Chapter 5

When Caroline woke up the next morning, the blonde felt the memories of her father's death resettle into her head. She could feel the numbness of the loss and felt the shifting of her memories behind the curtain in her mind. The fog protecting them until she needed them, Caroline sighed turning around in her bed.

It was not fair, she couldn't even be allowed to really remember her old life until it was already changing, allowing her access to key bits of information to fulfill her purpose. Caroline questioned what would happen once her supposed purpose would be complete. Emily never told her how she would know, and it's not like she had access to the ancestors.

She didn't think Bonnie would belief her even if she asked. At least not yet anyway.

Caroline turned over onto her side eyeing the jewelry box that contained Klaus's birthday gift. The infinity bracelet mocking her as she held Tyler's bracelet in her hand. She did the right thing. Her memories of Tyler were crystal clear, for some odd reason those were never fogged. Most likely from not having anything to truly do with the power imbalance, if her relationship had a higher role in what happened Caroline was sure those memories would be under fog.

It's what made her so certain that in order to keep the balance, the biggest hurdle would be to ensure Silas never escaped allowing for the other side to remain intact. If the blonde could manage that, perhaps her witchy purpose would be complete? Then she could focus on problems like what to do with Niklaus Mikaelson. She groaned thinking about the last time she saw him, from before, the way his face filled with pain at the thought of leaving his daughter alone in the world.

His daughter. Hope, who after her father's death was wracked with guilt. Caroline knew that pain.

Fresh tears escaped her remembering that she had lost her father for the second time. Her hand came up to cover up the sound of her cries. She turned over so she did not have to look at the gift, closing her eyes focusing on the calming techniques her mother taught her. When it became clear her daughter had more than the average panic attacks. The reason for her need for control. Within a few minutes her breathing was back to normal. She didn't move for several minutes before her cell phone began to ding signaling a message.

Get your little ass over here.

Nik Knows.

Rebekah

The blonde blinked at the message searching her mind for when the hell did, she give her number to Rebekah Mikaelson. Blue eyes blinked a few times reading the message until the words began to click in her mind.

Klaus knew.

Caroline quickly sat up and checked her room to see if the hybrid had snuck into her room in the middle of the night. Breathing a sigh of relief, it seems like he was busy with family business at the moment. Then she wondered why Rebekah had messaged her. Her mind supplied that she had left without really talking to any of them. Bracing herself, she quickly found herself a pair of black leggings, a flowery blue top and her jean jacket with a pair of boots.

Looking over herself in the mirror, Caroline determined that the look would do. It did not say badass vampire, but it did say she took no bullshit without needing to use to much black or metal. Shaking off the rest of her grief, Caroline will not spend the day wallowing in her grief. Especially when a family of originals were running around Mystic Falls.

"Mom, I need to get out of the house! I love you!" She yelled before running out of the house, barely hearing her startled "Caroline!"

The forever teen turned her keys into the engine, looking up to find her mother leaning against the doorway in her uniform shaking her head. She mouthed 'I love you' pulling out of the Forbes driveway. Ignoring the heavy beating of her heart, she quickly made her way to the newly built Mikaelson mansion.

Driving up the road, Caroline fought her instincts to internally roll her eyes. Klaus Mikaelson had no subtlety in a single bone of his body. She quickly parked her car, before making her way to the large entrance doors. As she raised her hand to knock, the door opened to reveal Rebekah.

"Hello Caroline, what are you doing here?" The blonde original asked eyeing the younger vampire up and down. Caroline fought the instinctive shiver; it had been years since she had any interaction with the fellow blonde. She would not let her intimidate her not even a smidge.

"You told me to get over here" Caroline murmured feeling more absurd by the moment. As the reality of what she was doing sunk in. Niklaus knew she opened the coffins, if he or any of his siblings wanted to talk to her then they could have easily reached out.

Rebekah rolled her eyes at the obvious second guessing the blonde before her was doing. She looked over her shoulder, knowing the only people who could hear her were her brothers.

"Not here, not now okay? How about we meet at the high school? Say in an hour?" Rebekah replied.

Caroline blinked perplexed at the slight change in attitude, the original sister was still bossy, definitely arrogant but she was not dismissing her out of hand. The baby vampire found herself nodding, "Okay, I can be there."

Rebekah beamed, "Great, bye then!" before slamming the door in her face.

XXX

"Who was at the door Rebekah?" Esther Mikaelson asked, smiling at her daughter as she made her way down the stairs. Her youngest sons were sitting on a pair of couches, while Finn was getting fitted for his tuxedo.

