AN: Hey guys, thanks for the reviews. So glad y'all liked the previous chapter. I hope you guys like this one. A big thank you to everyone who's reading this and reviewing. It means a lot. PLEASE read the AN at the bottom coz it's important. And now for chapter 11 :)

Chapter 11: A promise to protect you

At the sound of the door being slammed opened, Hayley vamp speeds to the courtyard, taking a fight stance. They all see Rayna enter and others follow behind her. Klaus looks to Hayley and nods and she understands. She looks to Elijah with a look that says 'please stay alive' and he gives her a faint reassuring smile.

Hayley turns and vamp speeds away. Any other day, any other enemy, she would have stayed to fight alongside the people she now considers family. However Hope was on the front lines which meant they would have to protect her. The vampires could hear as Hayley took Hope away from the compound while Rayna moved forward. "I see you've made some friends" Damon says snarkly. "Yes I have Damon. They're hunters and they would love nothing more than to see you and the wretched abomination that is your kind die" Rayna hisses out with hate in her eyes. "Woah. Where's all this hate coming from Ray Ray. Can't we sit down and have a chat about this" Damon says, his infamous smirk still playing on his lips.

Rayna moves forward and Bonnie quickly looks to Caroline. "You have to leave now!" Bonnie urges her and Caroline looks to her in confusion. Bonnie can't actually think that she would leave. "No I'm not leaving you. We can take her" Caroline tells her. "Caroline please. There's something I need to tell you but for now you have to be protected" Bonnie pleads with Caroline and she can see fear mixed with something else in Bonnie's eyes.

It's as though everyone had a silent conversation without her because as she is ready to protest Damon moved forward to grab hold of her arm as Rayna and her new allies move to attack.

Damon vamp speeds out of the compound, carrying Caroline out with him. She struggles against his vice like grip but he does not falter. Caroline kicks and punches but Damon just pushes forward.

Soon they find themselves in the bayou and Damon finally lets go of Caroline. "What the hell is wrong with you!" Caroline yells at him. "We have to go back now. I'm not just going to leave the people I care about to fight while I hide like a coward!" she screams at him and she can't even begin to think of what could happen. She would not be able to recover if anything had to happen to Bonnie or Stefan. Her thoughts went to Alaric and Enzo as well. She feels a sting of guilt wash through her because her first thought went to Klaus. He was an original who could not be killed , the terrible hybrid that everyone feared but she still caught herself hoping he would be safe.

Caroline moved to vamp speed back to the compound but found herself being blocked by Damon. "Move Damon" she growls out. "No, they can take care of themselves barbie. All those hunters are human and they can handle Rayna. You have to get out of town" Damon grabs her hand again but she pushes him away. "No, I can't leave. I still have the spell on me" Caroline says. "You didn't take care of that?" Damon questions. "No" Caroline growls at him. "I was to busy worrying about Rayna" she continues. "And worry about me, you should" a voice sounds out.

Caroline and Damon both turn to see Rayna standing before them. Blood covering Rayna like a blanket, Caroline felt her stomach turn as fear consumed her. Fear for herself, no, but fear for her friends. Rayna had blood on her which meant her friends would no doubt be hurt. She only hoped that they were able to recover.

"Ah... I see your master plan Ray Ray. You had your hunter buddies take on everyone while you came after us" Damon says with confidence and a smirk playing on his lips. Caroline could see he was trying to hide his fear with cockiness. "And it would be my pleasure to end you" Rayna growls out and runs forward.

Rayna brings her sword up to bring down on Damon but Damon brings his hand up to stop the blade from piercing his skin. Caroline rushes forward and uses all her strength to tear Rayna off Damon and pushes her to the ground.

