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A/N: Enjoy this chapter, I liked writing it.
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She pulled her leather jacket tighter around her, feeling small on this big parking lot. Caroline was leaning against the hood of their car, waiting. Today's events had made her realise she needed to make things right with certain people so that she still had a home to get back to.
First, she left a voicemail for her mother.
'Mum,' Caroline said into the voicemail, 'I promise I will be back soon, I'm sorry for making you worry.'
Then she called Elena, hoping she would answer, and she did.
'Elena,' Caroline let out.
'Oh, my god. Caroline,' Elena said. Her friend sounded glad to hear from her, it made the blonde feel terrible, she had so much to apologise for.
'I am so sorry Katherine hurt you, it's all my fault,' Caroline said, 'I told Klaus the truth. I should not have risked it.'
She heard Elena sigh. 'Stefan told Damon what happened and from what I gathered you were put in a fairly uncomfortable position.'
'It was not pleasant no… But what is also not pleasant is to be drained by the she-bitch.'
Elena let out a short laugh, 'What is worse is how she tries to make it seem like I am playing both brothers like she used to do.'
'Yes, she tried to make Stefan doubt your loyalty too, but I reassured him you would never cheat. Katherine just wants to drive a wedge between you two, it entertains her.'
'Thanks, Care…' Elena said, before pausing for a moment, 'What is this I hear about Klaus having a thing for you? Stefan mentioned that he is keeping me alive because of you. Did you strike some kind of deal?'
This is not something that could be explained in one sentence. 'It's not so much a deal, but more... We have this kind of electric chemistry between us, and it fucking sucks to admit because he has a habit of hurting my friends. And others as we speak.' Caroline took a deep breath, 'You know how he sought me out as Alaric that one day after class. That is when it all started, his showing interest in me... Comforting me after the break-up, letting me choose a city to experience the world, and be free. It's all very confusing. Though it's probably all over now.'
'Well damn.'
Sometimes those words from a friend were more validating than any advice in the world. And this honesty was cleansing her soul, so she continued rambling.
'I have something else to admit, Matt dying was my fault too. I feel horrible, he shouldn't have gotten involved in any of this stuff. The day of the Sacrifice, Klaus released me.'
Elena didn't sound surprised. 'Ah, yes Damon mentioned that.'
'What I didn't tell him is that I begged Klaus not to hurt my friends, which is why he also released Tyler. But, Klaus must have thought I hated Matt after our break-up… So if it wasn't for me, Matt would still be alive.'
'If it wasn't for Klaus, Matt would still be alive,' Elena corrected her.
'Fuck, Elena,' Caroline felt tears on her cheeks. She had blocked out all the guilt she felt about Matt for so long, she only realised she felt it until she said it out loud. 'You are too understanding, I thought I was going to lose my friend.'
'You and I have both lost enough losing Matt. Your good intentions shine through and that is what matters. No one expects you to be perfect, Caroline,' Elena said reassuringly.
The smile on her face was so bright that she felt it might light up this whole parking lot. 'You. Me. Bonnie. Jenna. Girls night. Soon,' Caroline said decisively.
'Counting on it, goodnight Caroline.'
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Ray was putting up a fight, Caroline thought. The blonde felt like she had been waiting for ages. The fight or flight instinct installed in her at a young age was still in place. So she stayed vigilant, keeping her eye out for any odd movement. Maybe she only liked the darkness when she was in a group after all. Thoughts and noises seemed louder at night with no friendly voice to distract her or a task to get done. She knew she wouldn't hear the end of this but Caroline decided to go back inside.
Klaus smiled brightly when he saw her. 'Miss me, sweetheart?'
Sass in place, she soon took a seat near him, 'You wish.' Despite her words, she felt glad to see him, happy to have people near her again, even homicidal ones.
Caroline crossed her legs making herself comfortable in her seat. Compared to the empty darkness outside, he didn't seem that bad, she considered.
'I sure missed you,' Klaus said dreamily, glancing at her. 'Stefan puts up a good show but you aren't, are you. You are drawn to me like a fly.'
