Title: the other Mikaelson girl
Pairing: Caroline/Damon: Damon/Elena/Stefan: Damon/Katherine
Rating: M
Warnings: Language, Violence, and Sexual Situations
Alternate History: Caroline the eldest daughter of the Original family has been on the run from Niklaus since the daggering of Rebekah. But when she receives an interesting call with the promise of finally ending the Hybrid she finds herself in Mystic Falls, faced with a man from her past that she hasn't been able to forget.
Important Note: This chapter is set in "Know Thy Enemy" and "The Last Dance". Also I do not in any way own "Something" by the Beatles...I just enjoy listening to it. This chapter will make a lot of people both elated and depressed, you are warned.
Her eyes
She's on the dark side
Neutralize
Every man in sight
Angel, Massive Attack
V
Well, this had never been a part of her plan. Things were progressively growing more and more complicated by the minute. The unexpected arrival of Isobel Saltzman, the apparent mother, turned vampire, of Elena had caused quite the stir at the Gilbert residence.
"I could compel her to leave," Caroline offered sympathetically, eyeing the devastated doppelganger as she paced the length of the room. "Or Jenna to forget, if you wish."
The brunette paused mid-step, "I can't do that, again. Not to Jenna."
Caroline nodded in understanding. It had been…hard to say the least compelling Damon to forget her. Something she wished she'd never have to do. But at the time she had seen no other way to keep him safe. She was supposed to leave with Nik and Bekah. Keep running with them from their father, but two things occurred that she had not been prepared to deal with. The first being a call—from Elijah, warning her that Mikael was on his way to Chicago. And then…later on that night, the scene of Niklaus daggering their beloved sister.
:}{}{}{}{:
Chicago 1922
Click. Click. Click. Her heels snapped along the pavement. She was running—it seemed she would always be running. From her father (and later, her brother). From certain death. But she was also running toward something. She was in a race, pressed for time. An unexpected call had cut her date night with Damon short, for what appeared would be their last moments together. The realization that she had to leave Damon overwhelmed her with sadness, but the thought of pulling him into her world of distrust and misery…Eli's voice held warning as he informed her that Mikael was in Chicago, looking for Niklaus.
Gloria's—that is where he and Bekah were sure to be that night. And that is where she was headed.
"What did you do?" Her ears picked up the habitual voice. Rebekah! They were at the back entrance of the speakeasy. Relief washed over her as she trailed along the side of the structure. "Come on, we do not have time for one of your tantrums." Her brother asserted. Caroline paused, turning the corner to see her siblings standing before one another, both wearing hard expressions.
"I don't want to run anymore Nik. All we do is run!" The young blond exclaimed as she yanked her arm out of Nik's grasp. "I want to be with Stefan."
Caroline understood her sister completely. Every fiber of her being was calling for the Salvatore…aching with the need only his touch could subdue. Merely looking into his beautiful, blue eyes and she was lost. But, unlike her sister, she wasn't naïve to the lengths their father would go to get to Nik.
"Fine…" Nikalus breathed out, taking a step toward their sister. "Then choose. Him or me…"
The moment Bekah closed her eyes Caroline knew what her choice was. The foolish things a girl in love did.
"That's what I thought." Klaus said, turning away from her, both still ignorant to her presence just a few feet away. "Get in the truck. Let's go."
"Goodbye Nik." The blond whispered into the night air, suppressing tears that wished to form.
Caroline's eyes fluttered close…she did not wish to part with her sister. She and Niklaus were all she had left. But she understood the pull of love. A gasp.
Her eyes opened at the small noise. Bekah—Nik had plunged a dagger in her heart. Her hand flew to her mouth, chocking back the sharp intake a breath that threatened to alert him she was there.
She moved into the shadow of night, pressing her back into the wall of the building. Is that what will happen to her if ever she wished to leave her brother's side? A chill crept up her spine at the thought of being lost to the world forever. If he were to do with Rebekah what he'd done to Kol and Finn…drop her at the bottom of the ocean, never to be found again? She had to run…where could she run?
Eli—he had managed to evade Niklaus' wrath for years…maybe he could protect her, too.
