It was a few days later as she drove through the back streets of Mystic Falls that Caroline finally had time to think. It was a quiet night - light showers had left the forest muted and the roads empty. Yet Caroline's thoughts swept at one hundred miles an hour, and the gentle hum of the engine did little to distract her from them.
Since that evening at Bonnie's, Caroline had endured a few non-stop days. Each morning, she'd wake and find Klaus in her kitchen, happy to let her feed from him in exchange for a few short, sleep-rumbled replies to his small talk. Then she'd head off to school. Bar the hybrid-only diet she was keeping, nothing out of the ordinary there, nor with the plethora of afternoon activities she still had to orchestrate, from prom committee on a Tuesday to Thursday cheer practice. In the evening, the gang gather at the Salvatore mansion to fine tune the plan. Tomorrow night, Alaric would dagger Kol and it'd all be over.
Yet as she drove the twenty minutes home on Thursday night, the anxiety building inside Caroline had her pulling a right into a lay-by on a dirt road. Her heart threatened to pound out of her chest. For a long time after Katherine had turned her, she hadn't felt her own heartbeat. Since Klaus had come to town, it seemed to be a constant sensation that she couldn't get accustomed too. She replayed Monday night's conversation a few times in her head and tried to slow her breathing. It was a little past ten and the road was silent as she cut the engine.
Setting her forehead on the wheel, Caroline tried to compartmentalise. Her friends wanted to kill Klaus. Of course they did - how could she have let herself forget the foreboding pit in her stomach every time a new threat against Elena emerged. The list of people hellbent on destroying her friend group seemed never-ending.
She couldn't help but feel a little pissed that they hadn't told her in advance about their latest plot to destroy the Originals, having already bound them with Elena's blood in the ball. Sharp pangs of irritation flared in her chest at the memory of Stefan as he tried to explain their reasons for keeping her in the dark. Because she was too close, because it'd be more convincing, because the less people who knew, the better.
Caroline hadn't bought it, but had bit her tongue anyway. It was typical of them to leave her out until there was no one else for the job. And yet a few nights ago, she'd agreed to play their bait again. Something about the way Elena's wide eyes watching Matt lean up against the fireplace as Bonnie paced had weighed heavy on her. They were her friends. Life-long, diapers to drinking, seem-some-crazy-shit friends. Even if they had been particularly inconsiderate of her feelings as of late, she'd protect them with everything she had.
Still, as she sat in the lay-by she couldn't settle the pounding of her heart. This time it wasn't some anonymous stranger threatening their peace, it was Klaus. Klaus who had appeared in her kitchen that morning, who brought her coffee before Model UN and mentioned in passing having to babysit his little brother. Klaus who let her bite him without hesitation, who went out of his way to make sure that she was sated with the sweetest blood she'd ever tasted. Klaus who'd saved her life just a few weeks back, even if he was the one to put it in danger in the first place.
Caroline owed him. And even if he was an invasive creep, he was keeping her alive for now.
Call it self preservation or call it repaying a debt, but with a deep sigh Caroline restarted the engine and pulled back on to the road. She had a plan which would at least buy her a little time.
It was 7.30am when she returned home. The sun had risen and the bugs were already out in full force. Caroline pulled up next to her mom's Sedan, grateful that the nightshift ended at 6am which meant that Liz would be too exhausted to question why her daughter was making a stop at the house before school.
As she sighed her way through the front door of her home with the realisation that she didn't have time to nap, Caroline hitched the satchel bag a little further over her shoulder and quietly shut the front door to tiptoe down the corridor.
Once inside, she let out the breath she was holding and pressed her forehead against the wood of her bedroom door. Jesus Caroline. Think. Think. Where can I hide it? She had never been the best at thinking through a plan. Planning, yes. Delivery, yes. But the aftermath had always been a weakness. The air was still but for her breath, and the cool of the aircon made her hair stand on end. Bonnie will kill me. Elena too. And Stefan.
And what if it goes wrong? What if Alaric dies tonight, or Matt, or even Damon. Could she live with herself if they did? Definitely not, but the alternative made her stomach turn too.
