Hey guys, thanks for all your lovely reviews. I have to thank mycutehamlet for some of the inspired ideas in this chapter. Please keep your thoughts coming.
Chapter 6: The Good Witch
Katherine's eyes fluttered open adjusting to the sunlight streaming in through the window. She took in the unfamiliar surroundings and sat up worried about where she was. She furiously wracked her brain trying to work out what exactly happened last night.
"It's okay Katerina." Elijah murmured his voice full of sleep. She looked to her left noticing him looking sleepy and rumpled wondering if it was possible for him to look bad. She peeked under the covers checking she was still clothed sighing in relief to find her skirt and top intact. "Do you really think I'd take advantage of you?" He asked not even bothering to open his eyes but still knowing exactly what she was thinking.
"Well you've been pretty persistent of late so who knows what you'd do given the opportunity." She said rolling her eyes.
"Do you think it would be possible for you to not roll your eyes at me just this once?" He asked his eyes still firmly closed shut. The fact that he could read her so well was unnerving.
"Where would be the fun in that?" She quipped. "So how exactly did I come to end up in your bed? You realise I have a perfectly good one down the hall."
"You weren't too well so I thought I'd bring you in here and keep an eye on you."
"How kind of you." She scoffed trying not to look at him in all his yummy goodness. "Well I'm going to go." His eyes finally shot open.
"So you're going to sleep with me then run away, you're going to give me a complex." He joked.
"Someone's unusually upbeat this morning." She mumbled. Having Elijah in this close proximity was throwing her off balance.
"I had a good night's sleep, the best in a while actually." He murmured turning over so that he was gazing in her eyes then began to stroke her hair softly.
"Well good to know."
"I like what you're doing with your hair." He said running his fingers through a rogue grey strand making Katherine pull back defensively. She shouldn't have been so stupid and let him find that.
"I should really go, I'm starving." Katherine thought at least that was true, she was always hungry.
"You should stay here and get more rest and let me bring you some breakfast in bed, it's the least I could do after making you sleep in my bed." He teased pulling back the covers revealing his bare chest and fitted white boxer shorts making her blush slightly. Why did he have to be so damn attractive?
"Um no I'm perfectly capable of getting my own breakfast." She said shakily averting her gaze from his toned physique. Katherine placed her feet on the floor and stood up desperately trying to ignore the dizziness that hit her. She closed her eyes and focused on the job at hand which was getting away from the adorable man who was haunting not only her dreams but her every waking moment.
She finally shook off the light headed feeling and stalked out of the room without a backward glance at Elijah, afraid she'd jump back in bed with him given the chance.
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"Mmmm coffee..." Rebekah moaned joining Caroline on the terrace and drinking a mugful of steaming hot liquid.
"If this doesn't beat the hangover I don't know what will." Caroline said taking a sip and looking out onto the beautiful grounds. She'd been struggling to clear the cobwebs this morning due in part to the alcohol but mainly the most amazing kiss she'd ever experienced in her life.
"Remind me why we thought that many tequila shots was a good idea?"
"Please don't mention that evil word." She shuddered trying to block the visual of the amber liquid from her mind but failing.
"It was fun though." Rebekah smiled thinking back to their night. "I think we definitely increased their revenue."
"Sophie said she'd be happy to have us back again." She laughed. "So what happened to you and Matt after I left?"
"We danced for a bit, had a few more shots then came back here."
"And? Don't keep me in suspense."
"And nothing, we were far too drunk and as much as he wanted to I refuse to be that needy girl anymore." She said defiantly. "He's going to have to do a lot more if anything is going to happen between us."
"I wish I had as much willpower as you." She muttered.
"What exactly happened between you and my brother after you left?"
"We might have um kissed." She mumbled making Rebekah freeze in shock. "I blame it on the excess alcohol."
"So it didn't mean anything then?"
"No." She replied unconvincingly. "It's best just left alone. Once this Marcel thing is sorted out I can go back to College and get back to my life."
"Well I wouldn't count on that happening quickly." She murmured knowing just how he could be. "Marcel isn't someone you want to mess with."
"You sound like Klaus." She replied rolling her eyes. "Speaking of your brother, have you um seen him this morning?" She asked worried about running into him after their moment.
"Don't worry; he went out early like a man on a mission. I don't want to know what he's doing." She said shaking her head thinking the worst as usual.
