A/N: Thanks for reading, reviewing, following, etc. I hope you all enjoy this chapter. And a big thanks to Miranda for betaing this.
"…throw roses into the abyss and say: 'here is my thanks to the monster who didn't succeed in swallowing me alive.'" Friedrich Nietzsche
To say that Caroline's brain was currently working on overdrive was a bit of an understatement. She was still trying to process what had happened in the last few minutes and the current ranting and ravings coming from various sides was not helping to sort out anything. All she knew for certain was that Silas was gone and they were all seriously fucked.
Rebekah was still near the tomb, hugging onto the boy that she'd apparently killed for. The one who spoke some weird language and had Kol and Elijah running to be at his side as well. Klaus wasn't though. He remained on the sidelines, expression unreadable, but she saw the pain in his eyes, the difficulty that he had swallowing as he watched the others reunite. She didn't know who the kid was but it was obvious that he was someone important to the Mikaelson family.
She didn't even know what to make of the fact that apparently Damon had been dead. Not that she would be throwing him any welcome back parties or anything, but Stefan's shock at the realization was enough to have her nearly head that way to offer some support.
Except Bonnie was cradling a dead Lucy and Sheila was still yelling at the lot of them for not following through and Caroline prioritized her friend holding a dead loved one instead of the others with their apparently newly resurrected ones. "Bonnie?" she dropped down beside the girl, enveloping her in a hug as the shock began to wear off, reality seeping in.
Energy slammed into everyone, knocking Caroline away from Bonnie who was rising and looking ready to cause pain. "Stand down, child," Sheila told her, resting a hand on her granddaughter's shoulder. "Much as I'd like to let you punish them for this, we still need them if we have any chance in hell of stopping Silas."
"I believe you said that we were all damned to Hell," Klaus bit out, directing his frustration at the elder witch. "That implies that there's nothing more to do." Caroline frowned, knowing he didn't actually believe that. Klaus Mikaelson had a billion plans for everything.
"Silas wants one thing and will tear this world apart in order to get it," Sheila replied as she continued to try and calm Bonnie down. It took a moment, but Bonnie eventually sat back down beside Lucy, the bones she'd been holding dropping down the ground beside her. "Love, that emotion that should replenish, has been twisted into something dark, disturbing, and all-consuming." Caroline could feel Sheila's gaze on her at that, boring holes into her soul. "Some loves are never meant to be. They destroy instead of create."
"If you're finished doling out your unneeded comments, perhaps you could move onto the vital information that we need," Klaus snapped and Caroline looked over at him, noting the amber of his eyes. He looked ready to pull Sheila's head from her body because of her pointed comments.
"The veil that parts here from the other side is already cracking in places. Soon there will be holes and people will be able to slip through them and enter the realm of the living again. Hence damning us all to hell." Sheila continued, glancing over at the others who were beginning to pay attention. "Death will never be permanent as long as that happens. No one will find peace. Your enemies will be able to step through to torment you and while you'll be able to kill them again, it'll only be a matter of time before they pop up again."
"We're already aware of that, so move along to how knowing that can help us stop Silas," Klaus suggested, the unspoken 'or I'll tear out your vocal chords' hanging between them.
"Who knows the story of Qestiyah and Silas?" Sheila looked around at the lot of them. "Or should I say the one that's been perpetuated for centuries at least."
"Easy. Guy liked girl. Got other girl to make an immortality spell. Girl got jealous, killed other girl and locked guy away to rot for eternity," Damon piped up. Caroline rolled her eyes at his quick description.
"It wasn't just jealousy. Qestiyah thought the immortality spell was for her and Silas. She saw what he did was betrayal," Bonnie butted in and Caroline sat down beside her again, nodding along to what Bonnie said. It sounded entirely more plausible than the whole doing everything out spite retelling.
"Lovely history lesson," Klaus replied, grimacing at them. "But we already know all of that and how he wishes to regain his power, wreak a little havoc, destroy the world."
"Something we'd rather not have happen," Kol pointed out, leaving Rebekah to tend to the boy. "Though one thing all the tales don't tell is that girl had a name. Amara. Had to be in with the right witches to get that tidbit."
Damon shrugged, muttering 'show off' under his breath and getting one of the bones thrown his way in response. "Not in front of Henrik," Rebekah chided before murmuring again in the foreign language to the boy beside her.
Guilt mixed with a tiny bit of remorse seemed to flash over Kol and Caroline pursed her lips, wondering who Henrik was to all of them for that admonishment to cause that reaction in the Original and not another smart comment. "What does he gain by having the veil drop?" Elijah inquired, joining the group after casting a look back at Rebekah and Henrik. "Aside from chaos. There must be a reason he needs it to fall."
