Author's note - minor TVD episode 17 spoilers: So there has been a bit of conflict with how I'm portraying Caroline. Most of you seem on board but a few people have concerns. My view had been, until yesterday, that we only had one full episode of humanity-less Caroline so I had pretty free reign to make it up as I pleased, cause we didn't know yet what the show planned to do. Well, as of this episode, she's toned it down a lot. She's still playing it smart but she isn't doing anything at all vicious. I just really don't buy that humanity-less Caroline would care that much about finishing college in Virginia to get a drama degree that she'd play nice for a whole year. I also don't think she'd ever become as bad as Stefan though, even though they kind of hinted at the end of that episode that she might. I prefer that the Ripper remains his own, personal, brand of viciousness. So all that being said, I plan to carry on as I have been — with Caroline somewhere in the middle of her toned-down version in ep. 6.17 on the show and the intensity that is Stefan's Ripper. Take it or leave it cause I'm sticking with it.

Also, you might notice, this story is taking place just a bit in the past… for purposes of Mardi Gras! ;)

7

She Ate Six Seeds

"I asked you if a man could be forgiven," — Leonard Cohen, "Iodine"

As promised, Caroline's concerned former friends arrived at The Abattoir first thing in the morning as they had the previous day. Caroline was sleeping in so, it was Klaus who was left with delightful task of welcoming them in.

"Where's Rebekah?" Bonnie asked when they entered the room we're their books were still out, albeit now stacked on the table instead of laid out with pages marked… or on the floor.

"She won't be joining us today," Klaus said. "She has plans with Elijah to take care of some… family business." He declined to mention anything about their recently reappeared "sister," Freya.

"Whatever, it's not like this is really about finding Kol anyway," Damon commented, plopping down into one of Klaus's plush leather chairs.

Just then, they heard someone coming down the stairs. Caroline rounded the corner, frowning.

"What does that mean?" she asked Damon. Klaus swore internally.

"Just that this whole thing is obviously more about getting Rebekah back in her body," Elena said, stepping in with a quick lie.

"And don't you need Rebekah for that?" Caroline asked, still suspicious.

"Not while we don't have a clue how to fix it," Bonnie said, throwing her bag down on the table and picking up a thick text as she sat down. "Are you actually gonna help today?"

Caroline snorted. "Uh, consider me here for emotional encouragement," she said, standing up on her tip toes to kiss Klaus on his cheek, surprising all of them.

"Right, cause emotions are totally your thing these days," Stefan said, taking a seat next to Bonnie.

Caroline made an exaggerated "Who? Me?" expression and pointed to herself. And then she slapped Klaus on the ass, making him noticeably flinch in shock, inclining his head to look at her with a puzzled expression. Damon blinked in surprise, exchanging an annoyed look with his brother.

"I'm gonna get some breakfast. Really worked up an appetite last night, if you know what I mean," she said, lowering her voice comically for that last bit. She looked to Klaus. "Want anything?"

He was staring back at her, completely bewildered by this new turn of behavior.

"Er, yes? Alright," he stammered out and she flashed him a smile before heading off to the kitchen. What was she up to now?

"Klaus!" Elena whispered angrily once the blonde was out of earshot. "Did you- did you… oh, you know! Did you?"

Bitter as he was over everything right now, he couldn't help but smirk. The expression was answer enough and Elena laid back into him.

"Seriously! Are you even trying? You can't just give her what she wants!"

Klaus smiled easily and took his own spot at the table. "Really?" he asked her, "Because so far, nothing else has even come close to working. I'd say everything is worth a shot."

Elena glared at him but didn't press the argument. She didn't have to. Klaus was well aware that she was all too right.

Klaus was frustrated over how the previous evening had ended but he was finding it difficult to direct this frustration at its source. He'd had her mere hours ago but, as Klaus watched Caroline in the study, he was reminiscing about their time in the woods instead. That would likely be his fondest memory of her, for the rest of time, if she really never turned her emotions back on.

He remembered how she'd smiled at him after she'd first kissed him that day, the very real emotion in her eyes. She had genuinely cared for him then.

