Chapter 2: Take a Chance Caroline
Caroline woke with a start. She was in her own bedroom. The familiar walls washed with bright yellow paint, while the wooden shelves were filled with an assortment of stuffed animals and picture books. Although the blinds were closed shut, Caroline could tell it was night-time. Shadows hid in the corners as the slits of moonlight illuminated through the folds of the window.
Something wasn't right. There was no way she could be in Mystic Falls, she had just been in Elena's dorm room.
What's going on?
Rubbing her eyes, she tried to wipe away her drowsiness, but pulling her hands away, she grimaced. Her hands were small.
What the–
Frantically pulling her covers off, she observed the rest of her body. She was in plaid baby blue pajama pants and a pink shirt with a sparkly unicorn on it.
What.
The last time she had worn these she was a kid. She pulled at the end of the shirt, checking her side for any sign of the bite, but all that was there was her pale white skin.
"Bill! BILL!"
Caroline jumped at the sound of her mother's voice. Scrambling out of her covers, she set her tiny feet on the ground and climbed out of bed, letting her toes dig into the wool carpet. It was cold outside of the comforts of her bed. She shivered and grabbed her, hello kitty robe hanging on her chair. Instinctively, she took one of the stuffed animals from her shelf and held it close as she slowly walked towards the door. Light seeped from underneath. She could see the shadows on the other side.
"BILL!" Liz screamed again.
"What, Liz!" Caroline immediately recognized her father's voice.
Placing her ear against the door, she silently listened.
"You can't leave me!" her mom begged.
Caroline grasped the cold doorknob and turned it slowly. Slightly opening the door, she peeked through the crack. Liz was dressed in denim jeans with a white blouse and a cardigan. Caroline couldn't remember the last time she had seen her mom in such a normal attire, she was so accustomed to her police uniform.
"I'm sorry, but I can't do this anymore, Liz!" Turning away, Bill hurriedly went down the stairs.
Liz followed after him, "What about the Council, Bill? They need you!"
Caroline opened the door more and squeezed her way through so she could see what was happening. She hid behind the staircase and watched what was conspiring through the indents of the stair well. Her dad was dressed in a maroon button-up with a black coat, and khaki pants.
Facing his wife again, there was a look of hurt on Bill's face. "You of all people know I never wanted to be a part of all this."
"I know, Bill, I know," she whispered. "But it's your duty."
It pained him to hear her say that.
"I'm sorry, but I want nothing to do with them."
"So what." Tears started to roll from Liz's eyes. "You're just going to leave me here to take up your responsibilities so you can run off and start a new life?"
"I never wanted this to happen, Liz! You know that! But after the things I've learned and the things I've seen, I…" he closed his eyes and shuddered. "I-I don't want any part in the Council any longer."
He turned to leave.
"Well, what about your family, huh? What about us," she wailed. "What about Caroline…"
Bill sighed, guilt overwhelming him.
What of his blonde angel? What would become of her?
"I can't protect her anymore."
He began to walk out the door.
"BILL! Please! Please don't leave us! We need you, SHE needs you!" Liz wailed.
Turning, he placed both hands on either side of his wife's face and looked straight into her eyes.
"You listen to me, Liz. The Council will come looking for her one day, asking her to join them. But you, you keep her from all this as long as possible."
Liz stared back at him, the reality slowing starting to sink in.
"You will take my place as the Keeper and you will never tell her of what the Council has in their possession," he said shakily. "You understand me?"
Liz looked at him for a moment longer, before nodding trying to hold back further tears.
Taking one hand away from her face, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a necklace with an intricate key at the end. He took Liz's hands and placed the key in it, wrapping her fingers around it.
"The Council will want me dead when I leave, they will come looking for this. So when I'm gone, go back to the Council and show them this key, and they'll know."
His eyes lingered on her before he let go of her trembling hands and headed to the door. Picking up his boxed belongings, he disappeared from her sight. The sound of an engine running reverberated through the empty hall as the car pulled away from the driveway.
Liz crumbled to her knees holding the key in her hands, sobbing at the open door.
Caroline dashed down the stairs, nearly tripping over her feet. She looked down at her mother who continued to cry. She had never seen her mother cry before.
She could fix this. She just had to.
Leaving her mother's side, she ran out the door and into the street chasing after her father's car. Her feet pounded against the slippery cement, bits of rubble scraping her bare feet. The faster she ran, the further the car went until it finally disappeared into oblivion.
She stopped running, her feet bleeding. She stood there in silence.
