Darkest Temptations

by Katrina-H-Creates

Caroline and Klaus devise a plan to flee Mystic Falls in the middle of the night after the hunter arrives. They are now willing to put everything on the line to begin their new lives together. A heartbroken Tyler refuse to accept reality and sets out to find them. How far will Klaus go to defend his new love?

1. Chapter 1

Darkest Temptations

Chapter One: Old Traditions

Caroline Forbes (P.O.V)

It was the morning of the memorial, and the entire town of Mystic Falls was coming together to say their final farewell to those killed in the tragic fire at Pastor Young's farm. I had gotten up early this morning because I wanted to get myself dressed and arrive early in case help was needed setting everything up. Things at the memorial had taken such a drastic turn, leaving everyone in attendance in complete shock and disbelief. There would undoubtedly be a flood of questions about Tyler's shooting the next day, and the hysteria would be unfathomable.

Despite being a vampire and capable of taking care of myself, I had double-checked every lock on every window and door around my house that night after returning home. It was an awful feeling to not feel safe in your own home, especially in such a seemingly sleepy town as Mystic Falls. I wished I was returning home to a warm dinner and blankets ready in front of the television, but I wasn't; everything was becoming so dark and disastrous that I wouldn't blame any family that fled from Mystic Falls tonight. A small part of me wanted to escape and never come back.

For now, I will settle for getting out of their dress and these ridiculous heels, which I did the second I entered my bedroom. I removed my socks, bra, and underwear, slipping into a pair of old sweat pants and a white cotton t-shirt. I had felt so constricted by my clothes all day, and now my skin was turning to butter. When I tied my hair up behind my head, it was total bliss. I sunk down onto my bed, retrieving my laptop as I adjusted the pillows behind my shoulders just right until I found that primal comfort spot. I checked my email first, finding nothing but a few updates from the board of Miss Mystic Falls, reading that a venue and catering had already been arranged, but a theme had yet to be determined, as had the design for this year's tiara. I doubted I'd seen an email like this again for a while. No doubt the founding families would invoke some processions, limit social gatherings, and perhaps institute a curfew until Tyler's attacker was brought to justice.

My heart could just break over the difficult decisions facing families all over town that night. None of them would feel safe within their own homes, and my mom would have to deal with the fear and all the unanswered questions. Tomorrow was just going to be a complete nightmare, and I didn't know if I could even stomach the idea of it right now. We'd all faced so many supernatural battles, but the people of this town were innocent, and they all deserved to feel safe in the town they loved. I just wanted to return to the days of my human dramas, before there were any supernatural aspects to my life. I wanted to live a sheltered, positively boring, and predictable life, and the more I thought about it, the less compelled I felt to remain here in Mystic Falls and attempt to accomplish it. Every day there was a new danger, a new ghost trying to get through from the other side, humans to compel, research to do, and blood to clean up.

From the moment that the hunter had shot Tyler, I felt something change within me, like the feeling you get when you finish a book or a test at school when, in that insignificant moment, all things are possible and nothing will be the same again. You've come to the end of something that, in some small measure, has changed the direction of your life, and now it's time to hang on and prepare for the blank page ahead. That's what I saw when I closed my eyes—a blank page, and for once, it was up to me alone to come up with ideas that would shape my future. I wanted to cleanse myself of this town and start a completely new chapter somewhere else, where I wasn't just a vampire but also someone who could make a difference, someone who helped their community, put down roots, and thought positively. But in order to do that, I had to do what I do best and clean up the mess.

I leaned up from the pillows behind me and straightened up my posture with my laptop at the ready. I looked down at the time, finding it was just after five p.m.; afterwards, taking a deep cleansing breath, I decided right then and there that I would be out of Mystic Falls by morning. In order to do that, however, I would have to find a way of starting my new life from scratch, which meant ensuring that none of the Mystic Falls supernatural beings or spirits would have an issue with me from the moment I crossed the town border. I wouldn't feel safe until it was as if my life here never even existed, which meant there was indeed a lot of work ahead of me. I went online and began to go through a number of websites containing spells and rituals relating to cleansing life choices, haunting, and even changing one's own scent. I had to ensure that I left no stone unturned in my escape from this town. I started looking into enchantment spells—original spells, if you will—some of which were created by witches who had lived near Mystic Falls at some point in their lives.

One name kept making an appearance, Holly Gailmoore, and I decided to look into her background. She, like many other women at the time, had been accused of witchcraft. She fled her family's home when she was very young and never returned. She tried everything to avoid the ghosts of her past, but supernatural beings seemed to find her regardless of her efforts. It wasn't until she began living with other witches who were also in her shoes that she began to work on a spell to protect them from their past and cleanse them of previous mistakes so that they could begin a new life together; however, such a spell would require the strength of not only her but other supernatural beings. Deciding that they would blend in easier with a man by their side, the women decided to unite their bloodlines and share one man as their husband; they would perform their spell, and they would marry the man they had all grown to love. After the spell was performed, they left before sunset the next morning, the spell allowing them a twelve-hour limit to escape and not a second more.

I was able to find journal entries about Holly Gailmoore on the website, even the spell itself that allowed her to escape her enemies. She wrote about the night she performed the spell and how she and her friends said farewell to all their hardships and looked forward to joining hands and becoming one. Her next journal entry was not for a few days, and her first words were, "We've made it out." She had actually created a spell to shield not only herself but also those she had come to love. There were stories about her life after that, about how she lived a long, fruitful life with many children and stayed married to the same man for the rest of her life, happy and united, as did her friends. I began to study the notes she had made in her journal of all the spell components. The spell did not require a witch to perform it but rather a supernatural being; this intrigued me. However, there was no denying that this spell had a lot of requirements for it to hold strong and especially provide the twelve-hour window. If I were to do this, then it would have to follow in her exact footsteps to ensure its success, which meant I could not perform the spell alone; it would require two other women and a man.

Of course, my first thought was Tyler, but immediately my heart broke over the idea of sharing him with two other women. I couldn't imagine a life without him; we were in love and we would always be together. Suddenly, the idea of leaving town turned my stomach; the idea of not seeing him every day was too much to bear. I couldn't leave him behind like our relationship meant nothing to me, but at the same time I couldn't stay in Mystic Falls anymore, and I spend the rest of my life wondering what new hell was just around the corner waiting for us. Tyler had a stronger stomach than I did these days, with all the monsters entering our lives; he wanted to take them down, and all I wanted was to escape. I believed we had begun spending more time in the bedroom these past few months as, aside from our supernatural drama, we didn't have that much in common; we didn't spend hours talking, sharing secrets, and connecting. Our conversations seemed to only revolve around what we had faced that day, what we would face tomorrow, or what drama our friends found themselves in. It broke my heart at times to think about how different we were from one another; at times, I even wondered if we would have been together if we weren't supernatural beings. Tyler and I barely spoke when we were humans, but when we started, everything happened so quickly that we became completely engrossed in the drama.

But now I was over the drama; I wanted it gone from my life, and I was finally being open with myself about what I wanted. Which meant it was time to be honest about my relationship with Tyler: we'd never gone on a date, never had a conversation that didn't involve supernatural discussion eventually, we'd never made love but instead engaged in a lot of sex, we'd never discussed a future together, we'd never shared our career ambitions, we'd never had lunch together alone in the cafeteria at school, never gone out of town together for the day, or even seen each other's baby albums. I closed my eyes as the tears threatened to surface and forced them back as I tilted my neck back and held my breath in an effort to maintain composure. This was the exact moment I realised that my relationship with Tyler just wasn't working for me anymore; I needed and deserved more. I wasn't going to stay in Mystic Falls for him, nor was I going to say goodbye; I was going to do what I wanted and just slip away in the night.

I returned to my research and studied the spell and ingredients for over an hour; I didn't make any notes nor bookmark any websites because I didn't want to leave anything behind that would aid someone trying to find me. The instructions for the spell were simple, I suppose: a fire would be made, every participating member would surrender their blood to the flame, the chant was performed in unison with everyone holding hands around the fire, and the second it was done, the twelve-hour window would begin and we would be linked to one another forever. For all I knew, the spell could be fake, but given that supernatural blood was a requirement, I decided to trust it. Besides the spell, there were other things we could all do to ensure no one would be able to track us down. But the question still remained of who I would trust to leave town with me—who would I put my faith in to help me escape the only life I had ever known?

