Sorry for the wait but here's a brand new chapter! Hope you like it, xx.
Chapter 4: You should know not to trust me
Present day
New York City, New York
Voices surrounded Caroline as she slowly woke up, her bruised neck and numb feet explaining what had happened as her mind tried to catch up with her consciousness.
"She is out of control, Nik! Clearly, violence is the only thing she responds to at this point."
"Well, perhaps if you would've at least attempted to reason with her before letting old bygones cloud your judgment…"
"Me? I'm the one whose judgement cannot be trusted!?"
The arguing echoed and bounced around in her head harshly, bringing protests to her body as she sat up slowly with a groan. "Stop yelling, I have a headache…" she muttered, examining the sheets beneath her as she massaged her neck with deft fingers.
The people responsible for her ringing ears suddenly entered the room and watched her like she was an animal about to attack at any second.
In some ways, it wasn't too far off.
"What happened?" she sighed as she took in the unfamiliar surroundings, the shaded windows and dimmed lights making her unsure of just what time of the day it presently was. Glancing down at her position on the strange bed, she felt something click as her eyes suddenly darted up to meet Klaus'.
"What happened?" she pressed, her legs wobbling as she swung them over the edge of the bed in an attempt to stand up. "Where am I?" she asked as a face suddenly popped into her mind, the abrupt shift in his voice and sudden anger in his eyes when he caught up with her outside the restaurant… "What did you do to Nico?"
The hybrid raised an eyebrow at that as he watched her with something cold in his features. "That's his name then?" he quipped with a short smirk. He nodded his head in the direction of a door, prompting her to her feet as he quickly followed her slow steps.
"You know, Caroline, you should at least pretend to be grateful for my intervening before throwing such sour scowls my way." he drawled, sounding annoyed as she marched through the hall until finding the man in the next room.
He was tied to a chair, his slumped shoulders informing her that he was unconscious as she stormed over and swiftly punched him across the jaw. The chair fell back as he grunted in reply, his eyes wide as he watched her in bewilderment for a moment. Her hands found her hips as she scowled down at him with a dark look in her eyes.
"Ah, hermosa…" he crooned, his lopsided smile immediately back to his lips as he scanned her from head to toe. "I suppose this means that you are… upset." he guessed with a leisure shrug that made her want to punch him again.
"Upset?" she echoed with a sharp chuckle, gripping the arms of the chair then as she straightened him and it at once. Leaning over the restrained man as she shook her head in a slow motion. "No, Nico…" she chimed, bringing a hand to run across his chest as she pursed her lips into an innocent pout. Catching the short look of relief on his face before her hand stopped over his heart and immediately plunged through his ribcage to grip the organ in her palm.
"No, I'm going to kill you." she corrected, his pained face bringing her so much joy as he clenched his teeth in a sharp hiss. "So why should I bother with such a messy emotion, hm?" she shrugged, prepared to pull his heart out when a hand gripped her arm and kept her locked in place.
She glared up at the hybrid by her side as he held her back, not finding any signs on his face of her monster features having any effect as she aimed to scare him off. "Alright, back to your corners." he sighed while pushing at her, the gentle move enough to send her stumbling back a few steps in result.
"I confess, love; I would so enjoy the show. However, I am going to need some answers before we inevitably make waste of his remains." he shrugged in explanation, as if that would make sense to her right then and there.
It didn't.
"Answers?" she scoffed bitterly before turning to the captive again. "How about this; who the fuck are you!?" she bit out hard, earning a sickening grin from the man in response.
"You know my name, beautiful." Nico purred low. "You spent plenty of time calling it out last night."
She shook her head in a chuckle at that, catching a short flash of emotion on Klaus' face before he promptly turned his back to her. Curiosity hitting her for a second before she quickly squatted it away, deciding to focus on one problematic ex at the time as her eyes met Nico's once more.
"Don't think that you're going to get some scorned woman reaction out of me." she snickered. "You clearly haven't gotten this yet, Nico, so let me clarify; my humanity, along with those pesky little things called a conscious, boundaries, morals and blah-blah, etcetera etcetera…" she drawled, waving her hand in gesture as she continued. "They're gone." she relayed, earning a surprised expression from the restrained man as his eyes widened shortly.
"It's true." she added in confirmation as she spied the thoughts running behind his dark irises. Pointing a finger to her chest, she pursed her lips in a pout and sighed. "It's all empty in here." she whined insincerely, leaning forward again as she studied him closely. "So, do us both a favor, hun… Stop wasting time trying to hurt me emotionally, okay? Because I really couldn't give a crap if I wanted to."
His lips twitched in a little smirk as he seized her up. "Well… that certainly explains a thing or two." he mused. "Although, it does disappoint somewhat to know that you are not like this in reality." he chimed as he struggled against the ropes in attempt to lean closer. "I do so enjoy this version of you, Caroline." he murmured. "It must be difficult constantly suppressing it behind lock and key when you so clearly enjoy it too."
The words brought a sly mask to her face as she leaned in the final distance, her lips hovering over his as she spoke on with a softer voice then. "Well, if you start giving me some more useful answers, I might consider giving you another go of it…" she suggested with a shrug. "Before I kill you."
Snickering softly, he pushed forward to kiss her just as she pulled back. Keeping a breath of air between them as her eyes challenged his. "Perhaps I could persuade you into letting me go?" he quipped, her response being interrupted by a sudden movement that caused Nico's neck to snap and his eyes to close.
Staring at the assailant in surprise, she met Klaus' cold gaze with a slack jaw as she shook her head in disbelief. "What the hell!?" she spat out angrily. "I was just about to get some answers!"
