Hello everyone! No, you are not dreaming, I am actually updating. I am SO SORRY for the delay. Bu, frankly I was kinda stuck but then Yana (queenofklaroline), being her usual amazing self, helped me. I rambled on and on to her, then she beta'd this for me, so a special thanks go to her, cause this chapter would not have made it here without her.

Remember guys, horizontal line means I'm changing POVs. Other than that, I have nothing more to say.

Enjoy!

Chapter 9: Plans

I stare at Rebekah, dumbfounded, for what seems to be an eternity as she waits, uncharacteristically patient for me to digest the new information.

'What?' comes my extremely lame reply.

She rolls her eyes 'We, as in you and me and probably Nik because he is all about keeping you safe now, are going to London'

'For good?' is the only question that comes to mind. I know how ridiculous I must sound, let alone look, at this moment, but truly, I am too tired and way too confused to do, say or decide anything at the moment.

'That's up to you' she shrugs 'For now, you need to be away from that bloody bloke who almost killed you…' she practically spits the word, clenching her jaw before trailing off to take a few soothing breaths. Typical Mikealson temper, except that Nik has no control over his and no amount of Yoga can ever redeem this problem.

'So as soon as you set foot out of this hospital we are heading straight to the airport and straight to England'

'Thanks, but I think I'll pass' I say quietly, resting back in the uncomfortable hospital bed that only seems to intensify my backache.

'It's not an offer for you to pass on, Caroline, it's a done deal' she quickly says, sitting at the edge of said uncomfortable bed. She is clearly ready for a long argument.

Why can't anyone understand that me being away from Tyler's sight is dangerous? That me being in this hospital bed talking to Rebekah and thinking about Nik's annoying temper is enough reason for Tyler to kill me in the most painful of ways, then go after them? Are they so careless about their lives? I am not even worth the trouble they are going through and they will realize that when it is too late. They will realize that who they are looking out for and who they once loved is not here anymore. She is never coming back either.

'Who decided this for me?' I disbelievingly inquire.

'We did' Rebekah answers frankly.

I sigh, looking away before speaking in a voice that gets strangled in my throat and kills the words a million times before they pass my lips 'I cannot leave, Rebekah. I cannot just pack up and leave and expect Tyler to just leave me alone. When he finds out that I left him, he will tear apart the entire planet just to lay his hands on me again. And you know what else he will do? He will kill you. And Nik. Especially with him thinking that I'm having an affair with him'

As if I will ever look in another man's direction again.

Rebekah's eyebrows shoot up 'Why would he think that?'

Of course that would be the part that she would focus on in the speech.

'He found the cellphone, saw Nik's name, thought he was my lover and it made sense in his mind with the whole paycheck thingy then he … you know' I trail off.

A moment of silence passes in which Rebekah silently contemplates her hands where they lay on her lap before her voice comes in a hesitant question 'What happened exactly, Caroline?'

I gulp. She cannot be asking for me details. She does not want to know nor do I want to tell her. And what do I tell her? That he slapped me across the face? That he pinned me down and kicked? That he almost choked me while I watched his eyes blazing with anger and saw his mouth moving in what I assumed to be threats, but could not quite hear them over the drumming beats of my heart and the ache that was already settling in my lower abdominal? That after that he fucked me on the spot? That he knew I was incredibly hurt from all the screams and all the begging but still left me lying there, my body torn, my heart pounding, and my breathing shallow, without so much as a glance in my direction? No. She cannot be asking me to tell her what happened.

'I only need to know that to make sure that he does not know about your fake papers' she quickly blurts out, sensing my discomfort. Or am I crying? Well, that is the only explanation for the moisture I feel running down my face.

She takes a deep breath before adding 'I mean, we don't want him to know where you went once you leave here by tracking your passport activity. And you said he found out about the cellphone so…' She rambles, a habit that she most certainly picked up from me.

I stay silent, still, not trusting my voice to come out comprehensible or to choke anything at all to begin with.

'I'm sorry' she finally says 'I did not mean to upset you, Care, I am just looking out for you'

I nod, more tears streaming with the movement.

'And this is exactly why you need to be away from here, at least for a while.' She reasons, her voice soft and choking with the emotions she is fighting hard to hold back.

'Think of it as a vacation' she adds after another brief moment of silence 'A period of time for you to just heal and forget the past'

'It's not that easy, Bex' I choke out.

'Except that it is, Caroline. You don't have to worry about anything. We have your fake ID, we have the money we need, and we can stay at Kol's for a few days before settling in. And most importantly, we have your back. He will not hurt you again' Rebekah assures.

