It was practically comical from Klaus's viewpoint. Guards fell left and right before Tyler could even get his aim set. He wasn't making every shot either. The bullets kept coming, however, and were showing no sign of stopping anytime soon. Whoever was shooting, they were using a sniper rifle or something similar, that much Klaus could tell by the sound alone. Soldiers dropped like flies as blood spattered on the ground before his eyes.
By the time Tyler had shot two, their help had already killed ten.
Klaus could feel his adrenaline pumping from the vision of absolute beauty he was witnessing. Shots were ringing all around the facility as men kept falling. Why hadn't he been paired with this person? They obviously knew what they were doing. The fumbling buffoon next to him couldn't even calm down long enough to aim.
"How's it going over there, mate?" Klaus teased, trying to be as big of a pain in the ass that he could be. Tyler got the gist.
"Doing my best, mate," Tyler said, obviously annoyed.
"That's the spirit," Klaus whispered, a smirk tugging at his lips. "Might want to hurry though. Our friend is showing you up," he pointed out, nodding as he turned back around to see how many guards were still standing. He counted five. And they were beginning to separate.
Thankfully, Tyler got his shit together and shot about three more as they began approaching them. Only two left.
On the unfortunate side of that, those two guards were now heading right toward the sound where the three had fallen.
"Klaus…" Tyler said with worry.
"You better not dare say my name with that tone. It implies something is wrong," he growled quietly, looking to Tyler to see what in the hell was going on. Why wasn't Klaus enjoying their demise?
"Consider something wrong then!" Tyler said shakily. "I'm a little out of bullets!"
"How in the fuck are you out of bullets?" His grip on the tree trunk tightened.
"It's not like I make every shot I take! I went through them, you dick! You could help, you know. If you're so-"
A bullet zipped by them, causing Tyler to change positions so that he was taking cover behind the trunk too. He looked at him expectantly, probably hoping he would jump down there and off them. Klaus would have happily done so if he had some kind of cover, and could take them on one by one. With both of them there, it was going to be a little challenging. Normally, he might not have thought twice about it. But Caroline was depending on him to stay alive. He couldn't risk it.
"I can't go down there, Tyler. I need to stay alive until we at least get inside."
"Why in the hell are they shooting at you if Walker wanted you here in the first place?"
"As if I know!" Klaus said, holding himself back from slapping Tyler again. This was no time for stupid questions!
The sound of two gunshots being fired simultaneously made Klaus and Tyler cover their heads, both trying desperately to stay behind the tree trunk. Then, all went silent.
Klaus was the first to uncover his hands from his head. He carefully peeked around the tree to get a better sight of the guards who had previously been approaching them. One had a clean shot through his head. The other was writhing in pain, holding his stomach as blood ran through his fingers.
"What happened?" Tyler asked, slowly uncovering his arms from around his head.
"Our ass just got saved," Klaus mused, taking a knife from his waist. In one swift motion, he jumped from their perch. As his feet hit the ground with a soft thump, his knife went directly into the man's chest. The guard's eyes widened briefly from the impact, but his body went limp a couple seconds later.
"Sleep tight," Klaus whispered, removing his knife and wiping the blood off on his pant leg. Another soft thump was heard as Tyler jumped from the branch, and landed right behind Klaus. Dead bodies were scattered around the grounds, staining the dirt with crimson splotches. It was glorious.
"They're all dead now, right?" Tyler asked quietly, surveying the scene.
"I'm assuming most are. I'm sure he'll have some inside still. Last resort and everything," Klaus said thoughtfully, walking toward a side door close to them. Tyler took the hint and followed him, picking up a couple guns as he went. The forest became eerily silent. It didn't feel right. And apparently, Tyler was having the same thoughts.
"Should we look for the person who helped us?"
"If they wanted to be found, they would have made themselves known. And there was more than one."
"What?"
"There was more than one. You know…there were two. Did I stutter?" Klaus did slap Tyler upside the head this time. The boy rubbed the spot gingerly as he eyed Klaus.
"Why do you think there were two?"
"Didn't you hear the sound of the second gunshot?"
"No. It sounded like one loud gunshot to me."
"How do you even tie your shoes?" Klaus said, disgusted. Tyler narrowed his eyes.
"When are you going to ease up on me? I told you I'm on your side."
"That means nothing to me," Klaus said flatly, cautiously observing the hallway they walked into. It was quiet. Almost too quiet…it was unsettling. Klaus held his knives tightly, his knuckles almost turning white. He wouldn't be caught off guard. There was the sound of a cocking gun behind him, but he realized that it was Tyler after a quick glance back.
The two of them turned a corner and were suddenly met with two soldiers.
"Hey!" One yelled, but never got a chance to say anymore as Klaus slit his throat. The other guard was setting his gun, but Klaus was quicker. He moved to give Tyler a clear shot, which he took without hesitation this time. The other guard fell after two shots to the chest and stomach.
They walked much faster now, Klaus's memory allowing him to navigate the corridors with ease. They were heading for the main "arena." The place Walker had usually trained him.
Two more guards appeared from doors that ran along side the hallway. Klaus thrust one of his knives into the guard's chest that was closest to him. He threw the other knife with precision, hitting the second guard directly between the eyes. His eyes rolled into the back of his head as he fell with a thud to his knees. Another guard rounded the corner, but this time Klaus didn't bother dirtying another knife. His hands were quickly twisting his head in an unnatural way. The soldier didn't even have time to retrieve his gun from behind him.
