Fate
Chapter Six - Death and the Maiden
When Hope had found Caroline in the woods she couldn't believe what her own eyes were seeing. The once vibrant blonde looked pale, and she smelled of death. Her skin was covered in a sheen of sweat as the fever raged within, and bite marks covered every inch of visible skin. "Oh my god," she whispered as the witch dropped her flashlight to crouch in front of her newfound friend. "Freya!" Hope calls to her aunt who wasn't too far away as the other two residents at the Forbes home approach.
"Call my dad now," Hope states as she continues to look down at Caroline's face. "She's dying aunt Freya!" The young girls shouts for help seem to break Freya out of her stupor as she pulls out her phone and dials her brothers number.
"Niklaus," she states through the phone as a shaky breath comes behind it. "You need to get to Mystic Falls...it's Caroline Forbes." The eldest Mikaelson didn't have to say another word as the call ended from Klaus's side and she knew immediately they'd have a lot of explaining to do when the hybrid arrived...hopefully in time to save Caroline's life.
When Klaus answered the call from Freya the panic in her voice was far from what he'd expected. He was anticipating the usual phone calls they'd been doing this past week where his sister and daughter check in and remind him that they're just fine…but this was far from fine. They were with Caroline, and in Mystic Falls which meant the pair had obviously lied about their intentions for leaving town. Walking out of the bar he looks up to the night sky to see the full moon above, and immediately he knows the exact reason why they called him.
Caroline would never call him for help, and the only way she would is if she was bitten by a werewolf. He shakes his head quickly flashing across town to find his car. 'Always finding trouble,' he thinks to himself as he recalls the last time he'd encountered the vibrant blonde vampire. And the last time he'd witnessed her under the effects of the deadly venom. Even after eighteen years apart he still felt the rush of adrenaline and fear coursing through his body at the thought of Caroline Forbes no longer existing in this world. The idea of never hearing her voice again, sending her those letters on her birthdays, and the opportunity of 'however long it takes' disappearing terrified the hybrid more than he'd like to admit.
That's why Klaus didn't pack any bags, didn't say a word of goodbye to his siblings. All he did was call the airport to have his plane ready in half the time they usually have it ready. If he had to kill people to get to Mystic Falls faster than supernaturally possible, he would. 'It was all for you Caroline,' the words he'd once shared to her ring out in his mind as he recalls the times he'd shown human emotions no one had seen from the mighty Klaus Mikaelson...and it was all for her.
Even when he arrives at the airport and darts for his private jet, he's impatiently tapping his foot waiting for takeoff. "This plane better be off the ground in less than 5 minutes or I will fly it myself. Which I hope you all know that wouldn't end good for humans," his tone cuts through the air instilling fear in everyone working the plane. Their legs seem to move at a faster pace knowing the hybrid would carry through with his threats as they'd seen him do so many times before to guests on the plane.
In Mystic Falls, the three women had somehow managed to drag Caroline out of the woods and back to the Forbes residence. The blonde vampire being in a complete stupor now that the hallucinations were finally setting in. Freya and Hope had placed her on the couch to keep a close eye on her in hopes that she wouldn't try to leave and cause chaos in the town. Eventually they'd had to place a spell on Caroline so she couldn't leave the couch, but that didn't stop the vampire from thrashing around in pain and crying out for people that were long gone.
'Caroline, Caroline!' A voice calls from what seems like far away as a set of hands wrap around her arms to hold her form still. Her wide blue eyes search for the sound but find none. Finally something causes her to look dead ahead at the mirror before her, and the eyes that match her own. Yet somehow they don't belong to her, or the new Caroline at least. 'You have to fight this Caroline,' the voice pleads from the mirror attempting to get the frantic blonde to focus her attention to staying alive.
"I don't wanna fight anymore," the vampire states slowly as the tears well in her eyes. The realization dawning on her that she was so worn down and exhausted from the life she'd lived these last two decades. The constant fighting, dying, and everyone around her leaving one way or another. Somehow she'd never been able to pass on even in the times of death approaching her, and even now she knew that when the peace of the afterlife came it wouldn't welcome her.
