A/N: It's been months since I've written anything Klaroline but I'm back and I hope this chapter doesn't suck.
I know most of you want Caroline and Klaus to learn the truth and they will but not for another couple of chapters. Also, I hope we have some Katherine fans.
Thank you to everyone for their well wishes for my mother. She's doing a lot better.
Lastly, I hope you enjoy the chapter. I hope no one is too OOC.
Rebekah sat in confessional. It was ironic considering who and what she was. "I should never have come back here. This is the town where I fell in love - and where love failed us. I assume you know who I'm talking about?"
"You should know Marcel and I are not on the best of terms right now."' Father Kieran informed her.
"But you are an active priest, are you not?" asked Rebekah. "Ready and able to hear my confession?"
"Usually the word "willing" falls somewhere in that sentence. Are you even Catholic?" Father Kieran questioned, he really doubted it.
"I've been on this Earth for a thousand years. I can't say for certain that I believe in anything like a God, but I need absolution. From someone. Anyone. So will you hear my confession or not?" Rebekah was growing impatient, she came here to get stuff off her chest not deal with someone judging her.
Father Kieran nodded unseen by Rebekah.
"Bless me, Father, for I have sinned." Rebekah began. "I am a liar, a betrayer. I have conspired against my own blood and I doubt even your God could save me."
24 Hours Earlier
Klaus bit into the young woman's wrist. Normally Caroline would be bothered by someone being turned into a compelled blood bag but she since had learned that the woman wasn't being compelled and was being paid quite a lot of money by Elijah to tap a vein.
Still, Caroline preferred her blood bags rather than drinking from a girl's wrist, for her guilty conscious sake at least.
"Love," Klaus held the woman's wrist out to her in an offering.
"No, I'm good," she lifted up her glass of blood as she waved him off, taking a drink.
Klaus dropped the woman's wrist with a nod, focusing back on Rebekah who sat opposite of him, drinking from a cup. The table between them was full of breakfast food just waiting to be eaten. "Have you spoken to our good friend Marcel today?"
"No, should I have?" Rebekah said in reply, her eyes flickering to Caroline briefly.
"He's been mysteriously silent - avoiding me, some might say. I thought perhaps he may have whispered reasons into your ear. Along with all of those sweet nothings." Klaus taunted.
Caroline looked up from texting Stefan glancing between the siblings with an arched brow. The tension between them was heavy with underlining issues. For the moment she was choosing not to interfere.
"If I see him I'll be sure to ask if he's still sore at you," replied Rebekah, looking at Klaus with cold eyes.
"Let me give a voice to that look in your eyes," said Klaus, seeing the accusing look she had been giving him. "My saintly noble brother lies writhing in agony in the bayou, victim of my bastard-brother's-bite, when just one or two drops of his blood would ease his pain."
"On the contrary, Nik, I am simply enjoying my breaky waiting for Elijah's healthy return." She countered dismissively.
"Oh, come on Rebekah, you've been giving me the devil's eye all morning." Klaus pointed out. "Out with it!"
"Perhaps I'm concerned that if I voice my opinion about what you did to Elijah, I will end up on the wrong side of your toxic hybrid teeth," said Rebekah, frowning.
"Poppycock!" Klaus leaned forward. " I would never bite you. Elijah made some very offensive accusations about my intentions towards my children. He deserves a day or two of discomfort. Besides, you know my preferred method of punishment for your indiscretions is the dagger."
Caroline shook her head at his words. It was no wonder there was so much bad blood in the Mikaelson family their first go to when they disagreed was violence.
Rebekah smirked, standing up from her chair. "There is something fundamentally wrong with you." She turned and left the room.
Klaus stared down at the food on the table with a dark expression.
"Well, that went well," Caroline said hoping to break the tension in the room.
Klaus looked up, and his dark expression faded as he looked at her, with a faint smirk. "There's nothing like a breakfast with the Mikaelson,'s love."
"I'll say." Caroline finished her glass, standing up.
Klaus frowned. "Where are you going?"
Caroline flashed him a smile and rubbed his shoulder. "Don't worry, I'll be back, I just need to ask Rebekah about our training."
Caroline didn't wait for a reply as she went in search of Rebekah and caught her just as she was leaving the house. "Rebekah, hey,"
Rebekah turned expectantly, brushing her hair back. "What is it?"
"I know you and Klaus are having issues but are we still on for training?" Caroline wondered.
"I can't. Not today. I have things I have to do in the Quarter." Rebekah answered, her eyes no longer held the death glare she'd been giving Klaus all morning. "Maybe tomorrow."
Caroline nodded. "Is there anything I can help with?"
Rebekah smiled at the offer. "No. Why don't you ask Klaus to train you today, I'm sure he be more than happy to fill in for your trainer for the day. God knows, he'd take any chance to spend quality time with you." she gave a faint smile. "And Maybe by some miracle, it will make him more tolerable to the rest of us."
Caroline watched as Rebekah walked out the door before heading back to the dining room where Klaus still was, she walked back into the room and took her seat, aware Klaus was watching her expectantly. "So what do you think about helping me train today?"
Klaus fought back a smile at the hopeful look in her eyes as she stared at him expectantly. "How could I possibly say no to you, Love,"
Caroline grinned, grabbing up a grape from a bowl and popping it into her mouth.
Klaus watched her, fighting the urge to kiss her and taste the smile on her lips with his own, wanting to be enveloped in her light.
Elijah laid on a bed in the small hut, Hayley stood beside the bed, hovering in concern. "Here, drink this." she handed him a cup.
Elijah swallowed down its contents but immediately started to cough. "Forgive me. Please," he asked of her.
"It's okay," Hayley assured him, she didn't blame him. If anyone was to blame it was Klaus. "Remind me to annihilate your brother once you're healthy."
"Yes, remind me to remind you to get in line," said Elijah in reply.
"It doesn't help that we decided to shack up in a swamp either," Hayley said and walked outside for some fresh air but when she heard Elijah start to cough even more she returned to his side quickly. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine. Please just... return to your reading," he told her, not wanting her to worry about him.
"I went through the whole thing. It's just a regular Bible." Hayley told him. "With an entry in a family tree, that may or may not be me, but you know I've been a little busy worrying about you."
"Hayley, please. This fever will make me unstable. And once the hallucinations begin I'll start to see things. You must leave me here." Elijah implored not wanting to accidentally hurt her.
"I'm not leaving you like this." Hayley denied him immediately.
Neither was aware of the woman lurking around just outside of the hut in the nearby woods, watching them.
Marcel arrived at the meeting that he had called. All the vampires in the Quarter had gathered in one place.
"All right, I'm here," said Marcel. "Let's do this.I'll keep this simple." he waved a hand at Tyler who was seated in a chair among them. "This kid is an old enemy of your favorite person Klaus. And he's got plenty to say about what that traitor, son of a bitch, has been up to behind my back. Now, for those of you faint of heart, there's the door. Because those who stick around, you're signing up for battle."
Not one vampire left the room and Marcel nodded proudly.
"You all know Klaus wasn't always the hybrid. When he broke the curse that kept his werewolf side dormant, somewhere in all that, certain parts were now able to trump his vampire side. Like the ability to pass on the werewolf gene." Tyler addressed the room. "That's where the werewolf girl he's been hiding from you all comes in. She rode through my town, pretended to be my friend and then ends up hooking up with him. Now she's pregnant with his spawns. Twins."
"What the hell is this?" Demanded Diego. How were they expected to trust anything this boy said when they had no idea who he is or what his true goals are.
"Just listen," Marcel told him, seeing the distrust in the way his friend stood.
"When Klaus became the hybrid, he figured out a way to turn full-bread werewolves into creatures like him." Tyler continued, raising his hand. "You're looking at one of them. On the plus side, we had all the perks of being vampires. We're stronger, faster. And the toxins in our bites could still kill a vampire. But on the downside, we were loyal to him. Like, supernaturally loyal."
"Right, and that's why you're here, spilling all his secrets?" Diego shot back doubtfully.
"That's the point, Diego." Marcel shot his guy a look. "He figured out a way to break free of it."
"And I helped the rest of them too. Then Klaus killed them for their betrayal." Tyler said, his hate evident in his eyes.
"Because that is what Klaus does." Rebekah walked into the room. "Don't mind me, I'm fascinated by this story. Hello, Tyler."
"Rebekah." Tyler returned. "Long time no see."
