Enjoy!
xx
"Wake up, Caroline."
Sunlight is pouring into the room and when Caroline opens her eyes she winces away from it, throwing the blanket over her head. Klaus standing above her doesn't help.
He laughs and gives her shoulder a gentle shake. "Come on, darling, I've got a world to show you."
Their flight had landed early that morning, the two having spent most of the previous day exploring New York City after their short flight from D.C. Caroline supposed this was Klaus's first step in having her forget about her old life and Mystic Falls, introducing her to the hustle and bustle of a big city unlike any she has ever visited. And she loves it, of course, and finds herself smiling more than she thought she'd be able to, but by the time they board their redeye flight to London she isn't able to sleep, hypnotized by the blinking lights of the wing of the plane, lost in deep thought. Her mother has been calling her all day, calls that had gone ignored, Caroline unwilling to listen to anything her mother has to say, afraid she will give up and go back home. Klaus gives her a wary look each time she pulls out her ringing phone, as if afraid she will answer and do just that. He gives her a small smile each time she ignores the calls, and that smile makes her stomach churn. She's playing right into the palm of his hand, she realizes.
When their flight lands at around seven that morning, Caroline is desperate for blood and sleep. Klaus checks them into some really gaudy and expensive hotel and rents a suite with two bedrooms, Caroline surprised and thankful for this. "Don't look so shocked, Caroline," he clucks at her, taking her luggage into her room. She can't help but blush, feeling almost guilty. Klaus tells her to take a bath and relax and that he'll be back after a while before disappearing into the city. Caroline is thankful for this alone time and sinks into a scorching hot tub, ignoring the pain and denying herself any more tears. She tries to put it in perspective, that all those people, even after watching her grow up and knowing her so well, wanted her dead anyway, all because of what she is. Of course, they were her natural prey and she their predator, but Caroline had always made a point of sparing human life. She sinks into the water and banishes those thoughts, instead opting to concentrate on her hunger.
As if on cue Klaus returns, a cooler of blood bags with him. A little compulsion can get you a long way, Caroline would learn, especially when you weren't in a town where half of the population was ingesting vervain. Caroline drinks hurriedly, not realizing until she has finished three bags that Klaus isn't drinking.
"Aren't you hungry?" She asks. Klaus hadn't eaten since they'd left Mystic Falls, since the gymnasium…
Caroline shuts those thoughts out.
"I ate while I was out," he responds, watching Caroline closely for her reaction.
Disgust, she supposes, is her first feeling. Her face shows it.
"I didn't kill her, if it makes a difference."
"Why don't you just drink from the bags?" Caroline asks, not feeling quite as disturbed as she should, and hating herself for it. "It seems common practice for vampires. Easier."
"Come, Caroline, you know it's hardly as good. A bag is like having a frozen dinner when you could be eating a fresh, home cooked meal." Klaus then reaches for one of the bags and begins drinking from it. "It's cold, to begin with, and I like blood warm, pumping with life, taken straight from the source. Much more intimate that way, wouldn't you agree?" Caroline had only drank from a human a handful of times, when she was but a young vampire, scared and in a blind rage, driven mad by her hunger. There was nothing intimate about it at all.
The night that Klaus had come to her suddenly swam to mind. The night he had let her drink from him. He had cradled her head and whispered softly to her.
Caroline feels herself turning pink. "I enjoy not viewing humans as lunch, sorry."
Klaus quirks his eyebrow at her. "That will change, Caroline."
And that worry was back. That worry that someday she'll end up like Klaus. That it would be easier to end up like Klaus.
Caroline stands from the table, desiring an end to the conversation and to be away from him. "I'm going to sleep. I feel dead." Klaus grins at her word choice and Caroline rolls her eyes.
It feels like Caroline has only slept a few hours when Klaus shakes her awake, blood bag in hand. "Wake up, Caroline." That gentle chuckle at her protests. "Come on, darling, I've got a world to show you." She stiffens at his touch.
Caroline hides under her covers for a few minutes, but then her hunger hits her full force. Rubbing her eyes, Caroline sits up in bed, accepting the blood bag Klaus offers her. "How long have I been asleep?" She asks, looking at the clock. It reads 10:04 a.m. Surely Klaus let her sleep longer than an hour.
