Thanks so much for the reviews, favs, and follows! *beam*
This chapter has been edited thanks to TheVKing124~! (Thank you so much~ *hugs*)
I don't own The Vampire Diaries.
Enjoy~! xD
Mystic Falls
On the Road
"Caroline…" Kol stared in horror at the crushed car as he found himself standing a few feet away from it.
He "woke up" from the ground next to the damaged car and while he was still a little confused, thanks to the pain he felt earlier, he soon remembered that Caroline was inside of the vehicle and without even thinking the Original immediately rushed to the car.
Going over the passenger side of the car, Kol leaned forward, his vision taking on the limp body of Caroline, the blonde forehead leaning against the widow.
"Sweetheart…" his fingers went through the glass and touched her cheek dearly. "Please wake up." He whispered gently, worry evident in his voice.
The time seemed to stop as Kol focused solemnly on the blonde figure, his eyes void of light as the Original prayed to every god up there that his human would wake up.
And what felt like an eternity for him, it was only a couple of minutes before Caroline groaned, the blonde slowly opening her eyes with a gasp, coughing a little as the air surged in her lungs.
"Hey…" he continued stroking her cheek in hope that it might comfort her.
Another groan could be heard from the backseat as Matt Donovan slowly opened his eyes, blinking a few times, his whole world spinning and suddenly brightened up. He glanced around in confusion, taking his surroundings until realization hit him.
"Tyler! Caroline!" he unbuckled the seatbelt quickly and leaned forward between the front seats, looking at Tyler he could clearly see that the Lockwood was out cold. Turning to Caroline, the jock could see the blonde slowly opening her eyes.
"Caroline! Are you okay?" Matt called out to her in worry.
"…y-yeah…" Caroline leaned back against the cushion chair heavily while blink owlishly. "…you? Tyler?" she mumbled, feeling slightly disoriented.
"You need a hospital. Right now!" Kol stated as he noticed the blood pouring from her hairline.
Matt fumbled his phone from his pocket. "I'm fine. But I don't think Tyler is." Caroline turned her head as her blue-green eyes shifted to Tyler with worry.
The blonde Quarterback quickly dialed the ambulance number. Well, as quickly as he could in his dazed state.
"Hello? There is a car accident—"Kol tuned Matt out while stroking Caroline's cheek, watching her carefully and hoping for some kind of reaction from the blonde. Anything that could settle his increasing worry and panic for his human condition.
However, there is none. "Caroline…" Kol's undead heart squeezed in fear.
Why wasn't she responding to his touches?
.
..
…
Only You
Chapter Seventeen
"The Return"
…
..
.
Later…
When the ambulance arrived, EMTs examined the awaked teens while other professionals carefully placed Tyler's unconscious body laying on the pavement. Kol has been keeping his eyes on Caroline, not even blinking as he observed her intently. He doesn't know what to feel right now, but he wants to make sure his human is completely safe.
Matt, who had been talking with the paramedics, turned his gaze from Tyler to Caroline. "Are you really okay?" he had learned that Caroline rejected the help from the EMTs.
"I'm fine." Caroline answered with a false smile.
Kol snorted in disbelieved while Matt frowned. "Come on, they need to check you out." The Quarterback said hopefully as he wanted to make sure that his friend was healthy and did not have any kind of hidden injury, but Caroline just shook her head.
"No, I'm fine." Caroline insisted. "They're helping Tyler." She nodded her head over at the paramedics who were examining Tyler.
One of them opens Tyler's eyes with a flashlight to shine in, however the paramedic flinches back in surprise. "What the hell?!"
"What?" Matt instantly went to EMTs' sides and bent down with worry for Tyler's condition. "What's wrong?"
The man stared at Tyler in incredulity. "His eyes." He said, shocked.
Kol shifted his dark eyes to his human and straightened up his spine when he noticed Caroline rubbing her temples, her body swaying.
"Darling…" her skin started to pale, she stumbled back a few times as her knees started shaking.
