Author's Note: Hello, my loves! I'm so sorry for the late update but I am now working two jobs and have little time to write anymore. I just wanted to let everyone know that I am still out there and still writing, albeit very slowly. Let me know what you think! Enjoy!
Damon doesn't like Stefan's friend. She showed up for a few days - for Stefan's birthday, Caroline later came to learn days after the fact seeing as she rarely left her home for fear that she would run into Damon again. It's at times like this that she wishes that she would have gotten Katherine's phone number so that she could call and check on her, make sure that she's okay. Or, at least Kol's number. But she didn't have either of them. Not even Elijah's number, so that she could thank him for all of his help.
But, back to Stefan's birthday, which she didn't even know it was his birthday until it had passed. Well, that's kind of what happens when you move away from your friend group, you lose touch of the inner workings of the ever changing, ever expanding center of the friendship universe. Things don't get translated or get forgotten. That, or not shared at all to begin with. It was Tiki that told her about Stefan and his birthday.
Normally, someone would think that over a hundred birthdays would lose their finesse - especially when you don't age anymore - but Caroline can understand wanting to keep track of it. It's still important to her. She loves birthdays. She loved them, at least. She used to go all out planning parties for Bonnie and Elena's birthdays. Even her own. She just loved the joy that comes in celebrating the life of someone she loved. Maybe she's gone a bit overboard more than once in these plans, but she's always had her heart in the right place. She just wanted them to feel loved.
Caroline didn't get to meet Stefan's friend, though, other than spotting them walking out of the Grill together in passing, as she was racing home after running errands. The rumor mill, which latches onto anything new and unusual in their little town says that her name is Lexi and she has been Stefan's best friend since forever. So to Caroline, that means only one thing; Another vampire. Another Stefan. Another Damon.
And that is enough reason for Caroline to stay away. She has no idea what Damon wanted with her, but with Elijah having been there to play defense on her behalf, she never got to figure it out. Thankfully.
Yet, as quickly as the mysterious Lexi came to town, she left late the following night, cloaked in shadows, Caroline figures. But that's just the rumor mill talking once more. And creepily so.
Which once again leads Caroline to cursing herself for not getting any of their numbers - Katherine, Kol, or Elijah. To thank Elijah. To have Kol pass along the message. To reach out to Katherine, feeling like they were having a real connection last time. Caroline was hoping that they could be friends. Which is a nice feeling. Caroline has been scared of everything and everyone for so long that it really is nice to reach out for someone that she isn't using as a safety net in the back of her mind. Err, maybe. That, and she really did want to make sure that the brunette was okay. Damon is scary and not someone she would wish upon anyone.
Hoping to catch a glimpse of any of them - ironic, seeing as they appear to be everywhere when she's not looking for them but seemingly vanish when she is actually actively keeping her eyes open for them - so she heads to the Grill often to do her homework, mostly with Tiki but sometimes she is alone - like now.
Listening to the music and the din of idle chatter around the Grill, Caroline pushes through her boundless number of math problems until someone steps up to the table, pulling her out of her own little world.
Caroline glances up to see Matt. She blinks a few times in surprise, trying to figure out why he would just be standing there at the head of her table for no apparent reason. Since he found her in the school's parking lot shaking and terrified in her car, she's been catching Matt watching her more and more, no doubt worried for her. Why? Well, because Matt's just a nice guy and nice guys can't help but worry about the people around them. And Caroline and Matt spent a lot of time together throughout the years, even if it was never one-on-one but rather in a large group with all their friends, still that's bound to create a bond between them.
Still, her eyes dart around the room until she locates Tyler Lockwood, who was Matt's best friend since forever, up by the pool tables, playing with some of the other guys from the football team, not seeming to mind or even notice that Matt had abandoned the game. If he was even there to begin with. Caroline's not sure, she doesn't remember seeing any of them come into the building. They may have shown up separately for all she knows.
"Hey, Caroline," Matt says, pulling Caroline's blue eyes back over to the blond next to the head of her table.
