"Caroline, do you really think this is a good idea?" Bonnie asked calmly as she watched her friend speed around her room to get dressed and ready to go. She hadn't really expected Caroline to act differently, but Bonnie didn't feel like getting caught between Klaus and Caroline, when they in a few minutes would storm into the Mikaelson townhouse; Bonnie more or less dragged after Caroline.
"Oh, you mean like you and Stefan agreeing that keeping Elena in Klaus' cellar for over two months was a good idea?" Caroline hissed back and Bonnie sighed as she tried to clean up the mess Caroline had made in her tantrum. Needlessly to say Caroline had become angry, when Bonnie told her Elena had been locked up for the last couple of months with her friends' consent.
"I told you that there was nothing else we could do. Her humanity is off and she was starting getting rabid like the last time. We can't get her to tell why she turned off her emotions and she won't turn them back on either. And Klaus don't care. I think that he finds it amusing actually." Bonnie explained again, not sure that Caroline was even listening.
"Bastard!" Caroline sneered as she quickly pulled on a pair of ankle boots and then looked at Bonnie, ready to go yell at the Original hybrid.
Once again Bonnie almost smiled even though it was highly inappropriate. Caroline looked ready for a fight with her damp hair – from the shower she had just taken, breaking all records for hastiness – in a high ponytail, a military green button-up satin shirt and black skinny jeans.
"You probably shouldn't call him that." Bonnie quickly told Caroline, remembering what Kol had said about certain topics that were sensitive to Klaus. "Esther – Klaus' mother – slept with another man, while she was married to Mikael and gave birth to Klaus. Mikael hated his bastard son and hunted him for a millennium before Klaus killed him. It was actually outside Tyler's house at the dance. Tyler sedated you so you wouldn't be harmed as we were trying to kill Klaus and… well, it's kind of complicated."
Bonnie stopped her storytelling, when she realized that Caroline probably had no memory of Tyler being sired to Klaus or that Stefan was the one who stopped Damon from killing Klaus, giving the hybrid the opportunity to drive the white oak stake through Mikael instead.
Caroline froze in place and stared at Bonnie with wide eyes as a small piece of Klaus' family history was revealed to her. She then remembered what Klaus had said about his mother, who had tried to kill her children and Caroline felt how her stomach dropped, making her fiery anger subside a little.
"Right, sensitive subject. Got it. Now let's go." Caroline spoke and was already out of the door and walking down the stairs. Bonnie ran after her with a sigh and pulled out her phone to text a warning to Stefan.
She had grown close to the youngest Salvatore ever since she had been back from the dead and he was part of the reason Bonnie had chosen to stay in New Orleans. Other than that she had nowhere else to go and she knew that Caroline was coming back, so she had patiently waited for her.
"Care, maybe you should try to calm down a little before you just knock down the door. Not that I wouldn't enjoy watching Klaus getting his ass kicked, but everything would go a lot easier if you refrained from screaming at him." Bonnie called after Caroline as she walked a few feet behind the leggy blonde, who was marching towards the Mikaelson townhouse with a determined look on her face.
"Where is the Bonnie, who wasn't afraid to take on any vampire and was fearless as hell?" Caroline mused over her shoulder as they continued down the street, receiving both irritated glares and admiring second glances. Bonnie's eyes glided over the people passing by as the feeling of being followed intensified and she knew that Klaus probably already knew they were coming. At least that gave him time to prepare to meet the blonde amazon.
"She died and a less powerful Bonnie came back. I am back to where I started, when I first found out I was a witch. Besides, I have you now so I don't need to be fearless anymore." Bonnie told Caroline, who walked a couple of steps backwards as she smiled at her.
When they reached the front door of the townhouse it sprung open, revealing a distressed looking Stefan on the other side. It took him a moment to fully take in Caroline's fury and when he did, he slowly backed away and into the house as Bonnie and Caroline stepped in after him.
