"Where's Klaus," Stefan asked as they gathered on the dock, waiting for the boat which Kol had arranged for to take them to the island the night before.

"Said he was going to go ahead to find the entrance to the tomb," Kol said with a shrug, "we're supposed to meet him on the island."

Stefan gave the youngest Michaelson brother a wary look. He didn't trust any of the Originals, but he trusted Kol the least. There was something about him, something unpredictable that unnerved him. Elijah had his honor and Klaus had his schemes, while Stefan often found himself two steps behind both of them, at least he had some idea of the direction in which they were heading. Kol, on the other hand, was fickle. Stefan thought he was just as likely to keep to the plan as he was to rip one of their hearts out on a whim.

Stefan glanced at Elijah, and he had a feeling he was dealing with a similar internal debate. It was troublesome that Klaus had taken off and left only Kol to convey the message. Not to mention that he'd left Caroline behind after taking so much trouble to keep her by his side. The whole situation felt sketchy.

"Ah, here he is!" Kol said, trotting up the dock to meet the fisherman.

"Do you buy it?" Stefan asked Elijah, under his breath so Kol wouldn't hear.

"Not even slightly." Elijah said.

"What do we do?"

"The only thing we can," Elijah said. "We play along."


When they reached the island, Caroline hopped off the boat first scanning the shore. No Klaus. She'd expected as much. At first she'd thought that Klaus was giving her space to process the things that happen and almost happened in the alley, but when morning came and he still hadn't returned to the hotel she was sure that something was wrong. Something about Kol's story hadn't sat right from the start. She didn't believe that Klaus would have gone anywhere without either taking her or telling her he was didn't trust Klaus's younger brother. There was something about him that had always struck her as wily, like he was apt to sell anyone out to the highest bidder, even his own family, so long as the offer was good enough.

She wasn't sure that family loyalty counted for as much for Kol as it did for the rest of the family.

She had held out hope that she would be proved wrong, that they would make it to the island and Klaus would be waiting for her. Them. He would be waiting for them.

But he wasn't there and she couldn't ignore the anxiety building in her chest. She knew that Klaus couldn't be killed but that didn't mean he couldn't be hurt.

And what was she supposed to do without him?

She hadn't realized how much she'd come to rely on him until he was no longer there to protect her.


Klaus woke in the brothel, tied up in one of the alcoves. His neck aches as his vertebras pieced themselves back together.

"Kol," He growled as his last memories swam to the surface. What was he up to?

Klaus looked around and saw two witches painting something on his back and the remaining ten members of the coven surrounding him muttering a spell. Whatever they'd painted on his back burned hot. He howled in pain, feeling his eyes glow gold instinctively.

With the increases strength of his werewolf side, he ripped free of his binding and then ripped the witches apart, piece by bloody piece.

When he reached the hotel, he found their rooms empty. Then it hit him, the witches and why Kol had betrayed him. Silas. Kol had clearly been afraid of the entombed immortal from the moment he heard his name. He agreed to help Klaus under duress, but obviously he had not trusted Klaus's promise to end the first immortal permanently. The witches must have been insurance, trying to control Klaus so that he would have no choice but to do his younger brother's will.

It was a clever plan. Too bad it wasn't going to work.


Caroline followed behind the rest of the group. She was biding her time, trying to formulate a plan. Elijah carried the Headstone of Silas and Stefan had the hunter's sword, so Caroline was the only unnecessary element. She felt the danger that position poised. What did it matter that Klaus didn't want her harmed? That wouldn't stop Kol from doing it, not after he'd already double crossed his more powerful brother.

Besides, Klaus wasn't here. He couldn't protect her. She was on her own.

She heard something move in the woods and turned to see what it was. When she looked back at the path, the others were gone and she was completely alone.


"Where's Caroline?" Stefan said, looking back and finding his friend gone. He stopped in his tracks and turned back, "Caroline?"

"Caroline?" Bonnie call, coming back to join Stefan.

Stefan saw the genuine concern written across her face. He tried not to feel resentment toward the witch, but it was a struggle. It was one thing to treat him as though he was a monster, it was quite another to treat Caroline that way. Caroline who had always been her friend and proved time and time again that she would put the well being of the people she loved ahead of her own.

She gave and gave and they had given little in return, even Stefan. He could see now how much he'd taken her for granted. He could only hope that he'd have the chance to make it up to her.

"Caroline!" He called again.


Caroline ran through the trees, listening for any sound that would guide her back to the group. She paused, trying to pick out any sound that might lead her in the right direction.

Silence.

She started forward heard something snap.


Klaus heard the trap spring and reacted without thinking. He grabbed Caroline and turned, shielding her so the stakes plunged forcefully into his back.

He grunted in pain, but he was alive, which she would not have been if their positions were reversed. He imagined her grey and desiccated in his arms and shuddered at the thought.

"Klaus," Caroline looked into his eyes, her own wide with shock.

His hair, still wet from swimming from the coast, dripped on her face. She stare up at him incredulously.

"You saved my life," She whispered.

Klaus couldn't fathom the incredulity in her voice.

"Did you think I wouldn't?" He asked.

"I didn't think you were here." She said.

"I'll always come when you need me," He said.

She didn't readily reply, instead she went around and freed him from the spikes. Once the spikes were removed, the wounds closed quickly, but he allowed Caroline to slide under his arm, winding her own arm around his waist, and guide him over to sit at the base of a tree.

"Are you okay?" She asked, crouching beside him, her delicate hands trailing over the tears in his shirt.

"I'm fine, love," He assured her. Catching her hand, reminding himself that she was okay. He could feel the wounds in his back closing and he would be recovered enough to continue in a matter of minutes.

"Kol fed us a bullshit story that you came to the island ahead of us," Caroline said, "What happened?"

Klaus shuddered at the memories of the chanting witches in the brothel. He decided to leave out the slaughter part.

"Kol wants to get to the cure before us. He wants to use it on Silas." Klaus said.

"We have to stop him!" Caroline, her eyes suddenly alight with panic.

"We will, love," Klaus said, calmly, "but there's no rush."

"Why's that?"

"Because Kol would need to feed Silas in order to enliven him enough to feed him the cure. And I doubt Stefan or Elijah will permit him to use Jeremy or Bonnie for that purpose." Klaus said, feeling positively smug about his foresight. "He won't have planned for that."

"And you did?" Caroline said.

Klaus smirked, "I did."


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