Author's Note: It's been some time I know. I can tell you how I stare at a computer all day and write marketing stuff so I have no desire to be on a computer and no inspiration. I can tell you how I've started this chapter a million times and it took me three weeks to write because I can't seem to write stories anymore. Instead, I'll tell you that I miss this story and was able to finally update because I told you I wanted to finish this story. So I will. Also, that the insta pic of Candice and Joseph was mad inspiring because even after all these years they are still the best couple! And there's still so much to write about them, even if I've stopped watching long ago. Here's the next chapter let me know if you like it! Or if you're still reading, since I don't know if anyone is.

Guest: Who asked about The Nobodies artwork. I tried looking for it to let you know, but I can't find it. :( I'll continue to look and let you know.

Thanks to: Guest, fanficfan1122, layaboo, LonelyAnne, mariahernandezperez26, redbudrose, JuseaPeterson, Grace5231973, jessnicole, 555hikai, Guest, and tacker23!

Chapter 14 Her Transformation

Damon had developed a fever due to the bite from Tyler and was going in and out of consciousness as they road through the dusty paths toward New York City. Klaus, a still unconscious Caroline, a feverish Damon, and Rebakah had all taken to the first carriage with Kol navigating. The two Originals in the carriage were watching over the Salvatores very closely with varying degrees of worry decorating their facial features.

The world around them was dark as the horses galloped through the woods, but Klaus could sense that the darkness wouldn't engulf them for much longer. As he gazed out the window, Caroline within his embrace, he watched as the very lightest rays of sunlight began to streak across the sky barely visible in the still inky darkness of the night. He felt a gnawing in his gut at what that meant for their party.

Daylight was close and Caroline nor Damon had made the slightest motion that they would be awaking soon. In addition, Bonnie hadn't had time to make daylight rings and even if she had, no one had lapis lazuli jewelry on them. The daylight rings would have to wait until they arrived in New York City or at the very least Richmond.

"I don't think this is good Nik." Rebakah spoke for the first time that night. She avoided looking at him; instead, concentrating on the beads of sweat decorating Damon's brow.

After the disaster in the woods, they had split their party between the two carriages and road into the night. With the sunlight on their heels, Klaus knew that a decision needed to be made and a plan strategized for their party before those light streaks of day became more prominent.

They needed to come up with a plan before day broke. Not only would their two unconscious members of the party get vicious if they didn't feed, especially Caroline who needed blood to complete the transition, but they, along with Stefan would burn in the sunlight.

Even though he was concerned – not that he'd ever admit it – about the three Salvatores, his main priority was Caroline and ensuring that her transition went smoothly. Seeing as she already knew what vampires, demons, and the forces of darkness were he wasn't really concerned at least that's what he tried to tell himself.

However, he didn't even want to think of what would happen if they didn't find someone for her eat so she would become a vampire.

What was nagging him in the back of his mind - while that idea occupied the front - was how she was going to react when she woke up and whether she would forgive him for leaving her in the woods. Prior to that little folly he felt he was paying for dearly, they hadn't been on the best of terms when she'd found out that he was in Mystic Falls to kill Katerina and he was a vampire. She hadn't had time to deal with everything going on and then she died and now she was one of them, so he was worried at how well she was going to take everything.

Not to mention the fact her father had tried to kill her, she was fleeing her small town, and she now had to deal with blood thirst, he wasn't sure what to expect or what to say to her when she awoke. He almost felt a little relief at having some time to prepare for everything that would explode when she woke up. Although, he couldn't help but wish she opened those cerulean orbs sooner rather than later.

He shook his head trying to come back to the present situation and wishing everything wasn't so confusing. Before Mystic Falls, he never had to deal with convoluted thoughts and an uncomfortable pit of the unknown lingering in his stomach. He just wanted to find Katerina, become his true self, drink blood and kill. Now, he was distracted by a blonde and her annoying alcoholic eldest brother and blood thirsty older brother.