Caroline grabs Damon and they both speed off. They stop and Damon grabs Caroline by the shoulders. "You have to run blondie. I'll distract her" Damon urges. "I am not leaving you Damon" Caroline says sternly but the tears shine in her eyes. "You... you should go. Rayna wants me. It's okay, you don't need to protect me. You don't have an obligation to help me. I made a promise to Elena. I told her that I would take care of everyone and that includes you. You deserve happiness Damon. Just make sure Elena knows this wasn't your fault" Caroline continues while the tears stream down her face. "And I made a promise to you mother that I would do whatever it takes to protect you. I do care about you Caroline" Damon locks eyes with her. He's not one to share his feelings but Caroline knows by the look in his eye that this is important. "And when I first came to Mystic Falls I didn't...I didn't see how strong and brave you truly are. But I do now" Damon whispers. "It was never me or Stefan, it was you. It was always you who fought the hardest and I am sorry... i am so sorry for the things I've done to you. You took that mark for me but now it's my turn to protect you" Damon ends. "Aww, isn't that sweet" Rayna's voice is heard and Caroline sees her coming out of the tree line.

Rayna rushes forward again and Caroline lunges forward and gains the upper hand and punches her. Rayna recovers very quickly and pushes Caroline to the ground. Damon rushes forward and kicks Rayna off Caroline. He quickly helps Caroline up and they both face Rayna who has already recovered. "You can't beat me" Rayna yells at them. "Oh I don't know about that. You don't have the stone so you can't actually hurt usDamon retorts, "which means I can kill you" Damon ends.

Rayna laughs like Damon just said the most funniest thing in the world and Caroline shares a confused look with Damon. She twirls her sword skillfully in her hand as she speaks, "If you kill me Damon, I'll just come back and when I do finally die for good, you'll be taking Caroline's life right along with mine. You see we're connected. Her life to mine just like everyone else I've marked. So if you kill me then you're going to have to say goodbye to her" Rayna gives them a dark smirk an lunges forward.

Rayna lifts her sword and tries to run it through Caroline's abdomen but Damon is quicker and shoved Rayna to the ground. She recovers and look to Damon. "I'm stronger than your normal vampire hunter" Rayna states and rushes toward Damon and effectively pushes him up against a tree and takes out a stake which she drives through his shoulder.

Caroline pushes Rayna away from Damon and punches Rayna in the jaw. Rayna stumbled back before gaining her bearings and twirls her sword so the hilt is in the front. She runs toward Caroline and the both fight for dominance. Rayna gets the upper hand and hits Caroline with the hilt of the sword across her cheek.

Caroline crumples to the ground as pain shoots through her face. Before she has time to recover Rayna is on top of her throwing punch after punch. Caroline sees an opening and pushes Rayna off her.

Rayna sees Caroline rushing toward her and lifts her sword to penetrate the vampires heart before Caroline could see it. Damon, after finally getting the stake out of his shoulder rushes forward at the same time Caroline did. Before Caroline feels the sword penetrate her heart she feels a liquid in her mouth and she realizes Damon is behind her and that he has shoved something in her mouth. She swallows the liquid as Rayna drives her sword further in her heart.

Damon is quick to snap Rayna's neck and pull the sword out of Caroline's heart. Caroline falls unceremoniously to the ground and time stands still for Damon as he sees her close her eyes.

He picks Caroline up with a blank stare in his eyes and a stray tear falls. He vamp speeds toward the originals compound and he hopes to the heavens, prays for the first time in his long life that what he did saved her life.

KC;*;KC

AN: Alright, so lots of things you need to know. First, I've mentioned in previous chapters that things will be different from the show and that was one of the changes. Explanations will be in the next chapter for anyone who did not understand what just happened.

Second, as much as I love klaroline scenes I don't think Klaus will be glued to Caroline's hip now that she's in New Orleans and vice versa. That being said there will be klaroline in the next chapter, along with Caroline/Alaric and everyone getting on the same page.

Thirdly, someone asked about the twins in a review and (spoiler or not- depending on your perspective) but they will be added but there will not be a Caroline/ Alaric relationship.

And lastly, as much as I love Damon I really hoped that he would have apologized to Caroline for everything he did to her in the show. I know there is debate on if he raped her or if was consensual and everyone has a right to their own opinion but I still feel- as small as an apology might seem, an apology would have helped Caroline.

Anyway, that's my two cents. Thank you for reading this Chapter. Please, please review. Thank you :)