I want to believe her, I truly want to, but it all seems too good to be true, can it be that easy? Can I just leave and never have to see his disgusting face again? Can I just live in rainy London and have quiet afternoons, chatting with Rebekah without looking over my shoulder every second to make sure Tyler is not around, that he is not upset, that he is not holding a gun to my head, or worst, to Rebekah's head?

'But he will hurt you' I murmur meeting her glossy eyes.

'We can take of ourselves' she smiles reassuringly. It comes out small, and utterly sad that it makes me just want to hide away from everything and everyone. When did my existence start bringing on so much misery to people's lives rather than joy?

'I'm scared, Bex' I sob.

The tear that was stubbornly stuck on the corner of her eye finally slides onto her cheek.

'I know you are, and I am so scared for you, too, but you could have died today, Care. You cannot let him do that to you again. And I told you before; you don't have to do this alone anymore. I am here for you. We are going to help you' she gently says, placing her hand on my knee and plastering another smile to her full lips.

'Thank you' is all I manage to say as more tears threaten to overwhelm me.

She chuckles 'Of course, silly. Remember our vows?'

'That we'd get married if we are both single by the age of forty?' I smile at the distant memory.

'That' she grins 'and that we would kill whoever dares to hurt one of us then burn the body'

My smile falters 'You are not going after Tyler, are you?'

'No' she rolls her eyes before her face turns serious again 'You are. Once you're ready'

Before I can reply to that the door swings opened revealing a kind-looking, around mid-thirties, doctor with a small smile on her thin lips.

'Miss Forbes, I see that you are awake' she says, stepping into the room to introduce herself 'Hi, I'm Dr. Walker and I'm in charge of your case'

'Hi' I mutter, straightening a little in my bed. Miss Forbes? I eye Rebekah who gives me a subtle shrug.

'As you surely know by now, your friends found you and brought you in.' she begins professionally, blurting out facts 'You have already lost a lot of blood by that time and the baby was already gone but we had what we call an incomplete miscarriage, that's when there's still tissue in the uterus and we have to open up the patient. We took you to the OR, and your surgery went smoothly. But we had to transfer blood to you.'

She pauses briefly waiting for some sort of a reaction from me. Not knowing what else to do, I nod.

'Of course, this incident should not affect your future health or cause you problem when you are trying to get pregnant, either'

She pauses again. There is something about the way she is eyeing me. Is it cautious? Hesitant? Anxious? I cannot tell.

'However,' she adds after the short pause 'We could not determine the reason behind the miscarriage'

'Oh' I mouth, opting to look at my hands again instead of Dr. Walker's scrutinizing gaze.

An awkward moment of silence passes before the doctor finally speaks in a clear voice 'Miss Mikealson I would like to speak to Miss Forbes in private, please'

Rebekah wordlessly nods, rises to her feet and leaves the room, the door clicking closed softly behind her.

Dr. Walker clears her throat, pacing the room slowly. The click of her heels on the marble floor is rather unnerving, it gives me a sense of anticipation to what she has to say and my stomach churns in response. There is no way in hell I'm telling her about Tyler. She must have suspicions, she is a doctor after all, but I will not confirm that. God forbids that I face Tyler's wrath over possibly reporting him –not that it would stop him, it would merely upset him.

'Miss Forbes' she finally says, halting her pace to stand beside my bed, where Rebekah was standing mere moments ago 'we found bruising during your operation. That usually indicates that miscarriage happened due to a violent blow to the abdominal. Did you have any recent incidents?' she asks slowly.

I shrug, not trusting my voice to come out as steady as it should be.

'It can also be caused by violent sexual intercourse' she says quietly.

My eyes snap to hers 'What?' I squeak 'no, that's not it at all' I hurriedly tell her.

'Miss Forbes' the doctor begins, cutting me off with a wave of her hand 'You know you can tell me anything'

'No, no, doctor, it's not like that at all' I quickly say, shaking my head frantically 'I was just…. Umm… trying to hang a painting on the wall and I fell off'' I say. It is such an unconvincing story, but it is the first thing that comes to my mind in the midst of the panic attack. I swallow loudly, knowing that it is not even convincing to my own ears.

'I see' she nods solemnly, her eyebrows knitting briefly before a neutral expression wipes her face again 'Well, your vitals are good, there is no danger on your life, and you should be able to leave by tomorrow. You just need to rest well, and eat healthy. I will prescribe you some pain-killers, but do not take them unless necessary. And…' she pauses, pulling out her business card and handing it over to me 'if you need any consultation or help, I would be glad to offer it, Caroline' she meaningfully meets my gaze, smiling reassuringly before stepping out of the room.

