

Klaus' eyes narrowed.

"My parents are not vampires," he said, though he said it with an air of finality that Caroline decided, once again, to not push the subject.

"Right. Okay. I'm going to try and sleep because I'm really excited for tomorrow," Caroline said, sarcastically. "Gotta be well rested for day whatever of torture!"

Klaus smiled sadly at her as she struggled to shift in her chair and find a more comfortable spot.

"Sweet dreams, Caroline."

xxx

"Klaus, Klaus."

Klaus was woken some time later by Caroline repeating his name over and over. He hadn't even noticed he had gone to sleep until he was being woken. And if he was honest, it was a bit startling, because he hadn't even needed to sleep until that moment apparently.

It seemed his side of the veil kept all his physical needs met, leaving him to just exist infinitely.

"Morning love," he said, still a little disorientated. "How'd you sleep?"

"It was terrible, duh? I'm chained to a chair, but that's not the point," Caroline said, dubiously.

"Then what's the matter?"

"Oh… I umm… just got worried that you were asleep," Caroline said, shifting uncomfortably. "You know, I normally wake up and you're awake with thoughts from your long night of being awake."

"Mmm, I was thinking how odd it was that I fell asleep," Klaus replied. "That can be another thing we can discuss and explore further when we're out of here."

"I hope it's soon," Caroline said, her voice very small. "I don't want it to happen again."

"I know, love, I know," he said, soothingly. "I wish I could do more."

"You're fine," she said. "I can't imagine what it would be like to –"

"Who are you talking to Caroline?"

Unnoticed by Caroline or Klaus, Bill was at the bars of her cell looking at her suspiciously. Caroline gaped at him, unable to find any explanation.

"I asked you a question, Caroline," Bill said.

"No one," Caroline replied, unconvincingly. "Just myself, a pep-talk, you know."

Bill eyed her, suspiciously, but didn't say anything else, instead unlocked the cell and let himself in.

Caroline's eyes flicked to Klaus, and he smiled sadly at her.

"You'll get through this, love," he said quietly, as though the prying ears of Bill Forbes would be able to hear him through the ether.

She smiled back at him, a gesture that didn't go unnoticed by Bill, though Bill didn't point it out, deciding to investigate that at a later time.

"Daddy, please let me go," Caroline said, dejectedly, knowing that it really was no use pleading with him anymore, but needing to try anyway.

Bill ignored his daughter, opting instead to open the blood bag. As it had every time he tested her, Caroline's face changed, and disappointed, he began that day's lesson.

He repeated his vicious, violent cycle, and Caroline begged her father to show her some form of mercy. Though Bill's vigour seemed renewed, as today he began using the vervain vents on top of the letting in the sunlight, citing that she wasn't responding to his current methods, so he would have to try something new.

Caroline choked and burned, and Klaus hated to watch it.

Klaus watched, becoming more and more furious at the elder Forbes. Klaus had watched Caroline endure horrific violence for days now, and every day his fury at the elder Forbes grew, but watching her choke, at the same time as burn, found Klaus overcome with a rage he forgot was possible.

From Caroline's perspective, the next few moments blurred together and it was difficult to decipher which incident occurred first. For at that moment, all hell seemed to break loose in her prison.

The heavy metal door at the top of the steps flew open.

The vents still spewed vervain gas into the enclosed room.

An irate Sheriff Liz Forbes kicked open the door of the cell.

Tyler appeared by her side, cupping her face tenderly.

Bill Forbes was thrown bodily into the bars of the metal bars of the cell.

Klaus was looming over Bill.

"Oh my god, Caroline, thank god you're okay," Tyler said, pressing a kiss to her forehead, before quickly trying to work out how to remove the chains.

"Dad has keys," Caroline rasped, though her eyes weren't looking at Tyler.

"She's our daughter, Bill!" Liz was screaming at her ex-husband. "How could you?"

"Klaus," she said exhausted. "The vents."

"What was that sweetie?" her mother said, snapping to attend to her daughter.

"The vents… vervain gas…"

"Did you say Klaus?" Tyler said, coming back with the keys for her shackles.

"What?" Caroline asked, feigning confusion, but flicked her eyes to see Klaus an unreadable expression on his face.

