The Original Diaries

Aftermath

Klaus strode into the basement in a frenzy, his eyes furtively analyzing the room to make sure everything inside was secure. All was as he had left it and he had to bite his lip to prevent a sigh of relief.

They were safe. He made his way to the center of the room, allowing his hands to glide reverentially over the shiny wooden objects that lay there. Four coffins. One was closed, a large heavy lock helping to shield its contents from the naked eye. But the others were wide open, revealing the gaunt, gray forms of what appeared to be corpses. Two men and one woman, all three with long, silver daggers impaled in their chests, surrounded by the blood that stained their clothes.

Despite this, the bodies inside looked almost peaceful

There was no expression of horror on their faces, no stench of decay, and sometimes he was even able to convince himself that they were merely asleep. It was not as if he enjoyed being forced to dagger them, despite what his siblings may think. It was for their own good, and he wished fervently It was not necessary, that they could simply do what needed to be done as he did without forcing him to make the difficult choice to tuck them safely away. The look of judgement on their faces when they felt the dagger piercing their flesh tormented him sometimes.

He scowled - as if something as pathetic as his guilt would stay their anger when they awoke. His siblings had always been a petty lot.

Still, he could not prevent the longing that surged through him as he gazed upon their faces.

Finn, the longest resident of his coffin and when awake a giant bore, moralistic and judgmental, filled with self-loathing for what they had become. And yet he could also remember the man who helped teach him how to skin animals for preservation, who would sneak portions of his meals to Kol and Rebekah when the winter months made provisions scarce. It was the only time he ever risked Mikael's disapproval. The man abhorred weakness and sentiment almost as much as he hated his bastard son.

Kol, on the other hand, had never cared for Mikael's approval. His younger brother had been a rebel from the beginning; skipping his chores, preferring to spend his time in mother's tomes learning the mystical arts instead of spending time practicing with a blade. Mikael had often been wroth with him, and many times Klaus had been forced to bring his father's anger onto himself to spare his younger brother.

Klaus sighed and ran his fingers lightly over his brother's cheek. Kol had looked up to him then, seeking his company and advice before even Elijah's. But no more. Something in his brother snapped when they were turned, and soon neither love nor reason could sway him from his mischief.

And so he used the dagger. The first time he nearly cried, the look of betrayal in his little brother's eyes was almost too much to bear. As Kol's rampages grew larger, and their encounters with Mikael more violent, his daggerings became easier, and lasted longer. The most recent lasting well over a century.

"When father is dead…" he promised, before turning to the final open coffin.

He felt his chest twist and burn at the sight of the beautiful blonde curls. "Sister..." he said softly, before walking slowly over to her. She was as beautiful in death as she was in life. A fierce and passionate woman who had been the one constant at his side for the entirety of his existence. He looked up to Elijah, admired his loyalty and grace. He adored Kol and his playful nature, even enjoyed the results of some of his bloodier antics. But he made no secret of the fact that of all his siblings, it was Rebekah who he loved most.

He had doted on her since the first day he held her in his arms, and by his side was where she belonged. She made him laugh, indulged his flights of fancy, and always had a soothing word or calm advice when he was wrathful. She had such a big heart, full of hope and enthusiasm for the future, and of all his siblings, she would be the most understanding of the predicament he now found himself in.

She would still tease him mercilessly though.

"What should I do?" he asked aloud. "Caroline is asleep, but that is merely a stay of execution, she is going to have questions, and I find I can no more deny her than I can alter my own nature. What is happening to me?" He gripped her hand in his. "She seems to have accepted what I am…No doubt because she simply does not understand. She cannot understand..."

Exhaustion made her rest. but if there was one thing he knew about Caroline Forbes, it was that she was relentless when pursuing something.

He could picture his siblings' faces if they knew what had just occurred. The fearsome Klaus Mikaelson had allowed a slip of a human girl to fall asleep on his chest once the adrenaline of the day's revelations had settled in. He would take to his grave the fact that they had held each other for hours, saying nothing.

