Chapter 2

This was her fourth werewolf bite? Caroline groaned as she came to. The vampire waking to the feeling of lips around her neck and shoulder. Blinking her eyes as if waking up from a deep sleep, well that was strange. Normally bites had some teeth to it. She had certainly felt teeth until she has passed out. Letting out a small groan the blonde tilted her head back. Her vision was blurry, but she could still make out the general area. Soon the fuzziness around her sight escaped her allowing Caroline to see that she was still indeed in the woods Then there was a sharp puncture.

"What just happened? Did you… Did you just bite me? Again?" Her voice was high as her hand raised itself touching her neck. What was the wolf still doing here? She had been bitten early in the night, looking up to the sky how much time had passed? Would the wolf really want to stick around just to bite her again?

"Care… I'm so sorry. He said I didn't have to do it. I didn't want to…"

It was Tyler.

But Tyler Lockwood was already dead, right? Her ex had been killed during Damon's siren-controlled brain episode multiple decades ago. Was someone messing with her memories? Caroline blinked again, but still Tyler remained across from her eyes wide in shock his hand coming up to touch his lips where blood dripped.

Caroline began to hyperventilate, what the fuck was happening to her?

"I'm so sorry Care" He whispered looking between her and his hand in shock. Caroline remembered this night, her 18th birthday. Drunkenly she remembered texting Tyler. She met up with the newly made hybrid where they made some small talk before their supernaturally increased hormones took over. Caroline groaned in remembrance she had known full well that he remained sired to Klaus, yet she had still trusted him to not do anything with her. Then he had bit her, at the originals subconscious demands.

Well this was fantastic. She had been bitten by a werewolf, after the original vampire who could cure her had already died. And his daughter, the only other person with the cure would not be able to get to her in time.

All before mentioning that Caroline was stuck in a visually excellent rendition of her past. Who the hell was doing this? Why would she be reliving this particularly nightmarish memory? Why this one? Caroline could think of worse memories to be forced to relive and thousands of more pleasant memories if the blonde had a choice.

Caroline sighed mentally exhausted as memories of how Stefan had kidnapped the hybrids remaining family members. Said family members currently locked into coffins at Klaus's pleasure. The man really could be a prick Caroline admitted to herself. Tyler biting her a result of the penis measuring feud of Stefan and Klaus. Something about being collateral damage? The blonde could feel the tree trunk behind her, the dirt and leaves under her fingernails as she grasped on something to hold onto. The memory should not matter

Tyler was dead. Niklaus was dead. Caroline was going to die if she could not snap herself out of this.

"Care?" He tried stepping closer only for the vampire to scoot herself closer to the tree. Caroline shook her head, the thought of Tyler's touch causing an uncomfortable itch against her skin. The blonde shrugged it off as a result from having just been bitten by her supposed boyfriend.

Again! This could not be real, it had to be a very vivid memory. This could not be real. Caroline had been in the woods, and now the blonde was still in the woods. Nothing out of the ordinary there, except the ghost of her dead boyfriend once again biting her.

No big deal.

"Care let me help you" The teenage hybrid cried his hands halting their progress toward the female vampire. God this illusion was getting old, and when did illusions feel this real?

Caroline blinked, "Tyler are really here? I'm hallucinating aren't I?"

Tyler laughed, "Of course I am here Care. Just let me help you!"

No witch could replicate the heat Tyler could emit from his skin. Oh god, Tyler was real. With one touch Tyler had given Caroline everything she needed to acknowledge what she had tried to deny for the past several minutes. This was so very real she could feel the pain of the wolf bite against her shoulder. She could feel his stare. She closed her blue eyes in pain at being forced to live through this once again Why?

More importantly how? This could not be real she had to be a prisoner.

"Get away from me!"

XXX

Caroline Forbe's room at eighteen was a combination of the elegance of growing up and institutional organization. Her room was a pale green. Said vampire moaned as she was gently placed into her bed under the comforter. As usual Elena and the Salvatore's were missing from the drama. Her thoughts were becoming hazy, the pain increasing as she felt the venom running through her veins.

