Hello, my lovely readers. More reunions are underway and the drama continues to deepen. On with the show…
Chapter 3: Young Lady, You Have Some Explaining To Do!
Stalking into the Mystic Falls High library, Rebekah Mikaelson stopped by the tables. Her hands went to her hips and she glowered at everyone else there. She could not believe that she'd come behind Tyler bloody Lockwood, the friend tree. Someone would pay for not keeping Rebekah in the loop of what was going on around here. Then she noted that even her just-appeared-out-of-the-blue-sister, Freya, was there, too. Well, that did it.
"Does someone want to explain to me why no one texted me!" Rebekah demanded, her voice rising in pitch with each new syllable.
"Sorry, Bekah. We've been a little busy," Bonnie snapped. The witch's green eyes burned into Rebekah who glanced at the Slayer on the table. Rebekah sniffed before turning her sights on Caroline. "Well, is anyone not worried about the Dead Slayer in the room?" Brows going up, Rebekah watched Caroline cross her arms over her chest. "Care to explain, Caroline? Or whoever you really are?"
"Funny. This is the same 'tude your brother was giving me. Right before I kicked his ass. Would you like some of this, too?" Caroline cocked her head to the side.
"Caroline," Freya called. Her hands were gripping the edge of the table that Hayley laid on and the look she was sending the dead girl was not a friendly one. But the one she sent her sister's way was not anymore kind. "Rebekah. If you wish to help, please, take a seat. You might be needed. Soon."
"What's going on?" Rebekah asked, moving closer to the table. She stopped when Caroline stepped in front of her. "Move, Little Zombie, or I'll take your head off," Bekah hissed out.
"One: I'm not a zombie," Caroline hissed back, her fangs popping out and then she added, "Two: Klaus is the reason Hayley is in this condition. So, back the hell off, Mikaelson."
Inhaling, Rebekah took a single step backwards. "You've turned?" Shaking her head, she moved to pull out a seat and dropped into it. "That's not possible. I know. I've seen it fail."
Kol jumped in. "More than once," he added. "She was there for at least two of my attempts. Must be more to your story. You weren't part vampire. Before? Were you?" He examined Caroline whose brows came together in a skeptical expression.
"No, stupid. She was a human," Rebekah said with a dismissive hand wave in her brother's direction. "However, Kol, idiot that he is; does have a point. There must be something different about you. Something not quite human."
"I was human. One hundred percent," Caroline argued. The downturn of her lips made Rebekah wonder if the girl truly believed her own words.
"This isn't working," Freya said to Bonnie, interrupting the current conversation. "Why isn't it working? She should be healing already." Taking a longer look at the scratch on Hayley's neck, she frowned. "I think she's been poisoned. Tyler, get me a cup. I need to go to the Chem lab and test this."
Tyler moved across the room and went to stand behind the counter. He came back with an empty coffee mug. "This work?" he asked.
"Yes." Freya held out a hand and Tyler moved to bring the coffee mug as everyone else became quiet. The witch withdrew a knife from her purse and Elijah placed his hands on Hayley's shoulders while Freya dug under Hayley's skin, around the wound and something dark slipped into the mug. "Bonnie?"
Bonnie and Freya left the library and Rebekah watched Kol's eyes trail the pair out of the room. "You!" Rebekah snapped at her brother. "Why didn't you call me?"
"Who did tell you?" Caroline asked.
Rolling her eyes, Rebekah tossed her hair over her shoulder. "No one. I came to grab a book for classes. Thought I could do it with the place locked up for the night. I heard voices coming from the library. How shocking to find my dead friend wandering about and not one of my other friends—or family—deigned to tell me of the development."
"We just found out," Elijah said. "Freya tracked Niklaus to the graveyard. We meant to stop him from killing Hayley. I was just as shocked as you are now to find Caroline there, too."
"You. Could. Have. Told. Me." Rebekah snapped. She felt more than mildly irritated.
Caroline rolled her eyes. "My mom doesn't know yet."
Jaw dropping, Rebekah turned to stare at Caroline. "You haven't gone home? Your poor mother! You need to go home! This instant!"
