Title: the other Mikaelson girl

Pairing: Caroline/Damon: Damon/Elena/Stefan: Damon/Katherine

Rating: M

Warnings: Language, Violence, and Sexual Situations

Alternate History: Caroline the eldest daughter of the Original family has been on the run from Niklaus since the daggering of Rebekah. But when she receives an interesting call with the promise of finally ending the Hybrid she finds herself in Mystic Falls, faced with a man from her past that she hasn't been able to forget.

Important Note: This chapter is set in "As I Lay Dying". This is the final chapter of this series. Look for the Sequel: the origin of love. It should be out within a couple of weeks.

Her eyes

She's on the dark side

Neutralize

Every man in sight

Angel, Massive Attack

VIII

He watched the slow rise and fall of her chest as she slept, body pressed firmly into his. He could fell ever inch of her against his side—mocking him of what he would never be able to enjoy. He was dying. There was no way around it. Rose had been bitten…he'd seen what happened to her. The unbearable pain…the dementia…Could he truly put the woman he…loved through that? Allow her to watch him wither away; becoming a shell of a man.

Damon ran a hand down her bare arm, relishing in the sensations of warmth that moved throughout his body at the slightest touch. Her creamy white skin was a work of perfection, soft and delicate…much like her. She was perfect in every way he saw imaginable. And with his returning memories he found it impossible to believe that he had truly ever loved another with as much…intensity…as he did her. Which was why he couldn't put her through what he had gone through with Rose, he noted; climbing out of bed carefully as not to wake her.

He crept to the door of his bedroom, peeking over his shoulder one last time at the beauty that lay soundlessly in his bed before exiting out into the hall. The man remained silent as he entered the parlor, feet directing him to a small cabinet. His eyes danced over the labels until he found a bottle fitting for a last drink.

Damon made his way over to the large curtained window, pouring the contents—bourbon, of course—into a crystal tumbler. He took a sip, eyes drifting over the lush, red curtain for a moment in thought. He moved, pulling the drapes back and allowing a bright, gust of sunlight to wash over him. His lips quirked…a small smile gracing his face as he downed the remaining contents of his glass before setting it down.

He stood before the open window, sliding his day-ring from his finger. This was it, he thought allowing it to fall to his feet with a clank that seemed to echo throughout the room. He could already fell the agonizing heat on his skin as he raised his arms in surrender—ready to greet death.

:}{}{}{}{:

Clank.

The sound woke her from her sleep. Her hand reached for the comfort of her bedmate, dancing over his empty side in surprise. She bolted up, out of bed, brows scrunching in confusion at the absence of Damon. He had been there when she'd fallen asleep…holding her with such possessiveness…she'd melted under his touch.

She froze when she remembered on important fact about their reunion…she had smelt it. Death. He'd been bitten by a werewolf. Her heart almost fell to her chest when she recalled the phases a vampire went through after being bitten by a lycanthrope.

"Damon?" She called out his name worriedly, slowly making her way toward his bathroom. She peeked inside—empty. She turned on her heel, bolting out of his room.

"Damon!" Caroline's voice ricocheted down the long corridor. She paused in her movements when the younger Salvatore sudden appeared before, face solemn. He stared back at her with a mixture of uncertainty and curiosity. "Where's Damon?"

Stefan nodded toward the door leading down to the basement. She didn't miss him sliding a familiar ring into his jacket pocket. Damon's day-ring. Caroline watched him as he turned away from her, leaving her to handle his brother on her own.

Her eyes fell to the door that would lead her to the man she loved. She took a deep breath, gathering up all the courage she could muster and made her way down a set of stairs, down a narrow hall lined with brick. She stopped in front of a door that was bolted shut—keeping whatever was inside from getting out. Caroline peaked inside, eyes finding the Salvatore she'd been looking for huddled in a corner. The familiar aroma of blood hit her—his nose was bleeding. It was one of the first phases of a werewolf bite.

"Caroline," She heard him murmur as his head lulled to the side to take her in.

"I'm here, Damon." The blond responded; fingers working gingerly to unlock the door. She slid inside, making sure to close the door behind her.

"What are you doing?" He breathed out, watching as she approached him; kneeling down before him. "I don't want you to see—"

Caroline shook her head, eyes watering at the pitiful sight of him. It pained her to see the man in such a state. "I want to be here for you, Damon…until the very end."