"What Tyler was about to tell you is that my brother can use his children's blood to sire more hybrids. What you will all figure out is that vampires don't stand a chance. So, Tyler, I assume you were trying to rally this lot into making sure these babies aren't born." Said Rebekah knowingly.
"Yeah. You don't like it? Go on and take your brother's side." Tyler sneered at her. "But you know I'm right."
"I believe you've mistaken the ladies intentions," Marcel told Tyler, moving to stand beside her.
"Alright. What's going on?" questioned Diego.
"You were absolutely right, Tyler," Rebekah told him. "My brother is a crap enough individual as it is. The last thing he needs is to sire a superior species." she looked at Marcel. "Go on, you can tell them."
"She's not here to fight us, she's here to help us," Marcel informed the room full of his guys.
"That's right. But first…" Rebekah appeared in front of Tyler snapping his neck and watched as his body went crashing to the floor and then she turned sitting down in the chair he had been sitting in. "That is enough talk about harming those unborn babies. Klaus is the one we're putting a stop to."
"Now, the babies are off limits but Tyler happened to mention the best way to get to Klaus was through a blonde vampire he keeps relatively close." Marcel addressed.
Rebekah's eyes widened as she realized who Marcel was speaking of. She stood slowly. "Tyler told you about Caroline?"
Marcel turned back to her. "Yes, he mentioned Klaus is obsessed with her and that she's a trigger point for him which makes her the best bargaining chip any of us could have asked for."
"And did he also tell you she was his girl before coming here to New Orleans. You can't trust anything he says about Caroline." Rebekah said firmly, hating the idea that Marcel wanted to use Caroline as a pawn in their game against Klaus.
"Are you saying that he's wrong. That she doesn't mean anything to your brother?" Diego stepped forward. "Becuase if that's the case it shouldn't matter what happens to her."
Rebekah's eyes narrowed. "I didn't say that."
"Then what are you saying?" Marcel stepped toward her.
"I'm saying she is not a part of this and doesn't deserve to be a discarded pawn in this game with Klaus." Rebekah grounded out. "I won't let you kill her just to get at my brother."
Marcel stepped forward and set his hands on her shoulders. "No one said anything about killing her. I'm just suggesting we use her to draw him out, set a trap, if he cares about her there's no way he would leave her to fend for herself against me and our guys."
Rebekah pursed her lips knowing better than anyone that if Klaus believed Caroline was in danger he wouldn't hesitate in throwing caution to the wind to save her. He had chosen her over his family more than once.
Slowly she nodded. "Fine but she's not to be killed." She sent a harsh glare around the room.
Marcel slid his hands up her neck his thumbs brushing her jawline. "She'll make it out of this and once Klaus is taken care of we'll let her go. I promise."
Rebekah nodded even as a twinge of guilt crept into her chest on Caroline's behalf but she took a fortifying breath, steadying herself.
This was her way of finally be free of her brother's controlling grasp. She had to do this. For not only herself but for her family. Everyone Klaus has ever betrayed or hurt.
Caroline shifted carefully on her feet, watching Klaus closely the way he stood, his body motion, the movement of his footwork. It was a struggled not to get distracted when all he wore was a pair of jeans, his shirt discarded.
"If you really pay attention to your opponent's body, their language, their movements, you have a real chance of knowing what they're going to do before they even do it," Klaus instructed.
"Like dancing?" Caroline questioned stepping left just as he stepped to the right.
A smirk tugged at Klaus's lips as he looked her over, enjoying the view of her in a pair of black yoga pants and a yellow workout top. "Like dancing."
Caroline felt a smile tugging at her lips at his smirk. It was almost involuntarily, she bit down on her bottom lip, tugging it in between her teeth and noticed almost instantly Klaus' distraction, his gaze zeroing in on her mouth, his steps faltering.
She grinned inwardly and moved in swinging her fist, catching him across the jaw while he had been distracted.
Klaus stumbled back out of surprise more than anything else but Caroline didn't let up she swung at him again but he blocked with his forearm, she swung another right hook but he caught it sidestepping her reach, slipping behind her and holding her arm across her shoulder and neck, he grabbed her other arm and pinned it behind her, pressing in close to her.
Caroline grunted pulling on her arms, but Klaus's grip was too tight.
"That was a good shot," Klaus leaned into her neck, whispering in her ear, his breath fanning out against her skin. "Really commendable, love. You saw I was distracted and seized on the opportunity without hesitation."
"I never fail to miss an opportunity." Caroline jerked her head back and slammed it into his, making his hold on her loosen, she stomped on his foot next, making him release his hold as he took a step back and she turned quickly thrusting her palm out against his chest, forcing him further back but Klaus grabbed her around the waist and slammed her into the ground, his body hovering over hers.
Caroline groaned when her back hit the ground hard, Klaus's body pinned against her, his hands gripped her shoulders, keeping her pressed down.
"Nice try, love but still not good enough," he smirked down at her. "But points for effort."
Caroline pouted up at him. "That hurt,"
One of Klaus's hand released her shoulder, trailing down her side and slipped behind her back, stroking it soothingly. "I could make it better."
Caroline smiled to herself, hoping to keep him distracted, she slowly slid her hand up his arm, watching as his expression shifted minutely, less guarded but no less focused.
She slid her hand up to his shoulder, smiling to herself when he leaned down his mouth brushing against her, softly at first then he pressed forward more, pressing his mouth more firmly against hers.
Caroline grinned her hand sliding up further curving around the back of his neck, she raised her leg and hooked it around his, her hips arching against him.
Klaus moved his hands from her back and planted his palms on the ground beside her head as he grounded against her instinctively.
Caroline tried to keep her mind focus on her task at hand but his grinding made it difficult, sending tiny shocks of heated pleasure through her, steeling herself against the feelings swirling inside her stomach, she gripped onto him, tightening her hold and used the strength of her body, twisting her hips and successfully flipping them.
Klaus pulled his mouth from hers, staring up from beneath her as she now straddled him, one hand wrapped around his neck the other planted against his chest.
Caroline loved the surprised look in his eyes. "You should never let your guard down in the presence of an opponent, Klaus." she grinned proudly.
Klaus grinned back, he jolted up his arms banding around her to keep her from falling back at the sudden move and pressed her tightly against his bare chest. "You're very right, love " he slid a hand up her back and cup the back of her neck, tugging her down. "but I'm not gonna complain at the moment."
Caroline's eyes slid shut as his mouth covered hers in a heated kiss, his tongue licking at the seam of her mouth. She moved the hand around his neck over his shoulder, pulling herself closer, his tongue sliding against hers, hand squeezing her hip.
Caroline smoothed her hand planted on his chest up to his jaw, pulling back from the kiss, her chest rising and falling, eyes sliding open to stare into his eyes that darken with lust.
Klaus stared up at her waiting, this was the first time he had kissed her since before Stefan had called and interrupted them. She had said she didn't have regrets but there hadn' been anything more since then and he didn't really know where they stood.
But she was spending more time with him, smiling and flirting, and when he kissed her she didn't hesitate to respond. That had to mean something, didn't it?
He felt the feeling of anxiety that filled his chest when she pulled away ease as she smiled slowly at him, her hands cupping his face as she leaned back down, her mouth moving over his with purpose.
He groaned when she pressed more tightly against him, her chest against his, her legs tightening around his hips, right before she grounded against him.
He groaned, his cock hardened as she grounded against him, his left hand slid down her back to her ass, cupping the flesh in his hand as he thrust up against her.
Caroline gasped and he wasted no time in exploring her mouth with his tongue, a hand wrapping around her blonde ponytail, gripping it in his fist.
Caroline grounded down her hips, grinding, quietly moaning into his mouth, feeling him hard and pressing against her.
"Oh God, I'm sorry."
Caroline wrenched her mouth from Klaus's at the sound of a female voice, Klaus groaned in disappointment, leaning his forehead against her chest.
Caroline turned her head and saw Camille standing in the doorway, face flushing in embarrassment as she stared at them.
"I'm sorry, I knocked but no one answered." She apologized, her eyes going to Klaus.
Klaus lifted his head to glare at the other blonde. "Then you should have gone away."
"I'm only here because of you." Camille accused, affronted by his rudeness.
Caroline looked between the two. "Right, I almost forgot you got her helping you by getting close to Marcel."
Klaus sighed at the reminder. Knowing he needed to know if there was anything new with Marcel. Still, it didn't make him feel any better when Caroline pushed off him.
