WOW! Over 200 reviews! I'm touched! Really I am! A special thanks to Cevangelyn for being the 200th reviewer!
Thank you all!
Remember to review at the end! :)
The sound of a gun being loaded caused Joey to still in the hallway of the house, and lift his eyes up the stairs towards his parents' bedroom. He bowed his head, and started up the stairs, hoping he had misheard the sound.
He had regretted telling his dad off this afternoon, but what he had said was the truth. His dad did destroy their happiness, and hurt them.
He made it to the landing, and noticed the door was open. He stepped closer, and noticed his dad was dressed in black pants, black Henley, and had a black bag in front of him.
"Dad?" He asked, stepping into the room.
Klaus stilled his movements, and placed the 9mm into the back of his pants before placing something into the bag. "You should be in bed, Joey." Klaus remarked, looking at him before looking back at the bag in front of him.
Joey swallowed hard, and entered the room. "Where are you going?" He asked, glancing at the bag.
Klaus moved his right hand to the zipper, and began to pull it across the top. "Go to bed, Joey." He answered, lifting the bag from the bed, and slung it over his shoulder.
Joey lowered his eyes, and stepped closer. "Are you going after the man who took mom?" He asked, innocently.
Klaus swallowed, and averted his eyes. "I'm going to try." He answered, moving around his son towards the door.
Joey turned around, and sniffed as tears filled his eyes. "Be careful, dad." He called, causing Klaus to stop in the doorway, and bow his head. "I love you." He added, breaking into a sob.
Klaus turned, and dropped the bag from his shoulder, and knelt down. He opened his arms, and Joey ran into them with tears falling down his face. As Joey settled into Klaus' arms, Klaus closed his eyes as tears fell down his face. "I love you too, son." He whispered, holding him tighter for a brief moment.
Joey sniffed, and nodded his head. "I'm sorry I snapped at you earlier." He replied through his tears. "I just miss mom."
Klaus clenched his jaw, and nodded, before clearing his throat of any emotion. "It's okay, Joey. I miss her too." He returned, not hiding all of the emotion.
After putting Joey to bed, and watched him fall asleep, Klaus grabbed his bag, and headed to the door.
"You can't do this alone, Nik."
He paused, with his hand on the doorknob. "I have to, Rebekah." He replied, turning to look over his shoulder.
Rebekah, dressed in jeans and a long oversized t-shirt, walked down the steps. "What if you fail?" She asked, crossing her arms as she reached the bottom. "What will Joey say if you don't come back?" She continued, watching Klaus' back stiffen.
"It'll be better…" He began, but Rebekah beat him to it.
"Without you!" She shouted, scoffing afterwards. "You idiot! That little boy loves you, and he just lost his mom, he can't lose you too!" She nearly screamed.
Klaus turned to look at her. "I know that, Rebekah." He stated, through clenched teeth. "I need to do this." He stated, moving the bag on his shoulder, securely.
Rebekah nodded, and dropped her arms. "Then wait for us to go with you." She replied with a small plea hidden inside.
Klaus shook his head. "I can't risk William moving her. Katherine said that he had moved her once before, and I can't lose her again." He stated, turning back to the door.
"Nik…" She began, but he had opened the door, and left before she could stop him. "Damn it." She cursed under her breathe, and turned up the stairs.
She needed help, and so did Klaus.
~XXX~
A smack sounded in the room, and Caroline's head whirled around. She tasted blood from her busted lip, and slowly she licked the wound.
"I should give you credit, Caroline. You look just like your mother. Pity she didn't get to see you grow up." William sneered, shrugging his shoulders, as he fisted his hand, and slammed it into Caroline's stomach.
"That's because you killed her, you son of a bitch." Caroline grunted out, finding it hard to breathe after the punch.
William, otherwise called Bill, scoffed. "Which led to you nearly killing me, which I should thank you, my dear, because of you, I could disappear, and start over." He replied, stepping closer to her.
