Hello, my lovely readers. We're finally getting some Klaroline of a sort in this chap… On with the show…

Chapter 6: So That's Where You Were Lurking This Whole Time

Trying to return to your old life was not easy. Her first day back at school had been a real bitch. Hayley was an even bigger bitch. Caroline wondered if she had given Alaric a tenth of the hell that Hayley seemed determined to give her and Marcel. And then their trying to get back into the swing of "To Slay, or Not to Slay." Caroline felt that as a Vampire-Slayer/Recently-Turned-Vampire-Who-Had-Just-Found-Out-She-Was-A-Demon. This ended in Caroline hanging out in the local cemetery while swinging a stake and whistling songs from the previous decade to herself.

"Come on, new vampires! Don't you want me to slay you?" Caroline called out. She swayed back and forth as she ran a finger up and down her neck. She'd seen a girl do that in a TV show once to taunt her enemy/love interest and it seemed like a good way to attract vampires.

"Do you really think that works?" Kol Mikaelson called.

Whirling on her heel, Caroline narrowed her eyes at Kol. "Why are you lurking? Shouldn't you be on a date with Bon? She says you don't go out much anymore."

Kol smirked back at Caroline. "Actually my dear sister, Freya and Bonnie are doing spells together. Therefore I have nothing to do. I happened to be looking for something to eat." He flashed his fangs at Caroline in a toothy smile.

Caroline rolled her eyes. "Come on, Kol. I have work to do." She turned and her shoulders slumped as she noted the total lack of vamp activity.

"Perhaps they're just shy." Kol came to stand beside Caroline. "Or no one is feeling the urge to rise tonight." His eyes went over the graves.

"You mean no one has been turned lately?" Caroline glanced at Kol. "Do you know something I don't?"

Shaking his head, Kol moved to hop on top of a grave-marker. "Yes. I do a bit of on-line blogging and give tips on how to avoid detection by newbie slayers, such as young Hayley." His eyes were alight with amusement and Caroline wanted to stake him.

"Thanks for the help, jackass." Caroline turned her back on Kol and she continued through the graveyard. She didn't really know why Kol was hanging around. He hadn't exactly been showing what great friends they were since she'd come back and she'd been having a feeling.

Suddenly whirling around, Caroline cocked her head to the side. "Kol, what are so worried about?" She edged toward him as Kol's face twisted. His natural cocky expression had dissolved into a blank expression. "Spit it out."

Kol's eyes narrowed and his posture stiffened. "I'm not worried about anything."

"Oh, yes, you are. It's coming off you in waves. You're afraid. Some part of you is terrified of losing something precious to you." Caroline stopped inches from Kol.

Just for a second, Caroline saw Kol's eyes cloud over with mistrust. Then he let out a quiet laugh. "Ah, you believe that your new vampirism makes you more aware of what people feel. That's interesting." His lips turned up into a smirk. "That should make your life with your little human friends such a disaster. I can't wait to see the fall-out." Clapping his hands together. "Shall you try on young Tyler? Please. Tell me I might come with you."

Sighing, Caroline rolled her eyes. "And here I was hoping we could bond. But I can tell you're not in the mood. Why don't you go to the hospital and steal some blood bags?"

Pushing himself off the gravestone, Kol smirked. "I'll pick you up a few; if you'd like."

Freezing, Caroline inhaled. She hadn't really put too much thought into how she would feed since she'd returned home. Damon had given her some blood bags. He said she would be fine. For now. But he didn't seem to think about the cravings she found herself at the mercy of in a crowd of her fellow students. Having her friends close by helped, of course. However, their presence only made her suppress her new instinct. At some point, she would lose control.

"Caroline?" Kol's voice made Caroline blink at him.

"Yeah. Sure. Thank you." Caroline forced a quick smile. She thought she saw another glint in Kol's eye but it quickly disappeared. And then he was gone, disappearing into the darkness that surrounded them.

Gritting her teeth, Caroline decided to open her book bag and try working on her lit assignment: read a hundred pages of Jane Eyre. Ugh! Why couldn't they read anything current? Caroline would even read Twilight at this point.

"You look bored," a voice close by said.