"Twenty-five hours." He says, smiling at her shocked reaction.
"Why'd you let me sleep so long?" She asks, hating the idea of wasting a day.
"What's a day spent sleeping to a vampire?" He asks, and he's right, of course. She's beginning to hate how often he's right.
Caroline turns so she's sitting on the edge of her bed, looking out the window. The sun is shining in London, something she's happy for, glad the city isn't living up to its reputation. Town cars are practically bumper to bumper at the intersection below, a few towering red buses scattered among the traffic. "What have you been doing while I've been asleep?" She asks, eyes flicking to Klaus for a moment, then away again when she sees him staring at her.
Klaus sits next to her, gazing out the window as well. "I did some shopping; both of us were exceedingly under packed. I sent your clothes to a Laundromat to be washed and pressed, but they should be ready this afternoon."
"You didn't have to buy me clothes, I could have managed," she says, knowing full well she only packed two changes of clothes. She doesn't know how to feel about this gesture, on one hand grateful to have more than a pair of blue jeans and a few t-shirts, but also uncomfortable at his generosity for her.
"Whatever makes you feel better, love." A smile tugs at the corner of Klaus's mouth.
Caroline gives him a sideways glance. She wants to ask him why he's so nice to her all the time, why he feels obligated to give her gifts, to take care of her. To buy you off, she tells herself, but it doesn't sit well with her this time, not today. His tiny gestures to her had littered the past decade; small, expensive gifts on her birthday and Christmas, a check in every now and then to see if she was alright, an invitation to some party his family felt like hosting out of boredom, even if they were across the country. She often scoffed at the gifts, the phone calls, rolling her eyes at his attempts. But he was never deterred by her obvious contempt for him. He had been so patient with her.
Klaus gives her a quizzical look. Caroline looks away and takes a sip from the blood bag. "So then what's on the agenda? You've lived in London, right?"
"Not since the 90s have I been here." Klaus suddenly looks nostalgic. "But I'm very fond of London. I always seem to find my way back here, every few decades." He gives her a small smile, cocking his head to the side. "I think you'll enjoy the city."
Caroline returns the smile. "Well then, I hope you're ready to give me one hell of a tour." His laughter tells her he is ready to take her up on that challenge. And he does.
He takes her to antique stores and bookstores, places no regular tourist would go to, if they could even find it. They visit coffee shops, Klaus insisting she try the scones at this one, the cappuccino at another. They stumble upon great murals, taking up an entire building side, colorful, bright, and unlike any art Caroline has ever seen. He takes her to Piccadilly Circus, where Caroline stands in awe of the surrounding buildings, the traffic of cars and people. Klaus makes the mistake of taking her to visit Harrods, where she could spend days window shopping. As the day is winding down and Caroline grows exhausted, Klaus insists they visit one last attraction, the London Eye. As the sunsets, they stare out over the city, glowing in the soft orange light.
"If you aren't too worn out, I've got one last experience for you today," Klaus says, watching her look over London, an expression of peace on her face.
She gives Klaus a quick glance, reluctant to look away from the view. "Oh?"
"How would you like to visit an English pub?" And suddenly the idea of getting completely wasted in a foreign country with a vampire that leaves her head reeling more often than not is the most attractive thing to Caroline.
She grins. "I would like that a lot."
The two stumble into a pub on the Thames, a dingy joint named The Mermaid's Song, established 1807. "I've been a frequent customer of theirs since it was built." Klaus tells Caroline, smiling as he holds the door for her. A few patrons stand outside, sucking on cigarettes and speaking to each other with heavy accents. They eye the two warily, not used to seeing unfamiliar faces. The pub is softly lit with orange light, giving the predominantly wooden room a soft, hazy glow. Glasses hang from the ceiling behind the bar, the back wall lined with every alcohol imaginable while beer on tap sits at the ready at the front of the bar. Band and movie posters hang around the room, proudly displaying signatures. A huge wooden mermaid that must be as old as the establishment itself hangs from the ceiling on wires. The paint is chipped and the features are worn, but she holds a flirtatious smile and a beckoning hand. A grizzly old man serves as bar tender and he stands chewing on a toothpick, eyes on a small T.V. behind the bar, showing recaps of an earlier soccer (football, she tells herself) game. He looks up as they come in and gives a small nod and a grunt. Klaus directs Caroline to a back table, the entire bar preoccupied by frequent patrons, who talk to each other in booming voices and laugh even louder. Caroline is grinning and amazed and can't help the laughter that escapes her. Klaus looks back to her and smiles, and Caroline is struck with how genuinely happy he looks.
