She couldn't reach her mom. She couldn't reach Bonnie. No matter how often he called. She looked over her shoulder, her car screeching on the pavement as she tried to keep it in a steady line. Her heartbeat was racing. Fear, cold, dreadful, core-shaking fear raced through her.
Adrenalin, it was adrenalin.
Oh god, he was probably still behind her. He could appear anywhere. She couldn't even run.
Oh god, oh god what am I supposed to do? Oh god
Silas was after her, he would kill her, how could she trust anyone she met not to be him?
Klaus. He'd been Klaus.
For a moment there she'd really been afraid he'd kill her.
The fucking stake.
Klaus, she could call Klaus.
She ripped up her phone, frantically searching the number. Finally she found it, pressing call while the car once again almost hit the railing.
Oh god, please pick up, please, please, please, somebody pick up now.
Thankfully he did, after the first ring.
"Caroline," he said and she barely registered the obvious delight in his voice, the fear numbing down everything else.
"Oh, thank god! You have to help me! Silas! Silas is after me, I don't know what to do, I-"
"Where are you?" His voice was stony, but she could hear the panic in it.
"In my car, I'm in my car, I'm driving home – Oh my god, I don't know what to do. He wants Bonnie. I can't reach her!" Her hand grabbed tighter to the wheel as she once more checked all the mirrors, frantically moving and almost driving the car off the road again.
"Caroline you have to listen to me right now. I am in New Orleans. I will be there as soon as I can, but it will take a few hours. Go to a crowded place. Where are your friends?"
"He won't let me get to them! He threw me down the fucking stairs! I need to reach Bonnie, oh god, I tried calling her ten times, she isn't picking up."
She heard something crash at the other end of the line.
"Caroline. CALM DOWN. I will call Rebekah. I'm coming. Wait for me."
"No no no no no! Don't! Don't hang up on me. She hates me, she won't help me. Oh god, fuck, what the hell am I supposed to do?"
"Caroline, you need to listen to me. I need you to calm down, the last thing you need right now is to cause an accident. Drive home. I will stay on the phone with you until you're save."
"But how am I ever supposed to be safe? He can appear anywhere as anyone. He was you for gods sake!"
She heard a sharp intake of breath on the other end of the line. "Caroline, concentrate on the road, tell me what happened."
She took a deep shaky breath, concentrating her vision on the road before her. She could do this.
She'd be home soon.
"He was you. First I thought it was really you. And then he was Matt and then he was you again. He staked me, but it was all in my head! Oh god." She took another deep breath.
She heard another crash on the other end of the line.
"He wants you to get Bonnie to perform the spell, right?" he asked, his voice emotionless and stony.
Her driveway – finally. She parked the car, tires shrieking on the pavement as she halted.
"Yes. I'm home now, I'm gonna go in now."
"Be careful. Stefan's not picking up, my sister isn't either. Don't get off the phone Caroline."
She nodded, gulping, the fear almost making her oblivious to the fact that he couldn't see her. "Okay. I'll keep the phone on, I'm trying to find my mom."
Then she put it in her pocket, feeling somewhat more save than before.
Strange, just moments ago she'd actually been afraid of him. But now there was something else, something even more dangerous to be afraid of.
She entered her house, taking a deep breath.
Her mother was safe, she was safe. She'd actually thought she'd lost her.
She was okay. She was okay.
Oh god, no.
Now, hours later, her mother was vast asleep by now, she let herself break down in the privacy of her room.
She didn't even know whether she was crying tears of happiness or if it was the backlash of the fear she'd felt earlier. He was everywhere. He could be anyone.
He'd been in her head. She'd actually believed he was really Klaus.
Such a convincing performance. Why hadn't he chosen Tyler? Why had he appeared as Klaus?
Suddenly her eyes widened in shock.
Klaus.
Frantically, she pulled out her phone. God, she was still shaking.
He'd hung up. When?
She had totally forgotten about that as soon as she was inside.
Oh god.
Suddenly, she heard rustling outside and fear shot through her again. No, Silas had what he wanted.
She flinched again, almost falling off the bed as she felt a movement around her, turning around with wide eyes.
Klaus.
Or Silas?
He stood there, staring down at her with wide eyes, emotion flashing through them.
"Are you okay?" he finally asked, his voice strained.
She nodded. "Yes," she whispered breathlessly.
He took a step forward and she flinched back. She knew it didn't make sense but in the back of her mind there was still the thought that it could be Silas.
