Chapter 26
Katherine's nose twitched at the remnants of bombs used to get the headquarters at Whitmore Collage free of pesky humans. Elijah's confident footsteps were only seconds behind her. Her eyes scanned the area before locating a door towards the back of the house. Kicking it down there was a staircase beneath it.
"Look what I found, Llijah." Katherine sang tilting her head playfully. "Do you think we will get to play?"
Her favorite Mikaelson remained silent as he followed her down the stairs forcing the doppelganger to carry on the conversation by herself. They were led to a small hallway where a secured door. Elijah sighed to himself, "These people do not do subtle do they?"
Katherine rolled her eyes as she examined her manicure, "Human dear Elijah. Humans who hate vampires, I assume this is meant to be vampire proof." She watched as the original vampire examined the door with a concentrated look on his face.
"Might want to make a decision. We will run out of time soon" The Petrova warned, looking up to the ceiling listening for signs of any of the human police. It took only seconds for Elijah to kick the electronic touchpad and the doors opened.
Elijah shrugged when she raised an eyebrow, "I have taken some college courses in the last fifty years, Katerina."
Katherine drolled, "Yes your academic pursuits are most stimulating."
"Just like how your multitude of lovers must be most what was the word you used? Oh yes stimulating" Elijah retorted as the duo walked into the lab.
"Jealous that I was not chaste?" Katherine smirked.
"I never took you for a chaste young gentlewoman, Katerina" Elijah spoke softly his eyes scanning the room for anything of use. He spotted a file cabinet, he heard Katherine's stiletto footsteps go for the cages. A firm tug confirmed that the files were not locked.
Rather foolish, Elijah thought.
The laboratory was on a smaller scale, being conducted in such an old house and given its secretive nature. The size was not surprising in the slightest. Enough room to house a number of subjects given the cage numbers. Quickly he noted the different files, reading through many until he found familiar names.
Damon Salvatore and Lorenzo "Enzo" St. John. Grabbing the files and tucking them into the slit between his suit jacket. One never knew when he would need to steal files, something he adjusted all his suites for once his brother's tendencies led to the need for a more diplomatic touch became apparent.
A ringing along the cages alerted Elijah to Katherine's whereabouts in front of one cage in particular. Inside was a young man with tanned skin in his mid to late twenties if Elijah could assume correctly. He had a head full of dark black hair and when the vampire turned to look at him, Elijah noted a pair of brown eyes.
"Enzo I assume?" He asked more towards Katherine than the man inside the cell. Who appeared to hardly pay attention to them? Elijah noted reading in the notes that the society starved their test subjects. He would need to be fed immediately.
"Yeah, that's me. Who's asking?"
So, the vampire could still speak. All the better. Elijah knelt down to meet the vampire in the eyes, "You would not believe it, but we will have a friend in common. As I am a man of my word I said we would get you out."
The man coughed, "Who are you? What friend?"
Elijah smiled, "You won't recognize her yet, a product of time travel I suppose. But she is rather fond of you. Her name is Caroline Forbes, you will get to meet her soon. I suggest you thank her."
XXX
Hayley growled as she stuffed her stuff into her duffle bag only occasionally sending an irritated glare at Tyler who was slaving over where to find local witches. She knew when she didn't immediately when Tyler stepped onto her bus that he had an ulterior motive. Hayley simply just didn't care, a part of her didn't want to be alone.
Another part of her knew that Tyler would stubbornly refuse to listen to reason.
"Why are you bothering with the witches?" Hayley asked, "We are werewolves that's who we need to be looking for."
"I just have a few questions I need to ask" Tyler dismissed her words, Hayley's eyes glowed amber in anger.
"Is this about your stupid revenge?"
"He murdered our friends" Tyler growled back at her, his massive form removing the distance between them in seconds.
A small pang of guilt struck Hayley only to be swallowed by her inner wolf's insistence that she did what she had to do for family. Hayley felt her spine tighten in resolve, "Are you trying to get yourself killed? Your little vampire buddies can only do so much to save you from Klaus if he decided you've become too large of a nuisance to him."
Tyler deflated a bit only to step away running his hands through his short hair, "I have to do something. He can't get away with what he's done."
"He's powerful, Tyler. Caroline was able to keep you safe but how long will she continue to fight for you?"
"He killed me! Then he practically just took her from me" Tyler slammed his fist into his knee, showing rare restraint which Hayley was glad. She didn't want to have to pay for a room repair because of a young wolf's temper.
