Disclaimer: I do Not own The Vampire Diaries or any of its characters so find someone else to sue :)
Chapter 4: Hunger is a fickle thing.
Klaus grinned back at the four Vampires, this was a victory he had not imagined fathomable earlier today. Never would he have imagined he would have the heart of Mystic Falls here in the palm of his hands.
The outside world must be that bad for them to agree to this.
"Great, then Adam over there will escort you. I really do have somewhere to be." He rubbed his hands together and gave them all an icy smile before turning on his heels and leaving; very aware of the glare a certain blonde was giving him for ignoring her.
Oh, how he missed her.
When Klaus was gone Caroline grabbed the untouched beer from Elena's hand and brought it to her lips; quickly finishing it.
"Care!" Elena cried trying to stop her.
"Ugh, no. You just sold our non-existent souls to the devil, I'm allowed to get drunk." She spat back slamming the empty bottle onto the table.
"Caroline, you have to see this is the best thing that could happen to us." Stefan reproached his tone light.
Caroline turned to glare at him.
"Oh, yes. Being shot with a Werewolf venom laced bullet was the best thing that could've happened to me."
Damon laughed and stood up from his stool taking Elena's hand and pulling her with him.
"Oh stop complaining, you're not dead. Your boyfriend sorted that out: again."
Caroline threw the bottle at him.
Damon dodged it fluidly, of course, but the intentions were pretty clear: back off.
"Damon..." Elena murmured warningly shooting him a glare of her own.
"Okay...Touchy subject." He flashed a wicked grin and rolled his eyes.
Caroline slid from her bar stool and made her way over to the Vampire stood by the door, she took it this was 'Adam,' Stefan followed her wordlessly. At least he knew how to be subtle.
"Well then, Adam, if you would show us the way to Dracula's lair that would be great." Caroline smiled dryly at Adam while swinging her arms by her sides, he growled at her in return.
"I would watch your mouth if I was you girl. I don't know why the boss saved you but I doubt he would do it again." He spat taking an intimidating step closer to her.
"Adam...I wouldn't do that if I were you." Anne called from the bar not even bothering to look up from the glass she was cleaning. Adam threw her a nasty look but otherwise closed his mouth.
"As Caroline asked, though not quite as politely as she could, would you please show us the way to Klaus's home?" Stefan asked in his calmest, slowest and most serene voice. He was so sucking up.
Adam rolled his eyes and pushed past them heading back to the door, ignoring Damon's fifty watt grin.
"Get a move on or I'll leave you behind." He flashed out of the bar and it only took two second for the others to flash after him into the night.
"Holy…" Elena stopped pulling Damon to a stop too, right outside of a very large, very old, looking mansion. Klaus had outdone himself this time.
Stefan and Caroline stood behind the two admiring the grand home with just as much awe, heck, it was night at it looked spectacular. Like something out of a Fairy tale.
"Meh, I've seen better," Caroline managed to choke out storming past Elena and Damon and up the front path towards a grinning Adam.
"Sure you have Blondie," Damon chuckled walking behind her with Elena in tow. Stefan just shook his head in mild amusement and followed in behind the others.
Caroline kept stealing quick glances at the building, her eyes drawn to it like artwork, it really was beautiful.
"Do we need to be invited in?" Caroline asked climbing the stone steps that lead to the front door.
"No." Adam replied curtly before opening the heavy door and stepping inside. Caroline followed in quickly her eyes darting from wall to wall in the high raised hallway.
"Klaus really does like to show off," Elena whispered looking up at the crystal chandelier with a slight frown. Caroline made a snort of agreement.
"Right, I'll show you your rooms then you can stay there until the boss comes back." Adam lead them up a flight of stairs that broke off into two wings, he lead them to the left then pointed to the first three doors.
"Take your pick and remember: stay here." With that he flashed out of sight leaving the four of them to stand bewildered in the hallway.
"C'mon you heard the man," Damon grumbled walking into the first room. Elena grabbed Caroline into her arms sighing deeply.
"I'm so glad you are okay Caroline."
Caroline laughed slightly and returned the hug..
"So am I."
Elena walked into the room after Damon giving the both of them another reassuring smile and closed the door behind her.
Caroline and Stefan stood in the corridor for a moment longer before Stefan took the next room down leaving the last room for her.
The room was huge. A large four poster bed stood in the middle of the pale gold room, a white ivory desk was up against one of the walls and a vanity mirror placed delicately on top of it. An armchair was placed in front of one of the large windows that looked out onto the gardens below and the stars above.
