Hey, guys.
So, it's 2:20 AM here and I'm just updating my story now. Sorry I didn't update within a week as I promised before, got a little caught up with the Christmas festivities and I came across a little hiccup in my story. Luckily, I was able to fix that minor problem. And to make things even better, my twin sister got me a "Team Klaus" shirt for Christmas. Best. Gift. Ever. Anyways, I'll save the rest of my ramblings for after the chapter, so stay tuned!
As a reminded from the last chapter: Bold AND italicized indicate Caroline hallucinating.
Alright, have fun reading!
DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of these characters, if I did, Klaus and Caroline would be banging every episode.
Chapter 6: The Promise
Matt sat alone on the velvet couch fiddling with his fingers nervously. He had reluctantly followed the strange man who called himself Steven out of sheer curiosity and the fear of what he might do if hadn't.
Was this really the guy Caroline's dad dated?
The question continued to rack at his mind. Memories swirled of Caroline's father, Bill, and how she mentioned the two of them lived together all the way in Georgia. But if that was so, what the hell was he doing in Mystic Falls? Undoubtedly he probably heard about Bill's untimely death, but that was over two years ago and Steven ended up being a no-show at the funeral service.
Steven walked over to where Matt sat and took a seat on the leather black recliner next to his before setting his drink on the wooden coffee table in front of them.
"I imagine you probably have a lot of questions," the man spoke.
"Yeah," Matt nodded. "A lot actually."
"Alright," Steven leaned back on the sofa. "Go for it."
"Um..."
Matt didn't even know where to begin. There were just so many things he wanted to ask and frankly, he wasn't sure if he was ready to hear all he had to say. He'd have to make a mental note of everything so he could let the rest of his friend's know of his discovery later. He wet his lips and began.
"Well, for starters, how do you know who I am?"
"Well, besides what Bill told me. Tripp talked a lot about you," Matt looked at him surprised as he continued. "He said you trained all summer, and that you were very dedicated. You always put in extra mileage each day, a born leader, and one of the most promising members of the bunch."
Matt guessed that made sense, Tripp did say that the members trusted him, and Tripp had even trusted him enough to reveal his whereabouts with vampires. But that still didn't explain how Steven knew he had known Bill.
"How did you know I knew Bill then? It's not like we've met before," he pushed.
"I saw you at his funeral service."
There was silence.
Matt couldn't recall seeing him at the church, nor at the burial. Everyone was convinced he didn't show up because the sheriff and her daughter were present, but who would've known he did come? It's not like anyone else knew what he looked like. Well, besides Caroline and Liz, of course.
"Believe it or not, I was present," Steven continued. "I came to pay my respects to Bill."
"Oh, I see."
Steven leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees.
"But I also came to check on something."
Matt looked at him questionably.
"Before going to the funeral, I went to the hospital to check Bill's cause of death," he stated. "The documents read that just two days before his death he checked in with suspicious wounds, they were described as 'animal-like', several gashes that cut down his body."
Matt looked at him guiltily remembering the night Tyler called him, saying he almost killed Bill during a transformation. Steven pressed on.
"He was admitted to Doctor Meredith Fell. There were no notes to what procedure she had undergone, just that all his wounds were completely healed the following day."
Looking straight at Matt, he said in a grave tone, "So tell me, how does a man leave the hospital unscathed after a brutal animal attack only to be dead by nightfall?"
Matt gulped.
"Vampires."
He nodded, looking away.
"I figured as much. After all, Bill and I first met at a Council Meeting, so you can trust me when I say I already know the devastation that comes with those foul creatures of the night." Turning his gaze back to Matt, he asked, "I presume you already know about the Council's whereabouts with vampires."
"Yeah," Matt confessed. "You could say that."
"Good."
Steven got up from his seat and started pacing the room with his drink while Matt sat nervously on the couch.
"When my suspicions were confirmed, I asked myself: Who would cover up his death? Who had the authority to do that? And why didn't they investigate further or try to put a stop to it? Then, I came to the conclusion," Steven stopped pacing, looking back at Matt and he said sternly. "You're council has been compromised."
"Wait," Matt held his hands in a halt as he tried to piece together what he was saying. "How can you be a part of the Council if you're not a member of one of the Founding Families?"
"Very smart," Steven grinned, pleased by his knowledge. "You are correct. I am not a member of the Founding Families." He paused as his grin grew, "Well, not in Mystic Falls at least."
He took a sip of his drink.
Wait. There are more councils?
"You can't seriously think that there was just one council left to deal with the vampires, right?" he questioned as if reading Matt's mind.