Caroline looked up to see Hayley leaned over the gravestone Caroline had decided to lean against. "Ew! What's that?" She took hold of Caroline's book and snapped a piece of gum. "What are you reading this garbage for?" she exclaimed, waving the book in the air.

"It's for my class. Don't you have homework?" Caroline retorted. She pushed herself to her feet and reached for the book when Hayley flung it into a tree and grinned. "Thank you for that."

"Too bad Ty isn't here. We could make him play fetch. And if we were good, we could give him a Milk Bone." Hayley said, placing her hands on her hips and glancing around. "Is it me, or is this place dead?"

"Kol said there weren't any vamps rising tonight," Caroline said with a shrug. She supposed she had two choices: Go climb a tree and get her book, or Spark Note the heck out of Jane Eyre. She preferred the latter idea and picked up her bag. "I'm going to head home. You want me to walk you?"

Hayley rolled her eyes. "Yes. I want you to have your charitable Big Sister moment, Care. And tomorrow you can take me out for an ice cream cone and teach me about the birds and the bees." Smirking, Hayley walked away from Caroline.

"Where are you going?" Caroline demanded, feeling annoyed—yet again—by the newbie.

"Gonna slay some vamps." Hayley began to run and leapt over a gravestone.

"I told you: There are no vamps out tonight!" Caroline called back. She felt like fighting Hayley. However, she knew that it would not be a fair fight. She would easily overcome the girl in her weakened state. And if Caroline got a whiff of Hayley's blood, again, she might bite the girl. She might not be able to stop herself.

Hayley spun on her heel and gave Caroline a long look. "Are you serious right now? You listened to a vamp? A vamp told you that other vamps would not rise tonight?" Letting out a laugh that made Caroline's nerves fry, Hayley crossed her arms over her chest. "I'm kinda sad for you."

"Oh, shut up, Hayley," Caroline snarled.

Hayley continued to laugh until a hand shot out of a grave and curled up her ankle. "See! Vampire!" she snarled. Reaching down, she jerked the vampire to its feet. "Hi!" she greeted the vamp.

"Hello," the vampire's voice sounded friendly and Caroline felt a little bit bad about what she thought was about to happen.

"My friend and I are headed to a party. Wanna come?" Hayley inquired, grinning at the new vamp. She craned her neck to look at Caroline.

Stifling a sigh, Caroline waited. The vamp shrugged. "Sure. Why not. I don't have anything planned for tonight." He looked back at Caroline. Wow. He must be a year or two behind Caroline at the high school.

"Great." Hayley moved to join Caroline when the vamp titled his head to the side and his fangs came out.

Hand going out, the vamp reached for Hayley when Caroline shook her head. Of course this had to turn out just like she expected it to. Racing forward, she jerked her stake out and plunged the stake into the poor kid who would never make graduation.

"Huh? And see, I thought I'd made a new friend." Hayley stared at the dead vamp before shrugging.

"Think again, little girl." A voice came from behind them and Caroline intended on turning her head to look at the speaker but a pair of thick arms wrapped around her middle, encircling her waist and pinning her arms to her sides.

"Heard there's a Slayer wants to be killed." A guy with a mohawk grinned at them from Hayley's left as a girl with fuchsia hair made her way to Hayley's right.

That would have been fine. Three against two. No biggie. But then Caroline noted more and more vamps coming toward them. Twenty. Thirty. This would much easier if they were newbie vamps who didn't learn how to fight. Or if Bonnie. Freya. hell, even Tyler had come with them. Caroline wouldn't like it if Ric were here though. Or Jo. Damon would be a big help. Stefan. Maybe Elena. Probably not. Too green at the fighting thing.

"So, where you guys from? You don't seem local," Caroline decided to use a distraction technique.

Mohawk jumped in. "We were passing through Richmond when we heard about the new Slayer nearly biting it in the first six months. Sucks to be you," he grinned, taking hold of Hayley by the shoulders.

Hayley elbowed Mohawk in the ribs before whirling and slamming the flat of her hand into his nose. "Not dying tonight, asshat."

