Fallen
Chapter Three
A.N. Thank you to everyone who left me reviews and messages, and favorite and followed. All of your kind words and encouragement over this story is the reason it's continuing. You guys are the shiznet. Basically. You guys are awesome.
Read and enjoy, and I shall catch you guys at the bottom!
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Everything around her was deafening.
The lights were brighter, the voices louder, the footsteps thundering. Everything was heightened, and she struggled to stabilize her frantic breathing as she weaved her way through the crowded terminal of the bus station.
It felt like every pair of eyes followed her every step. Every shoulder she brushed turned towards her, every muffled apology held a hidden meaning.
Her heart was thundering in her ears as she clenched the ticket in her hand, her eyes darting to every flashing destination sign. Her chest tightened with every exit she passed. Should she have chosen that one? Was that one even far enough? Was there even a distance far enough away she could run?
Was there a place she could go where she wouldn't be found?
Footsteps thundered behind her, and fear clenched her heart tightly as they hurried towards her. Her pace quickened, the thin piece of paper crinkling in her hand. She kept her head down, the stolen ball cap tilted low on her head. She started to run faster, colliding unapologetically with stranger after stranger, barely uttering a word, and the footsteps behind her followed suit, thundering against the tiled floor.
She ran, racing towards the exit just ahead of her. Her chest heaving from her panicked breaths, her palms sweaty and hands shaking, she dove for the door, her hands slapping against it as she heard the muttered curse behind her, and she shoved it open, fleeing out into the pouring rain.
And just as the door slammed shut behind her, she heard it: the deep, cracking yell of the voice that would forever chase her, screaming her name.
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Caroline awoke with a start, a gasp catching in her throat as her eyes searched her darkened surroundings frantically. The moonlight slicing through the blinds of her window cast distorted shadows across the ceiling, and her heart thundered in her ribcage as she focused on the ebb and wane of the shadows. Her ironclad grip on her bed sheets loosened, a sigh escaping her lips as she ran a hand down her tired face.
She wondered if she would always live with this-this fear. Crippling, mind numbing, incapacitating fear. It stole her breath and left her shaking, and above all it was exhausting.
The floorboards outside her bedroom door squeaked under the weight of someone's footsteps, and she froze. The footsteps were heavy, much heavier than Bonnie, who she'd noticed tended to walk on the balls of her feet in the middle of the night to keep from disturbing her. They weren't cautious or hesitant-they moved with a purpose. And they lingered outside her bedroom door for the briefest of moments before they moved on, further into the apartment, and Caroline felt the fear grasp her heart.
Her racing pulse thundered in her ears as she threw back the covers, sliding her legs over the side of the bed and onto the floor as quietly as she could. Her eyes stayed riveted on her closed bedroom door, her toes flexing against the floor beneath her feet. Her ears listened, catching the slight sounds of movement coming from down the hall.
Pushing herself up off the mattress, Caroline crouched down, reaching her hand under the frame of her bed and quietly sliding the aluminum bat she'd found stored in her closet when she was moving in. It had been tucked into a back corner, solitary and gathering dust. She had meant to ask Bonnie about it-because for some reason, the pretty medical student didn't strike her as the type of person who frequented batting cages or pitching mounds-but the thought had slipped her mind. She'd stashed it under her bed her first night here.
Better safe than sorry, she'd figured.
Fear was flooding her veins as she wrapped her hands around the handle, her fingers tracing the layers of tape that had been carefully wrapped around it. She crept to the door silently, her feet moving slowly and quietly, and reached for the doorknob, eyes closing as she took a deep breath, steeling herself, and slowly twisted the golden knob under her grasp.
The hallway was dark and silent, the only sound she could make out the soft whirring of the ceiling fan as it rotated above the living room. Casting a quick glance down the hallway and seeing the door to Bonnie's bedroom shut tightly, she made her way down the hall, the bat held tightly in her grasp as her steps carried her further down the narrow passage.
The sound of glass clinking against glass sounded from the kitchen, and she hesitated, eyes struggling to focus in the darkness of the apartment. She stayed close to the wall as she moved, her head cautiously peering around the corner.