"Two," Sheila replied and attention turned to her.
"No need to keep us in suspense," Kol remarked, plopping down beside Bonnie and Caroline. "I always do love a good story."
"Revenge against the creator of the Other Side by destroying her beloved creation. And to find his one true love and create a kingdom for the two of them to live out their lives in," Sheila continued and Kol leaned over, tapping Caroline's shoulder.
"Almost sweet in a twisted way, don't you think?" he asked, receiving a glare from both her and Bonnie.
"Kol was correct in that the girl's name was Amara," Sheila continued, ignoring his comments. "The heavily guarded secret is that she didn't actually die. Qestiyah never killed her, only made it look that way to drive Silas mad in hopes to get him to take the cure and kill himself, forcing him to live out eternity on the Other Side with her instead of Amara."
"He definitely accomplished that much," Damon replied with a snort.
"But then what happened to her? There's been nothing said about her in the years since then," Bonnie commented and Caroline frowned, having a feeling that they wouldn't like the answer.
"Qestiyah forced immortality on Amara and then used her to tie the Other Side to this world. An anchor of sorts," Sheila informed them. "Silas would only ever realize that she wasn't dead once he was on the Other Side and forced to endure eternity without her."
"Okay there's like revenge and then there is taking the whole thing seriously too far," Caroline muttered, especially when it was going to screw with the world because of some stupid love triangle.
"What happens to the Other Side if we are able to kill Amara?" Elijah asked, causing the others to look at him at the suggestion. "Will it no longer be anchored to here and will the people no longer be able to spill over?"
"Precisely," Sheila replied and extended her hand, revealing a small vial. "This is what needs to be looked for in her tomb. It's the cure. We need one for him and we need one for her." Klaus had it out of her hand before she could react. "It's no threat to any of you. It was made to counter their immortality spell. The one on you is countered by the white oak. Stab Silas with it and it'll do nothing but be an annoyance. Drink that and it'll do nothing but make you gag."
"You'll have to forgive me for not quite believing you on that," Klaus tucked it away. "Rather not chance it."
"There was never a cure for us," Rebekah murmured, looking absolutely devastated at that knowledge.
"Only death," Sheila replied, not caring about the glares directed her way. "As I was saying, once its forced down her throat she'll be easily killable. She has no magic to fall back on. Her death cuts off this plane from the one the Other Side is on."
"Seems easy enough," Kol replied with a happy shrug. "So where do we find this Sleeping Beauty?"
"But what happens to the Other Side? To the magic that's tied to it? To the people there?" Bonnie asked, reflecting Caroline's thoughts.
"It ceases to exist," Sheila replied, the mood growing a little more somber at the revelation. Though Caroline couldn't quite make out Damon's expression. "As does anyone in it. Ancestral magic will be no more. No witch will be able to call upon spirits for help."
"And how will Silas be able to bring down the veil between the two worlds? You said it's just cracking right now?" Bonnie continued, still trying to wrap her head around it all.
"Silas was able to do a bit of damage to it but he doesn't have the power now to get it down completely," Sheila replied with a sigh. "Every bit of energy he does manage to get is going to be used to continue to replenish himself. He got a significant boost when he drained Valerie dry but he used most of that to draw us three here, to stay your hands, and start the cracks. He needs a witch to be able to complete it now."
"Unfortunately he has a number of those all too happy to follow him," Kol pointed out, and Caroline remembered how many witches they'd come across in the last few weeks who'd been all too ready to hurt them in Silas' name.
"None of them will work," Sheila told them, her gaze on Bonnie. "It has to be one from Qestiyah's line and he foolishly had most of them slaughtered. Only one fits the bill any longer."
"Alright then. We keep Bonnie from Silas, kill this Amara, and then how exactly do we take Silas down?" Kol asked, winking at Bonnie who glared at him and Caroline rolled her eyes, squeezing her friend's hand for moral support.
"Same as Amara. Cure him and kill him," Sheila replied. "Just remember he was a powerful warlock so it won't be as easy to kill him once he's cured. The longer we wait to kill her though the more people can seep over to this world and cause havoc. With the link to the Other Side gone they'll eventually die but who knows how much damage they'll manage to do to the world before that happens. And if Silas manages to destroy the veil first then everyone who is on the Other Side will be given free reign over here."