The Original watched in horror when he saw how her eyes rolled to the back of her head, her body crumpling like a puppet suddenly released of it's strings.
"CAROLINE!" Kol rushed to her side, bending down while trying to wake her, but it was useless. "Darling! Please wake up. Open your eyes. Please let me see your eyes!"
Meanwhile, Tyler gasped as he sat up awake, making Matt fall flat on his ass because of the sudden move. "What happened?"
Matt sighed in relief. "Dude. Don't you ever scare me like that again." Tyler just blinked at him confused.
"Hey, she needs some help over here!" Matt and Tyler jerked their heads over to see Caroline collapsed on the ground.
"Caroline!" they both shouted out in panic. They jumped up to run to their bubbly friend's body who is now deathly pale and unresponsive.
Kol whimpered softly. "Caroline… please, wake up." He pleaded for his human.
But it was futile.
And with his face brightened by the ambulance red lights, a single tear could be seen running down his cheek.
.
.
.
Mystic Falls
Hospital
Later…
Kol is sitting on the grounds of the hospital with his knees propped up as his elbows enveloped them on a tight hug while his palms cradled his face.
He is in the corner of the semi-dark operating room, where the surgeons and nurses are currently busy doing some kind of surgery on Caroline's body that Kol didn't really care about in giving any attention, his attention solely focused on his human blank expression.
The ghost ran his fingers through his hair to the back of his neck. His dark gaze stared at Caroline's unconscious body underneath the sheet with wires set up that attached to a heart monitor, oxygen machine, and x-ray screen that displayed her wound.
He learned that his human has some kind of internal bleeding, it was serious enough to the point that she is needed in the surgery.
He felt useless.
He can't do anything for his human
Kol is stuck as a fucking ghost and Caroline didn't couldn't even feel his touch! He… he couldn't comfort her, he couldn't be there for her.
If only he had his body back. If only he could be back in real life and gave her his blood so he could heal her and end her suffering.
Somehow, he sees the world that seems closer to his eyes, and the air becomes more dull, hard to breathe which should be impossible because he's a ghost.
Yet his eyes start to blurry as his thoughts become harder to organize like there's an electrical storm in his head, too many short-circuits to make any sense.
Kol closed his eyes tightly as he moved his hands from his neck and pulled his legs closer to his chest. His slender fingers pressed into the skin of his forearms, nails biting in the layer of fine dust. His whole body shook, bones rattling in the strange foreign feeling that he vaguely recalled. Like a lost dream or passing thought.
Fear.
He is starting to feel fear.
When was the last time he actually felt such fear? Before he was an immortal vampire? When he was human just over a thousand years ago?
His undead heart somehow was pounding so hard against his ribcage that his pulse pressed outward, jerking the veins within.
He didn't think it was possible but here we are.
However, his fear was distracting him. Fear because he doesn't want to lose her. He can't imagine his world without Caroline Forbes.
He couldn't imagine eternity without the young woman who he has fallen for.
The seventeen-year-old girl who is holding his undead heart in her palms.
"…please don't give up, Caroline." Kol begged in a soft broken voice.
.
.
.
Mystic Hospital
Waiting Room
Meanwhile…
A tall vampire walked through the autosense glass doors that slowly opened for him.
His dark-brown eyes scanned around and analyzed the waiting room area, his eyes lit up with recognition when he spotted Sheriff Forbes who was pacing back and forth on the room while a blonde-haired teenage boy sat on a chair next to her, his head against the wall while his elbow rested against the armchair.
Harper knew this sheriff woman was the mother of Emmanuella's descendant.
He stepped forward to the waiting room and sat down on one of the chairs at the corner of the room, his elbows rested on his knees as his head lowered while his eyes closed, concentrating on his heightened hearing to hear the conversation between them while thinking about the occurrences for the past few days.
After the Miss Mystic Falls event, he returned to the house where he needed to inform his old friend about his discoveries. Sadly he had come to found Pearl on the floor, a stake embedded on her heart while Anna cried over her dead mother.
Harper was devastated and mourned his long-time friend, took Pearl's body to the woods and burying her with Anna's help.