"You're next, Salvatore." Caroline told him angrily and pointed at him with a serious look on her face. Stefan's eyes met Bonnie's as he sent her a both confused and scared look. Before Bonnie could say anything, they were interrupted by a cheerful voice that came from the stairs.
"Hi Caroline and Bonnie!" Henrik called and quickly skipped down the stairs with a big smile on his face. Bonnie noticed how Caroline's body relaxed a little, but she still had a hard time hiding the scowl on her face.
"Hi Henrik." Bonnie replied and quickly squatted in front of him so he wouldn't notice how strained the smile on Caroline's lips was. "You know what, I would really like to see that Lego castle that you told me about the other day with the dragon and the knights. Could you show me that?"
Henrik looked at her for a long moment before shifting his eyes to Stefan, clearly sensing that something was wrong. Luckily, Henrik was a smart kid and he had quickly developed an impressive sense of situation that completely outshined his uncle's.
"Okay. It's upstairs." Henrik told her with a shrug and took Bonnie by the hand, dragging her after him up the stairs. Caroline waited until she heard the door close to Henrik's room before she turned to Stefan with a glare.
"Where is he?" Caroline growled and didn't wait for an answer before she moved towards the living room and opened the doors to reveal an empty room.
"He should be here." Stefan answered warily, feeling like a coward as he ratted out his friend. But better Klaus than him as Stefan wasn't nearly as indestructible as the hybrid.
"Klaus Mikaelson! Come down here now!" Caroline yelled at the ceiling and a second later, Klaus appeared on the stairs before he casually made his way towards them. He stopped in his descend for a moment, when he finally noticed how much Caroline was fuming and it only took a quick look at Stefan to know that he was in trouble.
"And good morning to you, love." Klaus then greeted with a smirk on his face. He knew that his nonchalant behavior would only make her angrier, but he couldn't stop himself from smiling as he took her in. She had a fire in her eyes that was accompanied by rosy cheeks that clearly revealed her mood, but also made her as beautiful as ever. The creamy skin of her neck was exposed and Klaus could almost see her pulse fasten as his eyes glided down over her body and her perfectly fitted clothes.
"I want you to undo everything you have done to him." Caroline growled as his ridiculous smile and blatant stare made her fume with anger. She quickly stepped closer to him, so they were standing with only a couple of feet between each other and glared at him, making his smile grow a little.
"You will have to be more specific to whom you are talking about." Klaus calmly told her and her stomach dropped, when she realized Damon's life wasn't the only one the Original hybrid had destroyed.
"Damon." she answered blatantly and crossed her arms in front of her as she glared at him defiantly. She watched how his face fell as his whole demeanor became cold and rigid, making Caroline falter slightly and her determination crumble. The moment Klaus gave his answer, Caroline felt the fire within her ignite once more and her anger resurfaced.
"No." was all Klaus said as he stared back at her. Caroline could feel Stefan shift uncomfortably behind her, but she didn't feel bad for him. He had let Klaus destroy his brother while he ran around playing best friends with the man.
"You have no right to do this to him." she replied, her voice shaking with anger.
"I don't need anyone's acceptance to do anything, Caroline. I do as I please and if I want Damon Salvatore to suffer in Hell for what he did, I will make it happen." Klaus sneered back at her as he took a step closer, making the tension between them electric.
"I'm sorry, DiCaprio, but you're not 'the king of the world', so get over yourself and stop acting like such an asshole." Caroline told him mockingly as she poked his chest with her finger. The malicious smirk that had been on his lips disappeared like the flip of a switch and Caroline had to brace herself mentally as she met his rage with a determined look in her eyes.
"I moved on, but you have taken that from me in some selfish attempt to ease your own anger. What Damon once did to me has nothing to do with you, hell, I barely even know you." Caroline continued with a low trembling voice. She cursed herself mentally, when Klaus' hard gaze softened the tiniest bit, but she found it hard to control her feeling as the memories of Damon biting into her overtook her for a mere second.
"And yet, here you are; yelling at me." Klaus answered calmly, his voice laced with both frustration and slight amusement that made a scowl appear on Caroline's face.