Holly Gailmoore stated that she believed having children with the same man she was linked with in the spell may have helped strengthen the spell in the years that followed. I covered my mouth with my hand as I began to read on. Holly spoke of how easy it had been for her to get pregnant but how it had taken longer for her husband to conceive with his vampire wife, Mary. How much prayer and blessing from her husband was required for Mary to bear him his future children, who were born healthy and without complications? I was at a total loss for words—how did this escape all the other books dedicated to the exploration of supernatural beings? A vampire had actually managed to conceive a child? How was this possible? I had to read on and look into the lives of Mary and her husband, Holly. Mary was made a vampire when she was nineteen years old. She was set to marry a much older man and fled from home in an effort to avoid the wedding. She had no knowledge as to who had turned her into a vampire and spent years trying to control her thirst; it was twelve years before she came to meet Holly Gail Moore. Then, after the spell and their joined marriage, it would be another year of trying and failing to secure a pregnancy. But over the next ten years she would give her husband four children with no complications for mother or baby—no mention of miscarriages or stillbirths—and I was completely taken aback.

I had given up on the idea of having children after learning of both the advantages and disadvantages of being a vampire. Neither Bonnie nor Elena knew of the weeks I had cried myself to sleep, believing my ability to have my own children was lost to me forever. Did the spell make this possible for Mary? Was it the joining of her hands with her husband's other wives? Was it the bond or just the belief that she would be able to have babies that made this possible? Suddenly all these doors were opening up to me, and I had to shut them in order to keep my sanity and focus on the task at hand. I had to think rationally, make a to-do list, however long it was, and check off every single item on that list until I was certain that my days in Mystic Falls were truly over.

Right away, I knew the person I wanted to bring with me was Elena; she was probably the last person I should ask to do this, but I needed her with me. She was my best friend, and right now she was a new vampire who needed me with her; her acts at the memorial today had proven as much. Elena had family here; her whole life was here. I knew she was in love with this sleepy little town; she loved the traditions, the dances, the town spirit, the lights at Christmas, the smell of the town bakery come Halloween, and most of all, it was where she could go and visit her mom and dad. But with the sweet comes the sour; Elena had lost more than any of us, and with all the good memories there were painful ones too. She was in love with Stefan; they were in a good place, and he had been very supportive towards her since she had turned. But just like my love for Tyler, I just couldn't help but wonder if her relationship with Stefan was enough of a reason for her to stick around. Besides, I wasn't asking Elena to just pack up and leave town with me; I was asking her to abandon everything and everyone we knew and enter into a marriage in which we shared a husband with another woman.

Elena would freak out if I were to ask her to do this for me, but then I thought about all the crazy things that I had done for her when she needed them. Like today, I prevented her from killing an injured April Young at her own father's memorial. April, who was now an orphan and completely alone,

"Oh my god, April," I found myself saying out loud.

April Young had no one, and she was living in a town crawling with supernatural creatures without anything to protect herself with; the poor girl didn't even have any vervain. I suppose I could tell her about Mystic Falls; I wouldn't force her; I'd sit down and be open and honest with her while secretly hoping she didn't completely flip out on me. I'd like to think that she might have enough good memories of Elena and me with her to enter this with us and leave this place forever. That was assuming Elena also agreed to enter into this too.

No, this couldn't work; it was impossible; this could just be a reaction to a bad day. I couldn't just leave town and become a completely different person, no matter how much I wanted to. This was real life, and people didn't do this. They didn't just walk out of their lives because they had a bad day. I guess if I were being honest with myself, this decision wasn't just about the events of today; this had been slowly building for a while now. What shocked me most of all was the lack of compassion I felt in my heart for the other friends I was leaving behind. Perhaps things would have felt different if I hadn't felt so distant from them these past few months. The truth is, I'll never forget how Bonnie looked at me the night Katherine turned me into a vampire—that look of disgust and contempt she had for me when she saw me at the carnival that night.

I should be ashamed of myself for being so excited over the idea of never having to see her or my other friends again. But when I thought of the people that might enter my life if I were brave enough to leave Mystic Falls, when I thought of people being in my life for joy and not just strength in numbers against an enemy, I could just cry with relief and joy.

Of course, none of this would matter if we couldn't find a male supernatural being that would aid us in our escape. I knew there was only one man who would be overjoyed to have me in his life, let alone have me as his wife, and that man was Klaus without a doubt. I didn't know Klaus that well and wasn't going to pretend to understand how his brain worked, but if there was one person who wanted to escape Mystic Falls right now, it was him, and more than that, he was the only man I knew who would delight in the idea of having three wives all to himself. But also the type of man who could take on the hardships such a role would entail. If Holly Gailmoore's spell was real and the marriage connection, intimacy, and sex did strengthen the power of the spell, I would have to consider this.

Hand on my heart right now, would I sleep with Klaus if I wasn't with Tyler? Hand on my heart, I would say yes. He was attractive and smart, and although I didn't understand much about the art he appreciated, I respected that he found such pleasure in it. This was a man who was around before technology was invented; he would have gone to the theatre for entertainment, and he would have travelled on steam trains. A small part of me wanted him from the moment he came into my room that night, although his motives for being there weren't pure. His sentiment and love for life had touched me that night; he had reminded me of the beauty of this world and how different my life could be if I embraced it all.

But could I become the wife of a man who had fought so hard to come between Tyler and me? Could I sleep with a man who had done so much to destroy the lives of my friends? I guess I would know by the end of the night if I was the type of person who could or not.

Asking Elena to be his wife would be next to impossible; he had sacrificed Jenna right in front of her eyes before murdering Elena in cold blood just to make him into the hybrid he was today. I doubted the two could ever have a sexual relationship, but I truly believed that they would partner if it meant it aided them in escaping Mystic Falls.

As for April, she didn't even know Klaus or have any idea about who he was, so I couldn't exactly comment on what I thought their future might hold. However, given that Klaus was rich, attractive, and successful, I believed that it wouldn't take him long to seduce her. However, I didn't know what April looked for in a man, so it was wrong of me to make assumptions.

I suppose I was doing this because I didn't want to admit to myself that if given the chance, Klaus would most likely want to sleep with me and very quickly into the marriage. I wasn't the type of girl who spoke openly about sex. I played along with Bonnie and Elena, but I could just cringe at myself at times for how talking about sex made me feel. But again, hand on heart, I would probably be the first to sleep with Klaus, and I knew how that made me sound given that right this second I was still very much Tyler's girlfriend, but I believed in my heart that if this did happen, Klaus and I would be the first to be together.

And if I were truly being honest, I think April would be the next, but I knew it would take Elena a long time, if ever. I knew how men looked at Elena, and Klaus wasn't blind; he saw what the rest of us saw when we looked at her: she was a beautiful girl, and the truth is, I believe Elena would react differently if she knew Klaus was attracted to her, just as she did when she realised Damon was attracted to her.

If we performed the spell and Klaus married us, then I don't know about April and Elena, but I would want some rules set in place. For starters, I'd need my own place to live. I couldn't live in the same house as his wives; it'd be too strange. So with Klaus's money, maybe we could find houses close to one another, if not perfectly side by side, perhaps in a place where new homes were just being built, and that way we could come up with a story for the neighbours together, and all of us moving into different houses on the exact same day wouldn't cause any questions. Then Klaus could decide—no, scratch that; Elena, April, and I could come up with a schedule together on how life was going to be. If Klaus was going to be gifted with three wives, then we were going to be gifted with everything else entailed in those marriages. We would have to come up with an agreement on how to split our time so each of us had time with Klaus—I mean, with our husband.

This was completely incorrect and put the cart before the horse. I felt like I was building a house without any bricks or concrete to aid me. But if I hadn't approached them with a strong plan for a life for us outside of Mystic Falls, then none of them would have been interested in hearing a word I had to say. Besides, I knew in my gut that if I didn't leave town tonight, I never would. It had to happen tonight, so I had to start working on something to give them an idea of life outside all of this drama.

