AN: So, it's been a while. But, the update is over 3000 words, so yay! I had to re-write this chapter, and then sit on it for a while before posting. You'll understand the reason for that when you get to the end. Thank-you to everyone who reviewed, favorited, and followed. Please enjoy:
Nine. Guillotine
"You'll fall like a guillotine, and kneel before the queen." – Guillotine, Yadi
Katherine sat at a table in the shady trucker's diner that she had chosen for the meeting. When her phone had rung, showing Elijah's number, she had been surprised but elated. Katherine had been certain that giving him the cure, one of the few selfless things she had done in centuries, had also meant saying good-bye.
Then the caller turned out to be Caroline Forbes.
Of all the people to be calling her, Caroline was the last person Katherine would have expected. And that's why she now sat in an uncomfortable seat in a greasy little side joint five hours outside of Mystic Falls. Because Katherine didn't think much about Caroline these days, having written her off as a plan gone bad, but Katherine was sure Caroline thought about her. And not in a good way.
"Your paranoia is showing, Katherine. Klaus isn't after you right now, so I don't get the need for meeting in a glorified rat den."
Caroline slid into the seat across from Katherine, and the two vampires eyed each other coolly. Caroline was inherently different, Katherine noted. Not her appearance, of course, but the very nature of her movements and the air around her. She was…
Cold.
"Little Miss Sunshine turned it off. Now there must be a story behind that."
"It comes and goes," Caroline replied. "I suggest we put the stories aside while it's here. Otherwise, I'll likely rip your head off your neck and give all these nice truckers a show they'll never forget."
"You'll try. And fail. Just like everyone else," Katherine responded, feigning a yawn.
"I'll try and succeed. I've been the target of a two thousand year old immortal warlock who enjoys utilizing mental torture. You don't scare me anymore, Katerina, so let's cut the bull shit where we threaten each other and get down to business. I took this from Elijah." Caroline held up a very familiar vial. The cure.
"I gave that to Elijah so he could do with it as he pleased. Not so you could steal it," Katherine snapped.
"You killed Jeremy to get it. You have no moral high ground to stand on, so don't try for one. I have it now, and I want to shove it down Silas' throat. No one else will help me because they all think Klaus will kill them if they do, so that only leaves me with you. Now, since he already pretty much wants you dead, I suppose you won't really care about the death warrant that comes with assisting me as long as you get to piss off Klaus. Am I right?"
"Only if it means Klaus winds up dead afterwards." Katherine pretended to be engrossed in her nails. "Why would he care about what happens to you anyways?"
"Why do you think?"
Katherine scoffed at the blonde's words.
"If you're trying to tell me that Klaus cares about you, then you're delusional. Klaus cares about himself and revenge; nothing else."
"Says the woman who hasn't spoken more than five words to him in five hundred years," Caroline replied, looking at the laminated menu in front of her with blank eyes. "Just because he's the only male this side of the Atlantic who doesn't get all hot and bothered over dopplegangers doesn't mean he's incapable of caring for someone else."
"Harsh words from the best friend of one of those dopplegangers," Katherine said idly, looking at Caroline from below lowered eyelashes. The brunette wouldn't pretend she knew Caroline in any way, but she did remember how easily the blonde had been to manipulate. This Caroline was a far cry from the scared little newborn who had wanted so desperately to protect Matthew Donovan.
"Elena and I are currently having a difference of opinion," Caroline responded coolly. "I think she's pretty much useless, she disagrees. Typical girl problems."
"That's cute, but off topic. What's to stop me from snapping your neck and taking both you and the cure back to Klaus as a peace offering for my freedom?" Katherine demanded, forward in the uncomfortable seat.
"Silas is the oldest immortal in the world. He's also the only true immortal. All you need to do is lend me a hand, and you'll come out the other side utterly indestructible. Even against Klaus."
Katherine raised her eyebrows and tapped her perfectly trimmed nails on the table top.
"I'm listening."
STILL-DOLL
Caroline has always understood people. No one ever gave her credit for the ability, but it was one of the reasons she was so successful in all her community endeavours. Caroline knew what people wanted to hear, what they wanted to see, what they wanted her to be, and she made sure that she gave them all those things.