'Is it good for me though?' Caroline muttered, looking at the bloody mess that is Ray. Stefan's movements had stilted, he was listening in.
'Perhaps not,' Klaus admitted.
That made her turn her head. She hadn't expected him to tell her that so frankly. Maybe she was doing the corrupting…
The words fell out of her mouth before Caroline could reconsider. 'You're not that bad,' she mused, glancing at him.
He raised an eyebrow, a smirk appearing on his lips. His delicious lips.
Caroline felt the need to elaborate. 'I mean, I am sure you are a baddie, I have seen it. You are not exactly winning the best person award,' Her hands were moving in emphasis, 'Point is you are not the villain in my story.'
Their eyes were engaged in an intimate dance before he broke the silence.
'I am glad you think so, sweetheart,' Klaus said. He spoke with a controlled rhythm, not giving too much away.
It felt strange "casually" chatting like this while a few feet away someone was being tortured for information. Ray was talking now, it won't be long before they could hit the road again.
Caroline desperately wanted to understand Klaus, to have a justification to be near him.
'All the terrible things I have seen you do always had some kind of reason. A curse to break, an army to build. You don't hurt people for the sake of hurting them,' she thought aloud.
He leaned back in his seat, staring at her thoughtfully.
'Sometimes I do, sweetheart,' Klaus corrected her, 'Call it boredom. A thousand years is a long time, one does all kinds of things for the thrill of it. You'll see.'
When he was honest like this, it was hard to hate him. Her morals were raging war inside of her. Caroline was frustrated by her inability to move away from him.
So, the blonde simply looked away from him, turning to look at her friend instead. Torture goes against every romanticised idea she had of Stefan. The line between good and bad was blurrier than she thought. Maybe Klaus found it thrilling seeing Stefan like this. 'I did have a feeling you like being entertained,' Caroline commented drily.
'I do.' His gaze was burning in her skin. 'You have to understand, Caroline, throughout the centuries you will be the one constant force as people die left and right around you. Fragile humans and their mortality. It's draining to care for these creatures knowing you will have to mourn them later. It's simpler not to.'
'How does that even work?' Caroline wondered aloud. 'How do you see them if you do not allow yourself to care?' It was like a bubble had grown around Klaus and her as she listened to him speak.
'As amusing pets. Every decade or so you will find a handful that stand out to you. Most of the time, however, humans are underwhelming. That's where the chase comes in, it makes them worthwhile.'
His words hurt, she hurt for every wonderful person she had ever known.
'A year ago I was a human,' Caroline said, emotion dripping from her tongue, 'Hearing you talk like that as if we are all amusing pets rather than persons with complex inner lives is downright repulsive.'
Klaus cocked his head, meeting her glare. 'I would have noticed you Caroline if that's what you are worried about.'
The blonde rolled her eyes. 'Yea, like how Damon "noticed" me,' she said hoarsely.
His red lips pressed together thinly, indicating that she had crossed a line. His cold voice came out like a whip. 'Do not compare me to that pathetic excuse of a vampire.'
Caroline faced him head-on, standing up in her disgust.
'Then don't talk like one,' she snapped, 'It's not sexy you know, bragging about how much you don't care.'
His gaze softened. 'Caroline…'
She was about to speak but Stefan burst their little bubble.
'Smoky Mountains, Tennessee.'
It was like the smoky mountains cut dimples into the hybrid's cheeks.
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They had been on the road for ages. Stefan had dumped Ray into the trunk of the car and sometimes she could hear his muffled sounds echoing through the vehicle. What a joyful little road trip this is.
Caroline still changed the music all the time, but Klaus didn't bother telling her to stop. The blonde suspected that he was walking on eggshells around her. To be fair, she did feel like she was going to explode if she was stuck in here for another hour.
They still hadn't talked about their little "spat" in the bar.
'We had a spat, I am over it already,' Klaus had said.
'Ah… well. I am not,' she had replied.
And that had been that.
Thankfully, Stefan hadn't been in the mood for chitchat either.
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Caroline had been the one to remind them that, hey he is a werewolf he actually needs food.
'We will make a stop at the next gas station.'
