A/N: Hello lovely readers...just dropping you a late Christmas present (take it even if you don't celebrate Christmas, lol). Unfortunately, I didn't get to the point I wanted to with this chapter, but I decided to cut it off here. If I didn't, the chapter would have ended up being double the length and I probably wouldn't have had another update for a while.
While nothing extremely exciting happens in this chapter, it is definitely a tone setting chapter in terms of raising issues major/minor that will be addressed in the future.
I hope that you enjoy it nonetheless, and please pass me along a review. Even though this chapter is pretty simple, it took me forever to write for some reason, so I've been a little discouraged. I need some of your encouraging words. :D
Oh yeah, thanks to all of you who responded to my question in the last author's note! I appreciate it!
"Caroline!" a muffled voice called.
She opened her eyes slowly, adjusting to the light in the room.
"It's nearly eight o'clock, are you up? You're going to be late for school," a voice she finally recognized as her mother's called.
Her stomach dropped with panic when she felt a warm body shift beside her; Klaus.
She shot up in bed.
"Yeah, mom, I'm getting dressed," she replied hurriedly, hoping that would stop her mom from entering.
"Okay, sweetie. I'm heading to bed," her mother responded.
Listening intently as her mother's footsteps headed for her own bedroom, her breathing relaxed.
"Oh my god," she gasped under her breath, falling back against her pillow.
She glanced over at Klaus who was resting on his stomach, looking at her with an amused expression.
"You were supposed to leave before morning," she chided, pushing his shoulder while he yawned.
He rolled onto his side to completely face her, flashing her an irresistible dimpled smirk.
"You were the one who begged me to stay," he reminded her, leaning in to kiss her shoulder. "I was only giving you what you asked."
He climbed out of her bed and began to gather up his clothes and she had to take a second admire his naked form.
She smiled, recalling her refusal to let him leave the night previous.
"I didn't mean all night," she argued as she sat up. "My mom could have just walked in on us."
He shrugged with a laugh while he pulled on his pants.
"Your innocent desire to appease your mother is truly charming sweetheart," he mused. "But the last time I checked, you're a vampire. What could she really do to punish you?" he asked casually as he buttoned up his shirt. "Give you a time out?" he suggested as he climbed back onto the bed and settled over top of her.
He kissed her lips teasingly, barely making contact.
"Can we take a time out?" she retorted in her best seductive voice, before leaning up to kiss him harder.
Smirking into the kiss, he pulled away.
"Naughty girl," he hissed. "I think a time out is too lenient. Perhaps a spanking is in order?" he half joked, clearly amused and turned on by their flirtatious banter all at once.
She felt the same way.
It was amazing how a simple playful exchange between them could leave her core tingling.
Giggling, she swatted at his chest.
"While a spanking sounds strangely appealing coming from you, can we postpone the 'punishment'? It'd be nice to actually be on time for class today and I think you have already overstayed your welcome," she smirked.
He pouted and she took the opportunity to kiss his lips.
"Fine," he groaned jokingly as he climbed back off the bed and finished dressing.
She followed suit, deciding to give him a bit of peep show before they parted ways for the day.
Climbing out of bed, she let the flimsy cotton sheet drop from her naked torso.
As she approached her closet and dresser, she could hear a drawn out sigh escape him.
"It's rude to stare," she laughed, spotting his lustful look through her mirror, before rummaging through her underwear drawer, knowing that a shower would have to wait until after school due to the time constraint.
Without looking up, she flinched, knowing he had flashed directly behind her.
He ran a finger down her spine, retreating just as he reached the ticklish skin above her bottom.
"And it's rude to be a tease," he chided mirthfully before kissing the crook of her neck and pressing himself firmly against her.
"But you love it," she pointed out, fighting the urge to close her eyes and encourage him to have his way with her once more.
He snaked a hand over her shoulder and reached into her drawer, pulling out a deep red and black coloured thong.
"Wear this sometime," he urged with a rough whisper against her ear.
Her cheeks burned at his suggestion before she hastily grabbed the lingerie from his hand.
"Will I see you later?" she asked as she settled for a more modest bra and underwear combination.
"I suspect sooner rather than later," he said mischievously.
She turned to confront him about what he meant, but before a question could be asked, he was already gone.
Frowning, she continued getting ready before quietly sneaking past her mother's room to the kitchen to grab a small glass of blood to sate that hunger for the rest of the day. She didn't need much. Surprisingly, she could still sense Klaus's blood running through her veins.
