It was as though she was living an episode of the Twilight Zone. Everything seemed normal enough, but there was something there, just under the surface, and it seemed to her that she was the only one aware of it. Caroline was waiting for the big reveal; were Aliens taking over or was it some mad scientist's mind control experiment?
In any case, Stefan was on some weird trip, well on his way to perfecting a serial killer-like persona that left her wanting to scrub herself clean every time they so much as breathed the same air. Just how did her Zen master mentor become the epitome of unhinged?
Sadly the blight wasn't just affecting him though. However freaky her former mentor might have become it was nothing to the strangeness encompassing Tyler. The bright mood had not abated, which considering his naturally fiery nature was just plain unnatural. According to Tyler everything at MikaEvilson Incorporated was sunshine and rainbows. The fluffy bunnieness of it all was grating and Caroline loved anything cute and snugly, but what was worse was how he felt the need to attempt to indoctrinate her into his weird cult by taking every opportunity to spout off about the winning attributes of each of the godly siblings.
So maybe it wasn't so much the never-ending praise about the life-wrecking Klaus she found the most aggravating. Just maybe it was the admiring words in relation to the blonde bitch that was responsible for Caroline dry-retching. Sue her, but for all the trouble Klaus had caused he was easy on the eyes and it was Rebekah that Caroline wanted to strangle. Not simply because Tyler spoke as though she was all that was right in the world - and just how did that woman find so much time to spend with her boyfriend when she was supposed to be working for Elena? Oh right, she didn't actually do any work - but really, it seemed that the other blonde was hell bent on taking over Caroline's life.
She'd taken over her charity – and yes, Rebekah's last name was in itself a fund raising blessing and it was all about helping others, but seriously? – had invaded her favourite eatery, her favourite everything really. Well, if you didn't include where Caroline purchased the majority of her work wear which was too low-end for the mighty Rebekah Mikaelson – snobby bitch.
And of course there was the whole talons digging into her boyfriend issue, which Tyler kept telling her was ridiculous and just plain petty because Rebekah was just being her naturally generous self and trying to make him feel as though he was a part of the Mikaelson family. He was clearly delusional.
Ordinarily she'd have Bonnie and Elena to console her, but they were suspiciously absent, the kind of absence that was generally indicative of a high degree of scheming. The kind of scheming that she apparently was not to be made privy to, no doubt mostly on account of her sleeping with that MikaEvilson cult member. Caroline completely understood why they wouldn't include Tyler's girlfriend in any plans to take down enemy Numero Uno, she also understood why it might not be advisable to clue in the Assistant DA when it was likely whatever they were doing was skirting the line of legal if not bulldozing over it, but that didn't mean their excluding her didn't hurt.
Still, despite all the signs of a nefarious takeover Caroline was feeling fairly upbeat when she arrived at the Lockwood mansion (probably the nicest back-up venue in the history of time, the original venue being the victim of an exceedingly ill-timed plumbing accident,) for Congresswoman Gilbert's annual staff and friends of the office mixer. In a dress that made her look every inch the successful young adult she was even and the fact that her dress didn't cost a fortune was in her opinion a plus – she didn't need to spend thousands to look good, scratch that, she looked fantastic. Short red draping Sherri Hill dress that hugged her in all the right places and made her legs look a mile long, light make-up and a dazzling smile. Caroline was confident she would draw all the right kind of attention.
And Ms Steal-your-life Mikaelson would eat her heart out, she was certain.
From the corner of her eye she saw Bonnie getting out of a cab and decided to delay her grand entrance to wait for her supposed best friend. Bonnie looked stunning, not at all like someone who'd been suffering from a tragic highly contagious disease that necessitated segregating herself so as not to endanger the general populous and Caroline in particular. Regardless, Caroline was warm in her welcome deciding that any exclusionary planning activities should not put a dampener on her evening. If Bonnie seemed a touch standoffish and nervous, it was not so blatantly obvious that it couldn't be ignored.