'Alright.'
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'You coming, love?' Klaus asked, opening the door at her side. 'Your knowledge about human nutrition is more up to date than mine after all.'
It was hard to argue with that, and she could do with some fresh air.
As she stepped out Caroline realised what he really wanted.
To get her alone.
But no turning back now.
She felt him glance at her as she walked next to him.
'Caroline, are you really going to pretend nothing happened between us?' Klaus said, shocking her that he even brought it up.
'I am not pretending nothing happened. I just don't know what there is left to say,' Caroline said lightly, carefully averting her eyes, 'Especially, after that night at the bar.'
'Talk to me, Caroline,' Klaus said, coming to a stop behind her. 'Allow me to make things right.'
The blonde turned around to face him then. His eyes seemed sincere, almost puppy dog-like.
She would hear him out.
The gas station had a little store, and they sat down on the white bench before it.
He looked at her with his Nik eyes. That's what she decided to call the eyes he reserved only for her.
Finally, he broke the silence. 'What's bothering you, my love?' Klaus asked.
'Everything,' Caroline let out, closing her eyes, 'My feelings are all over the place. I don't know what to make of you.'
His hand felt comforting on her hand. 'Truth be told Caroline, you haunt me too. I have sketches of you I haven't even shown you yet.'
'Really?' Caroline said, unable to hide her curiosity. Her eyes were wide as she looked at him.
His smile was adorable as he spoke, 'Yes, I will show you, love,' Klaus promised, moving closer to her. 'In fact, I will show you everything the world has to offer.'
His words sounded too good to be true.
'Thought our thing had ended,' Caroline said, feeling bewildered, 'whatever it was.'
Klaus chuckled in amusement.
'On the contrary love, clearly, we are only getting started,' Klaus said matter-of-factly, before pausing for a moment.
She didn't know what to say when her feelings were such a mess, so she simply glowered at him in contempt.
'When we fight, is it really me you're angry with? Or yourself, for wanting me?' Klaus asked her, a smirk playing on his face.
Wow, was she that obvious? Ah, fuck it.
'Both,' she told him, watching his reaction.
His words were quick as the lights dancing in his eyes.
'When that little mouth of yours is spitting fire, all I want is to burn on your tongue,' he said lowly. 'Your words of contempt cutting me to pieces, whilst your body speaks another language entirely. Your eyes, practically begging me to take you again.'
Damn, if her panties weren't wet now.
'The gentleman thing to do here would be to look the other way,' The blonde murmured, thinking back to their time at the motel.
'Now, where would be the fun in that,' Klaus said, his hand playing with her hair.
Caroline decided to change the topic, this was too much. Also, she had standards, fucking at a gas station in plain daylight is not exactly on her to-do list.
'What is it like being a hybrid?' she asked him, slightly dazed. This question had been playing on her mind for a long time.
He looked surprised, but not displeased by her question.
'I feel whole,' Klaus said slowly, staring at her intently. 'There is nothing like reuniting with a part of yourself that you knew was missing.'
A small smile crept on her face. 'You sound content,' she said honestly.
Caroline noticed him tense up slightly. Maybe she had touched upon something sensitive.
'Soon, perhaps,' Klaus informed her, 'once my puzzle is complete.'
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Things were.. easier.. after their little shopping trip. What they had was still questionable, but she figured they were at least friends. It was enlightening to realise that her anger towards him was partly because of her attraction to him. She wouldn't get so riled up about his dark side if she wasn't drawn to him. After all, the blonde always wanted to do the right thing, and she was still far from sure how Klaus fitted into all this. But she tried to remember Elena's words, 'no one expects you to be perfect, Caroline.'
Stefan didn't seem too surprised by the brightened atmosphere in the car. He was looking out of the window, non-plussed.
'You two made up?' Stefan prompted, making conversation.
Caroline glanced at Klaus who was smiling, his dimples in full force.
Then she nodded. 'I suppose we did.'
'Thank god,' Stefan said, with a surprising amount of relief.
She fell into laughter, and she could hear Klaus chuckle next to her.