When she arrived in the school parking lot, she noticed Matt sliding out of a shiny new dark blue truck. Curiosity getting the better of her, she pulled into the spot next to his. Maybe he would talk to her a little more.
She got out of her car quickly with the intention of bumping into him on their way into the school.
"Hey nice truck," she observed quickly, not wanting to lose his attention. "Is it a rental?" she asked as he stepped up from the curb and onto the grassy school yard.
He seemed a little bashful but too pleased with it nonetheless for it to be a rental.
She could tell that he was hesitating about whether or not to talk to her.
"No...actually Rebekah got it for me," he said anxiously, likely self-conscious about what she thought.
Her eyebrows rose in surprise.
"Oh, Rebekah," she started.
He nodded reluctantly.
"It's nothing," he shrugged, speaking to her as though he had forgotten the awkwardness that had settled between them ever since he found out about Klaus. "She just bought it for me, I didn't ask for it," he explained, "and considering she caused me to drive my last uninsured truck off of Wickery bridge, I figure it's probably the least she could do," he said.
They walked into the building and she noticed Rebekah staring at them from her locker. She went unnoticed by Matt as he greeted a few of the other guys from the football team.
"Does Rebekah know it's nothing?" she asked interestedly.
She stopped with Matt at his locker.
"I don't know, and to be honest, I don't care," he said bluntly as he opened his locker. "Just like she didn't care when she decided to run Elena and I off the road."
Sighing, she couldn't help but notice Rebekah's hopeful stare in the distance.
For some insane reason she felt sorry for Klaus's sister.
She said nothing more to Matt though, the fact that he was even talking to her was a miracle and she didn't want to overstep or back pedal on this progress.
"Well, I better run and get my calculator and textbook, see you in math," she said quickly as she shuffled through the busy crowd of students for her locker.
When she arrived to class Matt was already there. However, Bonnie was absent.
She sat down at her seat and organized her books, waiting hopefully for Matt to speak to her again.
Maybe it was a onetime thing. Maybe he realized that he was talking to the 'enemy' after she left his locker and decided to continue with the silent treatment.
"I wonder where Bonnie is..." he said casually.
She felt a tinge of relief and excitement as he spoke. He was talking to her. One of her friends, aside from Stefan, was speaking to her.
"I don't know," she started, "I'm the last one brought into the loop," she said, hoping her comment wouldn't alienate him.
He nodded.
"I haven't seen Elena around either," he pointed out.
She shrugged.
"Well she had a rough night last night..." she trailed off, recalling her confrontation with Elena in the washroom at the Grill.
"Yeah, Jeremy told me what happened," he said, a small frown appearing on his face.
She could tell in that moment he felt guilty.
"None of it is your fault, Matt," she assured him.
He didn't seem convinced, but he nodded nonetheless
"I wish I could do something, but she made it clear last night that she doesn't want my help," she sighed.
"I think she does," he said. "She's just having trouble wrapping her head around your thing with Klaus," Matt explained.
Matt's mention of Klaus made her anxious, and she bit her lip as she pondered whether to delve into that topic of conversation.
"What about you?" she asked vaguely.
He gave her a confused look.
"Have you wrapped your head around my 'thing' with Klaus?" she wondered.
Matt let out a prolonged sigh as he tapped his fingers against the edge of his desk. He looked as nervous as she did.
"I'm trying," he admitted. "I...mean...what you did to Tyler was wrong..."
She nodded in agreement. What she did to Tyler was wrong.
"But...I think it's wrong of me to hold your feelings for Klaus against you. Especially when Elena has feelings for two vampires who are probably just as bad as Klaus when put together..." he paused as if reluctant to continue. "...and when I can't seem to shake Rebekah even though she nearly killed me," he said laughing shakily at himself and eyeing her intently signalling to her that the last part was not something he wanted shared.
She tried hard to tame the smile that was tugging at the corners of her lips.
"And I mean, judging from last night, Klaus seems to have your back; he wants to help us catch this hunter. He looks like he makes you happy," he observed.
"He does..." she said, her voice faltering when the teacher arrived and announced the start of class.
The interruption from the teacher was inconvenient. She wanted to continue her conversation with Matt while things were moving in her favour. The break in their talk might cause Matt to reassess what he had said and change his mind.
