"It can't be..."
What Caroline saw before her was the last thing she'd expect. It was herself, chatting on the phone smiling and about to walk into her. Out of panic and instinct she looked around for a place to jump behind for a quick hiding space. Unfortunately there was no where to go.
She closed her eyes; braced for impact as she collided with herself.
"Don't worry Mom, we are having dinner at the Grill, watching a movie at Elena's then..." Caroline shivered and opened her eyes to see that the other Caroline had stopped.
She looked straight at her with no emotion in her face. Suddenly she stepped through Caroline and into the Grill shuddering from what she thought was the cold night air. Her voice faded into the building. "Bonnie and I will sleep..."
Caroline, clutching her chest and slightly gasping, watched as the other her put her phone in her clutch bag and greeted the people inside.
"What was... but I..." Caroline stuttered trying to make sense if what just happened.
"Breathe Caroline, you just experienced passing." Bonnie reassured her. It had little effect.
"Passing?"
Bonnie replied calmly: "Yes, its when the living pass through their own spirits..."
Panic once again took hold of her and she shrieked: "I'm dead?!"
"No, no you're having an out of body experience. You are revisiting memories."
"My memories? I thought I... but..." Caroline was lost for words.
Just as she was about to ask a question she heard it again...
"Don't worry Mom, I won't stay out too late. We are just having food, cake and sodas. I promise!"
Caroline turned to see herself again walking her way. She side stepped so she was facing Bonnie. The other Caroline passed them with out fault this time still chatting on her phone.
"Didn't we see that already?" Caroline furrowed her brow.
"Don't worry Mom," it came again to Caroline's shock.
"Why is this happening?"
"Because I'm rewinding it," Caroline looked at her friend with a smile, "Go inside behind her to uncover the whole memory."
Caroline heard Bonnie chuckled as she saw herself again and positioned herself to move behind like a conga line.
"...Bonnie and I will sleep over since Elena is spending some time with Stefan..." Caroline listened to her own words as she passed through the door to the famous Mystic Falls Grill.
As she ended the phone call to her mother Caroline slid her phone into her bag.
"What am I doing here?"
As Caroline said that the other Caroline spotted her targets and made her way towards them.
"You are here with your friends." Bonnie informed.
"Caroline! We thought you'd never make it!" A girl with long dark brown hair and doe brown eyes stood and hugged Caroline. She broke off to let others do the same as they greeted her.
"I was talking to my mom Elena. She wanted to know the plan for tonight." Caroline shrugged as the Caroline befire her put her hands on her hips and tutted the girls name.
"Better late than never in my opinion." A raven haired guy with piercing blue eyes quipped from his seated position in the booth nearest the wall.
"Damon, I don't need support from you." Caroline quipped back irked by his presence. "Stefan, control your brother!"
The male she referred to as 'Stefan' held his hands up in surrender from his place next to his brother 'Damon'.
"Don't drag me into this just because I'm related to him." He smiled lightly as the whole gang chuckled and sat again.
Caroline turned to look for her friend but she was not there. She looked back to the group of friends as they continued their interaction.
"Right let's get some food I'm starving!" The girl sat across from Caroline smiled and looked for a waiter.
"Bonnie?" Caroline asked remembering this event.
"Happy Birthday, Caroline" the man next to Caroline whispered into her ear and kissed her cheek.
As the table talked Caroline remembered everyone's names. There was Bonnie, Elena, Stefan and Damon on the other side of the table and Tyler and Matt sat next to her.
"Why did I forget this?" Caroline questioned herself.
Bonnie approached her from the table as the memory slowed to a stop.
"You forgot so that you can find the truth." Caroline was puzzled so Bonnie continued, "The truth about the Mikaelsons requires you to not be Caroline Forbes. Or at least not your future self... yet."
"So what does that mean?" Caroline approached the table looking at her friends smiling faces.