I returned my attention to my laptop, then decided to concentrate on the task at hand, blocking out what could be and focusing on what is. I needed to do this right, to take my time and practically sell each of them on the idea of a new life. I began my search with new property developments on the west coast. We needed to go somewhere warm and far from Mystic Falls. Of course, Klaus could afford almost anything I could imagine, but I didn't want us to live on the beach; I didn't want housekeepers and gardeners; I wanted to move somewhere where I didn't have to worry about locking my door at night; somewhere where we'd have a community around us; somewhere where I could buy in bulk and make a life for myself. There were plenty of developments all over the place, but we had to be smart and not settle down anywhere people might consider looking for Klaus. I focused my search efforts on the state of Utah, where there were plenty of brand new properties looking for owners. I couldn't believe my luck when I found not only one but three houses, side by side, each with their own individual design and house layout.

I began to read through the descriptions of each individual house and took a look at the real estate agent's photographs. They were beautiful and all completely brand new; even the grounds surrounding them were made of dirt. We would have had to lay out our own grass and make it a home from scratch. I was smiling ear to ear as I took it all in; obviously, I couldn't decide this on my own; it would have to be agreed upon by everyone involved. But if it were up to me, I already knew which of the houses I would choose. I imagined April would take the middle one, as it had a ground pool in the backyard, and I imagined Elena would take the next one, as it had window seats, and I knew she liked to journal while sitting by a window with a blanket around her legs.

I sent all the information I had gathered on the spell—everything about Holly Gailmoore and every blueprint, description, photograph, and price—to the printer, making three copies of each of them so I could leave the information with each of them as they made their choice. I was practically shaking with nerves, hardly able to keep it together as I got up from the bed and made my way over to the printer, stapling each copy together and placing them into individual plastic wallets for safekeeping. Perhaps I went a little overboard when I sprayed each wallet with some perfume, but it was a small measure of effort on my part, however unnecessary it might be.

Elena was going to be my first call, so I collected my phone from my bag and sent her a text, keeping it simple and to the point. It wasn't late, so I doubted she'd think anything of it.

[20:01]

Do you want to come over?

[20:05]

I'm just back from the woods with Stefan; I'll need twenty minutes to get changed.

[20:06]

How is it going with the blood?

[20:11]

Not great.

[20:15]

Don't worry about it for now. I'll see you soon.

In the space between texts, I cleared my browser history and returned my laptop to its place before making my way into the sitting room. I decided to make the place look nice for Elena's arrival; I wanted to give off Zen feelings from the moment she walked in. Our discussion was going to be intense, and my stomach was already in knots over her possible answers. She could say no flat out; she could laugh at me; she could even hate me for suggesting such a thing, but at the same time she might actually consider it all if it meant finally freeing herself of the chains Mystic Falls had kept on us for too long. I knew she had Jeremy and other ties here, as did I; my mother was here, and I, too, would have to figure out a way to make this work; there was no other option for me; I knew I wasn't going to stay in Mystic Falls for even one more day.

I lit some tea lights in the sitting room and hallway before turning on our humidifier and adding some lavender essential oils to the water. Then I started fluffing every pillow in sight before collecting a throw from the back of one of the armchairs and draping it over the couch for us. Then I turned on the television, selected Father of the Bride from my saved recordings, and allowed it to play at a very low volume.

Elena arrived at my house not long after when I heard a car pull up outside, dressed in her usual jeans, sneakers, jacket, and t-shirt. I opened the door for her just as she began to climb the small porch steps. She made her way past me, and I locked the door behind us. Within five minutes, we were both under the blanket I had laid out for us on either side of the couch, facing each other as we talked. I had listened to the horror Elena had endured in the bathroom before the service; I couldn't believe she had managed to keep it together and stay for the service with so many humans around her. I told her about methods she could try in an attempt to control her thirst, but I also reminded her of how well she was doing despite her circumstances and how proud I was that she had managed to keep a tight hold on her loving personality and goodness. She got a little emotional, which was understandable; when you're a new vampire, every emotion is against you, and every one of them wants your attention all at once.

"Is your mom coming home tonight?"

"I doubt it." "If she does, it will probably be to grab a microwave dinner or change her uniform, then she'll be out the door again."

"I can't imagine what she'll be dealing with."

"Me neither"

I was going to have to bite the bullet and just tell her, sooner rather than later. I excused myself and made my way down the hall to my bedroom, collecting the wallet I had picked out for her—in her favourite shade of pink—which I hoped wouldn't go over her head when the moment came to make her decision. I returned to the sitting room with the wallet, tucking myself back under the blanket before placing the wallet on my lap.

"Is everything okay?" Elena asked

"It's fine, I just have to talk to you about something."

"But you're okay, right?"

"I'm okay-" "Well, I'm okay now; I wasn't earlier."

"What happened?"

"I guess reality hit me hard today; this hunter showing up has really gotten under my skin and—"

"And what?"

The moment had finally arrived; this would forever be the moment that changed our friendship, no matter what the outcome. If she agreed, then tonight we would leave Mystic Falls together and start a new life. If she thought the idea was insane, then I would be her old best friend who suggested we do a spell, marry the same man, and move to Utah together to have babies that up until a half hour ago I didn't know we could have. I took a deep breath, holding it like I was holding on for dear life, before I summoned the strength to finally tell her the truth.

"And—" "I don't want to deal with the hunter." I confessed

"Well, none of us want to deal with him, but he's here, and we have to figure out how to keep him at bay."

"No, I don't think we do."

"Caroline, we're all tired after today, and you're bound to feel a little uneasy about this, especially after what happened to Tyler. The hunter came for him twice. "That's a lot for you to deal with."

I edged forward slightly, keeping the wallet within my reach as I continued.

"I need you to hear me out for five minutes."

"Okay"

Elena gave a small nod of encouragement and almost reached out her hand for mine as she saw the uncertainty cross my face. I couldn't hide my conflict from her a moment longer; it was going to spill out all at once if I didn't control myself. I just had to speak from the heart, lay it out there, and let her decide what she wanted.

"I don't want to stay in Mystic Falls anymore." I grieved

"Caroline-"

"No. "Please just hear me out,"

"...Alright"

She was worried I didn't want that; this wasn't coming out right; I was ruining it. I had to come at this from a completely different angle and just be honest with her and not hold back.

"Elena I don't feel safe here anymore." "I understand that this is our home; we grew up here; we have family and friends here; but it's just not enough to keep me here."

She opened her mouth to speak then, but when I pressed my lips together in response to her act, she paused and instead nodded in encouragement for me to continue, no doubt trying to come up with a plan of her own to keep me here and remind me of the good times. If I were in her place, I would no doubt be trying to do the exact same thing.

"This isn't some delayed shock from watching Tyler get shot; as much as it kills me to admit it, seeing him being shot wasn't the scariest thing I've endured since I became a vampire. It does make the top five, but—" "Given that it isn't the scariest thing I've seen" "Says a lot." I attempted to explain

Again, Elena attempted to speak.

I crossed my legs together and leaned forward slightly, my hands still on the wallet. She would no doubt become curious about it very soon if she wasn't already, and I probably would have asked about it by now.

"The last couple of hours, I've been researching a couple of things to help me leave town." "Nothing like apartments or moving trucks." "I've been looking into spells, specifically spells that cleanse you of past events; they don't wipe your memories or anyone else's; however, they do make it harder for supernatural creatures to track you." "And it also makes it completely impossible for ghosts or any other force to find or follow you." To put it simply, you do the spell and get a clean sweep—no ghosts, no vampires, no werewolves." I summarised.

"A clean slate." I told her

"Who are you trying to run away from?" Elena questioned

"I'm not running away from anyone." "I just need to get out of this town before I lose my mind."

"Maybe you need a few days away." Bonnie and I could come with you, and—"

Elena stopped as I smiled at her and shook my head back and forth slowly.

"This isn't going to be sorted with a few days away, a day at a spa, or the beach."

"Caroline."

Elena reached out and squeezed my hand for a moment.

