CHAPTER 5

Caroline stood there, shivering, as Klaus went around the house. Everything was broken or torn apart.
Klaus was looking around. What was it that was so important that they tore the house apart? Klaus entered Caroline's bedroom. Fallen next to her bed he saw the painting. The painting he had made for her. She'd kept it. He smiled.

"Wh-what are you smiling a-at?" Caroline hiccupped as she entered her room behind him.

"N-nothing." Klaus quickly shoved the painting under her bed sheets. "Damon and Elena are on their way. I'm sorry for all this."

"It's okay. I thank God that my mom wasn't home." With that, Caroline's tears began escaping her eyes. Klaus walked up to her. He wrapped his hands around her waist and hers automatically reached his shoulders. She buried her face in his jacket.

"I'm sorry, Caroline. I will catch these people. They will not live unless you give them permission to."

They spent what seemed like eternity, and at the same time, a matter of moments. Elena's voice was suddenly audible outside and they broke away. Klaus placed a peck on Caroline's forehead and she headed out.

"Oh my God, Care, I'm so sorry. I don't know how this happened." Elena gave Caroline a big hug as Damon followed.

"They know where you live. You should sleep over at one of our houses. Come to think of it, all of us should stay together and at a place safe."

"Where can that be?"

"I think all of you should stay at my mansion. It will be most luxurious." Klaus suggested, entering the room.

"No. Your place is too far away from the town. We need easy access. Everyone will be staying at mine, Elena, you too."

Elena scoffed as she and Caroline headed back to her room to pack her things. Klaus stood there.

"What do you think they wanted, Salvatore?"

"It isn't safe here. We should talk at my place. Reach there with the girls. Make sure they're safe."

"Why should I? Why can't you?"

"Oh, so is someone backing away from being Caroline's big, scary protector?" Damon chuckled.

"No! Anyway, I'll see you at the house soon. You may leave now." Damon and Klaus watched each other with narrowed eyes, and then Damon backed out the door.

It was midnight by the time Klaus, Caroline and Elena reached Damon's house. He hadn't told Bonnie and Matt to come. Elena led a couple of protests but realized the less that know the better. The four of them seated themselves near the fire.

"Why do you think they picked my house?"

"Caroline, we need you to be honest. Is there anything you were hiding?" Damon's straight forwardness was rewarded only by looks from Elena.

"No, of course not. I would've told you guys."

"Hmm" Elena sighed. "Maybe someone put it there, whatever it is."

"Wait, guys. It couldn't have been a vampire. Vampires aren't allowed inside without invitation."

"This is getting too complicated, Damon. What do we do?" Elena almost pouted.

"Okay, Caroline. Who has had access to your house in the past week apart from you and Liz?" Damon poured out a drink for himself and he began pacing up and down the hall. "Then we can come back to the human." Klaus remained surprisingly solemn.

"Umm well, no vampires. Last week, the mailman came on Monday and he dropped off the mail. This salesman had come on Tuesday around 3 and…" Damon and Elena could admit that they nearly dozed off. "... and then Bonnie came that night, and—"

"Whoa, wait. The witch had access to your house?" Klaus was suddenly up and about. Something was clearly on his mind.

"Yeah, obviously. She's my best friend. Are you trying to say that—"

"I'm not accusing anybody. But I think this is a stage where we can make no exceptions. We need to analyze every possibility."

"It's actual, physical pain in my throat, but Klaus is right, Blondie." Elena and Caroline exchanged worried looks.

"How do we find out? The only one capable of performing any spells to find out was Bonnie." Elena looked almost sad while saying what was implicating one of her closest friends.

"I suggest—"Klaus was cut off when the bell rang. He immediately stood up. Caroline looked at the time, it was half past one. She shivered with fear.

"No more excitement tonight, please." She whispered. Damon and Elena stepped towards the door, Elena remaining safely behind Damon. Caroline was close to tears as Damon motioned her to stay quiet.

She was so scared. So it was like instinct when she got up and walked over to Klaus. He could feel her body shivering against his. He immediately pulled out his hand and pushed her behind him to prevent any possible danger from reaching her. It had been instinct for him, and he was only too happy when he felt Caroline's arm slide across his back and reach for his.

Damon, pulling a deep breath, opened the latch. There stood a figure everyone knew. Elena moved towards the door.

"Matt?"

"You were compelled?" The five of them were now seated in the living room, each taking regular swigs from their glasses of bourbon.

"That's the thing. They compelled me to search for something in your house. But they didn't compel me to forget."

"Maybe they're just stupid." Damon shrugged.

"I'm sorry, Caroline. I wouldn't have done anything to hurt you intentionally."

"How come you didn't have vervain in your system?" Caroline couldn't hide it anymore. She was pissed. It had to her house. It had to be her stuff that was ruined. It had to be her mom who was compelled to stay out of town. Why her?

"I stopped taking it a while back."

What? WHY?"

"Look, that's not the point right now, Care. Matt, who were they?" Elena knew how Caroline felt but she knew better than to have heartfelt conversations at the moment.

"They were five vampires and one werewolf. The vampires made me break in. I don't know what it was but it was in Caroline's bedroom."

"Okay. Is there anything else that you can tell us?"

"Yeah. They said something about Bonnie."