Caroline exhaled in relief, she had no idea what she was going to say or do when she saw Klaus again. She felt bad because she'd been the one to instigate their kiss but knew pulling away was the right thing to do given how much alcohol she'd consumed. She knew she was attracted to Klaus and their kiss had only confirmed that but at the same time she had so many conflicting emotions when it came to him and knew she wasn't ready for that even if it was amazing.
"Earth to Caroline?" Rebekah asked curiously.
"Sorry." She smiled. "I'm so bored being stuck here, think I might go and take a swim or something."
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"You know I really can make my own breakfast." Katherine said watching Elijah fossick around in the fridge. She had showered and changed only to come downstairs to find him dutifully cooking for her. Why did the man have to be so damn perfect?
"Yes I do realise that Katerina but for once can you just shut up and let me do this?" He asked his brown eyes pleading with her. Her face softened slightly and she sat on the bench watching him working away busily. "Now if I remember correctly eggs sunny side up?"
"You have a good memory but I think I'd prefer cereal after my big night." She smiled watching him pour it into the bowl and top it up with milk from the fridge.
"What happened to my breakfast?" Hayley demanded walking into the kitchen noticing the two of them looking very cosy. "Don't tell me Miss Piggy here has scoffed everything."
"Well you live here Hayley, help yourself." Elijah said his eyes not leaving Katherine.
"It would be nice to have some help seeing as I'm carrying a child." She groaned trying to get his attention but failing miserably. It seemed like whenever Katherine Pierce was nearby he was completely transfixed by her. Just another reason why Hayley hated her.
"Yes his brother's child to be exact, I guess that's what you get for being such a were-slut." Katherine mumbled unable to help herself.
"Ladies behave." Elijah scolded nudging Katherine in the side.
"There's no milk left." Hayley cried tipping the carton upside down for added effect.
"Looks like you'll have to find something else then because there's somewhere we need to be." Elijah said mysteriously lifting Katherine off the bench mid-mouthful and onto his back.
"Where are you taking me Elijah?" She cried as he piggy-backed her down the hall.
"It's a surprise." He said. "There's someone I want you to meet."
Hayley heard their bickering followed by the slamming of the front door and hurled the bowl she was holding into the sink smashing it into multiple pieces. She thought there was a way she could make Elijah see past Katherine's lies and manipulations but he was completely blind. Hayley thought she could start over with Elijah but knew that was never going to happen as long as Katherine Pierce was around. It was time to shake things up a bit.
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"Can't a girl get some peace in her own house?" Hayley groaned happening upon Caroline by the pool. Caroline shook her head thinking this was the last thing she needed right now.
"It's only your house by default so I wouldn't get too comfortable." She muttered running her hands through the cool water.
"You know jealousy is a really ugly look on you Caroline."
"I am not jealous, least of all of you." She snapped impatiently.
"Well I beg to differ, you were jealous of my bond with Tyler and now you're jealous because I'm having Klaus's baby."
"I don't know where you get these wild ideas from." She murmured. "Just leave me alone."
"Why would I do that when this is just so much fun?" She asked haughtily.
"Okay if this is fun for you then you really need to get a life and stop pining for Elijah, who is obviously not interested in you."
"I am not pining." She spat. "Anyway you'd know all about that considering you pined for Tyler only to have him reject you."
"You don't know anything about what happened Hayley."
"Well I know that his feelings for you paled in comparison to his absolute hatred for Klaus. I mean how does it feel to come in second?" How did Hayley know that, unless someone told her of course?
"How would you know that?" She asked her curiosity getting the better of her.
"Oh we may have been in contact since you two broke things off." Caroline wanted to bite and ask what she knew but thought better of entertaining her.
"You know I have far better things to do than sit here and listen to your pathetic attempts to upset me." She baulked moving in dangerously close to Hayley making her flinch in fear. "Just because I can't hurt you now doesn't mean I won't in the future, that's a promise."
Hayley watched her walk away hoping she'd planted enough of a seed to stir things up once and for all. Caroline stalked off not wanting to give her any more time than she needed. All she wanted to do was escape and clear her head. Their kiss was weighing heavily on her mind and Hayley's incessant bitching wasn't helping matters either. She walked upstairs thinking some fun was in order to get her out of this funk. Caroline crept into his room noticing Stefan fast asleep and proceeded to jump on his bed startling him so much that he nearly fell out of it.