"C'mon, up you go." Caroline held a hand out to him to help him up.
Klaus glanced down at his tinted sweats and back up at her with a frustrated look. "I am up."
Caroline snorted. "We can pick things back up later."
Klaus' eyes shot to her in surprise and he accepted her help, getting back to his feet, he pulled her toward him and pressed his mouth against her in a hard kiss. "I'm gonna hold you to that."
Caroline bit her lip and tugged him down for another kiss, ignoring Camille's presence for the moment and only pulling away when she heard the other woman make an impatient noise. "You do that, I'm going to take a shower." she pulled away from him, brushing past Cami. "Be sure to put a shirt on," she called over her shoulder.
Klaus watched her go before turning his gaze to Camille and feeling a flash of annoyance. "You have excellent timing."
"I didn't know I was going to walk in on you and Carol going at it like that." Camille protested, her eyes moving over him when they drifted down to his obvious problem, she flushed.
"Caroline," Klaus said sharply.
Camille's eyes snapped up at his angry tone.
"Her name is Caroline and you should do well to remember it." he pushed past her. "Wait here, why I get a change of clothes, then we'll debrief."
Klaus didn't give her a chance to respond, leaving her there standing in the doorway. Alone.
After Camille told him all she had gathered from Marcel in the last couple days, Klaus instructed her to start writing his memoirs, and she had taken a seat on the couch writing with an old-fashioned typewriter.
Klaus paced in front of the window, a glass of whiskey in hand as he spoke. "They have all forsaken me except for Caroline. My siblings are as deceitful in disease just as my parents ever were. Accusing me of using my children for my own gain, trusting others before their own blood. The only one I feel like is on my side is Caroline."
"Would a laptop kill you?" Cami complained, annoyed with having to use the old technology and hear Klaus praising Caroline.
"That typewriter was good enough for Hemingway," Klaus replied, uncaring of her complaints.
"I see the resemblance." Cami retorted. "Booze and random acts of violence."
Klaus chose to ignore her irrelative comments. "Elijah and Rebekah have cut to the quick with their vicious lies about me. And all I've done is tried to win this battle of wills over Marcel's control of the quarter in order to reclaim our home." He glared at her in annoyance noticing she was not typing. "Type, please!"
"What's the point? You just repeat the same thing over and over again. Rebekah's out to get you. Elijah's out to get you. Is there anyone who isn't plotting your downfall?" Cami challenged. "I doubt you trust your own reflection."
"Caroline," Klaus said.
"What?" Cami's brow pulled together in confusion.
"You asked if there was anyone I trust and that's not something that comes easy to me but if there's anyone I trust even a fraction it's her."
"You trust her more than your own family?" Cami question in surprise.
"If the daggers weren't missing I would put one in each of their hearts. Rid my self of the burden of my siblings for a couple of centuries." Klaus mused in response, ignoring her question because the answer should have been obvious.
"Look at you! Repeating the same destructive cycles over and over again." Cami exclaimed. "You are the architect of your own unhappiness."
"Who the hell says I'm unhappy." Klaus shot back at her. He was finally making real progress with Caroline, it had him feeling more than he could remember feeling in over a century. Still, he didn't like that this human was questioning him. "I don't remember asking for your advice."
"Oh, really? So of all the people in New Orleans, you choose someone with a masters in psychology to record your life story. You're over a thousand years old. Pretty damn sure you know how to type." Cami argued offended at the way he talked down to her. "The truth is: You compelled me to come here because you have no one else to talk to, and you want to be understood. Then you compel me to forget everything as soon as I leave your presence because you are too scared to trust anyone."
Klaus opened his mouth to protest. But she cut him off. "Oh, I'm sorry except for Caroline, do the two of you even talk or do you just stick your tongues down each other's throats?"
"Hold your tongue when you speak of Caroline you know nothing about her and have no right to say a single thing about her, keep your judgments to yourself. Secondly, I'm scared of nothing." Klaus snatched up a piece of paper with strange signs on it. "What is this?"
"It's an ancient mystical plot I'm using to destroy you," she responded with sarcasm earning a look of pure distrust from Klaus. "Relax, it's a tattoo design."
"Draw on your own time." he glared annoyed.
"This is my time. You steal it from me!" she snapped, picking up her things and stormed off, Klaus rolled his eyes in annoyance with her dramatic display.
"You chase off your compelled therapist already." Caroline appeared in the doorway dressed in jeans and a dark green tank top and blue jean jacket, her blonde hair falling around her shoulders.
"I didn't much care for her opinions," he smirked as he looked her over. "I only care for one blonde's opinions and well she's snarky and never fails to tell me off when I spark her ire."
"She sounds pretty great." Caroline stepped forward. "You should keep her around."
Klaus' eyes darkened and he reached out pulling her forward turning her to press her into the wall. "Oh, I plan to keep her for as long as she'll allow me to." he ducked down covering her mouth and swallowing her moans as he pressed every inch of his body against hers.
Marcel and Rebekah took Tyler's temporarily dead body to the garden.
"Where do you want him?" Marcel questioned.
"Just put him anywhere handy until Klaus is taken care of," Rebekah responded. "Where are we gonna put Klaus? He needs to be away from all the others. We don't want him fomenting descent. You know he has a knack with words, he could talk his way out of hell."
"Yeah, he's got a spot picked out for him in the back. Only person he's gonna be talking to in the next 52 years is himself."
"52?" Rebekah repeated, curious by the specific number.
"One for each year that he kept you daggered in the 1800s." Marcel clarified.
"You mean you let him keep me daggered?" Rebekah challenged at the reminder.
"And I'll spend every year Klaus is in here apologizing to you for it," Marcel promised.
"Well, I'll settle for long enough to experience just a little bit of happiness. And ensure that my niece and nephew aren't turned to hybrid breeding machines." Rebekah responded. "It's gonna be tough to keep him in here. That little witch of yours would put the odds in our favor."
"I can't risk it." Marcel shot the idea down. "She's got less and less control over her magic lately. I can't even get her out of the church attic, much less rely on her to go to battle against Klaus."
"Then we'll need your very best warriors," Rebekah stated. "Klaus is strong and crafty, and betrayal makes him particularly nasty. And if you plan on using Caroline I don't think your ready for how ugly it can get."
"What we're doing is nothing Klaus hasn't done to both you and your brother a dozen times over. You're not getting second thoughts now, are you?" Marcel questioned.
"These aren't second thoughts. They're feelings of regret." Rebekah told him. "I should have buried him a hundred years ago. A hundred years we could've been together."
Marcel stepped toward her, pressing his mouth to hers, he enjoyed kissing her but he still felt like something else was bothering her. He pulled back watching her closely. "What is it?"
Rebekah frowned, eyes troubled. "I don't like having to involve Caroline in all this. You don't know her but she's not bad a person. We haven't always got along but things with her and I are different now. I consider her a friend."
Marcel knew she was right, he didn't know Caroline but he did meet her and while she was charming he also knew instinctively she was nothing like the company she kept. There was no way someone like her was with Klaus which confused him as to why she seemed to matter so much to the biggest monster there was.
"I don't intend for her to get hurt, we're just going to use her to draw your brother out and make him more compliant. If he cares about her as much as you believe then he's not gonna want her in danger. I promise you as soon as Klaus is taken care of, I'll let her go, unharmed."
Rebekah nodded, pressing forward, her body to his, their lips meeting in a shared kiss, one with feeling and longing and a history that couldn't be forgotten.
Hayley stared out at the lake just outside of the cabin, the quiet of the bayou was almost serene and she found herself feeling more at home here than she did in the Victorian mansion she was staying in with the Mikaelson.
However her quiet was broken by the sound of Elijah groaning in pain, she turned walking back into the hut and approached the bed he was laying on, sitting on the edge beside him, she pressed her hand to his forehead in concern.
A beautiful coral woman was soaking in a bathtub when Elijah walked into the room.
"Celeste?" Elijah's voice was hoarse as he called for a woman.
Elijah's brow furrowed when he saw a flash of brown hair and perfect olive skin, his hand reached out cupping Hayley's cheek.
Hayley instinctively leaned into his touch, feeling his thumb stroke her jawline. "Elijah."
"Katerina." Elijah breathed, his voice full of longing.
Hayley sucked in a sharp breath, jerking her face out of his grasp.