Klaus continued turning left, and then right, his step quickening as he thought about how Caroline was doing. His step began to slow though, as his ears perked up. It was quiet again. He turned around, and that was when he realized Tyler wasn't behind him.
Shit.
He started retracing his steps. How long ago had he lost that dimwit? As a matter of fact, why did he care? Oh right…because she cared. Klaus began frantically searching left and right, coming across closed doors as he turned at least a couple of corners, going back in the direction he had entered the building from. Why couldn't that dumbass just stay close? Why was he being such a fucking pain in the…
Suddenly, Klaus was being dragged toward an opened door forcefully from behind. Someone had jumped on his back, and was causing him to stagger in the direction they were pulling him. What the bloody hell was going on?
The room he had been shoved into was dark, but the lights from the hallway lit it up enough for him to see that there wasn't much of anything in there. It was a decent size room, but it was all bland, gray walls and tiled flooring. There was a speaker hanging on the wall for announcements, and fluorescent lighting that were currently turned off. That was all. If there had been furniture, perhaps the room could have been considered an office.
It didn't register in time that the legs wrapped around Klaus's waist were quite feminine in nature, and the hands around his chest were softer than a man's should have been.
He reached his arm around behind him, grabbing the person's shirt and spinning them around so fast, their head should have been spinning. Wait…had he just heard a fucking delighted giggle? The bloke was actually enjoying this? Goddamn pervert.
His brain must have been focused on staying alive, because it wasn't until the person was in front of him that he realized they weren't an enemy. It wasn't until his arm was put roughly up to their throat, and pinning them against the wall that he realized they didn't have a weapon. It wasn't until his body was against theirs, ready to interrogate them that he noticed those mesmerizing blue eyes did not belong to a man.
It wasn't until his features relaxed that he realized the face smiling at him was the safest place he had been since landing in the godforsaken place.
Caroline had no idea what time it was when the soldier finally came down to the river. Probably noon, since he was supposed to be bringing lunch. Both her and Elijah had settled into their positions at this point, and were ready to strike. They had been ready for a long time. She looked to the sky, and kissed her compass. Something about thinking Stefan was with her every step of the way made things seem better. It wasn't like she would ever want him in such a prison…but it comforted her in thought at least.
She went to a corner that was close to the door, where the guard would be dropping the food down to them. Caroline wrapped her arms around herself and began shaking, trying to make herself stare at nothing when the door opened.
When she heard the door swing open, she screamed. From her peripheral vision, she could see the man looking at her with uncertainty. Caroline could see that it was Carson from the plane ride. Perfect.
"Geez, woman. No need to shriek like that," he said, rolling his eyes.
"Th-there's a g-gator! It's gonna eat me!" she squeaked meekly. Carson narrowed his eyes and scoffed.
"Are you kidding? There aren't any gators down this way. Just shut up and eat your meal."
"But sir! H-he looks hungry and-OH GOD HE'S MOVING!" she said, moving away from the imaginary animal. Carson looked in the direction she was this time, shaking his head.
"I don't see anything, okay? You're fine."
"No, no, no, no, no. It's u-underwater and coming closer! Ohhhh please help me," she whined, squirming in the spot she stood. Carson's lips pursed as he began taking his heavy artillery off of him.
"Dammit. Have you gone off your rocker after one night? Your boyfriend took longer to break than that," he said, a sly grin on his face. Asshole. He deserved everything he was about to get. She could feel Elijah's hands tighten around her legs from underneath the water. Guess he had heard that too.
"Please, please, please just kill it! I can't be in here with it!" she begged. Carson only kept his pistol in hand as he jumped into the cage, walking toward the spot Caroline was staring at. Ha. He hadn't even bothered checking to see where Elijah was. The man must have normally been a complacent prisoner. Elijah's hands were no longer on her legs as she felt the tiniest movement behind her, telling her he had gone completely underwater now.
"Look there, doll. Not a gator in sight. Everything is going to be alright," he said calmly.
"No it's not! Nothing is going to be okay! He's going to kill me!" she said, trying to sound utterly distraught.
"Trust me. The big bad gator isn't gonna touch ya," he said, sounding awfully sure of himself.
Right as Carson looked back to where the "gator" was, a loud splash could be heard as Elijah jumped out of the water from behind him, wrapping his arms around Carson just long enough to get a good grip.
Then…crack.
Carson's lifeless body was floating in the water face down. Maybe the big bad gator wasn't going to get her…but he hadn't faired so well. Elijah cocked the man's pistol before nodding his head in approval.
"That was excellent acting."
"I was in my high school's rendition of Beauty and the Beast. I played Belle," she said proudly. Elijah smiled.
"Why am I not surprised by that?" he chuckled, waving her over to the door.
"How long before someone comes to check on where he is?"
"Not sure. Won't be long though. Here, hop on. There's no one up there, so you can go first."
Caroline watched Elijah put one hand on top of the other underwater, and waited for her to put her foot on them. She grabbed a hold of his shoulders, and held on tightly. Water cascaded down her body as he lifted her out of the river, just high enough where she could easily grab onto the edges and pull herself out. Maybe going to the gym wouldn't have been such a bad idea.