Katherine Pierce was no different. In fact, her wants were simpler than most.
Katherine simply wanted safety. All Caroline had to do was offer her that safety, and the elder doppleganger would do whatever Caroline said.
Caroline wanted to roll her eyes at the predictability of it, but that wasn't what Katherine wanted to see from her. Katherine wanted desperation and fear, or at least a hint of it in Caroline's emotionless expression. Katherine wanted a sign that she was in control of the situation. Caroline had no problem with giving her that sign.
Let Katherine believe she was in control. It didn't matter to Caroline.
"You have connections. Five hundred years of them," Caroline said, tapping her fingers on the tabletop. "Those connections were good enough to keep you hidden from Klaus. I need you to use them to get me information about Silas."
"There is no information about Silas," Katherine responded abruptly. "Just rumors and myth. If that's all you called me for, you're wasting both our time. Go back to Klaus and hide behind him."
Caroline fought back a flinch at Katherine's barb, because it hit so very close to home. It was tempting, to retreat back to Mystic Falls and let Klaus and Elijah take care of Silas. But Silas destroyed something inside of Caroline, and she knew deep in her bones that if she stood any chance of salvaging anything of the Caroline who existed before, then she has to be the one to do this, the one to bring Silas to his knees. It's the only way she'll be able to look in the mirror in the morning, even knowing she killed Matt. Because that guilt will never go away, but at least she'll be sure that no one else will fall victim to Silas' cruel form of torture. It's the only way she'll ever be able to reclaim some of that light Klaus claimed to so enjoy in her.
But all of that is something Katherine will never understand, because Katherine has killed everything human in herself in the past five centuries, so she would never lose sleep over the murder of one simple human boy.
"You had one of the Five in the palm of your hand. Stefan told me about Galen Vaughn. Where is he now?" Caroline responded, fighting down the anger and grief she can feel in the back of her mind. She is dealing with a master of manipulation; now is not the time for her switch to malfunction again.
"I don't know. I left him in the hands of Rebekah and Damon on that island. They probably killed him," Katherine replied, leaning back and crossing her arms. "Why do you want one of the Five? You're not me, Caroline. You wouldn't be able to charm him into helping one of the evil undead."
"The purpose of the Five is to kill Silas, Katerina," Caroline sneered. "If anyone knows more than rumor and myth, it's that man. Rebekah and Damon left him on the island. Let's hope to God that he's not dead by the time we get there."
Caroline grabs her purse and slides out of the booth, heading for the door. Katherine is hot on her heels.
"What do you mean we?" Katherine demanded. "I made it clear; your plan is as pathetic as you are. I'm not going to have anything to do with it."
"You know, you and Elena are irritatingly alike. I'm really sick of being called pathetic by the girls who only feel an iota of self-worth if they're coming between brothers."
Katherine opens her mouth to reply, but Caroline reacts much as she had with Elena. Before the older Petrova can speak, Caroline has put a wooden bullet between her eyes. The shock of the pain distracts Katherine, allowing Caroline to move behind her and snap the brunette's neck. Katherine tumbled to the ground and Caroline re-engages the safety on her gun and puts it back in her purse. The whole process takes less than a minute, and Caroline is left in the diner with a collapsed Katherine and four gawking humans. Caroline met the eye of the waitress behind the counter for a second before the waitress leapt for the phone. Caroline is there to grab her hand in a painful grip before she ever reaches the wall unit. The waitress looks at Caroline with fear in her eyes and Caroline gives her a small smile. She can see her reflection in the waitress' glasses. The smile was chilling, Caroline's eyes were dead. The sight made the smile melt away as Caroline addressed the waitress.
"You don't really want to do that. Why don't we sit down and have a chat. All of us."
STILL-DOLL
"What do you mean Blondie is missing?" Damon asked when the Originals showed up at the boarding house to hand over a still-fuming Elena.
"They mean she's lost it. She shot me and ran off with the cure and a cellphone Elijah has to get in touch with Katherine," Elena responded with a pout, but Stefan noticed that she didn't exactly push Damon away as he inspected her for injury. In fact, she seemed to enjoy the attention. Not for the first time since Elena turned off her switch, Stefan wondered how much of what he was seeing was the real Elena Gilbert. The thought hurt; he had loved her so much once, and his cynical thoughts towards her now just showed how far they had fallen.
