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For you I'd burn the length and breadth of sky
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Caroline gazed down at the dress Rebekah had picked out for her, the one draped over the large bed that belonged to Klaus. When they had returned to New Orleans she'd expected them to go to the townhouse they'd been in since Marcel had stumbled upon her Coven, setting off the events that had led to everything that had happened. Caroline was conflicted about if she would have rather been at the other house, she had made some pretty nice memories in it but it was also where she had learned of her mother's death.
Elijah had moved everything back to the original place, the one that Klaus had decorated for each of them, his siblings and for her. There was no denying that now and Caroline knew it. Every little detail in the room had been painstakingly chosen because it suited her. From the curtains that hung against the windows to the detailed lampshades that decorated the lamps beside the bed. It was meant to help her adjust to living with the family, a private little oasis for her to go to when she needed a breather from the siblings and Caroline had a feeling she'd need one of those every so often. The framed sketches on the wall that she hadn't paid much attention to the first time she had been in the room revealed scenes of Mystic Falls and of monuments she knew from around the world. Even the bookshelf held copies of the books she had in her old one back in Mystic Falls. Some of them brand new copies, others like the Jane Austen novels far older than any version she had ever laid eyes on.
It simultaneously brought a smile and hurt to know Klaus had put that much effort into the room. It also strengthened her drive to break him free from the curse he was under.
As much as Caroline did like the room that he had decorated to her own tastes, she didn't want to be in it. There was a door that led to his room from her own and she had found it within moments after Rebekah had left her to put her things away. She'd entered Klaus' room and hadn't been able to leave it. The room smelled like Klaus, felt like him, and Caroline had wanted nothing more than to be surrounded by his presence.
There was no telling when she would actually see him again. Dream instances just didn't quite cut it. She also didn't know when Davina would wake up and even if the girl did wake, it didn't necessarily mean that she would uncurse the Hybrid.
Caroline couldn't even contemplate what eternity would be like if Klaus remained in his current state. She wouldn't think about it because it wasn't allowed to happen. If Davina didn't do the spell then Caroline would simply need to find the spell for herself and get another witch to do it. Maybe Klaus deserved being stone, to be unable to do anything to hurt people again considering all the chaos he'd caused, all of the hurt he had doled out through the centuries, but Caroline wanted to be selfish this one time.
She'd lost her mother. Bonnie. Her relationship with Elena was rocky at best. She wouldn't lose the man she loved too. She refused to allow it to happen.
Caroline ran her fingers along the black material, small black jewels were embroidered here and there on it, and she pursed her lips as she looked down at it. While Caroline knew it was one that Klaus had purchased for her and that Rebekah had painstakingly spent time picking it out for her to wear, Caroline didn't feel like it was the one she was supposed to wear.
Holding it up to her body, she couldn't deny that it would look fantastic on her, highlighting her curves perfectly, accentuating her pale skin and making her seem almost otherworldly, which was probably what Rebekah was going for, but she didn't like it. The dress didn't feel like her but she didn't exactly have time to go shop for a new one and the others in her closet hadn't seemed appropriate at all for what she was getting ready to attend.
She was going to be meeting the other vampires, the ones that Rebekah kept on telling her about, Elijah continuing where Rebekah had left off once they were with him again. They couldn't help but stress that this was a big occasion and that the other vampires were going to be scrutinizing her as soon as she walked into the room. She'd learned that there were already whispers of her being Queen around the Quarter, which wasn't too surprising considering the wolves had been acting as though that's who she was since pretty much the day she met them.
It was enough to give a girl issues and dredge up some very old insecurities that Caroline could feel trying desperately to come to the forefront of her mind and overtake her, and that would really not be good. She pushed up off the bed before they could try and take hold again, walking over to the dresser where she'd made space for her own clothes, and set about getting dressed. Technically they would all wait for her and...well, actually, no, she was pretty sure they could all just wait for her to be ready.
She needed different shoes than the ones Rebekah had picked out and headed over to Klaus' closet, confident one of the pairs she'd taken from the other room and placed in the expansive walk in would work. It was only then while contemplating which pair would go best with the black dress on the bed that Caroline caught sight of the gold number tucked away in the back of Klaus' closet. She headed over to it, smiling immediately at the way it shimmered in the light, enjoying the sweetheart neckline as she removed it to get a better look at the gown.
Caroline knew that Rebekah had picked out the black dress from all the ones Klaus had bought for her because it was something that was deemed queenly, that it met with the notion of the darkness that surrounded their kind and if she was going to be Queen of it then she should look the part. This still didn't sit well in her stomach, twisting it in ways she hadn't felt since she was human. Caroline couldn't help but think of Klaus' own words, always telling her how full of light she was, and she didn't think that she was supposed to be swathed in black, even if she did really like the swooping back of the black number.
She'd gone into the war wearing her own style, liking the contrast of her in white as they took on Marcel's lot and later the witches. She figured that this scenario was also a war and if she was going to be walking into the battle with unknowns then she should at least wear something she felt comfortable in, something that she thought made her look and feel regal. Not to mention if Klaus had it in his closet there had to be a reason for it. Caroline had a feeling it would fit like a glove. Just like all of his other dress choices for her.
Thirty minutes later and Caroline was applying the finishing touches to her makeup, pleased that her hair was staying up how she wanted, wide ringlets of curls draping along the sides of her face. It'd probably come undone some during the night, but that'd only lead to some messy curls spilling out and if she remembered how she looked after the Mikaelson ball, it wasn't a bad look for her.
"That is not the dress that I picked out for you," Rebekah noted as she walked into the room, eyeing Caroline carefully. She couldn't quite make out the dress, didn't have a clue where it had come from either. There definitely hadn't been that sort of color in the array that she'd found in Caroline's closet space and she doubted the girl had brought it from Mystic Falls. The craftsmanship was far too good to have come from one of that town's little boutiques.
"I found it," Caroline told her, clasping the bracelet to her wrist.