"And do what, Rebekah, scare Liz half to death. She buried her child. She thinks that Caroline is dead." Alaric broke his silence, his hands clasped in front him as he sat forward in a chair two tables away from Rebekah's. "This is insane. None of us knows how to deal with Caroline's coming back. And we can't just spring her on people."
"Does that mean I can't come back to school?" Caroline asked, eyes wide.
Alaric looked at Caroline. "I don't know."
"But… But I'll miss Senior Prom. And graduation…" Caroline sat down on top of the table between Rebekah and Alaric, placing her elbows on her knees and her chin on her palms. "What am I supposed to do? Skip to college?"
Rolling her eyes, Rebekah looked at the ceiling. "What a tragedy."
Caroline turned her head to glare at Rebekah. "You've been dead forever and I bet you've still planned out your outfit for prom."
Opening her mouth and shutting it; Rebekah settled for a dark look. That's when Freya and Bonnie came back into the room. "Test results are back in. He's given her nightshade."
"Like in Romeo and Juliet?" Tyler asked. "Does it mean she'll wake up?"
"You actually bothered to read?" Caroline quipped.
Tyler opened his mouth but Freya cut in. "This is not like Shakespeare's writings. This poison has left our Slayer in a coma because she is stronger than the average human. But she is not strong enough to fight off the poison, simply delay the inevitable."
"Which is death?" Marcel demanded, coming to stand over Hayley. "How do we stop it?" he demanded.
"You help me find the ingredients for an antidote and don't do something stupid like trying to hunt down Niklaus. Your Slayer needs you. Getting yourself killed will not help." Freya's eyes were fixed on Marcel's.
Watching the Hunter's jaw lock, Rebekah could see that he was torn between his duty to his charge and going after her brother. "Stay with the girl. I will assist my sister."
Marcel's eyes moved to Rebekah. She could see the lack of trust there. "You want her alive?" she demanded, moving to her feet. "You must trust us."
"Trust the family of the monster who tried to kill her?" Marcel demanded, his hand going to Hayley's.
"Yes." Caroline pushed off the side of the table. "I'll go with them. Make sure they don't do anything funny. And I don't mean ha-ha." A little smirk appeared on her lips.
Marcel looked at Hayley. The frown on his face told Rebekah that Marcel was debating what he would do. "Is it worth her life?" Rebekah demanded. Her brows went up. "Waiting? Wondering whether or not you can trust us?"
Blowing out a breath, Marcel met Rebekah's eyes. "Go. I'm staying here."
"Right then," Rebekah looked at Caroline. "Shall we?"
Caroline got up. "Ric?"
"I'm staying behind. Jo might be able to help with medical stuff." Ric nodded at his girlfriend.
"Stuff? Jo chuckled. "Please, hurry."
"We will," Caroline said.
~0~
"Are you sure about this?" Caroline asked. Her feet carried her forward, but her eyes darted back and forth. She did not like walking into what could be a trap.
"I'm sure Niklaus is not here. I would be able to sense him." Freya offered Caroline a quick smile. It did not reassure Caroline.
The Vampire-Slayer's shoulders stayed tense as Freya unlocked the door with a key. Bonnie entered the house right behind Freya. Rebekah went in behind the witches. Caroline the last to enter. Her eyes swept the length of the foyer. She opened her mind and probed for anything.
What Caroline felt was one hell of an emotional whammy coming from all of the ladies present. Such a combination of feelings. Not being able to separate one from the other, Caroline groaned, and closed her mind off. She really hated her new power. Being able to sense how others felt did not sound very vampire-y and she found it irritating.
"What?" Bonnie called over her shoulder. She'd just begun to climb the stairs and was only a few steps behind Freya when she stopped.
Shaking her head, Caroline waved a hand. "It's nothing."
"Okay." Bonnie did not look like she believed Caroline but she continued her journey up the stairs.
"Shouldn't there be a secret garden—outside—where Freya keeps her healing herbs and botanicals?" Caroline questioned Bekah, stopping in front of one Klaus' paintings.
"She plans on beginning one. However, it takes time to grow them and to cultivate them," Rebekah looked at the painting. "Not his finest moment." She cocked her head to the side. "One of his many lovers. She was a stupid infatuation. Nothing for you to worry your silly, little head about."