Elijah's eyes widened as suddenly he was no longer seeing Katherine but Hayley.
Hayley clenched her jaw, irritation filling her, she didn't know who Celeste was and she didn't care and more importantly, she didn't appreciate being mistaken for Katherine of all people.
"Hayley, I'm sorry." he apologized guilt nagging at him. "I thought you were someone else."
"Or Several someones," she replied, trying to push her ire away. "Celeste. Whoever she was, she was smokin' hot."
Elijah frowned, concerned. "Did I let you enter my thoughts? I'm not well. I should go. This is…"
"This is fine, Elijah. You're sick, I'm taking care of you." Hayley dismissed his concern. "Though I can't say I'm thrilled about being called Katherine. I wasn't aware you and she have a history."
"A very long and complicated one." Elijah looked past her, there was a woman outside, staring in at them. "We're being watched."
Hayley caught a glimpse of the woman when she turned to look and quickly went outside to investigate.
The older woman stood near the hut but when she saw Hayley she took off on a run.
"Hey. Hey!" Hayley called after her but didn't follow her. She couldn't leave Elijah
Klaus walked into the garage, his eyes focused on Josh who stood looking at a car, silently he walked up to stand behind the baby vamp.
"God, man!" Josh turned, suddenly, realizing Klaus was just standing behind him, watching him like prey. "I'll never get used to that. Why do I get the feeling you studied theater?"
"All the world's a stage, young Joshua," Klaus responded, easily. "And it just so happens I have the role of a lifetime for you."
Josh dove down the road while talking to Marcel and Rebekah on his cell.
"What do you got, Josh?" Asked Marcel.
"What do I got?" Josh repeated. "Klaus wants me to steal some dagger from you. It's a test, okay? He knows I'm working for you, I'm sure of it."
"That bastard wants to dagger us again." Rebekah seethed, eyes darkening in anger. "He deserves everything he's gonna get."
"Relax," Marcel told Josh, hearing the anxiety and fear in the younger vampire's voice. "If he knew, he would've ripped your spine out through your nose by know."
"Oh, great. Now I feel totally at ease!" Josh returned sarcastically. "What am I supposed to do?"
"You tell him you searched high and low but you couldn't find the dagger," Marcel instructed.
Josh groaned in dread. "God, I'm so dead."
Marcel continued as if Marcel hadn't spoken. "Then you tell him you saw I had it on me and if he wants it he'll have to come and get it. Which won't be easy as I'm paranoid and I've beefed up my posse."
Back in the garage, Josh continued to talk to Klaus, playing his part. "Right, so, not doubting your mad vampire skills of destruction or anything, but Marcel's on red alert. Surrounded by, like, an army. You're totally boned. Unless…"
"Unless what?" Klaus asked.
"I overheard him arguing with Diego. Apparently, he's clearing out the compound tonight for a date or something." Josh lied, hoping Klaus wouldn't see through him. "That's where Marcel will be."
"When I run New Orleans, there will be a permanent daylight ring in it for you, Joshua," Klaus promised. "For services rendered on to your true king."
"Cool," Josh responded, smiling nervously.
"But if you ever betray me, I will make sure you spend the rest of your eternal life in exquisite agony, wishing for a merciful death." Klaus threatened, his eyes menacing, he patted Josh on the shoulder and walked away.
"Adiós, Klaus," Josh said when he was gone.
Caroline was sitting on the porch on the plantation home, sipping at a glass of blood, speaking into the phone with Elena. "So Katherine's human now?"
She hadn't realized just how much she was missing of what has been going on back in Mystic Falls of late. She mainly talked to her mother and Stefan and neither of them had mentioned what was going on back home.
"Serves her right and let's just say human does not look good on her."
Caroline could hear the smile in Elena's voice, Caroline, however, couldn't help but frown. Don't get her wrong, she was in no way friends with Katherine of all people but she couldn't imagine how awful it must be to be human again after being a vampire as long as Katherine has been one.
Caroline herself could never imagine going back to being human, she loved being a vampire. She felt more home in her own skin now than she ever did when she was human. Being a vampire was who she was.
She couldn't help but think Katherine must have felt the same thing. "How is she dealing? With everything I mean?"
Elena fell silent for just a moment. "Do you actually care about Katherine?"
"I just think it must be difficult to go from being a vampire for over 400 years and then back to a weak human. It must be a terrible adjustment."
"Caroline." Elena sighed. "Sometimes you care too much about people you shouldn't. Speaking of which, how is Klaus? You're not letting him mess with your head, are you? He's not someone you should be getting mix up with. Look at the mess he got you in already."
Caroline pulled the phone away from her ear, glaring. Was it wrong that she wanted to throw in Elena's face that getting involved with Damon wasn't a good idea yet it was still something Elena did without any regards to anyone else?
Sighing, she put the phone back to her ear. "Klaus isn't the problem here. This city is at war with itself and unfortunately, I got caught in the middle."
"Yeah, because of Klaus, if it wasn't for him-"
Her phone buzzed with another call and she pulled it away and saw Rebekah's name flashing across the screen. She quickly put the phone to her ear again. "I gotta go, Elena." she didn't wait for a reply and hung up.
She quickly accepted Rebekah's call. "Hey, Rebekah."
Caroline much rather talk to Rebekah than listen to all the accusation and blame Elena wanted to lay on Klaus.
Elijah entered the room, Celeste was soaking in the bath at the sight of him she threw a sponge at him and he caught it.
Celeste giggled, smiling, she said. "Assistance, please, good sir."
"No, I'm much happier taking in such a wondrous view." Responded Elijah, eyeing her with obvious appreciation. " It's perfection."
"Your brother is again up to no good. He's challenging the gentry to duels as though they have any chance of a fair fight." Celeste informed him, her dislike for his brother clear in her tone.
"I do grow weary of sacrificing my joy to temper my brother's mischief. Surely, you can cast a spell to put him in his place." Elijah suggested.
"It would take a hundred witches to put him in his place," said Celeste. "Besides, he only ever listens to you."
"Yes. He certainly needs a little discipline. Spanking of some kind is in order. I think I shall need some rehearsal." His eyes shone with lust. "Come."
Celeste leaned forward, pressing her mouth to his, more than interested in his tempting offer.
Elijah surroundings changed suddenly and he was on a bed, Katherina hovered above him, her long hair falling around them, as she leaned forward kissing him slowly, straddling his hips, her hand slowly unbuttoning his shirt the other gripped his chin.
Elijah groaned as she ground her hips against his, her body seeking for something more.
"Elijah, please," she breathed, she had never been one to beg for anything but with him, she would and Elijah took delight in it.
"Please, what?" his hand fisted in her hair, baring her neck to his mouth, sucking at her flesh.
"Don't tease me, I want you and I don't want you holding back." Katherine purred.
Elijah grinned against her neck, Katherine let out a surprised gasp that quickly turned into a moan as he moved his body against hers, pressing into her.
A shiver racked Elijah's body, "Hayley, please." Elijah groaned in pain. "This fever. My mind is flooded with these torturous memories. You have to leave."
"What is your deal? You don't like people taking care of you?" Hayley questioned. He kept trying to get her to leave even though there was no way she was going to do that. Not to him.
"There are consequences for those that care. I will not have you pay that price." Said Elijah, every real connection he had with a woman never ended well.
"So you're having weird retro sex dreams about two different women? Get over it, I'm staying." She told him, dismissing his concerns.
"What about our visitor?" Elijah questioned. "What does she want?"
"I'm guessing she's the one that left the mystery Bible on the doorstep last night," said Hayley. "Would be nice if she'd stick around long enough to tell me why."
"Hayley, you came here to gather any information about your family, not to play nursemaid to a vampire with a temperature. Please, find her." Elijah urged her to go. "Learn what you can."
"No, I'm staying," Hayley responded firmly.
Caroline glanced down at her phone, Rebekah had asked her to meet her in the Quarter, thinking nothing of it and that Rebekah just didn't want to see Klaus again, she agreed to meet her.
She didn't care about staying hidden on the plantation anymore, she was learning to handle older vampires so she could handle herself pretty well.
She looked around at the bar, Rebekah asked her to wait outside for her. She was ten minutes late.
She was just about to call Rebekah when she heard the blonde's voice. "Sorry for having you come all the way out here."
Caroline turned and saw her approaching her.
"I just really can't deal with Klaus, right now." Rebekah continued. "He's being a nightmare which is no different from any other day."
