"Perhaps next time you could warn me of my end of the deal before you try and make it." He told her, she smiled looking a little guilty.
"You would never have agreed to do it if I'd told you sooner and you know it, it was the only way to guarantee that you got the moonstone." She told him poking him in the chest, he put his hand over hers holding it to his chest.
"Your probably right love." He admitted, she smiled, it wasn't often that he agreed with her when he was wrong.
"I so am." She whispered moving closer to him, in the over a hundred years she'd spent with him she still hadn't had a second kiss and the anticipation was officially killing her.
"Thank you Caroline, I know I'm often difficult, but I do appreciate your help love." He told her leaning in himself, she knew he was only admitting it because they were alone, but she didn't mind. Her favorite moments with him were like this alone and honest.
"You're welcome." She whispered, he used his free hand to sooth a stray hair from her cheek she leaned into his touch letting her eyes flutter closed. She could feel him only a hairs breath away leaning in to kiss her, but then she heard Rebekah coming back and he was gone from the space in front of her and it left her cold.
"Am I interrupting?" Rebekah asked, Caroline sighed looking over at where Klaus was standing with his back to her.
"Yes." Caroline mouthed, Rebekah laughed silently until Klaus turned around after he had composed himself.
"Did you get my moonstone?" He asked getting right to the point, Rebekah held out the oval milky colored stone. Klaus snatched it happily examining it to be sure it was his moonstone.
"See, what did I tell you?" Caroline said with a smirk, he turned to her with a genuine smile, the one nearly no one ever got to see.
"I admit you came through love, now all we have to do is wait two hundred years." Klaus said taking the joy out of his admission, Caroline rolled her eyes.
"It's only a hundred and forty four years you big whiner, and to celebrate this awesome turn of events you're gonna take us to Paris, or Rome or something." Caroline told him, Klaus chuckled as Rebekah agreed with her wholeheartedly.
"I suppose we do have some time to kill, lets be off then." Klaus offered, Rebekah smiled ready to leave, but Caroline shook her head.
"There's one last thing I have to do here, then we can go. You two should get everything ready I'll be back in the morning." Caroline told them moving to leave, Klaus put his hand gently on her arm looking at her with concerned curiosity.
"Where are you off to love?"He asked, she put her hand over his with a sweet little smile that made his stomach flip.
"I just gotta talk to someone, nothing dangerous or anything. I'll be back in a little bit I promise, please Klaus, trust me." She told him, he nodded letting her go, which made her happy because it meant he trusted her at least a little. Caroline flashed away into the woods to find the lake Stefan had told her about so many years ago.
"You're going to follow her aren't you?" Rebekah asked Klaus while he watched her go for a moment. Klaus sighed deeply flashing after her not bothering to answer her, he knew she would go and get there affairs in order. He found her steeling herself for something near a young colored woman who was standing over the bodies of the two men who had tried to save Kathrine.
"What's so important about those two love?" Klaus whispered his lips brushing against the shell of her ear sending a shiver through her, then she rounded on him smacking him in the chest.
"You were supposed to trust me and go back with Rebekah you big freak." She told him as he put his hand over hers, it drove her crazy how they were always doing this, always touching like he cared for her but that was as far as she had ever managed to push it.
"That's not an answer love." He told her with a smirk, she rolled her eyes shushing him her eyes wide with worry that they might hear him.
"That one's Stefan, he saves your doppelganger's life, she was my friend okay, and she needs them, both of them. Please Klaus will you just trust me, I think I can really help them." She whispered, he looked down at her hand in his.
"I hurt you before when I broke the curse didn't I, that's why you won't tell me everything until I need to know isn't it?" He whispered, she smiled meekly looking at there hands, They were so close, but they kept holding each other at arms length, how could she expect him to trust her if she didn't trust him?
"Ya, you killed a lot of people I cared about even though you didn't have to, and we tried to kill you for it, it got pretty tense for a while, but then you saved me and I got to see this whole other side of you. So yes I, I have a hard time trusting you with this, but I promise we'll break the curse and nobody has to die for it." She told him with pleading eyes, he squeezed her hand gently nodding.
"I'll wait with you love, " He offered, and despite the fact that she wasn't sure she wanted Klaus to witness what she wanted to do to help them, but she was glad for the company. She had hours to wait maybe more, she couldn't talk to Damon until he'd transitioned, she didn't want to influence that decision in any way.
"So what are we waiting for love?" Klaus asked after the two of them had been up again for a few hours, at some point they had moved to lean against a tree and Caroline had rested her head on his shoulder while he played with a lose string on her dress.
