She woke up to nothing but white. She didn't say anything but waited for the scientists to come and work on her like they did everyday for however long she had been in there. Caroline did not bother moving an inch off the cot. She simply stared at the ceiling, listening to the low hum of the air conditioning unit.

Caroline had a wonderful dream. There were guns and bullets and they had taken her away from the Facility. A British man with blue, green maybe?, eyes took her away, whispering to her about how he was trying to make sure that something like this never happened again. He had put her in the back of the truck with several of the other girls, hopped inside, and drop away. When they were far away enough he had given the signal and the explosion rattled the bed of the truck they were in. The girls all hunkered down, covering their heads. Caroline didn't move but stared at the billowing smoke.

Her British savior talked on a walkie-talkie, coordinating their route, but Caroline kept her eyes on the smoke cloud for as long as her tired eyes would allow her.

It was a wonderful dream.

"What's wrong with her?"

He looked through the one way glass, the air here was stale carefully filtered. It made his mouth dry and throat itch, but he would never show any signs of outward discomfort. Image was important and his image was what made everyone here work with such brutal efficiency. That and the pain of death.

The brown haired doctor, Mercy, Meurice, fuck her name started with an M. The M-named doctor moved around checking the vitals on computer and bringing up screen after screen of data, charts and readings that Klaus could never decipher if he even tried. M-named doctor was frantic, her lithe fingers flying over the keyboard as she tried to come up with an answer to his question.

Klaus tilted his head, and slid closer to the console. M-named doctor's eyes flickered to him but darted back to the keyboard and screen. Her breath became shallow and she seemed hyperfocused on finding an answer. He slid closer and she stopped, her breath halting in her throat.

"Well, doc?" Klaus asked. His lips gave a small twitch as M-named doctor scanned the screens again, but turning to him.

"She's- she's ah, catatonic," she said, eyes moving between the screens and him. Like a rabbit she was measuring the distance between him and escape. She was practically shaking in her seat, her leg jumping. Klaus gave a small smile.

"Catatonic?"

"Yeah, she, uh, she's catatonic. Not- nothing like a coma! She's awake! E-everything is fine if we ignore what had been done to her, but, uh, she just is kind of trapped in her own mind? Um, it happens sometimes, to trauma survivors, they kind of dig a hole in their minds- a safe place- for them to hide in."

"Really?" Klaus tilted his head. And M-named doctor froze, Klaus remembered something about her name. Something about her name being similar to another doctor's on some TV show that his sister watched avidly. "Well then what can we do?"

M-named doctor seemed more at ease. She gained a little confidence and dropped the waver in her voice. "There isn't much we can do. She needs to come out on her own. And no one really knows how long that is. She will come out when she's ready."

Klaus tilted his head. God, he waited waiting on other people. They always took their sweet time doing things and by the time they were ready it was already too late and shit hit the fan. Besides Rebekah complained that she was starting to see wrinkles, so there really was no time to lose. Klaus turned to look at the girl sitting on the observation table, still as a broad.

Her skin was thinner than the pages of a bible, and her blonde hair was dull, losing its yellow tint and leaning more towards something brown. Every curve of her body hinted a malnourishment, her bones seemed as light a bird. She was carved out hollow, whatever they did to her in the Facility had broken her in some way despite her being characterized as a fighter.

"Wait," M-named doctor hissed. Her eyes flickered over the screen her hands fluttering over the keyboard with rapid speed. There was a madness to her movements that Klaus knew his mere presence inspired, her felt proud at the thought. M-named doctor - Meredith, that was the fucking name - turned back to him her eyes dark.

"They used drugs on them- the girls. Highly addictive, a way to keep them compliant and docile. She'll probably pull herself out of it for a dose. We can exploit that," Meredith suggested. Klaus smiled.

"I don't want to exploit these girls. I want to help them," Klaus smiled. This smile had teeth. "Send me the name of the drugs, and give me the recommended dosage. I'll be the one to take it to her."

She was dry.

There was no water in her body, her veins felt like fire and her head hurt as if there was a bunch of wasps buzzing around in her head. Her teeth chattered, but she wasn't cold she was blazing fucking hot.

Caroline tossed and turned on her cot, the heat of the white light peeling the skin from her bones and lighting her on fire. She was going to die here in this white room.

She was dying. She was dying. She was dying. She was dying. She was dying. She was dying. She was dying. She was dying. She was dying. She was dying. She was dying She was dying. She was-

HOW COULD NO ONE SEE HER DYING!

