A/N: So here's the next part folks, I hope you enjoy it.
I wanted to get these updates out today as I will be gone for the week. I may or may not have access to the internet, so just in case I don't, I hope these two updates can tie you over. That said, I will be writing as much as possible so I hope to have the prom chapter(s) ready. Prepare yourselves for an emotional roller coaster.
For fun, I've created some prom collages depicting dresses/hair/suits/makeup/shoes/jewelry etc that inspired Caroline and Rebekah's looks - and yes, even a little of Klaus's. I'll be posting those on my tumblr, idiot-wind, if you're curious. They're nothing special, just copy and pasted photos. Graphic art is not my specialty.
Feel free to share your thoughts with me when you're finished. I'm always curious.
They really hadn't said much of anything to each other on the drive to the Salvatore boarding house. Klaus drummed anxiously on the steering wheel, while she played out various scenarios in her head of how things would go when they confronted the hunter. She assumed Klaus was busy doing something similar in his mind.
She couldn't even really focus on the fact that she had just had dinner with Klaus and her mom and that it had went better than she had expected it would.
It appeared her mother was warming up to Klaus, and in turn, Klaus seemed to offer her special reverence given the fact that she was her mother.
She knew he didn't exactly have the best relationship with his own parents, so it pleased her that in lieu of that he still respected the relationship she had with her mom.
Both Bonnie and Elena's vehicles were in the driveway when they arrived.
Thinking back to last night's confrontation she suddenly grew nervous as she wondered how things would play out between Klaus, Stefan, and Damon.
"Don't worry sweetheart, I'm not going to stake either of the Salvatores with any furniture this time," Klaus said as he opened the front door for her, obviously having sensed her trepidation.
She smirked, walking past him and entering the house.
Bonnie, Elena, Jeremy, Damon, and Stefan were all gathered in the living room. Stefan and Damon were standing. Jeremy was seated on the arm of one of the sofas, while Elena and Bonnie were sitting across from one another.
They all glanced up as she and Klaus paused awkwardly in the entranceway. Their looks of subtle surprise and uncertainty suggested that they were still trying to process the concept of her and Klaus together.
"Hey," she greeted them.
"Good, you're here," Damon stated quickly, flashing towards her and pushing her forwards into the living room.
"Damon, what the hell?" she stammered as she stumbled into the living room.
Klaus promptly reacted by violently pinning Damon up against the wall with his forearm.
"Oh calm down hybrid Ken. I'm doing you a favour. Vampire Barbie gets to sit this one out in the safety of our living room along with Elena," Damon said through choked breaths as Klaus released him curiously.
"What's that supposed to mean?" she demanded, stepping towards the hall only to hit an invisible barrier that prevented her from leaving.
Damon smirked and waved at her as she slammed her forearms against the transparent wall.
She glanced back to a guilty looking Bonnie and a disgruntled Elena.
"You can't just leave us here!" Elena protested from beside her as Bonnie and Stefan stepped out into the hallway.
Klaus eyed her anxiously. He was clearly conflicted about Damon's plan that excluded her.
"It's safer for them if they stay here. You know that," Damon said to Klaus. "We wouldn't want to let our emotions blur our rational thought out in the field would we?" he added.
"Klaus!" she demanded. "Get Bonnie to break the spell!"
He hesitated.
"It's safer for you this way," Bonnie interjected. "I'm sorry."
Both she and Elena scowled.
"So why does Jeremy get to go then?" Elena asked.
Damon shrugged.
"He volunteered," Stefan said, almost apologetically.
"He's going to be our human shield so to speak," Damon said.
Elena's eyes practically bulged out of her face with worry.
"Elena, it's okay. The hunter isn't going to hurt me. It's like a code of honour or something. Killing another hunter or potential is like this terrible mark of shame apparently. The hunter won't hurt them if I'm in the crossfire," Jeremy explained.
"Just because he told you that does not make it true," Elena said.
Jeremy shook his head in frustration.
"I'm doing this for you, Elena. Let me do this," Jeremy said. "I'll be fine."
Elena crossed her arms and gave him a reluctant nod of defeat before scoffing and retreating further into the living room.
"This is ridiculous and so sexist. Elena and I are just as capable," she groaned, staring pointedly at Klaus. "If anyone should be sealed in here it should be you. If the hunter has the white oak stake, your death could kill us all," she argued.
