A/N: WOW, I am so sorry for this late update. It wasn't my intention to take this long, but life and reality got in the way of my imagination. I hope its length makes up for its delay.
I also want to thank those of you who take the time read and review this. I especially want to thank you for all your responses to the questions I asked you last time. I enjoyed reading them and I'm definitely trying to take them all into consideration!
Please, please try to look past the spelling and grammatical errors that I'm sure are in this chapter somewhere. I was eager to give you an update! Enjoy!
She had informed Elijah of his brother's desiccation, but not much else. They didn't speak for long. The elder original sibling was one of few words. He had seemed contented by the news, but also alarmed, particularly at the prospect of his brother's body being hidden. Understanding the position she was in, he didn't inform her of his plans. Instead, he simply thanked her for her call under the circumstances and assured her that her part in this would not be shared and hung up.
It could only be assumed that he'd be making a trip to Mystic Falls in the near future; probably to try and retrieve Klaus's body. His imminent arrival made her anxious. She should have asked what his intentions were at the outset.
She could only hope that Elijah was holding enough of a grudge against Klaus to make some sort of a deal with her friends. As much as a part of her wanted Klaus back, deep down she knew that she didn't want to be responsible for his return. She knew that Elena could never live a free life as long as Klaus was in the picture. She didn't care for the hybrid-obsessed Klaus anyways. In time, perhaps Klaus could be restored. In the meantime, his desiccation would give Elena the life she deserved; and it would give her time to think about her feelings for him. Time was all she had now that she was a vampire. If she couldn't let go of her feelings for the original hybrid, she would wait for him. She would wait for Elena.
On the other hand, if Elijah came determined to wake his brother and allow his hybrid mission to continue, the guilt she was already harbouring would be a million times worse. She would essentially be putting her friend's efforts to stop Klaus back to square one. She would be endangering Elena...destroying her best friend's life and possibly her own.
Could she even trust Elijah not to share her involvement with everyone? What if he told them that she had been the person who called him? How would she explain that? Would she be able to pass it off as means to lessen the blow that would come anyways once Klaus's siblings found out what happened to him? Would they believe her?
Not long after that call, she dried her tears and fixed her makeup using some of Elena's. She crept back downstairs to the kitchen where none of her friends had seemed to notice her absence; they were too busy stuffing their faces with delivery pizza and pasta. Even Tyler was indulging, despite the fact that he no longer needed human food. On the one hand, seeing her friends preoccupied by something so lighthearted was great. On the other, she didn't share their enthusiasm.
She did however share their enthusiasm for alcohol, and she indulged readily as they ate.
The pizza made her think back to the one she had shared with Klaus only a few days ago. It was such a care free moment, much like the one her friends were having in front of her. The thought of eating pizza now unsettled her.
To her relief, once the pizza was devoured, Tyler suggested they head home. This was a safety precaution more than anything. The sun was setting and Alaric was still out there. The last thing anyone wanted was to be stranded outside in the darkness with him lurking in the shadows. She did not need another repeat of this morning.
You'd like him to kiss you again though, a voice whispered in her head, referring to her earlier embrace with Klaus.
The ride back to her house was quiet, aside from the small interruptions of small talk. They were avoiding all the big issues; Elena, Alaric, Klaus, etc. Instead, she and Tyler stuck to mundane topics like the warmer weather that was about to come as Mystic Falls delved further into Spring, and how many shots everyone had done at the last minute celebratory party.
Tyler had a few, but he was still sober. She had a few more. Her mind was buzzing softly, but she wasn't completely intoxicated. She just needed enough to console her; to keep her thoughts at bay.
When they arrived back at her house she said nothing when Tyler parked his car and followed her inside.
At first she thought she wanted to be alone, but she knew what being alone with herself would bring. Having Tyler around would force her not to think about things as much, and even though Alaric couldn't enter her house, Tyler being here would put her mind at ease a little more. She may have been second guessing her feelings for him, but she still felt safe with him.
"I think I'm gonna put my pyjamas on," she announced as she started for her room.
Sure, it was still early, but she had this overwhelming urge to wrap herself up in her warm flannel pyjamas her dad had bought her for Christmas last year. They weren't flattering on her by any stretch of the imagination, but that wasn't the point. Comfy clothes could brighten the darkest of moods.
Tyler smirked cutely and nodded.
"Find a movie to watch or something. We can watch anything you want; even something action. I don't care," she mused.
Normally she would have put up a fuss when Tyler turned on those ridiculous macho shows or movies, but that didn't concern her now. She was hoping it would lull her to sleep on the couch anyways.
Tyler seemed surprised and satisfied. "Sounds good," he agreed.
"Oh and there's some blood in the fridge if you're hungry," she added before turning back towards her room.
She hurried to her room and closed the door only slightly. Once secure within the four walls of her bedroom she inhaled and exhaled deeply; the glum look returning to her face. It was a relief. She had been granted a brief reprieve in Elena's bathroom, but constantly having to act and hide her very raw emotions was severely tiring.
There was an urge to cry, but she no longer had the strength.
Opening a dresser drawer, she searched for the pyjamas she desired.
Having picked them out, she placed them on top of the dresser.
She paused to examine her face once more in the mirror. It was obvious to her, despite the makeup, she had been crying. Maybe she was paranoid; just seeing what she wanted to see because she was afraid someone else would.
Looking deeper into the mirror her face went blurry as she focused on her bed in the reflection.
Her eyes closed allowing flickering images of their most recent passionate embrace to flash in front of her as if she had been watching them. The images of her body overtop of his; his body overtop of hers; they instantly awoke all her other senses. She could literally hear their heavy breathing; feel his skin against hers; smell their frenzied lust; taste his lips.
When she opened her eyes and looked up, she gasped loudly, seeing Klaus's reflection in the mirror behind her. She couldn't quite read his expression. He appeared upset, but also regretful...maybe even apologetic.
She stepped away from the mirror, shutting her eyes once more, convinced that the apparition of him would disappear.
When her back stumbled into a body she jumped and spun around.
"Whoa, it's just me," Tyler reassured her.
"Oh my god," she said in shock as she held the flat of her palm against her chest. "You scared me."
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to," he said, with a small laugh.
She exhaled, forcing herself to relax.