"Oh, hey. What's up?" Caroline tries to keep her voice even and void of the suspicion and curiosity swelling in her gut at the sudden appearance of the football player next to her. They talk sometimes, sure, but they never really fully breached that boundary of acquaintance and friendship, although for a time they got close while he and Elena were dating, but that blew up when their relationship did.
Matt's smile is kind but doesn't reach his eyes. Something is wrong - and Caroline figures that this is about Vicki having run away. Caroline has no idea why he would be here, though. She doesn't know about Vicki or about where she could have gone. Jeremy would know better than her, apparently. Didn't Elena say something about them hooking up leading up to her running away?
Caroline doesn't really remember now. The conversations with Elena feel like they happened years ago and with an entirely different person. For both Elena and Caroline. Neither seem like the people they used to be. Or maybe that's jaded Caroline rearing up her ugly head once more.
"How are you doing?" Matt asks instead, surprising Caroline.
"I'm okay. You?"
"I'm okay, too," Matt says, rubbing at the back of his head. "I haven't really talked with you in a while. I was just checking in to make sure you were okay."
Caroline offers a small smile. "Aw, thanks, Matt. But you don't have to worry about me."
Matt shrugs like it wasn't far out of his way or otherwise inconvenient for him, which was sweet. "I mean, weird stuff has been going on around here lately, and the last time we spoke you seemed really freaked out. I wanted to check in earlier but wasn't able to with everything going on. Sorry."
Caroline offers a little laugh, honestly touched that he would think enough of her just to check in, even if he didn't really care one way or the other. But that's Matt. The nice guy. "Thanks, Matt, but you don't have to check in. I'm good."
Matt lowers into the booth across from her. He rubs at the back of his neck, chewing on his lower lip with trepidation. "With everything that's been going on, I'm sure that a wellness check isn't the worst thing in the world."
Caroline offers a mirthless laugh. Matt has no idea how right he is. There us definitely a lot worse things that could be done to a person than make sure that they are alright when the world is literally blowing up around them. Still, it's sweet of him to check on her of all people. Like she said earlier, they were more acquaintances than friends and that was through Elena. So it is kind of him to check in.
As if able to read her mind, Matt asks carefully, "Are you, Elena and Bonnie good? I've noticed a lot of distance between the three of you, which is very odd. You guys used to be attached at the hip."
Caroline shrugs her shoulders noncommittal, moving the straw of her drink around the glass, pushing at the ice still there. "I made them mad at me so they aren't talking to me."
Matt frowns, no doubt surprised at her honesty. "Wow. I mean, I guess that's a thing. I'm sure that you guys will be back to normal in no time."
Caroline nods. "Definitely. We've gotten into enough fights over our many years of friendship. It won't last forever. I'm not worried." Well, maybe she's a little worried. But Matt doesn't need to know that.
"Good," Matt says, offering a little smile that doesn't reach his eyes. Then he hesitates and Caroline knows what he's going to ask before he even says it. "Have you... you know... seen or heard anything about my sister? About Vicki?"
Caroline shakes her head slowly, staring sadly into Matt's pretty blue eyes. "No, Matt. I haven't. I'm sorry."
Matt nods, looking down at the grains of the table, tracing them with his eyes for a long moment, trying to reign in his disappointment. He sighs before looking back up at Caroline, "If you happen to hear anything...?"
Caroline nods back. "Of course."
"Thanks, Caroline."
"You too, Matt."
After months of substitutes for history teachers, they finally get a permeant one; Alaric Saltzman. He seemed nice enough and he sure wasn't a Mr. Tanner, which is always a plus. It's a shame that someone had to die, but man, Mr. Tanner was just an all around terrible guy, mean teacher and horrible coach. Caroline has spent more than an acceptable amount of time listening to him scream at the boys out on the field and belittle everyone in his classes. He shouldn't have died, for no on deserves to just die like that, but it was nice to have a bit of normalcy return to her life with a teacher who actually knows what they are talking about.