"For them to transition, Stefan said Damon didn't turn until tonight." she told him running her fingers up his arm lightly tracing the ghost of a scar there from a sword fight.
"Then why did we come here last night love?" he asked cocking a skeptical brow at her, she smiled whimsically.
"I don't know what would we be doing if we weren't here, just packing and preparing all boring things that Rebekah is doing for us right now." She told him still focused on his arm, he chuckled quiet;y.
"And you think I'm evil." He joked twining his fingers with hers to stop her from continuously rubbing his arm. She sighed closing her eyes, while she couldn't see him he stared, he wouldn't tip his hand, but he would take moments like this because even if he'd never tell he was in love with her.
She didn't know
how long she'd been content like that, but he squeezed her hand gently and she breathed in opening her eyes to see that it was dark and that Stefan was back with a girl. They watched the scene unfold, but she tried not to listen, she didn't want to know what he'd had to say to get Damon to feed, in her mind he was still her best friend, even if he was nothing like himself.
They fought, and Damon promised to make Stefan's eternal life a living hell and when he left Caroline followed with Klaus. Caroline appeared in from of him with vampire speed, he took a startled step back.
"Hello Damon, Kathrine sent me. She wanted me to tell you this was nobodies fault, it was all part of her plan. So don't blame Stefan, he only played a small part, she loves you both and it would bring her nothing but pleasure if you could be happy and move on with your life. Your brother needs you Damon, don't let him become the monster your father hunted." Caroline told him flashing back to Klaus so he couldn't berate her with questions.
"What was that about love?" He asked as he let her lead him back towards the town they were staying in.
"I think he might be sired to Kathrine, he needed to know she wanted him to move on or he'd wallow for the next hundred some years." She told him, he chuckled as they sped off, when they got there Rebekah was waiting irritably in there carriage, since she'd heard them coming.
"Took you two long enough, I'm bored lets go!" She told them, Caroline laughed letting Klaus help her up into the carriage.
"So where to love?" Klaus asked, they spent the next sixty years exploring all of Europe, and she still couldn't get past the almost kisses and hand holding. She was losing her mind, if she didn't get to kiss him soon she was just gonna jump his bones.
They met up with Elijah for a few years in England, and he'd confided in Caroline telling her he was seeing Katarina and that's why he had to go which made her giggle. Caroline was becoming quite the linguist with decades to while away learning them. Eventually they went to Chicago for the twenties and Caroline was practically giddy to see prohibition and flapper dresses.
They set up near Gloria's bar and they danced the nights away, she liked Gloria, but it was hard to get Klaus out on the dance floor, something about the way they danced made him feel uncomfortable, Gloria let her sing a few times when her cabaret singer didn't show up, and it seemed to mesmerize Klaus so all the more reason to do it.
"Come on Klaus dance with me?" Caroline made her nightly plea, he laughed at her in her little frilly red dress.
"No thanks love, I'm perfectly content here." He told her raising his glass to her, what he meant was he enjoyed watching her dance at a safe distance where she wouldn't realize the effect she had on him.
"Ugh, you never wanna dance, I know you can I've seen it." She sighed sticking her tongue out at him, it was getting harder to hide how easily she could arouse him. He hadn't felt the comfort of another in well over sixty years.
"Go pester Rebekah then." He told her, she shook her head she was starting to think he saw her in the same way he saw Rebekah. She spotted her at a booth, the man with her facing away from where Caroline was so she went up to see her latest victim.
"Who have we got here Bekah?" Caroline asked scooting into the booth before she looked over at Stefan who was holding Rebekah's hand.
"Stefan meet Caroline, my sister in law, Caroline this is Stefan Salvatore." Rebekah introduced them, Stefan offered her his hand.
"It's nice to meet you Caroline, I was just being charmed by your lovely sister." Stefan said politely, Caroline shook the shock away.
"Um, ya, it's a pleasure, our Rebekah is quite the charmer." Caroline managed, Rebekah rolled her eyes and Stefan looked over Caroline's shoulder.
"Ah Caroline, let me introduce my brother..." Stefan started, but he was interrupted by Damon sitting next to her.
"Oh we've met, haven't we doll?" Damon said giving her a knowing look, Caroline chuckled shaking her head.
"Once, how has eternal life been treating you Damon?" She asked, hoping he was over Kathrine so she wouldn't have to break it to him that she had never been in the tomb.
"Like a king, come on Caroline lets leave these love birds alone. Dance with me?" He said getting up and holding his hand out to her, she looked over at Klaus who was watching her from his table. She thought about saying she was taken, but to hell with it, she'd been waiting for centuries for him to make a move, it's about time he saw what he was missing.