She still couldn't believe she had found it in the vanity when she'd been looking for a few odds and ends, thoroughly amused that it had been stocked with all the various shades and tones of makeup that she used. Klaus certainly had earned himself the title of Stalker in order to know all of that. There were a few other pieces of jewelry inside of one of the drawers as well, necklaces, earrings and rings that she didn't want to break out yet. Not until he actually gave them to her.
But the bracelet, that was hers. Even if she had thrown it back at him all those months ago.
That she could wear.
"Where in the world did you happen to just find a dress?" Rebekah asked, wanting this mystery solved before they headed downstairs.
Caroline finally rose from the chair, placing down the lipstick as she nodded toward the closet. "Since it fits like a glove, I'm gonna guess it was for me," she told the other girl, inspecting herself in the mirror. "And if it wasn't, welp, its mine now." She finally turned her attention to Rebekah. "And you look like nice."
Rebekah huffed at the comment. "Magnificent," Caroline amended, trying not to laugh as the Original brightened up a tad at the compliment. For all of her years on Earth, sometimes Rebekah was still very much a teenage girl. "I'm guessing everyone is already here?"
"Of course, but we're allowed to be fashionably late. It's pretty much expected at this point," Rebekah told her, looking Caroline over now that she could really see the dress. "And that-" she motioned at the length of the other girl "-is very you. No doubt Klaus had it picked out specifically for this occasion."
Caroline rolled her eyes at the implication. "He couldn't have known this would happen." It was impossible. There was no guarantee that she would've been staying in New Orleans. Hell, before the whole Harbinger business there was nothing that would've led her to the city as soon as she had gone.
"Not at this exact time, but if you think for a moment that he hasn't planned for the time he'd be able to show you off to the rest of our kind..." Rebekah shrugged, knowing her brother would have planned for such an eventuality. No matter how long he might have thought it might take to actually come to fruition.
Caroline nodded, unable to put up a rebuttal. Klaus would have planned for such an eventuality and she knew it. She doubted he had thought it would have happened as soon as it did, probably under the impression that it would actually take her that century to end up at his door. Truth be told, if someone had tried to tell her even a month ago that this was how her life would be, Caroline would've laughed in the person's face. Klaus and she had been forming a friendship, and she knew she could call on him for help, but she never in a million years would have thought she would give name let alone act on her feelings for the Hybrid.
"Now remember," Rebekah started, smoothing out her own dress as she glanced at herself in the mirror. "You may only be what-a few years old?"
"Huh?" Caroline furrowed her brow before realizing Rebekah was talking about her age in vampire years. "Like one and a half."
"You haven't been a vampire for even two years yet?" Rebekah asked, looking incredulously at her. Caroline shrugged. "Considering your control I thought it had been a bit longer than that. It's even more incredible now that I know for how little a time you've been turned. Anyway, as I was saying, you may be an infant-" She smirked at Caroline's pointed glare. "-but you're above all of them. Don't forget that. Do not let them forget that."
"Are we saying anything about me being...?" Caroline wiggled her fingers, wondering if that was something she was supposed to try and keep under wraps.
Rebekah shrugged. "Don't go out of your way to mention it, but I'm certain they'll eventually learn about it. I doubt the witches will keep that to themselves."
It might not even be said to out who she was, but more as a warning if a vampire tried to hurt one of them. Of course that only really mattered if the vampires even knew what the Harbinger could do. Though, Caroline supposed that since most of the vampires she was about to meet were closer in age to the Originals that they might have more knowledge than Stefan or Damon ever seemed to have about the supernatural world. Even the Salvatore boys would be considered to be considered children compared to the vampires waiting for them.
"I wish Nik was here to present you," Rebekah murmured, glancing down at the bracelet on Caroline's wrist. She remembered it, how Klaus had tucked it away after the ball, glaring at her when she questioned why it had been taken out of the vault. She hadn't even been able to tease him about thinking of giving it to Caroline, of even inviting the girl to the ball, because he'd already been too moody. "Honestly, I wish we didn't have to do this at all. They're dreadfully boring vampires."
The ones she had found even mildly amusing had died over the centuries, madness usually leading to their end in one way or another. "These ones are all Nik and Elijah's little protégés," Rebekah informed her as she started for the door. "The ones you'll want to watch out for will be Nik's ones. They never did like to share his attention. Which is hilarious considering he hasn't doled out attention on any of them in centuries."
"What about yours?" Caroline asked, following after her. Surely Rebekah had turned some people in her time.
"Mine were lucky to make it past transitioning," Rebekah replied, her expression hardening for a moment. "Nik never approved of any of them. Honestly, Stefan is lucky that Klaus only had him forget me instead of ripping his heart in the Twenties."
"Are you two ready? Elijah's getting antsy," Stefan informed them from the other side of the door, offering up an awkward smile when Rebekah opened it.
Caroline hadn't been sure if Stefan was up for coming to the gathering, though she wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth for the turn of events. It'd be nice to have someone else she considered to be a friend and who didn't have any clue about the other vampires accompanying her. "I thought we were all wearing black?" Stefan continued, looking over Caroline. "Not that you don't look nice, Care."
"I like this one better," Caroline offered up her own smile as she watched him, trying to get a gauge for how he was feeling. "Are you sure you're up for this?" The last thing they wanted was for him to have an episode in front of the others.
"He'll be fine," Rebekah stated, adamant in her belief. "Elena and Damon aren't present to be constant little reminders of how awful they are and all that he endured."
"Rebekah," they both started but the Original simply strode past them, flicking her hair over her shoulder.
"Let's go," Rebekah ordered, heading toward the stairs.
Caroline glanced over at Stefan one more time, ready to tell him he didn't have to go, that he could go back to the study or anywhere else in the house and just relax or whatever he needed to do. He shook his head, his expression almost mirroring Rebekah's in determination and Caroline had a feeling that this was a test for him, to prove that he could handle it. "Don't think you have to stay the whole time," she whispered as they followed Rebekah down the stairs.
