Hello, my lovely readers. So, this chapter should answer your questions about how it's possible that Caroline could be a vampire. On with the show…
Chapter 18: Things My Father Never Told Me
Hayley and Caroline raced back to the Mikaelson estate beginning to panic. "There has to be somewhere on this damn property we can go," Hayley was saying out of breath.
"The basement," Caroline told her. "Rebekah, where is your basement?"
"What?" Rebekah asked, looking dazed.
"Where is the damn basement?" Hayley shouted.
Elijah ran ahead of them. "Come," he shouted over his shoulder. They ran as fast as they could and barely made it as Hayley began to scream. Elijah had to pick her up and carry her down the stairs.
Caroline's jaw dropped as she saw several things that looked like cages. "What in the hell?" she murmured, grabbing ahold of one of the bars of the nearest cage, she tugged at it. It didn't budge. When she used her new strength it still failed to budge. Feeling wary, she pulled the door open. "Klaus, lock me in."
"No," Klaus said, looking at Caroline as she stood her behind the bars after pulling the door closed.
"Do it or I'll do it myself," Caroline ordered him.
Klaus shook his head but he locked the door and pulled the key out. Elijah was laying Hayley down in the cage beside her. "Okay. We're going to be okay," Caroline whispered as she reached through the bars and took Hayley's hand. "Hush," she whispered to the other girl, who was sweating and crying.
"It hurts so damned much," Hayley cried, clutching at Caroline's hand as her bones began to break and she howled in pain. "Hayley. Hayley!" Caroline called, gaining her roommates' attention. Staring into Hayley's eyes, Caroline smiled slowly. Pressing her hand to the other girl's cheek. "It doesn't hurt. It doesn't hurt at all. You're fine. You will get through this. Do you understand?"
Hayley's eyes glazed over and she began to transition without cries of pain. And then it was over. She began to prowl around her cage on all fours. Sighing, Caroline leaned back against the cell wall of her own cage and waited for the pain. Klaus sat down outside her cage and watched her.
After an hour, they were still waiting for Caroline to transition and she could see a sliver of moonlight from a small window in the basement. "Is it possible that you will not shift as Hayley did?" Elijah asked, looking from Caroline to Hayley and then back at Caroline again.
Caroline shrugged, "Don't know. I never shifted before. So, I have no idea how this works." Klaus got up from his sitting position and unlocked the door. He then walked inside the cage and locked it from the outside. "Klaus, what are you doing?" Caroline asked, her eyes widening as she stood up.
"I'm not going to let you sit in this bloody cage by yourself all night long." Klaus told her, pulling her into his arms. "Don't worry, if you decide to bite me then I have your blood in my system so I'll just transition into a vampire."
Rebekah finally came out of her confusion. "She won't bite you, Nik. Caroline, do you remember the night that Hayley transitioned but she didn't attack either of us?"
Caroline nodded thoughtfully. "Yeah, that was odd."
"It must be because even in her state as a wolf she recognized us as fellow wolves. Or I should say that we have the potential to be fellow wolves," Rebekah said slowly. "Perhaps that is why she was drawn to Elijah. What if that is why were roomed together. Someone knew we were or had the potential to be werewolves. So, they placed us together." Rebekah was staring into space and she narrowed her eyes. "Nik, have you and Caroline been indulging yourselves in some kind of sick blood exchange thing?"
Klaus closed his eyes, leaning against the wall. "Rebekah, you really need to stop minding others' business."
"Come off it, Nik," Rebekah snapped. "You want her to turn you, don't you? You don't like having a girlfriend who is nearly indestructible while you continue to remain a human. Oh, that is rich. My brother, the power hungry fool who would stop at nothing to get what he wants. You finally find a woman worthy of you, who is making you into someone decent. And all you want to do is diminish it. Is it that what you want, to be like Father? That's it, is isn't it, Nik? You want to prove to the great and powerful Mikael Mikaelson that not only are you as powerful but that you can be more so. Well, go right ahead with your stupid little plan. Become a monster for all I care. I want no part of this or anything more to do with you." Striding out of the cellar, Rebekah's heels could be heard clicking up the steps.
Glaring at the door to the cage, Klaus' body stiffened as he stared at it. Hayley began to howl at the moon and Klaus jumped to his feet and strode over to the bars separating the two cells. "Knock it off or I will give you a reason to howl!" He bellowed at Hayley, who pressed herself to the other side of the cage. Klaus bared his teeth at her and snarled.
"Stop it, Niklaus," Elijah demanded as he stared at his brother, who turned and gave him a dull look.
"Come now, Lijah, just because she gave you fleas and you're in her bed doesn't mean she means anything to you. She's just a silly girl who lays down with you, on top of you, under you. It's just a bit of fun. Nothing to get worked up about. Can't say I wouldn't have taken her myself if I hadn't met Caroline. But, you, brother, you think idle screwing is all hearts and flowers. Bunch of sentimental rubbish. She's just a stupid bitch -" Klaus was cut off by Elijah, unlocking the door and jerking him out of the cell.