The living room was empty, the jacket she wore earlier in the day still strewn haphazardly across the back of the sofa. Bonnie's textbooks and notepads were strewn across the coffee table, a mug of what she was sure at this point was ice cold coffee sitting next to them.
Her eyes scoured the room, noting the closed windows and the still latched front door, before they flicked towards the kitchen, and she could feel her breath start to come in panicked gasps as she saw the faint light from the refrigerator illuminating what was clearly the form of a man.
Caroline stood, frozen, her mind trying to work how quickly she could get to the door before the man in the kitchen spotted her. Did she run? Remembering that Bonnie could very well be sleeping a few short feet behind her had her hesitating. Could she just leave, leaving the friendly girl who'd taken her in without any hesitation to fend for herself against whoever was lurking in front of her?
Every instinct in her was telling her to run, to drop everything and escape while she still had the chance, but she pushed them back, breathing deep and making her way towards the dim light and the figure awashed in it. Every step caused her heart to thunder that much louder, her palms slick against the worn handle in her hands. She crept forward on the tips of her toes, silently, slowly, holding her breath so as not to make the man peering into the fridge aware of her.
He had his back to her, bent down, reaching for something in the back of the unit. She quickly took account of him-tall, broad shouldered, with arms that seemed to nearly bulge with muscle-muscle she knew from experience could cause more damage than one would think.
She stepped forward, the floorboard squeaking beneath her foot suddenly, and her eyes widened at the same time the man before her stood to his full height, his broad form beginning to turn to face her, and she reacted, bringing the bat around with all her might, teeth gritted and eyes clenched shut.
She let out a grunt of frustration when, instead of the satisfying crunch of metal meeting flesh she had hoped to hear, instead heard the cling of the aluminumn as the man easily caught it in his hand, the door to the fridge slamming shut with a crack as he braced himself against it, easily pulling the bat from her hands.
"Bloody hell, woman, are you mad?" a deep voice demanded angrily, and Caroline stumbled back, her arms reaching out for the light switch against the wall, eyes blinking when they sprang to life. Her blonde hair whipped around her face as she spun around to face her assailant, and her brow crinkled as a frown formed on her face when her eyes flashed in recognition.
She knew him.
Tousled dark hair, piercing brown eyes, and despite the fact that his mouth was turned down in a grimace, she easily recalled the cocky smirk that was on his young face the first time she'd seen him. Flirting with Cami at the bar a few nights ago.
She could see his eyes coming to the same conclusion as a door down the hall opened, and footsteps hurried down the hall. "Kol?" Bonnie's voice drifted to them as she rounded the corner, her hands quickly tying a knot in the belt of her yellow robe, brows furrowing when she saw the two of them standing there. "Caroline, are you okay? What's going on?"
Caroline faltered, her gaze whipping between her roommate and the man from the bar, finally letting her gaze take in his rumpled attire-black boxer shorts and an off white wifebeater, his feet bare and his dark hair a mess atop his head as if he'd just woken from a nap. "I, um..." She ran a hand through her hair, turning her gaze back to Bonnie. "I thought someone was breaking in."
"To look in the ice box?" Kol asked incredulously, twirling the bat in his hand before letting it hang at his side.
Caroline shrugged helplessly as Bonnie came further into the room, the long braid over her shoulder swaying as she pointed a finger at Kol. "Would you put that down? You're just scaring everyone."
Kol's mouth dropped open, his arms flying out to his sides as he pointed the bat in Caroline's direction. "Me? She's the one that came swinging at my head with it!" Bonnie only glared at him meaningfully, and he sighed in exasperation, turning and laying the bat across the kitchen table before turning back to them, crossing his arms over his chest.
"I'm really sorry," Caroline said, shaking her head. "I heard a noise, and I got freaked out and I just...overreacted." She covered her face with her hands, suddenly mortified at how her own paranoia had gotten the better of her, and sighed.
"No, Caroline, it's as much my fault as yours," Bonnie said. "Kol's my boyfriend, and he sometimes stays over. I was going to tell you last night, but by the time we got in, you were already in bed. And I'm pretty sure I told him," she sent Kol an irritated glare. "To not cause any unnecessary freakouts by wandering the halls."