The cool night air whisked through her shivering body, but Caroline swore she couldn't feel anything. Not the scratches that covered her heels, nor the damp ends of her favorite pajama pants. She couldn't feel anything. She was numb.
She barely whispered, "Please, don't leave me."
Why couldn't she fix this? Why couldn't she stop this? Why couldn't she control this?
But she knew the answer, she had known it all along. It had always sat in the back of her mind, gnawing away at what little happiness she had left.
The fact of the matter was: she wasn't strong enough.
She was just a girl whose perfect little picture of a family was falling apart, and no amount of wishing would bring it back together. That family portrait was shattered the moment her father walked out that door and left.
She felt alone.
Suddenly all her hopes and dreams of growing up with both her parents were bashed. No longer could she picture herself introducing her first boyfriend to her dad anymore because he wouldn't be there to give her "the talk". No longer could she dream of going to any father-daughter dances with him because he wouldn't be there to sweep her off her feet. No longer could she imagine crying into her father's shoulder when a boy broke her heart because he wouldn't be there to hold her.
He wouldn't be there when she was crowned Miss Mystic Falls. He wouldn't be there to take her prom pictures and tell her how beautiful she was. He wouldn't be there to congratulate her on her high school graduation. He wouldn't be there to walk her down the aisle on her wedding day. He wouldn't be there. He wouldn't be there at all.
A sense of uselessness and abandonment overwhelmed her. Somehow her presence wasn't enough to make her father stay, wasn't enough for him to keep loving her mom. She just wasn't enough.
Her mouth quivered and her vision blurred. She tried so hard to keep herself from crying, she tried so hard.
Suddenly, she was reminded of all those times she was stuck home alone. Coming back home from school with no one to greet her because her mom was working a double-shift, eating breakfast and dinner at an empty dinner table, and tucking herself to sleep.
Damn these human feelings.
Caroline slumped onto the pavement and cried. She hated herself for crying. Crying made her feel weak, made her feel worthless. No matter how hard she tried to stop the tears, they just kept flowing.
Why. Why. Why. Why.
She covered her face with shaking hands, willing her tears to cease.
"Stop crying," she whispered in a shaky voice.
"Stop crying," she repeated louder.
Her anger grew, rage consuming her until she finally screamed, "STOP CRYING!"
The scream of a car horn rung as it rushed by.
"Caroline!" the familiar sound of his voice echoed in her ears.
Taking her hands off her face she looked around at her surroundings. She was just outside the Mystic Grill. The air was cold, and she was dressed in a black pea coat, warm stockings, and a pair of boots.
What.
Irritated and confused, she turned to face him, "Are you serious? Take a hint."
She turned her heel and continued strutting away.
How could he be so persistent?
He followed close behind, "Don't be mad love, we had a little spat."
Wait. Didn't they have this conversation alrea-
"I'm over it already," he continued.
She paused confused by the situation. She squinted her eyes suspiciously to her surroundings, but everything seemed the same just the way she had remembered it.
What is going on?
She reluctantly decided to play along with this bizarre rerun of the past, and in the sassiest tone she could muster, she said, "Aww, well I'm not."
"Well, how can I acquit myself?" Klaus said finally coming to a stop.
She turned to face him and questioned whether or not she remembered her lines. She took two small steps before facing him again.
"You, and your expensive jewelry, and romantic drawings, can leave me alone."
She turned to walk away but stopped when he spoke again.
"Oh, come one. Take a chance, Caroline."
She looked at him incredulously.
"Talk to me."
He jumped to take a seat on a nearby bench and motioned her to join him.
"Come on, get to know me."
She continued to look at him disapprovingly, he grinned.
"I dare you."
Caroline raised her eyebrows and scoffed at him.
Just like before, she chuckled to herself.
He squinted his eyes and his grin grew wider as they exchanged looks before she gave in.
"Fine."
Taking a seat, she glanced at him. He looked at her intensely. She felt awkward and uncomfortable, unsure of what to do next. She had only agreed to play the "little blonde distraction" to help her friends. Unfortunately, she didn't think this far ahead.
What should she even say? What the hell do you talk about with a thousand-year old vampire? And why was he looking at her like that?
She tried to avoid his gaze, "So, what do you want to talk about?"
"I want to talk about you."
She laughed.
"Your hopes, your dreams. Everything you want in life."
She looked at him again, Klaus still stared at her intently and she replied, "Just to be clear, I'm too smart to be seduced by you."
"Well," he smiled, "that's why I like you."
This time Caroline couldn't stop herself from smiling, she looked down then back at his piercing blue eyes.
"You first then," she declared.
