I do not own Vampire Diairies.
Thanks for reading everyone and sticking with me through my long hiatus! Also thanks for the lovely reviews, which have definitely helped me to get back into the story.
Let me know what you think!
When the sign for Mystic falls finally passed them, he felt as though they had been running through honey, so excruciatingly slow was their progress. The town was beautiful in the late afternoon sunshine, but all he could see was the absence of her. The car ride had been quiet, with his sister as preoccupied as he was, the silence punctuated by tense phone conversations.
Now, pulling up to Caroline's house, he saw Stefan standing on the porch as Damon was coming out the front door. Pulling to a dusty stop he practically leapt from the car, moving round and opening Rebekah's side automatically, before advancing on the brothers.
"Well, what have you found?" he demanded reaching the front door, instantly feeling that unforgiving barrier blocking him. Stefan's face looked so pained, Klaus felt his heart drop.
"Take a look" Damon gestured with his thumb as he distanced himself from the door, breathing deeply. Klaus took a deep breath, and it hit him then, blood. Snarling, he ripped open the door and pressed against the barrier in frustration. Rebekah brushed past and into the house.
"Oh, I forgot, you can't." Damon smirked, folding his arms across his chest, boasting like a child.
"I guess we know who Caroline likes more" he said smugly, ignoring Klaus's look of utter malice.
"I'm not sure I like your way of getting Caroline to like you." he said lightly, noting the quick glance from Damon.
"Yeah well, free will... it's such a subjective thing." Damon joked, stepping slightly back from Klaus as he turned to inspect him.
"Is it?" Klaus growled, his eyes fixing on the elder Salvatore brother.
"Isn't it?" Stefan said quietly from behind Damon, and Klaus felt the weight of that quiet statement. For the first time, he realised what Stefan had lost when he'd compelled him. He pushed the thought away, but it didn't go easily. Ever since he'd met Caroline, he'd felt his conscience returning, though he was still able to ignore it for the most part.
"Touche Stefan. As for you, Damon you better do whatever needs to be done to get Caroline back, or you'll get to see what it's like to be on the receiving end of months of compulsion, doing things that revolt you." he smiled at Damon then, and if it was possible the vampire turned an even whiter shade of pale. The screen door banged suddenly, causing them all to look up and see Rebekah standing on the porch, looking worried.
"It's not good Nik" she said as she started to describe the scene inside.
"Where would he take her?" he muttered pacing back and forth, watching Rebekah head around the side of the house to check the back for clues. Stefan started listing the places that they knew the council used for their secret council activities. Klaus leaned against the car and closed his eyes. There was something tugging at the corner of his mind, something important. He let his mind drift, and it found its way back to Caroline's memories. Caroline strapped to chair, a square of sunlight slicing through her skin, her own father holding the rope.
"There" he whispered, realising that was where Simon had taken her. Where him and his brother had done their "work". Turning to the others he quickly explained the place.
"The only problem is that we don't actually know where that is. It was Sheriff Forbes and Tyler that rescued her." Stefan said, pulling out his phone.
"Maybe we can reach Tyler." he said, scrolling through numbers.
"Well, we'll definitely have a better chance reaching him than Liz" Damon replied sarcastically, his concern for both his friends almost showing through.
"Nik!" Rebekah's scream cut through the heavy stillness of the southern afternoon, the three men looked at each other a second, before running to reach the back garden.
Rebekah was standing looking at her hands, which were covered in dirt, with genuine shock frozen on her face, as they approached, she looked up tearfully.
"It was such a waste, such a waste." she muttered as Klaus took her by the shoulders and looked into her face.
"Beks, what was?" he asked gently,
"There was never going to be a trade." she whispered back, her eyes shiny with tears, which he wasn't used to seeing fall from his sister's eyes. She looked down at her hands again, and Klaus noticed the dirt under her fingernails.
"Klaus" Stefan voice called, and Klaus glanced over to where he was squatting, in the shadow of a tree. There he could see the ground had been churned up, previously displaced, though now it was mostly patted flat, apart from a small section, raked by hands, his sister's he guessed. Stefan and Damon were staring down into the ground, Stefan dropped his head into his hands, and Damon's face twisted, his eyes lost and confused, shaking his head he turned away and sat down.