Of course, the class dragged on forever just when she was most eager for it to end so she could gauge where she and Matt now stood.
Once the bell finally rang to signal the end of class, she watched Matt from the corner of her eye as she gathered her things.
When it seemed as though he was getting ready to leave, she spoke up to stop him.
"Matt," she said, causing him to turn around.
"Thanks for trying," she offered simply.
He gave her a small smile.
She went to head for the door, not wanting to linger too long. She didn't want to seem overbearing about things.
"Care," he called.
Turning around, she gave him a questioning glance as other classmates began to file past her hurriedly for the exit.
"Yeah?" she asked.
"Last night, after all of you left, the guy – the hunter – he showed up," Matt revealed.
Her eyes widened.
"Why didn't you text me?!" she exclaimed. "What happened? Did he say anything to you?" she asked quickly, but quietly so other exiting students wouldn't overhear her.
"It was just before close so I was the only one there. He was watching me like a hawk, I didn't want to do anything that might get me thrown across the alley again," he chuckled. "But when he went to pull money from his wallet to pay his bill, I noticed something," he said.
"What?" she asked anticipatorily.
"There was a card in his wallet; for the hotel on the outskirts of town," he told her.
She was intrigued.
"The resort?" she confirmed.
Matt laughed.
"The only decent hotel in Mystic Falls," he mused. "I mean, he's probably not staying there...it's too pricey...and obvious, but," he shrugged.
- "It could be worth looking into," she said decidedly.
He seemed displeased by her enthusiasm.
"Maybe you should get Klaus to look into it," he suggested, "This hunter isn't a joke, Caroline. You didn't see how he took down Tyler. Klaus is stronger, let him handle it."
She frowned slightly at his recommendation to leave this to Klaus instead of following up on it herself, but deep down she knew he had a point. Besides, if the hunter didn't kill her Klaus surely would for going after him alone.
"Yeah, you're probably right. I'll tell him about it," she agreed.
Matt smiled, probably satisfied that he had quelled her determination.
"This could be promising, Matt," she acknowledged. "You did good."
He shrugged.
"I was just lucky my eyes were in the right spot at the right time," he corrected.
She smiled back at him.
"Keep me posted," he requested.
"I will," she said genuinely, "thanks," she repeated.
They said their good-byes and both headed off for their next class.
When lunchtime came around she walked confidently to the next prom meeting with Rebekah. Not only did she have her conversation with Matt to lift her spirits, yesterday night before she left for the Grill she sat down and compiled a detailed list of all her ideas for prom to share with Rebekah. She wasn't about to let Rebekah get the better of her when it came to prom. This was her prom committee too.
Rebekah was completely flabbergasted when she promptly took over the meeting and began presenting her ideas to the other girls. All the girls were receptive to her ideas for food, table settings, centrepieces, flowers...everything, and she couldn't help but smile at Rebekah's seething expression amongst all the enthusiastic ones.
Consensus also meant that Rebekah was volunteered to do all the dirty work, which meant phone calls and e-mails to various local caterers, event planning businesses and DJ's. While Rebekah faked a smile and contacted the services she had outlined, she and the other girls went over timelines, schedules, playlists, and organization. Their next task would be to pay a visit to the Mikaelson house to determine the exact layout for everything. She and Rebekah would have to ensure that Klaus wasn't there when they did. She wasn't sure if Klaus could handle it.
Once the meeting was over, and the other girls left, she could feel the air being sucked from the room along with them. If looks could kill, she thought as she noticed Rebekah staring her down from the other side of the classroom.
"When I said I wanted you to be more enthusiastic, I didn't mean take over the whole committee," Rebekah growled as she slammed her laptop shut.
She shrugged as she organized the notebook of ideas and tasks the group had compiled.
"Sorry, when I decide to commit to something I don't do it half-speed," she said. "We're all here to achieve the same goal, so I don't really see the big deal. Besides, I think the ideas we put together are awesome and we made a lot of progress today," she concluded proudly.
"Correction, I made a lot of progress today. I was the one making the important calls; and let's not forget, I'm the one who volunteered the perfect prom venue," Rebekah competed.
"Correction, you're the one who volunteered the perfect prom venue that belongs to your brother," she mused.
Rebekah's eyes narrowed.
"Well I hope your new found enthusiasm doesn't mean you'll be entering for prom queen, because that's clearly my title," Rebekah stated firmly.