"I like her. Let's keep her for a pet," Fuchsia said, licking her fangs. "Oh, honey, the things I'm going to do to you."

"Little problem." Caroline said, stomping on the foot of the idiot who held her. "She's not the Real Slayer. I am. Caroline Forbes. Got an upgrade. Now, I'm a bit more toothy, makes going to the dentist a real bitch." Showing her fangs to the other vamps, Caroline felt a thrill as they looked at each other.

"You're dead," Mohawk said, rubbing his eye.

"You've heard of me? How sweet. Let's party!" Caroline snarled before launching herself at Fuchsia.

~0~

There was nothing more annoying than minions who could not perform a simple task. Klaus Mikaelson wondered why he'd bothered turning that biker gang of ill-witted, ne'er-do-wells when they could not send a message to his lover. It had been simple: You're mine. Two words. And some bloodshed. He'd ordered them to not attempt to kill either Caroline or the new Slayer who he already detested. No. Klaus would kill the new girl in front of the thing that Caroline had become. Then he would end the monster who was not Caroline.

Now, he watched Caroline and Hayley bounce out of the graveyard. They had even linked arms and he wanted to attack them both right now. However, he'd had a thousand years to learn things such as restraint. It would not do to attack them now.

"What do ya want to do now?" Caroline said.

"Party. Duh!" Hayley said.

"There are no parties tonight." Caroline retorted.

Hayley pulled away and shook her head. "Are you serious? Wherever we are, a party will follow." She marched forward. So full of life and cockiness. Klaus looked forward to watching the light go out of her eyes.

Shaking her head, Caroline let out a quiet laugh. She began to follow Hayley when her posture suddenly changed and her head whirled. Her eyes narrowed as she peered at the nearby rooftops.

By the time Caroline's eyes rested on the place Klaus had been, he'd dropped to the ground and stalked down the street. Soon.

~0~

"How's your night going?" the wolf boy asked.

Caroline tipped her head to the side. "Same old, same old. Got attacked by some vamps. Kicked some ass." She shrugged. "Nothing interesting."

Klaus watched through the trees as Caroline took a sip of beer. She looked bored. Rebekah had shown up for the party and either she did not know that Klaus was there or she was ignoring him in favor of flirting with the new Slayer's little mentor. He looked like a child to Klaus. Someone to easily pick off to send a message to the lot of them.

Damon Salvatore and Elena Gilbert sat on top of a tree stump. Elena leaned her head against Damon's shoulder. Elena could never be useful to Klaus since she'd turned. What a pity. Killing her would also send a message.

Stefan Salvatore sat a few feet from the new Slayer. She twisted and swayed to music that made Klaus roll his eyes. Stefan did not even seem the slightest bit intrigued. His sights were still on Caroline. How could he not see that all that was left of her was a monster? Delusion and not worth the kill.

Kol continued to check his watch until Bonnie Bennett appeared. And she was not alone. "Sorry, guys. We got carried away with the new spell." Bonnie glanced back at Freya. Cocking his head to the side, Klaus smirked at the softening expressions traded between the two witches.

Kol broke a branch and tossed it. It nearly went into Damon's chest. "Hey, buddy, watch it!" Damon shouted.

"Why don't you go chase a human!" Kol snarled, moving to his feet.

"Not now!" Elena snapped, grabbing Damon by the collar as he stood up and made a move toward Kol.

"Kol, no!" Bonnie held up a hand and Kol fell to his knees. He grasped his head between his hands and cried out in pain.

Freya looked unhappy and Klaus did not really care. He would deal with her soon enough.

"This is NOT party!" Tyler called to Hayley. "I thought you said we were going to party tonight."

"Party's coming!" Hayley called out as humans began to come toward them. They moved through the trees toward the little group of super naturals. So utterly unaware of the danger that the new human had brought them into.

Grinning, Hayley wiggled a finger at the human male who looked like his main objective in life was to become a hulking mass of flesh who never worried over his intellectual achievements. "Wanna dance, big boy?" Hayley asked, turning and shaking her hips at him.

"Duh," the idiot said, looping his arms around the girl who had no idea that she might as well drink, eat, and be merry, for tomorrow Klaus would kill her.