"We'll need to stop soon you know. Caroline is going to wake up and she's going to need to feed." She added softly.

Klaus sighed and looked down at Caroline who was tucked in his arms. He softly caressed her face and looked over at Damon who was huddled in the corner of the carriage sweating profusely.

He wasn't entirely sure what to expect when she awoke. Would she be the same woman? Would she want to talk about what happened? Would she see a future with him now? And would she still think he was a monster? He had so many questions filtering through his head, he wasn't sure what to think. And the convoluted feelings and thoughts were haunting him; not giving him the clear head he needed to think straight.

Now that she had been turned, or was in the process of becoming a vampire, everything he felt for her seemed to become more real. When she was human he enjoyed her, liked being around her, but as a vampire it suddenly seemed like…like he could be with her for the rest of eternity. That realization alone sent a mixture of warmth and anxiety down through his core. The warmth for how lovely it would be to be with her for all of time, but the anxiety…would she still like him? Could she ever come to love him? He wasn't sure and the blend of not knowing how she'd react to a vampire as well as how she'd react to a potential future with him was killing him.

"This wasn't supposed to happen…if only I had—"

"Nik, you can't think that way." Rebkah interrupted before he could begin to spiral.

"But—"

"We need to focus on a solution to this situation and then you can begin to spiral and blame yourself. First, we need to figure out what to do when the sun rises." Rebekah said softly.

Klaus sighed and knocked on the carriage to signal to Kol who had elected to drive the carriage that they needed to halt.

The other carriage, which housed the other four members of the party, pulled over as well and took to the trees in case anyone decided to come looking for them as well as to stay out of sight from men of the law and men who broke the law.

Elijah and Klaus got out of the carriage and stood waiting for the other men to join the two of them. Kol and Stefan, both of whom had opted to drive, approached them.

"We need to find shelter and we need to figure out what to do about the Salvatores." Klaus said looking at Elijah with a hard expression.

Elijah nodded and glanced over at Rebakah who was staring at them in the window.

"That werewolf bite of Damon's…I think has caused him to contract a fever." Klaus said looking at Stefan who stared at him in annoyance.

"And you're just telling us this now? We need to stop at an inn to help him. And what about Caroline? She's going to wake up any minute and be starving." Stefan said angrily.

"I know." Klaus said rolling his eyes. As if he wasn't already aware, when both of Stefan's siblings were in the carriage with him; one sweating profusely and the other cuddled against his shoulder for the time being.

"Do you? Because I think Damon was right. I think you wanted this to happen. I don't think this was an accident. I think you wanted Caroline to be a vampire. I've seen the way you look at her…how you care for her. You wanted her all to yourself." Stefan snarled his eyes flashing red.

Klaus growled," Stop accusing me of wanting this to happen to Caroline! I wished nothing of the sort, mate." He ignored the comments about him caring and how he looked at her. He had no desire to get into it with Stefan right now, especially when a plan needed to be made.

"Stop this! We need to figure out a plan to protect your siblings." Elijah bristled.

"Yes, we are in a bit of a situation after all." Kol huffed glancing over to the carriages.

"Alright, what should we do then?" Stefan scoffed in annoyance.

"Find an inn and if Caroline wakes up, we'll just have to feed her ourselves as for Damon…there's not much we can do but feed him as well." Elijah said calmly.

"Always the calm one, brother." Kol said jovially already a bit of enthusiasm coming back to his step and slapping Elijah on the back who scowled at him.

"First inn we see we'll stop at, so we can have some supper or breakfast if you choose to keep those times." Kol added smirking devilishly.

Klaus and Elijah shared a look as Stefan looked between them.

"I want to drive the other carriage. I don't want to be far when they wake up." He said looking at Kol who shrugged.

"Be my guest. I'd rather drive the carriage with the lovely Bonnie anyway." Kol said smirking and looking toward the carriage.