To be honest, she hadn't even really thought much about prom queen at this point, even if it had been a high school dream of hers. It wasn't something significant to her now, but she had the urge to fight Rebekah for it just because she wanted it.
"We'll see," she smirked, knowing her cryptic statement would send Rebekah reeling on the inside. "Oh yeah, would you mind putting me in touch with that dressmaker you mentioned? I know its short notice, but..."
While Rebekah seemed reluctant now to give her access to an advantage, she could tell that Rebekah was more flattered that she had decided to follow up on a suggestion she had made.
"I see you've wised up and tossed out the idea of shopping for a pitiful off-the-rack dress, opting for my alternative instead," Rebekah bragged.
Of course, Rebekah would never just politely help her out. She had to rub it in that she had decided to take her advice.
She nodded to Rebekah.
"I'll call him after next period," Rebekah said, almost excitedly.
"Thanks," she offered.
"What colour were you thinking?" Rebekah wondered.
The colour of her dress was not something she had considered either.
"I'm not sure," she admitted. "Something understated, soft, elegant," she listed. "No bold colours; I don't think they'd suit the atmosphere we're going for," she added.
"Well so long it's not some obscure animal print or pale blue like mine, I think any other choice will be suitable," Rebekah said.
She laughed at the mental image of herself dressed in slinky leopard print prom dress.
"So judging by your chipper attitude and the fact that Niklaus did not return home last night, I'm going to assume you made amends with my brother?" Rebekah started.
Her cheeks reddened and she smiled but she said nothing.
"Elijah told me that they confronted the Council last night, and that Nik was going to try and lure the hunter out. I guess you got your way," Rebekah pointed out.
"And I guess you got yours as well," she replied, referring to the fact that by Klaus staying to help her, Rebekah would inadvertently be able to stay here and pursue what she wanted.
Rebekah nodded with a pleased grin.
"So it would seem," Rebekah replied. "Any success with the hunter?" she asked.
She shook her head.
"He made a brief appearance, but he was gone before we could do anything. I think Klaus scared him off," she revealed to Rebekah.
Rebekah laughed amusedly.
"My brother seems to have that effect on everyone, aside from you I suppose," Rebekah remarked. "I just hope he doesn't decide to scare all the prom guests away when he finds out prom is at our place," she joked.
"Klaus knows about prom," she told Rebekah.
She saw Rebekah's face go pale instantly as her expression darkened.
"You told him!?" Rebekah demanded as she covered her face stressfully with her hands. "I was just gonna leave it until the day of so he wouldn't have a chance to protest."
It amused her for a second at how dramatic Rebekah was being, but she had to remind herself of the kind of stubborn person Klaus could be.
"It's okay Rebekah. He wasn't impressed with the idea, but he wasn't opposed to it either," she assured Klaus's sister.
Rebekah let out a long sigh of relief as her eyes softened.
"You could have sabotaged the entire prom," Rebekah stated.
"It just slipped. Besides, telling him now was probably better than waiting until the last minute," she argued.
"Whatever, what's done is done. I suppose you'll have to sweet talk him in the meantime to reinforce his decision," Rebekah scoffed. "Did he agree to be your date too, or is that why you were talking to Matt this morning?" she asked curiously.
She glared at Rebekah in disbelief and nearly erupted into laughter at Rebekah's presumption about her conversation with Matt. That explained her devil eyes this morning. Rebekah had it bad.
"It's probably gonna take a bit more convincing to get your brother to attend the high school prom being held at his house, but I think we reached a compromise. So no, to answer your question, Matt is not my back-up prom date; that's not why I was talking to him," she clarified.
The worried features on Rebekah's face seemed to ease.
"Oh..." Rebekah trailed off meekly, obviously embarrassed.
"This is actually the first time he's talked to me in a while," she confessed. "I'm hoping we can get our friendship back on track," she continued, only noticing when she was finished talking that Rebekah was staring off into space, not even really listening to her.
She didn't even need to hear Rebekah's thoughts to know she was thinking about Matt.
"I saw the truck you bought him," she said, hoping to catch Rebekah's attention.
Rebekah's eyes darted back to hers as if snapping out of a trance.
"You did?" she said, still a little absent.
"That was nice of you," she offered.
"Do you think he likes it?" Rebekah asked self-consciously.
While she couldn't be completely positive, she had a feeling there was more to Rebekah's question than Matt's truck preference.