Behind them, Kol snorted, grinning. "A man has certain cravings that even a being as lovely as you can't quench, darling." He shrugged when Bonnie rolled her eyes. "Pardon me for having an appetite for scrambled eggs." He turned to Caroline, smiling as he tipped his head in acknowledgement. "You know, love, if you'd wanted my attention, you didn't have to go to such drastic measures. You could have just asked for it the other night."
From the corner of her eyes, Caroline could see Bonnie frown, crossing her arms over her chest as she shifted her weight on her feet, and she started to shake her head, wanting to quell whatever doubt was in the young woman's mind, but Kol's sudden chuckle cut her off.
"Did I not mention Caroline and I had a little run in the other night? I didn't know at the time she was your new roommate, love, or I'd have stopped at the third tequila shot and skipped the back alley romp."
And just like that, the fear that had gripped Caroline moments before was back, but this time in a different capacity as she realized how damning Kol's falsified statement could be.
Bonnie didn't know her. They'd barely been living together a week, and now here they stood, with her obviously serious boyfriend making lewd jokes and stories, and what if Bonnie took it to heart? She'd be out on the street again, bouncing from alley to alley, nook to nook. What were her odds of finding an arrangement like this again? She wanted nothing more than to smack that cocky grin off Kol's face with her back of her hand-
But Bonnie's very unladylike snort had her fear dissipating.
Bonnie was shaking her head, laughing as she crossed the short distance to Kol's side. "Like you could make it to a third tequila shot," she said, reaching out quickly and flicking the side of Kol's head with her fingers, shoving him slightly when he ducked his head against her assault. "Don't tell me you were being a pompous ass again. I've told you it's not as attractive as you think it is."
Kol grinned, backing away from her. "Not what you were saying earlier, darling." He dodged her advance this time, holding up his hands in mock surrender. "I ran into Caroline down at La Guérison the other night. I believe she was inquiring about a job from Cami, and I'll have you know I was an utmost gentleman, wasn't I, Caroline?"
Caroline scoffed, crossing her arms over her chest. "If you discount the whole 'tasty little thing' comment, I guess."
The rakish man gasped, his eyes widening. "Well, we have another little Benedict Arnold here. You and Cami will hit it off just fine then." He looked back at Bonnie, smirking at her, offering a simple shrug. "You know me. I meet someone new, I have to welcome them to New Orleans properly."
Bonnie rolled her eyes, her head falling back in exasperation before turning to smile apologetically at Caroline. "I'm sorry. If he ever decides to 'welcome' you again, feel free to use the bat."
Caroline laughed, catching the scowl on Kol's face, and couldn't help the small smile that spread across her own.
"Anyway," Bonnie continued. "It's late. We should all get back to bed. And I'm sorry again, Caroline. I promise, I'll give you a heads up next time Kol's over." She smiled, turning to the man at her side and taking ahold of his arm, pulling him to follow her steps. "Goodnight, Caroline."
Caroline nodded, watching them head back down the hallway, her smile growing as she heard Kol grumble, "What about my eggs?"
"Kol, it's nearly three in the morning, you don't need eggs," Bonnie protested. He was still groaning when the door to her bedroom shut quietly, and Caroline couldn't help but giggle at their display, running a hand through her hair as she turned on her heel, switching the light off before turning to head back to her own room.
She hesitated for a moment, glancing back into the kitchen, and swiftly made her way over to the table, sliding the aluminum bat into her hand to return it to its place just under her bed.
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Caroline sighed as she pushed open the door to La Guérison the next afternoon, pulling her hair up into a loose ponytail at the top of her head before smoothing out the invisible wrinkles of her apron.
After her midnight run-in with Kol early that morning, she'd managed to somehow fall asleep within minutes of her head hitting her pillow, and she'd awoken hours later to the delicious smell of freshly brewed coffee.
She'd stumbled into the kitchen to see Bonnie setting a place for her at the table, and Kol sitting on the kitchen counter, a full plate of-surprise surprise!-scrambled eggs in his hand, his face smirking at her happily as he loaded a fork full and ungraciously shoved it in his mouth. Bonnie had barked at him about bad table manners before turning to wish her a good morning, and Caroline had been so amused with the sight she'd laughed harder than she had in longer than she could remember.
As she rounded the bar, she spotted Cami coming from the stockroom, her arms laden with crates of various bottles of alcohol, and she hurried over to her. "Do you want some help with that?"