Hundreds of thousands of witches, werewolves, and vampires roaming the world who'd been dead for centuries. Some good, some bad, some horrible and no doubt ready to cause pain and suffering. Mikael and Esther could definitely be listed in that bunch. But Caroline had a feeling there would be more than that and it'd become an all-out war. Old grudges would be renewed and chaos really would reign.
"Alright. Protect Bonnie. Find Amara and kill her. Shove a cure down a dangerous immortal's throat that will turn him mortal and allow us to kill him," Kol commented, ticking off each part on his fingers. "Oh, and let's not forget the whole untying you lot from Silas."
"That isn't possible," Sheila started, but was quickly cut off by Klaus' hand wrapping around her neck. Bonnie looked ready to unleash hell on him but Sheila raised her hand to her, beckoning her to stay put.
"Oh I think you'll find that it is or hell is free to reign until you do so," he replied and the boy beside Rebekah let out a sharp gasp. Klaus let Sheila go and stepped back, wiping his hands on his pants.
"Add get Elena back from the Other Side to that list," Damon commented, his words startling Caroline and Bonnie from their spot on the ground.
"What?" Bonnie demanded.
"She's…" No. Caroline couldn't say those words. Elena couldn't be dead.
"Oh of course the doppelganger is dead," Rebekah tsked, rolling her eyes at the fact. "I'm surprised she made it this far. What happened, did she accidentally stake herself? Or was she just trying to get away from you?"
Damon looked ready to try and throttle her but Stefan grabbed his arm, holding him back. "Probably had to do with that whole losing her mind deal," Kol chimed in. "Killing and turning witches can do that."
"Enough," Klaus demanded, silencing his siblings. "We'll continue this conversation on the boat and dole out tasks. Considering that I'm seeing two wolves that I killed an hour ago tracking us from the tree line I'd say it's time we left this island."
Caroline whipped around at that, spotting the two men who'd been with Tyler earlier in the day. Did that mean that Tyler could maybe…She didn't get to complete the thought; Klaus was already at her side and ready to maneuver her toward the boat. "Gather what we need and let's get moving," Klaus continued as he yanked Bonnie to her feet as well, beckoning his brother forward. "Kol. Make sure she gets to the boat in one piece."
Kol flashed off with Bonnie before Sheila or Caroline could say a word. The boy was speaking again in the language that she didn't know, looking as if he was unsure whether to be intrigued or frightened about what he'd just seen.
"Rebekah," Klaus looked over at his sister and Henrik, and Caroline watched as Rebekah nodded before flashing off with him in tow. "Elijah be sure to bring Mrs. Bennett with you. I'll let you deal with your brother, Stefan, but do know Damon, that there will be no sacrificing on anyone's part to bring back that girl. Vincent ensure that Vaughn makes it there as well."
Klaus whipped off with Caroline, not bothering to wait for an answer. She had so many things to ask as they stopped on the beach near where the boat was located but was beat out by the boy running over to them.
"Nik?" the boy asked. What had Rebekah called him? Henry? No. It wasn't that. "Hvordan gjorde du det? Hva er dette magi?" [1]
He had a similar smile to Klaus and his eyes reminded Caroline of Rebekah's color, his hair more like Kol or Elijah's. Did they have another sibling? She didn't remember anyone ever mentioning one but then again she wasn't always in the loop either.
"Nå er ikke tiden for å få svar. Jeg vil forklare det til deg senere. Gå få på båten med Rebekka.," Klaus told the boy, nodding toward where Rebekah stood waiting for him to return. [2]
"Who is he?" Caroline asked as the boy headed back toward the boat.
"My brother Henrik," Klaus replied, and there was something about him that seemed more sullen than she'd ever seen him before. A regret that seemed to sweep over him and take root. "The one that I killed." The sorrow in his voice at that, the deep breath after it had her thinking that wasn't the full story. Klaus looked at her and she tried to get a glimpse into him but it was as if a wall had been erected specifically to block her out right after he'd spoken.
"Get on the boat, Caroline."
It would have been so easy to ignore that, to push, but now wasn't the time, especially not if others were already seeping through the veil. She'd get the answers she wanted later, get Klaus to talk to her, and hopefully be able to talk with Bonnie about if they were going to save their best friend while also making sure that the world didn't end.
Getting corralled down into one of the lower rooms on the boat as soon as Damon and Stefan arrived really wasn't in Caroline's plans. She knew what the two of them would want to talk about but their schemes never went off well. Someone always got hurt and there were so very few people left in her life that she didn't want any of them to be harmed. Especially not because some people couldn't seem to grasp the bigger picture.