"Then which council are you from?" Matt asked. "Some city in Georgia?"
"Indeed," he chuckled. "I am a member of one of the Lawrenceville Founding Families."
Kai stared moodily at Bonnie, who tried her best to ignore his glare as she read a book. This had been going on for hours. Ever since she had stored her magic away in Mr. Cuddles and sent him back to Mystic Falls, Kai had resented her for letting go of their last chance of getting out.
"You know glaring at me isn't going to bring you back to the present," she said as she mindlessly turned a page.
Kai gritted through his teeth.
"Well, if you hadn't pulled your little stunt, you'd be with your friends right now and I'd be wreaking havoc on my coven."
"Well, I guess it's a shame my magic's gone," she replied calmly. "Looks like we're stuck here forever."
Kai scowled and got up. He started to pace in front of the fireplace, trying to think of a million ways to kill Bonnie and another way out of this hell hole.
After Bonnie sent her magic away, Kai dragged her all the way back to the Salvatore boarding house where he held her hostage. By morning, Bonnie had woken up and went about her day as if she weren't stuck in some alternate universe with a moody sociopath. She made pancakes, went grocery shopping, and now she was lounging on a couch reading a book.
Kai, on the other hand, was not taking things lightly. Watching his one chance to return home slip right through his fingers after 18 years of waiting only further enraged him. He was so close. He was so. Damn. Close. And now his one key to getting back was not only smugly reading a book and making smiley face pancakes, but was also, very much, magic-less.
There had to be a way. There just had to be another way for them to get out without her magic. They had the Ascendant and her blood, they just needed magic. But where the hell were they going to find that?
Kai stopped pacing and glanced back at the now ex-witch. They were stuck in a never-ending celestial event, maybe she could draw her power from the eclipse?
"No," Bonnie bluntly said.
"What," Kai grimaced. "You didn't even hear me out on my idea!"
"I don't have to, I already know what you're thinking," she rolled her eyes.
"Is that so," he challenged.
"Yes, it is so," she countered. "You think I can channel my magic from the eclipse, but that's not how it works. I need magic to do that. So no."
Kai huffed in frustration and sat back down on the couch across from her, resuming glaring at her as she continued to flip through her book.
"Maybe this is a good thing. For you at least," she continued. "This is your chance to redeem yourself. To become 'brave, loyal, and patient.'"
"Could you drop it already?" he groaned. "I would've said anything to get you to bring us home at that point."
"Well, I'm not as gullible as you thought," she sneered at him. "Did you really think I would take you back just so you could murder your family?"
He laughed to himself.
"That's cute," he said sarcastically.
Bonnie turned away from her book and frowned at him.
"You think you're so self-righteous, don't you?" he chuckled. "Go ahead, and think whatever you want, but you don't even know half the story to why I did what I did."
"Fine," she slammed her book shut and slapped it right next to her as she swung her legs over so her feet were planted on the ground and her elbows rested on her knees. "Enlighten me, then," she challenged.
Kai did the same, excited to socialize.
Leaning forward, he began, "Well, it all started when I was born. I had a twin sister, you know?"
"So creative," she said mockingly. "Let me guess, the Gemini Coven is only twin witches exclusively."
"Very funny," he frowned. "We're called the Gemini Coven because only twins can lead the coven. My dad had a twin, my grandpa had a twin, my great grandpa had a twin. You get the point: a lot of twins."
"And?"
"And when my twin sister and I were born, we were supposed to be next in line to lead the coven. One small problem though," he held out his index finger. "There can only be one leader."
Bonnie looked at him suspiciously.
"As tradition in my Coven, when a pair of twins reaches the age of twenty-two, they must merge as one."
"Wait, what?" Bonnie looked at him confused.
"The twins battle it out and whoever wins, consumes the other's power."
"You mean–"
"Kill the other twin and take their power," he grinned.
Bonnie was shocked, she barely contained her voice when she yelled, "WHAT?"
A member of the Lawrenceville Founding Families.
Matt was still appalled that there were more councils like Mystic Falls who knew about the vampires. It was a game-changer, a revelation, it gave Matt hope that there were people who would help them to put an end to the vampires' reign of terror.
But something seemed off.
"If you're here to save us," Matt asked. "Why haven't you done anything yet?"
Bill had been gone for almost two years now, and if Steven wanted to bring order back to the Council, why hadn't he? Surely the man had a plan to get the Mystic Falls Council back up and running. What was holding him back?
Steven thought for a moment before he answered, "There was a problem…"
Matt looked at him questionably.