"Is this why you brought me here?" "Is this goodbye?" She asked

"No, of course not." "It's something else."

"Okay, I'm listening."

With that, I dive right into all my research on Holly Gailmoore: how young she was when she fled from her home; how she came to meet Mary and Sarah; and then, with time, the man who would become their husband; the supernatural hardships they faced; and how it was Holly who came up with the spell to give them a new life together; how they all became their husbands' wives; and the life that came after. Elena's eyes filled with tears as I explained Mary's struggle to conceive as a vampire and how she came to become pregnant despite this; how reading the history on each of them had made me cry; how I felt a weight fall off my shoulders when I found out that I was indeed capable of becoming pregnant as a vampire; and how I believed this spell was necessary to us in order to give us a brand new life. Elena had remained silent this entire time, allowing me to have the floor and explain my thoughts and feelings.

I was half tempted to reach out for her hand when I came to explain my thinking behind the spell. I watched Elena's reaction when I explained that the people needed for this spell were April and Klaus. I held strong and continued to plead my case to her without a word from her. She must have been so mad at me for giving her such happy news only to continue on with all of this, but it was necessary. I explained how Holly wrote in her journal entries that she believed the spell held its power because they had children with their husband and continued the same bloodline that created the spell in the first place, how safe she felt, and how no other supernatural being ever came across her or their family from that day on.

Elena was too shocked to speak, and I needed to use the bathroom so badly I might just burst, but I held it together the best I could. I picked up the wallet and handed it to her, watching as she opened it.

"What is this?" Elena inquired.

"It's all my research on Holly, the spell, and her family." "But there's more." "There's also information on some houses I've found."

"Houses?" She repeated as I thought she might

"I know it's a little—" "Well, it's really crazy of me to look into such things before giving you a chance to even consider leaving town, but—" "I was becoming so wrapped up in everything new and exciting that I might have gone too far with this part." I confessed

"Three houses?" "In Utah?"

I cleared my throat. "Yeah, I thought three would be better for us."

"You're making assumptions." She stated planily and without hesitation which she was right to do.

"I know, and it's impolite; it's even disgusting. But-" I attempted a resolve then.

Elena stopped going through the pages on her lap and looked across at me, seeing the tears fill my eyes, causing her lips to press together as she fought back her own then too.

"I'm so unhappy here." I sobbed

Elena's chin was shaking as she reached for the small tissue box on the coffee table in front of us, retrieving a few tissues and handing them to me before collecting some for herself. For the next few minutes, neither of us said a word. Once I gathered myself, I went into the kitchen and poured us two glasses of water, but not before a quick trip to the bathroom for me. When I returned to her, Elena, like me, had managed to get herself composed. We both took a drink before we adjusted the blanket around us and began again.

"Are you and Tyler having problems?" Elena speculated.

"No, we're fine." "Look, I promise, this isn't the result of today or a fight with him." "I'm serious about this." I assured her.

"Yeah, I can see that."

"I'm sorry about showing you all of this, though."

My eyes were scanning the pages on top of the blanket between us both.

"I went too far by looking into houses and making assumptions that you'd be willing to come with me." I confessed wholeheartedly.

"Why, er, why three houses?" Elena questioned.

"We're not required to live together, and besides, I thought moving to a new town should mean a new home for each of us, given the possible choice of a husband who we know can afford to buy each of them."

Elena straightened herself up right before she finally met my eyes. " "But where would he even sleep?" "I mean, if you did this, why three houses and not four?"

I picked up my glass of water again and took a few large gulps in an effort to prepare myself to explain the next stage to her. I expected her to bolt the moment she learned about these plans.

"I thought we'd change it up every night, come up with a system, a sort of schedule." "One night he'd be at my house, and the next at another, and another."

I told her this without looking her in the eye; I was too afraid to see the look on her face when I discussed us sharing Klaus as if we were already married.

"It seems, you've covered just about everything."

With that, I did look Elena in the eye, but I also reached out and took her hand in mine.

"I know I can't even begin to process what I am asking of you. I know that you love Stefan beyond words, and I don't want you to give up your happiness for me. From the moment I discovered this spell, Elena, you were the first one I thought of because I couldn't imagine not seeing you every day. We've become so close, even more so since all of this drama began. I know I wasn't always the best friend I could be. I know at times I was almost cruel. I should have been there to support you more after your parents died. When I saw the way you were with April today, the way you took care of her and made her feel better after her attack, it just showed me all over again what an amazing person you are. And I can't begin to imagine what you must think of me for asking you to do this for me now. So I'm not asking for me; I'm asking for you. I'll be honest and tell you that—"

I stopped to catch my breath as Elena's hand remained in mine as she held on to every word.

"Things have been great with Tyler, but there's been more sex than talking these past few months, and the more I thought about it, the more I began to doubt our future together." "I know you and Stefan aren't us. You two have your own relationship, your own history, and your own intimacies, and if that's enough of a reason for you to stay in town, then please do stay. If you want to be here, then stay with my full support and love. I mean that with all my heart.

"But if for whatever reason the idea of a life outside of this town, away from all the drama, is something you might want to consider, then yes, please think about it." I know it's a big ask, marrying Klaus after what he's done to you and to Stefan. "I'm not asking you to sleep with him or have his children; you two don't have to have anything to do with each other but be a partnership in the spell." If you think you can live with that, then yes, consider leaving town with me tonight."

"T-tonight?" Elena stammered.

"If I stay here another day, I'll find some reason to stay."

"The hunter is here; Jeremy is here; I mean, do you have solutions for that?"

"If you want me to be cutthroat rational about it, then I'd say the hunter isn't our business and Jeremy can be compelled to go somewhere safe where you can keep in touch with him."

"We can't just leave them to deal with a hunter; he's—"

"Human." "He's human, Elena." "I doubt he'll make it another 72 hours with Damon hunting him down."

"He got the jump on Damon at the memorial."

"Damon had just spent that past hour surrounded by humans, breathing in April's blood, while trying to keep an eye on you as you were on that stage about to lose it for the greater good. He was clearly distracted, Elena, and besides, I've never seen anyone get the jump on him and live to tell the tale for long."

"This is moving so fast."

"I know"

I let go of her hand and then pushed myself further back on the couch, giving her some sense of space between us. I didn't want to overcrowd her; it wouldn't help.

"So no matter what I decide, you're leaving tonight?"

"Yes"

I was proud of myself because there was no hesitation in my response. To be honest, I surprised myself.

"What about your mom?" "She'll never agree to this."

"I know that." "I've been thinking about a few possibilities." "There's no chance I'm going to leave her behind." I explained.

"So what are you thinking?"

"I'm going to text her that I've locked myself out and need her key; then, when she's home, I'm going to force her."

"You will?"

"It's better for her to leave before I do; that way I'll have a chance to help her pack up and make sure she's got everything she needs."

"But what will you make her believe?"

"That, eh, she's reached the end of her rope with the supernatural beings of Mystic Falls, that she is going to go to Ohio, get a job in a small little town needing a new sheriff, and go from there."

I cleared my throat in an effort to choke back new tears.

"Uh, I'll make her believe that she doesn't need to feel the need to contact me; I'll make her believe that I'm fine and that this is for the best."

"Caroline I don't know—" "Look how upset this is making you."

"It is, but come on, we all do the impossible for the ones we love, right?"

Elena nodded in response and slowly unclasped the wallet containing the pages. I sat back and watched her read one page after the next, spending a lot of time looking over the photographs of the house I thought she might like for herself. When Elena found I was watching her, she gave me a small smile before sliding the pages back into their places and handing the wallet back to me.

"I'm asking the impossible; I know that."

"Look, I've considered leaving; I'm sure a lot more since I turned, but..." "This is our home; we've not even finished school yet." she confessed then.

"I understand that, but to be honest, Elena, I couldn't care less about school; I feel too old to even be going there anymore; I don't feel like a student anymore; I feel like an adult, which is what I am; it's what we both are, and you know it too."

"I suppose at times it does feel a little redundant given what we've faced." she agreed.

