"Elena." Caroline breathed as she opened her door and found the brunette on the other side.
"Hey…" Elena greeted with a low voice and looked to the floor after her chocolate brown eyes met Caroline's blue ones for a second. The chestnut colored hair and tanned complexion had returned to its former glory as Elena had been offered a shower and a couple of blood bags by Stefan after Klaus had let her out of her prison.
Elena seemed small in front of Caroline as she stood with her head bowed and one arm hugging the other. An awkward silence spread between them until Caroline finally stepped aside and asked Elena to come in, which she did without any further thought.
"Marie is really nice." Elena said hesitantly as she looked around the room in an attempt to not meet Caroline's glare. The blonde vampire nodded and then continued to look at Elena expectantly, not sure what she was doing in Caroline's hotel room.
"And this is much nicer than the room I've been in for the last couple of months." Elena laughed, but her smile fell as soon as her eyes met Caroline's. Elena was yet to tell why she even was in Caroline's room and the blonde was growing impatient.
Caroline had calmed down from their altercation two hours earlier, but she felt herself quickly growing irritated by Elena's tip-toing. If Elena insisted on visiting her, she better have something important to say because at the moment Caroline was all but ready to throw her over the balcony.
"What do you want, Elena?" Caroline sighed and crossed her arms in front of her. Elena's eyebrows furrowed at the rude tone in Caroline's voice and when the blonde didn't apologize, she looked dumbfounded. But Caroline was tired of apologizing and always taking the blame if something between them went wrong so she just continued to stare at Elena.
"I wanted to thank you for bringing me back. For caring about what happened to me and not leaving me in that cell, even though you probably wanted to." Elena told her slowly and Caroline couldn't stop the smile that crept up on her lips, making Elena smile as well. As angry Caroline had been with Elena over the things that had happened between them, she had missed her friend as well.
"I could never leave you in a place that unsanitary." Caroline responded and both of their smiles grew.
"I am sorry, Caroline, I really am. I know how wrong it was of me to never apologize for the things I did to you, when my emotions were off and I wish that I could take it all back. Oh, and sorry for the things I said earlier. I didn't mean it and I have really missed you." Elena said; her voice almost pleading as she looked at Caroline with her doe eyes.
"I missed you as well, Lena, and I know I might have been a little harsh, but you were really being a bitch." Caroline laughed as she let Elena pull her into a hug. It didn't feel the same as it had five years ago and Caroline doubted they would ever be as close again as she was with Bonnie. But in that moment it was nice to have her friend back.
"You should hear the things I've said to Stefan and Bonnie. I wouldn't blame them if they hated me." Elena said and Caroline could hear the regret in her voice.
"Please tell me what the whole Klaus thing was about?" Caroline asked as she pulled away from their embrace and lifted her eyebrows at Elena, who looked ready to sink into a hole in the ground.
"Urghh! I literally feel like gauging my eyes out and cutting out my tongue. I can't believe I said those things to him and what you heard wasn't even the worst I've done. But I was trying all sorts of things to get out of there." Elena groaned and placed a hand over her eyes in embarrassment.
"And you really thought it was a great idea asking me if I had lost 'Klaus-virginity'?" Caroline said and received another apologetic look from Elena.
"It was just a way of getting to you. I didn't know that you had forgotten all about him and I figured you had returned to be with him or something. Again, I'm so sorry." Elena explained and she dropped to the bed, where Caroline had placed herself.
"But what you said wouldn't disturb me if I had come to be with Klaus." Caroline said, confused by Elena's reasoning.
"Even though you don't remember and would never admit it, I think Klaus was kind of your guilty pleasure. And I guess I thought you still felt that way. You knew it was wrong to even be attracted to him, but I think in the end it became harder for you to fight it." Elena told her warily and Caroline fell to her back with a sigh.
"Was it that obvious?"
"Well, it was obvious that you had Klaus twirled around your little finger. And as much as I hate him, I have to admit that he got his looks with him." Elena shrugged and then followed Caroline so they were both staring at the ceiling.
"Why do I have a feeling that every bad thing Klaus did all those years ago comes down to you?" Caroline asked tiredly and she felt Elena stir uncomfortably beside her.
"You know how much I hated putting all of you in danger, right?" Elena said sorrowfully and Caroline's head rolled over to look at her friend, who was looking back at her with a guilt-ridden look in her eyes.
"I know, Elena. I'm sorry, I'm just overwhelmed." Caroline sighed and went back to staring at the ceiling, when she saw the curious expression on Elena's face. She wasn't ready for Elena to start asking questions she couldn't answer; especially about a certain hybrid.