"God, you're infuriating." Caroline growled and crossed her arms in front of her, when she realized how little space there suddenly was between them. The tips of their feet were almost touching and Caroline had to tilt her head a little upwards to look him in the eyes.
"Damon is getting the punishment he deserves. The punishment your friends should have given him. And you shouldn't have been forced to move on just because dear Elena was in love with him." Klaus told her with a surprisingly soft voice, but Caroline clearly heard the cool edge in his tone of voice as he spoke of Elena.
What in the world has she ever done to him? Well, I guess she did help kill Kol, but wasn't everybody trying to kill the Originals back then?
"I wasn't forced into doing anything!" Caroline retorted with a loud voice as she gestured with her hands, making Klaus lean slightly backwards to not get hit. She would have liked that, though. "I chose to move on, because that is how you survive! How you don't end up like…"
"Like me." Klaus finished with a voice so cold that Caroline almost shuttered.
"Yes." she answered calmly and met his unyielding gaze slowly. She watched how he blinked once in surprise, when he noticed the pitying look in Caroline's eyes. But the next moment anger flashed through his eyes again and several moments passed before anyone spoke.
"A heartless monster." Klaus then said with an almost shaking voice and Caroline resisted her strange urge to reach out for him, to comfort him.
"No. A hurt child, who bullies others because his parents didn't love him." Caroline told him with a firm but calm voice and she saw how his words startled him for a moment before a smirk grew on his lips; almost as if he was laughing at her words.
"Someone has been studying." Klaus taunted coolly and his hands slowly linked behind his back in a way that aggravated Caroline, even though she wasn't sure why.
"Someone warned me against calling you a bastard." Caroline told him and the smile fell from his face once again.
"How considerate." the Original hybrid growled and he finally took his eyes of Caroline to glare at Stefan, who was standing on the sideline, looking very uncomfortable.
"Bonnie told me." Caroline quickly said before she could think of the pros and cons of letting Stefan take the blame. Klaus and Bonnie didn't exactly seem friendly with each other and her best friend wasn't as indestructible as Stefan.
"And where is the little witch?" Klaus grumbled and his eyes went around the entrance hall before settling on Caroline once again. She met his glare with raised eyebrows as a question to what he was going to do with the information and a mischievous smile grew on his face, when he realized what she was asking.
"She's with Henrik, upstairs." Stefan said and Caroline's head whipped around to glare at him with an irritated look in her eyes. Did he really have to tell the angry hybrid that his old enemy, who was a witch, was currently spending time alone with said hybrid's son?
Klaus' smile fell and his lips pursed in annoyance as his eyes glided over the ceiling and stopped where Henrik's room was placed. As he took a moment to listen Klaus heard his son talk animatedly about his Lego castle while Bonnie kept asking questions about Henrik's creations.
A short pointed look at Stefan made the Salvatore vampire nod and moved towards the stairs. Klaus felt Caroline's annoyed stare at him, but didn't look at her until she suddenly called out for Stefan, who was halfway up the stairs.
"I'm not done with you yet!" Caroline told Stefan with a reminding glare, making the vampire gulp visibly before he quickly took the last steps up the stairs and disappeared down the hall.
When Caroline turned her attention back to Klaus, she was surprised to see how intently he was studying her. She knew that she should probably feel intimidated by that stare, but instead Caroline just crossed her arms in front of her again and met his glare with a lifted chin. Their stare contest seemed to amuse Klaus as a smirk spread on his lips and Caroline scoffed in irritation before she opened her mouth to speak.
"I can't let Damon go, Caroline." Klaus interrupted decidedly, making Caroline's mouth slam shut again as she scowled at him.
"You mean you won't." Caroline argued and huffed angrily, when Klaus didn't disagree. She closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose for a moment before continuing. "Fine. But don't think for a second that I will let this go."
"I would be disappointed if you did, love." Klaus mused and Caroline wanted to smack him, when she saw the smug look in his eyes. Even though, Caroline didn't give up, he had still won the fight for now and she felt her stubbornness writhe inside of her.