They entered the party together, both women's eyes casting a critical gaze upon the festivities. To say that they were surprised was an understatement. "How did he plan a better party than me so fast?" Caroline asked disbelieving, had his mother hired a team of planners? This so wasn't Tyler. "What? Is that a band outside?" Caroline was well on her way to annoyed.
"Who are all these people?" Bonnie asked eyeing the guests suspiciously.
Caroline looked around noting that though all of Elena's staffers were present, and she recognised a few faces from the campaign, the majority of the party goers were complete strangers.
"This is weird! Where is Tyler?" she asked beginning to thread her way through the crowd attempting to locate the party planner extraordinaire. So help him if Rebekah had any involvement in the planning. Caroline didn't see him; she was however treated to a Klaus Mikaelson welcome to the party speech.
And just when did this turn into his party? Caroline was seriously confused. What's more Bonnie had disappeared and was that Katherine with Matt? Something was going down – just where was Elena hiding?
"The end is nigh," she sighed, certain the evening was only going to get worse. A waiter approached her with a tray of champagne; she took two sculling the first back and grabbing another before he moved two feet.
Self-mediation was definitely in order.
Once she'd polished off her drinks, she was feeling less apprehensive and grabbed a fourth before joining some people she hadn't seen since Elena's campaign. She was just about ready to laugh off her feelings of impending disaster when Tyler rather rudely pulled her from the group to practically demand she meet him in his bedroom in five minutes. Ordinarily she'd have given him a lecture about manners and propriety, but the vibes he was giving off were more nervous than horny so she readily agreed.
The moment he was out of sight she started to worry, and was it her imagination or were those surrounding stranger's gazes on her more often than not? She gave him two minutes before she beat a hasty retreat from that burning sensation of watchful eyes only to arrive in Tyler's room to find it empty. Five minutes later she was about ready to go searching for her boyfriend when he entered the room with a serious expression and two drinks in hand.
"What are you up to with Klaus?" he asked before she had the chance to utter a single word. He put one drink down on a table by the door, hand her the other, and then gave her a look that seemed to indicate he was expecting some kind of confession.
"Uh…nothing," she replied, noting with annoyance that his eyes narrowed as though he believed she was lying to him. She took a healthy sip of the concoction he'd handed her and wished she hadn't. In a word the drink was horrid.
"He is on to you, Caroline. Whatever you all think you're about to pull off - he's two steps ahead of you!" he urged.
"Okay, I don't know what you're talking about," and he was really starting to piss her off.
"You're lying to me," he seemed certain.
Which was even more annoying. "You know, actually, I'm not. I don't know anything. But even if I did, I wouldn't tell you about it, because you are team Klaus now. And you can't be trusted. So can we please just go back to the party now?" she uttered before polishing off her drink in a very unladylike fashion which was just as well because it hadn't gotten any better.
She went to move passed Tyler to exit the room when the world suddenly tilted on its axis her vision swimming.
"I'm sorry Care," she heard him say before everything went black.
Klaus was feeling great, no he was bloody fantastic. Thirty-eight years after his birth the bane of his existence was no longer of this earth. The son of a bitch had survived the hell Agent Bennett had dropped him into only to die of a heart attack just a few months following his release. And, if Stefan was to be believed, and he wasn't entirely convinced doing such a thing was wise, it was brought on by an altercation with none other than his little Congresswoman Elena. He'd have found it a touch more believable if they'd told him Mikael had kicked the bucket after a round of sex with Ms Goody two-shoes rather than a fight with the woman. Now Bonnie Bennett or Tyler's little girlfriend he could see giving as good as they got, but Elena Gilbert? He doubted the wet rag had much fire in her.
Still, Rebekah had confirmed it and she was usually reliable. And if he could just ask her face to face, he could rest easy, but he'd been searching for her blonde head since he arrived and hadn't glimpsed her yet.
Yet, despite his doubts, he was in a good mood, practically giddy. He was going so far as to start considering whether he should pick a partner from the guest list to continue his celebrations long into the evening or go another round with his latest underling Mindy, when Stefan found him.
