"Klaus," Caroline swore. "You owe me a new pair of boots."
The boots in question were now coated with a heavy coat of dirt, dust, cobwebs, and mud—it appeared whatever cellar she was traipsing through had flooded once or twice. It was black as pitch, making Caroline thankful for her heightened senses.
She took a deep breath, trying to focus her hearing. The pathway remained silent and she quickened her pace, worried that Madame Lalaurie was already on her way.
"Ugh," Caroline muttered, rubbing her arms. It had been easy to be heroic and confident out in the daylight, surrounded by New Orleans tourists. Alone in a spooky church basement, right after a witch had warned her that something was going to come after her…not so much.
Speaking of that witch…Caroline didn't trust her. She believed that Kylie had a lot riding on this. She believed that Kylie wanted Madame Lalaurie dead. But all that meant was a truce and a temporary ally. Caroline somehow doubted that Kylie had left purely to get Elijah and Rebekah. She had something else in mind.
A smarter plan would be to leave and get the Originals herself. But she'd already opened the trapdoor. Madame Lalaurie had been alerted that someone was in her church. It was too late to turn back now. Besides, her heart began to hammer in her chest and she didn't want to leave, not when she was so close to finding Klaus.
Find Klaus, she quickly reminded herself. Then get out of town. Find him. And leave.
There was a rustling in the dark and Caroline jerked. She could see nothing in the darkness—something was shading her vision.
"Madame Lalaurie?" Caroline challenged. "I'm not afraid of you. Stop lurking and come out and fight." She bared her fangs, a surge of adrenaline fueling her instincts. But the corridor remained silent.
She sighed and turned back around, nearly running straight into Elena Gilbert.
"Elena!" Caroline gasped. "What—how—what is—"
Elena's brow furrowed in concern. "Caroline, what are you doing here?"
"What am I—I could ask you the same—" She stilled, recalling Kylie's warnings that Madame Lalaurie's hex would cause her to see things. Furthermore, there was something not quite right about the figure of Elena standing before her. Like looking at an obviously photoshopped picture.
"Great," Caroline muttered.
"Caroline, I'm worried," Elena took her hand. "What are you doing here? Here of all places? Why are you helping the Originals?"
"It's complicated," Caroline wrenched her hand away. "And you're not Elena. Elena's in Mystic Falls, with Damon—so beat it!"
Elena shook her head, her soulful eyes filled with concern. "Caroline, this isn't right. You don't belong here. Have you forgotten everything they've done? Rebekah was the one who killed me, who made me become a vampire—and Klaus—you of all people should know and recognize the terrible things Klaus has done. He killed me. He killed my Aunt Jenna."
"I know that!" Caroline snapped. "I haven't forgotten anything! But I don't have time to be tormented by phantoms, so get away!"
The image of Elena disappeared. Caroline heaved a sigh of relief, though her stomach clenched. Was it going to be like this the entire time? Having illusions of her friends appear and guilt her about what she was doing?
Why was she doing this?
"If it were the other way around," Caroline said aloud. "They wouldn't lift a finger to help me." Her thoughts contradicted the words as soon as she spoke them. It may have been true for Rebekah, but would Klaus just ignore Caroline, if she were in peril? She tried to believe that he wouldn't bat an eye but found herself unable to.
"Do you really think that low of me?"
"I'm harder to kill than you think."
"We'll save Elena. Go home, lock the doors. Do you understand?"
"There's plenty of these to go around. I can do this all day."
Maybe that was the crux of all this, Caroline thought to herself as she pushed forward. She knew in her heart that if she were in trouble, Klaus wouldn't hesitate. That was the reason. One semi-decent turn deserved another, as they said.
She stopped short when she heard a rustling in the dark. She tensed a little, wondering what phantom would be tormenting her this time, when Stefan Salvatore emerged from the shadows.
Great, Caroline thought. We're just going to go through all of my friends. Welcome to the Caroline Forbes guilt trip!