"Oh, I don't think you were, love." he snickered low as he shook his head at her then. Something in his eyes sending warning bells to ring in her head and her skin to prickle in apprehension, but it only made her want to push on even more. Crossing her arms over her chest, she cocked her head to the side and watched him for a moment.
"What, Klaus? What's wrong?" she taunted, following his every move as he poured himself a drink while avoiding her nearing steps. "Is something bothering you?" she pressed on, standing right by his side as she leaned into his personal space and enjoying how he froze up in response. "Are you upset about something? Feeling betrayed?" she mused on. "Lied to, maybe?" she continued with an acidic snicker, her breath hitting his ear as she went on. "Hm, I wonder what that's like."
Finally, she was given a reaction as the hybrid suddenly looked like he was going to murder someone. His jaw clicked in a show of his waning temper. His hand clenching around the glass in his hold, his shoulders squared as he turned to face her with something loud and challenging in his eyes.
"When have I ever lied to you, Caroline?" he bit back, his chin tilted upwards as he raised an eyebrow at her. The reply made her snort out a disbelieving chuckle as she shook her head at that.
"Really?" she countered, turning away and quickly creating some space between them as she felt at a loss for where to even begin. "Oh, I don't know!" she yelled, facing him again as she raised her arms in the air. "How about… hm, when you bit me and were going to let me die – right before turning around and telling me that you would never do anything to hurt me?" she suggested, shrugging as the list just came tumbling out of her then.
"Or when you said that you wanted to help me. That you weren't going to try to push my humanity back on – because it is literally the opposite of what you've been doing here!" she spat out, pointing an accusatory finger at him then. "Oh, I know; how about every freaking second of every day that I've ever known you!? Every single word that's come out of your mouth ever since the you first stepped foot in Mystic Falls! Even when you left and came back and-" she cut herself off then as she suddenly felt herself go down a very dangerous path, taking a step back as his eyes lit up at her unspoken words. Clearly having understood where she was going before she restrained herself...
"Wait…" he interjected slowly, his voice filled with incredulity and something a little too smug for her taste as a smirk played on his lips. "Is that what this is about?"
"No, I-… just- Forget it!" she bit out, turning away then as she ran a hand through her hair. Wanting to erase the last few seconds and just hide under a rock until she could face him again.
Clearly, he wasn't going to let her off that easy.
"No, no..." he chimed happily. "I mean, if it is the reason that you are acting out, then we should certainly clear some things up – don't you think?" he pushed, sounding way too pleased with himself then as she turned to him again with a scowl.
"It isn't!" she yelled out, studying his glistening eyes as she suddenly realized what she was seeing in them.
Sure, there was some traces of a triumphant gleam in those blue-grey irises – but something else flickered like flames and threatened to burn her.
Feelings. Connection. Intimacy.
Everything that she wouldn't let herself feel, out of fear of drowning in it, as she'd decided to merely float on the surface for now – safe, secure and out of harm. Away from the pain and grief, the loneliness and agony… The love, the hate and all that followed as it painted a straight path to what she was determined to stay away from; humanity. But now he was threatening to pull her down below the surface, to cover her in it without any chance of escape, and it made her feel out of breath as she suddenly needed to run away.
"Wow…" she whispered as she closed her eyes and let out a sigh. "You- you're good." she scolded with a snicker. "You almost had me." she said, mostly to herself as she slowly turned to face him again where he stood watching her with a burning focus.
"I clearly underestimated you, Klaus." she concluded dryly, gesturing with her hand at his form as she continued. "And believe me, that's not a mistake I usually make." she added with a snide smirk as she walked closer. "But then again, it wouldn't be the first time I regretted something in regard to you, right?" she crooned, receiving a cold smile from him in reply as he scoffed bitterly.
"There it is." he muttered, his gaze narrowing as he eyed her intently. "I've been wondering when you'd finally admit to blaming me for that." he continued with a shrug. "God forbid you take any responsibility for your actions like any other mature adult-"
"Really?" she cut him off with a disbelieving laugh. "You're gonna talk to me about mature responses?" she questioned before turning to the silent woman at the other end of the room – who was clearly hoping to blend into the wallpaper. "Rebekah, out of curiosity, just how many times has he daggered you and stuffed you away in a coffin, hm? Leaving you in the dark for years so that he wouldn't have to deal with you. A hundred? A thousand?"
"Oh, I know better than to get involved with this whole lover's-spat-foreplay you got going on over there." Eva snarked back with a cold grin. "Leave me out of this, will you?"
"Fine, then I'll just have to answer for you!" Caroline retorted with a shrug as she spun to face the hybrid again. "You do realize she hates you, right?" she asked, enjoying the way the light slowly dimmed in his eyes as he went from being entertained to just being pissed off. "She could never tell you that of course, because you have a crazy unhealthy attachment to each other. But she does. She resents you for every time that you put your needs before hers, she remembers your face whenever you've plunged that dagger into her heart for yet another selfish, narcissistic reason…" she drawled with a snicker. "If there's anyone in this room who is beyond immature – it'd be you." she sniped in conclusion. "You don't know the first thing about taking responsibility for your actions. Your only concern is getting what you want when you want it, everything and everyone else be damned – right?"
"That's enough, Caroline." he hissed through clenched teeth as she continued despite it.
"You must be filled with so much self-loathing and insecurities…" she scoffed on, ignoring the dark scowl he directed at her then. "To act like you have final say in others' lives the way you do. To judge others for how the choices they make but never thinking twice about your own. To be so terrified of being left alone that you'd do whatever you can to force people to stay, whether it is your siblings or little hybrid-sirelings or even me."