::::::

"I'm here because I want to be," She murmured as he eyed her with wonder. She was the most radiant woman he'd ever encountered. There was something about her that was reminiscent of Katherine…the power she held over him…but unlike the brunette, she seemingly only had eyes for him. They way she spoke to him, gentle yet firm in her resolve. She was breathtaking. Which was why he was so riddled with doubt. How could someone so important—an Original no less—find him at all fascinating. Wish to amerce herself in his presence.

"Fine by me." Damon sighed, allowing her to loop her arm through his as they walked down the crowded Chicago street. He'd been invited to have brunch with one of society's finest men on Wall Street and his lovely, socialite of a wife. Of course the blond could not have left him to attend on his own. Besides, she enjoyed every moment she got with the man…and away from her brother who was growing more aggravating by the second, talking with much enthusiasm about Bekah's new boyfriend the Ripper. "But if my hands begin wandering under the table, please just entertain me."

She noted the grin on his face, as a blush crept to her cheeks. He was quite the exhibitionist when it came to their sex life. The way he loved to tease her…she bit her lip as sent him a sidelong look. Before he could continue, she grabbed his arm, pulling him behind her into the nearest, empty alleyway. He made an oof sound as she pushed him into the brick wall, pressing herself into his hard form. She attacked his lips, hands flying to his hair, tugging him down gently to meet her enthusiastic lips.

He let out a groan as she moved to trail a line of kisses down his neck. His skin was on fire at her touch. The man wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her tighter against his throbbing manhood. She purred in his ear, fingers working at pushing his trousers down—he hadn't put on any form of underwear she noted with a sly smile.

"God, I love you so much right now," Damon growled out as her fingers stroked him gently, before wrapping around him. The blond stared into his eyes, a glint of mischief behind them.

"Oh, I know you do…"

:}{}{}{}{:

She pulled open the front door, none too surprised by the face that greeted her. She'd been waiting for her to show up. After all, she had left the woman to deal with a dead body on her own.

"Andie." The blond greeted, allowing the girl to slide past her into the home.

"Where's Damon?" Andie inquired, getting right to the point. She was in no mood for pleasantries. She needed to see her boyfriend. The man that had called her whenever there was an itch that needed to be scratched…when he needed someone to talk to.

"Not here." Caroline lied easily. Truthfully, she had just returned him to his room—after he promised to behave and not try and kill himself, again. "What happened to you?"

Andie scoffed, crossing her arms over her chest as she spoke. "What happened to me? Let me see, you left me with a dead security guard last night. I had to lug him into the coffin that had been meant for you, check the log to see where it was supposed to go, use a crowbar to open up a crate, and cart it in by myself before I could get caught. And to top it all off, I come by to see Damon and instead I'm stuck with the Original bitch."

The blond tried not to let her words get to her. But, truth be told, she was a bitch. She should have stayed to help the woman. To investigate further on what Klaus had planned to do with her body. But she couldn't keep herself from going after Damon. When it came to the man she had tunnel vision, bad.

"Crate?" Caroline interjected after a moment of thought. "What crate?"

Andie raised a brow. "The one Klaus' is using to horde a bunch of dead people…"

The blond brought a hand to her head as realization dawned on her. Her brother had never scattered the bodies of their family along the sea. He'd had them the entire time.

She turned to look over her shoulder at the stairs leading up to Damon's room. Would she risk it? Leaving now, before her brother learned she was not in her intended resting place, to see if it was true. See if her siblings were still alive…could she leave Damon at a time when he needed her most?

No…it didn't seem to her that she could leave him again. Not until his last breath, and maybe not even them. She could not live in a world where he no longer existed.

:}{}{}{}{:

"Mr. Salvatore, spying on a lady is a sign of very poor manners." Katherine said, eyes never wandering from the pearls she worked at unraveling from around her wrist.

He entered the room hesitantly, head bowed as he spoke up. "My apologies Miss Katherine."

She turned in her seat, staring into her vanity, examining her dress.

"Well since you're here…" The brunette began, returning her attention to the man who stood in uniform in her doorway. "…my corset strings seem to be knotted. I wonder if you could undo them."

"Of course." Damon responded quickly, stepping inside her room. He moved to stand behind her was she made her way over to the lengthy mirror. He ran a hand through her dark locks, sweeping them to the side; exposing her long, slender neck. She leaned into him, expression downcast.

