A/N: I meant to post last night but I forgot. My bad. Anyway I hope you're enjoying the story so far.
Stefan's phone buzzed in his pocket from where he sat at his desk, pondering just what he and Damon were going to do if they couldn't get Elena's humanity back on. He fished his phone out of his pocket to see the sheriff's name flashing on the screen, his eyebrow raised in surprise as to why she might be calling him. "Liz." He said in greeting.
"Stefan, have you heard from Caroline or seen her recently?" Asked Liz, usually she didn't worry too much about her daughter knowing she was more than capable of handling herself and being a vampire she was nowhere near defenseless but when Caroline never came home last night it threw some red flags up for her. It was unlike Caroline to stay out all night and not let her know where she was going to be, not sense they grew closer after she accepted the fact that her daughter was a vampire.
Stefan frowned. "Not since yesterday? Why?"
"She never came home last night." Said Liz, the worry shining through. "Usually I wouldn't worry too much but with this entire search for the cure and Silas it has me more than a little concerned."
Stefan understood where she was coming from things were crazy at the moment and now that he thought about it, Caroline hadn't been around all that much recently, keeping herself busy with other matters. He had assumed it had to do with the last few weeks of senior stuff, preferring to stay out of the whole cure and Silas business and stay away from Elena since they left things on a bad note and she had to practically restrain herself from attacking her friend. "Have you tried calling her?"
"Several times but it's gone straight to voicemail." Liz sighed.
"Okay." Said Stefan. "I'll try calling her and asking around if anyone's heard from her."
"Airtight, call me if you get a hold of her or hear anything." Liz told him.
"Liz, I'm sure she's fine and just got caught up but I'll call you as soon as I know anything." Stefan said, wanting to reassure her.
"Alright, just do what you can to help find her." Says Liz before hanging up.
Stefan immediately called Caroline's phone afterwards only for it to go straight to voicemail. He called Bonnie next seeing if she seen heard from Caroline since yesterday, she hadn't, Stefan was trying not to worry but after several more tries trying to reach Caroline and receiving only her voicemail he was quickly growing concerned.
Deciding that he was getting nowhere he pocketed his phone, grabbed his jacket and left the boarding house deciding to go out and search for her.
Klaus checked the time on his phone and sighed in annoyance. Caroline was running late and he thought the least she could do was let him know so he wasn't waiting around for her to show like some high schooler waiting by the phone for a damn phone call.
He dialed her number, pushing down the flare of annoyance rushing through his system when all he got was her voicemail. "Caroline, love, where are you? You're late and common courtesy dictates that if you're running late you should give your friend - that would be me - a call so he isn't left waiting." He sighed. "Just get here sweetheart or at least call and let me know when you will be here."
He pocketed his phone and poured himself a shot of bourbon, downing the shot and returned to his sketch he had been working on.
Stefan had spent the last couple hours scouring Mystic Falls when he came across Caroline's car abandoned on the side of the road. He looked around for any signs of her but there was none, and there didn't appear to be a struggle, hoping that she had simply only had a little car trouble he got in the driver seat and turned the keys in the ignition, his hope was dashed as the car started with no problems, he stepped back out of the car and almost stepped on a cell phone on the ground, he picked it up recognizing it as Caroline's phone.
Stefan frowned, Caroline wouldn't have just abandoned her car and she wouldn't have just simply drop her phone and not pick it back up. No, something had to have happened.
He fished his phone out of his pocket, and called The Sheriff, filling her in on what he found. And twenty minutes later. Liz pulled up alongside him exiting her car a worried look on his face. She looked around the scene, surveying the area for any clues. "Were there any signs of a struggle or something before you got here? Anything?"
"Just her phone on the ground." Stefan answered. "There doesn't seem to be anything wrong with her car."
"Someone did this." Said Liz, her eyes hardening. "Someone took her. Someone took my daughter."
"Look, we're going to find her. I promise." Stefan told her.
"Why would someone go after Caroline?" Asked Liz. "Do you think it was Silas?"
"No." Said Stefan. "He would have told us, if he had her. He likes his mind games. No someone else took her."
Liz turned away from him, and ran a hand over her face, taking a moment to calm herself down, she wouldn't be any help to her daughter if she couldn't remain calm and rational.
Stefan watched her feeling a wave of sympathy wash over him. "Liz, we're going to find her."
Liz turned back to him. "Yeah, we will." She said, determinedly. "Her phone? What's on her call log?"