"You use fear and violence to keep them tethered to you…" she muttered as she leaned in to close the final distance between them. Meeting the raging and unpredictable being before her with a leisure smile as she only shrugged at him.
"Let's be honest, Klaus." she taunted. "We all know how fast Rebekah and Elijah and everyone else in your life would leave if they weren't so afraid of what you could do in retaliation." she scoffed, taking in his flaming eyes as she went on. "That's not love. That's extortion." she pointed out, tapping at his chest as she smirked to herself. "You know, maybe - just maybe - you should take one tiny little second to mull that one over before you lecture me on how I'm acting?"
The livid face he wore made her grin wildly in triumph as she let out a long sigh. "Ahh! You have no idea how long I've been holding onto all of that." she chuckled, waving her hands as she let it all wash over her. "Wooh, feels good to let it all out, you know?" she quipped, shaking her shoulders as something eerie tickled down her spine.
"You know, without being worried about feeling guilt or remorse or sympathy for the freaking devil of all devils." she added before giving him one final shrug. "Well, I think I'm happy with leaving it at that." she decided as she turned away.
"So, see you all in the next life-time… Or not. Cause who cares – am I right?" she called over her shoulder as she walked to the double-doors on the other side of the room - assuming they would lead to an exit.
"I wouldn't do that, sweetheart." Klaus drawled as she reached for the doorhandles, her hand suddenly covered in the afternoon sun as it shone from between the drapes by her side. Chocking her when it burned her skin in result, causing her to wince as she jumped back from the ray of light.
Her eyes fell to her fingers as she noticed how naked she was then – spinning around to gape at Klaus in time to see him raise her daylight ring in a smug display. It hit her then as she suddenly understood why he had let her go on and on like that. Why he hadn't fought back. Why he had been so determined to keep his temper in check… She felt her chest constrict then as she realized that Nico wasn't the hybrid's only prisoner after all.
"Wow…" Caroline drawled slowly, shaking her head as she studied him in disbelief. "That's low, Klaus. Even for you." she stammered, hating how unsteady her voice sounded as it gave away her fear all too clearly.
"Perhaps." he shrugged as he turned the daylight-ring between his fingers. "But as it turns out; not entirely uncalled for." he noted with a pointed glance, the look on his face really getting on her nerves then and sending her off in his direction with a flash.
She wasn't sure what she thought she'd be able to accomplish, seeing as the hybrid was way too advanced a target - especially for her young age. But she still found herself disappointed when he easily held her back before she could knock the ring out of his hand.
He caged both her wrists in his hold, giving her an incredulous smirk as he cocked his head with a soft scoff. "Really, love?" he quipped, prompting the blonde to scramble for a different strategy.
Pulling away from him roughly, she put on the coldest look she could muster up as she began to scold him. "You've clearly not thought this through, Klaus." she bit out as she fought to hide the worried racing of her pulse. "Because, I swear… If you use that as leverage to make me turn it on-"
His eyes rolled in response.
Actually rolled.
And damn, if she didn't wish she had a white oak stake handy just then…
"That won't be necessary, Caroline." he sighed out with so much irritation in his voice that it made her chuckle in result.
About to push on further, she noted Nico suddenly starting to stir in his seat. It brought her surprised eyes to turn to the witch, catching her sweeping hand motion as she seemed to have woken the captured man up magically. "Let's get on with this, shall we?" Eva quipped with a strained smile, prompting the blonde to turn to Nico again.
"Fine!" she scoffed as she walked over to the prisoner with a whole new purpose fueling her then. "Seeing as I'm stuck here until sundown, I might as well get something out of it." she muttered before quickly gripping the man's hand and snapping his bones with one swift move.
His head shot up in a sharp hiss as he watched her with horror in his eyes, his chest heaving with panted breaths as she hushed him in reply. "Shh… I know, babe, I know." she crooned patronizingly. "It hurts getting your wrist broken, doesn't it?" she snickered. "Well, I'm a firm believer in forgiving and forgetting… You know, after getting revenge and all that."
Nico's face stiffened as he seemed apprehensive to her next move, bringing her smirk to only widen as she shrugged in result. "But…" she drawled, glancing sideways at the hybrid shortly before continuing. "Seeing as I'm clearly a prisoner here too…" she muttered, turning to the tied-up vampire with a pointed nod.
"Why don't you go ahead and start explaining yourself?" she suggested. "You know, before I decide to count your ribs by tearing them out of your chest one by one…" she snickered darkly, pressing her fingers to his ribcage and following the bones with a poke on each as she made her way lower down his body.
"I mean, that's just the start. You do have a lot of other limbs I can twist and pull if you keep pissing me off." she crooned, her hand finding his throat then and gripping it tightly as he grunted in response.
"Such a shame…" he hissed through his teeth. "I didn't see this before, Caroline." he snickered with a cough. "Where was this energy when we shared that delicious snack… What was her name again?"
"That didn't sound like an explanation to me." she noted with a sigh. Punching through his torso then and earning another deep grunt as his jaw clenched in a desperate need stifle a scream.
Men and their macho attitude and overblown amount of testosterone…
Tearing her first rib out of his chest, she pointed the bloody bone to his sharp grimace as she cocked her head to the side. "Is that it?" she asked with a snicker, letting go of his throat and straightening up as she ran a finger over the rib. Coating it in blood before bringing it to her lips, sighing as she licked it off.
"You know, I did expect a little more from you, Nico…" she mused. "But I guess that's the problem with your gender, hm? Never willing - or even able - to show your vulnerability to others." she sighed out wistfully, turning the bone in her hands as she examined it shortly.
