-Daybreak-

Present Day

This morning when Caroline woke up, she could feel the day was going to be difficult. Her tried and true method of staying busy failed spectacularly. Today was relentless, the more time passed the stronger this inexplicable feeling got. Even the wind carried warnings. It whooshed in her ears every time it changed directions. Why did it have to be so loud?

"I just want to get back to bed!" She whined.

Bed. That thought reminded her that she had new furniture coming in tomorrow. Nothing too lavish just the last pieces she needed to replace downstairs because no humanity Care purged herself of everything. It was the memory of her mother that had Caroline fighting back tears. She'd passed away over a year ago, but the grief still packed a punch. One specific moment from her funeral replayed constantly. MFPD radioing for her mom and the desperate hope that she would answer back. That she was somewhere on this earth waiting to be saved.

Caroline drove to the outskirts of town and pulled over on the side of the road. She sped into the woods stopping when she was under the protection of the trees. All she wanted to do was scream. Caroline inhaled as much air as her lungs could hold and shouted at the top of her lungs.

'She's gone, and I'm here practically alone and it freaking sucks!' She thought to herself clenching and unclenching her fists debating on whether she should punch an oak tree or not. It wasn't the tree's fault, but it hadn't been her fault either. Life just sucks sometimes.

Sure, she had friends, but they made her feel like she didn't exist until they needed her. Stefan was great but he had his hands full with Damon, and she wanted nothing to do with him. Nothing more than necessary. Bonnie was her best friend who had just come back from the dead. Caroline absolutely refused to burden her.

Tyler wasn't her friend, even before this all started, they were never close like that. Now, he had placed her in a weird limbo where he was possessive and repulsed by her because she hooked up with Klaus. Matt had the brain capacity for only Elena and Elena only had the brain capacity for Elena. Not that she would consider her a friend, but Elena was someone she had known all her life and that had to count for something. Could all this be her own insecurity? Sure, but they hadn't proved her wrong yet.

The sound of leaves crunching forced Caroline out of her thoughts. Even before she turned around she knew it was Katherine. She was the only one Caroline knew who wore that specific Chanel perfume. Katherine stood a few feet from her giving her a wave and a Cheshire cat smile.

"Hey, Care." Caroline's eyes stayed fixed on Katherine. All these years they had known each other Caroline had a foolproof method of telling her and Elena apart. It didn't happen often but sometimes Elena liked to put on the same perfume Katherine wears. Maybe for attention, maybe to rid herself of boredom, who knew why? "You have to know Klaus is back, you shouldn't be here," Caroline cautioned. Katherine rolled her eyes and mock shook in her boots. Perhaps to give off the illusion of being unbothered. Katherine preferred to err on the side of caution by being alert but she wouldn't live in a way that forced her to scurry around like some dirty rat. She wasn't a rodent. Instead, she chooses to play it smart and associate herself with the right people.

She genuinely liked Caroline, and Klaus did too and that helped her cause immensely. The two women had formed an unspoken bond. If Klaus wanted to stay in Caroline's good graces, he would have to play nice. Admittedly, Katherine would also have to play nice because Klaus and Caroline had their own bond. Not everyone in a 10 miles radius was too stupid to see it. "He's back at the Salvatore mansion with your friends looking for cures and preparing treasons. He doesn't have time for little ol' me." She answered dismissively. "He'd make time." Caroline cautions, but the space between them falls silent as Katherine studies her. "What was the screaming before? Elena?" Katherine guesses but she knows it's something deeper. She can see it in her eyes, a pain she recognizes.

"As if!" Caroline says rolling her eyes. The air between them is only uneasy for a moment while they feel each other out. It quickly turns into something familiar and comfortable. Katherine was less of an enemy and more of a mentor and even a friend. A vampire's life was long filled with trials, who better to learn from than Katherine herself?

Caroline's pull to the morally gray started when she transitioned. Becoming a vampire brought new perspectives and the world was no longer just black or white. So, if she had to forgive Elena for almost killing her mother, then she could also forgive Katherine for relying on 500-year-old instincts to help her survive. Katherine had her faults, but Caroline owed her a lot. She saved her from a life she did not want and gave her the chance at something better. She could only imagine the monotonous kiddie pool she would have drowned in. Married to someone like Matt or worse, Tyler.

Katherine gives her time to answer. "I don't want to talk about it; I just want today to be over," Caroline confesses. "Hey, I get it. If you want to banshee scream a little longer by all means go ahead. I'm sure the forest would love to hear another kind of scream from you." Katherine jokes and Caroline bites back a laugh and smacks Katherine's shoulder. "Will you stop bringing that up every time we see each other? It was one time!" Caroline said.

"So if the next time you're in the woods, all by your lonesome, and Klaus appears and offers you a second roll in the hay the answer is going to be 100% no." Katherine presses. Caroline doesn't answer or make eye contact. "Mmhmm, that's not a no and not a no is a yes! You would jump his bones any day!" Katherine continues to tease.

"So what if it's a yes? His bones are very jumpable- I should not have said that out loud" Caroline blurts out. Katherine's laughter fills the space around them. She tries but can't stop laughing for a solid minute. Caroline eventually joins in. "You've become more shameless with your crush." Katherine accuses Caroline. Caroline covers her eyes for a second, shaking her head. "Who cares! Just get together with him already, your circling around each other waiting for the other person its stupid! Just go tell him you want his very jumpable bones." Katherine tells her.