"You mean do you think he likes it enough to possibly be your prom date?" she clarified.
She noticed Rebekah's cheeks redden, and for a moment it seemed as though Rebekah was angry with the spin she had put on her words, but she nodded instead.
Rebekah's hopeful look and the reality of what she had done to Matt left her in a tough spot. She didn't know what to say. While Matt had acknowledged a lingering something for Rebekah, that didn't mean he was ready to forgive her and act on it. While there was a part of her that truly did not want to see Rebekah upset over Matt, there was another part urging her not to give Rebekah any false hope.
"I think the truck was a step in the right direction," she said optimistically before wincing slightly, "but to be honest, I think it's probably going to take a bit more for him to come around."
She fully expected Rebekah to react impatiently and to not understand, but her solemn nod seemed to suggest she got it.
"I never wanted to hurt him," she confessed. "I was angry. I was sad. I thought Nik had been killed and I thought Alaric was still out there hunting my siblings and I. Killing Elena was the easiest way to defend myself. I know it doesn't make what I did right, but I had to defend my family. After thinking I had lost Nik, I couldn't bear the thought of losing Elijah or Kol," Rebekah added.
As she listened to Rebekah, she felt herself empathizing with her. She had hated Rebekah for what she did to Matt and Elena, and yet she pitied her. Had she been in Rebekah's position, she might have done the exact same thing without a second thought if it meant saving those she loved the most. And while she never condoned Matt with Rebekah, she suddenly found herself wanting to help Rebekah.
"Give Matt some time. Maybe tell him what you told me if he's willing to listen," she suggested.
Rebekah huffed in subtle frustration and longing just as the bell rang warning students to end their lunches and head to their next class.
He entered the house through the garage, hoping to enter his study without interruption from Elijah.
Despite all efforts to frown, an unintended smirk rested comfortably on his face. No matter what he thought about, he could not seem to shake it. He tried to think of anything that would upset him, but his subconscious continued to drag his thoughts back to her.
Sure, they had not captured the hunter last night as he planned, and Elena seemed to drag the entire night down, but overall it had been a success in other ways. The image of a particular blonde beauty writhing beneath him was clear evidence of that. From there, his mind rewound to their immature race up the same hill he and his brothers used to run up; their bet; and then the later compromise she later made for him.
Ultimately as he reached his study, his mind settled upon their brief morning together. Her bed was almost small enough to be suffocating, but oddly he appreciated it. He didn't mind the feeling of her pressed up against him. More so, he revelled in their morning flirtation. Normally he was an impatient man. He didn't usually like to be teased. With Caroline it was different. He enjoyed her games, even if they left him with a dull ache in his groin after the fact. He was eager to play along; he wanted to savour her.
Still, there was a part of him – the impatient part – that regretted not bending her over and taking her right there against her dresser - the top drawer of which was apparently a treasure trove of lovely undergarments – regardless if her mother was home.
His grin grew a little more as he recalled slipping into his shoes in the front hall of her house this morning before he left. No doubt those same shoes had been there when Caroline's mother arrived home from her shift; and no doubt she had seen them. Their size and style would not be unnoticed in a house only occupied by women – especially when one was a police officer trained to possess an acute eye for detail. The realization made him curious and a little embarrassed. Why had Caroline's mother not stormed in on them to enforce her stringent rules set for her daughter in regards to male overnight guests? Perhaps she had waited to confront her daughter until after he left? Though, she really wasn't one to be intimidated by him, seeing as she had confronted him here in his own home about his relationship with her daughter. While he thought the idea of a human making rules for a vampire was silly, he had still felt keen to adhere to them, if only to keep Caroline's mother on his side. He didn't need to deal with the added tension. Despite that, he couldn't help but chuckle to himself as he thought about Caroline's mother confronting her about it at some point.
As he strolled into his study, he was met with Elijah's intrigued stare, as he looked up from a laptop he was working on at his desk.
A grin appeared on Elijah's face as he closed the lid of the computer and sat back in the chair, watching him intently.
Elijah was also someone finely attuned to detail. He possessed the pesky talent of being able to read people like books.
He watched as Elijah looked down at his watch for show, before looking back up at him with the same amused expression.
"Good morning, Niklaus," Elijah greeted him before stretching out his hands and resting them behind his head.
"Morning, brother," he replied, stepping further into the room, ready to ask Elijah why he was in his study at all.