"It's okay. I'm still a little jumpy," she admitted, turning back to her dresser for her pyjamas. "Did you find anything to watch?" she asked unconcerned.
She watched him shake his head in the mirror as he approached her.
"Not exactly," he informed her.
His hands glided up her back and rested on her shoulders, massaging them slightly.
Her breathing hitched anxiously in response.
Brushing her hair to one side, he kissed her neck softly.
"I thought we could entertain each other; have a little celebration of our own since your mom won't be home for hours," he explained.
He kissed her again. She flinched.
She smirked, hoping to keep the situation light to let him down easy.
"I'm not really in the mood, Tyler," she told him, hoping his ego wouldn't be offended.
It was true; she wasn't in the mood after everything that happened today. Honestly, she wasn't interested in him; that was beginning to become clearer to her as the days passed. However, she was still undecided on how to deal with that gnawing little realization.
"You know I can change that," he mused confidently, kissing her neck once more as his hand travelled down to her hip.
She sighed.
He turned her around and attempted to kiss her lips.
She shirked at his efforts and backed up.
"No, Tyler. I can't. Not tonight," she said.
"Come on," he said playfully.
He stepped towards her.
"I said no," she restated firmly.
His expression turned sour.
"I don't understand you, Caroline," he said vaguely. "I mean, you've been in a weird mood all day," he clarified.
She scoffed and shrugged at him.
"Elena and I were almost killed today. Alaric, the one who almost made that happen for me, is still out there somewhere. Sorry Tyler, but that doesn't exactly put me in a good mood, or turn me on," she hissed defensively, almost in disbelief that he would be so unsympathetic.
Tyler ran his hands through his hair.
"But you were in a good enough mood to throw a party..." he said lowly as he noted her inconsistency.
"I did that for all of us. I thought it could be a good distraction..." she reasoned.
He winced, and she knew she had hurt his feelings.
"And I can't be a good distraction? Being with me won't make you forget for awhile? Make you feel better?" he asked.
"Don't make this personal, Tyler. It's not. The party didn't work either," she argued, hoping that would calm Tyler down.
He sighed.
"If anyone can make light of a shitty situation, it's you Care. That's why I don't get why you're so upset," he told her.
He took her hand tenderly.
"I mean, we got through so much shit today. You and Elena survived Alaric. Elena survived Klaus. Damon, Stefan, and I desiccated Klaus. Klaus is gone," he listed, gauging her reaction. "For good," he emphasized.
When her frown did not transform into an agreeable smile, she knew she had aroused Tyler's suspicion. He dropped her hand.
"That's it isn't it?" he said. "It's Klaus," he concluded.
She shook her head in a panic.
"What? What are you talking about?" she asked.
"Klaus! He's why you're upset," he stammered angrily.
She rolled her eyes and turned away from his interrogating stare.
"For the last time, this has nothing to do with Klaus," she lied. "Can't I just be upset that I almost died?" she asked sarcastically. "You're wrong," she added, biting her lip to suppress her tears.
He looked at her unconvinced.
"Am I?" he retorted, moving in front of her to confront her face to face. "Because all I know is that every time I mention him you get extremely defensive...and when I told you we desiccated him you seemed practically devastated," he explained. "Don't chalk this up to me being a jealous boyfriend, Caroline. I saw the way you looked at him last night at the dance; I saw the way he looked at you. I'm not stupid," he argued.
She shook her head in denial as tears began to flow freely down her cheeks.
"What do you want me to say?!" she cried.
"I want you to tell me the truth!" he shouted, pinning her between him and the dresser. "Look me in the eyes and tell me the fucking truth; tell me you feel nothing for him," he demanded.
Her body was shaking violently with anxiety and fear.
She was tired of fighting; tired of lying. She couldn't go on pretending to feel something she didn't; she could not go on pretending to not feel something she did. She had to be honest with Tyler. The lies and betrayal were eating away at her. She could barely survive a few weeks under the pressure of deceit, let alone an eternity. The longer she prolonged the inevitable the harder it would be on the both of them. The weight of lies on her back would only grow heavier. The only way to rid herself of the burden would be to confess.
As she stared at him, the consequences of her past actions were becoming clearer. She was about to break a heart. Tyler would be ruined. She would be ruined. Tyler would be without her. She would be without her friends, but at least her conscience would be absolved.
"Tyler...I-I..." she stuttered, before being interrupted by the sound of her phone.
She had been on the brink of a cliff about to jump, but her phone had pulled her back from the edge.
Without a response for Tyler, she thrust towards the other side of the room with vampire speed to answer her phone.
It was Jeremy.
"Jeremy, what is it?"
"Hey, Elena collapsed. I took her to the hospital; Meredith says she has a minor concussion. Probably from earlier today when she hit her head at Klaus's," he explained.
"Oh my god, is she gonna be okay?" she asked as she looked worriedly at Tyler.
"Yeah she's gonna be fine. Meredith wanted to keep her for observation, but I decided that was a bad idea with Alaric running around. Do you think you and Tyler could meet us back at our house?" Jeremy asked.
Still staring at Tyler, she debated Jeremy's question. It was such bad timing, but they had friends they needed to look out for.
"Yeah of course. We'll be right over," she assured Jeremy. "Bye," she finished, before ending the call.
"What happened?" Tyler asked, as she scrambled to put some things into her purse.
"Elena collapsed after we left. I guess she hit her head earlier at Klaus's. She had a concussion. She's gonna be fine, but Jeremy wants us to go over there," she told him.
Tyler looked frustrated and annoyed.
"If she's gonna be fine, why do we need to go over there?" he asked.
She shrugged.
"Because Elena's our friend; because Jeremy's worried about Alaric," she said, almost defensively.
Tyler wasn't purposely being a dick about Elena. His mind was preoccupied with other things. He was still waiting on an answer from her; one she no longer had the guts to give to him now. Their conversation would have to wait.
She didn't linger too long with him in her bedroom. She knew he would ask about their interrupted conversation if she did.
He seemed to understand that this was no longer the time to discuss Klaus, and he followed her out and drove them to Elena's.
They arrived just in time for her to help Elena inside the house.
"Couch," she dictated to Elena.
Elena nodded, but with a touch of defiance.
"I'm fine. I just...I want something eat first," Elena decided.