Dying from werewolf bites really were becoming a habit for her wasn't?

"I'm sorry mommy" Caroline cried.

Was that her voice? She thought she felt herself being changed and rewrapped under the covers. Her mother's soothing voice telling her that everything would be okay. Caroline couldn't help but smile. The blonde truly missed her mother, she would have made a fantastic grandmother for the twins.

She could hear voices outside of the door. With her vampire hearing she should be able to tell, but the pain she felt was so immense. She could hardly remember anything. When she heard soft footsteps coming into her room. Blue eyes met her own blue and Caroline thought she would stop breathing.

"It's terribly unfair just how fucking pretty you are" Caroline mumbled to herself. She always did have a thing for the beautiful ones. He was beautiful and he was not hers Unaware that she has spoken aloud causing the hybrid to chuckle.

"Are you going to kill me?" She whispered. Despite the venom pumping through her body, the blonde knew he was real. Niklaus Mikaelson, alive and in the flesh was back in her childhood bedroom after his sired hybrid attacked her.

Back to when he was Elena's monster and not the Klaus she had come to know, respect and admire. This was the Klaus of her nightmares. Caroline winced as a nasty voice in her head said was that not the appeal of him? A man capable of great evil yet was only ever kind and respectful towards the woman he claimed as his?

He was never the monster in her story, Caroline's mind lighting up with the familiarity of those words. Didn't she tell him that once? Only the weight of his attention brought her back to the present. The way his eyes examined her in such detail within seconds, how his breath seemed halt for a millisecond. Could it be?

Was this when Niklaus Mikaelson became attracted to her?

Caroline always thought it was a mind game to annoy Elena, to provide him amusement with her negative responses. His eyes looked down at her scanning her entire body but never staying in one place for long. Until his eyes landed once again on her eyes, his voice so soft, she had to strain to hear him.

"On your birthday? Do you really think that low of me?"

She wanted to say no, but her voice said, "Yes."

She could feel his eyes fall on her wound. A moan escaped her lips resulting in the corner of his lips to tug upwards. Caroline could think of less pleasant views, internally she cursed at how weak she felt. She had to know where she was if she truly was in the past. Or if she was taken prisoner somewhere.

How the fuck did they make it so real if she was a prisoner? It made the most sense, but Caroline did not know any witch that could cause such realistic illusions. None. They even had the touchdown, was that possible?

She was wounded.

"Oh, that looks bad. My apologies your what's known as collateral damage. It's nothing personal" He spoke the truth, if Niklaus was anything it was brutally honest.

"I love birthdays" He spoke again once it became clear she was not going to respond.

"Yeah… aren't you like what a billion or something?" Caroline found herself repeating her old responses, her eyes savoring the look of amusement that passed over his face. She had forgotten what it was like to be near him.

"You're going to have to change your perception of time when you became a vampire Caroline. Celebrate that you're no longer bound by trivial human conventions, you're free."

"No, I'm dying."

"I could let you die… if that's what you want."

Caroline took a deep breath as he leaned down staring directly into her eyes, a small smirk on his face. "You really believe that your existence has no meaning. I've thought about it myself. Once or twice over the century's truth be told. I'll let you in on a little secret. There is a whole world out there waiting for you. Great cities, art and music."

Caroline felt her heart thump heavily in her chest as his eyes lowered as he looked over her entire body. Then to her hands where Tyler's bracelet still encircled her wrist. He smirked "Genuine beauty and you can have all of it."

He looked her straight in the eyes whispering, "You can have a thousand more birthdays all you have to do is ask."

"I. I don't want to die" She whispered eyes watering. Before she could comprehend what was happening. She felt a strong hand gripping her head lifting her up onto his lap where her head lay on his chest, his wrist near her mouth.

"There you go sweetheart have at it," He whispered, her vampire hearing picking up on the slight gasp in his voice.

"Happy Birthday Caroline."

Niklaus stood to leave when Caroline's hand reached out to stop him. Caroline used her returning strength to sit up straight her hand wrapped around his wrist. She ignored the way his nostrils flared, fighting the instinct to shove her off.

