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Assistant: Title: Metanoia
        Author: Haylee_BB Haylee_BB 
        Chapter: 16/25 
        Summary: Bl@@dy is the head that wears the crown...~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Caroline Forbes wants nothing more than to be a good person. She strives for perfection in almost every aspect of her life and prides herself on being the best friend possible, but when she becomes increasingly more involved with the Mikaelson family, all of her principles are put to the test.All she wants is peace but when problems arise from every corner and the lines between us and them blur beyond recognition, what side will she choose?Her friends, the family she feels a connection to despite everything, or herself?And what happens when the choice is made for her?~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~This story is a looooong one and completely self-indulgent. I've had it planned for years and have just received the encouragement to post it. It's basically my ideal Klaroline fanfic so keep that in mind when reading. If you like it, great! If not, please don't hate on what is essentially something written for myself.
        Contents: Chapter 16: The Rare Privileges of Being Caroline
    

    


      
        
          TW: DESCRIPTIONS OF DEAD/MUTILATED BODIES, DISCUSSIONS OF MURDER AND MUTILATIONGuys, I think I jinxed myself. Literally THE DAY AFTER I posted the last chapter, my life went to absolute sh@t😅Needless to say, that forward momentum came to a screeching halt. I am sorry for how long this wait has been. Genuinely, I lost track of the days and had no idea it'd been so long since I last posted.Anyways, onto the important stuff. We're really starting to get into the meat of the cure arc now, and this chapter brings the much anticipated return of bestieboy Kol, as well as queen Rebekah.Looking forward to everyone's thoughts, as always.Enjoy!
      
  

  
  
    
        By some miracle of God, almost all of her friends were in school today.    Tyler was absent for obvious reasons. If he was smart, he was halfway to Jamaica right now.    Bonnie was also missing because her dad was back in town and had decided catching up was more important than his daughter's education. Not that she could begrudge Bonnie for wanting to spend time with her absentee father.    It's not fair to be bitter just cause your dad didn't give a rat's ass about you when he was still alive.    She was really not in the mood for her mind today. The negative intrusive thoughts were not helping her various issues.    Caroline was walking to her next class, cautiously optimistic she might actually finish a full day of school, when she received a text from Elena and then Stefan.    'Meeting in the library now. S.O.S.'    'Get to the library quick. It's important.'    She figured it must be really bad if those two were in such close quarters after what Stefan found out last night. With a mix of fear, hesitation, and resignation, she rushed to her friends, abandoning her last class of the day.    Dammit. Shouldn't have jinxed it.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~    She made it three steps into the library before she stopped dead in her tracks.    Waiting for her was Rebekah Mikaelson.    "Wha- how- who-"    "You can stop with the stuttering. I do hope that in the time I've been gone you haven't forgotten how to finish a sentence?"    Yep. Same old Rebekah.    She walked towards her, looking her over; subconsciously checking the girl for injuries.    "Who found you?"    Rebekah crossed her arms with a glare, and Caroline winced at how that question might have sounded.    "April Young, the absolute darling that she is. The poor girl must have seen something she wasn't supposed to because she's absolutely traumatized."    Caroline sighed. "Dammit. I was really hoping to keep her out of all this."    "Yes, well, if someone else had been kind enough to wake me, maybe this wouldn't have happened."    She lifted her hands in the universal sign of defense. "I didn't know where you were! Believe me, Klaus and I had words over what he did. I wanted to go looking for you, but so many people died, and I had all these events to plan. I thought Elena was being abused by Damon, (still kind of do, actually) and I had Stefan staying with me. Kol's been off somewhere with Elijah doing God knows what, and I was kidnapped and tortured two days ago! I know it sounds like I'm making excuses, and even though we aren't exactly friends, it was still sh@tty of me to abandon you like that. I was a horrible person and I am so sorry!"    "Caroline! Breathe!"    She took a breath and then several more as she realized her lungs desperately needed the oxygen.    "I wasn't referring to you."    She looked at Rebekah in surprise and confusion. She was sure that had been a passive-aggressive dig at her.    Rebekah rolled her eyes. "As you said, it's not like we're friends. I wasn't expecting you to come for me. It would have been nice if one of my siblings helped me out, but I suppose, I should have learned never to count on them."    Oh.    Well, now she felt like an idiot.    "I still should have done something," she mumbled.    "Well, by the sound of it, you had your hands full."    Enough to forget about an entire person?    She winced, feeling like the worst person in the world.    "If you're so determined to punish yourself, then I have the perfect method of penance. Come with me, and for God's sake, play along."    Rebekah took her arm and led her through the stacks toward the tables. Elena and Stefan were sitting stiffly across from each other, and the atmosphere was awkward.    April was in a chair at the end of a bookcase, situated as far as possible from the vampires in the room. She had a notepad and pen in her hands, and was writing things down.    I used to do that when the memories were hazy, and I couldn't figure out what was real.    She sent April a small, sad smile, and the girl returned it timidly.    Rebekah led her to the occupied table, where she sat between Elena and Stefan.    The doppelganger glared at the original, her expression somehow both angry and smug.    "You do realize she can't be compelled? She doesn't have to stay here like the rest of us."    "Yes, and if I hadn't already thought of that, you would officially be the stupidest person in the room. Oh, wait…"    Elena’s look was so hateful it was like she was willing the older vampire to drop dead with her eyes alone.    Rebekah smirked. "I don't need to compel her to make her stay. I can just torture you until her tiresome, misguided sense of loyalty kicks in."    Understandably, Caroline didn't like the sound of that. She shot Rebekah an apprehensive look.    The vampire returned it with a roll of her eyes and discreetly mouthed, "Play along."    She didn't know what the hell was going on, but supposed she did owe Rebekah. Besides, her presence would keep her friends from being tortured if the original was just messing with her, so it was a win-win.    "I'll stay! Just don't hurt anybody, God!"    