"Quite the party," his former friend offered instead of the customary greeting.
"I've been planning my father's funeral for a decade. Granted, in no version of it were any of these people invited, but you get the idea," he replied with a smirk firmly in place. His step father was an arsehole and he wasn't about to pretend otherwise.
"So…what now?" Stefan almost seemed interested, yet another indication that Klaus should be worried.
"Hmm, now I reunite my family," he replied truthfully once again pushing those nagging doubts aside to cling to his elevated mood. It was time to bury the hatchet with his brothers. Not his mother mind you, she could continue to enjoy – or not - her life in exile.
"Your family? You mean the people you treat like servants?"
Any other time he'd have been annoyed by Stefan's questions, but not tonight. Tonight everything was just better, even if it was slightly tainted by his natural tendency to worry. "None of that matters anymore. Mikael is gone. Bygones will be bygones," he advised, letting his gaze wander the crowd, searching once more for his absent sister. "Where is Rebekah?"
"I have no idea. I thought she was coming with Matt," Stefan replied.
Who the hell was Matt? Klaus would need to find out, his sister had appalling taste in men and this Matt was unlikely to be any different. Though considering when last they spoke of the revolving door that was her love life she'd been harping on about Tyler Lockwood it probably wasn't anything to worry over. A passing fancy, rather than the blind devotion she'd wasted on the likes of Stefan, Marcel, Alexander and the host of other unworthy 'loves of her life'.
Regardless of whoever was Rebekah's latest bauble, Klaus was only too aware that one of her Formers was lying. The question was why.
"Oh, be honest now, Stefan. Where is my sister?" The longer she was absent the more likely he was to be disappointed, he was sure.
Stefan bristled. "I said I have no idea. How would you like me to take you to your father?"
The quick change in subject didn't go unnoticed. Klaus felt a sense of foreboding; was his perfect evening about to go to hell? Hope for the best, plan for the worst – in his experience the worst normally happened.
"Well, it wouldn't be a party without the guest of honour, would it?" he commented whilst carefully scanning the area once more. "Bring him here," he ordered, none too keen on going to another location where he would be at more of a disadvantage.
"I want to stop working for you," Stefan announced. As though his father having a heart attack was something he'd brought about and deserved to be rewarded for.
"Oh, you want your freedom. Well, once I confirm he is dead I'll accept your resignation. It would be my pleasure." After all Stefan wasn't exactly the model employee and Klaus rather thought his usefulness was at an end.
Stefan nodded and left him, to get Mikael's body or to set whatever trap they had planned. Klaus wasn't certain which, but he was leaning towards the latter. Just how far were they prepared to go? He wondered. What was Elena's happiness worth? He was rather of the opinion it was best not to find out, but it wasn't as though he could let the Congresswoman do as she liked either.
His encounter with Stefan had greatly diminished his enjoyment of the evening. Klaus was on edge, awaiting the inevitable strike.
"My mom would seriously freak if she saw all these people here," Tyler commented upon joining him, seemingly oblivious to the tension in the air.
"Your mother won't be a problem. She's milking the press at late night Mass though she might pray for your friends whilst she's there."
"What are you talking about?" Tyler seemed genuinely clueless, but then didn't he always?
"I want you to look around. There is Bonnie, there is Elena and Matt and there's your pretty little girlfriend Caroline," he paused on the blonde, noting yet again just how diverting she was. He wondered - should the evening turn out for the better after all - if she was the type to indulge in extra-circular activities outside her relationship. He could already imagine those long legs embracing his waist as he pumped inside her. Just how exclusive was exclusive?
A question for another time perhaps.
"Their epic bash was wrecked tonight and who came through with the party? You did. What a pal. But who are all these other people here?" he watched as Tyler's expression went from confused to pensive.
"I have no idea. I've never seen half these people in my life," his wide eyes moved from one stranger to another.