"I know that you're not over her. But think about it is your ex-vampire girlfriend worth the possible danger to the other people that you love?" Hayley challenged.
"Klaus needs to be stopped. Who knows what else he will do next" Tyler argued?
"He's gotten what he was truly after. The loss of the hybrids hit him where it hurts, and he can no longer make more. Isn't that enough?"
"You told him about them, now they are dead. I want to know why?" The brunette raised an eyebrow, he was finally asking her this question? After sleeping with her when he knew about the hybrids already? She internally rolled her eyes; men were all the same even the ones with leadership potential.
"I needed to do it for information on my family, my pack" She explained, pleased at the slight softening of his eyes.
"Hayley…" He started.
"You came with me. You knew what I did when I warned you to leave Mystic Falls" Hayley pointed out ignoring the voice in her head that spoke of just exactly what he didn't know.
"I needed to get out of town" He muttered.
"And you didn't want to be alone" Hayley muttered bitterly to herself.
"You're my friend" Tyler insisted.
"I'm your fuck buddy" The wolf corrected.
Tyler managed have the decency to blush despite the grin on his face, "You enjoyed it too."
Hayley scoffed, "What did you come to New Orleans for Tyler?"
"I can't move on until I find another way to stop Klaus. He is a dick. There will always be something that he is after and Caroline will be hurt because of it. I also wanted to make sure you would be okay. "
Hayley closed her eyes, "If you keep trying to get revenge, then you are going to end up dead."
XXX
Caroline kept the cure, refused to give it to Rebekah or Elena. The former because the blonde did not want to be the cause of the original's death and the later well Caroline wasn't so sure she was better off human. The vampire had said that before anyone drank it that Bonnie should commune with her ancestors for guidance, see if there was a way to make more. If not then perhaps it was best to forget that the cure even existed.
"But we came all this way" Elena cried.
"More than one vampire wants the cure" Caroline argued, "We should make sure that we really know what the cure does before anyone we love risks taking it."
"You know what it does" Elena accused, "Why won't you hand it over?"
"It's not a miracle, Elena" Caroline advised, "once you take it there is no known way for you to become a vampire again."
Elena's eyes lit up in acknowledgment, "So once it's taken…"
Caroline nodded, "Vampire blood ceases to work."
Rebekah sat on the edge of the boat settled between her brothers. They pretended not to listen in the conversation holding a small one of their own. The blonde looked towards the baby vampires who were surrounded by the Gilbert boy, Bennett witch and the Salvatores. Damon firmly on Elena's side and not paying any attention to the blonde.
Good, the blonde thought viciously. If he spoke directly to the cheerleader again then Rebekah knew that it would take even more than the myths of their childhood coming true to prevent him from seeking vengeance in the young woman's name.
Her blue eyes met Stefan's own worried glance, and she knew that they were thinking the same thing. There was something Caroline was avoiding speaking about when it came to the cure, aside from it being a single dose and there would be no coming back from the decision.
Rebekah shared a look with her three brothers who nodded subtly. They would get the answers out of Caroline. When the present company finally dispatched from this joint venture. The blonde let out a sigh leaning her head against her brother, Kol's shoulder.
At least they had the bloody thing and Caroline's worries of Silas were now firmly in the past. Her gaze went straight to the ocean as they sailed through, a smirk gracing her features.
She hoped he liked drowning.
XXX
Lorenzo St. John, Enzo as he preferred to be called was an intriguing figure. The moment he stepped foot into the Mikaelson family home, Elijah went to secure him several blood bags. As he gathered the bags from their stash, the suited original felt his back pocket vibrate.
Mission completed. On our way.
K
Elijah felt a small smile slip across his face before slipping his phone back into its place, quickly speeding to where Katherine had dumped the newly released vampire onto the coach. For a vampire who was repeatedly starved, the man remained with much of his humanity and control intact.
Elijah couldn't help but wonder if this control was one of the reasons Caroline was so fond of this vampire. Katherine and Elijah watched silently as Enzo drank his fill, Katherine going to fetch more bags from the Mikaelson stash. Elijah made a mental note to refill the refrigerator later that day, with a note to favor the B positive variety.
"Are you done?" Katherine asked kicking the table as she dropped another half a dozen bags before the Augustine vampire. The vampire's eyes flashed as the dark veins appeared across his otherwise rather beautiful features.
"Ooo a testy one. I think I see the appeal. Do you think Klaus will get jealous?" Katherine said to the original with a smirk.
"Jealousy is a rather petty emotion" Elijah replied pointedly ignoring the question. Enzo used his fangs to poke a hole into another blood bag looking between the two vampires as if watching a tennis match.