Rebekah looked back at Elena with a satisfied smile, and the doppelganger crossed her arms with a huff.    "What are we doing here, Rebekah?"    Stefan’s tone could almost pass for bored, but she recognized it for what it really was.    Depressed indifference and a deep tiredness.    She felt bad for him. Being forced to sit across from Elena with no escape must be difficult after what he learned last night.    "We are playing catch up. I want to know everything I've missed, no skimping on the details!"    Rebekah turned to Stefan with a bitter smile. "I would think you'd understand, given you helped my brother dagger me."    Caroline hadn't known that and looked at Stefan in shock. She knew those two were working together to find the cure, and Stefan had taken some drastic measures to make sure they found it, but she hadn't known he'd helped dagger Rebekah.    Now she understood a bit better why the original vampire was on such a crusade.    It surprised her that Rebekah let her off so easily for her part, or lack thereof, in what happened.    She had said they would never be friends, and Caroline understood that completely. Being literally stabbed in the back by someone you thought was your friend would give anyone trust issues.    Then she was betrayed by Stefan and her brother for the millionth time, so it would make sense for her to be completely guarded instead of giving Caroline a pass that she didn't deserve.    Maybe she feels like she owes me for the party?    "Right then, let's get started with something…personal."    Rebekah cast a wicked smile over the table, a devious glint in her eye that seemed to come with the Mikaelson name, and suddenly, Caroline wasn't so sure she was actually getting that pass.    She had a feeling the original was about to make this conversation hell for everyone.    "April, my sweet, take notes. This is how you get answers in this town."    April, bless her, actually nodded and readied her notepad and pen earnestly.    Caroline caught Rebekah's eye and shifted her gaze in the humans' direction. When the original saw what April was doing, she sighed.    "April, darling, I didn't mean that literally."    The dark-haired girl looked up in confusion before her expression turned sheepish.    "Oh. Sorry."    Though she couldn't see Rebekah's face, she hoped she was smiling gently at the girl. April was so sweet and so very out of her depth. She needed the gesture of compassion.    Rebekah turned back to the table and scanned them all for a moment before walking over to Stefan and leaning down so she was at his eye level.    "So…Stefan. The last time we spoke, you were willing to do anything to get the cure for Elena. Has that changed?"    Stefan refused to look at anyone, and Rebekah leaned closer.    "Answer honestly."    Unable, or unwilling, to fight the compulsion in her voice, he looked at the original vampire and answered a simple, "No."    "Hmm. Interesting."    Rebekah leaned back and looked between the two other vampires. Elena was staring at Stefan in blatant surprise, her eyes soft.    This gained the attention of the nosy original.    "You look surprised. The last time I saw you two, you were declaring your undying love for each other, and now you can barely make eye contact. Why?"    Elena stubbornly closed her mouth, going so far as to turn her body in the opposite direction of Rebekah.    The older vampire was not pleased and sped to face the doppelganger.    "Answer the question."    Elena squeezed her eyes shut, and Caroline could tell she was biting her tongue to keep the words from escaping.    She had no idea why this was the hill her friend was choosing to die on, but seeing as Rebekah looked two seconds away from forcibly prying her eyes and mouth open, she opted to answer the question herself.    "They broke up!"    She blurted the words out, and Elena whipped around to glare at her.    "Caroline!" she hissed.    "Sorry! She looked like she was about to strangle you!"    Before Elena could respond, Rebekah cut into the argument.    "Broke up? Now that is a surprise."    Noticing Stefan had been very quiet, she directed her next question at him.    "You two were willing to die for each other, and now you've just broken up? What happened?"    This time, Stefan centered his stony expression on Elena when he answered.    "She slept with Damon."    Oh sh@t.    Elena’s wide doe eyes were staring into Stefan's hard, unforgiving ones in shock.    "How did yo-"    She cut herself off and glanced at Caroline, who looked away guiltily.    Rebekah, who was eating this up, laughed a bit and stood.    "Wow. So, vampire Elena’s a trollop who likes bad boys, which explains why Stefan reeks of alcohol."    She hadn't noticed any smell to him, but supposed getting as drunk as he could was the expected reaction. He really did look terrible.    He seemed tired, and his eyes were red and puffy like he'd spent the night crying.    She wondered if he'd said any choice words to his brother yet.    "What I want to know is why would poor, innocent, pure Elena be so cold towards Stefan?"    Elena just glared up at Rebekah's mocking tone with hatred. "Why does it matter to you?"    "Ah, ah, ah! I'm asking the questions today."    Elena didn't seem any more willing to answer her now than she had been earlier.    "Stefan?"    He immediately answered, not even bothering to put up a fight.    "She's sired to him."    Now Elena shot that betrayed gaze at her ex-boyfriend, which was rich considering the topic of their conversation.    Rebekah met Caroline’s eyes, silently asking if this was what she'd been referring to when she said she was worried Damon may be abusing Elena. She responded with a barely perceptible nod.    "Well, I suppose that would explain the change in taste. Elena, you don't seem to agree."    Looking over at her friend, she saw that she indeed looked like she disagreed with that assessment.    Rebekah leaned over the younger vampire.    "Why don't you share with us your thoughts on the matter?"    Elena turned her head away, but Rebekah seemed to be getting tired of the back and forth because she quickly grabbed the doppelganger's jaw in her iron grip and forced her to make eye contact.    "Speak."    Thoroughly ensnared in the compulsion, Elena opened her mouth and spilled her guts.    In a confident voice, she said, "I didn't sleep with Damon because of the sire bond. I slept with Damon because I'm in love with him."    The room went completely silent.    Elena snapped out of it and locked eyes with Stefan, who looked like he'd just been sucker punched.    Caroline was sure her expression was very similar.    I really didn't need to hear this sh@t again.    Rebekah let go of Elena and went to kneel by Stefan.    "Did that hurt? Did hearing those words feel like a dagger through your heart?"    For the first time, Stefan seemed unwilling to give an answer.    Rebekah snatched his chin in a move resembling what she'd just done to his ex.    "Did. It. Hurt?"    With tears in his eyes, Stefan answered with another one-word response that sounded choked.    "Yes."    Rebekah stared into his pain-filled eyes for a moment, before giving him a small smile.    "Good."    She then released him and stepped away, as if examining the extent of the damage she'd just dealt.     It was pretty extensive, but then again, that seemed to be the point.    Elena was staring at Stefan with a mixture of pity and guilt while he was actively pretending she wasn't there.    Caroline had a feeling Rebekah was angrier with her than previously mentioned because being forced into the literal middle of this was a brand new form of torture.    I should've just gone to class.    "Is all of this really necessary?"    Rebekah turned her attention to the witch in the room and shrugged. "Maybe not, but it's fun."    The original met Caroline’s judgemental look with a smirk that reminded her of Kol.    Then the look was gone as Rebekah sighed. "Though, I suppose we should be getting down to business."    She turned her attention to Stefan.    "When you and Nik daggered me, I had just told you the location of the sword. I presume you have it now?"    He nodded.    "So why isn't Elena human?"    "Because she killed the hunter."    Elena looked hurt by his cold, matter-of-fact way of saying what she'd done.     Rebekah looked both p@ss@d and oddly elated as she faced the doppelganger in question.    "All that effort he put into this for you, and you mean to tell me that you wasted it?"    She scoffed and leaned in close to Elena’s face. "You really are just a stupid, selfish, ungrateful little wench, aren't you?"    The tension grew as the two vampires glared at each other.    "That's not the reason we haven't found it yet. At least, not the whole reason."    Rebekah now turned to her expectantly.    "We needed another hunter."    "And I'm assuming you've found one?"    Everyone clammed up at that, unwilling to throw Jeremy under the bus.    Rebekah glanced between the trio with narrowed eyes, clearly growing impatient with their silence.    "Well, someone had better say something before I start removing limbs."    Stefan spoke. "You don't need a hunter."    Caroline and Rebekah both looked at him in confusion.    "There's a professor that's been to the island where the cure is. He can lead you there."    "Stefan!" Elena hissed, but he ignored her.    That reaction seemed to be proof enough that there was some truth to what Stefan was saying.    "And who is this professor?"    Caroline knew the name Stefan would say before it ever left his mouth.    "Atticus Shane."~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~    Rebekah had stepped out to make a call. The vampires had been compelled not to leave the room until told otherwise by the original herself, and April had been instructed to keep an eye on them.    Rebekah must have been confident that Caroline wasn't going anywhere, because she did nothing to keep her here.    She wondered why her friends hadn't thought to take advantage of that.    "Don't do that! We need to talk about this, Stefan!"    Oh yeah. That's why.    "We have nothing else to talk about, Elena."    "Oh, really? Then what the hell was that!?"    "I don't know what you mean."    "Stop it! Stop acting like this! Why are you being so difficult?"    Stefan finally looked at Elena, but Caroline doubted it was in the way the girl had wanted.     His glare was sharp, a sneer cutting across his face. She didn't think he was capable of looking at Elena with so much malice.    Obviously, Elena didn't either. Before, she had been leaning across the table in an effort to catch his eye. Now, she recoiled into her chair, staring at Stefan with wide, shocked eyes.    "I don't know. Maybe, because you f@ck@d my brother?"    The room went silent for a moment.    Elena was looking at Stefan like she didn't recognize him, her doe eyes slightly wet. Those eyes had never failed to make anyone subjected to them crumble, and Caroline had it on good authority that they were Salvatore brother kryptonite. Stefan’s gaze remained cold as ice.    Once Elena had regained some of her composure, she cleared her throat and spoke. "That had nothing to do with you, Stefan. That was between me and Damon. What you said earlier has everything to do with me. My brother-"    Stefan interrupted her with a derisive scoff, and Caroline was glad.    Seriously? She thought that was the way to plead her case?    Not to mention, for all her anger towards Stefan for potentially pointing Rebekah in Jeremy's direction, she seemed to forget that the original was still well within hearing distance.    "How long did you wait?"    Elena opened and closed her mouth a few times before answering with a small, "What?"    "You know what I mean. How long?"    She looked away in guilt and swallowed heavily before quietly answering. "After the pageant."    Caroline winced and then squeezed her eyes shut, tensing in anticipation.    Stefan didn't freak out, though. He only scoffed again, drawing his ex-girlfriend's attention.    "Yeah. That has nothing at all to do with me. My bad."    It was silent as the two stared at each other again. Unfortunately, that didn't last long because Elena, somehow, still had enough nerve in her to continue fighting.    Caroline tuned the bickering out for her own sake and looked over at April. The poor girl looked so uncomfortable.   She deeply understood the sentiment and was beginning to debate whether whatever punishment she might receive from Rebekah for leaving would be worse than this.    I don't think she'd kill me…right now, at least.    Honestly, at this point, that option would still be better.    She wondered what the hell was taking so long. Locking eyes with April, who looked like she also longed for the sweet release of death if it meant getting away from the relationship drama in front of them, Caroline stood up and walked over to her.    The vampires didn't even pause their argument.    She moved hesitantly, not wanting to scare the girl, but April only seemed a little apprehensive at her approach.    When she was standing next to the desk the human sat at, she quietly said, "Hey."    April glanced at her and then quickly moved her eyes back to her paper, nodding her head in acknowledgment.    Wanting to break the ice and relieve some of the tension surrounding the girl, she lightly said, "I bet Rebekah’s not even on the phone anymore. She's probably just out there eavesdropping."    April looked up at her and nervously smiled. "Y-yeah, probably. I wouldn't want to be in here either."    Caroline smiled at her and nodded. "Oh, tell me about it. I think actual hell would be nicer than listening to this," she joked as she gestured to the still-yelling exes.    April giggled and nodded.    Her smile softened at the sound, glad to hear it after how scared the girl had been.    She didn't want to bring her mood down, but felt like it was important to ask, "So, how did you get mixed up in all this?"    April's smile fell, and her eyes grew distant.    Cr@p.    She rushed to take it back. "You don't have to tell me! I understand if you don't want to talk about it."    