Disclaimer: I do not own the Vampire Diaries or any quotes used/borrowed.
Notes: This chapter is more centered on the hybrids and their plot, which takes up a lot of this chapter. Also, it's a long one :)
run, boy, run
"But look how they treat us, make us believers
We fight their battles, then they deceive us
Try to control us, they couldn't hold us
'Cause we just move forward like Buffalo Soldiers"
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"Please, no more. I can't!"
Tyler bent downwards and did not allow a single of sympathy to show on his face even though he knew the pain Adrian was going through intimately. Hands on his knees, he told the writhing hybrid, "Yes, you can." Kimberly had broken her sire bond to Klaus and they'd moved on to the next one. She was there with them – Tyler, Hayley and Adrian – in the farmhouse they were using for their pack. "Block out the pain," Tyler urged.
"I can't," Adrian wept. Behind Tyler, Kimberly had had enough; she roughly shouldered passed him and Hayley, stooping down to her knees and place gentle hands on Adrian's back and shoulders. She swept her fingers through his sweat soaked black hair and felt Adrian shudder.
"That's enough," Kim said firmly and glared at the others. "This is torture."
"Kim, stop! He needs to finish." Hayley folded her arms across her chest and cocked her hip.
Kim's upper lip curled into a snarl. "Not today, he doesn't."
Hayley was furious and her eyes blazed as she took a step towards the two hybrids. The derision she felt for the hybrid was plain. "Yes, today. Nate, Dean and Chris are all dead, which makes Adrian Klaus' right hand man! We can't let Adrian anywhere near Klaus until his sire bond is broken!" Kim ignored her and undid the locks on Adrian's chains and helped him up, letting the other hybrid lean onto her shoulder for balance.
Tyler took an aggressive stance toward them to back Hayley up and stared Kim dead in the eyes. "Hayley's right. The bond isn't broken until he," He nodded toward Adrian, "doesn't feel the pain of the transformation anymore. If we want to get back at Klaus for everything he's done for us, then Adrian has to keep turning."
Kim's nostrils flared. "He doesn't have to do anything! Isn't that the point of breaking the sire bond? Having free will?" Tyler shot Hayley a perplexed glance. "Come on, Adrian," Kim said in a softer voice, and she helped him walk out of the farmhouse with their heads held high.
Tyler and Hayley were left alone and frustrated. "Now what?" Tyler wondered aloud.
"Now, I have somewhere to be," Hayley muttered. She turned to Tyler. "You should probably go to school, considering Adrian's blown us off and you're already behind." She crossed her arms again and asked a little contemptuously, "And doesn't Caroline need you?"
Tyler furrowed his brows. "Hayley, what –" She brushed passed him, eager to get out of his presence and talk to Professor Shane about their new issue that had just arisen. She stormed away from Tyler and the farmhouse and slipped into her car to make the journey to Whitmore College.
It wasn't as long as it usually was, considering it was a weekday and after morning rush hour; she thought she made good time. Hayley wandered through the halls to Shane's office and found the door locked. "Well, that won't do," She muttered and pulled a bobby pin out of her small purse. She stuff it into the lock, jiggled it around for a while, and eventually it clicked. "Better get some new locks, Professor," Hayley drawled. She shut the door quietly behind her and began her search.
She heard the door open only moments later and Hayley's started. "Trespassing, breaking and entering in all in before noon?" Shane teased as he shed his messenger bag and Hayley straightened up.
"We're having trouble breaking Adrian," Hayley muttered.
Shane shrugged. "Don't worry about it; you already got the twelve hybrids I need. It's okay." He and Hayley switched places as he walked around his desk so he could straighten up the strewn papers and sit down.
Hayley looked after him. "We have eleven," She corrected coolly. "I told you, Tyler Lockwood is not a part of the deal." She placed her hands on her hips and raised her chin rebelliously.
Shane wasn't amused and he leaned forward on his desk by putting his weight onto his knuckles. "Well, now there are eleven hybrids. You deliver me twelve without loyalties to Klaus or your friend Tyler becomes part of the bargain."
"You haven't held up your part of the deal yet," Hayley said lowly and looked at the teacher with narrowed eyes. Shane stood straight and chuckled to himself as he reached into his front jacket pocket. He pulled out a flash drive and Hayley focused her entire attention onto that small piece of hardware.
"This has the information you need about your biological parents," Shane explained as he showed it to her. "It's encoded, so don't bother trying to steal it." He slipped it back into his jacket. "Just bring me twelve unsired hybrids and it's yours. I promise."
Hayley glared, but she agreed. Back to Mystic Falls it was.
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"That looks like a giant snowflake."
Klaus didn't let his gaze waver from his painting, and continued on with his careful, precise strokes. However, despite his attention being riveted to his art, the corners of his lips turned up. "I prefer to call it an expression of post-modernism. It will be my donation to the Winter Wonderland charity event." Finally, he set down his paintbrush and turned to focus on Stephanie, who was leaning up against his door hinge to his art room in skinny jeans, black tee, and a leather jacket. He opened his mouth to compliment her maybe, but his ears picked up a noise behind her.
One of Klaus' hybrids stepped around her, giving Steph a wide birth, and sidled up to Klaus. "You called for me? You said it was urgent." His voice betrayed his complete apathy towards caring what Klaus wanted. Klaus tilted his head.
"It is of the utter most importance," Klaus agreed and waved a hand at his large snowflake. "Take this to the Mystic Grill immediately."
The hybrid was completely unimpressed. "You want me to be a delivery guy?" Klaus watched as Stephanie hid a smirk with a side of her hand.
While that was amusing, Klaus was uninterested in his hybrid's attitude; he walked up to him and stepped directly into his face. "What I want is for you to do whatever I say what your blatantly disrespectful attitude." The hybrid's face contorted, but he refrained himself from saying anything, and merely picked up the painting and headed out. "Oh!" Klaus called. "Do be careful; the paint is still wet." They heard the hybrid mutter something under his breath too low to be picked up, and then he was gone.
Stephanie arched her brows and watched the hybrid leave. "Abraham Lincoln freed the slaves, you know. I know you were alive for that," She said, her tone bone dry.
Airily, Klaus replied, "What is the point of my hybrids being sired to me if I can't maximize on the benefits of free labor?"
"This conversation feels really familiar to me," Stephanie remarked as she took a step into the room, boots clicking on the wooden floor. "I seem to remember you telling me a summer ago that –"
Klaus cut her off before she could make him a fool out of his double standards. "What are you doing here, love?" He grinned at her and added, "Not that isn't a lovely surprise, but . . ."
Stephanie visibly let the issue go, which pleased Klaus. What she said next did not. "I want to know why you're trying so hard."
"And what, exactly, am I trying to do?" Klaus asked sharply. He furrowed his brows.
"I don't know," Steph admitted. "Make me like you? You've saved my life; given me drawings . . . and yesterday we shared an intimate movement where you told me something good about your past."