:}{}{}{}{:
"What am I looking for?" Bonnie spoke up, peeking over the thick stack of grimoires on the table before her. Jonas and Luka had collected all of the Witch's Cookbooks, as Damon liked to put it, and brought them over to the Salvatore boarding house to look through.
Damon looked up from his spot on the settee furnishing the den. His feet propped up at its end. "A spell that will incapacitate Klaus." Luka offered, eyes skimming through the contents of a particularly old, leather bound book.
The Bennett scoffed, "How do we even know this spell exists? What? Just because this Original says it does?"
Damon had to admit he was a bit skeptical that there was even such a spell in existence…but Emily had proved him long ago the wondrous capabilities of the realm of witchcraft. What was so wrong with wanting to finally believe in something—in anything that was good, and there to help him. The Original sister had yet to prove him wrong. To earn any amount of distrust from him. It was enigmatic that he felt so compelled to believe in her.
"Come on, Damon," Bonnie said, appealing to his better judgment. "I know you aren't so quick to trust this girl."
The Salvatore stared back at her for a second, face hardened with lines of thought. He wasn't normally quick to turn his back to someone and see if they'd stab him for the hell of it. His gaze flickered to where Luka and Jonas sat, watching him, and waiting for his reply. As if they were looking to him to decide on whether they should continue down the road they were on. Instead of looking for a way to save Elijah.
He merely shrugged his soldiers. "I think we should listen to the blonde. I mean, who else knows more about the enemy than her?"
"Elijah," the young warlock pointed out, as if Damon had forgotten.
"That's a great idea. Trust the guy who can't even promise to keep the doppelganger alive." The man rolled his eyes. "No offense Jonas, but your son is none too bright."
Jonas sent the vampire a scowl before returning his attention to the grimoire sitting before him.
Damon smirked at the response. Oh, how he loved to antagonize the witch-folk. His lips quivered as he felt a heated stare on him. His eyes drifted up and across the floor of the room. There she was. The girl who'd invaded his dreams. She had finally returned from her little field trip to the Gilbert residence to make sure Elena had not been harmed by the arrival of Isobel.
"Hey," She smiled, unraveling the crimson colored scarf from around her neck and hanging it up on the rack by the door.
"How is Elena?" Bonnie spoke up, drawing her gaze away from the man. She didn't miss the hint of distaste in the witch's voice.
The blond's eyes darted to her when she spoke. "Better than anyone else would be doing considering…how's the spell hunt going?"
"Fruitless," Jonas informed her, standing up from his seat to collect a stack of grimoires, "but there are a few more pages to look through."
"I'm sure we'll find it." Caroline said positive of that fact. "I need to change. Damon…mind if I use your shower?"
The Salvatore nodded slowly at her inquisition. The image of her, in his shower, came to the forefront of his mind. It was amazing how he seemed to know just how she'd looked with water cascading down the expanse of her porcelain white skin. The soft hue of pink in her cheeks…the tattoo of a swallow on her wrist as her hand reach out…for him.
:}{}{}{}{:
"Do you really think Isobel is telling the truth that word has gotten out about the doppelganger?" Elena inquired, hands fiddling in her lap as all the possibilities of what that could mean for her ran through her mind.
"Look, I don't trust a word that she says but…I think we'd be stupid to ignore the warning." Stefan acknowledged after a moment of thought. Isobel's arrival only seemed to be ruffling a lot of feathers.
"You know—." The older Salvatore began before a familiar voice cut him off.
"It's not a warning," Caroline announced, entering the room with an easy grace. He could not help but let his eyes travel down the length of her body. She was dressed in a black v-neck top, a dark, brown leather jacket hugging her frame, and a tight pair of dark-wash jeans.
"What do you mean?" Elena sounded alarmed. She turned in her seat, giving the blond her full attention.
"It's to be expected that word would get out. How do you think Rose and her Trevor friend found you?" She sighed, staring back at the girl sympathetically. "Blind luck? No. They were looking for you. Nik has dozens of eyes and ears…it wouldn't take long for wind of your existence to reach his ears."
"Well that's convenient." Damon grumbled, tossing his hands up in exasperation. "And, you're staying here…" He continued, this time addressing Elena, "…It's better for us to keep an eye on you."
