Aaaaand I'm back! Okay, this chapter is CRAZY so be prepared for a nice long read.
ENJOY the craziness that is my thoughts.
Rebecca had been filled with worry and fear since last night. She was sure she had lost Caroline's trust and knew that Mason wasn't done with her. She had done what he said but he still didn't get what he wanted and she was the only one he knew could help him.
She sighed, nauseated as she thought about what he would do to her when he had used her enough. It scared the hell out of her. She jumped nearly half a mile in the air when she heard someone bang on the door.
"I'm coming, just wait a minute!" Rebecca hollered as she made her way to the front door of her house, wrapping herself in the blanket she had resting on the couch.
She was wary as she looked through the peephole, fearing it was Mason, come to take his anger out on her, but she smiled happily when she saw it was just Nick. "Nick, hey!" She greeted as she opened the door, but her smile soon faded when she saw the expression on his face. "What's wrong?"
"Caroline won't speak to me. And Elijah told me some things that had me thinking…" He said with a thoughtful expression.
Rebecca, confused, opened the door wider, "Well come in, you can talk about it. And if you'd like, you can have a drink." When he walked in, she closed the door and locked it. "If I'm being honest, I'm glad you came over. Ever since yesterday, I've been pretty paranoid; waiting for Mason to call or show his face and make me do something else for him."
Nick sat on the couch and sighed, "Make you do something else?"
She shrugged and sat across from him, "Yeah you know, like he forced me to tell him where you and Caroline would be."
"About that…why didn't you tell us?" Nick asked.
"There wasn't any time. He forced me and then I had waited for Stefan to get home, when he did that was when you had called for help. I didn't have the time to tell you."
"I think you did. You didn't even have to tell him at all." Nick said with a bitterness Rebecca hadn't realized was there before. "I mean, I, myself, would never sell out my family under any circumstance. I'd die before I allowed someone to harm the people I love."
"Why are you talking to me that way? You know why I did what I did. I had no choice in the matter, Stefan's life was on the line, you know that." Rebecca said, tears welling up in her eyes. "What did Elijah tell you?"
"He made me realize that I was wrong to treat all of this so lightly with you. You betrayed me in the worst possible way a sister could ever betray a brother." He said as he stood from his place and walked behind her. "You had a choice. You could've lied to him about where we would be. You could've found the time to tell me and Caroline about what we would walk into. But you didn't and my pregnant wife was put in danger because of you."
Rebecca shook her head rapidly, "I never wanted either of you to be hurt! I swear it, Nick! I was scared out of my mind and I didn't even think about what he was planning to do! My only thought was to protect Stefan, the man I love. I know that's a poor excuse but I love him more than anything I've ever loved before in my life, Nick. Please just understand."
"So what you're saying is, you chose to protect Stefan over your family. You realize that the water's sweet but blood is thicker. You're supposed to protect your family and choose them over anyone else. Why do you think I defended you last night?! You're my sister and I chose to hurt my wife for you. Was I wrong to do so?"
"He is my family, Nick. Don't be angry with me and don't even tell me that you're supposed to choose family over the person you're in love with. At least I didn't kill my own father over a girl."
After some time, Caroline had run out of tears to shed. "What are we going to do?" She asked Elijah, who wiped his own tears from his cheeks.
"We have to tell someone…" Elijah said, "Now Mason thinks he has some claim on you, I'm sure. The more who know that can protect you, Caroline…"
She shook her head, "No. I don't want Nick to know."
"I won't tell Nick. That has to be your job; what I'm saying is maybe I could tell Stefan and even your Uncle Kol. If Stefan knows, he could get a protection detail for you."
Caroline thought it over, "Nick can't know…And a protection detail…Would it help? Mason had danced with me at the wedding, right in front of you all."
"We were distracted. We won't be again, I promise you. I'll protect you and the baby with everything I've got in me." Elijah vowed as he held her hand in his. "And, I know you're angry with him but Nick has to know."
"No, Dad. It's not even because I'm angry with him. If he were to find out that…that Mason…if he were to find out about what happened, it would kill him. And the possibility that this baby might not be his would be even worse. He was so happy when he found out I was pregnant Dad, I can't take that away from him." Caroline confessed.
Elijah sighed and nodded slightly, "Okay…Now…I'm going to go see your Uncle Kol, you just stay in the house. Don't let anyone in."
Caroline stared at him in panic, "You're leaving now?"
"I'll be back as soon as I can. Do you want to come with me?"
Caroline contemplated the prospect of reciting everything again to her uncle and made a face, shaking her head, "No…I won't be able to get it out again."
Elijah nodded a little, "Then will you be okay staying here alone?"
She wanted to scream Hell no but she just nodded, "I'll be okay."