Elena Gilbert was one of her best friends and she didn't want her to be dead. Definitely didn't want her to be trapped on the Other Side, especially if it was going to cease to exist which meant Elena wouldn't exist any longer, but like hell was she risking her or Bonnie's life to bring her back. Didn't they realize that they needed Bonnie alive? She couldn't try some spell that may or may not actually do anything but could end up killing her in the process.
How come Elena's life was worth more than Bonnie's?
"You can't ask her to do that!" Caroline yelled at Damon who'd finished detailing his idiotic plan. "You don't even know that it'll work and newsflash Bonnie needs to live so that when we freaking jam that cure down Silas' throat she can take him down. Or you know the whole world is going to end."
"What about Elena?" Damon demanded, looking ready to throttle her and before it would have frightened Caroline, she might have even backed down, but she refused to do so with Bonnie's life hanging in the balance. "We're not even going to try and get her back?"
"She's dead, Damon," Caroline replied, looking over to Stefan for help but that was useless with him looking down at the table. "Sometimes people should stay dead. Do you think she'll really want to come back here remembering everything that she did? Do you really think Elena can handle that?" Because Caroline didn't think she could. Elena Gilbert would break if she knew how many she had killed and learned about everything she'd forced the newly turned vampires to do. At least if what Kol had said was true and there wasn't any reason for him to lie, especially when he'd been impressed.
And what about all of the others that they'd lost? Matt. Jeremy. Tyler. Matt couldn't be brought back because he was human but why did Elena matter more than the other two? Not that Tyler coming back would be the greatest idea since he'd only be killed again, revenge too ingrained in his mind for him to ever let it go.
"We'll just get your new boyfriend to compel those memories away from her," Damon told her, arrogant smirk on his face and Caroline clucked her tongue at that.
"Right, because he's going to want to do that after you've gotten Bonnie killed," she muttered, shaking her head at the madness.
"There's no guarantee that she'll die," Damon pointed out. No, just a fifty/fifty chance that she might.
"She's not doing it," Caroline bit out, wondering how much Stefan would hate her if she staked his brother. He'd get over it in a century right?
"I think she gets a say," Damon replied, wagging his brows as he looked over at Bonnie.
Caroline sighed, raking her hands through her hair. She didn't want Bonnie to have a say. Bonnie who risked her life more than once to help out everyone, especially Elena. She didn't care if it was selfish, she couldn't lose Bonnie too. Not for a chance that Elena might be able to come back. Besides maybe she'd simply fall through a crack like others were going to be able to do. But she knew it had to be Bonnie's decision, she couldn't take that away from her.
"I'm not going to do it," Bonnie murmured, and just like that Damon's triumphant look fell, anger replacing it as he looked over at the two of them. Caroline sank down onto the couch beside her friend, thankful that she saw reason at least. "There's too much at stake right now for me to take that kind of risk."
Damon didn't seem to like that answer, fangs elongating and the veins on his face beginning to swell from the blood rushing to them. Caroline stood, ready to protect Bonnie as Stefan tried to grab his brother's arm. "We'll find another way, Damon," Stefan attempted to reassure, but it was no use.
"I'll make you help us," Damon growled, ready to flash forward. Bonnie extended her arm, fingers curling together as she sent pain to erupt in Damon's head.
"Now now, children," Kol started from the doorway before making his way into the room. "You're not thinking of hurting either of them, are you, Damon? I'm itching to remove someone's lungs today and you're looking like the perfect candidate." He sank down on the couch beside Bonnie, resting his arms on the back of it before patting the space beside him. "Come sit, Caroline." He looked over at Bonnie, grinning. "Feel free to keep that up if you'd like, darling, but he won't be lifting a finger against either of you."
Kol was up seconds later and pushing Damon against the wall, his hand clamped around the vampire's throat. "I'm betting coming back from the Other Side means you're not chuck full of vervain." He grabbed Damon's wrist, biting into and tasting the blood. "Just as I expected."
Stefan made a move forward and Kol looked over at him. "I suggest sitting down or I'll simply tear out his heart instead of neutering him. Your call."
It took a moment, but Stefan sat back down, ignoring Damon's look of betrayal. What did the elder Salvatore expect his brother to do? Compulsion was better than death. "Now, where was I?" Kol started, pretending to contemplate before he looked back at Damon, smiling maliciously as his gaze locked with the younger vampire's. "You'll stake yourself before making so much as a step toward either Bonnie or Caroline in a threatening manner. Oh and anytime anyone says Elena's name I'd like you to break a bone in your body."