He stepped forward.
"Well, I could waste a half hour battling with your witch friend Bonnie to get her to break the spell," he proposed, looking back at an uneasy Bonnie and then to her again. "Or, you could let us use that extra half hour to our advantage with the hunter. The choice is yours, love," he offered.
She knew exactly the game he was trying to play and so did Damon and Stefan judging by their smirks. He was using her concern for her friends and the importance of securing the hunter against her. He knew she would sacrifice being a part of their latest mission if it meant increasing their chances of success.
Relenting, she shrugged her shoulders and dropped her hands bitterly to her sides.
"Fine, just go," she complained, turning her back and collapsing bitterly onto one of the sofas.
She stared away angrily in the opposite direction for a split second before stealing a final glance with Klaus before the group of them left the house.
It was a worried look. One that she hoped conveyed the fact that despite her annoyance she wanted him to be safe and that she loved him; things she would never dare say out loud to him in front of everyone else.
From the corner of her eye, she could see Elena doing the same with Damon.
Klaus gave her a curt nod before disappearing down the hall with Stefan, Damon, Jeremy, and Bonnie following close behind.
With a huff, she lied down on the sofa and stared up at the ceiling. If being locked in this room wasn't torturous enough already, her somewhat estranged best friend Elena was sitting on the sofa opposite hers.
"I can't believe this," she bemoaned. "Actually, scratch that. I can believe this. This was such a Damon thing to do," she sighed, her hair blowing from her face as the forced air escaped her lips. "I just can't believe he convinced Bonnie to go along with it."
She tensed a little, anticipating that Elena would take offense to her cold, but accurate judgement of the situation.
Elena groaned and she waited to be called out.
"Damon forgets that I'm a vampire. He still sees me as a fragile porcelain doll that needs to be protected - so does Stefan. They don't realize that I'm capable of taking care of myself, or that I want to," Elena revealed. "Then Damon plays off of Bonnie's concern for us...and here we are," she added with a sigh.
She shook her head with a little amused scoff.
"And it couldn't have worked out better for Nik," she conceded, looking over at Elena who was confused. "Klaus," she clarified, realizing she had let the other name slip again. "I'm out of the line of fire and he had no part in that this time. Damon did all the dirty work for him. I can't even get mad at him," she laughed. "At least you can get mad at Damon."
Elena smirked a little.
"I plan to," Elena confirmed. "I thought that he and Stefan had learned at this point that I'm tired of them making decisions for me," she complained.
She shrugged.
"I don't think they ever learn. They put their concerns ahead of ours. Ironically, their concerns are basically us," she chuckled.
Elena laughed.
It felt good to hear Elena laugh with her again, she realized.
"I got so mad at Klaus when he confronted the Council and elected to be my high school babysitter," she mused, forgetting briefly that she and Elena were still sort of on the outs.
Elena probably didn't want to hear her talk about her relationship woes with Klaus. Moreover, discussing them would only confirm Elena's negative bias towards him.
"You did?" Elena asked curiously, however. "What happened?"
She mentally shrugged off her concerns. There was really nothing to be lost in talking to Elena.
"Well the combination of both resulted in me naively going after the hunter by myself when he was still staying at that resort outside of town," she admitted. "I was going to prove to Klaus that I could do it on my own. Obviously it didn't work out too well. Luckily, he was onto the same lead and found me there before I stepped into any traps," she told her.
Elena seemed surprised.
"Klaus was furious with me," she confessed.
"What did he do?" Elena wondered hesitantly, probably expecting to discover that Klaus had abused her or worse.
"We argued. He shut me out. I apologized. He owned up to being overbearing. We empathized," she stated, much to Elena's disbelief. "Klaus's biggest fear is losing me; hence why he can be so overbearing. It's difficult, but I try to appreciate that - or at least understand it - rather than resent him for it," she added. "I'm sure Damon and Stefan are motivated by a similar fear."
Elena nodded and the air in the room went still for a few moments.
She was reluctant at first but decided to ask anyways. It's not like Elena could avoid her. They were locked in a room together.
"How...um...are things between you, Damon, and Stefan?" she wondered as she stood up and decided to help herself to some of the Salvatore liquor supply.
Elena eyed her hesitantly as she poured herself a drink and then a second for Elena without asking.
She handed Elena the glass who took it appreciatively.