"I love you," Klaus said with a mild expression. He spread his arms wide as if to somehow encompass the feeling, but he knew there was no way to physically quantify the love he felt. "I love you, Stephanie. And I'm trying to atone for my less than honorable actions towards you in our history, one day at a time."
Stephanie licked her lips. "Listen, Klaus. What you did to me was terrible and I don't know if I can forgive you for that because you give me a couple of drawings a week."
"But like you said, I've done other things . . ." Klaus looked genuinely confused and Stephanie had to fight off incredulous laughter at the absurdity of the conversation she was having with him.
"Even as we talk right now," Stephanie said flatly, "you're still plotting to turn Elena back into a human and then into a blood bag to make hybrids with. I can't love someone who plans to do something like that to one of my best friends." She turned back to the door.
"So that's all you've come to say?" Klaus demanded as he stalked after her. He resisted the urge to grab her arm, having learnt that that would only antagonize her more – and that was the last thing he wanted at the moment. "To tell me that you'll never love me? I won't give up."
Stephanie paused and addressed Klaus. "I never said I'll never love you again," She explained tiredly, "Just that I can't love someone who is actively trying to ruin my family's lives every time something doesn't go to plan." She left him in his art room alone, and in silence.
"What the bloody hell do I do now?" Klaus' nostrils flared and his hands itched to grab and crush something. He slammed his fist in the wall, making a hole and the lights flickered.
"It's obvious, isn't it?" Kol asked as he strolled lazily into the room.
"Can't I get some peace in here?" Klaus asked him sharply. "Aren't you practically living with that Bennett witch now?"
"No, because you're a git," Kol said easily and ducked as a paper weight flew towards his head. "And as for the other thing, it's none of your business. Now, talking about your issues, if you want to win Stephanie back, the path you need to take is obvious."
"Sorry, Kol, but excuse me if I don't take relationship advice from someone who's never loved someone for more than five minutes," Klaus fired at his younger brother, but Kol didn't take offense. He only rolled his eyes.
"You just need to stop looking for the Cure to turn Elena back," Kol continued blithely, "and let me and Bonnie find it so we can destroy Silas instead."
"But I need more hybrids!" Klaus roared. "And Silas is a mythical character created to scare morons like you!"
"Do you really need more hybrids?" Kol asked critically, stubbornly resisting Klaus' efforts to wrestle him into a fight. "You have everything. Elijah, Finn, Rebekah and I are alive and here for you if you need it. Well, besides Finn, but he's never been there for anyone but Mother," Kol said and waved a hand dismissively. "Father's dead, so no one is ever coming after you again. Well, that you know of. But you can handle anyone else, I'm sure. And honestly, that's the only thing holding you back from your one true love." He rolled his eyes there to let Klaus know how he felt about that concept. "She just said that she never said that she'd never love you again. That's like, almost a marriage proposal to vampires, bloody hell. You have eternity to win her back. Just leave the hybrids out of the plan. You don't need them."
Klaus stared at Kol dumbfounded as the latter began to whistle. "I'm off now, though, so if you want any more uplifting chats, I suggest therapy." Kol waved and flashed away.
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When Hayley returned to Mystic Falls, it was getting dark and she talked Tyler into meeting her at the Grill to discuss the hybrids. However, it turned out that Adrian and Kim happened to be there as well.
"I think Kim's right," Tyler started their conversation and it made Hayley want to face palm. "The point of us breaking the sire bond is so that they're free; they don't have to listen to me." His face was twisted into something earnest.
Hayley fought the urge to him over the head with something. "Yes they do, Ty. You can make them; hybrids are werewolves first and wolves run in packs. Every pack needs an alpha or they'll challenge each other for dominance. Kim is challenging your place as alpha. You need to put her in her place. Now." She stared at him expectantly.
"Like now, now?" He asked her.
"Yes," Hayley told him sharply.
Tyler gave her one last lingering look, and then stood from his chair and stalked across the room over to the pool table, where Kim and Adrian were playing a game together. She allowed herself a small smirk before getting up to follow. Adrian lined up the ball, but Tyler put a hand over it. He lifted it up and played with it in his hands. "Big day tomorrow," Tyler said baldly. "You should get some rest."
Kim put down her stick and circumvented the table. She stood in front of Tyler and stared him in the eye. "Who do you think you are?"
Tyler met her gaze without flinching. "The guy telling you to call it a night." Kim took his dare and moved to punch him in the kidneys, but he grappled with her for control, and twisted her arm behind her back. "This could get really ugly right now, but I'm not going to let it," He hissed into her ear. "Challenge me again and this conversation will be ending very differently."
Kim's eyes were wide. "Fine. Whatever you say."
"Finish your drinks and then get Adrian back to the farmhouse." He shoved her back, and Tyler and Hayley stormed angrily away. Kim glared at their backs and grabbed Adrian's elbow and started to tug him along.
"Where are we going?" Adrian asked quietly.
"To pick a fight," Kim growled. "Tyler's in love with that blonde vampire, right? Well, we'll show him just how serious we are about our freedom." They knew the girl's scent because it was usually all over Tyler whenever he went to the farmhouse to check up on whatever hybrid was trying to break the bond. So it was easy for them to pick it out of the hundreds of scents in the Grill – a frequent place of visitation of the vampire's – and follow it outside and to the edge of town.
She was at the Salvatore Boarding House, though Kim and Adrian didn't feel like it would be much of a challenge to wrestle the girl away, considering they were hybrids and evidently, no human lived at the house so invitations weren't an issue. Kim and Adrian walked up silently together and listened for any signs of movement.
There were only a couple of people inside; one was their blonde, the other another female vampire. They could scent that two other vampires lived there, but weren't home, which made it even easier on Kim and Adrian. The hybrids stormed into the house, fine with the vampires knowing they were coming; maybe they'd even fear their arrival. They extended their senses and found the two vampires in the living room, where the girls had abruptly stopped whatever they'd been doing beforehand.
"Nobody moves and no one gets hurt," Kim announced loudly as she Adrian strolled into the living room. The two vampires there weren't very tall and didn't look particularly strong, but appearances were always deceiving in the supernatural world. "We just want her." She pointed at the blonde. "Caroline."
The shorter of the two stepped protectively in front of what was clearly her friend, and said, "I don't think that's going to happen. Tell me what the problem is, and maybe we can work this out rationally."
"Steph, they're two of the hybrids Tyler's been working with," Caroline whispered. "They're unsired."
"That's right," Kim agreed, even though Adrian wasn't, not quite yet. "And we need you to come with us so Tyler will cooperate with me."
"Like I said," Stephanie repeated firmly, "that's not going to happen. Why don't we call Tyler so you can talk about whatever issues you're having with him?"
"Sorry, but that's not part of the plan," Kim growled and flashed behind Caroline, putting her fangs to the girl's neck. "Let us go or I'll bite," She warned. Adrian had moved to trap Steph into his hold, but the little vampire wasn't afraid.