The three were headed toward the backyard that had been set up for the small banquet that Elijah had prepared. Caroline could hear the jazz band playing, conversations occurring between those already outside, and braced herself for everything. It wouldn't be that different than when she had showed up for cheerleading practice after having won the position of cheer captain. Only this time instead of ruthless teenage girls, a number of whom had also tried to obtain the same coveted position watching and judging her every move, it was just a group of vampires, just as ruthless as those girls but in very different ways.
She wasn't about to let them frighten her or see how nervous she was feeling under her carefully crafted exterior. They might have been playing the game for far longer than she had, maybe even some of them had perfected it along the way, but that didn't mean she couldn't hold her own. After all, she'd won the heart of the most fearsome creature on the planet in less than a year-and not as some mere dalliance, not a prize to be won, used up, and then tossed aside when he grew bored of her. Caroline wasn't stupid, she knew those he had turned had probably heard versions of flowery sayings or threats, something to get them to follow him as they did even centuries later.
Klaus had tried flowery sayings on her, tried the gifts, the offering of the world to her but she'd shot him down each and every time. Perhaps that had been what intrigued him, though she was certain there was more to it than that or he could have compelled her to get what he wanted long ago, but Caroline was confident that Klaus would still be at her side in another thousand years. And thousand after that.
Could any of the rest of them say as much?
"Excuse me," the werewolf at the front door rose from his spot as they passed him in the hallway, heading toward the backyard. Caroline stopped; certain he was trying to speak with her. From the relief in his eyes when she looked his way she knew she was right in that assessment. "There are some people here to see you."
"Tell them they'll need to come back tomorrow," Rebekah told him, grabbing onto Caroline's arm to steer her in the direction they needed to head.
"It's urgent," the wolf insisted, cowering slightly at the look Rebekah directed at him.
"We're supposed to be fashionably late, remember?" Caroline reminded, extracting herself from the Original's grip. "Where are they?" She knew better than to ask what the urgent matter was right away.
"I brought them to the study," he told her, heading that way and Caroline followed after, Stefan and Rebekah on her tail.
"There is fashionably late and then there is being rude and you know Elijah will be terribly upset if we fall into the latter," Rebekah sighed, making a mental not to deal with the wolf who was their current doorman later.
Caroline ignored her and headed into the room, arching a brow when she spotted Cristiano, Klaus' right hand werewolf waiting in the room with a few others. They tensed upon seeing Rebekah and Stefan, watching the two warily before their gazes settled on Caroline. They seemed to ease up just a bit with her presence, bowing their heads to her in greeting.
"What's wrong?" she asked, because there was no way they would be there that night, not with so many vampires in the vicinity, unless something was terribly wrong. A werewolf's bite might be fatal to a vampire even if it wasn't the full moon, but a vampire could easily kill one before that happened, and considering how many were at the house that night she couldn't see the wolves coming by to idly chat. "This is Rebekah, Klaus' sister, and Stefan, he's my friend. You can speak in front of them."
Cristiano looked over the other two vampires one more time before nodding slowly. He didn't trust them, even if Caroline did, but he did trust her. "Klaus has us watching the vampires-the ones here that are set up on the outskirts of town," he started, and Caroline nodded, motioning for him to continue. She'd known that much already. "A couple of our weres have gone missing and we picked up on a scent at each place where the wolf was last seen." He nodded toward the doorway. "It belongs to one of them."
"Let me guess, magnolias and death?" Rebekah asked, sighing dramatically again when Cristiano nodded, wondering how she had known that already. "He always did have penchant for taking wolves to torture. I doubt Niklaus expected him to do so when he wasn't allowed in the city limits without permission and that pesky little rule of not killing any of you, but Malachi was never one to explicitly follow orders when Klaus wasn't around."
"You know who it is then? Tell us," Cristiano demanded, and Caroline shook her head, holding up a hand when Rebekah stepped forward, ready to break the wolf for daring to speak to her in such a way.
"Listen you little," Rebekah started, fangs descending in a moment.
"Bekah," Caroline urged, not sure she would even be able to stop the Original from snapping Cristiano's neck if she really wanted. The other wolves were up from their spots on the couch, ready to try and defend their leader. "Okay, no. Everybody simmer the hell down. We do not have time for infighting. We have this lovely little gathering to go to. Apparently the vampire in question is there as well and we'll deal with him. Do you think the wolves he took are alive, Rebekah?"
The Original shrugged, still glaring daggers at Cristiano. "It's possible. Going in and yanking out Malachi's heart won't do much good though. He likes to play with them and he can't exactly do that in a hotel room so he'll have a place set up for that. You'll need to learn that before the heart ripping occurs." Rebekah shrugged, not that she particularly cared if the wolves were found or not.
"Let us talk to him," Cristiano started.
"We'll get the information," another wolf spoke up.
"He'd break each and every one of you before you took a breath," Rebekah replied, laughing at the absurdity of it. "Marcel was barely two hundred years old, his vampires around him less than that, and he managed to run you all out of town with such ease. Malachi is nearly reaching nine hundred. You wouldn't stand a chance and all that would do is lead to more dead wolves. And not even in your wolf form to make me a pretty little coat."
Caroline closed her eyes for a moment, mentally counting to ten. Seriously, all of the Original siblings really enjoyed testing her patience. It had to be in their genes. "We'll find out where they are, keep him sequestered here and send you the information so you can get them out and healed." Because she could only imagine the torture that might be happening.
Caroline might not have always had the best experience with werewolves-especially when it came to torturing her-but the New Orleans' ones had never been anything but courteous to her and she saw how they looked at her, the loyalty that they gave her and she wasn't about to ruin that.
"And then he'll be dealt with?" Cristiano asked, watching her carefully.
"He won't live the night," Caroline replied, and the wolves nodded, seeming to accept that from her. "Give Stefan your numbers so we can contact you." Her own phone was upstairs and she didn't have anywhere to hold it at the moment.