"Are you all right?" Stefan asked her seriously. "There's some nasty stuff down here, take it from me…"
"Stefan," Caroline took a deep breath. "Or—not-Stefan. Please just go away, okay?"
His lips twitched. "You know me better than that, Caroline. And you know I can't let you rescue Klaus."
"I know Stefan," Caroline snapped. "And you are definitely not him. Get out of my way!"
The phantom raised his hands. "All right, you caught me. Not like Stefan really would be here, anyway. I mean, come on, Caroline. When have you ever been a first priority to anyone? Caroline Forbes, the afterthought."
"Shut the hell up," Caroline ordered, attempting to push past him. He was build like a brick wall and not even her extraordinary strength could budge him.
"I'm just being honest, Caroline," Stefan informed her. "I'm not telling you anything you didn't already know. Remember when you liked me? I wanted Elena. And was there ever a moment when you were dating Matt where he wanted you more than Elena? I don't think so. Even Tyler decided his revenge was more important—"
"Shut up!"
Instinct took over and she snarled at him, baring her fangs, and attacked. He shoved her away easily, pinning her to the wall.
"You're not real," She hissed at him. "You're not!"
"Maybe not, but I promise you, I can really kill you," Stefan said earnestly. A stake materialized in his hand and he brought it towards her chest, pushing it into her ribs.
"What—are—you?" Caroline gasped.
"The better question," Stefan cocked his head and looked at her, as if completely captivated by her. "Is what are you?"
She was done playing games with this hex. As soon as he spoke, she used this as an opportunity of distraction, twisting the stake away from him and driving it into his gut. The phantom smiled rather than screaming in pain, as the real Stefan would have done, but thankfully dissolved into dust.
Her heart hammering, Caroline tried to catch her breath. "Keep it together," She said through gritted teeth. This thing was playing her, bringing up all her old insecurities and fears. And she had a limited amount of time—any moment now, Madame Lalaurie could show up and Caroline was not at all sure how she would fare against a witch who'd managed to capture Klaus.
She took a step forward, trying not to let the feelings of panic and fear overwhelm her. Right as she placed her foot, she caught a strange scent of dank open air, and then she fell. The ground caved in beneath her and she shrieked, tumbling down what felt like an air shaft. Like a cat, she landed on two feet, but the shock dizzied her.
"Klaus?" She straightened nervously. "Are you here?' Nothing but silence answered her, save a few skittering rodents that made her wrinkle.
"Klaus, seriously, making a freaking noise or something!" Caroline shouted. She shivered when she felt something scamper over her boot and continued to walk forward.
She shrieked again when she felt someone grab her shoulder.
"What are you doing here, Caroline?" Tyler Lockwood was facing her, his face filled with fury. Her stomach dropped and a rush of emotion surged through her—anger, hurt, sadness, love—even seeing his face was difficult.
"Tyler," She breathed. "I mean—you're not Tyler!"
"What are you doing here, Caroline?" Tyler demanded again and the rage in his eyes quelled her. It looked familiar. She'd seen that rage before.
"You're here to save Klaus, aren't you," He spat. "Admit it. Just admit it."
"You're not real," Caroline snapped. "Get out of here! Be gone!" She snapped her fingers in emphasis but the Tyler phantom didn't budge.
"Tell me the truth," Tyler ordered. "The moment you heard he was in danger, you went to go save him. You want to save him. Another one of your projects."
"Shut up!" Caroline snarled. She pushed past him, trying to ignore how real he felt. Tyler had every reason to hate Klaus. He'd had every reason to hate her for sleeping with Klaus, never mind how long ago it had happened.
Suddenly, his hands were around her neck and he was slamming her at the side of the wall. "Tell me the truth!"
"Let go of me!" Caroline gasped, choking. "Let go!"
"You want to save him," Tyler growled, his face shifting, fangs lengthening. Caroline watched in horror—werewolf fangs. One bite and she was dead.