"A beer, Caroline?" He asks, raising his eyebrows at her. She nods and he leaves her at the table, heading to the bar. Caroline sits, looking around the room with eager eyes. Rock music blares from a jukebox, some tune from the 80s. She's about to get sentimental when Klaus appears again, two large, chilled mugs filled to the brim with amber liquid in his hands. He hands her one which she gladly accepts. "So what do you think?" He asks.
"I think I'm in love," she sighs happily. It's unlike anywhere she's ever been, which she supposes was the some of the appeal of traveling with Klaus. She's thankful of the crowd the bar attracts, mostly middle aged men, tired and worn after a day's work. She's thankful to not be forced to make small talk with someone who appears to be her age, to make up some story about what she's doing in London, how old she is, where she's from. The other patrons ignore the young couple in the corner, and they're both grateful for it, though for different reasons. She takes a large swig from her mug, swallowing the beer with a slight wince.
"Not your favorite?" Klaus laughs.
"Not really a beer girl, but I figured if I was drinking in a pub, I had to do it right. But, this is better
than anything else I've ever had." Caroline drinks until half of the mug is gone. "I was thinking we should get wasted tonight, Klaus." Caroline raises her eyebrows at him, giving a small grin.
"Well I like your thinking, sweetheart!" And with that Klaus chugs the rest of his mug. Caroline follows his lead and they have the bartender refill their glasses. They occupy their corner of the bar for hours, refilling their mugs when they empty over and over again until they're both feeling sleepy and warm. Caroline finds herself enjoying her evening with Klaus, who listens as she talks a mile a minute, all rosy cheeked and glassy eyed. Caroline's tongue is looser than usual, and she rambles on about Elena and Bonnie, her envy that they left Mystic Falls years ago. She confides in him that she still can't believe Elena hasn't picked a Salvatore brother, who have both been with her since she became a vampire. She complains that her mother continued to treat her like a teenager while she lived with her, and that Caroline almost felt like one still.
"Like, how had I not left home yet?" She says, head in her hands.
"Well, you stayed with you mother. You were loyal to your family. She was all you had left." Klaus says, nodding his head up and down in approval.
Caroline chuckles. "Yeah, you're all about family loyalty, huh? Where are your siblings now, anyway?"
Klaus shrugs. "Elijah's being an enigma, as usual. Rebekah…she's with that human still, is she not?" Klaus asks, referring of course to Matt. "Last I heard she was in Washington chasing another heartbreak." Klaus shakes his head at the thought of his sister. "Kol…I think Kol's in Europe, actually. He decided he preferred European girls to American." Klaus grins at this and Caroline shakes her head, laughing.
"Why'd you let them go?" Caroline asks bluntly.
Klaus suddenly looks contemplative. "I suppose I'm not worried anymore." He blinks a few times, staring into his empty glass. "I suppose I know, if I should ever need them, they will come to me. Having your siblings think you died can really do things to strengthen your bond." He looks at Caroline and shrugs.
Memories of all those years ago suddenly come to Caroline, the anger she had towards Klaus for tricking her into thinking he was Tyler, the almost relief she had, as well, to know he lived. It was something she made her peace with, and Bonnie certainly helped her get over all those mixed up, confusing emotions. If he had died, she certainly wouldn't have lived, considering the bloodlines. If the means of his survival involved trickery, so be it.
"We should head back. It's almost two." Klaus stands, and offers a hand to Caroline. She hesitates before accepting, but is glad for his help, as she wobbles when she stands. "Find your feet, love, there's a girl," he says, placing his other hand on the small of her back, leading her from the pub.