"That's because I've invited a few dozen friends of my own. That`s my friend Mindy- picked her up from Kansas PD small issue of excessive force," he pointed out the caramel-skinned beauty who was less security more PA - when she wasn't performing certain other duties outside the job description. "That's Tony former Navy S.E.A.L. and let's not forget the Forte Forth contingent," Klaus smirked as Tyler's eyes practically popped out of his head. Each and every one of his other 'friends' was lethal and looked it. More importantly each was loyal…well, loyal enough.
"Are those people all ex government?" Tyler seemed uneasy. Klaus doubted it was the employment history of his security detail, rather the fact that they bled menace.
"And they also love a good party. And they, like you, are very loyal. So if anyone should so much as make a move against me, they may feel obligated to retaliate. You're free to warn your friends," he informed the dumbfounded boy who in no time at all rushed to the pretty blonde's side pulling her aside.
He'd definitely need to wait for another occasion, it didn't seem like Caroline would be available later that evening even if she wasn't stuck on that whole monogamy kick as he suspected she was. It wasn't like he was starved for options, so no great loss. Still, he greatly admired those legs. Tyler left her after a few quick words, but she followed him into the house a couple minutes later leaving Klaus looking for something else to distract him whilst he awaited the latest move from the brain's trust. He found an amusing diversion called beer pong that some of the student volunteers from Elena's campaign had set up on a table inside.
Turned out he was exceptionally good at the game.
"You have a visitor," one of his security detail, he couldn't for the life of him recall the man's name interrupted his winning streak.
"Well, tell my visitor I`m on the brink of victory here," he was literally two throws away from what the students told him was the longest winning streak they had ever witnessed.
"He said his name is Mikael," he said.
And with that all the remaining joy deserted him. Of course the cockroach wasn't dead. "Then we mustn't keep him waiting. Move everyone out back. I`m gonna have a little chat with my dad," he turned to Tony who had been his shadow most of the evening. "Tony, you know what to do."
Much too soon he found himself face to face with Mikael and though they managed to be civil enough to exchange greetings that was about as long as any good will lasted. Still, it was a record for them and with four of his security detail encircling their little reunion Klaus felt confident that were it to all end in blood shed it wouldn't be his. Problem was, though Mikael had certainly raised his hand often even when Klaus was growing up, he could hurt him with words alone.
"The big bad wolf. You haven`t changed. Still hiding behind your playthings like a coward, Niklaus," he sneered.
"I don't need them," he replied and he mostly meant it. Mikael was a dangerous psychopath, always had been, but he had been locked away for almost a decade and Klaus could see the toll it had taken on the man. Mikael seemed diminished, whether because of what he had endured or because the Mikael from his nightmares was a fabrication Klaus wasn't sure. But regardless, this Mikael was not an invincible boogieman.
Mikael's sneer in response indicated his disbelief in that statement. "If you were a man you'd face me alone, you little coward."
It may not have been the smartest decision Klaus had ever made, but he signalled Tony to leave them alone. "My whole life you've underestimated me," he stepped forward only too aware that this would end in violence. The two of them could only ever talk for so long.
"You seem rather impatient. Are you so eager to meet your end?" Mikael enquired with a cruel smile.
Was it any wonder Klaus ended up as he did with the likes of Mikael as his father figure? "I just need to be rid of you," he had never been more honest.
"To what end, Niklaus? So you can live on with no one at your side? Nobody cares about you, boy! What do you have other than those whose loyalty you forced? No one. No one," Mikael sneered.
If there were tears in his eyes they were caused by anger; that is what he told himself. It certainly wasn't because Mikael had cut him to the quick; it wasn't because the only father he had ever known despised him. It wasn't because what Mikael said was true. He was Klaus Mikaelson, he was as close to godlike as they came. He was not the scared little boy desperate to be loved. Still, he had no words to respond with.
Mikael laughed, a harsh bark of a thing that held no joy. "I've traveled all the way back from hell for this moment," he crowed.