This was all probably some new experiment for them. See how long she could last as they slowly did whatever this was to her. There was no shred of humanity in these people, in the scientists at the Facility, all they ever did was cause pain and suffering with their "work", God, she hated Stefan she hated him for doing this to her. Caroline shuffled, trying to kick the thin sheet off of her body, but she overestimated how large the cot was. Her world spun as she toppled over the side of the bed. Her open mouth clicked shut as her chin hit the ground.

The landing rattled through her hollow bones and made the fire inside of her grow in intensity. Caroline wanted to scream but only hoarse gasps escaped. She needed water. She needed sunlight. She was dying and it was painful. Her scars burned, the Others trying to get her to live. She had a purpose beyond they said. A purpose only she could complete but it hurt to bad.

Why did she ever bother to think of good things? Since she turned twenty-one nothing but misfortune plagued her. And why was she so stupid as to think that there was even a possibility of her grabbing happiness? Her mother was miserable, alone with a crown and hated by everyone. Her father was miserable, hating her and everything about her and living each day in abject fear. Everyone in the world was miserable and lied about it. Why did she have the gall to want otherwise. Living was misery.

Caroline hissed as a convulsion rocked her. Her hands grabbed at her clothes and tore at them revealing her nude form to the cool air. She still burned.

Cool hands touched her face, turning her towards something, but she violently pushed them away from her. The last time someone had given her that cooling soothing touch she was subjected to this hell. Oh, they were probably having a hoot in the observation room weren't they? Laughing at her, sending in Stefan probably at some attempt to...to…

The hands touched her face again and though she didn't have the strength to push them away again she turned her head away. She would not succumb like she did last time. The last time that she did she ended up in these hellish situations. A voice shushed her, clearing the hair that was sticking to her face.

"Shhhh. Sweetheart don't worry, you're going to be safe now. I'm not here to hurt you." She knew that voice. She knew it from somewhere. Caroline opened her eyes her vision was swimming but she tried to focus, but the wasps kept stinging her brain. Caroline's head rolled. "You feel bad because you don't have this."

Something was put in front of her eyes. The liquid seemed amber, dark in color, Caroline couldn't focus, but she knew what it was. "No," she let out. "No, I don't want it." Her body gave a sigh of relief.

"I know you don't. I don't want you to have it, but until we can wean you off, you need this to live," the accent made the words curl. She wondered at who this person was, why this scientist was being so nice to her. "I only want to help you sweetheart."

Caroline wanted to respond. She wanted to say something smart, to ask questions, better understand the situation she was in but she didn't know what to say. What could she ask that would verify that this person was only trying to help her? She had nothing to offer for the truth, nothing to offer for mercy.

"P-promise?" Caroline implored. Her body was itching, knowing relief was coming soon. Her arm unfolded ready to receive the relief. Caroline wanted an answer.

The scientist waited. Caroline's heart stuttered and then he answered. "I promise." She smiled, but he tied the band around her arm and pushed down on the plunger. Caroline shuddered, once, twice, and fell asleep.

It took weeks to wean them all off of whatever drug that the Facility used, then it took a little longer to get the witch's talking. They were all lost and scared, none of them knew each other except for the brief moments that they saw each other being dragged out of their cages. Today they all saw one another, forty-seven girls all stood together in a small room waiting to meet the man behind their escape, and the word was so unbelievable that none thought to utter it. To think that they were actually free was an almost impossible thought.

"I think I remember a man helping us?"

"There was a woman. I remember a woman?"

"Why are they keeping us here?"

"Did they save us only to kill us later?"

"Everyone had their own ideas, their own fears about being here. The idea of safe was too foreign a concept, a too far off dream, that the thought of these people allowing them to go free and be people again was laughable. Caroline stood in the din of girls and never opened her mouth. She never heard that British man again, none of the people who entered her room had the same voice as that man. She still couldn't recognize his face and didn't want to rely on her hazy memory of the raid.

The door opened and all the girls went silence. The fear in the room was a heady scent of sweat and spit. A man with blond curls and blue eyes walked into the room. He was handsome, dimpled cheeks and lean build, that was covered in a black sweater and matching jeans. He walk was not a walk as it was a prowl. The slim line of his figure was misleading, he had claws and fangs and he was an animal. And everyone in the room saw it, the barely contained ferocity of his gaze as he looked down at them from his podium.

"Hello, I am Niklaus Mikaelson," he said, the accent curling his words. Caroline almost jerked forward at that familiar voice. She said nothing but looked at him wide eyed. "I am the one who runs this group and I organized your freedom from that lab."

No one said anything. He continued.

