Author's Note: Hello, my loves! I know it has been a very long time, and I do apologize for that. Work has been crazy busy, and short-staffed, and been dealing with family stuff, so I haven't been able to focus on my writing as much as I would like. So I am sorry about all of that! I do love hearing from all of you, it does truly inspire me, so thank you for taking the time! I do hope that you continue to enjoy! Let me know what you think!
Racing. Running. Her lungs are burning. Her feet sink into the cool soil. The smell of fresh forestry. Something small skitters nearby. Her eyes flicker about, not bothering to stay on one thing for too long. She is free. She is untouchable. This is it. She is happy.
She moves. So swiftly, it's like her feet barely touch the ground. She can feel the cool night air ruffle her hair. Everything is a blur. Her lungs burn but she doesn't stop. She's happy. She wants to stay in this happiness forever. She doesn't want to go back. Back is scary. Back is where all the things that want to hurt her are. Back is the last place she wants to go. Back is too scary. Back is where the monsters are. Where the terror lies. Where the dead girl screams, unendingly.
She can hear the subtle scratching at the wall in her mind, naggingly. It wants out. It wants er to remember the scary things that lie beyond. Those that threaten the little pieces of her that remain. The pieces that still connect her to that dead girl.
Someday, Caroline will have to face what was hiding back behind that way. Caroline hates that wall. Hate what it represents Why it's there. But it is her lifeline. Without that wall, she most certainly would have been destroyed. And as hard as this is now, she as to believe that it's better than the alternative. That dead girl still follows Caroline haunting her with what once was. Cold, deathly fingers that are constantly clawing at the other side of the wall.
Something is chasing her. She can feel its presence like a looming shadow stretching over her. Closer and closer it comes. In her panic, she flees as fast as she can. No matter how hard she pushes herself, she can't seem to move fast enough to get away from whatever is pursuing her.
Her muscles along her arms and legs hurt. A stitch forms at her sides. Her lungs burn at the exertion as she tries to push herself to move faster.
It doesn't work. They get closer and closer still. She can't escape this. Them. It. She's trapped. They are going to get her. They are going to get her. They are going to get her.
A wolf howls loudly.
The sound of it pierces through the dreamy fog like a gunshot. An intricate spiderweb of cracks work across her vision until the image of the forest - and the beast that hunts her - vanishes, shattering like glass and plunging her into immediate darkness.
Caroline jerks awake, sitting up in her bed slowly, all of her muscles are tense from the dream. A part of her brain is still in active flight mode and she has to mentally fight it to prevent herself from jumping out of bed and just running for it. She feels the sweat coat her body. Her eyes dart around her dark bedroom trying to shake the feeling of being hunted like an animal. With her pounding heart finally slowing down in her chest.
Caroline looks around the room for any sign of whatever - or whoever - was chasing her but it was just a dream. She's alone. She's okay. She takes a few slow, deep breaths trying to calm down her racing heart as she looks around the room. She recognizes all the dark shadows that she's seen around this room a thousand times since she's lived in this house. She just has to remind herself that she's home, she's safe. She's not sure if her mother is here or not. But she's okay.
Carefully, Carolines runs shaking hands through her damp hair before sinking back into her pillows. She lets out a long, drawn-out breath before closing her eyes and willing herself back to sleep.
Caroline did a double-take, not sure if she's able to trust her eyes or not. On a limb, she says, hesitantly, "Katherine? Is that you?"
Katherine glances from over the top of the book that she was reading to lock eyes with Caroline. The way her face twisted in confusion made Caroline panic for a moment, figuring she mixed Caroline and Elena up, but then Katherine smiled in such a way that it would look weird on Elena's face but somehow fit Katherine so perfectly. A sort of sultry yet sweet smile that makes her seem... perfect.
But not in the inexperienced and almost child-like way that it would look on Elena. Or when she does her own version of that look. Katherine just seems so perfectly content and comfortable in her skin. Not that Elena is uncomfortable or insecure or anything like that, it's just... Katherine radiates power and control and... well, Caroline's not really sure how to put it into words.