Once she was on the boardwalk, she rolled over onto her back, and looked up to the clear blue sky. Freedom! She laughed, turning around to give Elijah a hand and help him out. However, it wasn't needed, as he had already jumped up to grab the edges, and pulled up, flopping onto the wooden piece of heaven much like she had. Caroline couldn't stop smiling.
"We did it," she said quietly. He was smiling too when he faced her.
"We did. Wouldn't have done it without you either. My brother picked a good one," he said, admiration apparent in his tone. She blushed, slowly pushing herself up.
"Oh I can tell family dinners with you are going to be fun."
"Will there be…would you consider having breakfast for dinner sometime then? Maybe pancakes and bacon?" he asked shyly.
"Are you kidding me? Absolutely! I keep trying to get Klaus to make me pancakes, but he always wants-"
"Eggs," Elijah finished knowingly. Caroline smiled and nodded, not being able to keep from laughing. Guess some things just never changed.
"You both are really close, aren't you?"
"Of course. He's my brother. We remain together. Always have, and always will." Caroline smiled; suddenly wishing she had a sibling.
The two didn't dawdle long, because they didn't know when the next guard would come out and interrupt them. Elijah picked up the pistol, as well as another gun she had seen Carson set down before dropping in.
"Is that-"
"Well. This is very convenient," Elijah said, shrugging as he put the sniper rifle across his back. Not until he checked to make sure there were enough bullets loaded though. He picked up a case that Carson had also dropped and looked inside before attaching it to his waist.
"Are there enough bullets?"
"Should be just fine," he assured her. "Now, you take this."
He picked up another large gun that was lying where the sniper rifle had been. After checking for bullets, he handed it to her, and she took it carefully from him.
"What is it?" she asked, turning it over in her hands while she inspected it.
"A Mossberg 500 shotgun. I used to use them all the time. It's a good gun."
"I don't know how to shoot."
"I'll teach you. Just learn fast," he said, gesturing for her to follow him. Caroline slung it across her back, like Elijah had done with his, and followed closely beside him.
"Do we have a plan beyond getting out of our prison?" she inquired.
"Not one," he sighed.
It was quiet as they trekked through the large forest. Elijah hadn't been lying. It really was large. She hadn't been able to tell last night since everything had been so freaking dark. Apparently, it was larger than she had even imagined.
The two came upon a large clearing, with a rather massive building in the dead center of it. The facility. Elijah's arm shot out to stop her from going any farther. He studied the area for a bit, then motioned for her to lie down. While she eased to the ground, Elijah broke off a few low-hanging tree branches, handing them to her as he did.
"What are these for?"
"Cover. The shrubbery around us should help, but it never hurts to be careful. Your clothing, specifically, is easy to spot. Mine isn't as easy, but I'm still not taking chances," he said quietly, finally settling down next to her as he prepared his gun. Caroline tried to do the same, copying his movements as much as she could. It didn't work so well since she didn't have a rifle like he did.
"Um…Elijah?" she asked timidly.
"Yes?"
"What are we supposed to do here? How are we supposed to find Klaus?"
"I'm not sure yet. We can't just stay out in the open for someone to spot us though. So staying right here is our best move for now. We can't let our emotions get the best of us. We cannot rush."
"Right," she agreed slowly. That made sense.
Something off in the distance forced her to stop. Two men were approaching the building from the opposite side of where Caroline and Elijah were. She squinted her eyes, trying to get a better look at them as they climbed a large tree just next to the facility.
"Elijah…" she said quietly, forcing the large lump in her throat down.
"What's wrong?" he said worriedly, following her gaze to the two men off in the distance. His breathing became very shallow, and Caroline knew he was thinking the same thing as her.
"Those two guys…" she trailed off.
"The one man…that's Niklaus, isn't it?"
"Yes," she said, just happy to see they had managed to beat him there. He hadn't gone inside yet. Oh thank god.
"Who is the man he's with?"
Caroline squinted her eyes again; focusing on…was that black hair? What in the hell?
"Tyler?" she said, astounded that he was with Klaus. They were working together?
"You know him?"
"I've known him my whole life. I'm just surprised they're working together."
"They don't get along?"
"…You could say that," she nodded, agreeing with him. For now, Caroline would leave out the part where Klaus had accused him of killing Elijah. As she kept looking at them, unable to tear her gaze away, Elijah was moving at a much faster pace.
"We need to move this along then."
"Why? What happened to not rushing?" she asked frantically.
"That was before Niklaus came. Now, he's going to be thinking of ways to get inside. He's going to think you're in there, not in the cages we were actually in."
"What do we do? How do we help?"
"After some very, very quick thinking…I've come to the realization that this is a secret facility, Caroline. Walker isn't going to allow many people to know it's whereabouts…just enough to give him what he needs. I've been dragged through this place enough to know that there aren't many soldiers occupying the vicinity."
"What are you saying then?"
"I'm saying that we're going to make Niklaus's job easier. If we can bring all the guards out here, we can pick them off one by one. That way, he isn't ambushed when he undoubtedly gets inside."
"Dare I ask how you plan on getting them out here?"
"See those cameras?" he asked, pointing to the five cameras rotating in place.
"Yes."
"We're going to take those out first. Then the guards will come to us," he said triumphantly.