Caroline briefly considered stashing it in the crawlspace underneath the porch, but quickly vetoed the idea because of the spiders which called it home. Next option was somewhere more obvious. In a handbag. On top of the kitchen cabinets. Duct taped underneath her bed. All still to obv-
"Late night?" He asked from behind her.
"Klaus!" She snapped, spinning round sharply and pulling the bag to her chest.
He was sitting in the chair by her bookshelf, lounging in the sun soaked spot. "Hello, love." He smiled, and Caroline ignored the instinct to smile back. Slowly he set the pencil down and shifted a notebook she recognised as her own from his lap.
"You're in my bedroom." She stated, wide eyes taking in his relaxed posture.
"You weren't here." Klaus spoke as he stretched both arms behind his head. His gaze was firm, but in the sunlight his eyes looked so deep and sparkling. Like he could read her, her beating heart, the goosebumps along her skin, the panic setting in her veins. "I was concerned."
Caroline clutched the bag closer still. What would he do if he found it in her possession. Would he assume that she was going to use it, that she was ready to hurt him at the next opportunity? What else could he think. Act cool, Care. Act natural. "You shouldn't have known that I wasn't here, because you shouldn't have been in my bedroom."
"You've never minded before. Where were you, Caroline?" His eyes darkened then, twinkling as he shifted to his feet. It was different seeing him in the delicate strokes of sunlight, all dark clothes and brooding against the happy yellow of her room in the morning.
The quiet shuffle of his boots on carpet snapped Caroline's tired mind to attention. "A friend's." She lied as he stopped in front of her, the mouthwatering scent of him filling her lungs. Hunger spiked in her stomach, sharp pangs of an empty feeling in her gut rising to her throat.
"Really?"
"Yes."
"Who?"
"Who?"
Klaus' tone was light, but his gaze was murderous. "Well since Elena and Stefan were together, Bonnie, Damon, Matt alone, and Tyler nowhere to be found, who's the new friend?"
"Stalking? Really, Klaus?" She hissed, trying to keep her voice down for fear of waking her mom. Slowly, trying hard not to draw attention to it, Caroline lowered the bag to her side. She could feel her heart beating again, caught between the twisting thirst burning up her throat and the adrenaline of terror at the thought of being caught. Would he cut her off? Would she starve to death, desiccate slowly until she wasted away to a skeleton? His unimpressed gaze burned into hers from one moment until the next, before eventually she snapped back, "It's none of your business."
The silence which fell only escalated the beating of her heart. It was pounding now, loud enough for them both to hear. Klaus inched forward with prowling steps. "Caroline." He stopped just in front of her, not quite touching but close enough for her to feel the heat of his body. "What's wrong?"
Caroline had to dry swallow the sound which tried to escape at the delicious memory of his blood in her mouth, his body against hers, the quiet broken only by the sound of his muffled groans. "Nothing." She whispered, leaning back against the door in an attempt to look nonchalant. There was no way she could hide the way she startled when his fingers wrapped around the fabric of the bag in her hand, though.
"You're scared." He murmured, pulling it from her.
"I'm not." She held his eyes and let go of the bag. Trying to hide it wouldn't end well, and with her mom in the house it wasn't a risk she was willing to take.
"Tell me, sweetheart." Klaus whispered back, throwing it behind him to land on her bed. A glance over his shoulder confirmed that no, she hadn't zipped the bag, and yes, its entire contents were very much visible if only he were to turn around. Still, his eyes remained locked on hers as he purred an "I can help."
She felt the terror spike in her chest, lungs tight with the thought of the car crash she was about to see in slow motion. As she met his eyes once more, she stifled a gasp at how close he was and searched her mind for a plan. There was no way she could move it without him noticing, and she'd never beat him speed wise. Maybe she could keep his eyes on her. Take off her shirt and ask for a bite. Jesus Christ Caroline no! Just get him out. Get him out. Get him out right now.
"Stop pushing, Klaus." She pushed him away with no malice, just far enough away to create room for her to breath.
Still, he caught her wrist and Caroline felt something dark stir in her besides the fear and hunger - something vicious. "Tell me who you were with or I'll find out myself." Klaus growled.