Another human male made his way over to Caroline. "Hi, Caroline. You want to dance?" he asked.

Caroline glanced at Tyler. "Not really in the dancing mood. Sorry."

The male's shoulders slumped and he moved away until Hayley ensnared him, pulling him into her little group of dancers.

Rebekah leaned closer to Marcel. "Perhaps you should watch her more closely."

"She's free to do what she pleases. As long as she doesn't try to bring any of them home with us." Marcel folded his arms over his chest.

Becoming bored, Klaus moved to leave. Turning on his heel, he found a little human female had strayed from the pack. "You look lonely. The party's over there. Unless you wanted to party somewhere more private." She grinned at Klaus.

Smirking back at the female, Klaus nodded. "I would like to party tonight. Why don't we take a little walk?" He held out a hand and the girl took it.

~0~

With a groan, Klaus dropped his new little friend to the ground. He'd sated his thirst for blood, for now, but not his desire to burn the party to the ground. "Ah, there you are, brother."

Klaus rolled his eyes and turned to find Kol. Kol held a cup of beer in one hand and leaned against a tree. "Kol, what do you want?"

"Nothing. I just had this sense that something dark and foreboding was in the woods with us. Then I spotted you. Made sense." Kol took a long sip of his beer.

"Enjoying watching your little girlfriend drape herself over our new sister?" Klaus inquired, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.

Kol's eyes narrowed. "As much as you must enjoy stalking your lover."

Growling, Klaus felt his fangs spring out. "Kol, I am warning you. Do not test my patience tonight."

"Or what? You'll stick me in a coffin?" Kol demanded. He pushed off the tree. "Perhaps I should allow Caroline to drive a stake through your cold, un-beating heart."

Letting out a chuckle, Klaus shrugged. "Then who will help you end this thing developing between your beloved and our so-called sister?"

Kol stalked over to Klaus. "You think you know so much. Don't you, Niklaus?" Pointing a finger at Klaus, Kol shook his head. "There are things about this world that even the Great Niklaus Mikaelson is blind to."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Klaus retorted. He felt annoyed with Kol's riddle. "Do not attempt to be cleaver with me, little brother, we both know it's not your strong suit." He watched Kol's eyes darken.

"There is more to Caroline than you think, brother." Kol shot back.

Frowning, Klaus moved closer to Kol. "What is that supposed to mean?"

Kol smirked back at Klaus. "Wouldn't you like to know?"

Letting out a hiss, Klaus took hold of Kol's collar and shook him. "Tell me what you know!" he cried out.

"Nothing. Yet." Kol replied.

Shaking his head, Klaus let go of Kol. "You are a fool, Kol."

"Not in this matter." Kol finished his beer. He cupped a hand to his ear. "I believe I heard my girl calling me back. We'll talk again, soon." He turned and made his way back to the party while Klaus simmered. How the bloody hell could Kol know anything about Caroline that Klaus did not?

Of course, Klaus could no longer pop in and out of Caroline's mind like he used to be able to. Since she'd turned, her subconscious had been locked. Try as he might, Klaus had not been given access to the thing she'd become. He would learn her secrets and find a way to end their story, for once and for all.

Three Months Ago:

Damon Salvatore sat on a couch in the great room. A tumbler was clutched in his hand. His expression was sober. With his free hand, he jerked the tie he'd worn to his friend, Caroline Forbes,' funeral. The shock of her death still rang at the level so deep for him that he'd refused to go with Elena and Stefan to Liz Forbes' home.

At the Forbes residence there would be tears and stories shared about their friend and Liz' only child. Some of them would be true. Some of them would be based on lies the group had made up to prevent the truth of Caroline's life to become apparent to her mother.

It would be better that Liz thought Caroline's death was a horrible accident. Everyone agreed on that fact. Even Damon.

But to sit through the "Blah-blah-blah. We'll miss her so-s." That was far more than Damon could take tonight. He'd rather sit at home and drink himself stupid before passing out on the floor and waking up after Elena pulled the curtains open and Stefan took his daylight ring. Yup. That was the life.