And after, they had laid in the grass in the woods, on top of all their clothes, tucked into one another like real lovers. She had been a little shy after it was all over and he'd thought it the most charming thing in the entire universe.

He was mentally slapped by the memory of her frank reaction after they'd fucked — definitely not made love — last night. 'Well, you didn't hold out long…'

Still, despite all his reservations, Caroline was playing him well in the meantime and the fact that he could see what she was up to did nothing to make her less successful. She was rewarding him for giving into her last night, now playing the part of an overly demonstrative sweetheart — petting him and kissing him and holding his hand.

She'd made them both french toast and brought it in with orange juice. At some point, she'd obviously snuck into his room because she was wearing one of his collared shirts open and with the sleeves rolled up, over top of a camisole. She sat down next to him, wearing his clothes and eating breakfast like it was something she did every morning.

And she was doing all of it in front of Stefan Salvatore, a fact that simultaneously greatly pleased and annoyed him. Stefan looked quite uncomfortable with the whole display and Klaus noticed him watching Caroline almost constantly. But, at the same time, it was more than obvious that her charade was at least in part because she wanted to make Stefan squirm.

In truth, there was an even deeper level to her manipulation. It wasn't just about making Stefan uncomfortable but all of them. She wanted them to know it was hopeless. She wasn't going to turn her humanity back on. What better way to send that message than by dating the Original Hybrid, evil incarnate himself?

That waswhy she'd sought him out in the first place. As it, quite unluckily, turned out: Klaus had morals. Hence why she wasn't really dating him.

And Klaus, as suspicious over her every move as he was, couldn't bring himself to not enjoy all the attention. Whenever the Mystic Falls team had sent Caroline out in the past to distract him, he'd been well aware what she was doing. He'd chosen to look the other way and enjoy his time with her then, too.

Although now he wasn't really with her, though you'd never know it with the indulgent show she was putting on for her friends today. Right now she was sitting on the arm of his chair, holding one of his hands in her lap while absentmindedly playing with his hair. He leaned his head into her side, breathing her in, and she looked down at him with what anyone might have thought was a genuine smile.

"Half of the resurrection spells I'm even finding look like bull," Bonnie complained, shutting another heavy book. "Or they have unrealistic requirements… waiting for the next passing of a comet that only comes round once every 25 years or something unhelpful like that."

Klaus was concerned about bringing Kol back but he was more concerned with getting Caroline back. Besides, Davina had a one track mind when it came to Kol. He was sure the fact that he hadn't seen her recently was indicative of her being hard at work. Unfortunately, either way, with Caroline glued to his hip today it didn't seem that they'd get any time to strategize.

"I'm definitely not working on this project for 25 years," Damon muttered, sending Elena a pointed glare. He wasn't talking about bringing Kol back.

Caroline was standing up and walking around the table towards the door of the room, well aware that both Klaus and Stefan's eyes were following her. When she got to the door she turned back to look purposefully at Klaus and then walk out the room. He waited less than a minute before he got up and followed her.

"Wow," Damon deadpanned once Klaus had left the room. "Discreet."

He found her in the kitchen where she immediately pulled him to her by his shirt, briefly disconnecting so she could hop up on the counter and pull him in between her legs, wrapping them around his waist.

He kissed her back for a moment but ultimately pushed her back by the shoulders and gave her a serious stare.

"Caroline, darling," he said, "There are a group of people in my home right now whom I do not entirely trust."

"Yeah, about that, it still just doesn't really make a whole lot of sense to me. Why are they really here?" she asked.

Klaus cursed at himself mentally. He really just should have kept kissing her.

"Rebekah requested their help for both Kol's sake and hers," he replied. "Your friend Bonnie has been extremely valuable in the past."

"Uh huh," Caroline replied, nodding like she was taking all this into careful consideration but she already knew something, "But that can't be what happened because Rebekah wasn't at the party the night you caught them… and you'd made a deal with them before we even got back here."

Klaus didn't reply so she jumped down from the counter to stand in front of him. She wrapped her arms around him and looked up at him.

"Come on, Klaus," she said. "I know what's going on. You're working with them to try to get my humanity back on."