She swiftly pulled her skin out of his reach, ignoring the gentleness of his fingers as she spat back, "Are you threatening me?"
"I'm promising. And the consequences could be quite unfortunate for your mysterious friend."
For a second she hesitated, the hunger for what he could give was sharp and intense, and it'd been a full day since her last feed. Still, with another glance over his shoulder, she shifted a step to the right and yanked open the door for him. "Get out."
"Now now." He spoke quietly, eyes narrowing. "Let's not make a scene with the Sheriff home."
Caroline faltered for a second, mouth opening for words which never came. It struck her then, facing a dark gaze and such casual threat of violence, that this was the Klaus everyone else saw. The one standing in front of her was a myth and a legend and a nightmare all wrapped in to one. It was a very different person from the man who'd saved her, taken her to meet his horses and made her breakfast.
The way he made no move to hide his irritation, showed no intention of placating the fear, looked as though he would burn the world should he not get his way should have frightened her. He should have frightened her. Yet, staring down the monster, Caroline found the idea of him turning around far more terrifying.
Still, her own irritation was brewing. Firstly in that he was in her room, alone. Secondly, in that he was threatening her in her own house. While he'd given her no reason to believe in the threat, she still needed him gone instead of being a half turn away from disaster. Thank god for drama class. "Klaus, get out of my house right now."
"Or what?" He growled, moving closer again until he was just inches away. "Come on, aren't you hungry, love?"
Yes. Another quick glance over his shoulder gave her the strength to muster an eye roll. "Not for you. Get out. Now."
For a second she took in the tightening of his jaw and the hollow feeling in her chest grew exponentially. In the next, he was gone.
With a sigh, Caroline shut the door behind him and yanked her curtains closed quickly. She grabbed the white oak stake from the bag on her bed and re-evaluated her hiding spots for it. While frantic eyes danced over her furniture trying to find a fix, no matter how temporary, they fell upon the old notebook Klaus had left.
Taking in the blonde curls and gentle lines he'd drawn for her, she knew she'd done the right thing - even if it left a horrid feeling in her chest.
On Friday night, Kol dragged Klaus to the Grill. Guilt-tripped would be the more accurate way to describe it, but in the fallout of Kol's recent undaggering, Klaus had found his little brother's penchant for mischief to be far more fun than he remembered. In between games of pool and flirting with the pretty barmaid, Kol had managed to loosen up his older brother a little.
With drink in hand relaxed against the bar, Klaus could still feel little electric pulses when a cool draft swept in indicating the open door. He knew immediately who it was and couldn't help the smirk which threatened at the corner of his lips.
"She looks like a tasty little thing." Kol muttered as Klaus glanced to the door.
"Say another word and I'll tear out your liver." He growled back, hiding his little burst of pride with a grunt. From her blonde curls to her tight jeans, she really was a vision. Different from the grumpy being who struggled to keep her eyes open before a cup of coffee and bloody bite every morning. Not better, just different.
She walked in time with the gentle chart music playing under the chatter from the surrounding patrons. His wolf stirred as he caught her eye, but with an arch of her eyebrow, Caroline strutted past without a word. Tease.
"Caroline." Klaus said before he could stop himself.
In truth, he'd done little but think about her all day. When she hadn't returned home last night, Klaus had searched Mystic Falls himself to find her. The tightening of his chest, the irritation and frustration hadn't subsided until she walked back into her room as though nothing had happened. And then Caroline, his Caroline , had refused to tell him who she was with. Even the thought of her with someone else made his wolf see red.
He'd find out who she was with soon enough, but in the meantime he'd made sure that she wouldn't have the chance to evade his hybrid guard again.
She turned sharply, the delicate scent of her perfume filling the air between them. "Oh, it's you." Caroline snarled, crossing her arms as she stopped a few feet away.
Klaus hummed, amused by the contempt in her voice as he noted how far away she stood. He couldn't help but wonder just how hungry she must have been having gone a full day and a half without his blood. Without breaking eye contact, he sipped his drink. "You should meet my little brother."
