Hey guys, just a little note before the chapter, I'm sorry that the first two chapters of this story can be seem pretty slow or just mostly filler to lead up to the plot, but I'm still laying out the story and figuring out how the plot will go, lol. Also, I decided to upload this chapter and end it where it ends because I'm not sure if I'll be able to get it in next week because I'm going to be busy studying for school.
So yeah, the first two chapters are pretty short but I promise you guys that the rest will be longer. Anyway, here's just a taste of the story that's yet to come. :)
Disclaimer: I do not own the Vampire Diaries.
The Spotless Minds: Chapter 2
He knew it would be a long shot, but Klaus never doubted his power of persuasion. Even the most fearsome creatures always had a weakness, and he certainly knew a few of Caroline's.
It had taken him hours to pick the perfect dress, wondering which would flatter her most. Then it was down to jewelry, which wasn't all that hard for him if Klaus was being honest (he had bought jewelry for his fair share of women in the last few hundred years after all.) But when it came down to it, what surprised him, as the most difficult task, was the invitation itself. How should he address her? What did one say to a beautiful girl without coming off too strongly?
Klaus wasn't ignorant to Caroline's hatred towards him. He could see it clear in her expressions. Because of this, the invitation had to be perfect. She had to come to the ball Esther was arranging. After all, Klaus couldn't see himself wanting to dance with anyone else but the Miss Mystic Falls girl herself.
"I assumed you got a date then?" Rebekah suddenly sneered from across the room, resting herself beside the fireplace.
Klaus grinned, standing up to pour himself a cup of bourbon (something he always found himself needing when having a conversation with his younger sister.)
"What makes you say that, little sister?" he jested, not even bothering to deny it.
"The hours you spent rifling through my clothes," she replied, sounding rather bored of the exchange already. "Not going to lie and say I'm not curious as to who the great Klaus Mikaelson will be bringing as his date. I mean, who could you possibly find appealing in such a humdrum little town?"
He claimed the chair across from her, regarding Rebekah with a look of amusement, his grin cocky. "That surprises me. I mean, you did invite Matt Donovan to the ball, am I correct? Isn't he from this humdrum little town?"
"There's a difference though," Rebekah scoffed.
"And what's that?"
"I'm not nearly as picky as you when it comes to wooing the opposite sex."
"Clearly," Klaus chuckled.
She sent a fierce scowl his way. "Don't be such an ass, Nik. Onto more important matters though, do you know who Kol invited as his guest?"
"No," Klaus drawled, draining the last of the bourbon down, "but I'm sure you'll tell me anyway."
"That Bennett witch of the doppelganger," she continued on as if he hadn't uttered a word. "So don't go judging my choices when you all are clearly smitten by the lot of them."
"You all?" Klaus said.
Rebekah laughed, shaking her head. "Don't think we don't know you have eyes on that cheerleader, Nik. Even mother sees it."
He froze, fighting to keep his tone light, though the hands that clutched the cup threatened to shatter the thin glass. "And what did our dear mother say about Caroline exactly?"
Rebekah sensed something in his question, but returned his smile with her own, reminding Klaus greatly of a cheshire cat. "Just that Caroline is more than welcomed here anytime. It was odd at first, but she said that befriending the Forbes girl will help us gain points with the Sheriff." She shrugged, raising a brow at Klaus. "Makes no difference to me who we befriend. I hope you have a lovely time with Caroline tomorrow night."
Without a word of goodbye, Rebekah exited the room, leaving Klaus alone with nothing but the crackle of the fire. The warmth that emanated did nothing to soothe the chill that crept down his spine at Rebekah's words. He wanted to believe she was just teasing him; something she had always enjoyed doing since they were kids. But there was something in her tone that raised his suspicions, as if Rebekah had a secret no one else knew about, and she indulged in the very fact.
Klaus smirked. If there was anything he knew about his little sister, it was that she never was able to keep a secret.
The box sat untouched on her bed.
It didn't speak, but to Caroline it might as well have. In fact, it might as well have been belting out a musical opera, for its temptation was too great. Her attempts the entire day to ignore it was agonizing, a vicious cycle of constantly traveling down the stairs and then up back to her room. By nightfall, she had given in.
Standing over her bed, she carefully lifted the top, as if a bomb lay inside. The true item inside had Caroline gasping, unable to form a thought. With a gulp, she instead focused her attention on the envelope that rested waiting for her, taking it into her hand and placing the lid of the box on top once again to block the stunning item from view.
Without hesitation, she ripped the envelope open, and raised a brow, seeing the invitation that was a ball. What shocked her was that it was being held at the Mikaelson mansion. Shaking her head, Caroline found herself flipping the card over, as if she knew something was written on the back, and in fact something was.
Thank you for your honesty the other night.
Save me a dance,
Fondly Klaus.
Caroline scoffed, unable to comprehend how he could possibly believe she'd want to accompany him to a ball. No matter how stunning the dress that rested inside the box was…
The sudden vibration of her phone had Caroline jumping before she quickly retrieved it. "Bonnie, you'll never believe who invited me to a ball," she began.
"Funny, that's what I was just about to say," her friend replied, just as exasperated as Caroline was. "Kol Mikaelson."
"What?" Caroline gasped before wondering why that surprised her greatly (it seems the Mikaelson brothers had a thing for the girls of Mystic Falls.)
"What about you?" Bonnie asked.
Caroline hesitated before answering. "Klaus."
"What?" There was movement and scuffling on the phone before Bonnie returned a breath later. "Sorry, my dad complained about the noise so I went downstairs. Anyway, Klaus wants you to be his date? As in the mass murderer we've been trying to get rid of?"
