Disclaimer: I don't own any of it or make any money from any of it, all of it belongs to those who created The Vampire Diaries and The Originals.
Much Earlier…
Caroline Forbes woke with a start, her head throbbing. She felt like she'd been smacked over the head with a rock. Looming just overhead was a woman she'd never seen before, her vision blurred by pain. Dark hair, dark eyes-she looked like Bonnie. The other was someone vaguely familiar, long pale hair and vibrant green eyes—Esther.
Except she looked…different.
How had she got here?
She remembered running through the woods, terror racing her heart, she was human again. Defenseless, slow, clumsy….and she was being chased by men on horseback. She remembered falling, a steep tumble down a rough hill, smacking her head on the ground sharply, the violent pain of a sprained wrist….
Now she was here.
"How…" she mumbles groggily, unable to process.
"Shh," Esther coos softly, "sleep now."
"Ok…" Caroline agrees and closes her eyes.
Sleep sounded good.
That witch used a spell on her.
When Caroline woke, her head still throbbed but the pain was much less. Esther willed her to sleep with magic—a fact that irritated her.
"My husband found you in the woods while he was hunting," Esther's voice is soft as she steps into the little hut, "you are very lucky, we have wolves in this forest."
"Where am I?" Caroline asks groggily, sitting up.
"Our village, this hut belongs to our people's healer, Ayana," Esther explains, "I am Esther, wife of Mikael. He is the hunter who found you—what is your name?"
"Caroline," she mumbles, rubbing her head, "I'm…ok so I'm a little confused right now…"
"No," Esther pauses briefly in thought, "that will not do—we shall call you Thyra…it means like thunder, for you came to us during a storm."
"Look lady I-…" Caroline trials off at the intense look on Esther's face.
"I know you are not what you seem," she says tentatively, "strange images in your mind…you do not belong here."
"Get out of my head," Caroline makes a face, rubbing her temples wearily, "your right…I don't—and I need to get back from where I came."
"Without that which was used to send you here, we cannot return you," Ayana says quietly.
"I brought you here," Esther frowns, "why?"
"I don't know," Caroline glowers briefly, "you just…did."
For whatever reason, Esther chooses not to question it. Instead she turns away, picking up a wicker basket near the door of the hut, "I must return to my garden, if I'm gone to long Mikael will notice—Ayana take care of her…find her clothes and then send her to me when you're done."
When she finally had her bearings, Caroline Forbes stepped out of the little hut and into the broken cool sunlight of late afternoon, glimmering over a sleep village nestled among the trees. Above her the storm clouds receded and a pale blue sky gleamed. It was nearly fall, judging by the cool sunlight. Ayana had given her a simple green wool dress to wear, and braided her silvery curls back neatly. She felt like she was in a daze, wandering through the village past people who'd been dead for nearly a thousand years by now—this would be Rick's dream come true. She faintly wondered if she was dreaming this, that she'll wake up in her bed back home and realize she'd just had a little too much to drink the night before…or Klaus was messing with her…or both. She finds Esther in her garden, a patch of tall grass amidst sprawling plants and a assortment of herbs and flowers. Esther was a witch through and through, and this was the garden of a witch.
"You're a witch," Caroline found herself saying without permission.
"You are not troubled by this," Esther says as she works the soil beneath her hands, uprooting vegetables and weeds alike. "You have met my kind before."
"My best friend is a witch," Caroline states blankly, hypnotized by the way her hands worked the soil.
"As is mine," she smiles at her faintly and then turns back to her work, "Witches are feared but heeded in our community, though you should keep such secrets to yourself. There are those who would kill a witch merely because she is one…." She sighs and sits back on her knees, her legs tucked beneath her as she sits on the ground, "what family do you hail from? You must be as I am in order to have strayed so far from your given path in life."
"I'm not a witch," Caroline tells her slowly, "Regular human…all human," Caroline tells her, sitting on a worn looking log beside her, "Look…I need to get home—I can't just stay here and-..."
"Mikael," Esther cuts her off, a forced smile curving her lips as she glances back at her husband, "My love…we have a guest. This is Thyra…her family was taken by plague and she travelled across the sea as we did. She is to make her home here with Ayana."
Mikael eyes her for a moment, "I am sorry for your loss," he pauses and then says, "I've brought deer—Niklaus failed his duties again."
Esther sighs and sets the little wooden shovel down on the soil before looking at her husband, "Niklaus does not like to hunt."
"Niklaus must learn," Mikael sneers and turns away, "they all must if they are to survive, I won't be around forever and they need to learn all that they can from us while we are still here to teach them."
"Father," Niklaus calls as he rounds the corner, "I had it—I could have taken that deer if you hadn't-…"
"You didn't have it Niklaus," Mikael sneers coldly, "if you'd had it as you say, the deer would be dead by your hand and yet I am the one who was forced to do it because of your hesitation."
Klaus stares, jaw set and eyes burning but says nothing as his Father shoves past. His eyes meet Caroline's briefly and he pauses to stare. For several seconds, he says nothing until his Mother's voice shakes him from his fascination. "Niklaus…this is Thyra."
He bows his head stiffly like he's unsure—he reminded her of a deer in the headlights, "My lady."
"Hello," Caroline says with a little smile and immediately feels stupid for saying it—people don't greet strangers like that around here do they? She can tell by Esther's sharp look that it wasn't the polite thing to say to a stranger.
"Niklaus," Esther says again, breaking the staring match between he and Caroline, "Go and fetch the water."
"Mother," he makes a face.
"You heard me," she says pointedly as she glances at him, "it was your task to fill our table with food tonight and your Father had to do it. You will fetch the water."
"That's a woman's task," he grimaces, "It's Rebekah's job."
"You will fetch the water Niklaus," Esther says firmly and then glances at Caroline, "Sit with me."
Alone in her garden, Esther teaches her the names of each plant and herb. "I cannot tell you why it is you are here," she says after a long while, "but I can help you survive here."