Caroline couldn't stop the smile the erupted into her face. It was the most beautiful room she had ever been in.
On a turn of the room she noticed two doors, one was a built in wardrobe of sorts and the other was a large en-suit bathroom kitted with a modern shower. Caroline was inside of that shower within minutes.
With the hot water pouring down her body. loosening up all her aching joints and sore muscles, she felt like she could stay there for ever.
She didn't know how long she stood under the water for, only that if she could have drowned she would have.
Once out she wrapped herself up in one of the fluffy white bath robes and tied it tight to her body.
She made her way back to the bed and flung herself on top, not bothering to brush her hair or get changed, she was far too tired to do much more than drag her head to the pillow.
Sleep welcomed her with open arms and she cradled it in her arms.
She must have slept for hours since when she woke up from her deep, dreamless sleep, it was too bright to be morning: at least late afternoon. Her body felt ten times better, no pain in her stomach or head; just a dull ache in her gums telling her she was still hungry and that she hadn't fed in a long time.
With a groan she turned onto her back and looked at the ceiling. Here she was in Klaus's home, in the middle of New Orleans, wearing nothing but a bath robe. And she felt good.
Straining her ears she could hear Damon and Elena arguing quietly two doors down and the shower running next door, but on listening harder she could hear someone downstairs rustling papers and grumbling under his breath. Klaus.
What? Did he think he could keep us locked in up here?
Caroline sat upright running a hand through her knotted hair.
"And I'll huff and I'll puff...And I'll blow this house down." She muttered flashing to where she had left her clothes last night and changed into them as quickly as she could.
She heard Damon laugh and grinned at the thought of everyone hearing her comment.
Looking down she grimaced, the jeans were creased and marked from falling to her knees constantly yesterday, her shirt had a small bloodstain from her wound yesterday too. Oh well.
She dashed to the vanity table opening a few draws in search of a brush and only finding a comb, she dragged it through her still damp hair and put it back where she found it.
Damon and Elena were waiting for her when she left the room, obviously they had the same idea as her.
"Morning," Elena greeted with a small smile.
Caroline smiled in return and began walking down the stairs to the hallway they came through last night.
Klaus was waiting for them at the bottom with a questioning smile on his lips.
"I thought Adam told you to stay put?" His smooth tone reached their ears the minute they were off the staircase.
"Adam's a douche." Damon replied instantly smiling sarcastically. Klaus just quirked an eyebrow neither denying the statement nor agreeing.
"And did you really expect us to stay up there forever?" Caroline asked yawing and blinking furiously. Klaus roamed over her body trying to smile at the sight of her, even after all these years he couldn't deny her beauty, not even when she looked like hell.
Caroline felt his eyes on her but wouldn't give him the satisfaction of returning the gaze so instead, she looked at the chandelier with more interest than it deserved.
"Not forever, love, just until I could deal with you." Now that caught her attention.
Her eyes snapped towards him narrowing slightly, her jaw snapping shut before she could hiss at him and his stupid implications.
Stupid asshole.
"Klaus," Stefan's calming tone called from the top of the stairs creating a neat distraction and allowing Caroline to look somewhere other than Klaus.
"Finished with your shower I take it?" Klaus replied nodding slightly and throwing in a small smile.
"Normally we shower and run, so the calm was nice." Stefan replied shrugging.
"Oh yeah, remember that time Caroline had to run halfway across the Mexican border with nothing but a towel on when the hunters found us?" Damon said throwing his hands out and laughing at the memory.
Caroline glared at the side of his head. Yes, she remembers quite clearly. If she could still blush her face would be eternally red every time she thought about that incident.
Klaus pressed his lips together and quirked an eyebrow at the blonde who refused to look back at him, that must have been one hell of a sight.
"Thanks Damon," Caroline spat walking to Elena to hide herself further but on the way she became very dizzy, her legs giving out from under her. Elena steadied her with a worried shout: Damon also shot an arm out to keep her upright.
"Whoa," she mumbled blinking to get her sight back.
"When was the last time you fed?" Klaus demanded walking up beside her, no emotions on show.
"You mean other than last night?" Caroline replied back smirking slightly, he rolled his eyes and nodded in reply.
"Two weeks ago, I think."
Damon whistled and Stefan came closer.
"Care, why didn't you say anything?" Elena asked her voiced silk with concern.
"I didn't want to worry you, and besides, I would have fed last night if it wasn't for that asshole of a hunter." She felt like she had to defend herself somehow.
"Follow me," Klaus growled walking through one of the many doors in the hallway without a single explanation.