She lifted her chin in defiance. "Try it and I'll call Klaus over here and he'll rip out your hearts."
"What are you to Klaus?" Kim demanded.
"He's kind of seriously obsessed with her," Caroline shared. "Like, if you harm a single hair on her head, he'll rip you limb from limb, burn your body parts, and then dance on the ashes."
"Then we'll take you with us," Kim decided with a firm nod. "Get back at Tyler and Klaus at the same time. What do they call that? Two birds with one stone?"
"I'm really tired of being kidnapped," Stephanie snapped and she elbowed Adrian in the crotch, making him double over in pain.
"And we're really tired of having to rescue you and your friends," A masculine voice drawled and Kim's head jerked to see two more vampires arrive on the scene. Both dark headed and angry looking. "So if you don't mind, step away from Barbie and Crazy, okay?"
"I'm crazy now?" Steph demanded.
"Not the time," Damon shot back.
Kim sent Adrian a look and he nodded. She grabbed hold of Caroline and shot out of the boarding house with Adrian hot on her tail, and headed towards the farmhouse. They made it record time with their enhanced hybrid speed, and didn't waste a moment; they immediately found the chains that they'd used to contain them during their repetitive changes, and tied up the furious blonde vampire.
"Why are you doing this?" Caroline demanded. "What have I done to you?"
"It's not what you did," Adrian explained.
"But we have to show Tyler who's boss around here," Kim finished. "And that includes showing him that we can hurt you." As if illustrating her point, she stepped forward and grabbed Caroline's wrist and snapped it, making the girl scream.
"They'll hear her," Adrian said warily.
"Good. We want Tyler to hear," Kim said. "Give me a piece of that scrap wood over there, Adrian." He looked between the girls and then complied, handing the splintered stilt to Kim. The hybrid girl used her strength to break it down and shoved one of the bits into Caroline's intestines.
"Stop!" Caroline sobbed, "Please!" Blood welled up from her abdominal wound and the flesh around her wrist swelled and darkened in color as it tried to heal awkwardly. "Please stop."
"I'm going to stop until Tyler gets here," Kim promised and ripped out her makeshift stake and prepared to do it again.
"Leave her alone!"
"Right on time," Kim said as Tyler burst into the farmhouse with a few vampires on his heels. Hayley was a little behind them, but she made sure she was there. Behind them, the other hybrids flooded in, and with a nod from Kim, grabbed the vampires, Tyler and Hayley so that they were restrained.
"Leave Caroline alone," Stephanie warned darkly.
"You're the one she said Klaus cares for, right?" Kim asked, and when no one answered, grinned. She gave the hybrid holding her a significant look, and he shoved Stephanie to her knees in front of him.
"Hey, Klaus won't like this," Adrian said warily, eyes jumping from Stephanie to Caroline. "He probably won't care about Tyler's girl, but his?"
"You're right," Kim acknowledged. "He won't like this it at all. Do you think he'll like it when I kill her?" She looked at Tyler. "Will you like it if I do this?" She picked up her makeshift stake and aimed it at Caroline's heart.
"Stop!" The vampires screamed.
"You made your point, bitch, let Caroline go," Damon snapped. "You have the power. Who the hell cares?" The hybrid holding him growled in Damon's ear and shook the vampire roughly.
"I do," Tyler snarled.
"Is power worth more than Care's life?" Stephanie demanded and the hybrid holding her stomped on her leg, making her grunt. When Kim prepared to stake Caroline, Tyler bared his teeth and roared angrily, bucking off the other hybrid's hold on him and tackled Kim into the dirt floor of the farmhouse.
He jammed his hand into her chest cavity and the others froze with baited breath. "Let my friends go, or else I'll kill her. I'll rip her heart out," Tyler barked and immediately, the vampires were released from their hybrid captors. Elena and Stephanie raced to Caroline's side and helped her out of her bindings. Damon looked very put out with being kept hostage. "Kim put you all at risk today. And I'm not going to hurt her, because I'm not Klaus; I don't kill and torture my own friends to get what I want. We all broke the sire bond. But if you want to be free, we all have to stick together." Tyler gave Kim a significant look. "Now, you're either with me or against me. Submit. Submit or you die."
"I'm sorry," Kim choked.
And Tyler released her and stood. Slowly, each and every hybrid ducked to the ground in submission. Damon opened his mouth to make a smart comment, but Elena flashed to his side and clamped a hand to his mouth to keep him from getting the vampires killed because he had no filter.
"Now," Tyler cleared his throat. "Adrian is going to finish breaking his sire bond. And I'm taking Caroline home. Everyone else clear out. Now." Like magic, the hybrids did as they were bid, and they all disappeared except for Kim and Adrian. Caroline, free from the chains, willingly went into Tyler's arms and hugged him fiercely. After a curt command from Tyler, Kim chained up Adrian and then left with the other hybrids. "Hayley, do you have this?" He asked.
"It'll be under control," The werewolf promised swiftly. "Adrian will be a free man in no time."
"Good."
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"God, we never get to have a peaceful moment, do we?" Damon groaned. "We recover from the farce of a pageant yesterday, get you tucked in," He nodded towards Elena, "here at the house, and then Caroline gets kidnapped by raging, psychotic hybrids. I need a drink." He pulled out the decanter of bourbon and poured himself a tall glass.
"Make that two," Stephanie muttered and held up a hand from her place next to Elena.
"Can do," Damon called.
"Good thing Bonnie was able to track them so quickly," Elena breathed and she covered her face with her hands. "I don't know what we would have done if they'd killed Care. I can't even imagine the thought of it."
Stephanie leaned her head on her friend's shoulder and they sat together on the couch like that until Damon returned and squeezed his way in between the two girls. He gave Steph her drink and then put an arm around Elena. "Can we just go to bed?" He wondered.
"I have a bad feeling that today isn't over yet," Stephanie predicted.
"Sh!" Damon shoved a finger to her lips and glared. "Do not jinx us, Stephanie Grumpy-pants Salvatore. Or I will stake you myself."
Elena groaned. "And tomorrow is the Winter Wonderland charity event party." She gave Damon a sad look. "We have to go." In response, Damon threw back his drink and took a deep swallow.
"Maybe we could skip," Stephanie mused as Damon put the tumbler onto a coaster and threw his other arm around his sister. "Are we necessary?"
"Caroline's probably signed us up to help," Elena said and the mildly playful atmosphere sobered. "And you know that she'll go tomorrow anyway, just to get all of this stuff out of her head. She'll need us there."
"What about Jeremy?" Stephanie didn't want to kill the mood further, but the question bared asking. Elena and Damon went silent. "We can't do this," She waved a hand at the three of them, "forever. Jeremy can't live with Matt forever. If we – you," Stephanie pointed at Elena, "want to ever talk to Jeremy in person again, we need to figure something out to help him."