Feeling his heart beat like it hadn't since he was young and used to hide from his father to avoid being beaten, he approached the make shift grave.
It struck him so wrong that this small, plain grave should be there, in this featureless back garden. How wrong it was that her eyes were still open, still scared. And how her blonde hair had soil in it. He thought about how much that would upset Caroline. Kneeling down beside the grave, he started to dig the body back up.
"What are you doing?" Rebekah asked behind him.
"He's going to bury her properly." Stefan said quietly, as he came around the other side and knelt down.
"For Caroline" Stefan said, digging his hands into the soft earth, he met Klaus's eyes once, and nodded. He was joined soon after by Rebekah and then, some time later by Damon.
"For Liz" Damon said softly, his sadness reflected in his tone, as he helped then unearth the body of his friend. Side by side in the afternoon sun, they gently brought back the body of the late Sheriff Elizabeth Forbes, though her spirit was forever beyond their reach.
She'd lost track of time, but watching the sun sink down the wall of her cell, she guessed it was finally setting, meaning she'd be able to venture out of the corner she'd been cowering in since she'd woken up, groggy and vervained, without her ring.
Dropping her head into her hands she fought the urge to scream. She was so tired of it all. Of being captured, manipulated, shot full of vervain. If this was what her immortal life held in store, you could keep it. She was so... angry. It was strange, but when she analysed her primary emotion, it was anger, pure and simmering hot. She wanted to rip through her captors, sink her fangs into their necks, show them that they couldn't treat her like this, and they definitely couldn't treat her mother like this.
Thinking of her mother, she once again strained her ears for a sign of her. She'd heard nothing at all, and wondered if they were being held in the same place. Or maybe her uncle had already released her, and honoured her sacrifice. It would be the first honourable thing he'd done. The place smelled like wolf and she wondered how many her insane uncle had doing his bidding, and why they were doing it.
A sudden noise drew her to her feet. She wanted to meet whatever was coming standing. She swayed slightly against the wall, the vervain coursing through her veins. The sound of heavy locks being drawn back, and key turning, and finally the heavy door opened. There was only darkness beyond that she could make out, with her impaired abilities, then a figure stepped through into the sunset washed cell.
"Well, well, you young lady are not easy to get ahold of." Simon chuckled as he came in, smiling pleasantly, he put a chair down in the centre of the cell and sat there, he looked relaxed and not the least concerned that she would try to kill him. The door was being locked up behind him, presumably by werewolves or council members. He'd never looked much like her father. Same build maybe, tall, broad, but Simon had always looked stronger, more powerful, and more predatory. A former marine, he'd only gotten more terrifying as the soft side of his personality had gradually melted away over the years. He was wearing black, combat boots, trousers and a skin tight t-shirt that was like a second skin. His belt held various weapons, a knife, a gun that Caroline would bet held wooden bullets... and stakes.
"Well, haven't you got anything to say to me girl?" he demanded arrogantly, leaning forward, his dark eyes gleaming in the sun.
"Why are you doing this to me?' she asked in a small voice, trying to hold in her anger.
"Speak up!" he barked at her sneeringly, leaning back in his chair, gesturing at her disdainfully.
"If I'd known how pathetic you were, I wouldn't have bothered with all the security. What's wrong little Caroline, still looking for fatherly approval? Upset because I don't like you?" he laughed then, and Caroline heard a hint of something indescribably frightening in it, madness.
"Uncle Simon..." she began and stopped when he looked up at her, his smiling face instantly replaced by a look of loathing.
"Don't ever call me that again. You aren't related to me. Living, you were nothing but an empty headed slut, desperate for attention from whatever losers would give it to you. A nobody, a sad clinger on, with a waste of space as a mother, and an embarrassment to your father. Dead – you're worse, you're nothing but a walking piece of meat..." getting more and more worked up as he spoke her walked over to her, reaching her as her anger got the better of her.
Snarling she lunged at him, fangs bared, only to find herself flying backwards, hitting the wall. Shaking her head she tried to work out what had happened, he hadn't moved, yet she hadn't been able to touch him... magic. He was protected by something. His smug expression was maddening and she fought to control her overwhelming aggression. She wanted to tear his face off, and the urge frightened her.