"Then again, maybe I should get rid of that extremity next…" she thought aloud to herself, tapping the rib against her chin as she ignored the panic flashing over his face in result. "Would that finally get you to understand that you don't have any other choice but to tell me what I want to hear?"
His eyes widened as she leaned over him again, his hands and feet fighting against the restraints as she drew a line over his stomach with the pointed bone. Moving closer to his groin while his whole body tensed as he tried to back away from her.
"Awe… what's wrong, sweetie?" she purred as she tilted his head up to meet her eyes. "You had no problem letting me near here…" she drawled as she dragged the bone across his zipper. "Before." she concluded with a pout. "Why don't you start talking before I replay it all with a much less satisfying ending?" she suggested, smiling as she shrugged to herself then.
"Well, to you at least." she clarified as she watched him grit his teeth in a deep scowl. "Now, I'm going to ask again…" she drawled, gripping his chin with her free hand as she brushed her lips over his jaw. "And I want an answer this time, okay, babe?" she clarified. "'So; who are you and why did you come after me?"
The wicked smile that covered his lips warned her that she wouldn't like the answer before he spoke. "Because I thought you'd be a glorious lover. My instincts proved right." he crooned, making her sigh as she pondered how to punish the insubordination appropriately.
"Hmm…" she mused before grabbing what she assumed was his own daylight token - since the bulky ring was the sole jewelry he wore. "Why don't we go ahead and level the playing field here, hm?" she suggested while tossing it behind her without much of a care. "You won't be needing that anymore." she chimed before reaching in to pull another of his ribs out through his torso.
"And it seems there are plenty of these to go around…" she noted, drawing stifled cries from the vampire as she examined the bone with pursed lips. "So, what's it going to be, Nico? Burn in the sun? Or have every last bone in your body either ripped out or shattered into pieces?" she mused, considering the options in her head as a voice called for her attention then.
"Caroline?" Klaus said, making her sigh as she slowly turned to look away from her victim.
"I'm kinda busy here, Klaus. Why don't you take a number?" she snickered as she watched him walk over to his sister with something strained on his face.
"Rebekah, is this what I think it is?" he asked the witch as he examined the discarded ring intently.
"Bloody hell…" Eva breathed out in reply, their widened eyes communicating something that the rest of the class wasn't catching. But before Caroline could press on in annoyance, Klaus walked over with brisk steps and a short smirk in her direction.
"Change of plans, love." he announced as he took her hand and expertly spun her away, taking her place before the prisoner and leaving her with parted lips and blinking eyes. "This is my hostage now, why don't you go find some other toy to play with?" he chimed, the layer of ease added to his voice giving away his intention to clearly downplay whatever was going through his head.
"Nico, was it?" he asked the captured vampire as the casual demeanor started to turn more serious by the second. "Who do you work for?"
"Why would I tell you?" Nico replied in a mutter, receiving a wide and malicious look from the Mikaelson then.
"I don't believe I had the chance to introduce myself earlier…" the hybrid quipped. "I'm Klaus."
The name clearly had an impact on the man as he stiffened at hearing it. Caroline walked closer to see a wide grin stretch over Klaus' face in satisfaction as he cocked his head to the side.
"I see that means something to you. Good." he told Nico proudly. "Then I suppose there will be no need for me to fill you in on the kind of suffering I can cause you – if you continue being so disobliging." he shrugged before continuing. "So, let's try this again, shall we?" he smirked before his hand dug into Nico's thigh.
Klaus' skin seemed to shift a little as the smell of blood filled the air, causing Caroline to suspect that he was using his advantageous werewolf claws on the prisoner. "Who do you work for?" he asked again as Nico tried to stifle a harsh grunt.
"No one." the vampire bit out, a deep growl rushing though his throat as Klaus's grip caused the bones in the man's thigh to crumble then.
"Really?" Caroline scoffed, getting a short look from the hybrid as she shook her head in disappointment. "How is this any different from my interrogation technique?" she questioned, receiving a smirk in reply.
"Do ignore her, Nico." Klaus chimed as he focused on his captive again. "She's busy balancing between her animosity towards me and that towards you right now." he added with a shrug. "Don't ask me why, mate. She's quite the mind-boggling mystery. But then again, all the best ones are - don't you agree?"
Caroline's eyebrows hit her hairline as she shook her head in disbelief, her arms crossed over her chest as she drummed her fingers against her biceps. "Are you actually going to get some answers out of him or were you planning on just talking him to death?" she asked cheekily, noting the smile tugging at Klaus' lips as he kept his eyes on the male vampire.
"For the final time, Nico; who do you work for?" Klaus pressed again.
"What makes you think I work for anyone?" Nico bit back, his face twitching in pain as he seemed to struggle with keeping a hold of his expressions.
"Because you targeted my lovely friend here." Klaus replied, nodding then to gesture to Caroline shortly before he went on. "But most importantly, you are wearing the Guerrera family crest." he noted, bringing the blonde's attention to the ring in Klaus' hands.
To her, it looked like nothing more than a silver band with some carvings in it, but Klaus' recognizing it seemed to make Nico weary as he shifted in his seat uncomfortably. "Fortunately for me, I don't have to tell you anything." the younger man chuckled, the sound of it hollow and flat as the fear still flashed over his features. "You have no power here."
"Don't I?" the hybrid pushed with a dark chuckle before suddenly biting Nico's hand and pulling a scared gasp from the vampire in result. "Why don't you try that again?" he asked as he dried off the blood from his mouth while realization slowly sunk in for the captive.
"Your… Your curse." Nico stammered in terror.