"Jeremy went to pick up something at the Grill," Tyler assured her. "We're gonna go make sure no one is lurking in the closets," he added, referring to him and Matt.
She smiled bitter sweetly at Tyler's efforts to help, despite the circumstances, as he and Matt walked upstairs.
She walked Elena to the couch.
"Alright, couch, now!" she declared to her best friend.
Elena scowled at her demands.
"Ugh, I told you I'm fine," Elena said as she moved towards the couch on her own, while she grabbed her a blanket.
"Doctor says rest, you rest," she reminded Elena.
She covered Elena with the blanket once she sat down.
"Now, what can I get you? Do you want some tea, maybe some vodka? Both will help you sleep," she mused as she sat down beside Elena.
When Elena stared at her blankly, she realized she was probably being overbearing. This was what she did though; how she coped with her own problems. She would pour herself into looking after other's problems so she didn't have to think about her own.
"I know I'm being smothering. It's what I do," she acknowledged.
Elena shook her head.
"No, it's...it's nice," Elena reassured her.
She sighed and fell back against the couch.
"I'm thinking...maybe tea with vodka?" she suggested.
Anything with alcohol sounded good to her at this point, even though she was only joking with Elena.
She believed she had done well by shielding her own unease behind jokes, but the look of concern on Elena's face told her otherwise.
"Are you sure you don't need that drink?" Elena wondered.
That prompted her to glance at Elena in puzzlement.
"Caroline, what's wrong?" Elena asked.
"What?" she replied, playing stupid.
Elena narrowed her eyes.
"Come on, Caroline. I noticed you drank more than your fair share of the community booze this afternoon. You seemed upset and preoccupied. Now you seem like you're trying to avoid whatever it is that's bothering you by mothering me," she smirked, as if she had been successful at solving a mystery.
She had.
Laughing lightly, she shook her head at Elena.
"Nothing's wrong Elena...why would anything be wrong?" she denied.
Elena shrugged and considered her question.
"Well, for starters, we both almost died today...and Alaric is still out there somewhere. I'd completely understand if that was bothering you," Elena suggested.
She didn't respond as she stared absentmindedly past Elena.
"But that's obviously not it," Elena observed before sighing and resting her head against the back of the couch in defeat.
"I'm fine, Elena," Caroline assured her friend.
Elena arched and eyebrow at her in disbelief.
She wished Elena was an impartial outsider to it all. She needed someone to talk to whom she could trust and who's opinion she valued. In almost all cases, Elena was this person. Where Klaus was concerned, she was not.
"You know you can talk to me right?" Elena reminded her.
She nodded appreciatively, even though she knew that she couldn't.
"And you know you can talk to me too, right? Particularly about those Salvatore boys..." she hinted, eagerly searching for a way to change the subject.
Elena shook her head knowingly as a small smirk, but overall guilty expression played on her face.
"So what do you think Klaus's siblings are going to do when they find out about his desiccation?" Elena wondered aloud randomly.
Elena's mention of Klaus instantly unsettled her. The fact that she had brought up his siblings unnerved her even more considering the phone call she had made earlier.
She shrugged.
"Rebekah is probably going to flip her shit," she said finally in response. "I'm not sure about Elijah," she added.
Elena nodded.
"I know how Rebekah will react, but something tells me Elijah might be relieved that his brother is no longer out there destroying people's lives," Elena thought.
"You don't think he'll be upset? Klaus is his brother..." she reminded Elena.
"I know. That's why I was thinking about calling him," Elena replied. "I think he'll be furious if he finds out about Klaus after the fact. It's not smart to cross him. If I talk to him maybe something can be worked out. We need him on our side if we're going to keep Rebekah and Kol off our backs," she noted.
For once in a long time, she experienced guilt being lifted from her shoulders. Perhaps she wouldn't have to regret calling Elijah after all.
"I think that's a good idea," she agreed.
Elena smiled contentedly.
"I still can't believe Klaus is actually gone. Can you? It's almost too good to be true," Elena said.
No, she couldn't believe that he was gone, but she didn't receive it as a pleasant surprise like Elena was treating it. It was too horrible to be true.
She shook her head in agreement with Elena's statements anyways.
"Honestly though, I feel sorry for him. Deep down I think all he really wanted from the hybrids was companionship; someone to care about him and vice versa. Hence, his whole thing with Stefan..." Elena pondered.
Hence, his whole thing with her, maybe, she thought.
"He was lonely," she concluded.
And if she could confide in her friend, she would have told Elena about the letters she found in Klaus's bedroom and their subsequent argument that seemed to confirm Elena's suspicions.
"Do you think he actually liked you?" Elena asked nonchalantly, as if her question was that insignificant.
It wasn't to her.
She shrugged.
"I don't know...sometimes I think he did. Other times I think he was using me to get to you, or to piss Tyler off," she answered.
That had really been one of the most genuine things she had said to Elena all night. She had been unsure and insecure about Klaus's intentions with her.
Her uncertainty prompted a flashback to one of their last night together in her room. She was lying amidst the mess of blankets, pillows, and sheets, basking in the afterglow of her orgasm, waiting expectantly for his lips to make their way from her torso up to hers. They had just reached one high, and already he was after another. She wasn't complaining, but she had been surprised by her enthusiasm. She had never been so enthralled and consumed by someone to be up for round two so soon after round one. The feeling was addictive, although she could not quite explain it. And then that's when he asked her. In the midst of it all, he had asked her to come with him. Did that confirm that he liked her? Or had he ask her merely as a means to make Elena more agreeable and Tyler more enraged? She could never be sure, but in secret, she was more partial to the former.
"Luckily, you won't ever have to know the answer," Elena responded.
Being reminded of Klaus's semi-permanent absence once again put her even more on edge. Talking about him was only making this worse for her.
"I'm gonna go get us that tea," she announced, standing up from the couch, officially putting an end to their current conversation. She hoped Elena would forget about when she returned.
It didn't matter anyways, because by the time the kettle was boiling, Elena was passed out on the couch asleep.
She smiled; happy her human friend was resting. She needed it after all she had been through today.
The buzz of her phone broke the silence, and she pulled the phone from her purse as quickly as she could so as not to wake Elena.
Her nerves anticipated it would be Elijah, but the caller I.D. said it was her mother.
