Chapter Nine : Dangerous Lessons
Caroline was glad that Stefan had actually shown her where the Mikaelson house was. She wanted a few minutes to explore and learn before the others arrived. Kol would be easy to handle and the girl would likely shut up after a few threats. She would have just enough time to learn what she needed to.
She knocked twice on the door and could hear two people come rushing to the door. There was talk inside about whether or not to open it, and then the witch peaked through the window. Caroline raised an eyebrow at her, and then Rebekah shook her head and covered it back up.
"Open the bloody door, Rebekah, and let me in," she said, having no patience for games.
"I don't have to if I don't want to. I'm on vervain!" she yelled back.
Caroline rolled her eyes and considered giving her one more chance. "Rebekah, love, either you open the fucking door, or I kick it in. As for an invite, I can still easily throw things at you that will kill you. Once you are dead, then I can just walk in. Now, let's be a good girl and open up.
The door came right open and Caroline gave the girl a smile. "Rebekah, love. How wonderful to see you again. May I come inside?"
Rebekah gulped and nodded her head, leaving Caroline to once more roll her eyes. What was with these humans these days. "The word, sweetheart. You have to actually speak the words."
"Come in," Rebekah said, and Caroline gave her a smile and stepped inside.
"Thank you, darling. Now, go sit down like a good girl, and wait until your brothers arrive."
"Why should I listen to you? I'm not afraid of you," Rebekah said, and Caroline smiled, then shut the door. Kol then came back out from where he was hiding from the sunlight and she beckoned to him.
"Caroline! I'm so glad you're here! What are you going to teach me?"
Caroline let her pupils dilate and Kol slowed his talking. "Kol Mikaelson, you are going to sit down and shut up. Your sister is going to go with you. You will keep her beside you at all costs. Any other commands I give to you, you obey immediately. Do you understand me?"
"I will sit down and shut up. I will not allow Rebekah to leave my side. I will do as you say."
Her eyes returned to normal and she looked at Rebekah, who was staring in shock. "Now go sit down and shut up with your brother."
"How..."
"How did I compel him? We'll discuss that at a later point. Now go be a good girl."
Rebekah nodded and went to sit beside Kol. Caroline gave them another smile, then walked up the stairs in front of her. When she reached the top, she turned to the left on the hallway. She opened up the first door and found... a young boy's room. It looked untouched, but the scent of a recent death lingered. She shut the door and walked to the next one.
Opening it, she found Finn's room. If the smell of hospital cleaner and bleach hadn't been a sign, then the stack of folded scrubs completely gave it away. She walked around the room and found a few small pictures of the Doctor with a red haired woman. Good to know.
She opened up the door across the hallway and found Kol's room. Band posters and naked girls. How absurdly predictable. She stepped in and glanced around a little, not really seeing anything of use. There were no pictures of girlfriends or even really friends. A baseball bat in the corner... ah, there was a team picture. Well, she had some leverage on him now, but emotions could be turned off.
She left that room and walked across the hallway. This room was clearly the master bedroom, but it was empty of real personality. So, no one slept in their parent's old room? Understandable. The last door of the hallway was a bathroom, so she turned around to the other side of the stairs. There, the first door led to a plain empty room. So, they had a guest room as well. Good, then she could leave someone to keep an eye on them and they couldn't use any excuses.
Across from it led to the young hunter's room. There were pictures of the doppelganger on the dresser and she could smell the stench of vervain. There were a few pots of it growing in the corner and she made a mental note to come back by and do something about them. Burning was too easy. Poison them? Replace them with something else? Humans were so annoying when she couldn't compel them.
Three doors left on the hallway. She went to the end to see if it was like the other side, and there was the bathroom. She could smell something flowery and went to that door first, and wasn't surprised to see it belonged to the young witch. This room she stepped into fully, and began looking around. Pictures of her with cheerleaders, a blonde boy wearing a football jersey,pictures with the family,So many people for Caroline to hurt.
And that left one more room. She touched the door handle and paused for a moment, then twisted it and stepped inside. It was nothing, and yet somehow everything, like she had expected. Dark wood, brown walls, lots of earthy and warmth tones... clearly, Rebekah had a hand in decorating, but it was still so masculine. She could smell him in the air. There were no personal pictures anywhere, but there was art on the wall. A few painted landscapes, and a number of sketches, but none that she recognized.
There had to be something in here that would clue her in. She started opening up drawers and found nothing, then pulled out one in particular that held a broken frame inside. She pulled it out and saw Klaus with a young boy. The boy from the picture on the Doctor's desk. Henrik. She stared at it sadly, then returned it to the drawer.
Caroline then stepped over to the desk and saw a large sketchpad. So, the sheriff liked to draw, did he? She flipped open the first page, and was amazed. She looked up at the walls then, at all of the artwork, and it dawned on her who had done it. She had seen a few pieces in the other bedrooms that matched the style, and she knew then that it was Klaus' own work.
