Mason and Tyler just had a very frustrating conversation with Carol Lockwood. Carol had the nerve to forbid both Tyler and Mason from associating with anyone living in the Potter household. Mason laughed at her since he was an adult. Tyler just shook his head and told his mother that has no right to tell him what to do anymore. Carol argued, "They are not good for our image. We must stand as a united family for the town's sake. Our reputation depends on it." Tyler sighs, "Of course, you care more about your reputation than your own son." Tyler and Mason got up and left. Carol kept yelling at them even after the front door slammed shut.
They decided to go camping. Both Tyler and Mason wanted to get away from the council and Carol's overbearing self. She was trying to control their lives since they had befriended the Potter household. Mason led Tyler to the Potters' home. "Why are we coming here?" Tyler asked as they climbed up the front stoop. Mason sighed, "We are informing Fenrir that we are going out of town for a while. He is the alpha of our little pack." Mason raised his fist to knock but the door swung open.
Holding the front door open was Caroline. She was just leaving to go check on her mom, "Oh, hey guys. Come on in." She moved to the side and let them inside, then closed the door as she left. They found Fenrir in his workshop. He was putting the final touches on a wand. Fenrir knew they were there, "Afternoon, what can I do for your gentlemen?" Fenrir dusted his hands off and faced the two.
Mason cleared his throat, "Uh, Tyler and I were thinking about going camping. Get out of town for a while." Tyler nodded. "There's nothing wrong with that. The full moon is not for two weeks so you have time," Fenrir stood and walked out of the workshop. The guys followed him to the sitting room. Fenrir asked, "Do you have everything you need?" "We still have to buy a tent. The one at home is too small for two people," Tyler stuffed his hands into his pockets.
Fenrir rubbed a hand on his beard, "Hmm? Let me go ask Hermione if she still has one?" Fenrir left for his and Hermione's shared bedroom to ask his wife about the tent. She was relaxing with a book since the twins were down for a nap. "Honey, do you still have the tent?" He asked. Hermione closed her book, "Why?" "Mason and Tyler are wanting to go camping but they still need to get a tent," Fenrir responded.
Hermione got out of bed and went into their closet and pulled out her beaded bag. Opening the worn out bag, she could see the tent and other various items. "Yes, I have it," She held her bag and left their bedroom. They entered the sitting room to find Mason and Tyler eating a snack Winky provided. The house elf knew werewolves eat more than the average person and more often, even Damon's appetite increased.
"Let's head out back so I can set it up and air it out," Hermione headed for the backyard with the 3 men following behind her. In the backyard, Hermione pulled the collapsed tent out of her bag, and set it up. She opened the flap that was a door and stepped in. Then poked her head out, "Well, come on." Fenrir followed instantly while the other two were skeptical.
Tyler went in first. He was in awe at how big and spacious it was on the inside. He stuck his head out, "Uncle Mason. You go to see this." Mason walked into the tent and was shocked. While Hermione was opening cabinets in the full kitchen, checking the perishables, Tyler and Mason were wandering around the tent. They could see it had a fully functioning kitchen, bathroom with a shower, and two separate bedrooms with bunk beds.
Tyler turns to his uncle, "This is awesome." Mason agreed, "Yeah, it is." Hermione then explained they had supplies to last them two weeks. Then she showed them the warding stones and how and when to bury them around their campsite. It was a relief to know they could sleep without worrying that the wildlife may invade their campsite. They all left the tent so Hermione could take it down and sealed it for traveling. Mason loaded the tent with the rest of their camping equipment, and readied to take off early the next morning.
When Caroline got home, she did not expect her father, Bill Forbes, to be sitting in the living room looking very disappointed. She went into the kitchen to talk to her mom, "What's he doing here?" Liz crossed her arms, "I called him." Caroline was going to ask why, but as she was injected with a large dose of Vervain from behind. As Caroline crumbled to the floor, her father was holding the syringe. Bill smiled at his ex-wife, "Glad you called me. Now, we can fix her." Bill picked up Caroline and headed for his truck. Liz followed him out the door then headed back to work like she just didn't hand her daughter over to be tortured or killed.