"Elijah, I still don't know how to shoot a gun!" she hissed anxiously. How were they just going to pop them off when she barely knew how to hold the shotgun?
As Elijah had suspected though, Klaus was eyeing the cameras with interest. From his lack of action, she supposed he was going to try and be sneaky. At least he wasn't just running to Walker. A part of her had been afraid he would try and make some deal to get her out. Her freedom for whatever Walker wanted with him. Thankfully, he was being smart.
"Prepare yourself, Caroline. Things are about to get very loud," Elijah said, aiming his gun at one of the cameras. Her eyes widened immediately.
"But, you haven't shown me how to work this thing!"
"Not to sound too sure of myself…but you probably won't need that. Simply consider this your practice. Just aim and fire at will, darling. It packs a force, so prepare for that after you pull the trigger. Otherwise, I think you'll be fine," he said calmly, giving her a wink before setting his gun. Caroline took a deep breath and pointed the shotgun at the clearing in front of them. Please, please let this work…
The first shot was fired as Elijah pulled the trigger, hitting the first camera.
Sparks flew, stopping the camera from working instantly. Caroline tightened her grip on the shotgun, making sure to keep an eye on Klaus and Tyler as she prepared for whatever was to come.
Elijah was incredible. He shot two more cameras after that, reloaded his gun at an ungodly speed, and then finished them off. One right after the other, the five cameras stopped rotating, no longer watching for any unexpected visitors. Her mouth dropped open, and she looked over at him. His smile proved that he was enjoying her reaction.
"I believe the term you're searching for is…OMG," he said smugly. Caroline couldn't help but giggle.
"That's certainly one of them."
"You ready?" he asked quietly, reloading his gun. She nodded hesitantly, her heart racing a mile a minute. It didn't help that her ears were ringing a little. All it did was add to the growing queasiness in the pit of her stomach.
The doors opened, and out came the cavalry. The first thing she noticed was that Elijah had fired upon seeing the first man. The bullet had gone right through his head, a steady stream of blood flowing out as he fell. Oh god. No wonder Klaus had issues.
Another man fell from Elijah's uncanny precision, right before another shot rang out, this time coming from the direction opposite them. Tyler had finally gotten a gun ready and shot a man right in the chest. She smiled brightly. Go Tyler!
The soldiers were looking around, scared of the unknown attackers that seemed to be coming from both sides. They began shooting in any direction, but Elijah was always faster. Shot after shot rang out from beside her, and each time a shot rang out, a man fell dead. There wasn't a single one he had taken, that he hadn't made. Elijah was indeed the best marksman. In fact, if there were a rank above best, Elijah would have it.
Tyler got in another shot, as she heard a gunshot ring out that was farther away from her. Another guard fell, and the numbers were beginning to dwindle. Her hands shakily held her gun, pointing at one of the guards when she noticed Tyler was firing again, but he wasn't hitting his target. Guess he couldn't make every shot like Elijah. That was okay; she would make up for at least one he missed. That much she was sure of.
Steadying her hands, and focusing her gaze on a guard that was walking away from her, she took a deep breath. After she was sure it was lined up to his chest, she fired. The bullet went lower than she had thought it would…but she had hit him. Caroline had shot a man. So why did she want to pat herself on the back?
"Good job," Elijah congratulated her, firing two more shots. Of course he hit two more guards because of it. The fact that he sounded impressed made her grin. She really shouldn't be happy right now. But screw it. They were in a fucked up situation. Grinning was acceptable to keep her sanity.
Three more gunshots rang out as Tyler hit three men in a row, each falling from the fatal wound. Only two left. Caroline smiled again. For some reason…this was kind of exhilarating. Kicking the bad guy's ass. The sight of so much blood made her want to spill her guts all over the dirt, but she tried not to focus on that.
The two men stalking toward Klaus and Tyler only amplified that feeling though, bringing it to the forefront of her mind. Elijah and Caroline waited for them to kill the two guards, but Klaus and Tyler weren't doing anything. Elijah began hurriedly readying his gun.
"Caroline, I need your help, darling," Elijah said, loading his gun and aiming at the guards who were quickly approaching the other men. Caroline nodded without hesitation, aiming her gun at one of the men like she had done before.
However, her shaking body kept her from aiming like before, the pressure on her increasing as she realized she needed to make it. The bullet ended up zipping right by Tyler.
"Oh god!" she said, terrified that she had almost hit Tyler.
"It's alright. You didn't hit him, just focus with me. I'd get them myself, but they're moving a little faster than the others," Elijah said, his voice strained as the pressure was reaching it's highest point. Caroline nodded quickly. The soldiers were firing at Klaus and Tyler, and they had to do something soon.
"Okay, I'm trying! I got the one near Klaus," she said, aiming her gun, and taking a deep breath. This asshole was going to kill Klaus. She couldn't mess up again.
"3…2…1," Elijah counted, aiming his gun at the man closest to Tyler.
Their guns fired at the exact same time. Both men fell. The guard by Tyler had a clean shot through the head, while the one closest to Klaus was holding his stomach. Oh god. She had missed the chest again. Caroline had at least stopped him from going further though, so that was a plus.
What she hadn't been expecting was for Klaus to hop down from his tree branch, and drive a knife right through the guy's heart. She gasped quietly, covering her mouth as she watched in horror. At least the guard was out of his misery…right?
