AN: I urge you to pay attention to any dates I give, otherwise nothing is going to make sense. When I wrote Katherine's death, I wrote "New Years Eve" but this chapter is set on boxing day. Kat has a whole week.

Just, pay attention to the dates, that's all I'm going to say.

(Also, I was planning on slowing the updates down when Caroline arrived, but I'm rethinking that, because I love updating and I'm very changeable.) -Izzy x


Chapter Nine – The Originals 3x10

Klaus was enraged that morning. He paced around the compound, his fists balled up at his sides. He flipped one of the tables and most of the chairs. Freya was sat down, watching him uneasily as he rampaged.

Camille had just showed up on their doorstep, covered in blood and looking frantic. She told Klaus all about Aurora's attack and her death, before running upstairs to shower.

Freya left him for a minute before coming back with even worse news, and a Christmas card.

"Klaus!" Freya exclaimed, interrupting his angry grumbling. "Klaus!"

"What?" Her brother exclaimed, turning to her and making her flinch. "What is it?"

"Aurora sent us a Christmas card," she announced, unfolding the decorated paper and reading aloud the message inside: "My dearest, Klaus. My love. I wish you the best Christmas ever, and a very joyful new year. And I hope you appreciate my golden gifts. All my love, Aurora."

"Does she have to be so patronising," Klaus exclaimed, "about the fact she's destroyed my therapist's life?"

Freya pulled out a polaroid picture that was tucked into the card. In it was a young blonde girl, tied to a chair with a piece of cloth acting as a gag in her mouth. "Klaus, she sent a picture. I don't know who this girl is, but it's not Camille."

Klaus seemed to calm down at the sight of the picture, but Freya knew better. He'd become eerily calm. Destructively calm. "Freya," Klaus muttered. "Text Elijah. Tell him that Aurora has Caroline, and I am going to reign hell."

Elijah found Klaus immediately after he heard the news. He discarded his jacket and turned to his younger brother, worried. "How is she?" He asked.

"Which she? Camille has just risen from the dead," Klaus informed him, direly. "The moment she has fed, she shall begin to feel better. In the meantime, these attacks need to be answered!" His voice raised as he angrily gestured. "Aurora has taken Caroline, and I fear she will do something much worse than what she's already done to Camille. Our retribution must be swift, and it must be brutal."

"Agreed," Elijah said, promptly. "After the amulet has been recovered." He paused and allowed his agreement soothe his brother. "Freya's pendant is also missing," he said, as calmly as he could.

"And Finn's mystical essence along with it," Klaus finished. "But let him stay lost. Our business today is to finish off Aurora! And her blasted brother along with her, passenger or no passenger."

"No, brother," Elijah mused. "Think. Tristan needs the most powerful witch in the city to activate that weapon. A regent."

Klaus's eyes grew dark. "Vincent," he guessed. "Who was once possessed by Finn. Well, we know what your task is today. I'm off to save Caroline, I'll see you for dinner."

"Niklaus, wait," Elijah ordered in the softest way he could. "What of Camille? She is new, and uncontrollable."

Klaus rolled his eyes. "Fine, you babysit Camille, I'll save Caroline, then we'll visit the witches."

-0-0-0-0-0-

Camille insisted on sitting with Elijah, curled up on the couch opposite him with her hair still wet and her knees to her chest. She looked distant, and broken. "I don't want to die," she admitted to him, sadly. "I don't want to drink human blood, or become a vampire but… I'm not ready to die. Not today, at least. It's not fair."

Elijah rolled his eyes at her attempt to make human contact. "All lives end," he informed her, matter-of-factly. "All hearts are broken. Even the ones with no humanity, the vampires skilled in the art of survival. "Everybody dies, Camille. You may as well get it over with. Caring is not an advantage in life."

Camille narrowed her eyes, studying him. He'd only ever mentioned Katherine's misfortune to Freya, and then tried to convince her that he wasn't sure, and she may well be safe, only to relieve himself of her pity and sorrow.

The therapist across from him blinked, leaning forward. "You lost someone, didn't you?" She guessed, resting her head on her chin. "Someone you never expected to really lose. Did you love them?"

Now Elijah leaned forward to mimic her movements. "Love," he mused, distastefully. "That's the problem with humans. You all care so much. A vampire's emotions are supposed to be heightened, but in certain situations, they just stop. The switch is a lie; I'm not in control. I don't believe any vampires are. There's something wrong with us."