She walked to Elena's hallway to answer the call, hoping that would shield some of the noise.
"Hello?" she answered.
"Caroline, you and Tyler both need to come to his house as soon as possible. It's important," she said quickly.
Her mom's panicked voice took her off guard.
"What? Why? What's going on?" she rambled.
She noticed Matt and Tyler coming down the stairs. Tyler had his cell phone in hand and a concerned look on his face.
"I'll explain when you get here," her mother answered.
Now she was really freaked out.
"Okay. Bye mom," she said.
"See you soon," her mom finished.
She cancelled the call and eyed Tyler expectantly.
"My mom just called me too," Tyler informed her. "We should go over there," he decided, looking between her and Matt.
She nodded.
"Can you stay with Elena until Stefan and Damon get back?" she asked Matt, not wanting to completely bail on her best friend.
"I didn't plan on going anywhere else," Matt answered with an understanding smile.
"She's sleeping on the couch," she informed him as she gathered her things.
"Let me know what's going on," Matt told them as she and Tyler headed for the front door.
The drive to Tyler's had been one of the longest five minute drives of her life.
They had made small talk revolving around what their mom's might want to see them for, but that was quickly replaced by an awkward and penetrating silence.
Both knew the real issue they had yet to continue discussing, but neither of them seemed motivated to bring it up.
She certainly wasn't interested in bringing it up. She didn't know what she would say. She had come so close to telling him everything. She didn't know if she would ever get that kind of courage again.
It was almost a relief to arrive at Tyler's, even though she was just as anxious to hear what their mothers would have to say. Her mom had sounded so worried over the phone.
"Mom?" Tyler called out as they stepped inside the house.
"In here!" his mom replied from the formal living room.
They entered the room to find both their moms waiting for them expectantly.
"Mom," she said, still surprised to see her at Tyler's with his mom; to see her so concerned.
"What's going on?" Tyler asked hesitantly.
His mom sighed apprehensively.
"Alaric outed us to the Council. He told them everything. The whole Council knows what you are," she explained.
Suddenly it felt like her world stopped moving. She had experienced a few of those moments in the past few days. She was tired of it.
The Council knowing what they were was just another problem to add to her list.
This was not good news. It was terrible news. The last time the Council was aware of vampires, they tried to terminate all of them.
"He's got them looking for Klaus and then they're gonna come looking for you. You can't be here when they do," her mom said.
Her first thought: they were never going to find Klaus. Her second thought: what would that mean for Tyler and her?
"What are you saying?" she asked her mom nervously.
Her mom looked at her regrettably.
"You both need to get out of town."
Tyler's mom nodded in agreement with her mom.
"I pulled together some cash and Liz will get you some new identification and we'll get school records..." she stammered, clearly improvising the plan.
She did not feel reassured.
Tyler appeared no more confident than she did.
"Whoa, wait a minute, you want us to run?" he asked.
Both their moms nodded.
"We can't protect you anymore," her mom admitted.
"If you stay, you're going to end up dead. You don't have a choice," Tyler's mom added.
The weight on her shoulders grew heavier. Her lungs felt like they were being crushed by the new reality she was facing. She may have been a vampire, but first and foremost she was an eighteen year old girl. She didn't want to run from her home. She wanted to stay. She wasn't ready to leave her mom; not like this. She wasn't even sure she wanted to leave with Tyler.
She eyed her mom for guidance, who nodded back at her with urgency.
"You need to leave as soon as possible," her mom pushed.
Before she could respond, her cell phone began to sound from her purse.
She rushed to her bag as if eager for the disruption; eager to escape the present situation.
"It's Stefan," she said to Tyler and their mom's, as if to justify the interruption.
She answered the call immediately, worried that something might have happened to Elena, as she sped to the Lockwood study for some privacy.
"Stefan? What is it? Is Elena okay?" she asked frantically.
"Don't worry. Elena's fine, but I need your help," he requested.
"What's going on?" she asked curiously.
"Listen, we don't have a lot of time so I can't get into specifics. Damon is still on the road with Klaus. I came back to check in on Elena...Elijah is here," he said, pausing.
Her stomach tightened and her breathing hitched as she waited for Stefan to scold her for calling him.
"He's going to help us get Alaric off of Damon's trail. Elijah's strength will help us disarm him," he explained. "We need your added strength to ensure we're successful."
She bit her lip as she went to ask Stefan for the details of Elijah's arrival; they didn't have a lot of time.
"Where do you want me to meet you?" she asked, disregarding her mother's insistence to leave town right away.
"Head to the woods on the outskirts of town by the old cemetery," he told her.
"Okay, I'll be there," she said.
When she looked up from putting her cell phone back into her purse, Tyler was standing there with his arms folded under his chest.
"What did Stefan want?" Tyler asked sternly.
She glanced at him hesitantly; nervous about how he would react to her deviation from the plan their mothers had laid out for them; nervous about how he felt about that plan in lieu of their earlier conversation; and nervous that their previous conversation would be brought up once more.
Regardless of how she felt about it, she had to face Tyler. They had to get this over with. She needed to be strong.
"Stefan really didn't explain too much, but from what I understand Elijah showed up at Elena's..." she said. "He obviously made some sort of deal with them with respect to Klaus, because he's going to help us distract Alaric from following Damon. He's going to help us get the stake from Alaric," she explained.
"And Stefan wants you to help?" Tyler asked seemingly unimpressed.
She nodded.
"Are you insane Caroline?! Alaric almost killed you once today," he said.
She began to pace.
"I know that Tyler. And he could very well succeed in killing me - all of us - if I don't help Stefan and Elijah get that stake," she reasoned. "We can't just leave town."
He didn't appear swayed by her argument.
"Yes we can," Tyler countered.
"But our friends need us," she challenged.
"Look, we are going to be killed by the Council if we don't leave town. Our mothers need us to stay alive," he lamented.
She scoffed.
"Running won't necessarily save us if Alaric still has that stake. It won't matter where we are if he uses it and kills the original you or I, or both of us descended from; we'll be dead," she reminded him, hoping he would see it from her perspective. "Alaric almost succeeded in killing Klaus today; Elijah and Stefan need my help," she added.
Tyler shook his head in disapproval.