"Do you know the name of all the plants?" Caroline marvels aloud.
"Yes," Esther smiles.
"Can you teach me?" she asks after a beat, "I mean…like…magic—since I'm human."
Esther smiles as she works, "I cannot teach you to be a witch, you are either a witch or you are not. We are born witches, we cannot be taught to be one."
Well there went that idea—there was no way she was going to magic herself back home.
"But I can teach you other things..." Esther smiles tentatively, "Rebekah—my daughter—does not have the patience to learn such things. I would be glad of the company."
Days turn into weeks and then into months. There is a solace in the backbreaking work she endures each day. Sweat beading on her skin as she works under the noon day sun to grind wheat against stone, to scrub dirt from soiled clothing, to help Esther tend her garden. It doesn't give her time to mourn all she's lost because she's so busy doing everything else. She thinks Esther is doing this because of the guilt behind it, knowing Caroline is here because of her. Esther burdens her with so much to keep her distracted—Caroline has thought so many times about running away, but where would she go? She has nothing now, Ayana is her only hope. Esther takes her on as an apprentice though Caroline doesn't have a magical bone in her body.
Things carry on as they must, and Caroline falls into routine. She spends so much time with Esther and Ayana, Mikael's taken it upon himself to keep an eye on her as well as his own children, and so there isn't a day she isn't being lectured or yelled at or given a funny look. When her steps weren't being haunted by Mikael, it was Niklaus. Late in the fall she walks through the woods, a shawl draped over her shoulders, a basket looped over one arm. She's searching for a special flower Esther needs for a healing salve. More and more people are being assailed by wolves, and Mikael spends most his time with the other men of the village hunting the beasts.
Above her, the leaves turn amber and Caroline turns her face to the sky, basking in the fading sunlight. Her steps are unhurried as she enjoys walking in the woods, it gives her time to reflect. She refuses to resign herself to this life, though it isn't unpleasant. She would find the spell to send her home and convince a witch to do it, somehow.
"You'll never find the flowers that way," his voice says smoothly and Caroline continues to walk, even as Niklaus reaches around her to steal a slice of bread from her basket.
"I have work to do Nik," Caroline says on a sigh and swats his hand when he tries to dip into the basket again, "and that's my lunch you're eating."
"Have you spoken to Tatia yet?" he asks earnestly and Caroline doesn't have the nerve to tell him the truth. Over the time she's spent here, she's gotten to know the Mikaelsons, and she and Klaus were very nearly friends.
Very nearly.
"She is undecided," Caroline says vaguely, "but I knew a girl once who loved two men…. you never know, she might pick you."
She shouldn't be giving him hope.
"I'd be a lot better than Elijah," he tells her as they walk side by side, "Come, the flowers are just over that hill there." He takes her hand and they hurry up the hill together, and in these moments, she forgets who he was and sees who he is right now. A boyish smile, a happy laugh. She had a hard time keeping her eyes from straying to him in those moments, the way the sunlight danced in his wild blond hair, that gleam of mirth in his eyes. Even after everything Mikael has done to him, he still finds peace here in the woods.
"Tell me truthfully Thyra, I know you know…" Klaus says after a beat as Caroline bends to pluck the flowers from the soil.
"She…" Caroline sighs thoughtfully, "I do not wish to give you hope or otherwise Nik…please don't put me in the middle of this."
She was staring again…. the way the sunlight touches his hair, the mischief in his smile as he plucks a flower and twirls it between thumb and forefinger. "My love is a fickle and devious thing…." He begins slowly, eyeing the flower thoughtfully, "her gaze like the fresh fall of rain…"
"Nik," Caroline smiles because she can't help it, "stop."
"I thought you loved my poetry?" he quirks a brow, tucking the flower in her hair. "Lovely."
"Flirt," Caroline scolds lightly and steps around him, heading back for the village, "aren't you supposed to be getting water?"
He says nothing save for a withering look.
Over supper that evening, she sits between Rebekah and Ayana, picking at the meat on her plate. Her hands are sore from hard labor, from grinding herbs and making dough. Caroline longs for a hot shower and a cup of coffee, but all she has is this.
"My lady," a woman says breathlessly as she bursts into the hut, "My husband—he's returned…and gravely injured."
"I'm coming," Esther tells her as she stands, nodding to Caroline and Rebekah. Both stand in unison, Caroline hurrying for the herbs and Rebekah grabbing the cloaks.
"I'll go too," Mikael says abruptly as he stands," Elijah with me—Finn look after your siblings."
"Yes Father," Finn says obediently with a nod.
"There are wolves out there," Niklaus says near her ear as she packs up the healing salves into a straw basket to take with them.
"I've got your knife in my girdle," Caroline says quietly, careful not to let Mikael hear her. If he ever found out she had a weapon he'd beat her black and blue for it—and Klaus too. Mikael was strongly against women wielding any kind of weapon, he believed it was the man's job to protect the family. Once when Rebekah had stolen her Father's hunting knife, Klaus found her practicing with it in the woods. He tried to show her how to use it, but Mikael came and Klaus pretended he'd stolen it to keep Mikael from beating Rebekah. He ended up getting flogged for it.
"Good girl," Niklaus whispers near her shoulder, his warm breath tickling the skin of her shoulder. "Keep an eye on Rebekah."
"Always," Caroline reassures him, as she takes the worn burgundy wool cloak from Rebekah and throws it over her shoulders before following Esther out of the hut.
As they walk she recalls the night Klaus gave her one of his hunting knives. It'd been twilight and she was by the lake, looking for moss to use in a spell Esther needed. By then they'd gotten used to each other's presence, and Klaus no longer saw her as a stranger but something akin to friendship. A wolf had found her in those woods, and not just any wolf but one of them. Klaus had saved her, and carried her back to the village. Mikael was away on a hunting trip and never found out about the attack-Esther kept her secret. She used magic and healing salves to sooth her twisted ankle so that when Mikael returned, he was none the wiser.