A new history teacher brings a lot of thoughts of Mr. Tanner back to the forefront of Caroline's mind. She keeps being brought back to the night that he died and the hazy images that claw away at the edges of her mind get stronger and stronger the more persistent they become. It's getting harder to push it away from her mind's eye as an image of a bloodied Mr. Tanner stares back at her, horror and pain reflected on his face and in his eyes so clear and crisp despite the image deteriorating into blackness in the back of her mind as she pushes through it. The harsh push that she always has at the ready is enough to send the image into the deepest depths of her mind behind the wall once more.
But as time goes by, it becomes harder and harder to forget. No, to keep from remembering.
It was after Alaric Saltzman came to Mystic Falls and Caroline, naively, once more held onto this hope that everything would just get back to the way it was before - which of course was silly, seeing as literally nothing had changed for them aside from a new person in their lives. Over the next few months, between spending all her days with her head down, avoiding everyone's eyes, spending time with Tiki, working on all of her extracurriculars and coming to terms with what she's been through, has taken a lot of self reflection and many nights crying.
Caroline so badly wanted to reach out to Bonnie and Elena, and try once more to explain what was going on and that there was no need for this friction between them as it was all a misunderstanding, but the Salvatore brothers just wouldn't let Elena have a moment of peace. They were always there - mostly Stefan rather than Damon - but Caroline was easily dissuaded from getting any closer for fear of what it would do for all of them if she continued to get involved with the Salvatore brothers. Caroline has no idea what Elijah said to convince someone as dangerous as Damon to steer clear of her, but for a time, at least, he didn't come for her with whatever it was he wanted from her that day.
There was a few terrible times when Elena flipped her car on the road, but thankfully was okay. Then went missing for a few days, with Bonnie, but both managed to be okay, thankfully. But still, the Salvatore brothers always seemed to be around them. Caroline also off handedly noticed that for some weird reason, their new history teacher was spending a lot more time with Elena's aunt Jenna. An oddity, but nothing too crazy as far as Caroline was concerned.
Jeremy had finally seemed to move on from Vicki Donovan - which unfortunately they didn't have any news on just yet. She literally fell off the face of the planet, it seems and Caroline prays everyday that happens to be the case and that wherever the older girl is, she's happy and safe and not the alternative that keeps creeping into the back of her mind more and more often - in exchange for some young brunette that Caroline only caught a glance of when they were at the library together.
Oh, there was also a school dance that Caroline did everything for to get the school ready for, then left the weekend of to go visit her father, something she was doing more and more in order to avoid being in Mystic Falls and to transform during the full moon. For as absent as her mother was with her busy job, Caroline's father was a hundred times worse. He was literally never home, he was always at his new boyfriend's place. It was almost like he forgot that Caroline came to visit and would only remember every couple of days to text and ask her if she wanted food picked up.
Naturally, Caroline didn't. She would like to think that this time away from Mystic Falls was cathartic. That she was finally able to get away from the havoc and fear, and in a way she was for a short time, but honestly, she felt more isolated. No one wanted her there - her father and his boyfriend, she means. Both were cordial and kind, but Caroline knows that she is a burden on them. But she was being selfish because she wanted to ensure that she didn't transform in Mystic Falls. She was scared of what Damon and Stefan would do if they saw her in her vulnerable form.
That and... if she is as dangerous as she fears that she is, then she wanted to be as far away from those that she loved as possible.
Tiki was disappointed that Caroline skipped out on the dance despite doing almost all the preparation for it, but Caroline explained that she was spending time with her dad and that there would always be more. Thankfully, Tiki took this in stride but made the blonde promise to be her date for the next one, which Caroline was actually happy to accept.
In between all her running around between her parent's houses and all of her activities, Caroline was pleasantly surprised to run in Katherine again, completely unharmed and all sultry smiles when Caroline recognized her. Katherine assured her that she was alright, that Damon seemed to have mistook her for Caroline's friend and she didn't feel the need to correct him and it just so happen to have been luck that she and Kol stumbled across Elijah swooping in to her rescue, "cape billowing behind him" as Katherine mirthfully jested. Caroline asked that Katherine pass on her thanks for his help and Katherine agreed.