He didn't reply but looked steadfastly away and she sighed with sarcastic disappointment. And then, he couldn't believe what she had the balls to try next.

Moving at top speed, Caroline broke their intimate embrace and made a motion to grasp his head in a blatant attempt to snap his neck. Her skill was impressive but he was a great deal quicker and more experienced than she, his reflexes were better. He had snatched both of her wrists as she made the move, working so quickly in reaction himself that he accidentally bent her wrist back at an angle that he did not intend. There was a sickening snap.

Caroline was shockingly stoic. She screwed her eyes shut like a child receiving a shot and then let out the quietest of pained groans.

"Motherfucker," she hissed out at him and stormed from the room.

"Caroline! Caroline, I'm sorry, it was an accident," he called after her following her back into the study.

Her old friends were looking up, curiously, to discover the source of the commotion.

"Look what he did to me!" she called, holding up her awkwardly bent wrist.

Stefan stood, taking a look at the injured limb before quickly snapping it back into place causing Caroline to bite back another curse and the urge to yelp.

"Jesus, Klaus, what did you do?" Elena asked, incensed.

"In my defense, she was trying to kill me!" he yelled.

"You're immortal Klaus," Elena snapped.

"Please, it's just a broken wrist and it's already healed," he said.

Sure enough the skin of her wrist wasn't even bruised anymore.

"That's not the point," Caroline said. "The point is, I was just making good on a promise."

"A promise?" Klaus asked.

"You said that if anyone was trying to turn my humanity back on, you'd personally rip their throats out and I said that included you," she said. "Well, I tried you but there are four other people here and they still have throats."

"Caroline, what are you talking about?" Bonnie asked.

"Cut the crap, Bonnie. I know you're still here to turn my humanity back on," she said. "I figured it out!"

"Caroline, we're not giving up on you," Elena said, standing up, the cover-up forgotten.

"I'm touched," she said, void of inflection or expression. "But I'm gonna have to ask you all to get the hell out of town. If you don't, I'm going to find the nearest hospital… and I'm going to blow it up. You have an hour."

She vamp sped out of The Abattoir.

Inconceivably, they spent their first fifteen minutes arguing.

"Way to go, Klaus!" Elena yelled.

"Please, like she wasn't going to figure it out," Klaus defended. "We have no reason to need your help. There are plenty of witches in New Orleans."

"Will she actually do it?" Stefan asked. "She's been with you this whole time. You've gotta have some idea what she's capable of."

Klaus looked at them darkly. He didn't particularly care about a bunch of sick people that he didn't know, but this would be a huge mess to clean up for Caroline if she went through with it.

"She will," Klaus responded.

"Look, she just asked us to leave the city," Bonnie worked out. "She didn't say anything about stopping. Maybe we'd be better off working this out from Mystic Falls. We can keep in contact with Klaus, send him ideas from back home."

"I don't like the idea of leaving her here," Stefan answered. "Not with him."

Klaus growled at him. "Watch how you speak while you are in my home," he warned.

"I dunno Bon, I'm worried about giving up too. She needs to face a real emotional obstacle," Elena said. "Something sudden, that's what got me."

"She didn't have a care in the world when I suddenly threatened to kill you," Klaus replied.

Elena glared. "I'm still betting that, deep down, she knew you wouldn't," Elena said.

"Or you're just not her emotional trigger," Damon said.

"That's why we've just got to keep trying. Why was Matt my emotional trigger and not Damon? Or Caroline, for that matter?"

"So, what? We keep setting up staged events where she thinks the people in her life are going to die?" Bonnie asked. "And in the meantime she blows up all the hospitals, and probably schools and animal shelters while she's at it, in the city."

"No, I think we have to send in Stefan to work on her one on one," Elena said. "But some people aren't willing to even consider that option."

"Fine," Klaus said, surprising them all.

He was taking a huge leap of faith. He was basing this decision entirely off of some of the things she'd said to him the previous evening, things that very well might not have even been true.

"Fine?" Stefan asked.

"You all get packed up and ready to leave," he said. "She'll come back to make sure you're really leaving. Stefan has one chance to give it a try. If it doesn't work, you do leave."