Klaus had also given her his knife so that if the time ever came that she was in trouble, she could defend herself. Caroline never asked him why he was wandering in the woods to begin with—or how he found her.
"Thyra," Esther's voice was firm and commanding, this was the healer the village knew. Caroline is obedient and silent, grabbing the herbs needed, her and Rebekah exchanging glances as they worked alongside Esther to patch up the injured hunter. His leg was torn badly, and it smelt of infection. Caroline knew gang-green when she saw it, and feared he might lose his leg.
Esther's grim look told her everything she needed to know.
When the man was patched up, they left. Mikael and Elijah were gone, searching the woods for the wolf who attacked the hunter. Esther and Rebekah return to their hut and Caroline wanders in the moonlight, staring up at the night sky with despair in her heart. She would always be trapped here wouldn't she? Doomed to spend her days stuck in the past, or perish at the hands of newly turned originals.
She would have to flee this village before that day came.
"Father will beat you if he sees you out here—especially on a full moon," Rebekah's voice carries across the way and Caroline smiles wanly at her, "I love the night…. it's beautiful."
"There is something magical about it, isn't it?" Rebekah says with folded arms across her chest.
"Why does your Father treat his family so ill?" Caroline asks after a beat.
"He wants to keep us safe and seems to think fear is a good tool for education," Rebekah sighs, "he's never been the same since Freya died...I think he blames himself."
Who would have ever thought the day would come when she'd be living under Mikael's tyranny? She'd heard the stories from Klaus in passing, but living them is an entirely different story. Esther isn't the evil witch she imagined, and Mikael though a complete and utter douche nozzle, was scarred by his lost child, by his failures. He sought to make up for it and because of that determination he's alienated himself from his family.
He wasn't always so horrible.
He'd been a good Father once, kind to his children until Freya was lost and Esther betrayed him with another. Caroline had no real experience of that kind of situation, but she could imagine of Esther felt when her husband ignored her and wallowed in his own grief, leaving her alone to her own.
"Is Niklaus still chasing Tatia?" Rebekah says quietly after a beat.
"When isn't he?" Caroline asks with a quirked brow.
"I rather hoped he'd be chasing you by now—he follows you around enough," Rebekah smiles cheekily at her.
"Hardly," Caroline blushes, "but we all live in the shadow of Tatia—he doesn't see me."
That's probably a good thing—to remain forgettable, so that centuries from now, he won't remember Caroline ever being in that village with him.
"Oh, don't be ridiculous—I like Tatia but I want her for Elijah," Rebekah says honestly and then with a wicked grin, "So Niklaus will have you, and we shall be sisters in truth."
"I don't know how long I'll be here," Caroline says quietly, staring at anything but Rebekah.
"You would return home?" Rebekah frowns, "There's nothing left for you…that is not the way of our people Thyra…we are survivors, warriors…returning home would be little more than cowardess."
"I miss my family Rebekah," Caroline says brokenly, sucking in a deep breath to smother the sharp spike of pain in her chest at the thought of her Mother.
"Your family is dead—we are your family now," Rebekah frowns at her, "stay with us."
"You sound like your Mother," Caroline smiles wanly as she steps past Rebekah towards the hut.
"I'm not sure if that's an insult or a compliment really," Rebekah says as she follows her inside. "Perhaps both."
It was perfectly obvious that Nik did not see her that way. He's had eyes for Tatia since the day she arrived here…and yet…. he watches her. When he thinks she's not looking, his eyes are on her face and her hair, he likes to draw her. She's found his sketches before, and he'd gift them to her occasionally. It wasn't like she'd be here long enough for anything to come of it, she had plans. Earn Esther's trust, pilfer her grimoire and find a witch who could perform the spell to send her home. Caroline had learned enough Latin over the last few months to be capable of reading bits and pieces out of that ancient spell book.
Inside the fire is warm and she sits on the fur covered straw bed on the floor beside Rebekah. On nights like this, Ayana and Caroline shared sleeping quarters with the Mikaelson's for safety. It was better to be in a warm hut with many people who can wield a sword then be alone in a tiny hut with little more than a broom to defend one self. Caroline lies back on the fur, stares at the ceiling as Mikael and Elijah step into the wooden structure, Mikael casting his gaze over the women in the room, settling down for sleep.
"To bed," Esther tells Caroline and Rebekah, "sleep now—Niklaus, you too—Elijah give me your sword, I will hang it up. Go and wash yourself, I have food ready for you and your Father."
Caroline closes her eyes, listens to the sound of voices across the room, hushed whispers as Mikael availed Esther of all that had happened, Elijah smirking at Finn as they exchange words, the crumble of straw as Klaus lies down beside Caroline with a quiet sigh, situating himself till he was comfortable.
"You sleep over there," Caroline says quietly, nodding to her left where there was a vacant spot on Rebekah's left.
"Smoke from the fire is horrible, the wind's bad tonight. I'd rather sleep over here and not be smothered by ash," he tells her in equally soft tones, least Mikael hear and yell at them.
Caroline only nods, understanding his reasoning as she closes her eyes. After a few moments, his voice is near her shoulder, his warm breath on her skin, "I swear Nik if you ask me about Tatia…"
He pauses, holds a breath before speaking, "I wasn't going to ask about her."
"Really?" Caroline says skeptically, rolling onto her side to face him.
"No," Klaus grimaces and sighs.
Caroline rolls her eyes and groans quietly, "Nik…let her go. You are worth so much more than that…you deserve better—she's just stringing you along."
He stares briefly, raised eyebrows as blue eyes search her face, "Do you think so highly of me all the time?"
"Not always," Caroline smiles wryly, "but…" she doesn't know how to put it into words, this warm feeling in her chest when she looks at him, "but you...you…" Caroline trails off as she stares back at him, and then abruptly as her face turns bright crimson she turns over and gives him her back.