"When I met with the head leaders in an All-Council meeting to ask them to investigate further into the whereabouts of Mystic Falls, a priest from New Orleans came barging in requesting our assistance. He informed us that a vampire tyrant was ruling over New Orleans with an army of those blood-sucking demons. He wanted us to aid in exterminating the infestation."
"Well, don't you guys have a council there to keep things in order?"
"Unfortunately, no. New Orleans was one of the few cities we were unable to establish a council in."
"Why not?"
"Needless to say, the fools wanted to live peacefully alongside the demons," Steven scowled. "They wanted to share the land with those–those monsters!"
He spat on the ground repulsed.
"Disgusting," he grit his teeth. "They made a compromise with them that they'd turn their backs on their whereabouts as long as they didn't feed on the locals and didn't hinder the flow of wealth into the city. A compromise they've had with those creatures for over three centuries now."
A city where vampires and humans live peacefully together? It sounded a lot like something one of those Miss Universe contestants would say in a speech. End to world hunger, a stop in animal abuse, and world peace with vampires. It was too good to be true. Matt scoffed. New Orleans was living proof that harmony between humans and vampires was impossible.
"So the Council decided to study the status of the New Orleans' predicament," Steven continued. "I was one of the council members asked to explore further into the matter, in return the council had Pastor Young to take over the Mystic Falls town council after a man confirmed our suspicions that there were, in fact, vampires amongst them."
Matt remembered how Alaric had fessed up to the town council about how Liz and Carol had been protecting Tyler and Caroline, and the rest of their supernatural friends. Pastor Young had suspended their duties on the council and had taken up the leadership role to help eradicate the vampires by capturing Caroline, Stefan, Elena, and Rebekah.
"I spent some time in New Orleans, observing their council function, and after a time it seemed simple enough to rid them of those vampires," he explained. "The leader, Marcel, made all the shots. His pathetic army of misfits answered to him and only him. But without him, they were just that. Nothing. Black sheep in the community didn't know how to get by in life unless someone else was telling them how to live it. It was simple: Kill Marcel."
"But it wasn't that simple, was it?"
Matt knew better. After his experience of all the crazy supernatural events that had happened in the past three years, he knew that things never went as planned, and they never turned out the way they were supposed to. There was nothing predictable when it came to the supernatural, absolutely nothing.
"No, it was not," Steven affirmed, rubbing his knuckles. "A couple months later, before we were going to make the attack, the priest informed us that the Original vampires had arrived."
Klaus, Rebekah, and Elijah.
"We knew that these vampires would be harder to kill. Pastor Young had informed us that the only way to kill an original was with a special weapon," Matt froze as Steven went on. "A weapon that was carved from magic and only they had in their possession."
The white oak stake.
"Pastor Young had failed to retrieve that weapon and bring an end to those demons, so we didn't follow through with the attack."
Steven allowed Matt some time to gather his thoughts as he tried to process all the information he had given him. It was a lot to take in. But Matt was still confused. How did he plan to help them? Surely he knew of the non-magic border that surrounded Mystic Falls so no vampires could step foot inside.
"And that's why I came here," Steven broke Matt out of his thoughts and looked at him intensely. "There's a magical weapon hidden in your town. I tried to research what it might be, but no journal entries revealed what it was. Just that a strange woman came to your town a few years before the first council was established, offering it as a gift. No one knows what it does, but the woman said it would provide protection."
He had never heard of it. Though many of his friends were members of the Founding Families, none of them ever mentioned a secret weapon hidden in Mystic Falls, nor did their parents. If such a weapon existed, why didn't the Council use it against Klaus and his family back then? Why was it kept hidden if it could've saved them? More questions began to bombard his mind. But what puzzled Matt, even more, was what this had to do with him. Why would Steven risk telling him all these things? He wasn't a member of the Founding Families, hell, he wasn't even remotely related to anyone in the Founding Families. He was just an ex-high school quarterback working as a busboy at the local bar. What could he do?
"I need your help," Steven said.
"How?" Matt asked. "I don't even know where this thing is."
"Don't worry about the location, I've got that covered," Steven assured. "All I need you to worry about is the key."
The key?
"How the hell am I supposed to find the key?"
"That's the beauty of it, I already know where it is."
Matt glanced at him confused.
"Then what do you need me for?"
"I need you to retrieve it."
"Ok…" Matt slowly nodded.
It sounded too easy. But why would he send him on a mission that he could easily do himself?
"When the weapon was given to your council they didn't know what to do with it at first," he elaborated. "They didn't trust anyone with it, not even their own people, so they split it up between the four leading families. The key is with the Fo–"
One of the squad members rushed into the room, with a phone in his hand.