"Your brother is petty."
Enzo snorted looking over at Elijah raising an eyebrow, "So I take it this Caroline is entangled with your brother?"
"You guess right. I still find it a fascinating turn of events myself" Elijah chuckled at the continued look of confusion on Enzo's face.
"Enzo darling, you have heard of the original family right?" Katherine questioned.
"Wait they are real?" Enzo laughed as he finished off another bag tossing it onto the pile he left in his wake.
"You're looking at one" Elijah spoke dryly his brown eyes twinkling at the slight loss of color on Enzo's face.
XXX
"Well this is interesting," Klaus said in a drawl leaning against a nearby all as the rest of his family and Bonnie tumbled in from their rather exhausting trip home. His girlfriend walked to his side placing a soft hand onto his bicep, leaning into him as they watched the scene before them.
A strange vampire, obviously Enzo from the delighted gasp of Caroline, was sitting on his couch with a grin on his face as Katherine was seated across from him only in her jeans and a bra with a scowl. His brother was seated in the corner of the room with a book only looking up when his family walked in.
"What the hell" Rebekah barked hands coming to her hips as she glared at the brunette in the living room, "Why are you half-dressed, Katerina?"
Enzo's head perked up, "Katerina?"
"It's Katherine to you, Lorenzo" The doppelganger hissed frowning at the hands in her hand. Bonnie took in the scene with Kol at her side letting out a low chuckle.
"Katherine so quick to undress" Her brother taunted. Finn and Sage crossed the entry into the house looked between the two groups and Sage whined softly, "I always miss the good stuff."
Niklaus chuckled, "I do believe that our dear Katerina was losing to our new friend, Enzo."
Katherine's curls flipped over as the vampire narrowed her brown eyes at the original hybrid. Her lips curled into a sneer, "Caroline must you bring in the dog?"
Niklaus growled in anger as his eyes flashed amber, the baby vampire in question placed herself between the two. "Can't the two of you play nice?"
The rest of the Mikaelson siblings snorted in unison, slowly entering the living room. Rebekah sat next to Enzo casually kicking her feet onto the table-turning towards the strange vampire, "Now Enzo, was it? Please be a dear and explain how you got dear old Katherine to play honestly. She's always been just a cheat."
The vampire rolled her eyes before placing the cards down, "You are just a sore loser, Rebekah dear. Now Enzo as the rest of the clan has arrived, we must have a raincheck."
Enzo simply offered her a grin, seeing behind the sass as the doppelganger looked over at the suited original that helped save him. Katherine Pierce was a sore loser, indeed but Enzo noted that the vampire's shoulders were raised.
She wasn't completely comfortable in this crowd. The brunette offered Elijah a wink before walking towards Caroline.
"Look at you, baby vampire all grown up. Creating master plans and succeeding" Katherine purred.
"Thank you for your help" Caroline said with a smile, the older vampire shrugged.
"You've answered my curiosities" The brunette flipped her hair turning all her attention towards Klaus, "Well almighty hybrid, am I still free to go?"
The dirty-blonde raised an eyebrow, "I thought for sure you would stick your annoying self onto my couch and throw yourself at my brother. At least for a few more weeks."
Katherine crossed her arms against her chest, her hip tilting to the right to match the way her head moved to the left.
"I know when I'm not wanted" Her eyes strayed to Elijah who refused to look up from his book.
Niklaus sighed as if in pain before waving his hand flippantly over Katherine's general direction, "Fine. Our deal is still intact. You are free from me."
Katherine flashed out leaving the front door wide open. Sage rolled her eyes to the back of her head, "So dramatic."
Rebekah turned to look at her elder brother in the corner using her speed to flutter next to him placing a hand on his shoulder, bending down to ask "What was that about?"
"You'll have to be more specific Rebekah" Elijah eyed his sister, "Katherine and I have a rather complicated relationship."
His sister snorted in a very unladylike fashion, "Your unholy union with the hellspawn was a travesty. What happened while we were away? Finally tire of the whore?"
Caroline tossed Rebekah a warning look, "Bekah."
Elijah patted his sister's hand softly from its spot on his shoulder before standing up, "I assume she is off to haunt the Salvatores."
Caroline groaned softly, "You lot are horrible."
Rebekah kept her eyes wide and innocent, "I'm speaking my truth, dear future sister-in-law."
Caroline sighed, "I'm not your sister-in-law."
Rebekah smirked "I said future."