"Klaus wants the Cure though," Elena said tiredly and rubbed the bridge of her nose.
"Then get away for a while," Stephanie told them. "Take Jeremy and go to your parents' cabin. Maybe being alone with a couple of vampires will help. You could work on his control."
"And Klaus?" Damon sounded intrigued with her plan.
"I'll keep an eye on Klaus," Stephanie promised and tried not to think back on her earlier meeting with him. "And I'll go to the Christmas charity event with Caroline tomorrow to watch her too. I can handle everything here. You guys go take care of Jeremy."
"I think we should think about it tonight," Elena decided and stood, tugging on Damon's wrist. "Let's sleep on it." Damon dragged himself up, said goodnight to Steph, and swept Elena off her feet. They disappeared up the stairs, presumably to talk and then sleep.
"Better get to bed then," Stephanie murmured to herself. She stood and flashed to her own room, careful to keep quiet and ignore the whispers in Damon and Elena's bedroom. She threw herself face first onto her own bed and sighed sleepily.
"I've thought about you said earlier," Klaus' voice came from the chair behind her desk, and it startled Stephanie so badly, she jumped.
"Klaus!" She hissed. "What are you doing in my bedroom?"
Klaus stood up and walked around the desk to stand in front of her bed. He clasped his hands behind his back primly and looked like he was gearing up for something important. Stephanie warily stood as he began to make his case. "I thought about you said," He repeated, "and Kol came to me and said some ridiculous things that actually made a little sense. Yes, I was surprised as well."
Stephanie furrowed her brows, but said nothing.
Klaus continued. "As a result, I just wanted to say that I am not going to be looking for the Cure to bestow it upon Elena anymore. So you needn't worry about Elena's safety from me." His hands were transferred to his front and his crossed them there. "That's all." And then he disappeared.
Stephanie fell back into bed wished that their lives in Mystic Falls weren't nearly so complicated.
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"Did you ever hear of a text message, or just . . . give a guy a head's up?" Shane asked and exasperation was the only thing Hayley could read from his body language. He checked his watch. "And you're here again before noon. Is there a problem?"
Hayley swung her legs from her perch on Shane's desk. "Adrian's finished breaking his sire bond, you have your twelve hybrids, now . . ." She jumped off the desk. "Where are my parents?"
Shane regarded her and sighed. "They're dead."
Hayley felt like someone had punched her in the gut. "You lied to me?" She asked quietly.
"No, I didn't lie to you," Shane replied as he shook his head. He retrieved something from his pocket and showed it to her: the flash drive. "I said I'd tell you where to find them. In that," he raised the drive up, "is everything you wanted to know about them, including where they're buried."
Hayley's face screwed up into a scowl. "You just picked a fight with a werewolf, you know that right?" She snapped.
Shane held up his hands. "Easy there, killer. I'm not declaring war here." He slowly approached the volatile werewolf. "Just because they're gone doesn't mean that you can't see them again."
She froze. "What?" Hayley asked hesitantly, barely daring to hope.
Shane seemed to come alive at the question. "This is far from over, Hayley. We are the beginning."
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"I'm sick of taking his crap! I should rip his throat out," Adrian growled. "Then we'll see if he can boss us around without a larynx." He stomped into the Lockwood crypt where he met Tyler and Kim.
Tyler nodded to him. "You won't have to take it much longer."
"You keep saying that," Kim drawled antagonistically, "but here we are, hiding and plotting a revolution that is never going to happen." She placed her hands on her hips and felt from Adrian's stance next to her that he felt the same way.
"Never say never," Hayley's voice chided as she hopped down and strode toward them. "And never say that I never pull through." She smirked. "I found the witch that's going to save your lives."
Adrian's lips pulled into an expectant grin. "Are you serious?"
Tyler returned the look with a smile of his own. "We promised we'd free you from Klaus." He eyed Kim. "You did your parts my breaking your sire bonds . . . now Hayley and I are going to do ours." Tyler left them there, and went to track down Caroline at the Christmas charity event that was being held in town. When he explained his plan to her, she was not nearly as excited.
"You're going to do what?" She hissed angrily.
"Hayley found a witch strong enough to a body switching spell," Tyler repeated calmly. "You know the Klaus specialty."
Caroline shot him an incredulous glance, seemingly unable to believe her own ears. "So you're going to put Klaus in another body? And then what?"
"We'll incase the body in concrete and then bury it," Tyler finished.
Caroline threw up her arms. "Why not just desiccate him like Bonnie did?"
"Because to do that spell you need to stop a human heart," Tyler said dryly, "and I was a little low on volunteers."
Caroline scowled. "Well, who was dumb enough to volunteer to switch bodies with Klaus?" Tyler cleared his throat awkwardly and stuffed his hands into his suit pocket.
"Look, don't freak out –" Tyler started, but Caroline cut him off.
"Don't freak out?" She demanded. "What do you mean, freak out? I'm about to hemorrhage! You volunteered?"
"It's not forever! It's just long enough for the hybrids to completely disappear!" Tyler argued.
"Well, I can think of better ways for us to spend our Senior Year than you buried in concrete, Tyler!"
Tyler sighed and placed his hands onto her shoulders. "Listen, Care. This started with me; it has to end with me. I need your support."
Caroline looked up and met his gaze.
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Jeremy had gone early in the morning to the Gilbert Lake House with Bonnie and Kol, and he'd barely restrained himself from trying to stake the Original the entire car ride. When they'd arrived, he'd forced himself to work off some energy by running and hiking, and then later, chopping wood for the fireplace. For the most part, Kol had stayed inside or away from Jeremy, doing the smart thing for once in his exponentially long life.
It had been relatively easy to keep his mind off the vampire, but then Elena and Damon arrived in the latter's blue mustang.
"They really shouldn't be here," Jeremy muttered as he fingered a splintered piece of wood from the collection he was chopping. Bonnie was at his shoulder, gripping his elbow. He could almost feel the power of her magic, of Expression, buzzing and bubbling beneath her skin.
"They're here to help you," Bonnie explained quietly.
"Why can't Kol?" Jeremy asked sharply. "I don't want to hurt Elena, but I do at the same time. Kol's un-killable."
"You don't want to kill Kol as much because you can someone sense his magic," Bonnie explained to him. "You feel the full effect unless it's not marred by his . . . oddness. And Elena and Damon want to help you." Jeremy tried not to think of Stephanie and why she wasn't there. It probably better anyway, he thought decisively. His blood still boiled when he thought of their last encounter. His thoughts went to April and softened, wishing he could have seen her before he'd left town. He'd text her later, he decided.
"Do you trust me?" Bonnie asked him quietly.
Jeremy's eyes were still locked on the vampire couple inside the little blue car. Slowly, his fingers relaxed on the wooden splinter and Bonnie's hand reached out to take it from him. Finally, he said, "Yeah. I trust you."
