9 November 2018

Nashville, Tennessee

Stefan walked home from his last class of the day, his conversation with Rebekah from yesterday still playing in his head. He had moved the stake already from the attic to underneath a loose floorboard in his room. He had tried his best not to speed to his window and peer outside when he received a text from Rebekah that simply read: Better.
As for Caroline, he was still unsure as to how to proceed. He didn't want to ask her any questions that would prompt more memories but he needed to know how she managed to remember so he could help her avoid those triggers in the future, if it was something that was even going to happen again. He had called Bonnie after Rebekah hung up on him yesterday but the witch had not answered his phone call and had not returned it either.
He made his way up the front steps to their house and unlocked the door, slipping inside. Elena was still at class, Damon was probably off with his new buddy Dietrich drinking his cares away, and Caroline…Stefan tilted his head so he could hear better. Caroline was in her room.

Stefan walked up the stairs and down the hallway to Caroline's room. "Caroline?" he said as he pushed open her door. He found her at her desk, tears streaming down her face and her hands clutching a letter. "What's wrong?" he asked as he walked closer to her. He glanced down at the shoebox sitting next to her laptop. The little buttons, passport, and rolled up paper were all inside the box and he immediately knew why she was upset. She had somehow managed to find the mementos of her relationship with Klaus that he had saved before they destroyed all aspects of him from her life.

"Look Caroline, I can explain…" he started, guilt eating away at him at the sight of her.

"Can you?" she interrupted him before he could even begin to make up a believable lie. "You can explain to me why you were hiding my things? Or why I have no pictures of Klaus and Holly? Or maybe you can explain why up until yesterday I couldn't remember them at all!" Caroline yelled at him.

What? She remembers his name? Stefan was panicking inside but he tried not to let it show. Instead he asked as smoothly as possible, "You remember Klaus?"

"Yes. I loved him," Caroline retorted. "But where is he now Stefan?" she cried as fresh tears began spilling from her eyes. "It seemed like he loved me, but where is he?"

Stefan moved to give her a hug, but Caroline shoved him, sending him to the ground. She stood over him, eyes blazing in anger. "Where is he Stefan? What happened? Why can't I remember?" she demanded to know.

Stefan sighed and sat up slowly, not wanting to be thrown back into the floor and giving himself time to think. "Klaus did love you but he left for Europe last November, you stayed here."

"Aghhh!" Caroline yelled as she grabbed her head and stumbled backwards.

..

"Caroline, love, we're in Rome," he scolded her playfully as he grabbed her phone from her hands and slipped it into his back pocket.

"I know, and it's gorgeous, but Elena slept with Stefan last night and now she's all worried about how Damon's going to react and-" she tried to explain while simultaneously trying to regain her phone back so she could reply to Elena's frantic texts.

"I'm sure Elena, Damon, and Stefan will figure it out, as they did the last time this happened," Klaus reminded her as he quickly sped a few steps ahead of her so she couldn't grab her phone.

"Ugh, Klaus come on! I just need to tell her it'll be okay. One text? Please?" Caroline begged, clasping her hands underneath her chin.

"After the Domus Aurea," he replied with a grin.

Caroline couldn't help but roll her eyes in response, of course there would be a condition. "Fine, let's go," she huffed and stormed off ahead of him, walking through the crowded streets of Rome.

He easily caught up to her and led them through the crowd. Caroline tried to take in as much of the architecture and beauty as she could while they walked. She noticed the Coliseum through the buildings in front of them. "I thought we were going to the Domus Aurea?"

"We are," Klaus answered looking down at her. "Why?"

"Because we're walking towards the Coliseum," she replied, pointing towards the Colosseum.

"Yes, the Colosseum is right next to where we are going. We can visit the Coliseum afterwards, if you would like?" he proposed.

"Yeah," Caroline replied as she grabbed his hand and quickened their pace. She had always wanted to see the Coliseum and it was only a block away. Klaus laughed aside of her and guided them into what seemed to be a park with some ruins. "Are we here?" she asked, trying to keep the skepticism from her voice.

"This way love," he said and pulled her towards a larger building that looked incredibly old and was about to cave in at any second.