That was right. Isobel had offered to take Elena to a safe house—a precaution for when Klaus showed up in Mystic Falls looking for his precious doppelganger.
"In the house that any vampire can enter? No," Stefan countered, setting his sights on the girl. "Her house his safer."
"It's settled then," Caroline sighed as she looked between the two brothers. "She will stay there. Boys, she doesn't need to be coddled like an infant. Just kept alive."
She empathized with the girl. It must be hard having two men trying so hard to keep her safe and have to worry about not only their safety, but the safety of all her friends and family. Elena had an internal strength that reminded her of Tatia…on the other hand, she did not seem to realize how lucky she was to have a man as honorable as Damon willing and ready to do whatever she asked of him.
She turned on her heel before either Salvatore could voice a reply. She could feel the heat of Damon's hard stare on her back as she exited the room. If he knew just what that one glance did to her.
:}{}{}{}{:
Two things she had not expected to happen: Isobel killing John Gilbert and Elena going missing. She did not know how to react to his words when Stefan had called, after waking from his stupor. It had been Katerina's doing, of course. How had she not seen this coming? Kidnapping Elena and bringing her to Klaus herself would be just the thing to keep the man from hunting her down. A smart move on her part.
"What happened?" She spoke into the cellular, standing from the lounge chair that she'd been occupying in the Salvatore study.
"Katherine." The Salvatore had stated simply. Caroline couldn't believe she had not foreseen this. She knew she should have ripped out her heart when she had the chance. He informed her of the attack on John—perfectly orchestrated with the switching of Katherine and the doppelganger. It sickened her to realize that she had let the man down—that Elena was gone.
"Fuck," She muttered, raising a hand to her head.
"She wasn't at Isobel's," She heard Damon say blandly. She surmised the two were out looking for the girl. Holding on to some glimmer of hope that the girl could be saved.
"Where else cou—"
Ding…ding…
Her eyebrows scrunched up together—who could that possibly be? "Hold on…"
Caroline slowly circulated toward the front door of the boarding house as the bell reverberated throughout the halls. A knock . She sighed as she reached the entrance, pulling the door open with a quick sweep of the arm.
She was a bit surprised, taking in the sudden appearance of the man that stood out on the Salvatore's stoop. He wore a sullen expression, fingers curled around a black, leather bound book, knuckles visibly whitening from the pressure of the hold he had over it.
"Jonas," the blond greeted, though at the moment the last thing on her mind was sharing pleasantries. Not with the doppelganger missing. Wait! The man had managed to find the girl before…for Eli. He could very well do it again. "I need you—"
"The spell," He cut her off. "I've found it."
Her eyes widened at his words—found it? Well, that was another thing she hadn't quite expected to happen that day. Maybe a small part of her doubted she'd actually succeed in ending her brother. But now that the spell was in arms reach…
"Great," She mumbled, stepping aside and allowing him entry. "Too bad we're a doppelganger short."
"Wha—what happened to Elena?" the warlock inquired quickly to the news. He trailed after her as she disappeared into the parlor, heading straight for the glass of bourbon calling her name.
"Katherine and Isobel are what happened," Caroline growled out, pouring herself a shot and bringing it to her lips. She pushed it back, the familiar dull ache crawling up her throat. She told him of the attack on John Gilbert and how it posed as a distraction for Katerina to switch places with the girl.
"Katherine?" He sounded surprised by the name. "I thought she left town."
"We all did," she muttered, pouring herself another shot. The lingering taste of blood from her morning breakfast was still there. "And now Elena is gone."
"Not so gone," A voice said, announcing them to another occupant in the room. The blond's head snapped toward the archway leading into the hallway. Elena—she stood there, albeit a bit shaken up.
"I'll call Damon and tell him to call off the search party," Caroline informed no one in particular, turning to address the brunette before leaving the room. "I'm happy you're okay."
"Do you really think this spell will work?" Damon asked her the following day as they congregated outside of the Salvatore boarding house. The blond crossed her legs, she had been sitting on the brick wall that lined the walkup and was growing tired of waiting for the realtor and Elena to finish their business.