He did not feel. He did not love. Love was a vampire's greatest weakness, and yet even he could not deny the relief that coursed through him when he felt the warm embrace that was her acceptance. He would not allow it to slip away. He couldn't.

She would want to know more about him and what he was. The things he had seen and done over the centuries. But what could he tell her, without driving her away? Unbidden, he thought of all the places he had seen over the centuries, and he felt a dull ache of longing rise through him. He wanted to do more than share stories of half-forgotten adventures. He wanted to show her. Let her see the world through the eyes of someone who had seen it being built, and then bring her back centuries later so she could marvel at what had changed.

"Get yourself together!" he snarled aloud at himself, trying to shake the thoughts from his mind.

It was decided: he would tell Caroline nothing of importance. She would have to live with it, and he refused to indulge in any foolish whims she may have about his true nature. Resolute now, he shifted his focus on the resting features of his sister and ran his fingers gently across her face before kissing her brow.

He missed her; was tempted even now to remove the dagger so he could feel her embrace once again. She would most likely rage and spit insults at him. Maybe set a few fires to his possessions, but he was an expert at soothing her wrath and knew she would forgive him in time. She always did.

But it was too soon. He needed Elena to break his curse, and the girl likely wouldn't keep her head for long once Rebekah discovered her romance with Stefan. She had always been the jealous sort. Plus there had been no sightings of Mikael for nearly a decade, which means the hunter was likely plotting some new way to torment them.

"Please forgive me," he pleaded, before kissing her forehead again. "It won't be much longer… I promise you will be free of this coffin soon enough. Patience, little sister."

He gave her one more once over before vanishing.

She awoke to the sounds of a hard brush hitting canvas.

Groggy from her accidental nap, she looked around with blurry eyes until she spotted him, furiously attacking a large piece of dark canvas with hard brushstrokes. His eyes were intense, narrowed in concentration as he worked to complete what was before him. He didn't even seem to notice when she approached. It took her a moment to realize what he was painting. The shades of yellow were familiar, as were the paintings and furniture that adorned the room they were in, but the woman in the painting was ethereal. They shared an eye color, had similar shades of yellow in their hair, but there was no way she possessed the pixie-like features of the woman in the painting. Was this truly how he saw her? This blew his other sketches of her out of the water

"Klaus…" she breathed his name in awe , breaking him from his trance.

"Caroline," he answered absently, as if just realizing she was there. "I didn't mean to disturb you."

"You didn't." She smiled, barely able to tear her eyes away from his painting. "This is incredible."

"I'm afraid it's a poor imitation of the real thing." He said, surveying the painting with a slight scowl. "I'll have to arrange for some better supplies."

"I like it." She grasped his hand reassuringly. Taking notice of his sour mood, she asked, "What's wrong?"

He hesitated. "It's nothing."

She gave him a look of disbelief and he sighed.

"I can kill a man, dismember his body, all without spilling a drop of blood on myself, but knowing what to say to you? Knowing how to open up? I'm totally lost."

She looked thoughtful for a moment before reaching forward and grabbing his hand. Obediently, he followed her, and soon they both found themselves outside. It was dark now, the moon and stars shining like jewels in the sky. They sat on the front steps in silence for a while, content to just watch the sky twinkle.

"You don't have to. Open up, I mean," Caroline said, finally breaking the silence between them. "Not right now, not completely." She kept her voice low, reluctant to interrupt the night's calm. "I don't mind waiting until you're comfortable discussing your very long life with me…" Then, throwing him a teasing smile, she added, "... old man."

She meant that. Would quell her own ravenous desire to have her questions answered just to make sure she did not upset him. Not because she feared him, not because she needed something, but because he mattered to her.

To his surprise he found himself speaking.

"My father, Mikael, was a Viking raider. Highly respected for his skill at hunting and battle," he started, keeping his eyes on the mansion's grounds instead of looking at her, afraid of what he might find there. "He and mother moved to this land due to losing their eldest child, my sister Freya, to a plague. She soon bore him more children. My older brothers Finn and Elijah. Then me. And later Kol, Rebekah, and Henrik."