He halted, his brows furrowing in concern while his eyes were still bursting with emotion.
She shook her head. "Yes, yes I'm okay."
He licked his lips, not moving from the spot he was at and she saw relief rushing over him.
"What happened?"
She took a deep breath, collecting herself. Fuck, she had been crying moments ago. Quickly she rose to her feet and grabbed a tissue, cleaning her face.
Then she gulped, turning back towards him, trying to regain her composure but she was still shaking.
"He almost killed my mom," she said, trying not to make her desperation too evident.
"But I saved her, I saved her, it's okay," she said, sitting down on the bed again.
He was here. He'd come all the way. For her.
She looked up at him, her brows furrowing. "How did you even get here that fast?"
He licked his lips, still standing in the same spot, unmoving.
"I ran," he simply said, his voice slowly going back to normal.
Her eyes widened once more. "You ran here, from New Orleans?"
He nodded. "Are you really okay, Caroline?"
She gulped and shook her head. "I'll manage. I always do."
He looked at her in worry and her heart clenched.
Why? How could she ever have thought that he was moving on? And why was it such a relief that he wasn't?
He took a step closer and this time she didn't feel threatened. He watched her face attentively as he proceeded to walk towards her, slowly sitting down on the bed beside her.
"He has Bonnie," she said. "He has Bonnie because of me."
He kept staring at her as if her mere existence was a miracle.
She looked back up at him, feeling helpless once again. She didn't even know what to do with this storm of emotions, the fear, her mother almost dying, her mother being alive, Klaus.
Suddenly tears started rising up again but she tried to will them away.
"I won't leave again. Not until Silas is taken care of," he said and she almost saw guilt in his eyes.
She shook her head. "You have no responsibilities here. I'm sorry I called you, I didn't know what else to do-"
He fixed his gaze on hers again, his eyes piercing her. She saw hurt in them and immediately felt sorry but pushed it down. "Don't be. Never hesitate to call me when you're in danger."
She looked away, scoffing.
They spend a minute in silence.
"What did he do to you, Caroline? I have to know."
She frowned, looking back at him. "Why?"
He licked his lips, looking away for a brief second.
"I can't stand the thought of you getting hurt. Much less by somebody that looks like me."
She couldn't look at him, feeling a painful sensation in her chest.
How could she ever have thought.
"I told you, he staked me, strangled me a bit, threw me down the stairs."
She could see the anger in his eyes, but he forced it down.
"I'm going to kill him."
"But you can't!" she interjected, "Nobody can. That's the fucking point. I don't even know why I called you – I-"
He sighed, looking at her like that again. She gulped."I'm sorry," she said. "You came all the way for nothing, I- I should have told you, but my mom, she-"
He shook his head. "As long as you're safe all of that doesn't matter."
She scoffed, staring at him in disbelief. "Why? I- I've tried but I simply don't understand."
What are you afraid of? – You!
She wasn't afraid now, at least not of him.
Deep down you long to have your perfect feathers ruffled.
God, no. Why did Silas say that. She wasn't really-
He frowned at her. "I've told you before Caroline. I don't think you know-" he paused, closing his eyes for a second. "I don't think you know how much I care about you."
She closed her eyes.
Suddenly, tears rose up again. This time she couldn't hold them. The goddamn confusion. Why was she so glad to hear this. She shouldn't be.
She should have been glad about the idea of him moving on, of him leaving.
But the truth was she wasn't and it scared her half to death once more that day.
She buried her face in her hands, trying to stop the tears without sobbing. Don't make a fucking noise.
She heard take in a sharp breath beside her and her heart clenched even more.
"Caroline…"
Fuck. He needed to leave, now.
She let out a sob, hiding her face.
Suddenly she felt his arm on her shoulder, nudging it softly, carefully.
She couldn't stop. It was almost relieving, letting it go, although she still didn't allow herself to make a sound the tears flew down her face.
She heard him breathe again, almost nervously, and then he cautiously pulled her in his arms, as if he was ready for her to push him away any second.
But she couldn't, she couldn't do anything but let the water run, get this out of her system now.
She was completely vulnerable now, with him in her proximity and it didn't even scare her.
Gently his hand caressed up and down her back.
"It's okay, you're safe," she heard him whisper, his voice cracking and she felt herself brought back right into that moment when he had saved her from Alaric.
She relaxed instantly, allowing herself to bury her face in his chest and let herself go, crying quietly now.
"You're safe."