"Alright…" He said, secretly thankful that she didn't want to come along with him, he was doing his best to be strong around her but his control was waning. "Let's get you inside and I'll go."
She nodded and stood on slightly shaky legs and followed him into the house. When they stepped inside, they looked around, expecting Nick to be seated there somewhere but a disappointment filled her and she bit her lip to keep herself from crying when she realized he had left.
Elijah went to the back door and locked it, "I'll try to be back in an hour at the most okay?" He asked her and as he turned to stare at her, he sighed when he saw that she was crying again. "If you don't want me to, I won't leave…" He said as he walked to her and put his hands on her shoulders.
"No, go. I'd feel better if Uncle Kol were here to try and make me laugh. I promise that I'll be okay. Just go and get Uncle Kol, tell him what I think happened and I'll sit here and cry. I don't want to cry too much with you here…" She said with a small smile, wiping the tears from her eyes. "You can't fool me, I know this is hurting you too."
Elijah sighed and nodded, reaching forward, he left a kiss on her forehead, "I'll be back soon." He said before walking out of the house, barely keeping the tears spilling from his eyes out of her sight.
Nick's anger snapped out of his control at her words and he reached forward, grabbing her with one hand by the neck, "Don't you dare fault me for killing that son of a bitch. Need I remind you that he was the one that shoved a blade in your stomach?"
Rebecca pulled at his hands, choking at his grip, "Nick!" She gasped, fear filling her eyes.
"Is that why you helped Mason? Huh? You hate me for killing our precious father? You hate Caroline for finally making me realize that that bastard had to die?!" Nick yelled at her, he would've said more but he felt a sharp pain in his head and he was knocked to the ground.
Stefan had hit him over the head, "What the hell is the matter with you?!"
Rebecca lost her balance and landed on the couch, coughing and gasping for air.
Nick groaned and reached up to touch the back of his head, "Ow!"
"Want to explain to me why you were strangling her just then?" Stefan said in anger while checking on Rebecca.
She shook her head, "It's my fault. I said things I shouldn't have."
"I don't care what you said, he shouldn't have hurt you at all. Are you okay?" Stefan asked while Nick stood up.
She nodded and looked at Nick, "I'm sorry. You know I don't hate you for any of that. I was just getting mad because you were angry at me for doing what you did."
Nick frowned slightly and shook his head, "I'm sorry for grabbing you that way. But Rebecca…You didn't do what I did. Michael deserved to die because he was a serial killer, who killed our mother and nearly you and Caroline. Caroline and I don't deserve to die like he did. I honestly cannot believe you just said that."
"Well I can't believe you just strangled the hell out of me." Rebecca retaliated.
Nick shook his head again, disappointed in her, and walked out, "Sorry Stefan." He said before slamming the door shut behind him.
Elijah barely made it to Kol's front door before the sobs began to build in his chest and make a lump form in his throat. He knocked on the door twice and the first of his tears began to fall.
Kol answered the door and his eyes widened when he saw his brother's hunched shoulders and sorrowful eyes, "Elijah?"
Rather than answering, Elijah practically fell forward and wrapped his arms around Kol, letting the sobs take over his body.
Confused as hell, Kol held him and nearly had to support him, "Elijah, what happened? Where's Caroline?" He asked in a slight panic, only ever seeing him cry like this at Katherine's funeral.
Bonnie, overhearing the weeping, walked into the main room and gasped slightly at the sight, "What's going on?"
Elijah, realizing he was still standing outside, pulled himself away from Kol and wiped his tears, "Caroline's at home…I wish I could say she's okay but she's not."
Kol led him into the house while Bonnie closed the front door. "What happened?" Kol asked.
With a deep sigh, Elijah began to explain everything; from last night's events, to what Mason did to Caroline, to Caroline's realization.
At first, it all came out in a rush at first, Kol and Bonnie took turns asking for him to repeat certain parts. By the time Elijah had finished explaining everything, he was in tears once again. "I promised myself that I wouldn't let anything happen to her, I made a vow when Katherine died that I wouldn't let any person or thing ever hurt our daughter and I failed."
Bonnie shook her head, "No, Elijah…Don't blame yourself…I was watching over her that night, if it's anyone's fault, it's mine. I'm so sorry."
"It's no one's fault but Mason's. Neither of you nor Caroline have any control of what happens to us. Nick has to know Elijah." Kol said, his anger evident, "I'm sick of this waiting to find that bastard and have him arrested. He just signed his death certificate."
Elijah shook his head, "Caroline doesn't want him to know. I'd at least like to respect her wishes this time. But I agree. Mason has to die. He was arrested before and he came back full force and did this to her. Jail won't stop him."
Kol nodded while pulling his phone out and texting Nick, "Exactly. If we send him away again, he'll bide his time and come back and God only knows what he'd do then. And Nick has to know eventually, Elijah."