Klaus smiled without an ounce of warmth. "Well, then, I'd hate to keep you waiting!" And with that he launched himself at the man he once called father, once foolishly considered as such.
Almost from the first moment he struck, Klaus realised the error his anger had caused him to make. Of the two of them Mikael had always been the better fighter, though Klaus' relative youth and strength would ordinarily evened the playing field - if not gifting him the advantage - but he had thrown strategy aside and simply charged. It was imprudent and allowed Mikael to use his own momentum against him. However he appeared, Mikael had never been weak and all too soon Klaus found himself on the ground holding his side where a Mikael sized foot print was forming. He moved to rise only to receive yet another kick in the stomach that stole his breath away and kept him flat on his back.
"Your impulse, Niklaus. It has and will forever be the one thing that keeps you from truly being great," Mikael instructed as he waved a knife so it glinted in the light from the nearby mansion, his intent clear as he took position above Klaus' prone body.
The glinting steel came down in an arc and might have found its mark had Mikael kicked him once more before attempting to end him, but there was life left in him and he used it to turn the blade so that it found its home in his shoulder rather than his heart. Klaus capitalised on Mikael's momentary shock at being thwarted to land a palm heel strike forcing Mikael backwards and regaining his feet.
Though in no small amount of pain Klaus at least retained a full range of movement and might have been able to end Mikael's existence had it not been for the sudden influx of police officers who restrained both combatants. As both the Salvatore's were lurking behind he had little doubt as to who had called them.
"That's him officers," Stefan announced with finger pointing. "Just attacked without warning."
And with as little vindication as that, the restraining hands let him go and the officers dragged a rather shocked looking Mikael from the scene. Klaus was fairly certain Damon was just as shocked hissing in his brother's ear something that sounded like "What the hell are you doing?"
Too late to change to the result, but interesting none-the-less.
Klaus wondered what the plan was, did they intend for Mikael to kill him or was he to have an unfortunate accident whilst in custody. Considering the extent of Damon's shady acquaintances, he imagined the latter. In other circumstances he might have been impressed, but they had tried to kill him and such things had consequences. Something Damon surely realised as a moment later he made his exit leaving Klaus and Stefan and a team of fast approaching medics.
"Thank you my friend," Klaus had never been quite so grateful. "Consider yourself fired."
Before Stefan had the opportunity to say anything the medics were upon Klaus. After conceding to his assurances that he was more than capable of walking to the ambulance, they led him the vehicle continuing to fuss over him. Tony made an appearance just prior to him being bundled off granting time enough for Klaus to make a single phone call and though it made no sense to anyone listening it did wonders to his mood.
He happily went off to emergency whilst Mikael went to his death.
Caroline didn't think she'd ever had such a bad hangover, her headache had a headache. Though she was sure she'd regret it she opened her eyes a slit and was assaulted by light that drilled into her brain.
"Are you okay?" Tyler asked.
He had to be joking. "What do you think?" it wasn't the hangover from hell that made her voice harsh.
"I`m sorry I drugged you. It was the only thing I could think of to get you out of there," he seemed trapped between frustrated and concerned.
She was having none of it. "Oh, yeah, not hey Caroline, um, I worried about what might happened this evening so maybe you should just go home and watch Dancing with the Stars?"
"If you knew all your friends were gonna get together and try to take down Klaus, would you have left?" he tried to reason with her.
"No." Though that was hardly the point. What kind of person drugged their girlfriend?
He smiled triumphantly, as though her admission justified his actions. "So there you go. I saved you from your own stubbornness," he chuckled.
Caroline was not amused, not even a little bit. What the hell was wrong with him? "This isn't funny, Tyler! How am I supposed to be with you when you're his man?!"
Tyler sighed, as though she was the one who had done something wrong. "I need you to understand, Caroline…" he began.
"Understand what? That you`re one of the bad guys now?" she cut him off. She was bordering on hysterical, but she had every right to be. Her boyfriend had drugged her. Drugged her!