Caroline turned to leave the room, Stefan programing numbers into his phone as Rebekah followed after her. "The others won't appreciate you killing one our kind," she mused, not that she particularly cared if Malachi lived or died.
"The wolves are under my protection, so are the witches, and the vampires will be as well if they stay and don't harm the others," Caroline reminded. "And you said it yourself; this one doesn't follow the rules if Klaus isn't around to make sure that he does. And he already broke it. He has to deal with the consequences of his actions."
She knew that there would be deaths; mostly human considering their blood was what the vampires needed to survive. But snatching werewolves to torture wasn't something she would allow in the city and she would make sure the other vampires knew that she meant business before the night was over.
Rebekah linked their arms together as they headed toward the backyard. "Don't forget to smile," she reminded as the glass doors were opened for them to walk out onto the small patio.
Elijah spotted them right away, motioning for the band to pause in their playing as he walked toward the two. "I believe you all remember my little sister, Rebekah, and may I present the newest addition to the family, Caroline," he told the others, holding out a hand in her direction as Rebekah pushed her forward. "Niklaus' Queen."
Caroline nearly fumbled at what Elijah had said, not having expected to be presented as a member of the Mikaelson family. From the barely audible gasps followed by murmurs from a number of others present she had a feeling that none of the others had expected to hear such words said either. They had been scrutinizing her as soon as she'd stepped into the light with Rebekah but that seemed to only intensify after Elijah's introductions. Some of them did not look at all happy to see her, though they quickly covered that up once they saw her looking at them.
Rebekah leaned forward. "Don't forget that I'm still your favorite little sister," Rebekah murmured to Elijah.
"We shall see," Elijah replied, and Caroline pressed her lips together to stop from laughing at the indignant noise Rebekah made at his comment. He motioned for the band to resume playing. "Now we deal with the arduous task of speaking to them. Do so at your leisure and do not worry, if any of them steps even a toe out of line-"
"They'll be dead before they get the chance," Rebekah interrupted, pulling Caroline along with her. "Come on, I see Pryia. She's one of the few I can actually stand."
Caroline could see the other vampires coming toward them, all ready to ask their millions of questions and Caroline took a breath, readying herself for the inquisition she knew was coming as she allowed Rebekah to pull her along.
It was going to be a long night.
It started down in his toes, trapped beneath the material of his shoes but he could feel it, could sense that there was flesh and bone there, and knew that he was no longer stone. Klaus didn't know how long it took for the girl to work her magic, each minute seeming like eternity to him. He couldn't hear Caroline and that was driving him mad. Klaus knew they had traveled to New Orleans and he had a feeling that they had stored his body in the room he had quickly put together for Caleb when the little witch had been brought to the house. It was spelled to keep anyone from hearing what was happening inside or out of it. Something he'd done to keep Caroline from knowing where the boy was at first and also to keep the boy from yelling for help before he'd coaxed Caroline into doing things his way after she'd run off on her own.
None of it had gone how he had imagined it would, but it was the only explanation he would allow to play out in his mind as he waited for the spell to finish. The other options that ended with him being unable to hear her voice because she was dead were quickly brushed from his mind, not allowed to take up residence. Even as they tried to bury hooks in the far reaches, playing out gruesome ends for the girl even when rationally he knew that she was impervious to nearly all deaths because of her Harbinger status. That didn't mean nothing could harm her though. After all his siblings and he were for all intents and purposes immortal but the white oak stake would kill them easy enough.
"You didn't scream," Davina pouted as his face finally resumed to his original state. Was the girl truly pouting at that fact?
"You're a sadistic little thing, aren't you?" Klaus murmured, looking over at her as he flexed his hands, glancing around the room, thankful that he had been correct in his assessment of where they had placed them.
"I just don't like you," Davina replied with a shrug as she sat down on one of the chairs. "You should suffer a little. It would have brought me great satisfaction."
"Always could have left me in that state then if you truly wanted me to suffer," Klaus pointed out, remembering the girl's words as to why she was helping him. Her loyalty to Caroline would definitely be something he'd use as often as he could in the future. Even without the powers of a hundred witches behind her she was still pretty powerful. All of the Coven would be.
Davina shrugged again. He knew fully well why she hadn't left him to rot like that for years. She had wanted to do so, thought it a fitting end for the Hybrid, but she'd seen what would happen to Caroline if she did that. She didn't like the sadness the older girl had displayed in that timeline, even if she had still done her duty, there had never been any more laughter or real smiles pulled from her lips, an overwhelming sense of loss had seemed to always envelop Caroline. Davina hadn't liked it one bit.
Klaus turned from her and headed toward the door, yanking it open and off its hinges. Sounds immediately invaded his senses and he focused through them, picking up the other vampires in the backyard, Elijah speaking to some of them, Rebekah chatting away, and there, Caroline. It seemed she was meeting the others, something he had hoped to be there for, to introduce her to them. Truly, he'd rather her never meet the lot of them, for them not to try and sully what was only beginning between the two of them with their own beliefs and prejudices. Each of the ones in the yard had been mere entertainment, something to break up the monotony of the centuries. They had amused him for a time but just as with countless others he had tossed them away when they no longer held their shine.
He would not have them putting it into Caroline's head that her fate would be the same. Surely she knew that. If she'd been simply an amusement he would have locked her away the second he knew she was from the Harbinger line, drained her dry of vervain and compelled her to do as he willed. He never would have crossed that bloody circle to keep her from Silas' clutches.
Klaus listened for a long moment, trying to determine Caroline's current state and debating if he had time to change into something more suitable for the occasion. It wasn't a difficult task, his own hearing being better than the rest and headed toward the bedroom, ready to change into the suit he knew was inside the closet.
He stopped moving when he picked up on one particular strand conversation.
"Have they lost their minds?" one of the vampires asked, and from the weakness of it he could tell they were trying to whisper, to keep from being overheard in the sea of vampires on the lawn.
"You need to be quiet, Brenden," another murmured, her tone clearly fearful.