"Just a friend from school, I told her I'll meet with her later when things are less hectic" Rebekah shrugged it off, tapping her leg once in time with the tapping of her foot.

"That reminds me, Rebekah you will need to help us enroll Kol into the high school" Elijah piped up.

"Must I? High school seems terribly boring" Kol lazily denounced the idea while his sister rolled her eyes, "As if I want you there, brother."

"We must keep appearances, Kol. I believe it is the custom of the time to send children to school is it not?" Finn murmured. Esther turned to her eldest with a smile, "Yes we must all do our best to keep up appearances."

Niklaus didn't look up from his drawing but did drawl out "Yes let's keep up appearances for Rebekah's little boy toy what was his name again? Marty?"

"His name is Matt," Rebekah hissed, " and unlike you animals he is a gentleman despite being so young."

Kol cackled in glee, "Shall we call you a cougar, sister?"

Esther smiled tightly at her children patting Finn on the arm softly before warning her children to behave softly. The matriarch of the family quickly made her escape back up the stairs toward her room. Collectively they all gave a mental sigh of relief, knowing that they managed to ensure their mother had no concerns in regard to her children.

"Alright, unless anyone needs me. I am going to go see what this boring town has to offer" Kol whined loudly, looking up to the ceiling. When their mother did not reply and no sound of her heels clicking against the wood the youngest Mikaelson was the first to leave.

Over the next hour, each sibling found a way to escape the house. Upstairs under a cloud of privacy spells and a heavy ward the Mikaelson witch sat alone. The matriarch of the family sitting on her settee deeply entrenched into her family grimoire searching for loopholes to her spell.

She could afford no more mistakes.

XXX

When Caroline met them at the specific time, pulling up to the high school she tried to see if she could spot another car. There were a few mostly ones she knew belonged to some teacher or another. The blonde sat for a moment, bracing herself for what she was sure to be a rambunctious meeting. Ever since she woke up in the past, right at the exact moment she had been attacked years prior, Caroline almost wished she could not remember.

It would be so much easier, but no she does remember. Scheduling private meetings with the Mikaelson's after she undaggered most of them, away from their ridiculous mansion. Which she assumed was under siege by the original witch. If she could remember her timelines correctly. Who was she kidding? Seeing the witch at their family ball was definitely etched into her long-term memory. Vampire recall definitely helped with that, despite the one flaw that memories after long enough would ebb and flow together causing some confusion as to what happened when.

That ball however stood out. A knock on her driver's side window shook her out of her revelry. She turned to look towards the sound to find an amused Rebekah. Rolling her eyes, the baby vampire turned down her window.

"Are you planning on joining the party? Or did you plan to hide out in here like a child" Rebekah taunted with an easy smile. Caroline glowered at seeing how much the other blonde was enjoying this.

"I was just taking a moment. Geez I thought thousand-year-old vampires would have more patience," Caroline scoffed exiting the car closing the door with a slam.

The two blondes walked together, Rebekah leading the way to her siblings. As they got to the gym where Caroline assumed, they would be meeting. Why was it always the gym? Did one of them have a fetish for smell of sweat? Caroline closed her eyes holding back the urge to vomit at the thought. Rebekah looked over at the younger blonde before deciding she definitely did not want to know what the baby vampire was thinking.

"Ah here we are! Brothers, our guest has arrived" The sole female original called out, making her way over to stand by Kol.

Caroline visibly gulped at having the entire Mikaelson family looking at her. Having five sets of eyes on her was rather unnerving. She greeted them with a soft, "Hello?"

"Miss Forbes, a pleasure to see you again," Elijah greeted calmly giving stern looks to his siblings.

"Did I not tell you to call me Caroline?" Caroline smiled nodding her head towards Elijah. Kol bowed in greeting causing the blonde to laugh while Niklaus glowered at his youngest surviving brother. Finn nodded his head in greeting while Rebekah rolled her eyes at the brothers' antics.

Niklaus finally turned his attention to his favorite non-related to him blonde, "Sweetheart," the man purred.

Caroline's eyes narrowed into slits, "I don't believe I said you could call me that."

Niklaus grinned at her as she felt his eyes travel up and down her body. She would deny it to everyone in existence that she dressed in any way to impress the original. Caroline crossed her arms and demanded, "Well why are we here?"