"We had better go before he does all 'Hybrid' on our asses." Damon muttered taking one of Caroline's elbows and Stefan the other.
"I'd like to see him try," Caroline whispered dragging her feet in time with her two helpers.
"Don't test me, love." Their superhuman senses picked up his murmured reply, the death glare Caroline gave Damon told him not to say a single word.
But it was oh so hard.
Klaus had led them into an open planned kitchen with black granite work tops and an island in the centre, he was in the fridge when they all trooped in.
"Here." He placed some blood bags onto the island and pushed them towards the group.
"Thanks Klaus." Elena said gratefully helping Caroline sit on one of the stools and handed her a bag.
Klaus nodded in reply and watched carefully as Caroline necked down the blood bag without a word.
She couldn't stop herself from downing every drop within minutes, she never even savoured the taste: she was too hungry too.
"And another." Klaus insisted not happy with how pale she looked, even for a Vampire.
Caroline nodded and pulled open another blood bag before devouring that one too.
The others ignored the worried exchange as best as they could and drank their fills too, it was the best meal they had had for months.
"You have no idea how good it is to drink knowing there is no trace of vervain what so ever." Damon commented sitting his empty bag onto the table and smiling happily, Elena agreed heartedly.
"Is that why you haven't been feeding?" Klaus asked Caroline while slipping onto the stool beside her.
She looked up from her blood bag and thought how to answer him. The easy way would be to just agree with him, though that wasn't the full truth.
Caroline never liked compelling anyone, and she especially didn't like compelling for blood. She had Damon to thank for that. So she point blank refused to feed from some poor soul who had no idea what was going on.
"Pretty much," Caroline said shrugging and dropping her empty blood bag. The ache in her gums and the dizziness had calmed now that her stomach was full of blood, it really was the best meal she has had in a long time.
Klaus narrowed his eyes at the obvious lie that escaped her lips but didn't press the matter, it's not like it mattered to him. Well that's what he tried to convince himself.
"Are we allowed to leave the house or do we have to stay locked up all day?" Damon suddenly asked bringing everyone back to the main topic.
"Yes, of course you can mate. There's just a few things you need to know and a few things I want to know." Klaus replied leaning on the island with his elbows and looking down the line at Damon.
"Shoot." He replied smirking.
"First I was wondering about all of your other friends. What happened to them?"
Elena answered.
"Jeremy is living in one of the human zones and is about to have his first great grandchild, you know that Matt is with Rebekah still, Bonnie is with some witches in New York and Tyler...We lost him in a concentration camp." Her voice became much stiffer at the end. Caroline became very quiet all of a sudden.
"You were in one of those camps?" Klaus asked his eyes flickering towards Caroline.
"Yes, we would never have escaped if Caroline hadn't swallowed a mouthful of raw Vervain and killed her guard. We didn't know were Tyler was and we didn't have time to waste so we ran." Elena was running her hands through her hair at the horrible memory; of how she watched Damon being staked constantly and Stefan being pushed into the sunlight and that Tyler was never seen again.
Caroline gulped at the memory of the raw vervain sliding, burning, down her throat. She was staked to a chair by her hands, left outside without her ring on and some vervain shoved in her mouth to quieten her screams. The sun slowly raised and crept ever nearer to where she was sat.
So she swallowed it and pulled her hands free from the stakes, the guard had his back to her so she plunged one of the staked through his heart and ran to free the others.
She could still hear the screams and begging of those she had to leave strapped to their chairs. It was horrible.
Klaus sighed and ran a hand through his hair before standing up from his stool and walking to a cupboard before pulling out some glasses. He poured them all some Scotch and slid the glasses along.
"Well, it seems you have had it rough." He murmured holding up his glass then bringing it to his lips all the while watching Caroline from the corner of his eye.
She wordlessly brought the glass to her lips and took a strong sip her hands shaking slightly, she could still hear the screams.
He took this chance to ask his next question.
"I was also wondering about how you escaped Silas?"
Elena inhaled deeply and dropped her glass. Caroline swivelled in her chair to glare at Klaus openly.
"We almost didn't, jackass, once we realised he was Stefan's Doppleganger we knew we had to find him, the real one, and run. We just didn't expect him to go all public and kill the president on live T.V." She hissed shaking her head.
The day she left Mystic falls was the day her Mom died. It was the day she said goodbye to the world she knew. It was a nightmare come true.
Klaus stared down at her his hands aching to touch her, to console her. But he knew she would only try to break his neck if he did, so instead he drank from his glass with a soft nod and didn't press the matter. Another dreadful experience, another day.