Her eyes widened comically as she turned to Kol, hard gaze faltering under his boyish grin. Caroline's lips parted, but Kol held out a hand before she could respond. "It's a pleasure, Caroline. I've heard so much about y-"
"Join us for a drink?" Klaus interrupted as she reluctantly shook Kol's hand, too polite to let their argument bleed into her interaction with a fresh face.
"Hmm, I'd rather die of thirst, but thanks." She smiled, before turning on her heel and heading directly for the door.
His wolf rumbled low in his chest, and while Klaus understood the wolf to be irked by her rejection, he was riled by her boldness. "Isn't she stunning?"
"Hmm," Kol agreed as he leaned back against the bar once more. "She certainly looks good walking away from you."
Klaus caught his eye before placing the empty glass back on the bar. "I'll take that as a challenge."
"Caroline." He called, jogging across the road to catch up with her. The air was cool out, but figures leant up against buildings and strolled along the sidewalk enjoying a dry Friday night.
"Are you serious?" She grumbled as she turned to glance at him. "Take a hint."
Caroline turned once more, trying to hide that she was both pleased and dismayed that he'd followed her outside. "Go back inside, Klaus."
"Don't be angry love, we had a little spat. I'm over it already." Klaus placated, walking behind her.
"Oh well, I'm not." She hummed.
"Well how can I acquit myself?"Caroline sighed and turned to face him. There was maybe six feet between them, but still she could feel the heat coming from his body. In the yellow light of the streetlights, half his face was in shadow. His collar was popped up and Caroline couldn't help the way her eyes lingered on his jugular, the throb of hunger pulsing in her throat.
Swallowing down the ache, she wrapped her arms across her chest as though it would hide the speeding pulse of her heart. As much as she wanted to makeup for the sake of her hunger, she couldn't, not when the plan to kill the Originals could be so easily dismantled if only he'd go back inside. No one would ever have to know that she'd switched out the stakes, not if he stuck close to his brother.
"You invaded my privacy, stalked me and threatened my friends. So you and your expensive jewellery and your romantic drawings can leave me alone." She said, though the words made her unsettled inside.
"Oh come on." Klaus goaded. His wolf was perturbed at her rejection, pulsing inside and turning his thoughts desperate. "Take a chance Caroline."
Still, she didn't move. Klaus observed her carefully, watching her nervous eyes scout the surrounding area for an escape route. Without warning he sidestepped, moving closer and sitting on a park bench to look up at her.
"Talk to me. Come on, get to know me. I dare you."
Caroline sighed, weighing her options. 1. Leave and go hungry. 2. Go back inside the grill and have your friends hate you. 3. Stay and maybe catch a snack.
Something about his smirk and his arm draped over the back of the bench invitingly made her sit. Outside his scent was less overwhelming, and while Caroline still felt the want to feed from him, it was well within her control given the copious amounts of animal blood she'd been sipping on all day.
She could feel his eyes burning holes into the side of her face, and so met his gaze with an uneasy nod. "So… what do you want to talk about?"
"I want to talk about you." He said simply. Caroline sniggered and rolled her eyes, but Klaus could see the smile playing on her lips. For the first time all day, his wolf preened and smiled back. "Your hopes, your dreams, everything you want in life."
She grinned openly then, shaking her head. "Just to be clear, I'm too smart to be seduced by you."
"That's why I like you." Klaus smiled back, daring to brush a curl behind her shoulder. Caroline held his gaze, lips parted as the air grew thick around them.
Then, without warning, a sharp pain erupted through their midriffs. Caroline's gasp was loud as her hands flew to her stomach, while Klaus barely flinched. He stood quickly, crouching in front of her as he pulled her hands away and replaced them with his own. No blood, no wound.
"Klaus? What is that?" She hissed at the stabs of pain.
"What did you do?" Klaus asked in confusion before his brain had quite caught up to the stabbing pain in his own chest.
Caroline pushed his hands away, pulling at her shirt to gaze down at clear, unblemished skin. "Nothing?" She shrugged, confusion and pain colouring her tone as the tender flesh made her wince.
Then as silence fell but for their panting breaths, Klaus realised. Slowly, dangerously, his eyes crept up to hers as his jaw set tight. His hand flew to her curls, and Klaus tugged a sharp fist full of hair until her eyes met his. "What did you do, Caroline?!" He hissed again.