She picked up the sketch pad and sat down on the edge of Klaus' bed as she began to flip. There was everything inside from his family to animals and even landscapes. Some had color, but most were just pencil with light shading. She was mesmerized as she started flipping, until she got to one picture that made her drop the book onto her lap.
It was her. He had drawn her. Her hair was straight, just like it was now. She had a smirk on her face in the picture, and he had even gone so far as to use blue on her eyes. There was a brightness to the entire look, and she flipped the page to see the next picture.
It was her, again. She stared down at it, for a second, locking the image in her mind, then laid back on the bed, taking it in. She had been drawn before, of course, although the paintings and portraits had all mysteriously disappeared from the owner's collection after a few years and reappeared in her own. But, they had always been commissioned by some Lord or Monarch, wanting to capture her beauty before she disappeared, which was a trick she was famous for.
Never had it been for the artist's personal desire or pleasure. She had never associated with them, although the musician in her had called out to step down from her social rank. The artists of the past had always captured her rather well, but none of them saw her like this.
His sketch had her hair in their beautiful golden curls and her face looked beautiful, even with the veins spidering out from her eyes, which were blackened. Her full lips were spread to reveal the fangs that still horrified her when she saw them. But this drawing? It wasn't terrifying or scary. She looked like a dark angel.
She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to take it in. How had he managed to draw this? He had only seen her for a split second, and yet he had captured so much. It was like she was staring into the face of what she had become, and she wasn't ashamed. No, she was enchanted. She looked beautiful, in her most terrible and frightening form.
She sat up and shut the sketchbook, not wanting to look anymore. She didn't know what she would find on the next pages, but this was enough to tell her that she had made a mistake. She had seen into the Sheriff's soul by looking at his sketchbook, and she thought back to the last time a servant had looked at her sheet music. She hadn't even bothered to enjoy the blood or the torment, instead removing their heart and throwing the body into the hallway. She shouldn't have looked, and she felt something she hadn't felt in a very long time: guilt.
She could hear a car coming down the long driveway of the Mikaelson property, so she hopped off the bed and returned the sketchbook to it's original place and flashed out of the room and down the stairs. Now, she just had to wait for everyone else to come in, and the fun could begin, just as soon as she got the image of his sketch out of her mind.
.:| The Sanguine Enchantress |:.
Bonnie glanced through all of her grimoires and pulled out three. Two of them were copies that she wouldn't mind allowing the Mikaelson witch to borrow, if not keep, while the other was her own personal grimoire. Even though it had been spelled to be practically indestructible, she still held it close to her body.
Not knowing whether or not the Mikaelsons were truly ready for dealing with a witch in the house, she grabbed one of the boxes of candles that she had in the corner of the room. When she had asked for candles, she had thought Caroline would give her a dozen at best. Instead, box after box of every color, style, and even fragrance had come.
She stacked the grimoires on top of the box of candles and walked out of her room, shutting it behind her. She knew that if anyone entered, her spells would notify her, but temptation was something Tyler Lockwood always gave in to, and she didn't feel like dealing with that right now. It was a few quick steps to go down the stairs, and then the box was gone from her hand. Of course Stefan came to assist her.
Bonnie gave him a brilliant smile then danced down the rest of the stairs. She ignored the Mikaelsons as she walked, knowing that they would be looking at her oddly. It wasn't everyday that they saw a Vampire, and even less likely that they dealt with a witch. Now, they had the only Vampire Witch in front of them. Yes, she drank blood, and yes, she did kill. But, she still kept herself together. She had to draw completely on nature to perform her magic, as she had no help from the spirits. And that meant living a life that she danced through.
She was ready to test out her new vehicle, but next thing she knew, Stefan was opening the passenger door to the Mikaelson's SUV and offering her a hand in. She looked at the others, who were clearly uncomfortable with the idea of riding in a close SUV with two Originals, but she said nothing and got in, then took her items from Stefan.
The drive was silent as they drove towards the town itself and Bonnie stared idly out the window. It was awkward silence, and after a few minutes Alaric spoke up. "So how does a witch become a Vampire? I thought that if a witch was turned, she was just a vampire."
Bonnie didn't remove her eyes from the wildlife outside as she idly spoke. "When I did the spell, my witch side wasn't locked, much like how Caroline's wasn't either. The spirits stopped talking to me, but they never took away my ability to channel nature."
"What spell?" Elijah asked.
Bonnie heard the question but was too busy trying to figure out the vehicle. She had seen Caroline push a button the day before that made the windows disappear. The vehicle was too stuffy and she needed the fresh air on the face.
"The windows - can you make them disappear?" she asked, looking to Finn beside her as he drove. He looked at her in shock then nodded and suddenly the window beside her was down. She let out a laugh and stuck her hand out of it, then took in a deep breath of the air.