"Stefan and Damon are going to do whatever it takes to protect themselves. I'm sure Stefan and Elijah can handle things. And if they can't, Klaus's siblings ran from Mikael for centuries, they can do it again with Alaric. We need to look out for ourselves, Caroline. This is our lives, and our most important concern right now is avoiding the Council. Let me protect you," he said adamantly.
She let out a frustrated sigh as she leaned against his father's desk.
"I'm surprised you even want to protect me after earlier," she said apprehensively as she stared at the floor.
He approached her and stood in front of her dropped gaze. He clasped one of his hands around one of hers that she had been fidgeting with as she waited for his response.
"I know something happened between you and Klaus while I was away," he said quietly.
She looked up at him and scrambled to respond.
"Tyler..."
- "I don't know what happened...I'm not even sure I want to know, but I know something happened; I knew it the second I confronted you about that drawing. I don't know what you feel for him, but I know your feelings go beyond fake smiles and friendship for the sake of Elena," he told her.
"Tyler..." she said again, hoping to explain herself fully.
"It's my fault," he said regretfully.
She shook her head.
He squeezed her hand.
"It is. I bit you, Caroline. I almost killed you. Klaus may have told me to do it, but I'm the one who let the sire bond control me. He saved your life..." he recalled. "I left you out of my own guilt..."
- "You left to break the sire bond," she interrupted.
"The point is I wasn't here for you when you needed me the most. Klaus was. I shouldn't be surprised that something happened between you; hurt yes, but not surprised," he said.
"Don't blame yourself," she urged him as tears began to escape from the corners of her eyes.
He gritted his teeth, trying to hold back the anger she knew he felt.
"I do. Nothing would have happened had I stayed here," he believed.
He was probably right. She never would have been at the Grill that night she was first with Klaus. She would have been at home with Tyler, none the wiser to what she was missing out on.
"But it did, and there's nothing either of us can do to change that now," he realized.
She nodded as she wiped away the tears pooling above her cheeks.
"I understand if you hate me," she whimpered.
"But I don't," he quickly assured her. "I mean, I'm mad...but I still love you."
She couldn't believe what he was saying to her.
"I could walk out right now and leave on my own, but I love you too much to do that," he said, sounding almost frustrated. "I would never forgive myself if the Council hurt you and I wasn't there to protect you all because I was too wrapped up in my own anger," he told her. "What's important right now is getting out of this town. Once we're safe, then we'll talk about where we stand," he finished.
She wasn't even sure she was talking to the same Tyler anymore. She hadn't expected him to react this way. She was baffled by the shift he had taken.
"Unless you don't want to leave with me and you're only using Stefan's plan as a stall tactic," he wondered.
Participating in Stefan's plan was not a stall tactic for her. She genuinely wanted to help Stefan if it meant she and everyone she cared about would be safer. However, the minute their mothers had brought up the plan for them to leave town, she was unsure she wanted to leave with Tyler. It required a level of commitment that she was no longer certain she wanted to make, even if Klaus was as good as dead. Where else would she go though? She couldn't stay in Mystic Falls, and she didn't want to venture out on her own. Time, the voice inside her head reminded her. Perhaps time would allow her to reconcile her torn feelings. Maybe her feelings for Tyler would return. At the very least, he deserved a fair chance.
"Tyler, I want to leave with you," she started. "But first, I have to help our friends," she told him, hoping he wouldn't take it the wrong way.
He looked annoyed with her, but his face relaxed.
"I don't understand...but I'll get stuff together and meet you at the cellar in two hours," he complied.
She smiled appreciatively.
"Deal," she said.
He kissed her lightly out of habit, pulling away prematurely when he recalled his mixed feelings towards her.
"We've gotta travel light, so what do you need?" he asked.
She thought for a moment.
"Nothing we can't get on the way; a change of clothes...maybe a curling iron," she said, laughing softly. "Oh! I have to tell Bonnie," she realized.
"I'll call Bonnie, okay? Two hours, don't be late," he told her.
She nodded.
"Be careful..." he urged her before kissing her on the cheek.
"I will," she replied.
When she got to the woods near the cemetery Stefan and Jeremy were already there waiting.
She hadn't expected Jeremy to be there and looked at the both of them confused.
"What's Jeremy doing here?" she asked Stefan.
"Jeremy's gonna go wait out at the road for Alaric. Alaric thinks he's defected. He's going to bring Alaric into the woods...to us, and that's when we'll grab him, get the stake, and then get the hell out of here," he explained.
She looked at both of them worriedly.
"Elena knows I'm here," Jeremy said. "I'll be fine," he assured her.
Her thoughts quickly turned to Elijah. When Stefan made no effort to confront her about him, she assumed her name had not been mentioned in their conversation with him.
"So is anyone going to tell me how Elijah fits into this plan?" she wondered.
Stefan was about to fill her in but they were interrupted by a noise in the woods beside them.
They looked in the direction of the sound to see Elijah standing there.
"Allow me," he offered, eyeing her with intrigue.
She sucked in a breath and waited for him to finally tell Stefan that she was the one who called him in the first place even though he had promised her otherwise.
"Alaric will be here soon, we should get into position," Stefan suggested instead.
"I'll escort Ms. Forbes to her place," Elijah said.
Biting her lip to quell her nerves, she nodded reluctantly and stepped towards him.
He turned and she followed, giving a friendly glance to both Stefan and Jeremy as she passed.
They walked for a few minutes in silence, nothing but twigs and dirt complaining under their feet. She studied the side profile of his face as she thought about what to say, noting how at a certain angle he and Klaus appeared similar despite being only half-brothers.
"So I want to express my gratitude to you in person for your phone call earlier. Given your position, I know it was not likely an easy call to make," he said first. "As a token of my appreciation, I give you my word that your friends will never know how I came to find out about Niklaus," he reassured her.
She sighed in relief, hoping Elena was right about Elijah being honourable.
In time, perhaps she would tell her friends what she did, but now was not the time.
"Thank you," she said.
He nodded.
"I am curious, however, to know what prompted your call..." he trailed off, waiting for her to answer.
She knew he was trying for answers he already suspected, but she decided to play coy with him.
"He's your brother, I thought you deserved to know," she said. "And I knew that if you found out after the fact we'd have another angry original to deal with; either because you care about your brother too much to let him go, or because you wanted to get rid of him yourself," she mused.