They even managed to exchange numbers, which Caroline was excited for. It was long after that Kol popped up, sliding into the booth at the Grill next to Katherine and across from Caroline, joining them like he had been there since the beginning.
Normally, whenever Kol pops up, it's because the world is blowing up around Caroline and she finds herself needing to have someone talk her off a ledge - both figuratively and maybe literally - so it was a pleasant shift to not have a heavy topic to settle over their heads. When Caroline mentioned Elijah and Damon's confrontation, she was thankful for Elijah standing up for her, but expressed that he shouldn't do that again as, "Damon is a dangerous person" and she didn't want Elijah to get hurt interfering on her behalf. She knew that saying it like that would set off warning bells for anyone who knew anything about abuse and literal predators, but neither Katherine nor Kol seemed even the slightest bit concerned.
"My brother would be tickled pink to know that you're worried for him," Kol had said, amused, "but I assure you, honorable Elijah finds great pleasure in beating down big ol' bullies who think that they are bigger than their britches like Damon Salvatore. If I were you, I'd worry more about what Elijah would do to him, than the other way around."
It was ominous and Caroline was certain that Elijah had to be some sort of big shot entrepreneur and was used to being at the top of the metaphorical battlefield, but this was definitely not the same thing and she just hoped that he would be careful. Yet still, Kol and Katherine brushed off her concerns with a simple, "Elijah will be fine" before they switched topics.
Caroline found herself laughing that night, for the first time in a long time. She realized on her way back to her mom's house that that night was the first in a long time where she spent a prolonged period of time without looking over her shoulder or jumping at the slightest of sounds. It was a relief. It was a fleeting moment, but Caroline felt the most like herself for the first time in a long time.
She texted Katherine later that night to ask for Kol's number too. He's been nothing but good to her, helpful even, that maybe if she's willing to give Katherine a chance, then she should share the same for Kol. She's not sure if she's completely comfortable just yet, but she's riding a high she doesn't want to come down from. She wants to be herself again. She wants to feel alive for the first time since Damon first came into her life.
Kol, Katherine, and Elijah keep popping in and out of town on business. They are busy bodies, it seems. They leave on a moment's notice and reappear after weeks of absence without even a touch of jet lag. Caroline admires their vitality, but Katherine explained that they have been moving around all their lives and it's not uncommon for them to only stay in cities for a few hours before moving on.
"Very nomadic are the Mikaelson siblings and I," Katherine says, grinning at the look Kol gives her but doesn't elaborate at the quizzical look that Caroline gave her.
It wasn't until Caroline came back from another full moon rendezvous away from Mystic Falls that Caroline learned of the terrible news of Bonnie's Gram's death. It sounds like she had a heart attack and died peacefully in her sleep, from what the young blonde understood, but she certainly wasn't going to poke at a fresh wound and wasn't even all that sure that she wanted any more details. She hoped that it was peaceful and Damon and Stefan free. Caroline swallowed all her pain and her fear of rejection and how much her friend hurt her feelings, and went to Bonnie. The dark skinned girl was so emotionally distraught over the death of her Grams that any anger she held for Caroline was forgotten.
Caroline spent the night at Bonnie's house, holding her best friend in her arms, comforting her with soft hushes and running her hand up and down Bonnie's back as soothingly as she could. Caroline didn't know why Elena wasn't there but didn't feel like she should ask while Bonnie was so fragile. The last thing that she would want was to trudge up something to upset the shorter girl and make this whole thing worse.
They didn't do a lot of talking - mostly it was just Caroline rambling on about anything and everything and Bonnie listening through her soft cries and sniffles - but it was okay for them. Bonnie needed Caroline to be there unconditionally. To comfort and love her when she was feeling this great, terrible pain. Caroline was there for Elena, she could be there for Bonnie. No matter what fights they were having or how long it's been since they last spoke, Caroline's love for her best friends would always bring her back to them when they need her.