"Yes, yes, I broke it." Klaus sighed in reply, getting up then and walking over to grab an empty glass. "A whole ordeal that one. Kill a doppelganger here, a werewolf and vampire there and collect a number of rare ingredients…" he mused, biting into his palm as he let his blood fill the glass slowly. The act prompting Caroline to quickly avert her eyes as she had to gulp down the strange mix of emotions trying to stir up in result.
"It really was a mess… But alas, here we are. Finally." Klaus concluded as he turned back to Nico again, presenting the glass with a pointed now as he kneeled down before him. "Unless you wish to spend your last few hours on this earth experiencing the most atrocious sorts of pain, both physical and psychological, I suggest you tell me everything. And then I may feel inclined to heal you." he explained, shaking the glass a little as the blood danced inside it.
"The cure for a werewolf bite; the only one of its kind and your sole salvation." he added with a nod, his face turning dark again as he continued with a long drawl. "Now; start talking." he ordered, stretching out the words as he stood up and tilted the glass to the side, some drops falling to the floor as he snickered to himself. "Or I will be forced to make waste of this as well as you."
"Such a drama-queen…" Caroline whispered to herself, meeting the hybrid's smirk unashamedly as she shrugged to him in reply. "What? You are."
"Takes one to know one, I suppose." he countered with a playful wink before facing Nico again with a far less entertained expression. "Well, lad, anything on your mind?" he pressed, receiving a shake of the vampire's head as he protested mutely.
Klaus sighed at that as he waved his glass again, more of his blood spilling as he did. "Oh, would you look at that? How clumsy of me… Seems like you might be running out of chances there, Nico." he shrugged. "Perhaps you should try telling me what I want to hear before the venom in your system starts driving you mad."
The words made a shiver course through Caroline as she was suddenly reminded of the experience herself. She noted Klaus catching her reaction and glancing over at her, moving quickly to look away as she tried to calm the storm inside of her. Having gripped a chair tightly in her hands, she felt it break in her hold and was snapped out of her thoughts at the sound. Turning to find that Nico had started talking, she shook her head to focus on him instead.
"I was told to investigate some unannounced presences downtown." he told Klaus with a pained grunt as he turned a little in his seat. "I didn't realize you were one of them…" he explained, his eyes shifting to Caroline as he continued. "She was the target."
"Why?" the hybrid pressed, frustrating the blonde vampire then as she rolled her fists up tightly.
"Does it matter?" she sighed out, walking over to the tied-up man as she felt her instincts call on her to deal with this before it turned into a real problem. "Let's just kill him now." she scoffed as she moved to finish it up herself, only to be held back by Klaus once more.
"That's not how we do things, love." he told her with a much softer voice than the one he'd used on the captured man. "We need to cover all of our bases here, lest we wish to be thrown off by some surprise attack down the road." he explained before nodding to Nico pointedly. "I assume you have yet to report your findings to your boss, yes?"
The strained look on Nico's face seemed to give the hybrid all the answer he needed as he simply shrugged before circling the chair with slow steps. "Since I am already suspecting the reasons for your scouting mission and all..." he drawled in threat, grabbing the man's throat from behind and squeezing hard as he leaned over Nico's shoulder. "How about you fill in the gaps while you still have your senses with you, hm? The cure could hardly be of any help to you if you succumb to your injuries, after all."
Nico struggled against the hold on his throat as his eyes widened in fear. "Look…" he grunted while the hybrid walked around to face him again. "I didn't realize she was like… this." he stuttered with a glance to Caroline before continuing. "I will be happy to relay that information to the Queen once you let me go."
"Queen?" the blonde echoed, watching as Klaus straightened up with a heavy scowl. "Did he say 'queen'?"
The hybrid pinched the bridge of his now with a long breath before meeting her eyes. "Yes." he said, pressing the glass of blood to Nico's lips then as the captive eagerly swallowed the cure. "And now we can't kill him." Klaus muttered as he studied the vampire while the last few drops of blood emptied the glass. Swiftly snapping his neck and incapacitating him once more as he turned away to discard the glass.
"Uhm, can we go back to the 'queen' part?" Caroline pushed on as the Klaus put Nico's ring back on again.
"The Queen of New York." he said leisurely, as if that would explain it all. When he caught her still confused face, he sighed before clarifying. "A vampire who has claim on this city and controls all others of her kind."
"You're kidding right?" the blonde scoffed, stiffening as he suddenly watched her with fire in his eyes.
"No, Caroline, I'm bloody not!" he bit out sharply. "Now, if you wanted to start a goddamn war, did you have to choose the one regent who has the most reason to hate my guts!?"
She stepped forward at that, her teeth clenching as she shook her head in defiance. "I'm sorry that I'm not caught up with some weird vampire-politics, okay!" she yelled back. "What's next, is The Volturi going to come rushing in to kidnap me?" she snapped, earning a confusing expression from the hybrid then.
"The who?"
"Twilight." Eva chimed in from across the room, having been silently observing the whole ordeal until then. Her reply earned a glare from her brother before he turned to the younger blonde again.
"Caroline…" he hissed. "Forget fantasy and teenage novels. This is serious… If the queen somehow finds out of our collective presence in her city-"
"Wait, you didn't tell her!?" Eva sputtered out in surprise at that. "You know the rules, Nik. Did you want to threaten the entire Eastern region with some unsolicited rebellion!?"
"I didn't imagine I'd be staying this long." Klaus retorted with a sigh, prompting an incredulous chuckle to leave Caroline's lips.
"Wow…" she drawled. "You really thought you'd just swoop in with the dimples and the accent and I'd fall at your feet and follow you straight back to New Orleans - is that it?" she scoffed, the reply not coming from him then.
