Disclaimer: I don't own The Vampire Diaries.

Thanks to all who reviewed last time :) And thanks for following/favoriting this story, it means a lot. Here's chapter eight! Enjoy! :D

By the time Caroline was done talking to her dad, it was around five in the afternoon. Somehow time had flown by and as she shut the door behind her, she couldn't help but feel immense weight on her shoulders.

Her dad knew. He'd had his suspicions the entire time and hadn't bothered to tell her of who she was and, ultimately, what she could be capable of. Although he hadn't wanted to delve deep into the consequences, she assumed they were bad. Like, really really bad.

"I'm sorry I made you wait out here forever." she apologized as Klaus stood up from his seat in the waiting room. She wondered if he had actually stayed there the entire time. "You don't have to babysit me, you know." her eyes met his. "If I'm as dangerous as everybody is making it sound then I think I can take care of myself."

He smiled crookedly. "The fact that you're the one who was practically forced to raise two evil beings from the dead makes me think otherwise, sweetheart. Now, I think it's best if we head to Bonnie's. Yes?"

Caroline huffed. "Fine."

As they made their way to the parking lot, Klaus let his gaze drift to the blonde walking next to him. He couldn't exactly wrap his mind around her yet. She was here, in the flesh. After a thousand years of searching and waiting, he had finally found her. It made him feel somewhat like an idiot, though. The whole time he'd been preoccupied with breaking the hybrid curse and he never bothered to open his eyes to the doppleganger's friends. All he had seen back then was rage and the need to fulfill who he was.

But the longer he spent with her the less he was capable of recognizing who he had been a few weeks ago. And that frightened so much more than Mikael ever had when he had been a human. A vulnerable and, yes, scared human who would coward down to his father. And Caroline, the human thrown into the entire mix, wasn't even scared out of her senses. Sure, he could see that she was nervous and somewhat still grasping the concept that the supernatural actually existed, but he had yet to see the glimmer of true fear in her wondrous eyes.

She must've noticed him staring at her because she turned her gaze to him slowly and he immediately removed his eyes.

Okay. he thought to himself. Personal boundary has been crossed. No need to leer.

"Are you okay?" she asked him softly.

He nodded once. "Yes. I was just.. We should hurry before the witch gets suspicious."

Caroline raised her eyebrows. Was it something she had said? "Are you sure? Because you kept staring at me…"

"Well, it isn't like you're a sore for the eyes." Caroline blushed slightly and Klaus bit his own tongue. Dammit. He thought.

Was that his way of calling me pretty? she thought silently.

Did you really just imply that she's beautiful? he added. "I've been… Alive for many centuries, Caroline. Believe me, you're… Striking."

You aren't making it any better. he thought again. He saw her cheeks flush a deeper red and he sighed. "I'm sorry if that makes you uncomfortable."

"No- it's just… I don't think anyone has ever called me anything besides being plain pretty. You know, there's a big difference between being pretty and being beautiful."

"Of course there is. Beauty comes from within and can have the potential to change the world. Pretty is just a mediocre term."

She bit her lip and he had to look away. It was as if she had no idea what she awakened from inside of him. It was a need, a hunger, that needed to be sedated if not quit cold turkey. He couldn't just say he wanted her- God only knew how much he wanted her.

He'd seen her coming for a long time now and his body along with a strange sensation in his chest were beginning to crack. It seemed like politeness and his pride were the only two things keeping him from making her his. Caroline was beautiful… She was unlike anything he'd ever seen before and it made him sad that she didn't even have a clue of the effect she could have on people.

Kol face-palmed himself as Bonnie continued to laugh at his story about one of his many misadventures over the centuries. He didn't think this girl could laugh so hard.

"Are you kidding me? You can't possibly think I believe that you were the reason for Thoreau-a highly recognized writer-to high tail it out of the woods and back to town." Bonnie assessed.

Kol rolled his eyes. "I was hunting and he assumed I was a bear."

"Have you met you? You are a bear." Bonnie teased.

Kol shook his head. "Alright darling. I told you many, many things about myself. Now it's your turn." he countered, handing her the bottle of bourbon. She wasn't much of a day drinker but then again, there was always room for something new. Taking a small sip, she shrugged.

"What do you want to know?"

Kol was silent for a moment as he thought. After a few seconds, he asked, "Tell me about your family. What are they like?"

"Well, you've met my Grams." Bonnie pointed out, handing him back the bottle. She never was one to drink. The liquid burned her throat a bit. "My dad's an uptight man and my mom's a no-show. Sometimes I live with my dad. Sometimes I stay here." she looked around the quaint living room. All of the little witchy relics were placed here and there to remain conspicuous. "It's home. It's a safe place to land, you know?"