She understands very well the pain of feeling alone, especially when you're surrounded by people who are supposed to love and understand you as the world burns around you. No one owes her anything, Caroline understands, and while she doesn't blame Bonnie and Elena for not being around for her because she's not the easiest person to get along with at the best of times, but she wouldn't be able to forgive herself for ignoring Bonnie who is in obvious pain over the person that she arguably loved most in the entire world.
Any negative feelings between them from that misunderstanding a few weeks ago doesn't matter. Bonnie needs Caroline to be there for her. That's all there is to it. Caroline is willing to put everything else onto the back burner for now.
What a terrible way to go into the Christmas season. Not right now, but maybe Caroline could suggest a secret Santa. Bonnie, Elena, herself, maybe see if Matt and Tyler want to join. Definitely Tiki. Oh, and Katherine and Kol, too. Elijah doesn't seem like the type of person that would be interested in something like this but it couldn't hurt to extend the invite, just in case. She wouldn't want him to feel left out after all he's done for her thus far.
As for Katherine and Elena... well... maybe Caroline can just be the intermediator and drop it off to everyone's intend-y...
And honestly, only she's the one inconvenienced by doing it all herself, which she doesn't mind if it brings a bit of holiday joy to any of them seeing as how terrible this year as been to more than just her. It'll save them the awkwardness of meeting two absolute look alike like Elena and Katherine. Caroline had asked Katherine if she was at all interested in meeting Elena and the other girl simply said. "No. Not really. I have no interest in that, if I'm being honest."
Caroline's not sure why that is. She thinks it would be pretty insane to see someone who looks exactly like her, but then again, she could understand how creepy that would be if she's being honest. So maybe Katherine is one of those people, which is just fine too.
Anyway, it definitely won't replace Grams not being there but it might help ease some of the pain of losing her, even if only for the briefest of moments. She will extend the invitation for Bonnie and Elena. They can ask whomever too. Maybe Jeremy will want to join. It will be less weird if Elena offers than if Caroline does.
And maybe this is the push they need to get over the misunderstanding from the whole witch and dog thing from the Grill and finally move on.
Besides that, the more people, the merrier.
A waste. All of it. All of her hard work put into organizing and ensuring that everyone got someone and that they had a few suggestions of stuff that each person might like and even that it was all totally anonymous until the end.
Caroline has yet to hear what anyone else got but her gift was horrible. First off, Elena got Stefan in on it, which in retrospect, she should have seen that coming from a mile away, but against all the chances, he got her name and instead of, oh, she doesn't know, an apology letter for how shitty his brother is, but no. Instead, he doubles down on being a terrible person and friend by getting her a crappy little snow globe key chain of a place that she has lived her entire life. This place that since he and his brother arrived, has been nothing more than a prison and her life has become a living hell.
And had Caroline actually thought that Stefan was a terrible person by nature she would have assumed this horrible gift was to be intentionally malicious and hurtful, but the fact that there was probably next to no thought put into this and it elicits such a negative reaction makes this almost worse. She's not sure how she should feel aside from a mixture of rage and pain from this whole thing.
And without meaning to, hopefully, Stefan Salvatore has set the tone for the rest of this day - at least.
Caroline is just assuming that Stefan doesn't care enough to think about what that horrible gift would mean to her, so she's willing to offer him the benefit of the doubt of forgetting to get her something and just happening to find this on his way to her house to drop it off for her, like everyone else did. But just the thought of him possibly putting any sort of thought into it and still getting her that?
Caroline is horribly disappointed and angry. Just like a Salvatore to ruin her day so effortlessly, it seems.
And honestly, Caroline can't believe that Stefan thought that this would be okay. There was absolutely nothing else he could have done? Nothing? Seriously?
Luckily for Caroline, she got Tiki's name and spent days making a beautiful collage of picture of them throughout the years from all of their many school functions and cheer and just everything that they did together. Caroline was honestly shocked, going back and seeing all of them, how close Tiki had always been. They had always been close to each other and there was plenty of pictures of them together throughout the years, but it wasn't until Caroline lost Bonnie and Elena for a while that she finally was able to see the friend that had always been there.