"But you do care," she insisted. "I can see it."

Elijah blinked, cocking his head and thinking. "In the last five hundred years, I have loved her, despised her, tried to kill her, tried to save her. Now she's dead, and I feel nothing."

Camille nodded, listening carefully. "Often when people, even humans, experience emotional trauma, they can become numb to feeling anything, even physical. It's not the loss of you humanity-"

She was interrupted by Elijah picking her up by her neck and throwing her to the far wall. Some of the plaster broke away as she made impact. Elijah flashed towards her and choked her, holding her in place and glaring at her.

"Do. Not. Analyse. Me." He ordered, angrily. "I am not one of your patients."

"Sorry," Camille squeaked, desperately.

He leaned forward and compelled her: "Go upstairs. Sit tight and behave yourself. Don't get out of control. Forget everything we discussed." He let go of her and she moved calmly upstairs. "Freya!" Elijah called. "I'm going to meet the witches."


Caroline woke up and groaned, her throat squeaking. "Hello?!" She called, croakily. The ropes that bound her wrists and ankles were laced with vervain, so she didn't fight against them. It would wear away her skin and get into her bloodstream, weakening her. "Hello?"

She looked around, trying to determine a location. She seemed to be in an empty house, with no furniture or people. She guessed she was in the living room, but with her vampire hearing, she couldn't identify anyone else in the house. She looked over to the window and her face fell with the terror of what she saw outside.

"The suburbs?!" She exclaimed, angrily. "Seriously?!"

She heard the familiar click-clack of heels and that bitch appeared from the kitchen with a smirk on her face. Aurora or something dumb like that. "Merry Boxing Day!" She greeted, twirling a knife in her fingers. "Welcome to New Orleans."

Caroline paused, blinking. "New Orleans? Are you for real?" She looked out the window again. She'd expected it to be all colourful buildings and balconies and jazz musicians. "New Orleans has suburbs," she noticed, dryly.

Aurora rolled her eyes. "Obviously," she told her. "Klaus will never find you here. Not until I want him too, anyway." She moved forward and put the blade to Caroline's cheek. Her skin sizzled with vervain and Aurora slowly cut her, dragging the knife along her face.

Caroline gritted her teeth in pain, but didn't allow herself to cry out. "Why are you doing this to me?" She demanded as soon as the knife left her skin. "What did I ever do to you?"

"You stole the affections of the love of my life!" Aurora exclaimed, furiously.

Caroline huffed. "Please. I tried to get him to leave me alone. Punish him, for god's sake."

Aurora scowled. "I want Klaus to stop trying to tear my family apart," she explained, running the blade along Caroline's collarbone. "And I want to send a message. To you, to Camille, to Hayley… Klaus Mikaelson is mine."

Caroline cried out slightly at the burning sensation in her flesh. Aurora just giggled, completely delighted by the pain.

When she withdrew the knife, Caroline scowled and tried to hurt Aurora as much as she hurt her. "Is Klaus really yours if he's been pining over me as hard as he did?" She mused, her eyes narrowing. "It wasn't your name he was calling out when we were pressed up against that tree, with my legs wrapped around him- ARGH!"

She was cut off by Aurora stabbing her in the stomach and slapping her at the same time. "Don't try and play games, bitch," she ordered. "I am not in the mood."


Elijah walked back into the compound with Vincent trailing after him. Freya was stood upright in the living space, looking upset about something, and Elijah moved to question her. "Freya," he said, soothingly. "What is happening?"

A tear rolled down Freya's cheek as she let her hands drop. "Some compelled tourist… He left this."

Elijah followed her line of sight to a carboard box on the coffee table. Wondering vaguely if it was a bomb, he slowly lifted the lid and peered inside at the fresh, bloody human heart. Freya turned away, clearly disturbed by the gift.

"Who?" Elijah asked, closing the box again.

"Jackson," Freya answered, and Elijah felt himself sigh slightly in relief. At least it wasn't Caroline. That would quite possibly destroy his brother for good. But there was a pause over the group as they realised what had happened. "Curtesy of the Strix," Freya added, handing Elijah the note that came along with it, telling them of Hayley's fate.