She can't exactly just run out of the hut.
In the days to come, winter sets in and the cold is biting. Caroline isn't used to the cold—but for the first time in years she can actually feel it. Digging her hands into the snow she briefly revels in the sting of snow against her skin before dropping it, only to scoop up another handful and mold it between her palms, a devilish smile on her face as Kol passes.
"Don't even think about it," he catches her gaze knowingly.
"Not for you," Caroline says, nodding to the side, "Come on—let me show you."
Kol grins, he loves mischief, and if Thyra wanted a bit of fun he was more than happy to oblige. They trudge through thickets of snow to a clearing on the hill between the great white oak that sits at the center of the village. Under it, among the crippled stems of vervane they watch Elijah fawn over Tatia in the distance.
"It's for his own good," Caroline says after a beat, "he's too stiff and boring…he'll run her off."
"Agreed," Kol says with a nod as he scoops up a bit of snow, "I take it you'll have no hand in this?"
"Not a single one," Caroline tells him, "Call me the mastermind."
"And I your loyal minion," Kol muses quietly, "I'd love to rumple Elijah's feathers—however, I have my own request."
"Oh?" Caroline says, quirking a brow.
"Tell me what you're up too with my Mother?" Kol asks knowingly, meeting her gaze, "don't think I don't see what you're doing…winning her affections, learning her secrets…pilfering things from her grimoire."
"I am not stealing," Caroline sniffs, "Merely observing."
"What are you after?" Kol asks, "and don't bother lying to me Thyra…I can always tell when you lie, your terrible at it."
"I'm trying to get home," Caroline says after a beat, "I can't explain why or how…I just need to find the right spell."
"And a witch to perform it," Kol smirks, "you'll need me."
"You are the most knowledgeable," Caroline says thoughtfully, "are you game?"
"Of course," Kol grins, "but for a price."
"Like what?" Caroline narrows her eyes suspiciously.
"Have you ever wondered why my Father is so keen to protect you?" Kol asks, tilting his head to one side as he regards her.
"Not really," Caroline frowns, "I always thought it was just a Viking thing."
"You," he begins slowly, "remind him of Freya-I never met her but from what I understand, she was full of light…your hair's very nearly the same color as hers. My Father has a sword—he calls it Rakul. It means the sun at dawn, and he loved my sister more than anything. He named his sword after the color of her hair. She was the only one who ever made him smile…." Kol frowns, "I want him to be happy again."
"Kol," Caroline says quietly, "I can't replace Freya."
"No," he tells her, "But you can be kinder to him…make him smile."
"You want me to make your Father smile?" Caroline blinks at him.
"Yes," Kol tells her with a wicked gleam to his eye. "Make him smile and I'll help you get home."
"You realize by doing this…if I manage to find a way home…" Caroline frowns.
"I know," Kol sighs, "Just the once, I want to see him smile."
"You're up," Caroline says after a long silence, nodding towards where Elijah stood, "Go get him."
"With pleasure," Kol grins devilishly as he stands, preparing to strike. Caroline is careful to stay out of sight, Tatia was her friend so to speak, and she didn't want to have to explain why she was doing what she was doing.
Honestly, she was trying to help Elijah—he was making a mess of this whole thing.
It works too, because the next thing Caroline sees is Tatia laughing, Elijah beet red and Kol grinning like an idiot. Until Tatia gets his with a snowball too….and then Elijah starts throwing them, and it turns into an all-out war.
One Caroline misses, because she's already half way back to the hut with a smile on her face, humming a soft tune as she steps into the warmth of the hut, the heat burning across her cheeks. Esther glances her way as she enters, noting the basket in her arms. "You are a mischievous girl."
"You saw?" Caroline quirks a brow, setting the basket on the table.
"I approve," Esther smiles faintly, "I want Tatia for Elijah as well."
"What of Niklaus?" Caroline asks after a beat.
"My son is fickle," Esther sighs, "Complicated…I do not know. I know that Tatia is not meant for him, however he might care for her."
"I see," Caroline says quietly, pulling the herbs from her basket and preparing them for the stew that Esther is working on. In the background Rebekah enters the hut, her arms weighed down with firewood.
"It's absolutely freezing out there," she says aloud as she dumps the wood near the hearth at the center of the room, "I can hardly move my hands."
"Go and warm yourself by the fire Rebekah," Esther nods towards the hearth, "and when you are warmed I want you to help Thyra prepare supper."
Supper is always an awkward affair.
Kol picks at his food, Rebekah never stops talking, Klaus is completely absent from the meal, no doubt wandering the woods, Elijah is mooning over Tatia, Finn is a Mama's boy and Henrik…well Henrik is the only sane one in the family it seems like. Caroline stares at Klaus's vacant seat, and then at Mikael's irritated expression. She had one job, and that was to make the man smiles.
Klaus was making this difficult.
Kol watches her expectantly, no doubt amused by her current predicament. He always loved to watch her squirm, be it by mischief or general awkward conversation. She knew very little about Freya save for what Kol has told her—how was she supposed to get this man to smile? Then she noticed it, the cut on his arm, the redness around it. "Your hurt…" she says to him, standing before he can protest to retrieve herbal salves.
Esther frowns at the injury and meets his gaze, "My love you should have told me…"
Caroline is methodical as she works, cleaning the cut with warm water, smoothing the salve over it, wrapping the wound in clean bandages. Mikael doesn't say a word, he just stares at her as she works and when she's done, she smiles reassuringly at him and puts away all of her medical equipment.
"Thank you," he says stiffly, rubbing his sore arm before returning to his supper. Caroline nods politely, gathering up the leftovers, carrying dirty dishes away to be washed. After supper she wanders the village, cloak wrapped around her shoulders, hood drawn low. He was out here somewhere, and if he was doing something mischievous she was going to smack him over the head with her shoe.