She had always been on good terms with Tiki, even when Bonnie wasn't. But because of the friction between the two of them, Caroline never really embraced the friendship for what it really was until now. Caroline was thrilled to have pulled Tiki's name. This is the first time in a long time that Caroline was able to pour so much time and energy into that left her feeling the most like herself in a very long time.
Tiki was so excited that Caroline was her Secret Santa and cried at the collage that Caroline spent days decorating and designing, painstakingly putting everything in place, making it all as pretty as possible and emphasize their friendship in the best way that she knows how. When Tiki's eyes watered up, so did Caroline, and there was just something so beautifully cathartic about being able to take the time to just delve into the friendship over the years, even if it left Caroline feeling a bit empty in loneliness because of how long it took her to get to this point.
But Tiki didn't seem to mind, at all. They talked about all the different places they went for competitions and how parties and dances went over the years. What started out with just standing in the doorway to Tiki's house, moved into the living room, then to her bedroom and Caroline was texting her mom to tell her that she was staying at Tiki's for the night, since she spent the entire earlier part of the day dropping off everyone else's gifts to them, giving Tiki the one that Caroline made for her at the end.
Stefan's gift upset Caroline so much that she ding-dong ditched everyone else's gifts at their houses, except for Kol, Katherine, and Elijah - who, in Caroline's opinion, was bullied into it - where she met them at the Grill and passed the gifts off to them, before running off with the excuse of having to give everyone's gift to them by the end of the day, which was the truth. Caroline was still so upset about his gift that she wasn't even willing to stay around to see if they enjoyed what they got, which made her even more upset.
Oh, and did Caroline forget to mention? She made small gift for everyone with colorful sharpies, candies and a small, well wishing note that was generalized for everyone but basically wishing them all a Merry Christmas and put them in small goody bags and decorated them all nicely. Cheap, inexpensive, but hopefully enough to make everyone a little bit happier.
And oh man did Stefan's gift feel like an actual slap to the face.
But being there with Tiki made her feel so much better. Katherine had seen it on her face that something was wrong and while the girl asked if she was okay, Caroline promised to tell her about it later. So being with Tiki made her feel better, she reached out to Katherine and told her about what happened the next day after school.
"It's stupid," Caroline texted the other girl. "It's just a stupid gift and it's the thought that should count, but it just made me so mad."
"Wow, not a very gentlemanly thing to do," Katherine texted back almost immediately. "But you've had a rough last couple of months, it seems. If he was a real friend, he would have at least put in more effort than that."
"He's not a friend," Caroline says back. "At least, not mine."
"Then whose?"
"Elena's. I'm assuming she was the one who roped him into it."
"Wow. And knowing that you don't like him?"
Yes, Caroline has expressed, in very loose detail to Katherine and Kol that she wasn't a fan of either Salvatore brother but not the reason behind it, or how she actively hates and fears Damon, although Elijah no doubt picked up on it during that one encounter, but said nothing, thankfully.
"She doesn't know, I don't think. At least, I've never said anything to her."
"Some friend."
Caroline jumps in her seat, looking up to see Katherine standing at the other side, scooting into the opposite booth from Caroline. The blonde puts her phone down with a hand over her heart. "Seriously, Katherine? You scared the heck out of me!"
Katherine sends her a sultry smirk that once again looks so natural on her but would look so strange on Elena. "I'm just saying, she seems like a bad friend."
"Elena?" Caroline asks, sinking in her seat a bit. Katherine nods. "No, she's not, Katherine. I've not been able to talk to her about... well, my feelings. And besides, she's not obligated to stop speaking or hanging out with someone just to spare my feelings..." Those words... tasted horrible.
"Maybe not, if it's unwarranted," Katherine agrees amicably. "But it's not just that. I don't know this Elena, but from everything that I've heard from you and Kol and what I've observed from you these last few weeks have assured me that yes, she's a bad friend. Trust me, I have met plenty of those people over the course of my life, and have been that person to more than one other person too, so I know."