Cami smiled at her, shaking her head as she slammed the crates down onto the counter, swiping at her blonde hair as it fell in her face. "Naw, I've got it. There's another crate or two I need to lug out here, but could you do a quick inventory? Start of the weekend, those booze hounds will be howling. The last thing we need is a riot on our hands because we ran out of Jack Daniels or Amaretto Sours."
Caroline chuckled and nodded, turning towards the shelves of multicolored bottles of liquor and drink mixes, when a brief movement from across the room caught her eye. She turned, frowning when she spotted the young boy sitting in the back corner booth, his knees propped up on the seat as he bent over the table. A box of crayons were scattered around him, one clenched in his hand as he concentrated on the paper in front of him, his brow furrowed as he slowly moved the crayon back and forth.
"Did we open a daycare that you forgot to mention?" she asked Cami when the blonde returned to the counter.
Cami glanced over at the boy in question, a fond smile appearing on her face. "That's Declan. He's the son of one of the regulars. His babysitter canceled last minute, and he needed someone to keep an eye on him until his dad can come pick him up." She shifted the numerous crates that now littered the bar top. "I've known the family for awhile, so anytime something like this comes up, I say to just bring him over. He's a good kid. Quiet, stays out of trouble. And he's always picked up before we really open, so I don't need to worry about all those judgmental gossipers going on about the bar that lets children frequent too."
Caroline nodded as Cami smiled at her before disappearing into the store room again, and she looked over her shoulder once more at the still coloring child before turning back to her project at hand. She spent the next several minutes getting lost in the array of labels-in the sea of scotches, wines, and brandies-checking and doublechecking that every number on her list matched up to what was on the shelf, when she heard the soft voice behind her break through her concentration.
"Hi."
She looked up, her eyes moving across the room until they landed on the young boy, and she smiled, pressing her clipboard to her chest. "Hi."
Declan still sat on his knees, his upper body nearly laying across the table as he perched himself up on his elbows, a bright blue crayon being shifted from hand to hand as his eyes fixed on her. "Who are you?" he asked, tilting his head as he regarded her carefully.
"I'm Caroline," she replied, turning around to face him fully as she motioned towards the stock room with her uncapped pen. "I work with Cami. She said you're Declan?"
He nodded. "Declan Oliver Mikaelson."
"Well, Declan, it's very nice to meet you," she smiled, watching as he nodded again before turning back down to look at her inventory sheet.
Only a few seconds passed before Declan's voice pierced the silence again. "How old are you?"
She raised her head with a smile, narrowing her eyes at him playfully and tsking under her breath. "Hasn't anyone ever told you it's rude to ask a girl her age?" she laughed.
"My Auntie Bekah tells me that sometimes," Declan replied. "She says I shouldn't ever ask Aunt Katherine that, because the throbbing vein in her forehead might explode, and that just causes a mess for everyone." His lips twitched up into a half smile when she laughed. "I'm five," he said, pushing himself further onto the table with his elbows. "I'll be six next year." And before she could even form a reply, his head was popping up, eyebrows raising on his small head. "Do you like sloths?"
Caroline could feel herself grinning wide as made her way around the bar, setting her clipboard and long forgotten inventory to the side and crossing her arms over her chest. She walked towards his table, pursing her lips as she shrugged. "Sloths? I guess so, yeah. I'm not real familiar with them, but I don't dislike them."
Declan sat up as she approached, his brown eyes wide and alit with what she assumed was excitement. "Did you know that sloths can rotate their heads almost 90 degrees?" he asked matter of factly, as if reciting from a National Geographic catologue. He was gazing up at her, a mess of blonde curls and childish ambition, his fingers curling and uncurling around the crayon in his hand. "And they have really sharp claws to protect themselves against other animals, but a lot of the time, they don't even need them, because since they're so slow and their fur acts like camouflage, they're hard to see."
Caroline nodded, slipping into the booth next to him, and he scooted across the vinyl on his knees to make more room for her. "I didn't know that," she said, her lips pulling up into a smile when his own greeted her. "Why does their fur act like camouflage?"