"You did it," Elijah exhaled, patting her on the shoulder. Sure, she had done it, but she didn't feel any better for it. Caroline was on a roller coaster of emotions, and she didn't know what to think. How had Klaus done this for all those years? He had started a lot younger than she was too.
"Thanks," she said, her voice hushed for fear Klaus and Tyler would hear them. They should have been far enough away to keep that from happening, but she couldn't risk Klaus seeing Elijah. Not yet. It would endanger him if he faltered. They had to be in a secure location.
Klaus looked around the clearing, as if searching for where the other bullets had come from. She wanted so badly to shout that she was right there, waiting for him. Instead, she kept quiet, staring longingly at him when the two walked in through a side door. She sighed. Caroline was pathetic at times.
"That's our cue to follow," Elijah said, standing up and offering her a hand. She took it gratefully, her legs a little wobbly at the sight before her. So many dead bodies...so much blood. It was a lot to take in.
"How are we going to catch up? They have a head start on us."
"If I know Niklaus like I think I do…we'll just follow the trail of dead bodies," he said sadly, putting his arm around her waist and guiding her to the door Klaus and Tyler had gone through. He kept it there until Caroline had gotten her balance back, able to walk on her own. Elijah picked up a couple of guns, tossing her one as they approached the door.
"Assault rifle," he clarified for her. She nodded, dropping the shotgun, and putting the strap for the rifle around her as she entered the facility.
He had been right about following the trail. Klaus didn't cover his mess very well. She put a hand over her mouth, trying to keep from gagging. Carefully, they turned around corners, not sure if they would find him in the middle of his…procedures. They had only passed two dead guards inside, but she was still recovering from the graveyard outside.
"Are you going to be okay?" Elijah asked, concerned about her reactions to seeing the bodies. She nodded.
"I'll be fine. It's just…shocking…to see Klaus's work. It's one thing hearing about it, and a completely different thing seeing it."
"Does it change your feelings toward him?"
"…No." She said, certainty evident in her tone. "I'll always love him. Because no matter how many men he has or will kill…he'd never hurt me."
"I don't doubt that for a second," he whispered, "Because after knowing you for only one night, and knowing my brother for all of my life…I sincerely think he would take the lives of a thousand men if that meant you got to keep yours."
Caroline smiled at him, and he gave her an accepting nod, rubbing her shoulder affectionately as they continued forward. It was hard not to feel safe with a man like him. When Elijah found that one girl someday, Caroline knew she would be very taken care of. No question about it.
The two turned one more corner before they came across Klaus and Tyler. Klaus was working viciously with his knives, and Caroline had to hold back another gag. There was an open door next to them, and across from that room was another empty room. Caroline had an idea. Nobody was in the two rooms, and they were perfect. She put her mouth next to Elijah's ear, and he leaned closer to listen.
"Grab Tyler from behind, bring him into this room," she said, pointing to the door that was closest to them, "But don't let Klaus see or hear anything. I'll be right behind you."
Elijah nodded once, understanding everything she had said. Caroline watched as Elijah stealthily went around the corner, and grabbed Tyler so that he couldn't move or make a sound. Caroline made sure the door was wide open as he dragged the poor boy into the empty room. She followed closely behind, watching as Klaus rounded another corner without looking back. Once inside the room, she shut the door quietly behind her.
Tyler's movements immediately stopped as soon as his eyes found her. She smiled, and Elijah let him go. Tyler ran to her, bringing her into a tight embrace. Caroline nuzzled into the crook of his neck a little, feeling only partly relieved. There was still something else nagging at her.
"Caroline..." Tyler said in shock, "How did you…"
She felt bad, because this was her way of testing his reaction. Caroline pointed behind him. Tyler turned around, and his body tensed immediately. Not only did he look at Elijah like he was seeing a ghost…but he was looking at him with fear.
"He saved me," she said quietly, not once taking her gaze off of Tyler.
"He…what?" Tyler said, backing away a little from Elijah. He was in shock, and it wasn't because the once dead Mikaelson was in front of him. It was because he didn't understand why Elijah wasn't mad. Tyler was expecting him to lash out, but Elijah only looked at him in confusion. Tyler didn't realize that Elijah didn't know what his killer looked like.
Caroline could feel her blood boiling. She slapped Tyler across the face.
"You lied to me!" she hissed, "I trusted you!"
Tyler realized his mistake then, and began shaking his head. "Please, Caroline. Just let me explain…"
"Oh…there will be time to explain. Right now though, I have to go and figure out how to present my boyfriend's once dead brother to him!" she fumed.
"Would someone mind explaining what's going on?" Elijah asked, afraid of getting in the middle. Caroline smiled slyly.
"This is the boy who Klaus as been set on killing. He's the one Walker hired to shoot you." Tyler's mouth opened in shock. Elijah just looked amused.
"Oh. Well, then. Thank you for having the good sense to be frightened," he told Tyler calmly.
"I-I-I…please just let me explain…" Tyler begged. Caroline felt bad, because she still loved Tyler. He was her best friend. But she felt hurt and betrayed. So, she was getting a little entertainment out of this.
"Like I said, we will find time for that," she reminded him, "But right now, I have business to attend to. Stay in here with Elijah." Caroline turned from Tyler to Elijah. She took her gun from around her and tossed it to him.