"Doesn't she know how windows work?" asked Alaric. She didn't like him very much. He smelled worse than Tyler and seemed to ask all of the wrong questions.
"Bonnie has been asleep for over twenty years. Things change over that time." She let a smile dance across her face as she listened to Stefan defending her. As they drove, she twirled her fingers, and settled back into the chair. She missed riding horses. Women were always supposed to ride in a carriage, but Caroline refused to be weak and Bonnie loved being outside too much. These metal cages were horrifying without the windows down.
"What spell was it you cast?" Elijah asked again.
Bonnie had pulled her hand back in through the window and was now fiddling with a button beside her that seemed to make the window go up and down. She was raising it now and waited until it was fully closed before turning around in her chair to face Elijah. He had been leaning forward and jumped back startled at her turning to face him.
"When I created Vampires," she said, shrugging.
The vehicle slammed to a stop and she looked up at Finn in shock, her hands trying to brace her and her teeth wanting to drop from the sudden startle.
"You created WHAT?" Finn growled out.
"Vampires. Well, I cast the spell."
"Vampires... came from a spell?" Elijah asked, and she shrugged. Her eyes caught Stefan's, who then put his face into his hands.
"You shouldn't have told them," Stefan said, but Bonnie shrugged.
"I'm the one that cast the spell. I'm the one that had to deal with the punishment. It's my secret to tell. I made no mention of anything that had to do with Caroline's struggle and her curse."
Stefan shook his head at her and she shrugged. "I created Vampires. I casted a spell that was entrusted in my family grimoire on my friends to protect us, and this is what we became. Now, drive."
The drive resumed and then the car was turning off the main road. There were trees all around them and Bonnie sat back with a smile. So beautiful. They stopped in front of a large house and Bonnie waited patiently for Stefan to come to her door. It was surprising when instead, Elijah was the one opening it.
He took the box from her lap and she gave him a nod as Stefan then stepped up and offered her his hand. She took it and he helped her down from the vehicle, then looped her arm through his. Always the gentleman. She noticed Elijah watching them and she gave him a smile, then said, "Stefan has always enjoyed the class of the Old World. We are very old, Mr Mikaelson. We tend to keep with old world traditions such as chivalry and manners."
Elijah bowed his head slightly in response, and then they were approaching the front door. Two yelling voices met her ears, and when a third yelled out with a command, Bonnie and Stefan locked eyes.
Stefan seemed to regain his senses quickly. "I'm going to kill her for this..."
.:| The Queen of the Heartless |:.
"You can't just leave him stuck in here, nor can you force me to stay here! What the hell is wrong with you? When my brothers get back, you're going to regret this, do you hear me? You're going to regret this!"
Caroline had her face buried in both of her hands, trying to get rid of the impending headache. The girl wouldn't stop yelling at her from where she sat on the couch, as she had already tried twice to get up and Kol had tugged her back down, as per his compulsion. This girl was seriously starting to get on her nerves.
"Will you please just shut up?" she growled out, her eyes darkening slightly as she looked at the girl. Rebekah squeaked and shut her mouth and Caroline grinned, then let her face return to normal. Well, that at least worked.
"I can't believe they are actually scared of you. You have no power over me. I would rather die than do as you say."
Caroline flashed into the room and loomed over the girl. "That can easily be arranged, sweetheart, but given the fact that I promised not to hurt you, you will get to live for now. Your brother, on the other hand..."
Rebekah sat down in her seat and Caroline smiled at her. "Now, Kol, love, you're allowed to speak, but you are only allowed to speak the truth."
Kol grinned and turned to Rebekah. "Oh, I like her. She has fire. And you were being a whiny bitch."
Caroline laughed and looked at Rebekah, who was staring with her mouth wide open. "One of my favorite little tricks, sweetheart."
Kol looked back at her with a grin. He clearly didn't care that he had to tell the truth. "Now tell me, Kol. Who is the girl in the pictures with Finn?"
"Sage. She's Finn's girlfriend and works at the hospital."
"Very good, love. And the boy in Rebekah's pictures?"
"Kol, no!" The girl was horrified but Caroline smiled at her, as Kol was forced to answer.
"Matt Donovan. Alright guy, but a bit poor for our dear sister."
"Lovely. And who is your special companion?"
"Myself."
Caroline burst out laughing at that. Of course he would say that. She settled back into the chair she was in and heard the door open. Her eyes raised to see the Mikaelson brood come in, followed by Stefan and Bonnie, whom Elijah had just invited in.
"What do you think of Finn?"
"He's a dullard."
Caroline laughed again and looked up at Stefan. "I bloody love how much fun compelling honesty can be."
"I do too. I have an excuse to be honest!" Kol said, grinning at everyone around him. She could see Bonnie standing at the door, shaking her head. Stefan was standing beside her, practically seething.
"And the doppelganger. What do you think of her? Is she a whore like the original version?"