After that, Harper packed his bags and left the town for a few days since he knew it was not safe to stay in Mystic Falls since hunters were living in it now.
Harper has been busy with his own objectives until a bad feeling rushed to him, something was telling him to come back, and so he returned to the town just to learn that Pearl's daughter was dead along with the other tomb vampires.
He wished he could find her body so he could bury it next to her mother, but unfortunately, Anna's body was long gone thanks to the fire. During that time, he also discovered that Emmanuella's descendant had an accident and is in the hospital.
He came the fastest he could and here he is—hoping and praying for any listening entity that Caroline Forbes survives. The vampire heard running footsteps coming closer to the waiting room.
"How is Caroline?" Harper's ears perked up, recognizing the voice he soon sees a young lady speaking to the male teenager.
"She's not good, Bonnie."
"What happened?"
"We were driving and Tyler heard this noise and he got…"
"A noise?"
"He got this migraine or something and he lost control of the car and… I thought that Caroline was fine and then… and then she wasn't …"
Harper furrowed his eyebrows. 'Noise?' he wondered what exactly was going on in this town. He had a feeling it had something to do with hunters and tomb vampires that were murdered in the fire inside the basement of an abandoned building.
"—is dead. They thought he was a vampire. They put him in the basement." A feminine voice whispered as Harper tilted his head when this conversation interested him.
"Mayor Lockwood was a vampire?"
"No, no. A mistake was made, they said he dropped like the others when John's device went off but he… he couldn't have been a vampire, I've known the man my whole life and now Carol Lockwood is gonna want answers and all I can think of right now is Caroline and…" a sobbed heard.
"Hey It's okay. It's okay."
Harper tuned out and silently thought of the information he just gathered. 'Device… dropped down easily and taken to the basement… No doubt it is one of Gilbert's devices. It would explain how Anna and other tomb vampires died so easily. It was all because of that damned music box.' He mused, having experienced it once back then, it was how he was originally caught by the hunters.
Harper needs to do something about that. He refuses to allow whoever the hunter was to keep the dangerous device. He needs to search for it, take it and destroy it.
After a quiet hour or so of waiting. Harper has been keeping his ears open for any new information until one catches his interest.
"—how's Caroline?"
"She's weak. They don't know if she's going to make it."
"What?"
"Is there something that you can do? Like a spell or something?"
"She doesn't know how, do you?" a male voice speaks up, mockery clear on it.
"No, I don't."
"No, you don't because it took Emily years to learn a spell like that."
"Well, I can take down a vampire, that spell was easy to learn."
"I can give Caroline some blood." Harper snapped his eyes open as his face blanked.
"No, no way."
"Just enough to heal her. She will be safe in the hospital and it will be out of her system in a day, she will be better, Elena."
"It's too risky, I can't agree to that."
"Do it." A pause. "This is Caroline. We can't let her die. Do it."
"If I do this, you and me, call a truce?"
"No. But you'll do it anyway. For Elena."
After that, Harper tuned out the pointless talk between the man and Elena. Until he paused when he learned that Elena denied and was quite confused about some kiss when the man insisted it happened, and later Harper came to realize.
'Katherine.'
It seems that Pearl's old friend came to town.
The vampire waited for a moment longer since he needed to see Caroline Forbes, and soon.
.
.
.
Patient's Room
Later…
Inside of the patient's room that Caroline is resident in.
The blonde was currently laying on the hospital bed, IV's attached in her arm to the IV pole nearby, along with other wire that is attached to the heart monitor, and oxygen mask.
The only noise heard from the room was the slow rickety heartline from the monitor.
Kol has been studying his human for a while, taking his time to memorize her features as he doesn't like seeing her unconsciousness, in the hospital bed with these machines all around her.
He preferred her to be on her feet, with a beautiful smile and voice filled with nonstop words.
He has heard from the doctor that Caroline is still in health risk and possibly will have to go another surgery but there's a chance she won't be able to make it through.