Caroline is honestly kind of envious of her. But in a good way. When Katherine smiles at her, she doesn't get the same feeling that she gets with Elena.
Elena makes her feel small. Imperfect. Not good enough. Which is strange, considering both of them have the same face. When Katherine looks at her, sees her, it doesn't make Caroline feel less at all. It makes her feel... makes her feel...
"Caroline?" Katherine says through her sultry smile. "Well, you look good."
"Compared to that night when I just unloaded on you? I should hope so. That was a... pretty bad night," Caroline admits through a mirthless laugh. She reaches up to run her hand through her long, straight blonde hair that falls around her shoulders.
Katherine looks down at her look for a moment before closing the book without marking the page, giving Caroline the impression that either she has read it before and knows where she's at or isn't concerned about finding her marked page, and gestures to the other side of the booth across from her. "Wanna sit?"
Caroline looks around the busy Grill, wondering where she would sit otherwise like she did when she initially walked in. Despite this being a popular spot for the people of Mystic Falls, Caroline hasn't been here since Elena and Bonnie abandoned her and she had that heart-to-heart - sort of - with Kol, which was over two weeks ago. She's been busying herself with splitting her time between Tiki, extracurriculars, school, and her mom.
"If you aren't busy. I don't want to disturb you," Caroline says slowly, tentatively lowering into the booth across from the other girl.
"Please," Katherine says, waving her hand around dismissively, like Caroline's concerns were an annoying gnat flying around her head. "You don't know true disturbed until you're stuck in the middle of a Mikaelson family death match."
Caroline offers a little tilt of the head at that. She's trying to recall if she knew who that was or not. Katherine said it like Caroline should have known, but she's not sure she knows who that is. Katherine Mikaelson? Maybe? Caroline isn't so sure, though...
"Is that your family?" Caroline asks, curiously, nonetheless.
"No," Katherine says, then stops, considering something before changing her mind and says, "Well, actually, I suppose you could say that. We have been together for a long time. They aren't strangers to bringing others into their drama..." Katherine says, rolling her pretty brown eyes toward the ceiling before offering a gentle, almost tender smile. "But only a select few can be part of the good stuff and that is special."
Caroline feels a small smile pull at the corners of her mouth. "I get that. People that aren't family by blood but by love. What was that saying?"
"The family we choose?" Katherine guesses.
Caroline nods. "Yeah. Blood is blood, of course. But there will always be something special about the people that we choose to be our family." Caroline spares a single moment to think about the two that were like sisters to her. Bonnie and Elena. They grew up together and it's not the first time that Caroline has started a fight with them but they've always made it through it. Caroline has never had siblings of blood before, but Bonnie and Elena have been like sisters to her since she was in elementary school and they all met. They've hit another rough patch, but they always find their way out of it. This will be just another one of those times.
Katherine lets out a bit of a huff of a laugh at whatever she just thought. Her eyes lower to the table as a ghost of a true smile crosses her lips at whatever was occupying her mind. She lets out a little breath, pulling herself from her thoughts before turning pretty brown eyes back to Caroline's blue ones. "They chose me and I'm not sure if I would ever be able to escape them. Even if I wanted to. Not forever, at least. Besides, I don't want to wear down too many shoes running away from them. Especially Klaus. He's nothing, if not tenacious."
"Ahh..." Caroline says slowly, not sure what to do with this information. Despite Katherine's words, she didn't seem overly worried or bothered by what she had said. That would freak Caroline out, though - based on recent events more so now than before - but Katherine doesn't seem like the type of person to let something like that destroy her in the way that it destroyed Caroline.
"So..." Katherine says, staring at Caroline in a way she doesn't remember Elena ever doing. The same look she got the night that they met. The reason Caroline was able to tell between the two look-alikes. "How are you? Better than last time, I hope?"
Caroline nods. "Yeah, I was a real mess, but I'm so much better now. Thank you for asking. You know you didn't have to send Kol to babysit me. I'm okay."