"I'd love to." Caroline smiled sweetly, and Rebekah laughed knowing just what she was up to with Damon.
"So tell me about your self my sweet Caroline." Damon flirted as he pulled her onto the floor in time for a slow dance.
"Not much to tell, I came here with this guy Klaus, but he refuses to dance with me." She told him, Damon chuckled tucking a lose strand of her hair behind her ear.
"His loss, if I were here with a girl as beautiful as you I wouldn't let you out of my sights for a second." He whispered against the shell of her ear, she'd forgotten how good he was at this. Sure he'd been evil and he'd used her, but she'd never had a complaint about the sex.
"Good, I need a dance partner." She giggled, he leered spining her around and back into his chest dipping her down as if he might kiss her, but then she was dropped abruptly on the ground. She growled getting to her feet knowing exactly what had happened she went out to the back alley where Klaus was beating on Damon.
He was growling about how he'd never touch her again, never calling her his, but definitely laying claim to her in his own irritating hybrid original way. She walked over to him pushing him off Damon with a deathly glare.
"What the hell are you doing?" She asked her tone laced with ice, she could hear Rebekah and Stefan hurrying out after her.
"You're lucky I didn't rip his heart out on the dance floor love." He told her avoiding her question, she huffed over to him poking him hard in the chest.
"That's not what I asked, why did you do anything at all?" She asked, he looked down at her hand covering it with his the way they always did.
"He was all over you." He whispered, not fond of having to explain himself when he
knew that she knew exactly how he felt, he was giving her too much credit with her mind reading though.
"So what, it's not like you wanted to dance, you hardly even touch me, I might as well be your sister!" She yelled as Stefan scooped up Damon and Rebekah fussed over the two of them since Damon was bleeding and bruised.
"Don't be that way love." He pleaded avoiding looking at his sister since he was more then a little embarrassed by his forced demonstration of affection.
"No, I'm so sick of you pouting like you have feelings for me then refusing to do anything, well guess what Klaus, I'm here the music has started, so either start dancing or get off the floor!" She told him turning away from him in a huff, he didn't know what to do she had never walked away during one of there tiffs.
"Come on Rebekah let's get these two home." Caroline said putting herself under Damon's arm to help keep him up. Klaus took a faltered step towards her not sure what to say, he wanted to tell her how he felt, but he refused to show his weakness in front of the two men with them.
"Caroline." He whispered, her name a breathless prayer on his lips, but she just shook her head over two hundred years was more then enough time to get over it and make a move, obviously he didn't want to for some reason. For Christ sake she was Caroline Forbes, she should never have even started pining over him it was not how she worked, but she'd just been so sure he loved her.
They brought the Salvatore's to there respective apartments, Rebekah had stayed with Stefan, which was nice, she deserved someone decent, and Caroline took Damon home. She had gotten him a glass of scotch and blood, he was healing, but Klaus had thrashed him pretty well.
"Sorry about that, he, he's an idiot." Caroline told him when she handed him the glass, he downed it it one swig his face mostly clear of damage now. She sat next to him on his small couch, or love seat maybe, she never could tell the difference.
"I'd have done the same thing if you were my girl." He told her, she laughed leaning against his arm which was draped over the back of the couch.
"That's just it, I'm not even his girlfriend, he won't admit that he likes me, it's this stupid never ending circle of almosts. I haven't had sex in over two hundred years, do you know what that does to a girl?" She rambled not really thinking he was listening, Damon had never listened to her before. She huffed letting her eyes drift closed and before she had even realized what was happening Damon leaned over kissing her passionately, she returned his kiss momentarily then yelped pushing him off flashing to the other side of the room.
"Wow, no, you're, no Damon, I love Klaus." She told him, her hand over her lips she'd forgotten how well he kissed, she was so hard up right now even he could ge her going, but she knew better.
"You said your self he doesn't care, I have no delusion that this will go anywhere, but why can't we take solace in tonight?" He asked getting up and running his hands over her arms lightly kissing her neck when she didn't pull away.
"Damon, I, no okay, not that I wouldn't enjoy it, but I would only feel worse tomorrow, thank you though, for reminding me of the life I used to have. I'm gonna go." She told him flashing out of his place, there would be no more pining, if Klaus didn't want to man up then she was done humoring him, she would show him what he was missing.
She walked home at a rather slow human speed, let Klaus sweat, she even stopped by a little shop. It was fun exploring the night, or it was until a slightly overweight man with black hair and a creep smile came up to her. She shot him a warning glance and he laughed and shot her in the heart with what was obviously a wooden bullet.