"I'm not worried," Caroline replied. Still. She stood there, staring at the painting and wondering why Klaus would hang it after coming home. Did he want to rid himself of the memory of Caroline? Was she really dead to him?
Deciding not to worry about it, Caroline went over to a chair and plunked her butt in it. Blowing out a breath, Caroline rolled her eyes and watched the stairs. "Do you think I should tell my mom? Seriously?" Her eyes drifted up to meet Rebekah's.
Sighing, Rebekah came to lean against the wall beside the chair. She faced the stairs and folded her arms over her chest. In that moment, Rebekah looked like a pretty statue. "I think you should do what you think is best. I also think it would be best if your mother did not run into you on the street." Her eyes rolled to meet Caroline. A little smile appeared on her face. "That would be quite the shock. Don't you think?"
"Probably." Caroline shifted on the chair. "Do you think Klaus wants me to be dead?"
Now, Rebekah looked less certain. "Niklaus. He loved you. So very, very much. Right now, he believes the girl he loved is nothing more than the meat-suit for some kind of abomination. And he probably believes it is his fault. Which it is. Really. We all know that. His obsession with you. His desire to keep you, damn the cost… But Nature always demands a price. My brother believes you—what you are now—is the price. In trying to kill you, he's trying to correct his mistake."
"So, he think he's Frankenstein. And I'm what, the monster?" Caroline scoffed, feeling annoyed.
"Sums it up rather nicely. Actually," Rebekah replied with a wide grin.
"Great." Caroline fell back in the seat, her arms falling over the sides of the chair and her legs sprawled out in front of her. "What every girl wants to hear."
On cue, Bonnie came bouncing down the steps, "Freya thinks she has the antidote."
"Okay." Caroline nodded. "You guys go ahead. Let me know how it goes."
"Where are you going?" Bonnie asked as Caroline got to her feet.
"Home," Caroline replied, watching Bonnie frown.
"Caroline, are you sure that's a good idea. You didn't see your mom the day of the funeral…" Bonnie came to stand in front of Caroline. "You can stay with me. 'Til Grams comes home. She's a powerful witch. She might even be able to help you figure out how you're here."
"Thanks, Bon. But I need to do this," Caroline said. She placed a gentle hand on Bonnie's shoulder. "Thank you for not hating me."
"Hate you?" Bonnie let out a quiet laugh. "Caroline, I've known you since we were six. I can't hate you. No matter whether you occasionally drink blood and never have to sleep again."
Shaking her head, Caroline laughed. "I think I do have to sleep. A little…" She glanced at Rebekah who nodded. "Anyway, I'm headed out now. Good luck with the whole curing Hayley thing."
"I'll go with you," Rebekah said. "Moral support."
"No. I really need to do this by myself." Caroline watched Rebekah's face fall. "Maybe after we can have a sleepover. It can be my 'Welcome Back to the Land of the Living, or Not Party."
"We really need to go," Freya said, moving toward the door. "Sorry."
"Don't be." Caroline waved them off. "Go. Play hero. I've got a mom to traumatize." Bonnie looked a little worried about that last part but Rebekah propelled her out the door. "Bye," Caroline whispered.
Making her way out the front door of the Mikaelsons' home, Caroline made her way to the sidewalk. She knew she could just run all the way to her house. It would take her five minutes. In the end, Caroline preferred the idea of a long walk to clear her head of all the agitation of the last four hours. Four? So few to have gone through so much.
Caroline's mind whirled as she tried to process her boyfriend trying to kill her. Her friends having mixed feelings about her returning to the fold. What her life could be like now. No babies. No wedding with a normal, human guy. Although Caroline did not believe she still wanted a human boyfriend. It felt like so two years ago.
No more ordinary Slayer training. What would Ric do now? Did he need a whole new training manual? How-to-train-your-baby-vampire-slayer? Yup. Whole new territory. Whole new, scary territory. Maybe Hayley would just continue being the Slayer and Caroline could do consults. With Jeremy there to do whatever he was intended for.
Jeremy. He wanted to kill Caroline as much as Klaus did. Yup. Another problem. For another day. Fun to be had for all. All but Caroline.