"Things have been tense. I've been trying to stay away from here as much as possible to give Stefan his space. This is his house," Elena said as she sipped from her glass. "After you left last night we sort of reached a truce. Stefan's trying really hard to be understanding. Not just for his friendship with me, but for his relationship with Damon."
"That's good," she commented, not wanting to pry more and push things further than Elena was willing to go.
She felt like asking Elena if she was trying to be understanding of her and Klaus not just for the cure but for their friendship.
Elena sighed.
"I just really want this cure," Elena said.
She sat back down on the sofa and sipped her drink quietly, hoping Elena would elaborate.
"I need to know for sure that what I feel for Damon is real," Elena continued.
She nodded in understanding, sympathizing with the uncertain position Elena was in.
Elena was staring at her now as she ignored her gaze by staring at various odds and ends decorating the room.
"Would you take the cure if you weren't sired to Damon?" she asked Elena.
"I would," Elena confessed. "I never wanted to be a vampire. Not even now that I've experienced it. I want to be normal. I want to be a wife. I want to be a mother."
She was well aware of how badly Elena wanted the perfect marriage, the two brilliant and beautiful kids, the white picket fence, and even the dog. They used to spend entire Sunday afternoons rehearsing the scene. Elena's make believe adventures always detailed these desires, in which she was often reduced to the maid of honour or the babysitter.
Her dreams were always different. As a child she didn't see marriage and children through rose coloured glasses like Elena did. Elena came from the perfect family; she did not. While the thought of a knight in shining armor just for her was nice, her parents' relationship and the impact its dissolution had on her was not something she was keen to repeat. Her dreams involved a career or travelling; sometimes both. When it was her turn to dictate the make believe scenario she would often take Elena around the world based upon her limited geographical knowledge.
Being a vampire allowed her the opportunity to encounter a variety people, places, and things. She could explore the world and dabble in various hobbies and professions. It opened her up and gave her the self-confidence she needed. Unexpectedly, becoming a vampire had also led her to find her so-called knight.
So when Elena asked her the same question, she found herself already shaking her head.
"No, I wouldn't take it," she replied.
Elena seemed dismayed; as though still clinging to the Sundays of their childhood.
"I like who I am as a vampire. I mean, sure, I didn't like the idea at first and I don't enjoy the bloodlust or the urge to kill, but becoming a vampire has made me better. I feel better about myself. I feel strong; capable of things. I like feeling like I can do anything," she described.
"And Klaus?" Elena wondered.
"What about Klaus?" she asked before taking another drink.
"How does he factor into that?" Elena clarified.
She shrugged.
"He's helped me realize that," she said simply. "He's encouraged me to actualize my dreams."
Quite aware that's not what Elena was getting at she decided to give Elena the details she was looking for.
"I want to share my dreams with him," she sighed contentedly as she thought about it. "I would be lying if I said that he himself was not a dream of mine now. I can't picture my life without him," she admitted.
She thought she could see a semblance of a small smile on Elena's lips before it was quickly covered by her liquor glass.
"Sorry," Elena murmured. "Honestly, I am really trying hard to wrap my head around you and Klaus."
That was probably all she could really ask for. She could force Elena to warm up to something she didn't want to. Elena's feelings were beyond her control.
"It helps to see him with you; to see how he is with you; to hear you talk about him like you do," Elena offered. "It's reassuring since my only real concern, beyond Klaus's history with me, is ensuring that he's good to you," she added.
She smiled and nodded appreciatively in response to Elena's words.
"That's exactly how I feel about you and Damon," she revealed. "I just want to know that he's going to treat you how you deserve to be treated."
Elena mirrored her understanding as she took another drink.
They sat in silence for a few more minutes before she felt comfortable enough to turn Elena's question back onto her.
"How does Damon fit into your intentions for the cure?" she wondered.
Elena paused.
"Well it all depends on a lot of things really," Elena realized, "the sire bond, my feelings, his feelings. I can't force him to take the cure assuming that Klaus would make it accessible to anyone but me."
"Do you think Damon would take the cure if he could?" she asked hypothetically.
Elena shrugged unknowingly.
"Deep down I think he misses being human, but he's been a vampire for so long. Plus I think his decision would partially be based on what Stefan wanted. They're relationship may be strained because of their feelings for me, but their bond runs deep," Elena conceded.