He paused, unsure if he should continue or not.

With a soft nudge to his shoulder, Caroline prompted, "Are they vampires as well? How did you become one?"

"They are. All but Henrik, who died. I suppose that's where everything began really. The day I killed my brother." He was somewhere else now, his eyes dull as if in a trance. Still, he continued to speak, and she gave his hand a comforting squeeze. "The werewolves called this land home as well in those days. I foolishly sought to sneak out and observe them, Henrik followed and was ripped apart."

"That doesn't sound like it was your fault," she said softly. He grimaced and gave her a disbelieving look, but did not argue.

"I wish Mikael shared your sentiment. He never cared much for me. I was too weak, too preoccupied with my whittling, my art. But that day was the first time I saw pure hatred in his eyes. My mother was a powerful witch and, determined to never lose another child, she cast a spell, using the blood of a girl Elijah and I were both courting. Father ran us through with his sword and when we awoke, we were forever changed. A new species… born in death and bound in blood." Turning to her, he raised his free hand and caressed her cheek gently. "Imagine the most powerful craving you have ever had, and magnify it by a factor of 100. Without proper training, most young vampires go on a rampage, unable to control a thirst that is never quenched, not even for us. Age and experience bring control and restraint, but the bloodlust never truly fades."

Caroline took the information with a frown, trying to imagine all her feelings and desires turned up to a hundred. "Do you hate them? For making the choice to change your very nature without asking?"

"I despise them both, but not for that. Being a vampire has offered me freedom and power I never would have been able to attain as a mortal." He gave her a smile. "And if they hadn't, I would never have met you. I owe them gratitude for that, if nothing else."

"I'm surprised you aren't more embarrassed, you know, for being such a cradle robber," she teased shyly.

He looked surprised. "Why would I be? You're beautiful, you're strong and full of light. I can honestly say I enjoy you."

She blushed. The intensity of the emotions she saw in his gaze were causing goosebumps to tease her skin. She gave him a bashful smile and kissed his cheek.

"Still… that's one hell of an age gap." They shared a soft laughter, leaning on each other shoulder to shoulder. Once their laughter died down, Caroline couldn't stop herself from softly admitting, "No one has ever said anything like that to me before." She didn't look at him, instead choosing to rest her head on his shoulder. "Sometimes you stare at me so intently that I wonder what you see. No one has ever looked at me like that either."

He gave her a considering look, unable to quite comprehend how this incredible woman could have any doubts about her worth. Finally he pointed up to a bright speck in the night sky.

"That's Polaris, the north star. In my day, that is how sailors used to find their way home." He gazed at her longingly, until she shivered and felt herself becoming warm. "that's what I see when I look at you, Caroline…. I see my way home."

She gasped and pulled away to study him. He seemed bashful at his earnestness but did not appear to regret his words. She loved the slow way he said her name, hanging on to every syllable as if it was a term of endearment all on its own. Unable to hold back, she moved in quickly and kissed him with a hunger she had never felt before. The world seemed to fade away and it was just the two of them, expressing through physical touch words that neither of them had the courage to say. For a brief moment, the only thoughts they had were of each other. Until a loud ringing pulled them from their contented bubble.

"It's my mom," she said nervously once she'd located the phone in her pocket She glanced at the time on the screen and palled.

"Shit, it's two in the morning." She answered the call with her best soothing voice, but from her mother's tone it was clear that she was furious. Klaus gave her a comforting pat on the back before whisking her away at vampire speed towards the car.

By the time Caroline had gotten more than a few words in edgewise to try and placate the irate Sheriff, the two pulled up in front of her house. Elizabeth Forbes was already on the porch, the formidable woman eyeing the fancy car with suspicion.

"I know the timing could not be worse, love, but would you do me the honor of accompanying me to the upcoming Founders party?"

"On one condition," she said with a barely hidden smile. "You use your vampire voodoo to get me out of this."

