The Imaginary Friend

Disclaimer: I do not own the Vampire Diaries.

Sorry for the abrupt hiatus, guys. Life got crazy and writers block took ahold of me with a vengeance! I'm back though! I hope my followers are still with me. Your patience is greatly appreciated.

"What do you know about haiku poetry?" Ms. Galloway asked the class, her gaze swept across the room expectantly. A few hands went up and she pointed to a dark-skinned boy named Xavier. "Yes?"

"It's Japanese?" Xavier answered, making it sound more like a question than a statement.

"Yes." My English teacher nodded. "Very good and who knows the structure of a haiku?"

"It's three lines." Paisley Miller blurted without waiting to be called on. She was a redhead that lived a few houses down from Elena. "The syllables are 5-7-5."

I tried to focus on the lesson, really I did, and I think I got the gist of most of it. Something about how haiku can help "enrich the study of literature." She went into the history of haiku poetry and I managed to jot down the homework. Mostly, though, I spent the class period lost in thought. My eyes kept getting drawn to Rebekah's empty desk.

Where was she? Even if we weren't very close, and I could count the number of times we actually talked to each other on one hand, I still didn't want her to be suffering. Hopefully Henrik, or one of his spirit allies, will find her soon and we'll know for sure what Finn and the Organization did with her.

What was Nik doing? What was so important that he dropped everything, took his hybrids, and left with barely a word? Especially since he's been breathing down his siblings necks since he found out about the whole doppelgänger thing.

Did Kol and Elijah kill my dad? The dark look on Henrik's face flashed in my mind along with the words, do you really want to know? I didn't after my nightmare last night. However, all morning I've been thinking about what he could mean. I only came up with one explanation: Elijah, Kol, and maybe even Damon did something to him. Torture? Instant death? I wasn't sure.

I also wasn't sure how I felt about that.

Knowing he'd never be able to hurt me again, that I didn't have to keep looking over my shoulder, was a relief, but he was still my dad. A part of me was happy he was gone, while the other was guilty for feeling that way. I wasn't any less conflicted now than I was when I cried on Elijah's chest. A dark part of me hoped he suffered and another part wished Dad would pop up out of nowhere to apologize and beg for forgiveness.

Could I even do that? Forgive the man who betrayed me in such a horrible way?

A bell rang, jerking me from my thoughts. With a despondent sigh, I packed my things and went to my next class. I was determined to pay more attention the rest of school today.

It worked for a little while and I was quite proud of myself. Then I got a call during lunch that made me as close to physically nauseous as I could get as a vampire.

"Hey, Care." Steven's voice in my ear made me go stiff. I knew I should've looked before answering. There's caller ID for a reason. "Sorry, I know you're at school, and I don't want to keep you long, but your father hasn't been answering. I'm getting worried."

Sarah gave me a concerned look at my reaction, a disgusting-looking school pizza halfway to her mouth.

I forced myself to give her a reassuring smile. "Hey, Steven. Yeah, we had dinner just last night. I have no idea why he wouldn't be answering." The tone of my voice was a dead giveaway that something was up.

Sarah sat her pizza down, without taking a bite, and watched me closely. She didn't seem reassured.

Come on, I scolded myself, get it together.

There was a pause before my dad's boyfriend spoke again. "Is something wrong, Caroline? Did something happen?"

Was I imagining the suspicion in his voice?

"I'm having a bad morning, but other than that no, nothing's wrong." My voice was more believable that time.

Did he know what Dad was planning? Did they discuss it together?

'What are you going to do if she is a vampire, Bill?'

'Torture her until she doesn't crave blood anymore, I guess.'

'Great plan, baby, that'll totally work. I support it 100%. Make sure you pack enough vervain.'

I almost snorted out loud at the ridiculousness of it.

"Are you sure?" Steven sounded doubtful.

"Yes, I'm sure." I grew irritated despite my unease. What right did he have to question me? I've done nothing wrong. He has no right to paint my dad as the victim here. "He seemed fine to me."

"It's just…" He hesitated.

My lips pulled into a frown. "What?"

How long is this conversation going to last? I answered his question, so if he could hang up now, that'd be great.

"If he misses a call from me, he always calls back. Always." Steven's anxiety grated on my nerves. I knew compassion was probably a more natural response, but I couldn't muster it. "I called him three times yesterday and once this morning. He's not answering."

"It's only been a day." I attempted to comfort him, even if everything in me was screaming to end the phone call. "Give it a little while longer. If he doesn't answer by tonight, then I'd worry."

"Alright." He agreed reluctantly. "I guess I'll let you go. Tell me if you see him after school, okay?"

"I will, I promise."

"Thanks, have a good day."

"You too." I hung up.

Sarah opened her mouth but I shook my head. Don't ask, my facial expression told her. She nodded understandingly and picked up her pizza.

The food in the cafeteria seemed more horrible than usual today. I managed to force a few bites down, to help with the cravings, before the bell rang and I hurried to Art.

Elena was there before I was. She straightened in her chair when she saw me. When I sat next her, she whispered in my ear, "Why did you skip yesterday? I was surprised when I didn't see you in Art."