"Good. Let's go inside," Bonnie said and she put a hand to the small of Jeremy's back and led him toward the Lake House. They passed Shane, who was also endeavoring to help them out, despite the suspicion they held for him. He was useful and definitely knowledgeable.
Damon and Elena got out of the car and headed to the open door of the Lake House. They watched as Shane, Bonnie and Jeremy set up the table and chairs while Kol sat on top of the counter, smirking and being completely unhelpful. When everything was set, Shane turned to face Jeremy directly.
"We're ready here," He explained. "But first, we need you to invite her inside the house." He inclined his curly head to the door, where Elena stood patiently, fingering her scarf with nervous hands.
"This is your house now, Jere," Elena spoke softly, as if afraid to startle her brother. "You have to invite me in." Jeremy regarded her warily, which nearly broke her heart.
"Go on, Jeremy; you can let her in," Shane called.
Jeremy licked his lips. "You can come in," He said to Elena and a genuinely happy smile broke across her face. She stepped over the threshold a little tentatively, but gained confidence when Jeremy returned her slight grin. Elena walked to him and placed one hand onto his shoulder. She rubbed it gently and moved passed him to set down her bag next to Kol on the counter. But in a less time necessary for a human to blink, Jeremy had swung around and attempted to stake her. Elena used her enhanced speed to flash around him and put her brother into a headlock.
"Jeremy!" Bonnie called and the house was quiet for several tense moments.
"Well, on this note," Damon said wryly from outside, "I do happen to have good news. Klaus isn't after Elena anymore." His attempt at levity was appreciated and it was distracting enough for Elena and Jeremy to separate quickly and quietly.
"Why? What happened?" Jeremy asked as he purposefully strode across the room to distance himself from his vampire friends and family.
"He had some kind of revival or awakening," Damon said as he leant against the door hinge, still uninvited. "He's trying to repent or something, I don't know. Frankly, I don't care. I'm just glad there will be no attempts to snatch my girlfriend and turn her into a human blood bag again."
"Well, if he changes his mind, I'll find him," Bonnie promised darkly.
Kol was suspiciously silent on the matter, and Shane redirected their focus back to the matter at hand. "While that's great – and confusing news – that I'll sure to have questions about later, we're here for a reason." He clapped his hands. "So let's get started."
Shane promptly tied the Hunter down with ropes. The candles were lit and his device for hypnotism was set, ticking and clicking. "Now," Shane started, "all Jeremy feels when he sees a vampire is a deeply ingrained desire to kill them, even if consciously he doesn't want to." He turned to Elena, who'd seated herself into another chair a little distance away. "In your case, it's a subconscious desire."
"Persuasion helps reverse your subconscious thoughts," Bonnie explained a little more.
"Think of it as more of a conditioned response; see vampire, kill vampire. What I'm creating is a kind of middle detour, where his subconscious learns to recognize you as someone he loves . . . someone he wants to protect." He paused and looked at Jeremy's still form and closed eyes. "And that gives him a choice. He can choose to take the detour instead of the conditioned response." Shane turned to Jeremy and murmured quiet words under his breath that Bonnie couldn't hear, but the vampires in the room could. He turned back to Elena. "Now, talk to him."
"I'm not really sure what to say," Elena admitted.
"You chose to do this here at your family's vacation house, so start by telling him why," Shane suggested.
"Okay." Elena bit her lip. "Stephanie suggested it, actually, so that we could get away from Mystic Falls and Klaus and all the drama there. I think she thought it would be peaceful for you. I agreed because every holiday, we came here; this place was family. And when Mom and Dad died, Jenna made us come here and we thought it was an awful idea . . . but it was like they were here with us." She smiled in remembrance and Jeremy's eyes slid open. "They would have wanted us to stick together, Jere, to fight for each other, no matter what."
Shane quietly asked Jeremy, "How do you feel about Elena right now?"
Jeremy's eyes were riveted intently on his sister. "She ruined our lives. She's not even my real sister; she's just the reason that every single person I've loved has died or been lost. She means nothing to me. I will kill her, even if that means I die myself." Shane reached out and knocked on the table, ending the hypnotism and Jeremy seemed to come awake. He blinked rapidly and asked, "Did it work?"
"If you count giving your sister death threats, it completely worked," Kol drawled.
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"Thank God you're here! I'm having a crisis!" Caroline said plaintively as she grabbed Stephanie into a tight hug. She pulled back and held Steph at arm's length. "You're late!" She admonished.
"I'm sorry," Steph shrugged sheepishly. "What's the matter?"
Caroline glowered. "My boyfriend is a martyr."
Stephanie arched one brow in surprise. "Tyler Lockwood, a martyr? I feel like I'm missing a lot."
"He and his crew are planning on taking out Klaus, tonight," Caroline shared quietly, her eyes sweeping the charity event as if he was lingering nearby – which was always a possibility.
Stephanie felt a pit in her stomach that surprised her. "Why?"
Caroline squinted at her. "Because he's evil and vile and used his sire bond on them?"
"Well, the sire bond is kind of unintentional," Stephanie found herself excusing, "and I've seen what he uses his hybrids for; the one I saw yesterday was just a messenger bird."
"Yeah, well, what about the one he sent into the Grill to get blown up?" Caroline demanded quietly. She took Stephanie's hand and led her away so that Tyler wouldn't accidentally overhear them. She pulled Steph onto the shadowed cemented steps near one of the federal buildings. "That one wasn't just a messenger bird."
"But we asked him to do that," Stephanie said. "We needed someone to help get out the hostages and we needed someone nearly indestructible. We all agreed about the hybrid then."
Caroline shoved her hand through her blonde hair. "What's the matter with you?" She demanded. "Klaus kept you prisoner for like, a really long time. And now you're defending him?"
Stephanie crossed her arms protectively. "I'm not saying I like the guy, Care, I'm just saying the hybrid thing is getting out of control, and he's not going to make anymore, he promised. He's going to leave the Cure alone and let Elena live out her vampire life."
"What about the things he's done in the past? The things he did to you?" Caroline asked sharply.
"I had feelings for him at one point too," Stephanie told her friend. "And I've done terrible things as well, and you've all forgiven me for it."
"Because you had your switch turned off," Caroline defended.
"But that doesn't make what I did any better," Stephanie said flatly. "I still killed and tortured and hunted for the fun of it. We've all killed people, Caroline, all except Elena. What makes us so different from Klaus? I can name dozens of things we've all done. What makes us any better than Klaus? The only I can think of is the fact that we have friends and family we can trust. Despite the fact that Klaus has his siblings, he barely trusts them at all."
"Do you still have feelings for Klaus?" She whispered.
Steph pressed her lips into a thin, straight line. "I just don't think this is the answer. And whenever we try to put Klaus down, he always escapes or we need him for something to help. I think we need to call the plan off."