"Do you even know what your friends did? They tried to kill Klaus, and why? Because he got Elena her job and expects her to be grateful? That's politics, and really Klaus is making this country better, can you imagine what Elena would do if left to make her own decisions?!" he ranted. "Klaus has only ever helped us!"
Caroline couldn't deny that his words shocked her, Elena had tried to kill Klaus? Just when did her friend decide murder was an acceptable solution?
Victory belonged to the pod people clearly.
However, no matter what ill-advised actions her friends had taken, Tyler was the one that hurt her and in the worst possible way. He knew what had occurred between Damon and her some years previous, so Tyler drugging her into unconsciousness was a betrayal of the foulest kind. He had taken from her the one thing she never wished to part with again – control.
And in doing so he had destroyed any chance of her ever trusting him again.
"How are you okay with this?" she wasn't talking about Elena. This wasn't about Elena or Klaus.
Tyler clearly didn't know that. "Because it`s better. Klaus gave me back my life Caroline. No one else would hire me and he did. Everyone wrote me off, I couldn't get anyone to look at my résumé let alone get an interview. I was a rising star and then I was nothing. Klaus saved me, I owe him everything," he was adamant.
Caroline, who had been there with him every step of the way, understood that Tyler was grateful to Klaus. Understood why Tyler felt he owed the man. She even understood that he wanted to protect her and remove her from the harmful situation Elena and Co.'s murderous intentions created. What she didn't understand was why Tyler had to drug her to do it. And why it was so easy for him to dismiss it. To dismiss her.
"I can't trust you," she told him.
His eyes widened in shock, as he realised the import of her declaration. "After everything that we've been through, you've been there for me through all of it. Don`t turn your back on me now," he pleaded.
Caroline wasn't unmoved, but without trust their relationship couldn't work. She knew it, and he did too. "Tyler…"
He cut her off. "Right."
And with that he left.
If you're a visual person, the Lockwood mansion for this is the Bowie-Sevier House in Georgetown.
This is yet another chapter I'm not overly happy with. One hundred percent my fault for choosing to include Mikael in this as his inclusion forced a change in focus - you cannot include such a character and not have it degenerate into violence. To move past this as quickly as possible I've relied heavily on the dialogue from the series and hope that it's not too stilted or unrealistic.
It is my intention in this story to rely upon your knowledge of season 3 so I don't actually have to include events that Caroline and Klaus were not directly involved in but had a direct bearing upon events in which they were parties. Such as in this chapter. If such omissions create any confusion, please feel free to PM and I'll do my best to clear up any doubts.
Big thanks to all the reviewers. In answer to some of your questions, yes I intend to include some of the newer characters from the shows. Alaric's story is a cross between his character from TVD and Huck from Scandal - I may not go too far into his history, but if you keep this in mind when he does show up it should make more sense. I haven't really decided to include any other pairings, at least not as a focus, but take it as a given that there is established Kalijah because they are my second favourite. Caroline and Klaus will officially meet in the chapter after the next.
To the anon reviewer who essentially asked if this is an Elena story disguised as Klaroline, no this is not an Elena story.
I understand that there are characters people hate, for you that character is Elena. Fair enough, but I don't hate her or any other character and include any and all characters that assist in telling the story. This story is based largely upon the events that occurred in season 3 which did revolve around Elena.
Now, it is not my intention to include every occurrence of season 3, some because they are entirely too difficult to translate into the real world and others because they are not necessary for this story. However Elena features in this story - there's a reason she was the only character I listed in addition to the Klaus and Caroline pairing.
Had I set this story around the events of season 4 I probably could have cut out all the lead in, being that Klaroline is more established, but they didn't really meet until Our Town which was episode 11. Without Elena, and more particularly the circumstances surrounding her, Caroline and Klaus would have no reason to interact let alone spend enough time together to form a lasting attachment.
If you want PWP look elsewhere, if you can endure a bit more Elena with the promise of Klaroline to come continue reading.