"Klaus, I-."
"You set me up?!" He hissed, face inches away from her face. Caroline's hand came up to touch his wrist and was met with a harsh slap as he jerked away from her violently. "Kol." He whispered, before he darted away.
She'd gone straight home from the Grill to find her mom asleep on the couch, had shut off her phone and stripped down to her bra to stare in the mirror at a wound which didn't exist. The paranoia was getting the better of her after a few hours of sleep, and she hadn't found the courage to switch her phone on and see what a mess she'd made. Who was dead, Alaric? Was Kol? Would Klaus still let her feed from him knowing she'd had a hand in killing his brother?
The next day, Caroline made breakfast alone before she jumped in the car. Before she could whip herself into a frenzy thinking about the mess she'd made, she drove to the mansion on the edge of Mystic Falls. If she could get the story from Klaus, maybe she could straighten things out with her friends. Play the dumb blonde, feign her ignorance and let them go back to the drawing board.
Pulling up to the house, she cut the engine, climbed out and took quick steps to the front door. While her instinct was to go for the handle, she hesitated and instead used the door knocker. Before her hand had come to rest at her side, the door swung open.
"Hello, beautiful." Kol grinned, leaning up against the doorframe.
Caroline jumped out of her skin, shielding her eyes with her hand for dramatic effect. "You're naked." She gasped.
"And you're gorgeous." He didn't move from the doorframe.
"Kol!" Screeched Caroline, feeling as though she should just turn around and go back to bed.
"It's only half naked." But seeing her growing flush and reluctance to look around her hand, he sighed. "Did you want to come in?" He snarked as he finally shifted to let her step past him, still shielding her eyes from pale skin.
"Is Klaus in? Please?" She asked, stepping into the cool air of their foyer with sleek marble and grand staircase. There were a lot of nice houses in Mystic Falls, Tyler's and the Salvatore's to name a few, but none took her breath away quite like the Mikaelson's. It was beautiful even without all the glitz and the glamour of the ball. Stripped back with just their furniture and a few paintings, it felt fit to house royalty.
As her eyes wandered, Caroline drifted deeper into the foyer and around the circular table boasting an impressive bouquet of fresh flowers giving off a gentle, pleasant scent.
Suddenly she realised that she'd just walked blindly into being alone with an Original she'd never met. "So." She heard Kol speak from behind her and pivoted to face him. It was the first time she'd really gotten to look at him, and while the vast expanse of exposed skin on his chest was a distraction, she found herself focused on his smirk. From the dimple of his chin to the heavy brow, the family resemblance was striking, but Kol seemed younger. Younger in the face, but younger in aura too. There was playfulness about him, but Caroline had no doubt that he wouldn't hesitate to rip her limb from limb if she made a wrong step. He was dangerous for sure, and the sparkling twinkle in his eye did nothing to settle her nerves. "Heard you tried to off me last night."
Off to a great start then. "I don't know what you're talking about." She said back, keeping her chin raised.
"No?"
"No."
"Well that's good, because there would be some rather nasty consequences to having been involved in such a plan."
"Uh huh. Is Klaus in?" She asked for a second time.
Once again, he ignored it, leaning his elbows up against the table and watching her with harrowed eyes. The smirk he still wore was unnerving. "Caroline, what are your intentions with my brother?"
"My intentions?" She repeated, praying for Klaus' swift arrival.
"Nik's a bit of a prude you see-"
"Oh. Oh we're not-."
"I'd hate to see my darling brother heartbroken again-"
"There is really nothing-"
"So if you're using him for the sex-"
"None. Nope. Nada. No intentions. I have no intentions with your brother whatsoever." Caroline snapped at a far higher pitch than intended. A deep flush was working its way on to her cheeks.
"Are you sure?" Kol grinned wide.
Risking an eye roll, she gave an unimpressed "Positive."
"Well in that case, how do you feel about dinner?"
"What?!"
"Wanna show me around town?" Kol quipped, standing up to full height now. "I'm sure you know it quite intimately."
Caroline didn't need any time to think on that one. Immature and game-playing wasn't really her type. "Also no. Where is your brother?"