"Jonas and Bonnie have looked over the spell, Damon," she said softly, not bite in her tone as she spoke to him. "It'll work. I promise."
There she went again. Making another promise to the man she wasn't quite sure she could keep.
"So, now all we have to do is find him." Stefan chimed in from where he stood leaning beside her.
"Can't they do one of those witch tracking spells?" the older Salvatore asked hopefully. Caroline shook her head.
"Not without something that belongs to him. Sorry." She wished she had kept the photo of him—hadn't burned it in a fit of anger one night as memories of everything he'd ever done came flooding back to her.
A moment of silence. "We can't tell anyone."
It was Caroline who'd spoken up. She had been thinking about it since the warlock had come to her with the key to killing Klaus.
"What?" Stefan and Damon said in accord.
"I am to assume that Niklaus already knows everything Isobel and Katherine knew and were informed." She surmised staring between the two Salvatores. "That means the only two things he doesn't know are that I am in town and have in my possession the spell to put an end to him. We must keep the information to ourselves. Who else knows I'm here?"
"Elena, Bonnie and the Martins," Damon rattled off with his fingers.
"Then they are the only ones that can know I'm here." Caroline declared unmoving.
"Thank you Mr. Henry," Elena's voice filled the morning air as the front door to the estate opened. The three vampires nodded to the old man upon his departure. They paused as the invisible, protective barrier kept them from entering.
"I'm sorry. I completely forgot," Elena said with exasperation. "Stefan…would you like to come inside my house?"
Caroline rolled her eyes at the dumbfounded smile on the girl's face.
"I would love to," he declared wearing a wide smile as he entered. "Thank you."
Elena's eyes flickered to the older Salvatore, smile dropping from sight.
"What are we, twelve?" Damon inquired good-humoredly. Of course she would make this more difficult for him than it needed to be. There was an animosity between them that was almost palpable.
"One of us is," She said, a hinting judgment of him in her tone. Elena turned to look at the vampires. There was a pensive look on her face as if she was trying to figure something out. And with Elena that meant she was trying to determine what she would do. After a moment of thought, "Caroline, please, come in."
"Thanks." The blond muttered, crossing over the threshold and into the hallway.
:}{}{}{}{:
Klaus was finally here. And he was taunting Elena. Taunting all of them with just how close he could get to them. Compelling one of their classmates to give the doppelganger a message—he'd be seeing her at the dance. The girl had called a meeting. Aside from Vampire Barbie and Luka, who were working on gathering intel on where exactly Klaus was hiding out in town, everyone from their trusted circle was in attendance.
A knock at the door interpreted the discussion. Alaric appeared a moment later, head peeking into the home before stepping inside.
"There you are." Damon called out to him, watching the man close the door behind him.
"Sorry I'm late," Ric apologized, stepping out into the foyer.
"Hey, I need you to put me down as a chaperon at the dance tonight." The Salvatore said, enlightening him to what had just occurred. "Klaus made his first move."
"Okay, so we find him, then what?" Elena spoke up, bringing attention back to the issue at hand. The fact that the Original sister was not answering her phone was a bit disheartening. It was her plan after all. "What's our plan of attack?"
Silence. Jonas was the first to speak up. "I could…channel the power of the witches and use it to incapacitate Klaus."
It had been Elijah's original plan to have a witch channel enough magic to kill the man during his transition into a hybrid. Maybe he could do it without having to go through with the ritual…it wasn't as if Caroline was there to protest.
"Give you guys time to protect Elena," He finished, bowing his head. Giving his words time to sink in among the group.
"It's not going to be that easy," Alaric piped with a light chuckle, "He's the biggest, baddest vampire around."
"Alaric has a point,' Damon agreed, tilting his head in thought. "I mean what if he—"
"No…that might work," Bonnie cut him off, raising a hand to silence him. "If he could channel enough power, he could do it. But…he'd have to visit the witch's burial site before tonight."
The older Salvatore nodded. He'd give the man the location before he left.
"Wait, what about Caroline's plan?" Elena spoke up suddenly. Of course, she would be the one to bring up the Original sister. But everyone else in the room knew of her, aside from Ric who wore an obviously confused expression. He was a little late in the game and didn't quite know all the players on the board, yet.