"It gives you plausible deniability and if they cast a truth spell you won't know anything." Bonnie stood next to Caroline and sighed, "these people are dangerous when agitated, and we can change the course of history if we give it a little nudge."
"And why does that include me?" Caroline looked at Bonnie and crossed her arms.
"If you can teach the family to trust others and keep them from killing, then maybe they don't become monsters." Bonnie looked away from Caroline over to the bar. "Maybe the balance of nature is not upset by that witch Esther."
Caroline followed her line of sight. Two men were sat at the bar in near darkness looking at the party.
"Esther? The pregnant woman who made me stew the other day and let me sleep in her best for a night to recover?" Caroline looked back at Bonnie in disbelief.
"Everyone has the opportunity to choose between right and wrong, good and bad. She chose the wrong side too many times and forced a curse upon her family and the world."
"I don't believe that," Caroline looked over at the two men again.
"Do you remember everyone at the table?" Bonnie gestured at the group of friends. Caroline nodded.
"Damon and Stefan are brothers, Elena is with Stefan and there is you," She paused looking and gandy the other side of the table, "That's Matt Donovan and Tyler, my boyfriend." Caroline smiled.
"Do you recognise those two at the bar?" Bonnie asked with a glint in her eyes.
Caroline squinted and stepped closer.
"That's Klaus and little Kol! My how they have grown into handsome men!" Caroline smiled and turned to Bonnie.
"This is them in the year 2015. You met them a few years before and when you went back in time the year was around 1000BC." Caroline gasped and looked back at the Mikaelsons. "But how-"
"Like I said, monsters. They feed off the blood of innocents and try to destroy life wherever they go." Bonnie warned.
"That's not... they can't... but they're so lovely!" Caroline tried to make sense of this.
"The loss of a sibling and centuries of family feuds causes strife and misery - they take it out on the mortals who pass by in their lives." Bonnie had her hands in fists.
She approached the men in the corner seething but unable to harm them - it was only a memory.
"Play it," Bonnie was confused, "play the rest of this memory!" Caroline demanded.
Bonnie glared at the Mikaelsons and stepped away. The memory sprang to life and spurred on. She watched intently as her friends ordered food and ate merrily. Her past self got up at one point to go to the bathroom. She saw a blur follow her in that direction.
She ran to the same spot and saw that it was Klaus that had followed her. He had a hand on her wrist and his other on his chest. Caroline raised her free hand to slap him but his reflexes were faster. He caught her other wrist.
"Caroline, why can't we ever have a nice conversation where you don't hit me?" Klaus's husky older voice filled Carolines chest with excitement.
Caroline looked disgusted and threw her wrists down and crossed her arms. Klaus looked sheepish but Caroline was trying to look anywhere but him.
"Look, I just wanted to say," Caroline looked at him as he pulled a small box from his pocket. She unfolded her arms and leaned back to look at him and what he was presenting her with. "Happy Birthday Caroline,"
The box was lilac in colour and little in size, wrapped with a bow and a small note on it. He smiled sweetly and looked at her lovingly. She hesitated before he placed her hands on the box and pushed it closer to her. As he looked at her expectedly she pulled on the bow. It fell to the floor as she placed her hands on the box to open it.
"What's going on here?!" Came a jealous shout.
Klaus receded into himself and returned to his cold demeanour.
"Tyler, how fortuitous. Caroline, have a good evening." Tyler moved to be in his way but Klaus growled.
"Tyler not here, not today." Caroline pleaded.
Tyler saw the box in Caroline's hand and grabbed it.
"You think this will win her over?" He threw it over his shoulder. Caroline smacked Tylers shoulder but he shrugged off her comments and abuse.
"Be careful mate, I'm controlling myself for the birthday girl but it would appear you are not." Klaus warned.
"I don't go around giving your girlfriends presents." Tylers eyes were glowing gold now and the hybrids were chest to chest now, glaring.
Klaus grit his teeth, "Isn't that how birthdays work? Presents are given and thanks are returned?"