He laughed to himself at how she had avoided commenting on his remark, then responded, "Well, besides an army of hybrids, at the root of it, I desire loyalty above all."
"Why am I not surprised?" she muttered.
He shrugged, "You asked."
"No, technically, you asked actually," she retorted.
He smiled. "I know."
Something about the way he'd say "I know" made her smile inside. She turned away from his gaze embarrassed, she was strangely too comfortable having this conversation with him. She definitely did not expect that.
Turning back to him she then asked, "So, there's really nothing more in life that you want?"
He was intrigued by her curiosity.
"I'm a thousand years old, love. I've traveled the world a hundred times over and I've seen all there is to see. The only things I've ever wanted, I have now: my hybrid curse broken, the end of my father's quest to kill me, and my family reunited."
A pang of guilt ran through her as she was reminded that her friends were conspiring to kill his brother.
She smiled weakly, "So... that's it?"
"Well," he looked away from her for a moment before turning back with a smirk on his face. "All I need left is a queen."
She rolled her eyes.
Oh God. Cheesy, much?
That remark was almost as bad as his princess line at the ball. But he seemed amused by her reaction, not hurt like the night before.
"I believe it's your turn to answer, love."
She pondered for a moment on her response.
"Well, I already won Miss Mystic Falls and I'm already captain of the cheer leading squad. So, I guess now, I just want to go to prom and graduate high school."
Klaus laughed, "And what do you plan to do after that?"
She frowned, he was obviously mocking her.
"Go to college, of course."
"And after that?"
"Get a job."
"And then?"
"I don't know! I haven't planned that far ahead yet," she huffed, irritated by his prying. It didn't help that his grin only grew bigger.
"Well, I guess it's a good thing you have an eternity to figure that all out then," he teased.
"I guess," she sighed.
They sat there in silence for a moment, allowing them to think to themselves. As weird as it was, she didn't mind sitting alone with the hybrid. Although she still didn't understand why he had an interest in her, though she was flattered by the degree of attention he showered her with.
She finally spoke again, "What's it like?"
He gazed back at her, she was staring up at the stars.
"What's what like, love?"
She turned her attention back to him.
"I mean, what's it like outside of here?"
He saw the genuine interest in her eyes and smiled.
"Well, it depends where you're referring to."
She looked at him hesitantly before slightly positioning her body so it was facing him. He noticed the slight change in her position and did the same, resting his arm on the back of the bench.
"New York," she said.
He smiled.
"Mm, trying to live your city girl fantasies?" he teased.
"Shut up, I'm just curious."
"Well, where to begin?" He laughed. "Nowadays people will call it 'the city that never sleeps' or the 'big apple,' but in all the years I've watched it grow and change, I never felt those names were suitable. But George Washington was right in calling it 'the Seat of the Empire.'"
"Is that so?"
"Indeed," he insisted. "Architecturally the buildings there tower over you, quite literally they are skyscrapers. But I've seen bigger without the stench too. There's the Burj Khalifa in Dubai or the twin towers in Malaysia. I mean, mankind really outdid themselves when they designed these buildings, the art, and the skill-"
"Right." she shrank upon realizing her lack of travel.
He paused and looked at her.
"I guess you can add all those places to your 'Vampire To Do List'," he smiled.
Caroline half-heartedly chuckled. "I guess I should."
"Then it's settled."
She looked at him questionably.
"I'll show you the world."
"Whoa there, mister, I still have prom and graduation, remember?"
"And college and a job that you're not completely sure of yet."
"Exactly," she said matter-of-factly. "So until then, I am not going anywhere with you."
A grin grew on his face.
She blushed when she realized she had just promised to let him show her the world one day.
"Well, I look forward to it," he smiled.
She wanted to wipe that silly grin off his face before she realized she too was smiling. She quickly turned away from him and thought: Hmm, me too.
And there you have it, the end of chapter two! I realize these chapters are kind of short... I'm not too fantastic at super fluffy and descriptive writing, but I'll work on it.
Personally, I don't know what it's like to have your parents divorced, but I tried to write it from one of my friend's perspective when it happened to them. That is to say, I do not think it's ever the child's fault when their parents' divorce.
I hope you guys enjoyed a little reminiscing of the Klaroline Moment on the bend. I always wondered what they talked about before Klaus freaked out when his brother got stabbed. Such a perfect moment ruined...
Anyways, here's a question to ponder on about before the next chapter: What do you think the Council has in their possession that's so important that it has to be locked up?
Dun. DUN. DUNNN.
*Feel free to review and share, I love receiving feedback!**