"Queen. A member of the family," Brenden continued, voice rising on the last word and Klaus arched a brow at that as well, amused that Elijah and Rebekah had claimed Caroline as such. It was true, she was now, but he hadn't quite expected them to pick up on that so soon. He wondered how Caroline had reacted to the news. "He'll get tired of her in a decade and she'll just be another little whore he dallied with."
Klaus froze as the words from below filtered into his ears, pure white rage building up inside of him. "Maybe he'll let me have a round with her once he's done," Brenden continued, and the amusement in his voice only made the rage nearly boil over.
If he could hear it then he was certain the others could as well, that Caroline could hear it being said. Klaus was outside before another word could be spoken, hand plunging into the vampire's ribcage and gripping his heart. He heard the collective gasp, but his focus was on the vampire at his mercy. "Tell me, mate, did you honestly think I'd let such slips of the tongue go without punishment?" he demanded before pulling out the heart, not allowing for the vampire to answer.
It didn't matter what he would say, nothing could stop him from this fate. Klaus looked out at the group congregated on the lawn; saw the startled looks in the faces of those who'd been turned hundreds of years before. It was confirmation to him that they all believed the same as the one now sprawled out dead on the ground. He couldn't have that.
He spotted Elijah first, nodding to the group of vampires and watching his brother sigh, though clearly he understood the meaning. Rebekah he spotted next and she shook her head, rolling her eyes at his antics but nodded just the same. And then there she was, his Caroline, a vision in the gold dress he had picked out for such an occasion.
He had expected disappointment or annoyance to be her expression over him having killed one at the party, but that wasn't what he saw. Her entire face seemed to light up when she saw him and her smile-he wanted to capture that magnificent smile forever, display it in a room for whenever he needed a reminder that she loved him. Wars were fought and won because of a smile like that.
He reciprocated it in kind, wanting nothing more than to flash away with her and enjoy their reunion on the bed, but there were matters to take care of first. Klaus had no use for the rest of the vampires. They'd grown comfortable in their centuries away from the Originals and he didn't want any of them joining the Mikaelson family in New Orleans. He also knew that they wouldn't take the news well and Klaus had no intentions of allowing for another war to break out so soon after the last one. Better to get rid of them now than a few months down the line.
He headed over to Caroline and Rebekah first, not wanting Caroline to still be in the yard once he got down to business. A stake wouldn't do much beyond be a pain for a while to her, but he'd really rather not ruin the dress she was wearing. His gaze dropped to the bracelet on her wrist and he smirked at the fact she'd not only found it, but had decided to wear it as well.
"Not going to throw it back in my face this time, love?" he asked, reaching out to finger one of the curls that had made its way out of her updo.
"Not unless I get a pretty picture out of it again," Caroline told him, clasping his hand with her own. It was shaking and he finally took note of the tremor that seemed to run through her whole body. She had missed him.
"Rebekah, be a dear and take her inside," Klaus instructed, not even bothering to look over at his sister. "Elijah and I have some matters to discuss with the others."
"If you think for one minute that I'm-" Caroline started, glaring at him for even suggesting that she go where she couldn't see him. She had just gotten him back like hell was she going anywhere.
"Caroline," Klaus narrowed his eyes, unsure how to convey what he and his brother were about to do without giving it away to the others. The band was still playing and he could hear the chatter start again, Brenden's body already being moved to the side for the festivities to continue.
"Don't you Caroline me," she protested, ready to still fight him on it when Davina stumbled out onto the patio. Her attention turned to the girl who looked as though she would collapse any second and Caroline caught her before she could stumble any further. "Davina, are you okay?"
"Hungry," the girl murmured, leaning into Caroline for support.
"Perhaps you should take her inside to get something to eat from the fridge," Klaus suggested, unable to help the smugness to his expression. It only intensified when Caroline glared at him before looking back at the girl. She sighed and helped the girl inside, knowing Davina needed her the most right then.
Rebekah stopped him before he could turn back to address the rest of the vampires. "Not Malachi. The pack needs a word with him," she murmured to him, her voice barely audible and Klaus pressed his lips together.
He should have known that one wouldn't follow orders once he'd left town. Ah well. He'd fix that situation now. "Keep her inside," Klaus told Rebekah before turning back to smile at the others. "I'd say it's a pleasure to see all of you, but we all know that would be a lie."
If he hadn't thought they would be useful collateral damage he never would have had Elijah contact the lot of them. They had long stopped being even mildly entertaining centuries before and while they had helped by continuously looking for the moonstone from the curse he'd perpetuated for his own means, they were no longer even useful in that regard. The curse was broken and while a few of them might leave and not look back once he denied them residence in New Orleans he didn't really want to take the chance.
Especially since those there knew who Caroline was, knew her status to him, and he'd really rather not have vampires older than five hundred knowing such details. They might not be able to kill her, but he'd taught many of them everything he knew, and it wouldn't surprise Klaus at all if one of them decided to try a little torture on her to make him pay for whatever slight he had ever done to them.
Vampires might forgive but they never did forget.
And perhaps none of them would do a thing to Caroline but Klaus would rather not take the chance.
He flashed forward before any of them could blink, watching Elijah join in out of his peripheral vision, and began to rip out hearts, broke a chair to use as a stake and plunged it into the vampires. It was over in moments, happening too quickly for them to realize what was happening around them, and by the time they understood what he meant to do they were dead. It was a lovely little bloodbath and one that he'd need to compel the neighbors to forget, evidence of it would need to be disposed of, but he would sleep better that night knowing the chance of a threat to Caroline was eradicated. And that's what mattered to Klaus.
"Pryia wouldn't have been a threat, brother," Elijah chided as he gazed down at the girl he had turned so long ago, the rest of her clan dead beside her. He'd made sure her death was as quick and painless as possible.
"If I recall she was just as embroiled in that mess in Spain as Samael had been," Klaus pointed out, stepping over a body and wiping the blood off his fingers. "You'll create new ones." Ones that could be easily molded to what they needed nowadays.