"I should have shot you in the heart." She replied, causing him to chuckle, and then smacked her face once more.
"Now, why did you say a thing like that, sweetheart?" He replied with fake sympathy. "You know how daddy is when you say things like that." He added, with a smile.
She scowled, and spit some of the blood from her mouth on his face.
Bill frowned, and anger flashed in his eyes. "Bitch…" He stated, holding out his hand, and smiled when an object was placed into it. "You remember this, don't you, Care?" He asked, casually, holding it out.
Caroline's eyes widened, but she didn't answer.
He smiled, darkly, and nodded to his henchman. "Rip her shirt in the back."
Caroline clamped her eyes shut as the sound of fabric filled her ears, and her bra was unclasped. She clenched her teeth together, as the sound of a whip was the next sound she heard.
She tried to think of something pleasant as the feel of the whip hit her skin, ripping a small portion open. She bowed her head, and tried to hold her breathe as another strike hit her back. Caroline felt tears fill her eyes, and she quickly closed them as another strike hit her body, with a stinging sensation.
Suddenly the whipping stopped, and she feared the worst.
"I'll return later, Caroline, to catch up." He whispered in her ear. "Take care of this, Mason." He replied, walking out of the room, leaving Caroline alone, blood dripping on the floor.
~XXX~
Klaus made his way to the warehouse, where his intelligence told him Forbes had been hiding since he returned to New Orleans.
He shook his head to focus on the object. He had to get Caroline away from her father, and home, safe.
He bent his body forward, and hid the bag in a small section, underneath a few boards, and made his way down the side of the warehouse, looking for anyway he could get in.
Pulling the 9mm from behind his back, he held it in his hands, and continued on. He pressed his back against the wall, and held his breathe as the door opened, and two men exited the building. He gulped silently as he caught sight of the man who haunted his dreams, worse than Mikael.
He sighed as Forbes climbed into a car, and the other man sat in the driver's seat, and drove from the warehouse.
Shaking his head, he glanced around him, and headed for the door, and quickly opened it. Entering the dark building, he held the gun firmly in his hands, and tried to adjust eyes to the darkness by blinking them a few times.
He saw a light from an opened door, and pressed further into the darkness as he heard a man chuckle as he left the room, and heard chains rattle inside the room.
Klaus inhaled deeply, and turned the gun in his hands, and approached the man as he was about to enter the room once more. Raising his arm, he brought the butt of the gun down on the man's head, causing the man to fall to the floor.
He looked around him, and found the coast was clear before he stepped over the man's body, and entered the room, and the sight before him caused his heart to stop.
"Caroline…"
~XXX~
Stefan shook his head, and rushed to grab the guns from the dresser, and quickly checked to make sure they were loaded before placing one in the holder on his shoulders, and the other behind his back in his pants.
"Stefan, where are you going?" Rebekah asked from the doorway.
"I have to go help your brother before he gets himself killed." He stated, turning to grab his leather jacket from the holder on the door of the closet, and headed towards the door.
Rebekah shook her head, and placed her hands on his chest. "Why don't you wait for my brothers?" She asked, searching his eyes.
Stefan sighed, and slipped on his jacket quickly. "Before Kol arrives, it'll be too late." He replied, remembering Kol took Bonnie back to the restaurant to get a few things before moving to the house, for safety as he put it.
Rebekah sighed, and bowed her head. "You can't do this alone." She replied, weakly. "I'll go with you." She replied, stepping away from him, and stepped out of the door.
Stefan shook his head, and grasped her arm, and pulled her towards him. "No, you can't, Rebekah." He stated, closing the door behind her. "You need to stay here, and look after Joey in case he wakes up and finds out." He replied, holding Rebekah's arms lightly, but firmly.
Rebekah sighed, and reached up to touch his face with her right hand. "Fine, just promise me that you'll be careful." She replied, searching his eyes.