Kol let him go, brushing down Damon's shirt where it'd gotten scrunched up before taking a step back. "Shall we try that out?" he asked as he sat back down on the couch beside the girls. "We're going to do nothing to get your precious Elena back. If by some chance you manage it and it is at the expense of one of these girls then I will personally compel Elena to harm herself whenever she sees you, hears your name, or even simply remembers that you exist."
Sure enough, Damon broke two fingers, gazing murderously at Kol afterward before storming out of the room. "Might want to reel your brother in, Stefan," Kol suggested. "You're lucky it was me who came in and not Nik. This room would be a lovely shade of red if he saw how he was threatening his girl here."
Caroline narrowed her eyes at that, even though she knew it was true. Klaus would have killed Damon without hesitation, just as he had countless others in the last few weeks who'd dared threaten her.
Stefan simply nodded and headed out after his brother, but Caroline saw the panic in his eyes, the uncertainty that he regarded her with. "Think I'll go check up on my youngest brother now," Kol remarked before heading out the door as well.
Caroline let her head fall back against the couch and stared up at the ceiling, thankful that Bonnie didn't comment. Merely took hold of her hand and gave it a squeeze as they sat there in silence, trying to come to terms with all that had just happened.
Klaus had been barking orders as soon as he'd stepped on board the boat again. Efficiency was needed and if it meant he had to get into some people's faces, to utilize a few threats then he didn't care. They needed to get moving and every moment someone sat around idle was an increased chance for Silas to prevail.
It shouldn't have mattered that Henrik was staring at him with wide eyes from where he sat with Rebekah who was trying to explain everything to him. With a look that mirrored ones he'd seen in the boy when Mikael had been doling out punishments. That fear now directed at him and Klaus hated it, wanted to force it away. It was too much like the fear he'd seen in the boy's eyes as he died in his arms after the wolves had gotten to him. A look that had haunted him for centuries and he'd thought he'd gotten a handle on, truly believed he'd been able to push it down and away, but it all rushed back at him with Henrik watching him.
Klaus headed down to the lower level, ordering Vincent to oversee the rest of the navigation. His other siblings were doting on the boy, Rebekah had barely left Henrik's side since she'd gone to hug him, but aside from urging him to get on the boat with Rebekah, Klaus hadn't approached him.
The guilt of what had happened on that fateful night had resurfaced faster than he could bury it, wanting to overwhelm him, and Klaus wasn't sure he'd be able to handle knowing that Henrik blamed him for his death. Surely his brother did. Mikael had. Even Esther, though she'd never said it directly to him, Klaus had seen the anger in her gaze directed his way after everything had happened. He was certain the rest of the family did too.
Guilt wasn't an emotion he handled well and it wasn't one that he felt often either. It was a weakness, one that he usually would strip to the bone, that he would drown in blood and death, destroying any who dared to make him feel a slimmer of that emotion. But that wasn't an option now. All that was left was trying to block it, to be so focused on everything else that he didn't have a chance to allow any feelings to slip inside and try to pull him down.
"Henrik is asking for you," Elijah informed him and Klaus clenched his fists at that before moving to pour a glass of scotch.
"There are more important matters to deal with at the moment." It was a lie and the truth all at once. "Groups need to be made. Those to track Silas down. Those to find Amara and kill her. Those who will be ensuring that Silas doesn't get his hands on Bonnie. Getting the link between Silas and the others broken." Which would happen. He may be unable to see his brother at the moment but like hell would he allow him to be taken from the family again.
"I believe our best bet for the unlinking spell would be the elder Bennett," Elijah replied, which did make sense. She'd know more than Bonnie would, though pulling it out of her would no doubt be an unpleasant experience all around. Every bit of magic had something to counter it. Just as Silas' immortality had a cure or their vampirism had the white oak stake. If two people's life forces could be linked then it stood to reason that they could be unlinked as well, like when his siblings had been linked by their mother and then unlinked from one another.
"I do not trust that witch." Sheila Bennett. It was one thing with Bonnie, she was far easier to control with the life of her loved ones in his hands, but Sheila was a wild card. Considering the woman had been fine with being wiped out of existence in order to stop Silas, Klaus had a feeling she wouldn't be as easily manipulated. "I doubt we'll be able to separate her from Bonnie but I want Kol with them at all times. Less chance of planning behind our backs going on." Not to mention the nice little ace card that Kol now held with Bonnie.
"I am sure that Kol will be more than happy to oblige with doing so," Elijah remarked, and Klaus wished that'd be the end of the conversation, that his brother would take his leave of him and allow Klaus to deal with everything in his own way. "Now that we've gotten that out of the way, I believe you should go spend some time with our other brother. The one you have not seen in years."