"Nik!" Caroline hisses quietly, walking along the line of trees that border the village, "Nik!"
"Thyra?" suddenly his voice looms in the darkness, and moments after his blond head pops up from among the tall grass, "Thyra…get out of here—if my Father sees you out here…"
"You shouldn't be out here," Caroline counters sharply, "you'll ruin everything—get inside!"
Oh…. crap.
There was a reason he was hidden in the grass, and it wasn't because he was star gazing. When Tatia's head pops up alongside his, Caroline groans inwardly. "Tatia…. really?"
"Forgive me," Tatia says apologetically, "I meant no offense."
"You've given none," Klaus tells her reassuringly and then glowers at Caroline, "Thyra was just leaving."
"Not without you," Caroline says flatly, "I refuse to watch him beat you again Nik, I won't do it!"
"Then leave," he hisses back irritably, "He'll find a reason to beat me no matter my actions."
"Boy," Mikael's voice, sharp as a whip crackles through the air as he appears beside Caroline, his eyes burning with anger.
Shit.
"Kol tells me you went out into the village, I came to bring you back and look what I find—not one but two wayward children in need of a beating," Mikael says coldly.
"Father I…" Klaus stammers, panicked and afraid—behind him Tatia crawls unseen through the foliage, urged on by Klaus as he waves her away to flee.
"Get up," Mikael sneers and then looks at Caroline, "and you—get back inside now."
Caroline didn't have to be told twice, she was gone before he'd even got to the word now. Klaus staggers from the foliage, jerking sharply when Mikael cuffs him along the ear hard, staggering forward towards the hut with anger burning in his eyes when he looks at Caroline.
"I'm sorry…" she mouths desperately, "I didn't know."
"Liar," Klaus hisses menacingly as he passes her, "he followed you out here."
Caroline didn't sleep that night, and neither did Klaus. Despite being properly scolded, they both sat up most the night fearful that Mikael might change his mind and beat them both black and blue.
In the early morning hours, she sits awake and Klaus is dozing off beside her. At some point in the night he moved in beside her, and she stares at his sleeping form thoughtfully. "I'm sorry…" Caroline says quietly, brushing a loose strand of hair away from his face, "I never meant for that to happen."
"It did," Klaus says quietly, his eyes still closed, "and you should have known better—my Father is even more cunning then me."
"He's afraid," Caroline says softly, "of loving anyone…of letting them in," she brushes his hair back away from his face, his eyes opening to gaze up at her, "He lost his daughter…to lose someone you love so dearly is devastating."
"So, we must all be punished for it?" Klaus says, meeting her gaze, "why does he hate me so much?"
"I don't know," Caroline says softly—though she did know. Klaus lies beside her, staring up at her with such confliction in his eyes. An abusive Father, a devious Mother, mischievous siblings. It was hard not to see why he's so twisted in the future. Kol was the real traitor here, and Kol was totally in for it when she gets the opportunity to exact revenge.
"Why do you dislike me with Tatia so much?" he asks suddenly, as if the thought only occurred to him, "I know you orchestrated that little merriment earlier…what devious plots do you weave little witch?"
"I'm not a witch," Caroline smiles wanly, "I only wish Tatia would stop stringing you and your brother along."
"She's only too kind to cast Elijah aside," Klaus says firmly, "she'll do so in time."
Caroline closes her eyes, groaning at his stubbornness. "Nik…why can't you just…" she huffs, struggling for words before she bends down and presses her lips to his. "See me."
Ok, admittedly…. this was her hail Mary pass, she had to get him away from Tatia once and for all…. he liked her in the future, maybe he'd like her here too? She had to admit…she liked him, even if she didn't like admitting it. There was always a part of her that wanted him just as much as he wanted her, and if she'd been less of a person, if she'd put aside the needs of others and her loyalty to her friends—do what she wanted—she'd be with him right now in New Orleans.
He's staring at her like she's lost her mind.
Oh great…she's been friend-zoned.
"Thyra," he says edgily, sitting up as he meets her gaze, "you must understand—you're like a sister to me and I…"
Oh, it's worse than being friend-zoned, he thinks about her like a sibling.
That was just a low blow.
"Fine," Caroline says, blushing brightly as she stands, brushing away his hands when they grab at hers, trying to stop her, "It's fine Nik—leave me—I need to go get the water…Father will be up soon."
She doesn't see the way he winces at her words, or the way Kol is smirking in the background as he looks on from his place by the fire.
She tells herself his rejection meant nothing.
It meant everything.
She tells herself as she gathers firewood and ignores the sound of Tatia's laughter that when she gets home, she won't hate Elena every time she looks at her. It was stupid to feel spurned, but she can't look Nik in the eye anymore, and when he tries to reconcile with her, she finds something to busy herself with and walks away.
"You can't ignore him forever," Rebekah's voice calls as she approaches, carrying an armful of firewood as well, "Niklaus is distraught—I hate seeing him this way. He values your friendship and you won't speak to him."
"I'm fine," Caroline says quietly, "I kissed your brother and he rejected me."
She hears the clatter of firewood hit the ground and turns to look at Rebekah's shocked face.
"You kissed him?" she blinks at her and then asks, "Bloody hell Thyra I said be seductive, not uncouth!"
"What's wrong with kissing him? I've always wanted to-…" she trails off, catching herself before she spilt any more secrets.
"It's too forward," Rebekah scolds her soundly, gathering up the wood she dropped before shaking a thinner log pointedly at Caroline, "No wonder he's so coy about it all. He's taken aback by your brash behavior."
"I don't think that's it Rebekah," Caroline smiles wanly at her before starting towards the village, "I think he didn't realize I was into him."
"Into him?" Rebekah frowns as they walk, "how are you…into him?"
"You know…I like him—I don't think he knew it," Caroline explains.