XXX
"Hold your horses Nik. The witches stones will be stored safely away in Mikaelson holdings under lock and key that only a Mikaelson can open and the stones can only be used by Bonnie possibly a particularly strong descendent. But if the witch can't access the stones, Silas will never be free" Kol assured his older brother leaning into the desk of Elijah's personal study.
The siblings had entered, fearing that their guests that refused to leave might overhear one could never be too careful. They hadn't survived this long by accident. Niklaus closed his mouth pursing his lips as his brain wrapped around itself in thought.
"Silas has been dealt with, he a desiccated carcus in the middle of the ocean, without easy access to minds to infiltrate. Nature is still in balance, right Kol?" Rebekah added turning to the brother with the most talent for magic during their human days.
Their village in the old world did take kindly to magic users, that being so Mikael forbade their mother from practicing. Esther, despite wanting to respect her husband had followed his rule only to the extent that she stopped practicing what witches today deemed dark magic. She practiced light magic, things that could help ease their daily lives but keep them hidden in plain sight.
When they moved to the New World after the loss of their eldest daughter, Freya. Esther began to test each of her children for talent in magic. Of them all only Kol seemed to have an innate talent for it. Despite Mikael's dislike of magic, Kol thrived under his mother's tutelage. Something was different with Kol, while the others lacked a true gift they could still feel the connection to nature. It was in their blood, Kol always seemed addicted to it.
Turning into a vampire cut off his supply to magic, and the vampire thirst for blood replaced it. Kol never forgot the high he could get from practicing magic, so he searched for anything that could even ease the pain. In his case it was blood, Niklaus wouldn't be surprised that was why Kol preferred witches. They could offer magic in their blood, the closet to magic that Kol would ever get to practicing again
"Yes the delicate balance of nature is still intact, the repercussions of freeing Silas and the undoing of the other side are now purely another universe. That doesn't mean the witches are done with Caroline, yet' Kol grunted, "nature is a tricky thing, it always finds a way to ensure key events or people exist."
Niklaus brows furrowed, " are you telling me that the tragedies of Mystic Falls and New Orleans could still occur?"
Elijah pinched his nose in an attempt to keep the migraine at bay. "We've done as the witches asked. Caroline has done her part, surely she is free to go?"
Kol shrugged, "Magic is not knowable, brother. Caroline's memories have returned that signals the end to the part she knows about."
Sage growled, "What about the plans of nature she does not know about?" Finn wrapped an arm around the red haired vampire, in an attempt to soothe the firey temper.
"We will just have to live it. The ancestor's needed Caroline to change a specific chain of events from occurring, clearly, that started with Silas. As for the rest? I don't know and that's what worries me" Kol said honestly.
"You mean hope that Caroline doesn't go all holier than thou and forget about self-preservation" Rebekah scoffed, ignoring the heated glare of her brother, "Nik stop glowering, you know as well as I do Caroline Forbes has zero self-preservation."
XXX
Caroline had decided that she genuinely liked being courted.
Now that Silas was a permanent fixture at the bottom of the ocean floor, life seemed to go back to normal for the supernatural of Mystic Falls. Niklaus would drop her off at the local high school every morning and would pick her up when cheer practice was over. Notes seemed to find her everywhere, something that all of her friends would tease her about.
Caroline shrugged, if Niklaus wanted to send notes then the hybrid would. She was just thankful he kept physical gifts to a minimum and away from prying eyes. Occasionally he and Kol could be seen at practice, even if Bonnie had to send the later a few witchy migraines to keep him from playing with their squad. Rebekah shrugged saying her brother was hungry, it was not like he was going around murdering them.
He was being civil for Kol.
Katherine had once again disappeared but not before tormenting her descendent a little. Elena had seethed for days. Caroline would nod her head sympathetically, inwardly thinking the only reason Katherine kept at it was because the brunette always reacted.
"She wants Stefan back even if he will have nothing to do with her!" Elena hissed, biting into a blood bag one afternoon after cheer practice.
"It's Katherine. She's persistent and honestly, you all are not doing yourselves any favors by reacting the way you do" Caroline pointed out, much to Elena's shock Bonnie nodded her head in agreement. The blonde ignored the doppelganger's cry of outrage as she took a drink of water. Her blue eyes looking out for her persistent boyfriend.
"Katherine Pierce thrives on anger, annoyance and hate. You are giving her the reactions she wants. No one wants to be rejected but your giving her the next best thing" Bonnie agreed to take a breath as the witch bent down to the left stretching herself out from their workout.