Hadn't he though? Henrik had plagued his nightmares for more years than Klaus would ever admit. He'd been a focal point of those fifty-two years of mindless torture that he'd endured with the Hunter's Curse.
"I think we should speak about the doppelganger you've got tied up on board," Klaus countered. Just a few doors down from where they were now was a very alive Katherine Pierce and wouldn't it be lovely to end that life now. "Quite curious as to why she was on that island. You'd think she'd be hundreds of miles away knowing that I'd be anywhere close." Usually Katherine had much better survival instincts.
"I am dealing with her," Elijah told him, and Klaus didn't particularly care for that answer. "She will be of no trouble here."
"Her very existence is trouble." Surely Elijah realized that by now. "Oh come now, brother. Don't tell me you've started to have feelings for her again." Klaus shook his head, seeing all the telltale signs that Elijah was indeed infatuated all over again. Pathetic.
"I would think you would understand now," Elijah started and Klaus arched a brow at that. "Considering all you have done for love."
"You should know better than to assume anything about me, brother," Klaus pointed out, refusing to allow Caroline to be likened to the doppelganger.
Elijah seemed to sense that his new line of conversation was getting him nowhere. "Henrik wants to see you, Niklaus. He is asking for you. Not for Kol, not for Finn, Rebekah or myself. He wants the brother that he was closest to in order to help him deal with all that is going on," Elijah tried again, and Klaus simply drank his drink, not letting any emotion seep out. "Though I wonder if he'd even recognize that brother inside of you at this point."
"Then perhaps it's best if he not be forced to endure who I've become," Klaus replied, bitter smile on his face before he left the compartment, ignoring Elijah's calls for him.
He needed to stamp out the guilt that was trying to grab hold of him; to stifle all of the weaknesses that he could feel were trying to pull him down. They didn't need every crewman that was on board. Ripping into one of them, drowning out the world on their blood and fear should help for a bit, prove to Elijah how right he was that Henrik wouldn't recognize who he'd become.
Or perhaps little Katerina would finally meet her end. At the very least suffer a nasty bite, though then he'd need to deal with Elijah's begging for the cure, trying to appeal to him and that would grow tiring rather quickly.
Klaus had his sights set on a crew member, was ready to pounce, to pull the poor boy into a room and take his life when Caroline stepped out of another room in front of him. "Klaus?"
She was being pushed back into the room before he knew what he was even doing, his lips pressing harshly against hers and swallowing her gasp of surprise. He had her on the couch beneath him, body pressing down against hers, making her gasp again as his mouth moved to neck, alternating between kissing, biting and licking the flesh there and all the way to her collarbone.
His hand snaked between their bodies, undoing the buttons of her pants and enjoying the moan that elicited from her. Her hands were in his hair, against his back, as she arched, trying to give him more access to her body before reality seemed to catch up to her.
"Klaus." She tried, giving his hair a tug.
He ignored her, hand slipping beneath her panties as he captured her lips again, wanting to drown in her, for the rest of reality to be pushed aside for however long he could manage.
Caroline's hand cupped his cheek, thumb gently caressing his skin, and it was the intimacy of that motion that had him stopping his movements, forehead pressing against her own as he removed his hand between them. He couldn't seem to move off of her though and she kept her motion up, thumb still moving ever so softly against him.
"I'm guessing this has to do with Henrik?" she asked and just like that he was up off of her, ready to hunt down a crewman, not wanting to have this conversation. Her hand caught his though, halting his steps.
"I do not believe that's any of your business," Klaus replied, his voice cold, gaze even harsher as he looked over at her.
She actually rolled her eyes at that, which threw him for a moment, and she rose, still not letting go of his hand. "Maybe, maybe not, but I have feeling your way of dealing with whatever is going on in your head is so not healthy. Case in point, the whole impromptu make out session. Guessing that was for distracting yourself from it all. And then there's this whole let me lash out at Caroline so she'll stop trying to get me to talk thing."
He was in her face in seconds, hands clasping her head as he glared down at her. It'd be so easy to squeeze, to stop her talking indefinitely, but his movement was harsh for maybe a moment before his grip softened, hating how her hands curling over his own had him closing his eyes, forehead pressing against hers as he tried to calm down.
If he had a weakness it was this girl right here.
"So what happened? I mean. Like, it's obvious that he died and that you all loved him and from the language he was speaking that I don't actually know what it is but it sounds old and he isn't all 'I need blood' I'm guessing he died when you were all still human?" she continued, removing his hands from her face but never letting go of them.