"Why is this happening to me!" Caroline cries out to the empty white space, surrounding her were white walls, ceilings, and floors. A single tall mirror placed in front of her that she looks into at the creature staring back. "I'm not strong enough for this...I never was." Her shoulders sag in defeat accepting that she was truly ready to pass on to peace.
A gentle hand touches her shoulder bringing her teary eyed attention elsewhere, "sweetie. You have always been strong, and brave. And beautiful inside and out...and I am so so proud of you Caroline."
"Mom…" The breath seems to leave her lungs at the woman standing before her. Completely healthy and happy. Nothing like the cancer riddled woman she'd seen in the days before her death years ago, "oh my God mom!" She throws herself into her mother's arms hoping to disappear in the embrace.
"I've missed you," Liz Forbes pulls back from the tight hug to get a better look at her daughter. "This life was never meant to be easy Caroline. Even in eternity, but you have to fight. There are things out there that I can't tell you about, but darkness is coming soon. You and your friends have to be ready to face that, and they won't survive it without you."
She shakes her head, "but I want to stay here with you." Liz places a gentle hand on her daughter's cheek and wipes away the stray tears with her thumb. "I don't want the responsibility of saving the world or whatever it is this darkness is coming for. I'm not special enough for that...I'm just a girl that was turned into a vampire as a war casualty."
"No," Liz's words are firm as she stares into Caroline's eyes with determination that the vampire had only seen a handful of times in her life. "You are special and so much more my sweet Caroline." The former sheriff looks up at the sound of booming footsteps, "we're running out of time."
"Please don't go mom. I don't want to say goodbye again," she grasps onto her mother begging whatever force held them there to allow them to stay. As the room begins to shake and the illusion shifts her mom whispers one last thing in her ear before vanishing.
"Where is he!?" A voice calls off from the distance that sounds like Hope. Maybe the witch had called her father for help. "Klaus…" Caroline smiles at the thought that he still cared enough to come to her rescue.
"Caroline please stay with me," Hope shouts as the blonde on the couch begins to cough up blood and the hand the witch is holding turns grey. "No, no no!" The young Mikaelson stands to her feet in panic as the blonde vampire begins to desiccate, "Freya. Freya!"
No answer comes and her hope begins to fade as she sits down once again by the woman she'd grown quite accustomed to recently. "Klaus…" the word leaves Caroline's lips so silent that only Hope seemed to hear it. She leans closer to hear if the vampire would say anything else, but all she heard was a small breath leaving her lungs and everything in the room stilled.
The grey veins worked their way up Caroline's body until every visible inch of her was covered in them. And a sob was heard from behind Hope as she turns around to see Ingrid sliding to the floor against the wall. None of them could believe their eyes as the seemingly indestructible Caroline Forbes breathed her last breath. "I can fix this," Hope states as she stands to her feet and moves around the house in search of her grimoires. "I have to fix this. She's Caroline she can't just be dead." The brunette moves in frantic motions around the house searching every book she can find for some way to bring back the vibrant blonde.
"Caroline," a soft voice whispers by the main entry to the living room. Hope turns with tears streaming down her cheeks to see her dad standing there looking down at the vampire that he was all too familiar with. His jaw is clenched, and for the first time in years Hope watches as tears well in her father's eyes. "What happened." Klaus's words are firm as he sets his mind to getting revenge on whoever did this to the first person to bring light into his life after centuries of darkness.
"We don't really know. When we found Caroline it must have been an hour after she'd texted us all. She was delusional by then and couldn't give anyone a proper answer...dad you can do something right?" The daughter looks to Klaus begging him to say yes, but they both know it's too late. "Please say you can fix this dad." Hope pleads with him knowing this couldn't be the end of Caroline's story.
"I don't think I can this time sweetheart," his words are just above a whisper as he crosses the room to embrace his daughter. She merely collapses in his arms as the tears freely flow.
"This isn't right, it's not fair!"
"I know littlest wolf, I know." All Klaus knew was that he was going to have to bury Caroline Forbes and that it was definitely in no way, shape, or form fair.
