"Rum," A voice behind Caroline demanded, "Two bottles."
Caroline immediately recognized the voice- Kol Mikaelson. As the bartender was quickly retrieving his order, Caroline gave Kol a once over.
"Two bottles?" She smirked, "Must be a rough night in the Mikaelson household. Or is the extreme guilt of being a mass murder finally catching up to you?"
"I can see why Nik likes you," Kol smiled, taking the seat next to her, "He always did like the feisty ones. They put up a better chase. Especially you, I'm quite surprised you two haven't shagged yet."
"Ew!" Caroline glanced around the Grill, praying none of her friend's heard Kol. She and Klaus hadn't even kissed, but that dirty image of the two together made her feel guilty for some reason. "Klaus and I will never happen. Ever."
"Why?" Kol leaned forward, suddenly serious, "Don't tell me you're not attracted to him, any bloke can see it. The two of you cannot even be in the same room together without the rest of us feeling violated. The eye sex is getting old, darling."
"You're right. I'm attracted to Klaus," She sighed, surprising him with her honesty, "He's handsome and makes me feel special. What's not to like?"
"But. . ."
"But he is a monster," She looked down at her hands, imagining them covered in blood, "I've loved monsters before, or at least tried to. At the end of the day, you can't save them, Kol."
"I'm sorry that someone hurt you," He slid her a bottle of rum, "And I'm sorry I can't promise Klaus won't. He is a monster, as all of us Mikaelsons are. As you could be, given a thousand years."
"I can't risk everything for someone who will only break me," She whispered, suddenly feeling the shame of the situation she was in. She was having a heart-to-heart with Kol Mikaelson, the baseball bat-wielding psychopath. And the conversation was going well.
"That's apart of the game, sweetheart," He stood up, "You can lose it all the to the man of your nightmares. Watch him crush your heart between his fists, or watch him savor it. You could tame the most dangerous creature walking the planet, or you could be one of his victims. Isn't that alluring?"
"The allure to darkness," She looked up at Kol, "I guess I am really attracted to it. To the evil."
"We all are, darling. Us immortals crave the power it brings, not to mention the destruction," He grasped her hand, "Now come with me. I heard you crying in the parking lot, don't even try to deny it, Forbes. I don't care what petty issue caused you to lose your sh*t, but I do care about giving you a night you won't forget. A night to show you that us monsters, at least know how to have fun."
"Where are we going?" She followed him out of the door, quickly throwing her leather jacket on.
"Wherever the booze takes us, darling."
"I can't believe he took you to a strip club." Klaus was laughing. Actually laughing. Caroline had spent the night telling Klaus of her tales with Kol, leaving out the beginning of course. Klaus could never know that the thought of them together even crossed her mind. Never.
"Well imagined how I felt?" Caroline shouted, her arms waving wildly in the air, "I didn't even know Mystic Falls had a strip club. My young eyes! There are some things I never wanted to see!"
The pair continued laughing until they heard a knock at the door.
"Caroline, sweetie, open up," Sheriff Forbes suddenly called from the front door, "I need to speak with you. Now."
Caroline quickly made eye contact with Klaus, her intention clear: Do not harm my mother. Klaus simply nodded in response, setting his glass down. He admired that she could laugh with him, yet never underestimated him; however, he was saddened at the thought of him causing her pain. Did she still think that low of him?
"I'm coming," Caroline crossed the threshold, leaving Klaus alone in the living room. He could hear her step onto the porch, "What is it, mama?"
"We need to talk," The Sheriff sighed, "Damon updated me, just now. I know about the cure."
"Okay," Caroline grasped her mother's upper arms gently, "That doesn't explain why you look worried. What's wrong?"
"You're going to take it," The Sheriff declared, "If there is really a cure, you will take it."
"Mama," Caroline sighed, "It's a big descio-"
"No!" The sheriff backed away, removing herself from her daughter's grasp, "There is no debate to be had here. You will take the cure. You're going to graduate and go to Whitmore, and everything is going to go back to normal. You're going to get married and have kids. You're going to be my daughter again!"
"I am your daughter," Caroline suddenly felt the need to vomit, "I can still have all those things, mama. I just- I'm better now."
"Better?" The sheriff shouted, her patience wearing thin, "You're not human, Caroline! You are a monster, and you have a chance at redemption. Yes, I've learned to tolerate your temporary problem, but we finally have a solution. You can be good again."
"I am good," Caroline backed into the front door, trying to escape from her mom, "I thought you understood."
"Your father was right," The sheriff retorted, "Remember what he taught you, 'Vampires are Demons. Demons are incapable of God's work.' I promised him before you murdered him, that I would fix you. We finally have a chance to honor that promise! Don't you want to make your Dad happy?"
"My father was a cruel man, who knew nothing of God," Caroline looked at her mother in pain, "Please. Please, mama. I don't want that life. Please- Please understand."
"Take the cure," The sheriff walked away, leaving Caroline, "Take the cure or. . . or you're dead to me."
"Mama!"
"I'm serious, Caroline," The sheriff didn't bother turning around, "I don't want to see your face until you have a heartbeat."
And with that, The Sheriff left her daughter a mess on the porch.
"Is it true?" Klaus whispered, his thumb drawing circles on Caroline's hands.
Caroline had reappeared in the living room a sobbing mess, which completely broke his heart. How could anyone hurt someone so pure? He silently took her in his arms, making no promises of comfort. Sometimes, there is nothing you can do but hold them.