He didn't ask for any more details.
"What is it you want to tell us Klaus?" Stefan asked sounding drained by the whole experience.
"Oh, that. Well, as you know this town is one of the last surviving cooperative communities, we all know what the others nasty little demons are. There are a few rules however; first, if you really want to live here then that's it, you can't go out and risk any of the hunters trying to get back in with you."
"Second, no feeding; unless it is in one of the bars that are permitted, and lastly: any trouble, what so ever, will be punishable." He cupped his glass in his hands and smiled at them all over the top of it.
Caroline bit her lip to stop from screaming at him, he meant to trap them here: to keep them as pets.
"Does everyone abide by your rules?" Stefan asked curiously.
"Not always," was his ominous reply that had Caroline on edge. Meaning there were some he let away with bending his so called 'rules.'
"Klaus...Are we really safe here?" Elena asked her voice small.
Caroline froze, damn. She could hear it in Elena's voice that she wanted them to stay here where they could have showers and where they could feed without worries. She wanted all of that too but not with Klaus breathing down her neck every two seconds.
"I can't promise that. There is always some sort of...Mess. But you will be safer here than anywhere else." He sold it like the devil he was.
"Then I'll stay here and abide by your rules." She said nodding brightly.
"If she stays then so do I." Damon said as noble as a love sick puppy could be.
"As do I." Stefan chimed in raising his glass to Klaus.
Ever since Damon pulled him from that safe Stefan has put all remorse behind him and swore to stay with his brother for as long as he wanted him, and Damon, Damon just wanted his little brother safe in all of this death. They were brothers again: for now.
They looked at Caroline with raised brows.
"What if I said I'll leave and never come back?" She asked sitting up taller.
Klaus smiled and raised his own glass.
"I would drag you back." He drank the rest of his Scotch all the while smirking.
"Then do I have a choice?" She muttered heavily.
The silence spoke louder than their smiles.
Klaus left for his 'business' within the next twenty minutes, but not before informing them all that he had an assortment of clothes shipped over, her had to 'keep up appearances' after all. They all thanked him as best as they could and went back to their rooms to see exactly what he had bought.
Caroline couldn't help wonder when he had managed to get all of these bags into her room without anyone noticing. Sitting on her bed were three very full looking clothes bags, each with designer labels on the front.
It had been a while since she wore real clothes.
She revelled in looking through each bag, smiling each time she pulled out a pretty sundress or cute, jeans not to mention the shoes. This, this right here, was her ideal heaven.
Though she was torn on what to wear once she had raided through each bag carefully, she finally decided on a pair of grey skinny jeans and a long pale blue t-shirt that had a swooping neck line and clung to her figure nicely.
It was elegant yet casual.
Once dressed, and finally deciding on a pair of blue heels, she brushed her hair out again before tying it up with the recently stocked dressing table's limitless hair bobbles.
There were other things too, curling iron, straighteners, hair pins, perfume makeup ect.
Klaus didn't do half's: it seems.
There was a light knock at the door: she already knew who it was.
"Come in Elena." She said smoothing out her top and turning to face the door.
Elena stepped into her room grinning and looking extremely good in her own black jeans and red top. It had been a while since they got a proper say in what they wore.
"You look amazing." She gushed pointing to Caroline's knew outfit.
"Klaus always did have a good taste in clothes...Maybe he's gay." Caroline replied casually but grinning all the same.
"Somehow I don't think so," Elena replied quirking her eyebrows before rolling her eyes.
"Damon wants to go on a tour of the town, you in?"
Caroline was sure that Damon meant for him and Elena to go sightseeing alone, but she couldn't resist annoying him in the best way possible.
"Sure, is Stefan coming?" Elena nodded and began to walk back to the door.
"Great, then let's go."
Caroline took one more look in the mirror at herself and couldn't help but smile slightly, she almost looked like her old self. Almost. With a sigh she left the room behind and closed the door behind her.
"When you said explore, I thought you meant the sights. Not the bars Damon." Elena grumbled as Damon dragged their party down a street with nothing but bars and clubs on each side of the street.
"This is the sights, nothing better than a good bar." Damon replied with a smirk slinging his arm over her shoulder and quickly pecking her on the cheek earning a reluctant smile.
"It's two in the afternoon." Stefan remarked tucking his hands into his new pair of black jeans while looking around at the deserted street. No one was here: yet.
"Then we get to see what's it's like without all the noise." Damon replied shrugging.
"This is stupid," Caroline finally said stopping and folding her arms over her chest.