She looked at him as he stayed silent, turning the bottle of liquid over and over in his hands. "No, not really."

Bonnie's eyebrows scrunched together. "What you mean?"

His soft colored eyes looked at her carefully. "I've never exactly had a safe place to land. That's one of the downsides of being an Original. Somebody always hates you; someone is always out to kill you."

"Maybe they try to kill you because you've killed a lot of people?" she offered. Kol shook his head.

"There's something you must understand, Bonnie. My family and I... We weren't born monsters. It's radical people like the vampire hunters, or," he swallowed. "Or my father and mother that turned us into what we are today. We're not monsters-we've just learned to survive the harsh realities that life just so happens to offer an immortal being."

The look in his eyes as he explained only made her feel guilty. Yes, everyone had their family issues but who was she to complain? At least her parents or Grams weren't trying to have her killed. At least her Grams had let her choose who to be. Kol hadn't had a choice in the matter. His father had made the choice for him-he'd taken away his human life. And with it, any vulnerability. Yet here he was, exposing himself to her.

Tentatively, she reached out her hand and clasped his. Immediately, their eyes locked together intensely and Bonnie's heart started beating rapidly as she found herself leaning in the way he was.

A loud knock on the front door broke them out of their bubble and Bonnie stood up quickly, her face warm.

What the hell? she scolded herself. Get your shit together, Bonnie!

"Caroline!" Bonnie greeted. Caroline took in her friend's currently flustered state and gave her a look. Bonnie shook her head in a 'Don't ask' kind of way. As Caroline moved from the doorway, she jumped a little as Klaus appeared in her line of vision. "I can't invite you in," she said.

Klaus nodded. "I understand. I just need to speak to my brother." He looked at Kol who looked less than eager to leave. But he put the bottle aside and without protesting, he stood.

Once both men were out of the house, Bonnie slowly turned to look at Caroline's wary expression.

"Are you okay?" they asked each other in the exact same moment. "Not really." They answered in unison.

Caroline nodded and gulped, motioning for Bonnie to explain first. "I almost kissed Kol." Bonnie confessed.

Caroline's blue eyes widened. "What? What?! How?"

"We were talking and... I don't even know how but I almost kissed him." she held up her hands in defeat. "You know what? It didn't happen and it won't happen. He's a vampire. An original vampire. I'm a witch. That is a big 'no'."

Caroline bit the inside of her cheek. "Vampires and witches can't be together?"

Bonnie raised a brow. "Well, there's never been an actual written conflict but... It's just in our nature to not trust vampires. To be with one... That would conflict with who we are: witches. Servants of nature."

The blonde huffed. You should just spill. Caroline thought internally. About how your dreams are more consistent. "Bonnie. Can I tell you something?"

"Yeah. What's wrong, Care?"

Bonnie watched as Caroline's breathing picked up slightly. "I keep having these... Flashes. They're like snippets of dreams but they feel...They feel too real. Is that- is that normal?"

Bonnie thought for a second. "Prophetic dreams and actions are. Clairvoyance is normal for a witch. But you said you've been having flashes? Like, when?"

Caroline shrugged. "Whenever. Most of the time it happens when I'm alone. I get this image in my head."

"Like what?" Bonnie questioned.

"I keep seeing myself except- except it's not me. Does that make any sense?" Caroline asked desperately. She didn't wholeheartedly understand everything that was going on. After all, she'd grown up her whole life thinking none of this existed. Now all of a sudden she was suppose to just believe it and know what was happening? "I've always had dreams, Bonnie. But now… They feel so much more realistic and it's driving me crazy. I can't…. I can't keep acting like it's no big deal; like I know what I'm doing when I'm clearly not."

Caroline finished her rant and breathed heavily. She always panicked when she didn't have a reasonable answer. "What's wrong with me?" Caroline added, her voice shaking slightly. Bonnie immediately led her to the couch, setting her down and hugging her.

"Caroline," Bonnie started. "You have to understand that magic works in mysterious ways. We- We don't always know why these strange things happen but no matter how much we may not like it, it happens for a reason. To guide us." she pulled back from the hug and looked at her sympathetically.

"It's a lot to take in," Caroline said, breathing deeply. "And what if I can't do it? That thing I do with fire is weird. Uncontrollable. You've seen it."

"It only feels that way because you're new at it. Once you get the hang of it it'll be easier- I promise."

Caroline huffed. "This just isn't me, Bonnie. I'm a human- a person who doesn't have anything special. Somebody who isn't special. I- I don't belong in this stuff."