"So caught up on dearest Nik? What a pity." He sighed dramatically, before plucking a delicate petal from a peony stalk. "Has he ever told you about the time in Venice when he st-"
"Kol!" Klaus' bark came from the right and not a moment too soon. Caroline couldn't hide her relief to see him at the top of the stairs. Her grateful smile was met with a stony gaze and a hard set jaw.
Kol's eyes danced mischievously between the pair, before his grin widened. "Brother. I was just telling Caroline about that time wh-"
"-And Caroline was just leaving. Weren't you?" Klaus cut in, unforeseen venom in his tone making her startle.
Caroline ground her teeth together, taking a deep breath before setting her gaze with an intensity to match his. "No, actually. I wasn't."
"I can assure you, you were. You'll find enough blood in your fridge to sustain you."
"Am I missing something here?" Kol whispered into her ear, standing far closer than was polite between strangers.
Taking a sizeable step away from Kol, Caroline shifted closer to the staircase. "We need to talk, Klaus."
"Funny, you didn't seem keen on that last night." He snapped, sounding very much like a moody teenager.
"Well, times change." Caroline said. Still, Klaus didn't shift from his place. "Please? I just need to talk to you. In private." She added pointedly.
"I for one am offended." Kol said.
Then Klaus let go of the bannister and took slow steps down to their level. His gaze dropped to the floor as he spoke. "And what would you like to talk about, Caroline? Shall we start with how you betrayed me?"
"I didn't."
"Don't lie to me."
"I'm not!"
He was almost next to her now, so Caroline took a step back and watched as he smirked and linked his arms behind his back. "Just a coincidence, then, that your friends attack within ten minutes of you walking into that bar?"
"Tell me why I felt that stab last night."
Kol's eyes widened, before a look of unadulterated glee spread over his face, eyes still flitting between the pair. "Well this is most interesting."
"I'm far more interested in why you and your friends tried to kill my brother." Klaus growled. "Tell me Caroline, have I not kept you sated these last few weeks? Did I not save you from the brink of death?"
"After you put me there!" She spat back.
"Semantics."
"You lie, murder and threaten people and you're surprised when they don't like you?" Caroline hissed, crossing her arms though she was tempted to slap the vase from the table just to break something.
"I've never lied to you. Who have I murdered that was of consequence?"
"No one, but-"
"-I've done nothing-"
"-But Tyler-"
"Tyler?!" He spat. "Tyler is spineless. If you showed me even half of the loyalty you so freely devoted to him then-"
"Oh so that's what this is about?" Caroline couldn't help but raise her voice as her arms flew out. "Tyler? Seriously Klaus!? Jealous?"
"You set me up!" He raised his voice in retaliation, clenched fists making the air unsettled. "Kol would be dead if it weren't for your friend's incompetence. The only family I have. I have done everything I could-"
Caroline could hardly keep up with the way his argument was jumping all over the place. "-I never asked you to, Klaus! I didn't ask for any of th-!"
Then, from deep inside the house, a deafening bang sounded. The air fell silent as Caroline looked around, heart pounding and face flushed. Kol and Klaus however, didn't even flinch.
"Get out, Caroline." Klaus said quietly. Turning back to the staircase and starting a slow ascent.
"Stay, Caroline." Kol smirked, but a sharp look from his older brother had him sulking off with an eyeroll.
"Klaus? What's going on?" Caroline asked, still trying to work out the source of the sound. Nothing looked out of place.
"Leave." He said loudly, and this time Caroline knew it was final. "Before I compel you to." He snapped before reaching the top of the stairs and disappearing into the labyrinth of the mansion.
Caroline's jaw dropped for a second. Did he know that that would make her leave? In any case, she wasn't going to stay and see if he made true on his threats. With a lingering glance and a hollow feeling in her stomach, she turned and left the mansion.
Tyler stood up from the couch when the door opened. "Was that Caroline?" He asked, eyes wide. He already knew the answer of course, she wasn't exactly quiet and he'd know her voice anywhere.
Klaus shut the door with a frown and ignored his question. He made his way over to the liquor cabinet and poured two sizeable measures, handing one to Tyler. "Sit. Let's talk about your latest assignment."