"You're not bad," Caroline says, offering a little smile to the curly haired brunette.
Katherine smiles back. "You're the only person that thinks that."
"No," Caroline says, shaking her head. "What about Kol? About Elijah? Don't they know you?"
Katherine's smile widens a bit, a chilling touch to the corners of her lips. "More than most others ever will, I think."
"Maybe I will be another one of those people too," Caroline half teases, but the other part of her is hopeful. There is just something about the other girl... Caroline can't seem to place it. She wants to know more. She wants to build on this friendship.
"That's what she's afraid of," Kol jokes, dropping into the seat next to Katherine, practically on top of her. She sends him a withering look before scooting over to give them both more space. Caroline sends him a more comfortable smile than she has to another man in a long time. He leans back in his seat, grinning at the look Katherine sends him before turning his eyes back toward Caroline. "Hello, darling."
"Hey," Caroline says, folding her hands onto her stomach and leaning back a bit too, feeling herself getting comfortable, bit by bit. "How was your gift? And you too, Katherine?" Caroline looks between the two.
"Good," Katherine says, grinning. "Elijah got me. So he already knew what to get me. Sure knows how to make a girl feel special."
Kol sends her a look. "Gross," he says, glancing down at his phone when it dings in his pocket. Katherine looks insulted while Caroline lets out a bark of a laugh, eyes crinkling in her mirth, looking between the two. She always suspected that there was something between Katherine and Elijah, but never felt like it was her place to ask, but now she knows that there is definitely something.
Katherine opens her mouth, a whip-like comeback on her lips, Caroline can tell, but Kol holds up a hand to make her pause. Katherine, shocked by the sheer audacity, like Caroline, stare as he turns to look at Caroline, a serious look on his face that suddenly makes the mirth fall from her face. Something's up, she can tell.
"What?" Caroline says, kneading her hands on her stomach, suddenly anxious. Katherine, looking at the side of Kol's head, closes her mouth slowly, seeing probably the same thing that Caroline is.
Kol offers her a smile that doesn't reach his eyes. "How are you doing, love?"
Caroline blinks in surprise. That wasn't what she was expecting. She thought that he was going to say something that would scare her. "Oh, I'm okay. I mean, it's been actually getting better, surprisingly. I was in a really dark place a few months back, but I feel... better." Caroline's not sure that she's ever going to be same as she was before, but she is definitely not as low down now as she was back when she first ran headfirst in Katherine and Elijah. She's getting better, which for a long time, seemed like it might never happen.
Kol's smile is soft, tender, even, which suddenly makes Caroline worry a bit more. "Good. I'm glad. I'm glad that you're getting better, darling. Just keep at it, and let me know if you need anything at all, okay?"
Caroline nods slowly, staring into Kol's brown eyes. "Yeah, okay..." She glances over at Katherine's frowning face and feeling vindicated in her worry, she looks back over at Kol. "Is everything okay, Kol?"
"Yes," Kol says firmly. "Everything will be okay."
Caroline stares into his eyes for a long moment, not sure that she believes him, seeing as how quickly his expression changed. She opens her mouth, about to press the issue, not sure if she can handle any surprises at this point in her life, when her own phone goes off. It's her mom calling. Caroline stands up to excuse herself while leaving the other two behind.
Kol and Katherine sit in absolute silence, hearing even through the din within the Grill, Caroline's mother telling her to come home soon so that they can have dinner together to which Caroline asked why, when Katherine turns to look at the side of Kol's face for a long moment, considering.
After a few moments of silence, Katherine asks, "What's wrong?"
"I couldn't talk him out of it," Kol sighs.
Katherine's eyebrows pull together. "Who? What?"
"He's on his way out here. He won't wait any longer. We found a werewolf and the doppelganger in one city. You didn't honestly think that he was going to wait forever, did you? I know that's what Elijah was hoping for," Kol says, rolling his eyes. Katherine looks down at the grains of the table for a moment, tracing it with her eyes, sighing.
"He does know that none of us have actually seen her transform, right?"