"The lab you were in was run by a man named Mikael. Mikael runs a company called Organic Solutions. The company has many research innovations from cancer treatments that actually help stop and prevent cancer to technology that makes makes virtual reality so much more life like. And the reason why they were able to make such innovations is due to the kidnapping and experimentation of witches just like you.

"The facility at which you were contained was one of their medical research facilities. They were testing many things on you. Drug resistance and addiction being the most prominent. Growing his business is not Mikael's end goal though. He wants to find the last Queen and bind to her in immortality."

That got everyone's attention. The girl began muttering loudly talking about the long forgotten witch kingdom that the Salvatores tore to pieces.

"The last of the witch line died in the Salvatore fire."

"Is she really alive?"

Caroline stood frozen, trying to understand what he was saying. Mikael wanted her? To bond with? Her blood turned cold and her breath came out in pants. No she would not put herself in a situation like that again. Damon wanted something similar, but without the dedication. He didn't care about the magic in her veins he simply wanted her. And she suffered those consequences, she had all the marks and scars, she could never become a broodmare.

"You're lying!" a girl growled from the front of the room. Everyone quieted. "You're lying, the last of the royal line died out! Destroyed by people who we thought we our allies!"

Klaus tilted his head. There was a fire and feral look of his eyes was something that made all the girls flinch. Caroline got the feeling that if he did not spend time saving them, he would have subjected them to something cruel. But Caroline didn't want to think about cruel things.

"My sources tell me that she is alive," Klaus said. "They said that she is alive and Mikael is looking for her so that he could gain immortality and rule over all the witches. All so that he could run this world. His corporation is already uncontested in a lot of countries and other countries inviting his business into their country.

"I only want to prevent that from happening and that is why I helped you all. Other than keeping you from Mikael's clutches, I have no use for you and I will keep you from falling into Mikael's hands. Other than that you are all free to live your lives as you please."

He walked out the room and left them all in silence.

Free?

The girls said in the room like sitting ducks. They all just stared at the podium confused and befuddled with all the new information that had just come at them. The royal line? Mikael? Free? None of them said nothing as the doctors and nurses entered the room and began to escort them back to their rooms. Caroline said nothing as she was escorted back to her room by a brown haired doctor.

The two walked through the steel doors into the metal hallway. Everything here was different from the Facility. Instead of white everything was shades of grey, everything was just metal and bolts here. Caroline liked that she liked that it was different from the Facility and maybe they did that on purpose. Opening the door to her room, she walked in and the doctor quickly left the room.

They knew. Someone knew that she was alive, was it Stefan? Who told Mikael and who told Klaus? Did they know who knew that she was alive? It didn't matter that she was free. If she was released she would just be hunted down by Stefan and his team again. She would never be free.

The only way she could be free if Klaus offered his protection to her. She needed to come clean and tell Klaus who she was. She wouldn't go back. She refused to.

"You can tell no one."

"Darling, child we can talk to you again!"

"We have a special task. Only you can do it, only someone of royal blood can do it."

"Recreate the kingdom. Make it better. Make it stronger."

"We believe in you darling child. A kingdom under you will flourish."

"Tell no one but your witches. Humans cannot be trusted."

Caroline woke up from her dream gasping. She waited for the pain, the burning that would cause her to cry out from the pain. She waited for the pain to overwhelm her, shatter her, but nothing came. Nothing. Phantom pains were there but nothing to the earth shattering pain she usually experienced when the Others wanted to talk to her. Her hand went to her back and felt the scar. The marking that Damon left her, the scar had small lumps on it. Damon left iron embedded in the scar so that her magic would always pain her, so that she could never use it. Caroline's hands ran over the rough skin of the scar but did not feel the usual bumps and raises.

A gasp escaped her. Tears running down her face. Her magic was returned to her.

She was free.

"You know Stefan it is quite convenient that you can't tell me who the Witch Queen is."

"Mikael, if I could tell you I would, but it's the curse that the royals placed on all their allies to protect themselves. Witches are secretive."

"Apparently."

"I cannot remember the queen face, name, anything about her unless she is standing right in front of me. Shit, even then I can't even point her out unless she gives me permission."

"Smart."

"It's annoying. I know what she looks like but I have these holes in my memory. Like large chunks of it is missing, so I know I spent time with her."

"And now Niklaus might have her."

"He'll never know. I'm the only one who knows what she looks like."

"And you can't remember."

"I need to find a witch that can break the curse."

"Just use one of the witches in any of the labs."

"Those witches won't do. I need a particular kind of witch."

Mikael laughed, "My resources are at your disposal."

"Thank you."

Author's Note: You know, I get the sneaking suspicion that this story is going to be a lot darker than what I originally intended.