Elijah sighed to himself and paused, thinking. "Where's Camille?" He asked.

"Upstairs, right where you left her," Freya told him. She sat down, still in shock of the body part, and the grief of losing a friend. "What do we do?"

Elijah sighed, unsure. "Vincent, I apologise, today is quite busy for us all. You'll have to excuse us. Freya, could you try and find some blood for Camille? I would quite like to make some progress on that situation. I'm going to arrange a trade with Tristan for Hayley."

Freya blinked. "We don't have anything to give him," she reminded him.

Elijah smirked. "Klaus is so close to retrieving Aurora."


Three more cuts to her face, and seven stab wounds in her stomach. Caroline had bled right through her white shirt, and her jacket and jeans were sticky with blood. Her hair was stained and she was beginning to get hungry, her fangs producing from their sockets and her eyes turning red. She really had enough of this torture.

"I don't understand," Aurora mused. She'd pulled up a chair of her own and leaned her high-heeled feet against the arms of Caroline's. "As far as I can see, you're a shallow blonde beauty queen, from a small town. What does Klaus see in you?"

Caroline sucked her teeth, thinking about it. "I might be a shallow blonde beauty queen," she agreed, shrugging. "But I'm a pretty stubborn blonde beauty queen. What's the point in having someone who's desperate for his love? I'm more of a challenge."

Aurora narrowed her eyes and cocked her head. "Cami and I shared a certain darkness," she informed her. "You… you're a vampire, so I'm guessing you've killed before. Did you enjoy it as much as Nik does?"

Caroline paused before speaking. "You know, I don't really like mind games," she informed her. "You're not going to get any insecurities out of me. Not anymore."

Caroline shifted her weight from her back to her feet and pushed off the ground with all of her vampire strength. The chair collided with the back wall, which partially crumbled along with the shattered chair. She landed on her feet and shook the ropes off of her wrists and ankles.

Aurora got to her feet, genuinely surprised, and ran towards her.

Caroline picked up one of the fallen chair legs and aimed it as Aurora ran forward, so she collided straight with the make-shift stake. Caroline pushed it forward, impaling her through her stomach.

Aurora looked winded, lost for breath. Caroline pushed her back with the chair leg, like a kebab, and shoved her against another wall. She pushed the stake all the way through, until the redhead was pinned there. She tried to stab Caroline again with the vervain-soaked knife, but missed.

Caroline grabbed the knife from her and used it to stab her in the eye.

It was gruesome, sure, but as long as the blade was in there and she couldn't heal, then she was useless in a fight, her brain simply refusing to cooperate with her anger.

Caroline was about to stake her through the heart, when the door burst open and Klaus appeared next to her.

"Hello love," he greeted, taking the stake gently from her. "I do apologise, but the mother of my daughter is in danger, and we really need to borrow Aurora." He admired Caroline's handiwork, and slowly took the knife out of Aurora's eye. "Nice work, sweetheart."

"Yeah, maybe I was a little too harsh," Caroline snapped, sarcastically. "Klaus, what the hell is going on? Why are your crazy girlfriends kidnapping and cutting me?!"

Klaus snapped Aurora's neck and let her drop to the floor, grabbing her by the ankle to drag her along. "It's a long story," he admitted. "And one I really don't have time for. Come along." She put his hand on her upper back and lead her – and dragged Aurora – out of the house and to his car.

Caroline told Klaus about Aurora's arrival in Mystic Falls and he told her that she'd done the same thing to Camille, a friend of his. He told her that she was clinically unstable.

"Okay, is she going to try again?" Caroline asked, crossing her arms in the front seat of his car. "Because that's what I care about, Klaus. There's enough trouble in Mystic Falls without our problems merging!"

"Aurora won't make a move against you again," Klaus promised her, gripping the steering wheel angrily. "I ensure you that this will be her last kidnapping in general."

Caroline snapped her head to look at him. "Oh, and she doesn't have any bitches to do her dirty work?" She asked. Klaus didn't reply and Caroline looked slightly smug. "Yeah, I thought so. How did she even know about me?"

"Camille told her in an effort to save her own life," Klaus explained, gritting his teeth. "I didn't think she'd really go to the effort of tracking you down. Did she hurt you?"

Caroline rolled her eyes. "I staked her through the stomach and stabbed her in the eye with a vervain-soaked knife," she reminded Klaus with a proud smirk. "And you're asking if she hurt me too much?"