The Original vampire didn't like the news. He desperately hoped and prayed for his human to fight it through and just be alive.
"Darling… you can't die. You must fight. Please…" he muttered, worried and scared as the last thing the immortal wanted was to be forced to watch her die.
He didn't get a chance to have his body returned and meet her officially. There are so many promises he has made to the blonde that he just refuses to break. There are so many things he wants to do, to talk to her, to dance with her, to show her what the world has to offer for such a beautiful soul.
He can't lose her.
Not now. Not ever.
Kol extended his hand, gently brushing her cheek with the back of his fingers while carefully examining her face.
But his attention was cut short when an African-American male suddenly appeared at vamp-speed. Kol flinched and jerked his head to a vampire with hard glares and warning growls.
"Who the fuck are you?!" Kol knew it wouldn't work since he's a ghost for crying out loud, much to Kol's frustration and rage. How the hell is he going to protect Caroline if he is stuck as an useless ghost?!
The vampire stepped closer to Caroline while Kol curled his fingers into tight fists, his muscles tensing as his chest rumbled with deep growls. The vampire suddenly paused and tilted his head down as his brown eyes landed on blonde-haired beauty.
"I am sorry, Miss Caroline." He whispered with guilt. "However, no fear. I shall help you." Kol's growl stopped when he noticed the vampire took out a syringe filled with blood.
"What is that." The transparent ghost demanded, frustrated and cautioned. He watches the vampire inject the syringe into Caroline's inner elbow carefully.
Once the blood was gone inside Caroline's veins. He took out the syringe and pocketed it. The vampire cautiously examined her with a blank face. Kol's dark eyes shifted to his human from the suspicious vampire, watching her with reluctant hope.
And a beautiful sound catches Kol's attention, his gaze moving to the heart monitor.
The heartbeat started to pace up steadily and strongly. His undead heart sank with heavy relief when he realized that his human is no longer at risk of dying.
"Oh thank the bloody Goddess." He whispered with happiness as he leaned forward while his hands clutched onto the bed rails.
The vampire hummed with satisfaction. "I will see you someday in the future, Miss Caroline." He whispered with a slight fond glint in his dark brown eyes and soon, he vamp-speed out of the room.
"…whoever that bloke is… he has my respect. Although…" Kol furrowed his eyebrows wondering who this vampire was and why he saved Caroline?
Not only that, he could have sworn he saw this vampire man somewhere, but he doesn't recall where or when.
He snapped out of it when he saw Damon sneak in and glared hatefully at the soon-to-be dead vampire.
"Why are you here arsehole?" he grumbled, not wanting this asshole of an abuser going anywhere near his human.
Damon paused and blinked in surprised when he saw Caroline. "Huh… you managed to fight it on your own. Not bad." He was impressed, unknowingly that the blonde-haired beauty was saved by an unknown vampire.
"Better his blood than yours, Salva-whore." Kol grumbled as he wanted the soon-to-be dead vampire out of the room and far, far away from his human.
The older Salvatore stepped closer to Caroline, watching her for a moment and then nodding his head.
He immediately vamp-speed out of the room, leaving her alone with Kol. The Original sighing and glancing down at Caroline.
"…I refuse to let you leave this world, darling." He vowed.
.
.
Mystic Falls
Hospital
Patient's Room
Next Day…
Caroline is quietly watching the television with the show that Kol knew was one of her favorites.
The Original was beyond relieved and happy to see her completely awaked and healthy. However, he has not touched her since he is still nervous, fearing that she won't respond to him. It was silly of him to be this anxious, but he can't help it. He was so used to touching her as their own way of communicating that he feared losing his only way of communication with her.
Kol's gaze shifted from his human to Bonnie and Matt who arrived in the room. Caroline turned her eyes from the television to her friends and beamed at them.
"Jersey Shore's on." She commented, happily.
Bonnie's relieved and joyful smile appeared on her face while Matt grinned widely. The petite witch instantly ran to the blonde, hugging her.
"Oh, careful. Still a little sore." Caroline flinched from brief pain as Bonnie quickly broke the embrace.