"Well, that's not going to happen," Tyler called down to them and the girls' heads shot up to stare. The angry hybrid began to stalk toward them. "You told her?" Tyler asked Caroline harshly. "I've had my twelve hybrids sworn to secrecy for a month. I have Hayley and a witch risking their lives and you're blabbing my plan to her?" He waved a hand at Steph in disgust.
"She's one of my best friends, Tyler," Caroline defended. "I trust her."
"Every day that goes by that we don't do this, they're at risk," Tyler said shortly, in reference to the other hybrids. "You and Klaus already served up two for the Hunters to kill – Connor and Jeremy. I don't owe you anything. I'm taking him out." He turned and started to walk away, but Stephanie blurred in front of him, putting her small hands onto his chest.
"I'm sorry, but I can't let you do that."
"Steph . . ." Caroline called slowly.
"I'm sorry, but I can't!" Stephanie snapped.
"Stephanie!" Caroline called louder, her large eyes rounded and staring at something just over her friend's shoulder. Steph turned her head to look behind her and felt her heart stutter in her chest; Tyler's hybrid pack was standing there in force and looking for blood. She looked and saw more behind Caroline, blocking them in.
"Sorry, but you don't have a choice," Tyler told her firmly, shaking his head. He nodded toward the girls and they were very quickly picked up and taken. Tyler led the way to his family's crypt and picked up the chains he used to use for his transformations.
"Tyler," Caroline said.
He ignored her. "Keep them here until Klaus gets here." He turned to Kim. "Use these if you have to."
"Come on," Stephanie tried to placate, "Is this really necessary?"
"I know this is about the Cure," Tyler snapped. "But do you want to know what happens when a hybrid is cured? They go back to being werewolves and forced to turn every full moon. None of us give a rat's ass about the damn Cure." He glared at Caroline. "I needed you to be on my side, Care." Then he and a few of his hybrids stomped off, leaving the two vampires behind, guarded by the rest.
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"We're going to try again soon," Elena commented to Damon as he approached her and Shane on the in the kitchen. Bonnie and Kol were in the living room with Jeremy.
"Well, then if this hypnosis thing works, then we'll be singing Kumbaya around the fire by dinnertime." Damon smirked and turned his attention onto Shane. "So tell me why I'm not killing you."
"Damon," Elena warned.
"I'm serious," Damon said shortly, "Why are you after the vampire Cure?"
"I'm not after the Cure, and I have no idea why you'd think that," Shane replied.
"Why else would you be so interested in Hunters and their marks?" Damon asked him.
"I can tell you where to find it though," Shane explained. There was whoosh of air and then Kol was there in front of Shane.
"What did you say?" He inquired.
"You're a vampire?" Shane asked, startled. "I'd thought originally, but then I saw you do magic . . . how?"
"That's not important right now," Kol said firmly. "Klaus can show us to the Cure already."
"The sword can lead you there, sure," Shane gave up all pretenses then, "but so can I." Bonnie joined them then.
"What? How?" She asked. Jeremy was still in the other room.
"I've been there," Shane said slowly.
"Alright, Shane," Kol drawled, "it's time for you to tell us a few things that you've neglected to mention. After you." He indicated that Shane head to the living room, and he followed close behind as he did so. They all crowded around, including Jeremy, who'd heard the conversation with his Hunter hearing. "Now, to make sure you're telling us the truth, I'm going to perform a tiny spell."
"There are truth spells?" Damon twisted up his face.
"Mum used to place them on us when we were children," Kol said idly as he tied Shane up with the ropes they'd previously used on Jeremy, "whenever she suspected we weren't telling her the truth. Klaus and I were devious little runts, believe it or not."
"I couldn't possibly," Damon deadpanned.
"Tying me up isn't necessary," Shane said and he was clearly perspiring in anxiety. "Really. Bonnie, tell them."
"I'd actually like to know a few things myself," Bonnie said flatly.
"Bonnie," Shane warned, "you need me to help with Expression."
"As far as I can tell, you haven't really helped me at all," She told him. "Now, Kol, the spell."
"This won't hurt a bit," Kol promised, "unfortunately." He started to murmur the incantation underneath his breath and the air in the room suddenly became stale and dry. "Now, everyone in the room has to speak the truth when they talk."
"That's kind of cool," Damon said, "but really unsettling at the same time." He grimaced.
"It also compels you to speak," Kol said with a lofty smirk. He turned to Shane. "Now. Tell us how you're connected to the late Pastor Young and about your little rock from the school occult exhibit."
Shane's mouth opened without his consent and words spilled from his mouth, "I'll start with the rock. It's Silas' headstone. I'm sure you know the story; once upon a time there was a witch called Silas who fell in love with a girl and wanted to be with her forever. So he and his best friend, another witch, made immortality spell. His best friend got jealous and killed Silas' girl before he had a chance to make her immortal. Well, cursed with eternal life without his one true love, Silas finds a way to reverse the spell, but before he had a chance to take his Cure, his former best friend buries him under ground, leaving him and the Cure underground to rot. Pastor Young and I were conspiring to perform the first sacrifice to start a witch off on Expression."
"Why?" Elena asked, horrified.
"We have to complete the Expression triangle," Shane said and he was clearly pained by his admittance.
"What does the triangle consist of?" Bonnie asked sharply.
"Twelve humans, twelve demons, and twelve witches," Shane blurted. "Pastor Young obviously got the humans and I've been working with Hayley Marshall to get twelve hybrids unsired so that we could get Klaus to kill them."
"What about the witches?" Kol asked coldly.
"I was going to try and get Bonnie to lure them to Mystic Falls later," Shane admitted, "on the pretense that they could help with Expression. Then she'd kill them and the triangle would be complete."
"What's the point of the Expression Triangle?" Damon demanded.
"Why did you murder all of those people?" Bonnie raised her hands threateningly. "What's so important?"
"I was going to use you all to find the Cure and then use it to resurrect Silas. The power of the Expression Triangle could be used to bring down the veil to the Other Side and all of the people who'd been killed in the process would be brought back to life. He promised me when I visited the first time. He's going to bring back my wife and son from the dead. Pastor Young agreed so that he could get his wife back." Shane's eyes were fever bright and he licked his lips. His breathing was erratic.
"The Other Side?" Damon asked doubtfully.
"Wouldn't bringing down the veil release all the other dead people on the Other Side?" Bonnie asked.
"Hell on earth," Kol reminded everyone, but his eyes were locked on Shane. "Bonnie's right. All the supernatural creatures on the other side would overrun the world again, causing chaos, hell and brimstone and the like. We can't let him succeed."
"You could see your Grams," Shane said to Bonnie, and then he turned to Kol. "You could see your parents again. And friends you've lost over the years. Any dead supernatural." Elena and Damon exchanged glances and Jeremy licked his lips.
"No," Bonnie growled. "It wouldn't be worth it. It would endanger all of humanity!" The weather outside was darkening and thunder clouds rumbled. Bonnie seemed to be vibrating with energy and magic. Her eyes flashed black. "I won't let you kill any more people!" She roared and black veins crawled down her face.