"Will you miss me while off defending the south?" Katherine inquired, staring into the mirror at him.

"I shall." He whispered into her ear.

"Then I hope you will hurry back." She informed him, closing her eyes as his hand caressed the bare skin of her shoulder. "I fear I will be lonely with you away."

"I would think Stefan should be company enough." The man responded blandly as she turned in his hold; coming to face him now.

"Is it so wrong for me to want you both?" She asked, as if the question in itself held no issue with her. That had been what drew him and his brother apart…her indecisiveness…her inability to choose between the two of them.

"Damon." Another voice called out to him, pulling his attention away from the woman that stood before him. That had held his heart for over a century.

"Caroline?" Damon's eyes widened at her sudden appearance. The blond tilted her head to the side as she stared back at him. His heart clenched at the sight of her.

"Damon, don't you see," Caroline sighed, standing in the middle of the open doorway, shaking her head at him. "She never loved you…not like I did. Like I do. She was playing you."

::::::

His eyes snapped to the opening door, nerves calming when he was that it was her.

"It's getting worse." He managed to get out, indicating the bite on his arm as she approached glass of blood in hand. Her lips were set in a frown, taking a seat beside him. It was obvious she was holding back whatever was threatening to breach her perfect walls of confidence. Stefan had called, saying the witch had a lead on a cure. The idea was optimistic at best.

"Nah, that's just a scratch." Caroline said gently, watching as he took the tumbler from her. He swallowed down its contents slowly, savoring the rich flavor on his tongue.

Aside from his eminent death…this was the first time he recalled ever truly being at peace. The blond had the effect on him. Quelled him of his fears with a breath of beauty that was uniquely her.

"You and Stefan are deluded if you think you're going to find a cure." Damon spoke up, shattering the silence that had washed over him. He couldn't give her reason to hope, when there was none. He was going to die. And as much as he relished at her presence he did not her around when he kicked the bucket.

"No Damon." She said, eyes locking on his as she spoke. "It's not deluded to want to find a cure."

Caroline lay down, until her side was pressed firmly against his. She rested her head on his chest, staring up at him behind dark lashes. "People care about you, Damon. I care about you. Is it so wrong to want to be with you for as long as I possibly can?"

The man stared down into her soft, pleading blue orbs. His fingers found hers, intertwining them with his as he brought their joined hands to his chest; resting them over his heart.

"I don't want you to be…disappointed, Caroline." He sighed; thumb stroking the back of her hand absentmindedly. "I don't want—"

Caroline shifted so that she lay on her side, eyes narrowed as she stared at him with a sudden intensity. She was angry. "Don't talk like that damnit!"

His brows furrowed as she continued. "If I even think for a second that…I just can't afford to think like that, Damon. So please, just humor me."

He nodded slowly, in understanding. They had just found their way back to each other, only to be pulled apart by his impending death. It was hard, to look into her big, blue eyes, and know that he would only leave her in devastation.

"Why?" The Salvatore spoke up suddenly, choosing to change to subject; for her sake. "When you first saw me…why didn't you remove the compulsion you had over me?"

"I—I was protecting you." She murmured, returning her head to rest on his chest. "If Elijah knew that we shared a history, he would have deemed you a liability that he did not need. I—couldn't risk your safety."

It made sense. He would have done the same thing, if he'd been in her position. But he wasn't…and it just frustrated him to no end that she had to deal with the truth of them on her own. Watch as he paraded after Elena, whenever the girl got herself into trouble. Whenever she called.

"I would do anything to keep you safe, Damon." She whispered, warm breath tickling his skin as she spoke. A shiver ran down his spine at her words. He had never met any woman quite so willing as she, without compulsion, ready to do whatever needed to be done to keep him safe. It was usually the other way around…well, in the case of Katherine and Elena…

"Thank you." He sighed in turn, "But I don't deserve it…"

"You do, Damon." Caroline interjected.

"No, I don't." The man admitted to her. Admitted for the first time in over a century. "I've made so many mistakes in my life. With Stefan…and Katherine, Elena…I had a choice. And I made the wrong one. Every decision I made…lead me here."

"To me." Caroline added, kindly; lips set in a soft smile. She raised a hand, cupping his cheek sweetly. "They've lead you to me, Damon. They brought us to this point. Brought us together, again."