It was cold, the ground beneath her was hard; and something was definitely very off. Caroline slowly opens her eyes to see dark walls all around her, the drip of water in the distance and the silence that followed that echoing sound. "Welcome back to the land of the living Caroline," an unfamiliar voice calls from nearby.
Whipping her head in the direction of the sound she sees a shadow just beyond a wall of bars. A cage, just great. "Why am I here?" She questions the shadow as he merely chuckles.
"This has been a long time coming. Do you realize how long I have waited for this day my dear Caroline?" His words cause the hairs on her arms to stand erect and strike fear in her heart.
"No I wouldn't know that because I have no clue who you are," she rolls her eyes hoping her attempt at brushing off the dude would work.
It doesn't. "You know who I am. I've been haunting your dreams for decades now, and when the Other Side collapsed I deployed my accolades to deliver my message to you. We have too much history for you to not know who I am."
"I think you're going to have to give me more backstory Mr.," the blonde crosses her arms looking at the shadow of a man that has remained in the unseen since her awakening.
"Look in the mirror Caroline," confusion floods as she looks around for the supposed mirror in the room. Finally her eyes land on a small one on a wall. "That is how you're here darling," the mans words fill Caroline with rage.
Turning around she glares at the shadow wishing for nothing more than to strangle him. "What did you do to me witch?"
He steps forward only slightly so she can see his hands raised up in a mock surrender. "I merely placed you in a temporary body until I can acquire your real one. That hybrid is determined to give you a proper burial in the town you call home."
"Klaus," her eyes widen thinking of how she'd thought of him just before. "I died...again."
"Ah yes I was wondering when you would remember that. My apologies for the messiness, werewolves can be so temperamental on the full moon."
"You did this to me? What did I ever do to you!" Her answers aren't given though as the man turns and walks away in the shadows whistling as if taunting her. "Tell me what you know," she screams grasping onto the metal bars shaking them as hard as her human vessel would allow her to.
It's been four days. Four long, torturous days since Klaus Mikaelson had broken his promise to leave Mystic Falls. Since he'd walked into Caroline's living room to find her greyed body and his distraught daughter. It's been one day since they'd informed the Bennett witch of Caroline's death and held a small funeral for the unforgettable woman.
"She was supposed to outlive me," Bonnie had said as the realization that her vampire friend was truly dead.
The funeral had been a somber affair as Hope clung to her father letting the tears flow freely. Freya stood back attempting to hold herself together for her family despite a woman she'd grown to like having perished in a terrible way. Bonnie stood and told stories of her childhood memories with the blonde, but could barely hold herself together when her two children began to shed tears for the loss of their 'aunt Caroline.'
Tyler had shown up at some point during the funeral which only brought chaos as the original hybrid launched at him the minute he came in the area. "This is your fault," Klaus had said gripping the Lockwood wolf by the collar of his shirt. "What makes you think you don't deserve to be skinned alive right now. I've shown mercy on your life far too many times to count in the last few decades, and now Caroline isn't here to stop me from seeking vengeance. I'm sure she would appreciate it since you killed her."
His hybrid features had emerged during his threats as he moved to hold Tyler against a tree by his throat. Squeezing just hard enough to cause panic in the regular werewolf. "Enough!" Bonnie shouted as she used her magic to fling the two apart. "This is Caroline's funeral, don't disrespect her by bringing out old quarrels." With that the witch had struck a chord with everyone and merely turned to take her children home. They would mourn in private away from the vampires lurking.
"I'm sorry," Tyler fell to his knees in front of Klaus. "I deserve death for this. She was only trying to help me and these witches came out of nowhere...and we were trapped in this cell. If I could go back and change things, or take her place I would." His dark brown eyes meet the man he'd spent so much time trying to kill years ago, "if you want to kill me here's your shot." Surprising to everyone left standing there the hybrid merely shakes his head and flashes off into the distance. Which abruptly ended their memorial service.
This whole ordeal was one huge mess, and now Hope stood with Ingrid as the pair were preparing to leave Mystic Falls. New Orleans being the next stop and the redhead had agreed to go with the Mikaelson's since they'd bonded as of recent. "You can stay with us until you decide what to do next. You're always welcome in our home Ingrid," the young witch had said placing a comforting hand on Ingrid's shoulder.