"The Bennett witch is right" Niklaus's voice as smooth as silk spoke in a drawl as a rather pleasant grin appeared across his face. Elena and Bonnie looked away as he stepped up to their blonde friend wrapping his arm around her waist pulling her into a kiss in greeting.
"You really do hate admitting others are right" Caroline smiled as Klaus nipped at her neck.
"I'm stating a fact love, if the doppelganger can't figure out Katherine then that's her problem. Not yours" The last part was said in a whisper despite the brunette being able to hear. Bonnie shook her head at the glare Elena sent his way.
"Love, your dear old friend Enzo awaits" Niklaus murmured in her ear. The head cheerleader immediately perked up, she had only been able to catch a glimpse of him when they returned from the island. They had yet to really talk to each other, as the Mikaelsons were adept at keeping them apart.
"We wish to ensure his control is real, Caroline. He is still older than you and I do not wish for you to have to put down a friend" Niklaus had told her.
Caroline didn't know whether to feel honored that he knew her well enough that it would destroy her, to do such a thing or annoyed that he was placing her in a safety bubble. After waving goodbye to her friends, Caroline allowed Niklaus to lead her towards his own car. Smiling as he opened the car door for her, the vampire slid into the passenger seat.
She didn't even roll her eyes when he handed her another dose of vervain, taking it gingerly Caroline shivered as she took another drink of water-filled vervain.
"Is it getting better?"
Caroline nodded, "My tolerance is increasing daily. I should not be physically affected by daily doses by the time I graduate."
Niklaus' eyes darkened, "Good."
Caroline placed her hand on his arm, "Things are going to be okay." Her eyes strayed to his hands whose grip on the wheel tightened considerably.
"Your memories have returned, after everything you've told me that happens here. I can't have you at risk, Caroline. I'm just glad I do not have to fight you on leaving this godforsaken town. Especially after you told me about Marcellus"
"My memories might not even come to pass, Nik. Silas was the one who caused the rips into the balance allowing for much of it to pass. Hayley's no longer has the option of getting pregnant with Hope and as for Marcellus, he is still your son. He's alive that's something isn't?"
"I've still been alive a lot longer than you, love. If its meant to be, danger will find a way to Mystic Falls. I won't have you in the middle of it. And its been a hundred years he is no longer the boy I knew."
Caroline balked, "I wouldn't…" only to be interrupted by a dark chuckle from Klaus.
"Love, you would drop everything to run back to Mystic Falls in order to save your little band of misfits."
Caroline crossed her arms turning her head out towards the window, refusing to acknowledge that he was right. His answering smirk was enough.
XXX
Enzo heard Caroline before he even saw a single string of blonde hair. He was making his way into the Mikaelson personal gym when he heard the sounds of muscle hitting a bag. His eyes strayed towards where the bags were hanging into the corner of the personal gym, Enzo inwardly rolled his eyes these people were far to bloody rich.
They were vampires for god sake. Did they really need all this?
Caroline punched the bag once again, "Welcome, Enzo. I don't bite."
"I don't know about that. I've overheard your fights with that hybrid of yours" Enzo joked coming up to hold the bag. The blonde flashed him a quick smile as she raised her hip, squaring it off to avoid injury before landing a kick into the bag. Enzo let out a small laugh, "Damn, you do throw a mean punch."
Enzo continued to hold the bag steady as the baby vampire in her series of kicks and punches until the bloody thing fell from the ceiling. He offered her a smirk, " trouble in paradise?"
Caroline offered him a stare that spoke volumes, "You aren't my type."
Enzo laughed slapping her on the back, "I know even if you really do have a thing for accents."
The blonde vampire huffed, "I do not."
The vampire wiggled his eyebrows, earning a soft genuine laugh from the blonde as she pushed into his shoulder, "What brings you here?"
Enzo shrugged, "I never did get to tell you, thanks. For somehow ranging these elderly vampires into rescuing my ass."
Caroline's eyes narrowed, "What the Augustine Society was doing was wrong."
"And you knew me. From before."
"They told you that huh?"
Enzo used his longer stride to cut Caroline off, "Not much. These originals are a rather secretive bunch. But they did tell me that my rescue was for you, apparently, a bunch of dead witches didn't like what was going to happen and used you as their tool."
Caroline snorted, "Witches useful, but judgy. In this case they knew me from my friendship with their descendent."
"So, our paths have crossed? In this future?"
"I have a proposition for you" Caroline sighed looking over at Enzo, "You help me finish this workout to Klaus's satisfaction and I'll tell you what you wish to know."