The crazy thing was, I was tempted to tell her everything. Being a vampire, what happened with my dad, Damon getting me, Kol teaching me the beginnings of self-defense and making out with him. I wanted to spill it all. I imagined her saying all the right things. Elena's good at giving supportive, comforting words when she wants to be. I could just see her inviting me and Bonnie to spend the night at her house tonight to watch movies and eat ice cream. I could go to school with her in the morning and feel worlds better after having some much needed girl-time.

Then I saw judgment start to outweigh the concern on her face and the moment passed. Really? All the times she skipped in middle school and she's going to judge me right now?

My temper flared.

"I've never skipped a day in my life, Elena." I replied sharply. Friday doesn't count because everyone thought I was sick. Elena recoiled at my tone, surprise flashed in her eyes at the harshness of it. "I was feeling crappy and wanted 'me-time.' Is that okay with you? Or are you planning to ambush me with another intervention after school?"

Elena stared for a second and seemed to decide to settle on concern. "Is everything okay? You seem… different today."

"Different because I'm tired of you jumping to ridiculous conclusions?" I hissed at her. My anger climbed even higher. It burned inside of me. "Yeah, I am."

"No." She replied calmly, refusing to let me pick a fight. "Something's wrong and it has nothing to do with that. What is it, Care? You can talk to me."

"Oh, can I?" I scoffed spitefully.

A few curious eyes glanced in our direction. I ignored them.

Elena refuses to listen to me about Elijah and yet I can talk to her? After Nik beat up Jeremy and threatened all her loved ones, I can understand her hating him, but Elijah? He helped her by making that deal. Does she realize Nik probably would have just abducted her otherwise? There's no way she'd be livings as normal of a life she currently is without Elijah.

"Yes, you can." Elena insisted. She put a hand over mine and gazed at me imploringly. "Please stop shutting me out, Care."

The heartbeats in the room got louder, more hypnotic. Bloodlust reared its ugly head with my rising fury. I had to fight to keep my fangs at bay.

I jerk my hand away. "I can't do this today."

"Do what? I just want to understand. Talk to me."

Mr. Powtan began his lecture and I took deep breaths to try and get myself back under control.

I focused on the slow heartbeat in my chest until I was sure I could talk without screaming. "I'm having a bad day, okay? My emotions are all over the place, my dad and I had a fight the other day, Steven called me during lunch, and I just want to get through classes. So can you leave me alone and let me?"

That was as close to the truth as I was willing to go with her at the moment.

"If that's what you want." Elena agreed, although she didn't look too happy about backing off.

"Great." I turned sharply away from her and put all my attention into the Art lesson. I didn't talk to her for the rest of class.

After my conversation with Elena, I didn't have the patience to have a similar one with Bonnie. During History I ignored all her attempts to get my attention.

The building started to feel stifling. The bell dismissing us hours later couldn't have come fast enough. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad I didn't miss another day, but it was a bit much.

Elijah wasn't outside waiting for me when I changed for cheerleading practice. Henrik was though. I haven't seen him since I left for school this morning.

"Hey," I forced a smile and sat on the bleachers'. "Is your day going as awfully as mine?"

"Well, let's see." Henrik started, flopping himself dramatically on the ground near me. "I found Rebekah. Great, right? No, it's not. She's chained up with her doppelganger and warlocks are preparing to bind Rebekah to her with magic: Physically, mentally, and every other way you can think of. Even their life forces, I'd imagine. That's the whole point of the doppelgängers, isn't it?" He let out a humorless laugh, looking like the weight of the world was on his shoulders. "They both look like hell and there's nothing I can do to help, because there's no way you guys can get to them without getting caught yourselves. Finn has gone MIA and the Organization is pissed about that. I still can't find Nik and Mother is planning to get someone to free Father. Just what we need."

My stomach dropped. "She wants to free Mikael?"

That wasn't the only horrible thing revealed but it was the one I focused on. It seemed the worst of them all. Niklaus finally got a chance to get Mikael desiccated and entombed in the 1960s. Nobody wanted him woken up. Except Esther, apparently.

We've enough bad crap happening. We don't need to add Mikael on top of it.

"Yes." Henrik said flatly. "What better way to get a quick advantage over us? You know how Nik reacts to Father, how they all do. I can't imagine it taking much convincing for him to help with a plan to kill them all."

What a terrible day this was shaping up to be. I'm not going to be the one to tell Nik about Mikael when he gets back, that's for sure. I'll leave that for Elijah.

"How long until he's free?"

Henrik sighed. "It all depends on how fast they find him. Nik had him cloaked as powerfully as he could from tracking spells, but if they do find him, we're all screwed."

"Should he be moved somewhere else?" I asked.

If he's cloaked, should he stay where he is? Be moved closer, so we can keep an eye on him? Further away than he already is, so he's harder to get to? I have no idea.

Henrik threw his hands up in frustration. "I don't know what 'Lijah will want to do. We'll talk about it when he gets here."

We'll see Kol and Elijah in the next one! Sorry for the lack of them this chapter.

ALSO: In the show Mikael was entombed in the 1990s by Abby Bennett when he came looking for Elena when she was a baby.

But, with Katherine not getting away, and therefore not turning the Salvatore's, which led to Rebekah not falling for Stefan and getting daggered in the 20s, and Klaus not lying to Elijah about dropping the siblings in the ocean… well, one change leads to a lot more and so Mikael was entombed differently. With Klaus being behind it instead of Abby. She still abandoned Bonnie, though, as you can see by the lack of her in the story.