"You must be kidding…" the witch muttered as she watched the two in disbelief shortly. "No… No, no, no! In no possible scenario on this Earth will Caroline be coming back with us, Nik."
"I'd say." she scoffed in agreement, earning a deep scowl from the hybrid at that.
"Enough, both of you!" he hissed through clenched teeth before giving his sister a pointed nod. "Let us focus on one problem at the time." he pushed, turning to Caroline then with something dark in his eyes that made hers widen in result.
"Are you calling me a problem?" she sputtered out incredulously.
"Yes!" he chuckled coldly. "You have no idea what you've stumbled upon here, sweetheart." he snickered. "Fortunately for you, I am going to fix it." he added before turning to his sister again. "Rebekah, please see what you can do to ensure our safe exit out of the city before word gets out about our being here." he urged her, receiving a sigh as the witch shrugged and turned away to leave.
"I'll make some calls…" she muttered while she reached for the door, stopping as she called back to him over her shoulder. "I expect you to wrap this up quickly and quietly, Nik." she told him shortly before finally exiting the room. The sounds of several other doors closing indicating that she left the building too, clearly needing some privacy for her 'calls'.
"Okay… What was that all about?" Caroline pressed as she looked over at the hybrid in question. Watching as he began to pack a bag with quick movements and a determined frown framing his features.
"It's complicated." he muttered as her only reply, stopping then as he turned to her with an accusatorily pointed index-finger. "You know, you could afford to be a little less difficult here, considering the fact that this is your fault and all."
"My fault?" she challenged.
"Yes." he bit out.
"How is this my fault!?"
"Let's see, who was it again that walked right into a restricted area and bumped into one some strange vampire - thereby landing us in this mess?" he taunted on unceremoniously. "Why, I do believe that was you."
She closed the distance between them at that, staring up at him with narrowed eyes. "Cut the crap, Klaus." she countered. "Are you mad at me because I slept with him? Is that it?"
His scoff really bothered her as he shook his head in disbelief. "Don't flatter yourself, Caroline. I don't care what you do nor whom you do it with whilst in this state." he snickered as he gestured to her form, prompting her eyebrows to rise in reply.
"In this state?" she pushed on. "Meaning that you care otherwise?"
"Oh, for crying out loud…" he muttered before she cut him off.
"No, let's dig into this. You've finally piqued my interest. So, should we go over our respective histories from the past year now or did you want to wait until after I have my humanity back on?" she rambled on with a vicious grin. "Oh, which reminds me… Did I tell you about the time that Tyler came back to Whitmore? You know, after our little thing in the woods?"
"Fine, you know what? Yes, let's talk about this!" he interjected, moving closer as he watched her intently. "So, Caroline, tell me; what was it exactly about my speech that left you so affected?" he asked with a smirk. "I mean it really must have gotten under your skin if you are still holding onto it even as your humanity remains cut off?"
"Yeah, we're not talking about that." she muttered as she turned away then.
"Why not? I thought this was what you wanted. To dig up all the unpleasant truths that you have pent up inside." he pushed on, making her scoff as she avoided his piercing eyes.
"I'm not doing this with you..." she decided, walking into the sunlight then and immediately jumping back in a pained hiss. "Damn it!" she bit out, looking at him with a pointed nod. "Were you going to warn me!?" she sputtered, earning a shrug of his shoulders in reply.
"Not really, no." he quipped. "I'd say I rather enjoy you struggling at the moment."
"God, I don't get you!" she whined as she shook her head at him. "If I bother you so much and cause so many problems and whatever else - then why don't you just leave me the hell alone!?"
"Oh, I couldn't even if I wanted to, love." he scoffed in response. "You are a liability as of now and I cannot risk for any harm to, not only come to you, but to my family as well through you. Which all evidentially leaves me without any choice in the matter, especially while you continue to draw trouble from every state you visit like some sort of supernatural danger magnet."
"So, that's what this is about?" she noted. "You're worried I'm going to hurt your secret little Southern Belle?"
"Caroline…" he sighed, closing his eyes in a slow breath before meeting her gaze again. Something much softer in his then as he moved closer, holding onto her arms as he leaned in. "It's not too late." he told her gently. "You have yet to do anything irredeemable or something which you will not be able to forgive yourself for. You can still turn this all around; start over, move somewhere else, begin a whole new life if you so wish." he said with a tiny smile as he shrugged before continuing.
"You don't have to be held hostage by your grief forever, Caroline." he drawled with such warmth in his tone that it nearly reached in and thawed her frozen heart. "You can be happy again, live again-"
"Let me guess…" she interrupted, pulling out of his hold as her face hardened with the same lack of emotion as that inside of her. "Only by flipping the switch back on?" she quipped. "Am I right?"
He frowned in response, the look in his eyes falling slowly as he let out another deep sigh. "My offer still stands." he countered seriously. "Come to New Orleans, take your year. Do what you need to do to work through this. And then… Well, then you'll be free."
She scoffed as her head shook in disbelief at that. "Why do you feel the need to pretend to be my friend through all of this when we both know that you're anything but?" she bit out in spite.
"That's where you're wrong, Caroline." he crooned softly, seemingly not getting caught up in her badgering this time. "I am your friend, and I can see that you are struggling. Now, on the contrary to the ones which you left behind - I actually know what it is like to feel like this. To be so lost, abandoned, tormented and not know what to do with any of it." he explained with a little shrug before his eyes drilled into hers again. "I can actually help you, but only if you let me."