Caroline knew Rebekah was entitled to her anger with Klaus but she also couldn't help the strong feeling of needing to defend him. "He's not that bad."
"To you." Rebekah snorted. "But to the rest of us? His family? He's a bloody nightmare, we can't turn our backs on him for a second because we never know how he will strike out against us."
Caroline pursed her lips. "I know you're upset with him about Elijah but he was hurt by Elijah and Hayley's accusations and he lashed out. He cares more for those children then he wants to admit."
Rebekah paused, eying Caroline closely. "He talks to you and you try to see things through his perspective. I hadn't realized you guys were closer more so than you already were." She hadn't realized how much Klaus obviously let Caroline in past his walls.
"I decided to stop basing my judgments based off of others and only on what I know of him and Klaus, he would never intentionally let anything happen to me. He cares for me and if I'm being honest, I've really started to care for him."
"Klaus always did have a way of getting what he wants even when he doesn't deserve it." Rebekah felt guilt for what she was about to do but she pushed the feeling down and instead focused on her anger about Klaus. "I'm sorry you got mixed up in this."
Caroline looked at her confused. "What do you mean?"
Rebekah frowned at her sadly. "When this is over I hope as a friend you can forgive me but this is something I have to do."
"Rebekah," Caroline took a questioning step forward. "Forgive you for what? I don't understand."
"I know." Rebekah's hands snapped out, gripping her by the neck and snapping it to the side, she let caroline's body fall to the ground.
"Let's get her back to the compound." Marcel appeared, scooping up Caroline's body.
Rebekah looked at Caroline with a feeling of regret.
"Hey," she looked up at Marcel as he looked at her with an expression of sympathy. "She'll forgive you. When this is done and Klaus is sealed away, you just have to give her some time."
Rebekah nodded, still looking uncertain and vamp sped off with him, taking Caroline's unconscious form with them.
"Caroline?" Klaus moved through the house in search of his favorite girl but the house was eerily silent.
He frowned, moving from room to room but unable to find her, feeling a niggle of worry, he pulled out his phone, dialing her cell, waiting, impatiently for her to pick up, needing to hear her and silence the sudden voice in his head, telling him something's wrong.
"You reached Caroline, leave a message and I will get back to you. Maybe, Depends how I feel about you to be honest."
Klaus hung up angrily, hating that he only got her voice mail.
His phone buzzed suddenly and hoped filled him that it was Caroline but that hope soon diminished when he saw Josh's name flashing on the screen. "What?!" he barked into the phone. "I'm a little busy, right now, I don't have time to-"
"Marcel has Caroline, he realized you were after the dagger he has and decided he was going to take something from you." Josh's voice cut through quickly. "He says if you want her back then you should come and get her."
Klaus's eyes blackened, crushing his phone in his hand, shattering it to pieces an animalistic growl ripped from his chest, he turned vamp speeding away.
There was no time to waste. He knew he was running into a trap but he didn't care. Marcel had Caroline, that was all that mattered. Everything else was all inconsequential.
"MARCEL!" Klaus appeared in Marcel's courtyard, livid. "Where is she!?"
"Klaus." Marcel stepped out of the darkness of the courtyard.
"Where is Caroline?! What have you done to her?!"
"You're girl's fine and she'll stay that way as long as you comply with my demands." Marcel pulled out one of the white ash daggers.
"Give her back or so help me.." Klaus seethed, anger boiling beneath his veins.
"You are in no place to be making demands." Marcel stretched out his hand with the dagger towards Klaus.
Klaus saw a flash of blonde hair and Rebakeh was suddenly there taking the dagger in her hand.
Klaus's angry eyes steeled over. "What is this?" he demanded. "Did you lure Caroline out to the Quarter so Marcel could get his hands on her?!"
"I did what I had to," Rebekah responded defensively. "I've had enough of your behavior, your actions, always lashing out, holding people accountable for wrongs against you and never taking any of the blame yourself. We have had enough."
"Look at you." Klaus sneered. "Finally in possession of the one thing that can take you down. How does it feel?"
"Great." She responded with a small smirk. It felt good to finally have the upper hand on her traitorous dagger happy brother.
Marcel whistled and a crowd of vampires appeared.
"So this is it?" Klaus questioned. "The evil bastard Klaus has gone too far. Must be punished. And by his own sibling, nonetheless. How positively biblical. And you, Marcel, is this," he pointed at Marcel's crowd of vampires, "your idea of a hit? I taught you better than this poultry excuse for a takedown. Do you think you can subdue me - with this!?"
"No. But I think I can with this." Marcel whistled again, more vampires appeared, circling around Klaus just waiting for Marcel's signal.
"But I'm hoping it won't be necessary." Marcel waved his hand and two vampires came forward with Caroline in between them.
"Let me go, you son of a bitch!" Caroline cursed angrily, struggling to break free. "You're going to regret laying one hand on me."
At the sound of Caroline's voice and the sight of her struggling against the two vampires holding her, Klaus saw red.
"Now you're going to comply with everything I say," Marcel informed him. "Or your girl, Caroline here will suffer the consequences."
Caroline's eyes darkened as she glared at Marcel and Rebekah with the dagger in her hand and it was clear to her that they wanted Klaus to accept being put down in exchange for her safety.
Fucking screw that.
"Don't listen to a thing they say, Klaus." Caroline met his blue eyes defiantly. "You're a fighter. That's what you do. It's who you are." she nodded at him sharply, wanting to get her point across. "So do it. Fight back."
Klaus stared back at her, her words echoing in his head resonating through him. He would do exactly as she said.
But First.
He vamped sped forward knocking the head off one of the vampires that held Caroline and ripping the heart out of the other and pulled Caroline to him, close to his body, his hand moving to grip her tightly before anyone could so much as make a move against him.
He stared at Marcel angrily, Caroline gripped his hand back, glaring along with him, anger working through her, feeling betrayed.
It was no wonder Klaus felt like he couldn't trust anyone and everyone was out against him because from where she was standing at his side, facing down a crowd of enemies including the man who was like a son to him and his own sister, he wasn't wrong in that assumption.
Elijah panted, his breathing irregular. Hayley sat beside him on the bed with her hand to his forehead, trying to soothe him as he seemed to be struggling against his own mind.
"Celeste." he panted. "Forgive me. I'm sorry."
Klaus stood back to back with another man revolvers in their hands.
When Klaus spoke, he gave orders in French, he and the other man started walking away from each other and he counted down in French. "Huit, sept, six, cinq, Quatre, trois, deux."
Klaus and the man turned around simultaneously, aiming the revolvers and firing off shots. Klaus remained unharmed, while the man fell to the ground, dead with a perfect shot to his head.
"Is that it?" Klaus taunted smirking. "Is this the best New Orleans has to offer?"
Another man walked forward and dragged the corpse to a pile of other dead bodies.
"Brother!" Elijah arrives, making his presence known quickly followed by his disapproval. "Please, this is high folly. Is it not enough, you have slaughtered dozens in just these past several weeks? Word of a city littered with bodies will surely travel the oceans. Do you want to bring our father upon us?"
"Relax, brother." Klaus brushed off his brother's concerns. "I've sent rumor that the bodies are a result of the witches seeking blood sacrifice for their rituals."
"You did what?" Elijah stared at his brother hard with a look of anger. "Have you forgotten? Celeste is one of those that you recklessly point your finger at."
"Who's Celeste?" asked Klaus.
Elijah shot Klaus a meaningful look, his brother knew exactly who Celeste was and why he would have a problem with what he has done.
"Oh, yes! The witch you've been knocking around with." Klaus recalled with feigned sudden recognition. "Well, fear not. Harlots are like rats in the quarter. You trip over one every step you take."
Elijah pulled out a revolver and fired at his brother.
Klaus groaned in pain when the bullet struck him. "You care about her. Well, that is unfortunate. I hear they're rounding up the towns witches as we speak."
Elijah stared at his brother in betrayal. "Niklaus! I'll kill you, you bastard!" he rushed forward but the moment he reached him, everything around him changed and Katerina stood in front of him.
Her long hair falling around her shoulders, lips painted red. "Why can't you ever choose me?" she questioned, eyes looking at him imploringly.
"You know how much I care about my family," Elijah told her.
Katerine reaching forward taking his hands in her and holding them against her heart. "And what about how you care about me? When you're family comes in to play does what you feel for me just disappear? Is that how this works?" her hands tightened on his, her look becoming hard, eyes glaring. "Tell me, Elijah."