April shook her head but still didn't seem like she was present. "No, it's fine. I haven't actually talked about it all yet. Maybe it would help?"    She looked up at Caroline when she said the last part, as if asking for her confirmation. She smiled gently. "It might. Either way, I'm happy to listen."    April smiled back, this one closer to the way she had before finding out everything.    She took a deep breath and started to speak. "I was taking a walk out by the old Lockwood property. I remembered how there used to be this old cellar thing and how kids would always dare each other to go into it. It sounds stupid, but I wanted to see if I could find it; if it was still there."    Here, she broke off, her eyes widening as if she were seeing whatever had scared her once again. Her voice began to tremble when she continued. "There was this man. He had a sword, and he was bl-bl@@dy. At first, I thought he might need help, but then the moonlight caught his eyes, and they were… th-they were dark and gold, and there were all these veins."    She broke off again with a shudder, and Caroline didn't need a name to know who she was describing. She'd seen the man later that same night.    "I hid, and he was walking away already, so he didn't notice me. There was a trail of blood, and I shouldn't have…but I followed it. It was like how they say it's like watching a car crash. Everything was slow, and I didn't really decide to do anything. It was all so horrible I couldn't look away."    After seeing the state Klaus was in, she could just imagine. She wasn't sure she wanted to hear the rest but didn't dare tell April to stop.    "The first body was against a tree. He had been stabbed through the h-heart. All of them were missing their hearts, but the worst one…"    She paused and cleared her throat, blinking away tears.    "The worst one was down in the cellar. H-her head and her hands were gone. Her chest was open, and you could… you could see through it. Someone removed her teeth."    April was crying now, and Caroline couldn't blame her. The image she was describing was…    Good God.    She wondered what this hybrid in particular did to p@ss Klaus off so badly. It must have been terrible if this is what he did to her.    "I was so scared. I ran further into the cellar, just trying to get away. That's when I found Rebekah."    That's where he was keeping her!? How did no one find her!?    "Her skin was gray, and there were these dark veins everywhere. I swear she was dead. There was a knife in her chest. She was dead…but when I pulled the knife out…"    "She wasn't."    April nodded.    Caroline sighed. "God, I'm so sorry you saw all of that. I never wanted you to go through any of this."    The traumatized human shrugged awkwardly, most likely not knowing what to say to that.    Unwilling to let the quiet settle between them and the screaming voices of the vampires pierce through the somber atmosphere, she asked another question.    "So Rebekah was the one who told you everything?"    "Yeah, pretty much. I know you're a witch. I know about the vampires and the wolves and the…vampire-wolves?"    She looked up at Caroline in question, and she laughed lightly. "Something like that. We just call them hybrids. Or, we did…"    She had no idea what possessed her to say that and grimaced as April's eyes glazed over.    Dammit, Caroline! So f@ck@ng stupid.    Not wanting to make April feel any worse by bringing up more traumatizing topics of conversation, she smiled awkwardly and gestured over her shoulder.    "I'm going to go see what's taking Rebekah so long."    April nodded distractedly, lost in thought and frowning down at her paper.    She left before she said something so monumentally stupid that the girl started crying.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~    As Caroline made her way to the front of the library, she could hear voices.    "For the last time, no! Just go and do what I asked so you can leave!"    "Oh, come on, Bekah! You could at least let me say hello!"    The familiar voice froze her in her tracks and then had her moving double time to get to its owner.    "I doubt your greetings would be appreciated."    "Oh, please! Caroline loves-"    He broke off at the sound of her rapidly approaching footsteps. Both Mikaelsons were now looking at her in surprise, but she didn't care.    Kol! He's back!    After a second, his face softened into the mischievous smile she had sorely missed, and he said, "Hello, little witch. Did you miss me?"    He barely had a chance to get the words out before she was launching herself at him in a gripping hug.    Kol froze, unsure how to react to the open display of affection. That was fine. The Mikaelsons didn't seem like the type of people who received a lot of hugs as children.    And Esther wondered why they all grew up to be psychopaths.    Eventually, Kol wrapped his arms around her in return, squeezing her just as hard.    She smiled and then laughed as he lifted her off her feet a little.    He placed her back down with a gentle, fond smile, and she almost wanted to cry because somehow, this thousand-year-old vampire had become her best friend, and, God, did she need him right now.    "So, I'll take that as a yes?"    She lightly shoved at him and rolled her eyes, smile still firmly in place.    "Yeah. I missed you."    The words came out painfully genuine, and his gaze warmed.    "I missed you too, darling. Elijah is-"    "Incredibly boring. Yeah, you've said."    "Well, you would repeat yourself too if he were all you had to converse with! My mind needs stimulation, and I'm afraid he simply wasn't cutting it."    She raised a brow at him. "So you came back to Mystic Falls? Not that I'm not happy you're back! If you're back. Are you back?"    Kol laughed at her and nodded. "Yes, I'm back for now. If I had known you were so desperate for my return, I would have left Elijah much sooner. It seems almost criminal that I've left you with such an agonized longing."    She scoffed and shoved him again. "Shut up."    "But then you would be without the soothing sound of my voice, and what sort of friend would I be to deprive you of something you so clearly cherish?" He batted his eyes with a smug smile, and Caroline didn't think it was possible to roll her eyes any harder.    Before they could continue with their teasing back-and-forth, the sound of a throat clearing interrupted their reunion.    They both turned to look at Rebekah, who was watching their exchange with raised eyebrows.    "While I do find this deeply fascinating, I did call Kol here for a reason."    "Oh! Right, sorry! I didn't mean to interrupt."    "Nonsense, darling. Bekah's just a stick in the mud."    Rebekah glared at her brother, and he just grinned back.    "Whatever. You two can catch up on your own time. Right now, you have a job to do," she said, pointing at Kol.    He groaned, but nodded.    Caroline was disappointed, but tried to hide it with a smile. Kol saw through her and smiled back kindly, placing a hand on her shoulder.    "I'll come over after all this mess is sorted. We can have a proper chat."    Her expression softened, and she nodded.    "Alright, sounds good."    He squeezed her shoulder lightly before letting go and leaving the room with a wave.    Caroline headed into the library with Rebekah, glad to have something to look forward to.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~    As soon as they made it back to the rest of the group, Rebekah grabbed the attention of the still-yelling vampires.    "Will you two shut it! God! I'm starting to miss being daggered."    Elena and Stefan finally closed their mouths and settled back into a tense silence.    April looked immensely grateful for Rebekah's return, and Caroline didn't blame her.    Never let it be said the Mikaelsons didn't know how to command attention.    As she moved to her seat, she felt something brush against her back pocket. Turning around, she saw Rebekah scrolling through her phone.    "Hey! Give me that!"    She reached for her phone, but Rebekah held her at bay with a strong arm.    "You could've at least asked!"    The original shot her a disbelieving look, before lifting the phone to her ear.    "I'm afraid this isn't Caroline, Tyler."    She looked at Rebekah in confusion, listening to the one-sided conversation.    "I heard my brother made a real mess of your life. As someone who's been there, you have my sympathy."    Caroline imagined Tyler wasn't exactly thankful for that.    "Shut up and listen closely. I have your wannabe girlfriend, as well as Stefan and Elena, trapped inside the high-school library."    Trapped was a bit of an overstatement. At least in her case.    "If you were smart, you would be as far from Mystic Falls as geographically possible, but since we both know you are not, I'll give you thirty minutes to get here before I start killing people, starting with your favorite blonde. Maybe if you hurry, you'll have better luck saving her than you did your pack."    Rebekah hung up, and dropped the phone into Caroline’s hand.    "There. All done."    She glared at the vampire. "That was a little harsh, don't you think?"    Again, Rebekah looked at her like she'd grown a second head. "No. I don't."    She said the words slowly, as if Caroline were stupid and needed the extra help comprehending them.    In retrospect, that was fair. It had been a stupid question.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~    She wasn't sure how long it'd been since Rebekah called Tyler, but he hadn't shown up yet.    Either he was out of town, or her safety just wasn't that good of a motivator. She desperately hoped it was the latter, more for his sake than her own. Klaus would freak if he caught wind of Tyler's presence in town, especially the day after the failed uprising.    Please don't be stupid, Tyler.    When Caroline heard footsteps approaching the area they were all gathered in, she almost banged her head onto the table, expecting it to be a dumbass but well-intentioned hybrid making his way over.     Instead, it was Kol. She subconsciously smiled at the sight of him and he grinned back at her, though to anyone else, except maybe Rebekah, it would just look like his resting face.    "Back already? Did you find him?"    "Small, skinny guy, with black curly hair and a slightly unnerving amount of zeal?"    "Yep, that's him," Caroline said under her breath with a slight laugh.    Kol shot her another grin while Elena glared at her.    "What? They've already got him!" Elena wasn't placated and looked to Stefan like he would help her.    Which was stupid because right now, Stefan cared f@ck all about anything, much less Elena. He only shrugged without looking at his ex, earning him the full force of her glare.    Right at that moment, Tyler sprang into the room, claws extended and snarling,...and was immediately subdued.    It was kind of sad how easily Kol caught the hybrid in his grip, and Rebekah compelled him to stop fighting.    As if reading her mind, Kol glanced at her over the very p@ss@d-off hybrids head and smirked cockily, even going so far as to wink at her.    She felt perfectly justified in rolling her eyes and then sticking her tongue out at him. It was the only appropriate response.    This exchange quickly devolved into the two of them making increasingly ridiculous faces at each other.    Caroline was so distracted trying not to burst into inappropriate laughter that she missed what was happening around her.    "Kol!"    The vampire's attention turned to his sister, bursting the silly bubble Caroline had been content to stay in.    "Do you plan on making yourself useful sometime today?"    "And here I thought I'd already done that," he replied snarkily.    Rebekah rolled her eyes. "Well, you were wrong, as usual. Come on, and take me to this professor."    The original turned to Tyler, who Caroline noticed was no longer being restrained.    "As for you…shift."    Everyone protested that order, even Kol, oddly enough.    Her friend placed a hand on his sister's arm and said in a serious tone, "Bekah, maybe think about this a moment?"    She glared at her brother, who stared back unmoving. Eventually, Rebekah broke the eye contact with a scoff and returned her gaze to Tyler.    "Turn slowly. I don't want you to lose control until the timer's up."    "What timer?" Stefan asked.    Rebekah looked back at him with a cruel smile. "The one you're now under. You have fifteen minutes. No leaving the building."    She stepped back, and Tyler grunted in pain as the shift began to take effect.    "Have fun."    Instead of disappearing like Caroline had expected, Rebekah turned her hard gaze on her. "You come with me."    Elena and Stefan both looked at her in confusion, and slight panic, respectively. She could only shrug in response before walking over to the waiting originals.    As they turned to leave, Rebekah stopped by a frozen April. She had been so quiet it was easy to forget she was still in the room.    "April, you may want to leave. Things are about to get rather unpleasant."    With wide, terrified eyes, the girl looked at each of them. Caroline gave her what was meant to be a reassuring smile, but actually came out as a grimace.    Another noise from Tyler had her jumping in her seat and nodding at Rebekah hurriedly.    The vampire nodded back before walking towards the exit. Kol looked at her, tilting his head to signal that she should follow, before leaving to catch up with his sister.    At the entrance to the library, Caroline looked at the two Mikaelsons with raised eyebrows. "What is it? You do remember that I'm not actually being forced to stay here, right?"    Rebekah rolled her eyes. "Yes, I'm aware, thank you. Kol was throwing a fit, so I thought it best to make it clear you can leave."    She looked back over her shoulder and chewed her lip in worry.    There wasn't much she could do in this situation, and she really didn't want to stick around Tyler while he was completely out of control, but she couldn't just leave.    …Could she?    "What about them?" She hesitantly asked.    