"Because they're so slow," Declan replied without missing a beat. "Algae and moss and stuff gets into their fur, because they move so slow, and it helps them blend into the trees better. That's where they live, mostly. In the trees. They don't move on the ground really well, because their claws are so long, and they're so slow, so it makes it easier for bigger animals to catch them." He looked up at her again, tilting his head. "You never told me how old you are."
Caroline giggled, settling back against the vinyl booth. "I'm 24," she answered. "How come you know so much about sloths?"
He shrugged, looking down at this half drawn picture that still rested under his elbows. "I just think they're cool. They always look happy, even though they're not really smiling. That's just the way their mouths look. But it's fun to look at pictures of them. I've never seen one up close, though. Have you?" he asked, peering up at her again.
She shook her head. "I haven't. But I do like that they look like they're smiling all the time. It makes me smile too."
Declan's own smile appeared again. "Me, too."
Caroline laughed again, shaking her head slightly as she tapped her fingers against the grained table top. She'd always liked children. She had babysat throughout her entire teenage years, and she would bet money that she often enjoyed her time with the children more than their parents enjoyed their time away from them. They always held such an innocence about them-never questioning or weighing the pros and cons of their actions. They often leapt into things without thinking, and she'd always been so envious of their spontaneity and ability to persevere through anything. They were carefree, without a worry in the world.
She was more envious of that trait now more than ever.
"I'm sorry, he's not bothering you, is he?"
Caroline jumped at the deep, accented voice, and she silently cursed herself for being caught so off guard that she hadn't heard the man she assumed was Declan's father come up behind her. She shifted, craning her neck to look around the back of the booth, and she could feel her heart nearly stall in her chest when her eyes met the very gaze that had riveted her so the first time she'd walked into the bar.
Declan's father was striking. Odd that that was the first word that popped into her mind as she turned to face him. He was tall, almost impossibly so from her lowered vantage point in the sinking cushions of the booth. He towered over her, a crisp white button up shirt stretched across his broad shoulders, the edges tucked neatly into the waistband of his black tailored trousers. His piercing blue eyes were gazing down at her, the blonde curls that were so unruly -something his son had obviously inherited from him-the first time she'd seen him now coifed and neatly slicked back. A hint of stubble framed his strong jaw, and his lips were upturned in a smile that nearly stole her breath.
"Hi, Daddy," Declan said next to her, breaking her from her trance and making her shake her thoughts free. She let out a breath, smiling up at the beguiling man next to her, and shook her head.
"No, he's not bothering me at all."
The blonde man nodded, his lips parting slightly, and Caroline couldn't help but follow the movement with her eyes, her gaze dropping, and by the way his smile seemed to widen the slightest bit, she wondered if her action hadn't gone unnoticed by him. A faint blush covered her cheeks, her face burning as she tore her gaze away to meet his eyes again.
"I was telling Caroline about sloths," Declan chimed in next to her, slowly sliding his legs one by one down the cushioned bench until they dangled over its edge.
His father nodded, a soft murmur of understanding passing his lips. "Ah, the sloths," he said, smiling. "Yes, we're quite fascinated by them at the moment."
Caroline nodded, laughing softly. "Yeah, I kind of noticed," she said, looking back down at Declan and winking, giving him a smile. "It's no trouble though. I feel very enlightened." She looked back at his father, her eyes catching his of their own accord, and she tried to push down the strange fluttering she felt in her chest she felt as his cerulean gaze locked with hers. "You, um, you have quite the little fact wiz here."
"Thank you," he said, his lips quirking up into a smirk as he shifted slightly on his feet. "You're a new face around here. Caroline, is it?" She nodded as his eyes looked her over, zeroing in on the burgundy apron cinched tightly around her waist, smirk growing. "Well, I must say, it's quite a relief knowing that you actually work here, and aren't just some strange person that sits around bars talking to children."
She laughed. "Yeah, you lucked out this time."
His laugh mingled with her own, and he outstretched his hand. On instinct, she slipped her own hand into his, her fingers closing around his palm. She tried not to notice how rough and calloused his fingers were as they shook hands, or how his grip seemed to tighten when her eyes slid up to his. "Klaus Mikaelson," he said, his voice low and rumbling.