"You know how I feel about you, Katerina. I love you, I always have."
Katerine dropped her hands, stepping away from him with a look of disgust. "But it will never be enough, will it? How much longer are you going to let Klaus rule your life?"
"Katerina." Elijah took a step toward her but she smacked his hand away when he reached her. "If that awful brother is who you choose then go to him, I'm tired of being second to the man whose sole purpose is to kill me like he did my entire family."
Elijah called after her, his hand reaching out but she was gone, he whirled around and Klaus was there laughing.
"What a pathetic display, brother." Klaus taunted, his eyes glinting with mockery. "I don't know what's more pathetic, you or your feelings for Katerina?"
The scene changed again and suddenly Katerina was in front of Klaus, his hand plunged into her chest, wrapping around her heart.
"No!" Elijah roared but it was too late with one vicious yanked, the woman he had spent the last 500 years loving dropped to the ground dead, her heart in his brother's hands. "God, please, no!"
"Katerina!" Elijah's name tore from his mouth in a hoarse shout, grief-stricken he jolted up, another hoarse scream tore from his throat.
Hayley looked at Elijah, worriedly. "Elijah?"
"Niklaus! How could you!?" He whirled on her, not seeing her but Klaus. "All you have ever done is take from me but to rip her away from me! I'll never forgive you. You'll pay for what you have done. I will kill you myself!"
Hayley slowly got off the bed, cautiously. "Elijah?" she asked scared.
Elijah jumped up, wrapping his hand around Hayley's neck.
Hayley struggled to breathe, his grip so tight cutting off her air supply. She clawed at his hand, fighting for air.
A loud bang echoed as the door hit the wall, Hayley caught sight of Dwayne bursting into the room over Elijah's shoulder.
Elijah was torn from her and she watched shock as Dwayne snapped the leg off a chair and slammed it into Elijah's heart, his skin greying instantly as he collapsed to the ground.
Hayley tensed as Dwayne turned to her but when she looked into his eyes all she could see was concern. "Are you alright?"
"Yeah," she nodded, gasping, catching her breath, frowning. "Have you been watching me?"
"Yes," a woman voice answered and Hayley looked around to see an older woman enter the cabin. The same one who had watched them through the window. "And he's not the only one."
Hayley looked at the woman surprised. "Well, hello to you, too."
Klaus stood in the middle of Marcel's vampires, his hand wrapped tightly around Caroline's protectively, he looked out at the vampires than to her, his jaw clenching.
He was going to have to tear through all of them and she would have to see it, a part of him feared letting her see his darkest side, scared she would regret what was happening between them now.
He felt her hand tightened around his and he looked down at their clasp hands, he felt her step closer to him, her body brushing against his and he looked up at her slowly, the look in her blue eyes surprising him, it was hard and unrelenting but full of resolve and then she nodded at him and he knew without even exchanging one word that she was telling him she understood, she would fight at his side. That they would take on this threat together.
He didn't know how she conveyed so much in one look without saying a single word, but he felt it in his bones and it made him fall for her even more than he already had.
He nodded at her, trusting her as they stood surrounded in the middle of Marcel's vampires.
"Let's end this charade, shall we? Vampires of New Orleans!" Klaus called out, looking around at the men and women surrounding them. "Do recall that I am an Original. A hybrid. I cannot be killed. Eternity is an awfully long time. How long, do you think, Marcel will stay in power? What if one of you lot were to release me, knowing I will be eternally in your debt? Oh, I would pity those of you who dared to cross me. I can assure you, your ends would be spectacular. To borrow a trick from an old friend." He stretched out a hand with a coin in it. "Whoever picks up... this coin... gets to live." He dropped the coin. "Now which of you, magnificent bastards wants to join me?" He looked at Caroline then back to the vampires. "Join us?"
"Anyone wants that coin, pledge allegiance to Klaus. Take it now. Go ahead." Marcel told his vampires, he wasn't going to take that decision from his guys. "The choice is yours."
However, not a single vampire moved to pick up the coin.
Klaus shifted on his feet, looking around surprised that not a single one turned their back on Marcel for a chance to join him, the Original Hybrid.
Marcel looked at him, proud of the loyalty his guys showed, proud that his trust in them wasn't misplaced. "Take them," he ordered.
Two vampires moved straight for Caroline but Klaus moved her behind him before she could react and plunged his hands into their chest ripping them out, and dropping them to the ground, he stretched both his bloody hands out invitingly for them to just come at him and try. He was ready.
Caroline was not going to stand idly by she stepped out beside him, her body tense and ready for a fight, chin raised defiantly.
More vampire descended upon them and Caroline struck out, slamming her hand in one chest, she dropped down swept her leg out, knocking off his feet once he was on his back she plunged her hand into his chest cavity, her fingers curling around his heart and yanked out his heart.
There was no time to think about what she just did as she moved onto the next vampire, seeing Klaus out of the corner of her eye tearing through the vampires viciously.
It was a flurry of sharp brutal attacks, fighting off the enemy back to back with Klaus. The strange thing was, fighting beside him, him trusting her to have his back without a single doubt, she never felt more like someone's equal in her life and it was exhilarating.
She moved faster, her blows harsher as adrenaline coursed through her veins.
Klaus allowed himself a moment to watch Caroline embracing the darker part of being a vampire and the way she excelled at it, blood coated her hands, her vampire visage shining through, eyes darkened with bloodlust. She was beautiful even as she embraced the darkness.
In his distraction, Marcel vampires, secured chains around his wrists and tried to bind him instead he yanked them to him, using the chain as a weapon.
Caroline grabbed a hold of a vampire, flipping him over her head, and smashing her foot into his neck, snapping it.
More and more vampires were more focused on Klaus and eventually, they got the upper-hand taking him down, dragging him away, hitting him repeatedly.
Caroline caught sight of them dragging him back and she fought harder slamming her foot into another vampire, knocking him back and turning to go to Klaus, he caught her by the shoulder and tossed her back, her back colliding roughly with stone, causing her to give a cry of pain.
Klaus' head snapped up, his eyes shining amber gold, his hybrid feature prominent, expression dark and vivid. An animalistic growl tore from his chest.
Rebekah stared on wide-eyed, paralyzed by disbelief. In all her years with Klaus, she had never seen him like this. And honestly, fear crept inside her heart, not unlike the fear she felt for being daggered.
Hearing Caroline cry out had Klaus tearing through the vampires with a vengeance, using his thousand-year-old strength to rip limbs off, knocking off heads and ripping out hearts, blood coated his hands, he yanked one vampire to him tearing into a vampire's neck so viciously his head came off, blood dripped from his chin, as he ran for the one standing in front of Caroline as she pushed herself back to her feet.
He yanked the vampire back and wrapped his hands around his skull and pulled, tearing the flesh straight from his shoulder, blood spraying him, he tossed the head aside as the vampire's body hit the ground.
Caroline stared at him in shock for a moment before she moved to his back, pressing her's against his, ready to fend off his enemies.
Klaus feeling invigorated with Caroline at his back, shouted. "Marcel! Come and finish this!"
Marcel moved readily to run at Klaus.
"No!" Rebekah grabbed his arm tightly, holding him back. "Take the coin!"
Marcel looked at her confused by her sudden change, this was their chance and it just may be the only chance they get. "What?"
"He won't stop until everyone is dead." Rebekah was desperate, realizing their mistake. They thought taking him down would be simple and easy with it all planned out. They had been wrong. "And he will kill you too. End this. Pick up the coin!"
Marcel looked out, watching his guys die, Klaus and Caroline both coated in their blood. "Enough!" he shouted, loud and clear, his voice like a boom in the courtyard.
Suddenly the room fell absolutely silent, what remained of Marcel's vampires freezing in place, Marcel crouched, locking eyes with Klaus and picked up the coin.
"Well, well, well," Klaus smirked, blood coating his mouth and staining his chin. "The great Marcel, self-proclaimed king of New Orleans, bowing before me."
Marcel threw away the coin in Klaus' direction and he caught it easily in his hand.
"There." Marcel snapped, glaring, his tone bitter. "I hereby pledge my allegiance to you. You have the keys to my kingdom. It's yours."
Klaus smiled and held out a hand to Caroline and she took it instinctively, uncaring of the blood that wet their hands, as their hands locked together, a sign of loyalty and support.