She could tell Elena was concerned, but she was unsure of what to say in that moment. There were too many unpredictable variables in the situation for her to offer any definitive reassurance. She simply nodded and leaned back against the sofa.
They sat quietly together for a while as they both sipped on their drinks as a distraction; a distraction from the slowly dissipating awkwardness between them; a distraction from the fact that their siblings, friends, and lovers were out there somewhere confronting the hunter.
"I'm sorry," Elena finally said randomly.
She glanced at Elena with a questioning raise of her eyebrows.
Elena was turned away from her, staring over at nothing in particular.
"For what?" she said, dumbfounded by Elena's sudden apology.
"I've been treating you unfairly when it comes to Klaus," Elena admitted.
"You don't..." she stammered.
Elena shook her head.
"I'm not just saying that because of some agreement that was made. I mean it," Elena said sincerely.
"Thanks," she said slowly, still unsure about the motivations behind Elena's apology.
After the roller coaster their friendship had been on, in large part due to Elena's misjudgements, naturally, her emotions were guarded. She didn't want this to be some cruel joke.
Before long, Elena was chuckling lightly, and for a second she was convinced that her apology had been a joke.
She glared at Elena inquiringly.
"What?" she asked anxiously.
"I don't think Damon got Bonnie to seal us in here in order to protect us," Elena concluded. "He put us in here so we would talk to each other," she explained, "which is probably why Bonnie agreed to do it in the first place."
She thought about it for a moment and Elena's suspicion seemed to make sense.
Damon always seemed to have an ulterior motive, why would this time be any different? Why would Stefan, Bonnie, and Jeremy go along with Damon's plan for any other reason?
"I think you're right," she agreed, offering a small smirk.
He drove himself and the Salvatores out to the gravel side road that had been mentioned, following behind Bonnie who led the way in her car with Jeremy - an apparent potential candidate for the Five.
When Bonnie pulled off to the side of the road, he followed suit and parked on the grassy edge of the road behind her.
It was completely dark now.
Nothing could really be seen, save for what was immediately in front of them and a few lights off in the distance.
As he climbed out of the vehicle he built his guard up, suspicious that perhaps this was a trap for him rather than a mission to secure the hunter.
Jeremy and Bonnie were leaning against the back of her car waiting for him and the Salvatores.
"That was pretty smooth what you did back there with Caroline," Damon mused as they approached the witch and potential hunter.
He smirked.
"I really didn't want her out here anymore than you want Elena out here. I knew she wouldn't want to jeopardize this opportunity by having me waste time forcing Bonnie to remove the spell," he explained.
"Do you think they're talking to each other yet?" Bonnie asked nervously.
Stefan stepped around his vehicle from the other side.
Damon scoffed with a shrug.
"It's not like they can go anywhere. What are they going to do? Stare at the ceiling the entire time we're gone?" Damon suggested sarcastically.
"Getting them to talk was the whole intent of the spell, so let's hope so," Stefan said.
Bonnie nodded at Stefan's reassurance.
"I'm sure they're talking. Both of them aren't any good at giving the silent treatment for too long," Jeremy added.
He glared at them with annoyance as he realized the true intentions behind the spell that Bonnie cast. He didn't much care for Elena, but he knew deep down Caroline wanted to resolve things between them. While he hated to be deceived - even if it was entirely innocent - he had to admit, the plan to seal them in the Salvatore living room for a few hours seemed like a good idea.
"Perhaps they'll resort to killing one another?" he suggested amusedly, with the sole intent of riling the rest of the group up.
Caroline would barely hurt an enemy, much less Elena, he knew.
Damon snorted at his dark humour while the other three shot him serious glances.
"It was so nice of you all to share the true motivations behind your little scheme with me. Now how about we stop chattering and get on with things," he suggested impatiently.
Everyone seemed easily agreeable and looked to Jeremy for instruction.
Jeremy glanced across the gravel road and pointed to a small clearing free from trees.
There he noticed a small path carved from tire tracks that had worn down the tall grass over time.
"His trailer is down that path," Jeremy said.
He extended his hand and pointed towards it.
"Well mate, since you're supposed to be our bodyguard of sorts, lead the way," he told him.
Reluctantly, with Bonnie close behind, Jeremy stepped across the road towards the path.
"Is the big bad hybrid scared of the hunter?" Damon observed as he followed Jeremy and Bonnie.
"Just being cautious, mate," he said bitterly, crossing the road with Stefan.