For the third time today, Rebekah looked at her in absolute disbelief. "You can't be serious."    At her unchanging expression, the original groaned. "I am not releasing them from the compulsion. What you do is your business. If you wish to stay and risk your life for a group of self-centered morons, you are more than welcome to do so!"   Rebekah turned to her brother with a glare. "My part is done. If your friend decides to be as stupid as the other foolish oafs she associates with, do not blame me!"    With that, she huffed and stomped down the empty hallway.    Caroline watched her go in shock before turning to Kol. "What the hell was that?"    He sighed and placed a hand on her shoulder. "I think what my sister was attempting to say is this. Do not worry so much over those who wouldn't do the same for you. Look out for yourself, little witch. Because if you don't, then you will surely die, as no one else will."    She looked into his earnest eyes and felt his words ringing in her head.    He's not wrong.    But…her friends wouldn't leave her behind to save themselves.    Well, Tyler might. He'd thrown her to the literal wolves before.    Elena’s had her back in these types of situations before…unless you count…Damon.    Stefan's always been there for her, though! Not when he's off the rails or having particularly bad relationship drama…which he is right now.    Okay! So, they're a little distracted. That doesn't have to mean anything!    But, Caroline knew how important it was to be on guard. If they were already distracted, she didn't want to add to that. There was no doubt her presence would be more of a hindrance than an asset. The last thing she ever wanted to be was a burden.    She looked at Kol, who had been watching her with kind eyes, patiently waiting for her to reach a conclusion.    Hesitantly, she nodded at him and then sighed in a rush of guilt.    Please don't let anything bad happen because of this.    Kol smiled encouragingly at her and held out a hand. Confused, she took it, and in a flash of movement, they were at the entrance to the school.    Shaking her head to rid it of any dizziness, she stepped back and cast a lingering look at the school.    "Don't worry so much, darling. You'll get wrinkles, and then Nik will break up with you."    She smacked him on the arm, and he laughed.    "Are you still coming over after this?" She was going to need the distraction if she wanted to keep from falling into a pit of self-loathing.    He smiled at her softly. "I wouldn't miss it."~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~    It was a little over two hours before Kol showed up. It felt longer as Caroline paced downstairs like she could outrace her thoughts.     She kept anxiously glancing at the time, feeling a dreadful sense of Deja Vu. When she finally felt the familiar sensation of a presence outside, she rushed to the door in relief.    Despite her haste, she barely had time to fully open the door before Kol was pushing inside.    "Bl@@dy fools!"    …Okay then.    Aside from being p@ss@d off, he was clearly agitated; pacing back and forth in the spot where she had been doing the same thing minutes before.    "What the hell happened to you?"    "My idiotic siblings happened, or rather, will happen."    "Okay, that tells me nothing."    He grunted, but didn't pause in his anxious movements. He was making her feel on edge, and she didn't even know what was happening!    Caroline stepped in front of him, forcing him to come to a stop. She grabbed Kol by his arms to both ground him and keep his attention.    "Would you be still for five minutes and talk to me!? What’s going on?"    He huffed and didn't look at her for a while. When he did finally meet her gaze, he seemed guarded, more so than she'd seen him since they first started their arrangement. It made her even more nervous, but she held her ground.    He searched her face, and eventually, his expression softened into one she was more familiar with.    "You may want to sit down. It's a bit of a story."    Great. No one's ever had anything good to say following that.    Reluctantly, she did as he suggested and sat on the couch. He remained standing in front of her, too worked up to sit down.    "If I share this with you, promise me you will at least hear me out. If I wanted to be ignored and brushed aside, I would try reasoning with my siblings again."    "Yeah, of course. Whatever it is seems to have you freaked. That's more than enough for me to take it seriously."    He still seemed a bit hesitant but must have been reassured by her words at least a little because, after a sigh, he began speaking.    "Have you ever heard of Silas?"    She turned the name over and shook her head no.    "Well, that's to be expected. The legend is very old; passed on mostly through word of mouth in the right supernatural circles. Centuries ago, I ran with a coven of witches who told me the story."    Kol sat down on the coffee table in front of her, eyes distant as he recalled the past.    "The legend states that Silas was the first immortal ever to be created."    "Wait, but I thought your family were the first vampires?"    "We are. I said he was the first immortal, not the first vampire. In this case, that's an important distinction."    Well, that didn't sound good.    "Silas is much more powerful than any vampire, even an original one. He was a part of the first Travelers. Do you know of them?"    "Yeah. I've done my research on the topic."    He could hear in her tone that there was more to that particular bit of information, but didn't pry. That, above anything else, worried her the most.    The day Kol misses an opportunity to pry into my personal life is the day the world ends.    "Good. Then you know they specialize in magic related to the mind. Silas' power is like that, only magnified. He's able to break inside anyone's mind. Make them perceive whatever he wishes."    She let out a deep breath, not liking the sound of that at all. "Okay, so a super old vampire that can mind control. Anything else?"    Instead of saying no and moving the conversation to lighter, less terrifying topics like Caroline had hoped, he nodded gravely.    "The witches that told me about Silas had dedicated their lives to preventing one thing."    She really didn't want to, but she asked anyway, "What?"    "Someone finding and waking Silas. If this ever happens, he will stop at nothing to achieve his goal."    "Which is?"    "Raising every dead supernatural creature to ever exist, and destroying the other side. Permanently."    Oh. Wow. What a hefty to-do list.    While this all sounded very bad and definitely caused for concern, Caroline was confused by one thing.    "Wait, what does this have to do with your siblings?"    Kol looked at her for a moment, searching her once again, before dropping his final bombshell.    "Silas is buried with the cure."    This just kept getting better.    After taking a minute to absorb the full weight of what he was saying, Caroline dropped her head into her hand.    "Sh@t. What are we going to do?"    