"You aren't telling him are you?" Bonnie asked, looking at his phone.
"No. Just telling him that Caroline is asking for him and she's waiting for him at Elijah's. She shouldn't be alone right now."
"Hence why I came here to get you, Kol; she needs some kind of comfort. All I can do is hold her and cry along with her. She needs someone who can try to cheer her up or make her smile, I'm just her dad, I can't do that." Elijah said in despair.
Kol laughed gravely, "It's because you're her dad that you can't make her smile right now. Your heart and soul is just as broken as hers right now. Hell I can't even make her smile. Nothing can but the man she loves and we both know that; hence why I just lured Nick there for her."
Bonnie smiled a little, "So what do we do about Mason? Tell Stefan?"
Elijah shrugged but before he could answer, Kol stood from his place on the armchair, "Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go find my bat and hunt this sorry son of a bitch down and break every bone in his body. Then I'll go visit my niece." He said before walking upstairs.
They knew he wasn't joking and Elijah stood, "I think I'll help." He said before following his younger brother up the stairs. Both sharing ways they were going to torture Mason.
Bonnie's smile faded as soon as both left the room.
Caroline jumped off the couch when she heard a knock on the door, her heart racing as the thought of Mason coming to get her entered her mind. "Who-Who is it?!" She shouted in fear while reaching aimlessly for a weapon and cursing when her hands wrapped around the remote control.
"Sweetheart, it's me." Nick called out, pocketing his phone after re-reading the text Kol had sent him: Caroline needs you right now. She's asking specifically for you. Go to her now or I'll be forced to cut off your balls (that is if you still have any) – K
Caroline opened the door faster than the speed of light it seemed and he was practically knocked down by the force of her running into his arms, she wrapped her arms around him tight and started to cry.
"I've missed you so much." She cried, feeling a weight lift from her shoulders at the feeling of being in his arms.
"Honey I'm so sorry, I was wrong. I shouldn't have defended Rebecca at all. You were right, she betrayed us. Elijah made me realize that. I even went to talk to her and she said that she did what I did; she chose Stefan over family the way I chose you over Michael. I don't know what is wrong with her, but please, please forgive me. I didn't mean to hurt you and I'm sorry that I did." He said out in one huge rush, holding her face gently in his hands, making her cry even more.
"I forgive you. I'm sorry I ran off." She said while putting her hands on his chest, "And I'm sorry for hitting Rebecca…"
Nick laughed slightly, "Don't apologize for that, she deserved it for putting you and the baby in danger."
Caroline looked down at the mention of the baby, "Nick…you need to know something…"
"What?" Nick asked curiously.
Before she could answer, her jaw dropped in fear as she saw someone standing on the sidewalk. It wasn't until now that she realized they were still standing in the front door's threshold; she pulled on Nick's shirt, her hands shaking in terror, "Nick get in the house…" She whispered.
His eyebrows furrowed in confusion until he followed her gaze, his jaw tightened as he saw Mason standing on the sidewalk, a bouquet of flowers in his hands. He stood protectively in front of Caroline and tried to push her in the house. "Get inside and call the police." He told her and she shook her head.
"Not without you."
Mason smiled at her only and began walking on the grass and made his way to the porch. "Hey Baby." He said with a smile while climbing up the porch steps.
Caroline panicked and threw the remote control she was still holding at him. "Nick get inside!" She screeched while pulling on his shirt.
Mason practically roared in anger when he got hit straight in the chest by the remote and his anger doubled when she panicked while making sure Nick was safe. Caroline slammed the door shut just in time.
She pressed herself against the door as Nick locked it, Mason's bangs made Caroline practically bounce against the door. When she was sure the door was locked, she stepped away and felt lightheaded, "Call Stefan. I'll call my Dad." She said while searching her pockets for her phone.
When she finally got it out of her pocket, she dialed Elijah's number and started crying when she heard Mason's screams. "OPEN THE DAMN DOOR, CAROLINE! I KNOW YOU REMEMBER THAT NIGHT NOW! DON'T PUSH ME AWAY NOW! THAT BABY NEEDS HIS FATHER AND WE BOTH KNOW THAT'S ME!"
Nick didn't understand a word any of that meant but he knew it took a toll on Caroline, he quickly dialed Stefan's number while running to the kitchen to get a knife.
"Caroline, what's wrong?" Elijah asked after what seemed like the hundredth ring.
Caroline let out a sob, "Dad he's here! He's outside and trying to get in!"
"We're on our way! Barricade the door! Is Nick with you?" Elijah said, it sounded as if he was running.
"He's here but-" Caroline was cut off and all Elijah heard were her screams, the sound of glass shattering and Nick shouting NO!
Playlist
Mad World – Alex Parks
Hey Brother – Avicii (I know I used this last chapter but it is seriously an amazing song)