"I'm going to go to the room across from this one. Keep the door open just a little, so you can hear when Klaus goes in there. Please don't hurt Tyler. He's still my friend, even if he is a weasel. Wait a couple of minutes before walking in, too. I have to prepare Klaus for this somehow," she said distantly, already worrying about how this was going to turn out. Elijah nodded.
"Understood. Be careful."
"I will be, but I don't think there are many more guards after everything we've done."
"It wasn't the guards I was talking about," Elijah warned. Caroline understood then that he was talking about Klaus. Right. Scare a man who had an adrenaline rush like he did, and things could happen.
"Caroline, how are you sure Klaus will come back this way? Don't you need to go get him?" Tyler asked quietly. Caroline smiled a little to herself.
"He'll come back. He knows I want you alive," she said quietly. And with that, she poked her head out the door, looking both ways before scurrying to the other room. She left the door open, waiting to hear Klaus's footsteps. Also, she didn't want to turn the lights on quite yet. The lighting from the corridor lit the room up a little, so she wasn't in complete darkness.
Her heart was racing as she thought about what to do. He had to know it was really Caroline. So she had to get him to touch her. The only problem with that plan was that he could kill with his bare hands. If he didn't realize it was Caroline before he got a chance to really look at her, then this could go horribly wrong. However, she couldn't think of a better plan, and she already heard someone walking down the hall toward her. There was no time to think of anything better. She just had to go with her gut. She was going to have to pull him into the room by force.
A smile formed on her face. Caroline was too damn excited to be with him to care about what plan was forming. What she was about to do was probably the dumbest thing she could have come up with, but it was too tempting to pass up. Klaus would never be rough with her because of his past, but maybe with force, she could get it out of him.
When she saw those beautiful curls, and the muscular back that was threatening to rip out of his black shirt, she pounced. Her legs wrapped around his waist, as her arms went around his chest, yanking him toward the room she had just popped out of. This was really his fault. If he just played rough with her more often, she wouldn't feel inclined to do it this way.
His hand reached forcefully behind him, tugging at her shirt as he tossed her around and into a wall opposite where the door was. She giggled at the sensation of going so fast. Damn. He really needed to slam her into walls more often.
Klaus shoved his arm forcefully into her throat, keeping her in place. His body was pushed up against hers, and her breathing slowed, but her smile never left. Who gave a rat's ass if she was being tossed around like a toy…Klaus was in front of her, and he was alive. That was all that mattered.
Slowly, she watched as his face relaxed, his eyes raking over her. She was finally dry after being out of the river for so long, but dirt had to be covering her clothes by now. Caroline must have looked a mess. But he still watched her like she was the most amazing thing his eyes had ever beheld. In a flash, his arm was off her throat, and he was pulling her into him. His hand was stroking her hair as he held her tightly.
"Caroline," he breathed, "Oh sweetheart, I'm so sorry. I thought you were one of them."
"I'm okay. You didn't hurt me," she assured him, wrapping her arms around his neck, "I'm safe. I'm here. And you know…you should really do that in the bedroom more often. That was kind of hot," she teased.
He let out a small laugh, soon growing into hysterical laughter as he held her closer. She couldn't help but laugh with him as tears began running down her cheek. Her hands cupped Klaus's face gently as she pulled him into a heated kiss. He went along without any hesitation, his lips going around hers like they had never pulled apart before. When they finally separated, he put his forehead to hers.
"I love you, Caroline."
Her eyes met his, and she must have looked as shocked as she felt. If his smile was any indication, that is. "You…you don't have to say it just because I was kidnapped, Klaus."
"No…no I'm saying it because I was going to tell you when you came back from my apartment. But then you never did. I…I can't let the chance pass again. I love you so much, and you need to know that. I should have told you sooner, but I'm telling you now. I love you, and there's no way in hell I'm ever letting you go again."
"Klaus…I love you, too," she whispered, smiling as she went in for another kiss. They were both grinning idiotically, and for a moment, all their worries had disappeared.
It wasn't long before they came crashing back though. Klaus separated from her, and he grabbed her arms gently with his hands.
"As much as I want to stay in this moment, I have a lot of things I need to know. Like, how did you get out? And where were you kept? You have to tell me what happened. Actually…you know what, no. Tell me on the way. I know it's a lot to take in, especially right now, but Tyler is here with me. And somehow the bastard got lost. We have to go find him, and then we can leave and we can-"
She put her fingers up to his lips, stopping him mid-ramble. He shut up, poking a tongue out to lick her finger. Caroline smiled and pulled it away, but continued holding his face between her hands.
"Tyler is fine," she said slowly.
"You've seen him? Where is he?"
"I've seen him, and he's safe. I need you to look at me right now though, okay?"
"You're scaring me, love. What's wrong?"
"Nothing, actually. But I need you to listen to me."
"What's going on?"
"I want you to meet the man who helped me escape."
"He's here? Wait…did you…and did he…"
"Help you outside? Yes."
"Caroline, sweetheart, you have to let me meet him. I realize with my reputation, he may not want to, but I owe him so much for what he's done," he said genuinely. Such a statement coming from Klaus surprised her, but she stayed focused on the task at hand.
So…she pinched him.
"Ow!" he said, clutching his arm where she had pinched, "What was that for?"