After Kol's silence lingered a bit too long, she looked up at him to find he was staring at her with a shocked expression.    "What? What is it now?"    "You said we."    "...Uh, yeah?"    "You want to help me stop this?"    "Of course! From what you described, this Silas guy is the last thing we need to deal with. Why wouldn't I help you?"    He blinked at her in confusion. "Because all of your friends are trying to get the cure. If I succeed, the bl@@dy thing will never see the light of day."    "Yeah, but we're talking about apocalyptic levels of supernatural sh@t here! If you weigh what's more important, that d@mn cure falls pretty flat in comparison."    Surely, her friends will see that? If Caroline explains the severity of the situation, there's no way they'll still go after the cure.    No one's that selfish.    "Besides, not all of my friends are hunting for the cure. My best friend happens to be doing the exact opposite, actually."    She smiled at him, attempting to lighten the mood a little.    His expression softened at her words, but he still looked a bit surprised.    "You really believe me?"    She felt her heart break at the gentle awe in his voice, like the idea of someone actually listening to him and believing in what he had to say was an amazing but foreign concept.    Caroline understood, and that just made it all the sadder.    She took his hand and smiled softly at him.    "Always. I don't think you'd lie to me about something like this, and when it comes to supernatural history, you know way more than me. I trust you."    She had never seen him like this before. Kol always had a youthful energy about him, but right now, he reminded her of a kid for entirely different reasons. The look in his eyes was that of a sad, hurt child.   Caroline had seen the look on his brother's face, and she'd seen it on her own plenty of times when she looked in the mirror.    For the sake of that cursed Mikaelson pride, she looked away and pretended not to notice when he teared up.    She couldn't resist giving his hand a sympathetic squeeze and smiled to herself when she felt the gesture returned.    After giving him a few seconds to collect himself, she glanced back at him, relieved to see his signature grin back in place.    "So, what's the plan?"    Kol's first suggestion was to kill Jeremy, which she obviously vetoed.    "We're not killing anyone! The whole point of this is to prevent death."    "Maybe that's your reasoning. I'm simply not inclined to die and have a few others I would rather stuck around."    "Like who?" She asked with crossed arms.    He smirked at her, and leaned close like they were swapping secrets. "Like this one annoying blonde with a very bothersome moral compass."    She raised a brow, but returned his smirk. "Oh, really?"    He nodded and then sighed like a lovesick preteen, batting his eyes for added flair. "Yes, I'm afraid Rebekah isn't the only one who's grown fond of that Matt Donovan."    Caroline burst into loud laughter, half-heartedly swatting his arm as she fought off her chuckles.    "Just shut up and think of something else. Preferably something that doesn't involve murdering a kid I've known since he was a baby."    Kol rolled his eyes at her. "Spoil-sport."    "Yeah, I know. I never let you have any fun. Maybe you should go cry to Elijah about it."    He wrinkled his nose in distaste at the suggestion. "Absolutely not. He's even worse."    "Well then, I guess you'll just have to suck it up and deal with me."    He sighed like he was a teenager, and she was his annoying mom, asking him to take out the trash.    "I suppose if I have no other options…"     She smacked him hard this time, and he laughed.    Caroline turned back to the notepad she'd brought out and continued scribbling down half-thought ideas.    Her attention was recaptured by Kol when he spoke again, this time in a more serious tone.    "They aren't going to give this up just because you ask nicely."    "You don't kno-"    "Yes. I do. Even if you somehow manage to convince your friends, I know my brother. His one goal for the past several centuries has been to break his curse and make more of his kind. He will not let anything get in his way."    She sighed, knowing Kol had a point. Even if Klaus did believe them, he wouldn't admit it, too stubborn to give up.    "If we really want to stop this, it's not going to be pretty. I'm prepared to do whatever it takes. Are you?"    Honestly, she wasn't sure. If doing whatever it takes meant conspiring to murder Jeremy, then she didn't think she could do it.   Logically, if you compared the life lost to the lives saved, it was a no-brainer.    God, this is Elena’s brother! I'm a horrible person for even considering…    She shook her head.    "We are not killing Jeremy."    Kol opened his mouth to speak, and she cut him off. "Before you protest, need I remind you of a little thing called the Hunter's curse?"    His expression wavered for a moment before settling back into determination. "What little sanity I have is a small price to pay if it means keeping Silas imprisoned forever."    She scoffed. "Yeah, no. I've seen the effects of that curse. You're not getting it. I don't particularly feel like spending the next couple decades of my life nursing you through insanity."     He smirked at her. "Would you be wearing one of those sexy but very impractical Nurse outfits?"    She rolled her eyes and smirked back. "Nope. I wouldn't even waste my money on the pretty scrubs."    He chuckled. "Well then, I suppose there's no point."    Rolling her eyes again, she directed the conversation back on topic. "If push comes to shove, and I mean this as an absolute last resort, you can chop his arm off."    His eyes lit up like she'd offered him candy, and if he weren't her best friend she'd be absolutely disgusted with him.    Before he could get too excited, she continued speaking, "However, since we're not doing that unless we have no other choice, it's time to brainstorm alternative methods."    He deflated, but grumbled an agreement. Caroline was torn between laughing at his childish behavior or kicking him out.    "Well, I took care of that zealous professor, so that should stall things a bit."    "You killed professor Shane!? I mean, yeah, he was creepy and suspicious as hell, but was murdering him really necessary!?"    "Yes. He was set on freeing Silas. Not to mention he was a complete nutter."    "He knew about Silas?"    "He was orchestrating his release."    "How? I know he was teaching Bonnie magic, which still doesn't make sense, and I know he had a lot of information on the hunters, but this seems kind of above his pay grade."    Kol turned to her sharply with an alarmed look on his face.    "He was teaching the Bennett witch magic!? Do you know what type?"    Caroline shook her head in growing alarm. "No. Bonnie didn't tell me much about it. Just that he was helping her find a way to access her magic without relying on her ancestors. That's not a bad thing, right? I mean, you said yourself that only channeling your power through your ancestors is restricting."    "It is, but knowing how much Shane wants to release Silas and knowing the specific requirements necessary for that, it's too coincidental. The spell to release Silas requires a Bennett witch to perform it, as their bloodline is directly descended from the casting witch. The type of magic needed to complete this is…dangerous, to say the least."    That sounded really concerning.    "Like dark magic?"    "Not exactly. Magic is power derived from a witch's will. It is neither good nor evil; it simply is. The type of magic I suspect Bonnie has been learning is generally deemed more…morally reprehensible, but that's not what makes it dangerous. The witch draws their strength not from natural elements or a supernatural source, but from the power of living sacrifices. The greater the sacrifice, the more the witch's power will grow. The problem is that this particular method comes with such a fast and intense rush of power that is quickly drained. It becomes addicting to the user and can push the witch further into madness, and eventually, death, in their quest for more power."    Caroline was horrified by what he was saying and rapidly shook her head. "But, Bonnie hasn't killed anyone! She wouldn't!"    "She wouldn't necessarily have to. Has there been a large number of deaths lately?"    With wide eyes, she nodded and choked out, "Yes. Twelve people died in a gas explosion, and Klaus killed twelve of his hybrids."    Kol raised a brow, but his expression was far from amused. "I'm sure I don’t have to point out the pattern there?"    "No. I see it."    "The spell to release Silas requires the casting witch to channel the power of three massacres. By the sound of it, Shane was almost there before I impaled him. This means they're closer than I originally thought."    Caroline was still too stunned at the amount of death this man had orchestrated under their noses, and the fact he had manipulated her friend into absorbing the energy released by all that mass murder, to even register Kol's impaling remark.    "So what do we do?" She breathed the question in sickened shock.    He thought about it for a while; his expression troubled in a way she thought it should never be.    When he did eventually come to a conclusion, it didn't seem to be one that fully satisfied him.    "The only people who know the full extent of this situation are either in this room or buried. All we need to do is keep any more deaths from occurring, and the power should naturally dissipate."    "Keep people from dying in Mystic Falls? Why don't we just go back in time and prevent Silas from ever being born? That'd be easier."    Kol shot her a half-amused, half-exasperated look.    "No one likes a smart ass."    "Really? That explains why I'm your only friend."    He chuckled, and she smiled, but all too soon the brief moment of levity ended.    Caroline sighed and ran a hand through her hair in agitation. "Okay. So, we somehow manage to keep the local population alive for the foreseeable future. What about the hunt for the cure? They still have Jeremy as a map. Will they be able to get to it without the power from the last sacrifice?"    "Theoretically, no. However, I'm not willing to let anyone get that close. If it looks like they're about to complete the mark, I will do what I have to."    His tone was deathly serious, and she grimaced but nodded reluctantly.    "Let me talk to them first. Before we do anything rash. At least let me try to make them see reason."    Kol sighed and begrudgingly agreed. "I don't think it will do much good, but if it appeases your conscience, by all means. Only tell them the necessary information. If they don't agree to halt the search, the less they know, the better."    She nodded, seeing how that was a smart move.    "Will you try talking to Klaus?"    Kol looked like he wanted to laugh at the suggestion.    "We both know he won't listen to me."    His tone was bitter, with an underlying resignation that Caroline felt in her soul.    She moved closer to him, placing a hand on his arm and smiling softly when he looked over at her.    "You’re his brother."     Kol scoffed, and it was a harsh sound. "In my experience, that's meant very little."    "Well, you won't know for sure unless you try. I'm not saying you have to. I'll talk to him about it if you want, but I think it should come from you. You know more about this than me."    "He'd be more inclined to listen if it were you giving the lecture."    Caroline rolled her eyes. "I doubt it. Either way, one of us should talk to him."    He frowned and didn't say anything, seeming deep in thought and not enjoying the experience.    "God, don't give yourself an aneurysm! You don't have to decide right now. Just call me tomorrow and let me know if I need to be the one to pay him a visit."    His expression smoothed a bit, and he nodded before standing and stretching.    "Alright. I suppose we've discussed everything we can right now. There's nothing more to do tonight, so you should get some rest."    It wasn't that late, only around seven, but he had a point that there wasn't anything else they could do right now, and she needed time to think about all of this.    She stood and led him to the front door, but he paused and turned back to her before leaving.    "One more thing, darling. When you speak to the Bennett witch tomorrow, be on guard. She is holding a tremendous amount of power inside her right now, and I'd be willing to bet that she doesn't even know it. That makes her a time bomb. The slightest thing and that girl will blow. Do not let yourself get caught in the line of fire, little witch."    And just like that, she was right back to terrified concern.    "What does that mean for Bonnie?"    His face was grim when he answered, "That depends on her willingness to listen to you tomorrow."    Oh, great. So, Bonnie's gonna die.    By the look on his face, Kol was thinking the exact same thing, but he tried his best to conceal it with a smile.    She was so grateful for him.    Without warning, Caroline hugged him for the second time that day.    His surprise and hesitation didn't last quite as long, and she was proud of him for getting the hang of it.    "What's this for?" he asked with humor lacing his tone, though underneath, there was genuine confusion.    She squeezed him to emphasize her words. "I'm just really glad you're here."    Caroline had deeply missed him, and even though their reunion had not been the lighthearted catching up that she'd expected, his presence was a huge relief on her frayed nerves.    This Silas thing was a problem, but unlike every other one she'd faced, she had someone to solve it with. Not just someone to take orders from but someone to work with. A person willing to share all the details and trusting her to help make the decisions.    It felt nice to be treated like she was capable.    Caroline also felt Kol might need to hear that someone was happy to have him around.    He gently hugged her back, and she tightened her grip in response.     "I am too."'
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