Katherine holds her hands up. "I didn't have anything to do with that. It was all Elijah's doing. He can't help himself. He's compelled to help people like you." Yes... yes, Caroline does remember Kol having said something like that.
She didn't think to really ask Kol what he meant when he had said the same thing, but now she feels even more concerned. She's not sure what Katherine meant by that either. She should have, though. Just so that she could know what she was getting into. She's so stupid. This is why things don't work out for her! She never considers what could happen. Ugh.
Katherine just stares at her for a long moment before leaning forward and saying, "It's okay to need help, and trust me, you could get help from someone a lot worse than Elijah in that department. If he were to ask for anything in return it would at least be fair. The same can't be said about the others. Some of them find a lot more value in their time than others." Katherine rolls her eyes.
"I didn't ask for any help, though," Caroline says, suddenly terrified. What would she do if she was now in the debt of some unknown stranger? She has no idea what he would ask for. What he would want in return for his kindness. And she's not sure who she is even owing anything to. Kol? Or mysterious Elijah, who exists in her memory as a dark, quiet figure that sat off to the side while Caroline practically frothed at the mouth trying to work through the trauma of that night.
Katherine must have seen the panic working its way across Caroline's face because she says, smoothly, "Don't worry. No one is going to ask anything of you. Elijah incurred this debt based on conscience, not profit. Don't worry."
Caroline's worry didn't fully subside or clear from her face at Katherine's words, but she wanted to believe the other girl. She wanted to believe that someone was just being there because of the goodness in their heart. Caroline wants to believe that there is some good still in the people around her. "Why would he do that?"
Katherine tucks long, curly brown hair behind her ear. "Elijah is the best among us, but he forgets sometimes." At the worried look on Caroline's face, she says, "I know what you're thinking and I'm telling you that it is okay. You don't have to worry about it. No one is going to ask for anything."
"I don't understand why Elijah would do that," Caroline says, praying that she can trust Katherine's assuredness.
Katherine offers another smooth, sultry smile that could kill the weak of heart. "If you can figure that out, do let me know. Noble Elijah can't help himself," Katherine jests, but there is something to her smile. Caroline was so distracted that night that she didn't notice anything at the time, but now listening to Katherine and seeing the look on her face, Caroline had to wonder if there was something more there. Something she missed the first time she saw them. Maybe she's just imagining things.
Talking to Katherine is nice. They talked about all sorts of things. Caroline lived in Mystic Falls all her life, while Katherine was born and raised in Bulgaria. Caroline was an only child to divorced parents and Katherine had a younger sister that she absolutely adored - that Caroline "reminded her a lot of" - and her parents were together until the 'accident'. Katherine loosely mentioned an accident that took the lives of both of her parents and younger sister but didn't expound upon it and Caroline certainly didn't dig any further beyond offering her heartfelt condolences.
Katherine accepted her words without so much as a bat of the eye and Caroline is impressed with her strength once more. Beyond words. Caroline has no idea what sort of accident it was, but Caroline isn't sure how she would ever move on from a tragedy that left her completely alone without a soul in the world to love her if her parents were both suddenly killed in an accident. It can't be compared, but Elena still has Jenna. She still has Jeremy. Katherine expressed in no uncertain terms that she was completely, and utterly alone.
After her parents died, Katherine found her way to the Mikaelson family. Including, but not limited, to Elijah and Kol. She hung around with them for a while, getting back up on her feet. She left them for a time, ultimately finding her way here for a short time as well before she moved on. Of the Mikaelson family, the oldest two, including Elijah, were born across the sea, while the younger three were born here, in Mystic Falls, where they too lived for a short while before leaving. Katherine didn't get too in-depth saying it wasn't really her story to tell, but that they - Katherine and Elijah - came back to Mystic Falls on 'business', but didn't elaborate further on that.
Caroline respected her reasoning and didn't ask for more. Instead, she moved on to what she hoped would be a safer, less mine-field riddled conversation topic. Besides the tougher, more touching parts of their conversation, there was something cathartic about focusing on something other than herself. Her thoughts. Her many, many feelings. And how every day feels like the end of the world at some point. It was nice to forget that. No matter for how long it may be.