It was true. If he had never come back to Mystic Falls for Katherine two years ago he would have never been her to meet Caroline, or reintroduce himself. She would have never made the impact on her life that she did. He would still be under compulsion, completely unaware that there was a woman out there that truly loved him, and only him. Not as a choice but as her only option. It had never been a choice, loving each other. It just happened—fate, some might call it.

Her eyes drifted down to his lips—lips she'd kissed over a hundred times, yet still had an overwhelming effect on her. As if reading her mind, Damon inched closer until his mouth hovered only an inch from hers.

She leaned into him, pressing her lips against his for a gentle kiss. He pulled away, gazing into her face with such…adoration in his eyes. Like she was the only woman he saw.

"Thank you." He breathed out. He was grateful, for having such an amazing woman beside him, fighting along with him; someone who wasn't willing to simply give up on him.

"Well, it's me you should be thanking." A familiar voice cut through the silence of the room before the blond could respond. They both turned their attention to the archway where the woman stood, waving a small bottle in her hand. "I mean, I'm the one who brought the cure."

Caroline could see that the Petrova was tense, probably uncertain where they stood. The two had rarely interacted when she'd been staying on the estate with Niklaus, but—she was an Original. Someone not to be trusted, many liked to think.

The blond watched as Katarina—or Katherine, as she liked to go by now—crossed the room to where Damon lay.

"I thought Klaus would have killed you by now," The brunette spoke up, uncapping the bottle.

"Oh, he did." Caroline responded simply.

"You got free." Damon muttered as she brought the container to his lips.

"Yep. Finally." She said with exasperation as the contents ran down his throat.

"And you still came here." The Salvatore got out in surprise. He had not expected that from the woman who said she'd only ever loved his brother.

"I owed you one." She said matter-of-factly, patting his cheek gently. Stefan had done it. He'd found the cure.

"Where's Stefan?" Caroline spoke up, voicing the question that had been on his mind. If Stefan had found the cure, why wasn't he the one bringing it to him? Something wasn't right. He could feel it. And it seemed the blond could too.

"He's pay for this." Katherine informed them, indicating the empty bottle with a wave of the hand. "He gave himself over to Klaus. I wouldn't expect him any time soon. He sacrificed everything to save his brother. Including Elena."

:}{}{}{}{:

The Gilbert girl was devastated when she heard the news about her boyfriend. She'd shown up at the boarding house to say her final goodbyes to the brother she hadn't chosen, only to have him answer the door looking as good as new wearing a saddened expression.

He did his best to comfort her as they sat in the parlor, Caroline pacing the floor in silent thought. If Klaus was willing to give up the cure in return for Stefan than that could only mean he had an ulterior motive driving him to do so. Niklaus never did things without expecting something in return that could help him.

Andie had already revealed that her brother had in his possession the remaining Originals. Elijah, most likely now among them—with the exception of the coffin the reporter had managed to place inside its designated crate. It actually worked in her favor. If Nik believed she was daggered—that there was no one left to stand against him he would be unprepared for an attack.

If she could find someone powerful enough who could help her. Her eyes flashed from a crying Elena, to Damon, who held the girl in his arms carefully. If he'd still be in love with her he might have taken advantage of the contact. But he wasn't. So, he did his duty as the good friend…the doting brother.

"It will be okay, Elena." Caroline sighed; stopping to look at her directly, expression reassuring. "We will bring Stefan back. I give you my word."

The brunette stared up at her in awe. There was such determination…such certainty in her voice. She stood up, approaching the Original slowly. There was fear in her eyes. She still did not know if she could trust the vampiress that had came into their lives like a whirlwind and taken Damon's affections away. Even if they'd know each other in the past. It hurt, she hated to admit.

Seeing the way the man looked at Caroline, eyes purely focused on her as if every breath she took was of monumental importance.

"How can I trust you? How do I know you won't betray us like Elijah?" The Salvatore stood up at her sharp tone, readying himself to pull the girl away if she grew aggressive—not that he was worried for Caroline.

The blond tilted her head, staring past Elena at the man who meant more to her than anything else in the world. "Because I love, Damon. I would never do anything to hurt him. And I know how important his brother is to him. If I can, I'm going to do whatever it takes to get him back."

Elena nodded slowly, lips pursing as she stared back into Caroline's blue orbs.

"Okay. What's the plan?"

Thanks for reading. Please leave a review. Sorry for the cliffhanger.

Look for the Sequel: the origin of love. It should be out within a couple of weeks.