"Why Katherine?" Stefan asked, determined to focus on saving the blonde who had shown him such loyalty in the past months. Caroline didn't deserve this; no one did, but Caroline even less than most.
"Who else would help her?" Klaus replied. "Who else would risk my wrath? The next time I see Katerina Petrova, I am going to rip her head off."
"You will do no such thing," Elijah growled. "As to the why, who can really know? Caroline is determined that Silas die by her hand, and by all reports the girl is unstable at best. Whatever madness drove her to seek out Katerina is very likely to get her killed."
Klaus muttered a curse and turned from the group, running a hand through his hair. Stefan imagined the situation was killing him. Until Silas, Klaus had been the most dangerous being on the earth. Now, he was left as helpless as the rest of them, fearing Silas' next move while Caroline ran across the country recklessly. Caroline was his best friend, but Stefan wouldn't pretend to know her well enough to guess where she was going. With Elena in her current state, Matt dead, and Bonnie missing, there was no one who could make that claim. No one but…
"We need Tyler," Stefan stated, putting as much conviction into his words as he could. He needed Klaus to get on board with his idea.
"Excuse me?" Klaus asked, his voice dangerously soft. "I thought I heard you say we needed Tyler, but I'm positive I must be mistaken. Because everyone knows the Lockwood boy is persona non grata in my books, and that means they wouldn't dare bring his name up to me. Especially not. Right. Now."
"He knows her, Klaus," Stefan argued. "Better than anyone, probably. You may hate him, but Caroline loves him, and he loves her. If anyone knows Caroline, knows the way she thinks, it would be Tyler Lockwood."
"Out of the question," Klaus replied. "Besides, we have the lovely Elena. Surely Caroline's best friend knows her better than a boy who would have merely held her back."
"Jealous much?" Elena asked with an eye roll. "Well, get over it. If you love Caroline as much as everyone seems to think, you'll listen to Stefan. Honestly, I've never understood how that girl thinks, but Tyler seemed able to tolerate her, so he must have seen something I didn't."
In a flash, Elena is pinned to the wall by Klaus' hand around her throat.
"I am getting sick of your apathy, Doppleganger. If you have nothing of value to contribute to the conversation, then stop contributing. I'll even help."
Klaus snapped Elena's neck and dropped her dead weight to the ground.
"Now, as I was saying, Tyler Lockwood is out of the question. Get a better plan, Stefan."
The other four inhabitants of the room exchanged uneasy glances. Elijah and Rebekah seemed to be having some sort of silent debate, and Elijah finally broke their eye contact with a heavy sigh. He took a step towards Klaus, his hand outstretched, as if to calm a particularly difficult horse.
"Now, Niklaus, I know this scenario seems less than ideal, but as you are determined to find Miss Forbes, and the only ones who know the girl particularly well seem to think this is the solution, perhaps you should consider it."
Klaus snarled soundlessly at his brother.
"Really, Niklaus, it seems to be the only way. Of course, we could just stand back and see where Caroline's plots take her. Perhaps she'll manage to put a bullet or two into Silas before he decides to end her… or takes her hostage again. The last time, he destroyed her humanity. Who knows what a second round might do?"
For a moment, Stefan feared Klaus was going to let his anger and jealously rule him and refuse again, but after a moment, his shoulders dropped in resignation. He turned angry blue eyes to Stefan.
"You'll be the one to find him and bring him back, Ripper. As soon as this Silas debacle is over, he leaves again. If he successfully helps to return Caroline, I will not actively hunt him, but I will kill him should he ever cross my sight after this temporary truce is over. And make sure you make it very clear that should I so much as suspect treachery on his behalf, I will rip his heart out."
Klaus left Stefan to figure out how the hell to find Tyler, his siblings trailing behind him. As the door shut, Elena let out a groan and sat up.
"What the hell is wrong with people lately?" she demanded rubbing her neck. "Can no one accept the truth anymore?"
Stefan thought it best to leave before he snapped the brunette's neck himself. Damon would take care of Elena. Stefan had a werewolf to find.