"Never mind," Tyler said.

Liz hurried to take one of Caroline's hands, while Tyler took the other, and the three of them hobbled to the open cage door.

"I was just trying to –" Bill tried to say, before being interrupted by Liz.

"Save it."

"Wait!" Caroline said, just as Liz was about to relock the cell. "My ring."

Tyler let go of her hand, and went in to rifle through Bill's pockets again.

Caroline jerked her head to Klaus, who was still watching the scene from his position of standing menacingly over Bill's semi-conscious body.

Shaken from his reverie, Klaus slipped through the cell door, just before Liz slammed it, locking Bill in.

"I'll be back for you later," Liz muttered to himself, before concentrating back on helping Caroline up the steps and into freedom. "Taste of his own medicine."

xxx

It was only about twenty minutes before Caroline was safely back at home, tearing through a slew of B-positive blood bags.

She was wholly grateful that she no longer had to restrain her hunger, and could feed to her heart's content.

"Slow down, sweetie," Liz said, watching her daughter tear into her fifth bag. "You'll make yourself sick, you're eating so fast!"

Tyler raised a single eyebrow, and even Klaus snorted at the comment, causing Caroline to laugh into the straw, choking a little.

"I'm a vampire, mom," Caroline said, with a smile still on her face. "I don't know if getting sick from eating too fast is in my magical DNA."

"Do you have DNA anymore?" Liz queried.

"I'm not even sure," Caroline said, finishing off her meal, and not picking up another to just to appease her mother.

"I'm sorry honey, but I better get back to work, and your dad, but I'm sure Tyler can stay."

"I sure can," he said, gently. "As long as you need."

"No!" Caroline said, far too quickly.

"No," she said slower, and more deliberately. "I just want a shower, and I just want to sleep… and pretend the last week never happened."

"I think someone should stay with you, Caroline," Liz said, concerned. "I don't want you to be alone."

"I'm never really alone," Caroline said, giving a tiny smile to Klaus who was standing in the corner. "You guys are just a phone call away."

"Caroline, please let me stay," Tyler implored, laying a hand on hers.

Caroline neatly, but gently took her hand from his, placed it in her lap, and looked away, averting her eyes from everyone in the room.

"Please, I just… I just need to have some time to process."

Both Liz and Tyler stopped pushing with that, and within five minutes both were gone, leaving only insistences to call if she needed anything.

"Just you and me again, love," Klaus said, his first words to her since getting out of the cell. "I was thinking we –"

"Klaus," she said almost harshly, cutting him off with her voice wavering. "I'm just going to have a shower."

It shook Klaus somewhat, to see tears in glistening in Caroline's eyes, and she had flashed up the stairs before he could register much more.

He followed behind her, and sat himself on the ground outside the bathroom door, if he listened closely, he could hear Caroline's sobs through the door, over top of the water beating on the floor of the shower. But he didn't listen too closely, choosing not to intrude on her privacy.

He thought about how well she seemed to cope while they were trapped, and it made his heart clench to think just how strong her mask was to keep it up until she was safe. He had thought she brushed off Tyler's offer to stay because of him, and Klaus realised now how wrong he was.

When she pulled open the bathroom door some fifteen minutes later, she looked worn and weary, but healthy, and calm. She looked adorable too, Klaus thought, wrapped in a fluffy, soft pink dressing gown.

"How are you feeling?" he said softly.

"It's all caught up with me a bit," she said, vaguely. "I'm going to go hop into bed."

"Do you mind if I sit in with you?" he asked – and he was surprised with how vulnerable he felt waiting for the answer.

She gave him a wan smile, gesturing him to follow her into her room.

He settled himself of the squishy arm chair in the corner of the room without a word, while she crawled into bed.

"Thanks for being there for me, Klaus," she said, her voice as tiny as she looked, all wrapped in blankets as she was.

"You're welcome, love," he said, proffering a wan smile of his own.

Klaus heard her breathing even out soon after, and watched as she drifted into a much more comfortable sleep than the night before.


Hi lovers, love you lots! I would love and appreciate your validation! xxxx Hope there aren't many mistakes, I really didn't do a very good editing job on this one!