"Really?" Caroline says, surprised. "I feel like I would have remembered seeing someone who looked exactly like Elena walking around Mystic Falls."
Katherine offers a little shrug, not seemingly bothered by the comment. "Just never crossed paths, I guess. And besides, Mystic Falls is a strange town. It may be little, comparatively, but it's not actually all that small. Not everyone knows and sees everyone. And besides even that, the people here are content to see everything only as they want to. It's a nice view from the inside but also a very dangerous one for them."
A cold finger of fear slides down Caroline's spine. She thinks of Damon. Of Stefan. Of herself. She doesn't know if she's dangerous or not but... she feels that she is. That she's hurt people to get here. Probably worse than even that.
In the back of her mind, Caroline can feel the truth press against the wall. It takes all of her willpower to push it firmly back, away from the wall and any part of Caroline's conscious mind that it could possibly interact with. That truth looms like a shadow in her mind and a twisting in her gut even though she sees nothing but empty darkness. Her mind, unconsciously, knows that something lies beyond, something she doesn't want to know, and it terrifies her.
There must have been a look on Caroline's face that prompts Katherine to ask, "Are you okay?"
Caroline nods, solidifying her wall in her mind. "Yep. I'm okay."
Damon wants something from her. Caroline has no idea what he wanted, though. It was late at night, a few days after her talk with Katherine about their lives. She was still floating on that high of getting closer to someone again. She looked like Elena, but she didn't make her feel like Elena did. She was happy being able to really connect with people again, even if it was only a little bit, and only for a short while.
She walked out of the store, colorful pens and sharpies she bought being shoved firmly into her bag. She decided it was finally time for her to get back into the groove of her own personality. Her notebook notes look awful sad in all blue and black pen. It's easier for her if everything is more colorful and bright. Makes it easier for her to organize. And maybe it's a bit of a trick that she's playing on herself. Act a bit more like she's happy, that she's normal, that she's herself, and she'll start to feel that way.
And besides that, well... it just looks a lot prettier her way anyhow.
She was looking down into her purse to find her keys when all of the hairs on her neck and arms stood on end all of a sudden. Her head snaps up just in time to see Damon standing right in front of her and that she's about to run into him. He's wearing that devilishly handsome, but terrifying smile on his lips as he stares down at her through long dark lashes.
Terror freezes her in place. Her mind immediately starts screaming, just staring into those cold, ice-blue eyes. Through the siren-like scream in her head, Caroline can faintly hear Damon say, sickeningly sweet, like they were old friends, "Hey Carebear."
That adorable nickname is like poison splashing across her face. It leaves her hating her name and paralyzed in fear. He was here. He was in front of her. How? Why? She had been so careful in ignoring him, in avoiding him, in doing everything she can to never be alone, so that something like this couldn't happen! And yet, here she is. Trapped like a lamb to the slaughter.
And despite being terrified and seemingly paralyzed in fear, Caroline's brain splits perfectly down the middle for two very different reactions. One being the one she recognizes very well. The terror. The fear. Freezing up as every muscle seized in place, hoping that if he doesn't see any sudden movements, he won't make any sudden actions. He won't think that she's a threat, that she's a liability, that she needs to die and so does everyone else around her. That she's so utterly terrified that even if she wanted to run away, she couldn't. She didn't even have the movement of self for her limbs to shake despite the strain they're under in that moment.
While the other half of her brain provides a very vicious, very foreign response to Damon's presence. In her mind, she hears a snarl. She feels this anger, this rage building up in her chest. This agonizing need to tear into him and rip him to shreds. To make him feel just the tiniest bit of her feelings. To stop him from hurting anyone else ever again. She would feel victorious. She would feel vindicated.
How dare he make her feel so small? So weak? So pathetic? Who was he to destroy her so effortlessly? To do it with a smile on his face without ever having to consider there being any consequences for that? How dare he hurt her like she was nothing? How dare he make her nothing?