"Just remember that you felt that," she said, nodding her head once. There, that would do.
"Caroline, is the man nearby or not? If not, then we need to get out of here."
Caroline took a deep breath, kissed Klaus once on the lips, and pointed behind him. Please, please, please let this go well. Her heart couldn't take him having another episode. Klaus had been doing so well, and with all her heart, she hoped this would help him, not make matters worse.
Klaus's eyes narrowed as he eyed her suspiciously, but he slowly turned around to face the door. Tyler stood there, having just arrived at the perfect moment, and turned on the lights before going to stand behind the door. Once he was out of the way…there was a clear view of Elijah.
She could feel Klaus immediately move closer to her, his eyes watching in horror as Elijah moved into the room. Tyler closed the door behind him, locking it and moving a chair in front of it as an extra measure. Now nobody could interrupt them.
Everything seemed to click for Klaus as she watched him pinch his arm, like she had done not two minutes ago. Her hand intertwined with his, and she gave him a reassuring squeeze. His head snapped back to hers, and their eyes met. He was so scared and confused. Caroline knew he was afraid that this was another episode. But his hesitation also conveyed that he didn't want to let himself believe this was real. Having Elijah ripped from his life once had ruined him. If he were to disappear again…Caroline wasn't so sure even she could pick up the pieces to his broken heart.
She smiled though, despite all the sad thoughts swirling in her head, and nodded her head toward Elijah.
"This is real," she whispered.
"But how?" he asked, his voice cracking at the end. Like the flip of a switch though, his gaze turned cold as he faced Tyler. Without warning, he was running to him, pinning Tyler to the wall with his arm by the younger boy's throat.
"What is this?" he yelled, his gaze filled with rage as he stared him down, "Is this some trick? What game are you playing?"
"Klaus!" Caroline shrieked, running to hold Klaus back. He wouldn't let go of him.
"Does she know?" he hissed, seething with anger and completely unmoved by Caroline's attempts.
"Yes," Tyler choked out.
"I know, Klaus. I know!"
"I want to hear him say it! I want to hear him say I'm not crazy! I want to hear him say that whatever this fucking game he's playing is, it won't work!"
"Klaus, please!" Caroline begged. Yea. She had predicted this meeting wouldn't go well.
"I did it," Tyler choked out, doing as Klaus commanded. "I shot Elijah! I'm the reason you thought he was dead! I told you I'm sorry for it, and that I agreed to do it because I thought it was necessary. My mother was sick and I would have done anything to get the money to help her. I will always regret what I did though! That's why I didn't tell Caroline, that's why I didn't tell my friends, and that's why I didn't keep trying to tell you he was alive when you kept shutting me up. I tried to tell you, Klaus! I wanted to make up for it, and you wouldn't let me. But I assure you one thing. Elijah is very alive! And he's right in front of your fucking face!"
Klaus let out a roar of anger, but his grip on Tyler loosened, until he let go of him all together. The boy began coughing as he gasped for air, sliding down the wall to sit on the floor. Caroline rushed over to Tyler, watching as Klaus looked at him, dazed by his words. Once she was sure Tyler would be fine, she walked slowly over to Klaus. His snapped to her. Thankfully, he allowed her to put her hand on his chest, despite his obvious anger.
"He didn't really die two years ago," Caroline corroborated. "It's a long, very complicated story, but I promise you this isn't a trick. You're not having a hallucination either, Klaus. Elijah is the reason you and I are alive right now."
He turned back to face Elijah, whose eyes became more and more watery the longer he looked at Klaus. The older man's face contorted with pain. Caroline realized he hadn't seen Klaus snap like that before.
"It's really me, brother." Elijah's voice was gravelly, tears threatening to escape his eyes.
Klaus's lip quivered as he held Caroline's hand for dear life. He rubbed his fingers along the back of her hand, making sure everything was, in fact, real. His hand brought hers to his lips, giving it a soft kiss before letting go, and hesitantly inching closer to Elijah. The oldest brother never once moved, allowing Klaus to come to him. Caroline held her breath, hoping that Klaus would accept this.
Finally, Klaus reached out to touch Elijah. His fingers grazed his brother's shoulder first; retracting quickly when he found it was solid. Caroline saw Klaus's eyes widen, a hopeless yearning for this to be real suddenly in them. He turned to look at Caroline, and she gave him a reassuring nod, a bright grin on her face.
Klaus nodded slowly, turning back to Elijah. Slowly, he put both of his hands on Elijah's shoulders. After not moving from there for a couple of minutes, and looking at the man in front of him…he wrapped his arms around Elijah's neck. It was a loose hug at first, but as time went by, and Elijah's arms went around Klaus's waist, the grip tightened. Tears ran down Caroline's face as she watched Klaus move his head into Elijah's neck, visibly shaking from the sobs she could hear. Elijah patted his back, trying to calm him.
"Shh, it's alright. I'm here, Niklaus. I'm here, and I'm not going anywhere this time," he said in a hushed, and soothing voice. Klaus didn't answer, only burrowed his head further into Elijah's neck.
Caroline put a hand over her mouth, unable to stop the steady flow of tears. She felt like she was intruding on their moment; so she walked over to Tyler, kneeling down to sit beside him.