"This isn't real," Caroline bared her teeth. "You're not real!" With every ounce of strength, she shoved him off her. Just a nightmare. Just a bad dream. Tyler isn't…
Isn't he? A nasty little voice asked her. Isn't this just how he'd react if he found out where you are? What you were doing? Isn't this how any of them would react if they knew you were trying to save Klaus?
"Fine," Caroline whispered to the phantom. "I do want to save him. What does that make me? Stupid? Naïve? Fine. Will it make my friends hate me? They have that right. But I'm not going to let him die. Not like this. Not here…"
Tyler stared at her to her shock, his phantom began to melt away. It was then she heard a faint clapping. Someone was…applauding her?
"I must say," An unfamiliar voice intoned. "This just gets more interesting by the second."
He was as thin as a shadow, wearing a dark top hat. His skin was dark but his face appeared skull-white—and he wore sunglasses. Somehow Caroline knew that if he removed them, she'd see haunting eyes black as coal. His fingers never seemed to stop moving, whether fidgeting with the cigar he carefully smoked or idly spinning a glass of rum between his bony fingers.
"Who the hell are you?" Caroline demanded. "Where's Klaus?"
"Klaus is a little tied up at the moment," He grinned at her. "But not to worry. He'll still be there, as soon as we have a little chat."
"Who are you?"
He swept off his top hat in an exaggerated bow. "Forgive me. Introductions are in order. I am called Baron Saturday. And you, of course, are Miss Caroline Forbes." His accent was a rich Louisiana drawl but the name meant nothing to Caroline.
"I don't have time for this," Caroline's eyes flickered. "I have to—"
"If you're worried about Madame Lalaurie, it's a very just worry," Baron Saturday tilted his head. "But I've not alerted her as of yet. Soon—but not yet."
Caroline's eyes widened. "You—you're the hex?!"
"What a demeaning term," the Baron scoffed. "A hex indeed. I am much more than that, Miss Forbes."
Caroline stared at him wide-eyed.
"The fact of the matter, as dangerous an enemy as Madame Lalaurie is, she has the dreadful habit of biting off more than she can chew," He snickered. "Not much has changed from her first liaison with the Crescent City…and she has called on some forces of which she has no comprehension. Like me."
"Wait a second—so you're some kind of voo doo spirit—so you're…you're not on Madame Lalaurie's side?" Caroline tried to process his words.
"There is no side, darlin'," the Baron chuckled. "Madam Lalaurie invoked me—pretty unwise on her part, to be frank, considering her tricks with my own followers. But then again, very wise on her part. Vampires…you could say they are my area of expertise. And I won't deny, I am fascinated by you, Miss Forbes." His voice became velvet and he gazed at her with a strange mixture of admiration and curiosity. It was an almost heady, lusty look—an expression that made Caroline distinctly uncomfortable.
"So—are you going to stop me from finding Klaus?" She balled up her fists. "I mean, it's been you, hasn't it? The one who's sent the fake Elena, the fake Stefan, the fake Tyler?"
"Yes, it was, but not on Delphine Lalaurie's behalf," the Baron replied easily. "I wanted to understand, you see. Wanted to know how invested you were in saving Klaus."
"Why do you care?!"
He grinned broadly, a grin that made Caroline shudder. "You have absolutely no idea, do you? How remarkable you are? How rare? No wonder Klaus is so enraptured by you…light and darkness always did have a way with each other…"
"Just tell me what you want!" Caroline shouted.
Baron Saturday placed a palm over his heart. "Not a thing, darlin'. Far be it for me to stand in the way of destiny. If you go straight down this corridor," He moved aside, revealing another passageway. "You'll find Klaus."
Caroline narrowed her eyes in distrust.
"Oh, I'm not lying," the Baron chuckled. "You will find him. He's going through the most excruciating agony, you know—and is dealing with it by escaping into the few moments of goodness and light he has."
He glanced at his watch. "Now, I really do have to dash, darlin'. An invocation is an invocation, after all. You'll have twenty minutes before Madame Lalaurie finds you." He turned away from her, walking in the opposite direction, humming to himself.