"You see, you are just a thing now. With no soul... no humanity... no life inside you. You're a parasite, feeding of the life of real people, stealing their light, their warmth for a few hours... by drinking their blood. But then, your dead body returns to it's normal state. Cold. Empty. Dead. Dead girl walking here!" he suddenly shouted laughing, showing again a terrifying maniacal streak. She stepped back from him, feeling the vervain making her lightheaded and weak. He got really close, but didn't touch her, causing her to stiffen instantly, her eyes darting to his face.
"Do you know why I wanted you here? Because this is where my brother signed his death warrant. Where he tried to fix you, where he refused to let you go. I told him it was too late, he should put you out of your misery. But he wouldn't, he still loved you..." he looked at her blankly for second, before his face hardened into a jovial mask, clownishly happy as he continued.
"Too bad you got him killed. I'm surprised you didn't just suck him dry yourself." His crazy eyes, he bored into her for a few minutes, in complete silence, his eyes intense and insane in equal measures. Caroline felt herself sucked into that dark void for a moment. There was nothing but black space in those eyes, emptiness so complete, except for the barest flicker, something that was writhing down there in the depths, waiting for her, it pulled at her, wanting her to join it there. She shuddered, breaking the spell, and looked away.
"Now, I'm sure you're not feeling too good. A bit hungry I bet. A little blood and you'll be all fixed up." At the words, she felt her stomach clench with hunger and she tried to remember when she had last eaten. She watched him walk back to the centre of the room, grabbing the chair. He dragged it towards the door, which opened as he approached.
"Wait! Where is my mother?" she asked as he headed through the door, without stopping. An instant later he was back holding a shiny black glass of blood. Her stomach growled at the sight of it. His face the picture of innocence he set the glass down in the middle of the floor, and started back out, throwing a last smile over his shoulder,
"Why, she's right here. Buon appetite" The door slammed close on his laughter and the locks ground closed again.
Stefan snapped his phone closed and turned to the group that had hastily assembled at Elena's house.
"That was Mayor Lockwood. It seems Liz's death has changed things." the vampires in the room all sharing looks, after having listened to the whole conversation.
"How?" Bonnie asked, left out of the super hearing loop.
"It seems Simon Forbes has become a liability, he's gone off book, and they can't control him anymore." Elijah stated calmly.
"They're scared off him... he's... insane." Rebekah said quietly, her gaze locked on her fingers, twisting them nervously.
"Insane? Like, how insane?" Matt asked, "Insane enough to kill Caroline?" he continued, coming up behind Rebekah, resting his hand on her shoulder.
She didn't seem to realise. She didn't understand why she felt so affected by Liz Forbes death, other than the woman had showed more kindness to her in the short time they'd known each other, than her mother had ever shown her.
"I vote that we don't test that and just get on with saving her." Jeremy said.
"It's not that simple." Damon muttered.
"Why not?" Elena asked, rounding on Damon with her eyes blazing.
"Because, the council still don't know about Stefan and I, if they did, do you really think they'd be calling us for help. We can't go trying to find out where she is... and rescuing her without throwing the spotlight on us, and those around us." as he spoke his eyes moved to Elena.
"But, she's being held captive..." Bonnie reasoned out.
"Don't you see! They don't care. They don't care if she dies, they are probably hoping for it. Then they don't have to worry about what to do with her. Now all they care about is getting their town back from Simon Lockwood, and hoping his craziness doesn't affect any of them" Stefan said angrily.
"So, what are we going to do?" Elena asked again. Damon shrugged in his typical, devil may care way,
"Collateral damage..." he had barely finished the words before he was suddenly gurgling up blood. Looking down he grasped the wooden spoon that was embedded in his chest mere inches from his heart and pulled it out, gasping with the pain. Everyone's eyes shifted to Klaus, who was leaning against the kitchen counter, playing with a jar of kitchen utensils, his dark glower focused on Damon.
"Strike two mate" he said, gathering his jacket, and with a silent look at his siblings, the originals started toward the door.