"Why didn't you tell me your mom was sick?" she asked quietly. Tyler just shrugged, rubbing his throat from where Klaus's arm had been.
"Because I didn't think it would matter when you found out I had shot a man for money."
"I would have found a way to understand. Things aren't always black and white, but lying to me…you shouldn't have done that. You should have known that of all people, I would have at least tried to see it from your side. I love you, Tyler. I do. But I need to be able to trust you. You're my best friend, and I don't want to lose you because you couldn't be honest with me."
"Believe me when I say I've learned my lesson," he said, his tone not amused. Caroline could only imagine how much crap Klaus had put him through before now. The thought made her chuckle. He looked at her, obviously not as entertained as she was. She only laughed more, putting her head on his shoulder. His hand moved to hers to give it a gentle squeeze though, and she knew they would be okay.
It was then that the loud speaker in the room came on with an unkind buzzing. She covered her ears temporarily, only letting go when she was sure it was done. Maybe she had spoken too soon.
"Now…where are my party guests?" a man's voice drawled through the speakers. All four of them were now standing at attention in the room.
"Mr. Lockwood…it's good to hear you're in my facility. I must say I wish we could see each other again over better circumstances, but alas, this will have to do." Tyler tensed up at the man's words. So…this had to be Walker.
"I hear a couple of my guests escaped their room. Bravo to you both. I didn't think you had it in you," the man laughed darkly, sending chills up Caroline's spine. This guy was insane. Caroline and Elijah looked at each other, both of them afraid of what he was getting at. Was this some big game for him?
"And my guest of honor…you didn't think I forgot about you I hope. This rendezvous was for you after all. I'm glad to see you could at least pass this test, unlike the one I gave you years ago. No use inviting you if you still didn't have that spark." Klaus's eyes narrowed, his fists clenching together as Walker continued.
"You're all probably wondering why I've wanted to see our dear Niklaus again. All will be revealed soon. You may feel free to head over to the arena, or gymnasium, as we call it now. It's quite the recreational place," he laughed again, and Caroline honestly became scared.
"I'm afraid we don't have food and beverages for your friends, Mr. Mikaelson, but they may watch the show I have planned if they are so inclined. I will see you all soon," he finished curtly, the speakers turning off abruptly. The room was silent as they all took in everything he had said. Klaus was the first to speak.
"I see they've opened the doors to the riffraff now," he stated jokingly. But then his voice became serious. "Something's changed in him. He's gone mad."
"I'm afraid I wasn't aware of how true that is," Elijah said, his brows creasing with worry. Klaus moved to take Caroline in his arms. She willingly burrowed into his chest. It wasn't herself she was afraid for, but Klaus.
"What are we going to do?" she asked quietly.
"I don't think we have a choice…" Klaus said against her hair. She nodded slowly, understanding that they had to go.
"Let's get going then," Elijah said sadly. "The sooner we end this, the sooner we can go home. I don't want to ever have to worry about Walker again."
Everyone nodded in agreement with that. Elijah tossed her the assault rifle she had given him earlier. Klaus raised an eyebrow at her, and she only shrugged. He gave a humorless laugh.
"If we weren't about to face such a horrid man, I would probably be turned on right now. The sight of you with a gun is almost up there with you wearing my shirt," he whispered into her ear. She giggled, a tear running down her cheek.
"I love you," she whispered back. He tilted her chin up, making her face him.
"We aren't saying goodbye, love. We're going to get out of this," he said with finality. She nodded her head, giving him a small smile before he kissed her forehead.
After the four of them had silently communicated with each other that they were ready, Tyler moved the chair and unlocked the door. Then, the four of them walked out together. Tyler and Elijah walked behind Klaus and Caroline as they made their way down the corridors. Klaus intertwined his fingers with hers, and she felt her heart flutter just a little. Her free hand came to hold the compass around her neck, twirling it in her fingers.
Caroline hoped with all her heart that nobody would be joining Stefan today.
A/N: Longest. Chapter. Ever. Written.
Haha time for the big showdown. What is going to happen though? Questions, questions.
Seriously guys, your feedback really just makes my day. You guys are awesome. This story is probably my favorite thing in the world to write, so it brings me joy to know that you guys love it and continue to read it. Don't ever forget that!
Now, I had a few guesses that Kol would be the mystery shooter this chapter, and that they would like to see him in this story. Personally, I've thought about it, and I think he would be a joy to write. His personality would just be a blast to work with in this world. However, I hadn't originally planned for him to be in this.
That can change though. I've been thinking a lot about this story's future you see. It's a little early now, since we're only just getting to the boss battle, but would anyone be interested in a sequel? I've kept some characters out for this purpose alone, just to keep things fresh should there be another. I'm too in love with this story to just let it go when it's done. So, I wanted to see if any of you would be interested in that. Thoughts? If so, I need to start thinking of how to end this one, and plots for the next one. And by that I don't mean cutting this story short at all. Do not fear. I will drag this out for as long as I can. I'm simply brainstorming.
Until next chapter! See you then =]
(P.S. Don't forget to write in Joseph and Candice for the People's Choice Awards! They definitely deserve to be nominated!)
Edit: I went and made a certain part more clear after a review. Tyler and Elijah were not there for Klaus and Caroline's reunion. She had told them to wait a couple minutes before coming in. So I repeat, Klaus and Caroline were alone for their reunion.