"Yes, Sweetheart?"

The younger blonde licked her lips suddenly feeling self-conscious with his intense gaze. Did he have this effect on her before? Shaking off the unwanted thoughts taking great care to use her strength Caroline looked into his eyes.

"Why did you save me? If you were after payback," Caroline paused "What exactly did my friends do?"

Klaus raised an eyebrow, "You expect me to believe you had no idea?"

Caroline's eyes narrowed standing up, so she was at her full height poking a manicured finger straight into his chest, "Excuse me, just because they are my friends does not mean I am privy to all of their stupid plans!"

"Tell me Caroline, what would you do if someone threatened your family?" Klaus murmured. Caroline snorted answering without a second thought, "I'd do whatever it took to annihilate the threat."

When he chuckled, Caroline felt her spine tingle at the surprisingly still pleasant sound. His hands came up to move a piece of her hair that fell into her face.

"Then you understand that my actions against you were nothing personal. Your friend, Stefan forced my hand."

"You picked the wrong friend to attack" Caroline muttered to herself.

Niklaus raised an eyebrow to which the blonde ground her teeth instinctively fighting her immediate reaction to defend her friends. She was the one who spoke of her insecurity, not thinking past her hurt when he could clearly hear her.

"I'm not a priority to the Salvatore's. If you wanted to get to them then you must at least make them think you are after Elena" Caroline explained.

"Did one of them not rescue you from being the vampire sacrifice for the ritual?" Niklaus asked curiously.

"In an effort to ensure Elena could be bought more time, plus I am Elena's friend it killed two birds with one stone."

"Then they are fools. Go to sleep birthday girl."

XXX

When she woke up there was a gift on her nightstand. Carefully taking the gift box into her hands, Caroline held her breath opening it. Klaus's infinity bracelet was as beautiful as in her memory. Putting the box down, the blonde vampire took a breath. Her memory has changed, it now includes her little chat with the blonde original. That definitely did not happen before. Caroline brought her hand up to her face and sobbed as the last skeptical part of her died. This was not hell; this definitely was not peace. Her memories would not change if she was a prisoner. Fuck she was actually in the past with no idea how she got there, who made it possible or what they wanted.

Caroline stood up taking the brush on her nightstand to rapidly brush out any tangles. Wiping her eyes, the blonde looked towards the unexpected gift. Grabbing the bracelet, Caroline slipped the diamonds onto her wrist removing Tyler's. Looking into the mirror, the baby vampire vowed to herself that she would find out what happened to her, and based on her changed memory perhaps she could take a different road this time around?

Her vampire hearing picked up her mother downstairs in the middle of making her morning cup of coffee. The teenager swooshed her way down the stairs, saying "Morning Mom!" before wrapping her startled mother into a hug.

"Caroline!" Liz laughed as the older woman hugged her daughter back, "What's gotten into you? Are you okay? I thought that Klaus helped…."

"He was able to cure the bite" Caroline reassured her mother, gently pushing her towards the table. Liz raised an eyebrow but did not say anything as she allowed her daughter to finish the morning coffee and handing it to her once it was done.

"What's this all about Caroline?" Liz asked taking a sip from the cup. Caroline grinned at her mother almost nothing got past the sheriff.

"I know I scared you last night, mom. I just wanted you to know how much I love you" Caroline said sincerely. Reaching out to grab her mother's hand in her own. Liz once she saw what her daughter was doing reached out her own.

"Oh baby. What happened?" Liz questioned knowing that something changed in her daughter. Only time would tell if it was a good or bad thing. Caroline beamed at her mother, rubbing her thumb over the woman's hand.

"I don't know exactly. But I want to tell you. I just need time to figure out what it is exactly. Can you give me time before the Spanish inquisition?"

"I think I can do that."