The three brothers and Stefan nodded and then they all went back to their means of transportation. When Klaus got into his, he took note of how much worse Damon looked and how Caroline's breathing had turned shallow and seemed almost like it had stopped.

"I think we should feed them." Klaus said softly.

"Feed them? Us?" Rebekah asked surprised.

Klaus nodded and gestured to Damon who was mumbling under his breath.

"I'll feed Caroline and you can feed Damon." Klaus said nodding at Damon.

Rebekah sighed and looked at her brother. "Are we sure we want to do this? I mean…you don't let anyone feed from you and I know Caroline has done it before, but I'm not sure how comfortable I am—"

"Rebekah, this isn't up for discussion. They're going to wake up and we're in the middle of the woods until we find shelter. I'm not going to have to explain to Caroline why her brother is dead nor to Stefan." He said bitingly.

Rebekah sighed, nodded, and bit into her wrist to let give some blood to Damon. He immediately started coughing, but latched on to her wrist, so he could quench his thirst. She looked over at Klaus as they watched him drink.

"She should be waking up soon." Klaus said softly looking at Caroline who had stopped breathing.

"Any minute…" he whispered watching her closely.

The carriage jerked to a start and Caroline's eyes opened meeting Klaus's ones above her. They stared at each other for a minute and then slowly she removed herself from his embrace. The carriage was silence as she looked around and took in Damon in the corner, Rebekah beside him allowing him to feed, and then finally on Klaus who was looking at her with trepidation.

"What happened to Tyler?" she asked her voice hoarse.

"We're not sure." Klaus said quietly watching her carefully.

She nodded and sighed looking at Damon.

"What happened?"

"Tyler bit Damon and he's…he's not doing so well." Rebekah said quietly.

Caroline bit her lip, her eyes staying on her brother.

"I'm…I feel…different." She whispered flickering over toward Klaus.

"Are you hungry?" he asked.

She nodded slowly and looked over at Rebekah who had a look of pity on her face. Caroline reached out to touch Damon's hand and squeezed it softly.

The silence in the carriage stretched on neither of the Originals knowing what to say to Caroline. She seemed very docile for everything that had occurred. She didn't wake up screaming, crying, or anxious. She seemed to accept the situation for what it was. Although, Klaus noted a haunting look on her features.

"Caroline? Do you know what's happened?"

"Tyler bit me. That's the last thing I remember, but seeing as I'm not scratched, dead, or bloody, I'll assume that I've been turned into…a…a vampire." She said caressing Damon's hand.

"And Damon is dying from a werewolf bite." She added watching Rebekah detach her wrist from Damon's mouth. In mild fascination, she watched the skin heal where Damon had been feeding.

"You should eat something. We're going to an inn where we can stay for the day until we figure out what to do. You can't be in sunlight until Bonnie makes a ring and Damon…well we need to figure out how we can help him." Klaus said reasonably.

Caroline swallowed and looked over at sadly him.

"I don't want to feed from someone. I don't want to drag anyone else into this situation. I don't want to see anymore death or blood or watch anyone else die. I've been trice bitten by three different people and stabbed by my father. I've run from people I've loved and I've seen things I can never unsee. And this was all tonight. I can't…I won't subject anyone else to something so awful. If blood and killing is the way I'd have to live, then I'd rather not…" Caroline whispered. Her tone was so soft and steady, but the words were bold and it felt like she was filling the carriage with her declaration.

Her words seem to strike Klaus to his core as they haunted and infiltrated his head.

Klaus felt his stomach drop at his words and an odd sensation as if something were squeezing his heart occurred.

As his emotions took another step toward inner turmoil, he noted something as he gazed at her. One of the things he had worried about during her transition was whether she would have that one of a kind light shining through her and even though it was dim, it was still there.

"Caroline, if you don't feed, the transformation will not be complete." Klaus said reaching over to turn her head to meet his eyes.