"It's okay. I would be too if I were you. I can't believe all that's happened to you." Elena said as she rolled to her side and placed her head in her hand so she was looking down at Caroline.
"Me neither." Caroline laughed, making Elena look at her worriedly, when she noticed how the smile didn't reach Caroline's eyes. "Where's Jeremy by the way?"
"With Matt, I think." Elena answered, accepting the change of subject without protest. Caroline clearly wasn't ready to talk about her years abroad with her and Elena decided give Caroline the time she needed to be ready.
"You think?!" Caroline exclaimed and jolted from her lying position like a spring. The look in her eyes wasn't blaming or accusing, but rather one of surprise and Elena smiled at her friend understandingly. Jeremy and Elena had always been close and Elena not being sure about her brother's whereabouts seemed outlandish.
"I haven't seen him in months, Care." Elena said and Caroline watched how tears filled her brown eyes, making the blonde pull in Elena for another hug. When the idea hit her, a bright smile grew on Caroline's face as she pulled herself away from Elena, who confusedly dried away a tear from her cheek.
"Any plans for the next few days?" Caroline asked excitedly and Elena looked at her unbelievably, not knowing if her friend was joking or not. Caroline watched how Elena became gradually more confused and then realized her mistake. After being locked for the past couple of months, Elena probably didn't have a very busy social calendar at the moment.
"Oh… I mean: Pack your bags, because we're going on a road trip!" Caroline exclaimed and her eyes widened, when she once again forgot to think before she spoke. This time Elena just laughed and Caroline quickly joined her, making both girls fall back onto the bed once more.
"How is your… uh, relationship with Stefan?" Caroline then asked warily and met Elena's gaze, surprised by how relaxed she seemed.
"It's fine." Elena shrugged and a smile spread on Caroline's lips again.
"It better be, because you're going to spend nine hours with him in a car!" Caroline told her and then jumped from the bed, excited by her newly made plans. "I'll grab Stefan and then you go to Bonnie, okay?"
"Sure." Elena answered hesitantly, not certain to what exactly was going on and nervous about talking to Bonnie again. In her glee, Caroline didn't seem to notice and she quickly gave Elena Bonnie's address before she dragged the brunette out on the street and directed her towards Bonnie's apartment.
Elena looked after the blonde as she walked the opposite way – or rather skipped – and took a deep breath before she began following the directions Caroline had given her.
Without thinking much about it, Caroline walked into Klaus' house without knocking and found herself in the empty entrance hall as she widened her senses to find Stefan somewhere in the house. Her already bright smile widened, when she finally found him and she opened her mouth to call out just as someone interrupted her from the stairs.
"Caroline?" a female voice sneered and Caroline spun around to look at the girl, who was staring at her from the top of the stairs. She looked to be around Caroline's age with blonde straight hair that was slightly longer than Caroline's and the cold expression on her face reminded Caroline of someone, even though she couldn't place it in her memories.
Before she managed to answer, Caroline was thrown against the wall and pieces of a destroyed coatrack were digging into her back. She looked at the other blonde in shock that quickly turned to anger, when Caroline saw the malevolent grin on her face. The blonde was standing in front of her, staring her down with fire in her eyes and Caroline felt the veins under eyes appear as her blue orbs were overtaken by a dark red color.
"What the hell?!" Caroline yelled as she got to her feet and pulled out a considerably large piece of wood. She barred her fangs at the blonde girl, who remained calm as she glared at Caroline with a dangerous look on her face.
"If you held your life more dearly, you wouldn't have come back here." the blonde hissed at Caroline, but this time Caroline was ready when the girl attacked her and quickly the blonde was against wall with Caroline's hand around her neck. A shocked expression overtook the blonde's beautiful features as she too late realized that Caroline was stronger than her and the veins under her dark blue eyes came out as she struggled against Caroline's hold.
"Klaus!" Caroline called out; knowing he was inside the house and surprised no one had heard the commotion.
Caroline noticed how a small glimpse of fear appeared in the blonde's eyes as the shocked expression fell and a more frustrated one took over. When Caroline felt Klaus on the stairs behind her, she whipped around her head and glared at him.
"Please tell your psycho girlfriend to buck off before I accidentally kill her." Caroline told him with a sweet voice, but didn't get to hear his reply as her arms suddenly was twisted around, making Caroline scream in pain and lose her grip around the blonde's neck.
Caroline's bones healed quickly, but the pain made her grit her teeth and close her eyes. When she opened them again a few seconds after, the blonde was against the wall once more, but this time Klaus was holding her there with the look of murder on his face.
The blonde winced as Klaus' grip tightened around her neck for a short moment and her glare was a mix between defiance and fear, which confused Caroline more than anything.