"Why—why are you helping me?" Caroline burst out. "If that's even what you're doing!"
The Baron paused. "Well, there's the practical reason," He murmured. "That the Celastin family has been one of my most devoted followers, and though the rules of magic are against them now, I'd like to see them play their final hand. And then, I've always had a soft spot for beautiful ladies." He winked at her, toasting her with his glass.
"And of course," the Baron finished. "The fact that I am now very interested in your future, Miss Forbes. There's never been a vampire quite like you, you know. So full of light and purity—a most intriguing paradox. Yes, we'll keep special tabs on you, never fear." He winked at her one more time and disappeared.
Caroline swallowed, unsure what to think. There was absolutely no way she could trust this Baron Saturday spirit—whatever he was. She wished Bonnie was here to explain what exactly was his deal. Or Kylie.
But they weren't here. It was up to Caroline to save Klaus and if the Baron was right, she had twenty minutes to do so. She turned towards the corridor and started down it, entering the inky blackness.
XXXX
Light. Caroline blinked, taking it in. She was no longer standing in a dark corridor, but in a beautiful ballroom. Lights decorated the banisters and windows, and everyone around her wore formal attire. She gasped in recognition—she'd been here before. She glanced down at herself, and sure enough, she was wearing the dress—the first dress Klaus had gotten her. It felt like a lifetime ago, that party…
She noticed him then, staring at her from across the crowd, looking as though he'd never seen a woman before. Had they gone back in time? He was wearing that tux that looked so incredible on him it wasn't fair, and she remembered how she had stiffened, refusing to allow her bones to turn to water.
Where were they? How did they get here?
"Good evening," Klaus murmured to her and hadn't this already happened?
"Klaus," Caroline said desperately. "What's—"
"Tonight's pick is a centuries' old waltz, so if all of you could please find yourselves a partner, please join us in the ballroom."
It was Elijah's voice. This was insane—had Baron Saturday sent her into the past? She walked briefly away from Klaus and sure enough, there was Elijah, toasting the crowd. Just as she remembered it. But before she could fully process what was happening, Klaus was by her side again.
"May I have this dance?" He requested.
"We can't—Klaus—" Caroline said helplessly. "Klaus, I'm trying to find you!"
"And I'm right here," Klaus smiled at her playfully. "Shall we?" He took her hand and led her onto the dance floor and she tried not to scream in frustration.
Why are we here? Caroline thought frantically as they glided across the dance floor, just as they'd done so many years ago.
He was looking at her in that way again, the way that made her heart flutter and stomach drop, that way that made her tell herself over and over again that he meant nothing to her.
"I'm glad you came," Klaus told her and she tried to remember what she'd said back to him.
"I—didn't have anything better to do," She was uncomfortably aware of how her rationale mirrored saving Klaus. Rebekah, I'm just here to get you to leave me alone after this. I don't care about Klaus, it's just a one time thing.
"I heard about your father," He stated and a flash of pain surged through her.
"Klaus—this isn't the time for this," Caroline tried again.
"Very well," He acknowledged. "Onto more mannered subjects like how ravishing you look in that dress."
If this was her memory, why couldn't she stop it? Why couldn't she change it? Breaking the illusions had worked for the phantoms, why not now?
"And the bracelet I gave you, what's your excuse for wearing that?" Klaus prompted and Caroline was rather tired of this.
"Okay, weird memory-Klaus, we can't mess around anymore, I need to get the real you out of here!" Caroline informed him in frustration. "So just—be gone!"
His visage didn't flicker once and Caroline realized he looked different from the phantoms—more real. But why couldn't she affect this memory? She knew her mind, she understood it, she should have control.
Unless this wasn't her memory.
What was it that Baron Saturday had said? He's going through the most excruciating agony, you know—and is dealing with it by escaping into the few moments of goodness and light he has.
Her. Klaus was thinking about her, was escaping the pain through memories of her, and she was stuck in the cycle.