"I happen to have it on good authority that the Sheriff and some of her deputies are on vervain. No magic escape for you, sweetheart."

"You better come up with something, because if she grounds me for the rest of my natural life, not only will I not be able to attend the ball, but your balls will have to attend to themselves."

He grimaced even as his lips quirked in amusement. "And if I offered to turn you into a vampire so you can enjoy an unnatural life?"

"I would say I am seventeen, and I refuse to be stuck forever in a filler year. Ask me again in five years."

"I think you are just hoping to lose some of that terrible acne," he teased, only to shrink away at the force of her glare and the slap that landed on his arm.

She gave herself a quick once over in the car mirror just to verify he was only teasing before smirking evilly. "Just for that, I'm pinning this whole fiasco on you."

"Setting me up to be the bad guy, sweetheart? I suppose I am uniquely suited for it," he said with a sardonic grin. She chuckled but gave him a serious look.

"Let the world think you are a bad guy, Klaus, who cares. You and I will know the truth."

"And what truth is that?"

"That you are a possessive cuddler who drools in his sleep?" He laughed, leaning over to briefly press his lips against hers.

"Please, love, call me Nik. And promise that you will never tell any of my siblings about that."

"We'll see how good a boy you are at the ball. Now I have to go before my mom decides to fire off a warning shot."

"I suppose it would be unsporting to force you to face the firing squad alone. Allow me, love."

He exited the car and moved quickly to open her door, offering his arm in silent support. They made their way over to the door, and Klaus noted that the woman's body language had shifted from angry to curious. Giving her his most charming smile, he offered his hand. "Forgive me for the late hour, Sheriff Forbes, I am afraid we got to talking and completely lost track of time. It shall not happen again. Niklaus Mikaelson at your service."

She shook his hand politely but was clearly not moved by his attempts at charm. "It had better not. And how did you meet my daughter?"

"A chance encounter at the Grill, and I am happy to say we have been nearly inseparable since. I apologize for not introducing myself sooner, it was not intentional, I assure you." He smiled softly and gripped Caroline's hand. "Your daughter has been a delight."

Elizabeth Forbes seemed uncomfortable at the longing looks that passed between them at those words and with a polite thank you for bringing Caroline home safely, she bid him goodbye and ushered her daughter into the house.

He watched them disappear with a smile, and although he itched to eavesdrop on the no doubt heated conversation between mother and daughter, he had more pressing matters to attend to.

Giving the house a final once over, he flashed to his car and drove away.

"Anna, I'm telling you this new vampire is trouble. He killed Damon Salvatore without even breaking a sweat."

"Damon was a reckless fool and hardly the threat he thought he was. Still, see if you can gather more information on this new vampire. If need be, I'll handle him myself." Her confidence was not misplaced. There were very few vampires that managed to reach the 500-year mark. There were rumors that the female Original went on a rampage a few centuries ago and wiped a large number of them out.

The historian in her would have longed for more details, but unfortunately the Originals were considered near myth these days, making any concrete information about them difficult to find let alone verify. She knew better though. Katherine had not minced words about how dangerous the Original family of vampires were and anyone who could make her sire's eyes shine with such terror, were not people she had any desire to meet. Luckily, she had nothing to do with Katerina anymore, and her only focus now was finding a way to free her mother from the tomb.

"Ben, any luck on that other information I asked for?" she asked, layering her voice with a hint of seduction. The bartender was a useful pawn and passable lover, but his ego was a bit fragile. It would not do to alienate him until her plan was complete.

"The Gilbert boy has been spending most of his time around the library. If you want to run into him, that's the best place. Are you sure this is necessary?"

"I need that journal. And the last thing we need is the Council getting wise. It only takes one lucky idiot with a stake to kill us, after all. Trust me, the boy means nothing." She gave him an encouraging kiss and allowed him to move her towards the nearby bed.

Later, she lied awake, her eyes focused on the ceiling tiles above her. Soon her mother would be free and their vengeance on the founding families of this forsaken town could begin.

The evening was going well.