"Oh," Rebekah says in understanding, "Fancied…I see. Well he certainly knows now—and would you believe he hasn't stopped staring at you since."
"Because I'm ignoring him and I know," Caroline sighs, "it's unfair to be angry with him…. I'm just really embarrassed."
"Well you should be," Rebekah tells her pointedly but then adds after a beat, "I wouldn't object to your affections towards Niklaus…. I do prefer you to Tatia anyhow. If you have intentions for my brother I do urge you to be subtler about it."
Caroline smiles wanly, stopping to look at Rebekah, "Thanks…. but I think I've humiliated myself enough as is."
"He's always watching you now," Rebekah says as they start to walk again, "I think he must realize his affection for you as well and regrets his actions."
Caroline chuckles, shakes her head. Rebekah really is still so young, not the world-weary original she knew before. If a man wants you, you'll know, and if he doesn't, he won't give you the time of day…it's that simple. They enter the village and dump the firewood off by the hut before helping Esther turn the soil in her garden. Later tonight would be the holiday bonfire, something Caroline has never seen done but is assured it is enjoyable. The whole village gathers, throwing wishes into the fire—there is music and food and dancing to accompany it. It is one of the few nights that they are allowed out of the hut at night, that Mikael isn't breathing down all their necks because of his paranoia regarding the wolves.
It'll definitely be refreshing.
When night falls, Caroline weaves flowers into her hair and helps Rebekah do the same. The two dress up and help Esther carry food and wine out to the bonfire that waited near the center of the village. Before her, Caroline could see the white oak looming in the background just before the fire, the light gleaming against the pale white surface of the tree. People were already gathering, among them was Klaus. Caroline met his gaze briefly as he passes by, Tatia at his side, the two laughing as they dance around the fire. He freezes for the briefest moments, meeting her gaze before looking away.
Caroline ignores him.
It's all she can do.
She doesn't have a wish to write down, she doesn't have a desire except to go home. So that is what she writes, and that is what she watches burn in the fire before she takes a mug of mead proffered to her by Kol and drinks deeply. He smirks at her, lifting his mug with a nod before drinking as well. She doesn't dance, but instead sits beneath the tree and watches them all dance, trying not to stare at Nik when he passes, nor the way he kisses Tatia, nor the way she laughs…the way Elijah looks on with a despairing look. Kol finds her and sits at her side, deep in his cups with a wicked smirk on his face. "You look positively dull," he announces as he watches her, "what's got you so down? Surely it isn't Niklaus…he isn't worth it, believe me."
"You stabbed me in the back and yet you'd come out here and sit with me as if we were allies," Caroline says quietly, "what's your angle?"
"No angle," he tells her seriously, "I want what you want…but I also want Elijah for Tatia. I merely noted your disappearance and Father put the pieces together on his own. I intended for him to find Niklaus, as I knew you would find him. I did not mean for Niklaus to turn on you—I thought perhaps if my wayward brother were to be caught with Tatia, it might dissuade him from her company—to preserve her virtue."
"She's a widow," Caroline says thoughtfully, "she isn't exactly a virgin."
"Father can't stand the sight of Niklaus happy," Kol says, "He was to our advantage to drive off Tatia."
"You threw me into the fire along with Nik," Caroline glowers hotly, "I thought he'd flog me for being out there!"
"But he didn't," Kol counters as he stands, offering his hand, "Let's dance…we look stiff and boring just sitting here."
"I don't want to dance," Caroline says on a sigh and flops back into the vervane they sit amongst.
"Rubbish," Kol tells her, catching her by the hand and yanking her up to her feet, "Come dance with me Thyra."
They dance.
They drink.
They dance some more.
Then as the waxing moon sits high in the sky and the fire they dance around burns brighter and brighter, Caroline still finds her eyes on Klaus, and his eyes on her between the blades of flame that dance between them. Then Tatia appears at his side and Caroline breaks away from his gaze, turning to Kol, her chin on his shoulder as they turn and circle the fire.
"You alright love?" Kol's voice near her ear even as she pulls away from him and turns back for the tree, Kol following along behind her.
"Tired?" Kol asks, trailing along beside her, "You should eat something, I think perhaps you've had too much…" he tells her, catching her as she sways, slowly lowering her to the ground beneath the tree.
Caroline watches Klaus, and watches him dance with Tatia, the way his eyes shine as he gazes upon her. She never realized she cared for him as she did until the day came that he did not care for her. She felt like a hypocrite, she had no right to crave him now. She turned him away and he fled to New Orleans…she had not right.
"Kol," Caroline says after a beat, his own gaze on the dancers, a wry smile curving his lips as he turns to look at her, "Kol…make me feel beautiful." She looks at him, blue eyes despairing. Did it make her a bad person to want this? To crave for someone to love her as Niklaus loved Tatia? Kol would not be that man, but when he kisses her, she can forget for a little while that she is a fool, and surely a bad person to want this.
At least for a little while.
She awakens with a terrible headache and Esther's voice, soothing though firm, "It's time to get up."
"My head…" Caroline groans painfully.
"Drink this," she tells her, "It will ease your pain."
She drinks the draught gratefully, draining the cup quickly. There were advantages to living with a witch, and this was one of them. The pain fades quickly, enough that she can focus and clean herself up. She fetches the water, feeds the pigs and helps Esther prepare breakfast for her sons who left before dawn with Mikael to hunt.
Well…not all of them.
Kol was out cold and Klaus was snoring on his stomach. Caroline kicks him in the ankle as she steps over him, struggling with her desire to be vindictive—why was she so angry with him? He grunts and his hand darts out, catching her by the ankle, causing her to stumble.
"Bastard," Caroline mutters beneath her breath and kicks away from him, glowering hotly when he peers up at her.
"Thyra," he says groggily, but she shakes free of his grip and leaves the hut.