"Elijah's sister," Damon explained. If anyone could talk about the blond it was him. Every time he closed his eyes to rest there she was. At first he'd thought she'd simply been invading his dream space, but the fact that she was over at Elena's when it had happened…scary notion to grasp. "She's here to help us kill Klaus."
"Oh…" Alaric mumbled, eyes falling to his feet.
""Her plan would work. But it's dangerous," Jonas sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose absentmindedly. "You'd be putting a human life at risk."
"And we wouldn't want that," Damon muttered under his breath in retort. God, he missed the days when he could just walk up to someone, rip their heart out and not feel guilty. Guilt, though was a funny thing. Because he was pretty certain the twinge in his chest that he was feeling was not from the sudden change in plan, but from the fact that Caroline wasn't there to state her opinion on the matter. He pushed the feeling aside as he looked around his companions. "Let's kill an Original."
:}{}{}{}{:
Damon had called her and informed her of the change in plans. They were going to the Decade Dance and they would be killing Klaus tonight, with…or without her. She swallowed her pride at the fact that they weren't going through with her plan. So, it seemed, she would see how far the troop could get on the Klaus front through their own methods. It wasn't as if he could kill them, Caroline thought, with a painful sarcasm she winced. Damon dead was not a pretty picture.
"Any time tonight," She heard Damon declare as she entered the hall from the guest room the Salvatore brothers had been gracious enough to let her stay in. With a sigh, she took in his form from behind. Head-to-toe black was definitely sexy.
"Yes, let's please hurry," Caroline spoke up, gently pushing past the man into his brother's room. All eyes were on her as she took a few graceful steps toward the box of clothing on the desk before Stefan and Elena. What could she say? She loved a good party.
She'd managed to find a suit that mirrored the iconic pink channel suit First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy wore in the sixties. On her head was a black pillbox hat with matching gloves. Damon's eyes followed her as she fingered the fabric of a dress in the box absentmindedly.
"What do you think you're doing?" He asked, looking at her through narrowed eyes which seemed to be wandering over the length of her legs.
She turned on her heel to address him wearing a calculated smile. "Do any of you know what my brother looks like?"
"No but, I thought you didn't want anyone to know you were here. That will pretty much go out the window if you come with us. What if—"
The blond cut him off before he could voice his concern. "The way I see it, you need me there, if you want Jonas' plan to work. Since mine is too dangerous…"
Damon ignored the pang of regret. He had thought about speaking up in favor of her plan, but he knew exactly how Elena would feel putting someone's life in danger. Her looked to his brother, who simply conceded his agreement of the vampiress going. "Fine…You can be my date."
A soft smile graced her lips at his words. They made her insides turn right side up.
"Well then I'm a lucky girl."
:}{}{}{}{:
The moment they arrived at the dance Klaus had left yet another message for Elena—in the form of a disturbing song dedication. Damon suggested they blend with the rest of the partygoers and simply wait for Klaus to come to them. If he was even there. The girl had made it clear that she knew everyone there. So they disbanded across the space. Not the brightest idea he ever had, but—
"A special dedication, huh," Alaric said as he approached the man, "This guy's a little twisted."
"I'm not impressed." The Salvatore scoffed, looking over the sea of pubescent faces. Caroline had disappeared at the entrance of the school, leaving him dateless. He was surprised how much it hurt him that she'd left his side. Left him. But then, everyone woman in his life did that—first his mother, who'd died shortly after giving birth to Stefan, than Katherine…and later Rose, though that had been his own fault.
"No?" He heard Ric ask with a hint of surprise in his tone. But he'd stopped listening to his friend the moment he caught sight of her blond head. She was standing by the punch bowl, on the other side of the room.
Something in the way she moves
Attracts me like no other lover
"Let me know if you see anything out of whack,' Damon said, leaving his friend to chaperone on his own. It was like he was drawn to her, for whatever reason he did not know why. But he pushed past the dancing couples until he finally reached her.
Something in the way she woos me
"Dance with me." He spoke up over the familiar tune as it played throughout the extravagantly decorated gym.