That last thought left Caroline feeling glum and she kicked at a stone in front of her. Why did life have to be so complicated? And she wasn't even alive! She was dead! This was not fair. Apparently death was as unfair as life ever had been.
All of her thoughts had brought her closer and closer to her own front door and Caroline realized she stood two houses away. If only she'd taken a bit more time to figure out what to tell her mother. "Hi, Mom! I'm alive!" No. "Hi, Mom. Sorry you thought I was dead. Worst not-April Fool's joke ever!" Definitely not. "Hi, Mom…" Yeah, Caroline had nothing.
Sighing, Caroline squared her shoulders and marched toward her front door. She would say what was in her heart once her mother opened the door. Yup. That would work. She felt confident. Things would be fine.
Eyeing the windows, Caroline noted the lack of light coming from inside the house. Maybe her mom went to bed early? Or Liz was depressed and sat around the house with all the lights off. That thought made Caroline feel guilty. Bonnie had said that Liz was taking Caroline's death hard. This could be really bad. Maybe she should turn back.
No. Caroline would not chicken out when she was right outside the door. Shaking her head, Caroline inhaled sharply and lifted her hand, knocking on the door twice and with a heavy hand. If that didn't work, she would just use the spare key and give Liz a heart attack. No.
After a long couple of minutes, Caroline groaned. "Come on, Mom." She lifted her hand and knocked, again, this time with a heavier hand. If she used any more force; she would put a hole in it.
Again, no one came to the door. Feeling irritable, Caroline turned around and sat down. Her mom would have to come out the door at some point.
Pulling out her phone, Caroline checked for a text from her group and found nothing. Looked like Freya was wrong about what was wrong with Hayley or they had yet to use the antidote. Pocketing her phone, Caroline stared at the night skyline.
As Caroline was contemplating the cosmos, a car pulled up. A familiar car. A car she'd been inside so many times. It parked in the driveway. A woman got out and rounded to the back of the car. Caroline saw and heard the trunk pop open. The woman bent over to get something out while Caroline stood up. Caroline made her way over with caution when the woman let out a quiet sound of frustration. An orange went rolling down the driveway. It would have rolled into the street if not for Caroline darting over to stop its roll.
The woman, who had just lost the orange, dropped the paper sacks in her arms. The sounds of a glass bottle or jar and a carton of eggs shattering made Caroline flinch. "Hi, Mom," Caroline said softly. "I'm home."
Falling back against the trunk, Liz shook her head. "Caroline?"
"Mom. Please, don't be afraid." Caroline took a gingerly step toward her mother and then another. "I'm okay." She watched her mother continue to shake her head until Caroline placed her hands on her mother's shoulders. "See?"
"Caroline…" Liz reached up, her hands cupping Caroline's elbows and she examined Caroline's face as Caroline nodded. "Honey?"
"I'm here. I'm really here. I'm not dead. I'm so sorry, Mommy." Caroline felt unshed tears begin to run down her cheeks as her mother embraced her, holding her tight."
After a long moment, Liz pulled back. Cupping Caroline's face, she spoke softly, "Where have you been?"
"Well, that's a long story," Caroline replied with a quiet laugh.
"Let's go inside and you can tell me all about it," Liz said, directing Caroline toward the door.
"But what about the groceries," Caroline protested, looking at the bags littering their driveway.
"We'll worry about them later. I didn't buy that much anyway. I didn't except to need food for a teenager…" Liz trailed off, her eyes going glassy.
"Hey. Hey. Let's go in. There's so much I need to tell you. So much I couldn't tell you. About me. About my life. I should have. But we still have time." So much time, Caroline thought but did not add that. Little steps. Better not to overwhelm her mother with the details right now.
~0~
That night Kol laid in bed beside Bonnie. His body felt tense. He'd been hoping that Bonnie would still be in the celebratory mood. Instead, she seemed to be preoccupied with the appearance of her little friend, Caroline. And his sister, Freya. Kol still did not trust his new-found sister. She'd just appeared. Out of nowhere. Could they truly trust her?
And just the idea of how Freya was sinking her claws into his girl; it drove Kol slightly mad. He hated watching them together. Did Bonnie even realize how she looked at the older witch? With that dawning sense of astonishment. Mentor, Kol's arse. Seductress, more like. Kol would find a way to show the others that Freya could not be trusted.