Caroline looked at Marcel and then for Rebekah but she had disappeared, and Caroline felt the sting of her betrayal like a knife, twisting inside her. And she wondered was this what Klaus felt every time he felt his family had betrayed him? No wonder trust was the hardest thing for him.
Hayley had followed the woman, Eve outside, where the woman had a bonfire going. Dwayne kept close to Hayley, she could feel his eyes watching her constantly.
"I'm sure you got questions." said the woman, looking at her expectantly.
"Only a thousand of them," Hayley responded. "Like who are you? Why are you following me? Where the hell is everyone and if the people in this book really are my family, what happened to them?"
"I'm Eve." The woman said. "I'm following you because you brought an Original to a werewolf country which is pretty much the same reason why everybody else skedaddled. If you wanna know what happened to the people in that family tree, I'll sum it up nice and quick: Marcel happened."
Hayley's jaw clenched, everything that happened seemed to always lead back to Marcel, the self-proclaimed ruler of New Orleans. "What did he do?" "
"He killed most of them," Eve informed her. "Later, the descendants of the ones who dodged death, he strong-armed a witch into putting a curse on them."
Hayley's brow furrowed. "What kind of curse?"
"Swap nature around, inside out. Made it so their natural stay as wolves. They only turn back human on the full moon." answered Eve matter of factly. "We're hunted by the marks we carry. That crescent moon birthmark - that's why I got rid of mine. I didn't wanna get found out."
"Good evening." Elijah appeared, interrupting the two approaching Dwayne, looking worse for wear after coming back from being staked. "Think I might have something which belongs to you." he held out the makeshift stake Dwayne used to dagger him.
"Elijah wasn't his self," Hayley interjected. "He would never intentionally hurt me." Hayley turned to the Original they were discussing. "Elijah, I've got this." her expression became concerned. "Are you okay?"
"The wound is healed, the fever is broken but for some strange reason I have this sharp and lingering sensation in my heart," Elijah responded.
Dwayne met his gaze head-on. "I did what I had to, I was protecting Hayley."
"And you did," Hayley assured him, hoping to distract him from glaring a hole through Elijah.
Dwayne looked at her when she spoke and she was unnerved by the way he seemed to be hanging onto her every word like his well being depended on it. Having someone sire to you was definitely something she was going to need time to get used to.
Hayley shook her head and turned back to Eve, addressing her. "I have to get him home. But I'll be back, okay? I need to know more."
"Keep that mark covered up." Eve cautioned, before disappearing into the trees.
Hayley turned to Dwayne, he was still watching her. "Dwayne, I want you to stay here." She didn't need a shadow watching her every move.
Dwayne nodded, not even protesting or arguing against her words.
"What happened?" Elijah asked as Hayley turned her gaze back to the trees as if she expected the woman Eve to return.
"I just met part of my family," Hayley answered, a thin smile playing at her lips. If her family, her pack were out there, cursed by a witch then perhaps she could use her current alliance with Sophie to get her to undo it and give her family back. After all, she should at least get something a little more out of her deal with Sophie after how much she has held up her end.
Her hand moved to her stomach, rubbing at the growing bump there absentmindedly.
The dead vampires were covered in white sheets by Diego and some of the other surviving vampires.
Marcel stood at the balcony watching as Diego, poured alcohol over the fallen vampires.
"Looking at what you've wrought?" Klaus asked, approaching Marcel, blood still stained his clothes, but the blood that coated his mouth and face was gone, cleared away.
"Look, if you're gonna kill me let's get this over with," Marcel told him.
Klaus looked at him. "When I heard you had Caroline. I wanted to. I wanted to rip you apart but you picked up the coin. There are rules of engagement in battle, Marcel. Without them, you'd have anarchy." he paused, thinking of Caroline. "However if you would have harmed her even that wouldn't have saved you. When it comes to her I don't care about rules or anarchy." his eyes narrowed, his mouth twisting with a dark frown. "I advise you to never go after Caroline again because I won't hesitate to rip your heart out from your chest and present it to her for any wrongs against her."
Marcel stared at Klaus, his expression dark and unrelenting and knew Klaus wasn't making an empty threat, wasn't playing his usual games. He was completely serious. Marcel could practically feel this righteous anger coming off of Klaus on Caroline's behalf. "I never intended to hurt her. She was just meant to be bait."
"Caroline isn't just anything," Klaus said sharply. "You'll do well to remember that."
"I've really grown to hate being Klaus bait."
Klaus and Marcel both turned to Caroline approaching, like Klaus blood stained clothes her own were stained with blood but she had excused herself to clean the blood from her hands.
"It's a pattern I definitely want to put an end to." she moved to stand beside Klaus. "I think I proved I don't need you to fight my battles but I do appreciate the thought."
Klaus wrapped an arm around her shoulder rubbing it briefly. "You were glorious tonight, love."
Caroline snorted. Of course, he would think her giving into her killer instincts was something to be celebrated. She focused her attention on Marcel. "Where's Rebekah?"
"Gone. Look, she may have helped get you here but she was reluctant to involve you in this." Marcel felt compelled to defend Rebekah when she had been hesitant to betray a friend.
"I find that hard to believe." Klaus let his arm drop from around Caroline. "How else could you have known to use her against me?"
"Tyler Lockwood," Marcel answered.
Caroline opened and closed her mouth before finally saying. "Tyler? He told you to use me?" She didn't know why she was surprised, but every time he betrayed her, it twisted a knife inside her that much deeper. He was so far from the boy she had first fallen in love with. She could barely recognize the person had become. And that person wasn't someone she wanted to know.
Klaus looked at her, his brow furrowing in concerned, he wanted to reach out an comfort her but with their audience, it really wasn't the time.
"He said the best way to get to Klaus was through you and after what happened tonight I can't say he was wrong," Marcel responded with a bitter smile.
"He wasn't," Klaus responded. "Enough about that pathetic traitor. I would, however, like to talk about accommodations. Your living quarters, for example. I believe they used to be mine."
"You own this, fine. It's yours. You can put me back on the street for all I care. But let's make one thing clear." Marcel stepped toward Klaus glaring. "You will never have this: loyalty. You can't buy it, you can't own it, you can't force it. It comes only out of love and respect for the people who believe in you. You taught me many things, Niklaus Mikaelson, but this I learned myself. And it is something that you will never know. Enjoy your kingdom." He turned, leaving.
Caroline frowned after him, she didn't know Marcel well or at all really but he wasn't what she expected. In all honesty, she expected someone worse than him but he wasn't all that terrible, not really.
Klaus clenched his jaw and watched as Diego dropped a lighter, the vampire torches catching fire. Marcel words drove deep, twisting him in knots but then he felt a hand smaller than his own, slipped into his and knew Marcel wasn't completely right because he knew true loyalty every time he looked at Caroline.
His hand tightened around her's as he turned to her and reached up with his other free hand, cupping her jaw, watching her silently, his thumb brushing her lower lip.
Caroline shivered at his touch, the intense look in his eyes, making her skin heat, his silence deepening the moment, she reached up and placed her hand over his and stepped toward him, tilting her head back and leaning up to brush her lips against his.
Klaus breath left him in a rush and his hand released hers, wrapping around her waist, deepening the kiss, never willing to waste a moment with her.
Elijah pulled up outside the plantation home, Hayley was seated beside him in the passenger seat.
"So thanks for the ride." Said Hayley not exactly ready to get out of the car.
Elijah smiled. "Quite the awkward little adventure, wouldn't you say? I'm sorry I tried to hurt you, I would never want that. "
Hayley turned toward him, watching him closely. "Elijah, tell me what happened to Celeste."
"That's not important," Elijah told her not wanting to talk about it.
"It is important. Thousand years of memories and that is one of the few memories that break's through your fever brain?" Hayley challenged, wanting to know more about a woman who seemed to mean so much to Elijah. She already knew plenty about Katherine but Celeste she knew almost nothing about. "I wanna know. Show me!"
Elijah laid his hand on the back of Hayley's head and images flashed behind her lids.
Celeste laid beneath a body of water in the bathtub, eyes opened but unseeing, lifeless to the world.
Elijah screamed in anguish.
"It was a cruel and bloody time to be a witch. Courtesy of my wonderful brother." To do this day he still felt the pain of her loss.
"She died because of Klaus?" asked Hayley.