They walked inside the building and Caroline was overwhelmed by the sense of age and beauty of the building. She wandered over to one of the walls and ran her hand against the uneven brick, gazing up at the detailed ceiling. It was absolutely breathtaking.

Klaus led them through a dimly lit hallway and into another room where the walls were painted with frescos, giving the room the feeling that it was still in its prime and no time had passed at all.

"Klaus this place is amazing," she said as she turned towards him.

"I knew you would like it," he quipped as he wrapped his arms around her. "This was Nero's Golden House. It was very expansive and lavish during its prime. He hosted the best parties."

"You know from experience?" she teased.

"I'm not that old, love."

Caroline laughed, "Right, just a thousand and some years old, no biggie."

"And don't you forget it," he growled into her ear and placed a kiss to her neck.
"Klaus," she whined, pressing her palms against his chest to push him away. "We still have to see the Colosseum. And I believe you owe me my phone." She held out her hand expectantly.

He reluctantly handed over her phone, "Fine one text to solve Elena's eternal dilemma and then we're off."

She could agree to those terms. "Okay," she conceded as she pressed a kiss to his lips.

..

Caroline shook her head – the Colosseum, Domus Aurea, they were gorgeous and Klaus had taken her to see them.

"Are you okay?" Stefan asked, taking a cautious step towards her.

Caroline immediately held out her hands to stop him. "Don't. Klaus took me to Rome. We were interrupted by your drama with Elena and Damon," she spat and Stefan had the good grace to look ashamed. She glanced towards the shoebox that still sat on top of her desk – Rome was only the beginning. She dashed over to her desk and grabbed a few of the buttons, flipping them in her palm so she could see their faces and she began to feel the tendrils of a headache starting again.

..

"This is gorgeous," Caroline said softly as she stared at the portrait in front of her.

Klaus leaned down so his breath floated over her neck as he replied, "I don't know. I see something much more gorgeous in this room alone."

"Stop," she laughed. "You're being ridiculous."

"I am not. A single portrait of you would be a thousand times more gorgeous than any of these," Klaus replied, gesturing to the portraits that lined the walls of the gallery. "And worth a million times as much."

"Hmmmm," Caroline hummed. "I guess I have to do it, I have to commission someone to paint a portrait of me to see for myself."

"You will do no such thing," Klaus declared. "No one will be allowed to paint you in the setting that I am picturing except for me."

"And what exactly would this setting be?" Caroline teased, turning around to look at him.

"In our hotel room, in our bed," Klaus disclosed, his eyes growing dark with lust.

"And what would I be wearing?" she asked through her eyelashes, hoping to have the same effect on him that he was having on her with his words.

"Nothing," he clarified, his voice low and arm wrapping around her waist, pulling her closer to him.

She couldn't blush, but the feeling still rose to the surface. She glanced at the portraits that lined the walls. They had just gotten to the museum and if they left for their hotel room they would miss all their plans for the rest of the day. "We have time later…"she told him, taking a slight step backwards to help gain her senses. Being so close to him was overwhelming.

"Or now," he proposed, his thumb stroking her hipbone.

"If we leave now, I'll never get you to show me the rest of London, and we'll miss the performance of Romeo & Juliet," she pouted.

"London old and dreary and Romeo and Juliet die. There, I've told you all about it, now you don't have to see it."

"We only have three days here before we have to go to Richmond for Bonnie's birthday," she pointed out.

"Yes, but it's only for two weeks. Then we can come back," he promised.

"Or we could go somewhere else…" Caroline suggested.

"Where?" he asked, obviously intrigued as to where she would pick.

"I don't know…I've always wanted to see Germany," she told him.

"We'll go there next then," Klaus decided. "And then where, after Germany? I will take you anywhere, everywhere, Caroline."

She melted at his words and the smile that adorned his face. She couldn't deny him, he was perfect.

"I know," she replied with a smile. "But for now, I'll settle for our hotel room," she smirked up at him as she laced her fingers through his.

..

"No," Caroline groaned as she shook her head.

"What is it Care?" Stefan asked.

Caroline stared at Stefan, how could he have lied to her?

"He wouldn't," she told him. "Klaus wouldn't have gone to Europe without me. He knew how much I love Europe, he promised he would take me everywhere. He wouldn't lie to me. Unlike you. Tell me what's going on, Stefan."