"She has nice boobs, but she's a bit of a bitch. She already slept with two Mikaelsons, and I don't feel like being the third."
Caroline laughed even harder and saw the anger and confusion on the Mikaelson's faces. She rose from where she had sat herself and smiled at the group as a whole. "Sorry, loves. Was just having a bit of fun with your brother."
"You were supposed to teach him control," Klaus said, and she rolled her eyes.
"It'll take two seconds, and I needed a human here to show it worked. Want to be the volunteer?" Klaus raised his chin up at her and she smirked at him. Of course he wouldn't back down. "No, I think I'll use Elijah instead, so you can watch what I can do."
Elijah stepped forward bravely when she raised her hand to him, and she brought him over to stand beside Kol, who was watching them both. "Kol, do you hear the blood rushing in his veins?"
The veins spiked up slightly, and he let out a strangled, "Yes."
"Listen to me. When you hear that blood rushing in your sibling's veins, or when you can smell it, or even see it, you will not want to feed. You will not let your fangs out. You will want nothing to do with their blood. Do you understand me?"
"Yes," Kol said, and she gave him a smile. She then looked over at Klaus, who was watching her, and then she raised Elijah's arm to her lips. His eyes were wide as she bit down into his wrist, and removed her mouth quickly, so none of his poisonous blood would hurt her. The blood that was on the tip of her fangs barely made her flinch.
She raised the wrist up to Kol's face. There was no sign of the spidery veins or even darkness in his eyes. He wasn't responding to the blood. She smiled triumphantly at the group, then noticed that Stefan's eyes were locked on Elijah's wrist.
She rolled her eyes and bit into her own wrist, then swiped her finger over some of the blood and shoved it into Elijah's mouth. His eyes went wide but she had already removed her hand from his mouth, and she looked down to see the bite marks on his wrist gone.
"Why the hell did you do that?" Elijah asked.
"Why the hell would you bring a bloody ripper to a lesson on control around blood?"
She looked up at Stefan, who had seemed to regain control, and then she looked back at the group. "My job here is done. Give the boy blood bags and don't let him leave the house again. Have a good day."
"Caroline..." She had been ready to flash to the front door and leave the Mikaelsons when she heard Bonnie calling out her name. She turned towards her friend with a raised eyebrow.
"Bonnie..." Bonnie met her back with a glare, and they were having a silent conversation about whether or not Caroline had fulfilled her end of the deal, and how wrong it was to just compel him.
"You're beautiful!"
The girls, who had been staring at each other, both turned to look at Kol. His eyes were locked on Bonnie, and it looked as though he was aching to move towards her, although the compulsion was still there for him to not move from his spot.
"You are absolutely, breathtakingly beautiful."
Caroline looked over at Stefan and burst out laughing. She was nearly bent over, laughing so hard. Of all the things that the baby vampire could have said while he was forced to tell the truth, that was not it. What was it with the Mikaelson boys having interest in the Original ladies?
"Kol, shut up and sit down."
He did as he was said and Caroline kept laughing. "Your brother has the hots for the Original Witch. This is priceless."
"Caroline, it's not that funny," Bonnie hissed, and Caroline shook her head no.
"Kol here thinks that he is the ultimate playboy, but he takes one look at you, and now there are stars in his eyes." She looked back up to see Bonnie now had a grin on her face, and Caroline laughed even harder. "Oh, Bonnie love, I will never understand the magic you work without even meaning to."
"I don't understand what's so funny about me finding her absolutely beautiful. I mean, you're hot and all, Caroline, but Bonnie is a beautiful, caramel goddess that I want to take upstairs and-"
"SHUT UP, KOL," came the resounding voice of the entire room, including Caroline, and Kol's mouth snapped shut.
"Best use of compulsion I've ever done," Caroline muttered, and ran her fingers back through her hair. That earlier thought of her head pounding was coming back. She needed to feed.
"How can you compel him? I didn't think vampires could compel other vampires," asked the one who's name she didn't know. She raised an eyebrow at him and glanced at Stefan, then turned back to the drunk.
"Did you know that a vampire's senses are heightened? I can smell the stale whiskey on your breath. The vervain that you have on you and likely in you. I can smell the cheap wood you used to carve a stake that you want to shove into my heart. I'm going to guess that you are a vampire hunter. Am I correct?"
She had been walking towards him as she spoke and stopped infront of him. He was standing beside Klaus and it took all of her willpower to not look up at him. Those drawings... what was he seeing now? Was he mesmerized, or horrified?
"Yes," the man said. "The name's Alaric Saltzman."
She stared at him for a moment then turned her head slightly to Kol. "Kol, who is it that Alaric Saltzman holds most dear? You may speak."
The man's eyes went wide, and Kol answered, "Jenna Sommers. She's Katherine's aunt."
Caroline smiled at the man. "Thank you, Kol. Now, shut up."