"Sir, we have received a call from Robinson that there's a vampire on the loose."
Steven immediately turned away from Matt and got up from his seat.
"How close?"
"About half an hour away from the border," he reported.
"Alright, show time, Matt," Steven said, beckoning him forward. "This is your chance to prove that everything Tripp said was true, you ready kid?"
Matt stood next to him and nodded.
He could do this, he knew he could. This was his first step towards protecting the people he loved and the people of this town. One step closer to becoming stronger and killing Enzo.
"One more thing, sir."
"Yes?"
"Robinson reported that the vampire had peculiar movements, may be deranged or unstable."
"Understood."
Steven nodded and the member left the room.
He placed his heavy hands on Matt's shoulders and looked sternly at him.
"We'll finish this talk later. But right now, I need you to focus on the mission at hand."
Matt nodded.
"I want you to capture this vampire, but don't kill it. I need it alive so we can find out where more of its bloodsucking friends are. You understand me?"
"Yes, sir."
He roughly patted Matt on the back, as they headed out of the room.
"Atta kid, let's go catch ourselves a vampire."
Consume the other's power.
What kind of sick people would allow that to happen?
Bonnie was completely repulsed by the thought.
"Yes, merge," Kai smugly grinned. "Making the winning twin, the strongest witch in the Coven."
"So what happened? Why didn't you do the merge with your sister?"
"When my father realized my ability to absorb other witches' power, he was disgusted. He wouldn't allow me to merge with my sister. He knew I could just suck as much power as I wanted from anyone and easily overwhelm her. Or just take her powers in general. He would never allow such an 'abomination' to lead the coven."
"Oh."
Kai looked down at his feet, digging them into the carpet.
"So, he kept having kids with my mother until he finally had another pair of twins so they could perform the ritual instead," he gritted his teeth. "But the ritual can only be performed with one set of twins alive, so the other pair has to die before they can do the ritual."
Kai's eyes met Bonnie's. She could see the rage burning in them.
"He was going to kill us once those twins turned twenty-two. He was going to kill his own flesh and blood for the coven. Typical dad," he muttered. "Always putting the coven before his own family."
Kai turned his gaze from her and picked up a dagger from his pocket. He fiddled with its point between his fingers. Bonnie nervously watched him twirl it in his hands.
"So I did what any sane person would do in my shoes," he said. "I killed my siblings."
Bonnie's eyes grew wide.
"It's not like my father cared for them, he just wanted the twins. So I slaughtered every last one of them, and I was saving those twins for the grand finale until my stupid twin sister decided to hide them from me."
"You're disgusting. Why would you even do that?" Bonnie blurted. "You're just proving your father's point that you're not fit to lead the coven."
He laughed and stood up, he walked over to Bonnie and loomed over her, daring her to say more.
"I tried to prove myself to my father many times when I was younger. I tried to practice magic like everyone else but was only met with disappointment when he realized I didn't have the same powers. And then disgust when he found out I could take other's magic. I was of no use to him, so he wanted me dead."
"Well, what about your sister?"
"She didn't know of my father's plans," he scoffed. "She was oblivious to it all. All she knew was that I was the psychopath killing her brothers and sisters just so I could be the leader." He chuckled to himself, "Silly, sister."
"And you didn't think to tell her?"
"She never had to face my father's hatred because she was 'normal'. She was self-righteous and selfless, she would do anything for the family, probably even give up her life."
Bonnie looked up at him uneasily, taking in everything he said.
"So that's it: if we get back you're just going to kill the rest of your family, merge with your sister, and lead the coven?"
Kai's malicious smirk grew as he knelt down so he was eye-level with her.
"No," he said barely over a whisper, "I won't just kill my family." He laughed. "I'm going kill my whole coven."
Bonnie's eyes grew wider. This guy was a monster. She was stuck with a psycho maniac willing to murder his whole family. There was no saving him, no redeeming him. When they got back, that is if they did, he would just finish where he left off in his reign of terror. Bonnie couldn't allow that, even if she thought their methods were wrong. She couldn't allow witches to be killed for this guy's morbid amusement.
"That way," he grabbed her book and lounged back on his seat with his feet resting on the cushions. "No witch will ever be as strong as me."
He smugly opened where Bonnie left off in her book and started to read as she stared at him uneasily.
She had to get out of here. She had to get away from him. But how?