Slamming Klaus to the ground, Elijah stared down at his brother, "Niklaus, you are a worthless young man. You are so full of bitterness and hate that it will consume you one day and you will be utterly and completely alone."
Getting up, Elijah walked out of the room past Bonnie, who had been quiet the whole time. She seemed to be trying to avoid the whole family drama. She looked inside the cage at Caroline, whose face was blank.
Pushing herself to her feet, Caroline walked out of her cage. "Get up and get out," she ordered Klaus, who blinked up at her.
"Caroline, I did not do anything. Rebekah and Elijah are just having their little soap box, moral superiority moments. They'll calm down. You'll see," Klaus told her with a wide smile before he got to his feet.
Caroline shook her head. trying to control her rage. "You and Bonnie need to leave now."
"Why, love?" Klaus asked, reaching for her and she stepped out of Klaus' reach. "You do not want to touch me right now," she murmured.
"Why?" Klaus asked, staring at her, trying to get her to meet his eyes.
When she lifted her eyes, Caroline's eyes glowed yellow. "Because if you do not leave I will kill you and I will make it permanent," she snarled, snapping her teeth and Klaus backed away slowly before he fled up the steps.
Bonnie hesitated a moment as Caroline slumped to the floor, staring at it, "Will you be okay?"
Caroline looked up at Bonnie, "I don't know if I'll ever be okay again." Bonnie went back upstairs to allow Caroline some privacy. Sitting on the floor, Caroline waited for the sun to rise. When it finally came up Caroline waited for Hayley to dress. "Would you make sure that everyone leaves our wing before I go up?" Caroline asked quietly.
"Sure," Hayley told her, walking out of the cage after Caroline unlocked it. "I'm not sure what happened last night. But we'll get through it, Care."
Nodding, Caroline smiled tightly as she watched Hayley disappear up the stairs. Thirty minutes later Hayley came back down. "The coast is clear," she told Caroline, who sighed. Pushing herself to her feet, Caroline followed Hayley through the house and into their wing. Opening her door, she turned to look at her roommate. "I need some time to myself."
Hayley nodded, turning to leave but then stopped. Turning back around, she hugged Caroline tightly. "I never really had much of a family until I met you and Rebekah. So, if you ever need anything just call me and I'll come running." Brushing a tear away, Hayley hurried back down the stairs.
Feeling like crying herself, Caroline walked into her room and gathered her things. Shoving clothes into her bag as well as any other essentials she wasn't willing to part with Caroline opened the window and leapt out. Landing on her feet in a crouching position, she straightened up and began to run. She knew where she had to go first before the others knew she was missing.
Stepping inside the Sheriff's station, Caroline strode back to her mother's office. She was greeted along the way by various deputies and her the secretary. Knocking on the door lightly, her mother called, "Come in." Liz looked surprised to see her daughter.
"Hi, Mom," Caroline said with a wide smile.
Leaning back in her seat, Liz looked concerned, "What's wrong, Caroline?"
Caroline shook her head. "Nothing. Why would you think something was wrong?"
"Because you have that the world came to end because 'I didn't get an A on my science project that I worked so very hard on, Mommy' look," Liz informed her daughter with a smile.
"Oh," Caroline rolled her eyes at the memory of a time before vampires, werewolves, witches and above all else, Klaus Mikaelson. Sitting down across from her mother, Caroline tried to think of how she could form her question without startling her mother. "Mom, when I was growing up do you ever remember me being bitten by anything? Like a dog or a cousin or anything really."
Liz frowned, thinking about it. "Not that I recall, honey."
"I… well… Are you a werewolf?" Caroline asked her mother since she was tired of trying to tiptoe around the subject. If it became a problem she would just compel her mother to forget what she asked her.
Liz' eyebrows knitted together and she leaned over her desk. "Caroline, why are you asking me about werewolves? You know they don't exist."
Blowing out a long breath, Caroline clutched at the armrests of her chair. "Yes, they do. And I think you know it," Caroline replied slowly, watching her mother's face carefully.
Slumping in her seat, Liz stared at the top of her desk, shaking her head. "Caroline, I'm not a werewolf, honey." Looking Caroline in the eye, Liz' eyes misted over with tears. "Your father's family are werewolves. I didn't know until we got married and then he told me. But, Caroline, you need to know that your father never activated the gene because he did not want that life. We promised each other that we would never speak of it."
Staring at her mother, Caroline's lips twisted down and then up. Then her lips turned down again before a hysterical giggle erupted. She began to giggle harder, staring at the confused look on her mother's face. "So, the two of you decided it would be in my best interest to NOT tell me that I could turn into a monster. That is really great, Mom. Remind me to send Daddy a thank you card, too."
Liz got up and walked around the desk and sat in the chair next to Caroline's. "Baby, we just wanted to protect you. You will never trigger the curse as long as you never kill anyone. I know you would never do such a thing…" Liz stopped talking as Caroline began to cry.
"Caroline? What aren't you telling me?" Liz asked, pressing her hand to her daughter's shoulder and Caroline pulled her hands away from her face. Liz gasped, jumping to her feet. "Oh, dear God. Caroline, what… oh… what are you?" Liz asked, automatically reaching for her service weapon.