Who the absolute hell does he think he is?
Despite that anger growing in her chest, bit by tiny bit, Caroline was still locked in place as the two parts of her warred with one another. One wanted to stay rooted in place, too utterly terrified to even flee at the signs of danger - or sight of it, in this regard - while the other part of her wanted to just tear him to shreds. It wanted to make him pay for what he did.
Yet, despite that, Caroline didn't get the chance to say, or do anything, before Damon leaned in closer and says, easily, "I need you to do something for me."
Caroline wanted to scream at him, push him away, punch his stupid, smug face. She wanted to hurt him as he hurt her, yet as his pupils began to dilate, dancing a tune she knew painfully well, the terror began to freeze her over before someone put a warm hand on her shoulder, forcing her eyes to the person next to her. And like the knight in shining armor she didn't ask for, there stood the somewhat familiar sight of Elijah Mikaelson. It's only now, seeing him again, that Caroline could see how much he and Kol really looked a lot alike.
Caroline wanted to be strong and not need the help of anyone, but at this moment, she was so utterly thankful to just not be alone. Dressed to impress in a suit that looks like it's worth more than Caroline's entire closet - and that's saying something! - Elijah effortlessly steered her back from Damon, with just a ghost of a touch that didn't linger or make her feel threatened by his proximity or strength, he turned his back to her entirely while placing himself between her and Damon.
Caroline realized that she hadn't breathed once since seeing Damon that her lungs screamed for air at that moment. And just a second before she thought she was going to die from how close everyone was to each other, Elijah stepped closer to Damon, forcing the slightly shorter man to step back in order to get some space, which gave Caroline just barely enough room to suck in a few, trembling breaths.
"I do not believe that is how a man asks for a favor," Elijah says smoothly, not taking his eyes off Damon's. "And I do believe you are scaring the young lady."
Damon stared at him, trying to get a read on this stranger while Caroline is gasping for air. After a moment of consideration, Damon flashes a chilling smile that makes Caroline's knees shake, her indignant anger melting into fear.
"Caroline and I are old friends," Damon starts to say, reaching around Elijah for her.
Elijah body blocks without touch Caroline, ensuring that if she found the willpower too, she could just run away. No one was physically keeping her there, even if indirectly. He offers a little shake of the head while unbuttoning his jacket and sticking one of his hands into his pocket, looking completely in control of everything. "Ah, but we don't scare our friends, do we? I believe we've moved beyond the need to use threats of violence as a means of getting what we want. Surely you were raised amongst a more civilized folk. One that has moved beyond more basic barbarisms such as just grabbing at someone without their consent."
Damon's smile fades almost immediately, not taking kindly to the insult. "Listen here, pal - "
"No," Elijah says again, offering another little shake of the head. "I am afraid I will not. Unfortunately for you, Mr. Salvatore, I am not a terrified teenager out of her depth that you can push about. Now I suggest you leave here. You have worn out your welcome." Before Damon could even open his mouth, Elijah casts a look at Caroline from over his shoulder. "Best to head on home, Ms. Forbes. He won't be bothering you anymore tonight. Sleep well, and get home safe."
Damon's eyes flicker to her and Caroline needn't be told twice. As soon as their eyes met, Caroline knew she couldn't stay. The anger that burned in Damon's eyes was terrifying. She ran to her car, as fast as she could. She nearly tore her purse to shreds trying to find her keys before unlocking the door, throwing everything into her passenger seat, before slamming the door shut with her inside, shoving the key in the ignition, and speeding off, her heart pounding in her chest.
As she goes, she spots Kol and Katherine standing next to Elijah, the latter of which gives her a little nod as she goes by. Caroline has no idea if the obsession that Damon has with Elena will be transferred to Katherine or not, but she promised to deal with that later. Her nerves were shot beyond their means. She had to get away from there right this instant and pray that Elijah, Kol, and Katherine would be enough to keep Damon away.