"Niklaus Mikealson," Declan corrected from his seat, his feet swinging under him, thumping against the back of the booth as he concentrated once more on the drawing that lay on the table.
Klaus rolled his eyes, his smirk spreading to a smile when Caroline laughed softly. "Call me Klaus."
The door to the stockroom swung open then, and they both turned at the sudden intrusion, Caroline slipping her hand from his and settling it in her lap. Cami smiled at them as she set another crate of alcohol on the counter. "It's about time you got here, Klaus," she said, wiping her hands against the apron around her waist. "That kid of yours has been a major handful. Just sitting there, being quiet and coloring, munching on graham crackers. I could barely hear myself think."
"Well, he's living up to the Mikaelson name, then. I was just welcoming your newest employee to La Guérison."
"Well, that's nice of you, but I'm afraid your brother beat you to it when she came in and applied the other day," Cami said, leaning against the counter on her elbows. "Kol made quite the impression. I'm honestly amazed she even still wanted to work here after he was done."
The camaraderie she'd witnessed at their table the other night suddenly made sense with the revelation, and Caroline realized that she hadn't caught Kol's last name this morning. Looking over at Klaus now, she noted the subtle similarities between the two. The same impish smirk, the same confident stride and stance. But while Kol entire persona seemed to radiate a boyishness appeal, Klaus' was much more subdued and mature. She doubted there was a substantial age difference between the two-she would wager only a few years-but just from the way his eyes seemed to be shadowed and conflicted, she knew that clearly the older brother had experienced more.
"So you've met my brother," Klaus said, turning to her again. "You have my sincerest apologies."
Caroline stared at him for a long moment, her eyes darting quickly from Klaus to Cami, the latter of which was shaking her head and laughing quietly. There was a teasing edge to Klaus' voice, despite the seriousness of his face. Her gaze traveled back to him, seeing his lips pressed into a smile, eyebrows raised, and she smiled, a small, shaken laugh escaping her lips. She could feel her face heat under their stares, and she lifted a hand to the back of her head, threading her fingers through her ponytail as she dropped her gaze to the table.
"Well," she heard Klaus say. "As always, Camille, I am in your debt."
Cami waved a hand in the air, shaking her head. "Eh, you'll pay me back one day. Maybe you could start by getting that hard headed best friend of yours to actually admit we're dating instead of just, you know, hanging out or whatever other non-committing term he's labeled us this week."
"I pride myself on being a man of many talents, but that, sweetheart, is a bit out of my element," he chuckled, turning back to the booth and holding a hand out to Declan. "It's time to go, Declan. Do you have everything?"
Caroline lifted her gaze to peer over at the young boy. He was nodding absentmindedly, his tongue poking out from between his lips as he concentrated on scribbling something in the bottom corner of his picture. She couldn't help but smile fondly at the sight.
"Deck, let's go, son. Aunt Bekah is expecting us, and you know she doesn't like to be kept waiting."
Declan nodded again, sliding across the vinyl seating until his plopped down onto the floor, pulling his small red and black backpack with him as he settled on his feet.
Caroline smiled at him as he reached across the table and took a hold of the picture he'd been working tirelessly on for the last several minutes, before walking the short distance to her end of the booth and holding it out to her. Her eyes widened in surprise, her white teeth flashing as her smile grew, and she took it gently in her hands. "Is this for me?" she asked, looking down at the blotches of color-greens and red and blues, a myriad of patterns and designs.
The tow headed boy nodded, pulling his arms through the straps of his backpack.
"Thank you, Declan. I'll make sure to hang it somewhere I'll see it everyday, okay?"
A small appreciative smile appeared on his face at her words, and her heart melted. It never failed to amaze her at how small and simple a gesture could mean so much to someone as young as him. She glanced back up at Klaus, once again noting his gaze fixed solely on her and his son, an almost indiscernible glint to his eyes.
"Bye, Caroline," Declan said, turning and immediately reaching for his father's hand. "Bye, Cami," he said as he led his father towards the door. "Thank you for letting me stay with you."
"Anytime, kid," Cami replied, smiling as she wrapped her hand around the neck of a bottle of whiskey.
Klaus nodded his thanks to the blonde bartender again before glancing back at Caroline. His blue eyes pierced her own once more, his lips pulling up into a smile, bringing forth a pair of identical dimples in his cheeks. "Caroline, it was a pleasure," he said, quiet yet strong. "Hopefully our paths cross again."