"Wait! Where are you going?" Elena cried following them. Klaus strode out into the sun, closely followed by Rebekah. Elijah stopped on the doorstep and turned to Elena.
"We have heard your plan, or lack of one. It's better all round if we just handle it ourselves. We will take care of Caroline."
"But, she's our friend!" Elena exclaimed, watching as Elijah's eyes shifted speculatively over the assembled group.
"Is she? You need to decide what's more important to you... your friend's life... or your little lives here in this town. If any of you want to help, you know where to find us. As for the rest, don't worry, your identities will be protected. And about Caroline, don't concern yourselves. We take care of our own." With that Elijah stepped out the door to the waiting car.
"Wait, I can help." Bonnie said, grabbing her bag and following him out the door. The black SUV soon disappeared down the street, leaving the a group of shocked faces in their wake.
"We take care of our own? What the hell does that mean?" Damon asked no one in particular.
Klaus reached his room and threw off his leather jacket. He'd never felt so powerless and frustrated in his life. Kicking a chair across the room, he threw himself down on the bed and covered his face with both arms.
She'd been so close... just hours ago. He had been there in his arms, willing... open. Not pushing him away, not running from him... and now she was gone again. And he couldn't find her. They'd spent the remainder of the afternoon searching the town, to no avail. She wasn't there, he couldn't smell her scent anywhere. It felt like her light had left this world, and the very thought of it made drove him mad. He thought back to her mother, so alone in the ground. His skin crawled at the thought, there were no limits with this man, no sense of family duty, no mercy. What would he do to Caroline as he tried to get information from her. He growled deep in his throat as he thought about it. He wished she would just give it to him, not try and protect they rest of them, they didn't deserve it. Then he thought what would happen after she wasn't useful to her uncle, and that thought literally stopped his heart.
Her mother... if they managed to save her unharmed,how was she going to take that news? How much pain and suffering can a person survive before it changes them? How much would it take to diminish the very essence of her, her hope, her faith in people and the world. How much before it changed her into something she didn't want to be.
A knock at the door made him sit up and he watched Bonnie come hesitantly into the room.
"I have an idea" she said, looking unsure even as she said it. Propping himself up on his elbows he raised an eyebrow at her and waited for her to continue.
"You would need to trust me." she said, looking at him closely, observing his reaction. Coming closer she sat on the edge of the bed. Looking up Klaus realised Kol had also entered the room behind her.
"Cheer up brother. Our delightful friend here has come up with a way to locate your girl." Kol grinned, but there seemed a forced joviality to his tone. Kol hadn't properly met Caroline, but he could see that this situation was causing major problems for every one of his family members. His brother in particular, as much as he annoyed him. Klaus had never exactly been lucky in love, and Kol hoped a happier Klaus would make him less inclined to dagger his siblings when they annoyed him. Not only that, but he was having issues dragging himself away from the quiet witch with the fiery stare.
"Come on Lovely! Tell him your idea." he said lightly, but internally he admired her courage coming here, she was a true friend to Caroline.
"Well, there is a way, I could reach Caroline, in her dreams, if she is able to sleep where ever she is. If I can, I can get her to try and picture where she is, and remember where she was taken... the only problem is I've never been inside her head before, so it might not work." Bonnie said, her hands fidgeting to get started trying to reach her friend.
Klaus sat forward as he spoke, hope blossoming in his chest.
"I have. I've been in her dreams, does that mean I would be able to go back?" he asked.
"With a little magic help, yes. If you've already been, you have a better chance than me." Bonnie explained, turning to Kol.
"Can you please bring me the things I prepared downstairs." she asked, and Klaus watched with amusement as his brother trotted off to fetch the requested items, looking extremely pleased at having been asked.
"So, what do I need to do."
"Not much, the most important thing is to be thinking of Caroline. I need you to hold her in your head, really focus on her, when I touch you, hopefully the spell will seek out the dreamer you are thinking off, and you'll be able to enter her dreams. Once your there, she may not believe it's real, she might think you're part of her dream... you need to make her listen to you and understand that she needs to show you the way. Look around when you're there, any clues you can get will help."