I take a deep breath when the door is finally shut, taking a few minutes to collect myself. My body is exhausted, begging me to give up to sleep, but my mind is urging me not to.

Who knows, it says, maybe Tyler would show up and smother you in your sleep.

'Why are you so upset about this? It's none of your business anyway!' Caroline hisses.

We are standing in the corridor of my father's mansion, a place I despise by all means. It makes my skin crawl. If only I can grab Caroline and flee this dreadful place, somewhere where we would be alone and I can ravish her, tear that beautiful red dress from her petite frame.

'Because, Caroline, you don't know Kol.' I practically growl 'he is never serious about anyone, and the way he was flirting with you said he has one intention only'

'And you're one to judge!' Caroline spits back, crossing her arms over her chest 'Jesus, Nik, you were the one to kiss me then ignore me for three whole weeks. I think we both know that your intentions were no better than Kol's but you chickened out when you realized that you'd be seeing me again and can't just run away from facing me. So don't bullshit me, OK? I am not stupid'

I clench my jaw, wanting to prove her wrong without actually admitting what is behind my peculiar behavior. I am not willing to admit it to myself, let alone her.

She scoffs 'You're a jerk, Nik, a huge one.' She starts to turn on her heel before changing her mind and spinning around and adding 'And I'm a big girl I can take care of myself against predators like you and your brother.'

She turns to walk away again but it is me who stops her this time, grabbing her arm and spinning her to face me again.

'Let go of me' she says trying to shrug off my grip.

'No' I say calmly.

She struggles against my hold again before snapping 'I hate you!' she yells 'I hate you and your stupid temper and that arrogant smirk and that…'

She doesn't have a chance to finish, my lips crashing down onto hers silences her.

The feel of her soft lips against mine is nothing if not heavenly. She tastes as sweet as honey, and as addictive as the finest wine. Her immediate response pushes me over the edge, drives me to pry her lips opened to taste the velvety interior of her mouth. She shivers against me, moaning as I explore every inch of her mouth, rolling my tongue over hers and relishing the feeling of her hand burying in my hair. I groan, pulling her closer by the waist despite my knowledge of how easily this situation can get out of hand. But I cannot help it, I long to feel every inch of her against my skin, under my fingertips and against my lips. She sighs, and I almost go crazy, pushing her back until the wall stops our advances. My hand ventures lower, resting on her the back of her thigh and hitching it around my waist. She gasps at the sudden movement, but complies, wrapping her other leg around my waist.

The blood instantly rushes to my lower region at the contact with her hot center. I can feel her even through all the layers of clothing between us, and involuntarily, I grind myself against her.

'Nik' she breathes, breaking away from the kiss before we both suffocate. The way my name escapes those beautiful, bruised lips makes the ache to have her much more intense, yearning to hear it moaned over and over again as I bring her to bliss time after time. I spread soft kisses along her jawline, down to the column of her neck. Soft, delicious skin is all my lips meet as I continue my descent down to the top of her breasts where, much to my dissatisfaction, skin meets fabric. One of my hands ventures upwards from where it rested against the luscious flesh of her thigh to softly cup her breast, waiting for a reaction. The action is met with another sigh, as I hold the soft weight in my palm and I cannot help but smirk against her skin. The size is perfect, fitting perfectly in my palm. I alternate between softly squeezing and caressing the beautiful mound.

'Oh' she moans again.

I can wait no longer as I crash my lips back on hers, unleashing all the passion that I was once holding back, basking in the little erotic sounds she is making, the way her hands stroke my chest then climbs up my shoulders then down my arms only to wrap around my neck again. I suck at her lower lip, tasting the remnants of champagne on her mouth and the distinct flavor that is only Caroline. And I wonder how she would taste in other places, how it would feel to taste that soft, pink, flush on my tongue as I bring her over the edge, writhing under my ministrations and begging for more. The thought of her lying underneath me, deliciously bare and screaming my name is enough to burn me alive.

I am about to act on my desires and lead her to the first bedroom when she suddenly stops. Slowly, I pull away to stare at her shocked face. We are both panting and breathless, unable to utter a single word or catch our breath.

'Caroline?'

. . .

'She woke up?' Stefan asks as he slides into the plastic chair next to me with a fresh cup of coffee, disturbing the delicate memory that I fought so hard to keep intact.