Caroline continued to run down the road towards Mystic Falls. No cars rushed by, only the cold wind that ran through her messy locks. She trudged into the forest, the moon's light seeping through the tiny spaces in between the leaves and branches. Her werewolf bite continued to eat at her. Struggling to keep her footing, she tried to trudge through the forest with dragging feet. She clutched every tree she could, trying to find balance with every step. Her bare feet sinking into the damp bark ground.
"What's going on?" Caroline walked up to Elena and Bonnie.
They looked at her, not sure what to say. The two of them exchanged glances at each other before looking back at her.
"Why am I not a part of this conversation?" she frowned. "You guys do this to me all the time."
"That's not true," Elena cut in.
"Yes, it is," Bonnie blurted.
Caroline looked at her hurt.
"I can't talk to you. You don't listen," Bonnie exclaimed.
Caroline was offended, "That's not true."
"I'm a witch."
"Don't we all know that," she sarcastically replied.
"See!" Bonnie exclaimed Caroline looked at her ashamed. "That's what I'm talking about. I'm trying to tell you something. You don't even hear it."
Caroline kept walking until she stopped at the sound of slamming lockers and squeaking sneakers.
"I don't like you," Matt said bluntly.
They were standing in the middle of the school hallway.
"I never have."
Caroline stood there frozen as he walked away leaving her to stand
She stumbled over a protruding root before crashing into a tree. She held onto the scratchy bark, pulling herself up.
"Where is it?" Damon ran up behind her.
Caroline turned to face him, "Bonnie won't give it to me."
"So rip it off her neck," he demanded.
"I tried," she explained. "But it shocked me."
"Damn it," Damon looked away from her, muttering to himself. "Why does it do that?" He glared at her. "I need that crystal."
"Why are you like this?" she whined. She held the edges of his leather jacket before softly replying, "I'm so good to you and I'd do anything. It's just some stupid necklace."
"No," he pulled away from her. "You're the only stupid thing here." He started to walk away but stopped and added, "And shallow. And useless."
A pang of pain surged through her side making Caroline collapse at the foot of a tree, she yelped. Her hands and knees scraping the ground.
Caroline began to walk down to the cellar. The narrow steps, creaking under her feet.
"Can you keep Caroline far away from me please?"
She heard her mother's voice from outside the door.
"I don't want to see her."
Damon glanced at Caroline outside before turning back to Liz.
"She's your daughter, Liz."
"Not anymore," she said, "My daughter's gone."
Caroline lay curled up in a ball, pressing her hands against her wound whimpering.
"I'm still your daughter," she cried, "I'm still Caroline, I swear."
She could feel the venom pulsating through her veins with every pump, poisoning her body with every surge. But then she could hear the rustling of feet in the distance. She could hear them loading their guns, the sound of wooden bullets sliding into a metal shaft. She tried to pull herself up, suddenly alert.
The men came out of the trees, surrounding her in every direction, guns armed and loaded. The venom continued to weaken her as she hauled herself up so she could look at her attackers.
So this was it. This was how she was going to die.
So much for an eternity.
Matt and the troop stalked through the forest. They were informed that the crazed vampire had run into the woods, just a few miles away from the border. Steven commanded that Matt go with fourteen other members into the woods to capture the vampire and reminded him not to kill it.
So as the troop trekked through the forest, they began to hear the wails of a maiden. The dark shadow of the night enveloped the forest, the trees covering the moon's light. They could hardly see the young maiden laying under the tree.
What was she doing?
She seemed to be pressing her hands against a wound.
Had she been attacked?
The front of the squad moved in, pushing past the branches and surrounding the peculiar creature. Matt stayed behind, ready to jump into action to surprise the vampire.
She looked so frail and weak, but Matt knew better than to trust appearances. Looks were deceiving, especially when it came to vampires. He knew what these creatures were capable of. They wouldn't even think twice about tearing into someone's neck.
They aimed their guns, ready to shoot. The woman slowly sat up, facing her attackers. They were unable to see her face, but they could hear a soft snicker as she pulled herself up. She looked at the attacker in front of her, the moon revealing her hungry red eyes. They took a step back.
Matt could see the guy she was looking at shaking as he tried to keep his aim on her.
The vampire lunged at him, ripping at his neck as the man screamed. One member shot at her with their crossbow, but she easily caught the arrow. She let go of her victim, still in shock and hurled the arrow at the leg of the person who had tried to shoot her. The man wailed.
More shots were fired, but the vampire zipped right through them, the bullets never reaching their target. She grabbed one of the shooters arms and twisted it, forcing them to drop their gun. Taking the man's gun, she butted another attacker that came from behind, giving him a bloody nose.
The sound of gunshots filled the air.