Stefan inhaled deeply, and let a nod fall from his head. "I promise." He whispered, holding her eyes gently.
She nodded, and bowed her head for a moment before lifting her head, and kissed his lips quickly. "Bring them home, Stefan." She whispered, backing up and opened the door to leave a stunned Stefan in the room.
Stefan smiled briefly at the reaction, but shook it off and headed out the door, and towards the front door. Turning to look back up the stairs, he found Rebekah standing at the top with a faint smile on her lips. Sending her a reassuring smile in return, he opened the front door, and left the house.
~XXX~
Klaus checked around the room, and quickly approached Caroline, who had chains around her wrists, and was swinging lightly over a small pool of blood. Her shirt was ripped completely off, but her bra remained intact, and so were her jeans. Her shoes had been removed, and he could see the blood on them meant that her wounds had come from her top.
"Caroline…" He whispered, reaching her, and held down his anger as he saw her face bruised, and her lips bleeding.
Caroline slowly opened her eyes, and lifted her head at the sound of his voice, and swallowed to quench her parched throat. "Klaus…" She croaked out, helplessly.
He nodded, and reached forward to touch her face with his right hand. "It's me, love." He whispered, smiling brokenly.
She slowly shook her head, and frowned. "You hate me." She whispered, wincing as the shake caused her head to whirl slightly.
Klaus shook his head. "I was angry, Caroline, but I don't hate you." He replied, glancing at the door before moving his eyes to her. "Quite the opposite, actually." He added under his breathe, making Caroline wonder if he had said it.
"You need to get out of here, Klaus. He'll come back, and God knows what he'll do to you." She stated, pleadingly.
He shook his head once more, and put his gun down the front of his pants as he reached up, and tried to free her hands. "I'm not leaving without you, Caroline." He replied, jiggling the chains.
Caroline groaned as the movement shook her, and pulled her head up to look at his actions. "It's too secure and tight." She said, trying to move her hands.
Klaus groaned, and looked around for something to bring her down some. Nodding, he moved over to a small lever against the wall, and brought it down. He frowned as Caroline was brought to the ground and fell to her side, as the chains fell around her.
He frowned, and raced to her, quickly. "Love, open your eyes, come on, Caroline." He replied, frantically, and looked at the door. He sighed, and picked her up in his arms, after removing the chains around her wrists, and carried her out of the room, towards the door to the warehouse.
He paused when he heard the door open, and dived into the darkness. He sighed as he saw a familiar figure enter the light.
"Stefan"
Stefan turned, and sighed as he saw Klaus, and frowned as he saw an unconscious Caroline in his arms. "I have the car around the corner." He replied, reaching for Caroline, but Klaus moved back out of his reach.
"There something that needs to be done first." He replied, coldly.
Stefan nodded, and escorted them out, and walked to the location Klaus had told him, and opened the bag. He frowned as he saw a collection of military grade c-4 in the bag, and slowly brought them out, and began to place a few near a small gas main next to the warehouse.
Setting the detonator, Stefan grabbed the bag with the rest, and raced to the car, where Klaus and Caroline were waiting.
"You are a fucking idiot, you know." Stefan remarked as he climbed into the driver's side.
Klaus didn't comment, only held Caroline carefully in his arms, and examined the marks on her skin.
Stefan nodded, and quickly drove away, ignoring the sound of a loud explosion behind them.
~XXX~
Bill pulled out his gun, and shot the man who had loyally served him for five years, and growled as he turned to the other man standing beside him.
"Douse him in Kerosene and place him in the fire." He demanded, coldly.
The man nodded, and did as Bill instructed, while Bill watched.
"Klaus Mikaelson, you are going to pay for this." Bill replied, as he looked at the burning warehouse, he knew could be the result of one man.
"Oh, you are going to pay. First, stealing my daughter, and second, destroying me."
~XXX~
Caroline moaned, and slowly opened her eyes. She gasped and then moaned as she sat up, and quickly lay back down.