And so she'd agreed to leave behind the place she'd been dragged to by a woman she'd just buried. If only she knew this is how her life would turn out when she left home...maybe she would've stayed.
Time seemed to pass in a haze for the four people returning from Mystic Falls. Hope had taken to drawing in her room and bonding with Ingrid, while Freya took to the more conservative route - avoiding the whole situation. Klaus on the other hand became volatile. As the days passed following their return to New Orleans, his temper had spiked. Known for fits of rage, the Mikaelson family had learned to avoid him in the recent days. The hybrid could be found either in his room drinking and mourning over the blonde he'd lost or somewhere else trashing one of the rooms during his outbursts.
"Niklaus," his elder brothers voice cuts through the chaos as Klaus looks up from the destroyed room. "This has gone on long enough."
"No it hasn't 'Lijah. Someone I cared for very much died and I couldn't do a damn thing about it. What's next my daughter? My sister, or perhaps even you. We barely got Kol back with Davina's magic those years ago, and now I doubt anyone would be willing to help our family if we found ourselves in a war." The hybrid runs his fingers through his slightly longer hair, the curls being tousled by his hands.
Elijah clears his throat as he approaches his brother. "I understand your pain, I truly do Niklaus. Ms. Forbes was a remarkable woman from what I could tell, but you have a child to think of. Hope needs her father."
"She has you all to help her."
"She is spiraling Niklaus. You have to connect with her, and only you can do that. Her wolf nature is showing through as she's now older and that could mean her triggering the curse."
Klaus scoffs at his brothers words, "my daughter will be fine because she is a Mikaelson. We all have tempers."
"Yes she is a Mikaelson, and so are you. So get out of this...this funk and show her how a Mikaelson acts in the face of tragedy."
It's been days now that Caroline has been trapped in her cell. No food, no water, and not a single visit from the mystery man that'd trapped her in the first place. She'd tried everything she could think of to escape, and even attempting to kill the body she was in, hoping she'd wake again in her own skin - but everything failed. She spent more time in her cage screaming and cursing the person who'd locked her away in the last twenty-four hours than she had trying to get out.
At this point she had assumed that fate intended for her to learn something here. She just didn't know what exactly. Caroline huffs as she slumps against the wall, licking her dried and cracked lips. 'What was this guy doing? Starving her in a human body?' "Caroline," a voice whispers through the cool draft filling the area and the blonde sits up straight. "Caroline," the voice calls again.
"Who's there?" She questions whilst looking around for the source of the voice, but finding none.
"Remember," the voice says and it only brings more confusion to the woman. 'Remember what,' she thinks to herself. "Remember what Liz said in the place between death."
Her brows crinkle together as she ponders over how the voice could know of her experience with her mother. In the last decade Caroline had tested her theory that she was immune to death, and every time it'd proven true. It had been her little secret with Ethan for all those years, and then they'd discovered her other abilities.
The first time Caroline Forbes had looked inside someone's mind had been truly terrifying, but thrilling all in one blow. The smoke that emerged from her palms and encased the person struck fear in their heart that she could sense without even listening to the pounding of the flesh. Just like that she'd known that this person was a messenger of the Teacher coming to steal away one of her people, and the rage that filled her was indescribable. The smoke had turned an inky black and the alcolade had begun to scream in agony as lesions developed on his skin, and the smoke seemed to swallow him whole.
Ethan had shaken the blonde out of her trance state when the smoke had begun to pour out on the floor of the room. When it had receded there was nothing left in the chair but a pile of ash where the man had once sat. 'I'm a monster,' had been her first thoughts - and then the rush of power had come like a wave. She'd liked it…'we're the same Caroline.'
"Ugh get out of my head Klaus," Caroline hits her head in attempt to rid herself of the hybrid. She was trapped in a cell by a strange man in a human body she didn't know, and somehow her thoughts went to Klaus. 'Great,' she rolls her eyes pulling her focus away from the memories of her past. "Wait...what did my mom say?"