It didn't occur to Caroline until after she was locked up her entire house and hid in her bathroom, curled up in the tub, that there was a chance that Damon wouldn't be able to tell the difference between Katherine and Elena. Despite Caroline knowing Elena so well, considering them to be akin to sisters, even she confuses the two sometimes. How well did Damon really know Elena, to be able to tell the difference? Hopefully not too well.
Hopefully, Katherine could use his confusion to send him on his way. The last thing Caroline would want would be to make Katherine another target. Especially if she had just seen the end of that and stepped in to help. Honestly, Caroline has no idea how Katherine and Kol got there, but she's glad that she didn't abandon Elijah to face Damon alone. Although she's going to have to find a way to thank the older man. This is the second time that he's helped her without reason.
Somehow, true to his word, Noble Elijah, as Katherine called him, ensured that Damon Salvatore indeed did not bother her for the rest of the night. Or in the days that followed. And while Caroline saw him, while she crept around corners, if he saw her, he didn't care to approach her. And that served her just as well.
Logan Fell is dead.
Caroline cried. She doesn't know him or any of his family aside from a cousin in her World History class but when she heard the news after the "animal attack" that took his life, she knew her mom had been out all night and that the so-called "animal" was probably Damon. Or maybe Stefan. Either way, they have killed another person, and it easily could have been Liz. Caroline has absolutely no idea why it would be Logan Fell, but maybe there doesn't have to be a reason. It could just be a case of the wrong place at the wrong time.
Caroline's sure Liz has no idea what she is dealing with. Liz could become another of their no doubt numerous victims in their lives. Liz has no idea what's really out there and what it could and will do, and Caroline has no idea how to explain to Liz about the dangers without revealing what tiny bit that she knows or somehow put her mother in more danger.
But is it smarter to say nothing? Normally, Caroline would assume that it would be best to be honest, and hope that the knowledge really is power but what if by saying something she puts Liz on Damon's radar?
Liz has the right to know who is hunting the people that she swore to protect and serve. She deserves to know what she's walking into each and every time she leaves her house. She does! But Caroline is of the belief that Damon will act just to hurt her, especially if he realizes Liz's connection to Caroline. He has treated her with wonderful indifference since he tried to approach her but failed and Caroline is terrified of ruining that again. And getting her mom killed as a result. She wouldn't put it past Damon to kill Caroline's mom simply out of spite. Or boredom.
And Caroline honestly feels horrible about not being able to decide what to do, and terribly alone. Despite reaching out for people once more and slowly fitting back into her own skin, she still is trapped in the unknown. Unable to struggle her way out of this horrible predicament. She doesn't know what to do, who to talk to, who to trust. She's trapped between a rock and a hard place as Caroline wars with indecision on how to make things better. It feels like a catch twenty-two. Damned if she does. Damned if she doesn't. And Caroline is scared. Especially when Liz's life could very well be on the line.
Liz gave Caroline's well wishes a gentle smile and a loving caress of the arm the next time she left to go back to work. Caroline couldn't say anything. She couldn't warn her. All she could do was see her mom off and fret endlessly as she watched the older woman walk out that door without a clue in the world. Caroline doesn't know what the answer is aside from Damon and Stefan. She doesn't so much have a problem with Stefan. He's been a lot easier to deal with, and while she's still scared of him, if he wanted to actually hurt her, he would have given more of an indication of it thus far. But he hasn't. He hasn't given her any other reason to fear him other than not being able to, or not wanting to prevent his evil brother from doing evil things.
So while she isn't as scared of Stefan as she is of Damon, she's still wary of them. Both of them. Stefan could turn at any moment. Right? Caroline couldn't just be seeing the bad in everyone for no good reason, right? She sure hopes not. She knows that she's in a bad way because of all of this, and while she knows that she will never fully be the same again, she would to think, at least the small, optimistic part of her that still lives in the darkness of her heart wants to think that this hasn't destroyed her. Not completely, and not in a way she can't heal from. At least, in part.
But... she doesn't know.
But regardless of that, something has to change. Either someone has to reign in Damon... or someone is going to have to kill him.