Kol returned, bring Rebekah in tow, between them they had a whole lot of candles and Bonnie's spell book. Bonnie instructed Klaus to lie down, as though he was going to sleep, and to start thinking about Caroline. Kol and Rebekah sat quietly watching as she began to chant, quietly at first, then growing louder. Suddenly all the candles in the room flared simultaneously, and Bonnie bent forward and touched Klaus.
There was a blinding flash, then he felt like her was falling. He tried to keep his mind on Caroline. He thought of her smile, her laughter and that curious infectious quality it had. He thought about her outrageous honesty and her sense of right and wrong, so strong, even now. He thought about how she danced, and how her body felt against his as they swayed to music.
Through the darkness he heard music...Something sunny and happy, completely out of sync with the cold raw fear he'd been feeling since Caroline had run away. Following the song through the darkness, he suddenly found himself in a diner, and in Caroline's dream.
It was an old style American diner, and it seemed late. There was a long counter on one side, then a row of booths lined the windows, down one wall, and the night outside was black, with rain lashing against the panes. There were few patrons, and the song was playing hauntingly on the duke box. There was only one table taken, a little blonde girl sat at a table near the back, drinking a glass of milk and staring out at the rain. He walked in a dreamlike state toward her, and watched as she looked up at him approaching. Smiling faintly as he sat across from her she played with her glass.
"Didn't you see the sign? No dogs allowed" she said, pointing to the wall behind the counter, turning he found the sign and saw that it did indeed say No dogs allowed, then in a flash of lighting the little dog on the sign took on a more wolfish quality, which was instantly gone after the electricity faded from the air.
"Well, I promise to always leave my dog at home, OK?" he smiled at her, her young face curious and a tad suspicious.
"Are you here alone, little one?" he asked gently, watching as she looked around, a little lost.
"Of course not silly. My daddy's here. He always brings me here." she smiled proudly and he felt a his heart beat strangely.
"What's your name?"
"I can't tell you. You're a stranger." she said immediately, her suspicion growing. He tried his best to look innocent and nonthreatening.
"No I'm not, I'm Klaus, your friend. Don't you remember me?"
"How can we be friends if you don't know my name?" she asked with the perfect logic of a child.
"I do know your name, Caroline, I just wanted to see if you know it" he smiled, and watched as her faced relaxed a little and she laughed
"Of course I know it!" she laughed again and then turned her attention back to her milk.
"Oh no! There's something wrong with my milk." she started and showed him the glass. Inside rich, deep blood sloshed against the glass sides, he felt nauseous.
"Don't drink that sweetheart, I'll find you some milk." and watched in horror as she quickly raised the glass to her lips and drank it.
"It's OK, it tastes good!" she said, drinking more, then lapsing into silence. She started to turn around in her seat, twisting and turning.
"Have you seen my mother? I can't find her... I've looked everywhere" she trailed off looking confused and so hopelessly lost he went to take her hand over the table. She looked at him expressionlessly and he decided he needed to try and reach her.
"Caroline, this is a dream sweetheart, it's a dream and you need to tell me where you are, or show me. I'll come for you, I just need to know where you are..." he trailed off.
The little girl continued to look around, then without warning she suddenly shot off the seat and disappeared. Standing up, he looked for her, but couldn't see her anywhere. The door of the diner suddenly banged, as though a gust of wind had blown it. He went toward it and saw that the rain had let up.
Outside, he saw a glimpse of blonde hair vanishing into the dark. Pushing through the door, he ran outside and followed the flash. He suddenly realised he was in Mystic Falls, though not a part he'd been in often. He lost sight of young Caroline, but continued towards a light he could see weaving in the distance. It was like a torch or flashlight, flickering madly every time he turned too much in one direction, then steady when he was walking the right way, or so he hoped.
As he got closer, paying attention to the surrounding area, he realised a figure was standing there, in the dark, shining the flashlight on an door, solid and heavy, hidden by trees and bushes. As he reached the door, he felt himself start to wake. Putting on hand on the door, he turned to the figure wreathed in shadow.
"Save my daughter Klaus..." her blonde hair caught the light only for a second, before he found himself lying, blinking in the light, trying to orientate himself, with the eager faces of Rebekah and Kol appearing over his head.
"Well?" Kol asked.
"I know where she is." Klaus said grimly.