She turned around, giving Alaric a good view of the center of her back where he could try and stake her, and she was mildly disappointed as she walked over to where Stefan stood, away from the group. At least the man had gotten the message, that she was not to be messed with. When she got to Stefan, she gave him a smile, then turned to face the rest of the group.
"You already know that we are the Original Vampires. With that comes certain abilities that make us... truly special vampires. We cannot be killed like normal vampires. We are stronger and faster than any other we face. And, we can compel other vampires. And you all thought you were so safe with your little vervain trick."
She let a smirk slide across her face then, and turned to Bonnie, who was glaring at her. "I know, Bonnie, you're annoyed with me, but they did try to stake me. I was nice until they actually tried to kill me. Tell the group, love, what happens to those that try to kill me or one of our family?"
Bonnie shifted for a moment then said, "They die. As does everyone they have ever loved. After they have all been tortured."
Caroline smiled at her and looked back to the group. "And yet, you're all still alive. Now, you see why this places me in a bit of a bind. I have a reputation, you know, and I like to maintain it. But you see, I really do not feel like babysitting a doppelganger, so instead, that task falls to all of you."
She looked at Klaus now and her eyes locked with his. "You made a deal with me, Niklaus Mikaelson. Will you uphold it?"
"Yes."
"Now tell them the deal that we made."
He swallowed for a moment, then spoke. "You teach Kol control and how to be a vampire, and Rebekah how to control her powers, and in exchange, we will protect Katherine and not try to kill you again or betray any of your family."
Well, she was a little impressed that he could still think after earlier. "Very good. And should you betray me, what will I do?"
"We won't betray you," he said, stepping forward, as if to protect them. She crossed her arms over her chest and raised an eyebrow.
"For the sake of my own amusement, let's say what if you betray me. What is the punishment?"
"You will kill us."
She raised her finger as if she was thinking about what he said and shook her head a little. "I think I was a bit more specific than that..."
"... You'll rip us all to shreds."
"Yes, that's what it was. I will rip you all limb from limb."
"Caroline!" Stefan growled, out, at the same time as Bonnie said, "What is wrong with you?"
She turned to them both, annoyed. "I really liked that dress and now I can't get the blood out! I'm letting them live! What more do you want from me?"
"You could uncompel Kol for starters," Klaus said, and she turned slowly to face him. He was only a few steps away from her now. She walked towards him until she was but a hand's width away, and even though she was shorter, it was as though she was looking down at him.
"I strongly suggest that you remove yourself and your elder siblings along with Stefan. I'll deal with Kol while Bonnie takes care of Rebekah. Now get out. I'm still half considering killing you for what you said earlier."
Their eyes met and she could see the lust and fire in them. He was enjoying this, trying to stand up to her, but she was far stronger. He bowed his head after a few moments, and walked away from her, dragging his protesting elder siblings with him. Stefan glared at her for a moment, then followed the brothers out. Caroline followed them and shut the doors behind them.
"Burn Sage. I don't want them to overhear," she said to Bonnie, who was already pulling out the sage and began to perform the spell.
"What's that-"
"Questions later, little witch. Let Bonnie do her work and then we can talk."
The girl was miraculously quiet as Caroline went over to the box of candles that Elijah had left behind and began taking them out and setting them in a circle on the floor. Once they were all out and the sage was properly burning, Caroline stepped out of the area while Bonnie sat down.
Bonnie beckoned to Rebekah. "Come sit."
Caroline sat down on the couch beside Kol, and looked at him with his mouth still shut. "Alright. I'm going to remove my compulsion on you, but I'm going to request that you please try and not talk that much, and let the witches to their work while we do ours, alright?"
Kol nodded his head, and Caroline stared into his eyes, letting her pupils expand. "Kol, all compulsion I have placed on you is now removed, save for the urge to eat your siblings."
She pulled away from him and gave him a moment, then asked, "What do you think of Rebekah?"
"She's pretty."
The little witch looked up and shook her head. "It didn't work."
"Nope, it worked," he said with a grin. She looked ready to come attack Kol, but Caroline had already smacked him over the back of the head.
"The sage won't burn forever and we have a lot to talk about. Now, shut up and let them get started, then we can begin."
The candles circled around Bonnie and Rebekah came to life, save for one that was sitting between them. They all watched as Bonnie spoke in hushed tones to Rebekah, which Caroline ignored as she then turned to Kol. "You are still breathing, which is bad. You don't need to breath as a Vampire. Breathing gives you away as a newborn around other Vampires, but breathing around humans is both good and bad. Their smell will invade you, but you will also blend in."
She then touched the ring on her finger. "This allows me to walk in the sunlight. Once we have your abilities under control, Bonnie will make you a daylight ring. Blood bags are your friend, as is alcohol and eating human food. While they do not satiate you, they will take off the edge. Do you understand so far?"
Kol nodded, so she continued. "Finn and Elijah both have Stefan's number, but I am going to give you my number as well. If you think you are going to lose control, you call me. You not fucking this up as a vampire is now my responsibility. There are many other things you need to learn, but we are going to start with control, alright?"