"And why is that Blondie?" Damon asked rolling his eyes.
"Because nowhere will be open, moron." Caroline replied quirking an eyebrow.
"I have a hunch that one place will be..." Damon trailed wiggling his own eyebrows and smiling crookedly at her.
Caroline groaned and continued walking again.
Ha had better be joking.
"We left that house to get away from him, why are we going the one place we know he might be?"
He didn't reply just continued to pull Elena along whistling under his breath.
Caroline sighed and decided to take in the sights she was going to see. Which, in the sleaziest street of New Orleans in the afternoon, wasn't much.
They arrived outside 'The Rabid Dog' and stopped to listen to the commotion inside. Mostly human, a few Vampires and Werewolf's, but definitely not closed, which was enough for Damon.
He walked in first grinning when everyone present turned to stare at them all, especially Caroline.
"That's her right?"
"I wonder who they are."
"Why would he save her?"
Caroline's superhuman senses picked up the on-going conversations as she followed behind Stefan to the bar where Anne stood grinning back at Damon, she focused on not hearing them instead.
Today Caroline managed to focus on Anne a little more, like the fact that she was exceptionally good looking and well dressed. Pretty blue eyes and shoulder length blonder hair, she could fool anyone and pretend to be a model. Perhaps in a past life she was.
"Look who it is," Anne greeted moving along the bar to stand in front of the stools they had taken up.
"Anne right?" Elena said smiling slightly trying to get the ball rolling.
"That's right and you all are?" Her gaze lingered on Caroline a fraction longer than the others when she smiled at them all, it didn't go missed by any of them.
"Well I'm Elena, this is Damon, that's Stefan and at the end is Caroline." Elena introduced them all pointing down the line as she went still smiling her Elena smile.
Anne took each of their hands in return and squeezed lightly.
"It's nice to meet you, it's not often we get visitors. Never mind long term ones." Again her eyes flickered to Caroline.
She felt her annoyance climbing and forced it back down to her stomach.
"We weren't planning on staying but...Stefan thought we should." Elena finished lamely her eyebrows furrowing. She had also noticed the looks Caroline had been getting, not just from Anne but from everyone in the bar. The reason was pretty obvious but it was still a bit odd, it's not like they have never seen it happen before...Right? There's no way Klaus has never healed anyone before, not in a town full of Vampire and Werewolf's.
"Enough chit chat, I came here for some liquor." Damon cut in slapping his hand in the table dramatically. Caroline rolled her eyes at his antics and looked around the room quickly. Her eyes danced over the big door and Adam standing in front of it looking in her direction with a glare.
Hm...
"Of course, what would you like?"
Damon ordered Scotch, as always, while Elena and Stefan ordered some orange juice. Caroline still felt slushy from the blood she drank earlier and declined having anything.
"We should really go and explore." Elena said sipping her orange juice and looking around the bar. She didn't like the looks they were receiving here, even from the humans.
"We have plenty of time to explore; today I just want to relax. For one day Elena." Damon said smiling softly at her and melting the last of her resistance.
"I agree, today we should enjoy not having to look over our shoulders constantly." Stefan added nodding.
"Speak for yourself, you guys aren't being watched like some reality show." Caroline grumbled glaring pointedly at a middle aged man staring openly at her. He turned back to his friend quickly bumbling nonsense his heartbeat rising.
"That's to be expected Care, you did just get saved by their ruthless leader last night." Stefan said tipping his glass to his mouth.
"Oh that's not why everyone is staring." Anne suddenly said reminding them that she was still there.
"What do you mean?" Caroline demanded now giving the woman her full attention.
Anne smiled coyly and leaned over the bar to whisper to them, though it wouldn't have mattered if she was on the other side of the bar and whispering: she still would have heard.
"It's because he let you feed from him."
Caroline frowned having a total blonde moment.
"And?" She pressed not seeing what the big deal is. Anne only smiled wider and continued.
"And, he hasn't once let anyone do that. There have been plenty of...Accidents where people have needed his blood. Most people don't get it, bar a select few; and when they did it would be in a glass. Not straight from the vein."
Caroline thought back to her days in Mystic Falls, back to all the time Klaus gave his blood for the cure. She was trying to think of at least one time someone other than her actually fed from him. Not once. Not one person.
Only her.
"Then you two talk as if it isn't the first time either, Caroline, of course everyone is going to be staring. You're an enigma, something that doesn't fit into the persona that is Klaus Mikaelson. Not our ruthless king - as you so put it."
Caroline didn't know what to say so, instead, ordered a large brandy.
That is so typical of him.