"You need to rest, Caroline."
Caroline turned her head, and smiled faintly as a familiar face sat next to her, wiping her face. "So, Klaus…" She began, as Bonnie smiled.
Bonnie nodded. "He saved you, and not a moment too soon, I'll say." She replied, standing up. "He hasn't moved from your side since he brought you back, until now." She paused, motioning to the door. "He had to inform Joey that he couldn't see you, yet. Joey wouldn't listen to any of us, only Klaus." She finished, smiling.
"Can you send him in?" Caroline asked, knowing Bonnie knew who she meant.
Bonnie nodded, and left the room.
Caroline turned her head, and tears fell down her face as she looked at the window she remembered so well.
She heard the door open, and heard heavy footsteps approach the bed. She turned her head, and smiled faintly. The smile faded when she saw his solemn expression. "What is it?" She asked, as he sat down softly on the bed.
"I'm sorry." He replied, afraid to touch her.
Caroline lowered her eyes. "I'm the one who should apologize. I should have left before we got too far." She replied, tears filling her eyes.
Klaus shook his head, and risked brushing his fingers over hers. "No, Caroline, I…" He trailed off, not sure of what to say.
She sniffed, and moved to try to sit up, and groaned when it pulled her side, and back where the bandages held the antiseptic around her wounds. "I'll leave as soon as I can, Klaus. You don't have to worry about me." She replied, averting her eyes.
Klaus closed his eyes, and turned his head. "If that's what you want." He replied, lowly.
She jerked her vision back to him, and glared at him. "That's what you want, Klaus. You told me to get out of your house! No, you ordered me to." She practically yelled.
He glared back at her, and she saw his pain. "You lied to me, Caroline. What was I going to say?! It's okay; I understand that you're a Marshal sent to arrest me." He stated, anger flaring in his words.
Caroline bit back the tears, and let her anger seep through. "You could've let me explain my position." She stated, not caring her movements were pulling her slashes in her back.
"Your position?!" Klaus shouted, with a scoff. "You explained it enough when you told me who you were."
"I didn't tell you my name, Klaus. You wouldn't let me." She ranted, pointing her finger at him. "You shut me out after I told you that I was a Marshal."
He shook his head, and turned his head. Trying to remember what it felt like when they did this before.
"Besides, you weren't exactly truthful either." She remarked, shrugging her shoulders.
Klaus jerked his head back to her, and narrowed his eyes. "That was different, Caroline."
She glared at him. "How is that different, Klaus?" She asked, moving her head up and down. "You were the Hybrid, and you never told me."
"You're a damn United States Marshal, Caroline. You lied about everything!" He shouted in her face.
Caroline swallowed, and her gaze softened. "Not everything." She whispered, watching his face soften as he caught her meaning. "I told you the truth about my past; I just left my name out of it." She replied, lowering her head. "I'm sorry, Klaus, and I know that you will never forgive me for lying to you, and you have every right to." She paused, lifting her head, but averted her eyes. "I know that your lie was not as bad as mine, and I shouldn't be angry, but I guess my anger is more to myself." She added, bowing her head once more.
Klaus listened intently, but didn't want to interrupt her.
"I was angry because I hated lying to a man I had grown to care for, and I was angry because I cared." She replied, in a low tone. "When I was taken, I kept thinking that you would come after me, even though you hated me." She added, lifting her head to look at him. "While my father whipped me, I kept seeing your face, and that gave me the strength to hold on, even though I lied to you and hurt you." She confessed, tears falling from her eyes.
Klaus blinked, and turned his head. "I told you I don't hate you, Caroline." He replied, softly.
She scoffed. "I thought I dreamed it." She replied, fiddling with her hands in her lap.
Klaus shook his head. "You didn't." He replied, causing her to look at him.
"How can you still care after everything I've done?" She asked, as Klaus stood up and walked towards the door.