He needed her to understand what she was saying. He needed her to change her mind about her bold declaration.

He stared into her eyes needing to see the emotions that were swirling there to know how she was feeling. He saw melancholy and a resignation there as if she were preparing for the worst. Dimly; however, he saw a spark and he was satisfied in knowing that despite the transition, he saw the slimmest glimmer of hope.

She gave him a downtrodden smile and took his hand within both of hers.

"I don't know if I want to transform."

"Caroline—"

"Nik, I don't want to be like you and your family. I don't want to be a vampire or a werewolf or whatever the hell I'll become when being bitten by vampires all day long and a werewolf." She yelled ignoring the fact she had used profane language.

Klaus and Rebekah glanced at each other with curious expressions and then over at Damon who was starting to shake and murmur in his sleep.

"You were bitten by Mr. Lockwood…" Klaus muttered.

"Duh. That's how I've come to be here." Caroline a tone other than sadness creeping into her voice.

"And you're fine." Rebekah stated.

"I'm not sure if fine is what I am, but I'm not dead or bitten or stabbed, so I guess that's in the realm of fine." She snarled.

"My blood was in your system when Tyler bit you…Rebekah switch places with me. I'd like to try to give him some of my blood." Klaus said moving away from Caroline as Rebekah moved beside her.

Caroline frowned and watched as Klaus bit into his wrist and fed Damon some of his blood.

"What's going on?" she asked as the carriage came to a halt.

"We're testing a theory." Klaus said as he moved his wrist away from Damon and they watched it closed.

"A theory?" she asked confused looking over at Rebekah.

Their conversation was interrupted by a knock on the door and then it opening.

"The sun is coming up one of you—Caroline!" Stephen said in glee reaching over to hug his now conscious sister.

Caroline smiled softly as her brother embraced her.

"You're awake!" he said in happiness, "Is Damon—?"

"Not yet. Mr. Mikaelson just gave him some blood." Caroline said glancing out the window.

"The sun is coming up." Stephen said.

Klaus sighed and moved to get out of the carriage, since he was one of the few who could be outside during the day.

"Hopefully, we'll come to an inn soon." He grumbled, "let me know if that works for Mr. Salvatore."

Klaus left the carriage with one last look at Caroline.

As Klaus left, Stephen hoped into the carriage beside Damon and looked over his brother who had stopped sweating, but didn't seem to be much better.

"They were testing a theory on how to save him." Caroline answered his unasked question quietly.

"Caroline was bit by a werewolf and had Nik's blood in her system. We're wondering if perhaps Nik's blood will help him. If not, we'll need to find another way." Rebekah said quietly.

Stephen nodded and looked over at Caroline.

"We were worried."

Caroline smiled slightly, "you don't have to worry anymore."

"Yes, he bloody well does. She doesn't want to go through the transformation." Rebekah said huffing and glaring at the other blonde.

"I don't want to kill people." She stated loudly.

Rebekah sighed, "you don't know what you want right now. Your emotions are high. You're in transformation, just wait until we get to the inn and we can create a plan and you three new vampires can have some time to feel less…uncontrollable." She rolled her eyes and crossed her arms glaring at the three of them even if one of them was unconscious.

"I've been a vampire for a long time, but I remember what it's like to transform. It's…indescribable and it's difficult and overwhelming. I know what you're going through, but that doesn't mean you need to brush it off, or be ruled by your emotions, or make rash decisions." Rebekah said huffing.

Caroline frowned, "I never asked to be a vampire."

"Well neither did I, but it's what I am and there's no changing it. I wished for a long time I was a normal girl, but…wishing is a pointless activity. What you are now is powerful. You can have anything you've ever wanted. You can go anywhere you want. You can be anyone you want. The world is at your fingertips and you can either use that to your advantage or you can become ruled by emotions and wishing things were different. I'm not telling you what to do. All I'm saying is that you should think before you act because how you feel right now is heightened by what's happened to you." The Original said.