She nodded, ducking her head, that damn fluttering in her chest catching her off guard once more as she smiled softly. She swiped at a nonexistent strand of hair against her cheek, biting the inside of her cheek as she slowly raised her eyes again. He was still looking at her, the same smile on his face, before he turned away, pulling Declan an inch closer to him as they finally reached the door.
She sighed as they disapperead through it, only tearing her gaze away when she heard Cami laugh quietly across the room. She looked at her, curious, and lifted her brows in question.
Cami grinned, placing a hand over her chest and tossing her head back, her voice lowering as she playfully mocked, "'Hopefully our paths cross again, Caroline.'"
Her British accent was exaggerated, drawing out the end of Caroline's name playfully, and the younger blonde couldn't help but laugh, folding the picture Declan had given her carefully and sliding it into the front pocket of her apron as she rose to her feet. "I'm sure he was just being nice."
"Oh, please, Caroline," Cami laughed, shaking her head. "The Mikaelsons do not do nice. Klaus least of all. He is the epitome of 'tortured artist,' and to be brutally honest, if I didn't know he loved his son and his siblings, you really wouldn't even be able to tell the man had emotions at all. He is like a locked vault that no one has the key to." She smiled. "Not that I don't love him. Like I said, I've known the family for years. But these last few seconds were the most animated I'd seen the guy over something that wasn't the newest art find or his family. You, Caroline Forbes, certainly piqued his interest."
Caroline rolled her eyes, crossing over the bar and slipping her clipboard back into her grasp. "Any chance you've been sampling some of the booze in the back room, Camille?"
"Fine, fine. Brush it all off. You'll see." She smiled at her, reaching into the crate and pulling out a bottle of scotch and a bottle of whiskey before turning towards the already lined shelves behind her, her smile teasing as she looked at her from over her shoulder. "You might be just what old Niklaus Mikaelson needs."
Caroline worried her lower lip as the older blonde turned away to focus on her task, her gaze moving to the long closed door to the bar as she wrapped her fingers around her pen.
She wasn't "just what he needed." She wasn't just what anyone needed.
The last thing Klaus Mikaelson needed was to tangled up with her. Not with what she was running from. Not with the secrets she so desperately needed to keep. Not when she honestly had no idea where she would be a week from now.
The last thing either of them needed was each other.
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Caroline glanced down the hallway furtively, her hand wrapping tightly around the handset of the payphone that hung by the fire exit. She shifted from foot to foot as the ringing sounded in her ear, stuffing her free hand into the pocket of her apron.
The bar was in full swing, music and laughter trickling towards her from the other end of the hallway. The clink of glasses on trays and tables resounded around her, and she knew she only had a few minutes left of her supposed bathroom break before she'd have to go and rescue Cami from an onslaught of patrons.
But she'd promised him she'd let him know somehow.
She whipped around when there was a click on the other end of the line, a fast beat rock song playing faintly in the background, and she felt the sting of tears when the familiar voice spoke loudly over it.
"Mystic Grill."
She smiled, leaning against the wall beside her as she pressed the phone closer to her ear. How she'd missed his voice...
"Hello?"
She sighed shakily. "Matt, it's me."
There was a pause on the other line, followed by a faint shuffling of footsteps, and then the background music faded away, the click of a door shutting cutting the song off mid chorus.
"Caroline," the man on the other end spoke, relief flooding his voice before his tone turned worrisome. "Are you crazy? You shouldn't be calling me on the phone. Especially not here. Anybody could have answered."
"I know..." She sighed again. "I know, I just...I needed to hear your voice."
She could hear the creaking of a chair as Matt settled himself into one, and she closed her eyes as she tried to picture him in the back office of the Mystic Grill, running a hand through his short cropped hair and down his face, if the sigh that escaped him was any indication. It had been an action that was associated with her far too often as they grew up.
Matt was always cleaning up her messes, even then.
"Are you okay?" he finally asked.
"Yeah," she replied softly, leaning her head back against the wall and staring at the paneled ceiling above her. "Yeah, I'm okay. I'm safe...somewhere safe, for now. Far away, surrounded by noise and crowds. Somewhere where no one would think to look for me. Just like you suggested."