Speaking of life, Caroline didn't have any more life to live. Stupid Klaus. Stupid, Stupid Klaus and his stupid, stupid family. Damon wished they'd never come to Mystic Falls. Hell, Damon wished he'd never come back to Mystic Falls.

Rolling his eyes toward the ceiling, Damon knew he needed to get the hell out of here. Too many memories. He could see Caroline sitting on this couch, just to the left of him. Her head was tilted back as she laughed at a joke that Alaric told them. She sat in the chair across from Damon, discussing with Stefan a new strategy on how to help vamps who didn't want to kill get better. Damon had laughed himself off the couch about that one.

Yup. Damon needed to get the hell out of here. Maybe he'd write a quick note and tell Lena he loved her and Stef that he just needed to be gone for a month, or two, or a year. He'd be back. Damon always came home.

Trudging across the room, Damon collected his decanter and made his way to the door. Actually leaving a note would probably be a bad idea. He didn't really feel like having people following him.

Damon stopped at the door and shook his head. His thoughts were a mess. He'd let a friend down by not being to help save her. He hated guilt.

When a knock made his ears perk up, Damon wondered who the hell could be at his door. Everyone he cared about was at Liz.' Who the hell was this? If it was Klaus, or any member of the Mikaelson clan, Damon would have to restrain himself from trying to kill them.

The knocking began again. Whoever it was, they were persistent and annoying. Maybe it would be a girl scout. Damon felt in the mood for a snack. Stefan and Elena would give him crap for months about eating a human, but Damon didn't really care what they thought right now. Hopefully, it would be a girl scout who was old enough to drive…

With a smile on his face and a song in his heart, Damon unlocked the door, and threw it open. His entire body froze when he took in the sight of the damp hair with the clumps of dirt in it. "Caroline? What the hell? You're dead!" Damon cried.

"Help me, Damon!" Caroline cried. Her hands had blood on them. She must have clawed her way out of her grave.

Damon moved to step outside and to embrace Caroline but she took a big step back. "Help me!" she shouted at him, fat red tears ran down her cheeks as her expression became one of desperation. "Help me!"

Waking up with a start, Damon felt the dampness of his clothes. He'd fallen asleep. His heart was banging in his chest. Sitting bolt upright, Damon shook his head and forced himself to get to his feet. He did not have time to think.

Speeding down to the basement, Damon grabbed a handful of blood bags and then sped back upstairs. He did not think as he made his way out the door and into the pouring rain. He opened the passenger seat door and felt happy that there was still a shovel in the trunk of his car. He made his way around the car and slid behind the wheel. "I'm coming, Care."

~0~

Rain continued to pour down as Damon carried a shovel in one hand and two blood bags in another. He stopped by Caroline's grave and dropped the blood bags before he took the shovel. Aiming it at the spot in the middle of the grave, Damon dropped it when a set of fingers with bloody and broken nails shot through the dirt. "Shit," he groaned.

Soon a head of very dirty blonde hair came out of the grave. He watched in horror as his friend emerged and let out a howl of pain and rage. Her eyes found his and Damon found himself staggering backwards. In spite of his dream, in spite of his intention to help his friend, seeing her returning to the land of the living felt unnatural. Slayers did not become vampires.

Caroline crawled over the dirt and on top of Damon. She did not seem to recognize him as the rain continued to shower them. His hands went up to cup her upper arms. "Caroline, it's me!" he cried.

Caroline snarled and she plunged her hand downward, pushing Damon's head to the side and moved to bite into his neck. Damon's fingers scrambled over the damp earth until he found a bag. Lifting it, he shoved it in Caroline's face.

Blue eyes widening, Caroline sunk her new teeth into the blood bag and downed it quickly before Damon shoved the other bag at her. She sucked this one down just as quickly. Damon waited to see if she would attack him again.

After a long moment, Caroline set the bag down. "Hi Damon," she said.

Leaning forward, Damon grabbed Caroline and held her tight. "What are we going to do with you?" he whispered to her. He knew she couldn't go home like this. And he couldn't take her home with him. There were no good options here. However, knowing she was back meant more than Damon would ever be willing to admit to anyone.

Thank you for reading, faving, following and reviewing.

Peace,

-J