"She's right Caroline. You can't decide what you want right now. I know you're scared, hungry, and sad, but you can control your urges." Stephan said quietly.

"Like you?" Caroline whispered.

"That's not fair. I just became a vampire." He said angrily.

Caroline shook her head, "And what if I do the same to someone? What if I can't control my hunger and I…lash out? I don't want to hurt anyone."

"You can feed off of animals and you can feed without killing." Rebekah said sighing. "You won't have that much strength, but you'll be alive."

Caroline looked at her quietly and then over at Damon who was still sleeping. She allowed her mind to replay the events of the last 24 hours and she suddenly felt so tired at everything that had happened.

She'd found out vampires, werewolves, and witches were real. She'd been attacked by Katherine, her brother, Tyler, and her father. She'd been killed. Her family torn apart. The man she thought who was falling in love with was a vampire himself and the girl she'd come to know as a friend was as well.

Her mind reeled with everything that had happened and she was starting to feel extremely anxious as her mind raced with memories, feelings, and the hunger that was enveloping her.

When she'd opened her eyes and found Klaus looking down at her, she thought she had dreamt everything for a moment. But then her senses turned on and she could hear everything. From the footsteps of the horses to birds chirping in the distance to people talking in the next carriage. She could smell blood, so much blood, the morning dew, and the horses. Then the hunger overwhelmed her and was unlike anything she'd ever experienced before. And she knew without knowing how that she was one of them.

She closed her eyes and wished with all her might that she could go back to three days ago when everything was fine. Suddenly, she let out a choked laughed and looked at the people in the carriage.

"Everything that's happened…this is all mad. I can't…I can't believe I'm having a conversation about whether if I allow myself to – to die or if I…live. This is all…it's too much. I just can't…what's happening to me? It wasn't supposed to be like this." Caroline choked out feeling the urge to laugh and cry all at the same time.

She looked around the carriage and saw the concerned faces of her brother and her friend watching her. She heard someone making odd noises and realized that it was her making a combination between a sob and a laugh. She felt tears running down her face and she tried to wipe at them, but instead she grasped at her skin as if to make sure it was real, that she wasn't dreaming or going crazy. She pinched her cheeks and raked her hands through her hair feeling like she was out of her mind.

"This is insanity." She choked out right as the carriage stopped again and Klaus opened the door.

"We've arrived at an inn." He said with pleasure and then noticed that the carriage had filled with Caroline's slight mental breakdown.

He looked at Rebekah in concern and then he moved to touch Caroline who shrank back from his hands.

"I just need…I need…" she continued choke out before pushing past Klaus and zooming into the inn to avoid the sunlight and the eyes of everyone in the carriage on her.

Klaus and Rebekah looked at each other in alarm.

"What's going on with her?" Stefan whispered.

Klaus ignored her and instead hurried after her not knowing what she would do.

After all, she was a newly turned vampire who wasn't in her right mind.

Caroline ran into the inn trying to ignore the burning of the sun on her skin. She burst through the door and hurried over to a corner not bothering to acknowledge the strange looks she was getting from the patrons of the inn. She looked around the establishment hesitantly not knowing what to think or how to interact with anyone. It was like with her untimely death she'd forgotten how to live. Or maybe she didn't want to and she really was going to give up.

She'd never been one for laying down and taking whatever was thrown her way. She'd never wished she was dead before, even during the tough times, like when her mother died.

She'd always embraced living.

She hadn't really meant what she said about considering not living the way she had to from now on as a…vampire.

However, in those first moments of waking up, she felt immense sadness. It was infiltrating her soul, filtering through her very core to the center of her being. And for a few minutes she felt like she didn't want to live anymore.