The swift change of mood stunned the blonde as she wasn't sure what to say to that, blinking in silence as he turned away and freed Nico from his restrains. "Now, I need to go tend to some diplomatic necessities. You can have until I return to consider my offer." he told her as he picked the man up over his shoulder and walked past her.
He raised his hand to display her ring as it remained in his possession, moving towards the large windows and swiftly pulling the shades to the side. She was forced to back away from the sharp light as he tenderly placed the ring on a table amidst it. Covered in deadly sunshine that wouldn't begin to fade for a couple of hours – at the very least.
"It voids once I leave this city, so I suggest you properly think it through." he added with a meaningful glance then before continuing out the door and finally disappearing.
As it closed behind him, she eyed the room with conflicting thoughts in her head. Having now been caged into a shaded corner, she started to feel just like the kind of deranged and unpredictable animal that the Mikaelson's had been treating her as earlier.
She trashed everything she could reach, breaking apart a dresser and trying to use the pieces to push the table across the room and away from the light. When that failed, she tried to grab a piece of the drapes closest to her and close the window back up.
However, the sun had quickly begun to shift as it moved over the floors and inched closer to her with every passing moment. Once again creating an impenetrable barrier as she saw no other solution but to try and speed past the light.
Yet, every time her skin moved from the shadows she was burned and forced back to her corner again with a harsh hiss of pain.
As she started running out of options, she found that her safest bet would be to await the sunset. Or at least hold on for long enough for someone to enter the apartment, unaware of the dangerous being locked away inside. Or to use something to knock her ring off the table, once the sun had shifted enough and gave her some more space to work with.
Because as of then, she felt like she had to blend into the furthest wall to keep from burning. Every move she made only brought pain and everything she tried failed. So, when the daylight finally waned and started shifting away from her side of the room, she grabbed one of her shoes and tossed it at the table. It tipped the furniture to the side, causing her ring to fly over towards the door and finally away from the light.
With every bit of determination she could muster up, she bit down her audible protests as she flashed past the last bit of sunlight. Ignoring the way it still made her skin sizzle and her blood boil in agony. And as she fell apart with an exhausted gasp by the shaded floor, she grabbed the ring and immediately put it back on. Panting heavily as she leaned back against the wall in an attempt to calm her raising heart while her body slowly healed from its burns.
Only problem then was that when she got up to leave, something kept pulling at her not to. She opened the door, stood with her foot on the threshold, prepared to escape the hybrid's clutches once and for all...
But all she could think about was Nico, and how much of a mess she really had made during her first ever week of humanity-free living.
How long until the next Nico showed up? How long until she got into trouble again? And how long until Klaus and her friends stopped caring about what happened to her and finally refused to come to her aid?
So, realizing she couldn't go on as she had so far, she cursed her own decision under her breath and closed the door with a loud thud. Dropping down to the floor again as she waited for Klaus to return.
Because, really, there was no one else in the world right then and there that would be neither willing nor able to help her now.
Klaus wasn't sure whether he was disappointed or relieved to find the young vampire still in the apartment upon his return. But as he saw her standing by the windows, her arms crossed as she gazed out over the dark street below, he knew he wouldn't like the result of her decision either way.
Because now he was forced to lie to her.
"Caroline." he murmured softly, secretly hoping she might have changed her mind and chosen to become herself again all on her own. Though as she turned to face him with empty eyes, he quickly concluded that that wasn't the case.
The sigh that escaped him at that was barely audible, but it seemed she caught his disappointment anyhow. "I didn't expect you to still be here." he shared truthfully, earning a shrug from her in response.
"That makes two of us." she scoffed, turning to the window again as she appeared deep in thought.
He walked over to study the view himself, unsure of what else to say or do. He had technically won, but it didn't feel like it one bit – and, if her demeanor was anything to go by, it seemed they were equally displeased with this particular outcome.
"Were you telling the truth?" she asked after a long moment, bringing him to glance back at her in question as she soon continued. "Can you really help me stay like this?" she clarified, looking over at him with a pointed nod. "No chance of anyone forcing me to turn it on? No risk of accidentally doing so myself by running into some surprise trigger?"
He studier her shortly before nodding in reply. "Yes." he said, the answer prompting her to sigh as she averted her gaze then.
"I think..." she began with a grimace. "I think things could have gotten really bad here today. And all because I was trying to avoid you." she mused, the words making him frown as he nodded to himself at that.
"And, well... Maybe that's not the smartest strategy..." she added. "Because, if anyone can make sure that I'm not cornered by my supposed friends or get killed by some unknown enemy - it'd probably be you."
He was surprised at that, his face furrowed as he tried to read the inclination of the confession in her tone. Only to remember there would hardly be anything there for him to read in the first place.
"Not to mention that you're obsessed with me." she quipped then with a short smirk, giving him whiplash as she shrugged herself off so easily before continuing. "So, following you to New Orleans probably means that I'd be living like a princess and have whatever I want right at my fingertips at all times... Right?" she chimed, the playful look in her eyes falling flat to him and making him scoff a little in reply.
"I'd prefer 'queen'." he snickered, shaking his head slowly. "But... I am following you so far." he added, waiting for her to explain further and earning a quick nod from her as she seemed to steel herself for just that.
"One year." she told him, turning to face him with her whole body as she spoke on determinedly. "You don't get to go anywhere near my switch, you don't get to try and trick me or manipulate me or use me in any way. I get to be free, away from them and you. For one year." she summarized, her eyes narrowing as she watched him closely. "Are you really willing to agree to something like that?" she asked.
"A year isn't a particularly long time for an immortal being like me, love." he noted with a smirk, receiving a very Caroline-esque eyeroll in result and feeling something ache in his chest at the sight of it.