Only one had been granted a short reprieve.
Malachi lay on the ground, stakes driven into his arms and deep into the earth, locking him in place. "I hear my pack wants a word with you?" Klaus asked, driving another wooden spike into the man's abdomen. The screams were like music to his ears. "Tell me, Malachi, did you at least wait until I was in the air before deliberately going against what I said?"
Another stake was driven into the man's right hand, burying it into the ground as well. Malachi spat at him, and Klaus nearly drove the next stake into his heart in retribution but instead wiped the filth from his cheek. "Would you rather a swift death, old friend, or one that takes years. I believe Rebekah would enjoy playing with you for a while. Bleed you dry and try out a few new tools before eventually plunging a stake into your heart?" Klaus murmured, watching him closely. "How many did you take?"
It had always been the vampire's favorite pastime, taking werewolves to torture for a bit of fun. If it hadn't been his pack and if he hadn't expressly told the vampires to leave the wolves alone, Klaus wouldn't have minded, but he never did appreciate being disobeyed.
"Kill me and you'll never find them," Malachi warned, trying to be brave in the face of the monster that stared down at him. Nine hundred years of being a killing machine and he still couldn't help quake when Klaus smiled that particular grin, the one that always seemed to come before death.
"I think you mistake your importance in finding them," Klaus replied, and reached forward snapping the vampire's neck. It looked like Rebekah would have a fun new project to take care of for a while.
"And how do you expect to find the wolves now? It'll take hours for him to be healed from that and who knows how long they have to live through whatever torture he was partaking in," Rebekah demanded as she walked back outside, looking around the lawn. Bodies were strewn everywhere. "This is going to be a mess to clean up."
Klaus looked up, arching a brow at Stefan Salvatore standing behind his sister. "Hello, Rippah," he greeted. Pity that Caroline wouldn't appreciate the Salvatore brother in his more amusing state of being. "Do we not have a witch currently in the house? I'd wager a location spell should do the trick." He pushed himself up, and whirled around a finger in the air as he looked at his siblings and Stefan. "I'm sure the three of you can take care of this."
"Of course," Rebekah bit out. "Leave us to handle your mess. Typical."
Klaus ignored her. He had a location spell to get put into action and a certain blonde vampire to whisk away for a few hours.
Caroline didn't want to be inside. She wanted to be out where the actions was because she just knew something was about to happen. It was displayed in Klaus' body language, his uncontained fury at what she had most definitely heard the other vampire say about her. She'd seen Rebekah ready to move across the lawn and tear the vampire a new one, but had shook her head at the girl, not wanting to ruin the party. Like she cared what the other vampire said about her...well up until the part about having a go at her when Klaus was done. She'd nearly gone for his throat instead then, but Klaus had beaten her to it.
She still couldn't believe he was there, that he had come back and was no longer stone. Upon seeing him it was as if the whole world had disappeared and all she could focus on was him. He was there and he was okay, blood dripping from his fingers and a body lying on the ground. But it was him and as much as she wanted to scold him for his actions, she found she wanted to wrap her arms around him, pull him close, and never let go more.
Instead she was in the kitchen with Davina and Caroline knew it was where she needed to be. Plus she was worried about the girl. She looked ravenous and from the way she was devouring the leftover Chinese that was in the fridge courtesy of one of the wolves who worked in the house, Caroline had a feeling the girl really was starving. It had been a number of days since she'd eaten. She also looked exhausted and Caroline wondered how the girl was even managing to sit up right.
"What do you need?" Caroline asked, keeping her focus on Davina even as they could hear chaos erupt outside. She glanced toward the doorway that led out to the backyard and rose to go see exactly what was happening, but Davina grabbed her arm.
"No!" the girl snapped, vehemently shaking her head as she locked gazes with her. "He needs to do this. If he doesn't they hurt you. So let him do it."
Caroline nearly asked what exactly Klaus was doing, but she didn't need to be told. If Klaus thought the other vampires posed a threat to her then they were as good as dead and nothing she said would stop him from finishing them off. She sat back down, keeping her focus on Davina. "Like I said, what do you need?" she asked again, watching the girl closely.
Davina polished off the box of noodles and wiped at her eyes. Her exhaustion was definitely beginning to catch up with her. "I think sleep now. I would've gone right to bed but I was kind of hungry." She motioned toward the small takeout box that she had devoured in minutes. "It's nothing to worry about. Just a side effect of what I did."
Caroline frowned, not liking that there was any type of fallout from what the girl had done. It wasn't as though she knew what the girl had been going to do, but she couldn't help but feel a little guilty about it. "Real sleep, right? Because no more of that sudden black out kind of sleep where you're out for days." Possibly longer if what Caleb had told her was right.
"Not anytime soon," Davina replied, tossing the container and plastic fork into the trashcan. It was the most she could promise; knowing she'd do it all again in a heartbeat if she thought it would benefit Caroline in some way.
"Let's get you to bed," Caroline said with a sigh. That hadn't been what she wanted to hear, but she could see the stubbornness in Davina's features and knew there wouldn't be any reasoning with her at the moment. "Do you want to stay in my old room or the one you were in before?" She knew she wouldn't be using the one that had been decorated to her tastes any time soon.
"The sound proof one I was in before," Davina told her, looking over at Caroline with a pointed look. She could only imagine what the other girl was trying to imply and steered her toward the stairs, nodding to Rebekah and Stefan as they headed outside to help Klaus.
"We'll let Caleb know how you're doing tomorrow," Caroline continued as they entered the bedroom and Davina headed straight to the bed.
The girl looked so young in moments like this, not at all like the little powerhouse that she still was even though her connection to the witches was broken. There had been a time Caroline had looked like that as well, but it seemed like a lifetime ago. She hoped Davina's life wouldn't be full of supernatural nonsense, but the likelihood of the girl truly living a normal life was pretty non-existent. But it had to be better than what she was going through before she'd been broken free from the witches, right?