"Our mother has hijacked the mansion," Kol drawled earning an elbow in the ribs from his sister. Niklaus eyes narrowed a bit when Caroline did not seem to react to this news. The blonde only sighed and muttered to herself.

"What was that love?" Niklaus had never been more grateful for his siblings to allow him to take the lead. At least with minimal fuss. He looked over her searching for any signs of deception. His observations of the group led him firmly to believe that this girl was extraordinarily loyal. He wouldn't put it past her to have saved his siblings to extract a favor from him.

He knew what Elijah said, that she had appeared nervous when they had woken up. She did not want them to be caught, all this truly meant was that she did it without their knowledge. Niklaus ignored the almost happy feeling in his chest when his brother told him that tid bit. It pleased him greatly that she would do this of her own free will, what he questioned was her reasoning.

Still it pleased him so greatly even knowing that it was most likely an ill-conceived attempt at helping her doppelganger friend did not lessen that feeling. He was so pleased that he would only scold her for messing with things she did not understand. His siblings would be shocked, if they knew about the lack of punishment. As it sure the hybrid rolled his eyes at the warning look Elijah gave him. Obviously feeling some obligation towards the vampire who released their family.

"I said it was my friends wasn't?" Caroline repeated, the slight flick of her fingers against her leg the only sign that she was not completely truthful.

"Of course, it was your bloody friends. A bunch of pathetic children playing at things they do not understand" Rebekah scoffed earning a glare from the only other female in the room.

"Excuse me, I often don't know what they are planning until after the fact! Stefan wanted the number of people to who limited in case- "

"They don't sound like very good friends, love" Niklaus purred stepping closer to Caroline so that she was forced to look up at him.

"Alright so your dead mother is back from the dead. According to Kol she has taken over the house. Why does that mean you must meet me here?" Caroline questioned refusing to let the hybrid know how much he was affecting her. Flashes of woods and a dark chuckle passed through her mind.

"I just wanted to ensure you were feeling well love after that wolf bite you suffered on your birthday no less. My siblings wanted to offer their thanks. Our mother can be a bit much, I thought you would appreciate the gesture" His eyes softly looked her face, both refusing to acknowledge the unspoken real reason.

"Now that is over, I have things I must attend to. If you excuse me, it was a pleasure Caroline" Finn's voice was so quiet that Caroline barely heard it. Her eyes locked in on the original that she knew the least. Caroline could see pain there; it was something that not even the originals could hide very well. They wore it like armor instead.

"Now that our boorish brother is gone, let the games begin!" Kol cried gleefully.

Caroline frowned, "Having no siblings myself, I can't really judge. But you all did leave him daggered for how long?"

"900 years," Niklaus shrugged.

"I don't know about you but that has to suck. Knowing your siblings left you daggered, because what an argument?" Caroline argued placing a finger into Klaus's chest. Much to his sibling's enjoyment, even as they frowned upon hearing are practical logic.

"Niklaus had his reasons," Rebekah defended.

Caroline turned to look the at the blonde, "I'm sure but that does not mean the methods were right. Niklaus perhaps you should oh I don't know actually talk to Finn? Any one of you should. Family is important."

"Caroline is right, we will have a much-needed family discussion. Right Niklaus?" Elijah starred at his younger brother until he waved it off. When Elijah moved on Caroline assumed that was the Mikaelson way of agreeing to something silently.

"We do need to discuss with you, aside from our thanks" Elijah glared at Rebekah who scoffed muttering to herself that she didn't thank her, "We don't fully trust our mother."

"Or Finn" Caroline surmised, slightly annoyed at the look of pride on Klaus's face or the slightly less than bored expressions on his siblings.

"Finn has always been close to our mother," Elijah explained. "He always been the least enthusiastic to what we have become." If Caroline thought that they never really gave him a chance, well she kept that thought to herself.

"Alright, then what am I here for?'

XXX

It was a few days later when she heard a familiar knock on her door. She had just checked her phone listening to Tyler's goodbye message, after her father's funeral. Caroline supposed that it could have been worse. He expressed his love and that he would show her that they could be together. He would give her the space she needed, but he was coming back for her.

She had a feeling that the fates were mocking her. That was when the knock was heard, opening the door Caroline could not find anyone near the vicinity. Finally, she looked down at her feet, where a large blue box with a gorgeous white ribbon tied into a bow awaited her.

Lowering her knees, she picked up the box, her heart pounding as she recalled how a ball would be occurring soon. Placing the box onto her bed, the girl mentally braced herself for what she would find. Inside was her dress, the gorgeous blue dress with bodice beading. It also reminded her of cinderella, her favorite fairytale.