Stefan quickly swiped his thumb over Caroline's phone screen, checking her call log. "It looks like she was calling the local tow service and she had several missed calls from you, me and..." His brow furrowed.
"And?" Prodded Liz. "Who else?"
He looked up from Caroline's phone. "Klaus."
"Klaus?" Liz repeated. "Why would Klaus be calling Caroline?"
"I don't know." Stefan admitted.
"Well, do you think he had something to do with this?" She demanded.
"Honestly, I don't think he would hurt her." Said Stefan. "But he may know something; he seems to always know something."
"Then I'm going to find out." Liz snatched Caroline's phone from his hand and whirled around, heading for her car.
"Whoa, hold on, Liz." Stefan said, whooshing in front of her path. "You need to be smart about this. This is Klaus we're talking about. He's not someone you go making demands of."
"Well, what do you suggest we do?!" Liz glared angrily. "My daughter is missing, Stefan. If he knows something I'm damn well going to find out!"
"I'll go. Caroline wouldn't be able to handle it if anything happened to you." Said Stefan. "I'll find out what he knows and then I'll call you."
"No." Said Liz firmly. "I'm going with you." Stefan opened his mouth to protest but she cut him off. "It's not up for discussion Stefan. I'm going."
"Okay." Stefan sighed. And hoped nothing happened to Liz while she was with him because Caroline would never forgive him if he let something happen to her mother when he could have done something about it.
"Alright, good. Get in the car. I'll drive us." Said Liz, moving around him and getting in her patrol car as soon as Stefan rounded the car and climbed into the passenger seat, she was peeling down the road, heading toward the Mikaelson mansion.
"Klaus?" Stefan called out once he passed the foyer of the mansion, glancing around for the original hybrid in question.
Liz trailed a couple feet behind him, looking around eyes hard, her steps cautious.
"Klaus?" Stefan called again. But no sooner did the name leave his mouth before he found himself pinned to the wall, his back slamming into it with a resounding crack, rattling his bones a hand wrapped tightly around his throat like a vice.
"Stefan, mate, tell me what brings you here to my home without so much as an invitation?" Klaus glared at him, he didn't know who Stefan thought he was but he had another thing coming if he thought he could just walk into his home when he was not welcomed.
Stefan tried to pry his hand off his throat. "I-I ne-need your hel-help."
Klaus chuckled derisively. "Now you must really be delusional to think you can just come into my home asking for my help after all the times you and your lot has conspired against me. Repeatedly."
"Release him." Liz said firmly voice brooking no room for argument, gun aimed and leveled on Klaus.
Klaus paused glancing over his shoulder. "Sheriff wasn't expecting you." He took notice of the gun and smirked. "You know that won't kill me."
"No but it sure as hell will hurt like hell." Said Liz scathingly. "I imagine wooden bullets soaked in not only vervain but also wolfsbane can't feel too good when it's imbedded in your bullet ridden flesh."
Klaus stared at her. "I can see where Caroline gets her bravado must run in the gene."
Liz clenched her jaw tightly, eyes hardening. "I said let him go and I won't repeat myself again!"
If it was anyone else Klaus would have snapped their neck but this was Caroline's mother and he knew it wouldn't go over well with her if he was to snap her mother's neck or kill Stefan for that matter. He let out a growl of annoyance before releasing Stefan and taking a step back. "Why are you here?"
"My daughter, where is she?" Liz demanded, not lowering the gun.
"Why would I know where Caroline is?" Klaus shot back rhetorically. "You're her mother, maybe you should learn to keep better tabs on your daughter if you have to come to me to ask of her whereabouts."
Liz hand tightened on her gun, almost twitching with the urge to shoot him for the remark. "I'm in no mood for your games. Tell me where Caroline is or so help me I will empty a clip in your ass!"
"Your wound a bit tight, Sheriff." Klaus observed with an amused smirk. "Bad day?"
"This is serious Klaus!" Stefan cut in before the sheriff could respond, he moved toward Liz, seeing how her hand flexed on the gun as if she was fighting off the urge to pull the trigger, and he placed his arm gently on hers and lowered it. Liz shot him a disapproving look but holstered her gun reluctantly. "Caroline's missing."
Klaus tensed, dark look passing his features. "What do you mean she's missing?" He grounded out through clenched teeth.
"No one's heard from her since yesterday and then we just found her car abandoned on the side of the road and when we saw you were the last to call her we thought you might be able to tell us something." Stefan told him. "When was the last time you heard from her?"