"Yes." It was all he got out and from her quirked brow; Klaus knew that answer wouldn't be enough to satisfy Caroline. "I thought Rebekah had told all of this to Elena already." Or so his sister had informed him.
"I wouldn't know. No one bothers to tell me anything." The bitterness in her voice was rather adorable and caused him to sigh, leading her back to the couch they'd vacated moments before.
It was a tale he'd never told to another person. He'd barely allowed his siblings to speak of their youngest brother after they'd fled from Mikael the first time. Everything had been too raw for all of them and eventually they'd simply stopped bringing him up, knowing no good would come of it. Henrik had been better left to their memories where nothing could harm him any longer.
"What all do you know of what Mystic Falls was like back when my family was originally there?" Klaus looked over at Caroline who was sitting cross-legged on the couch beside him.
"Just that there was your village and a werewolf village and that you and Elijah were both in love with an Elena lookalike." She scrunched her nose at that and Klaus arched a brow at the jealousy he could sense.
"Technically Elena and Katerina are Tatia lookalikes and that was a long time ago," Klaus told her, reaching over to touch her hair. "I'm quite partial to blonde haired baby vampires these days."
Caroline rolled her eyes at that but he saw her lips tug into a brief smile at that. "Not sure what that has to do with what happened though."
"Every full moon the people of the village would retreat to the caves to hide out from the wolves." He watched her, could see her realizing what part of Mystic Falls that had most likely occurred in. "I was curious, had always wanted to see what they looked like and one night I left to go look. I didn't know he was following me at first. I should have. Henrik often did. I should have turned around and brought him right back to the caves. I did not." And he would always regret that decision. "They tore him apart."
Her eyes widened at that, hand clasping over her mouth as she no doubt could imagine that happening. "They didn't even bother with me. No doubt sensed the wolf in me that hadn't been broken free yet. He died in my arms."
Those wheezing breaths, the bloodied face and body that he'd cradled to him as he tried to get back to the village before all breath ceased, before the little light that had been left in his brother's eyes was blotted out.
"You didn't kill him," Caroline murmured and he leaned back against the couch, unable to look at her as the guilt seemed to stir again. "It was a tragic accident but it wasn't your fault. Like why weren't your parents more aware of where he was supposed to be or whatever? You didn't know what was going to happen. And it sucks because he paid the price for an innocent mistake but he's like here and on that deck and you can actually talk to him and see him and hold him and like isn't that a good thing?"
Klaus didn't reply, still unable to glance at her, his focus on the other wall. "You think he blames you, don't you?" Caroline continued, and he looked at her then. "You probably also think he like hates you or whatever but if that was the case then he so wouldn't have asked for you like first thing after stepping out of the tomb—I'm guessing that you're this Nik person, unless that's like Kol's nickname which really doesn't work and I'm pretty sure I've heard Kol and Rebekah call you that anyway—and he so went up to you when we got to the beach. And was in curious mode, not in 'I hate you, you so ruined my life' mode. I mean I didn't understand a thing that he was saying but I can read people's expressions and he did not have on an angry one."
She was right. He hadn't shown any sign of hatred, only fear in how Klaus had interacted with others, but Elijah had said that Henrik still wanted to see him. "I am not the boy he used to know," Klaus finally replied, shoulders slumping slightly as he steepled his fingers and pressed them to his mouth. He would not go back to being that weakling, not even for Henrik.
"No, probably not. I doubt any of you are who he used to know, but that's not stopping Rebekah from hugging the hell out of him. Or Kol like talking to him. Or Elijah chatting with him instead of being all stoic," Caroline pointed out as she rose. "It's up to you. Avoid him and lose out on this awesome thing that happened where you got him back or you know, take a chance and go and spend time with him because who the hell even knows what's going to happen next. No one can make that decision except you."
She left the room then, shutting the door behind herself, and leaving him alone with his thoughts. The urge to tear off someone's head had lessened greatly, though the guilt was still there at the surface. There was anticipation as well though and Klaus knew that Caroline was right. He needed to take a chance and talk to the boy because nothing was going to take Henrik away from them again. So what would be the point of having the boy around if he couldn't even face him?
Klaus Mikaelson had not been a coward for many centuries and he was not about to revert to that previous state. He was the Original Hybrid, the most powerful being in the world, and he would face his twelve year old brother who'd died in arms, no matter what the consequences might be of that interaction.
Honestly it was a simple enough plan. Divide the lot of them into two groups. One that would try to locate and keep tabs on Silas while also taking out any witches that he was trying to gain power or information from. The other would head to Amara's burial place and kill the woman. All of them would work to find a way to break the linking spell, didn't matter that the witches were all in one group. Vincent's knowledge of supernatural texts rivaled both Bennetts and there was the possibility of a spell being in one of the grimoires he'd collected over the years.