"Judging by the smirk on your face and the fact that you're only returning home now at this hour, in last night's clothes no less, I'm inclined to conclude that your plan to draw the hunter out was a success, or that you made amends with Miss. Forbes; or perhaps both?" Elijah wondered.
He collapsed into one of the chairs facing Elijah and shrugged nonchalantly.
"My plan to draw the hunter out was only partially successful in that the particular sequence of events last night prevented me from detaining him. It's no matter, there will be other opportunities. I found out some very interesting information about this particular hunter though, so the night was not wasted," he shrugged. "And yes, although it is none of your business, after Caroline got over the fact that we confronted the Council and I had originally planned to lure out the hunter without her, we resolved our issues and we went back to her place for the evening," he explained.
The knowing look on Elijah's face told him that he was well aware of what he meant by 'resolved their issues.' He would spare Elijah the details not only for Caroline's modesty but also because he didn't have that type of relationship with Elijah anymore. At one point in time he and Elijah had been each other's closest confidants. They were so open about their sexual conquests – even after their issues with Tatia. They had both sworn off love but not its physical expression, and they had encouraged one another. At least until Katerina Petrova. While he was sure Elijah was far from celibate, he no longer engaged him in such discussions. Then again, he suspected that might have something to do with the fact that he had Elijah sealed in a coffin for some time than Katerina.
"I told you brother that Caroline would not be pleased that you wanted to handle the hunter on your own," Elijah reminded him.
Indeed, after their venture to the Council, Elijah had said something along those lines after he had informed him of his plans at the Grill.
"Well, last night we reached a compromise of sorts," he said simply, provoking Elijah's eyebrows to rise interestedly.
"I did not think compromise was in your vocabulary, Niklaus," Elijah mused.
He rolled his eyes in response to his brother's jabs.
"I agreed to not be so overbearing..." he started.
"And what did Caroline offer you in return?" Elijah wondered as he pressed his fingertips together.
"If no progress has been made with her friends or the hunter by prom, she agreed to leave Mystic Falls with me then," he finished explaining.
Elijah appeared surprised.
"That surprises you?" he asked Elijah.
Elijah shrugged and sat back against the desk chair.
"Prom isn't really that far away...at least that's the impression I got from Rebekah's ceaseless chatter about the subject," Elijah said.
He ran his hands along his pants as he wondered if Caroline would really follow through with her word if prom came and no progress had really been made.
"She gave me her word. I think she's growing discouraged with her pig-headed friends. She and Elena exchanged heated words last night at the Grill. The doppelganger seems far from interested in reconciliation. Caroline has been nothing but humble and understanding. That kind of patience can only last so long," he observed.
Elijah nodded.
"Indeed," Elijah agreed. "So what have you learnt about the hunter?" he asked curiously.
He looked at Elijah seriously for a moment; a subtle way of indicating to his brother that this information was serious and to be kept between them.
"He has the hunter's mark. It's invisible now apparently, but interestingly, Jeremy Gilbert has a knack for seeing invisible tattoos," he revealed.
Elijah's mouth went slack with shock and interest.
"There's more..." Elijah realized.
He stood up from the chair and began to pace in front of his brother.
"I guess the five that I killed and endured decades of hallucinations over have descendants," he concluded.
"The cure..." Elijah said absent-mindedly to himself.
"The hunter must be found and secured," he said determinedly.
Elijah looked at him suspiciously.
"To protect the cure or to destroy it?" Elijah asked inquisitively.
"Perhaps both," he offered cryptically.
Elijah eyed him intently.
"You want to use the cure on Elena for her blood?" Elijah assumed.
He stared pensively at the wood grain of the desk as he considered Elijah's question and thought back to the night Rebekah had destroyed his last remaining doppelganger blood.
"More hybrids means protection; protection for Caroline; something even more imperative now that the five appear to be reincarnated," he said.
"You know how Caroline feels about hybrids and the methods needed to create them, brother," Elijah reminded him.
His brows furrowed.
"Well perhaps she'll be a little more receptive when Elena gratefully gives her blood willingly to me and forgives Caroline in exchange for the cure? These hunters are a serious threat; not so much to us, but to her," he argued with Elijah and to himself.
He could tell Elijah was as conflicted as he was about the issue.
"So you've not told Caroline about this?" Elijah asked.
He shook his head, not surprised when Elijah gave him a critical stare.