"I'm ready to start a new life, and I'm not asking for you to decide what you want right here and now." "If I did, you would hate me, and I'd hate myself."

"Thank you." "Uh, what are you going to do?"

"Unless I have you on board, then there's no spell." "Either way, I'm sorry, but I will be leaving tonight."

"God, you say that, and my stomach just knots up."

"I know it's a lot to take in; trust me, I don't even know where I'll even start, but I need to do this."

"But what about Tyler?"

"I've thought about that too; I don't want to say goodbye to him."

"But Caroline-"

"No. "I'm sorry, but honestly, it's what I want, and I've spent too long not following my own advice." "This is what's best for me, so I'm sticking to it."

Elena fell silent, and I saw the judgment, so she desperately tried to hide, and I smiled ever so slightly.

"I know how it sounds; it's brutal, and come tomorrow morning when I'm driving out of town, I'll probably hate myself and my actions, but for now, it's what I want."

Elena shifted on the couch, leaning her arm against the back of it and bringing both her legs up beside her on the cushion, before her eyes finally met mine.

"What if it was different?" "I mean, if you pushed aside reality for a second and we were on the same page," "How did you imagine the night going?"

I wasn't sure if she was merely making small talk in a last effort to get in the way of my packing time or if she was slowly adjusting to the idea of a new life outside of Mystic Falls. Sometimes Elena was very difficult to read. She knew I wouldn't do the spell without her, so she couldn't take this information to Tyler and help stop the spell from happening. So why was she bothering to ask about it if she wasn't interested in participating? Either way, I decided to humour her and explain my plans.

"I knew you'd be my first call, and I figured if you agreed, we'd figure out the next few steps together, the next being confessing to April Young." "I thought total honesty would be best; confess everything about what we are, everything lurking in the shadows in Mystic Falls, and of course, who Klaus is and our history with him."

"Everything?"

"There is no point in lying to her; I mean, if we were all going to be together in Utah, then we couldn't continue to hide who we were from her; sooner or later she'd see we didn't age, or she'd catch one of us moving too fast, or something." "I didn't want to start a new life on a lie." I explained

"And then?"

"If she agreed to come with us, then I thought all three of us should meet with Klaus and see how things went from there."

"But you must have thought of a plan for if he did agree?"

"Honestly, my plan was for all of us to return to our homes, perform all the necessary compelling, and from there destroy any and all evidence that we ever lived here."

"What do you mean?"

"Birth certificates, passports, photographs—we destroy them all and rely on Klaus to supply us with fakes." "After that, take care of the supernatural side of things and destroy everything that might help track us; wipe down every item and surface in the house; destroy or bleach all the linens and towels; wash all your clothes; and don't so much as leave behind an odd sock." I replied.

I looked to Elena then, who was already looking at me; her eyes left mine and she looked towards the fireplace as the clock struck nine.

"Nine hours until daylight,"

Wanting to be bold and push on, I decided to be blunt and very forward with her, needing an answer then so that I could put a plan together.

"Are you in?"

I held my breath as Elena turned her head to look back at me; I wanted her to say yes, but I had to be prepared for her to say no.

"...I'm in"

"Really?" I gushed

"Yeah, I am."

"But why?"

"I love Stefan; my heart breaks at the idea of leaving him behind, but..." "A small part of me has started to feel something for... Damon."

"Oh"

"And on top of all of that, with the hunter showing up and becoming a vampire, the town feels like the prequel to my own life, and I'm tired of waiting for it to be over."

"You're really sure?"

"There is one thing."

"Klaus?"

She nodded.

"We'll figure that side out; there's plenty of time."

I couldn't believe it; she was actually going to come with me and leave it all behind to start over. We embraced, holding one another and not attempting to hide our trembling bodies from each other. Even for two vampires, this was a huge decision; it was life-changing, and nothing would ever be the same for us after this. Of course, all of this was pointless without the support of April and the agreement with Klaus.

After we dried our tears, we tided up the sitting room a bit before Elena made the call to April, who was delighted to hear from her. Elena and I discussed how to go about telling her about us and the plans; we even arranged where we would sit as we spoke with her. It was important to us that we got everything just right for her. Both Elena and I recalled how we'd come to learn about the supernatural and how differently we wanted the experience to be for April.

Unbeknownst to April, I had made us some coffee in the kitchen. We were attempting to give her energy in case she needed it later. Elena spoke first, as we agreed, and she took care and explained to April about all the animal attacks around town these past few years, the missing people, and the reported stolen blood bags from the hospital. April had been away at boarding school, but over the years she'd heard about these things here and there. When the time finally came, April was shocked, as we expected her to be. She was upset and fighting back tears as we attempted to explain the truth that had been hidden for too long. I continued to pour the coffee as April remained seated and never spoke about leaving. At first, she had a lot of questions; she went into a state of complete disbelief, of course; then, she said she needed proof, which I provided by showing how quickly a new cut on my arm could heal itself. Then after that, Elena showed off her new speed by crossing the room before April had even noticed she'd left the couch.

April handled the news rather well, considering how much was dumped on her at once. We chose the approach of not wanting to leave April alone with all of these beings when we knew we could keep her safe with us, which was the truth, of course; she was better off with us than staying here in town, afraid to go out or trust anyone again. So when the time came to discuss the spell, April was completely on board, but the marriage side had her a bit uneasy, which we expected. But after she discovered that Klaus was in the dark about all of this, she was put at ease; she thought we had been picked out by him when instead it was the other way around and we were offering Klaus the spell.

After looking through the information I had gathered, we all decided it was best to contact Klaus right away, for if he agreed, there was work to be done right away without a moment to lose. I was the one who contacted him as the others began making their own to-do lists for the night ahead. While I reached out to the man who was the key to our mission to escape this town, without Klaus, there was no Utah, no way of escaping, no resources, no contacts, nothing.

[22:47]

I need to talk to you. Can we meet?

[22:48]

Past your bedtime, is it not love?

[22:52]

It's important.

[22:52]

I'm busy

[22:55]

...please

[23:01]

Alright. When and where?

[23:01]

The woods by the library. ASAP.

We wasted little time getting ourselves ready after that; already we were working together as a united team. While I headed into my room to grab a pair of jeans and my shoes, April went around the sitting room and hall blowing out the candles while Elena turned on some lights for when I returned home. I peed twice before we left, finding that I was a bag of nerves from seeing Klaus and pitching the idea to him. I doubted he'd give us the time of day, but there was always that smaller glimmer of hope on the horizon, and to prove my belief, I collected the wallet of information I had made up for him before we took off out of the house. We took my car, with Elena and I in the front and April in the back behind Elena, so I was able to see her in my mirror.

"What if he says no?" Elena questioned

"What if he says yes?" I asked

"I really can't believe I've not thought to ask this until right now, but is he cute?" April asked

Elena and I exchanged a look between us.

"Is he?" April continued to enquire.

"He's, erm, pretty good-looking." "...He's actually really good looking"

Of course I was the one to answer her; I doubted Elena would have anything remotely positive to say about him. Despite his many flaws, right now we needed Klaus, and we all knew it deep down.

"What if he laughs at us?" "What if he tells Stefan before we're able to get out?" Elena worried.

"Try not to think that way." I told her

"How can I not?" "He's not exactly got the best track record of being compassionate or reliable."

"I know" I agreed completely.

I looked in the rearview mirror at April and then glanced over to Elena.

"Whose going to be the one to tell him?" I asked

"I can't" Elena said immediately

"...and I think it would be a little weird if I did." April added.

They both had a point; Elena could barely look at him and April had never even met him before, so it was down to me. I had already pitched this idea twice tonight, so why was I so nervous? I knew why—it was because it was Klaus, and he and I had history—the good, the bad, and the unforgivable type. Elena and April were a barrel of nerves, as was I, but since this was my idea to begin with, it seemed only right that I pitch it one last time.

When we arrived at the gates, Klaus was already there, sitting on the hood of his black Porsche with the top down, wearing the same coat we'd seen him in before, black bottoms, and black shoes. I began to wonder what he'd been doing when he received my text. For all I knew, he was with someone. Our eyes met briefly as I cut the engine, and I brought my attention back to the girls, who looked my way as they took off their seatbelts.