At least this way, I'll know, he thought. Either way, I'll know.

Stefan looked to the group for confirmation.

"I'm in," Damon said first.

Bonnie sighed. "Me too."

"Alright, let's call her," Elena said.

Caroline was shocked at how easy it was to make an explosive device. Stop by the local gas station and you were good to go. She was almost disappointed when her phone rang, wanting to try out the toy she'd just made.

"This is a pretty big hospital," Caroline said when she picked up the phone. "The staff on my floor are having lunch right now so I've got an entire ward to myself… to set up."

"Caroline," Elena said from the other end. "We're going to leave. Just come back and you'll see us go."

"Hmmm, I don't think so," Caroline said. "The thing is, when I'm over here I have all the power. When I'm back there, not so much."

"How will you know we've really left?" Elena asked, trying to goad her.

"Elena, please, it's 2015. There's technology. Facetime me while you cross the city border."

Caroline could here Elena pause, shuffling the phone as she spoke to someone on the other end.

"Caroline-"

"Wait," she interrupted. "I have a better idea. I want you to film Klaus compelling you to leave. I want to watch him order you not to interfere with my humanity again."

There was more shuffling on the other end and muffled discussion.

"That's quite a plan you've got, love," said a new voice at the end of the line, smooth and sexy.

"Klaus," she acknowledged.

"The thing is, Caroline, it's truly a lovely plan — quite ruthless, no apparent loopholes," he said. "But I'm only going to help you with it… if you come back home and speak with Stefan Salvatore first."

Caroline swallowed hard. Klaus was not like Elena or anyone else from Mystic Falls. Klaus would let her blow up the hospital as long is it allowed him to stick to his own agenda. But since when did that agenda make any room for Stefan Salvatore?

"Come on, darling," he enticed. "If you're really so sure you can keep your humanity on, what have you got to lose? I really will compel them to leave after he's had his say."

That got her. She really didn't believe Stefan could say anything to reach her. And it was a deal worth making if they left her and her lack-of humanity alone for the rest of eternity.

"Done," she said and snapped the phone shut.

She vamp sped her way back to The Abattoir where, sure enough, Damon was hauling a couple suitcases into Bonnie's Prius. Stepping up beside the car, Stefan was walking out the door of Klaus's home where Klaus himself was leaning in the entryway.

Bonnie and Elena had been following Stefan to the car with the last of their luggage but they stopped when they saw Caroline arrive, walking through the gate and up the driveway. They disappeared back into the house. Damon clapped Stefan on the shoulder briefly as he passed him on his way back in.

Klaus called out to the two of them before turning back inside, "You have ten minutes and not a second more, Salvatore."

Stefan nodded, holding Klaus's eye contact until the Original finally re-entered his home, closing the door behind him.

Caroline approached Stefan at the car, eyeing him warily.

"So, what was so important that it lead you to this deal with Klaus?" she asked.

He laughed, hollowly, "What do you think Caroline?"

"Then my hunch was right," she responded, already done with the conversation. "You want to profess your love."

He actually smiled at her in return, "Maybe a little more sincerely than that but, yes, in so many words."

She rolled her eyes, "Alright, just get this over with."

"Caroline, do you think things would be different right now if I had told you I loved you at your mother's wake?" he asked first.

I do not wanting to be having this conversation, she groaned internally.

"Of course things would be different, Stefan," she replied, honestly.

"I should have told you then," he said. "I do love you Caroline and I think we could have something… really big.

She could recall a conversation with him from years ago about Elena. She had told him that she thought she and Stefan had an epic love.

"I said things would be different, Stefan," she said. "Not that I wanted them to be. I don't feel anything for you anymore because I don't feel anything anymore, besides mildly annoyed or angry or threatened, but I think those things just stick around for survival's sake."

Stefan was remaining stoic as she kept talking but she could see how disappointed he was. He really thought that would work, she realized.

"Oh, and bored. I feel bored a lot," she prattled on. "But that's a survival instinct too! Cause you can die of boredom, get it?"