I don't want to leave her now
You know I believe and how
The blond's eyes snapped toward the voice, widening slightly at his sudden appearance. Her lips quirked into a smile at the request. It had been years since she'd danced with the man. She accepted his hand as he pulled her out onto the dance floor, only a few feet away from Stefan and Elena.
Somewhere in her smile she knows
That I don't need no other lover
He pressed her slender frame against his body, looping an arm around her waist tightly and took her hand in his. She did not flinch when his fingers pressed too roughly into her hip, instead simply resting her free hand on his shoulder as they swayed to the music—an uncharacteristic ease to their movements.
Something in her style that shows me
I don't want leave her now
You know I believe and how
"Have you seen him?" Damon asked her gently.
The blond shook her head, eyes sweeping over the room before returning to him.
"Maybe he's not here." He offered hopefully, but in truth the song request had been enough of a point proven. Klaus could get to anyone at anytime and they would never even know he was there until it was too late.
"Doubtful," Caroline sighed, expression cold at the thought of her brother. "But optimistic."
You're asking me will my love grow
I don't know, I don't know
"Where's Jonas?" He asked as he stepped back, twirling her out, before pulling her back into him.
"I don't know," She admitted, turning in his arms so that her back was pressed firmly against his chest. The sensation of warmth washing over her—a familiar tingle. He wrapped his arms around her waist, resting his chin in the crook of her neck. Her scent was intoxicating—light vanilla and the euphoric hint of summer.
You stick around and it may show
I don't know, I don't know
"I tried calling him when we got here." Caroline informed him sullenly. "Something is wrong, Damon…I can feel it."
"Damon," Stefan called, hand pulling his brother from his dance. "Luka just called."
The two turned their attention to the young Salvatore at the news.
"Jonas is…dead." He informed them in a whisper so that no one else overheard their conversation on the dead warlock that had been scheming with them to kill an Original Vampire. "Luka went to the burial site when he didn't pick up. His neck was broken."
"Klaus," Damon deadpanned. Klaus had not been at the dance after all. He merely baited them into going so that he could kill their witch. The question was…how did he know about Jonas?
"We need to go," Stefan said leaving no room for argument. "I'll get the car."
"We'll look for Elena." The older Salvatore sighed, grabbing hold of her hand and leading the way into the hall.
:}{}{}{}{:
"Go find Judgy and Elena"—had been the last thing to come out the Salvatore's mouth before he knocked out a crossbow wielding drone. It had all be a distraction, she realized the moment she and Damon came across a bunch of compelled idiots beating the shit out of Jeremy Gilbert. Klaus was there. And for all she knew he could have Elena by now.
She raced through the halls of the high school, in heels, searching every corridor for the girl. A turn here. Some double doors there. But she found the girl and the Bennett, slamming a set of doors behind them. The moment they saw her it was like they'd seen a mirage in the middle of a desert, face showing obvious relief.
"What happened?" She asked as she took in the two's rough breathing.
"Kla—Klaus is in Alaric's body," Elena stammered out, giving her friend time to catch her breath.
"Oh, no." The blond muttered. She recalled possession had been one of her brother's favorite tricks. Why had she not thought about that?
"It's like he's possessing it or something." Bonnie added helpfully.
The blond looked to Elena. "Go find Damon, now," she ordered the girl, who was more than willing to oblige.
"You can't kill him." Caroline sighed. She knew her brother all too well, "If you do, he'll just posses someone else."
"He knows about you." The Bennett informed her, taking in a deep, worried breath.
"Well then we're fucked." Caroline said in response. It seemed that everything was slipping through her fingers. "Jonas is dead."
Any ray of hope that had been behind the witch's eyes died with her last statement. Nothing was going the way it was supposed to. A hand on her shoulder pulled her out of her stump. Caroline wore a serious expression as she stared back at her.
"Listen. Just because Jonas is dead, does not mean Klaus gets to win." She declared definitely, radiating a spirit that reminded her of Grams. It was obvious the only way out of this was to do something stupid. "After tonight, I need you to do something for me…
:}{}{}{}{:
He hears Bonnie before he sees her, running down the empty corridor toward him and Elena. He is almost happy to see that she is okay, offering up a smile. It fell from his lips when he realized someone was missing.