Damon snickered as they stepped onto the path.
"Oh yeah, Stefan told me about your little tree incident yesterday," Damon laughed.
He shot an angrily glare in Stefan's direction.
"How did that chair leg treat you last night?" he retorted mockingly.
Damon grumbled under his breath.
"Would you guys knock it off and be quiet," the witch demanded from ahead of them.
"I'm pretty sure our whole advantage is the element of surprise," Jeremy said under his breath, "You guys are going to ruin that."
He rolled his eyes at being told off by a young witch and a potential hunter. He could have their necks snapped in an instant if they weren't of any value to him, or to Caroline.
The rest of the trek towards a larger clearing in the woods was silent, and surprisingly they had avoided any traps the hunter might have set in anticipation of any threats. That suggested to him that the hunter's latest location was unplanned or hastily selected.
With the isolated trailer in their sights the group of them halted, protected by the blanket of darkness that the night offered them.
Jeremy and Bonnie veered off into the brush for extra cover and he and Stefan followed Damon and did the same.
They needed to devise some semblance of a plan now that they knew the location they were dealing with before they boldly walked into the hunter's territory and confronted him.
He studied the trailer carefully, making note of the fact that there was only one entrance. The interior of the trailer was dimly lit and he watched closely for any shadows or movement.
Deciding it was now or never, he stood up from his crouched position in the brush and pulled Jeremy up by the collar of his shirt with him.
He expected shocked looks from everyone else and that's what he got.
Disregarding them, he pushed Jeremy forward towards the clearing.
They walked across the mostly uneven dirt and grass terrain as quietly as they could while trying to remain in the shadows in case they made any noise.
Making their way closer, he forced Jeremy to crouch over and he followed suit to avoid being in the sightline of the trailer windows.
He stopped Jeremy at the trailer's back wheel well and he tried to concentrate his hearing. It was no easy task. Jeremy's breathing was sporadic and heavy. Fresh blood was raging in his veins he could almost taste it. It was almost too tempting, even for him. When he felt his eyes begin to glaze over in response to the blood lust, he stopped himself. This was not the time, nor the place, nor the victim, he thought as he refocused on the trailer.
Listening intensely, he heard nothing inside save for the steady buzz of electricity. He heard no movement or breathing.
Once he got past the scent of the Gilbert boy's blood, he could smell no other human except for the faint aroma of the Bennett witch.
"Go to the door and knock," he instructed Jeremy, wanting to test the waters further.
Swallowing hard from a mixture of hesitation and trepidation, Jeremy practically crawled to the door and knocked firmly.
"Connor, are you there? It's me, Jeremy," he said after three knocks and no answer.
Jeremy knocked again and still there was nothing.
To his surprise, Jeremy bravely pulled on the door handle. The door opened.
He waited anticipatorily as the Gilbert boy poked his head inside the mobile home.
"Hello?" he said as he looked around.
There was no reply.
Popping his head back out, he shrugged.
"No one's here," Jeremy said.
He scoffed and stepped forward, signalling for the other three in the brush to come out.
In classic hunter style, he noted the trip wire immediately at the entrance and he pulled Jeremy down from the step before he could naively succumb to the trap.
"What the hell?" Jeremy groaned as he fell into the grass on his back.
Bonnie rushed to his aid.
Rolling his eyes, he stepped aside and pointed down to the wire.
"Stay out here," he instructed to both Jeremy and Bonnie before stepping inside the trailer cautiously. "One of you stays out here with them," he said to Stefan and Damon.
Pinpointing most of the traps easily enough he moved around more confidently. Given that these were the hunter's apparent living quarters the traps set were minimal.
Stefan stepped inside behind him.
He took note of the state of the interior. The bed at the back was unmade, dirty dishes were on the counter, storage doors were open, and a few papers littered the small table.
"The hunter left in a hurry," he concluded to Stefan as he scanned the content of the papers on the tabletop.
The majority of them were newspaper clippings. He noted an article profiling Elijah in regards to the donation he had made to the town. There were articles detailing suspicious events. There was a list; a list of vampires. He and Caroline were on that list, along with his siblings and Tyler Lockwood thanks to Alaric Saltzman's blabber mouth.
There were also photographs; photographs that made his stomach clench; a few of Caroline outside of the school with Rebekah. There was some of him and Caroline leaving the Grill. A few more were taken on his property.