"She leaves town every month at the full moon," Kol says, shaking his head slowly. "Once, maybe he'll write it off, but not as frequent as she does. He wants to see for himself. We haven't seen a werewolf for a few hundred years. None like Caroline, at least. Young, without a pack, and right next to the only person in the entire world who can turn her into the one thing that Klaus wants."
"His stupid Hybrids," Katherine says, rolling her eyes, heaving a heavy sigh. "She can't do this. She can barely face the day without knowing what she is, already. She's not ready for what comes with being a vampire. And who knows what will happen when she becomes a Hybrid like him. Klaus isn't a kind sire."
"He might be for his Hybrid," Kol suggests, loosely, looking down at the younger vampire next to him.
Katherine shakes her head. "She can't. Maybe later, but not now. She's just getting her life back together. She doesn't need Klaus to come bulldozing his way into her life and wreck her life before she's even come to terms with everything that's happened to her. Whatever it was, I'm not completely sure. But Damon plays a part in it, and he's definitely not the same as he was back then."
Kol shakes his head slowly. "You messed him up bad, Katherine."
Katherine lets out a long sigh. "Yeah, I'm seeing that clearly now. But the fact remains, if she thought that Damon was bad, she's never going to survive dealing with Klaus."
Kol hums in agreement, rubbing the palms of his hands together, turning brown eyes toward Caroline, who was standing over by the big windows of the Grill overlooking main street, arms folded around herself making her appear so much smaller than she should be. Her jubilant laugh and crinkle-eyed smile seems like a distant memory now as she stares out the window with her eyebrows pulled in while chewing on the nail of her thumb, eyes scanning the approaching darkness in obvious trepidation. She has no idea what's out there, stalking closer, even now. And it's eyes are set on her.
"Elijah has gone out to intercept him, maybe he can convince him in person to hold off a little while longer," Kol says, but he doesn't even try to force any hopefulness into his voice. No one makes Klaus do anything he doesn't want to. Kol does admire his elder brother's willingness to face that rampaging wolf. He can hardly deal with his immediate older sibling on a good day. Good luck, Elijah.
"I hope so," Katherine says, running her hands through long brown hair. "Like I said, we don't know for sure if she really is a werewolf. I don't know what a werewolf is supposed to be like, but Rebekah told me they are supposed to smell, and Caroline smells fine."
Kol rolls his eyes. "She is dramatic. It's not something easily distinguished, unless, like, it rains, I suppose."
Katherine gives him a disgusted look. "Please don't tell me they smell like wet dog." Kol raises his eyebrows, glancing over at her, which makes her frown deeper. "Wow, okay. I definitely would have noticed that."
Kol grins a bit, despite the heaviness of the situation before them before returning somber. "I'm kidding. You've never been around a werewolf, but it's actually really hard to tell. They don't really smell. Klaus didn't. It's just something you pick up on. A sense, I guess."
"Well, are you picking it up from Caroline?" Katherine asks, raising an eyebrow.
Kol shakes his head. "I'm not. But there is a few reasons I can think of as to why, but Elijah is convinced that he is, but as you said, none of us have an proof and without seeing her on a full moon to transform or just short of poisoning her water with wolf's bane, we need to wait. Klaus's impatient nature doesn't seem to take into consideration that Caroline isn't the only reason that we're here."
Katherine huffs. "Yeah..."
They settle into silence for a long moment, both absorbed in their own thoughts.
"Hey," Caroline says, stepping up to the table, reaching out to grab her purse. "My mom's calling me home. I got to go. You guys have a good night. I'll text you guys tonight."
"Okay. Night," Katherine says, offering a little wave, still somewhat occupied by her thoughts.
"Goodnight, darling," Kol says, watching her leave, disappearing across the street toward her car. Once Caroline is in her car and drives out of his field of vision, Kol turns a bit in his seat to look down at the shorter brunette. "So... here comes the big, bad wolf."
Katherine shakes her head. "Yeah. Let's hope Caroline's house is made of brick and not straw."