I cannot begin to tell you all how humbled I am by your interest in this story. I literally didn't sleep last night as my phone pinged over and over with new reviews, follows and favorites. Giddy doesn't even begin to describe how I feel. I apologize for the lack of Klaus/Caroline interaction in this chapter, but Hayley had other ideas. I'm pretty sure you won't mind.
Hayley was slipping out of the front door with a devious smile on her face when Caroline came to a halt in front of the Mikaelson mansion. The run from her house had not done much to clear out her anger at Klaus, but seeing Hayley, she was able to channel some of it towards her.
"You bitch!" Caroline flashed to the steps, grabbing Hayley by the hair as she pulled the door closed.
"I see you got my text," Hayley bit down on her lower lip, smirking at Caroline even as Caroline yanked her head down. Caroline growled at her, eyes flashing red, and took great joy as she pulled as hard as she could on the girl's hair, flinging the wolf across the courtyard. She smiled proudly as she watched her prey roll to a stop clear across the driveway. Her smile widened as heard the groan of pain that escaped Hayley's mouth.
"You know," Caroline said conversationally as she strolled over to Hayley's prone form, "I was able to tolerate you when Tyler asked me to pretend you two were dating, hell, I even tolerated it when you slept on his sofa every night after passing out from too much whiskey." Caroline stopped in front of the sprawled werewolf, "Is that a wolf thing? Because, seriously, cheap, Kentuckian whiskey? Could you be any more of a cliché?"
"I'm sorry," Hayley interrupted as she got up on all fours, shaking her head as if to clear it out, "did I touch a nerve?" She glanced up at Caroline, her eyes bright with mischief.
Caroline considered Hayley for a moment, her head tilting as she wondered what it was that Tyler, or Klaus for that matter, might have seen in the girl. Her hair was really sort of mousy, the lips too big. She'd give her credit for the eyes; they were rather striking, but still.
"Touching a nerve would imply I care that you got some cheap thrills with Klaus," Caroline lied, both to Hayley and herself, "I'm just pissed that you had to go and make a really shitty day even worse."
Hayley stood, stretching her neck one way, and then the other while putting a hand to what was sure to be a sore spot on her scalp. She looked at Caroline as if she saw right through her bravado.
"You shouldn't worry, not really," she said thoughtfully, "I was a little caught up in the whole thing, but I think the hybrid may have called out your name, you know, in the heat of the moment."
Caroline lunged at the she-wolf, landing on top of her, taking pleasure in the sound of bones giving way. Straddled across her back, she pushed Hayley's face down into the driveway, the concrete cracking.
"You really should be quiet, because, seriously, as I mentioned, I have had an awful day and would actually consider adding another tally to my kill column." Caroline pushed down on Hayley's head just enough to get her point across and then heard a tell-tale whoosh indicating they had company.
"Ladies," he tsked, "this really is quite unbecoming of you."
Caroline looked up into Klaus' smirking face. From her vantage point she could see that he'd dressed hastily, reminding her of his evening activities. Her stomach churned slightly as she inhaled the smell of sex. Pushing the image of the two of them locked in an embrace out of her brain, she gave Hayley's head one final push into the ground and stood.
Hand on hips, blue eyes glaring, she gave him a once-over. She looked pointedly at his shirt, which he'd thrown on inside out. His eyes followed hers, taking in the seams of his Henley. His smirk vanished as he looked between the two girls, realizing that Caroline knew. Crossing his arms, he looked back at Caroline, an eyebrow raised, daring her to say anything. Not backing down, she raised both eyebrows at him in undisguised disappointment and said in a quiet, dangerous voice, "I'll be inside. Deal with the trash." He flinched as she knocked her shoulder into his, pushing past him, head high, and headed straight for his front door.
Thank you for taking the time to read this, please let me know what you think!