It wasn't an entirely dishonest thing to say. It was true. Had they kept Klaus's desiccation from his siblings there would have been hell to pay when they found out.
"You're very intelligent Ms. Forbes," he complimented.
- "Caroline," she interjected, smiling faintly.
"Caroline," he repeated. "You were also wise to speak with me instead of Rebekah. She would have reacted impulsively to your news; she and Niklaus are a lot alike in that respect," he explained.
"Well I knew you made deals with Elena in the past..." she started.
- "As I have once more," he interrupted. "So that's the reason you took a chance by calling me?" he asked.
She shook her head.
"You're lying," he observed casually; a grin tugging at the corners of his lips.
She forgot that she was dealing with a centuries old original vampire who had seemingly perfected the art of lie detection.
His eyes fell to hers as he looked at her with suspicion.
"Rebekah tells me that you were carrying on an affair with Niklaus; that your relationship with him was of a romantic nature, is that true?" he asked bluntly.
Her cheeks reddened and she laughed, partially out of embarrassment and partially at how he had phrased the question.
She debated what to say next, unsure if there was anything she could say to throw him off of his interrogation. He seemed to know everything Rebekah knew.
"I wouldn't exactly call it romantic," she snorted, thinking about the unconventional "relationship" she had with Klaus, or "Niklaus" as Elijah had so fondly referred to him as.
On the face of things, their short relationship had never been romantic; they never shared an awkward dating phase; he hadn't had the chance to kiss her chastely on the cheek after their first date; he never bought her flowers, or even asked her to be his girlfriend; of course not, since he was Klaus and she was technically cheating on Tyler; they barely talked; they never made love. But underneath the formality of it all, buried within the drawings, the dress, the bracelet, the horse ride, the dinner, the conversation, the sex, lied subtle hints of romance.
He glanced at her.
"So you never shared Niklaus's bed then?" he asked.
She gasped with a smirk.
"Excuse me?"
He chuckled.
"Forgive my old English. You and my brother have never 'hooked up'?" he clarified with an amused expression on his face.
She glared at him, surprised by his invasive question.
"Why are you asking me something you already likely know the answer to?" she stalled.
"Well I know my sister has a tendency to be overdramatic. I'd prefer that you confirmed her gossip. I'm merely trying to determine your motivations..." he revealed.
Her brows furrowed at him; feeling as though she was being critically assessed and challenged.
"Maybe I'd like to figure out your motivations for asking me such a question?" she proposed. "If I said 'yes,' how do I know you aren't going to blackmail me or something?" she asked defensively.
He laughed.
"Your phone call would have sufficed for the purposes of blackmail. I have no intentions of blackmailing you; after all I am indebted to you for your call about Niklaus in the first place. As I said, I merely want to understand what prompted your..."
- "Okay, okay, we slept together. Is that what you wanted to hear? Would you like all the details?" she interrupted, annoyed by his interrogation.
He shook his head.
"No. No. That is sufficient," he answered. "But I thought you were with Tyl..."
- "I was...er am. I made a mistake," she interrupted again.
"And what mistake would that be? Sleeping with my brother, or sleeping with my brother while you were with Tyler?" he mused.
She grumbled under her breath at his ability to ask the tough questions. She was beginning to sound like her conscience or something. Admittedly, she felt herself beginning to break under his pressure.
She didn't answer him.
"Given your phone call, I would say the latter," he concluded.
Again, she hesitated before replying.
"So you think I called you because I slept with Klaus?" she asked, hoping he could hear the annoyance and agitation in her voice.
He laughed.
"No. I don't think you called me because you slept with my brother. I think you called because you're in love with him," he stated, stopping to turn towards her.
Her whole body stiffened with his words. He barely knew her. This was the first conversation they had ever shared. How could he know something she didn't even know herself?
"Are you?" he inquired.
She arched her eyebrow and stared at him with distaste in response to his question as she tried to hide the rising emotion within her.
He lowered his head, almost in shame.
"Forgive me. You do not have to answer that. It was rude of me to ask. The secrets of a woman's heart are very personal," he apologized.
She scoffed in disbelief at his strange other-worldly manners; she appreciated them nonetheless.
"But the secrets of her bed are not?" she retorted smartly, referring to his earlier intrusive questions about her sexual history with Klaus.
She was hoping the witty comment would be enough to stifle her emotional response, but she was tired of hiding her feelings; tired of pretending she was okay; tired of having no one to talk to.
"I don't know, okay?" she answered as her eyes stung with tears. "I don't know what I feel for him. I don't know if it's love," she stammered frustratingly. "How can I have feelings for him after everything he's done?" she wondered.
He eyed her sympathetically.
"It wasn't my intention to upset you," he explained, handing her a handkerchief from his pocket.
Despite her mini-break down, she couldn't help but laugh at this latest old-world custom of his. She took the material appreciatively and patted her eyes.
"All I know is that the last thing I want is Klaus desiccated at the bottom of an ocean for eternity," she declared, knowing as much to be true.
"How do you know the deal I made with Elena still doesn't involve that scenario?" he wondered.
She handed him back the handkerchief and stared at him disapprovingly.
"Rebekah may be willing to go along with your efforts to reach a civilized compromise, but she would never let you do that to Klaus," she said confidently. "Besides, if you wanted him gone that badly, you would have killed him when you had the chance during his attempt to break the curse," she reminded him.
He seemed impressed by her response.
"Well I suspect the terms of my deal with Elena will give you an adequate length of time to determine your feelings for my brother and resolve your clear conflict of interest," he said mysteriously.
She looked at him curiously.
"Damon will give Rebekah Niklaus's body on the condition that I help disarm Alaric, and then leave town with Klaus's desiccated body when it is done. My siblings and I will spend the next half-century or so evading Alaric, until Elena ultimately succumbs to a human death..." he explained.
It seemed like a simple deal, she thought.
"You understand that in order to ensure Elena's safety and that of her immediate descendents, as well as to teach my brother a lesson, Niklaus will not be revived for some time," Elijah emphasized.
She nodded.
This was the best case scenario for everyone. As per the deal, they would no longer have to worry about Alaric running around with a lethal weapon; Elena could rest easy for the duration of her life knowing that Klaus would never be on the hunt for her; and she would have all the time in the world to clear her head and figure things out...what she wanted. More than that, she would no longer have to worry about betraying her friends once Klaus was revived.