Stefan had never been much of a cook, but in an effort to impress he had managed to put together a dish of roasted chicken and vegetables that he idly recalled his mother making for them once. Elena seemed to enjoy the dish, but even more the baring of his soul that the vampire had promised.

His identity as a vampire, his bloody past as the Ripper, his history with Damon and Katherine. Everything laid bare for the woman who had already managed to capture what remained of his shriveled heart. She shared Katherine's face, but beyond the familiar beauty was a strong moral code and forgiving heart that he couldn't help but feel enamored with. She barely gasped when she learned of his bloody past and showed only empathy and disgust for his sire's betrayal of him. Soon the energy in the room shifted, and neither willing to deny themselves anymore, they were soon kissing in the kitchen, her long legs wrapping around his waist as they both tried to satiate a need that had been growing since the day they met.

He should have known something would go wrong.

A loud knock at his door sent the two jumping apart. Stefan scowled. He was going to wring Damon's neck, strength difference or not, if he dared to ruin his evening with Elena.

He was not expecting to see the annoyed scowl of Klaus.

"It's about time, Ripper. Invite me in, we have much to discuss."

"Klaus… I'm in the middle of something," he said in confusion, twisting slightly so Elena could see who had interrupted them.

"My apologies for interrupting what appears to be a lovely evening, but I believe you'd like to hear about your brother's death sooner rather than later." Elena gasped and Stefan felt his entire being sink.

Dead. Damon was dead.

Dazed He motioned the elder vampire in and felt Elena guiding him to a nearby chair.

His brother was dead. Despite their differences and his vow to torment him forever, there was a part of him that had found comfort in the knowledge that Damon was out there. Estranged or not, he still loved his brother, and as long as he existed, there was someone other than Katherine who remembered human Stefan, who remembered the innocent boy he had been before all this. But no more… Damon was dead, and there was not a doubt in his mind that the man before him was responsible for it.

If not for Elena's comforting touches across his back, he was certain he would have attacked him. And from the amused look in Klaus's face, he was well aware of it.

"What happened?" he asked finally, drawing on the feelings of comfort Elena offered to keep himself calm.

"Your brother failed to heed my earlier warning about staying away from Caroline. So, I decided to remove his heart. You're welcome. Now let's chat about more important matters, like the tomb of vampires he was trying to open."

"Damon wanted to open it? But why?"

"I suspect he believed that Katerina was inside… a bit of a waste of his time really, as Katerina was never in the tomb to begin with. " He smirked. "You should have seen his face when I told him that the love of his life was alive and well and yet had never bothered to contact him. It was almost a mercy when I removed what remained of his heart."

Stefan was stunned. "We can't let that tomb be opened. All the vampires inside, starving… They will kill everyone in town."

Klaus scoffed. "The fact that you are worried about a few dozen desiccated vampires just shows how far you have fallen, old friend. Don't fret. I have my witches working on a way to open the tomb. I'll slaughter the lot of them myself."

Elena and Stefan exchanged confused looks.

"Old friend?" Stefan a questioned, but Klaus merely gave him a secretive smile.

"Don't fret, Ripper, I'll be happy to clean up your mess, once again. It'll be like old times." Turning to a shocked Elena, he gave an apologetic nod "Pardon my interruption. If you shall excuse me, I have some vampires to kill." He flashed away, leaving the two would-be lovers staring after him.

"Klaus is a vampire?" asked a very confused Elena.

The Founders party was an annual event that had once been used as a means of education of the town's history, but now served more as a chance for the adults in town to get drunk and for the members of the founding families to highlight and cement their status.

Caroline had been eight the first time she attended, and soon found that the pretty decorations and fancy food quickly lost their luster in the face of the schmoozing and politics that had become a mainstay at the event. Still, as a member of one of the founding families, she had to maintain appearances, and for the past three years she'd served as the chair of the Beautification Committee that organized the party.