Lightning struck somewhere and a tree fell. They could hear the water in the lake crashing up onto the ground, flooding the grass and the area where the cars were parked. Shane began to choke and the veins in his eyes turned red. Blood dribbled down his nose and out of his mouth and his body began to spasm.
"Bonnie, no!" Elena shrieked. "Don't kill him!"
Kol moved to shake Bonnie out of her trance, but she lifted a hand and blasted him away and out the front window, shattering the glass. Damon picked up and Elena and snatched Jeremy and shoved them out the door, not eager to see what Bonnie could do to someone who wasn't an invincible Original vampire.
"Damon, we can't let her kill him!" Elena screamed, but her voice could barely be heard over the loud wind. "She'll never forgive herself!"
"Well, I'm open to ideas!" Damon shouted back. Kol roused from the ground and made his way back towards the house, but abruptly the wind stopped and the storm paused. The sudden silence was alarming.
"Bonnie!" Elena yelled and she broke Damon's hold on her and raced to the house. She found Bonnie standing, wild eyed and empowered above Shane's unmoving body.
"He's dead." Her own voice was as lifeless as the corpse in front of her. "He can't hurt anyone else." And she collapsed.
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"This is ridiculous," Caroline growled as she paced angrily in the crypt beneath the Lockwood property. She eyed their hybrid guards. "We are not hostages!"
"Sure you are, sweetie," Kim said sickeningly sweet and Caroline ghosted to her side threatening. A phone suddenly rang and they all turned their heads to Stephanie.
"Relax," She soothed, "it's my brother." She turned away from the crowd. "Hey. What's up?"
"We have a problem at casa de Gilbert's Lake House," Damon said tensely.
"What do say? Caroline and I are in a bit of trouble ourselves," Stephanie said wryly and glanced at their guards. "What's your issue?"
"Shane has been conspiring to release Silas and break down the veil to the Other Side, releasing every dead supernatural ever. The Expression was a tool, and he was using Bonnie and he's using Hayley too." The hybrids looked up at that, their eyes curious.
Stephanie asked sharply, "What the hell?"
"Yeah. It's a long story, I suggest you get the eBook," Damon drawled. "But it gets better, I swear. Bonnie was overtaken by Expression, kicked us all out of the house and then killed Shane."
"Oh my God," Stephanie breathed and Caroline's hand flew to her mouth in shock. "Is she okay?"
"Yeah, not really," Damon admitted and Steph could just imagine him rubbing the back of his neck.
"What about Jeremy?" She had to know.
"Elena and I are going to have to stay here with him and try to figure out this Hunter thing. I think Bonnie and Kol are going to be returning to Mystic Falls soon-ish," Damon explained.
"Tell me more about the hybrid thing, because that's kind of related to my problems," Stephanie told him.
"Well, apparently to drop the veil, three separate sacrifices have to happen: humans, demons and witches. Guess which one the hybrids are? Demons? Ding, ding, ding! And Hayley was the one plotting with him to get them all killed some kind of revolution against Klaus or something; I mean, there's no way they would win a fight like that. But the point is, they're all in trouble, so I suggest getting the hell out of dodge if I were them."
Stephanie locked eyes with a shocked Kim and nodded her head. "Thanks, brother."
"No problem. Anything I can do to help with your furry little problem?"
"I think you just did." Stephanie ended the call and addressed Kim, "So, what do you say you let us out now?"
"How do we know your brother isn't lying to save your asses?" Kim barked.
"He doesn't know we're being held hostage by you."
Kim folded her arms and looked around the crypt and at her pack's faces. One of them spoke up, "Revenge isn't worth dying for, Kim. Hayley probably doesn't know that Shane guy is dead, so she'll probably talk Tyler and having us go through the plan and ensuring that we die. I think we should get out of here, like that vampire suggested."
"We can explain to Tyler what's happened," Kim said.
"You think he's going to believe us over his pretty little werewolf?" The other hybrid asked. "Really, Kim? He's driven by revenge. I value my life more than that. So I'm out."
The other remaining hybrids began to grumble underneath their breaths and looked to Kim uncertainly. Finally the female hybrid grunted. "Fine. We'll collect the others and run. You," She nodded towards Stephanie and Caroline, "tell Tyler about Hayley. If he wants to join us, that's fine, but we're not going to our deaths because he always listens to that wolf. We want to live." And amazingly, Kim took the alpha role and led the hybrids out, already dialing the others.
"I can't believe that just happened," Caroline breathed to Stephanie, eyes wide. "We're never this lucky."
"It was about time," Stephanie said and grasped Caroline's shoulder tightly. "Now let's go find Tyler and tell him Hayley is backstabbing bitch." Caroline and Steph grinned at each other and flashed above ground. Locating Tyler and Hayley was easy; wrestling them into the women's bathroom to talk was not. When they finally got them there, both were incensed.
"How did you two even get out?" Tyler snarled.
"We got out because even your hybrids recognized the stupidity of your alpha stupid plan!" Caroline spat.
"I'm not going to fight with you anymore, Caroline," Tyler told her.
"We don't have to fight," Stephanie said lightly, "because you're going to listen. Damon, Elena and Bonnie were with Shane earlier today trying to help Jeremy out with his Hunter's mark. They found out some interesting information, like the fact that Hayley has been working with Shane for a while to kill your hybrids."
"What?" Tyler was incredulous. "That's ridiculous!"
"It is," Hayley snarled and crossed her arms. "I would never! I'm trying to help them!"
"Shane was using you to finish the Expression Triangle so he could bring down the veil to the Other Side," Caroline continued for Stephanie.
"Do you realize what you sound like right now? Crazy!" Tyler was furious. "Come on, Hayley."
"Your hybrids already know about Hayley's plan," Stephanie said. "They're gone. They don't want to pieces in a game bigger than them that will cost them their lives."
"What?" Tyler roared and he lunged across the restroom to tackle Stephanie.
"Tyler, no!" Caroline screeched and tore her boyfriend off of her friend. Tyler's fangs were dropped and his eyes black. Hayley watched the fight unfolding in front of her and could only think of her missed opportunity. Shane was dead? She'd lost her only way of finding her family.
"Get off of me, Care!" Tyler growled, voice distorted by the fangs in his mouth.
"Get off of Steph." Caroline lunged forwards and again and tried to drag him off, but Tyler snapped his head around and bit her. The blonde paled, and Tyler froze in horror. Steph took the moment given to her and snatched Caroline away and flashed out of the restroom.
"Oh God, I'm going to die," Caroline wailed as she shuddered in Steph's arms. "I'm going to die. Oh God, what will I tell my mom?"
"You're not going to die." Stephanie lightly hit her friend on the shoulder. "Let me look at it." Caroline extended her arm and Steph examined the bite; it was nasty and placed right on her wrist.
"It doesn't look good," Caroline whimpered.