When Caroline regained consciousness she was tied to a chair with Vervain soaked ropes. She struggled against them, trying to break free but it was no use. She also noticed her Daylight ring was no longer on her finger but across the room on the floor. The room was bare of anything but the chair she tied to. Three of the walls were concrete, one of which had a small window with a metal shutter over it that opened with a chain pulley. The fourth wall had a heavy steel door with a peek window at the top.
Caroline was already in distress from being held captive when it was made worse as the door opened and her father walked in. "Daddy?" Caroline realized he was behind her capture, "Why are you doing this?" Bill rolled his eyes at Caroline. He didn't see her as his daughter anymore, only a monster. But he was going to fix that. He didn't answer her. Instead, he went to the chain and opened the shutter letting in the hot rays of sunlight.
The chair Caroline was tied to positioned her back to the window. When the sun filtered into the room and touched Caroline's back, she screamed as she burned. Bill let go of the chain and the shutter slammed closed. Caroline was sobbing and in pain, "Why daddy?" Bill scoffed, "Because you're a monster!" He then went on to explain the room they were in is a torture chamber the Forbes built, complete with Vervain ventilation and the window faces the sun. Also, he was going to use pain in association with blood. In hopes Caroline will associate pain with blood and no longer crave it. "I'm still me, daddy. I'm still your daughter," Caroline cried to her father. She looked at the man and could see he was unfazed by her pleas, "You are not my Caroline. You're a vampire."
Bill continued to expose Caroline to the sunlight until dusk approached. Only then did he stop. Bill leaned over his daughter's scorched body, "Don't bother screaming for help. Nobody knows where you are. Especially those friends of yours." As he walked out of the room, he picked up Caroline's daylight ring, "You won't be needing this." Caroline didn't lift her head as her father left the room, bolting the door behind him.
The next morning, Draco and Narcissa knew something was wrong. Normally Caroline would stop by for morning coffee before school, but she didn't show up. Which is not like her, she's never even late let alone not show up. Narcissa watches Scorpius play with his toys, making them levitate as Draco checks the map. The map has been kept in the main study for easy access. Draco scans the map and sees Caroline's name out in the middle of the woods near her home and she hasn't moved. He has a bad feeling. Draco finds Leilani with Sirius, and Damon in the sitting room. "Lei, we may have a problem," Draco informs his friends.
"What is it?" Lei stands from Damon's lap. "It's Caroline. You know how punctual she is," Draco says. Now they're all standing. Lei nodded. Damon remarked, "Yeah, with her around none of us are late for anything." Draco sighed, "Well, she didn't show up this morning. And when I checked the map, it shows her in the woods behind her home and hasn't moved for some time." Damon rubbed his hands together, he was looking for a fight, "what are we waiting for? Let's go get Blondie."
Draco, Lei, Sirius, and Damon followed the map to where Caroline's name is shown but found nothing. Until they looked closely. A hidden door leading underground crudely covered by foliage. Damon yanked the old, heavy door open to reveal a steep set of stairs. The sound of Caroline's screams reached their ears. Damon whooshed in first, followed by everyone else. Bill had returned and was gripping the chain, keeping the shutter opened. Liz stood by and watched, not even flinching when her daughter screamed.
Damon knocked Bill over so he would let go of the chain, closing the shutter. Liz had pulled her gun that was loaded with wooden bullets and aimed at Damon. Before she pulled the trigger, Liz changed her mind and aimed for Leilani. Liz never liked the girl, especially when Caroline spent more time at the Potter household then at home. Even though Liz was hardly ever home to see her daughter, she expected Caroline to be there when not at school or with her friends Bonnie and Elena. Then Bonnie disappeared, which Liz thinks Leilani had something to do with, and Elena has been complaining about not having her friends anymore. So, it is plain to see from Liz's point of view that Leilani is the problem.
Draco was untying Caroline when a loud bang went off in the confined space. Sirius was by the door holding it open, Damon had knocked Bill out, and Lei was standing nearby. Then she was on the ground with a bullet wound in her chest. Liz had shot and killed her. Damon was cradling Lei, "No, no, no. You can't be gone. Please, please don't leave me. Don't leave us. Leilani, please wake up." He sat on his knees rocking back and forth as he held Lei in his arms, not bothering to hide the tears streaming down his face.