He nodded once more, and she turned to look at the witch's progress. They were both staring at the unlit candle while Bonnie helped her to concentrate on it. It would take many lessons before Rebekah would be doing real spells, but every little step helped.
"You need to get one of your siblings off of vervain, Kol. I don't care which one, but you need to learn how to compel and how to drink blood from the vein and stopping before you kill. Can you do that?"
"I'll ask Nik," he said, and Caroline nodded. That was what she had assumed; of course, Klaus would be the one.
"If you take a bit of vervain and put it in a piece of jewelry for him to wear, he will still be immune to compulsion. He'll just have to take it off for our lessons. Vervain burns, incase you didn't know, so make certain to not touch any vervain in this house."
He nodded again, and then Caroline sat back to think. There was so much for her to tell him, but too much and he would forget... She wasn't going to follow him around and hold his hand while he learned to control his feeding. Most vampires just turned off their emotions while they learned how to properly feed, but she knew that the Mikaelsons would never agree to that.
The candle flickered to life, and Caroline smiled at the joy on Rebekah's face. It was a sweet moment, seeing a witch perform her first bit of magic. Bonnie was smiling as well, and congratulating the girl. The grimoires were now spread out around them as Bonnie began explaining the history behind a grimoire and bloodlines, meaning that it was time for Caroline to get to work on Kol.
Kol nodded his head at that, then looked over at Bonnie. Caroline knew that Bonnie had seen him looking at her, but she was bent back over the grimoires once more. A smile slid across her face as she watched the attraction going on between her favorite witch and the baby vampire. This could be interesting...
"Bonnie, love, what do you think about giving our new little vampire a daylight ring?"
Bonnie jerked her head up and looked at Caroline, who was smiling. She shrugged and Caroline turned in her seat to look at Kol. "Go find a piece of jewelry that you will actually wear. You will never be able to take it off again, unless you can find another witch to do the spell or you want to die, so choose carefully."
Kol grinned and got up from the couch and left the room. When he was gone, Caroline sat down on the floor with Bonnie and Rebekah. "Stop your stupid lesson; you can continue this later. Bonnie Bennett, have you already got another boy wrapped around your finger? Are you going to create something brilliant this time or destroy."
Bonnie rolled her eyes as she looked at Caroline. "Not all of my relationships end up on the extreme."
Caroline burst out laughing. "You've caused three wars, inspired the Renaissance, brought about the Transcontinental Railroad across this bloody country, and broke the bloody Catholic Church in England! A fair number of your relationships end up in an extreme!"
"How did you break up the Catholic Church?" Rebekah asked, and Caroline grinned to the girl. She always did love to tell a good story.
"You see, sweetheart, during the reign of Henry VIII, our Bonnie here found her way in and out of the King's bed. No one really knew, truth be told, given that I was the one that sat at the King's side, but I was busy with another at the time..."
"She means to say she was sleeping with Tyler during those years," Bonnie said, and Caroline turned to glare at Bonnie.
"Yes, Bonnie, I slept with Tyler off and on throughout a millennia, it is what it is. I got bored. Now, back to the story. His Queen, Catherine, did not trust any of us. For some unknown reason, she was on vervain, although I doubt she knew the herb's true purpose. She was quite rude to all of us, so one day, Bonnie place a spell on her that she couldn't carry a child."
"Not my finest moment..." Bonnie said, looking away.
"It was bloody brilliant! It brought her right down a few notches, and when we had to move on, Bonnie planted the idea into the King's head that his problem with conceiving a son was not his fault. Of course, it was his fault as well, for bad seed landing in a fertile field would produce no fruit. Given that Catherine had a field of rocks..."
Caroline shrugged as she thought back on it. "In the end, Henry broke all ties with the Catholic Church so that he could marry Anne Boleyn and put aside Catherine. It didn't all work out too well for him, but I still find it entertaining."
Rebekah's eyes were wide and Caroline grinned. "What shocks you more? The fact that we are royalty, or the fact that we had such an impact on history?"
"How many men have you slept with?!"
Bonnie burst out laughing at that question and Caroline let out a chuckle. "Sweetheart, we're a thousand years old. I have no bloody idea."
"Have you slept with anyone I would know?"
Caroline thought about it for a moment, then remembered that there had been a movie star a few years back. "There was this one Irish bloke - he was rather ruggedly handsome and had the look of a man that could get you in trouble - his name was Colin. He actually ended up playing a vampire in a movie a few years back... what was his last name."
Rebekah screamed and jumped up. "Oh my god, you slept with Colin Farrell?"
Caroline smiled at the girl's enthusiasm. "That was his name. Colin Farrell. I wouldn't exactly say that I slept with him. More like, he was a wild stallion I had to tame. And this was all back when he was a bad boy... a very bad boy." After all, she had been the one that sent him to rehab.
