At eight in the morning, Jeremy pounded on the front door of the Michaelson Manor. Stefan shrugged his backpack up his shoulder and kept a safe distance from Jeremy. He was unsure of how safe it was to be close to the hunter. He didn't think Jeremy was carrying any stakes, doubted that the younger Gilbert was stupid enough to make a run at one of the Originals when he had no way to take them down. However, since he was running on new, unfamiliar and unpredictable instincts, Stefan wasn't about to bet on him.
Matt had wanted to come with them, but after much convincing, Stefan managed to get the loyal human to recognize the sense of staying behind and making sure that Tyler didn't do anything stupid like try to follow them. Stefan had no doubt that Klaus wanted to keep his end of Caroline's rash deal, but that didn't mean it was safe to push him.
The Original Hybrid was rash and jealous and was still likely to kill someone he saw as competition for Caroline's heart, deal or no deal.
The front door swung open and on the other side stood Kol.
The youngest of the Original's beamed, an expression that could have been interpreted as friendly if he hadn't looked so smug. Stefan felt a familiar flare of annoyance and dislike for the Original. Kol always looked smug, even when he was smiling. He always gave the impression that he knew something you didn't and was just biding his time to screw you over.
Stefan hated each of the Original brothers, but the reasons varied. He hated Elijah for the way he looked at Elena and for the way Elena insisted on trusting him more than Stefan thought was wise. He found Kol's constant grating smugness loathsome, but that wasn't nearly as troublesome as the youngest brother's unpredictable nature. But he hated Klaus most of all, for his cruelty, for forcing him to turn off his humanity, for the knowledge that he had once considered the Hybrid something akin to a brother, but now, most of all, for the unbreakable hold he seemed to have over Caroline.
"So happy you could make it, old chap," Kol said, stepping back to allow Jeremy entrance.
Jeremy shot him a scathing look as he passed into the house.
Stefan followed Jeremy, but Kol cut him off at the door, saying, "Sorry, friend, but I don't really see how you're necessary to the endeavor."
"Let me in," Stefan growled kicking his foot out to keep the door from closing.
"What are you going to do?" Kol asked, "Are you going to make me?"
Stefan could hear in his tone that he found the very idea of Stefan trying to make him do anything hilarious. Stefan glowered at him. He knew he was no match for any of the Original's, but he wouldn't be turned away. He was well away that Caroline was slipping away from him, but he would not give up on her, not when she needed him most. He would not allow her to be manipulated. If she chose Klaus of her own accord, he would accept that, but only if she chose him of her own free will.
"Do knock it off, Kol," Klaus said, his familiar voice floating down from a distance, "Let the ripper in."
The door opened and Kol stepped back, allowing Stefan to pass. Stefan looked up and saw Klaus descending the curved staircase, carrying a floral backpack that Stefan couldn't possibly imagine was his own.
"You never know when you're going to need someone to rip the heads off some innocent girls." Klaus said, looking positively smug.
Stefan didn't know how he'd ever endured the friendship of the Original Hybrid, with or without his humanity.
Looking around the foyer, he felt a flicker of panic. Where was Caroline?
He was hit with wave of self-loathing. He'd been an idiot to step back and allowed Klaus to cart her off, trusting that Klaus's infatuation would protect her. What if he was wrong?
"Stefan," Her voice caught his attention, light and soothing, easing his panic.
He looked up and saw her at the top of the stairs. She was dress in a floral blouse and jeans with her hair pulled back in a simple ponytail, but she looked stunning. He'd seen her in elegant ball gowns with her hair and makeup done up to the nines, but those looks all paled in comparison to looking at her through new eyes. He had hoped that the sudden burst of desire he'd felt for her the night before had been a reaction to Elena's betrayal, the mad stray thought of a desperate man with a crushed heart, but even now with a new morning, the feelings burned in him and they only seemed to have intensified. He was totally and completely screwed.
Caroline rushed down the stairs and across the foyer, throwing her arms around his neck. He wasn't sure if she did it for comfort or to offer comfort to him, but either way, he appreciated the feeling of her clutching him close.
He closed his eye and enjoyed the relief for a moment, but when he opened his eyes, his gaze met Klaus's cold stare. He was walking a precarious line. Sure, Klaus had an odd sort of affection for Stefan, at least the Ripper version of him, but it was nothing compared to his desire for Caroline. Stefan had no doubt that if push came to shove, Klaus would rip his heart out without a second thought.
"Are you okay?" Stefan asked, before he pulled away from Caroline.
"I'm fine." She assured him.
"He didn't hurt you?"
Stefan caught a flash of rage in Klaus's eyes and he was quite certain that Caroline had just saved his life unknowingly, with her deal. He longed to just take her hand and drag her out of this place, away from the dangerous game of which she'd placed herself in the middle.
"He didn't hurt me." Caroline assured him, but from the way she avoided his gaze, Stefan was afraid that he'd done something far worse.
He was managing to win her over.
Stefan couldn't be angry at Caroline, Klaus had once charmed him into a brotherly comradery. He was well aware of the charm the Hybrid welded when he so chose. There were few people who would be able to withstand him whose favor he really wanted to earn. And Caroline, sweet Caroline, so willing to see the best in people even when it wasn't there, was bound to see something in Klaus that she could and should try to save. It was inevitable that she would find something in him that she thought deserved love. Stefan had no one to blame but himself for letting it go so far.