"Sorry."
The blonde-haired beauty just shakes her head. "It's okay but they say I'm healing really quick." Caroline said with a bubbly voice.
Matt speaks up. "My turn." Bonnie stepped aside and Matt embraced the blonde-haired beauty, careful not to hurt her.
Kol glared at Matt. He now tolerated the human bloke since Matt has been staying by Caroline's side ever since she was admitted to the hospital. He could see how much Matt really cares about his human, so he learned to tolerate him. But just barely.
Caroline turned her attention to her best friend and was surprised to see Bonnie's teary eyes.
"Why are you crying?" she asked in concern while Kol raised his eyebrows, puzzled.
Bonnie sniffed as she tried to control her tears. "I'm just happy you're okay."
"Oh…" the blonde-haired beauty smiles warmly at her friends, Matt half-embracing Bonnie to comfort her with understanding eyes. "…I love you guys!" Caroline feels so loved by her friends.
The Bennett witch chuckled softly. "We love you."
Kol huffed but half-smiled at his human and was truly happy for her. He is glad that Caroline has her friends by her side. He wonders when will Caroline call Lexi and Lee? He couldn't help but think how overreacted they will be when they learn of Caroline's near-death-experience?
"I'm looking forward to that." He muttered, mixed with discomfort yet amusing.
He didn't like it when his human almost greets death door, but he also wants to know how Lexi and Lee would react since they both are practically the comedic duo.
.
.
.
Later…
Caroline continued watching the show alone for a while since her friends left to head over to the Lockwood Mansion for the after-funeral party.
She sighed softly as she lost interest in the show and glanced around in the empty room. She bit her lip for a minute until she shyly whispered. "Kol… are you here?" she was so used to feeling Kol's cold touches that she worried about the fact that ever since the car accident, she hasn't been feeling them anymore.
It made her feel strangely alone.
Unaware of that Kol watched her quietly. He is nervous that his touch might not be responded to, but his undead heart sank when he saw how disappointed and lonely she looked when he didn't. Kol sighed heavily and stood up from the chair.
"The things I do for you…" he didn't like seeing her upset.
The ghost stepped closer to his human, hesitant to extend his hand toward her, brushing her cheek with the back of his fingers.
Caroline shivered as she closed her eyes happily. "Kol."
She smiled softly and Kol released a breath of relief. He was happy. "Oh thank all the gods… I thought I lost my only way to communicate with you, darling." He muttered as he dropped his head thankfully.
He can still communicate with her.
He wasn't alone.
"Are you okay?" she asked, concerned for her ghost friend.
Kol stared at her fondly.
"I'm a ghost, love. Nothing can hurt me…" but yet, his eyes darkened when he realized what happened to him during the ride a couple of nights ago.
He has no idea from where that awful noise comes from, he doesn't know why or how it could harm him, but he will find out and destroy it. Whatever it was.
He doesn't like how it could inflict such agony on him in this state and he doesn't want to know what would happen to him once he returns to his body as an Original Vampire. However, for now, he needs to focus on his human.
Kol gently tapped her forehead which made Caroline wrinkle her nose.
"Cold." Caroline playfully grumbled and rubs her forehead to warm them. Kol smirks mischievously at her. "…have you been here with me the entire time?" she asked softly, curious.
"Of course. Whether I'm bound to you or not. I won't ever leave your side, sweetheart." If anyone dares to get in his way, even attempting to separate him from his darling. There will be blood spilled. Kol won't leave Caroline's side unless she asks him to leave—which he will try to make sure she won't—, he would above everything respect her wish.
After all, Caroline Forbes is the only creature that could probably tame Kol Mikaelson.
Kol strokes her cheek as an answer and Caroline smiles timidly.
"Thank you." She whispered warmly, her eyes slowly fluttering and closing themselves.
The ghost watched her fall asleep with a small smile on her face. "Sleep well, my darling." Kol hesitated for a moment then leaned over and lightly let his lips brush her temple.
He wished he could truly feel her skin.