"She died because of me. Because I cared too deeply for her," said Elijah the guilt still ate away at him. "I had allowed my brother to slip through my grasp. I loosened the reigns while Celeste consumed my every moment. I had abandoned him in the name of my own happiness. Celeste paid the price. And she wasn't the only one. Every time I found something, someone who made m happy, Klaus always found a way to ruin it."
"Even with Katherine?" asked Hayley, truly wanting to know.
"Especially with Katerina." Elijah looked at her a moment. "No woman has ever meant so much to me."
Hayley lips twisted. "Why? I've met Katherine and she's awful."
"She was different with me," Elijah defended. "I'll show you."
Hayley half wanted to protest, not wanting to see anything to do with Katherine of all people. She hated that she had aligned herself with her no matter how short of a time it was. However, before she could protest images flashed behind her eyes.
She saw Katherine with Elijah in an open field, Elijah chasing her. She looked entirely human.
The memory changed. Elijah looked at Katherine in betrayal. "I had found a way to save your life."
Blood dripped from Katherine's chin. "I couldn't take that chance and now I'm stronger than ever. I've never been better."
The memory changed again, Katherine hovered above him, her long hair falling around them as he ran a hand through her curls. "I've missed you, Elijah."
The memory changed again, and this time Katherine was staring at him with a look of anger. "Are you ever going to start living for yourself and not Klaus? When does your life start Elijah?"
"I can't turn my back on this. This is our family's chance." Elijah stated strongly, reaching for her.
Katherine smacked his hand away. "Come see me when you finally move on from your brother."
Hayley sucked in a sharp breath, she hated to agree with Katherine especially with the sudden jealousy she felt toward the woman but she was right. Elijah was never going to truly live for himself until he learned to let his brother go.
"I don't get it." She said finally shaking her head. "Why are we here? Why are you trying to put together your family when it's so clear that one part of it is broken?"
"To me, the very definition of the word "broken" suggests that something can be fixed," Elijah responded, locking eyes with her. "I have a whole eternity to accomplish one single task: My brother's salvation. If I surrender this, then tell me what value would I be to my family, to myself, to... to your children?"
Hayley reached out laying her hand upon Elijah's.
Elijah shook his head. "Please, Hayley. You've seen what happens." but despite his words, he held her hand in his for a just moment before opening his car door and exiting the vehicle.
Hayley stared after him before reluctantly climbing out of the car.
"Is the Abattoir really better than here?" Caroline wondered as she gripped her pack bags.
"It was mine. It was where I lived before I left int the 1900's. I would like for you to stay there with me in the family home I built." Klaus told her, catching her gaze.
Caroline nodded but turned at the sound of approaching footsteps and a moment later Rebekah appeared in the doorway. Caroline glared at her. "Rebekah."
"Caroline, I-"
"Don't apologize. I don't want to hear it." Caroline cut her off. "You know, I actually thought we were becoming friends. Stupid me, right? I won't be making that mistake again."
Rebekah opened her mouth to respond but Caroline was already pushing past her, calling over her shoulder to Klaus. "I'll be waiting for you outside."
Rebekah frowned at Caroline's departure but quickly got distracted. "Elijah's home, there's only one dagger. Which one of us will you be punishing today?"
"I contemplated a game of eenie-meenie-miney-moe. You betrayed me. My own sister! You put Caroline in danger! If I dagger you today you will be lucky to ever wake up again."
Elijah walked into the room, stepping protectively next to Rebekah. "Niklaus, don't you dare!"
"Perhaps it should be you, brother!" Klaus whirled on him, a dagger in his hand. "Stealing my children away with every fawning moment of tenderness you show to Hayley!"
"This has nothing to do with Hayley," Elijah said flatly.
Klaus pointed the dagger at him. "It has everything to do with her! She's adored you since she arrived and while I could care less about her feelings I do care how my children go up. I care that my children, my blood will grow up to call you father!"
"Is that what this is?" asked Rebekah. "You are once again worried that you will be left behind. Has history taught you nothing? We don't abandon you, Nik, you drive us away!"
"Is that so? What have I done lately, other than cooperate?" Klaus glared at her, jaw clenching. "I bow down to you, brother, to make up for daggering you. For the greater good of our plan to reclaim our home. I put up with your disregard for someone very important to me. Look the other way, sister. While you repeat the same cycle with Marcel, falling again for a man you shouldn't be with, while he controls the empire that we built! That he took!" his eyes flashed, blackened amber gold as anger coursed through him. "Now, I make no excuses for past sins. But in the one moment when you two could have chosen to stand by me - to believe in me - to believe my intentions for my own children were pure. You chose to stand against me, to side with my enemies. I wanted our home back. Now I have it. So I'm going to live there. And the two of you... you can stay here together... and rot." he looked at them with a look of disgust. "I don't need you." he approached Elijah, handing him the dagger and he accepted it cautiously.
Klaus walked past him and out of the house. Caroline and Hayley were sitting on the steps, he walked down them between the two and turned, holding out his hand to Caroline.
She accepted it allowing him to pull her to her feet.
Hayley glanced at their clasped hands and her lips twisted. "How sweet, you two worked things out while you left me in the bayou with Elijah while he suffered."
"Elijah had that coming," Caroline responded, she didn' care for Hayley's opinion of her and Klaus.
Klaus glared at Hayley. "You're coming with us, little wolf."
Hayley sneered up at him. "Why would I go anywhere with you?"
"Because, Hayley, other than Caroline, the children you carry are the only three things on this earth that matters to me. Now you can fight me on this, but you will lose." he released Caroline's hand and walked to the car, opening the door to the back seat. "As will anyone else who tries to stop you getting in this car."
Hayley stood reluctantly, glancing back at the house but heard neither Elijah or Rebekah coming to stop her. She shook her head and walked to the car, getting in the backseat.
Klaus shut the door then opened the front passenger side door. "You ready, Love?"
Caroline stepped toward the passenger seat but hesitated to get in, turning back to him in concern. "Are you okay?"
Klaus touched by her concern, some of his anger fading away in her presence. "I have you, don't I?"
Caroline smiled, stepping toward him she brushed a kiss to the corner of his mouth. "Yeah, you do." she turned climbing into the car and Klaus shut the door behind her before walking around the car. After he settled into the driver seat and started the car, he reached for Caroline's hand with his free one.
Hayley watched them silently with trepidation, Klaus and Caroline's closeness, their obvious connection, the physical displays, she couldn't help but worry that the closer they got the worse it would be for her if they ever found out the truth.
Caroline glanced around at her new room in the Abattoir, there was a large bed and a dresser made of rich red oak wood, there was a walk in closet that was huge, and it had a balcony view which she really liked.
She stepped out onto the balcony overlooking the city view.
"Will this do? Or would you prefer a different room?"
She turned, smiling at Klaus who stood behind her. "No, this is just fine. How are you after everything that happened with Elijah and Rebekah?"
"It's nothing I haven't experienced before. My family falling apart, turning on me has been a common occurrence for the last thousand years."
"Maybe," Caroline conceded, laying her hand on his arm. "But that doesn't mean it makes it any easier."
Klaus' eyes flickered away from her, the understanding look in her eyes making him feel things he wasn't used to. He was quiet for a moment before turning his gaze back to her. "Thank you for standing beside me, for being here."
Caroline smiled up at him. "Wow, Klaus Mikaelson, saying thank you to someone and actually meaning it."
Klaus couldn't hold back the small surprised laugh that escaped him.
Caroline liked the sound of his laugh, it sounded free and unburdened. "Okay, on a serious note. You don't have to thank me for being here, I," she gave a shake of her head. "I actually want to be here with you. When we were fighting side by side, I felt like you're equal, you know? I wasn't Vampire Barbie. I wasn't some baby vamp. I was strong. I was fearless."
"Caroline, you are strong and fearless." Klaus reached up cupping her neck. "And I do view you as my equal."
Caroline stared at him, his words meaning a lot to her, she pressed forward, her lips brushing against his.
Klaus stepped forward, pressing his lips harder against hers, one hand moving behind her to grip the balcony banister, the other sliding into her blonde locks, deepening the kiss.
He had always value Caroline's loyalty and now that she was showing him that same loyalty even if it was just a fraction of it, he promised himself he would make sure he was deserving of not only her loyalty but more importantly her, every day as long as she was at his side and he hoped she would be at his side for the rest of his immortal days.
A/N: Reviews are like food for the muse. Thank you to everyone who has ever left a review.