After she was finished crying, she seemed to also regain her pride. She slipped out of his grasp, but still held his hands. Klaus Mikaelson, after thousands, finally began to appreciate the act. He always saw holding hands with a lover as a waste of time, another appetizer for the main course. But sitting there, holding Caroline's hands, he felt complete.
"Is what true?" Caroline smiled at there joined hands, loving the feel of his rough artisan hands. If she looked close enough, she could see specks of blue paint.
"Did you kill your father?" He asked nonchalantly, but suddenly tensed when he saw her panicked expression, "I didn't mean to intrude, Sweetheart. If-"
"It's okay," She surprised herself at her answer, she wanted to tell him, "I didn't, not really. It was my fault, but I didn't kill him."
"Love?" He smirked, "I don't doubt your clever brain, but that makes no sense."
"Promise me," She sighed, gently placing one of her hands on his cheek, "Promise me, you'll never tell anyone this."
His eyes widened at the sudden situation he was placed in- Caroline Forbes was about to tell him a secret. He swallowed the lump in his throat. Man up, Mikaelson! She is about to share her soul with you!
He nodded, "Of course, Love."
"My father was a vampire hunter," She began, "He trained me, for years. He used to preach to my mother and I that killing vampires was God's work. I used to think he was a good man, then I grew up. When I was eleven, he took me to his 'church.' He tortured vampires there, declaring that they deserved to be put through damnation before they are released to death."
She looked at Klaus, trying to decipher if she was sharing too much. He seemed completely focused on her, his face void of emotion, so she continued.
"When I twelve, I met Mikeal," She could feel him tense, "I'm sorry I never told you that, but I knew you'd think I was on his side. I'm not. Mikeal was too much like my father- a cruel man with cruel goals. Mikeal trained me for a few months, a gift for my father. He then left, I remember him saying he caught a lead on a 'the bastard.' I suppose that was you. After Mikeal left, my father thought my training was complete. At thirteen, he brought me on my first hunt."
"Thirteen?" Klaus asked, whispering in her ear, she was afraid to meet his eyes again.
"I was apparently a very promising huntress. Plus, all hunters start young, We don't have long life spans, with vamps trying to kill us," Caroline reasoned, "But at thirteen, I was foolish. I believed that the world was a fantastic place where no one deserves to die, only the second part is true. I refused to kill. I almost cost the life of my whole hunting party. I had a perfect shot but refused to make the kill. I dishonored the Forbes clan. My father left that night, taking everyone with him. My mother returned five days later, after finding out about his affairs. Apparently, she rather live with her coward daughter then her gay husband."
She felt herself shake at the memory, those five days alone. She remembered how she stared at the door every day and set the table for three every night. Maybe, if she prayed hard enough, they would show up. She wanted to stop, but she felt Klaus's warm hands on her back, soothing her aching muscles. She relaxed into his touch, allowing him to carry her weight.
"When I was Seventeen, I became a vampire," She finished her tale, "My father, the ever vengeful hunter, came back to pay me a visit. He took me to his 'church,' determined to see me through my damnation. I managed to escape, one day. I pushed him in the wall really hard; so, before I left, I fed him some of my blood. Later, he apparently pissed Damon off and Damon killed him. He came back as a vampire. Determined not to be a demon, he killed himself with one his wooden stakes."
"That was not your fault, Caroline, "Caroline's eyes widen at the use of her real name and not one of his delightfully annoying pet names. Klaus gently grasped her chin and forced her to meet his eyes, "That man was torturing you, he was going to kill you. You did nothing wrong. There is no sin in self-preservation."
"He was my dad, Klaus," Caroline leaned her head into his palm, realizing how many times tonight his touch had equaled comfort.
"Blood does not equal love," Klaus snapped back, eyes narrowing, "You are far too good to blame yourself for his sins. He is the monster, Caroline, not you."
Caroline nodded, surprised at his words. He thought she was good.
Klaus's eyes searched hers, realizing how many similarities they truly shared. Yet, she was so good.
"There is one thing I don't understand," Klaus grabbed the bourbon from the coffee table, "At the ball, you told me you forgave your father."
"I wasn't lying," Caroline took the bottle from his hands, quickly pouring them two drinks, "When he. . . was doing those things, he mentioned that he was trying to cure me. Like, if he caused my body enough pain, maybe the demon would leave it. Maybe pain would save his daughter. I forgave him, because, after everything, I think he did it out of some twisted form of love. We don't all love the same way, Klaus. And. . . well, it is always better to let go."
"How?" Klaus looked outraged, "He took everything from you? How can you shrug it off?"
"Because I won't let him win," she snapped back, "After a thousand years, Mikeal is still winning. Because you won't let go."
"How-"
"Get over it, Klaus," She set her drink down, "You may have killed him, but he will always win, as long as he is still in your thoughts. Mikeal still tortures you, from the grave. He still has power over you and your actions. I refuse to let my father control my heart any longer, he has no place there. Neither in love nor hate, do I think of him. I've moved on. It's not weakness, Klaus, it's strength."
Klaus stared at her in total wonder, his eyes twinkling with an unknown emotion. Let go. What an interesting thought. A thousand years of abuse and betrayal gone, solely because he chose to let go. He likes the idea of having that power of his demons. Maybe she had a point. Maybe.
"I'm sorry for ever saying your relationship with your father was simple," Klaus looked away from her, "I shouldn't have made that assumption, love."
Caroline sat there completely shocked. Klaus Mikaelson just freakin' apologized to her! A baby vampire commanding the respect of an original, what an odd sight they were.
"Thank you," She smiled.
There the pair sat, holding hands and sharing war stories.