"The deal is best for everyone. He tried to kill my best friend today...again. I'm not exactly his biggest fan right now," she informed him.
"And yet you still called me..." he mentioned. "I'm sure it wasn't Niklaus's intention to hurt you. As I said, he's impulsive; impulsiveness and desperation are a dangerous combination. He's been pursuing the idea of hybrids for centuries. He's persistent. Niklaus does not give up easily on the things he wants. Backed into a corner as he was today, he reacted and tried to salvage his hybrid dream by any means necessary. It was nothing..."
- "Nothing personal?" she finished for him unimpressed.
He shook his head bemusedly.
"Listen, I don't condone Niklaus's quest for hybrids, but I understand it. Outwardly it was always about securing protection from our father. Inwardly, it was about creating a family to which he could feel he belonged," he told her as he looked out pensively into the night fog. "For some reason Niklaus never felt like he fit in with our family," Elijah said regretfully.
"You can't just give up on something like that after years of tirelessly lusting after it. You must know that despite the often gruesome means he employs to reach that end, all of it is motivated by a lingering and forceful humanity that lies somewhere within him," Elijah continued defending his brother.
She sighed, almost feeling completely sorry for Klaus. Elijah had basically explained what she had begun to discover about the original hybrid. All of his destruction was done out of a dire urge to belong; to matter to someone.
"Niklaus is afraid of actually getting what he wants because he knows that real trust and loyalty can be fleeting and unpredictable. The sire bond is unfaltering and controllable. It's a defense mechanism shielding him against the true vulnerability that comes with a genuine reciprocal relationship with someone else," he expanded.
It made perfect sense to her.
"It's frustrating," she scowled.
He smirked and nodded at her.
"Indeed. That's the Niklaus I've known for centuries," he sympathized.
"Was he ever any different?" she wondered.
He grazed his top teeth over his bottom lip as he considered her question.
"When he was human," Elijah recalled. "Niklaus has always had an underlying insecurity about him, but he didn't let it control him. He enjoyed life...he was adventurous...he laughed, he loved," Elijah reminisced.
She nodded appreciatively at his willingness to share his personal memories.
"If it's any consolation to you, according to my sister, Niklaus was quite taken with you," he told her.
She was thankful for the darkness of night to hide the small smile tugging at her lips and the pink colouring her cheeks.
"Rebekah said that Niklaus had even asked you to leave with him once he had Elena..." Elijah said with such a tone that established it more as a question to be answered.
"He did," she answered.
"And you refused him?" he asked.
"I did," she replied.
He seemed intrigued.
"As long as he's after Elena, I always will," she stated definitively. "He should know that."
"Elena is lucky to have such loyal friends as yourself," he complimented.
In that moment she felt a tiny surge of guilt bubble up to her chest.
"Well lately I haven't been as loyal as I should be," she confessed, referring obviously to Klaus.
"It's not easy choosing between your heart and your conscience," he advised, helping to ease the burden of guilt that had resurfaced within her. "If anyone should understand that, it's Elena," he added.
"You would think...but Klaus has hurt her too much. I don't think she could see past that to understand where I'm coming from," she admitted.
"Perhaps, but you might be surprised," he offered.
She shrugged indifferently.
"There's no use in telling Elena about it now. Klaus and I are done for the foreseeable future anyways," she said; finding the very reminder of his extended absence unsettling.
"And what do you plan to do for the foreseeable future?" Elijah asked.
She frowned, reminded of the fact that she would be leaving Mystic Falls shortly.
"Alaric told the Council what Tyler and I are as a way to undermine the influence of our mothers and restart the hunt for all things supernatural. Once they give up on Klaus, they'll come after us," she informed Elijah.
Elijah looked at her concerned.
"You are more than welcome to accompany me and my siblings," he offered considerately.
She was kind of taken by surprise with his suggestion. She barely knew him and yet here they were having such a candid conversation and he was now offering her his protection. It seemed too good to be true, but there was honesty in Elijah's eyes that told her she could trust him. The offer was tempting given the rocky nature of her relationship with Tyler, but she still didn't feel right about accepting.
"Thanks, but I'm leaving town tonight with Tyler," she said hesitantly, unsure of how Elijah would respond to that.
His contorted expression hinted that he was confused.
"I know. It doesn't make a lot of sense, but I can't just leave by myself; I've barely left Mystic Falls my whole life. I need familiarity. I trust Tyler," she reasoned.
"Is he aware of your feelings for my brother?" he questioned.
"He suspects something. But we both agreed what's most important right now is getting out of this town alive. I'll tell him what happened once we're safe," she said, defending her decision.
"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Elijah wondered.
His question prompted her to second guess her decision.
"Well I think it's better than having a rushed two minute conversation before we have to run for our lives," she answered back, hoping her explanation would be enough.
He nodded.
They both listened quietly to the night air for a few moments.
"How do you think Klaus will be in a century or so?" she asked apprehensively.
Elijah smirked slightly.
"You mean, will Niklaus remember you?" he asked, sensing her underlying concern.
She looked innocently at him and shook her head, affirming his correction.
"From what I understand of the spell, when Niklaus is rejuvenated with human blood, he'll pick up where he left off," he said. "Unfortunately, that means he'll remember both the good and the bad," Elijah reminded them both. "I don't imagine he'll be very pleased with your friends for desiccating him; nor will he be pleased with me for prolonging it," he concluded.
"Will he be able to find me when he comes back?" she asked curiously.
He shrugged, trying to hide another grin, obviously amused by her interest in Klaus.
"If Niklaus wants to find you, then he will," he assured her.
She accepted what he said with a self-conscious nod, fully aware that he might never want to find her.
"I'm sorry, but I cannot give you any more reassurance than that," he explained sympathetically.
"I know," she answered shakily.
Elijah looked down at the expensive looking watch adoring his wrist.
"Stefan should have texted me by now," he noted, reaching inside the pocket of his jacket for his cell phone. "Nothing," he observed as he scanned through the contents of the phone.
His controlled panic worried her and she focused in on the area around them for any sign of danger.