The door opened once more and Caroline turned around to see Kol returning with his ring. She let the smile on her face drop and she returned to her earlier seat on the couch. "Hand the ring to Bonnie, sweetheart, and we'll get to work on your control."
He did so and Caroline sat back, waiting for him to join her as she contemplated her options. "Alright then, little vampire. I am going to leave my compulsion about your siblings in place, but you have to learn how to feed eventually. I'm going to give you the task that we all used to learn to control our feeding, but I'm going to compel you so that you have to do it."
Kol nodded his head and looked at her expectantly. Her eyes once more widened, and she spoke clearly as she gave her command. "Whenever the urge to feed from anything other than a bloodbag begins to surface, you will count to ten, slowly, while holding your breath. Once you reach ten, you will take in a deep breath. Should the desire still be there, you will make your excuses, turn around, and count to ten once more while you move away from everyone around you. Once you reach ten, you will take another deep breath. If you still want to feed, you will run away as fast as a human can, until you reach somewhere that you can no longer smell human blood."
Both of their eyes returned to normal, and she sat back, smiling. "There you have it. As you learn to control it more, I'll lessen the compulsion until you no longer need it. Any questions?"
"Just one. What do you mean this is how you learned to feed? Who compelled you?"
Caroline shook her head slightly. "This isn't how most Vampires learn to feed. Most turn off their humanity and drink and kill to their heart's content until they are either killed by other vampires because of exposure, or until they feel guilty for all of the death they have caused. Given that we were the first, we had to figure this out on our own."
"Why can't I turn off my humanity then?"
"Do you want to kill your siblings and every human you have ever met?"
Kol's eyes went wide as he shook his head, and she nodded. "When you turn off your humanity, you no longer care about anything other than the hunger. It is not something you want to do, nor is it something your siblings would agree to. It is best you learn like this."
"How did you learn to control it, then?"
She looked over at Bonnie, who was staring at her sadly. Caroline lowered her head slightly, then looked back up at Kol. "All of us moved out of our village once we realized that we thirsted for blood. I would help them to drink and stop before they took too much, then compel them to forget and send them back to town. Eventually, everyone learned how to control it. Bonnie had the easiest time of it, given she already had control as a witch. She helped me from there."
"And you?"
Caroline had been trying to avoid this question, but it was perhaps a good thing for him to learn. "I killed, almost always. When I drank blood, I would go beyond the point of no return. Eventually, I learned how to stop myself, but it took a long time to get there. Once I started, it was nearly impossible to stop."
"So you turned your humanity off, then?"
"Pretty much every vampire has at some point. Bonnie never has, but, she has also never killed. She drinks as needed, but she always stops in time. All of those years learning to control her powers helped her to learn how to control everything that a vampire feels."
She pushed her lips together for a moment, then licked them, trying to find the right words. "As for myself, I have always felt the need to have complete control; it's in my nature as an Alpha. I had to protect my family, no matter the cost. So, every kill, and every death, and every loss? I've felt it. I've never turned off my humanity."
.:| The Lone Pup |:.
He had given up very quickly from trying to overhear what was being said in the room, after he heard Caroline request sage. Everyone else had moved into the kitchen, where Stefan was talking about everything he did to his hair. Everyone else in the room seemed interested enough, but Elijah was hanging onto his every word.
When Klaus had heard the door open and seen Kol walking upstairs, his feet had taken him to the door of the sitting room. When his brother came back down, holding his varsity baseball ring, he didn't completely shut the door, and now he could overhear everything.
His heart stopped at her words. There was so much more to this beautiful blonde vampire than he had ever guessed. He could hear the sadness and loneliness in her voice as she spoke. From what he had read in the grimoire, vampires had everything heightened, including their emotions. She had never shut hers off? How much could possibly be weighing on her soul?
A hand clapped on his shoulder and he turned around to see Stefan standing there. He opened his mouth to speak but Stefan shook his head and beckoned a finger. Klaus followed, not saying a word, until they returned to the kitchen. There was a pad and pencil that sat on the counter that Stefan picked up and began writing.
Keep talking.
He showed that to the others, then turned to Klaus, and began writing on a new sheet.
Do not try to understand Caroline Forbes. She is closed off even to me. You will never fully grasp the pain that she has endured. And do not repeat the words she spoke in there. Do you understand?
Klaus nodded his head, then took the pencil and began writing his own note.
She feels she is alone and can trust no one.
Stefan stared at the note and didn't move. Klaus waited for some sort of a response, and the vampire eventually took the pencil back. The pencil kept almost making it to the paper, as if he was looking for the right words to say.
That's because she can't.
.:| The Queen of the Heartless |:.
The lessons complete, Caroline got up from the sofa, ready to go home. It had been a long day and all she wanted now was to slip into bed and sleep for a century. There was so much left to do before the ritual, and the full moon was only twenty days away. She still had to deal with Tyler and establish control over the doppelganger, while continuing to hide from her enemies. Twenty days was a blink of the eye after being alive for so long.