'Yes' I nod. Ever since I realized what happened to Caroline, what happened to sweet, beautiful Caroline, my jaw has been clenched. I cannot think of anything other than how much I want to smash that idiot's face and give him a slow, painful death.

'Calm down, Nik' Stefan says calmly, noting my rigid posture 'You're about to break your own jaw.'

I take a deep breath, somewhat relaxing. It is not until my jaw is flexed do I realize that I was severely hurting my bones.

'Rebekah still inside?' he asks after a moment of silence.

'No, the doctor went in a few minutes ago and Rebekah left. She said something about having to meet with a client and referring her job to a colleague' I casually answer.

The blinds are closed to Caroline's room which bothers me to no end. I want to see her face, make sure that she is okay, make sure that she is out of harm's way.

The doctor steps out and I contemplate going in to see her again but refrain. Mustering up all the self-control I have to stay glued to my uncomfortable plastic seat rather than storm into her room and hold her, keep her close, promise her that everything will be okay. I would wrap my arms around her for as long as she needs, until she forgets everything that happened to her in those dreadful two years, until all she knows is how much I love her. If only I can do that. If only it were that simple.

What finally keeps me seated is the image of her horrified face when my anger emerged in front of her. I have never seen Caroline so frightened, so absolutely petrified. She looked at me as though I was about to put her through a painful punishment for something that she had not done. It was foolish of me to lose my temper like that, something that I have not realized until it was too late, and she was already retreating away from me, however, controlling my temper is not something that I have learned to do over time. And Caroline has always hated that about me.

'Nik Nik Nik' Stefan's incessant nudging to my elbow interrupts my train of thoughts again. I scowl at him. But he is not looking at me, instead apprehensively eyeing the front desk. I follow his line of sight, my eyes landing on an upset-looking, to put it quite mildly, police officer. He is talking through clenched jaw to the receptionist who is obviously losing her patience with him.

'What?' I frown at Stefan.

'Rebekah mentioned that Caroline's husband was a cop' he says evenly.

The light bulb immediately goes off in my head 'you think that's him?' I say through clenched jaw.

'Relax' Stefan immediately warns 'we're in a hospital. And yes, he looks like one mad cop.'

'I'm going to kill him' I'm on my feet, fists balled and ready to smash his face beyond recognition.

'Nik' Stefan hisses, getting up and following my steps.

'Don't even try to stop me, Stefan' I hiss, coming closer to the front desk where the receptionist is frantically waving her hands at him. I'm unable to hear what they are saying still.

'Hell no, I'll help you hide the body' he says seriously.

I smirk. How he manages to always turn a dreadful situation into a joke is beyond me.

'I am sorry, sir' the receptionist is almost yelling 'but visiting hours are over'

'I am her husband' he yells back 'I can visit whenever I want'

'Sir, according to the information before me, Caroline Forbes is not married. I am sorry but you cannot see her now. You can come back tomorrow during visiting hours' the receptionist argues.

I do not wait for the bastard's reply, what I've heard confirms my suspicions and without waiting any further I tap on his shoulder. He rapidly turns around to be met by my fist smashing onto his nose. He stumbles, his back hitting the front desk before somewhat gaining back his footing and practically snarling. Still having the element of surprise I grab the collar of his shirt, kneeing his stomach. He stumbles forward only for me to pull him up again.

'You impotent bastard' punch 'how fucking dare you hurt her?' another punch 'I am going to kill you slowly and painfully then burn your body so no one will ever know that you existed'

His knee meets my stomach this time, the force pushing me back, but amidst all the anger, I cannot feel the pain.

'Hey' a voice demands, we turn around to see a doctor angrily approaching us 'This is a hospital' he says 'whatever this is take it outside, far away from here, or I'm calling security'

'There is no need, doctor' I say, still holding that pathetic excuse of a man by the collar 'I'm just taking out the trash'

Stefan and I practically hurl him out of the hospital under the several curious gazes around us as he spits out empty threats. As expected, he has no actual strength, only using it against those who are helpless against him. With a renewed rush of rage, I throw him to the ground. He lands face first into the sidewalk.

'You are never going to touch, see, speak or even try to reach Caroline ever again' I demand through gritted teeth 'Or trust me when I say that I will end you and your entire family'

He spits out blood, and I wait for some kind of satisfaction to wash over me at the knowledge that I hurt him. Nothing happens. It is like no matter how much pain I inflect on this bastard, it would never be enough.

'This is not over' he growls, scrambling to his feet and proceeding to run away.

No, it is not. But it will be when his body is buried seven feet under to rot.

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