"Well, isn't this a nice surprise?" Klaus' words practically dripping with sarcasm.

He lifted himself up off the hood of the car and walked towards us as the three of us came together side by side.

"Thanks for coming." Elena replied.

Elena was pleasant enough, but made very little eye contact with him, which I understood; being around him wasn't easy for her, and right now there was so much at stake that none of us knew how to be; after all, none of us had ever done anything remotely like this before.

"We need your help." I told him.

I watched Klaus slip his hands into the pockets of his coat as he looked at each of us one after the other.

"I'm April, by the way."

April's sudden glee threw him a bit off guard, the corner of his lip rising slightly as he gave the naive girl a small nod of acknowledgement before his eyes returned to mine.

"I'm listening, love."

"Right, erm, we-" "All three of us, well, we're leaving Mystic Falls tonight." I stammered.

Klaus' face dropped, and he made zero effort to hide his displeasure at the idea of us disappearing. He took his attention from me to Elena, who quickly dipped her head down, unable to deal with the strength of his glare.

"I see." "So why am I here?" He asked me

"We want you to come with us." Elena had finally spoken up, and I was grateful; however, Klaus did not look the slightest bit impressed.

"I think you better start explaining yourself, love." Klaus brought his attention from her to me then as he questioned our motives.

Klaus and I locked eyes at that, and I cleared my throat before I began to lay it all out for him. First I told him about Holly Gail Moore before immediately supplying him with printed pages of my research, which Klaus began to read through as I continued to explain. I didn't leave anything out, not about the three girls or about the husband they came to love. Then I told him my own reasoning for wanting to leave town, then held nothing back from explaining Elena's reasoning—all of her trauma over the past few years, losing her parents, and trying to adapt to life as a new vampire. Klaus didn't know a thing about April, so I again explained that she was now in school with us and how her father was Pastor Young, how today had been his memorial, and how a new hunter had used her as bait to trap us like rats. To my surprise, Klaus had listened intently to every word, his gaze mostly on mine, though he did look at the girls when hearing about their difficulties. I was just hoping he wouldn't embarrass them by telling them what he had instead and how many times he could have skipped town but didn't. He was a gentleman about the whole thing, which made the next part of the pitch slightly easier; well, it wasn't easy, as my knees hadn't stopped trembling from the moment I began my explanation, but at least I was keeping it together better than I thought I would. Well, I did until Klaus locked eyes with me; suddenly I'd find myself rather tongue-tied, my cheeks positively beaming with embarrassment each time. I just hoped this would escape the notice of the girls, but there was no denying that Klaus had noticed my uneasiness. What made it worst of all was that I hadn't even gotten around to the more intimate details.

"Through time, Holly wrote in her journals about her husband's wife, Mary, and how she had difficulty conceiving." She wrote about how her own pregnancies, as well as Sarah's, had come quickly and frequently in the years since, but Mary struggled because-" I stopped

Klaus looked over the top of the page in front of him then and over to me as both April and Elena turned their heads towards me as I paused.

"-Mary was a vampire." I confessed

With that, a small smirk crossed his full lips before he returned to his reading.

"What's that look?" Elena was quick to follow up.

"Sometimes I forget how new you all are to the supernatural; even your boyfriends are but mere children compared to me in years."

"You're not telling us something." I said

Klaus lowered the page before looking over to us, taking us all in one by one, and finally back to me.

"Female vampires have always been capable of having children." Klaus admitted

"What?" I gasped

"What?" Elena snapped

"How do you know this?" I demanded answers.

"I've been around for a thousand years, love. "I've seen it all and heard it all; doors have been opened to me that you could never even imagine." "I've heard of vampire pregnancies; they are such a rare occurrence that they've been rumoured to be impossible."

"How come you never told us?" I asked

Klaus was about to laugh when he found the will to stop himself. I was annoyed, as was Elena, and for good reason—he should have been a bigger man and just flat-out warned us about the risks.

"Let's finish this." April said and she was right; there was still the most difficult part to get through, and the sooner I got it over with, the better it would be for everyone.

"She's right" I agreed

"Okay. Later on, Holly would go on to write about how each of them felt safer knowing that the spell was holding with each child they created. She believed the spell was still in effect because..." I stopped

"...Because the bloodline that created it originally had continued to grow." Klaus went on to finish my sentence without even looking my way; he studied the pages before him and nodded as he came to the last page, his eyes slowly lifting towards us.

"So you understand what we are asking?" April asked him

April had attempted to reach out first, Klaus did not answer her; he just kept shifting his eyes from one to the other.

"If this is some elaborate scheme concocted by the Salvatores, then it is very poor taste indeed." Klaus warned us.

"You have my word," Elena attempted to assure him of our seriousness.

"Yes, because your word has always held great truth."

"There's mine." "Will my word make a difference?" I asked then.

Klaus and I locked eyes at that, which I hated; he held my gaze for a moment.

Before April finally broke the silence "Something has kept you here this long, hasn't it?" "If you didn't want to help us, then you would have left ten minutes ago."

I wanted to do something, say anything, that would have stopped April from making a big mistake in taking him on like this. We had warned her time and again before leaving the house about Klaus' nature. What surprised me was that Klaus did not immediately react; normally in such moments as these, you'd expect to find April's heart in his hand as she dropped to the floor. But April was still here, holding strong against him; she did have a point—Klaus hadn't stuck around this long for nothing.

"We're asking to be your wives," Elena said then.

"I understand that. But I doubt very much that your little squad won't have a thing or two to say about such a marriage." Klaus elaborated

"They won't know about the marriage, Klaus." We're not going to tell a single person we're leaving town. "We're just going to go, and we're never ever coming back." I attempted to explain matters to him.

"Is that right?"

With that, I handed Klaus the last of the information, which was everything relating to the houses in Utah, information on the town, crime rates, property statistics, and taxes. We stood silently, watching him turn from one page to the next, each of us stealing a glance at the other as we waited for him to finish.

"We'd like to move there." April broke the silence once more as Klaus tuned to the last page, tucking the information under his arm.

"So I read," "Which of you is planning to share one of those houses?" He asked us.

"We're not going to share." Elena told him

"There are only three."

"Yes"

"Explain" He demanded.

The three of us looked at one another, and then April cleared her throat and took some of the weight off my shoulders as she explained the idea we had mulled over back at my house.

"If you were to agree to this, obviously the houses would be yours, but each of us would live in them." Caroline would be in the first house, I would be in the middle, and then Elena would be at the end. And if you were with us, then every night you would be with one of us. "One night with Caroline, the next with Elena, and then me, or whatever we decide." April told him

"Whatever you decide," Klaus repeated her words mocking her.

"That's our part of the deal; we plan to keep this as normal as possible, no matter how strange that might sound." "We're all planning to make lives for ourselves there, get jobs if we want, be part of the community, and build a home for ourselves from scratch." April continued

"With my money?"

"In exchange for us looking after things in each of the houses, you will have power over everything." April explained

"I'm listening"

"Besides the sleeping arrangements and the housekeeping, we have all agreed that you will have authority." Elena chimed in then to assist April

"Meaning?"

"That is, we will run the show in the same way Holly's husband would have back then." "It doesn't mean you will get to lord over us; it means that you will take care of the insurance, our personal wellbeing, and our safety. We will run everything by you and respect that in some cases you will have the over all vote. And we'll treat you with the same level of respect that they would have shown for their husband way back when." I told him

We all took part in answering his questions; we were united, but at the same time, Klaus would have his say as in any marriage. I looked at April as she continued on.

"So when you came home each night, you would know the schedule and whose house you were to go to that night." And all the other stuff, well, if you wanted to, I mean, if we wanted to have-" April stopped

"What she's trying to say is that—" I attempted to explain for her

"I'm aware of what she is saying, love." "But last time I checked, I wasn't a three-woman type of man." Klaus said silencing us both for a moment.

"You're being offered sex with three pretty hot girls."

"April"

"Well, he is."

"He knows he is; he's teasing because he wants more than that." Elena said then

"He'll get more than that," I said before Klaus could respond to Elena's claim.