"Don't tell me," he said softly. "It's better I don't know right now. You know, in case..."
She nodded, even though he couldn't see her, wanting nothing more than to tell him exactly where she was, what she was doing. She wasn't used to keeping things from him, even if it was in their best interest.
Matt was her stable ground. He was her sanity in a sea of insanity.
Not having him there to hold her hand and talk her through the panic was harder than she ever thought it would be.
Her chest tightened as she listened to Matt sigh quietly on the other line, and closed her eyes, her head shifting against the wall as her fingers tangled themselves in the cord to the payphone. She tried not to think about how this was how it was going to be from now on. There would be no more late night ice cream ventures with Matt. They wouldn't catch a drink together on the weekend, or go to an all night showing of Lord of the Rings. They wouldn't be Matt and Caroline again.
They'd have stolen phone calls and encrypted messages. They had to be strangers now.
And the realization was tearing her apart more than anything ever had.
"Look," she said softly, lifting a hand to quickly swipe at the tears she could feel making their way down her cheeks. "I just..I needed you to know that I'm okay. I'm settling. And I'm working through it. And I'm...starting to live again, a little bit." He chuckled, and she joined in softly, shaking her head. "I miss you, though, Matt. I just...needed you to know. And I don't know when I'll be able to call again. So..."
"Yeah," Matt sighed. "I miss you too, Care."
"Caroline," Cami panted, poking her head around the corner with a flustered grin on her face. "It's getting kind of crazy out here..."
Caroline nodded, straightening her stance against the wall, and returned the smile, mouthing that she'd be right there with an apologetic wince. She waited until the other blonde had disappeared before she slumped back again, sighing. "I've gotta go."
"Yeah, me too," Matt said. She could hear the chair creaking under his weight as he shifted, and she could picture him with his elbows propped on his knees, a far away look in his eyes as he gazed out the window that overlooked the parking lot of the Grill. "You're gonna be okay, Caroline. If anyone can overcome this, it's gonna be you."
She smiled, nodding, pressing her lips together to keep them from trembling. "Thanks, Matt." She pushed away from the wall. "I'll talk to you again soon," she said, turning to return the handset to its cradle.
"Care," he called out.
She stopped, pressing the phone back to her ear. The line was silent, nothing but the steady sound of his even breathing reaching her ears, and then she heard him sigh. A broken, empty sigh, that she had become all too familiar with.
"I'm sorry, Care."
Her eyes drifted shut at this whispered confession, and her grip tightened around the black phone until her knuckles were white. There was so much behind those three simple words. So much history, and hurt, and grief, and guilt. So much, that it nearly suffocated her, as she knew it suffocated him.
But there was only so much you could say.
"I know," she replied, her tone just as soft and quiet, and she could practically hear the sad smile in the sigh that greeted her.
No more words were said between them. No goodbye, not talk to you soon. Instead she just gently set the handset back in its original spot. She stood staring at it, a flurry of emotions coursing through her every fibre. It almost felt like an ending, that moment.
A loud, laughing whoop from the front of the bar broke her from her reverie, and she hastily swiped at her tear stained cheeks, pinching at them slightly. The last thing she needed was to go out there and Cami to see her pale and distraught.
She had to put her best foot forward. Make the most of what she'd been dealt in this never ending city of music and light. She had to persevere. She had to fight.
She took a deep breath, hurrying towards the crowds that lingered just outside the hallway. She could hear Cami laughing loudly, and rounding the corner, saw her leaning against the edge of the bar, smiling at an older patron who no doubt crooning something French in her ear.
Cami saw her from the corner of her eye, and she grinned, clenching her fingers under the bar so only she would see. Caroline couldn't help but grin, shaking her head as she sidled up to her, leaning towards a college aged man and his band of friends as they waved to get her attention.
She had to make the most of this. Otherwise, what was the point in even fighting?
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Thanks, as always, to Becky, Miranda and Leah, for basically being my cheering section during this chapter when I struggled and almost didn't continue.
The review button is always willing to be pressed, and I promise that your words regarding this chapter will be devoured by me faster than a box of Oreos. So please let me know what you think!
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