He nodded, completely unamused by her little quip, his jaw clenching before passionately stepping forward to take her face into his hands. "Come back to us, Caroline," he pleaded. She wrenched her face back, looking back into his eyes with her own dark ones. In a final bid, he pushed his lips to hers, locking in a searing kiss. She accepted it, of course — Stefan was a good kisser— but she still didn't feel anything in response. But she had known she wouldn't, so it didn't come as a surprise.

He pulled back from her, still holding her from behind her head. His eyes were searching hers.

"Klaus will be out here in about three seconds if you don't stop touching me," was all she said.

He sighed, disconnecting from her, pained. "So, you really want us to leave?"

She nodded back, "I really, really do."

Klaus was out in those three seconds anyway. Behind them, they must have have had spies that realized things were wrapping up because the doors opened and everyone stepped out.

In blind rage, without thinking, Klaus punched him hard in the face. Stefan groaned and they all heard his nose snap. Klaus made a move to go after him again but Bonnie sent out a surge of magic and the hybrid doubled back in pain.

"Get it together, Klaus," Bonnie yelled, releasing the hold on her magic. "You gave him this chance."

Klaus restrained himself, not responding but no longer going after Stefan either.

"Is that it?" Caroline asked Stefan. "We're all done here?"

Stefan shrugged before popping his nose back into place with a grimace. He was clearly in more duress over failing to reach her but unsure of what to do about it, "I guess so, Caroline!" He was mad, extremely, she could tell.

Bonnie was mad too. In a huff she breezed past all of them and opened the front door, saying to Caroling without facing her as she did, "I can't even look at you."

"Caroline-" Elena began but Caroline cut her off.

"Uh-uh, hold up. Klaus has some compelling to do, I believe!"

Klaus stepped up to Bonnie first, since she was already half-way into the car. Holding her by one shoulder, Caroline saw his eyes dilate while he stared into Bonnie.

"You will leave New Orleans," Klaus said, "And you won't do anything to interfere with Caroline's humanity in the future… that includes recruiting outside help."

Caroline wouldn't have put it any different if she'd been able to compel all of them herself. And after just a few minutes more of some greatly unenthused eye contact with everyone else, they were finally on the road and out of her life.

Klaus couldn't help himself once they'd gotten back inside. He had her in his arms and was kissing her hungrily. She responded but, only for a moment before pulling back, pleased to have the upper hand in this situation for once.

"I don't think so," she said. "You certainly weren't interested earlier today. Not to mention, I wasn't exactly happy with whatever little ploy that was — forcing me to talk to Stefan."

But he was not a man easily deterred, not right now, when he'd just conclusively learned that Stefan was not her emotional trigger. Grabbing her hand as she retreated he spun her back to him crashing their lips together. She was laughing now but kissing him back as she did or, trying to. Using his hybrid speed, he got them upstairs and pinned her beneath him on his bed.

He was holding her possessively, really holding her into the bed and forcing her to submit to his touch, his mouth fierce on hers. It wasn't unwanted, her teasing a moment ago now completely forgotten as he was using one strong hand to pin her small wrists above her head and was stroking the outside of her thigh with the other.

She was always wearing those shorts. He slid his hand to rub her inner thigh, steadily moving upwards.

"Let me go," she breathed out, indicating her hands above her head. "I want to touch you."

"Not yet," he growled, unhooking her shorts quickly and pulling them down her legs along with her panties. For at least a moment, yet, he wanted Caroline to be forced out of control and simply submit to the pleasure he would bring her. She was always fucking in control these days.

Caroline hissed at the contact of cold air when she was already so aroused when he'd finished slipping everything off of her. Keeping his one hand holding hers steadily down, he reached the other between her legs to feel how wet she was. She bucked upwards at the contact of his hand. He slowly parted her folds keeping the pad of his thumb pressed on her clit as he crooked his index finger inside of her. Caroline felt like she might have spasmed right off the bed if he hadn't been holding her down.

The man had slept with her two times and he already knew her body intimately.

And if she'd voiced that thought out loud, Klaus would have told her she had no clue. Working one finger inside of her for a minute, he then added a second digit, feeling her walls tense around him. In each of their times before, Klaus had cataloged every second in his memory — every expression, every sound, every response. He already knew exactly how to get her off but he didn't think he'd ever feel satiated, that he'd ever feel like he'd fully learned her.