They walk at a slow pace back to their hotel, Caroline reveling in the cold breeze. They pass by many nightclubs that are still open, loud music thumping from behind the closed doors. A few other couples walk the streets, couples leaning on one another for support. The burning in Caroline's throat comes suddenly and she realizes she hasn't fed since that morning.
"Let's hurry back, I'm hungry," she says, picking up her pace. Klaus stops on the sidewalk and his head lolls to the right, looking across the street. A lone girl, stumbling and clutching her shoes, is walking the opposite way, oblivious to the two across the street. He stares at her for a moment and then back to Caroline.
"I'm not feeling up for the run, and it will be another twenty minutes before we're back at this pace," he says by way of explanation.
"Klaus-" she starts, but in a moment he's cleared the street and is standing in front of the girl, who gives a yelp.
"Christ! You scared the shit outta me!" She laughs, taking a step to the right to keep going. Klaus mirrors her movement, staring down at her.
"Klaus!" Caroline yells this time, running across the street to him. She's beside him in a moment and the girl jumps, surprised at Caroline's sudden appearance. "Klaus, come on, let's just go. We can wait." She urges, pulling at his sleeve.
"The hell are you-" the girl begins before Klaus grabs her, slamming her against the wall.
"Would you like to go first, love?" He turns to Caroline, presenting the girl's bare neck to her. He has one hand over the girl's mouth, her screams and protests muffled. Caroline's eyes fly to the girl's neck. A vein pops out from the pale skin, and Caroline can almost see the blood running through it. Klaus's words swim back to her. "… I like blood warm, pumping with life, taken straight from the source. Much more intimate that way, wouldn't you agree?" Her throat is on fire and her eyes darken, the veins around them popping out. Caroline's mouth opens and her fangs grow and just as she leans in half an inch, she remembers herself and flings herself away from Klaus and the girl.
"Klaus, you know I don't." Her fangs retract, the veins settle, and she's looking at him with her clear, critical eyes. His nostrils flare.
"And I told you that would change," he snaps. The girl squirms beneath him and he pushes her firmly against the wall. "You're so close, Caroline, you're so close to letting yourself over to what you truly are. A hunter, this human your prey."
"That isn't how it has to be, not anymore, Klaus," Caroline says, standing perfectly still. She's unsettled again, by the way he's acting. Demanding she be a certain way. He's drunk, she tells herself, but she knows these are ideals he possesses. A vampire was created to be at the top of the food chain; it was their right to indulge in any prey they wished. And humans were ideal; humans, the most dangerous game, so weak compared to their kind. The idea makes Caroline sick. "We don't have to hurt anyone to feed anymore." She's trying to talk him down, an impossible task, she's sure, but she has to try. This girl looks so scared. "Please."
Klaus stares at Caroline, that same, intense gaze he loves to give her. She holds her breath and then he buries his fangs into the girl's neck and she's overwhelmed with anger. He drinks until the girl passes out, and this angers him, unable to compel her to forget. Klaus looks between the girl's slumped form and Caroline, who's shaking her head, already knowing what he's thinking. This only angers him further.
"Well what would you have me do, Caroline? Leave her here to wake up so she can start screaming 'Vampire!' through the streets of London?" He shouts and Caroline offers no reply. Her mouth is pressed into a hard line, her brow furrowed in anger. "Or should we carry her, bleeding and blacked out, to our hotel and hope she wakes up the next morning and maybe, if she doesn't start screaming her head off, we can compel her then, hm?" He kicks the brick wall the human girl is slumped against and Caroline looks away, hesitant to say anything, not knowing what she'd say, anyway. "It has to be done," he says finally, breathing heavily. He kneels down next to the girl and takes her limp head in his hands. He gives a quick jerk and Caroline hears the bones crack and the breath leave the girl. Klaus stands and looks at Caroline expectantly.
Caroline's shaking her head, her mouth twisted in disgust and hate. "I was an idiot to think I could actually enjoy myself with you," she bites out before running full speed away from him.
Klaus's gaze lingers on the spot Caroline had stood. He closes his eyes and gives a yell of frustration, slamming his fist into the brick wall that cracks beneath his blow.
xx
-Reels