"Are you alright, love?" Klaus asked calmly, but Caroline noticed how his voice was almost shaking with anger. He didn't take his eyes off the girl in front of him, but Caroline saw how his grip loosened, when she responded with "peachy".
"Mind introducing me?" Caroline then asked and shot the blonde an evil glare that was returned even more forcefully.
"Caroline meet my dear little sister; Rebekah." Klaus growled as he let go of Rebekah's neck and took a step away from her to look at Caroline.
His eyes traveled over her face and then further down as he noticed the splinters that were lurched in her side, visible through the shirt. In the heat of the moment, Caroline had forgotten all about them, but as she lifted her shirt to look; a pinching pain shot through her side. She slowly turned her upper body as she reached for one of the larger splinters, but it was just out of her reach and she sighed defeated.
"Let me." Klaus spoke and before Caroline could protest, he was standing behind her and pulling out the splinter she couldn't reach. Caroline gasped as she felt the relief of pain and then had to swallow another gasp as she felt Klaus' large hands on her bare skin.
"It's fine, really. It doesn't hurt that much so I'll just wait for Bonnie to help me." Caroline nervously explained as she took a step forward and away from the tingling sensation that was Klaus' hands. Her eyes met Rebekah's for a short moment before turning around to face Klaus and the other blonde rolled her eyes at the sight of the flustered look on Caroline's face.
"Am I making you nervous, love?" Klaus asked teasingly and a smug look was on his face as he studied her with hands behind his back.
"No." Caroline answered defiantly and rolled her eyes, when a smirk grew on Klaus' lips.
"Oh for God's sake!" Rebekah exclaimed before she grabbed Caroline's elbow and dragged her with her to the kitchen. One of Klaus' minions sat one a barstool by the kitchen counter texting, but a simple glare from Rebekah made him scurry away quickly.
"Off with your shirt." Rebekah demanded impatiently and crossed her arms in front of her as she waited for Caroline to undress.
"What?" Caroline almost choked as Klaus entered after them, his eyes never leaving her.
"Nik, go make yourself useful and get a tweezers. And Caroline, if you want my help then take of your damn shirt." Rebekah ordered and Klaus flashed out of the room, making Caroline nervousness subside the slightest.
She quickly did as Rebekah said and jumped to sit at the counter, where Rebekah had patted. Luckily, she was wearing a plain bra and Caroline suddenly felt grateful towards the girl, who had just tried to kill her.
"So I'm guessing that we hate each other?" Caroline asked and gritted her teeth as Rebekah pulled out fairly large splinter from her back. She was surprised by how much of the wood had actually pierced through her skin and Rebekah wasn't exactly being gentle with her ministrations.
"Yes." was all Rebekah said as she pulled out another splinter, "accidentally" twisting it while it was still inside Caroline, who inhaled sharply because of the pain. Who knew how much damage splinters could do?
"Why?" Caroline required, knowing it might be a stupid question. When Rebekah laughed mockingly, Caroline snapped her head around to glare at her, but the Original vampire just met her gaze calmly.
"Well, you and your little friends did try to kill me and my family, repeatedly." Rebekah told her with an annoyed look on her face, but then a thoughtful expression took over. "And according to Stefan, we are too much alike."
"Are you kidding me?" Caroline exclaimed indignantly, not completely sure why that upset her so much. It was probably her subconscious that still remembered how she felt about Rebekah.
"I'm afraid not." Rebekah answered, seemingly just as irritated by Stefan's statement. "Stop staring, Nik and give me that tweezers."
Caroline almost froze as she turned her head towards the entrance from where Klaus was looking at her with a smirk plastered on his face. She looked away from him as he slowly moved closer to give Rebekah the tweezers that made it possible for his sister to pull the smaller fragments from Caroline skin.
"Anything I can do for you, love?" Klaus asked as he took place in front of her, leaning against the opposite counter with that ridiculous smile still on his lips. Caroline stared back at him for a long moment with a challenging look as she waited for his eyes to wander, but not for one second did they leave her face and Caroline couldn't help the small smile on her lips.
"Nope, but that reminds me… Stefan!" Caroline then shouted, when she remembered why she was at Klaus' house in the first place. Caroline almost laughed at the startled look on Klaus' face as her sudden outburst surprised him, but when Stefan arrived at the kitchen with an even more shocked expression on his face, she had to press her lips together into a thin line to not laugh.
"What… What's going on?" Stefan managed to stutter as the shock gradually disappeared. In front of him was Caroline with no shirt on and trying hard not to laugh, while Rebekah was removing something from her back with an annoyed expression on her face as Klaus stood watching, looking like a child on Christmas morning.