"Don't worry little vampire we're gonna have some fun!" His twisted calm voice told her as he fired the remaining five rounds into her chest.
Klaus had seethed for hours wishing she'd given him a chance to respond with out the prying eyes, but after a while he started to worry. She hadn't come back and it has his blood boiling imagining her with that worthless scrap of a vampire, she was his, sure he hadn't told her that but she knew, the way she looked at him, she had to know right?
He had left there apartment to track her down after only five hours, he hoped he'd find her wandering the streets just trying to calm down, but his darker side knew he'd find her in the arms of that whelp. He made it about half way there when he smelled something that sucked the air from his lungs, it was her blood.
He flashed over to where he smelled it, there were splatters of her blood on the wall and a rather unnervingly large stain where her blood had pooled. He followed the trail until it went cold he went back soaking his handkerchief in some of the blood that was still damp.
He had to keep calm, this was not the first time someone had threatened the life of someone he cared for, and the blood would be the fastest way to track her, but he was finding it hard to keep his emotions at bay. For some reason her absence had his stomach in knots.
It took him only seconds to get where he knew she'd been last, the door splintered under his hand as he crashed in with little effort. He grabbed Damon by the throat pinned to a wall, his eyes dark with fury.
"What did you do to her!?" He growled ready to rip his heart out with out a second thought, Damon's eyes bugged out and he looked confused.
"We didn't do anything." He choked out in all honesty, he dropped him to the floor still holding his collar so he was forced to look him in the eye.
"Tell me everything that happened after she left my sight." He ordered his eyes dilating with compulsion.
"She brought me here, made me a drink, she complained about you, I propositioned her, she turned me down and left. I drank for a while then you broke through my door and threatened me." Damon told him Klaus threw him across the room disappearing out onto the street.
"Gloria!" Klaus yelled when he got back to the club, Gloria had never heard him sound so distraught she came down from her apartment above the club hurriedly.
"What's goin on hun?" She asked he flashed in front of her holding out the handkerchief covered in her blood.
"Find her!" He growled his eyes still dark with uncontrollable emotion, she took it from him moving to set up a locator spell in the gray light of dawn.
"I'm gonna need to know who I'm lookin for hun." She told him as calmly as she could manage, she didn't need him any more upset then he was.
"Caroline." His voice was laced with a rasp of desperation that worried even Gloria, Gloria didn't know Caroline nearly as well as Rebekah, or Klaus, but she liked the innocent little blond.
Caroline woke up in a cell not even big enough to stand in, she felt like she'd been here before, why was she always the one kidnapped by psycos. She was over two hundred now she thought she was past this.
She sat up trying to dig the crude wooden bullets out of her chest but as soon as whoever was in the shadows outside her cage saw her move they shot her in the head. When she woke up again she was nailed to a chair with a half a dozen jagged stakes four in her arms and two through her feet.
"Don't villains ever think of anything new?" She mumbled to herself as a blinding light switched on, she closed her eyes against the pain of sudden searing light.
"I'm sure I can think of something little vampire, I'll admit you are the most resilient vampire I've had in here which is saying something since I've cut on about sixteen a ya now. Don't worry ya ain't gonna kill ya right off, I'll let ya bleed for a while and once I've bled ya dry then I'll end it for ya." He told her gesturing to something under her. She looked down and noticed there was a large pan collecting the blood that was dripping from her multiple wounds.
"Why are you doing this?" She asked, she had a pretty good guess, but the longer she kept him talking the longer she got to stay alive. Klaus would find her, she just had to give him the time to get to her.
"Well doll I ain't know if you know this or not, but vampires is some mighty evil folks but you got one good use, if I bleed ya dry I can use your blood to help folks who deserve it." He told her coming into the light with a long thin curved blade. She watched him move closer slowly.
"You know I'm not in this city alone right, Klaus will come for me, and he'll rip you apart weather I'm alive or dead. If you leave now you might actually live through this." She told him, he smirked running the blade up her leg cutting deep to bleed her as quickly as he could.
"I've dealt with that before, just means I'll have two leeches to bleed." He chuckled slicing open her other leg, she grit her teeth against the pain refusing to give him the pleasure of hearing her in pain.
"If I'm more resilient then most of the vampires you've seen then Klaus is going to be a big shock, he's more then twice my age." She told him, she had no idea how long she'd been out, but she didn't think she had a long time before she started to desiccate. After a few more cuts he turned away to get rid of his knife and she ripped her arm off the stakes.
"Hey!" He had left the light but apparently he was still looking at her and before she could rip more then one of the stakes from her other arm he shot her in the head. She was really getting sick of being shot.