"I suspect that Bonnie told you about Elena as well?" Klaus continued calmly and the soft expression he wore surprised Caroline. She took a calming breath before she nodded, reminding herself that it was her friends, who had locked up Elena and that Klaus might as well could have killed her if he wanted to, but for some reason he hadn't.
"Would you like to yell at me some more then?" Klaus asked with raised eyebrows and Caroline could hear the frustration in his voice, making roll her eyes and smile at him unbelievably. Had he really expected her to thank him for what he did to Damon?
"No. But you're going to take me to her." Caroline told him determinedly and was already walking in the direction she thought Elena was.
"Are you sure?" Klaus asked, quickly catching up to her and taking the lead, when Caroline stopped in confusion.
"Why wouldn't I be?" she asked incredulously and Klaus turned on his heels to face her with an almost worried expression on his face.
"Because as much as she amuses me, she very much knows how to push your buttons. And we wouldn't want you to lose your temper, would we?" Klaus said in a teasing manner, making Caroline even more confused.
"I didn't know you were so concerned for Elena's well being." Caroline said over her shoulder as she walked past Klaus and further down the dim-lighted hall. She was surprised by the small sting of jealousy she felt and she almost shook her head violently to get rid of it.
"You misunderstand, love. I only worry about what it would do to you if you accidently hurt her. The greater the power, the harder it gets to control it and correct me if I'm wrong, but I take it that you are not fully in control of your emotions at the moment." Klaus replied as he came to walk beside her, almost making Caroline came to another halt as his words surprised her once again.
She wasn't prepared for this; for him to care what she thought about herself in such a way, for him to know her so well. Her eyes met his for a long moment as they continued walking, but Caroline looked away when she could no longer fight the smile that broke through. Why was he making it so hard to stay mad at him?
"Well, I've spent the last five years practicing self-control so I should do fine, thank you very much." Caroline told him with a serious expression on her face as she continued to look forward.
"And I suppose you expect me to believe that you did not lose control once during that time?" Klaus asked; his voice both curious and slightly annoyed. Caroline glared at him shortly and he clearly already knew the answer to his question. But he also knew that Caroline wasn't going to tell him anything about it, so she simply refrained from answering.
"This way?" she asked, when they reached the end of the hall, where a door was placed on their left. Klaus radiated frustration as he reached to open the door for them and Caroline knew that he was angered by her lack of answer.
On the other side of the door was a steep stairway and the lights on the walls gradually turned on as they moved down the stairs in silence. The tension between them was strained and Caroline tried to take deep breaths as soundlessly as possible to calm her nerves. She wasn't going to let Klaus have the satisfaction of being right about her losing control.
When they reached the bottom of the stairs they were standing at the beginning of short dark hall that was made entirely out of concrete. On their left were two metal doors with small bars placed in eye height, reminding Caroline of the cellar in the Salvatore boarding house.
As Klaus moved over to the second door, Caroline took a quick look into the first one and was secretly relieved to find it empty. The room was small and Caroline could only see a lonely chair stand in the middle of the room and some chains hanging from the walls.
Her eyes snapped from the room, when she heard the other door opened as the hinges squeaked loudly, making the resident groan tiredly. Caroline was standing in the hall, out of sight for Elena and she suddenly felt nervous about facing her old friend again.
As Caroline pondered about what to say, Klaus stepped into the room that was considerably bigger than the other and watched how the doppelgänger laid stretched out on the bed with an unmistakable look on her face. Klaus looked at her expectantly as he waited for her to begin her charades.
"Klaus." Elena purred as she flung her legs over the bedside and ran a quick hand through her chestnut colored hair. "Fancy seeing you here. Come to keep me company?"
"Enjoying your isolation?" Klaus asked in return as he leaned against the wall, his arms crossed in front of him and a bored expression on his face.
"I'm cold." Elena complained softly as she rose from the bed and walked towards him.