"Thyra!" Klaus shouts as Caroline storms firmly into the thicket beyond the village, gathering herbs, digging into the snow as she searches for usable plants that haven't been tainted by the burning cold of the snow. "Thyra!" he shouts angrily, storming up to her, "Look at me!"
"Don't shout at me!" Caroline shouted back at him, throwing herbs in his face as she catches him by surprise, "Don't you raise your voice at me Niklaus!"
"What have I done to earn such anger from you? Would you rather I string you along as you say, deceive you with false affections when my intentions clearly lie elsewhere?"
"No," Caroline growls, frustrated, humiliated, confused. "No Nik…I don't want that."
"Then what would you have of me?" He demands irritably, "that I might have my friend back."
"Nothing!" Caroline says, "Nothing Klaus…it's not your fault—you did only what you felt right."
"You moved on quickly enough," he says after a beat, "I saw you with Kol."
"I was…." Caroline struggles for words, "I was lonely…. everyone had someone…we'd both had a lot to drink…it wasn't like he or I meant for anything other than companionship."
"Oh really," he says, narrowing his gaze, "and you belittle Tatia for her actions, perhaps you should look to your own—you sought only to anger me."
"I sought only to feel wanted!" Caroline snarls, gasps at the truth she just blurted out loud and then snaps her mouth shut.
He stares at her, mouth agape, his eyes unreadable. "I never meant to make you feel as such."
"It's not your fault," Caroline says, "you…you didn't cause this—I brought it on myself and I know that doesn't make sense…just let me be Nik…let me wash it away and when you see me again…." She smiles wanly, suppressing the sharpness that digs into her soul as she speaks, "we'll be friends."
She is true to her word.
They become friends again, and when she sees him with Tatia, she is blind to it. She doesn't have the right to feel as such, not when she gave up her chance. This was his life before he knew her, and she had no right to interfere. Let him enjoy his humanity while he still can, and she would find a way home and leave this place.
"Miserable cow," Rebekah makes a face as she watches Tatia with Elijah. It was spring again, and they were helping Esther prepare the garden for planting. Caroline was only a little way farther in finding a way home—she needed the same ring she used to send her here, to get herself home.
A ring she wasn't even sure existed yet—let alone know where to find it.
"You should try again," Rebekah says, "I can't bear to see Niklaus so miserable," Rebekah says, nodding towards the sulking blond across the way.
"She promised herself to Elijah," Caroline sniffs, "what can I say—we tried to warn him."
"Doesn't stop him from mooning over her," Rebekah says irritably but quiets when Esther scolds them for their current distraction.
Caroline works, throwing herself into whatever is before her, striving to ignore Nik without ignoring him. He watches her and she watches him, he is civil and she is too, though she won't stay in his company any longer then she can bear it.
"Your staring again," Rebekah smacks her on the thigh with the small shovel she's holding, smirking at her friend knowingly.
"Shut up," Caroline grouses and returns to her work, hating herself for her stupidity.
This is ridiculous, it's like his past version is getting revenge on her for turning down his future version. However impossible, she wouldn't put it past him to do that. Caroline refuses to look at him now, though civil with him when they speak. She thinks it might be irritating him that she won't look at him, and even more irritating that Kol is keen to spend his time with her. In truth, they were working on deciphering a page in his Mother's grimoire, something she thinks might work to get her home.
"You'll need that bloody ring before you can go anywhere," Kol grouses, flipping through the grimoire, "and mind the door will you—if Mother finds us meddling with this we'll both be flogged."
"How come you've never asked me where it is I'm going?" Caroline asks suddenly, curious as she watches him work.
"Because I don't really care," he says honestly, "what I care about is rescuing my beloved brother from that wretch of a woman."
"What and flinging her on Elijah?" Caroline asks, stepping up beside him.
"Elijah would do better with her—Niklaus doesn't deserve her," he grouses.
"Why do you hate him?" Caroline asks curiously, peering over his shoulder at the grimoire.
"Because he takes for granted all he's given and I must forever live in his shadow—why else? How would you feel living under the shadow of a sibling? —I don't hate him either…just…feel an intense dislike for his person at the moment."
"Oh Kol," Caroline makes a face, "seriously? You too?" Caroline throws her hands up, exasperated, "what is it about her magical golden vagina you men find so fascinating?"
He all but chokes on the wine he's drinking, blinks at her wide eyed and suddenly bursts with laughter, "My…how I love your fire—you're so much more fun like this! No…I am not drawn to her womanly wiles—merely annoyed that I am invisible next to such greatness."
"Hardly," Caroline smiles wanly, "you're just as handsome—you'll find someone one day."
"Spare me your sympathy," Kol sneers, "I've no desire to settle down—now let's focus. This spell is dangerous and complicated—I'm going to need a lot of things before we can get started and most importantly I'll need that ring—your task is to find it."
"I have no idea where it is," Caroline tells him, "How do I start?"
"Not my problem," Kol says in a sing-song voice before waving her off, "Go on little witch, find me that ring."
How did she go from being the mastermind to the minion? Kol had a way of flipping this on her that she didn't appreciate one bit. She heads into the woods, wielding a list of ingredients Kol sent her out for. The ring would be a delicate matter, she wasn't sure where to start. Perhaps it belonged to Esther? Something that was a link to this time-period. She could search the hut, maybe Ayana's as well. After a while, she stops mid-stride, listening to the sounds of the forest. It's quiet here but she's learned the paths, she knows where the herbs grow and the flowers bloom. She knows the trees and the sound of the creek nearby….
What she doesn't recognize is the crunch of grass behind her.
"You've been following me," Caroline says aloud, turning to face the young boy in the distance behind her. "Henrik…you shouldn't be out here."
"Forgive me," he says earnestly as he approaches, "I only meant to escort you…the woods aren't safe and you went alone."
Caroline smiles knowingly, tilting her head to one side, "Did Niklaus put you up to this?"
He stares at her.
"He did, didn't he?" Caroline rolls her eyes, groaning irritably, "Why?"