He looked past her, hoping to see some glimpse of blond hair. "Where's Caroline?"
"Hello…sister." His greeted the moment she stepped foot inside the cafeteria. His voice—it almost knocked the wind out of her. Surprising, as it was not his own. But the bitter edge to them was still there.
"Nik," She said with as much kindness as she could muster. He stood up from his seat. She caught the glint of metal clutched in his hand. A dagger—with her name on it. That had been what he was after. It seemed she was number one on his hit-list.
"What took you so long?"
"It was the only way," Bonnie said, trying to make sense of it all. She had promised the blond that she would take care of killing Klaus. It had been the only option.
"Wha—what did you do?" the Salvatore readied his accusations. An uneasy feeling overpowered his sense of reason.
"Nothing," She said in defense. He took a menacing step toward the witch.
"What are you doing?" Jeremy's voice echoed down the hall as he trotted to them.
"Where is she?" Damon asked again. He reasoned with his anger—it was because she was an important asset to killing the hybrid. But, somehow he knew that something just wasn't right. Not when she wasn't there, within arm's reach.
She pushed away from him, clawing at the side of his face as his fingers yanked at her blond locks. This was the way it had to be. She couldn't kill Alaric—she couldn't take the life of Damon's friend. The way her brother's mind worked was simple. If she killed the man, he'd simply possess another body. No, there had to be another way to kill him. One it seemed she wouldn't be around for.
Caroline crawled away from the man; blood, from where he'd rammed her head into a table, trailing down the length of her face. Black boots appeared by her head and Alaric leaned over her, pressing his knees into her side. He had come with a vervain dart, stabbing in her side after she'd launched herself at him. The familiar burn of the toxin dulled the ache in her chest as he ran a hand through her blood matted hair.
"I wish things could have been different, Care," He whispered as he raised the dagger over her.
5…4…3..."Go, to hell Nik."…
He pushed through a set of double doors…2…racing to her rescue, it seemed…1…A sudden sharp pull in his chest broke him from his run, almost sending him off his feet in surprise. He brought a hand to his chest. It strangely felt like someone had staked him. His eyes fluttered close as a wave of images flooded him mind in succession.
In them…Caroline. In the first it seemed—he was watching her behind, and then she was turning at some distant sound that was of no importance to him, eyes finding his as a gentle smile graced her nextwasof her pulling him out onto the dance floor, then of them slowly dancing, pressed forehead to forehead, a knowing smile on his face as a soft jazz tune filled the room of a speakeasy. The last was of her. She lay in bed, staring at him the way only a lover would. She reached a hand out, fingers running over his cheek. A sweet caress, and then—darkness.
"Damon!" Elena exclaimed, running toward the man kneeling in the middle of the empty corridor. She helped him to his feet, the voices of Jeremy and Bonnie echoing down the hall as they appeared too.
He could not understand…why was he having flashbacks of him and Caroline? Had he met her before? If so, why hadn't she said anything? Another thought occurred to him. He'd been compelled to forget her. And when an Original dies all previous compulsion is void, he remembered.
"She's dead," He heard him saying, thinking out loud. "Klaus has her."
Elena sent Jeremy a surprised look, possibly wondering how on earth he knew that.
"You knew she was going to do this?" Damon snapped, turning his narrowed gaze to the Bennett witch. "Didn't you?"
Her expression softened. "It was the only way, Damon. Klaus wasn't going to stop until she was out of the way."
Damon cast his eyes to the floor, willing her to be wrong. But he'd felt it. The sudden shift within him—any inclination that she was okay lost on him.
"What do we do now?" Elena spoke up, hoping to change the subject from the dead, Original sister, and onto something more productive. She moved, ushering them out of the hallway and out of the school. The witch stopped in her tracks, the trio turning their attention to her as she spoke up.
"I promised Caroline…that I would follow through with her plan." She said truthfully and unwaveringly. She had to honor that promise. The woman had basically given up her life to make sure that no one died unnecessarily in her brother's pursuit to kill her. "Guys, it's the only one we have left."
"I'm with Glenda," Damon bit out as their car pulled up at the end of the sidewalk, Stefan behind the wheel. "But if we're going to do this, there is something you should know…"
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