"Don't tell Elena."
"Why does that sound like you said yes?"
Caroline remained silent for a moment, contemplating an answer. "I didn't say yes but…I guess I don't see the harm in finding out why he wants me there." Actually, Caroline was eager to hear Klaus's thoughts on her confession the night before. Was he angry? Sad? Or, dare she believe it, regretful?
"So you don't think it's a trap?" said Bonnie, worry laced in each word.
"Trap? Who said that?"
"Damon, Matt, Elena, Jer, basically everyone we know except you apparently."
"I'm sorry," Caroline sighed. "It's just…I don't see how this is a trap. I mean, can you think of what the motive would be? Cause to me, it feels like the Mikaelson's are just trying to get on the towns good side after all the crap they pulled."
"It just seems way too sketchy in my opinion," Bonnie sighed as well.
"So you're not going?"
"I didn't say that."
Caroline laughed, hoping to lead the conversation into a lighter direction. "Then you better get yourself a gorgeous dress of royal caliber. Which is perfect since I'm free to help you and Elena out with just that."
"You already got a dress?"
The suspicion in Bonnie's voice had Caroline's mouth running dry. "Yeah, I-uh, I had a spare dress from when I ran for Miss Mystic Falls. Anyway, I'll meet you and Elena and in town in half an hour, okay?" With the plan set, Caroline drained a quick blood bag from the fridge before heading to her car.
What she didn't expect to find was one of the Mikaelson brother to be waiting for her just beside it.
She gulped, but kept her eyes locked on his, narrowed. If she could speak her mind freely to someone as murderous as Klaus, Elijah was surely a cakewalk.
"Caroline Forbes," he greeted her with a smile full of charm. "In all my time in Mystic Falls, I don't believe we've ever properly been introduced."
"Well, with the whole drama of sacrificing my best friend, it kind of slipped my mind," she retorted, crossing her arms. She grinned, seeing a wary expression hit his face, even if it lasted less than a second. Though, if Caroline was being honest with herself, out of the entire Mikaelson family, Elijah was definitely the one that she least disliked. He was an honorable man who always kept his word, and Caroline admired that in him. She couldn't say the same for Rebekah and Klaus, given their experience with them.
"My apologies for that ordeal," he said, the genuine regret in his voice surprising her. "Klaus is not exactly a man who likes being disappointed, you can understand the tight position I was in."
She did, but didn't speak her thoughts. "What're you doing here? Did Klaus send you to kill me?"
That seemed to take him off guard. "Kill you? On the contrary, I believe he has invited you as his date to the ball tomorrow."
"Yeah, what's that about?" she asked, eyes narrowed.
"I don't understand."
"What's your motive for inviting us to this ball, huh? A trap is what my friends and I are thinking."
Elijah smirked, but cleared his throat at the anger beginning to contort in Caroline's face. "No trap, dear Caroline. At least, not a trap for you and your friends."
Caroline paused, a delicate brow raised. "Now I don't understand."
"You're unaware of the history, my siblings and I share with my mother, correct?" said Elijah.
"It never exactly came up while you guys tried to kill us all," she replied.
"It's simple really," he said, a strange emotion lurking in the deep depths of his tone, "our Mother believes us to be abominations; a crime against nature. She's always sought our destruction. Which is the reason I am here; to ask for your assistance."
"What could I possibly do to help?"
"Simple, Esther seems to have a strange interest in your particular presence at the ball."
Caroline ran a hand through her hair. "I think you're confusing me with Elena. You know, the doppelganger."
Elijah shook his head, eyes staring hard at her with intense interest. "Strange as it seems to you, she's been asking questions about your role with Klaus."
"My role with Klaus?" Caroline burst out laughing, the very idea hysterical. "Not sure what that means but there is definitely nothing going on with me and Klaus."
"You misunderstand," said Elijah, not bothering to retort her teasing. "Esther has an interest in you, period. Rebekah has been gathering information about your past and present and handing them to her on a silver platter." He grinned, but it was sad. "Not surprised really. Rebekah has always followed mother blindly. Knowing Esther is alive has only heightened her affections for our dear mother."
Caroline blinked, unable to process the information. Why would Esther be curious about some small-town vampire from Virginia? "I still don't get why you're here. I mean, how can I possible help with your apparently crap-load of family drama?" Caroline made a face. "Although, I can definitely relate to the whole my-parents-want-me-dead-thing."
The edge of Elijah's lip twitched, but his eyes were unwavering, the serious air of regal she's come to associate with him brimming to light. "I need your help. I want you to assistant me in finding out Esther's true plan. Since she's taken such an interest in you, I figured what better person to gather information on her."
"Why do you say that?" she asked, unconvinced that she was the person Elijah should come asking for help from.
"Because it's clear that Esther wants something from you, Caroline, and she'll be more than willing to spill information if she believes that you are on her side."
Caroline contemplated his proposal, her brows furrowed. She wished she could say that she felt nothing but suspicion to Elijah's words, but the truth of the matter is, was that Caroline was just as curious about Esther's plan as he was; in fact maybe more so. They say curiosity killed the cat, but she had never really denied the side of herself that always craved answers, no matter how she obtained the information.
Her lips pursed with resolve. "Okay, I'll help. What's the plan?"
Thanks to anyone reading this story! I can't wait to get the next chapter out since Klaus and Caroline are always fun to write about when together, lol.
I'm such a huge fan of the Original Family and honestly wished they stayed in Mystic Falls. But that's why we have fan fiction I guess, lol.