"You're only saying that because you think I'll be able to magically make him pardon you or whatever magical thing it is that you think I can do," Caroline says back. Katherine puts on a pleading face. "Could you please! I promise I'll be a good girl! I'll eat all my veggies and hydrate. Just put in a good word for me would you?" Katherine pleads.

"Katherine, he doesn't listen to me like that! You have more faith in me than he has feelings."

"I'm sorry was it not in this very forest that he agreed to let me die in peace for your confession? 500 years given up for A CONFESSION! If I hadn't come back to life he wouldn't have revoked it. I really think he used finding out I'm alive to go back on his word of not coming back to Mystic Falls. He really doesn't care about me, he has you. Come on Caroline! Help a girl out!" Katherine begs, giving Caroline a push in a better direction. Klaus isn't an ideal boyfriend but the way Katherine sees it, Caroline can never be great staying in the same town with the same people that are hell-bent on suppressing her.

"What are you even doing out here!" She shot back avoiding the subject of Klaus all together. Katherine lets out a hard sigh.

"Oh, you know me just testing how close I can get to the fire before I burn. I want to see Stefan but Klaus being here complicates things just a little." Katherine answers rather glibly.

"Does Stefan know you're here or is this one of your surprise visits? Caroline inquires but Katherine waves her off and doesn't answer. Caroline doesn't know what to make of the two but after the long life they've both had, they both deserve happiness. She just wasn't sure they would find it with each other. Well, who was she to judge anyway?

The air around the two women becomes loud, and the women share a gut feeling they're in danger. Glances are exchanged in place of words. An arrow narrowly misses Caroline, and they duck for cover. "What was that?" Katherine shakes her head. "Caroline Mikaelson! Give up now or die a slow and planful death. Up to you, but you're coming back with us dead or alive." A hooded man shouts from a distance and he's not alone. His comrades move stealthily forward looking out for surprise attacks.

"What the hell is going on? Who are they?" Caroline panic whispers. The two women share a look of confusion. "Care, the arrow!" Katherine says, pointing to the arrow lodged in the tree. "White oak," Caroline says in disbelief. "Come on, run!" Without thinking, Caroline grabs the arrow. The two bolt out of the woods and back to Caroline's car to find the tires are slashed. It's been ransacked and destroyed for sport. "Let's make a run for the town center, they probably won't follow us there," Katherine said, taking off. Caroline matched her speed.

"I don't think they followed us, who the frick was that?" Caroline says, trying to hear past the adrenaline pumping in her ears. "As the leading expert, I'd bet good money that someone is after you. Any idea by who or why…Caroline Mikaelson? Let's not forget that! Care is there something you want to share with the class? News of the martial variety perhaps?" Katherine asks, but Caroline shakes her head drawing a blank.

"No! It must be some kind of misunderstanding. I need Klaus, I mean I need to talk to him. Any chance you'll come with me?" She didn't want to be alone, not because she worried about Klaus but because the fear was starting to settle in.

"Hard pass bestie but go alert Klaus. I have some people I can reach out to; I'll see what I can do on my end." Caroline nods. "Thank you, let me know what you find out."

Katherine agrees "The sooner you get Klaus in on this the better. He's a lot of shitty things but he's also perfect for this kind of thing." Katherine waves goodbye before speeding off. Caroline takes out her phone and begins to type.

Caroline: [Help! Code Red! Hunters showed up in the woods; they had white oak arrows. They found me in the woods.]

Caroline hit send and waited.

Klaus: [Where are you?]

Caroline: [Center square by the park.]

Klaus: [Don't move.]

Across the street Ramona and Henrik watched Caroline message on her phone. Henrik was not amused. Ramona spoke quietly to herself trying not to draw to much attention to herself.

"You'll have to kill them. Make it gruesome. A lot of ripped-out hearts and broken necks. I want anyone who finds those hunters 100% sure a Mikaelson did it." Henrik ordered Ramona. For now, she didn't fight since it had been her bad. She was supposed to give Caroline her mom's letter earlier but she got distracted.

"You know the Forbes Clan sent the C Squad. They'll send more and better skilled." Ramona cautions back. Henrik nods.

"Mmm, that's why you need to do a really good job I don't want them getting in the way. My siblings have been on their best behavior, lets us remind people that the threat of death is never zero. Plus it'll keep them on their toes and I want to see them sweat. Wait! Is that Niklaus?" Henrik asked in shock pointing at the all-black Range Rover. "It is! In the 1000 years I have watched him I don't think I've ever seen him mobilize so fast. He must really fancy this girl. Caroline Forbes, you have yet to disappoint. She's going to serve us well." He tells Ramona amused before waving her off. Ramona leaves to do some much needed cleanup.

It doesn't take her long and as a final touch, she leaves Elizabeth's Forbes letter in the glove box of Caroline's vandalized car. She'll have to come back for it eventually, important documents and all that.

"I hope you know what you're doing Henrik,"Ramona said before she sped off.

-End Chapter One-

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