Caroline hoped it was better.
"Thank you, Davina," she murmured, looking down at the girl.
"He will do horrible, terrible things. Many people will die because of him," Davina told her, and Caroline frowned, knowing what the girl spoke was true. There were vampires dying in the backyard at that very moment. The girl was looking straight at her, but it was if her gaze was somewhere far away, events she had seen playing out before her. "He will always be feared by everyone else. They will cower to him and whispers of his name will send others running, terrified of being in his path."
Davina looked back at Caroline, the haunted look that had been in her eyes replaced by something akin to hope. "But they will love you and they will see that he loves you. And he'll keep you safe when Caleb and I aren't around anymore. In a thousand years. And a thousand years after that. And after that..." The girl yawned before looking behind Caroline, her eyes narrowing. "I still don't like you."
Caroline didn't have to look behind her to know that Klaus was in the doorway. She could sense him there even before Davina had said a word or hardened her features. "Feelings very mutual," Klaus replied his tone entirely too amused. "Even if you have your uses."
Davina glared at him before looking back at Caroline who was sighing at his words. "I'll check on you in the morning," Caroline promised, rising from the bed as the other girl nodded.
She had intended to glare at Klaus for his words, but instead she felt her gaze roaming over his body, taking in all the blood splattered on his clothes. "Malachi?" she asked, knowing Rebekah had told him to spare that particular vampire.
"Bit indisposed at the moment. Going to need to get the vervain out of him before I can compel the information. Rebekah will see to it in the meantime. I already spoke to the pack and gave them a few places to start searching for the missing members," Klaus informed her, holding the door open for her to travel through.
He had her in his arms before the door even fully closed, face pressed into the curve of her neck as he breathed her in, holding her tightly to his body. She wrapped her own around him and he could practically feel the weight coming off of her shoulders as she clung to him. He scooped her up in his arms, causing her to steady herself by gripping his shoulders and had them inside of his room within seconds.
That was the last time he would rush through anything for the evening. He meant to take his time memorizing her body all over again, to impart on her that what the vampires had believed was wrong. She wasn't some prize he'd won and would tire of. She wasn't some entertainment to keep him occupied for a few decades, perhaps a century. The depth of his feelings for her were bottomless, all encompassing, and he wouldn't let her think for a moment that it would ever end.
Klaus knew her insecurities all too well. Partially because he'd experienced them when he was human, never quite able to live up to his parents' expectations. Always second best for reasons he didn't learn about until the notion that he was worthless compared to his siblings was engraved in his head. He'd proven how wrong his supposed father had been. He was the strongest, the fastest, the Hybrid. His parents would never be able to forget how wrong they had been about him, forced to watch how powerful he'd always be from the Other Side. Klaus thought it was a perfect punishment for all they had ever done to him and his siblings.
He'd also seen firsthand how Caroline was treated back in Mystic Falls by her friends, learned of her past romances, saw how she was always the easy bit of distraction to dole out by them. Never had they treated her as he deemed her to be treated, never had they seen who Caroline Forbes truly was and what she deserved. He vowed to spend eternity making sure she knew exactly how precious she was, how strong, how beautiful, how smart, and pity any who tried to sully her name or tarnish her light.
Klaus set her down as soon as they were in the room, crowding her toward the bed, his gaze never leaving hers. His hands had moved from her back to rest on her hips, rubbing the bones there through the material. He'd enjoyed the dress on her earlier, but now it was blocking him from what he wanted, her skin that his fingers were itching to touch. All he wanted to do was rip the now annoying material from her body and replace it with his hands, lips, teeth and tongue. She must have seen his intent because her eyes narrowed and she pushed his hands off of her body, holding up a hand to try and stop his continuing approach.
"No ruining this dress," Caroline told him as she stepped back, noting his heated gaze, certain her own reflected it. She pushed him in the chest, making her sure he understood she meant business. She'd barely been in it and it suited her personality perfectly. He wasn't allowed to destroy it before she'd worn it for a decent amount of time. "I happen to like it." She turned, lifting her falling updo and glancing over her shoulder at him. "Unzip me."
She'd expected him to quickly unzip the garment and have it pooling around her legs in seconds. What she didn't expect was for him to wrap an arm around her stomach, pulling her back against the hard planes of his body. She nearly protested, having meant what she'd said about the dress and not wanting it ruined, but he pushed her hand away from her hair, sweeping what spilled down onto her neck off of it before pressing his lips to the expanse of skin presented to him. Caroline couldn't help but hum in delight at the contact.
"They were deadly wrong," Klaus told her, moving a hand in between them to slide the zipper down an inch as his lips brushed down the nape of her neck. He smiled as she shivered at his touch, his other hand drawing circles against her still covered stomach.
"I know," Caroline told him, her voice adamant. She tried to turn to look at him, but his hand tightened around her, locking her in place.
He moved down her spine, slowly inching the zipper downward as his lips followed along, the hand on her stomach drifting southward as well. Caroline closed her eyes at the contact, allowing him this control for the moment. She could sense he needed it and while she desperately wanted to get out of the dress and throw him onto the bed, she figured he had been the one who'd been turned to stone so she could allow him a little control.
"Do you?" Klaus replied, the zipper finally meeting its end and he tugged at the material, making sure to be gentle with it as it finally pooled at her feet. He whirled her around then, catching her arms as he locked his gaze with her own. He had to make sure she truly did understand that. "Do you realize the lengths I will go to because of you?"
He walked her backwards to the bed, the back of her knees bumping into the mattress and causing her to sit down. Klaus released her arms as he pressed her down to the mattress, his hands pushing into the mattress beside her, locking her in place. "All I could see was what they could do to you. How they might harm you and so I disposed of them without a second thought," Klaus continued, moving one hand between their bodies to her bra covered breast. He flicked his finger, the strength of the impact breaking the elastic and allowing him to pull the cups out of the way. She'd only spoke up about the dress, the rest of her clothes were fair game.