Not that she would ever admit that to the cocky hybrid. It was then when Caroline found a letter with her full name written across it in beautiful handwriting. Inside was the official invitation to the Mikaelson family ball. On the back was a written note in familiar scrawl.

Save me a dance, love.

Fondly

Klaus

XXX

Caroline was at the Mystic Grill sitting alongside Elena, as they waited for Bonnie to join them. The two friends sat together, Caroline hesitantly telling Elena about her own invitation. Elena smiled when as Caroline argued that it was a twisted cinderella fetish, knowing that it was her favorite.

"Careful Caroline. You never know when the doppelganger will betray you stabbing you in the back" Came Rebekah's taunting voice. The two girls looked up to find the original standing before them with a letter in her hand. Elena looked startled before starting to question the girl, saying that no harm was to come to herself.

Rebekah scoffed turning her attention to the blonde, "She is very self-absorbed, why do you protect her? Believe it or not Elena not everything has to do with you."

The two watched flabbergasted as the original went up to Matt, twisting her hair and putting her hand on his arm. They watched as they talked for a minute before she handed out a familiar envelope.

"What is she doing?" Elena asked her tone worried biting her lip. If Caroline were honest sometimes, she thought Elena actually missed when Matt was over the moon in love with her. The girl made such a fuss over it, but she always seems to get protective when one of her love interests moves on.

"Looks like she is inviting him to the ball," Caroline answered her eyes unable to look away, "Maybe she is trying to get a rise out of us?" Caroline felt the bile rise in her throat knowing that was only half the truth. Rebekah had grown to genuinely like Matt, he was definitely not love of her life material, but she had genuinely liked him.

She knew the look all too well. So, she did something that Caroline Forbes would never think she would do, "Matt is not in any danger. She would not hurt him."

The shocked look on both of the girls faces, obviously Rebekah had been listening in, almost made the interrogation that awaited her. Sighing she turned her entire focus back to her friend, "What? I just do not think we have anything to worry about especially regarding Matts safety from Rebekah."

"Yeah, "Elena said, "Except that someone got hold of the coffins and now the entire Mikaelson family is out and about."

Caroline snorts, "You should not have taken the coffins to begin with and Stefan hid it in an abandoned house where over 100 witches died. How obvious can you be?"

Caroline smiled weakly at her friend whose eyes suddenly narrowed being able to read Caroline well, "Care? How did you…."

"I also knew about you kissing Damon," Caroline did not deny it, but she was pretending that being the last to know did not actually fucking hurt.

"Care…" Elena's eyes were full of sadness, and guilt.

"Being last to know hurts doesn't? Elena I've been your friend for years, and I have always been on your side. Even when my jealousy turned bitchy. Yet I'm always last to know about everything! Yeah, I released the Mikaelson siblings, because it was the right thing to do. Perfect Stefan finally screwed up in a way that he could not fix. Klaus would have done anything for his family, and you went ahead and released a woman who cursed her own son."

Before Elena could actually speak, Caroline stood up and left giving Bonnie a small smile and wave on her way out. Bonnie came up from behind with a questioning look on her face.

"Caroline released the originals," Elena breathed out, reaching out to her friend who sat in the now empty seat next to her friend.

"She did what?"

"She did not think what Stefan did was right. Caroline has a point, but she helped Klaus!" Elena murmured as if trying to find the missing puzzle piece.

"We all knew that keeping him from those coffins was dangerous. I admit it was a good plan but also dangerous. You know Care, she would do nothing that would harm you. She loves you" Bonnie soothed, despite the worry that was building. Caroline would never betray her friends, so what did the Mikaelson's have on their friend?

"You are right Bonnie; Klaus must have threatened someone. She didn't even know our plan" Elena replied the feeling of guilt overwhelming. Once again, her actions had terrible consequences for her friends.

"It's okay, you will go to that ball. Go to the ball and find Esther to figure out what she wants," Bonnie spoke softly sharing a small smile with her friend who nodded her head.

A.N: I believe that Caroline would especially by the end of the series would give Niklaus hell over Finn. She cares deeply about him, admittedly or not, therefore will kick him when he is being a dumbass. She never spent much time with the originals outside of Klaus and Rebekah's cheer stint. I think if she had seen more of their dynamic, she totally would call him out on it. I wanted to keep her in character while expressing her maturity that is eluded to particularly in the Originals.