Turning in his lack-of-sleep, Kol watched Bonnie. She seemed to be sleeping well. He'd like to think it was because Caroline was back. Hayley was on the mend. Or so they hoped. Well, Bonnie, the idiot wolf boy, darling Bekah, and even deluded Elijah were hoping for a recovery of the newbie. Kol could care less. Just another girl who might try to end him if he took a step out of line.
Stroking Bonnie's black locks, Kol pressed his lips to the top of her head. He would kill for her. He would kill because of her. Did she have any idea what she meant to him and what the thought of losing her inspired in him.
Sighing, Kol liked to remember the man he was before he became enchanted with this witch. Wild. Free. What ever happened to that man? No. He had to meet this woman who had become his fatal flaw. She might very well be the death of him.
"Can't sleep?" Bonnie inquired, blinking at Kol. She reached up and stroked his cheek. A sweet smile lit her face. "I think I can help with that." She rolled on top of him and tugged her top off, tossing it on the floor.
Kol felt his mood improving as he sat up, kissing her neck and running his hands over her bare back. His mouth went down and he nibbled at her flesh as Bonnie moaned and her back arched. "You drive me mad," he muttered.
"Do I?" Bonnie giggled as Kol flipped them and tugged the rest of their garments off. She cried out, her eyes widening as he tugged her legs around his waist and then they stopped talking.
It felt like the universe took a time-out as Kol and Bonnie rolled across the bed, her hair falling over the side. "Don't stop!" Bonnie cried out.
"Never," Kol hauled up against the headboard, and pressed his hands over hers, holding her against the wall and they stared into each other's eyes. "Don't ever leave me, Bennett."
"Why would I?" Bonnie looked confused until Kol pressed his lips against her, silencing her as they sunk back down onto the tangled sheets.
~0~
Kol woke up later. Light barely came in from the curtains. He blinked at the clock. It read 6:56 in bright red numbers. His head twisted and he frowned as he caught sight of Bonnie. She stood by her closet, buttoning a top. His first thought was to ask her if she was going somewhere. Then he decided not to.
Closing his eyes, Kol feigned sleep. He heard Bonnie's feet pad over to the bed. Felt her hovering over him before she pressed a sweet kiss to his cheek. Then the sound of her feet padding to the bedroom door. Twist of the knob. His eyes popped open and he watched his girlfriend disappear out the door.
Listening for the footsteps on the stairs, Kol darted off the bed and dressed himself before he sped out of the bedroom and down the stairs. He peered through the curtain in the living room to view Bonnie getting into her car.
After giving her an appropriate head start, Kol left the house and followed the car on foot. He could not exactly expose himself by speeding given the early morning joggers but he knew how to use shortcuts to keep an eye on where Bonnie was heading. If only he were wrong.
When Bonnie stopped outside the house; Kol felt his heart stop beating. He'd been hoping she'd gone to Caroline's, to the school, to Tyler's, anywhere but here.
The door opened and Freya came out. She had the audacity to be dressed up as if this were a bloody date. His eyes went over his sister's dress and her freshly curled hair. The way she smiled at Bonnie. It all made him want to confront them. He wanted to tell his so-called sister he knew she was a liar and a fraud. He would end her.
Instead, Kol kept his distance. He watched Bonnie walk over to greet Freya. Together they went into Kol's own home. The one that Klaus made for their family and Freya closed the door with a wave of her hand. She did not even have a room. Niklaus did not build the house with her in mind. He built it for Klaus, Bekah, Elijah, Kol, and possibly Finn; if they ever made the mistake of letting him out of his coffin. There was no room for Freya.
Kol eased closer to the house. He watched Freya and Bonnie going to the back of the house. He sped around the side and saw them going into a grassy bit. "This is where we'll plant the herbs," Freya was saying. "Niklaus might have something to say, but in time he'll understand that it is for all of us. Every time we are under attack, I will be able to save us from whatever poisons are used against us." His sister explained.
Yes. Protect the family. Kol rather doubted that. With this in mind, he disappeared. He knew the only person he could trust right now was Nik. And he knew how he could make himself most useful to his older brother.
Thank you for reading, faving, following and reviewing.
Peace,
-J