She'd seen how Stefan handled it. She didn't want to hurt anyone because she lost control. She didn't want to feed on an innocent person. Even though she might be a…vampire now, she didn't want to hurt anyone for sport or because she was hungry. She just wanted to be Caroline Salvatore. She just wanted to live in a small town, marry a normal man, bare his children and then…

But no, she'd never really wanted that. She had grown bored of her small town life. If she really wanted a small town man, she'd have gone for Mr. Lockwood. But she hadn't…she had wanted more out of her life than to be a wife and mother…she wanted to feel alive.

She sighed heavily and stared down at the table.

She felt confused, overwhelmed, like she was on the brink of something so much larger than her. She had never felt so emotional and out of control before. A million thoughts were running through her mind. She felt a million different emotions. She wasn't sure what to think or do anymore.

She felt caught between wanting to do the right thing, striving for more out of her life, and to just accept her situation and make the best of it. She was caught between wanting to be alive and wanting to give up because it was easier. She was caught between this sadness that lay inside her at her glimpse of the world through these new eyes. And she was caught between this desire to give into the hunger that was slowly taking over every one of her senses and just giving in to it. As she took a few a few deep breathes, she halted wishing she'd thought before doing that.

All she could smell was the blood, she could hear the pumping of the nearest person's heart, her eyes zeroed in on the barmaid coming over to her with a look of concern, and she could even taste the metallic sharpness of blood on her tongue. Her stomach clenched and she felt a strange sensation throughout her body that seemed to stop in her face.

Then, without warning, Klaus sat down beside her as if he'd just suddenly appeared. He reached over to her and clasped her hands that were sitting on the table within his.

"Caroline…you need to feed." He whispered, but her ears picked up the lilting tone of his voice easily.

She nodded afraid to open her mouth and let the odor of blood infiltrate her senses again.

She watched as Klaus turned to the barmaid who had just gotten to their table. The barmaid asked what they would like and Klaus asked for a room because she was sick from traveling. Without hesitation, she booked them a room and Klaus guided her upstairs.

"Where's Damon and Stefan?" she asked as they walked into the room.

"Stefan wasn't as brave as you to go outside and Damon's still unconscious. Kol, Bonnie, Elijah, and Rebekah are figuring out how to get them inside without burning." Klaus said moving to close the curtains so she could come in further.

"I can't go outside again." She stated the weight behind the words much heavier than stating she wasn't able to go outside.

It was the weight of knowing she couldn't go outside again ever because she'd burn. It was the weight of not being able to have children or eating her favorite foods or growing old with her husband. It was the weight of a future she now had to say goodbye to.

He glanced at her, "you'll be able to eventually. Bonnie needs to make daylight rings. As you become a vampire, your aversion to the sun will strengthen. You won't be able to pull a stunt like you just did."

She nodded going over to sit on the bed.

"How are you feeling?"

"Hungry."

Klaus nodded and moved to sit beside her on the bed.

"Will you eat if I bring you something?" he asked softly.

She glanced at him and swallowed. "I don't want to hurt anyone."

He gave her a sad smile, "you need to eat to survive."

"Can't I eat without killing anyone?"

He paused and regarded her, "so you're planning on going through the transition?"

Caroline looked away. "I never wasn't going to do it. I just…this wasn't what I wanted for myself. I was supposed to live in Mystic Falls, get married to a man from Mystic Falls, bare his children, and live happily ever after. I wasn't supposed to worry about going out in the sun or whether I needed to kill someone to feed. I wasn't supposed to be a vampire."

Klaus nodded, "No, I suppose you weren't."

The room filled with heavy silence as they both filtered through the many thoughts going through their heads.

"I'm going to get you something to eat." Klaus said finally standing up, "please, stay here. I'll be back soon."

Caroline nodded watching as he moved toward the door, "Nik, I just…I need time. Time to adjust to everything."

Klaus nodded curtly, "I'll be back soon."

Caroline watched as he left and then curled herself into a ball to cry for everything that had happened and for the future she had lost.

(A/n: So what do you think?! Please leave a review if you're still reading!)