The vampire chucked the gun so it knocked another guy out. Taking a branch she brutally batted their legs, many of them to fell to the ground as she smashed their bones. Another member tried to stake her, but she easily kneed him the gut.
Matt watched her astonished as she took out each member one-by-one. Something was strange about this one. Though she had injured many, she didn't once kill any of them.
Matt kept his aim at the vampire, waiting to have his shot. It was hard to shoot her when she kept vamping from one place to another.
But while she was twisting another member's arm, Matt took aim and shot.
BANG!
The bullet plunged into her thigh. The vampire yelped. Matt shot again.
BANG!
He got her in the knee making her stumble forward. The remaining members who were uninjured rushed forward and threw a rope net over her, engulfing her whole body. She hissed and ripped at the net trying to break free, but the net was coated in vervain.
A member pulled out a vervain dart and shot her back twice, silencing her. As they moved forward to tie the net securely around her and drag her back to the vans, another vampire lashed out. Roughly shoving the members away, he knocked them into trees before making his way to the vampire. He tore open the black net, ignoring the sting, and pulled her body out. The small increments of moonlight that seeped through the holes of the forest made it difficult to identify who it was. But Matt swore he saw a flash of dark blonde hair or was it brown? He wasn't sure.
The members tried to shoot at him, but the vampire had already zoomed away.
Matt froze in place when a thought crossed his mind.
Wait. Did I just shoot Caro–
"Come on, Donavan," a member tugged at him. "We have to get that vampire!"
Matt put an arm ahead, halting him.
"No, they could be anywhere by now. We are in no position to take down two vampires."
He looked to the rest of the members and ordered, "It's best we head back. Gather your weaponry and help anyone who's injured, we need to report back to Steven."
The squad began gathering their things and then started heading back. Matt followed.
Of course. Why hadn't he seen it? The darkness of the night had shielded his vision, but he should've known the way the girl pressed her hands at her side.
Maybe deranged or unstable.
She was hallucinating, wasn't she? The werewolf venom was making her hallucinate. Somehow during the time between he left Whitmore to the time he arrived at Mystic Falls, she had woken up and gotten away.
Matt stopped in his tracks, looking back towards the direction the vampires had left. He felt ashamed. To think, he almost handed one his best friends over to be tortured and questioned. He felt an empty pit of guilt well inside him when he realized he shot her.
He turned away and continued walking as he mumbled, "I'm so sorry Care."
BANG!
A wooden bullet punctured into her left thigh and she yelped. She let go of the man who had tried to shoot her when she heard another shot.
BANG!
Another bullet delved into her knee making her fall forward.
Her attackers ran forward and threw a heavy net over her. Caroline pried at it, but soon realized it was doused in vervain, viciously stinging her hands. She hissed. A pair of darts punctured her back.
It was game over. This was it. She was going to die. If her captor's torture didn't kill her, the werewolf venom would. Either way, she was dead meat. Nothing could save her now.
"Ahh!" a few men yelled as they were shoved against a tree. All of a sudden a man rushed to her side tearing the net apart and pulling her free. Wrapping his arms around her protectively, he rushed away just as bullets were being shot.
Caroline ran through the hallway frightened. The uncanny silence only amplified her anxiety as she whipped her head back-and-forth. Alaric could be anywhere right now, he could kill her at any second.
Suddenly she was being yanked away, a hand clasping around her mouth. Caroline wanted to scream as her heart jumped. She breathed heavily.
"Sssh," the man hushed her. "It's okay, it's okay. It's me."
Caroline turned to look at him. It was Klaus. What was he doing here? Alaric could find him and kill him now that he had the white oak stake in his possession.
Klaus removed his hand from her mouth and looked down the hall, before turning back to her.
"It's okay, you're safe."
They stopped in a clearing when they were a good distance away. Caroline's heavy breathes slowed. She immediately fell back, but he caught her, holding her up from behind. Caroline whimpered, inching her fingers towards her wounds. She tried to dig out the bullets, but she was too weak. He reached his hand down and gently plucked them out.
Caroline seethed in pain as the venom surged through her. He set her down, so the back of her head rested on his chest. She looked at him dazed.
"Are you going to kill me?" she said weakly.
"On your birthday?" he looked guiltily. "Do you really think that low of me?"
Caroline thought for a moment before responding.
"Yes."
Klaus didn't reply. Instead, he walked over to her bedside and pulled down her blanket so he could examine her bite. She shivered under his touch.
"That looks bad," he said regrettably. "My apologies, you're what's known as collateral damage. It's nothing personal." His hand moved towards her bracelet, and he lightly tapped a charm and smiled, "I love birthdays."