"He wanted me to spy on you," he admits quietly, "he promised me his share of sweet bread if I did."
"And relay what to him might I ask?" Caroline replies curiously.
"He wonders what you're doing," Henrik says tentatively, "He saw you and Kol meddling with Mother's grimoire."
"Of course, he did," Caroline sighs heavily, "Look…I'll give you my share of sweet bread as well if you do me a favor—least I tell Mikael you've been out wandering without him?"
Henrik stares at her in horror, "You wouldn't dare…"
"Oh I would," Caroline says firmly—no she wouldn't, but he didn't need to know that right then. "I want you to take this apple to Niklaus and tell him if he wishes to know what I'm up to, he can come ask me himself."
Henrik stares at the apple and then at Caroline before taking the fruit and dashing off back towards the village. Caroline smiles wanly, shaking her head as she watches him go. Nik would have to do a lot better than that if he was going to spy on her.
"Change of plans," Caroline announces as she enters the hut, pulling off her shawl as she looks at Kol, "Niklaus is suspicious of us—we need to throw him off."
"Oh, that's easy," Kol grins at her wickedly, "He already thinks you and I are courting."
"If he tells your Mother what we're doing—it's over," Caroline tells him pointedly, "She'll hide the grimoire and we'll never find it."
"Then we'd better make it convincing," Kol says with a mischievous gleam in his eye.
Two hours later, Kol is clinging to his burning red cheek and staring at Caroline like she'd grown a second head. "What was that for?"
"I said make it convincing Kol," Caroline snarls, "Not shove your tongue down my throat in broad daylight!"
"Well Niklaus believes it for sure now," he chuckles.
"You grabbed my ass!" Caroline all but shouts, "they're going to think I'm some…whore!"
"It worked, didn't it?" Kol snarls back, straightening. "Niklaus no longer suspects us, we can work in peace now."
They were so wrong about that.
In fact, if anything she could swear he was following her. He seemed to pick on Kol more than his other brothers, vindictive as he tends to be. It wasn't until the day Mikael slaughtered his favorite horse that the damn of his secrets broke and Caroline realized what was actually going on.
She remembers it so clearly, the morning she walked towards the stables and found Nik covered in blood, on his knees. Mikael passes her, sparing her hardly a glance with a bloody sword in one hand.
"What happened?" Caroline starts and lets out a gasp, turning away from the gruesome sight of the dead horse. "Oh Nik…I'm sorry…"
"He said I was too distracted as of late, he felt the horse was only adding to the problem so he dispatched of it," Nik tells her quietly, his voice like ice, "Have you come to sneer at me too perchance? Perhaps to revel in my misery? You certainly seem keen enough to spurn me at every turn lately."
"What?" Caroline blinks at him in surprise.
"We used to be friends you and I, we enjoyed each other's company—but you've found another to entertain you, haven't you? How is Kol lately? I rarely see him as he's catering to your every whim."
"Don't you start with me about ass kissing suitors Niklaus," Caroline snarls venomously, "you're the one trailing along behind Tatia like a child at her skirts!"
"No better than you letting Kol ravish you like the blackguard that he is in broad daylight—it's embarrassing—you should be ashamed of yourself, behaving like a whore…." He doesn't finish the sentence, his cheek stinging sharply.
"Niklaus understand something," Caroline says firmly, getting in his face, "I will kiss who I want, I will do as I please, I am not yours—you gave up that opportunity in favor of chasing a woman who would rather keep your balls in her purse then make good on an ill-gotten promise to you. Call me a whore again Niklaus…see what happens." Caroline snarls right in his face, turning to stalk off back towards the village.
She doesn't get very far.
In fact, she makes it about two feet before he's crushing her arm in his grip and dragging her back towards the stables. "Get off me!"
"Shut it," he says sourly, "stop flailing woman, you know better."
"How dare you," Caroline snarls, clawing at his arm but to no avail, "Let go of me you dirty playboy!"
"You've no husband to punish you for your indiscretions, but I suppose I'm the closest you have to a brother, I'll have to do."
"Wait—what?" Caroline blinks in horror, "what are you doing?" Caroline yelps when he sits, dragging her down into his lap, "Hang on a minute—what are you…" she yelps again when he bends her over his knee and brings his hand so sharply down on her backside she bites down on her lip, desperately trying not to scream.
Klaus was spanking her…
This was so not fair.
"It's either this or I can flog you love," Klaus tells her firmly, "I'd rather do this—less scarring…you've got such lovely pale skin, I'd hate to mar that." Another sharp slap and Caroline closes her eyes, struggling between pain and pleasure. He literally had no idea what he was doing to her, he probably thought he was just doing his duty and putting her in her place or whatever it is they do when women got a little wild.
It was honestly just turning her on in the worst way.
"Nik…" Caroline cries out, "Nik stop…seriously…" she yelps when he smacks her backside again, harder, sharply, the flat of his palm sliding over her rump.
"Now, you didn't seem to mind Kol touching you so inappropriately, I figured you wouldn't mind this sort of punishment really."
She had to stop this, he wasn't punishing her, he was torturing her.
She does something effective but low…just so very...low.
"You think it's ok to just grab me and spank me Nik?" Caroline snarls, her free hand reaching between his thighs, grabbing hold of two very important items necessary to procreation and clenching.
He gasps, shock and pain etched across his face, "Go on Nik…hit me again."
She is shocked when he does, hot determination in his gaze, mixed with agony.
"You stubborn-…" Caroline shrieks when his hand slides beneath her skirt and slaps her bare skin so sharply the pleasure dulls and is left mostly pain.
Wait…was he getting hard?
She wretches her hand away, flailing as she tries to get out of his lap only to be slapped again on the backside, this time above her skirts. "I didn't say you could leave."
"I wasn't asking!" Caroline snarls and yanks away from him, determined.
She is gone before he can stop her.