.
.
.
Later…
The hospital has been quiet for a while ever since the nightfall arrived.
Kol was sitting on an empty chair by Caroline's side, comfortable as he never stopped watching his sleeping human.
His dark gaze shifted over the television with low volume. He had tried to figure out how to switch the shows off with some kind of ghost power or something, but he was still not sure how to do it. He recalled the dead witch said something about connecting emotions or some bullock.
Then he snapped out of it when he heard the soft groaning from his human, his gaze returning to her as he stood up and walked towards her.
"Hey… you should sleep some more." The vampire blood is inside of her, while it does help her heal, the blonde would still need a lot of rest.
Caroline rubbed her tired face and fumbled with the remote. She sat up as she pointed randomly in the air to press the power off button. The television turned off and Caroline dropped it to her side. Caroline turned on her back while blinking a few times. She lifted her head but gasped in surprise. "Elena?" Kol snapped his head at the doorway and saw Elena standing there with a friendly smile.
"Hey Caroline." Kol narrowed his eyes at her with suspicion and wariness. He has a bad feeling. He doesn't know why but something tells him that this is not Elena. The Original reached down to touch his human's hand.
The blonde-haired beauty shivers with perplexed frowns on her face. "What—what are you doing here?" she asked, confused as her blue-green eyes darted down at her cold hand where Kol had touched her.
Elena stepped forward in the room while Kol moved closer to his human while eyeing her with caution. The brunette placed her hand on the bed rail with a confident smirk on her face. "My name is Katherine." She declared and Kol was stunned with shock.
"Fuck." He stared at the vampire-doppelgänger from the late fourteenth century (or early fifteenth century).
He recalled when he heard the news that his brothers found the doppelgänger at the time. One of his spies informed him everything about the doppelgänger from human to vampire.
"You are Katerina bloody Petrova." He remembered her birth name as she was born and raised in Bulgaria. However, she was kicked out and banished from her country because she gave birth out of wedlock. He didn't get details, but it was enough information that Katerina escaped from being sacrificed, became a vampire, and was on a run from his vengeful brother. And of course, he once on a while heard whispers of the infamous Katherine Pierce.
Kol doesn't understand why Katherine is here. Caroline had nothing to do with the supernatural and she was on the surface oblivious to it.
Caroline furrowed her eyebrows at Katherine with confusion as the brunette vampire continued. "I was hoping you could give the Salvatore brothers a message for me."
"What are you talking about?" the blonde-haired beauty shakes her head, puzzled. "What message?" she shifted her body, trying to get herself comfortable while blinking away from being drowsy. Kol frowned deeply with cautious and apprehension.
Katherine smirks widely. "Game on."
"What?" Caroline blinked then out of nowhere, Katherine grabbed one of the pillows and pushed it down over the blonde face.
"NOO!" Kol bellowed as he threw himself at Katherine, but it obviously failed. "Fuck! Shit! NO! Let go of her, your bitch!"
Caroline's screams were muffled by the pillow as she struggled against it, but Katherine was too strong for her.
"Fight! Don't stop fighting, darling!" Kol reached the other side of the bed, hands clutched onto the bed rail while he watched uselessly as his undead heart sank in dreaded with fearful eyes. "Please… keep fighting…" his dark eyes teary.
Caroline kept struggling against it, kicking her legs but Katherine was simply too strong.
"No, no, no, no, no." Kol mumbling distress when he watches the blonde-haired beauty slowly give in as her hand shakily to the remote, however before she could reach the alert-nurse button, her hand dropped. Her body had gone limp.
Kol stared at his human with a frozen face.
The vampire-doppelgänger takes the pillow off the blonde face, placing it next to Caroline.
Her chest was still.
Katherine hummed with self-satisfaction as she smirked content. She whirled around gracefully, walking out of the room casually.
Unknowing that not only she was the target by the two Originals, but she has also gained a new powerful enemy who darkly sworn he will murder her would hunt her down till the end of time.
Katherine Pierce, now has three Originals after her head.