Klaus smirked and tossed her a fond look. "I should have known better than to believe you needed saving," he agreed. "There's a very complicated plan in place so forgive me, but I'll have to explain it all to you later."

They pulled up at the docks and got out of the car. Aurora's body was kept in the trunk and Klaus left her there as they approached Elijah, who was stood there waiting for them.

"Everything's ready, and Tristan should be here in a moment," he informed them. "Markos, Tristan, who cares? He's gone for good after this. Aurora?"

"Unconscious in my trunk," Klaus said, smirking. "Caroline, sweetheart, to avoid further questions, would you mind staying out of sight as this all goes down?"

Caroline agreed and flashed to the top of the warehouse, sitting herself down on some tall shelves to watch from afar. Some pretentious douche in a suit showed up with a crowd of people, and the Mikaelsons tricked him into entering a crate and not coming out.

Although, Aurora came out, which made no sense considering she was still supposed to be in Klaus's trunk. But as she walked, she turned into a tall, pale blonde girl, who looked pretty sick. Elijah made some speech to the crowd about being their sire, and then they dispersed. Hayley, looking sweaty and bloody, closed the crate doors with distaste before turning away.

When they were finished, Caroline jumped down, surprising the blonde girl – who she assumed was Camille – and turned to Klaus. "So, what the hell has been going on in New Orleans?!"

-0-0-0-0-0-

Later that evening, Caroline found herself on one of the many balconies of the compound, wearing clothes she was forced to borrow from Hayley, and sipping on a glass of wine. She fed, showered and accepted a guest bedroom at Klaus's home.

"No Bonnie, I'm fine," she was saying into her phone, overlooking the beautiful streets of New Orleans. "Yeah, I promise. I'll be back soon. I'm with Klaus, what could go wrong? Yes, I'm sure." There was a pause as Caroline fiddled with the hem of the cardigan. "Bonnie, could you please… not… tell Stefan? It's just really not worth the fight, and I don't want him to worry. He has enough on his plate anyway."

She stopped talking when she sensed Klaus approaching behind her.

"I gotta go," she said. "I love you, too. Bye." She hung up and slipped the phone into her back pocket and crossed her arms as she turned Klaus. "Hey."

Klaus smiled at her and stepped forward, his eyes twinkling in the light of the evening. "Now why would you be keeping a secret from your perfectly platonic best friend, Stefan?" He asked, teasingly.

Caroline rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. "Stefan's actually my boyfriend," she stressed. "And I love him very much."

"Oh," Klaus said, looking smug in his interest. "Is that why you're lying to him?"

"Don't, Klaus," she pleaded. "I'm not in the mood." She sipped her wine and turned back to him. "So how did everything turn out in the end?"

Klaus shrugged, leaning on the railing and overlooking the street with her. "Camille drank the blood of her human friend," he informed her. "Hayley's mourning the death of her husband alone. Tristan's nearing the bottom of the ocean as we speak."

Caroline nodded. Klaus had already explained everything that was going on, including the prophecy and Aurora. "If you want, I can talk to Camille," she suggested. "I mean, she did throw me under the bus. But apparently, she and I are a lot alike."

Klaus lowered his head, mainly to hide his smile. "What can I say?" He mused. "I have a type."

Caroline cocked her head at him. "Do you care about her?"

There was a pause before he shrugged. "I thought I did," he acknowledged. "But when she spoke to Aurora about you… I purposely tried to get her killed for your protection. Now, I don't know."

She shook her head. "Don't do that again," she ordered. "I can take care of myself."

"Evidently."

They were silent for a little while, watching as a couple held hands on the street, laughing together as they walked. "You were right," Caroline told him. "This city's really beautiful."

"I wish I could have shown it to you under better circumstances," he mused.

"You could do that tomorrow," she offered. "I'm going to stay for a while." There was a pause before she pulled her phone back out of her pocket. "I should call Stefan," she said. "Wish him goodnight."

Klaus nodded and left her alone of the balcony, wondering how on hell she ended up staying in his home.


AN: I KNOW THIS CHAPTER WAS SHORT BUT PLEASE GIVE ME THE ATTENTION I CRAVE AND LEAVE A REVIEW I LOVE YOU-Izzy x