"Yesterday." Klaus answered, turning away from them jaw clenching, trying to run through the possibilities as to why Caroline would have abandoned her car but none of them were good. Not when it had Stefan and her mother convinced she was missing.
"Why has she been talking to you?" Liz asked, drawing his attention back to her.
"After what happened with Silas, Caroline, came to me wanting my help in learning to resist mind compulsion." Klaus admitted, turning to face them. "She's been coming here nearly every day; I called her because she was supposed to have been here already."
Liz didn't know what to make of her daughter going to Klaus for help and it wasn't what mattered at the moment. "Do you have any idea where she could be?"
"No." Klaus responded, eyes hard. "Was there any other signs where she left her car?"
Stefan didn't know why Caroline didn't tell him anything about going to Klaus for help. "No, we thought maybe her car broke down but that doesn't appear to be the case."
Klaus turned away from them, feeling anger rising to the surface, if someone took Caroline then they would live to regret it for he would give them a fate worse than death. He turned back to tell them to take him to where her car was abandoned, when he heard something he turned heading in the direction of the sound.
"Klaus?" Stefan called out questioningly, following after him quickly, Liz falling into step beside him
Klaus looked around his study, he could have swore he heard someone in here, his eyes scanned the room before falling on a table with a letter leaning against the vase there. He snatched it up quickly seeing it was addressed to him and ripped it open, taking it out of the envelope, reading over the letter quickly.
Klaus, I hear Elijah has refused you the cure and in return, you have refused me my freedom. Shame on you both. But while you boys sort out your problems, I have one last thing to offer you. I've caught wind that there is a witch in New Orleans named Jane-Anne Devaraux plotting a move against you. Hunt her down. What she has to say will rattle you so deeply to your core that chasing little old me will be the least of your concerns. And if you discovered that Caroline Forbes is missing you will want to ask the Devaraux witch of her whereabouts. It's been a fun five centuries, Klaus, but I've worn down too many good heels running from you. Love and hate, Katerina.
Klaus looked up a dark look on his face.
"What is it?" Stefan asked, seeing the look on his face and knowing it wasn't good.
"If this letter is to be believed Caroline was taken by a witch in New Orleans who is making a move against me." Klaus told him.
"You're saying my daughter is in danger because of you?" Liz said angrily. "If anything happens to Caroline I will do everything I can to find a way to kill you."
Klaus ignored her that and faced the Sheriff. "I will not let anything happen to Caroline. I will go get her and bring her back home safely."
"I'm going with you." Stefan said immediately.
"No you're not." Klaus waved him off. "I don't need you getting in my way."
"This is Caroline we're talking about Klaus." Stefan set his jaw determinedly. "If she's in danger I'm coming with you."
"So am I." Declared Liz.
"No." Stefan and Klaus echoed one another and then glared at each other.
"This is too dangerous, Liz." Said Stefan.
"I don't care." Snapped Liz. "I want my daughter back unharmed!"
"And I will get her back but I can't have you getting yourself killed in the meantime." Klaus told her. "Caroline would never forgive me. I promise I will get her back."
"I don't trust you with my daughter, so Stefan goes with you or I do." Said Liz not caring that she was giving Klaus Mikaelson of all people an ultimatum.
"Ignoring the fact that I don't have to go along with anything the two of you say if I didn't want to, may I say I can see where Caroline gets her flare for making ultimatums and demands from."
What's it going to be Klaus? " Liz asked eyes hard, holding his gaze unflinchingly.
"Stefan, be ready to leave in fifteen minutes." Klaus told him, not looking away from Liz. "Make no mistake I'm going to make sure nothing happens to Caroline but I'm not doing it for either of you." He was doing it for himself because she mattered to him.
Liz only nodded. "Stefan, you better call me as soon as you find her."
"I will." Stefan promised.
Liz nodded and turned striding out the door.
Stefan turned to Klaus. "If anything happens to Caroline..."
"Nothing's going to happen to her." Klaus cut him off, glaring harshly. "I'll burn down all of New Orleans if I have to, to find her and make sure of it." He vowed.
Stefan swallowed; he only heard Klaus speak with that much malice and aggression when it came to his family and Klaus himself. It made him wonder just how deep Klaus's feelings for Caroline ran.
Klaus crumbled up the note Katerina left him and vowed that if Caroline was harmed in any way he would paint the streets of New Orleans red, starting with the blood of the witch who dared to try and take her from him.
A/N: There's no Caroline in this chapter but she'll be in the next chapter. A lot.