Sirius had disarmed, bound, and stunned the sheriff. He knew Lei wasn't permanently dead. Thanatos had explained Leilani's status as his mistress before reviving him, Regulus, and Severus. He laid a comforting hand on Damon's shoulder, "She'll be alright. Her death will not be permanent." Damon moved away from Sirius and stood with Lei in his arms still. He didn't want to get his hopes up, so he disregarded what Sirius said and whooshed back to Lei's home. He laid Leilani down in her bed, sat heavily in the chair next to the bed, and silently cried wondering if he should just flip his switch again. Damon reached for his phone, dreading the call he was going to make. After the third ring, "Hello, love."
Draco vanished Bill's body to who knows where, not knowing he will be back. Draco took Caroline back home where Narcissa and Winky fussed over her. Narcissa made up her mind to adopt Caroline officially knowing her parents were behind what happened. Caroline cried as she healed. She never imagined her parents could be so cruel and heartless and torture their only daughter. Caroline told Narcissa, "My dad took my daylight ring. I can't go outside now." "What kind of ring was it?" Narcissa asked. "Lapis Lazuli. Bonnie spelled it for me, but she mumbled the spell with the ring in sunlight. Ugh, I didn't even get to choose it," Caroline kind of whined. Narcissa gave an unlady-like snort and patted Caroline's hand, "I'll be right back. The spell sounds simple enough."
Narcissa went into the back of her wardrobe and entered their vault. She searched through the various pieces and found an older Lapis Lazuli ring. The small stone was in a silver setting to look like an Egyptian eye. It was simple but elegant. Narcissa also picked up a Malfoy family ring that now belongs to Caroline. She re-entered her room and set the Lapis Lazuli ring down near a window and opened the curtains to expose it to the sunrays. Narcissa pulls her wand and casts, "Repello Solem."** She picks up the ring and hands it to Caroline, "Try it."
Caroline carefully stands in front of the closed half of the curtain and slowly reaches into the sunlight with the hand not wearing the ring. When she did not start to burn, Caroline exhaled in relief. She turned with tears in her eyes, and gave Narcissa a hug, "Thank you. It's beautiful." Narcissa smiled, "Of course, dear. Now I have one other for you. It is a Malfoy family ring. Draco and I had discussed it, and we would like to invite you to officially become a part of our family as a Malfoy." She held the Black Onyx, oval cut, Silver ring for Caroline.
The forever teen didn't know what to think. After what happened earlier, Caroline was overwhelmed. She went over all the interactions she has had with the Malfoys' and found they care for her more than her biological parents ever have. Caroline accepted the ring, "Thank you. You and Draco have been better to me than my own family...I accept." Narcissa smiled and hugged her newly adopted daughter and would take care of the muggle side of things in the morning.
Hours have passed, Damon and now Klaus have sat with Leilani. She still has not woken up; however, she does not smell of decay. It was now that Thanatos appeared and startled the two distraught men. "Not to worry, gents. She will wake soon. Leilani will not stay dead until I will it so. Even then, she will only be transcending to take my place as Death. And I am in no rush to retire," Thanatos tries to reassure them. Damon and Klaus' eyes widen for a moment as they realize Leilani is immortal, truly immortal.
Thanatos also informs them, "You know, once you two are intimate and bond with Lei you won't be able to die permanently either, unless I personally reap you." Then Thanatos became cold as so did the room, "Just know, if you break her heart, I will reap and destroy your soul." Thanatos vanishes just as Leilani's heart starts beating again. Damon and Klaus felt like they could breathe again. They vow to never leave her alone again.
Somewhere in the world, a very pissed off, filthy Bill Forbes wanders to the nearest town. He walks up to a sign and yells in frustration. The sign read, "Welcome to Panamint, California." The sign itself was barely legible, wooden, and cracked. Walking further, Bill dropped to his knees and screamed himself hoarse. Panamint was a ghost town. Bill Forbes was not to give up though, he will get back to Mystic Falls and kill every last supernatural being in his hometown. Every. Last. One.
AN: Caroline was rescued quickly due to a deviation in her routine. **The spell Narcissa used is made up. Repello Solem (Repel Sun). Moving to NOLA soon.