"Klaus, please," she said, thrusting her hips forward to grind against his hand, pushing his thumb more firmly against her clit. It sent shockwaves of pleasure from her lower abdomen to her toes. He smiled as he pulled his hand back a fraction of an inch and she suppressed an agitated growl.

Finally, he let go of her hands, and she had her shirt off the same second. He unhooked her bra and pulled it off of her, depositing it on the floor. She took his hands herself and pressed them to her soft mounds and she started to take off his pants while he squeezed her dove-white breasts. He stood then, kicking off his shoes and trousers, then quickly throwing off his shirt, and finally taking of his boxers. He smiled when he saw her bite her lip appreciatively at the site of them.

She used her speed to flip them, throwing him to the bed — only because he was feeling indulgent — and moaned hoarsely as she slid down onto his length, setting a slow easy pace. Caroline threw her head back, taking him in deep slow thrusts. He reached up and took her breasts, playing with her nipples until he felt her muscles clench around him. Fuck, she was going so slowly.

He grabbed her hips, holding her still above him as he pounded into her, setting an insane and relentless pace.

"Klaus, I'm gonna-" She couldn't even finish the thought. He dropped one hand from her waist and pressed two fingers against her clit, flicking it again and again until he felt her come. She tensed on top of him screaming out a passionate "God, Klaus!" sucumbing to her orgasm.

He pulled her off of him and threw her to the bed, flipping her onto her stomach. She obligingly pulled herself to her hands and knees so that he could take her from behind. He was already reaching around front of her again to slide a finger against her still throbbing clit.

"Now, Caroline," he said from behind her, leaning down to press a searing kiss to the back of her neck before he thrust into her, "I think you can do better than that. One more time!"

In fact, it had been two more times. And now, he couldn't believe that she was still lying with him here in his bed. When he looked at her, her eyes were still dull and emotionless but, for the first time since she'd arrived, he found himself not quite as upset about it.

She had sent away Salvatore and all of her friends, actually. But she had stayed with him. He was guilty of the same crime as they; he wanted her humanity back on and she knew he did… but she stayed.

Currently, Caroline was propped up on her arm, looking at him from her side with a sly grin on her face.

"It's Spring Break, you know," she told him, "I knew when I came down here, Mardi Gras is on Tuesday."

"It is, indeed," he replied, lazily tracing a finger up and down the arms she was using to hold herself up, "Doubtless you plan to participate?"

She nodded, enthused. "But I need to get a proper outfit," she said. "A mask and everything."

"Of course," he said.

"And… I vaguely remember a time when you left me a message. Something about showing me the food and music and culture down here?" she asked. "You have yet to make good on that promise."

"Well, love, you have spent a fair portion of your time here running away from me," he reasoned. "But all the same, I'll take you out tonight. Come on, get dressed."

He pulled himself out of bed and walked to his closet.

DianaDreamBug brought up a very interesting point in the comments that I think warrants some discussion. She suggested that she didn't think Klaus would ever be able to put Caroline first while Hope was alive. (She also came up with the term "discount Renesmee" which is just about the greatest thing anyone has said ever.) I think a lot of fans feel this way about the introduction of Hope and, as much as I really do hate the Hope-Hayley plot, I'm not sure I see it as ultimately standing in the way of Caroline and Klaus. Caroline, when she has her humanity turned on at least, is a pretty mature and compassionate character. I really don't think a baby would be a deal breaker for her. People get married to people that already have kids all the time. It's not a competition between your children and your spouse or about who gets put first. They're both put first because family comes first. And Klaus has a lot more depth to him than that, too. Anyway, that's basically my guiding thought process as I write and why I don't see the baby as being a completely incompatible part of the equation. Would love to hear what everyone else thinks!

Either way, I feel your pain. I've said it before, as a viewer I'd like to see Hayley and Hope die in a plane crash. As I writer, I can't seem to force myself to do it. Maybe I'll write a drabble where that happens for kicks.