Stefan glanced at the shoebox that held her possesions that reminded her of Klaus and began to move towards it. "Don't," she commanded and Stefan stopped his movements. Her anger was quickly beginning to become too much, she needed answers now. "Seriously, tell me what happened. What is wrong with me."

"Nothing is wrong with you Caroline…I just…we…"Stefan lamely attempted to explain.

Stefan's pathetic ramblings were enough to send her over the edge, she was furious and her whole body shook with rage. Her usually manageable thirst was now at the forefront of her mind. She needed to feed...no she needed to hunt.
"I'm hungry, but I need you to stay here until I come back," Caroline informed him.
"I'm not going anywhere," Stefan sighed.
Caroline sped over to him and snapped his neck in one smooth movement. "Not now you're not."
She sped out of their house and down the street to the little park nearby. She easily picked up on a couple of animals hiding in the trees. She easily tracked the sounds of one and caught a squirrel, draining it quickly before anyone could catch her. It was good but it was not satisfying the deep hunger that her anger had awoken. She needed more, but not just animal blood...human blood.

She noticed one of the blacktop paths that winded through the park and started to follow it. Only a few minutes passed before she heard the sound of a human breathing heavily, their heart rate off the charts. She flashed towards them: sinking her fangs into their neck smoothly, drawing the precious blood she craved.

Immediately the girl started screaming and Caroline was forced to pause her feeding for a moment to compel the girl to be silent. Once the girl simpered in agreement Caroline sunk her fangs back into her neck, letting the blood soothe her hunger. She could feel the girl growing weaker, her heartbeat fainter. Still she continued to feed, to satiate the hunger her anger had unleashed until the girl's heartbeat stopped altogether.

She was dead in Caroline's arms.

Before anyone could spot them she picked up the girl's body and hid it a little way into the overgrown bushes, away from the trail. The body wouldn't stay hidden forever. Caroline quickly ripped out the girl's throat to destroy the evidence of her feeding.

What to do, what to do...

She had never disposed of a body before but Stefan had, he would help her with her newest problem.

She rushed back to the house, and once inside listened for where he was. She heard movement coming from his bedroom so she ran up the stairs, and found Stefan sitting on his bed, texting someone.

"What are you doing?" Caroline asked.

Stefan quickly tilted the screen away from her line of vision and locked the screen. "Nothing."

Great, he was hiding something else from her now. She pushed the thought to the side, she would get his phone later. Right now she had more important things to deal with. "I need your help." She instantly gained Stefan's full attention. "I killed a girl in the park and I need you to help get rid of the body."

"No, don't tell e you're starting to go down this road again Caroline," Stefan groaned.

"What are you talking about?" Caroline asked, genuinely confused.

"Feeding off humans and killing them? It's part of the reason why we did it in the first place," Stefan explained as he stood up and grabbed his leather jacket.

Caroline shoved Stefan into the wall, her hands wrapped around his throat, "What did you do to me?" she growled.

Stefan shoved her back, "We had Bonnie erase your memories of Klaus."

Her heart stopped. They had messed with her mind. They erased her memories.

How dare they.

"YOU ERASED MY MEMORIES!?" Caroline yelled as she picked up his desk chair and threw it at him. "WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT?"

Stefan sighed, glancing at his ruined chair that he had managed to duck, "It's complicated Caroline."

Caroline tried to remember Klaus dying. That was the only thing that would keep him from her. He had to be alive, since she had no memory of him dying. She felt the tiniest bit of hope blossom in her chest. "Klaus is alive?"

Stefan didn't look at her and she knew she had her answer.

She sped out of his room and into her own, breaking her wooden desk chair leg off and plunged it into Stefan's stomach as he rushed in after her. "Sorry Stefan, but I need to go find Klaus," she explained as she picked up her passport from the box and threw it into her purse, running out of the house before Stefan could pull the stake from his body.

A/N: Poor Stefan, I beat him up a lot in this chapter. But on the bright side, Caroline knows that Klaus is alive. On the kind of bright side (?) there's a little reason in there why they did it in the first place.

Got this updated in a week. How long until the next update? And what will be in it? Do you all maybe think it's time that Klaus finds out what his family has been up to...?