"Caroline!" He whined as she hit him with a pillow. "Leave me alone."
"Oh come on you've been sleeping too long anyway and I need some entertainment."
"So you thought jumping on my bed and hitting me with a pillow would be fun?" He asked.
"Yes and I have to say it's definitely improved my day." She chuckled nestling under the covers next to him. "So what happened last night with Sophie?"
"Nothing nosey." He shot back finally sitting up.
"Why not?" She asked. "I mean you're like the perfect couple as far as I can tell."
"And why's that?"
"Well you're both brunettes, extremely broody, annoyingly sarcastic and you both have arm tattoos, it's like a match made in heaven." She grinned.
"Yes that's definitely the makings of a promising relationship." He groaned. "Seriously I just met the girl you need to ease up a bit Care."
"I can't help it Stef you know how much I love to match make and generally interfere in people's lives."
"Well maybe you should focus on your own relationship instead." He said pointedly. "What the hell is going on with you and Klaus?" Caroline looked down suddenly not liking where the conversation was going. "I like how when it comes to you now you're quiet." He teased nudging her playfully.
"I'm quiet because there's nothing going on."
"Yes because I'm totally stupid, come on Caroline you can do better than that." He pressed.
"I might have kissed him." She mumbled making him raise his eyebrows. "I stopped it though before it could get too heavy."
"So let me get this straight you kissed him then stopped it." He asked quizzically. "Why does this seem a little contradictory?"
"I was drunk, you know that, and it never should have happened."
"But it did and the fact that you instigated it, drunk or not Caroline, speaks volumes." He said. "Why can't you just admit that you like the guy?"
"If I do then it's real Stefan and I'm not sure I could deal with that along with someone trying to kill me."
"You know he'd do anything for you right?"
"I know that." She cried in frustration. "But sometimes I struggle to see past all of the terrible things he's done."
"I'll admit Klaus has done a lot of questionable things in the past but you bring out the best in him." He said. "If anyone is going to make him a better person it's you."
"I'm not so sure." She said. "Anyway he'll probably get sick of me." Stefan noticed tears gathering in her eyes and immediately pulled her towards him.
"Why would anyone get sick of you Care?" He whispered stroking her hair.
"Well Matt didn't want anything to do with me, then Tyler. I mean what's to say the same thing won't happen again?" She said the tears rolling down her face. "I don't think I can handle getting hurt."
"Matt was immature at the time and Tyler is selfish, it had nothing to do with you." He soothed. "Look at everything Klaus has done for you even when you were so busy pushing him away, he loves you."
"I know." She conceded.
"He's never given up on you unlike a certain werewolf we know."
"Yeah I guess you're right Stef, just don't let it go to your head." She said a smile finally crossing her face. "Speaking of a certain werewolf Hayley said something interesting before about how Tyler and I broke up but I have no idea how she knew."
Stefan's ears pricked up thinking maybe his suspicions had been right about what Sophie told him. Maybe it was Tyler who told Marcel about Caroline and maybe he and Hayley were somehow in contact.
"You're awfully quiet." Caroline asked curiously. "What aren't you telling me buddy?" Stefan hated how observant she was.
"Sophie mentioned that a wolf told Marcel about you being in town, one that's been living in the bayou." He said. "Maybe Hayley knows more than she's letting on."
"That bitch, I knew she'd be involved somehow." She cried standing up. "Right what are we waiting for?"
"Excuse me?"
"Stefan we need to get to the bottom of this starting with a little visit to the bayou." She said already heading for the door.
"Woah! There's no way I'm taking you out there, Klaus will kill me." Caroline rolled her eyes.
"What scared of the big bad hybrid?" She accused knowing how to get under his skin.
"Of course not." He growled. "How about Matt and I go out there and investigate and I'll tell you what happens."
"Great just what we need Beavis and Butthead in the bayou." She muttered.
"You realise insulting me isn't going to get you very far."
"Please Stefan take me with you otherwise I may actually kill the she wolf." She pleaded sticking out bottom lip for added effect.
"You're not coming Forbes so deal with it; I'm going to get Matt." He grumbled getting out of bed. "I promise I'll tell you everything when we get back."
Caroline stormed out of his room sick and tired of being treated like she was a child and needed to be wrapped in cotton wool. She had an idea and smiled thinking how handy an Original with local knowledge would come in right now.