"I might have gotten a little too excited about seeing Caroline again." Rebekah replied coolly and Caroline watched how Klaus' smile faltered as if he just then remembered why Caroline was actually without a shirt. Stefan's eyebrows furrowed for a moment in confusion and Caroline couldn't but notice how he was doing his best not to look at her, making it impossible for Caroline to hide a smile.
"It's been a while, Rebekah." Stefan then said and Caroline's eyes widened in surprise, when she saw the small smile on his lips and the almost mischievous gleam in Stefan's eyes. The annoyed look on Klaus' face confirmed her suspicions and she disbelievingly mimed "really?" to Stefan, while pointing her thumb towards Rebekah, who raised his eyebrows in question.
"I saw that!" Rebekah exclaimed indignantly, making the gloomy look in Klaus' eyes disappear as his face split in a grin. "Now put on your bloody shirt! And don't expect to ever play nurse for you again!"
"You're the one who did this to me, remember? And you ruined my shirt!" Caroline retorted as she quickly grabbed her shirt and put it on, glad to be covered up again.
"I'm thinking that I perhaps did you a favor." Rebekah replied tauntingly as her eyes glided over a now fully-dressed Caroline, who opened her mouth to retort before being cut off by Stefan.
"Why did you call for me?" he asked hastily, making Caroline divert her attention from Rebekah and the angry look in her eyes disappear.
"We're leaving." Caroline told him cheerfully, without realizing how her words were being interpreted.
"Is it my birthday? Did I forget it again?" Rebekah mused with a wicked smile on her lips as she looked at Caroline.
"And she's funny! You could be the hospital clown. I really think it would suit you." Caroline retorted enthusiastically and received a vicious glare from Rebekah.
"You're leaving?" Klaus asked with a dull voice and Caroline met his gaze as he tried to sound as nonchalant as possible. Her eyes widened slightly, when she understood his thoughts.
"A road trip." Caroline quickly said and averted her eyes timidly, when a smile returned to Klaus' lips.
"A road trip?" Stefan asked confused and Caroline grinned at him excitedly.
"Yes! So go pack your bags! Bonnie and Elena should be here in a few minutes." she chirped and then sighed heavily, when Stefan didn't leave the room. "Lighten up, Steffie! Be adventurous!"
"Steffie?" Stefan gaped, but was ignored by Caroline, who was picking up her ringing phone.
"Hey Bon Bon." Caroline greeted with a large smile and sent Rebekah a death glare, when she heard a gagging sound come from behind her. "Ready?"
"Caroline, what's going on?" Bonnie asked, apparently confused by whatever Elena had told her.
"We're going on a road trip!" Caroline exclaimed for the third time that day.
"Yeah, Elena told me." Bonnie answered warily.
"Put Elena on the phone." Caroline demanded and earned an amused smile from Klaus. When she heard the phone change to another hand, she quickly spoke, not giving Elena time to even say hello.
"Hey 'Lena. Can you do something for me?" Caroline asked sweetly and she saw the curious looks in the others' eyes. Well, except for Rebekah, who seemed more interested in whatever she was doing on her phone.
"Sure." Elena agreed hesitantly and Caroline could almost feel the awkward tension between Bonnie and Elena through the phone.
"Grab Bonnie and run to Klaus' house as fast as you can." Caroline said encouragingly, while she absentmindedly opened the fridge, where she among other things found six blood bags that she one by one threw to Stefan.
It wasn't until she saw the panicked look on Stefan's face that she realized what she had done, but before she could react, Klaus was removing the blood from Stefan's hand, seemingly enjoying Caroline's actions.
"Care-" Elena started, pulling Caroline back to the conversation as she sent Klaus a grateful look.
"This is what you'll do." Caroline interrupted patiently, causing Elena to sigh on the other end. "Take a hold of Bonnie. And run. Now."
"Sorry." was all Caroline heard Elena mumble to Bonnie, before she was hung up on. When there was a knock on the door moments later, a bright smile spread on Caroline's lips once again and she flashed to the front door to open it.
On the doorstep stood her two best friends; one fuming and the other slightly scared, which was funny since the scared one could kill the other in an instant. Bonnie quickly stepped inside the house, shooting daggers at Caroline with her eyes and Elena stepped in after her, looking around as if she had never been in the house before.
"Stefan!" Caroline called, ignoring the angry look on Bonnie's face. The Bennett witch wasn't exactly happy that she had practically been kidnapped by Elena; her old best friend, who for the past couple of months hadn't cared at all that Bonnie was alive once more.