Figuring out which group Henrik would be heading off with had been infinitely harder to hash out, none of his siblings wishing to be separated from him so soon, but Elijah had allowed the others to have him in their group. As the oldest remaining sibling it was his duty to do that, wasn't it? To be the one to sacrifice his happiness for the younger ones. He'd been doing it for so long that he truly didn't know any other to behave. Cleaning up their messes, trying to save them from their own harsh temperaments, always the one to try and referee any and all disagreements.
Even when he despised being in their presence.
They had known the veil was thinning in places; all had spotted the men Klaus had pointed out earlier on the island, and had expected to deal with possible threats as soon as they disembarked. It was the sheer number of them that had thrown everyone off.
"Do not kill them," Elijah warned as he took in the sight of the original Brotherhood of the Five. Who knew if the curse would carry over after death but it wasn't something he wanted anyone in his family to find out.
Thankfully they were off of the boat already, leaving only his lot to deal with the five angry men, all looking entirely too ready to cause them pain. He was far older than he had been the first time he'd encountered them, all of the vampires in his group had the added strength of living more than at least a hundred years.
"You are one of us," Alexander remarked in Italian as he looked at Vaughn, nodding toward the mark visible on the man's arms. "Why do you side with these monsters?"
Elijah was ready to answer, unsure if Vaughn understood the language. "Because we're going after the real one, mate," Vaughn replied fluently, sending the man overboard and into the water.
Another was speared through his leg into the deck of the boat, the other three joining their brother in arms in the water below. Elijah spotted Damon and Stefan leaping off onto the dock, speeding away before he could say a word. It didn't surprise him. The fools would focus their efforts on Elena Gilbert and he was not in the mood for babysitting. He hadn't expected them to stick with group long anyway.
Elijah was about to comment when more people suddenly appeared on the deck of the boat, almost as if they were stepping out of thin air. Vincent moved to slice a head off, to give them more time, when Vaughn spotted the Hunter's mark beneath the man's sleeve. "Hunter!"
"I believe it's prudent that we get away from this area post haste," Elijah ordered, hauling Katherine who was with him out onto the dock, the others following.
If Hunters were coming back then it was probably best to not kill anyone that they came across. They might not always be lucky enough to notice the mark before the deed was done and there was no time for them to deal with that kind of madness taking hold.
"Are we heading to my place now?" Vincent suggested as he flashed with Vaughn after Elijah into the heart of the city.
"I think finding the unlinking spell should be our top priority," Elijah replied. Silas would let his presence be known in time and they needed that spell before they could end his reign. Henrik was not allowed to cease to exist.
"Why don't I just…" Katherine started, and Elijah tightened his grip, before nodding in the direction they needed to head. They would not be able to utilize vampire speed the entire way as Klaus and Caroline had done because of Vaughn but they should be able to get to the airport and cut down travel time. He hoped the others were faring better than they had since separating.
"I do not want to hunt you down, Katerina," Elijah told her, the implied but I will hanging between them. Knowing that she planned to harm Klaus, to no doubt use Caroline against him, meant he wouldn't be able to let her live this time either if she ran.
He cared for her greatly, loved her in his own way, but Klaus' happiness far outweighed Katherine's life in his mind. Always and forever, no matter how twisted it had become, was a promise he would keep, whatever the consequences. From the fury in her eyes as she looked at him, he had feeling that she knew that.
Any plans he might have had to let her go, to simply compel her to leave Klaus be and make a life for herself somewhere else had changed. Elijah had a feeling that Katherine wouldn't slink off into the distance this time. Not with her knowledge about a real possible weakness for her to exploit against Klaus, not with her foolish hopes for revenge or a freedom that his brother would never dole out to her. The only real freedom she would ever know was death. Though, the chances of Klaus actually hunting her again were fairly slim if he was focused on Caroline and maybe with time Katherine would see that. Perhaps he could utilize their time together in this group to help her understand that.
Except there was little chance of Klaus allowing her to live if he found out what Katherine had wanted to do, how she wanted to use the girl against him. How to keep his brother from learning was something Elijah was still trying to determine. Rebekah or Kol could easily let it slip or purposefully say something in a heated moment and the tension would resume between all of them, something he also wanted to lessen.
He would figure something out. After all, he deserved some happiness in the end as well, didn't he?
[1]: How did you do that? What is this magic?
[2]: Now is not the time for answers. I will explain it all to you later. Go get on the boat with Rebekah.