"Was this where we were supposed to wait?" she asked, wondering if maybe their conversation had distracted him.
"Yes," he proclaimed confidently as he too began to search the forest around them for any hint of a problem. "Something is wrong," Elijah said. "I can sense it."
She wasn't about to question his judgement.
"We should find Stefan," she suggested.
Elijah agreed, and both of them sped back to where they had originally left him.
To her relief, they quickly located both Stefan and Jeremy.
However, the sombre looks on both of their faces instantly raised red flags for her. Something was wrong.
"What happened?" Elijah asked before she had the chance.
Stefan stared at them almost absently.
"Stefan?" she demanded.
"Our plan didn't work," he said regretfully.
Both she and Elijah waited for him to continue.
"Alaric found Damon and Rebekah at the storage lockers where Damon was keeping Klaus's body..." Stefan started.
She heard Elijah suck in a breath sharply.
"Alaric staked Klaus; Klaus is dead," Stefan revealed.
There had been too many of these moments in her life lately; those moments where everything comes to a crashing stop; when it feels like the world has stopped spinning; when it's a struggle to speak or even breathe.
Klaus was dead. No longer was he just desiccated, he was gone for good. A sharp pain dug through her chest as that fact began to sink in.
More than that, Klaus's death had such a domino effect on everything else that it took her a few seconds to tally up the implications.
Klaus's blood had created Tyler. Tyler would die.
And if it was his bloodline that established her, Stefan, and Damon, then they were all dead too.
"I have to find Tyler," she said blankly, still in disbelief.
Stefan nodded and she hugged him, knowing this could be the last time either of them would see each other.
Pulling away, she exchanged knowing glances with both Jeremy and Elijah before rushing off. She hoped Tyler would be waiting for her at the Lockwood cellar like they had agreed on.
He could hear her sobbing frantically from inside the cellar as he rushed to meet her like Tyler had promised her. Obviously she had heard the news about his apparent death.
Her cries unsettled him, but he readied himself to face her as Tyler. She had to believe it was Tyler.
Nobody could know that he was still alive so long as Alaric was still out there.
"Caroline?" he called out anxiously as he entered the cellar, still getting used to the sound of Tyler's voice rolling off of his – Tyler's – lips.
"Tyler! Oh my God," she cried out.
He rushed towards her, reminding himself of how Tyler would likely respond in such a scenario.
Of course, it didn't take much thought since the sight of Caroline upset garnered a response from him similar to one that he suspected Tyler would give.
She wrapped her arms around him and held him against her tightly.
The feeling made him shudder unexpectedly as warmth filled him, but he shrugged it off quickly.
He knew he would have to constantly remind himself that she believed him to be Tyler. She wasn't holding onto him for dear life, she was holding onto Tyler.
"Hey. Sorry, I was just with Bonnie," he informed her, hoping she would buy it.
"What happened?" he asked her, playing the fool, as they pulled apart.
"Klaus died. He's dead," she sobbed as tears cascaded down her cheeks.
He could only wonder to himself if a part of her was crying for him.
Letting his facade slip for a moment, he hurriedly forced an expression of surprise and dark realization.
"You're going to be fine, Caroline," he told her, knowing she suspected her own death was also imminent.
She shook her head.
"No, it's not me I'm worried about," she whimpered.
He shrugged.
"There's no point. I'm a lost cause, but you're strong and you have a beautiful future ahead of you. And when you make it through this, just tell my mother I left town like I was supposed to, okay?" he told her, hoping it sounded like something Tyler might say to her if he knew he was about to die.
Still forgetful about his body swap, he was taken aback when she kissed him. Although confused by her actions, he supposed he couldn't blame her for kissing Tyler given the circumstance she believed to be in.
She kissed his cheek and pulled him close once more.
He sighed and closed his eyes, taking a moment to indulge.
She had to leave. As much as he enjoyed the sympathy kisses, he knew they were not for him anyways, and he needed time to figure out his next move.
Deciding to test his dramatic acting skills, he groaned in pain and collapsed to the floor.
"Do you feel anything?" he asked as he stood back up.
"No, I feel fine," she said, a panicked expression rising on her face.
"I need you to get out of here. I don't want you to watch me die," he told her.
She shook her head defiantly.
"No, I'm not leaving," she stated.
He bowled over again, crying out in pain.
She followed him down worriedly.
"I'm staying," she said firmly and attentively.
"No," he argued.
"Yes!" she said.
He had clearly underestimated the lingering feelings she had for Tyler. Then again, he had to remember she was convinced that he – Klaus – was already dead, and that Tyler was about to die. He would have to try harder.
"You run. Or I'll make you run," he threatened.
"I'm not leaving," she said steadfastly.
He forced the beginnings of a wolf transformation to frighten her into leaving. She had escaped death enough today, certainly, she would not take a chance again.
"Go!" he shouted.
Her entire demeanour had changed, and he knew he had succeeded. She had given up. Crying hurtfully and helplessly, she rushed out of the Lockwood cellar, leaving him alone to wonder if she would ever forgive him as he waited for Bonnie's arrival.
Time would tell.
His main concern now was returning to his own body.
A/N:
So I hope you aren't getting too frustrated yet with the lack of Klaus and Caroline moments, I promise that good things come to those who wait! I hope the part with Caroline and Elijah will suffice. However, I need to clarify now that I have no foreseeable intention in establishing Calijah, or Eline? In case anyone was wondering. Their budding friendship is completely innocent.
I know some of you had suggested that I diverge from the final episode of season 3, but it has been my intention all along to stay as true to it as possible. Please know that from this point on, my fan-fiction will probably differ greatly from what the producers of TVD have in store for season 4. However, I do have plans to work in some of the elements from season 4 that have been hinted at and/or confirmed.
Also, I ask for your patience as you wait for another update. The next chapter will be entirely fresh material, so it will take me some time to work out the details. I know how I want this fic to end; it's just paving the way to that ending that is giving me difficulty.
In the meantime, I have another question for you that I completely (stupidly) forgot to ask you all the last time. How do you want Caroline to discover that Klaus is in Tyler's body? Again, I'm curious to know what you readers of my fic would like to see and how it compares with my ideas. As usual, if you have questions of your own to ask me, feel free to!
I feel like I'm forgetting to add something yet again, but I digress. Thanks for reading!