Despite the pride she took in the class and the efficiency she had managed to bring to the event, she could admit that she had never looked forward to going more, partly because for once she had a date that could actually dance. Her toes still ached from last year's debacle with Tyler Lockwood. The jock had the coordination of a drunken gorilla when dancing and had managed to step on her feet multiple times while she tried her best to keep his hands away from her ass.

Mostly, it was because NIk was determined to make this the night of her life. She awoke to a steaming coffee and a pastry from her favorite shop. Next to her bed was a decorative box with a letter that said, "for my north star." Inside was the most beautiful dress she had ever seen. Pale white with sparkling jewels and from a single glance she could tell it would cling perfectly to her form.

Downstairs was a simple card telling her to expect company at precisely 10 am. Right on time, two pretty young women in their early twenties showed up and whisked her away to do her hair, nails and make up. After a few hours, there was not a single part of her body that had not been pampered or pressed.

She felt like a princess, and that feeling was only compounded with Klaus's arrival. He wore a black tuxedo with a white bowtie, and for a man who tended to command attention in his casual pants and black Henley, he certainly cleaned up well in a suit.

He held out a hand like the old-fashioned gentleman he was and together they entered the party. She could feel the eyes upon them as soon as they entered. A mixture of curiosity and lust from both the men and women in attendance. Klaus seemed oblivious, his eyes never leaving her form as he guided her to the dance floor. She ignored the stares at their back and just let him glide her around the dance floor. He seemed just as entranced as she was and for the next hour, it was as if nothing existed but them. They danced song after song, each adjusting expertly to changes in beat and tempo without ever taking their eyes off each other.

Finally, the physical exertion took its toll on her and she begged off, allowing Klaus to lead her to a nearby table. She removed her heels, and groaned in pleasure when he began to massage her sore feet.

"You are quite the dancer, love," he said as his fingers began digging the soreness out of her soles.

"I've had training," she boasted lightly, chin up and shoulders back as she proudly told him, "You are looking at the next Miss Mystic Falls."

"Of that, I have no doubt." As if this tiny town had anyone who shined even half as brightly "Care for some champagne?"

She glanced around to make sure the watchful eyes of her mother were nowhere near before nodding gratefully. NIk gave the tips of her toes a light kiss before following up with another gentle kiss to her lips. She admired his form as he walked over to the table to pick up a couple of champagne glasses.

Her pleasant mood soon soured as she watched Kelly Donovan make her way over to him. Even from here with the distance, she could tell that the vampire was a bit taken aback by the woman's forwardness, but to her surprise a low growl began to burn in her throat.

Klaus soon managed to escape the cougar's clutches, but on his way back to their table, another woman approached him, this time a blonde socialite. The woman was married to a local dentist and had two young children.

"Not that anyone would notice from the way she's throwing herself at him," Caroline muttered angrily. Klaus glanced her way and she blushed realizing that his superior hearing meant he could hear her being catty. When the blonde touched his arm for the seventh time, she had enough. Slipping her heels back on, she made her way over, spun the hybrid around and kissed him as hard and possessively as she could. He nearly melted into her embrace and the possessive maneuver soon turned into one of pure passion, the other woman immediately forgotten.

"You are mine," she whispered firmly, allowing her teeth to graze the soft stubble along his chin. He answered in a near growl before capturing her lips yet again.

"I am yours, and you are mine. Always and forever." It was a promise. And they sealed it with a hungry kiss.

Later, at the mansion, they fell into each other. Their love making had always been passionate, a mixture of tenderness and care that made her shiver in ways that she didn't know was possible. This was different. A primal and possessive claiming that caused her panties to be torn to shreds and his shirt to be ripped asunder. Her teeth found his flesh and when he grunted in pleasure at her exploring hands, she grinned and began placing marks all along his chest. When she took him into her mouth, she savored the power she now possessed. She, Caroline Forbes, had the most powerful man in the world at her mercy.

He seemed determined to give as good as he got and, using his superior strength, he flipped her over and gave her a challenging look, one she eagerly returned.

When their passion finally cooled, he collapsed on top of her.

The words "I love you" falling from his lips.