"She should know, if not for the implications it could have on her relationship with you and Elena, then for the simple fact that if she gets the chance to kill this hunter, she could end up suffering through the same hallucinations you did all those years ago," Elijah warned.
"I know," he replied. "I will tell her when the time is right. This is not insignificant information. The cure could easily be used as a weapon against us," he emphasized.
Elijah nodded, knowing the last thing he wanted was to be returned to his human state.
"Are you afraid that Caroline may want the cure?" Elijah wondered.
He tensed instantly with Elijah's question. The possibility of Caroline wanting the cure unsettled him, and he realized then that was a part of his hesitation. While what the cure for Elena and more hybrids could mean for his relationship with Caroline concerned him, the possibility that Caroline might desire the cure concerned him more.
Shrugging off his brother's question, he chuckled.
"Why would she want to cure herself of being a powerful immortal?" he mused, although he already knew the answer to his question.
"The same reason anyone might consider curing themselves...to lead an average life, to appreciate time, to have a family...to fit in, I suppose," Elijah listed.
He scoffed.
"What if Caroline wanted the cure?" Elijah proposed.
His eyes darkened and narrowed as he thought about what that might mean.
"I suppose it would be her mistake to make," he said flatly, no longer interested in his conversation with his older brother. "Enough about the cure, we'll cross that bridge when we come to it," he hissed. "Now, care to tell me why you were in my study in the first place?" he asked, an obvious attempt to change the subject.
Elijah glanced at him apprehensively, still seemingly intent on discussing the conflict that could arise should Caroline desire the cure. Sighing, he seemed to concede to his wish to talk about something different.
"Well, one of the Council members, the editor-in-chief of the Mystic Falls Daily, was here to do an interview with me," Elijah mused.
He laughed, confused by the twist of events.
"I guess our impromptu presence at the last Council meeting was a success. He seemed eager to bury the hatchet. He wanted to do a profile piece on me, Mystic Falls' biggest and most recent benefactor," Elijah explained.
He laughed harder at Elijah's self-description.
"My profile will be right behind the profile of revered Council member, Jacob Stevens, who died suddenly at the last Council meeting of a heart attack," Elijah continued.
"Heart attack?" he questioned amused. "How curious?" he said further as he headed for the doorway. "He wasn't that old."
Elijah smirked.
"Where are you off to now, brother?" Elijah asked.
He snickered.
"To shower and dress; I have a certain blonde vampire – who isn't our sister – to check in on," he said vaguely.
She and Rebekah walked to their next period together – history. She was surprised to see Stefan already there since he had been absent during their English class. Given what Elena had gone through last night, she expected Stefan would be with her.
Taking her seat, she eyed Stefan sympathetically.
"Hey," she said softly.
Stefan acknowledged her with a short nod.
"I didn't see you in English..." she trailed off, hoping her open ended statement would lead to more information on Elena's status.
"I was seeing Elena off," he said. "Bonnie's going to Whitmore College to meet up with the professor who took over her grams' classes there. Elena decided to tag along...and so did Damon. After what happened last night, we decided it might be a good idea to try things Damon's way. He wants to show her how to feed from a human without killing them," Stefan explained.
She looked at Stefan worriedly. Not only did she fear for what might happen to Elena on this adventure, but she also feared what might happen between Elena and Damon. The look on Stefan's face told her that he was worried about the exact same things.
"Maybe it could be a good thing," she suggested optimistically.
Stefan nodded hopefully.
"So I guess Klaus came around, huh?" Stefan asked, clearly referring to Klaus's plan to lure the hunter out at the Grill.
"He and Elijah confronted the Council to get them to back down. Now I guess it's onto plan B to get the hunter since last night didn't go as expected," she said.
She noticed Stefan's lips purse with confusion.
"What changed his mind?" he wondered.
She shrugged.
"I guess the thought of me taking on the hunter and the Council by myself," she surmised.
"He's worried about you," Stefan concluded.
She nodded.
"In an overbearing sort of way, yeah, I guess he is," she agreed.
Stefan chuckled a little before his facial expression turned to one of surprise as he looked past her towards the door.
"What?" she asked as she turned around in her seat.
Rebekah looked equally stunned as her eyes darted past her to see Klaus himself standing at the front of the classroom.
A/N: Okay, so I know on the real TVD show, I don't even think Caroline is in Stefan and Elena's history class. Moreover, I think it's like their first class of the day not in the afternoon, but use your lovely imaginations.