"I could use a hot body to keep me warm." She told him suggestively, but Klaus didn't even lift an eyebrow.
She was standing in front of him with a seductive look in her eyes that did nothing for Klaus at all. Instead he thought she looked rather ridiculous and when she reached out to touch him he quickly snatched her hand and forced it behind her back so she was no longer facing him, making Elena grunt in pain.
"How deep the mighty have fallen. You should save your tricks for poor Stefan, sweetheart. He might be more reluctant than I to tear off your arm." Klaus mused; his mouth close to her ear as he yanked her arms upwards, almost breaking it in the process.
"Let go of her." Caroline told Klaus as she finally stepped into the room and the smirk on his face disappeared as he pushed Elena away from him with an irritated sigh; the fun had just begun, when Caroline interrupted.
"Caroline?! I can't believe you're back!" Elena exclaimed with wide surprised eyes as she threw her arms around Caroline's neck and Klaus felt how the wolf inside him growled protectively, when he saw how Caroline's eyes suddenly shined brightly.
But Caroline was quick to catch on and anger filled her blue eyes, when she realized Elena was playing her so the brunette could escape out of the open door behind Caroline. Before Elena could even think about removing herself from Caroline, Klaus was standing in the doorway between Elena and her freedom with his hands behind his back and a smirk on his lips.
"Cut it out, Elena." Caroline growled as she removed Elena' arms from around her neck, making the other vampire take a step back with an expression of feigned hurt on her face.
"But-" Elena started, while she discretely eyed Klaus to see if there still was a way out, making the smirk on his lips grow.
"You don't fool me." Caroline interrupted with a cold voice and Elena's expression immediately fell back into the bored one she usually wore.
"So the lost princess finally has returned to judge us all. We had five good years without all your whining, you know." Elena drawled and mischievous gleam was in her eyes. Klaus could see how Caroline tensed even though he wasn't able to see her face and he sent Elena a warning glare that she pretended not to notice. "I bet everyone told you how much they miss you. That's a lie."
"By the way, shouldn't the two of you be off somewhere having sex?" Elena then asked and grinned, when she saw the shocked expression on Caroline's face. "Or is your Klaus-virginity still intact? Such a tease…"
There was a long moment of silence and Klaus was torn between ripping out Elena's throat for taunting Caroline and wanting to hear how the blonde reacted to Elena's words. He didn't expect the humorless laughter that suddenly filled the room and both he and Elena seemed confused by Caroline's reaction.
"Why are you laughing?" Elena asked boringly and Klaus watched how Caroline's shoulders relaxed, when the blonde gained control over the situation once more.
"Because you think your words affect me in any way. Sticks and stones, Elena. Sticks and stones." Caroline replied tauntingly and a complacent smile was on her lips as she watched Elena's eyebrows furrow.
"Well, if I can't insult you then you are no use to me." Elena shrugged and leaned against the wall behind her, already searching the room for some other entertainment.
"You really think that's why I'm here? To please you?" Caroline asked with a laugh, her eyebrows raised in what seemed like inappropriate amusement.
"Then why are you here?" the brunette asked, her eyes glowing with faked interest.
"To get back your humanity." Caroline answered confidently with her arms crossed in front of her and wicked smile grew on Elena's lips as she looked past Caroline to Klaus, who was staring back at her from his spot in the doorway.
"What did you promise Klaus in return? A lap dance?" Elena laughed, clearly thinking Caroline had convinced Klaus to compel Elena to turn back on her emotions.
"No. I'm going to do it myself." Caroline told her, not fazed by Elena's attempt to embarrass her.
"Sure." Elena mocked and sent Caroline an encouraging smile that made the blonde roll her eyes." Bonnie and Stefan have already tried everything."
"They haven't tried to compel you." Caroline said casually and sat down on Elena's bed without taking her eyes of the brunette. Elena's eyes narrowed in confusion for a second and Klaus noticed Caroline smile at Elena's small display of emotion.
"What do you mean?" Elena asked as she in her mind tried to piece everything together to match Caroline's words.