"That's how I felt at first," Bonnie responded. "And I was so scared of what might happen. Do you know when I realized I was a witch?"

Caroline shook her head.

"It was the night that Tanner died. I'd been obsessed with three numbers, just three. It turned out that I had seen his death coming and it freaked me out. It was scary to have that kind of knowledge before anything happened. After that, at the car wash I was the one that started the freak fire."

Bonnie shook her head.

"Ever since then Grams has been helping me exercise it- helping me expand my potential." When she noticed that Caroline wasn't making eye contact with her, Bonnie let out a frustrated sigh. "It isn't easy. Hey- listen to me, Caroline. It isn't easy. But it's your supernatural destiny to do this-to learn. To help keep balance."

"Why did this happen to me?" Caroline questioned, her stubborn side becoming more prominent. "I was getting use to who I was as a normal, clueless human girl. A neurotic, insecure teenage girl who was only worried about making her mom care and competing with Elena for everything-"

"You really want to be that person?" Bonnie countered. "You want to be shallow, self-absorbed Caroline again? The girl who made reckless mistakes? The same girl I've know my whole life that would do anything to not feel anything- no pain, no actual happiness?"

Tears stung Caroline's eyes. "It's the only thing I've ever known, Bonnie. It's what I'm good at. Right? Poor little Caroline- clueless and pathetic. Let's all feel sorry for her because her dad is dying!" she flailed her hands in the air, her rant becoming more and more desperate. She was cracking, that much Bonnie could see. There was only so much she could handle…

"Please, take a deep breath Caroline before you burn the entire house down!" Bonnie said. She sent good vibes to her friend and after a few brief moments, it began to be effective. The crazy left Caroline's eyes and her breathing became more stable.

"I'm sorry… I'm sorry I freaked out like that, Bonnie." Caroline said slowly, wiping her face with her sleeve. She watched her friend shake her head.

"Caroline, can I show you something?"

They made eye contact and Caroline bit the inside of her cheek. "What?"

"I want you to come with me somewhere-somewhere away from the town. Let's go to the Falls." Bonnie stood up, holding her hand out. Cautiously, Caroline took it.

If there was anything Kol hated, it was running errands for Klaus. The only reason he'd even agreed to doing it was because Klaus still possessed the daggers and the white oak ash and Kol liked breathing too much to defy one simple favor.

Well, if you could call killing someone a simple task. Since Kol was the only one who had actually spent many years around witches- living and breathing with them- he was fit for the task. Klaus wanted to find a witch with enough knowledge to help stop Garnet. It seemed like Klaus knew that time was of the essence and Caroline was, to say the least, not adjusting well.

Not to mention she's naive and can be easily manipulated. Kol chastised silently as he read the name of the old antique shop. Georgia weather was never his favorite and neither was the scenery.

Opening the door, he scrutinized every corner for any traps- he knew that witches could easily sense vampires.

"Can I help you?" a young woman asked. Her dark skin had a thin sheet of sweat. In her hand she held a paper fan.

"I'm looking for a Genevieve Benson. Know anybody by that name?"

The young woman's polite smile dropped in a heartbeat. In the blink of an eye, the door slammed shut behind Kol and he heard the lock click. He raised an eyebrow questioningly.

"What do you want, vampire?" she hissed.

"I take it you know Genevieve." Kol said instead of answering her question.

The woman glared. "She's my grandmother."

"Is she here?"

She didn't say anything, instead with the flick of her hand, she pushed Kol's body back against the wall. "I don't associate with vampires and neither does my grandmother. Understand?"

Kol laughed maniacally. "I understand your family owes my brother, Niklaus. He saved your line if I remember correctly."

Her gaze turned from angry to shocked. Slowly, she released her telekinesis and Kol dusted off his shirt.

"Your brother is Klaus? The original hybrid?"

Kol's eyes gleamed with amusement. "Kol Mikaelson here to collect. I need to speak to your grandmother."

"She isn't here- and she doesn't want anything to do with that monster of a brother you have."

His mouth twitched and with his vampire speed, he had her against the wall, his hands on her throat.

"I think that for your sake you should point me in the direction of your grandmother. It's important and although I normally don't hurt witches, I won't hesitate to do so if you don't comply. Clear?"

The woman blinked slowly. "In the back. She's in the back."

Kol released her and she entered a coughing fit. He wasn't even phased. "Lead the way, darling."

"Bonnie what are we doing here?" Caroline asked, stumbling slightly as they walked through the woods. She could begin to hear the faint roaring of the waterfalls. She'd only been there once or twice and she had never liked it. Something about it made her skin tingly- a sensation that scared her a bit for unknown reasons.