The men were all gathered outside the sitting room and she raised an eyebrow at them. "What is it you want now?"
"We want to know if our brother is fixed," Elijah said. The words made her still, thinking back to her father. He had wanted to fix her once.
"Your brother will learn to adapt. He doesn't need to be fixed. He can't just be fixed." She spat the words out at them and shook her head. Their brother was now far stronger than they would ever be. They should be grateful for the gift she had placed upon him.
"Will he ever be able to go outside like you can?" Klaus asked, as Kol came up beside her. She rolled her eyes at the Sheriff, then looked to make sure Kol was wearing his ring. She flashed over to the door and opened it up. The elder Mikealsons all made a dash to stop her, but Kol was grinning, standing in the doorway.
"Never thought I would miss the sun so much," he said, smiling at his siblings.
Caroline turned to face the Mikaelsons again while Kol ran off into the yard, playing like some long cooped up puppy.
"If he ever annoys you too much, just take away his ring." Klaus looked down at the ring on her own hand and she rolled her eyes and took it off her finger.
"I am not stupid, love. Most of what I wear is enchanted to protect me." She had to resist the urge to touch her beaded necklace, knowing it would be a give away to what else was enchanted.
Stefan and Bonnie were already walking outside, followed by the rest of the Mikaelsons, leaving her and Klaus standing there. Her eyes drifted back to Kol, who was still outside laughing as he ran in the sun, and Rebekah was now joining him, a large smile clear across her face. It was such a carefree moment and she envied them.
"Why do you care so much that people fear you?"
Caroline looked up at Klaus for a moment, and she let the mask slip. It was terrible, at times, knowing how feared she was. How people were scared of even just her name. The entire idea of keeping up this identity was exhausting at times.
"When people fear you, they don't betray you." She looked up into his eyes as she spoke, and she saw that he was looking at her as if she wasn't this terrible thing. There was no fear, anger, or even lust. It was like he truly saw her. Her mind flashed back to the drawing and she had to close her eyes and look away from him.
His hand caressed her arm and she stilled. Whereas his earlier touches had been done in lust and want, this was gentle, and loving. She had no idea how to respond as he stepped closer to her, and she could feel him at her side, looking down at her. Her eyes were lowered to the ground, and she didn't dare look up.
"Who has betrayed you, Caroline?"
Her head jerked up at his words, and she looked at him, anger now filling her entire being. He looked shocked as their eyes met, and she pushed her lips together, trying to resist the urge to rip out his heart right there. How dare he even think to ask such a question of her.
She shook her head slightly at him, feeling disgusted with both herself and him. How could she, for even a moment, let her mask slide. She took a few steps away from him, then flashed out the door, ready to just run home.
.:| The Lone Pup |:.
Klaus stood there sadly, watching her run away. The entire day was running back through his mind. Every word she had spoken was being replayed, every little glimpse of what she kept inside was drawn into his mind. There was so much more to Caroline Forbes than he had ever imagined, and he wanted to know it all.
He finally shut the door and went upstairs to his room. He could smell her as he stepped inside. She had been up here, in his room. He noticed that the sketchpad wasn't where he had left it and he realized then that she had likely seen his drawings. Klaus wasn't quite sure whether he was embarrassed or proud. Had she liked them?
He fell onto the bed, then rolled over on it. She had been on his bed. She had actually touched his bed. The entire idea of it made him rock solid for her all over again, and he had to suppress a groan. He wanted her, that much was certain, but he wanted more than just her body. She was a mystery he wanted to solve. She was a dance he wanted to join. She was a piece of artwork that he wished to explore and enjoy and appreciate for hours on end.
Klaus let his head fall back onto the pillow and he laid there, staring at the ceiling, more confused than ever. What had Stefan's note meant? And why had she given his brother the ability to go outside again? She put on such a front that she was so evil and threatened them constantly, and yet she was actually doing good things. She hadn't killed anyone. She wasn't going to kill Katherine. She was teaching his brother.
Who was this girl, and what secrets was she keeping?
A/N
Betas : livingdeadblondegirl, alittleblondedistraction, topazdragon, klarolineepiclove
REVIEWS ARE LOVE!
So, I'm the worst person ever. I seriously meant to have this done by Friday night, but then it was Saturday, then Sunday, then Monday, and here it is, late Tuesday night, and I'm finally posting. I'm a terrible person.
Why, you ask? Because I started up RPing on Tumblr. And I love it. And I was kind of lost when it came to writing this chapter. When I started it, I wasn't 100% on what was going to be said. In the end, I love it.
Now, since I made you all wait so long, I'll give you a little hint about the next chapter... we're going to finally meet our doppelganger, and that first scene where we meet Elijah? It will be recreated for QotH... Enjoy.