"Right..." she muttered, making him sigh before he spoke.
"One year." he repeated in agreement, stepping closer as he continued sternly. "As long as you blend in, do not draw attention nor danger to yourself and follow certain... let's call them guidelines, for how to acclimate to our city." he demanded, shrugging before he spoke again.
"If you do, there won't be any need for my interference in your life whatsoever. I'll remain at a distance. As far away as you wish."
"And in exchange, you'll get me that spell?" she asked, the reminder of his promise to her bringing a sour taste to his mouth when he replied.
"Yes." he told her without hesitation.
She nodded slowly as if in thought before meeting his eyes again. "Fine." she finally quipped under a conceding breath. "You win."
He couldn't bring himself to return her pleased smile as she held out her hand in wait. That sting on his tongue now poisoning his entire being as he slowly reached out and shook her hand in conclusion. Wondering just how long it would take before something went horribly wrong with this wretched agreement.
And really hoping he would be able to handle it when it did as the realization felt heavy in his gut;
There was no turning back now.
Present day
Mystic Falls, Virginia
"I've been looking for you." the words didn't seem to startle the young witch as Elena sat down on a branch next to her by the fire. It hadn't been that long since Bonnie's death after all, but somehow the vampire had started getting used to her absence. And indirectly, she'd forgotten about her friend's ability to sense the people around her - always knowing when someone was nearing her.
Yet, Elena suspected that there was another reason for Bonnie's sullen mask and indifferent reaction as she looked like she was buried in heavy thoughts.
"Are you okay?" she asked as she reached for her arm, giving her shoulder a comforting squeeze as the witch turned to her with a weak smile.
"Let me guess, Damon talked to you?" her friend snickered silently, the somber color in her eyes tugging at Elena's heart.
"He wanted to make sure that you had someone to… well, go to." the vampire explained with a shrug. "He didn't really tell me anything more than that and honestly; it's pretty bizarre to imagine Damon - of all people - having more insight into your state of mind than I do."
Bonnie's face scrunched up into an apologetic grimace for a moment as she faced the fire before them again. The silent response making the other brunette nervous as she dusted off some dirt from her jeans.
"What happened to you guys?" she pressed, noting the witch's shoulders tensing slightly at that even as she remained quiet still. "I mean… d-did you-" she cut herself off out of fear of what she would say, not really wanting to consider the awful churning of insecurity that was digging a hole through her chest.
Fortunately, her friend's head snapped back with wide eyes as she suddenly let out a chuckle. "No. No, nothing like that, Elena." she interjected with a convincing enough of a smile as she nodded to her reassuringly. "But I will say this; it's pretty hard to hate someone when you are the only two people left in the world." she explained with a sigh. "When you only have each other."
Elena nodded slowly at that, trying to return the kind smile on Bonnie's face but falling short as remnants of anxiety still hummed in her mind. "So, is there another reason that you're upset with him? Did he do something to you?"
The witch studied her with a solemn frown as she seemed to be assessing her reactions closely. "He really didn't tell you?" Bonnie asked, adding fuel to the already raging fire that was straining her nerves. "He…" she added with a deep sigh before continuing. "He wants me to forgive Kai Parker." she shared, her voice dripping with resentment as she spoke. "And I just… I feel betrayed. Because I thought he knew me better than to expect something like that after-"
Bonnie gulped as the words got stuck in her throat, taking the vampire aback then by the sudden fire in her eyes. "You don't have to." she reassured her, receiving a raised brow from her friend then. "You don't have to forgive someone for hurting you if you don't want to."
"It's not that easy, Elena…"
"Sure it is." she countered, shaking her head as she let out a long exhale. "You know… I realize that I haven't been a very good friend for a while now. I've felt like I'm drowning for so long and now that I'm not anymore, I think I forgot how to go back to living. To not just being in survival mode." she confessed with a short frown before turning to her with a determined nod.
"But you have always been the strong one, Bon." she told her. "Which is how I know that you wouldn't just hate someone for no reason… And sure, I can't begin to understand what you went through during that time alone in the Prison World…" she sighed, feeling guilt starting to constrict her chest as she imagined the pain her friend must've felt.
The hopelessness.
She sure as hell knew what that was like.
"But as someone who has some experience in being left behind by the people you care about, in feeling like you're alone in your pain…" she drawled with a bitter smile. "You are the only one who knows what you've been through, and you're the one who's going to need to get past it. So, whatever you have to do to heal and move on; do it." she concluded, taking Bonnie's hand and squeezing it tightly before continuing. "And I'll be here, helping however I possibly can."
The witch gave her a glossy-eyed smile as she nodded in response to that, squeezing her hand back tightly and pulling her in for a hug. Sniffling a little against her shoulder as Elena hugged her back. "If only Care was here to hear that." she murmured, bringing a sad chuckle out of the other brunette then. "Maybe then she'd finally realize that even though she might feel like it; she isn't alone."
"Yeah..." Elena sighed, running her hand over Bonnie's back before she let go. "I just wish there was a way of making sure that she was safe." she mused, shaking her head in a dejected frown. "I wish she knew that we only want to be there for her. That that's all we've been trying to do…" she added with a scoff. "I mean, sure, Stefan thinks that Klaus can get her to turn it back on again somehow - but even so, what happens when she does?" she pressed. "She'll be devastated and all alone. How are we supposed to get her to come back then?"
Bonnie blinked for a moment, something flashing over her face before she met her friend's eyes. Prompting the vampire to furrow her eyebrows in question. "What?" she asked.
"I think…" the witch stammered with something bright suddenly filling her gaze. "I think I know a way to help her."