"Yeah," she scoffed. "Aren't you like, a billion or something?"
He chuckled at her response.
"Well, you have to adjust your perception of time when you become a vampire, Caroline. Celebrate the fact that you're no longer bound by trivial human conventions. You're free."
"No," she choked. "I'm dying."
Klaus sat down on her bed, careful not to hurt her, but his eyes remained solely on her alone.
He said softly, "And I could let you die if that's what you want. If you really think your existence has no meaning."
Caroline stared at him, confused that he was telling her all this. The man held her up, but she couldn't decipher his face.
"I thought about it myself, once or twice through the centuries, truth be told," he leaned in closer. "But I'll let you in on a little secret: There is a whole world out there waiting for you. Great cities, and art, and music."
He fiddled with her bracelet before looking back at her.
"Genuine beauty."
He sat up.
"You can have a thousand more birthdays. All you have to do is ask."
Caroline looked at him in disbelief.
She thought back to the times when she thought if she didn't exist, everyone would be happier. Times when she thought that if she hadn't been born, maybe her mom and dad would still be together. That maybe if she wasn't around, her mom wouldn't have to work double shifts to help pay for two mouths to feed. Because maybe if she wasn't alive, her friends wouldn't always have to worry about her. She couldn't count how many times her friends had to risk their lives to save her just because she was some damsel in distress being held captive and unable to defend herself. She just thought that maybe if she was dead everyone would be better off without her. That maybe she really was stupid. And shallow. And useless.
But she didn't want to die.
That's what was stopping her from ending it all, what was keeping her from walking out into broad daylight without her ring, what was keeping her from stabbing a wooden stake through her heart.
She wanted to see it all. She wanted to experience all the world had to offer and more, but growing up as a small town girl, her goals and dreams were limited to small-town things. But listening to him talk about music, art, and culture thrilled her, the thought of going on adventures to see every inch of the world only added to her wanderlust.
She didn't want to die. Hell no. Not when there was so much she hadn't seen yet, so much she had yet to experience. She hadn't reached her full potential yet and she knew it. She wanted to be everything she wasn't able to be when she was a human: strong and brave.
As tears began to well in her eyes, she stared back at him and said, "I don't want to die."
He seemed relieved by her answer. He rolled up her sleeve before pulling her body closer so he had his arm wrapped around her shoulder. He extended his arm to her mouth so she could feed.
Caroline looked at him uncertainly.
"There you go, sweetheart. Have at it."
Caroline drank the blood, letting it heal her. Suddenly her hazy mind was cleared, her senses sharpened. She could hear the patter of squirrels running up a tree three miles away, she could hear the whisk of the wind winding through the trees, and the slither of snake gliding underneath the fallen leaves.
It was intoxicating the way the blood made her feel alive although her body was long dead. Its magic electrified her nerves and had her heart pumping. Every gulp reviving her.
The ache from the bite ceased and her skin mended itself back together. And just as the last drop of blood rolled down her throat, she put down the glass flask.
She sighed in relief that the nightmare was over.
He saved her... again. Just as he did before.
"Are you okay, Caroline?" Stefan asked.
Caroline stiffened.
Wait. Stefan?
"Uh, yeah," she turned to look at the person she was resting against.
Instead of a blonde blue-eyed hybrid, she was met with a brown-eyed Stefan. He helped her up so they were both standing. Caroline still looked at him shocked and confused.
But didn't Klaus sa–
She looked down at her hand where the glass flask was. It was tinted red and held the sweet aroma of his blood. He must've given Damon and Stefan a flask of his blood to send to her. She continued to stare at the empty flask.
I will walk away and I will never come back.
I promise.
Stefan pulled out his phone and called Damon.
"I found her and gave her the blood. She's fine now."
He nodded as Damon spoke to him through the phone.
"Alright, I'll see you guys back at the car."
Caroline stared dumbfounded at the ground as Stefan walked over to her. He rested a hand on her shoulder observing her mood.
"Hey."
She broke from her daze and looked back at him.
"Hey," she replied.
"Come on, let's go," he moved his arm around her to help her walk. "The others are waiting for us."
Caroline nodded and followed.
She'd be lying if she said that she wasn't disappointed. She was so sure Klaus had saved her, or, more like she hoped Klaus would've been the one to save her. After all those hallucinations and all the pain she just thought maybe, just maybe, he'd be there when she woke up from her nightmare. Because for whatever reason, every time a bad memory came to pass, thoughts of him always seemed to soothe her, calm her. His presence made her feel stronger, like she was capable of so much more, that she could take over the world if she wanted to. The thought that he'd come to save her, and that he'd be there when she woke up gave her strength to endure the werewolf bite.