Caroline was now stood at the side of the two trying to get a word in but failing.
"Thanks? Is that all you want?"
"Appreciation would be nice but now I just want a drink, move!" Klaus stepped to one side trying to move but Tyler stepped in front of him "Don't make me move you Little Orphan Lockwood."
"Don't call me that!"
"Or what?" Klaus tempted.
Tyler scoffed then suddenly charged at Klaus. He swiftly moved to the side at Tyler went flying past him but spun around ready to lunge again. Caroline stood in front of Klaus.
"Seriously Caroline?" Tyler impatiently threw his arms up and sighed his golden eyes fading.
"Yes seriously, Tyler. I said no fighting today. No supernatural problems," Caroline looked at Klaus, "No super fights destroying expensive furniture," she looked at Tyler again, "and no jealous rages in public!"
Caroline watched the scene in front of her unfold with a mix of emotions. The Klaus she knows is sweet and wouldn't be so threatening yet the Klaus before her is strong and passionate but seemingly in the wrong.
She remembers this moment.
She remembers this night.
Why did she forget and how did she end up in the past?
Tyler growled "If you are accepting gifts from him then you don't get gifts from me." He went to grab the necklace Caroline was wearing but Klaus pushed him away slamming into a wall.
Caroline groaned and glared at Klaus, "I don't need your help Klaus! If he wants this piece of trash he can have it!" She grabbed the silver from her neck and threw it at Tyler's hunched body.
His angered panting slowed as Caroline pushed past Klaus who looked at her figure as she left deflating in defeat and head hanging in shame.
Caroline marched to the table of friends and gathered her bag and jacket. Her friends tried to comfort her but she was gone.
Caroline watched herself exit the room as Elena stood up ready to go after her but was stopped by Stefan suggesting they wait for her to calm down a bit before going after her.
Caroline went back to Tyler and Klaus and the scene had rest for her to see the sequence play out after she left.
Klaus turned and glared at the Lockwood boy but went back to the bar for a final drink before leaving. Tyler picked up the necklace he had given her earlier that day and gripped it hard. He stole a bottle of whiskey from the bar and snuck out the back.
Caroline looked on the floor for the lilac rectangular box and found it under a side table she reached for it but her hand went through it.
A soft friendly voice took her by surprise as she stood up quickly.
"What are you doing Care?"
"Oh Bonnie, I just... you can see me?" Caroline looked behind her to see the other Bonnie approach.
"Of course I can see you why would I-" just as she started speaking the Bonnie behind her suddenly sticks her hands in time the sides of her head.
Bonnie's eyes went milky and her breathing was shallow. When she comes to and looks around. Puzzled she turns but spots a box on the ground. She bends down and picks it up reading the label.
Caroline looked between the two Bonnie's in confusion.
"My connection is strong to this memory as I am using some of my own to keep you here since you left already." Bonnie motioned to herself, "she won't remeber it, see?"
Caroline watched as Bonnie sat back at the table with Carolines friends as an awkward silence befell them.
"Come on there's more to see..."
Bonnie motioned for Caroline to follow her out of the Grill and into the dark night that surrounded them.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Present Day
"Brother, you have a guest. Move some of these bottles." Rebekah complained as she opened the curtains in the room.
Klaus grumbled holding his head still throbbing from the previous night. He hissed at the sudden brightness from the sun streaming in from the opened curtains. Rebekah marched across the room from thebwindow and stood in front of her older brother, hands on her hips.
"Go away Rebekah!"
"I'm only here to deliver your guest, please crack a window - smells like death in here..." Rebekah regretted her words but it fired him up enough to stand and look any the doorway where an old friend stood, hands behind his back.
"Klaus," the man spoke with a shakey voice his emotions getting the better of him. Klaus looks at this old friend and chuckles lowly.
"You've got some nerve showing your face here." Klaus stood in a defensive position confronting the intruder.