"If you don't come out here, I'm going to drag you myself." Caroline sang in a threatening voice and both Elena and Bonnie looked at her shockingly. The next moment Stefan was walking into the entrance hall with Klaus after him, while Rebekah stayed in the kitchen.
"May I ask why you suddenly thought of this?" Klaus asked as he casually leaned against the stair rail.
"There's someone we have to visit." Caroline told him with a smile that he unconsciously returned as he took in the light in Caroline's eyes. "And I've missed out on five years' worth of gossip."
"Who are we visiting?" Stefan asked curiously, but Caroline cut Elena off as she was about to answer.
"You'll just have to wait and see. Now, get out that door and get in the car." Caroline ordered cheerfully as she managed to push her friends out of the front door, ignoring the fact that none of them had actually packed any of the bags she kept talking about.
"What car?" Stefan asked confusingly as they made it to the street and looked around.
"Your car." Caroline said as if it was obvious to everyone, but Stefan.
"How long is the drive?" Stefan asked and it took Caroline a moment to calculate how long it would take them to drive to Orlando, Florida.
"Eight hours, perhaps. Nine since Bonnie is a wuss" Caroline told him and was shortly interrupted by an offended "hey!" from Bonnie, "and all human-witchy like."
"We can't sit four persons in my car for so long, Caroline." Stefan told her and Caroline's smile fell for a moment as she contemplated what to do next. With a determined look in her eyes, she then told the others to wait as she ran back into Klaus' house, where the owner was nowhere in sight.
"Klaus?" Caroline called out hesitantly as she thought about how many times she actually had called for him that day. And that was considering she had technically just met him. He appeared in front of her the next second and looked at her expectantly.
"You have a car, right?" she asked hastily and received a nod from Klaus, who already knew what she was asking.
"Could we perhaps borrow it for a couple of days?" Caroline asked slowly with a wide smile on her lips, her eyes widening in a pleading way that made Klaus smile adoringly.
"Where are you leaving to?" he asked casually without answering Caroline's request.
"Florida." Caroline told and sent Klaus a light smile.
"I see. And what of the things you wanted me to tell you about?" Klaus asked curiously and a strange mix of both relief and disappointment shone in his eyes.
"Well, I'm counting on you still being here when I get back and the past isn't going anywhere." she told him with a smile that he slowly returned.
Klaus couldn't help but feeling a little satisfied that he was returning for him. She could get her friends to tell her everything on the road, but instead she insisted on hearing it from him, putting more faith in him than anyone had done for a long time.
"When will you be back?" Klaus asked and tried his hardest not to sound too eager for her return.
"In a few days." she replied with a shrug and then a mischievous gleam appeared in her eyes. "I mean, it all depends on whether we have to cram ourselves into Stefan's car or not…"
"And how do you suppose I would get around, love?" he asked, amused by her not-so-subtle hint to her earlier question.
"Run?" Caroline suggested questioningly with a puppy-dog look in her eyes that left him completely defenseless. In a matter of seconds Klaus was dangling the keys to his black SUV in front of the blonde bombshell, who was grinning happily.
"Thank you!" Caroline sang as she reached up and pecked his cheek before turning around and-
Did I just kiss him? Did I just kiss Klaus freaking Mikaelson on the cheek?!
Caroline froze for a moment as she realized what she had done and she could feel his astonishment that almost surpassed her own shock. She had only stopped her walking for a second, but she knew that Klaus had noticed it, which made a blush creep to her cheeks.
Before Klaus managed to speak a word, Caroline was out of the door and quickly walked past her friends to where Klaus' car was parked on the street. The others stood by with a confused expression on their faces as Caroline unlocked the car and climb into the driver's seat.
"Are you coming?" she yelled impatiently out of the down-rolled car window and soon after Stefan climbed into the front seat and the girls into the spacious back seats.
"How did you-" Stefan started with a shocked expression on his face. He knew Klaus wasn't interested in cars in the same way he was, but the hybrid rarely let anyone borrow his SUV and Caroline simply walked into his house, returning with the keys a couple of minutes after.
"I asked nicely." Caroline interrupted and Stefan couldn't help but notice the flustered look on her face.
"How nicely to be exact?" Stefan asked teasingly, clutching his arm when he the next moment received a punch from the blonde vampire.
"Shut up." Caroline grumbled as she pulled out on the street and slowly made her way through and out of New Orleans.
A/N: I felt sort of bad for Elena for not seeing her brother for so long and I thought Caroline needed a reunion with all of her friends. Don't worry, she'll be back in NOLA soon enough. But this trip will bring a lot of explanations about Caroline's missing years, so get ready for crazy story time;)