"Oh my gosh, Care!" Elena ran up to her and hugged her tightly. "Are you okay?"
She nodded and gave a small smile, "Yeah, I'm fine."
"I was so worried about you, and you were so close to the border. You could've died!"
"It's okay, I'm fine," she assured.
"It's good to see you're better," Tyler smiled as she walked to her.
Caroline pulled him into a hug. He winced.
She pulled away and looked at him worried, "Did I do something?"
Tyler patted his chest, "You might've slammed me against a wall while you were hallucinating."
Her eyes went wide, "I am so sorry, Tyler!"
"It's no biggie."
"Alright, can we save the heartfelt reunion for later?" Damon butted in. "There's still a vampire hunting squad on the loose, it'd be best if we got back to Whitmore before they come hunting for us."
They all agreed and reluctantly got into the car and started heading back to Whitmore. Tyler and Elena filled her in on what happened while she was passed out. But their words all seemed to mesh into one as her mind continuously turned back to Klaus. She flipped the empty glass in her hands as her thoughts continued to wander towards the hybrid.
She didn't know whether to be glad he kept his promise or mad that he didn't come to save her. Either way, he was going to receive an earful the next time they saw each other.
Stupid Klaus, you should've been the one to save me.
DON'T HATE ME. I know, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I know I kind of misled you guys to believe that this would be the chapter that Klaus and Caroline would finally be reunited. After all those hallucinations and all that fluff, I crushed dreams in one chapter. I'M SORRY. I figured some of you would catch on from chapter 5 when Elena realized that Klaus wasn't even in the car with them. And if not then, you'd catch on once you realized Caroline was hallucinating him.
I just want to let you guys know, originally that was the plan: For Klaus to save Caroline again. It was going to be all romantic and heartwarming. But then I started thing (God forbid) that that's not how it should happen. Klaus really doesn't seem like the type of guy to come swooping in to save the day and be Caroline's knight in shining armor cause he's not a hero (the graduation episode being an exception).
If you watch The Originals, then you know, right now our beloved Klaus is very OOC at the moment. He cries a lot, sulks over his man pain, and has serious daddy issues. And as much as I hate to write him like that, I can't just make him drop whatever he's doing to save her. When I think of Klaus and Caroline reuniting, I imagine a lot of angst, sexual tension, frustration, and sassiness (mostly on Caroline's part). When they reunite, I want Caroline to be pissed, annoyed, and sassier than ever so she can whoop Klaus' crybaby ass back into his badass self.
So yeah, my story was going to stop right there when he saved her. Just the end.
But I decided that was lame. So, if you guys would please forgive me for my misdeeds, I promise to you, I will make their reunion worthwhile. I swear to you: KLAROLINE WILL BE ENDGAME. But for now, you must wait. All I ask is for your patience. I've always been one for the long haul, though agonizing as it is, it makes the journey of them coming together all the more genuine and exciting. SO PLEASE DON'T GIVE UP ON MY FANFIC.
Anyways, so I added some background info on our little friend, Steven. I thought about the different councils on TVD and TO, and how they differ. So, I thought, wouldn't it make sense if there was a council in each state on the east coast. I chose the east coast because of how rich in history it is, and it fits within the timeline I want to focus on.
I tried to connect the whole Pastor Young thing with Steven, just so his actions mend well with everything.
Yes, I have included Bonnie in this story. What's TVD without our independent black witch? I altered Kai's family history and coven's tradition a little. I just thought it was weird how Kai wanted to kill Liv and Luke when neither of them wanted to do it in the first place and would willingly let him do the ritual instead(ish). So, now I've given Kai a motive to kill them. Hope you guys don't mind.
Lastly, I just wanted to remind you guys these past six chapters are all in the course of one day (a day and a half if you include the first half of chapter 1). I realize they're a lot of things I left out, and I'm here to say, the next chapters will fill in those spaces like: What happened while the Salvatores were in NOLA? What's going on in NOLA? Why didn't Klaus come back to Mystic Falls to save Caroline? and so much more. And that's still all in the course of one day (and a half).
We've seen everything from Caroline's point-of-view, time to see it from Klaus'.
I still need to catch up on The Originals before I write the next chapter though, so I might now update until next week. But as always, thanks for reading!
Here's this chapter's question(s) to ponder over: Why was Kai in Mystic Falls to find Damon and Bonnie, when he's from Oregon? What do you think brought him here?
PLEASE SHARE AND REVIEW! Have a happy new year, guys, and pray for Klaroline for 2015!