STILL-DOLL
"We tried to break the bloodlines once," Bonnie said when Silas once again entered the caves. He had been gone all night, far longer than the three hours he had promised, and his expression was irritated and frustrated. Bonnie had seen Caroline irritated and frustrated before, and it looked nothing like the way Silas wore it. With Caroline, it was a sort of angry kitten expression; cute more than frightening. Silas, however, frightened Bonnie. His irritation seemed to lower the temperature of the catacomb by several degrees and there was a darkness in his eyes that Bonnie could never imagine Caroline having, even without her humanity.
"I am perfectly aware of that, Miss Bennett. Telepath, remember?"
"Then you know it failed. Horribly. It can't be done. If Klaus dies, then Caroline dies as well. And neither of us want that."
"You didn't have me before. I have the spell, I merely need you, a Bennett witch, to cast it. Imagine, Bonnie, a world without Klaus. No scary Hybrid lusting for Elena's blood and Caroline's body. You'd be free."
"Of Klaus. I don't think you're much of an improve-" Bonnie was cut off as an invisible fist tightened like a vice around her throat. She opened and closed her mouth, a vain attempt to get air, but received nothing but the hazing of the edges of her vision.
"You will perform the spells, Bonnie. Now. Or I will kill everyone you love, starting with your mother. A lovely woman. Such a shame about the vampirism."
"You were so patient before," Bonnie muttered, rubbing her neck when Silas removed his magical hold on her throat. "What the hell happened to make you so angry?"
Silas doesn't answer. He turns in a swirl of Caroline's blonde hair and slams his fist against the wall, causing dust and debris to fall around him, some of it clinging to the blonde locks of hair. His eyes, Caroline's eyes, darkened to black, delicate veins fanning out towards cheekbones. Looking at Silas, Bonnie was reminded of the night Caroline had turned, when she had killed a Carnie and Bonnie had turned her back on her best friend, an action that shamed the Bennett witch afterward, once she realized that vampire Caroline was the same as human Caroline, just more self-aware.
"Where would Caroline run to?" Silas demanded, once he had calmed down and evened out his fractured breathing. "Where would she feel most safe? You're her best friend, Bonnie. Prove it, and tell me where she is!"
"Caroline's gone?" Bonnie asked, and it felt as if a weight had lifted off her chest. For the first time since Silas had first taken Caroline, Bonnie felt as if she could breathe. Caroline was gone and Silas had no idea where. That meant that the blonde of free of Klaus, free of Silas, free of all of it. "Good. I hope she stays gone."
Silas is in front of Bonnie again, his fingers holding her jaw like a vice, digging in and sure to leave bruises. Bonnie didn't bother to fight against the grip; she knew she wasn't strong enough, but she didn't care. Because Caroline was gone, and that meant that Bonnie didn't have to stay. She didn't have to obey Silas, because as long as Caroline was gone, she didn't need Bonnie's protection.
"If you think she'll escape my grasp so easily, you're a fool Miss Bennett. But I shouldn't be surprised. The Bennett line has always been made of fools." Silas looks down at Bonnie, and his gaze turns almost sad as he moves his grip around to her neck. "Such a pity. You had such promise. But all of you Bennett witches… you always fall victim to love. You would think you would learn, eventually. As it is, you'll serve me better now if you aren't around. Perhaps your cousin will be more useful."
There was a loud crack, but Bonnie didn't hear it.
She was dead before the sound ever reached her ears.
AN: So, yeah… I killed Bonnie. She will continue to be a part of the story, because a big part of this is the bond between the Mystic Falls gang, particularly the three girls. But she's dead, and Silas is off to get Lucy who, as we all know, is a little darker than Bonnie.
I know a lot of you wanted more Klaroline, but it can't happen quite yet. Caroline needs to find herself again, and as much as I love Klaus, he's not what she needs at this exact moment. But Klaroline will come!
And before I get the hate for bringing Tyler into it… he is a big part of Caroline's life. They were friends before they dated, and that's what Caroline needs right now. She needs someone who knows who she is, because she can't remember. And Tyler is that person. There won't be a lot of Forwood loving, however. They're really more of a BrOTP to me than romantic, much like Steroline. So take some comfort form that.
Please leave me a few of your thoughts. I always love to hear them.