"No, but I know Klaus will help you," Steph promised. "Come on."
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"Well, you should get home," Damon told Kol and Bonnie. "It sounds like there's trouble afoot in Mystic Falls."
"What happened now?" Kol asked acerbically, his usual good humor gone.
"Something with the hybrids," Damon said and waved his hand. "I don't know. But since we," He indicated himself, Elena and Jeremy, "can't be there, I think you two should go. Bonnie's not going to be able to help much right now anyway." Both vampires looked over to the witch, who was being comforted by the Gilbert siblings. Apparently a girl in distress was what Jeremy needed to focus on something other than murdering his sister for the time being. "She's not going to be up to helping much again today."
"Fine." Kol hopped up off the porch and left Damon standing there alone.
"Check on my sister, would you?" Damon requested and Kol gave him the bird.
"Not a bloody nanny!" He hollered back and went to gently collect Bonnie from the Gilberts. "Come on, darling," Kol said softly, "we'll get you home." Bonnie was in some kind of daze, and had been since she'd woken up from her fainting spell with blood dripping from her nose. Damon had taken care of the body.
Kol helped Bonnie to her feet and led her to her car, settling her into the passenger seat. He waved at Damon a little cheekily, and then tore off into the night.
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Caroline wasn't so bad off yet, but she would be quicker to deteriorate than if she had been bitten by a regular werewolf, considering Tyler was a hybrid. Steph and Care walked side by side as they searched out Klaus, eventually finding him close to his painting's display. Unfortunately, they also saw Hayley walking away from him at the same time.
Klaus spotted the girls. "She doesn't like me very much," He remarked, nodding towards Hayley. He inclined his head toward Stephanie and Caroline and his nostrils flared. "Is there a problem, love?"
"Caroline's been bitten," Stephanie whispered. Caroline wavered on her feet, and Steph and Klaus simultaneously reached out to steady her. "It was a hybrid."
"Tyler," Caroline groaned. "It was Tyler."
"Well, that's interesting," Klaus said, but it was clear that he was a little confused. "Any reason as to why?" They were both still holding on to Caroline.
"He got pissed that we ruined his plan to kill you," Stephanie replied dryly. "And by the way, Hayley is probably angry because we ruined her plan to get the hybrids killed for Shane."
Klaus arched his eyebrows. "Oh?"
"It's been a long night." Stephanie shook her head. "Would you . . . ?" She looked at Caroline.
"Sure, love," Klaus said quietly. "But let's move into the shadows, yes? Wouldn't want to be seen." Together, Steph and Klaus led a staggering Caroline into the darkness and cover the trees provided. There, Klaus bit into his wrist and gave a few drops to the blonde vampire. She drank it hesitantly, but instantly perked up when it began to heal her. He had to disentangle her from feeding after she was through. "That should do it."
"Thank you," Stephanie said honestly, green eyes locking on blue.
Caroline wiped her mouth while looking at the ground. Finally, she said, "Thanks for the save. I still don't like you, but . . . I guess you're not a complete ass." She turned to Stephanie. "I'm going to go home, okay? I just want to go to bed. I can't deal with Tyler anymore tonight. Do you think he'll try anything else?"
"Well, I think I'll take care of Tyler myself," Klaus said pleasantly.
"Don't kill him!" Caroline said hurriedly. "Please, I'm begging you."
"Please," Stephanie added.
"And where are the other hybrids?"
"They bailed as soon as they realized they were going to be sacrificed," Caroline explained. "So please don't kill them either."
Klaus only hummed. "See you ladies later." And then he disappeared.
"He won't kill Tyler, will he?" Caroline asked anxiously.
Stephanie trailed off. "I don't think he will." But she wasn't sure that he wouldn't kill someone else to get a point across.
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Klaus sought out Carol Lockwood and found her in front of the fountain. "Well, if it isn't Mrs. Lockwood? You looking for Tyler? I would like a little word with him, myself." He kept in mind Stephanie and Caroline's pleadings, but he needed to prove a point. If Steph had tried to prevent his death earlier that day, surely she wouldn't change her mind over this.
"Please don't hurt him. He's my son; he's all I have." So Carol knew about the plan, then. Her brown eyes were large and looked luminous in the night.
"And you're all he has; there's a beautiful symmetry to that, don't you think?" Klaus took Carol by the neck and plunged her face into the fountain and held her down, despite her struggles, and kept her there until she was dead. "I want Tyler to be the one to find you," He told the corpse.
"Looks like your wish was granted," Tyler growled from behind Klaus. The elder hybrid turned and grinned.
"Thanks for joining me, mate. There was something I wanted to talk about."
"You just killed my mom," Tyler said and tears were in his eyes. "She didn't have anything to do with this."
"Well, she was all you had, and you were all she had, like she said," Klaus explained as he stood. "I wanted to make a point. Nobody crosses me and lives without at least a few consequences. Luckily for you, Caroline Forbes begged for your life and she's a dear friend of my beloved. So I'm going to give you a get-out-of-jail-free card."
"You bastard," Tyler choked. "Did you at least save Care?"
"I did, in fact." Klaus nodded. "But that doesn't mean you'll see her again, unless she decides to go into exile with you."
"What?" Tyler whispered.
"I'm going to chase you to the ends of the earth," Klaus whispered, "like I did with Katerina Petrova. She ran for five hundred years and is still afraid to show her face. I think that sounds like an appropriate punishment. Take your girl with you if you want, she won't be harmed."
Tyler glowered. "No."
"Then I'll you too," Klaus said simply. "So I'd say you'd better start running."
Tyler glanced at his mother's body and then at Klaus again. He growled and took off, passing Hayley who was waiting in the woods for him just away from the charity ball.
"What happened?" She demanded.
"He killed my mom," Tyler cried. "He drowned her."
"Ty, I'm so sorry," Hayley rubbed his arm. "We'll get him back, okay? We will."
"He banished me from Mystic Falls," Tyler spat through her tears. "I have to leave, now, after I say goodbye to Caroline."
"I'll come with you," Hayley said eagerly. "We'll find more werewolves and build up an army to take Klaus. We can do it."
Tyler licked his lips. "Hayley-"
"Come on, Ty," Hayley begged with an urgency in her eye. "You can't go back to living like a regular guy. You've had a taste of pack life – and you liked it. Admit it, Ty. We'll get a bunch of werewolves and maybe find some vampires that hate Klaus; it can't be that hard. And we'll revenge. I promise."
Tyler regarded her with tearful eyes and finally nodded. "Yeah, okay. I – I just have to say goodbye to Caroline. I can't get her involved in all of this."
Hayley reluctantly nodded. "I'll meet you at your house."
"Okay," Tyler agreed and then spontaneously hugged Hayley. "Thanks for sticking with me. I'm sorry about the accusations and how Care and Stephanie ruined our plan."
"We'll fix it," Hayley promised.
And Tyler disappeared to say goodbye.
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tbc.