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"Okay you've brought me to a really creepy church, I have to say this wasn't what I was expecting Elijah." Katherine murmured looking around ominously. "This is just a little too horror film for my liking."
"Don't worry I haven't brought you here for confession given how incredibly long that would take to revisit all your sins." He quipped making her roll her eyes sarcastically. "There's a young teenage witch living in the attic who's being held captive by Marcel."
"Why is he holding her captive?" She asked curiously.
"Marcel uses her strong powers to exert control over the witches in New Orleans." He paused before continuing. "Davina can detect if the witches are using magic and then reports back to Marcel."
"That doesn't sound like much of a life for a young girl." She said sympathetically.
"It's not." He said. "She doesn't get many visitors and considering she's probably well and truly sick of me by now I thought she might like to see a new face."
"I'm not sure what I could do to help."
"More than you know." He murmured. "Come upstairs with me." Katherine paused still unsure of why he'd brought her there. What could she of all people do for her?
"Trust me." He begged holding out his hand. Why was it when he said that with those eyes she just wanted to melt? She agreed begrudgingly and climbed the stairs surprised at just how young the girl was that answered the door peering at her curiously.
"Davina I brought you a visitor, I hope you don't mind." He smiled warmly ushering Katherine inside the dimly lit attic. "This is Miss Katerina Petrova."
"Miss Petrova." She replied politely looking at the beautiful woman in awe.
"Oh please it's just Katherine, only Elijah calls me that." She said dismissively even though she could listen to him say it over and over again.
"I think Katerina is much prettier." She mused. "How do you know each other?" They looked at each other awkwardly their history almost too complicated to explain in brief.
"We're old friends." Katherine said sending him a slightly uncomfortable smile. "How do you know each other?" She asked studying the young girl curiously. She wore a simple white dress her hair hanging loosely around her beautiful face.
"We're friends too." She smiled sweetly. "Elijah keeps me company sometimes."
"He's good like that even if he can be annoying at times." She joked smiling at him. Katherine noticed her hands were black noting the easel and sketch pad on the other side of the room. "You draw?"
"Yes a little." She mumbled self-consciously touching her face and causing a dark smudge to appear on her cheek. For some strange reason all Katherine wanted to do was reach out to her and somehow make her feel better.
"Do you want to show me?" She asked and the young girl nodded shyly. She took her over to the easel and Katherine saw a beautiful picture of an angel. Katherine couldn't believe how good she was.
"You are very talented Davina." She smiled watching her blush. "The only thing I'd suggest is that you might want to pull back your hair while you sketch so it doesn't get in your way. I could braid your hair if you like?"
Elijah was in absolute shock watching this take place, the Katerina he knew wouldn't usually show this much compassion towards anyone, let alone a child. He assumed it must have been her newfound humanity and was struck by her motherly instinct. Davina glanced in Elijah's direction almost as if she was asking permission and he happily nodded in response. He knew bringing Katerina here today was a good idea for both of them.
She sat on the bed instructing Davina to sit on the floor and she pulled back her hair and began raking her hands through it to remove the knots. "My mother taught me how to braid my hair when I was younger." She murmured remembering all those years ago in Bulgaria when she was young and innocent like Davina.
"I wish my mother was around to teach me things." She said sadly loving the feeling of Katherine caressing her hair.
"I'm sure if she could be around she would Davina." She whispered thinking about everything that happened with Nadia and how much she wanted to be a good mother and make up for all their lost years.
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"You know a map wouldn't have gone astray." Stefan grumbled looking towards Matt who was staring helplessly off into the distance. They had been driving around the area in search of Tyler but so far hadn't seen anything resembling a person, hybrid or wolf.
"Well maybe if you'd let me stop to go to the toilet we could have asked then but no you had to rush out here."
"I wanted to get out here quickly because I didn't want Caroline following us. She was pretty pissed I left her at the house this morning." He said thinking how she didn't even say goodbye.
"Well it wouldn't be a normal day if Caroline wasn't pissed at one of us for something." He muttered. "Seriously man I need to go in the woods or something."
"You must have the world's smallest bladder."
"Are you going to stop or would you like me to do it in your car?" He asked insistently.
"Fine." He growled pulling over to the side of the road. They both got out, Matt running off to relieve himself while Stefan walked further up the road stretching out his sore legs. He really did feel bad about excluding Caroline given how upset she'd been but he knew this was for the best and that for once he and Klaus would agree on something.