He threw her in Klaus's path time and time again as bait, never once considering the danger to her. How could he have been so blind and selfish? How had he been so preoccupied with Elena that he never realized how incredible Caroline was? He didn't realize how everything that made her such alluring bait also left her is desperate danger of catching a monster.
Caroline held a scotch close to her chest as she flipped through a sketch pad on Klaus's desk. A fight broke out when Klaus had Kol fetch Bonnie from the basement. Jeremy wasn't exactly pleased to see his ex-girlfriend tied up like a prisoner. Caroline had no interest in the fight, no interest in seeing Bonnie until it was unavoidable, so she retreated to Klaus's study. She knew they wouldn't leave without her. Klaus would come for her when they were ready to leave.
She paused on a sketch of herself from the decade dance, her hair curled and pinned up. She'd been angry with him for abusing Tyler's sire bond (Which he didn't realize Tyler had managed to break) just to prove he was the alpha male. He was smug and self-satisfied and she was quite certain that she hated him. Then he told her he was leaving and the idea of his being gone, really gone, made her stomach turn in a way she hadn't thought was possible.
"I'd ask you to come with me, but we both know you're not ready to accept my offer." He had said.
Was she ready now? Did she offer him this deal because she wanted to protect her friends, friends that never gave her wellbeing a second thought, or because she was finally ready to accept his offer to let him show her the world.
"Almost as lovely as the original."
Caroline flinched, surprised by Elijah's presence beside her, studying the sketch that had captured her attention.
He looked at her, surveying her with the professional interest of an art critique.
"Thank you," Caroline said, trying to handle his compliment with grace.
"I can see why my brother is enthralled with you, Miss Forbes, you are quite captivating." Elijah said, "I have only seen him treat one other woman with such marked attention."
"Katherine," Caroline guessed.
"Of course, his interest in her was purely due to her doppelgänger blood." Elijah said, "But you have some familiarity with Klaus's attention, I think. I love my brother, but he is relentless in his passions, whether love or hate. Imagine, if you will, kindling his wrath for the simple transgression of not wishing to die. Imagine being forced to spend the next five centuries always running, always looking over your shoulder. I would not wish such a fate on my worst enemy, would you?"
Caroline suppressed the urge to laugh. Would she wish Klaus's wrath on her worst enemy? That was literally the question. She weighed her options carefully. She could spurn Elijah's request, refuse to help him and by so doing kindle his resentment. Or she could bury her well-warranted grudge toward Katherine and earn herself an ally among the Mikaelson clan. She had put herself in the middle of a high stakes poker game when she'd made a deal with Klaus. Forever with the Original Hybrid was anything but simple because it also meant an eternity with his siblings. Klaus could offer her a degree of protection, but there was no keeping his siblings from exacting revenge on him by harming her should the opportunity arise. Klaus could take care of himself at odds with all of his siblings, but Caroline thought it would be a bad idea to miss out on an opportunity to form a lasting alliance with Elijah.
"I want you to make me a promise," Caroline said, snapping the sketch book shut and turning to face Elijah.
He nodded to indicate that he was listening, but she knew that he would not blindly agree to terms. He praised his word too highly to be that reckless with it.
"Promise me that you will keep Katherine far away from me." Caroline said, "That you will not allow her change anyone else and do what you can to keep her from killing anyone."
Elijah looked amused, "Anything else?"
"Yes," She said somberly, "I want you to promise me that if you discover you're wrong about her, that she isn't content to accept a truce that you will do what needs to be done."
Elijah's looked suddenly startled. She could tell that he'd underestimated her; he'd thought her an easily manipulated child. He was wrong. She wanted his guarantee that he could and would pull the trigger if necessary.
Elijah smiled and the expression was the closest to warmth she'd ever seen him express, "I do believe you'll make an excellent addition to the family, Miss Forbes."
"Do accept my terms?" Caroline pressed, ignoring his comment because she found the idea of being one of the Mikaelson's absolutely terrifying.
"I do." Elijah said.
"Then I will do what I can to sway Klaus," Caroline said, offering Elijah her hand, which he took and shook once, a gentleman's agreement.
"That is all I can ask," Elijah said, he hesitated before adding, "and I thank you, sincerely… Caroline."
"Louie," Caroline said, "I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship."
"Who is Louie?" Elijah asked, looking confused.
"Casablanca."
They turned around to find Klaus standing in the doorway. Caroline wondered how long he'd been listening. Would he be angry with her for making a deal with his brother? With all these deals she was making she was starting to feel like she belonged in the Godfather, which was kind of true. In a way, Klaus was the Godfather of the vampire world. With all his plots and plans, they were all under his control; they were all puppets playing out his schemes.
"How can you not know that?" Klaus continued, looking at his brother in disbelief. "It's a classic." Then he paused, and grinned malevolently, "Oh wait, I do believe you were indisposed for that one."
Caroline assumed that indisposed meant daggered and in a coffin. She thought was Klaus's way of reminding Elijah who was really in charged. He had taken his older brother down before and, if pushed, he would do it again.
There was a moment of tense silence between the brothers, but it broke when Klaus looked at Caroline and said, "The cars are loaded, we are ready to go."
She followed Klaus out of the study but looked back and Elijah and shot him a look that she hoped would convey that she would do what she could. He gave a tight smile and nodded. Caroline felt a flutter of relief knowing that she's secured a friend in the eldest Original, because she had the distinct impression that Elijah's good will would someday save her life.
So a particularly long and wonderful review from jordanbear inspired me to update a day sooner than planned.
Moral of the story? I'm love reviews!
Please Review!