"Do you think someone tipped him off?" Stefan suggested.
He looked over his shoulder.
"That's precisely what I'm thinking," he stated as he scanned the small living space some more. "Search every corner of this godforsaken trailer for any information that might be of use to us. Beware of traps," he instructed Stefan before leaving the trailer and setting his sights directly upon Jeremy.
"You," he muttered, grabbing him by the collar of his charcoal t-shirt. "You wouldn't have happened to put a call in to your hunter friend politely announcing our arrival in advance, would you?" he hissed, staring down a pathetic excuse for a potential hunter as he shook under his grasp.
Jeremy's eyebrows furrowed as his expression turned to one of general protest.
"Of course not," Jeremy denied. "Why would I do that? I want my sister to have this cure."
The story was convincing but there were still other possibilities.
"Perhaps you brokered a new deal with the hunter? Hmm?" he said accusingly.
Jeremy denied this as Bonnie and Damon slipped in subtle recommendations for him to leave Jeremy alone.
"If I didn't want the hunter to be found, why would I have mentioned anything about his location in the first place?" Jeremy retorted.
"Perhaps that was the plan? Lure us all out here for the hunter..." he remarked simply probing for amusement now.
Jeremy shook his head.
"If the hunter kills you, my sister dies. I want the exact opposite," he confirmed.
Casting Jeremy aside he gazed out into the darkness and tried to come up with some other explanation. This hunter was right under their noses, and yet he had managed to evade them once more. It was ludicrous.
"Someone's tipped him off," he said as Stefan appeared in the doorway of the trailer.
"Who?" Damon wondered.
He glared at Damon.
"Well if I knew that Damon, we wouldn't be standing here pathetically, would we?" he scowled.
"I checked everywhere. All the important things are probably gone; laptop, cell phone. There's nothing in here that could lead us any closer to him or reveal what his plans are," Stefan declared.
He scoffed, feeling almost defeated.
"His plan is to kill us!" he shouted in his frustration, even though he knew Stefan was referring to specifics.
Yet again, they were back to square one.
He looked to Bonnie.
"How are you with incendiary spells?" he asked.
"Fine," she shrugged curiously.
He nodded his head towards the trailer.
"Burn it," he commanded.
Stefan moved away from the trailer at his orders.
Bonnie hesitated.
"I said, burn it," he repeated.
They all stepped back as Bonnie's eyes closed and she began to recite a spell.
A flame trailed from Bonnie towards the mobile home and then disappeared.
Before long, he could smell smoke from inside the trailer. A while longer and he could see the glow of flames from the windows.
He stood there as he watched the smoke begin to billow and the flames start to rise. He inhaled deeply, closing his eyes for a few moments before opening them again. This was almost therapeutic to him. After all the trouble this hunter had caused he could use some good therapy, he mused.
The next time he closed his eyes he saw Caroline and his stomach lurched.
His eyes shot open and he looked around the clearing before checking his phone.
There was nothing from Caroline; not even an angst-ridden message about how she was going to make him suffer for allowing Bonnie to leave her stuck in the Salvatore living room with Elena.
Anxiety overtook him as he realized that Caroline was locked in the Salvatore living room with no one but Elena.
Perhaps this was the hunter's plan? But how was he to know that Elena and Caroline would be left behind?
He tore off towards the path they had entered from with both Stefan and Damon calling after him suspiciously.
"Where the hell are you going now?" Damon yelled as the three of them reached the gravel road.
Bonnie and Jeremy were straggling behind at human speed.
"Caroline and Elena are sealed in your living room and the hunter is on the loose somewhere," he stated vaguely, satisfied when both Stefan and Damon made the connection.
He drove them hurriedly back to the Salvatore boarding house.
From the outside nothing seemed amiss, but his mind was too clouded with worry to focus his hearing on determining if everything was all right inside.
He was the first one out of the vehicle and the first one to the door. He opened it with little regard for ownership.
Stopping abruptly at the entranceway to the living room he found Caroline and Elena sitting beside each other on one of the sofas, laughing as they swapped phones. He heard something mentioned about prom, but discussion between them came to a halt when he appeared.
Caroline stood up immediately. A look of concern spread across her face, no doubt in response to his sudden entrance and panicked expression.
Seeing her unharmed and untouched brought instantaneous relief, and he felt his breathing begin to slow.
She was safe.