"You'll see, just be patient." Bonnie answered, making her trail. Moments after, they finally reached the destination. "Remember how I told you that witches are nature's servants?"

"Yes." Caroline said.

Bonnie smiled. "Witches also feel everything nature feels. We're connected to it- it speaks to us." she looked at Caroline. "And we can draw energy from the elements. Like the waterfall or," she bent down and grabbed a handful of leaves. "Or the earth. Anything that is an element, really."

"Okay," Caroline said. "I get where you're saying but what am I suppose to do now? Did we literally come out here so you could tell me this?"

"We came out here so you could get in touch with nature. The Falls is secluded enough that nobody will see you practicing and besides, it's a great power source." She handed Caroline a leaf. Holding the rest in her own hands, Bonnie breathed slowly. "I want to practice levitation with you. Okay? It's simple and harmless. All you have to do is feel it… Visualize a current flowing from your hand to the leaf."

Caroline watched in awe as the leaves in Bonnie's hands began to float. They kept going higher and higher and Caroline's eyes gleamed with intrigue. "Bonnie, that is amazing!"

"All you have to do is picture the current getting bigger and stronger and…. then this happens. You want to try?"

Caroline bit her lip, nodding and opening her hand with the one leaf.

"Just picture it." Bonnie added.

Caroline stared at the leaf intently. Nothing was happening and she swallowed. Just picture a current… Caroline mused silently. It wasn't working though and Caroline's train of thought derailed back to when she was little and the first time she'd been to the waterfall. Her dad had taken her here, saying that they needed to give her mother a break for a couple of hours. Caroline remembered being five years old then and not having a care in the world… She felt free back then. She didn't have to worry about how much other people depended on her-about how much she needed to labor over being the best of the best. Of having the crazy drive for success. Anything to get her to feel whole.

"Caroline, open your eyes." Bonnie whispered. Caroline hadn't had any idea that her eyes were shut. When she opened them, her mouth dropped slightly as the leaf was gracefully floating in the air. But that wasn't why Bonnie was so awed. In fact, Bonnie wasn't just looking at the leaf. She was staring at their surroundings. Caroline turned her head slightly and she almost lost all sanity. Not only was the leaf from her hand floating, so were all of the loose leaves in the surrounding area of her. They surrounded the girls like a curtain of green.

"Bonnie, is this normal for the first time?" Caroline stuttered.

Bonnie shook her head. "I don't think I ever did this much the first time I levitated." she looked back to her friend. "Try moving them all…"

"How do I do that?" Caroline asked.

"Move your hand- slowly."

Caroline did just as Bonnie instructed, moving her fingers slowly in a rotating motion. With the fascination of a small child, the blonde witnessed as the leaves did just as she commanded. And the weird part was that she liked the feeling. For once something that she could take control of…. It seemed to ignite her nerve-endings in an unexplainable way. It was like setting fire to rain- impossible to understand but easy to see. After being dormant for so long, she felt completely and undeniably free.

She felt like she was at the top of the world.

"Bonnie… This is… Amazing. It feels so liberating." she commented, still enthralled with her motions. "How- How do I…"

"Stop?" Bonnie offered. Caroline nodded. "Just break the current. Let it go."

Caroline dropped her hand abruptly, letting the leaves fall like rain. Feeling like a five year old again, she laughed- truly laughed at the scene.

Bonnie watched as Caroline looked happy- something Bonnie hadn't genuinely seen since Bill Forbes had become sick. She watched as the blonde's eyes twinkled with excitement and how easily it was for her to do her magic so soon. It had taken Bonnie a while for her to access her full potential. For Caroline to achieve the same in so little time was both mesmerizing and frightening.

Could it be the Angel's blood that was causing her to have a better affinity for the supernatural?

If so, couldn't that also mean that Caroline was more capable of falling into the darkest kind of magic out there? It only made sense considering how unchallengeable light magic was for her to learn.

What if she ends up falling for the darkness? Bonnie thought, an unwavering and terrible feeling forming in the pit of her stomach. Caroline was so easily manipulated... From everything Elena had told Bonnie about what Damon had done to her... About how easily Caroline could get caught up in a mess. How simple it was to get her to believe something.

No, she has to be strong. Right?

Sorry I've been such an asshole with updating. I have to focus on my upcoming AP exams which I'm sure I'm going to fail. Yay me, right? Anyways, I'm still doing this story so don't give up on me! Thanks for reading and remember to review! Reviews help fuel my motivation to continue this story!

-Fanatic4Fiction