Sunlight

Chapter 29: We Run This Town

Caroline yawned widely, ferreting around the modern kitchen in the Original house dressed in little more than her panties and Klaus' henley. She had no idea what she was looking for. All she knew was that she would start ripping out hair or ripping off heads if she didn't curb the nervous energy starting to buzz around her body. She was home in Mystic Falls, and she was going to go see her friends. And tell them the truth. What was making her nervous? Alright, obviously the last bit.

Caroline hummed her annoyance in the back of her throat, coming down from where she had been craning on tip toe to search the contents of the fridge. She closed the door and jolted when she saw Gwen looking just as startled on the other side of the door.

"Shit." Gwen cussed unexpectedly. "Sorry! Didn't mean to scare you."

"It'll take a lot more than that to scare me." Caroline laughed lightly. "I have to deal with Klaus daily."

"Yeah, that's something." Gwen said, clearly with a strong opinion on the man but already edging away uncertainly.

"Hey, c'mon." Caroline said, smiling in a careful, friendly manner. "You came down here for a reason, and I'll guess that that reason is...coffee?" She gestured to the elaborate machine. "I was just about to make some for myself, wanna join me?"

Gwen glanced at her.

"I promise I'm not the scary one that bites." Caroline said truthfully.

Gwen chuckled lowly, not quite giving away whether she knew about the darker, bloody side to the family or not. Either way, she still shrugged. "Why not."

"Great." Caroline smiled. "Sugar?"

"One, please. And no milk."

Caroline prepared the warm beverage and carried it over to the bench, hopping up on a stool and inviting Gwen to do the same.

"So, how is everything?"

"Good." Gwen replied shortly.

Caroline had to refrain from giving her a look. "Your in a completely different country with a family of really odd individuals who you barely know. When someone asks you how everything is, you're allowed to express a little concern."

Gwen looked skeptically at her, wondering how much she could trust her. Caroline was thinking the same, though to be fair she had the upper hand by having more control in the situation. Though if what Klaus had inferred was true, then Gwen could potentially have better chances than Caroline at being in control.

The two girls broke the serious tension by smiling slightly at each other and sipping at their coffee. Gwen piled her brown curls into a bun that revealed a tattoo on the back of her neck and a purple streak of hair from the nape of her neck too, and Caroline took it all in wordlessly, adding it to what she already knew about who Gwen was - or rather what she was. Instead, she made conversation.

"What's brought you down here this early in the morning?" Caroline asked, nodding towards the windows that showed the six o'clock grey morning light.

"I was going to ask you the same question." Gwen admitted, and Caroline decided to make it easier for the girl and answer the question first.

"Woke up, and in a rare moment of silent bliss, Klaus was asleep. Didn't want to wake him with my growling tummy, so I came downstairs."

"Did you want to eat too?" Gwen frowned at Caroline's lonely coffee mug.

"I'm set." Caroline said. "It was more nerves than anything. Now, why are you here?"

"Same thing, really." Gwen admitted.