I kept my eyes fixed on him then.

"I'm guessing he's fine with the idea of the sex and possibly even the schedule; it's us that he's concerned about." I said my eyes fixed on his.

"What do you mean?" Elena asked.

"You're worried we'll get jealous of each other, aren't you, Klaus?" I hinted.

He averted his gaze, a sly smirk on his lips, and began to nod his head.

"But we already talked about that," April surprised him.

"Before we came to meet you tonight, we all made an agreement." "Never to become jealous, never to leave the marriage, and never to contact anyone from Mystic Falls for the rest of our lives." I explained

"You say that now, love, but..."

"We know there'll be difficulties," Elena said.

"We're not saying we won't want to kill each other at times, but we'll make it work, and we're not going to bring any of that drama your way." "We've agreed to keep that side between the three of us." April added.

"I think you'll find, darlings, that there is one fairly large problem you've not discussed yet."

With that, Klaus looked towards Elena and then at me.

"You are aware of how babies are created?" "I think you'll find at this point that both of you have your own man." "Are you prepared to say goodbye to your great loves and become completely different people in order to get this new life you so desperately seek?" he asked.

"Yes," both Elena and I said in perfect sync.

Klaus stepped towards us, which made us take a small step back in response.

"We do this, and there's no going back." he warned us.

With that, I turned and looked at both Elena and April before I reached for their hands, which they took without hesitation. Klaus watched as we did this, then turned towards April as she was the first to extend her hand for his before a slightly more reluctant Elena did the same, waiting for Klaus to accept them. which, to my delight, he did, first taking Elena's and then April's as we formed the circle that would mark the beginning of our new lives together.

After reading and rereading the chant for the spell, building the fire, and using a small pocket knife on Klaus's car keys, we were finally ready to perform the spell. We went to a clearing in the woods just behind the library to perform the spell completely out of sight. Klaus was standing by the fire as we joined him. I was the first by his side, and he immediately reached his hand out for mine. I looked at it for a moment, watching his blood run down his fingers and to the ground below; it was just like mine. I kept my eyes on him as I brought my hand to his, uniting us and, in doing so, making me the first woman he married. I prayed Klaus couldn't hear what this small interaction between us was doing to my heart; it was beating so fast I swore he might just hear it.

Elena was next to his side, taking his hand and uniting them, followed quickly by April. I watched as they locked hands and became man and wife one by one. I had united my blood with Klaus and was now his wife; I was at a loss for words, as were both Elena and April. However, April cut the tension slightly when she very sweetly kissed my cheek and Elena's. She wasn't treating this thing as make-believe; she truly seemed determined to unite us in that moment, which I for one truly appreciated and had not expected from her at all. Together we formed the circle then and began to chant the spell; none of us were off level and no one fell behind—it was surprisingly perfect. The fire went from an unstoppable wall of flames to a gentle simmer as we came to the end of the spell, each of us focusing on the flames and keeping our eyes on them until they burned out and were no more.

Klaus watched each of us, and then, as all three of us hit the button for the timers on our phones, the countdown had begun.

"Alright, we have twelve hours to get out of Mystic Falls." "We're going to do it in five." I said.

I explained before turning to face Klaus, who was already watching me give out instructions.

"Erm, I guess you know how to disappear without any help from us?" I asked

"No old documentation; get rid of one's scent; burn anything that might help your hunter find us, or in my case, my own father." Abandon the car, steal another, and use that to get out of town, but only after removing the plates. Klaus answered

"How many times have you done this before?" April asked him

"Long story, but I suppose I now have a lifetime to tell you." Klaus didn't look at her as he spoke to her; he was too busy setting his own alarm on his phone.

"We've already come up with a plan about how we're getting to Utah; don't suppose you have any idea as to how you will?" I asked

"I'm planning to drive; I could have the time to myself, plus it will allow me to stop along the way and pick up new identification for each of us."

"You know someone?" Elena asked him

"I know a lot of people who love." "When do you plan to leave?" he questioned

"Erm, we're meeting at my house at four. "We're going to drive too." "What about the houses?" I responded.

"I'll wait until I'm out of the state tonight." I'll obtain a new phone and get in touch with the broker, buy all three houses, and put them in my name."

"Thank you" I said

"Thank you, Klaus," April said behind me.

Elena only gave a small nod, but it was a start and a huge effort on her part, and I knew that.

Klaus arranged to meet us in Utah and quickly left after taking one last look at each of us as he did. When he was out of sight, we all turned to one another and exchanged a shared hug, holding onto each other tight as we all had a small cry. It was a release for us; we were finally coming together and saying goodbye to Mystic Falls. I wiped their eyes and promised to do my best for them, as they would for me. Each one of us had a to-do list as long as our arms and exactly five hours to accomplish every last thing. We agreed we wouldn't contact each other from this moment until we met again at four. Each of us had our own things to do, and we didn't want any phone activity to give away any hints to our plan. The spell was strong; I knew that, but we had to ensure we did everything within our power to disappear without a trace.

We said goodbye at the library, each of us heading our own way, as there was a lot of work to get done and the clock was already ticking. I took my car from the library and parked it across town in the parking lot of the old hardware store. After checking that I was alone and no one was coming around the corner, I went to work on destroying my car and, in doing so, removing my scent from it. I got out of there as fast as I could before the flames could get any higher, not stopping until I was only a few minutes away from my house. I wanted to take one small moment to look around at the street in which I grew up. I wondered what the others were up to at that exact moment. Tonight wasn't going to be easy for any of us; there was a lot of work to get done to ensure the others and the hunter wouldn't be able to find us ever again.

I just couldn't believe it; I was now Klaus' wife and was leaving my home to be with him. He had actually agreed to everything the girls and I had discussed. We were now all together in our plan; the spell had been a success, and now we were all going to be together in Utah. Tyler would be asleep right now and completely in the dark about what I was up to; he'd never look at me the same if he knew what I had done. I was a mess right now, but I would have been worse if I had been planning to leave town alone. Knowing that I had the support of April and Elena kept me strong.

I was relieved to see my mother's car parked in front of the house. I wouldn't have to make up an excuse to get her to come home now. I waited outside for about ten minutes or so until I summoned up the courage to do what was necessary. My mom was heading out the door as I came in, and before she could say a word, I had locked eyes with her before I chickened out. I removed her verve and compelled her to believe everything I discussed with Elena, ensuring that everything I wanted for her was said. Within half an hour, my mom's bags were packed, and we said our goodbyes.

Perhaps one day I would see her again, or perhaps not; either way, I knew for sure now that she would go on to live a beautiful life in Ohio and retire at a decent age, making sure she would reach out and make new friends and not spend her nights alone. She was going to live a nice life in a small town, where she would enjoy working in her garden and celebrating the holidays, and she wouldn't worry about me or how I was doing; every day she would wake up believing I was fine, happy, and loved, and that was all that mattered to me. While she was packing, I collected her laptop and emailed the station, informing them of her decision to retire early and take a break out of town. Afterward, I went through her accounts and worked on all the necessary items, cancelling such things as our newspaper, water, power and other aspects that were not necessary for the house anymore.

After my mom had left the house and I had a good cry, I took two aspirin to help with my headache from all the crying. I knew before I began any of my work that I needed to take care of myself first. I made myself some scrambled eggs on toast with a hot chocolate, and I ate my food in the sitting room in front of the television. After I finished clearing away my plates, I changed into my favourite pair of sweats so I'd be comfortable for the work ahead. I tied my hair up behind my head and began my work from the back of the house to the front.

I had packed the family photo albums into one of my mom's bags, and then, as she was putting on her jacket, I had sprayed her entire car with multi-surface spray with a slash of bleach to mask her scent. I had already compelled her to abandon the car the second she got out of the state and to purchase a new one tomorrow. She would take our memories with her, and I would go on to create my own in Utah.

In the laundry room beside the kitchen, the washer and dryer were on their second load of the night. I scrubbed both machines clean with bleach so there would be no lingering familiar scents on any of my clothes. By the time I was finished with the kitchen, every drawer and cabinet had been emptied and packed into labelled boxes.