He heard the sound of squealing brakes and looked back to see Caroline jumping out of a car driven by Rebekah and slashing two of his tires. He stood motionless for a second trying to comprehend what had just happened then started to race back even though the Caroline was already back in the car and it was screaming further away from him.
"What just happened?" Matt cried running back to the car.
"We were just duped by a couple of women." He groaned pulling out his phone and punching in her number.
"What the hell was that?" He barked when she connected.
"That was what happens when you don't let me tag along." She shot back. "It's nothing personal bestie."
"Ah yeah it kind of is." He muttered. "I can't believe you slashed my tires, do you know how expensive they are to replace?"
"Typical man only caring about his stupid car." She drawled. "I think you'll have no trouble compelling a few freebies from the local mechanic who happens to be not far up the road from you."
"Seriously Care this isn't a game, you could be walking into some kind of a trap."
"Maybe I am but it beats sitting around the house waiting for someone to get me." She said. "I refuse to keep living like that and you can tell Klaus the same thing." Stefan groaned inwardly dreading that particular conversation.
"Today is not the day to be brave." He implored. "Come back and we can all go together."
"Yeah no offence but I think I'm better off without the two guys who've been driving around aimlessly without a map and didn't have the sense to bring along an Original with local knowledge who can't die."
"You realise you're dead when I see you next Forbes."
"Oooh I'm so scared Stefan." She said disconnecting the call amid a fit of giggles. Stefan consulted his phone scrolling down to the letter K knowing who he had to call but dreading it immensely.
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"We are dead you realise, well at least you are." Rebekah said her eyes fixed on the road.
"It had to be done, I'm so sick of everyone treating me like I'm so poor helpless little girl that can't fend for herself."
"So what exactly is the plan?"
"Well so far all I have is that we find Tyler and I pretty much kill him for wronging me." Caroline said shrugging her shoulders. "Does that sound good?"
"Hey I love a good scorned woman but I think we need something else, did you ever think that maybe he's not alone?"
"It has crossed my mind but why would he be hiding out in the bayou if he wasn't trying to be discreet." She said. "I think he's probably trying to work out his next move, Tyler never really was good on his feet."
"So what do you think is the Hayley connection, I mean obviously she's been in contact with him, do you think they're conspiring together against Klaus?" Rebekah asked.
"I wouldn't be surprised given how much they both hate him." Caroline agreed. "Okay so I go in beat him up and if he gets too tough you come in and snap his neck for good measure."
"Well as good as that sounds we probably need to interrogate him and find out what's actually going on." Rebekah said being the voice of reason as usual.
"Okay so we need a witches brew or some kind of spell to help the interrogation process along." She said her eyes lighting up mischievously thinking of the perfect person. She looked up the number of the bar on the phone and rang hoping to catch Sophie.
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"You did what?" Klaus shouted almost deafening him.
"Calm down Klaus." He groaned expecting this response. "It wasn't my fault, don't forget your sister's culpability in all of this." Klaus bristled thinking he really should have used that dagger on her while she slept the previous night.
"Where are you?" He growled wanting to save Caroline and not get into all these semantics with Stefan.
"Out in the bayou on route 57 a little way down from the local mechanic." Klaus had disconnected before Stefan had even finished his sentence. He had gone out early to try and find Marcel and bring an end to this because he was unwilling to risk Caroline's life. Unfortunately Klaus hadn't had any luck locating him and had continued to drive around in circles deeply frustrated.
Klaus jumped in his car his blood boiling from their conversation. Just when he didn't think he could get any more worried after the previous night this had to happen. For protectors Matt and Stefan really weren't doing a good job of it, although if he was being honest he really wasn't either. Klaus blamed it on his strong feelings for the blonde but he wasn't sure what Matt or Stefan's excuse was.
Klaus was completely in love and, like everything else when it came to Caroline, he had no idea how to handle it. The elation from her kiss was closely followed by the dark depths of rejection as he watched her race away into the night. He'd followed her of course to make sure she was okay keeping a safe distance between them not wanting to upset her again.
After that Klaus had been unable to sleep let alone calm down. His emotions were heightened, a feeling that wasn't completely foreign to him, but with Caroline it was so much more than he'd ever expected. She had awakened feelings and emotions in him that were slowly driving him crazy.
Klaus pushed down on the accelerator knowing if he didn't get to her soon it would be too late.