And the panic grows as Caroline searches every crack and crevice of her own mind for the memory of her last moment with Liz Forbes before waking in this body. "That son of a bitch wiped my memories."
It's been 10 days since they'd departed from Mystic Falls, and 12 since the burial of Caroline Forbes. The people that remained in the Mikaelson home knew to keep their distance from Klaus when they could, but he'd slowly begun to open back up. In the past few days he moved into his art studio to draw every detail of the blonde that had captivated him.
Every memory he could think of, even the bad ones, he drew them all. Committing her delicate features to memory, and begging the powers that be to never let him forget her. It was in those lone moments where he was undisturbed that the tears were allowed to escape. For the first time in a very long time Klaus Mikaelson shed tears of sorrow for the woman he'd lost, and the opportunities tossed away.
"You should be here...not in some grave or wherever it is that the dead vampires go now." His words are bitter as the anger in him rises by the second. The hybrid quickly sets down his artwork knowing if he held it for a moment longer it would be irreparably damaged. "Why'd you have to be so, so stupid Caroline!" He runs his fingers through his curls and tosses the pencil in his hand at the wall. It makes contact and sticks straight out stuck in the hard surface, "you should know by now to stay away from wolves on a full moon love." Chuckling the original stands to his feet and pours himself a drink. "And I'm talking like you can actually hear me right now, but I know you can't...and I wish you could."
Hope stands in her room with Freya as the pair sigh, "dad's spiralling."
"I know," Freya states as she looks up from the grimoire the pair were reading from today. "There's nothing we can do for him though. He's grieving in his own way, and all we can do is stay out of the way."
The young witch stands to her feet and begins to pace the floors, a habit she'd developed recently after spending her last week with Caroline doing the exact same thing. "We have to try something aunt Freya. Maybe there's a way we could contact Caroline and let her tell him she's alright..I don't know what, but there has to be something. I can't just sit here and pretend it never happened, I'm not you."
"I'm not pretending it never happened Hope. Despite what you may think I was actually starting to like Caroline, but if I allow myself to grieve right now this family would fall apart. So I will grieve when Niklaus decides to pull himself together," the eldest Mikaelson looks up at her niece seeing a similar spirit in her that she saw in Caroline. They were optimists, fighters, and those were a rare people in this world today.
A knock sounds at the door and it opens to reveal Ingrid standing awkwardly, "sorry to intrude. I know you guys were doing witchy stuff today." Her voice trails off, unsure of where to go next.
"No it's fine Ingrid you're always welcome in here," Hope pats the spot beside her on the bed and the redhead enters the room to take a seat beside the young woman. Really and truly, Hope was only two years younger than Ingrid and somehow the former knew so much more about life when it came to supernatural...maybe it was growing up in such a different environment. Perhaps if Ingrid had been raised by similar people she wouldn't be much different from Hope.
"I didn't just come here to hang out. I should have said something sooner, but I thought it could've been a fluke thing. It didn't make sense considering I just found out about all of this supernatural crap."
"Ingrid, calm down. Get to the point," Freya's hands are on the redheads shoulders looking curiously at her.
"I don't think Caroline's dead." Just like that chaos erupted in the Mikaelson home once again.
Well here it is! Chapter 6 is here, and it answered a few questions I believe. No Caroline is most definitely NOT alright considering she's trapped in someone else's body in some mystery location. For those of you who were hoping this would've been a Klaroline reunion I'm sorry to disappoint, but these two people have been apart for 20 years right now and it's not going to be easy finding their way back to each other let alone falling for each other...which will come eventually I promise.
Anyways this chapter was kind of tying up the loose ends of Mystic Falls so we can officially transition to New Orleans as the main location. I love Matt and Tyler and the rest of the TVD people but this is a Klaroline story and it would be really annoying to write a bunch of filler scenes just so they could be there, and it wouldn't advance the plot at all. So as usual I don't own TVD/TO and if I did the finale of TO would've included Caroline and Klaus having a montage of some sort together...and all the Mikaelson's would've been happy just saying.
Until next time, Always and Forever ;)