Looking up at her Mother, her eyes glowing golden, Caroline continued to cry. "Are you going to kill me, Mom? I wish you would. Go ahead. Shoot me. If it works, you would be doing me a favor." Caroline moaned, curling up in the seat, pulling her legs up to her chin.
Liz was shaking in terror as she released her hold on her gun. Walking over to her daughter tentatively, she placed a hand on Caroline's head before wrapping her arms around her daughter. "Oh, Caroline, I am so sorry." Caroline sobbed in her mother's arms until she couldn't cry anymore.
When Caroline had calmed down enough, Liz sat down beside her once more. "Tell me what happened. Tell me everything." They sat for the next hour as Caroline explained everything. She didn't hold back a single detail no matter how her mother's face twisted in horror. Caroline needed to tell her mother the whole story. Liz sat back when Caroline was done. "Okay. We'll get you help. I'll call your father. And we'll help you."
Sitting in her chair, Caroline watched her mother go over to the phone. Something about her mother's posture was too stiff. It was the way she stood when talking about someone she had picked up for a crime which made Caroline get up slowly to end the call. Liz turned to Caroline slowly. "Who were you really calling?" Caroline asked staring into her mother's eyes.
"Carol Lockwood. We need to have a Founder's Council meeting." Liz said slowly, her eyes glazed.
"What's the Founder's Council?" Caroline asked.
"They're the founding families who come together to protect this town," Liz told her.
"Who's on the council?" Caroline asked.
"Me, your father, Carol Lockwood, Elena Gilbert, Damon Salvatore -" Liz listed off when Caroline interrupted her.
"Elena and Damon are on the council?" Caroline whispered staring at her mother.
"Yes, when Grayson and Miranda passed away and Damon came to town he suggested that in spite of her youth that Elena should become part of the council. There were objections but Damon persuaded us that since Jenna was not a founding family member that Elena should be given access," Liz said slowly.
Thinking about it, Caroline sighed. "But Damon is a vampire."
"Yes, he is. That is why I have to call. I have to warn the other members that they're in danger. That the whole town is in danger what with the Salvatore brothers, the Miklaelsons and what you said about yourself. The town is in danger," Liz explained.
Gripping her mother by the shoulders, Caroline stared into her eyes. "Forget what I said. I was never here. I love you, Mom. Remember that."
Walking out the back door, Caroline sped away from the Sheriff's station. When she was far enough away she compelled a woman to give her a ride to Richmond. Once she was there she compelled a car salesman to give her a Porsche. She always wanted to drive one of these things. Driving along the highways and freeways she arrived in Chicago twelve hours later.
Getting out of the car in front the Weston hotel, Caroline made her way to the front desk. She compelled the woman at the desk to give her the Presidential suite. Why not? She had a right to relax after everything she had been through lately. Caroline knew she wouldn't be able to stay here forever. Someone would come looking for her eventually. But she could stay here for a little bit of time.
Pulling out her phone, Caroline noticed that she had missed calls from all of her friends. Even Elena had called. Klaus had left so many messages that she spent an hour listening to them. Each was a heartfelt apology for the things he had said and ended with him begging her to come home to him. Caroline laid on the bed and began to delete each of the messages one by one.
When she was done deleting the messages, Caroline checked her e-mail to find more messages from everyone. Without opening a single one, she deleted them and then sent an e-mail to everyone.
Hey, Everyone.
I'm fine. Don't worry about me. When I'm ready to come home I will. Please, try to be kind to each other. I just need some time to think.
Love,
Care
E-mailing each of her professors, Caroline claimed that she had to leave school for the moment but she would be back for finals. She knew that wouldn't work. But she would come back and compel them. Right now, she could care less about her GPA. It was just so stupid given that she was dead and all.
Getting up, Caroline decided to go for a walk. Maybe she would go to a club, check out the museum like a good little tourist, go shopping and maybe check out the local theaters. Part of her wished she had taken Klaus with her. However, she had to get away from him. She just couldn't be around Klaus at the moment. He was becoming out of control and it scared her. What scared her more was the little thrill she got from his behavior. It made some part of her want to give into the darkness and allow it to consume them both.
Yes, doing touristy things would keep Caroline's mind occupied until she figured out what she was going to do about her new life. Hearing her phone ring in her pocket, she stared at Klaus' number until it went to voice mail and then she flipped her phone open.
"Caroline. Where is the hell are you, love?" Klaus' voice was a mixture of remorse and rage.
Closing the phone, Caroline sighed, "Not with you." Walking along the sidewalk, Caroline cleared her mind and headed out into the early sunrise.
Thank you for faving, following and reading this fic: ilyreid, Guest, lavyana, Guest, Guest, Heidionannita and Alexis2106 for (your three reviews).
Ilyreid: That is classified information. You must have a pass key or code or compel me to answer those questions. Seriously though you will find out whether Mikael is Klaus' biological father in this story in chapter 24 which is titled "Under Investigation." As for whether Caroline will turn Klaus… that will be answered in chapter 29 which is titled "-, be a Klaus Tonight" and then you can guess at what the four letter word could be.
Peace,
LL