After my clothes were washed, pressed, and packed, the next thing to go into the laundry was all the linens and towels. I stripped the sheets off both my mom's bed and mine, took off the pillow cases from the couch pillows, and picked up all the area rugs, adding bleach to every load. It positively reeked afterwards, but there were no lingering perfume scents upon them. I folded every item afterwards and again packed them into labelled boxes. After that, I emptied out the bathroom, tossing all the products into the trash and leaving out only some shampoo, body wash, and my razor for later. After that was done, I went around the house, opening up all the windows in order to air it out. From that moment on, everything in every single room was scrubbed down with rags soaked in steaming hot water and so much bleach that it stung my eyes.

After everything in each room was cleaned and individually packed, I quickly got to work on the next task. I chose to make the most of what little food we had in the fridge and freezer. With a smile on my lips and the gentle instrumental score of Disney's classical films playing in the background, I set to work on making snacks for our journey. I cooked a small chicken and broke it down into bite-size pieces and made them up into sandwiches with some lettuce, diced onion, mayonnaise with a touch of salt and pepper, then some ham and tuna sandwiches. Then I cut up all the remaining vegetables in the fridge and cooked a mouthwatering pot of vegetable soup, which I poured into a large flask to keep it warm. As for the sandwiches, I wrapped them up individually in tin foil, keeping all the edges neat as I stacked them one at a time into the tupperware I had laid out.

I added individual bottles of orange juice and water into the bag before I collected some chocolate bars, crackers, peanuts, and chips. I doubted, given our current circumstances, that the girls would want to stop anywhere for meals; I imagined we'd stop only for gas and to pee wherever we could if it meant putting more distance between us and Mystic Falls. I collected some plastic utensils, paper plates, napkins, and baby wipes; I'd keep this entire bag in the back seat of the car so it was handy for all of us. After all of this was packed, I collected three smaller individual flasks and made up hot chocolate for each of us. It would be cold when we left town, and our nerves would probably be shot to hell, so it was best that we had plenty of things to help keep us warm. As the hot chocolate heated, I collected a packet of painkillers for the road too. None of us would have taken care of ourselves properly tonight; we were all rushing around trying to get out. Sooner or later, our bodies were going to catch up with us, and we were going to crash hard. After the hot chocolates were ready, I slipped some mini marshmallows into each flask before breaking up a fudge bar and adding some to each flask and finishing with some double cream.

I sealed the tops on everything and double-checked that the Tupperware was all secure before I brought the heavy food and drink bag to the side of the front door. After that, I called for five taxis from my cell phone, which I would soon be ditching, never to be found again. Within twenty to thirty minutes, the taxis began to arrive. I made my way over to each taxi and began to compel each driver with the same instructions: besides the bags by the front door of the house, every item and every box within the house was to be taken to the first homeless shelter and charity store they came across outside of Mystic Falls, and after everything was clear, they would forget that they were ever here. They would do this as quietly as possible to avoid waking the neighbours.

Within an hour, it was all gone, never to be seen again. I had achieved my task; it was as if we were never even here. I had even gone so far as to scrub the ceiling in each room and remove all the light bulbs. I made my way out of the house, locking the door behind me before bringing myself up to full vampire speed and crossing a few streets over to one of the neighbours I knew was on holiday until the end of the month. Although I felt awful for doing it, I pocketed their spare key from behind the hood and proceeded to steal their car. It was a Ford station wagon; it would blend in on the roads from here to Utah, and with plenty of room in the trunk and lots of leg room, it was exactly what we needed to get us there.

I drove it back to my driveway and cleaned it all down inside before the real work began. I wanted this next stage to be as carefree for Elena and April as I could manage, so I opted to take extra special care of all of our needs. I brought the bag of food that I had prepared into the back seat on the floor, I got the arm rests into the perfect position, I supplied sunglasses above every seat, I laid out fresh, clean blankets on each of the seats to keep us warm on the journey along with a pillow for each of us, I replaced the air freshener inside the car already with a lavender-scented one, I set the radio station to a classical broadcast to help soothe us at the right time, and to just add that little something extra, I had packed each of us a heavy sweater and fluffy socks for whenever we were

Some people might say I went too far with this, but then I thought about April and Elena and how they were leaving everything and everyone they had ever known, and if I could make that adjustment the slightest bit easier with some fluffy socks and some hot soup, then I was going to make that effort. This wasn't a road trip; from the second we got in this car, I knew it was going to be intense for all of us and that there was no going back. The reason I did all of this was because I'd like to think that someone would make that same effort for me when I needed it.

With that done, my one-hour time limit alarm signalled on my phone, and I shut it off. I knew in that exact moment that April and Elena were doing the same thing. It was the one-hour countdown and time to shut off our phones. I shut the driver's door of the station waggon and literally snapped my phone in half, dropping one half down one storm drain and the other half down another. The sim card I wiped clean of my scent before tossing one half into the neighbour's trash and the other half into an old plant pot in their garden.

When I returned to the house, I walked around each empty room, taking it all in one last time before making my way into the bathroom, where I ran myself a bath. I stripped out of the clothes I was wearing, took them into the laundry room, and put them on for a boil wash with a half bottle of bleach, ruining them and getting rid of my scent upon them. I didn't require them anymore. Despite the one-hour time limit, I was happy to sink into my bath. I shampooed my hair and scrubbed every inch of my body clean until I was tuckered out, then I finally shaved my legs and under my arms before climbing out. I completely air dried everything; there were no towels left in the house.

I collected all the items from the bathroom along with the trash bag from the kitchen and dumped them into the neighbors' trash cans after I dressed. My clothes now consisted of a white jumper, caramel-toned joggers, full briefs, a wireless bra, a fluffy pair of socks, and my flip flops. I didn't care how I looked; I was comfortable, and that's what mattered right now. I rinsed the bath out before shutting off the power to the house, gas, and water. With just ten minutes to go until the girls were set to arrive, I went around the house wiping down every light switch and door handle one last time to be sure.

I waited by my front door, bags in hand and knees trembling, desperate to see the girls. April was the first to arrive, coming into the street in a fresh pair of dark clothes as discussed, keeping her head down, her hat on her head, and her hood up. She carried her luggage in both hands and over two shoulders; we didn't even want to risk the sound of the wheels on any luggage cases. Seeing me there waiting for her, dressed and on time April picked up her pace, and I too rushed down the driveway, and together we began to load the trunk. When Elena arrived, we worked hard as a team, none of us saying a word, each of us equally focused on the task at hand of getting out of Mystic Falls forever. Each of us taking care of the other's luggage as we very quietly loaded each item into the trunk.

We got into the car, Elena and I in the front with April taking the seat directly behind Elena, in perfect sync and without logical reason, we locked our doors behind us. I suppose at the end of the day, we were three lone women travelling alone, and it only made sense. Each of us buckling ourselves in as I started the engine, and we all held our breath. Everyone in the car remained silent as I reversed out of the driveway. Taking one last look at my house, knowing I'd never see it again after tonight. We drove through the town square as it was the fastest way out, again without a single word from any of us, as if a small sound would awaken everyone we were attempting to escape from. It wasn't until we got to the town sign wishing us farewell from Mystic Falls that we all exhaled together.

None of us said a word, and I could feel the tears threatening to escape my eyes as I turned to find both Elena and April doing their best to keep it together in that moment. April unbuckled herself and slid between Elena and me as all three of us reached for each other's hands, holding onto them as we attempted to keep control. When we finally let go, I wiped my eyes and, with one hand, draped the blanket I had prepared for myself over my lap, finding both girls following suit, feeling the cold as strongly as I was it seemed. I carefully adjusted the pillow at my back and turned the radio on nice and low, so low that you could barely hear the faint sound of the classical music broadcasting.

"Keep warm, okay?" I told them suddenly feeling so protective.

I told them both, getting a nod from each of them as I reached the car heater, turning it on to aid and relax us.

"Do you think Klaus has already left town?" Elena asked

"Something tells me he has; he was probably out of here within an hour, if not less." "He'll be hundreds of miles ahead of us by now, as he said he would." I replied

"So now the journey begins." April breathed.

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