"So much has happened in five years." Caroline told her with a secretive smile, making Elena slightly frustrated. Elena quickly pushed the feeling away, not allowing herself to give in to her emotions and changed the course of their conversation.
"Why do you even care whether my emotions are on?" Elena sighed tiredly in an attempt to take back the control from Caroline.
"Because we used to be friends and this" Caroline said, imitating Elena's nonchalant tone and gestured her hand towards her old friend. "is just annoying."
"Used to be friends?" Elena gasped in feigned shock and Caroline glared at her with an annoyed expression on her face. "I thought you were the loyal one. The one who always forgave and forgot. But then again, you did leave us all behind."
Elena almost laughed, when Caroline's hand suddenly was around her neck; pressing her up against the wall behind her with a murderous expression on the blonde's face.
"Easy, love." Klaus warned calmly, but didn't move a muscle as he stood, leaning against the doorway.
"Why are you still here?" Caroline sighed irritated as her blonde curls flowed through the air so she could look at him without letting go of Elena, who was having trouble breathing.
"I wouldn't miss this for the world." Klaus told her and smirked as he nodded pointedly at Elena, making Caroline lose her grip and Elena fall to the floor while taking deep breaths to refill her lungs with air. Caroline shot Elena a disgusted look before she crouched down to her level with a cold expression on her face.
"You know why I left, Elena?" Caroline started, but didn't wait for any possibly insulting remark Elena had to give.
"Because I was tired of bending over backwards, risking everyone's lives when we had to save you, yet again. When your humanity was off the last time; you tried to kill me and my mother, you stole my freaking prom dress, tried to kill Bonnie and decided to tell me that I was a clingy control freak that everybody ran from."
Caroline heard Klaus growl from behind, reminding her that Klaus was indeed half werewolf, but she ignored him even though his eyes were almost burning holes in her back. Maybe saying those things in front of Klaus wasn't the best idea she had had that day, but as soon as she had started talking, she didn't find herself capable of stopping until Elena knew exactly what Caroline felt about their past friendship.
"And you didn't even have the courtesy to apologize afterwards because that would take your focus of what you wanted. Before that you killed Klaus' brother, sacrificing maybe hundreds of vampires in the process just so you could find the stupid cure, have your brother killed and then decide you didn't even want it. And how did it all end again? Our best friend died for you happiness, Elena! Bonnie died!"
"She's alive now." Elena retorted hoarsely, making Caroline smile eerily as she caught Elena's gaze.
"Turn back on your emotions." Caroline demanded in a dangerous voice.
"No." Elena sneered and turned her head away from Caroline, who was only inches from her. Caroline grabbed Elena's chin and yanked her head towards her, making it impossible for Elena to look away.
"Turn them back on." Caroline compelled Elena, whose eyes grew wide in shock, when her emotions overwhelmed her. The guilt in Elena's eyes were immense and Caroline stood up, moving towards the exit as she was not ready to hear Elena's apology nor explain how Caroline had been able to compel her.
Klaus stepped away from the door as Caroline brushed past him without sparing him a single look and she made it to the stairs, before his voice stopped her.
"Caroline." Klaus called softly, his seething anger from moments ago completely gone.
"What?" Caroline snapped as she whipped her head around, impatient to get out of there. She watched how his gaze hardened because of her sharp tone and she immediately regretted it.
"Anything I can do for you?" he asked with a strained voice, making Caroline walk back towards him in long strides.
"Right now, I just need to be alone." she told him calmly and smiled apologetically. Caroline sighed, when he nodded in understanding and surprised them both by wrapping her arms around his neck and hugging him. Klaus' arms quickly find their way around her waist and Caroline felt how their embrace tightened.
"Thank you." Caroline murmured into his ear and quickly pulled away, afraid of what would happen if they stayed so close for too long. Without looking at him further, Caroline quickly made her way up the stairs and didn't stop walking until she was out of the house, breathing in the air as if she had been without it for hours.