Unwilling Traitor Part 2

While her eyes were locked on Elijah's mildly amused gaze, Caroline was still well aware that Elena's silence was the result of shock. This was definitely not how she had planned on her friend finding out. The two vampires took the silence as their cue to make a run for it but didn't make it two steps before Elijah had both their hearts in his hands. While a part of her cringed at the sight, she was less afraid of the gory display in front of her than the fact that Elena was apparently too focused on her betrayal to notice the carnage.

"What do you mean 'that's why you were turned'?"

Taking a deep breath, Caroline turned to her probably soon-to-be-ex friend.

"Someone had to look out for you and keep any of the supernatural creatures looking for Katherine from killing you. To keep Damon from killing you. I got the job."

At the mention of Damon's name, Elena's eyes got huge and she took a step back before stuttering out "Did… did you kill him?"

Caroline had to wonder if it was the thought of her killing someone, or the thought of Stefan's loss that put the shocked and disbelieving look on her face.

"I was told he's only being held until everything is over. He was a threat and I didn't want anything to happen to you."

While Elena's posture seemed to relax a bit, Caroline could tell she was working her way up to asking something she wasn't sure she wanted the answer to.

"Caroline, did you know that I have to die to break the curse?"

At the sight of her friend's tears, Caroline couldn't stop herself from closing the distance between them and grabbing her hands.

"I know that the ritual requires your death, but Klaus has given me his word that there's a way around it and he'll make sure you're alive after."

During all of this, Caroline had not forgotten that they weren't alone. Even as she focused on Elena and almost willed her to believe, she could still feel the weight of Elijah's gaze on them. Apparently tired of being ignored, he chose then to join the conversation.

"Tell me, Caroline, are you fool enough to actually trust him? He is a cunning devil who loves to twist words and find loopholes in every promise he gives."

Knowing that any answer she could give would come off like the naïve ramblings of a potentially infatuated child, Caroline simply took her phone from her pocket and called Klaus. While the phone rang, she mentally prepared to try to head off any anger he had at having his plans altered.

"Caroline, love, I wasn't expecting you to call so soon. I have yet to hear any news, though I trust everything went well."

Taking the phone away from her ear and turning it to speakerphone, she replied, "We've hit a slight snag. Elena tried getting in touch with you, but Elijah showed up. I've told her everything."

There was an ominous silence on the other end. The dread and fear Caroline was feeling made her want to start begging and pleading with him to understand. However, she doubted that it would do any good and her silence would probably serve her better.

"And tell me, sweetheart, how did my doppelgänger take the news?"

She could practically feel his anger radiating from the cell phone in her hand. There was a good chance that the next time they met up, she'd be dead. However, she would do everything she could to try and make sure that her death didn't cancel out his promise to keep Elena alive.

"Considering the fact that she was ready to march off to her death, she actually seems a bit relieved that you've promised that she'll be alive after the ritual."

At this, Elijah gave a bit of a hum. When Caroline glanced up from the phone, he was staring at her with a mocking smile. Even as he began to speak to Klaus, he never took his eyes off hers.

"I do have to wonder, Niklaus, what have you said to the girl to get her to believe that you would bother letting her friend walk away? She seems to blindly trust that you have a spell or a potion that will bring dear Elena back from the dead."

A small sense of foreboding came over Caroline, even as she heard Elena take a breath to speak. And when her friend did speak, she wished that shock had kept the girl silent.

"Potion? Is that the same thing you've had Bonnie and her Grams working on in case I got attacked? Did he have you working on that?"

Caroline could feel her stomach drop as she turned to stare at Elena. Her face must have shown at least some of her fear, because Elena's eyes got wide and her lips parted. Whatever she was about to say –and what could she have said after that?—was interrupted by Klaus's eerily calm voice coming from the phone.

"You're working on a potion to keep Elena alive, love? One would think you didn't completely trust me."

For a moment, Caroline was shocked out of her fear by the absurdity of what she had just heard. That moment was enough to have her speaking before she thought.

"The last time I trusted you completely, I ended up dead and spying on my friends."

As soon as the words left her mouth, she was mentally scrambling for some way to recover the situation and praying that whatever fondness he had for her and her sharp tongue –and she hoped he wasn't lying when he said he was fond—would keep her alive.

"I was concerned that your plan might fall through for some reason and I thought it would be smart to have a back-up plan. Just in case."

Given the genuine amusement she could hear in Klaus's laugh following her obvious lie, she could only assumed she had bought herself a bit more time.

"That's my girl. You should always have a back-up plan. After all, anything could come along and put a spanner in the works. Take my brother, Elijah, for instance. Did you know he's probably planning to derail my whole operation even as we speak?"

Elijah didn't look too disturbed by Klaus's comment, nor did he seem to be ready to dispute it.

"Like you, dear Caroline, I always like to have a back-up plan in case my plans… how did you put it? Ah yes, 'fall through'. In this case, I just so happen to have the one thing that will keep Elijah from messing everything up."

At this, Elijah did look interested –though more than a bit doubtful.

"Elijah believes that I have thrown all our daggered siblings into the ocean. I may or may not have helped him along in that belief, but it doesn't really matter. What does matter is that I've done no such thing. I have them all with me. In fact, I'm a bit insulted that he would think I would throw my family away like that."

By the time Klaus finished, Elijah's full attention was on the phone, as if he could will his brother to divulge the location of their family. Almost as if he could sense the attention –or perhaps because he knew his brother so very well—Klaus began to address his brother directly.

"I will reunite you with our siblings, Elijah. However, I do have a few demands. First, you are not to interfere in this situation. Second, you are to keep a close eye on my young vampire. She is not to be harmed in any way. If you fail to meet either of these conditions, then you have my word that you will never see our family again."

Caroline didn't like the speculative look that Elijah was now leveling at her. To be honest, she wouldn't have liked any look gave her. In fact, she would prefer that he not even acknowledge her existence. Though, given Klaus's second demand, she didn't think had much of a choice in the matter.

"Understood, brother."

Elijah's voice was a monotone and did not reflect the curiosity and calculation that Caroline could see in his eyes. If she managed to survive this entire ordeal, she really hoped she never had to deal with another member of this family again. As if he could read her thoughts, Klaus's goodbye reminded her that her survival was definitely not guaranteed.

"Now that we have that all settled, I do have other things I need to attend to. Have a safe drive home, Caroline. I'll let your mother know I'll be staying for dinner, so don't be late, love. You do know how I hate to be kept waiting."

Regardless of what conditions about her safety he'd given to Elijah, there was a definite threat in Klaus's voice.

Trust him? Not anytime this century.