XXX

Why did witches have to have such creepy burial places? Bonnie and Damon were keeping Stefan busy trying to deal with Klaus and what he was hiding with the mysterious coffin. Luckily, she did not need them to tell her where the coffins were. If they knew that she knew, well Caroline would be lucky they would not repeatedly snap her neck until this mess was finished. Caroline stood before the old house where so many witches met violent deaths in the past. The blonde could vaguely recall Damon cursing that witches did not like it when vampires tread there. She knew that the witches only allowed Stefan and Damon near so that they could hide the coffins of the remaining Mikaelsons.

The Bennett witches certainly would not like what she was planning now. Caroline steadied herself, she was almost a century old. She had years of memories, even if some seemed to be covered in a fog when before she could remember everything with crystal clarity.

She would bet it had to do with whatever sent her back to the past. Before she could deal with that mystery, Caroline needed to ensure the feud between the Mikaelson's, and her friends had even less reason to happen. She couldn't stop what happened prior to her 18th birthday, but she could stop Stefan from making everything worse.

Boys, honestly.

The blonde let out an annoyed huff knowing that three of the oldest vampires in existence were in there along with the remains of their mother. The original witch. Caroline shivered remembering how coldly she acted towards her children once awakened. Carefully the baby vampire stepped into the house, releasing the breath she was holding once it became clear her daylight ring would remain intact.

Praying to Bonnie's ancestors to forgive her, as she walked further into the house. The dust tickled her nose, and the floors felt like they would cave in with any movement stronger than a soft step. Unknowingly the blonde stood in front of the four coffins. She knew from Bonnie that the one with Esther would be magically locked, thank god. But the question was how to find them?

"What are you doing here?"

The blonde vampire turned to see a dark-skinned woman looking at her curiously. "I'm here to deal with the coffins" She lied.

The witch shook her head, "You are lying. Why are you here?"

Caroline sighed, "I want to release the originals" Caroline hissed as her daylight ring stopped working. She hissed swooshing with her vampire speed to the shadows within the house.

"If I don't so many people will be hurt. Bonnie and Abby will be hurt!" Caroline belted out, hoping that the witches were listening.

"The originals are dangerous" The witch said.

"Emily, you are Emily, right? Can…. Can you tell there is something different about me?" Caroline asked tentatively.

"Your older than you should be" Emily noted, "You're far older than even your vampire years would allow."

"Yes! I… I don't know why but I was attacked by a wolf then I woke up here."

"The ancestors brought you here," Emily answered, "for what purpose, I cannot tell you."

" The ancestors? They did this to me?"

Emily nodded stiffly, "Everything we knew was in danger, we used the unstable magics of your time to send you back."

Caroline looked thoughtful before trying "Then trust me, Emily. If I thought this was not worth it, I would not dare release them.".

Caroline gasped as Emily's ghostly figure vanished into thin air. Caroline braced herself to use her vampire gifted speed out of the house. When her ring did not glitch out, Caroline took a look around. Before she could get another word out four coffins were laid out before her. Caroline shivered as Emily's voice echoed in the air.

"We do not know your purpose involving the originals only that they think it fits in with the purpose for which you were brought here. It's time that the Bennett line gets out of vampire affairs we pray that you are making a wise decision."

Breathing deeply for a few moments as she carefully stepped in front of a coffin. Lifting it up she let out another breath, Elijah. Elena told her that he was a man who took his word seriously, Caroline had only met him briefly at the ball. All interactions with the man were slim as their focus always seemed to be on her doppelganger friend. Caroline supposed he should be first, as the one most likely to listen to reason. Her hand reached down touching the dagger that kept him down. Her grip tightened around the weapon and she have it a tug.

The dagger in her hand felt surprisingly light for a weapon that could pass for a vampire-themed taser of sorts. Then she lifted up the remaining two coffins of Finn and Kol deciding which one she should awaken first. Kol's ashen face flittered through her mind as the blonde pulled out the dagger from the youngest Mikaelson. Then she quickly followed suit by pulling out the dagger in Finn's chest throwing each dagger to the far ends of the room.

Now what to do while she waited for four drama queens to wake up from slumber? Picking up the stray dagger's and placing them into her purse for safe keeping. Better to be safe than sorry, just in case Klaus decided to throw a temper tantrum after this.