'Yes, Stefan, mummy, and daddy like each other again,' Klaus said drily, 'apologies for the trauma.'
Her eyes widened in horror, but she couldn't help but giggle. "Mummy and daddy" was the last thing she expected Klaus to say. Ever.
If possible it looked like Stefan was blushing.
What a happy little family they were.
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But every family goes through ups and downs. Literally, like walking tens of miles through the Smoky Mountains in Tennessee.
Stefan was carrying Ray on his back and Klaus was annoying him like crazy, she dared say he was being a dad.
Caroline was amused at the contrast, perky Klaus and broody Stefan. The hybrid liked drawing reactions out of the younger Salvatore brother, it must be entertaining to him.
As they walked, Caroline was thankful that she was in good shape. The years of cheer practice had paid off, allowing her to enjoy her new surroundings, without much of a sweat. Mystic Falls wasn't short of nature, but it was nothing this grand. Nature here was wonderful and they had already seen many gorgeous waterfalls. Despite wearing breathable clothing, she still felt the urge to jump in every time they walked past one. The blonde was wearing the light-blue top that Klaus had bought her and the silk felt lovely on her skin. She only resisted plopping down in the water because Klaus was a man on a mission, leading the way.
With her vampire hearing, she could hear animal inhabitants far and wide. It was quite relaxing listening to all the sounds, without doing it for the purpose of feeding. Klaus told her they may even come across a black bear in this area.
'Who would come out on top, a hybrid or a bear?' Caroline wondered aloud, quirking one eyebrow.
He smirked at her question. 'Perhaps we will find out tonight,' he said happily. 'Odds are in my favour though, I'll have you know I am the alpha male.'
Caroline felt a pit in her stomach at the realisation that it would be a full moon tonight.
The time she was bitten by Tyler came to mind vividly. Her eyes widening as the terror grew in her body.
'Oh my god...' Caroline said, with panic in her voice. 'It's a full moon tonight and we are near a pack. Not sure how this will end for me and Stefan.'
Caroline felt his comforting hand on the small of her back.
'You are quite literally walking next to the cure, so I wouldn't fret, love,' Klaus said grinning.
She nodded a decisive okay, she would NOT stress.
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Her mouth fell open slightly at the sight of the people and the tents.
'Thanks to our pal, Ray, we found ourselves a pack,' Klaus said, a twisted quality to his voice.
This was one of his missing puzzle pieces she was sure of it. She wondered much closer Klaus would be towards being content after this.
The distrust on the faces of the werewolves was hard to miss, they were intruders amongst their midst, after all.
Stefan threw Ray on the ground. A collective gasp of horror emerged from the pack.
A brown-haired girl fell to her knees, she clearly knew Ray.
'Who are you?' she asked Stefan.
Klaus stepped forward, joining Stefan's side.
'The more important question is who am I,' The hybrid said, looking up to face the crowd. 'Please forgive the intrusion. My name is Klaus.'
The girl nearly fell backward upon his words. 'You're the hybrid.'
The gleam in Klaus's eyes spoke of darkness to come.
'You've heard of me. Fantastic.'
Caroline could only watch as Klaus made his first hybrid. He had already forced his blood into Ray's system earlier that day.
And now his victim was waking up from his transition. Klaus poured some of Elena's blood in a paper cup, smirk in place.
'You see Ray, you are in transition,' Klaus said, 'All you need to do is drink. If you don't you will die.'
He forced the cup into Ray's hand. 'Drink,' he repeated.
Ray brought the cup to his lips, choosing to live.
'Consider this an experiment,' Klaus murmured, as Elena's blood fell down Ray's throat.
It felt surreal to watch, it felt like she was dreaming.
Klaus seduced the pack with tales of creatures neither bound by sun or moon, as Ray was crawling on the floor in his suffering. His muscles seemed to twitch, and whimpers of pain echoed all across the camp.
At last, "the experiment" looked up.
Yellow eyes, black veins, and angry fangs.
The face of a true hybrid emerged.
The first of many that day.
The original hybrid was ecstatic.
Caroline thought it suited him.
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How did you like this deviation from Canon? Thanks for reading my lovelies.
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