"Klaus," Caroline growled, but he caught her lips, pressing a bruising kiss to her mouth and silencing whatever she had been about to say. Her fingers threaded into his hair, pulling at his roots while simultaneously pulling him closer. She locked one leg around his waist, trying to draw him closer that way as well.
"I will kill any I think will try and take you from this world, who will even attempt to cause you the tiniest bit of harm," Klaus told her, the mere thought of anyone even trying it driving him mad. He moved back to her neck, dragging his teeth down her flesh before kissing her collarbone. "Elena and Damon are quite lucky that we're already in New Orleans or I would have ended them already."
She yanked on his head then, glaring at him. "You're not killing my friends," she admonished, knowing he would do it if he thought he could get away with it. "We've hit a rocky patch but give us another few months and I'm sure Elena and I will be the best of friends again." It might take a tiny bit longer than normal. Maybe a decade.
Caroline could tell he wasn't listening to what she had said and she heaved a sigh, grasping at his face and forcing him to look her in the eye. She knew he'd allowed her to do so, his strength was far greater than hers and if he hadn't wanted to look then he wouldn't have. "You're not hurting them," she told him, sucking in a breath when his fingers drifted under her panties and pressed against the bundle of nerves causing her toes to curl. "Stop that."
She nearly pulled his hand away, knowing he'd have her forgetting everything they were talking about in seconds if he kept up that movement. She couldn't allow him to think he'd won on this point. Klaus must have sensed what she was going to do though as he had her hands pinned above her head, pressed down on the bed with one of his own before she could move.
"If you hurt them," she told him, watching him carefully as her body pressed up against his. He was still touching her, making her ache for him. "You'll hurt me."
Klaus growled at that, releasing her hands and pressing his nose into her neck. That hadn't been what he wanted to hear, but he could see the truth of it in her eyes. Hurting Elena and Damon would only hurt her and that was the last thing he wanted. "I would let the Donovan boy live," Klaus groused as Caroline worked on unbuckling his belt and the button of his pants.
She snorted at that admission, knowing he felt it was enough but it wouldn't be. Even if she was angry with the other two, she didn't want them dead. Elena's words that had stung did not equal a death sentence. "No," Caroline murmured as Klaus divested himself of his clothes. She slipped out of her panties and slid up the bed so that she was sitting with her back against the headboard. "People will anger me, hurt my feelings, and make me sad. You can't just go around killing everyone that does that."
From the incredulous look he gave her, Caroline knew Klaus thought that he bloody well could do that. She reached forward; taking hold of the necklace he was wearing and tugged him forward by it. "I need to fight my own battles," Caroline protested, running her other hand up his chest as she pressed a kiss to his stubbled chin. "Remember, compromise."
Klaus snorted at that, capturing her lips again and moving them so her body was fitted perfectly beneath his own. He entered her swiftly, delighting in the moan he swallowed as he continued the bruising kiss. Her legs moved, wrapping around his waist as they began a steady rhythm, her hands scraping down his back leaving deep scratches that healed as she made new ones.
He left her mouth, moving back to her neck, her collarbone and shoulder. He could never seem to stray too far from her neck though, she made the most exquisite sounds when he paid particular attention there. "Klaus," Caroline groaned, and he knew it wasn't because of what he was doing that time but because of their conversation. "Please."
This girl would be the death of him. Expecting compromise from him, expecting it when it came to what he deemed her safety and well-being. She was tugging in his head, trying to get him to look at her and he relented, allowing her to shift him that bit. "Please," she reiterated, and he knew he could get lost in those pleading eyes.
"You get no say in physical threats," he told her, thrusting into her harder, pleased when her head rolled back, eyes shutting at the movement. "I'll speak to you first about emotional ones." That didn't mean he'd listen to what she had to say every time, but it was giving up a little of his power.
"Nope, sorry, not good enough," Caroline told him and used his surprise to flip them over. She pressed her hands to his chest and stopped their movements, partially to adjust to being on top but also because she needed to make her point. "I saw that look. That 'I'll speak to you but won't listen to what you say' one."
Klaus narrowed his eyes at her, even though he was unable to stop his gaze from traveling over her body, enjoying the way she looked on top of him, her anger making her more radiant than ever. "Caroline," he moved to touch her waist but she smacked his hands away. "Do you have any idea what you're asking of me?" To give up that control, that power, even to her...
"Yes." And while her gaze may have softened briefly she wouldn't be backing down on this one.
He pressed his lips together, the idea of keeping her locked up for her own safety flashing in his head again and oh, how tempting that would be. But then he would be the one sullying that light and he couldn't stand being the one to do that. "Very well," he bit out and damn her delighted smile. "You'll get final say on the emotional ones."
She bent down, breasts brushing against his chest as she moved to kiss him. "I know you'll stumble and fall with it," she told him, dropping kisses along his jaw. "Don't worry there will be consequences to help you stick to it."
He growled at that, grasping her by the waist and shifting them again so that she was beneath him. Klaus expected to find annoyance in her features but instead she was looking up at him with so much joy that he almost couldn't bear it. He had her writhing beneath him within moments, sending her over the edge and following barely seconds after her. They shifted on the bed, Caroline curled up on top of him like she had been back at the Lockwood place and he pulled the cover over them.
"I would destroy this entire world for you," Klaus murmured to break the silence.
"I'd rather you help me build it," Caroline replied, kissing his chest as she closed her eyes.
Klaus felt her relax completely against him, falling into a peaceful sleep as he continued to look down at her. He could hear the others getting rid of the mess made in the backyard, could hear Rebekah starting to play with the newest inhabitant of the makeshift dungeon, but his focus stayed on the young vampire curled up in his arms. It'd be a struggle to give up that kind of control to her and while he'd done so in other areas of his life, in regards to ruling New Orleans, this would be the toughest one yet.
Brushing a strand of hair off her face, Klaus knew it would be worth it in the end if it meant having her by his side for eternity with that inner radiance that he would never allow anyone to extinguish. Least of all him.