He paused with his hand on the handle, and turned back with a soft smile on his face. "How can you stop loving someone who owns your heart?" He asked, opening the door and left her in the room, speechless.
Klaus opened the door to the study, and frowned as he approached the book shelf. Reaching forward, he pulled down a book, and opened it, and sighed as he pulled out the computer key from the cut out portion of the book.
He lifted his eyes, and lifted the USB eye level, and shut the book. It was time to get to know William Forbes again, and this time he had his daughter upstairs to help him.
Forbes was not going to win this round, and he definitely wasn't going to get his hands on Caroline again.
Klaus would make sure of that. He still had leverage against Forbes, and if he had to, he would use it, and bring him down.
He lifted his eyes to the ceiling, and wondered if he should tell Caroline. He all but professed his love for her just now, but he needed to know what her intentions were.
Everything hinged on her.
Everything.
~F~
Caroline opened the door, and gasped as she saw her mother lying on the floor with her blonde hair caked in blood and her shirt torn with stab marks covering her torso.
"Mommy!" She shouted, rushing toward her mother, and began to shake her. "No, no, no, no, no, wake up, mom, please! Don't leave me!" She shouted, tears falling down her face.
She heard footsteps, and lifted her head to see her father coming out of the bathroom with a towel, blood staining the once white cloth. His shirt was unbuttoned, and his hair was ruffled.
"So my bitch daughter has returned." He sneered, glancing coldly at the woman on the ground.
Caroline sobbed, and glared at him. "You killed my mother!" She shouted, watching him laugh, darkly.
His eyes flashed. "She shouldn't have disappointed me." He stated, turning towards the kitchen. "She deserved it." He remarked, lifting a beer bottle to his lips.
Caroline sobbed, and touched her mother's face, gently closing her eyes. She lifted her eyes to her mother's gun lying a few feet away from her mother, and she knew what she had to do.
With cold eyes, she picked up the gun, and pulled back the hammer.
Bill froze, and slowly turned around. He narrowed his eyes, and approached his daughter. "You think you have the guts to kill me, Caroline." He stated, watching her glare at him.
Caroline moved her eyes a fraction to her mother, and squeezed the trigger. "Yeah, I do." She replied, as the gun fired and the bullet went into his left shoulder, causing him to stagger back.
Bill grasped his left shoulder, and lifted his gaze to his daughter. "You…"
She pulled the hammer back again, and fired once more. "That was for mom, and this is for me!" She shouted as the other bullet went into his chest, not too far from his heart.
He fell to his knees, and fell down, unconscious, but not dead.
Caroline dropped the gun, and touched her mom's face. "I'm sorry, mommy. I should have protected you." She replied, kissing her mother's blood smeared face.
Lifting her gaze, she swallowed as she saw Bill move slightly. Shaking her head, she began to drag her mother out of the house, and once she was out, Caroline ran back inside, not noticing that her father's body had moved, and opened up the gas main. With a flick of a lighter, she ran like hell out of the house, and turned her head as she heard the explosion start.
She knelt down beside her mother's body, and bowed her head as new tears formed. "I'm sorry, mommy." She cried as the sirens came from the distance. "I'm so sorry."
From the edge of the woods, Bill looked on, as he touched his left side where the fire had scorched him before the explosion had erupted. He had wanted to kill his daughter too, but watching her suffer was good enough for the moment.
He groaned as he stumbled along, wincing as the blood began to drip from the wounds his daughter gave him.
Oh, he would pay her back for that. One day he would.
I battled with where I wanted to go with this chapter. At first I wanted to have William catch them, but that was too easy, so...
I hope you are pleased with the way it turned out, and the confrontation between Klaus and Caroline, and why he forgave her. I know, it's probably unlike Klaus, but this is Caroline, and after everything that happened I thought it was a good step in their direction.
Next Chapter is a Present Chapter! Looking forward to writing that! For certain reasons...
Until Next Time...